Kurt had abandoned his textbooks and his ipod with him to the kitchen. He had wanted to get some studying done but that hadn't happened. So it was snack time. Dancing around the island trying to make a sandwich should have been an acceptable way to memorize math theorems. It was sometimes nice having the house to himself. His dad was still in the shop, Carol was at a Mary Kay meeting and Finn was off with Puck doing "guy stuff" as they had put it. Probably looking at porn again. Finn's browser history had some sites on it that Kurt was still hoping he could one day forget with time and lots of therapy.

Kurt had just finished eating his sandwich when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pressed pause on the ipod and took out the phone.

"Hello?" Kurt answered with a light airy tone. It didn't bother him that the number had shown up as blocked, that just usually meant that it was his dad calling from the private line at the shop. Kurt hoped his dad wasn't calling to tell him that he was bringing home fast food again. Keeping Burt on a heart healthy diet had been an ongoing challenge.

But it wasn't his father's voice that answered… "Hummel? Please don't hang up."

Kurt's stomach dropped and he couldn't help but glance nervously around. Even though he knew he was alone he whispered into the phone, "Who is this?" He had to ask the question even if he already knew the answer.

Dave had been hoping that Hummel would know it was him. Now, having to actually say who it was he lost all ability to talk. "Um, this is….uh…"

Kurt listened to Karofsky trip around his own name for half a minute before becoming completely exasperated and snapped at the phone, "Look, I know it's you Karofsky. So stop spazzing over your own name and tell me why you are calling me."

Dave pulled the phone away from his ear. He looked from the bright screen around his dark bedroom. Why the hell had he called? What had he been expecting? Dave knew he was lucky that Hummel was still on the other end. It had made so much sense this morning. It had been surprisingly easy to find Hummel's cell phone number. It had only been a little harder to dial the number. But he had known what he wanted to say. He'd carefully thought out every piece of his speech. But all the things he had meant to say, wanted to say just weren't coming out of his mouth now. It was like he'd forgotten how to speak English. He had to say something though…

Kurt rolled his eyes and was about to hang up when he heard Dave let out a long sigh, "I'm sorry." Kurt's eyebrows quirked up as he listened to Dave continue, "I should have said that a while ago. I should have said that in Figgin's office. I mean, I treated you like shit. I was terrible to you."

"Yeah, I know, I was there." Kurt answered, harsh memories making his words harsh.

Dave stumbled a bit after that, "I know, I know man… I'm just so sorry about the way everything went down."

"You threatened to kill me…" Kurt gritted through his teeth. "You terrified me. You stole my cake topper. You bullied me mercilessly…"Kurt had to close his eyes before he continued, "You stole my first kiss."

There was a long pause before Dave started, "I didn't…"

"If you say you didn't kiss me I will fucking lose it!" Kurt yelled into the phone before he choked on a lump in his throat that hadn't been there a minute ago. He wasn't going to cry. But the emotion was just too much to let him talk around it. The kiss had been shocking enough but to have the first man to ever kiss him deny the entire episode had been worse. Your first kiss should never do that. And Dave had denied it to his face twice before. Kurt had dreamed what his first kiss with another boy would be like. He had been sure it would be romantic and wonderful full of satin and moonlight. But that was never going to happen now. When Kurt finally calmed down enough to hear again he wondered if Karofsky would still be there. He listened into the phone and realized what the strange sound on the other side was…

Dave Karofsky was crying. No, he was sobbing. Taking horrible, wheezing breaths between the sobs that it hurt to even hear.

Kurt was torn; he wanted Dave Karofsky to understand the pain he had caused, even just a small part, for so long that Kurt thought maybe this was justified. But that sad, pitiful sound didn't make him feel any better. In fact, it just made him feel sad for Karofsky. He didn't want to feel sorry for the bully. Kurt had tried to be understanding to the meat head. Hadn't he? He'd tried to reach out and help. A bust. He'd then tried to give the boy space, keep his secret for him. And that had gotten him nothing but bruises, the paranoid need to look over his shoulder everyday in every hallway at school and finally had made him transfer schools.

Karofsky sniffled and started speaking again. His voice still thick with tears, "I'm so sorry I ruined your life. I'm sorry for punishing you for the shit I couldn't handle. I'm sorry for scaring you. I'm sorry I stole from you…" he hiccuped, "I still have your cake thing if you want it back. I would like to give it back."

Kurt listened quietly to Dave's apology. Once it was finished he spoke in a very calm, low, even voice, "You didn't apologize for kissing me."

Dave shook his head and realized that Hummel couldn't see what he was doing. He stood up and started walking around his dark bedroom. Pacing back and forth. Why couldn't Hummel just accept his apology? Why did Hummel always have to find the exact thing to say to make Dave unsure how to continue? Dave wondered how Hummel always found the hardest things for Dave to talk about and went right for them. Just like he had that day in the locker room. It was like the slender boy had a homing beckon or something. Dave thought for a second before he started speaking again, "I'm sorry for jumping you. But I can't apologized for.." his voice died in his throat.

Kurt held his breath. Was Karofsky going to actually say it? He had to say it or Kurt promised to himself that he was hanging up. He couldn't sit here and listening to Karofsky word vomit all over him if the meathead was still lying to himself.

Dave knew he had talked himself into a corner. He wasn't actually dumb after all. Even if he pretended to be. It was just easier to fit in if he didn't stand out. Easier for teachers to leave him alone. Easier for Dave to pretend. He'd been lying to everyone for such a long time. But this year it had gotten so, so bad. He was breaking under the pressure of the bullshit he'd built up around him for so long. But not everything he'd done this year had been to keep up the lies. When he'd danced, when he'd kissed Kurt, he'd been as close to free as he could ever remember being. He coughed once and said very fast, "I can't say sorry for kissing you because that is one of the like two times this whole year when I haven't felt like a total bullshit-coward-fuck-up!"

When Kurt didn't respond Dave felt a pain lance through his chest. He pulled the phone away from his ear but it still said connected. Hummel was still there. Or at least he hadn't hung up yet. Dave needed to fill the silence with something, "Well, I guess I am sorry a little bit…"

Ah there it is. Kurt thought to himself. Kurt knew it was all too good to be true. That if he let Karofsky talk long enough Kurt would see him talk himself out of the apology. It was just disappointing to see that glimpse of this Dave Karofsky being hidden again. But Karofsky hadn't been finished…

"You deserved better than a ham hock like me grabbing you in the smelly locker room for your first."

"You didn't know…" Even as the words left Kurt's mouth he wondered why he was being so nice to his tormentor. He thought about it for a moment. Searching for that hate and fear he'd had twisted up in his stomach for so long. But he couldn't find it anymore. He didn't know when it had disappeared but being at Dalton, even if the lack of personal style had driven him mad more than a few times, had been good for him. He hadn't been afraid in weeks. And he wasn't afraid now. Kurt heard Finn's car pull into the drive way. "Hang on a second." He said.

"It's cool man. If you want to hang up I'll understand." Dave said.

Kurt couldn't help but smile for a moment, "I'm just going up to my room. Finn just got home. I was in the kitchen when you called."

"Oh, okay." Dave had never stopped to think what Kurt would be doing when he called. He could have been eating dinner. Or in the shower. Dave blushed at the thought and was really happy at that moment that Kurt couldn't see it. He sat quietly listening to the muffled sounds of footsteps and doors opening and closing.

Finally Kurt came back on the line. "What made you call me now?"

Dave was amazed that Kurt was being so nice. He'd been expecting a vengeful, hate filled speech in which Kurt Hummel would tell him that he could take his shitty apology and go straight to hell. But it wasn't playing out that way. He let himself smile for the first time in about a week and said, "So I got suspended last week for being drunk at school. Got my ass grounded. No Xbox, no computer, no phone. All I did have was a lot of time to think about what the hell I was doing… But I guess the thing that really made me call was Hudson."

"Finn?" Kurt wondered how his step-brother had brought about this miracle. Kurt adored Finn and all of Finn's doltishness but a revelation like this seemed just a bit beyond the tall teenager. Kurt sat down on the chair in front of his vanity and crossed his legs delicately waiting to be told when exactly hell had frozen over.

Dave could hear the disbelief in Kurt's voice and chuckled. "Yeah. After the championship game Finn told me that he would take me to your new school to apologize."

"What for?"

"So I could join glee club. He said that they would never let me in unless I apologized to you."

Kurt's mouth dropped open in shock but he recovered quickly, "You were good out there at the half-time show."

"I said I didn't want to join…"

Okay. Wait a second. Now Kurt was confused. "Then why…"

Dave sat down on his bed. He couldn't believe Kurt couldn't put it together. Or did Kurt just need to hear Dave say everything. Every damn word. Fine. Dave knew he could do that. "I lied! I was too scared to see you. Face to face. I didn't want you to see me. I didn't want to see how much you hate me."

There was a pause so long that Dave wanted to check to make sure he still had signal when he heard Kurt's voice, "I don't hate you Dave."

Dave's heart gave a small tug at the sentence and Kurt's use of his first name. "Why not? I gave you every reason in the book to hate me."

Kurt looked at himself in the mirror. Really looked at the boy's face who was looking back at him. That boy seemed like a good person, a strong person. Well this was his chance to really live up to the idea of himself that he always wanted to be. Kurt took a deep breath. "Because I think you hate yourself enough for the both of us."

That stopped Dave. The words had been spoken without a hint of bitterness or distain. Just raw, simple honesty. The least Dave could do was give Kurt the same. When Dave began again he spoke very slowly, as if he was trying to figure out what he was saying as he was picking each word. "You know, I scared you so much because it was just easier. I didn't want to actually hurt you. But I was so scared that you would treat me different. That everyone would look at you and know… But if I scared you, terrified you enough then maybe no one would see…that I'm like you."

"You mean a fabulous naturally talented performer?"

Dave could see Kurt at that moment. Perfectly picture the boy's face, a sly little smirk on those soft lips. He could hear the smile in Kurt's voice. Kurt had given him an out Dave realized. He could laugh at the joke and move on or he could take the opportunity that Kurt had left him with. This time Dave decided not to take the easy way out.

"I meant gay."

The word dropped into the world like a rock into a still pool. Dave felt like that word was hanging in the air of his room; clinging on to reality now that it left his mouth. He licked his dry lips. He couldn't take it back. He'd said it and now it would always be there. And for the first time in God only knew how long Dave felt lighter, more real.

"Wow." He heard Kurt breathe out.

Dave snorted, "Well it can't be that much of a surprise to you."

Kurt let out a light laugh, "No, I just never thought… I honestly never thought you would ever say it."

Dave let himself smile, "Yeah, me either."

"So, how did it feel?" Kurt moved over onto his bed. Letting himself relax into the conversation. He'd been waiting for it to all go wrong. But now Kurt felt like maybe this was the real deal. Dave Karofsky. Turning over a new leaf. Weirder things had happened.

Dave pulled a feather out of his pillow, thinking about how he felt. He wasn't really used to doing that. Mostly it was all CRUSH, KILL, DESTROY, in his head. But now, everything was calm and quiet he could really hear himself. "It felt weird. But right. You know?"

Kurt knew exactly how that felt. If it was anything like the way he felt when he had finally told Burt that he was gay. Dave Karofsky and Kurt were very different people but at that moment Kurt felt like they finally had something in common besides one kiss. "I'm really proud of you Dave."

"Thanks Kurt."

Kurt heard Dave say his name. The second time he'd ever said it to his knowledge. Not Homo, not Fancy, not Hummel, just Kurt. It felt good. And riding on that natural boost Kurt knew exactly what to do, "Oh and Dave?"

"Yeah?"

"I would like the cake topper back."

Dave was grinning now. Lying on his back looking up at his ceiling, grinning like a moron. "Totally." Do it now before you talk yourself out of it! He coughed, "Would you let me buy you and your boyfriend dinner to start making up for being such a dick?"

Kurt knew exactly who Dave was talking about but he wasn't going to make any of this easy on the possibly reforming jock. So in his most innocent voice he asked, "What boyfriend?"

Dave grunted, "Pretty-boy, eyebrows. I backed him into a fence. Told him 'not to mess with me.' Might have dirtied up that pretty prep jacket."

"Oh, you mean Blaine." Kurt let the 'oh' drag out in an exaggerated manner. "I'm sure we could work something out. But he's not my boyfriend."

Dave sat up on his bed. "Really?"

Kurt crossed an arm over his chest and frowned down at the phone. "Okay, time-out. David Karofsky I am okay with forgiving you tonight but I draw the line at you asking me out. Too many reality changes in one night are bad for my complexion."

"Sorry. And I wasn't going to ask you out or to friend me on facebook or anything." Dave said, quickly retreating.

"Jeez. Way to make a guy feel wanted." Kurt shot back in a fake hurt voice.

Dave waved his arms wishing he had thought of something better to say. "No, wait! That came out wrong. I mean…Jesus! How do you do this to me every damn time?"

"Do what?" Turns out teasing Dave Karofsky was rather entertaining. Kurt was having far too much fun.

"Mess up my head. I practiced this conversation like fifty times but it's gone totally different than how I planned. I mean it was so much easier when I was just being big and mean and shoving you around. I suck at this whole talking, feelings thing. Like really suck."

Kurt took a moment to wonder if it would be wrong to think of Dave's babbling as slightly endearing. Like a puppy that didn't realize that it had grown into a Great Dane or something. "You practiced before calling me?"

"Yeah. You wanna make something of it?" Dave's jaw tightened a bit.

Hmmm, a little bit of the bully was still lurking around in there. Kurt could hear it in Dave's voice. He better not push his luck and ruin all the progress Dave had made tonight. "Don't get defensive you were doing really well."

"Don't tease me then. I'm not quite ready for the witty banter part yet." Dave let his jaw unclench and tried to make himself relax again.

"Don't worry. You're holding your own. So Friday night?"

Dave's head was reeling from how fast Kurt seemed to be changing subjects now. He really was like a manic hummingbird. "Friday night what?"

"You are going to take me to dinner and return my cake topper."

Dave thought about how the night might go. About all the ways the night could go and all he could think about was him showing up, Kurt remembering how unattractive he thought Dave was and then the both of them sitting in the restaurant in silence for an uncomfortably long half an hour. "This is going to be weird isn't it?"

Kurt's mind had followed along the same lines as Dave's, but had come out a bit more optimistic, "Probably, at least for the first ten minutes."

"Well then this chubby, ignoramus will be at Breadsticks at seven. As long as all my hair hasn't fallen out by then." Dave hadn't meant to sound bitter but he couldn't help it.

Kurt wasn't the only one that remembered the words said in the locker room. Every syllable and smell, every second of it was still hyper-real for Dave. And time had really only just given him a chance to replay everything over and over again.

"I am sorry for saying those things to you." Kurt replied softly.

"It's okay. I deserved everything you said to me..." He waited for a moment before asking the question he'd wanted to ask Kurt for months, "Am I really not your type?"

It took a lot for Kurt to be really and truly lost for words. But this was one of those moments. Kurt wondered what he could possibly say to Dave. He thought for a minute before finally saying, "Dave, I may be gay but I'm still a teenage boy. I don't think I even have a type yet. But," Kurt said with absolute sternness, "Karofsky wasn't my type. He was a jerk. But we will see how you, Dave, does. No promises though."

"That's better than I could have hoped for."

After they had said goodnight and hung up both boys lay on their respective beds. Miles apart but thoughts mingling. Neither boy fell asleep until the sun was rising but when they did they were both smiling.