It had been seven long years since Dave Karofsky had stepped foot in William McKinley high school in Lima, Ohio. Seven years since he had graduated and left Lima, Ohio for a new life, a better life, a free life. He had received a full athletic ride to play hockey at Bowling Green State University, and after graduation was drafted as an enforcer for the San Jose Sharks.

Today though, he stood in front of William McKinley high school and stared at the building. It seemed to loom over him. He was nervous. 200 pound men flying at him on blades didn't bother him, but the thought of entering the place he'd work so hard to leave behind, terrified him.

Beyond those doors was the place where he experienced his first crush, his first kiss, the realization that he was different from other boys a t school. Except one. Kurt Hummel.

Immediately Kurt's porcelain face flashed across Dave's face. He grimaced.

Dave could remember the first time he had ever seen Kurt. It was 4th grade. They had gone to separate elementary schools but were funneled into a middle school and were placed in the same classroom. The first time Kurt stepped off the bus, Dave nearly choked. Kurt had on tight stonewashed denim jeans, a t-shirt with glitter on it, and clear yellow plastic jelly shoes. Dave felt a flutter in his stomach. But when Dave realized Kurt was not a girl, he brushed those feelings off as a stomach ache.

Kurt would wear extreme outfits like that nearly every day, and nearly every day, Dave would find ways to brush them off.

It got harder and harder though. He would get goose bumps, butterflies, and blush anytime Kurt was in his general vicinity and Dave did not like that at all. He hated not understanding why he was reacting that way, when seemingly no one else was. He hated feeling like he was going to burst into flames anytime Kurt walked by and accidentally brushed him.

Dave never talked to Kurt though, even when Kurt would try to be friendly to him. He didn't trust what he would say or do, so he ignored him.

Then puberty hit in sixth grade and Dave was the first to start changing. He couldn't help that he developed before everyone else, but he was teased mercilessly for it by the other boys. Especially his closest friends.

And that is when he discovered sports. He was taller and bigger than all the other boys and was naturally a gifted athlete. He could play basketball, hockey, football, and baseball decently and was always chosen first when they picked teams for pickup games. He quickly learned that only way to be left alone is if you make them leave you alone. So he became known as the enforcer, the bully, someone not to mess with. For seventh grade he ruled the halls. Then eighth grade came and the other boys caught up. He was part of a group again. He had his friends back, his sports, and he was even doing decently academically. Life was good. But Dave started noticing things, he knew he was different, he knew no other guy in the school felt the same way, and if they did they weren't talking about it. The fact that whenever Puckerman would bring in playboys to the locker room, he never had the same reaction as the other boys was a big tip off. He just did not understand the appeal of the women in the magazine. Then Finn and Puck would compare girl's breast sizes and Dave never had anything to say, because he had honestly never noticed.

Now Kurt's ass in those tight jeans? That he noticed. In fact, since Kurt sat two rows over in English class and two seats up, Dave could sit and stare at Kurt for the entire class period pretending to look out the window. He never paid attention in class, especially when Kurt would shift in his chair and move his leg just right so Dave could see the outline of his junk. Dave was convinced Kurt did it on purpose just to toy with him. He was most grateful for the fact that all the boys his age were going through the same thing and most of them were sporting erections at any given time in the day, so he never had explain why he was always sporting one in English. His grades slipped because he never paid attention in class, and so he never knew what he was supposed to be doing for homework on in his tests.

When he finally got his report card, he had a D. When his father found out he panicked and called an emergency meeting with the teacher. Both agreed that Dave needed to pull that grade up so he would remain eligible to play sports that year.

Then Dave heard the teacher's suggestion. Kurt. Kurt was great at English, the best in the class actually and was already tutoring a few other people. She'd just give Kurt Dave's number and they could set up meetings.

Dave did not want that. Kurt was the reason he was failing in the first place, being that close to him for extended periods of time was a recipe for disaster.