Trust Is A Flexible Word

Summary: One year after their break up Blaine finally moves to New York and gets in touch with Kurt. His hopes of a reunion crush when he finds out that Kurt has a new perfect boyfriend until he discovers that Kurt is caught in an abusive relationship.

Blaine's POV, in later chapters also Kurt's POV

vulnerable!Kurt, NOT canon!Kurt

This fic is only canon up to episode 04x06 "Glease". (This means that the phone call in Thanksgiving and everything in the Christmas episode did NOT happen.)


Author's Note: Hey everyone, so The Break Up episode has stirred up a lot of fanfiction and I've seen some ideas about how Blaine ends up in an abusive relationship with Eli, because he thinks he deserves it for cheating on Kurt. I have been struck by another idea which I'm presenting to you now. This story is about how Kurt is messed up by their break up and ends up in an abusive relationship in New York.

WARNING: This is NOT canon!Kurt, because I don't think Kurt would fall apart and act like he does in this story. If you don't like vulnerable!Kurt then please don't read.

TRIGGER WARNING (for later chapters): physical abuse, violence, self-harm, alcohol misuse

Just to clarify: This is NOT a fic about what is to expect in the next Glee episode (04x11). This is NOT about Kurt and the new character on the show, Adam.


To all my faithful and amazing readers of my other fics NO REGRETS and MAN IN THE MIRROR: I will NOT abandon those stories. I'm already working on updates, so please stay tuned. :) I love you all!

A VERY BIG THANK YOU to HarmonyLover for helping me with this story! Everyone, please make sure to check out her story "Have A Little Faith" which is about fixing Klaine's relationship before the Break Up happens. I love it! She's a true talent with words. :)


Trust Is A Flexible Word

Chapter 1

"BLAINE! I'M HERE!"

Blaine heard his name and instantly turned in the direction of the high-pitched yell.

"BLAINE WARBLER! OVER HERE!"

A small brunette figure came running towards him, crossing the street (almost getting hit by a yellow cab) with her arms extended and a big happy grin on her face.

Blaine opened his arms to catch her and whirl her around in order to compensate for her bounce.

"Blaine! I can't believe it! You're really here! It's so great to see you! Welcome to New York!" Rachel almost drowned him in a flood of words as she hugged him exuberantly.

"Thank you, Rachel, it's good to see you, too!" Blaine smiled fondly at her, happy about this affectionate reception which he felt he didn't deserve at all.

For a moment they just smiled at each other while all the words unsaid whirled around in both of their heads. Almost one year had passed in which they had hardly kept in touch. Only when Blaine had received his acceptance letter and knew he'd come to live in New York he'd contacted her again, and he hadn't expected such a warm welcome.

"Anyway," Rachel linked arms with him to drag him along. "There's this cozy little coffee shop I need to take you! Gosh, we've got so much to talk about! I can't believe you're finally here! It feels like ages!"

"Yeah, that's true," Blaine bit down on his lips. He'd missed her. Everything about her including her craziness and overwhelming personality. Only now that he saw her again did he realize how much he'd missed talking to her, and the realization made him want to cry. If he hadn't screwed up things would be way different now.

"Thanks for meeting me," he said as he walked beside her, not really seeing the city, his eyes just grazing the pavement in front of his feet and Rachel's small hand clinging to his arm. "I've only been here for a week and already I feel overwhelmed by all of this. I mean, wow, New York!" He extended his free arm to capture the vastness of the city.

Rachel grinned up to him. "I know what you mean," she assured him. "I was overwhelmed by it, too. But don't worry, I'll show you around! Soon you'll feel at home!"

She pulled him into a small coffee shop, placing her jacket on a free stool at the window to save the seat and then went up to the counter to order their coffees. "A medium drip for you, Blaine Warbler?" she asked him with a happy sparkle in her eyes.

Blaine raised his eyebrows. "You know my coffee order?"

"Some things never change, do they?" she replied, and another sad smile grazed her features. She'd grown beautiful, Blaine noticed. She'd always been pretty, but he couldn't help seeing how much she'd bloomed living in New York.

They took their places at the window and just smiled at each other for a while, both still too excited about seeing one another and not knowing where to start. Blaine had been afraid she'd refuse to see him; after all she was still best friends with Kurt. Yet here she was, with open arms and a warm tender smile making Blaine feel welcome.

They talked about NYADA and Juilliard for a while until it became obvious that they were just tiptoeing around the really important questions.

"How's Kurt?" Blaine finally found the courage to ask, and there it was again, the sad and wistful smile on her lips and her eyes getting watery for no apparant reason other than regret that this mess had become their shared reality.

"Great," she answered with a little one-sided shrug. "Yeah, he's great. Well, considering the circumstances."

Blaine frowned. "What circumstances?"

"Well," Rachel flipped a strand of hair back over her shoulder. "For one there's the fact that he stopped applying for NYADA. I told him he should keep trying but after two rejections he's just given up on it."

Blaine's spirits dropped at hearing this news. Kurt had given up on NYADA?

"But well, on the bright side he loves working for Vogue and he's superbusy there, he's a true workaholic!" She laughed, but she didn't sound very convincing.

"Also he's got a new boyfriend," she added with a thin smile, causing Blaine's heart to skip a beat.

"Actually I encouraged him to finally start dating again," she confessed to Blaine. "He was in a terrible funk for months after your break up. He wouldn't even think of seeing anyone else, so I'm really happy for him now."

Blaine cleared his throat and looked down at his cup.

"I'm glad to hear that he's happy," he managed to say and he meant it, even though it hurt. He wouldn't admit it aloud, but part of his reasoning to come to New York has been the hope that he would get back together with Kurt somehow, even though they hadn't spoken in almost a year.

"Yes, Kurt's very happy," Rachel confirmed a little bit too eagerly while her nails were tapping the table restlessly. "His new boyfriend's like a dream come true! His name's Andrew, he's some sort of advertising executive, apparently very successful."

Andrew. Blaine instantly disliked that name.

"Also he's funny and charming," Rachel continued her list of Kurt's new boyfriend's attributes. "I can't say a bad word about him."

"Sounds like he's a real catch," Blaine said, trying to keep his jealousy out of his voice.

"Oh yeah, he's too good to be true! From what I hear he's amazing in all kind of ways!" She raised her eyebrows suggestively but then seemed to remember whom she was talking to. "Sorry."

"It's okay." Blaine slowly twirled his coffee in his hands and watched his friend closely. Despite her enthusiastic speech Rachel didn't seem too be truly happy about Kurt's new boyfriend.

"You don't like him?" It was more a statement than a question.

Rachel looked up in surprise, feeling caught. "It's not that I don't like him," she explained cautiously. "It's just... the way Kurt has changed since he's with Andrew..."

Blaine frowned again. "Changed how?"

Rachel sighed a bit overdramatically. "Starting with the fact that he doesn't have time to see me anymore. I have the feeling he's withdrawing from me on purpose and it's gotten even worse since he moved in with Andrew."

"He moved in with this guy?" Blaine asked, totally taken aback. Kurt was living with some guy. Jealousy shot like fire through his veins. He'd always dreamed about living together with Kurt.

"When... why... how?"

"Three weeks ago," Rachel told him. "Andrew asked him to move in with him, just like that. I begged Kurt to stay with me because I don't want to look for another roommate, but he said he wanted to give it a try. What can I say? After all, it was my idea. I mean, I convinced Kurt to start dating again, so now I can't complain, can I?"

It was clear to Blaine that Rachel was heartbroken because she hardly got to see Kurt anymore. Apparently between work hours and now living with Andrew he didn't have much freetime to see her.

"Do you think he would agree to see me?" Blaine asked. "I would love to see him and try to be friends again."

"I can ask him if you want me to," Rachel offered.

Blaine gave her a nod. "Yes, please."


Two days later Blaine sat on his bed in his dorm room alone, trying to work on an essay and thanking the Heavens that his annoying roommate was out.

His phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and froze immediately when he saw that it was Kurt. A million thoughts ran through his head and he was scared but also excited about this call.

"Hello?" he answered tentatively.

"Hi," Kurt's voice rang into his ear. He sounded cheerful and a little bit exuberant. "I hear from Rachel that you're in town. I thought I should give you a call and say welcome to New York."

"Thanks," Blaine said, still shocked by the unexpected call. He hadn't talked to Kurt since... since forever. Hearing his voice made him shiver.

"So you're at Juilliard? That's great."

"Yeah, it is," Blaine acknowledged and wanted to slap himself because he didn't know anything else to say to Kurt.

"Okay, that's great," Kurt repeated. "Listen, I gotta go. I just wanted to say hello and that it's really great to have you in town. Bye!"

"Kurt, wait!" Blaine closed his eyes and clung to his phone. He took a deep breath and prayed for courage. "How about we go out for a coffee someday?"

"Uh, yes, of course," Kurt replied, but he sounded wary. "It's just that I'm extremely busy with work."

"How about lunch break tomorrow?" Blaine asked, trying to sound casual, although his heart was thumping hard in his chest about the possibility to see Kurt the next day.

"I don't do lunch breaks," Kurt replied.

Blaine stayed silent. This was an obvious rejection. Kurt didn't really want to see him. This call was no more than a polite gesture.

"I understand," Blaine said.

"But sometimes I go and get a coffee at that place that Rachel took you the other day," Kurt said slowly. "Perhaps we could meet there? Tomorrow afternoon about four o'clock?"

"Yeah, sounds great!" Blaine hurried to say.

"But I can't make any promises," Kurt said. "I don't know how crazy work's gonna be tomorrow so don't be offended if I don't show up."

"That's okay," Blaine assured him. "I'm gonna go for a coffee anyway. It would be nice to see you there."

"Okay, then see you tomorrow. Maybe."

"See you." Blaine hung up and lay back on his mattress, his eyes brimming with tears.

He had missed hearing Kurt's voice so badly.

"Thank you for calling me, Kurt," he whispered into the silence, clutching the phone to his heart.


Author's Note:

Thanks for reading!

I'm trying not to turn this into a neverending story like it happened with my other stories. This story is supposed to be short and hurtful. I hope I can keep it short. No promises. ;)