Inspired by, what else, Max Adler as a firefighter in the video game LA Noire. Which I sadly cannot play, 'cause I'm a big loser who only has a Wii, not an Xbox or Playstation. The stills from it make me all tingly, though. :)

Big thanks to FancyZebra on Tumblr, for making sure I didn't mess up all the firefighter stuff too badly.

beep beep beep beep

The piercing noise cut through Kurt Hummel's slumber like a hot knife through butter. He groaned miserably. It couldn't possibly be time to get up already; he'd stayed up past midnight unpacking, and it felt like his head had hit the pillow only moments before. He flung out his hand to smash the snooze button, when he realized that although the beeping was quite loud, it wasn't coming from beside him. It sounded like it was out in his living room, maybe? Kurt swung his legs out of bed and padded barefoot and shirtless out of the bedroom, still half asleep. He flipped the light on, not wanting to trip over the many boxes that were still strewn all over the place. The closer he got to his living room, the louder the sound was, but when he got there he could tell it was coming from outside his front door, from the hallway of his apartment building. As he drew closer, he smelled something acrid and unpleasant, and could also hear what sounded like muffled shouts. His sleepiness was starting to fade as fear crept in, and it disappeared completely when he looked down at the bottom of his front door. There were wisps of smoke seeping in from the crack under the door, and he went into full-fledged panic mode as he realized what was happening. Holy shit, the building's on fire!

Kurt started breathing heavily, and told himself to calm down. He had to get out of his apartment, that was for sure. He tried to remember everything he'd been told about what to do in case of a fire, but the fear was making it hard to think straight. Kurt went to his door and gingerly placed his palm against the surface. It was warm, but not burning hot. Taking a deep breath, he opened the doorway as slowly as he could. The sight that greeted him was the most terrifying thing he'd ever seen. The hallway was so thick with smoke, he could only see a couple of doors down. There was an orange glow coming from beyond them, and he could actually hear the crackle of what he assumed were flames.

He slammed the door shut. "Fuck!" he yelled. He sure as shit wasn't getting out that way. He put his head in his hands, trying to think of something more helpful than the gibbering litany of gonna die gonna die gonna die that was currently racing through his mind. Suddenly, he heard something that shook him out of his panic. Sirens! Kurt took off running to his bedroom and threw open the window, the humid August air hitting him like a wet slap in the face. But the welcome sight of three fire trucks and an ambulance approaching was well worth it.

He watched as the firefighters scrambled out of the trucks, some of them taking the heavy hose, and others lifting ladders off the sides of the huge vehicles. Kurt tried to think of something to do to get their attention. He put one leg very carefully over the window ledge, straddling it. He grabbed a hold of the frame as tightly as he could and ducked his head beneath the opened pane, so most of his body was outside the building. Kurt wasn't the greatest with heights; he felt a rush of dizziness and dug his nails into the wood of the frame. He began yelling as loudly as he could, which, considering his training in projecting his voice, was pretty damn loud. "Hey! Hey! I'm up here, do you see me? I need help!"

To his utter relief, a couple of the firefighters on the ground looked up, and one pointed directly at him. He heard one shout up, faint from the distance to his third floor apartment. "Stay there! We're coming to get you! Don't jump!"

Well, duh, thought Kurt. He was pretty sure he'd break every bone in his body if he did that. Of course, if it was a choice between that and burning to death, he probably would take a header out the window. Probably. He swallowed, not really wanting to think any longer about having to make such a terrible deci-

The top of a ladder hit the side of the building next to him with a loud thump, scaring the shit out of him. He let out a rather girly yelp, putting the hand not clinging to the window to his sternum. If he managed to get through all of this without having a nervous breakdown or cardiac event, it'd be a miracle. He looked down, and could see the bulky shape of a firefighter making his way up the ladder quickly. Kurt nervously moved his other leg over, so he was sitting with his butt on the windowsill and legs dangling over the frightening drop to the parking lot below. The firefighter finally arrived at the top rung of the ladder. Between the darkness and the man's helmet, Kurt really couldn't see his face much. He caught the outline of a sharp, straight nose when he turned his head to the side, but that was about it. The man's shoulders were very broad beneath yellow coat, and Kurt wondered if he was going to be tossed over one of them. They call that a "fireman's carry", right?

"Are you injured, sir?" asked the firefighter in a deep voice.

"No, I'm fine," replied Kurt. "Scared shitless, but otherwise I'm okay."

The man paused for a moment, tilting his head to the side a little. Then, with an abrupt shake of his head, he asked, "Is there anyone else in your apartment?"

"No, I live alone," said Kurt.

"Good," said the firefighter. "Give me your arm. I'm going to help you onto the ladder, and we'll climb down together, okay?" Kurt held out his arm, but froze when it came time to actually leave the window. He looked helplessly at the man, eyes wide and petrified. The firefighter tightened his grip on Kurt's arm. "It's okay, man," he said in a patient, mollifying tone. "I'll get you down safe, I promise. You can trust me. I won't let you get hurt, but it's gonna be hard to keep my word if we sit here much longer. The fire's spreading rapidly. Let's get the hell out of here, what do you say?"

Kurt gulped, gathering his courage. The firefighter was right; he was putting both of them in danger, and he needed to get it together fast. "Okay. Let's do this," he said in a trembling voice. Holding his breath, he allowed his rescuer to guide him off of the window onto the ladder, holding his body off to the side and then returning into place surrounding Kurt. When Kurt was finally settled onto the ladder, he let the breath out in a whoosh.

"Okay, I'm going to step down a rung," the man said. "You follow me, nice and slow. We'll be on the ground in no time." They made their way down the ladder, Kurt enveloped by the heat and scent of the man at his back. Already perspiring from the heat and stress, he felt a trickle of sweat run down his bare back. It was quite possibly the most inappropriate time to notice such a thing, but this guy smelled , really, really good. Some kind of woodsy body wash or lotion, and mixed with fresh perspiration. And God, did he need to get laid, if he was thinking about that sort of thing at a time like this. It had been so long, he was surprised his dick hadn't atrophied from disuse.

Finally Kurt felt the firefighter come to a stop, and he looked around to see they had in fact made it to the bottom in one piece. The man stepped off so Kurt could do the same, and Kurt had never been so happy to have both feet on the ground. All around them, there was chaos; men running around shouting, his new neighbors weeping and screaming, even a couple of dogs running around wildly. The firefighter turned to go, but Kurt snagged his arm. He still couldn't see the man's shadowed face very well, but he saw the glitter of his eyes catch what little light there was. "Thank you," Kurt said. "Thank you for saving my life."

"You're welcome," said the firefighter, in a strange tone Kurt couldn't quite parse. "I have to go. Stay as far away from the building as you can, Kurt." He then took off, running over to where several of his comrades were manning the hose.

"I will," said Kurt to his retreating back, then stopped short. Wait…how did he know my name was Kurt? he wondered. The past few minutes were a bit of a blur, but he was positive he'd never given the man his name. It was very strange. Kurt followed his directions though, walking as far away from the building as he could get, and sitting down under a tree. He didn't really know what else to do; he had no friends or family here in Whitefish Bay, where he'd moved to start grad school at the nearby University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. There wasn't really anyone he could call locally, and if he called his family back in Lima, they'd just worry and fret because there was nothing they could do to help. He didn't know if he'd be able to get back into the building to even get his car keys to drive to a motel. He felt his chin start to wobble, so he drew up his knees and placed it on them. Detachedly, he watched the firefighters battle the blaze, though from this distance he couldn't tell which one was his rescuer. After a long while, the flames were gone and the building sat smoking in the darkness. He guessed it was probably time to go over and see if he could get into his apartment, and try to figure out what to do next.

Kurt was walking towards a group of firefighters when he felt someone brush his arm. He turned around to see what he recognized as the impressive build of the man who had rescued him. His face was no clearer than before. "Hey, are you okay?" the man asked.

"Just kind of at a loss," Kurt said. "I moved in here yesterday, for school. I don't have any family or friends here, and I guess I'm just not sure what to do. I feel kind of…vague."

"You're probably in shock, Kurt," the man said worriedly. He grabbed Kurt's hand, flipping it over to take his pulse.

Kurt tugged it back, the man's words bringing things into focus again. "You did it again," he said. "You called me Kurt. How do you know my name? We didn't exactly get around to introductions up there on the ledge."

The firefighter's big shoulders slumped a little, and Kurt heard him sigh. The man lifted his hand to remove his helmet, allowing light to reach his face so that Kurt could see him much more clearly. Kurt's eyes widened, and he felt a buzzing in his ears. Because the firefighter who had saved his life tonight - tall, strong, and with what Kurt could now see were clear hazel eyes and a beauty marked cheek? It was none other than David fucking Karofsky, of all people.

"Oh my God," said Kurt, stumbling back a little. He actually thought he might faint, and felt the blood drain from his face. His knees weakened, and Dave grabbed him by the elbows to hold him steady. Kurt hadn't seen Dave since graduation day four years ago. And hadn't spoken to him since…since that thing he tried not to think about very often.

"I think you should sit down again, Kurt," Dave said, guiding him over to a picnic table by the side of the building. Kurt went passively, still completely stunned by the evening's events. Dave took his pulse -successfully this time – and tipped his chin up to examine his eyes. He seemed to be satisfied with the results, and backed off a little.

It did feel better sitting down. Kurt looked at the ground, trying to get his bearings back. Blowing out a breath, he looked back up at Dave. "What are you doing here?" he asked. At Dave's frown, he clarified. "Not here, as in my apartment building. In Milwaukee, I mean."

"I live here," replied Dave. "I have for the last two years."

"Oh," said Kurt, and stopped talking. Uncomfortable, he decided to shift gears. "Can I…," he said, looking back at his building, "can I go back inside now?"

"No way," said Dave. "The top floor got the least amount of damage, which isn't saying much, unfortunately. But the lower floors are gutted. It'll have to be tested in the morning for structural integrity by the Fire Marshall, before anyone can go inside."

"I see," said Kurt, numbly.

"Look, Kurt," said Dave. "Is there someone I can call for you? "I know you said you're new in town, but you must have some contacts here."

Kurt shook his head miserably. "Other than the couple of UWM faculty members I interviewed with, I don't know anyone here. And I only know how to reach them through their work information, which isn't going to do me much good in the middle of the night." He paused, thinking. He felt weird asking Dave for anything, but this was an emergency situation. "Maybe you could drive me to a motel or something?" he asked, but then immediately shook his head. "But my wallet's up there too, so I have no money, no ID." He touched his bare chest. "I don't even have a shirt, or shoes. Fucking wonderful." He tried to keep the tears out of his eyes and voice, but failed.

"This was a pretty big fire, Kurt," said Dave. "It's put a fair number of people homeless tonight. Usually the Red Cross sets up a shelter…" he trailed off, closing his eyes. He found the thought of Kurt Hummel, with his elegant ways and delicate mannerisms, spending the night on a cot in a church basement somewhere to be almost repugnant. No matter what had happened in the past, Kurt did know someone local, someone who could help him.

"Right," said Kurt, sniffing back his tears. "Who do I talk to, about getting into the shelter tonight?"

Dave sighed. "You don't have to stay at the shelter, Kurt," he said. "I live about five minutes from here, and I have a futon in my guest room. You can stay with me."

Kurt's eyes widened almost comically. "What?" he said. "I can't…I couldn't ask you to do that."

"You're not asking, I'm offering. Do you want to come back to my place or not?" he said brusquely, hoping his words weren't interpreted as some sort of come-on.

"I…yes. Yes I would," he said. It was probably going to be painfully uncomfortable, but wasn't like he had a lot of options. He could at least be grateful, and polite. "Thank you, Dave. For rescuing me again, I guess."

Dave looked at him with surprise, and smiled for the first time that evening. "You're welcome. You can ride back with me on the truck, and then I'll get my car at the station."

About fort-five minutes later, Kurt found himself inside Dave's car, wearing an extra pair of sneakers and a large North Shore Fire Department t-shirt that Dave kept in his locker at the station. Dave had changed into a dark blue Brewers t-shirt with the sleeves cut off and brown cargo shorts. His arms were even more impressive than in high school, Kurt noted with a flush. "So," said Kurt, trying to make conversation and get his mind off of Dave's physique. "You don't stay at the station when you're working?"

"We're a volunteer fire department," said Dave. "We come in from our homes and our jobs when there's a call. The only full time, paid fire department around here is in the city itself."

"So what do you do, when you're not fighting fires?" Kurt asked.

"I'm an assistant warehouse manager, for a company that makes electrical components," he said. At Kurt's surprised look, he snorted in an amused way. "It's as about as exciting as it sounds. But the pay and hours are actually pretty great, not to mention full benefits."

"How did you wind up in the Milwaukee area, if you don't mind me asking?" said Kurt.

"While you and your sparkly little friends danced off to New York after graduation, I stayed in Lima and went to Rhodes," he said, referring to the community college. "My grades were good enough to get into a four-year school, but I wasn't ready to leave home yet." He paused, and when Kurt didn't question why, he continued on. "I wanted more than just a two-year degree, though, so I transferred out here to Marquette for my junior and senior year. I was working at Brady part-time all through my last two years of college, and when I wound up with a diploma that was hardly worth the paper it was written on, they hired me on full time."

"What was your degree in?" asked Kurt, honestly curious.

"Applied Mathematics," Dave responded, giving a little half-smile at Kurt's astonished expression. "I know, what was I thinking, right? Not even Math for teaching primary or secondary school. At least that might have gotten me a teaching gig, if I'd gone on to grad school, at least. But no, I had to pick something impossible to get a position in, unless you're the lifelong university type. Which, I found out a little too late, I definitely was not." Kurt knew that Dave had a knack for Math in high school; at least he did after junior year, when he'd made an off the cuff comment about going to Calculus class. But to actually go to college and study pure Mathematics, with all those squiggles and lines and x's that Kurt was never able to quite grasp? To say he was surprised was the understatement of the century.

He was still trying to process all of this, when he noticed that Dave was pulling into the driveway of a small, neat brick house. "Well, here we are," said Dave awkwardly. "We should get inside, it's been a long night for both of us." They exited the car, and Dave let them into his house after fumbling for a moment with the front door key. The house looked cozy and warm, with slightly worn furniture and a large flat screen TV against one wall. It reminded Kurt a little of his Dad and Carole's house in Lima, and a wave of homesickness went through him.

"It's very nice," said Kurt. "Have you lived here long?"

"Nope, I just started renting it at the beginning of the summer," Dave said. "I never liked apartment living much." He paused. "Can I get you something to drink? I'm going to go put fresh sheets on the futon, and it'll take a few minutes."

"I'll just grab a glass of water myself, if that's okay," Kurt said.

"Help yourself," said Dave, shrugging. "Glasses are in the cupboard to the left of the sink."

In the tiny kitchen, Kurt poured water into a glass bearing the Smithwick's logo and gulped it down. He walked through the living room into a short hallway, where he could see light coming from an open door. He headed down to a small room where Dave was standing next to an oak futon, slipping a pillow into its case. Dave looked up at Kurt. "Hey," he said. "Almost ready."

The futon was done up with dark green sheets, with a lighter green chenille blanket folded at the bottom. Kurt was exhausted, and the bed looked completely soft and inviting. He thought about what it would have been like at an emergency Red Cross shelter. Hard cots, he imagined, and lots of noise and chaos. Likely no air conditioning to beat back the sweltering heat. It would be nothing at all like this cool, peaceful room in Dave's house, he was sure. He felt tears sting his eyes. "Thank you again, Dave," he said. "For everything. Saving my life, and giving me a place to stay. I really appreciate it." His breath hitched embarrassingly, and he turned away.

He felt a warm hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Kurt," he heard Dave say from behind him. "Really, it's no problem at all. And I know it probably seems impossible, but things will look better in the morning, after some sleep."

Kurt blinked his tears away, turning back around and forcing a tiny smile. "I'm sure you're right," he agreed. "I'm just really tired. I'm sure I'll be asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow."

"Right there with you," said Dave. "I'm going to grab a quick shower, then head to bed myself. Speaking of which, the bathroom is the next door down, in case you need to use it. And my bedroom's at the very end of the hall. Just knock on the door if you need me." Dave grimaced immediately, recognizing the suggestiveness of his words. "I mean, uhhh…" He trailed of awkwardly, a sight blush forming on his cheeks.

"I get it," said Kurt, his forced smile turning into an authentic grin. "Like you said earlier, it's been a long night for both of us. I'm gonna crash, so I doubt you'll hear from me before morning."

"Right," said Dave, ducking his head. "Goodnight, Kurt. See you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Dave," Kurt said. Dave left the room, closing the door with a quiet click behind him. Kurt took off the big t-shirt and surprisingly well fitting sneakers, turned off the light, and slid between the green sheets with a sigh. The bed was as comfortable as he'd thought. He lay there quietly, but despite what he'd said to Dave, Kurt was finding it hard to switch his brain off. Images from the crazy evening ran through his mind, until he heard the water turn on in the next room. His thoughts immediately turned to Dave. It was still hard to believe that all this time later, they'd come across each other again, and over three hundred miles from Lima. Kurt knew he'd changed a lot since graduating from McKinley, and it was apparent that Dave had too. Thinking about the new Dave lead directly to thoughts about the old one. Kurt didn't think about the last time he'd talked to Dave very often; it left him feeling ashamed and rather depressed. So much so, that he'd never told another person – not Blaine, or Rachel, or Finn or his dad – what had happened the last time he and Dave Karofsky were alone together. Unwillingly, his mind drifted back to that day over four years ago, but as fresh as if it had taken place the week before.

"Dave, wait!" called Kurt, grabbing the bigger boy's arm. "Why did you take off like that? I was talking to you."

Dave's eyes darted around the hallway, seeing if anyone was observing him with Kurt. He leaned in closer to the slightly shorter boy. "I'm not talking to you about any of that shit in the middle of the goddamn hallway," he hissed.

"Fine," said Kurt, irritated. He took a couple of steps away, and looked back over his shoulder. "We'll talk about it privately then." He saw Dave roll his eyes and sigh heavily, but walked away, knowing Dave would follow him. He briskly made his way to the choir room, suspecting it would be deserted this time of day. Kurt entered and waited for Dave, who had followed a couple of lengths behind him so it wouldn't be obvious they were going somewhere together. A moment later Dave arrived, closing the door behind him.

He folded his arms and glared at Kurt. "Happy?" he said, sarcastically.

"Ecstatic," replied Kurt, equally peevish. "Is this private enough for you, Dave?"

"I guess."

"I don't know why you're so upset," Kurt said. "I just wanted to let you know I found out Carmel High started a PFLAG chapter. I know I let you off the hook about starting one here at McKinley, but I thought maybe you might want to go to one of the meetings with me and Blaine sometime."

"Why the hell would I want to do that?" sneered Dave.

Kurt wished he couldn't see the fear in the other boy's eyes, while he pretended to be tough and uncaring about the subject at hand. It made his chest tighten, to see someone trying to hide their true feelings so mightily. "It could help you, Dave," Kurt said softly. He could see Dave's mask start to crumble at his gentle words, and his mouth worked. Kurt hoped Dave wasn't going to cry again, like he'd done the day he apologized. It had been incredibly painful to witness the first time, and he wasn't exactly eager to repeat the experience. "You wouldn't have to pretend to be something you're not there. Even if it was just for an hour a week, I bet that would be a real relief for you." Dave let out a shaky breath and unfolded his arms, so Kurt could tell he was reaching him. "They could help you come out."

At that last part, however, Dave's tension immediately returned. "You just won't let that go, will you?" he said angrily. "God, I'm so sick of it. It's all you ever have to say to me. Like I told you at prom, I can't. Stop bugging me about it and leave me the fuck alone."

Stung, Kurt winced. "I'm just trying to help, Dave," he said. "I've been there, I know how hard it is..."

"You don't know shit, Kurt!" Dave said loudly. "Everybody already knew you were gay!"

Kurt hated it when people assumed that coming out had been a picnic for him, just because a lot of people had already assumed the truth. "Whether you believe it or not, Dave, it was still really hard for me to do!"He realized he was shouting, and tried to calm down.

"That may be true," said Dave, pinning Kurt with burning hazel eyes. "But let me ask you this, Kurt. How many friends did you lose when you told them you were queer? How many things that you loved got taken away from you, or just became so miserable that you quit them?"

Kurt opened his mouth automatically to reply, but nothing came out. He paled a little.

"I bet your life hardly changed at all for the worse, after you came out. You were already being bullied and teased long before that. You kept your friends, and you didn't have to leave your stupid glee club. It was business as usual for Kurt fucking Hummel, wasn't it?"

Kurt closed his mouth. He didn't even have to answer Dave; they both knew the truth.

"That's what I thought," Dave said coldly. "It'll be nothing like what happened to you, Kurt. I'll lose everything. My friends will hate me, think I'm gross and perverted. I'll get so much shit from most of the football team, it won't even be worth playing anymore. I'll go from being one of the most popular kids at school to a slushie magnet overnight. Everything good in my life will disappear, just like that." He snapped his fingers sharply, making Kurt jump. "So don't even try to tell me you've been where I am. You've never been within a million miles of it."

Kurt was silent, trying to think of something to say. Finally, he swallowed. "You're right, Dave," he admitted. "In a lot of ways, it's completely different for you. You'll lose things, and people from your life, in a way that I never had to. But Dave?" Kurt's eyes softened, and he looked at Dave beseechingly as he continued. "You'll gain some things, too. Things that might make the losses a little easier to bear."

Dave's face was still hard as stone, unflinching. "Yeah, like what?"

"How about the peace that comes with not having to hide all the time?" Kurt said. "The self-respect you'll get back, because you won't be lying to everyone anymore. You might even find some new friends...better ones, because they'll like you for who you really are."

To his disappointment, Dave laughed harshly. "God, you are so fucking naive, Kurt," he spat. "Do you even live on the same planet as me? You really think that I'll fuck up everything that makes it worth getting out of bed each morning, for that shit? Some flowery fucking ideals, and imaginary friends? Please."

Kurt felt his cheeks burn, listening Dave talk about things that were pretty damn important to him as if they were completely worthless. He was surprised to find that he was actually very angry at Dave. Who did Dave think he was, to talk like that to someone who was just trying to help him? "I-" he started, but Dave cut him off rudely.

"Save your voice for singing, Fancy," he said dismissively. "There's nothing that coming out can do for me that would make it worth it. Get it through your head. Nothing."

Kurt felt a hot blast of livid frustration race though his body. He literally saw red for a moment, and acted without thinking. "Not even this?" he flung out. Before either boy knew what was happening, Kurt had hauled Dave forward roughly, crashing their lips together. I'll show him, thought Kurt irrationally. He put his best effort into the kiss, pushing his tongue past Dave's teeth, using all the techniques he'd perfected during endless makeout sessions with Blaine. Being out means kissing boys. And kissing boys is fucking awesome, you closeted prick. Dave surrendered to the kiss with a whimper, his hands going to Kurt's waist and squeezing. Kurt wasn't sure how long he'd been ravaging Dave's mouth, but as soon as his ire melted away, reality set back in. Oh my God, what am I doing? he thought, and pulled away from Dave abruptly. They were both flushed and breathing heavily.

Dave put his fingers to his lips, dazedly. "What was that?" he asked Kurt.

I have no idea, he wanted to say. Kurt was embarrassed at his utter lack of control, and horrified at the thought that he'd just technically cheated on Blaine. Shaking his head, he made a stab at damage control. "I was...just trying to show you something worth coming out for," he said.

Dave's lips parted, and he looked at Kurt with a longing he'd never seen on his face before. "You mean, being with you?" he asked quietly.

"God, no!" said Kurt, unthinkingly. Apparently the heated kiss had temporarily broken the filter between his brain and his mouth. Dave's face fell, and he looked at him with a wounded expression that twisted Kurt's heart. "I mean, I'm with Blaine. And you and I, after everything, that would be really weird." Stop it Kurt, you're just making it worse. "I just meant, kissing boys in general. Not me specifically." Dave's face darkened, as if a cloud had passed over it. Okay, shutting up now.

Dave stared at him for a few moments, then the corners of his lips curled up in a nasty smirk that brought back some very unpleasant memories for Kurt. "I appreciate the gesture," Dave said. "But worth coming out for? Sorry, it wasn't that great. Nice try, though."

Kurt was shocked at how deeply Dave's words cut him, and he blanched.

Dave approached him, the mean smile disappearing. He looked at Kurt seriously, eyes narrowing. "I'm done with this. Don't say another fucking word to me about coming out. It's not happening. And now that I guess we're even? Don't ever touch me like that again." He turned his back to Kurt and walked out of the choir room, never seeing the tears that came to Kurt's eyes.

The pipes squeaking as the water was turned off brought Kurt back to the present. After what he'd done to Dave, he knew he was lucky that the man had been able to look past it and offer his hospitality to Kurt. He cringed internally, as he always did whenever he thought about how self-centered he'd been back in high school. He'd made Dave's coming out some sort of mission to accomplish, or feather in his cap, and in the process lost sight of what was important to the boy himself. He sighed and rolled over, facing the door, closing his eyes. As he started to drift off, he heard the creak of a floorboards as Dave left the bathroom and went to his bedroom.

Except that the creaking seemed to be getting closer, not further away. Kurt's eyes flew open, and he saw a shadow of in the backlit crack at the bottom of the door. There was silence, and Kurt held his breath, waiting to see if Dave would knock, or say something. Neither happened, and the quiet stretched out until Kurt felt like he could almost hear Dave breathing on the other side of the door. The shadow moved, and he held his breath. But after a brief moment, the floorboards creaked again, and the shadow went away. Kurt exhaled, hearing Dave's bedroom door open and close as he rolled to his other side. No longer able to keep his eyes from closing, he fell in to a deep, dreamless sleep.

Soooo…anyone want to know what comes next? XD I'll give you a clue: smutsmutsmutsmutsmut

As always, reviews are so greatly appreciated!