Chapter Seven
"Once a vampire finds the one they consider to be a potential mate they will pursue them with a single minded determination few other creatures possess. All of their considerable capacity for love and affection becomes focused on that one person. They will move heaven and earth to insure the happiness of their chosen one."
-an excerpt from "The Vampire: Mythos and Truth" by Dr. Marvin J. Coles, PhD
Kurt couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when he pulled into the parking lot at school. Dalton had become such a comfort to him because it was the one place where he felt like he was completely accepted. No one judged him or made unfair accusations. He wasn't sure when it had gone from his worst nightmare to his safe haven, but somewhere along the line, it had. He grinned when he walked into the common room. The other guys were just there, hanging out. Kurt felt oddly relieved to see all his friends there, knowing he would have their support. Wes, who was in the middle of a heated video game with Thad, was the first to spot him.
"Kurt? What are you doing here on a Sunday?" Wes asked. "You never come this early on a weekend. What's wrong…things getting worse at home?"
"What? I can't just miss you guys?" Kurt asked. The way his voice broke with emotion belied his joking manner.
"Oh Kurt," Blaine said sympathetically, carefully pulling the boy into a hug, the first any of them had dared to initiate with him. He was supremely pleased when the other boy didn't flinch or pull out of the hug, something which he pushed aside for now, focusing instead on his concern for his friend. "What did they do to you now?"
Fighting back tears, Kurt brokenly explained about his confrontation over breakfast, ending with the fact that Finn had called him a blood whore.
"He did what?" Blaine growled, his eyes taking on a faint reddish color. Wes put a calming hand on his shoulder.
"Easy Blaine." Wes murmured.
"He thinks that I am sleeping with every vampire here." Kurt tearfully admitted.
"That's it! I will not allow them to treat him like this anymore!" Blaine snarled, moving towards the door, hissing and baring his fangs when Wes moved to intercept him. "Move Wesley!" Nick and Jeff quickly joined Wes at Blaine's side.
"Blaine, get a hold of yourself! Kurt needs you more right now than you need to go to Lima and educate his brother." Nick said soothingly. "Think about him. He's the one that's important."
"How can someone who loves Kurt even think that about him?" Blaine asked Wes quietly. "I would never think that of Kurt or anyone else I loved."
"Did he just say he loved me?" Kurt stuttered, eyes wide with shock.
"We all love you." Nick quickly jumped in at the look of panic on Blaine's face. He knew the other boy was not quite ready to admit his feelings.
"Maybe some time away from Lima will be good for you, Kurt." Wes said, changing the subject. "You're more than welcome to stay here whenever you need to and for as long as you need to."
"Thanks guys. I'd already sort of decided that."
"Yes! We get Kurtie all to ourselves! You can sleep in my bed." Jeff winked at Kurt.
Blaine smacked Jeff on the back of the head, hard. "Ignore him. We're pretty sure he was dropped on his head as a child."
"Why are you getting so pissy, Blaine? That actually hurt this time." Jeff rubbed the back of his head, but was still smirking at his friend. "Do you want him to sleep in your bed?"
Wes glared at both boys, who were clearly making Kurt uncomfortable if the deep blush and shifting of his body were any indication. "That's enough, Jeffery. Unless you have a death wish, messing with Blaine right now is a bad idea. I think Kurt will be most comfortable in one of the guest rooms. Let's get you settled in so you can at least decompress from your weekend." Wes announced, guiding Kurt down the hall. "You know, we would never expect you to do anything you're not comfortable with."
"I know, Wes, and I'm glad I have you guys in my corner." Kurt was at least happy to be able to talk to some people who understood what he was dealing with and didn't judge him.
"Although, if you're planning on being a regular guest here, we should get you a dorm room upstairs with the rest of us so you don't have to keep hauling your stuff back and forth from Lima." Wes offered the suggestion, hoping that Kurt would seriously consider it for the upcoming semester.
"I have to talk to my Dad about that, but I will keep it in mind, Wes." Kurt wondered what it would be like to live at Dalton and couldn't help but think how happy he would be not to have to deal with Carole and Finn.
"He's doing better," Blaine said as he sat in the common room with Nick, Jeff, and Wes several days later. "I mean don't you think he's doing better Nick?"
"Yes Blaine," Nick said absentmindedly as he continued studying for his French exam. "But then I've told you that every day for the last four. Kurt seems much calmer and certainly less stressed now that he isn't forced to deal with his brother and stepmother on a regular basis, although I think he does miss his dad." Blaine frowned.
"I'm sorry. I know I seem like I'm being obsessive. I just wish we could do more to help him," Blaine said.
"We all do, but I think the best we can do is what we are doing. Support his decisions and be there if he needs someone to talk to about things," Nick patiently replied. Blaine nodded.
"I suppose you're right."
"Of course I am," Nick grinned. "Now help me conjugate these stupid verbs."
"Okay," Blaine responded. "Let me see what you've got."
"Hrmm… ok… I think," Blaine paused, putting down the book he was studying, he turned only to see Wes doing the same thing. A haunting melody was winding its way through the common room. The voice singing was high and clear and absolutely heartbreaking in its emotion and beauty.
"Who is that?" Blaine breathed in awe.
"More importantly, why isn't he in the Warblers? That's a countertenor. Do you know how rare those are? We would totally win regionals if we had a countertenor." Wes remarked, his eyes brightening at the idea of winning a Regionals trophy.
"I think we should investigate." Jeff said, rising and not waiting for the others to follow. "A voice like that is one in a million. It should be treasured and nurtured and we are just the ones to do that."
The Warblers followed the sound of the voice down the hall. They found themselves standing outside one of the guest rooms exchanging shocked glances. They all knew who was staying in this guest room and exactly who the voice must belong to.
"Did you guys know Kurt could sing?" Nick asked.
"Well, he was in the glee club at his old school, so I knew he sang, but he's always been too shy to sing around us, even though he is technically a Warbler." Blaine explained. "He's been through so much, I figured it would be better if he focused on other things. I didn't want to push him."
"Tina did say he had an amazing voice, but she never told me he was a countertenor." Wes replied, letting the haunting melody flow over him. Kurt was an amazing singer.
"I say we bust in there, corner him, and force him to join us." Jeff said with a smirk.
Blaine smacked Jeff upside the head, again.
"Freaking ouch, Blaine!"
"Are you nuts? We bust in there and Kurt will run screaming in the opposite direction. He barely trusts us as it is. We're still making progress with him."
"So, then how are we getting him to actually sing with us?" Nick asked.
Before anyone could answer, Kurt opened the door and stepped out, finding himself surrounded by smiling vampires.
He couldn't help the shriek that escaped from his lips. At the sound, Blaine shoved everyone back to give Kurt some breathing room. While they were making progress with the boy, he didn't want Kurt to feel threatened in any way.
"What the hell? Why are you all standing outside my room? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Kurt demanded, giving them all a scathing look. "It's usually polite to knock on a door instead of standing in wait for someone to leave a room, you know."
"I think you are amazing, Kurt." Jeff slipped past Wes and put an arm around Kurt. "We would be absolutely stunning together."
"Um…thanks." Kurt offered, still a little flustered and very much confused.
"No, really. Your singing is better than anything I've heard in an extremely long time. And I'm talking about a long time for a vampire. It's a really long time." Jeff excitedly declared.
"Oh, you heard me?" Kurt looked away, embarrassed. "I thought I was being quiet. I hope I didn't bother anyone."
"You definitely weren't bothering us, Kurt." Wes reassured him, smiling almost manically. "You're a countertenor. Why didn't you tell us?"
"It didn't seem to matter at McKinley. I was just another backup singer for Rachel and Finn." Kurt shrugged.
"I think we've already established the people at McKinley are idiots. I can promise that you won't be just another backup singer with the Warblers. We fully intend to make use of your talent, if you want to sing with us, that is." Wes firmly stated already going through his mental songbook to try and come up with a song that would match Kurt's talent
Kurt looked around at the other boys. "Are you sure you want me to sing?"
"And a whole lot more." Jeff gave Kurt a leering look. Before Blaine could smack him in the head again though, he ducked and stuck out his tongue taking off down the hall with Blaine in pursuit. Nick sighed.
"I'd better go save the idiot from Blaine. If you'll excuse me," he murmured following the others.
"I don't want to pressure you into anything, Kurt, but we could really use your voice." All Wes could do was put the offer out there. He didn't want to put any more pressure on the boy than he already had in his life.
"Just let me think about it. Okay?" Kurt didn't want to make any promises, but he missed singing… he missed performing and the release it brought so much. He didn't want to seem like he was betraying New Directions if he actually sang with the Warblers, however, despite the fact that they seemed to have no problem betraying him by siding with Karofsky.
"Take as much time as you need, Kurt." Wes said. "We'll still be here for you, no matter what you decide."
"Thanks Wes." Kurt responded. A part of him couldn't help but think that if this was New Directions, he would either be getting strong-armed into joining or sent off to a blood bank, never to be heard from again to ensure that he wasn't outshining Rachel Berry. It was a nice change and definite point in favor of Kurt singing with the Warblers. It looked like he had some serious thinking to do.
"I'm telling you… Pink. We sing Pink and we win," Blaine insisted. Jeff rolled his eyes.
"You have an unnatural obsession with singing songs originally sung by women," Jeff said.
"I rock songs originally sang by female singers and you know it," Blaine smirked.
"Totally beside the point," Jeff insisted. "If you'd just…"
"Kurt," Blaine breathed interrupting Jeff's rant as his sensitive ears picked up the familiar rhythm of Kurt's heart.
At the lead soloist's words, the boys all paused their discussion. Now that Blaine had pointed it out, they could all hear the human heartbeat on the other side of the door and collectively held their breath, so to speak. They knew they had to let Kurt make the first move. The door slowly swung inward and Kurt entered the room.
Blaine was the first to step forward, "Kurt! You came!"
"Yeah, so… um," Kurt said nervously, biting his lip. "Were you guys serious about wanting me in the Warblers?"
"You're already one of us, Kurt, but yes we want you to sing with us. You have a beautiful voice." Blaine firmly said.
"Then I guess that's what I'm doing. I'm here to sing."
"That's great Kurt. Now, you can help us pick songs. We need a reasonable voice," Blaine said smiling and taking Kurt's hand, pulling him into the room. He led Kurt to the settee sinking down next to him. "Wes wants to sing classics. He feels the judges will be more receptive to that. I, on the other hand, think that we need to shake things up… do something a little edgy…"
"You just want an excuse to pursue the latest in a long line of obsessions with female pop singers," Wes said.
"Here we go again," Nick muttered.
"Kurtiekins, you better come sit over here by me out of the crossfire," Jeff grinned, patting the seat next to him.
"I'm fine where I'm at Jeff," Kurt replied with a quick glance at Blaine who still, much to Kurt's pleasure, had not let go of his hand. With a small, pleased smile, the lead Warbler turned to continue his argument with Wes, which Kurt happily joined in on.
"Well hello there Mr. Hummel, and how are you this fine Dalton evening?" Blaine said grinning as he flopped down on the couch in the common room.
Since the Warbler meeting a few days earlier, he and Kurt had become somewhat inseparable. They walked to class together, studied together, watched movies together, listened to music, and sometimes just sat and talked. Kurt could never recall feeling so comfortable around another person and Blaine was beside himself with joy at the way their relationship was developing. Every instinct he had was telling him that Kurt was the one for him and Blaine was having to work very hard not to give in to those urges, because he knew Kurt still wasn't quite ready for their relationship to go there yet. In the meantime, he was enjoying getting to know the human. Everything he was learning only serving to make him like Kurt more.
"I'm amazing, of course," Kurt responded.
"I couldn't agree more," Blaine murmured huskily causing a beautiful blush to blossom on Kurt's cheeks.
"Honestly Blaine, you have to quit saying things like that. I'm going to start believing them," he replied.
"I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true Kurt. I like having you here during the week," Blaine said earnestly.
"Oh, really?" Kurt asked, unable to resist the urge to flirt with the other Warbler.
"Mmhmm," Blaine said his eyes becoming intense as he stared at Kurt. "Your skin is so soft and so warm." He gently ran a hand down Kurt's arm, thrilled at both the small shudder that passed through Kurt and the fact that the other boy didn't pull away from his touch as he had when he'd first started at Dalton.
"Oh, you like me for my body heat?" Kurt teased; he never thought a vampire could make his heart beat faster in a good way.
"Just one of the many things I like about you, Kurt." Unable to stop himself, Blaine started to slowly lean in towards Kurt, forcing himself to pull away at the last second. He could hear the boy's heart hammering in his chest. Blaine was pretty sure it wasn't from fear this time, and his eyes unconsciously slid down to Kurt's lips.
"So," said Kurt fighting down his blush. "Are you just here to bask in my warmth or did you need me for something?"
"Actually," Blaine said. "I did have a reason for coming to find you. I just talked with Wes, Jeff, and Nick and we decided that our number for regionals is going to be a duet. I'm going to be half of the duet and I'd… we'd really like it if you would be my partner… for the duet, I mean."
Blaine was certain, if he was capable of it, he would have been blushing by the end of his speech. He'd been completely unable to look Kurt in the eyes throughout it and for some reason was unbelievably nervous about the whole thing. He finally forced himself to really look at Kurt though and was blown away by the pure raw emotion in his friend's face.
"I… yes… I'd love to be your partner, Blaine…for the duet. I'm really honored. Thank you," Kurt said his voice husky and raw and, to Blaine's sensitive ears, incredibly sexy.
"No, thank you, Kurt. Your voice is going to win us regionals. Now come on, let's go to the music room. We have some practicing to do."
"This late?" Kurt asked. "Won't we be bothering the others?"
"Kurt, the classrooms and offices here are sound-proofed for a reason."
"What? Why could you hear my singing if the rooms are sound-proofed?" Kurt asked.
"The guest rooms and dorms are not, just for security reasons." Blaine answered. "But that's not important. I want us to go practice for that duet. I want the two of us to blow everyone out of the water when we open our mouths."
"You know it's going to take a lot of practice to get it that perfect, right? We'll be spending a lot of time together," Kurt raised an eyebrow.
"I know. I'm sort of looking forward to it," Blaine admitted, taking Kurt's hand and leading him to the music room to practice.
If Kurt thought he had been attracted to Blaine before, it was nothing compared to how he felt about him now that they were spending so much time alone together practicing for their duet. Over the week, he'd gotten to know Blaine as more than just the steadying influence he tended to be on the other Warblers. He'd come to appreciate his quieter, more intellectual sense of humor, which was normally overshadowed by Jeff's in your face crazy. They'd discovered they had a lot in common and spent hours together just talking about music, and books, and fashion and their dreams for the future. Kurt was a little shocked to see how alike they actually were. It made him so happy to know that he had someone to confide in, especially when he was in Westerville, so far away from his father.
Although a part of him was dancing in excitement over the burgeoning relationship between himself and the vampire prince, it also left him feeling conflicted. Kurt knew that vampires mated for life and if he were to pursue a serious relationship with Blaine, he would have to be turned at some point which was something he wasn't sure he would ever be comfortable with. Still, there was just something about the other boy that Kurt found himself completely unable to resist.
"I will miss you this weekend." Blaine said Friday afternoon as he walked Kurt to his car. "Are you sure you don't want to stay here?"
"Blaine, I would love to stay, but my dad specifically asked me to come home for Friday night dinner… to give it one more shot with Carole and Finn. I promised him I would be there. I can't miss it." Kurt said. "I'll call you before I go to bed tonight though, and if Jeff starts getting on your nerves, you can text me."
"I'm sure Jeff will be getting on my nerves. He always does." Blaine answered, chuckling. "Promise me that you'll drive safely and that you'll let me know when you get home?"
"I always drive safely Blaine, and of course I'll call, if you want me too," Kurt said. He couldn't help but blush at the thought that Blaine would be waiting for his call. He had certainly never experienced that before. "But surely you have more interesting and important things to do with your time than wait on me to call?"
"Nothing is more interesting or important to me than you Kurt," Blaine murmured huskily. "I do have to go to this thing with my father tonight. I know it's going to be boring."
"Why don't you take Jeff with you if you're afraid you'll be bored? He's nothing if not entertaining." Kurt responded.
"Jeff and my father don't mix well. Dad tends to think of Jeff as a necessary evil that he has to put up with. Besides, Wes and Tina will be there."
"Oh… yes… I guess they would be, wouldn't they? So is this a royal thing then?" He asked. Blaine nodded.
"More a Council thing than a royal thing. Either way, I have to be there, but at least I won't be alone in my misery. Are you sure that you'll be okay in Lima this weekend?" Blaine said.
"I'll be fine. It's not exactly my idea of a great time, but I'm sure I'll survive it," Kurt said. "Speaking of which, I should get going. I have a long drive back."
"Be careful and I will see you bright and early on Monday morning." Blaine gave a longing look as Kurt pulled out of the parking lot. He could admit that he was worried and wanted to keep tabs on the other boy. It was going to be a very tough, very long weekend for him, even if Kurt was trying to make light of it. He frowned in thought before pulling out his phone and sending off a quick text. With a small smile of satisfaction, he tucked his phone neatly away and turned to go back into the school.
Hummel Tire and Lube….Saturday…..
"I think I might board at Dalton next semester." Kurt said giving voice to an idea which had become more and more appealing to him, especially after the tense dinner the night before. While neither Carole nor Finn had been as blatantly offensive as they had been at the previous Friday night dinner Kurt had attended, neither had spoken one word beyond what was absolutely necessary either. This morning had been just as bad. The two Hummels had finally just snuck away to the garage on the premise of ordering supplies.
"Board at Dalton? Why are you wanting to do that?" Burt asked a frown on his face, immediately setting aside the inventory he had been working on.
"It would just be easier," Kurt said with a shrug carefully avoiding his father's gaze. He didn't want his dad to feel like he was being forced to choose between his son and his wife. "I mean, homework there is a lot harder than at McKinley, and now that I'm actually singing with the Warblers, I'll have practice so that will give me less time. If I board, I'll have more time for both of those things, plus it would be nice to be able to see my friends more." Burt sent his son a knowing look.
"Those your only reasons bud?"
"What other reason would I have?" Kurt asked. Burt sighed.
"I know things haven't been great between you, Finn, and Carole lately, but…"
"They haven't" Kurt conceded. "And I do think maybe a little cooling off time could be beneficial to us all."
"You know that I won't say no if this is what you really want Kurt, I just don't want you to feel like you're being chased out of your home," Burt said.
"I don't, Dad. I know you and Carole are trying to work things out and it's been difficult for the two of you," Kurt said carefully. "I also know a lot of your fights are about me. Maybe if I stay at school for a while, you'll be able to fix things."
"Oh Kurt," Burt sighed. "There are more issues between us than just you, and I would never push you out of my life just so things could be easier." Burt had waited a long time to find Carole, but he loved his son and never wanted him to feel like he didn't belong. Hell would have to freeze over before he would pick his second wife over Kurt.
"I know, Dad, but I think this is the best thing for all of us. I'm tired of the fighting and I really do feel safe and happy at Dalton," Kurt reassured his father.
"Alright Kurt. You can board if that's what you want to do. You'll be home on weekends though, right?"
"Of course, I will Dad. You don't have to worry about that."
"Oh… You're making dinner?" Carole said sourly when she entered the kitchen after coming home from work Saturday evening to find Kurt putting the finishing touches on dinner.
"Yes," Kurt said sending his father a quick glance. He had promised his Dad that he would do his best to be polite. "I thought it would be nice for you to come home and not have to cook."
"I really don't like having people messing around in my kitchen," Carole complained. "I have it organized just how I like it."
"I'm sure Kurt didn't mess up your kitchen, Carole. It smells delicious doesn't it, dear?" Burt said giving his wife a pointed look.
"Mmmm,"Carole hummed non-committedly.
"What're we having?" asked Finn who had just entered the kitchen and flopped down in a chair at the table.
"I made chicken cordon bleu, roasted chive and garlic fingerling potatoes, and a salad with radicchio and endive. I also made cannelloni with mascarpone cheese for desert," Kurt said proudly. He loved to cook and share his passion for fine foods, even if a couple of people wouldn't appreciate it. "I thought we all deserved a little treat."
"But I wanted normal food for dinner," Finn whined, eyeing the food on the plate Kurt had served him, but not really eating any of it.
"I'm sorry honey," Carole apologized. "Kurt took over the kitchen. He had dinner done before I got home."
"But Moooommm…"
"It's okay, sweetie, if you really don't want this, I'll take you out to get something else."
Kurt shrugged when his father sent him an apologetic look. Sometimes you really couldn't win with some people.
"Dad, I wanted to make sure that you're planning on coming to regionals," Kurt said looking at his father expectantly.
"Of course, I will be there, Kurt. I miss hearing you sing after…well, after it happened." Burt answered.
"Good, because Blaine and I are singing a duet and I want you there to see me shine," Kurt said, beaming with pride as he revealed why he wanted his father to be at the competition.
"You're what?" Finn slammed down his silverware so hard that it bounced from the table to the floor while Carole slammed her glass down hard on the table, causing some of the liquid to slosh over the side and onto the tablecloth.
"I will be singing with the Warblers. They love my voice. In fact, Wesley said countertenors are very rare and anyone who didn't fully utilize my talent was an idiot," Kurt said as calmly as he could. He was so proud that someone had found his voice worthy and he'd wanted to share his joy with his family; hoping they would be happy for him.
"Why would you even side the enemy?" Finn sneered, his face twisting into a hard look.
"What in the world are you talking about, Finn?" Kurt looked at his step-brother warily.
"The Warblers are our stiffest competition and you're betraying New Directions." Finn hissed.
"Oh, that's rich." Kurt snorted. "I think New Directions already betrayed me, Finn, so no, I have no loyalties to them." Kurt could have kicked himself. He should have known Finn would take this as a personal insult.
"What have you told them about us?" Finn growled.
"I actually haven't said anything about New Directions in a competition sense and they haven't asked. We're not as threatened by you as you are of us. So there's no need to be worried as long as you guys are planning to bring it." Kurt chirpily said. He wasn't about to let Finn make him feel bad about one of the best things in his life right now.
"Don't worry, Kurt, we will. Maybe you should be more worried about how you've betrayed everything you used to stand for." Finn growled. He was furious that Kurt refused to see how he was abandoning people he'd known all his life for some stupid duet.
Kurt looked at Finn incredulously. "What the fuck are you talking about?"
Burt waited for the explosion he knew was coming and ignored the cursing from his son. Finn rarely took being confronted well and he certainly didn't disappoint.
"You are just a vampire toy, Kurt. They're using you to make themselves look better… to make it look like they accept humans. When you lose at Regionals, they will be sucking you dry before you know it." Finn smirked. "Maybe not though, since you're probably just rolling over and letting them do that anyway. That's the real reason you got a duet, isn't it? It was payment for services rendered."
"Shut the hell up Finn! I would never do something like that, and they would never expect me to. My friends at Dalton have honor. They care about me," Kurt yelled back. "They've treated me better than you ever have. They've never called me a liar or treated me like I was less than human. They've respected me from day one which is more than you ever did. They are better than you in every possible way. They're better singers and better dancers. They're stronger and they're smarter, not that it takes much. You're not even worthy to polish their shoes! "
With a growl, Finn launched himself over the kitchen table, pulling back his arm and making a fist. Eyes widening with fear, Kurt scrambled out of his chair. Since the incident with Karofsky, he had avoided confrontation at all costs…even going so far as to back down when he shouldn't have. Seeing Finn's hulking form advancing on him, brought back his attack with startling clarity and he could feel himself starting to panic. He would have probably fled in terror were it not for his Dad who shoved Finn into the wall and stepped in front of Kurt.
"No one is going to hit my kid in my house." Burt thundered.
"He started it! He betrayed us and wants everyone to be happy for him." Finn glared, trying to get to Kurt unsuccessfully. "And he called me stupid!"
"He shouldn't have done that, but you said some pretty awful things to him too, and he didn't betray anyone, Finn. He had to start his entire life over because of what happened. Do you think it was easy for him to change everything? He didn't want to have to do that. He was forced to do that and I think we should be supporting him as a family." Burt lectured.
"How can I support someone I've never considered family?" Finn indignantly blustered.
"Finn!" Carole exclaimed. As much as she had issues right now with the whole situation, she knew to keep it to herself. After all, there was a right time and place for such matters and the dinner table wasn't it.
"What? It's true. We may be related by marriage, but Kurt means nothing to me." He insisted undeterred by his mother's admonishment. Their lives had gotten harder since Carole and Burt's marriage and if she refused to see that, it wasn't his fault. He was tired of it and thought it was time for the truth to come out right here, right now.
"I see, well that explains a lot actually," Kurt said softly, his eyes luminous with tears he refused to shed. "I think, since I'm not family, it's best if I just excuse myself." He fled the room before anyone could stop him.
He needed to get away from the house. He couldn't stay there any longer with all of the hate coming from Finn and Carole. He got out his bag and began to blindly throw things in it. He was almost done when his father entered the room without bothering to knock.
"We've had this discussion before, Dad. I love you, but I just can't stay here, not right now." Kurt said, even if it did feel like giving up in some ways.
"I don't know what to do to fix this, Kurt. I will be having a serious conversation with Finn and Carole about what happened tonight, though." Burt didn't know what else to say to his son. There wasn't anything he could do to make things better and that hurt him deeply as Kurt's father.
"Don't bother. It won't change anything or the way they feel about me." Kurt softly said.
"I am sorry." Burt felt like it was his fault for what had happened.
"I know you are, Dad," Kurt responded, smiling sadly. "I will text you when I get back to school."
"Kurt, please don't leave when you're this upset," Burt pleaded.
"I'll be fine, Dad. I'll schedule an emergency session with Dr. Coles tomorrow. He lets me talk and vent and gives me good suggestions for dealing with things." Kurt assured his father.
"God Kurt," Burt said completely in shock at how quickly things had fallen apart.
"I'll see you at Christmas. Hopefully we'll have all calmed down by then. I love you Dad," Kurt said before giving his father a hug, grabbing his bag, and leaving his room.
Kurt couldn't help but note with a curious sort of detachment, considering the traumatic evening he'd had, that it was weird to be at Dalton on a Saturday night. Weird didn't even really cover the sight that met him when he walked into the Common Room, however. It was like he had stumbled into a whole different Dalton than the one he knew.
The room was more alive than Kurt had ever seen it. The boys were smiling and laughing and happy. Wes and Thad were taking shots of something. Kurt had no idea what it was, but he was pretty sure that he really didn't want to know either. Jeff was dancing in the middle of the room, shaking his booty to the music which was being provided by some sort of karaoke contest Blaine and Nick seemed to be having. The other Warblers that Kurt recognized from his classes were dancing, talking, and drinking in various spots in the room. There were even two boys trying to swallow each other's tongues in a darkened corner.
Kurt knew they had figured out he was present when Blaine stopped singing mid song and jumped down off the stage, making a bee line for him. Everyone else's heads turned with questions on the tip of their tongues, Kurt fought not to turn and run as he became the focus of so many vampires at once. He had been doing so much better lately, but his nerves were completely raw after his confrontation with Finn.
"Kurt, what are you doing here on a Saturday night? Are you okay?" Blaine asked, his hazel eyes alight with concern.
"I … I'm not sure. I kinda needed a place to sleep tonight. Is it ok for me to stay here? I know we don't have class until Monday, but if it's an issue or the guest rooms are full, then I can just find a hotel room or something." He was trying for nonchalance but his voice came out sounding frail and broken even to him.
"If they are, you can have a place in my bed." Jeff his normally flirty tone replaced by concern as he exchanged a look with Blaine. "I'll bunk with one of the other guys."
"I thought you were at home this weekend." Wes said cautiously.
"Home is not a good place to be right now." Kurt answered, his voice breaking.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"Not really. I think I just need to wind down." Kurt said, desperately trying to hold it together long enough to get away from everyone. He didn't want to fall apart in front of them yet again. "So…about that room?"
"I know the room you usually take is empty, Kurt." Wes answered, not bothering to tell Kurt that the room had been officially dubbed his and no one would ever be using that room except for him.
"Thanks guys. You can go ahead and finish your party and I'll talk to you in the morning." Kurt replied, turning to leave the room feeling bad that he'd interrupted them.
"Kurt, wait! Why don't you stay and join us?" Nick suggested. "I'm not sure it's a good idea for you to be alone anyway."
"I appreciate the offer, but I'm just not in the mood for a party tonight. Maybe next time. Good night guys" He responded, turning and leaving a roomful of worried vampires in his wake.
Sunday morning found Kurt strolling in the Dalton gardens completely lost in his own thoughts. As much as he loved the guys, he just needed a little time to himself to process everything that had happened at home and the secluded gardens were perfect for that. He couldn't believe how badly Finn had reacted over something so simple. It really made him question whatever bond he thought he'd ever had with his step-brother. It made him question a lot of things. He'd never felt so alone. He sunk down on a bench in one of the garden's many grotto's and stared up at the sky as if the answers to his problems were written somewhere in the clouds. That is where a worried Blaine found him a couple of hours later.
"Hi." Blaine smiled at the boy in front of him. "Is this seat taken?"
"For you? Never," Kurt answered scooting over and giving Blaine a half-hearted smile. "I'm sort of surprised to see you up and about. I thought you'd all be recovering from last night. It was quite a party."
"It was tame by Warbler standards."
"That was tame?" Kurt raised an eyebrow. Chuckling, Blaine pulled Kurt up to walk with him, tucking Kurt's hand in the crook of his elbow as they strolled.
"So, are we going to talk about what sent you back to school on a weekend, especially when I knew you were looking forward to going home to see your dad?" Blaine broached the tense subject.
"Finn tried to punch me at the table." Kurt said swiftly, hoping that, like ripping off a Band-Aid, it would hurt less if he did it quickly. He knew that they had drifted pretty far apart, but he'd never thought Finn would be capable of such a thing and at the dinner table in front of their parents.
"He did what?" Blaine barely restrained himself from snarling. He had never wanted to rip someone's head off more right now than he wanted to do to Finn Hudson.
Kurt couldn't help but notice that Blaine's eyes took on a reddish hue, a sure sign of his anger. At least someone other than his father cared about him and it was a nice feeling to know that these vampires were worried about him.
"He said that I was betraying New Directions by singing a duet with you and joining the Warblers." Kurt softly admitted out loud. He couldn't help but think that saying it made it seem like it was true and it hurt.
"Do you feel like that?" Blaine cautiously asked, worried that Kurt would say yes. Kurt paused for a moment, thinking.
"No…no, I don't. Finn is just an ass. Everything is about him lately. I mean, I was the one who had to leave the house when he attacked me. Although I guess it was probably for the best, because if he had opened his mouth one more time, and I'm sure he would have, I probably would have been the one punching him." Kurt answered. "He is not taking this away from me or making me feel guilty about it, though. I love to sing and now I can do that again because of the Warblers and Dalton."
"I'm sorry that things are so rough for you at home right now, but you know, we all care about you very much here and we are glad you are a part of the Warblers. I know that you said before you couldn't leave your Dad, but maybe you should consider boarding at Dalton for next semester." Blaine suggested, thinking it would be good for the young man and genuinely concerned for his safety. "There's always room available as students transfer or move."
"I am doing more than considering it, but I haven't made a decision yet." Kurt answered. It had been in the back of his mind for a while what happened this weekend just seemed to solidify it for him however.
"Really?" Blaine said unable to completely mask the excitement in his voice. "We would love for you to stay here during the week. We have so much fun after school hours, and, selfishly, I'd really like to be able to spend more time with you."
"I'd like to spend more time with you too Blaine," Kurt blushingly admitted. "I'm just worried that me being here will cause you guys to change your lifestyles. None of you should have to hide who you are because I have some hang-ups."
"I think we can successfully manage our lifestyles, Kurt, with you on campus." Blaine answered. "I was kidding about our parties. We don't do anything that crazy. What you saw last night was as wild as it gets, unless you're Jeff. We try not to think about what he does."
"That's not what I was talking about, Blaine." Kurt replied. "I was talking about your dietary needs. I mean, I don't want to be mistaken for dinner some night."
"Kurt, you would never be mistaken as dinner, ever. Trust me on that." Blaine firmly replied.
"Are you saying that my blood would not be appetizing?" Kurt asked.
"Are you really getting offended by this?" Blaine asked.
"Yes, I am." Kurt retorted.
"Kurt, we would never force you into anything you weren't willing to do." Blaine answered. "Feeding from someone is a very intimate thing for a vampire. It's like humans and sex. I personally am only willing to feed from someone with whom I have serious intentions with. Others, like Jeff, are willing to feed from multiple people and don't want to have strong ties to them. None of us would ever force you to let us feed from you. It would be like rape."
"Oh. I never saw it like that." Kurt answered, thinking back to that awful time in his life and wondering if he would ever be able to completely put it behind him.
"Now you can understand why we find Karofsky so abhorrent. We work hard to maintain our relationships with those we feed from. It is such a delicate thing and so important to us." Blaine answered, wondering why no one else had ever explained these things to Kurt. He had assumed his former vampire friends would have at least shared a few secrets if they were truly friends.
"Have you ever fed directly from a human?" Kurt asked with baited breath.
"No, I haven't." Blaine answered, looking intently at Kurt. "I've been waiting for the right person to come along."
"Oh." Kurt said softly. Blaine shifted awkwardly as if realizing that he had revealed too much.
"Would you like to walk by the lake?" Blaine asked.
"No. It looks like it's going to start raining soon and I do have some homework that I need to finish." Kurt remarked, looking at the darkening sky. He did not need to catch pneumonia on top of everything else right now.
"Oh… ok I understand," Blaine said looking downcast.
"I could use a study partner though," Kurt offered. "If you're interested…"
"I'd love too." Blaine responded with a smile, following Kurt back to the school.
Another chapter down. Hope you guys enjoyed it! Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed. Please keep them coming. We love to hear your opinions of our work. Next Chapter should be up Thursday.
