Warnings: character death, hurt, comfort, angst
Summary: to say it was a shock for everyone was one thing. To say it almost destroyed Kurt was another.
Words: 1343
Date: 06/06/10
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or any of its characters. I don't own One Sweet Day either.
Broken Promises
Your job is to be yourself and it is my job to love you no matter what. That and the majority ownership of a tyre store, that's all we got – Burt Hummel, Laryngitis
(~~)
Carole Hudson loved Burt Hummel. He was a kind man, a good man who had such unconditional love for his family that it made her heart swell. They had been together for five months, they were living together and they and their two boys had been so happy for so long.
She knew life wasn't fair, but she didn't know it would as cruel as to take Burt away from her and the boys in such a brutal and sudden way.
(~~)
They said they were sorry.
They said if he needed anything or Kurt or his mom needed anything, just ask.
They were silent and just smiled sadly at him when he asked for them to bring Kurt back his dad.
For days after the accident, members of the town came with casseroles and pies and words of apology and sympathy. Carole just smiled and nodded and put the food in the refrigerator and the freezer to be eaten later or never, while Finn sat on the couch staring at the TV with a blank look on his face, a fake smile for whoever wanted to speak to him and an excuse on his lips for when they asked about Kurt and how he was doing.
The boy hadn't left his rooms in his days. He rarely left his bed. He hadn't eaten or spoken to either of them since the accident.
It really hurt him to see Kurt wasting away before his very eyes.
And he couldn't think of anything to say to him.
(~~)
Kurt didn't remember anything particular about his mom's funeral. All he remembered was his dad looking like his heart was breaking and clinging so tightly to Kurt's hand, he was sure it would've broken.
This time it was Carole clinging to his hand and Finn's, heartbroken and his dad wasn't there.
He just felt so empty.
Carole had to get Mercedes to come over to force Kurt into getting ready. She even had to choose a suitable outfit for the funeral for him because he was too numb to even move from his bed than rifle through his endless wardrobe. She chose the simplest of all of his clothes.
He couldn't bear to flaunt all his dads' hard earned money.
The service was simple. Carole, Kurt, the guys who worked at the store, Mr Schuester, Kurt's Aunt Mildred and a few more associates and friends were the only ones invited. The entire Glee Club had come to support Kurt. He barely recognised their presence.
His eyes were fixed upon the hole in the ground where they were lowering his father.
(~~)
"He promised to take me here" Kurt whispered as Carole stood in the doorway to her and Burt's old room. The boy sat curled up on the floor beside the dresser, the drawers open and a picture of both his parents in his hands. The soft murmurings of the funeral guests downstairs became nothing but background noise. "Where he first met Mom and where they had their first date" his usually sparkling blue eyes were dull as they lifted up to look into Carole's. "This picture was a promise and now that promise is broken!" he threw the framed photograph onto the bed and tucked his chin under his arms, his lip quivering.
"Kurt-" Carole began, stepping into the room.
"You know I made Dad change his diet" Kurt interjected. "I made him eat organic, only drink light beer and all that, because of what it does to you. Why didn't I let him do what he wanted?" Kurt said, tears that seemed never ending in the house rolling down his cheeks. "I tried to change him to fit what I wanted. I changed to fit what he wanted. He was fine the way he was"
"He wanted to make you happy, sweetie" Carole said, walking over to the boy and pulling him into her arms and allowing him to sob into her shoulder. "He loved you no matter what. You were the best thing that happened to him. He knew that. You need to know that too, Kurt"
(~~)
"Finn..." he looked over to where the rest of the Glee club was huddled by the stairs. Rachel had risen at the sight of him and her look of sympathy instantly made his chest hurt. Even Beth seemed to sense the anguish in the room and was crying softly in Puck's arms.
"I'm fine" he said, hugging her. "I didn't lose my dad this time. It was Kurt. We need to be there for him. All of us" he addressed the others, who all nodded.
"I think we should go see him then" Rachel said, confident that it was the best thing to do.
"I think he wants to be alone" Finn said.
"He's been left alone for too long, Finn" Quinn said, taking Beth from Puck and cradling her to her chest tightly, her eyes welling up with tears. "We can't leave him".
The others nodded their agreement and they all rose from the seats and making to go up the stairs, Puck and Finn stopping to carry up Artie's chair. No one tried to stop them from leaving.
Finn led them down the hall and opened the room to Burt and Carole's –just Carole's – room now. Kurt was curled up on the bed, his hair was uncharacteristically messy, Finn didn't think that he had even touched any of his products in days. At the sound of the door creaking open, Kurt's tear streaked face looked up to them at the door, before he gave a sob and turned back round, burying his face into the pillow. He was swamped in an overly large Ohio State University jersey that Finn just knew that he was his dads.
Rachel was the first to move. She moved past Finn into the room, moving towards the bed. She slipped off her heels at the edge and crawled towards Kurt's prone figure on the bed. She lay down behind Kurt and wrapped an arm around his chest, hugging him from behind. Kurt began to shake with renewed sobs with hiccups in between, and he held tightly on to Rachel's hand.
Quinn moved next, balancing a gurgling Beth in her arms. She lay in front of Kurt, grasping Beth to her chest. Kurt wrapped an arm around her, his fingers playing with the baby's kicking feet. Quinn felt her hair dampening as Kurt sobbed uncontrollably.
The others milled into the room, Brittany curling up at the foot of the bed. Puck and Finn manoeuvred Artie's chair into the room, while the others settled themselves around the bed either managing to squeeze on the end with Brittany like Santana, patting Kurt's legs in an attempt to comfort him, or like Mercedes, Tina and the boys who all made themselves comfortable on the floor.
Will smiled at them from the door where he had followed them to, as they lay in silence to comfort their friend, the only noises Beth's gurgling and Kurt's sobbing. He knew that just them being there was helping him so much. They wouldn't let him lose himself in his grief.
Rachel did the only thing she could actually do. "Sorry, I never told you" she sang softly into Kurt's hair. "All I wanted to say, and now it's too late to hold you" she clung tightly to Kurt's shaking hand. "'cause you've flown away, so far away" She stroked down Kurt's hair and his arm tightened around Quinn.
Never had I imagined
Living without your smile
Feelin' and knowing you hear me
It keeps me alive, alive
And I know you're shining down on me from Heaven
Like so many friends we've lost along the way
And I know eventually we'll be together
One sweet day
Eventually I'll see you in heaven
~Dedicated to all of those who have lost a parent. You all have my deepest sympathies~