Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.
A/N: Not a one-shot for Shots Of Love, after this took a turn for the dark. I discovered though, I really like writing Carole and Burt. To have parents who…*sighs*
Kurt and Blaine got together when Dalton started back up after the Christmas break of Season 2, so some time before 'The Sue Sylvester Bowl Shuffle: AKA Thriller'.
This fic starts in the first weeks of February, before Valentine's Day.
All Too Much, All Too Dark
At Dalton it have been a tiring couple of days.
Both Kurt and Blaine after studying hard the night before - for an upcoming chemistry test the next week - really just want to stay in tonight.
Get to Lima, stay in and cuddle on the old comfortable couch in the Hummels' living room, but they have promised Burt and Carole to go, so here they are.
Here being a room somewhere in a town about an hour's drive outside of Westerville. High ceiling, high windows - not that that matters, not now that it is already dark outside.
The bad lighting hurts Kurt's eyes as they walk in, holding hands, and it take a moment for them to adjust.
xxxx
Kurt does not know what to expect from a PFLAG meeting, but he most certainly had not expected this...ever.
"Karofsky?"
Blaine's eyes immediately snap up from where he has been rummaging for a piece of gum in the bag hanging from his left shoulder.
I must have heared Kurt wrong. He has heard him right.
How can this just...how...? Blaine thinks staring ahead in shock. They haven't even come here for himself, or Kurt, tonight.
They are here for Burt. With Burt, and Carole, who have both been asking about PFLAG since a parent at Dalton had mentioned it to them when they had dropped Kurt off after a weekend visit to Lima last December.
With Kurt and Blaine having come directly from Dalton, with a promise to meet Kurt's parents here, they are early. To Blaine standing frozen still it feels like Burt and Carole are late, very much so.
Blaine keeps nervously glancing between his boyfriend, Dave, and the door. A couple of people file in a moment later, Burt and Carole among them.
Blaine looks back to Kurt one more time. He takes a step towards Burt to…but it is too late, Burt has spotted his son standing in front of "Karofsky!"
Blaine flinches at the angry sound Burt carries in his voice, expecting it is still so different from hearing the angry sound.
Carole walks over to Blaine as she sees him flinch even more when Burt storms past him. She puts her right arm gently around his shoulder, "Hey, Honey, it's okay."
Blaine gets like that a lot, shuts down when voices are raised and angry looks show on people's faces, Carole has noticed before. She hates seeing him like that.
Kurt has told them a while back about Blaine having had trouble, too, at his last school before Dalton.
Kurt had been curled up crying in his Dad's arms some time during Christmas break, after not having heard from Blaine for a couple of days in a row, worried sick. It had been a nightmare, that had triggered the opening up. After dozing off on the couch one Saturday afternoon Kurt had woken up wrapped in his father's arms. It had taken Kurt to realize he had started sobbing in his sleep, and to take in his dad's words, "Shh, I got you, I got you. It's okay. You're okay." It had been months since the last time this had happened, since the last time Kurt had allowed this to happen, always careful to hold back after his dad's heart attack. But the fears had been overwhelming that day and Kurt had no longer possessed the energy to hold back, "They were hurting him, they were hurting him and I wasn't there, I couldn't do anything."
She can still hear Kurt's sobs that had taken painfully long to die away that day, and only to be replaced with breathing so strained, the sound along was painful to perceive, and the memory of it today still stirrs tears in her she can barely keep out of her eyes, others' sight.
Carole hopes Blaine will confide more in Kurt soon. She can see the uncertainties of what exactly happened to Blaine, the nightmares and worries they cause Kurt, eating away at him. A side she suspects Kurt is careful to never let anyone else see if he can help it. Most of all..."Blaine."
She guides him gently over to where Kurt is still standing, in front of Dave, now Burt by his side.
"What are you doing here? Looking for new people to bully, now that Kurt is at Dalton?"
Burt sounds angry, and Blaine cannot bring himself to look up at anyone. Eyes firmly fixed on the floor, he still reaches over to take Kurt's left hand gently in his right, the other clutching the strap of his bag, too hard, knuckles turning white.
Blaine can feel Kurt tense for a second under the touch. So Blaine begins to gently soothes an apology into Kurt's skin, drawing wide circles with his thumb.
They simulataneously each take a step closer to the other, sides touching now. It is a surprisingly comforting touch to both of them and a moment later their hands are intertwined further.
Burt is still waiting for an answer from Dave, "What are you doing here? I will throw you out with my own hands if I have to."
"I'm gay," it is a murmur under Dave's breath but Burt still catches it.
"Excuse me?" Burt is so confused now, even the anger slips from his mind for a brief moment.
"He is gay. Dad," Kurt's voice, trailing off with the last word, confirms what Burt had thought he had heard but is still not sure how to take, or if even to believe. Kurt wouldn't joke about this, is the thought that enters Burt's mind as he tries to make sense of this whole situation.
"Kurt, what are you two talking about? He has been harassing you for years, and now you both tell me he is," Burt turns back to Dave, "you are gay?"
"Dad, please can we just leave. I cannot do this right now. It's too much."
Burt hearing how choked up Kurt already sounds is bitterly reminded off how recent it has been that Kurt has escaped all that pain, so he is not going to put him through Whatever This Is right now.
Turning and pulling Kurt into his arms Burt says in a voice as soothing as he can master in this setting and with a mind muddled with thoughts feeling so wild in their newness still, "Okay, Kiddo. Of course, of course we can go. Let'S do that."
And Burt feels Kurt breathe uneven and heavy as Kurt buries his face in his dad's shoulder.
xxxx
Outside, night air cold and clear things should maybe feel lighter already, they don't.
Burt walking with Carole across the parking lot, Blaine and Kurt just ahead of them, hates to see how shaken and unsteady both boys are on their feet - hands still tightly clasped, the boys unmistakably lifelines to each other.
They reach Blaine's car first.
When Blaine moves to get his keys out Burt gently places a hand on the boys shoulder, Blaine flinches utterly too much for such a light touch.
Burt hopes he will one day understand, be able to help with this too, right now he wants to make sure everyone gets home safe, "You two are not driving again tonight. I have a job to do around here tomorrow, so I'll pick up your car then. You're staying with us tonight anyway, right Blaine?"
Blaine nods and Burt can see him relax a little.
xxxx
Blaine and Kurt are cuddled up in the backseat, Carole, having insisted that Burt, too, take it easy tonight, driving.
Burt keeps glancing back at them from the passenger seat, so misses Carole glancing over at him with the same worried expression.
They both though cannot miss the boys talking with each other in hushed voices throughout the whole drive, clearly trying to avoid being overheard.
Finally, ten minutes away from their home, "Dad?"
"Yes?"
Turning around to face them, Burt can see the tears, heavy as they are it is impossible to miss them, even so Blaine keeps reaching over and gently brushing every single one newly making its path down Kurt's face away before they can even so much as reach Kurt's cheekbones.
"He…I…I never wanted to keep it from you," whatever more there is Kurt wants to say, it is swallowed by chocked sounds in the next second, drowning out all comprehension.
"I am here for you, Kurt. I am always here for you. Please tell me." Burt, as worried as he has been ever since they ran into Karofsky manages to sound calm.
They are on the last strip of road, running along the wide fields surrounding the town. It is completely deserted at this time of night.
About half a mile ahead, Carole will, in a moment, take the turn into the first street sparsely lined with houses, most abandoned.
"He kissed me. Back at McKinley. He kissed me."
Carole brakes hard, and turns off the car, only leaving on the lights, so the vehicle is not swallowed whole by the utter darkness covering the fields.
She turns in her seat, a look of horror on her face, "He assaulted you?"
Burt is still speechless when Carole, after a quick glance in her side mirror gets out of the car and climbs into the backset next to Kurt, pulling him into a comforting hug. "It was my first kiss. He stole it," he sobs.
Burt eventually finds his voice again, "That is why he threatened to kill you." Burt sinks his gaze in sadness. When he looks back up he sees Kurt buried even deeper in Carole's embrace.
His eyes find Blaine. The boy is sitting there, legs tugged against his chest, holding himself, alone. Looking lost and haunted, staring into space, eyes hard, shinning with unshed tears.
"Blaine?"