AN: This fic is based off of the Glee fanfiction, Dalton, by CP Coulter.

I don't own Dalton or Glee.

Established Rane. Reed and Shane are coming back from Winter break when they are forced to take refuge in the Anderson's house, and they have an unexpected visitor. Unbetaed, so sorry for any mistakes.

Warning: FLUFF ANGST FLUFF ANGST. Mild language and violence.

Enjoy!


The snow came down in great grey sheets, dulled by the lack of light in the night sky. The cracked display on the dashboard blinked dismally- 11:41- as Shane gripped the steering wheel with white-knuckled hands. Creeping inch-by-inch along an ice-coated road, the old Camry was the only car out that night, and for good reason. Leafless trees were whipped back and forth in the snowstorm's powerful winds, branches clattering eerily. Reed, huddled up in Shane's old dance tee shirt and his own designer parka, shuddered.

"Um... Shane? Do you know where we are?" His wide brown eyes stared out of the window at the snowstorm that pounded relentlessly against the top and sides of the little car, that frosted over the windows and made the road a virtual ice rink. Shane scoffed, attempting nonchalance. "Of course I know where we are, Reed."

Reed couldn't help but roll his eyes at his boyfriend's denial. "Then where are we?"

"Ummm..."

Reed rolled his eyes again, but soon let out a shriek when a frosty branch slammed against the windshield, propelled by the gale-force winds. "We- we should probably g-get out of the weather." he stammered.

"I'm trying, Reed... just hold on a sec..." Shane jabbed roughly at the GPS securely duct-taped to the dashboard. "Aha!" He crowed, looking over at Reed with a triumphant grin. "I know where we are now."

Reed cracked a smile, fiddling with the failing heating system. The car inched along into what seemed like snowy white oblivion, that is until Shane pulled into a long, winding drive shielded by wraithlike trees. Finally, the car reached a garage door, frozen shut, of course, set in a large traditionally-styled house.

Reed looked up at the three-story house. "Umm, Shane? This doesn't look like Dalton."

"Nope," Shane breathed, also looking up. "This... this is home."


"Mhm-hm... okay... thank you, ma'am... buh-bye." Shane hung up the phone carefully. "That was Dean Ramsey," he said softly. "'said it's okay if we're late to the beginning of the semester... 'lot of other guys are stuck, too."

Reed nodded from where he was perched on the edge of the slightly dusty bed. A quilt was tossed over his legs, and he held a cup of cocoa in his paint-flecked hands. And once again, Shane was struck dumb by how damn adorable he was.

He promptly glomped him.

Reed gasped as Shane borderline tackled him and cocoa cascaded over the sides of the mug. "Ah! SHANE!" he exclaimed, lifting the soaked quilt from his lap, a cute grimace wrinkling his nose. "And they say I'm the clumsy one." Shane snatched it up quickly, stammering unintelligible apologies as he backed out of his old bedroom. Dashing to the bathroom, he tossed it in the bathtub, not knowing what else to do. Mentally he scolded himself- stupid, stupid, STUPID Shane! What the heck is wrong with you! That could've been a moment! Ugh! Still fuming inwardly, he went back to his old bedroom, where something stopped him in his tracks.

Reed. Shirtless Reed.

Reed turned to face him, holding out the old dance tee shirt, that same crinkle of adorable annoyance marring his lightly freckled nose.

"Sorry, your shirt has cocoa all over it. Do you have anything else I could wear?" He shivered and wrapped his arms around himself as if suddenly realizing what he was doing.

"Oh! Ummm, this is okay, right?"

Shane blinked. Okay? It's more than okay. Reed blushed and suddenly became very busy with scrubbing at the stained tee shirt.

Oh crap. Had he said that out loud?

"Oh! Well, uh, I mean..." Shane stammered as he inwardly slapped himself. Reed turned to him with a shy, but genuine, smile. Slowly, almost hesitantly, he wrapped his bare arms around the taller boy's waist. "...Will you keep me warm?"

Shane nearly choked on his own breath. Then, after a moment of recovery, he grinned gently down at Reed. "Of course." Scooping up the smaller boy, he bounced over to the bed, plopping them down with a small poof of dust. Reed giggled, protesting slightly. "Shane!"

Shane pulled him closer to his chest. "Come on, Reed! It's late, and I'll sleep better if you're here." He widened his green-grey eyes in his best puppy-dog expression.

Reed rolled his eyes, but snuggled closer anyway. "Fine."

Shane whooped in victory as he pulled the covers over them. Pulling his hands from his ears, Reed grimaced. "...As long as you don't yell like that again..."

Shane chuckled as he let his hands tangle into Reed's strawberry-blonde curls.

And sleep claimed him as cold gusts of wind buffeted the mansion in the night...


Sunlight, bleached white from reflective, sparkling drifts of snow outside the windows, filtered into the edges of Shane's sleepy vision. Blinking, he groggily sat up and looked around... at his room. His old room. The dark purple walls he'd fought so hard for with his dad (apparently purple is too girly a color for walls), the old tin desk he'd found at a garage sale, that he'd had to leave behind when he transferred over two years ago to Walcott, and then Dalton. The carpet, worn down from countless silent dance routines, practiced in the confines of his room. And the memories- they filled the air like dust and sunlight- swirling, heavy memories. Secret talks late at night with Blaine, lying side by side on the floor, writing love notes at the tin desk instead of doing homework. His first time with Micah.

Shane groaned, huddling further into the covers, trying to push the memories from his head. That was the past, Shane... Focus on the present.

The present... A grin snuck its way on Shane's lips. The present was wonderful- he had Reed. And what else could a guy want? The short, angelic-looking boy was snuggled up next to him, hair frothy and tousled, hands curled under his chin. Shane smiled wider, looking adoringly at his boyfriend. And although the clock glowed 10:17, he let him sleep. Dalton was only, what, three hours away? Three more hours to be alone, Shane said to himself, without the chaos of Windsor House.

Yes, at least they were alone. Shane knew that Dad always stopped there after his annual winter college alumni party; he wouldn't be there until the 14th.

Shane settled down for another hour of sleep, vowing to savor the last day alone with Reed for a while. What day was it anyway? His eyelids fluttered as he struggled to keep his train of thought as he drifted off to sleep. Let's see... winter break started on the 19th, and students came back on the 13th... yesterday...

He fell, once again, to sleep, but this time as a key turned slowly in the front door lock downstairs...


A gruff screech jolted Reed awake.

Bright sunlight glared at him as he squinted around the unfamiliar room, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "Wha..? Shane? Shane, I told you not to yell like tha-!" A rough hand gripped his shoulder, ripping him away from the bed. Choking with surprise, Reed yelped. "Shane!"

Shane awoke with a start. Ugh... his head was fuzzy, but wait, was that Reed?

"Hmm? Oh... oh, god! Dad. Dad! Don't- Dad, jus- just- let me explain-!" He scrambled up to confront the older man. Bart Anderson cut him off.

"What the hell is going on here?" he growled, wild eyed, looking back and forth between Shane, who stood trembling before him, and Reed, struggling to free himself from Mr. Anderson's vice-like grip. "Well? Shane? Would you like to tell me what's going on? Would you?" His voice took on a mocking tone.

Shane gulped, steeling his glare. "I think you know what's going on, Dad." Mr. Anderson stiffened. Reed writhed, trying to wrench his shoulder from his grasp, slender chest heaving, but the older man didn't even notice.

"Dad, let Reed go," Shane pleaded meekly.

Still no answer. Finally, after a silence zinging with tension: "It was your brother, wasn't it?... H-He... corrupted you, it's- it's his fault-!"

"NO!" Shane roared back. "I'm sick of everybody always blaming Blaine! He has nothing to do with it! If you're blaming anybody, blame me! Don't you realize: he's the good one! Do you remember when he came out? You remember Micah?"

His voice slashed through the air.

"He was mine, Dad; I was his."

Bart Anderson turned his head away disgustedly, not talking, as Reed watched in a helpless silence. Shane continued desparately:

"Blaine took the bullet so you would still love me. But it doesn't matter, does it? In the end, your sons will still be gay, and there's nothing any of us can do about it."

A pause. "I was dating Micah. I loved him."

The older man chuckled grimly. "Who's this then? Your boy toy?" He pushed Reed away from him in one violent motion. The petite boy tumbled to the hardwood floor with a gasp. Scrambling from the ground, he rushed into Shane's arms. "Are you okay?" The taller boy whispered quickly. Reed nodded, clearly shaken.

"I am talking to you!" Bart yelled, red-faced. Shane steeped in front of Reed, eyes snapping. "Who the hell is this?"

"This is Reed Van Kamp. My boyfriend. I love him, Dad, more than I've loved anybody, ever." A pause. "Look, I know I've been irresponsible. I made a mistake once and Blaine covered for me. But I've made the mistake again, I'm happy to take the punishment for it. I deserve it. But please," Shane pleaded, "not Reed."

Mr. Anderson's eyes iced over with spite.

"Get the hell out of my house. Now."


Reed huddled in the backseat, trying to root through a suitcase and not freeze at the same time. Finally, he pulled out a parka and wrapped it around himself hurriedly. After casting a worried glance at Shane, he pulled out another coat and wrapped around the dark-haired boy's shoulders with a sigh. Shane said nothing, just staring out into the parking lot of the old Wal-mart from where the Camry was parked in a secluded corner.

He just sat there, shivering, staring, thinking.

"Shane?" Reed sighed again and pushed a suitcase out of the way, crawling over to put his arms around the dancer's waist. "Shane, babe, talk to me."

"I love it when you call me that, you know?" His voice was bleak, his lips curved into a morbid smile. Reed made a sympathetic sound.

"I'm sorry, Shane."

"For what?" That threw him for a second.

"Well, for letting us... for being..."

Shane chuckled dryly. "It's not your fault, Reed. It's all my fault, actually. Everything seems to be." He was quickly losing his composure. "Have you ever noticed that? Everything that ends up hurting you, or Blaine, or anybody else is allmyfaultandIcan'tseemtostop-!"

"Shane!" Reed sat up sternly. "Stop blaming yourself! You are amazing and I love you; Blaine loves you, and there's nothing you can to do to change that!" His voice softened."Sure, maybe you make mistakes, maybe you forget to think things through. But I love you for it. It's what makes you you, just like being clumsy and emotionally unstable makes me me."

Shane chuckled that same bleak chuckle. "Yeah, but you look cute doing it. I just look stupid. I am stupid."

Reed exhaled huffily. "Shane. Stop it." Shane just shook his head.

"Don't you see, Reed? I can't stop it. I can't stop messing up. This isn't how Blaine or I wanted to come out, but I messed it up. I almost messed it up with you, but you forgave me. Because you're an angel. And before that, I fucked it up with Blaine and Kurt and Logan in New York, and before that, with Micah! R-Reed..." he cried, tears streaming down his face, "R-Reed... my heart hurts... so bad..."

Shane stumbled over words, trying to talk through the tears. Finally, he gave up and buried his face in Reed's volumptous coat, sobbing. the artist patted the dark, curly head, feeling strangely unawkward. They sat there in silence for an incalculable amount of time, safe in the other's warm embrace. Then, after a long silence:

"I love you, Shane."

Shane slowly raised his head."I- I love you, too." He gave a watery giggle. "I'm hungry."

Reed snorted. "Wanna go get something to eat?"

Shane nodded, then hesitated. He gently laid his head back on Reed's shoulder. "As long as you're here, I'll be fine." he said, almost to himself.

Reed just drew him back into a warm embrace.


YAY! Over 2000 words!

Okay, wow. This story has been in my notebook for so long. I think it took me longer to type than to write.

And oh my freaking wizard god, I swore. I never swear. Seriously, ask anybody who knows me.

This story is dedicated to Julie, aka camelot-hogwarts17. Thanks for pushing me to get this typed up and published!

Also, I was wondering if I should continue this when they head back to Dalton. I kinda want to add some of the other boys. But for now, it stands as a one-shot. I hope this sparks some reviews... hint hint...

Thanks for reading.

~~Sarah