"Thank you for coming here with me," Kurt said as he stood beneath a barren tree, looking sadly at his friend. He held a single long stem rose delicately with his long fingers, the two of them looking down at the newly turned earth.
"Pavarotti was important to me too, Kurt," Blaine replied sadly.
Tears began to fall on Kurt's rosy cheeks, "I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened..." he trailed off, fighting the ever growing flow of tears.
Blaine looked sadly at his friend, his own face becoming tangled with emotion, "Some things are not meant to live in a cage."
Kurt pressed his lips together in a thin line as Blaine lowered his gaze back to the ground. Kurt knelt and placed the rose on the small mound of earth.
"Should we say something?" Blaine wondered aloud as Kurt rose.
"I have a song I want to sing," Kurt returned, emotion audible in his voice, "I think Pavarotti would have liked that."
"Yes, he always did like singing with you," Blaine said as his eyes met Kurt's.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free
Kurt reached up and brushed the tears from his eyes, as he let out a choked sigh.
"That was beautiful," Blaine said, eyes misting, looking toward the taller boy and watching the emotion in his face, seeing something there that he hadn't before.
Kurt's tears suddenly intensified as he raised his hands to cover his face and sobs.
"What Kurt? What is it? You can talk to me," Blaine said, deeply concerned about his friend.
"This just brings back a lot of memories," Kurt managed through his sobs.
Blaine nodded knowingly. Kurt rarely spoke of his mother, but when he did it was with great fondness. Blaine couldn't imagine what it must be like to lose someone so important at such a young age.
Blaine swallowed hard, "I'm sorry, Kurt. That must be really hard."
Kurt could only nod, removing his hands from his face and looking at Blaine. He was raw in his emotion, the way Blaine had seen him the first day they had met. And, Blaine just wanted to make it better, he couldn't stand to see his friend like this.
"I'll stay here with you, Kurt, as long as you need." Blaine reached out for Kurt's hand, the way Kurt's father had done so many years before, taking it in his own and holding it gently.
Kurt smiled weakly, his broken heart beginning to fill a bit.
After a long moment, he found his voice, and looking Blaine square in the eyes, he said, "I was planning to tell you this later, but now seems as good a time as any... I want you to be the first to know." Blaine's eyebrows knit together, concern and confusion in his eyes.
Kurt continued, "I'm transferring back to McKinley." Blaine's heart sank, his look of confusion being replaced with one of devastation, his words escaping him.
Kurt looked long and hard at the pained expression on his friend's face, his heart physically hurting in his chest, "I can't run forever."