Almost two weeks later, and Kurt was still alive. He didn't know how, but he was. He kept his head down. He never met Blaine's eye. He bottled up his pain and waited until he was in the comfort of his own room to let himself go. It wasn't easy, not at all. But he did it.
Friday afternoon, almost two weeks after the break-up, he was making his way out to the parking lot when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see not Blaine, as his heart had hoped for, but Puck, looking very serious.
"Dude," Puck said. "Blaine got slushied."
Kurt could only stare, his eyes bulging.
"I saw him heading for the auditorium," Puck continued. He looked Kurt in the eye. "If you wanted to ... Y'know." He shrugged.
"Yeah, I'll go. Of course. Thank you, Puck."
Puck nodded and walked away.
Kurt hurried to the auditorium. It didn't matter that they were broken up or that they hadn't made so much as eye contact in almost two weeks. Regardless of what had passed between them, the bottom line was that Blaine needed him. And Blaine had been there when Kurt had needed someone.
He had gone through the school as to get to the auditorium quicker. He made it to the side of the stage and pushed the curtain across softly.
He didn't see what he had expected to see, and he didn't understand it at first.
There were two people in the auditorium. They were sitting in the audience, near to the front. They were sitting very closely together, talking in hushed voices.
It was Blaine and Rachel. Kurt did a double-take. Then he zoned in on them again.
They were leaning in closer.
They were kissing.
Kurt made a noise that was halfway a gasp and halfway a sob. It sounded like he was choking.
Blaine and Rachel jumped apart as if tazered. Rachel's hand leapt up to cover her mouth, and Blaine's eyes widened in horror.
Kurt sobbed again and spun around on the spot, bolting for the door. He heard Blaine calling his name and running after him, and it reminded him so much of his Junior Prom night that it stopped him in his tracks. He remembered how much of a comfort Blaine had been to him that night. He had been his rock. But everything was different now.
Kurt continued out the exit.
