#dave01

[sugarmottahq]

location: choir room

date & time: october 2nd / after glee

tagging: dave karofsky @mcdaveykarofsk

triggers: bullying cw, more tagged when needed.

sugar twirled a lock of her hair between her fingers as she walked down the hallway, her mind drifting to the world's most perfect bag that was waiting for her at home after rehearsal. she was halfway out the door when she realized she had left her coat in the glee room. sighing, she turned on her heel, making her way back through the empty hallways. as she approached the choir room, she heard the noise from within and assumed it was rachel and jesse flirting by making gargling noises they called vocal exercises - such a shame not everyone had her talent. "keep your pants o-" sugar started saying as she pushed the door open, stopping in her tracks when she spotted karofsky by the piano.

for a split second, a wave of unease washed over her. she remembered all too well the way he used to be, and the way he'd terrorized anyone who was different. but sugar was sugar – cool, confident, and unshakeable. she pushed her discomfort down, straightened her posture, and plastered on a bright, nonchalant smile.

"oh, didn't expect to see you here," she said with a shrug. "just came to grab my coat. don't let me interrupt your... whatever."

[pixiesandpeacocks-blog]

@davestr1d3r liked your starter call 

“Trends are fickle, and that modern appearance of yours may not last as long as you hope for it to. Trust me, go with something more classically dashing and you’ll have fans by the droves. Perhaps not as many as me, but that’s only to be expected.”

[davespritexe-blog]

turntech-got-head

" Hey. “ ... “ Hey, dude. Dave. I’m trying to ask you a question here. “ ... “ Can you even hear me behind those? Am I just talking to myself here? God, you’re making me look like an epic douche here, just standing here talking to a guy who can’t even hear me. Imagine if we weren’t the only two home right now. C’mon man, take the headphones off; you can pause the song, I gotta ask you something. “ 

... Oh, for fuck’s sake.

“ DAVE! “

[chillypepperhothothot]

Interesting Letter Box by Dave_O1 ~ Dave Edwards on Flickr.

[sugarmottahq]

sugar watched dave closely as he spoke, her posture still stiff, her fingers gripping the edge of her coat. "well, it's good to know you draw the line at slushies," she said, her tone snarky but kind of relieved. "and yeah, i am awesome. thanks for finally noticing." she rolled her eyes, but the more he spoke, the softer her expression turned

she shifted in her seat, "look, shockingly, i wasn't always this confident. in my last school, i was like... bullied pretty badly. that's why i came to mckinley. my parents wanted me to have a fresh start... i suggested the bahamas, but alas," she paused, not wanting to delve too deeply into her past. "anyways, i learned that you can't let losers define you. you have to find what makes you happy and like, hold onto it... like you would balls," she added, trying to speak in karofsky language.

she leaned forward. "being confident isn't about pretending you're perfect. I mean, i am, but you can’t be me. know your worth, dave, and don’t let anyone steal it from you. if you want people to know you, be someone they want to know and not just another sad angry gay. we left those in 2021 with the cheeto-in-chief."

a small smile played on her lips. "and as for my dad, he would eat you alive, sweetie."

dave rested his hands on his knees and spun the stool to face the girl. he chuckled softly as she spoke, her delusions of grandeur amused him. his bitterness clouded his judgement before but her confidence was adorable now. his smile faltered a little at the threat and he sighed. “i never hit any girls.  i only threw slushies at them.” he clarified. it was not much better but he thought the distinction was important in this case. 

“you’re right, by the way. you are awesome.” he said quietly. “i’m sorry if i ever made you feel anything but.” he did not avert his gaze from hers. he wanted her to know he meant every word. “you see, i only asked because i also think i am a little awesome.” he shrugged nonchalantly. “i’m a great player, and not too bad on the eyes, am i right?” he smirked confidently. “but i’m not allowed to be confident around the team anymore because they see me as the gay guy who almost offed himself. and i’m not allowed to be confident around you guys because i’m the asshole who made your lives hell.” he paused to digest his words. “i don’t want to spend the rest of my life on an apology tour. i want to be allowed to be confident again. i thought you were the best person to ask how.”

he let the seriousness of his words settle for a moment before quickly adding in a lighter tone, “oh, and your dad sounds awesome, can i meet him?”

[sugarmottahq]

sugar hesitated for a moment at dave's unexpected request. she could see the awkwardness in his eyes and it was hard to reconcile this quiet, uneasy boy with the bully she remembered. but that's exactly what he was, sugar reminded herself.

but sugar wasn't about to let anyone sense fear. she tossed her hair back and put on a bright, faux-confident smile. "stay for a little bit, huh?" she repeated." i suppose i can spare a few minutes." she mused, shrugging. the girl settled into a chair and gently placed her coat over her lap - it was expensive, it needed to be protected, just in case.

"lol, i'm confident because i'm awesome," she answered, pausing for a moment before continuing. she'd been here before. not here and not with karofsky, but being alone in a room like this reminded her of a time she truly didn't like to think about. "fyi, if you're going to hit me, you should know my daddy has really good friends who would totes make someone disappear for him."

karofsky did not dance, sing, or even hum along during his first glee club session. he sat in the back with his arms crossed and watched the whole thing with a stoic expression. things were slightly better now, thanks to medication and therapy. it was his therapist who suggested he should join the club. he scoffed at the idea at first, but eventually, it began to make a little sense. he spent so much of his life suppressing anything that could remotely flag him as gay that he never allowed himself to enjoy things. and the truth was simple: he loved music. it angered him that kurt and all the others could openly enjoy music, dress up, and be silly. it did not feel fair. 

he did not move out of his chair until the room was empty. he nodded politely as people dispersed and breathed a sigh of relief once he was finally alone. he moved to the piano stool and played with the keys. his mom used to play and he took lessons as a kid but eventually quit because it was ‘so gay’. he only remembered children’s songs or lullabies, so he played a few notes of mary had a little lamb before sensing someone entering the room.

he looked up to find the ever-so-familiar look of unease most people had around him, even if for a brief moment. he was only capable of making people feel anger or discomfort these days. he nodded and remained quiet for a moment, he figured it was the polite thing to do, but as the seconds went by, he dreaded her exit. “will you stay for a little bit?” he said quietly, then cleared his throat. it was almost uncomfortable to be meek and small. he used to roar down the hallways, but he did not want to remind people of who he once was. maybe still was. he met her gaze and blushed slightly as he blurted, “how are you so confident all the time?"