"Blaine, no." Kurt gave the dark-haired boy a stern look, holding up his hands in defence and backing away across the lawn slowly. "I'm warning you, Anderson." Blaine grinned even wider, the mischievous glint in his eye making Kurt's heart beat faster. Kurt looked from Blaine's face to the water balloon held above his head, preparing for fire, and then back to Blaine's face.

For each step Kurt took backwards, Blaine took another forward, until Kurt felt his back press up against the wall of the house. His heart pounded in his chest, and he shut his eyes tightly as Blaine closed in for the kill.

Burt watched from the window as his nine year old son chased his friend around the garden, his hair and face dripping wet from the water balloon that had just been thrown at him. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself, happy that his son had a friend with whom he could spend his summer chasing and playing with.

Since the death of his mother, Kurt had been shy and reserved, but Blaine Anderson, the boy across the street, had made him become the animated little boy he used to be again, and Burt was happy for it. It had only been a year since the death of Elizabeth, Burt's wife and the mother of his son, but Burt didn't want it to stop Kurt from living his life and he knew that Elizabeth would have felt the same way.

Burt took a sip of coffee from his mug and turned away from the window.

"The boys are getting really close, now," He said to Blaine's parents, Aileen and Dennis, who were nursing their own cups of coffee on the kitchen table. "It's great to see Kurt playing like a little boy again. When his mom died, it really affected him, y'know? I mean, of course it would, the boy lost his mom but-"

"We're moving to New York." Aileen blurted out, unable to ignore her guilt whilst listening to Burt praise her son in such a high way.

Burt stared at her in shock. How could they be moving away? Had he heard her correctly? They had only been living here for just under a year, and they were all starting to become good friends. They had moved in across the street the week before Elizabeth had died, and they had helped Burt to get his life back on track for Kurt. Blaine had also taken on the role of Kurt's protector; being Kurt's only close friend, Blaine had defended him from the bullies at school and had been attached to him at the hip, only leaving his side when his mother called him in for tea or bed.

Burt looked to Dennis, but he wouldn't meet his eye. Silence fell upon the kitchen, the sound of the children's laughter emanating from the garden making it even harder for the three adults to bear. Burt wasn't so worried about losing Aileen and Dennis, after all he had only known them for just under a year and, sure, they were more adult company for him whenever raising Kurt single-handedly became a bit too heavy on his shoulders, but he was more concerned about how Kurt would take the news.

"Blaine doesn't know yet," Aileen broke the silence, silent tears beginning to roll down her cheek. "We're telling him tonight."

"And we'd prefer it if you didn't tell Kurt yet," Dennis added, putting his arm around his wife. Burt missed being able to do that. "Let Blaine tell him. It might be easier for him to understand, hearing it from another child."

"No." Burt said, shaking his head. "Kurt's not like that. He'll understand it better if it comes from me."

"Burt-"

"No! I know my son better than you ever will. We've been through hell and back since Lizzie died, and if he's got to go through anything close to that again, I am going to help him through it. I am not going to let some kid explain to my son that he'll probably never see him again! No, you can go to hell before I let you tell me what I can and cannot tell my son." Burt breathed heavily, catching his breath from his short rant. Aileen and Dennis look absolutely terrified, and Burt wondered why – he'd barely raised his voice.

That was until he heard the small voice behind him that sent a shiver down his spine.

"Dad?" Kurt stood in the doorway, Blaine beside him, tears in his eyes. He watched his father slowly turn around to face him, and wondered why he seemed to be angry at Aileen and Dennis. But he didn't stop to ask.

Instead, he slowly rolled up his trouser leg to show him the cut on his left knee. "I fell," Kurt explained as Burt came over to him to take a closer look. "I was chasing Blaine, and I tripped over the tree at the bottom of the garden." Blaine, who was looking slightly sheepish, took Kurt's hand in his.

"I'm sorry for making you chase me, Kurt." He said in a voice that was almost a whisper. "If I hadn't thrown that water balloon at you, you wouldn't have had to chase me."

"Blaine, sweetie, this wasn't your fault," Aileen soothed her son, coming over and wrapping him up in a hug. Burt noticed, just before he went to get a band aid for his son, that even when Blaine hugged his mother, he still held on to Kurt's hand.

Burt knew his son was… different. He was more interested in Barbie dolls and the colour pink than any of the boys in his class at school, and Burt knew that this didn't make him gay, but he knew that wearing his mother's old necklaces and high heels was a sure indicator that Kurt was different.

Half an hour later, Kurt's knee was patched up with a colourful yellow and blue band aid, and he and Blaine were happily watching cartoons and colouring in the living room.

Burt, Aileen and Dennis were all in the kitchen still, discussing how they were going to explain to their children that they weren't going to be living across the street from each other anymore.

They decided to do it the way Aileen and Dennis wanted; they would tell Blaine in the morning and, no doubt, he would come straight over to tell Kurt.