Baby Steps Chapter 2a
Title: Baby Steps
Rating: pg-13
Pairing: future Kurtofksy. situational Klaine
Disclaimer: not mine
Summary: School starts and Dave and Kurt start the McKinley GSA. Here’s to baby steps.
Notes: proxydialogue and raving_liberal are the best!
Chapter 1
Dinner that night was quiet, for once. Things between him and his parents had gotten better since his expulsion from and return to McKinley. There was still the Big Gay Elephant in the room, but as long as only Dave could see it, and it didn’t force him to slushy any more freshman, then he was willing to let it stay.
At first, his parents had done nothing but ask him what was wrong, even after he had started seeing Dr. Banks-call-me-George. But as he calmed in the wake of his trips to Scandals, the questions had tapered off. They still asked, but they were more subtle about it, and it was easier for Dave to deflect it. But tonight, for some reason, they decided to leave the questions alone and Dave was grateful. Who knows what he might had said in the mood he was in.
Still, in some ways, the easy days were harder; they made Dave think it would all be okay.
Truth was, Dave didn’t know how they would react. Sure, his father’s reaction to the whole bullying thing, and the way he talked to Kurt and Mr. Hummel, gave Dave hope that, at the very least, Paul wouldn’t hate him. (Then again, it’s always different when it’s your kid, isn’t it).
But his Mom--well. He just hoped his mom would surprise him.
“You looking forward to school, Davey?” his mom asked. Dave tried not to roll his eyes; his mother was the only one who still called him “Davey” and he hated it. He nodded, mouth full.
“Of course he is. It’s his senior year, and the Titans are looking at a great season.”
“Coach is sure, anyway,” Dave said. “She’s been good for the team.”
“Hm,” His mother said. Dave gripped his fork tightly and forced himself to loosen his grip. His mother’s opinion on Coach Beiste was known (“It’s just not right, a woman coaching boy’s football. And such a manish one that that--” “Marie...” “I’m just saying.”), and decided by mutual agreement, to be left unsaid.
“Better than that Tanaka fool, anyway,” Paul said.
“She pays attention to us,” Dave said, ignoring his mother’s snort. “She said she can even arrange things so I can play hockey again this year.”
“That’s great news!” Paul said.
“But I thought you hated hockey?” his mother said. Dave and Paul frowned at her.
“No,” Dave said. “I love hockey. I just didn’t think I could play both last year, and Az convinced me to try out for football.” It didn’t hurt that the hockey team was almost as low as the glee club, something about those mullets, and Karofsky couldn’t be that low, not with so much at stake.
But David--David, who sometimes went by Cubby, and was starting a GSA with Kurt, and liked old music and sometimes sang in the shower, and really kinda missed the rush from that half-time show, and was so very different from Karofsky the bully,--well. David could play hockey.
“Oh,” she said, and looked down at her plate.
“And that’s not all,” Dave said, staring at his mashed potatoes. “Kurt Hummel and I are starting a Gay-Straight alliance at school. Coach said she’d be willing to sponsor.”
“A what?”
“I think it’s a fine idea,” Paul said. “Make sure there’s no repeats of last year.”
“Exactly,” Dave said.
“I don’t see why you need a club for one kid,” she said, and Dave felt his heart pound. “There’s no need to rub it in everybody’s face.”
“It isn’t just one kid,” Dave said.
“I wasn’t aware there were any other queers at your school.”
“Marie,” Paul said.
“What?” she said. “‘Queer’s’ not a bad word. They use it on television all the time; Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, remember?”
“It is when you use it like that,” Dave said quietly, still not looking up.
Marie frowned at him. “You used to have a sense of humor, Davey.”
“All right,” Paul said. “There’s no need for this. Starting a GSA was part of the terms of your return to McKinley, isn’t that right Dave?”
“Yeah,” Dave said, swallowing hard. It felt like lying, but there was no fucking way he was going to tell them the truth. Maybe after never.
“So, let’s just finish dinner, shall we?”
“Fine,” Marie said, standing. “I’m done anyway,” and took her plate into the kitchen. Paul wiped a hand over his face, covering his eyes. Dave forced himself to eat another helping of cold potatoes.
***
You ever notice summer gets shorter every year?
David smiled at his phone. It turned out that Kurt was an avid texter, and Dave was getting used to little messages throughout the day.
too long and never long enough
You’re a poet, David.
Dave snickered. u ready for tomorrow? Dave sent, laying back on his bed and looking up at the ceiling. Maybe he should put a poster up or something. He certainly spent enough time staring at it. He wondered, idly, if it would be worth it to put up a poster of some shirtless prettyboy, just to watch his mother freak.
Yeah, no.
You mean my triumphant return to those hallowed halls? The real question is, Is McKinley ready for me?
yep. lying in wait with slushies
Buzzkill. *sigh* The welcome back slushy certainly does put a damper on my returning wardrobe.
u could wear a raincoat
Bite your tongue! :P
Dave almost typed, “You want to bite it for me?” before he caught himself. He wasn’t going to flirt with Kurt. Their friendship was still way too new, too tentative. And if he was going to flirt with a boy, especially one with a boyfriend, he sure as hell was going to be a lot smoother than that.
u still talkin to ms p tomorrow?
Yes. Did Coach Beiste approve the posters?
yep. we can pick them up after 1st period
Excellent! Are you ready?
And that was the question, wasn’t it.
we’re doing it i have to be
The phone rang, and Dave looked at it, surprised. This was the first time Kurt had ever called him. He answered.
“Hey.”
“David, if you’re not ready, we can--”
“No,” Dave cut him off. “No, we’ve been planning this. It’s a good idea. You need it, I need it, and--and others might need it to. We’re doing it. I’m just--,” Dave laughed, self-deprecatingly, “a scared little boy.”
“Shut up,” Kurt snapped. “Don’t say--don’t throw thoughtless words that were said in fear and anger around as if they actually meant--you are brave, David. You’ve embraced yourself, and are working, actively working, toward being true to yourself in public.”
David was silent, breath heavy. He had to say something. “I am scared, though.”
“Everyone gets scared, Dave. The trick is doing your own thing anyway. Never let ‘em see you sweat.”
Dave shook his head. “You’re never scared.”
“Ha!” Kurt barked. “Dave--I spend half my waking hours terrified, and probably will until I move out of this two-bit loser town. You’ve seen me scared,” and Dave closed his eyes at that, because how could Kurt be so casual about--, “but I refuse to give them the satisfaction.”
“I get that,” Dave said. “I do, but--” He sighed. Here it was again, that feeling that he was moving, too slow, that his fear was holding him back too far, that he was never going to get there, never going to be out--
“Does this have anything to do with Santana?”
Dave blinked. “What?”
“Santana left a message on my phone. I’m not sure entirely what she said, she’s fast when she speaks Spanish, but there was something about shaving her beard. I assumed she was referring to you, but--unless you’ve decided to take up waxing?”
“What? No,” Dave laughed. “Why would I--? She asked me to ‘date’ her again at school. I said no. Told her to join the GSA with us.”
Kurt snorted. “Oh, bet that went over well.”
“About as well as you’d expect, but I left with my balls intact, so I’m counting it a win.”
“Good call.” Kurt said.
Dave picked at a loose thread on his blanket. “I am going to be okay, tomorrow. If it gets to be too much, I can always hide in Coach’s office.”
“And she’s going to ask questions?”
“Nah, she--” Dave froze. “Shit, did I--I didn’t tell you.”
“Tell me what?” Kurt asked, sounding apprehensive.
“I told her. That I was--that I’m gay.”
“Shut up,” Kurt said, but he sounded more like Regina George from Mean Girls--shut up. That movie was hilarious. There is no shame in liking Mean Girls. Besides, Aaron was hot. It was more like Kurt was excited for Dave. “You did not.”
“Yeah, I did. It was kinda by accident, while I was asking her about the GSA. After I calmed down from my near panic-attack, she was real cool about it.”
“David, that’s wonderful. Each person you tell is a step towards freedom.”
“Yeah,” Dave said. “And each person is another risk that I could be outed before I’m ready.”
Kurt sighed. “You are such a pessimist.”
“Realist.”
“Semantics,” Kurt sniffed, but Dave was pretty sure he was getting the hang of reading Kurt Hummel, because that sniff sounded more playful than disdainful.
“Shoot,” Kurt muttered. “I got to go. Finn! Stop that, I’ll be right there!”
“Alright. Meet me at Beiste’s office after homeroom?”
“See you there. Finn! I said put that--” The phone disconnected. Dave looked at it, and chuckled softly. Life with Hudson must certainly be interesting.
Chapter 2b
Rating: pg-13
Pairing: future Kurtofksy. situational Klaine
Disclaimer: not mine
Summary: School starts and Dave and Kurt start the McKinley GSA. Here’s to baby steps.
Notes: proxydialogue and raving_liberal are the best!
Chapter 1
Dinner that night was quiet, for once. Things between him and his parents had gotten better since his expulsion from and return to McKinley. There was still the Big Gay Elephant in the room, but as long as only Dave could see it, and it didn’t force him to slushy any more freshman, then he was willing to let it stay.
At first, his parents had done nothing but ask him what was wrong, even after he had started seeing Dr. Banks-call-me-George. But as he calmed in the wake of his trips to Scandals, the questions had tapered off. They still asked, but they were more subtle about it, and it was easier for Dave to deflect it. But tonight, for some reason, they decided to leave the questions alone and Dave was grateful. Who knows what he might had said in the mood he was in.
Still, in some ways, the easy days were harder; they made Dave think it would all be okay.
Truth was, Dave didn’t know how they would react. Sure, his father’s reaction to the whole bullying thing, and the way he talked to Kurt and Mr. Hummel, gave Dave hope that, at the very least, Paul wouldn’t hate him. (Then again, it’s always different when it’s your kid, isn’t it).
But his Mom--well. He just hoped his mom would surprise him.
“You looking forward to school, Davey?” his mom asked. Dave tried not to roll his eyes; his mother was the only one who still called him “Davey” and he hated it. He nodded, mouth full.
“Of course he is. It’s his senior year, and the Titans are looking at a great season.”
“Coach is sure, anyway,” Dave said. “She’s been good for the team.”
“Hm,” His mother said. Dave gripped his fork tightly and forced himself to loosen his grip. His mother’s opinion on Coach Beiste was known (“It’s just not right, a woman coaching boy’s football. And such a manish one that that--” “Marie...” “I’m just saying.”), and decided by mutual agreement, to be left unsaid.
“Better than that Tanaka fool, anyway,” Paul said.
“She pays attention to us,” Dave said, ignoring his mother’s snort. “She said she can even arrange things so I can play hockey again this year.”
“That’s great news!” Paul said.
“But I thought you hated hockey?” his mother said. Dave and Paul frowned at her.
“No,” Dave said. “I love hockey. I just didn’t think I could play both last year, and Az convinced me to try out for football.” It didn’t hurt that the hockey team was almost as low as the glee club, something about those mullets, and Karofsky couldn’t be that low, not with so much at stake.
But David--David, who sometimes went by Cubby, and was starting a GSA with Kurt, and liked old music and sometimes sang in the shower, and really kinda missed the rush from that half-time show, and was so very different from Karofsky the bully,--well. David could play hockey.
“Oh,” she said, and looked down at her plate.
“And that’s not all,” Dave said, staring at his mashed potatoes. “Kurt Hummel and I are starting a Gay-Straight alliance at school. Coach said she’d be willing to sponsor.”
“A what?”
“I think it’s a fine idea,” Paul said. “Make sure there’s no repeats of last year.”
“Exactly,” Dave said.
“I don’t see why you need a club for one kid,” she said, and Dave felt his heart pound. “There’s no need to rub it in everybody’s face.”
“It isn’t just one kid,” Dave said.
“I wasn’t aware there were any other queers at your school.”
“Marie,” Paul said.
“What?” she said. “‘Queer’s’ not a bad word. They use it on television all the time; Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, remember?”
“It is when you use it like that,” Dave said quietly, still not looking up.
Marie frowned at him. “You used to have a sense of humor, Davey.”
“All right,” Paul said. “There’s no need for this. Starting a GSA was part of the terms of your return to McKinley, isn’t that right Dave?”
“Yeah,” Dave said, swallowing hard. It felt like lying, but there was no fucking way he was going to tell them the truth. Maybe after never.
“So, let’s just finish dinner, shall we?”
“Fine,” Marie said, standing. “I’m done anyway,” and took her plate into the kitchen. Paul wiped a hand over his face, covering his eyes. Dave forced himself to eat another helping of cold potatoes.
***
You ever notice summer gets shorter every year?
David smiled at his phone. It turned out that Kurt was an avid texter, and Dave was getting used to little messages throughout the day.
too long and never long enough
You’re a poet, David.
Dave snickered. u ready for tomorrow? Dave sent, laying back on his bed and looking up at the ceiling. Maybe he should put a poster up or something. He certainly spent enough time staring at it. He wondered, idly, if it would be worth it to put up a poster of some shirtless prettyboy, just to watch his mother freak.
Yeah, no.
You mean my triumphant return to those hallowed halls? The real question is, Is McKinley ready for me?
yep. lying in wait with slushies
Buzzkill. *sigh* The welcome back slushy certainly does put a damper on my returning wardrobe.
u could wear a raincoat
Bite your tongue! :P
Dave almost typed, “You want to bite it for me?” before he caught himself. He wasn’t going to flirt with Kurt. Their friendship was still way too new, too tentative. And if he was going to flirt with a boy, especially one with a boyfriend, he sure as hell was going to be a lot smoother than that.
u still talkin to ms p tomorrow?
Yes. Did Coach Beiste approve the posters?
yep. we can pick them up after 1st period
Excellent! Are you ready?
And that was the question, wasn’t it.
we’re doing it i have to be
The phone rang, and Dave looked at it, surprised. This was the first time Kurt had ever called him. He answered.
“Hey.”
“David, if you’re not ready, we can--”
“No,” Dave cut him off. “No, we’ve been planning this. It’s a good idea. You need it, I need it, and--and others might need it to. We’re doing it. I’m just--,” Dave laughed, self-deprecatingly, “a scared little boy.”
“Shut up,” Kurt snapped. “Don’t say--don’t throw thoughtless words that were said in fear and anger around as if they actually meant--you are brave, David. You’ve embraced yourself, and are working, actively working, toward being true to yourself in public.”
David was silent, breath heavy. He had to say something. “I am scared, though.”
“Everyone gets scared, Dave. The trick is doing your own thing anyway. Never let ‘em see you sweat.”
Dave shook his head. “You’re never scared.”
“Ha!” Kurt barked. “Dave--I spend half my waking hours terrified, and probably will until I move out of this two-bit loser town. You’ve seen me scared,” and Dave closed his eyes at that, because how could Kurt be so casual about--, “but I refuse to give them the satisfaction.”
“I get that,” Dave said. “I do, but--” He sighed. Here it was again, that feeling that he was moving, too slow, that his fear was holding him back too far, that he was never going to get there, never going to be out--
“Does this have anything to do with Santana?”
Dave blinked. “What?”
“Santana left a message on my phone. I’m not sure entirely what she said, she’s fast when she speaks Spanish, but there was something about shaving her beard. I assumed she was referring to you, but--unless you’ve decided to take up waxing?”
“What? No,” Dave laughed. “Why would I--? She asked me to ‘date’ her again at school. I said no. Told her to join the GSA with us.”
Kurt snorted. “Oh, bet that went over well.”
“About as well as you’d expect, but I left with my balls intact, so I’m counting it a win.”
“Good call.” Kurt said.
Dave picked at a loose thread on his blanket. “I am going to be okay, tomorrow. If it gets to be too much, I can always hide in Coach’s office.”
“And she’s going to ask questions?”
“Nah, she--” Dave froze. “Shit, did I--I didn’t tell you.”
“Tell me what?” Kurt asked, sounding apprehensive.
“I told her. That I was--that I’m gay.”
“Shut up,” Kurt said, but he sounded more like Regina George from Mean Girls--shut up. That movie was hilarious. There is no shame in liking Mean Girls. Besides, Aaron was hot. It was more like Kurt was excited for Dave. “You did not.”
“Yeah, I did. It was kinda by accident, while I was asking her about the GSA. After I calmed down from my near panic-attack, she was real cool about it.”
“David, that’s wonderful. Each person you tell is a step towards freedom.”
“Yeah,” Dave said. “And each person is another risk that I could be outed before I’m ready.”
Kurt sighed. “You are such a pessimist.”
“Realist.”
“Semantics,” Kurt sniffed, but Dave was pretty sure he was getting the hang of reading Kurt Hummel, because that sniff sounded more playful than disdainful.
“Shoot,” Kurt muttered. “I got to go. Finn! Stop that, I’ll be right there!”
“Alright. Meet me at Beiste’s office after homeroom?”
“See you there. Finn! I said put that--” The phone disconnected. Dave looked at it, and chuckled softly. Life with Hudson must certainly be interesting.
Chapter 2b