A/N: As you'll obviously be able to tell, this story is AU. It starts after NBK and before Furt, and technically changes the past some too so total AU. It will stay rated "T" for now, not sure about the future. This was something I just recently came up with, so I hope you enjoy. I would really love some critique here, as I'm really just getting into the swing of writing in different styles. Any grammar errors or spelling errors, let me know if you could please. Anyways, enjoy!

It's quiet in the room as I enter. Too quiet, as the saying goes. It's true though. Sometimes you can tell when things are just a little too quiet. And this is it. A regretful silence that makes me feel both guilty and entirely terrified. I try to remember Blaine's words in my head.

"Kurt, just be strong. You're only going to be spending one afternoon with the brute, right? If anything goes wrong, call me immediately. I'll be there. Promise."

Those words are shit, quite frankly, right now because I am sitting in an empty desk about five feet away from David Karofsky.

And there is no teacher to watch us.

For a whole hour of detention.

And he just kissed me three days ago.

And I'm pretty sure right now he's either fuming or he's finally lost it and he's just staring into space for no reason because his brain has finally turned into mush. I really can not stand this man. I thought I had him figured out. I thought he was just another homophobic dirtbag who was raised by bible thumpers and thinks his mission is to 'correct' me of my sinfull ways.

But then he kissed me.

So there goes that theory. I think he's self hating, so the homophobic thing could still be into play. Sometimes the people we hate are the ones that are the most like what we wish we could be. And I'm sure deep down Karofsky wishes he could be out like me. I'm also pretty sure that's the only reason he hates me. Far as I know, I haven't done anything else worthy of his hatred.

My thoughts are stopped abrubtly when I feel him staring at me. I don't want to turn my head, for fear that he's about to attack, like a wild bear, just waiting for his prey to make the first move, but I know i need to. I can't let him think I'm afraid of him.

So I turn my head and suddenly feel very, very confused.

He's crying. Silently, but crying none the less. I can't help but feel a bit uneasy about this. Why exactly is he crying? I look at him wide eyed and feel my mouth move to talk, but no words come out. I'm too startled by the sight to even say anything of coherency.

He turns his head back to the desk and I see him look like he's about to fall into pieces.

"K-Karofsky?" I say with as much volume as I can muster.

He looks back to me, his eyes soft but blurry. I can see how red his eyes are and wonder how long he's been like this.

"Are.. Are you okay?" I hear myself say. He sucks in his bottom lip and bites down on it, then takes the back of his right sleeve to wipe away the tear tracks left behind.

"Y-yeah." he says with a shaky voice. He sounds like he's been broken by someone. Nothing like the bully jock I'm used to. "Actually, no. No I'm not. I'm.. I'm just so fucked up right now."

His voice breaks again and the tears continue to fall. I can't help but feel a pang of sympathy for him. I know i shouldn't, it's not like he's ever done anything to earn my pity, but seeing someone so hurt just does something to me. It's not the first time I've felt pain for someone I probably shouldn't.

"What's.. What's wrong then?" He shakes his head lightly and looks to the floor. I hear him breathe in, but it sounds more like someone trying to do so after having their ribcage stepped on.

"You know, I've never said the words out loud? I've been this way my whole fucking life, and I've never said the words out loud. I think it's cause.. cause if I say them out loud, it makes them permanent. Something I can't take back or change. I don't want them to be true. I know they are, but I just don't want them to be." he says, and I can hear how much he means everything he is saying. I feel so conflicted between telling him it'll be okay or telling him to talk to someone he didn't try to assault. I know I lean more to the first option, but part of me still hates this guy. But he's making it just so hard to hate him right now when he's doing just fine hating himself.

"I wish.. I wish I could be someone else. Someone who didn't think the way I do. Someone normal. But God, or who the fuck ever, just decided that that would be too easy for me. So they just screwed me over some more and made me.. the way I am."

I can see his eyes look up to the ceiling and he licks his lips nervously.

"I never wanted to hurt you, Hummel. I didn't want to.. but I just.. I couldn't stand seeing you everyday. The way you were so happy with who you were, and how fucking perfect life was for you. I remember the first time I saw you.." he pauses and looks at me with this stare that makes me almost shudder. He's filled with so much emotion, and I can't quite place my finger on which is the strongest. "You don't remember me, do you?"

I furrow my brows at this and shake my head slowly, before speaking. "What do you mean?"

He laughs and licks his lips again.

"'S no big deal, not to me at least, but I remember you.. in your cute little cap, with the biggest grin on your face. I didn't know what a 'crush' was back then. All I knew was that when people thought other people were cute or pretty, they wanted to marry them. And.." he chuckles lightly. "And I wanted to marry you then. At least, that's what I told myself."

I'm looking at him with the highest level of confusion I've ever felt. I mean Finn confusion high.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I say, without any anger. I sincerely do not know what he's talking about, but my stomach is in knots. Part of me feels some nostalgic spark ignite inside of me, but I have no clue where this feeling is coming from.

He grins and wipes away the tears again.

"Funny how you could forget your 'Davey' that easy, Fancy." he says, and my stomach flips.

Davey? I still can't understand what he's hinting to.

"Do you remember going to a camp when you were seven?" he says, sighing lightly.

Suddenly, a chill runs down my spine. There aren't words to say how I feel, because suddenly there are so many conflictions that I think if I linger or focus on one particular emotion or thought for too long, I may combust.

There is no way he's him. There's no way Dave Karofsky is the first boy I ever had a crush on. No way in hell. He can't be Davey.

"W-what?" I say with my mouth half gaping. His smile softens and he looks back to his feet, a hand running down the back of his neck in a rubbing notion.

"I guess you don't believe me. I don't blame you. I probably wouldn't either, if I were in your shoes." he says. "Hmm, lemme think. What's something only I would know? Oh. Um, huh.. Okay. Do you remember the star tree?"

My eyes widen even more, and I can feel my eyebrows shoot up my forehead.

David Karofsky is Davey.

"D-Dave?" I say, my voice faultering. "Th-that.. was you?" I swallow loudly and look into his eyes as he looks up. They're soft and warm brown right now. Hints of green and gold shine in them, and I can feel myself wishing that none of this were true. The man who has been pushing me into lockers is also the boy who first told me I was going to be a star. Why do things like this always seem to happen? Why does life have to be some conflicted connection of lives passing through each other, like jumbled wires?

He smiles at me, and I almost feel terrible for calling him names the way I had done in the locker room. I know he deserved it then, but now? Now that I know who he was, or who he could be, I feel almost like I want to go back to before the bullying started and just tell him I remember him. Something, anything to escape the way I so desperately want things to be different.

"Hey, Kurtie. Thought you'd have forgotten me by now." he says. I want to hug him, but I can't. I know I can't, because even if he was this amazing little boy who held my hand and showed me constellations, he isn't anymore. He's this closeted, bully jock who never even thought to say sorry for hurting me.

I shake my head at him, and suddenly feel so angry that I just want to rip whatever little bit of his heart is left in their and throw it in his face. I settle for just glaring at him.

"Do you think this is funny? Did you think by telling me you used to be actually a decent person with a big heart, that I'd just forget how much you've hurt me lately? Well I'm sorry to inform you, but it doesn't. It doesn't change anything." I say with as much venom as I can muster.

His face falls and he sucks in his lip again. I can see his eyes glance to the floor yet again, and he swallows back what I presume is more tears. I want him to hurt, honestly. I want him to feel so bad for causing me all the pain he has that I almost scream at him.

"Kurt, please. Please, just listen to me. I'm so fucking sorry, Kurt. I hate myself.. I hate myself so much for what I've done to you. I wish I could I be that kid again. The one who didn't care if you were a boy. The one who just knew that he wanted to be there for you. I.. I don't know what happened to me. If I could go back and change things and make myself be him again, I swear to God I would. I would do it in a heartbeat. But I.." he breaks and starts to cry again. "I can't be him. I can't change things. I can't be.. I can't be gay."

My heart is slowly sinking. I don't know what to say. I don't really know what to do. I thought I knew who this boy was. I thought I had him figured out, and yet here he is crying infront of me, begging my forgiveness.

"David.. you can." I say, all venom sucked out of me suddenly, like a snake bite victim. "You can change. I can help you. You just need to.. to let me help you."

He looks up at me with sad eyes. A little part of me hurts for him again.

"Everyone.. everyone will hate me. Hell, even you hate me. Why the fuck would you.. would you even consider helping me, Kurt?"

I can't help but feel unsettled by that statement. He's right. Why do I want to help him? Why do I feel so drawn to making him be the boy I remember? It's not like it's going to be easy to get him out of his Narnia deep closet. It's probable that it's not even possible.

But part of me wants this. Part of me wants to help him so badly that it's hurting to do so. I don't understand it, I'm barely even able to register what I'm suggesting here. I'm not a mentor, I have no right to tell a fellow gay high school student how to come 'out', when I myself was never really 'in', so why am I telling David to listen to me?

I smile softly at him and reach for one his hands, which are now cupping his face with his elbows on the desk. I grab at it gently and he looks up at me with a fearful look. I think he's still expecting me to retaliate against him for stealing my first kiss.

"I.. I don't know, David. All I know is that I want to help you. I want to see if you could be that boy I knew all those summers back. I believe you could be, if you only tried. Will you try for me? Or do I have to deal with even harsher bullying now?" I say, my voice full of strength. I want him to know that I'm serious about this. That this is no joke to me.

His features soften and I can see the tiniest hint of hope there. He worries his lip again, nodding at me nervously. I feel my the edges of my mouth twitch to smile but I stop them. I need to know how serious he is about this.

"I need to know something, though. Why now? Why do you suddenly feel remorse after all that you've done?" I say in a soft, whisper like manner. I feel like he needs to know I'm trying, too, to change my feelings towards him. To push aside our past if only for a second to better understand his reasoning.

He shuts his eyes with a sigh. "I dreamed about it last night. About.. about the star tree." he says, opening his eyes only to look to our feet. I'm leaning over in my desk facing him better now. "I honestly didn't remember you, Fancy. Not at first. Then last night I dreamed of it, and it hurt so bad when I realized the Kurt from that summer was the same Kurt I had been pushing around all these months."

He shakes his head slowly at himself and mutters about feeling so terrible the entire day, saying he couldn't even go to lunch because the sight of me made him feel sick. He says he even skipped all of his afternoon classes for fear of bumping into me in the hallway.

"And when I walked into the detention hall and saw you sitting here, looking at me with those big blue eyes, I felt like utter shit. I almost up and left right then. But I knew I needed to try to tell you who I was. Or rather, who I used to be. I.. I don't know why I broke down crying the way I did. I feel like such an idiot."

I look down myself and realize I've been carelessly fiddling with his hand in my own. I feel my cheeks redden slightly at this and try to brush the feeling off. Dave doesn't notice, but my embarrassment to myself is still there. Just what am I getting myself into? A friendship with my (ex?) bully? How does that pan out exactly?

I clear my throat and look up into his eyes. He looks oddly confused by me. I'm guessing my face is still splotchy.

"Look, David, there's nothing wrong with crying when you feel so emotionally torn. It doesn't make you any 'less of a man' or any bull that people have told you like that. It means you understand that you're hurting. It means you can admit to your pain instead of hiding it like all of the other 'men'." I give him my sternest of looks, and try to convey my sincerity.

"You need to learn how to get over your fears of what others think of you, because in the end those who won't be there for you when you're hurt, aren't worth it. You need to teach yourself that." He nods. "And I think.. I think you need to tell your parents. When you're ready. They deserve to know. And if you're serious about trying to come to terms with all of this, then you need to get over your fear of everyone hating you. Sometimes life will just suck, I'm sure of it. But it'll all be worth it one day when you meet someone you fall in love with."

I can hear his breath hitch softly, and I can't help but wonder if maybe he really does get what I mean. Maybe this neanderthal of a man I've been fearing is really a big softie on the inside, just hiding himself out of fear. I really do hope that's the case.

"You're.. You're right, Kurt. You're totally right. I don't think I can tell my parents yet.. not when I can't even-" he chokes up again and swallows hard, then closes his eyes. "Not when I can't even say it to myself."

I smile at him as gently as I can and nod.

"Maybe.. maybe you could practice with me first?" I say, and he opens his eyes to look at me confusedly. "You could say it to me. It's not like it's something I don't already know. Maybe it would be easier for you to tell me than them first."

He breathes in deeply and looks down, then back up to my eyes.

"Was it easy for you to say it the first time?" he asks innocently.

I shake my head and bite on my bottom lip.

"No, it wasn't. I don't think it is for anyone, really. But afterwards I felt a lot better."

He gives me a shy, soft smile and nods his head. I can see how nervous he really is about this.

"I'm.. Oh God why does this have to be so hard to say?" he says with a deep breath, holding it in. "I'm gay."

His eyes well up more and I can feel him exhale sharply.

"Look, David. The world didn't swallow you whole. Everything's just as it was before." I say with a kind smile. He smiles back with a sniff and squeezes my hand.

Huh, forgot I was holding that.

"Fuck I feel better already, Fancy." he says with a laugh and a shake of his head.

"I know. I know. And you'll only feel better the closer you get to being fully out. It feels more like 'freedom'. Like you're being set free from keeping this huge secret from everyone. And I know you're not ready to be fully out yet, but you just admitted to someone you're gay, so that's a start, and there's no need to rush."

He smiles, more genuinely now, and I can see how handsome he is when he's happy for all of the right reasons. I smile too, because it just feels right. I'm proud, and I don't honestly even know why.

"Thanks, Kurt. Seriously. I.. I promise I won't bother you in school anymore. I'll try to tell Z to lay off too, but I don't know if he'll listen. I'll try though." he says, his eyes staring back into mine. "So this isn't.. this isn't the only time we'll talk or you'll try to help me, right?"

Oh, well I guess I didn't think of how I was going to do this, now did I?

"Well, I'll give you my phone number. You can call me whenever you need me, and if you want to just talk or want to go somewhere for support, I'll be there. I can only give you words of encouragement, or try to help you make good decisions, but I can't promise to be that big of a help. I'm not.. I'm not perfect myself, David. I make stupid mistakes, too."

He grins a little at that comment.

"Yeah, like following a guy almost twice your size into an empty locker room and bitching him out."

I roll my eyes and smile halfly.

"That wasn't one of my brightest moves, I must admit, but my intentions were good. I was hoping you'd get some sort of conscious and realize your punching bag had a name and an attitude."

His face falls and he looks over past me with a heave of breath.

"I'm still really pissed at myself for taking this long to apologize, Kurt. I'm such an idiot for hurting you because you were fucking out when I didn't have the balls to be."

He licks his lips and shakes his head.

"I was a total dumb ass and I'm so sorry for that. I wish I had.. I wish I had never hurt you the way I had. I just wish there was a way to make it up to you.." he says, his voice tinged with regret.

I sigh and look down to our hands again. It's funny how small my hands seem compared to his. His fingers are so much thicker compared to my own long, slender digits. His hands are also unbelievably warm and tough. They've definitely seen a good deal of use.

Shit, I'm blushing again.

"I-It's fine, David. I know you're going to try to change now and be a different person."

He stares at me for a minute, probably wondering why I'm so wrapped up in our hands. I hope it isn't that, though, because I have no reasonable explanation for my interests.

"Do you.. do you forgive me?"

I look up at him suddenly.

"Honestly? No. Not yet. But.. But I think I will. One day." I say. He nods understandingly and removes his hand from mine, before standing up. I'm already noticing the cold feeling left in my palm when I stand too and push my chair in.

It's apparently been a whole hour since we arrived. Before leaving I give him my number and smile at him. He looks like a different person to me now, and it's weird and great at the same time. I know he's still not changed, not entirely, but I believe him when he says he's going to.

I believe him also when he turns to tell me he's going to try to talk to his parents tonight.

"Only if you're sure, David. Don't just do it to get it over with. And make sure you're going to be safe to do so. I don't know your family, some people won't react as nicely as my dad did."

He nods and licks his lips again. I'm guessing it's a habit of his.

"Yeah, yeah I know. I think they'll be okay with it. I just think they'll be.. I don't know, maybe a little angry I didn't come to them sooner? I don't know. I don't think they'll do anything drastic, though." he smiles at saying this and breathes in again.

We both walk our seperate ways after another tossed goodbye and good luck.

As I get to the parking lot, I'm feeling oddly good about everything.

And proud.

Fuck. Oh, holy fuck. I just told Kurt Hummel I'm gay. Not that he doesn't already know, I blew those doubts out the window when I kissed him, but now I've said it.

Out loud.

It's like I'm not even the same person now. I feel like I can never go back to being the person I was just yesterday. And it's the weirdest thing I've ever felt. Yet, at the same time, I love it. I'm so happy I don't have to hurt people anymore. That I don't have to feel obligated to make others feel like shit.

I really want to make it up to Kurt. I don't know how, I just know that I want to. I want to so badly. I just need him to know that I really do regret being the dick I was in the past. I think maybe, if I try really hard to change and keep that way, maybe Kurt will believe me. He would have to, right?

If I changed entirely, and treated people respectably he'd have to notice the change and at least give me some brownie points, right? I know he'll never.. reciprocate my, uh, feelings for him. I know that much. I'm not stupid. That much was evident when he yelled at me in the locker room.

And sure, maybe I'm a total idiot for still wanting him so much, but we all have that one person we like no matter how much we fuck things up with them. That one person who just makes us want to be better.

And that person for me is Kurt Hummel.

I hate it, honestly. I don't want to.. want him the way I do, but I can't seem to make myself give up. Every time I think I'm just going to give in to rational thinking, I'll hear him laugh. Or see him smile. Or he'll fucking sing the way he does, and makes me decide to keep trying. Or at least keep dreaming.

So that's why right now I'm sitting at dinner with my parents, my heart racing, my palms sweating, and my feet twitching uncomfortably underneath me. Because I'm hoping it'll make Kurt Hummel see the real me. The one that can be his 'Davey' again.

"Hey, um, Mom? Dad?" I say, my voice lacking all the strength I was hoping it would have. They turn to look at me with warm smiles, and I can feel my own face fall farther.

"What is it, David?" my dad says, his voice full of curiosity.

How am I going to do this? How am I going to tell them that I'm never going to get some girl pregnant? That there won't be a blushing bride at my wedding? How do I tell them that the likelihood of me giving them grandkids is ridiculously low, unless I adopt or have a surrogate? I mean, how the hell do you tell anyone that?

Kurt had it so easy.

"There's been something.. I uh.. I need to tell you."

They both just look at me attentively and fuck is this hard. I want them to know, I'm ready for it. I've known deep down since at least 12 or so. It just seems so wrong that it's taken me this long to tell them.

"Are you okay, David?" my mom says. I look into her eyes and can see the worried look taking over her face.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine mom. It's just.." I pause and close my eyes. I take in a deep breath and let it out slowly. I open my eyes and look at both of them to the best of my ability. "I'm gay."

The words hang in the air deadly and I already feel like this was the worst idea I've ever had.

"Are you.. are you sure?" my dad says. He sounds a little lost right now, and I just wish that this were easier. I know the hard part's over, but I keep getting this terrible feeling in my stomach. An aching that keeps stinging at my insides. It hurts, and I wonder if maybe I can take it back, laughing and saying 'I'm just screwing with you guys. Had ya going!'. I know I can't, though. These words are permanent now. This is right, no matter how terrible it feels.

"Yeah, I'm sure." I say, and my stomach is still tied in hideous, little knots.

"Can't you.. Can't you not be?" says my mom.

You've got to be fucking kidding me.

"No, mom. I can't not be gay. It's.. it's who I am. I'm sure you're not very happy about it but I can't just-"

"But you'll go to Hell, David!" my mom interjects, her voice full of shame and fear. "God didn't want you to.. to be with another man!"

She's giving me this half glare, half pity look. Like she hopes if maybe she cries, I'll suddenly love vag.

It's making me sick.

"Mom, have you ever even fucking read the Bible? 'Cause if you did any research, you'd know that there's a lot of things that humans have fucked up."

"David, watch your language young man!" my dad yells. I glance around at the two of them, and I suddenly can't believe this is really happening to me. No one is there to tell them that they should be happy that their son decided to tell them this so soon. No one is there to say that this isn't 'wrong' or a 'sin'. No one.

Only me.

The room is too fucking silent for my liking, until my mom decides she's sick of me, then I sort of wish it had stayed that silent.

"I can't have you living in this house if you're going to give into your lustful ways, David. You either try to be straight, or you need to.. need to leave. Now." she says.

I want to say, 'No, mom. You're not doing parenting right. You're supposed to be like and just accept that I like dudes. You're not supposed to suddenly hate me because of this. I'm still me mom. I'm still your son.' But I don't say any of those things. I just sit there with my mouth gaping and feeling like I want to drown in my own self pity.

And I can already feel my eyes well up as I shake my head and mouth, "No."

Then I get up and run to my room. I grab my stuff and throw it into a bag. As many clothes as I can, my school stuff, my jacket, and my notebook. Then I swing by parents room while they're still in the dining room and grab their 'Dave's college fund' piggy bank. Thank God my mom had just cashed it in for real money a few days ago. I stuff it into my duffel bag and bolt for the stairs.

Glancing over my shoulder, I see my mom scowling at me, her face covered in tears, and my dad looking remorseful. I just wish he'd fucking do something and tell my mom she's being a bitch right now. But he doesn't do anything.

Not even when I run out the front door, my face becoming drenched in both the rain that apparently started pouring (yet again, the world and it's liking of me), and the tears that I can't stop from flowing now. I pull my jacket around my shoulders tighter and walk as fast as I can down the road.

I don't know where to go, or where to turn, so I just keep walking, hoping I'll find someone who'll let me in.

I would go to Z's, but then I'd have to explain why the hell I left in the first place. And I'm not ready for that. I can't lose my best (and probably only) friend and my parents in one night.

I check how much money is in my piggy bank as I slow down and sit under a tree on a street corner. It looks like over the years they've saved $8,000 in both change and extra money. I know they actually have more set on the side in a bank account, but they'll probably close that down now and use the money their selves, now that they don't have a son.

I get up and begin walking towards the local dive hotel, in hopes of a cheap place to stay for a few nights until I can find someone to let me stay with them.

It hurts terribly, though, to even have to do this. To have to resort to staying at a hotel because I'm not good enough for my parents anymore.

The cold rain stings my face as I finally jog up to the place. It was always only about five or so miles from my place, so I'm glad I didn't have to walk the entire night. I'm pretty sure most of my stuff is at least a little damp, but I don't care. I just want to be able to be by myself and lay down in a warm blanket while I cry myself to sleep tonight.

It looks so broken down and cheap, but I really don't care right now. I walk up to the counter inside of the dingy shop and ring the hand bell. A small, grey haired man walks up and smiles at me with crooked teeth. I try to smile back, but I just can't. I'm too torn right now.

"May I help you?" he says with a thick accent.

"I, uh, just need a room. I'm not sure for how long, but uh, just a night right now." I say, my voice hoarse and solemn. He looks down at a the desk in front of him and looks through the room listing, before reaching for a key.

"It'll be $45.99 a night, or you could do $200 hundred for five days?" he asks. I shake my head.

"No, no I'll just do the night thing. Uh, yeah." I hand over two twenties and a ten, telling him to keep the change as he hands me a key.

I walk down the pathway outside and stumble my way to a door with a number five on it. I slide in the key, turning it until I can fumble my hands through the door and reach for a light switch. I pull myself inside, my things still hanging over my shoulder, and close the door, locking it behind me.

I sigh and toss my bag onto a small chair beside the television set, before pulling off my shirt, shoes, and pants. I'm sitting alone in this cold, small room almost naked as I wrap myself up in the dark blankets of the maroon bed set. I feel the pillow beneath my arm soak up the tears as they start up again. My sides hurt and I ball up and pull my knees closer to my chest as I just sob into myself.

Right now, I would give anything to be someone else. To have someone actually love me and never judge me or think I'm not good enough. I just wish I knew what that actually felt like. I don't think anyone has ever cared about me that much.

Maybe I'm just destined to have nothing. For the world to hate me.

Maybe I deserve it.

The boy smiled fondly at the sunshine coming into back seat. His face heated by the orange rays. He fiddled with his thumbs and his seat belt carelessly before turning back to his parents.

"Do I have to go, Daddy?" the boy said, drawing out the words like the wore him out to just say them.

His father turned around with a big smile and chuckled.

"What do you think, Liz? Does he have to go?" his father asks his mother with a chuckle. She laughs and looks back at her little boy.

"Honey, I think it would be good for you to go make some friends this summer. Your teachers all say you're always so quiet around the other little kids. It's time the world gets to know one Kurt Hummel." she says with smile, her soft blond-brown locks waving as the wind rushes through the car windows.

Kurt scrunches up his face and crosses his arms.

"Why should I talk to people who don't like me anyway?" he said with a huff. His mother's smile softens as she reaches back and tucks a strand of his hair behind his ear.

"Maybe someone at camp will be different than the kids at your school, bud. You'll see, Kurt. Just give them a chance." his father says, his mother nodding in agreement.

He just sighs and looks out the window again as they pull into a dusty, mud parking lot.

"Looks like we're here, honey. We'll just get your stuff and leave you with the camp director over there. He'll be the one to tell you where to go." his mother says, nonchalantly.

As he gets out the car, a few other kids look back. One boy stares at Kurt for a long time before smiling and turning back to the director. Kurt's mother and father hand him his bags and kiss him goodbye, saying they'll see him at the end of the week. He holds his mother a little longer during a hug, pleading in her ear to not make him stay at this dirty place. She just laughs and pats him on his shoulder before getting back into the car, waving goodbye to him before the two of them pull off.

He huffs and walks over to the place where all the other boys are standing. He pulls his cap down protectively over his pale face, sighing as he looks down at his feet. He doesn't pay much attention to what the man is saying to them, just follows where he's directed and walks into a cabin. Setting his things down at a bed, he almost trips into the boy behind him as he turns around.

"Sorry!" both boys sputter as they come close to colliding. Kurt looks up to a boy a little taller than himself, with big brown eyes and a red baseball cap on. He smiles and puts his hand out, while Kurt just stands there, before taking it and shaking it.

"Hi, I'm David. But you can call me Dave. Or my mom calls me Davey. But that probably sounds stupid. Er, forget I said that." the other boy, David, says. Kurt smiles at him and laughs his high musical giggle. David blushes but laughs too.

"H-hi Davey, I'm Kurtie." Kurt says between giggles. Dave laughs too and the two of them wipe at their eyes.

"Well, hey Kurtie. You want to go with the rest of us to play kick ball?" he asks still laughing lightly. Kurt's smile drops some and he shakes his head. "Why not? Don't you like to play?"

Kurt bites on his lip and looks down.

"Yeah, but no one likes to play with me. They say.. I'm too much of a 'girl'." he says, his voice a whisper. Dave puts his hand on his shoulder and smiles again.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure they let you play too. I don't know why anyone would tell you that. You're a boy, why would you be too much of a 'girl'?" he says. Kurt looks up and smiles again, his freckled cheeks tinged pink.

"Y-yeah, you're right. I'll go play if you do." Kurt says with a proud grin. Dave pulls him by his hand out to the field and laughs over his shoulder at the sun in his eyes.

The two boys walk up to the gathered group of boys picking teams. Kurt looks down at their hands and lets his drop gently. David doesn't notice and smiles at the other boys. The teams are narrowed down to Kurt and another boy, who's really tiny and crossing his arms.

"And you, with the blond hair. My team." says the older boy as he points to the kid beside Kurt. Kurt sighs and looks down.

"Wait, you're going to leave me with him?" says the opposing team's leader. "Not the little girl!"

Kurt sniffs and looks down, before a strong hand pats his shoulder, a frown on his face.

"You guys are jerks. Just 'cause Kurtie is smaller doesn't make him a girl." says Davey. Kurt smiles a little at him and looks at the other boys, the frowns on their faces turning into glares.

"Kurtie? Why is his name Kurtie if he's a boy? That's a girl's name!" says one of the older boys. David frowns and walks over to him.

"Take that back, you jerk!" he says into the older boy's face. The older boy is close to David's height, but David is still a little taller in comparison.

"Whatever, you two girls go play by yourselves!" he shouts back at David. David growls but backs up with a glare.

"Oh well, we didn't want to play with you guys anyways." he said as he walked over to Kurt. "C'mon Kurtie. Let's ditch these blockheads."

David grabbed for Kurt's hand again and pulled him along behind him as he walked back to their cabin.

Kurt blushes again at the feeling of the other boy's hand. He seemed to just not care what anyone else thought it. Kurt thought it was so brave of him to be like that.

"So whatcha want to do? The director said we can do anything until dinner time. That's in a little while, but they said a bell will ring when it's time for that." David says with a smile. "Maybe we could go to the lake? Wait, can you swim?" he asks. Kurt nods his head and grins.

"Yeah, that sounds fun!" Kurt says as he starts walking behind Davey towards the lake. The two boys run up to the edge and pull off their t shirts and set them on the ground before coming closer to the dock.

"Woah there hotshots!" says a lady in a chair on the dock. "You two have to be at least 12 to jump off of here. If you can swim then just wade into the water from down there, but you can't jump off of here. Safety measures." she says with a grin and a push of her sunglasses.

David pulls Kurt behind him to the edge of the lake and past the dock.

"At least we can still go swimming." says Kurt with a giggle. David lets go of his hand and walks into the shallow water. They don't go much past there because of their age and heights. Swimming is still fairly new to the two of them, but Kurt follows suit and they play for a few hours, the sun tinging their faces and shoulders and the bugs landing on them occasionally only to be swatted away, before the bell rings over the intercoms and the boys run to the cabin to change into their other clothes.

I woke up shortly after that and scrunched my face at the sunlight pouring into my eyes from behind my curtains. I can't help but smile at how nice of a dream it had been. I can't wait to tell David how I remembered our first meeting.