WES: You were such a terrible spy, we thought it was sort of endearing.
BLAINE: Which made me think that spying on us wasn't really the reason you came.
KURT: Can I ask you guys a question? Are you guys all gay? I'm the only gay kid out at my school and I've been getting hell for it.
David and Wes who were standing pulled up a seat at this point. They had figured it might've been bullying but at this point they knew for sure.
"Have you spoken to an adult?" Wes asked. "Like your parents?"
"No," Kurt said. "My father just suffered from a heart attack and I don't want to stress him out. I've been trying to hide it but its getting worse. When my supposed Glee family told me to come and spy and be useful I wanted to just see what here was like."
"So, it's that bad?" Blaine asked. David was shaking his head as he put the pieces that Kurt obviously wasn't telling together. David knew there was more to the story and they hoped they could get Kurt to open up but opening up to people you didn't know was hard.
"Does your father know that you're gay? I know you're out at school but did you come out or did people just assume?" Wes asked "Listen, either way you have to tell him. It'll only get worse and in a way you are enabling the bullies by not telling someone who can help to put a stop to it or take you out of it. Asking for help isn't always easy but it's sometimes the best thing to do."
"Where is your father now?" David asked
"If I tell him he'll probably try to kill the principal or Mr. Shue or someone else at school since they've never stopped it even on some occasions when they've seen it. Mr. Shue knows about the slushy facials and the locker checks, I've seen him standing there after I get one and he does nothing." Kurt said.
"If they allow things like that to happen at school well, they kinda deserve anything your dad gives to them. I still think you should tell someone. Have your Dad given you reason to doubt him? Unless subconsciously you think he won't care." David said.
"Never." Kurt said vehemently."When my ex-stepbrother said 'faggy' he kicked him out and when Finn told his mother some half-assed story about me sexually harassing him he called me right away in front of Carol and Finn and asked my side. He could've easily believed Finn considering Finn is so like him but he's always put me first. I really haven't told him because I don't want the additional stress. He ended a relationship with someone I know he cares about for me because she refused to believe her son was lying and my dad knows I wouldn't lie to him."
Kurt had tried to convince his Burt not to end things Carole but Carole had taken Finn's side even after Finn agreed that what Kurt had said was the closest to the truth of the two sides. Even telling how Finn had sought out Kurt for advice stringing him along when he knew of his feelings. He'd never told him he was uncomfortable and how Finn failed to mention that once the relationship with Burt and Carole had taken off Kurt hadn't even really spoken to him. Kurt was glad his father had defended him but he didn't want his father to grow to resent him because of all the sacrifices he had to make for his gay son.
Carole and Finn had left and although Burt had told Kurt repeatedly that he didn't blame him he still felt responsible hence when the bullying started up and the boys in glee starting ignoring him in the hallways and Mr. Shue started ignoring him in glee he didn't tell his father. Even when Mercedes and Rachel had demanded he apologized to Finn for getting him kicked out and even when they didn't ask his side of what happened, he never told his father.
"So, how about this? David offered "If you call your Dad right now and tell him you're on the way with your three newest friends. We will tell him how we each ended up at Dalton and then you can explain how we met, and what's been going on. That way you'll have support, and if he tries to go killer rampage on your school we can at least try to get him to calm down."
"It's best I tell him alone, then you guys can meet us at the shop. That way he can see that I only just told someone and see the circumstances I told you guys otherwise he might be hurt I felt I couldn't tell him." Kurt told them.
After a few minutes they exchange information. David, Wes and Blaine agreed to meet him at his Dad shop at about five that way he'd have time to speak to his dad and they could get some things they needed done.
"I wanted to tell you but I was worried about your heart." Kurt repeated for what felt like the millionth time. His father was beyond pissed off and had volleyed between killing everyone at McKinley and homeschooling Kurt. Kurt had known his father would be upset but he was also really hurt that Kurt had hid it from him.
"As the parent it's my job to worry about you. What if they had did something worse? Attacked you? Killed you even? I wouldn't have known. To me it would've seemed random because you chose not to tell me. You put yourself in danger when you do things like that Kurt. When your teachers failed to protect you, you should've come to me immediately. Tomorrow, I'm going to speak to someone at your school and if I don't get the answers I need I will be pulling you from there." Burt said.
By the end Kurt was hanging his head in shame. He hadn't really thought about how his father would've felt had he been attacked. It would've been a double blow to have felt like his son didn't trust him and for his son to have been hurt. He thought about earlier and about David, Wes and Blaine's offer to tell their individual stories of coming to Dalton.
His Dad sat down next to him and pulled him in for a hug "I'm suppose to protect you Kurt. Not the other way around." Burt said. He thought about how much Kurt meant to him "I couldn't function after losing your mom and I wouldn't want to live if I lost you." And then Kurt started to cry because he remembered what his father was like after his mother died and if his father thinks that losing him would make him worse than that he shuddered to think what he would be like.
"I'll try better, Dad." Kurt promised.
They sat like that for a while both reflecting on different parts of the same problem. Eventually one of the work men came to tell them three guys were there asking for Kurt. Kurt had almost forgotten that his new friends were going to stop by and had allowed himself to just be lost in his father's company. It had been awhile since they just sat and enjoyed each other company.
David and Blaine came into the office and saw Kurt with his head on his father's shoulder and each felt a pang of jealousy as they couldn't remember ever being that close to their fathers to share an extended hug. Wes felt more home sick than anything else because before Dalton he was very close to his father but business kept him away for hours and Skype just didn't feel the same. Wes made a mental note to call his father later that day.
"Well, considering we only met Kurt today we figured we've made progress since we're already hanging out." David said to break the ice.
"Come take a seat" Burt said "let's talk." Kurt sat up and smiled sheepishly. He'd already told them a lot so he didn't really have reason to be embarrassed because they found him being comforted by his dad. His Dad had never shied away from his touch and was very affectionate when he let him and he hadn't allowed him recently and he was trying to soak it all up.
"Its weird having three random strangers help my song and for that I am grateful to you more than I can express. I don't know how much Kurt told you guys but whatever you said to get him to talk to me, thank you! More than anything else I'm glad he's taking to me again." Burt said.
"It's no problem, sir." Blaine said "unfortunately, we recognized the signs for various reasons and offered our help like we would any other persons."
They sat around talking for a few hours while Burt had went in and out as the business needs dictated getting to know the guys as he called them collectively. He'd see a new side to Kurt in the process, he was laughing a little less cagily than he normally did and even though Burt didn't ask he thought at least one of those kids had to be gay and none of them had a problem with Kurt touching them and he saw more than once that they actually initiated touch without hesitation.
When Burt had stepped out to deal with a customer David brought up what he'd been thinking about for a while. "If your father decides to pull you out where will you go? Carmel?"
"I don't even know." said Kurt.
"Why don't you come to Dalton if he pulls you out? As you can see it isn't that far and you don't even have to board if you don't want to so you can still see your dad every day and besides you already know three people there." Wes said.
"It didn't look like attendance would be cheap." Kurt said "I wouldn't want to strain my dad."
"I keep telling you to let me worry about stuff like that. We're not exactly poor kid." Burt said entering the room.
"Well sir, Dalton is expensive but also prestigious. Most graduates go on to very elite colleges and even though it may seem elite what they spend to attend Dalton they usually save in scholarships for colleges. In addition to our no bullying zero tolerance policy that is strictly enforced and…" Before Blaine could extol the many benefits of Dalton, Wes decided to cut him off.
"Mr. Hummel, most bullying gets worse even after teachers are aware of it. It will cool down after a while but then they start doing it in places where no one ever frequents or it becomes verbal. My last school I was the only Asian kid and they never hit me or anything but sometimes I wouldn't even raise my hand because the looks alone were enough. Whoever said words don't hurt lied. My dad pulled me out of my middle school when an eighth grader killed his self. Just words alone got him to the point of helplessness." Wes said.
At the mention of suicide Burt eye starting seeking out Kurt. He hadn't even considered the thought of Kurt killing himself. Kurt knew what his father was thinking and tried to convey that he hadn't ever considered suicide.
"We'll talk about this more tonight but for now don't you guys need to get going?" Burt said.
"Actually we're going to my parents to spend the night. They live about an hour from here." Said David
"Kurt never once told me he was being bullied!" Will Schuester said. He felt it unfair that he was being called to defend his inactions in protecting Kurt. "I didn't do anything."
"That's the point. You didn't do anything and your inaction and favoritism could've led my kid getting hurt. You had to have known. Kurt told me about the slushies. You saw him drenched in sugar and ice and barely said anything. No one chooses to walk around like that so I'm not buying your story. And since you're so incompetent Figgins, I went to the school board to file a complaint apparently I'm not the only one except the last three students never followed through. I will follow through even after I've taken Kurt out." Burt informed the room.
Kurt kept trying to get his father to calm down because he was supposed to avoid stressful situations and activities and yelling at the top of his voice and gesticulating wildly had to be stressful.
"Maybe, if he didn't draw so much attention to himself…" Figgins unwisely started. He never got to finish before Burt punched him in the jaw.
"I want his school records now." Burt demanded.
William made to go through the door when Burt said "call the police and I will be sure to file a lawsuit so big the district will go bankrupt trying to pay it off."
At the mention of lawsuit and bankruptcy Figgins eyes went wide. No matter how much his face hurt now he knew it would be nothing like his pocket if the school was sued or his back if his wife found out he risked his job.
Wes and David sat in the library the next day waiting for Warble practice, They'd hope to have heard something from Kurt by now but he hadn't text them or called and they wanted to respect his privacy until he reached out to them. Blaine was still star struck over some mysterious lover boy and he wouldn't tell them who so he was currently off doing illicit things in dark corners.
"Excuse me, I'm new here." Wes heard behind him.
"Holy shit, you go here now? Your Dad wasn't joking. You guys move fast." David shoots off rapidly.
"Yeah, after he punched the principal I doubt I was going to stay there then threatened a lawsuit if they called the cops and yeah, I was walking out with a copy of my file. We came here today to talk about me going here just to see if it worked and here I am." Kurt explained.
"So, come let us give you the unofficial-need-to-know-so-you're-not-late tour." Wes offered.
"After the drive out here my Dad decided we are going to try boarding and see how me miss it. He doesn't want me driving so many hours per day. My beauty regiment would suffer." Kurt said only half joking.
"The only beauty regiment you need is sleep, you're gorgeous" Wes said off handedly.
Wes and David continued to walk not realizing that Kurt had stopped. No one, had ever compliment him so sincerely off handedly as if it was a given truth to them that could be said without hesitation. Even his father, he had to show him the outfit and fish for a compliment before his father would grunt a response. He knows his father never understood fashion though so he'd always let it pass but his features? They've never been complimented and certainly not by a handsome male with eyes and smile to die for.
As Kurt hastened to catch up with them, he hoped that this could be the start of a new era in his life.
Another story with so many WIP but I love Wert and this is my nod to them. I no longer watch Glee and haven't watched any of the third season or anything before Never Been Kissed. I pick and choose what happened in my head canon. No need to write a review explaining what happened in a specific episode. No Klaine will be in this story except as friends of a friend.
So, thoughts?