Entwined 15

[gwennylou]

 Dave finally woke up a few hours later and made his way to the kitchen. He was exhausted and his head felt as if someone dropped a twenty-pound anvil on it.

It was still light outside, but the inside was dark, and he walked into the kitchen by the guide of the pale sun light streaming through the windows.

He saw the note on the refrigerator as soon as he stepped in and smelled something delicious.

He saw that the oven was on, as he picked the note up.

I went to the school to finish those bulletin boards. I ordered some takeout from Breadstix, but you were so out of it, I let you sleep. I am warming some of it though, so eat it whenever you're ready.

-Kurt

P.S. I also went grocery shopping while I was out. You need to eat better. I also cleaned while you were sleeping. Maybe consider hiring a housekeeper with all that money you have.

Dave just rolled his eyes. Of course, Kurt had to be a bitch even when he was being "nice."

He grabbed the food out of the oven, turned it off.

He went to go grab a beer, and realized that Kurt had replaced all his favorite beer with lite crap. He was not pleased.

One of the few pleasures he got in life was sitting down after a hard, long day of having to put up with Kurt by drinking a beer. One that was not lite and one that did not taste like watered down urine.

He grabbed a Gatorade instead and sat down at the island.

Just then, he saw the light on his phone blinking and he pushed the button.

David Karofsky. I told you to be careful when drinking! Kurt called me and told me what was going on. I just got back from Cleveland a few hours ago, but if you're up to it, we could meet this evening and maybe watch the Indians vs. Tigers and do the interview. Let me know!

Dave groaned. In the excitement of getting, a concussion and having Kurt turn his entire world upside down, he had completely forgotten about the damn interview.

They were starting school in less than five days though, so he needed to get it over with it, before life got too busy for him.

He called Tyler and told him to come over and to bring some goddamn good beer with him.

Tyler just laughed when Dave told him what Kurt had done and said something about them acting like an old married couple already.

Dave shuddered at the thought.

Forty minutes later he had eaten, showered, and was sitting on his couch watching the game.

He heard the doorbell ring, and went to answer it.

Tyler came in with his messenger bag and handed Dave 2 six packs of various flavored domestic beer.

Dave couldn't stop the enormous grin from covering his face, even though smiling that big hurt his head.

He grabbed a Blue Moon, and downed half of it in seconds.

"Careful there, big guy. Last time you drank you nearly killed yourself. Plus you're mixing it with pain killers, never a good combination."

"Shut up. Don't even pretend that you would not do the same thing, if someone who once hated you is treating you like a stupid child."

"You two are both acting like stupid children."

"Thanks."

"I'm serious, Dave. I can't even wrap my head around the fact that you two never dated. You act as if you were together for years, had a painful breakup, and are still in love with each other. It's like the start to every bad romantic comedy I've ever seen."

"We are not in love, Tyler. That isn't even possible. Kurt has hated me since high school and now barely tolerates me."

"Right. So that's why he kissed you, right?"

"How did you know he kissed me?"

"You told me. Remember? The night we drove to Columbus to see Blaine perform. You told me about the times he kissed you. Are you sure the concussion didn't give you lasting brain damage?"

"No, I just, never mind…"

"OH MY GOD, DAVID. Did he kiss you again?"

"That's sort of why I got the concussion."

"Wait, are you saying that you two kissed so great you passed and hit your head?"

"No, we basically made out, and by the time I realized what we were doing, it had gone on for a while, but I also knew that he was only kissing me because he was pissed off at Blaine, and you were in Cleveland, meaning I'm apparently the only other gay guy he knows."

"And?"

"And so I told him we shouldn't do it, I pushed him away, stood up to fast, lost my coordination, and injured myself when I fell against the coffee table."

"And then he made sure you got to the hospital and stayed with you and brought you home? I don't think he hates you."

"Ehh, I don't know. It's complicated."

"Real life relationships usually are. At least one where real emotion and feelings are involved, Dave."

"He may have also kissed me for real a few hours ago."

"Really? What do you mean by "for real"?

"Well he kissed me a second time later, and I think I told him I wanted him to kiss me or something. Oh God. I'm such a dork. He really must think I'm an idiot."

"Well you are an idiot, but so is he. I'm pretty sure if he kissed you and you told him you wanted him to, that you both wanted to kiss each other. It's like explaining kissing to four year olds."

"You are not helpful at all as a friend."

"Sometimes, I think the only way to help you, is to get you off your stubborn ass and to see the error of your ways. It's a never-ending job, Dave. Trust me. Azimio and I need to start a support group. I swear."

"Oh God, Azimio. I need to call him and let him know I'm okay."

"Don't worry about it, Dave. Azimio knows. I called him as soon as Kurt called me. It's all good, and I kept Azimio company today. Or I guess he kept me company. He drove with me to Cleveland.

"Oh, really? What were you doing in Cleveland?"

"Oh, nothing actually. Just had an appointment and I knew Azimio was waiting on the construction bid for the new football field, so I decided whom better than to spend an afternoon with? Besides, you know that we became friend when we dated. Azimio and I had plenty of great times playing practical jokes on you in college."

"Don't remind me. I remember the time you took all my underwear and spray painted them gold."

"That was so much fun. You were so mad and had to wear gold bedazzled boxers for a week until your mom could buy you new ones."

They talked and laughed for a while more before they started the interview.

They were nearly done with the interview when the doorbell rang.

Dave got up and headed to the door.

Kurt was standing there with a gigantic box, struggling.

Dave opened the door took the box from him in one hand and put it under his arm.

"You know you could've waited until tomorrow to bring this stuff back."

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay before I went home for the evening."

"Really? Or did you drive by and see Tyler's car and figure out that we were doing the interview tonight and felt the need to stop by and make fun of my apparent stupidity some more?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You dumped out all of my beer, Kurt. ALL OF IT."

"Because you seriously need to eat better. The beer you had and your food, all of it is loaded with unnecessary fat, sugar, and sodium and empty calories."

"Oh, so this is the fat thing again. So I'm fat and stupid and I can't take care of myself? Is that what it is?"

"I didn't come over here to fight with you, Dave."

"You are so goddamn annoying. I can't even…"

"What?"

"Nothing. Right now, I'm too annoyed and pissed off to have this conversation with you."

"I don't understand why you would be so mad at me trying to help you?"

"HELP ME? Oh my God, Kurt. Since when is constantly making me feel fat and ugly and stupid helping me?"

"That was never my intention."

"Really? NEVER? I'm pretty sure the day I kissed you in high school it was."

"HEAVENS TO BETSY, DAVID. WILL YOU NEVER LET THAT GO?"

"You're making it sort of hard, Kurt, considering you keep fucking doing it."

Tyler made his way out to the foyer.

"Boys, I'm pretty sure having this screaming argument while the front door is hanging open, is not the best idea."

Kurt looked at Tyler and took a deep breath.

"You're right, Tyler. You are absolutely right. I'm going home. Maybe you can talk some sense into him."

"Fuck you, Hummel."

Dave was pissed off and hurt and a mix of things he couldn't even put into words at the moment.

He watched as Kurt angrily stomped off and looked back at Tyler, who took one look at his face of misery.

"Dave go back into the living room, sit down, watch the game, and drink your beer. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"What are you doing?"

Tyler ignored his question and walked outside.

Kurt sat in his car with his hands shaking. He didn't even know why he cared. Dave was his high school bully. He was the guy who made him cry every day of high school and drove him to a boarding school. He was also the guy he had been in love with since the first day of fourth grade.

He remembers stepping off the bus and seeing him standing off to the side with his sunglasses, Ohio State t-shirt, blue jeans, and tennis shoes, but there was something about the way he took off his sunglasses, and smiled at him. His entire face lit up and his hazel eyes sparkled.

Kurt felt something in his stomach that he had never felt before. He brushed it off as nervousness for the first day of school. But the feeling never went away. Every time he saw Dave show off on the monkey bars at recess or telling stupid and corny jokes, his stomach always felt like there were butterflies in it.

He didn't get it and he certainly didn't enjoy always feeling nervous around him. In fact, any time Dave spoke to him, he stuttered, blushed, and felt incredibly stupid.

He hated it.

So he pretended as if he was above it all. That he didn't affect him as much as he really did.

Dave quit talking to him and spent more and more time with the Azimio, his best friend who was even bigger and stronger than he was. Kurt was always jealous of Azimio. He and Dave were always laughing and rough housing and he didn't even know why he cared at all.

Jr. High came and went and he and Dave actually became friends and by that time he realized what the feelings were, he was pretty much in love with Dave and had always been and he tried his hardest not to scare him away. Dave seemed to be interested too and Kurt got his hopes up, and then freshman year came.

Dave was accepted on the hockey team as a starter and things went downhill. Kurt was hoping that maybe he could come out to Dave and that Dave, who he was sure was at the very least bisexual, would accept him and even if they weren't together, they could be friends. Except, Dave wrote faggot on his locker, and became a bitter, angry jock who enjoyed being cruel to him.

He went home crying every day. He hated that someone he had been so in love with would be so cruel. So he set his sights on another jock that was less than bright, sweet, innocent, and safe. Finn Hudson.

That crashed and burned though and after he made his crush obvious, Dave treated him even worse.

Then things got really awkward and painful and Kurt lost his temper and finally confronted Dave.

And that was the straw that broke the camel's back. Dave ended up kissing him, and Kurt was too stunned and shocked to even realize what was going on.

When he realized Dave was going in for a second kiss, he pushed him away. He wanted to ask Dave what the fuck was going on, but Dave took it as some sort of rejection, considering Kurt had just spent the past five minutes tearing down his appearance and everything about him.

He hadn't meant any of it though. He couldn't. He loved the way Dave looked; he was just so angry and upset.

He cried for an hour in the bathroom after that.

When he had found out from Mr. Schuester that their new rivalry was the Warblers from Dalton, he decided to do a reconnaissance mission and ended up being caught. But he had met Blaine Potter. He was gorgeous, a year older with deep brown eyes, and a perfect face and perfectly coiffed hair. He was everything anyone could ever want in a boyfriend, and he was out and proud. The school had a zero tolerance policy and he felt accepted and awesome from the few hours he had spent there.

Blaine had told him all he needed was courage and that he could make it through high school even with being bullied.

So Kurt went back to school and got pushed into the lockers by Dave again. He told Blaine about the kiss and his confusion and wanted to know what he should do.

Blaine convinced him the best thing they could do is help Dave realize he was gay and help him come out of the closet. They basically ambushed him and that had not gone well. Dave was even further in the closet, angrier, and clearly upset and hurt by the actions Kurt had taken. He felt horrid and wanted so badly to just pull Dave aside privately and find out what was going on, but Blaine insisted Dave just needed time.

The bullying got worse and one instance happened in front of his Dad.

Parents were called in, Dave was suspended, and Kurt felt even worse.

The look on Dave's face when he looked at him as he left broke his heart.

Then the school board overturned the decision and Kurt was put in a predicament, he knew the bullying would get worse, because was Dave not only full of self-loathing and hating, he had betrayed him and Dave was also upset and hurt at him. Not a good combination for a bully.

So his dad and Carole decided to send him to Dalton. And he went. He joined the Warblers and quickly learned the way of a private, all boys' school. He learned he was low man on the totem pole and that unlike at McKinley; he didn't stand out or shine, because there were so many guys like him at the school. And the worst travesty of all was that they were forced to wear uniforms. No fashion at all at the school. But no more bullying. No more worrying about what Dave would do or say to him and best of all no more conflicting and confusing feelings about Dave.

He tried hard to forget about him, and the more he talked to Blaine and the other Warblers, the more he realized he did deserve better, Dave would never be the man for him, even if he did come out, and that it was okay and healthy even to hate him. He let their words and their underhanded manipulation work on him and by the time regional's rolled around he hated Dave.

Then he saw Dave with the Glee kids and he freaked out. What the hell was he doing there? All he could think while performing was that Dave was in the audience watching him. He felt like he had just dragged all the Warblers down with his inability to focus.

Dave tried to talk to him, but he couldn't handle and probably more rudely than he should've basically implied he was a stalker, and should leave.

That was the last time he had seen Dave until the awkward day in the school office. And the thing was, Dave looked better than even. He clearly had taken his words thrown in anger to heart. He was built and good looking as ever, and knowing he had come out years ago, he looked confident and happy, and Kurt was jealous. He was still in a manipulative, borderline abusive relationship with Blaine, and he was unhappy. And he took it out on Dave.

Looking back over the last few weeks, he realized that he was treating Dave as if Blaine had treated him and taking his anger out on him.

On top of which, things were just awkward when he was around Dave. It was clear the feelings he had for him in school, were still there, never going away, always simmering under the surface. He clearly had feelings for Dave that weren't just anger or hate or confusion. And he didn't appreciate them, considering Dave clearly did not like him and always pushed him away.

Of course, he had already made an idiot of himself far too many times to count by kissing him. And kissing Dave was like fireworks on the Fourth of July, getting a new scarf, and singing better than Rachel Berry combined. It was seriously the best thing he'd ever experienced, and his brain and heart kept trying to get him to imagine what having sex with him would be like.

He didn't want to feel that way about Dave, hell, he didn't even want to like him at all, but he couldn't help himself. Dave was clearly nothing like he was in high school, and he was as he was in eighth grade, except grown up, with rock hard abs, and a killer smile, and a freaking teacher with his dream house, and a sports car. Seriously, everything Kurt could ever want, well Dave had it, and seemingly did it better than Kurt.

So, not only was Kurt crushing hard on his former bully, he was also insanely jealous of everything Dave had. It was unfair and cruel and he blamed God, the universe, whatever, for doling out heaps of cosmic irony on him.

He moaned and put his face in his hands. He was an idiot. He had gotten in yet another fight with Dave over something incredibly stupid. And he couldn't help himself. Every time, Dave spoke to him, his skin tingled, it was as if his body had a physical reaction any time he was even near Dave. He hated his body in that moment. He muttered to his brain to quit sending signals while he was in the presence of Dave Karofsky.

He was pulled out of his reverie by a knock on his window.

It was Tyler looking concerned.

Kurt rolled down his window and Tyler asked if he could talk to him.

Kurt nodded and figured this was where Tyler would warn Kurt to back off and to leave his man alone. And he agreed with him. He should do that.

Tyler got in and told Kurt to drive.

They ended up at the local Dairy Queen, and Tyler told him to go through the drive through, twenty minutes later they were sitting in the football stands at the school, eating their ice cream, and watching the beautiful sunset.

"So, Kurt."

"Tyler."

"It's pretty clear to me and most of Lima, I'm sure, that you are in love with Dave Karofsky. And I was sort of wondering, actually no, hoping, that would do something about it, because I'm really tired of Dave constantly moping and acting like a petulant brat."

Kurt nearly choked on his ice cream.

"WHAT?"

"Seriously, you're going to try to deny it? Really?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"First off, don't play innocent. I know about the kisses, secondly, you two are so obvious it's painful to watch. You think you're playing this cat and mouse game, and really, you're just acting like immature, spoiled brats. And neither one of you will just give in and make the first move. Believe me, since I stepped into Lima two weeks ago, the only thing I've seen is you two constantly bickering, fighting, and flirting with each other, and the constant tension is getting to the point where no one knows when you two are going to finally burst and start fucking each other, and I guarantee in front of your friends is not the answer. Shit or get off the pot, Kurt. "

Kurt sat in shocked silence. That was NOT the conversation he had expected to have. Not even, close. He was preparing to agree with Tyler about how he should back off, but instead, Tyler was telling Kurt to fuck Dave? What?

Kurt looked at Tyler in confusion and was just about to speak.

"Don't even give me excuses, Kurt. Just quit pretending like you hate Dave. You don't hate him. He doesn't hate you. In fact, I guarantee what he feels for you is nothing even close to hate. Sure, you annoy him and frustrate him, but that's only because he is so in love with you, it's almost painful for him. So please, I'm begging you, Lima is begging you to get the fuck off the pot and just fuck him already. Okay? I guarantee the sexual tensions will go down a little bit, at least to the point where you can pretend civility and restore a little peace to your circle of friends. "

With that, Tyler stood up and walked away.

He turned back to look at Kurt who was still sitting there shocked. He hadn't moved in about a minute and his ice-cream was slowing melting over his hand.

"Dave is going to be up late tonight, because I basically told him the same thing earlier tonight. You should probably go back there and discuss this, and by discuss I better here that you at least made out and actually meant it."

Kurt couldn't respond.

Millions of thoughts, feelings, and emotions ran through his mind. He could barely think. All he could hear was the whooshing sound of air as his brain worked overtime to process what had just happened. Then the words of Tyler slowly sank in. Dave also had been told the same thing. Dave was being put through the ringer just like he was, and he smiled.

The beginnings of an idea, a thought, a plan crept into his mind. He walked toward the parking lot and in that instant, that fateful moment where he allowed a seed to take root; he changed the course of his life and Dave's life forever.