A/N: So I know you all have been waiting ages for this chapter and I know you're gonna look at this and be like "...WHAT? BITCH TOOK THIS LONG TO WRITE THIS LITTLE?" to which I would reply "...I'm a fail :(" This chapter was originally going to be ridiculously long, like in the 20,000 word range. But recently I have found that if I keep chapters to under 10,000 words they tend to come out faster :) Imagine that. So here is a short chapter and the chapters following this will be about this size as well, so you can look forward to updates more often! YAY!
I hope you guys like chapter 7 because some major shit is about to go down! Love and thank you's to all my readers and to all of you that review faithfully! XOXO
EDIT! So I finally put Part I and II on the same chapter! So here is the complete Chapter 7 of The Perfect Mistake all in one place for you! Just a reminder for those who care, you can always pop over to my tumblr account (forevermusically[.]tumblr[.]com) to check put other things for all my stories! Love you all!
Kurt was sitting in his room studying quietly, trying his hardest to review for the upcoming midterms. He couldn't really concentrate, his brain opting for turning over the events that had occurred at the New Years Eve party.
After his kiss with Elliot they had gone downstairs, Kurt had wanted to know who exactly knew about his boyfriend. When he got downstairs he immediately looked for Blaine – wanting to give him a signal or something to warn him that Elliot was here – but couldn't find the shorter boy anywhere. When he asked his friends they all said that they saw him go outside.
Kurt left Elliot down with his friends and ran up the stairs. He walked through the front door, looking for Blaine's car, but it was gone too. Kurt had just sighed and returned to the party; obviously he would have to talk to Blaine the next day. Kurt went back to the party only to find his brother and all the other boys interrogating Elliot. He had quickly run over, trying to save his boyfriend from certain death.
The rest of the night had consisted of everyone trying to get to know Elliot. Kurt knew something was off; usually the kids in New Directions were very open and accepting, but he could see them withdrawing. Kurt had let it go, thinking that maybe they just needed time to warm up to one another. When Elliot left he was given hugs and wishes for a safe drive home. Kurt hadn't noticed anything unusual, but he hadn't seen Sam lean in a little closer and whisper something in Elliot's ear. Elliot had left immediately after that, telling Kurt that he would see him at school in a few days.
As for Blaine, well he had been avoiding Kurt too. He would leave the room as soon as Kurt walked in and he sat as far away from him at meals. Kurt couldn't even think about what he had done wrong to make Blaine this upset. When he had finally asked Blaine, the shorter boy had just sighed and apologized for his behaviour. Kurt had been so confused and Blaine had explained that he had seen Kurt and Elliot's New Years kiss and had told Kurt that it reminded him of the time he caught the couple in the choir room. Kurt had almost laughed with relief; he had thought that Blaine was actually mad at him, but even after the confession Blaine was still keeping his distance. Kurt just couldn't win these days.
So here Kurt was now, sitting alone in his room, studying and wishing that Elliot would talk to him. The older boy had been standoffish ever since the party and Kurt was getting tired of all the weird looks and avoiding. Kurt threw his books down and jumped off the bed, he was going to find out what was wrong with Elliot before things got out of hand.
Kurt was just about to open the door when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He seized up, he was constantly afraid of text messages coming in now, thanks to the threats he had been receiving. He hadn't gotten one since he had gotten his phone back, and hoped that this was just an innocent text from Mercedes or Blaine. He pulled his phone out and glanced at the screen. His breath all left with an audible whoosh when he saw the name.
Unknown Number
Kurt almost didn't open it, almost ran straight to Elliot but he steeled himself. He needed to be strong and he needed to be able to take care of himself. He opened the message.
I wonder how Elliot would feel about your little kiss with Blaine... Probably not to happy...you are disgusting filth, cheating on someone like Elliot...you don't deserve to be happy, and you don't deserve Elliot! Break up with him Hummel, or you'll regret it...
Kurt just stared at the text. How had they known about the kiss? No one knew about that, Kurt had sworn Blaine to secrecy. His dorm door had opened just as Kurt's legs started to give out. Kurt fell forward, fully expecting to hit the floor, but found himself cradled in a strong pair of arms instead. Tears were blurring Kurt's eyes, making it impossible to see who was with him, but Kurt would know that voice anywhere.
"Kurt...Kurt! What's wrong, Kurt?" Kurt just weakly pointed to his phone, not having the heart to speak. He saw his phone disappear from in front of him and heard a gasp from above him. Kurt took a deep breath, trying to calm himself enough to talk.
"Blaine..." Kurt was silenced by a hand rubbing his back. Kurt almost shrank away from the touch, but couldn't make himself move. Instead he leaned into Blaine's warm body, trying fruitlessly to make his tears stop.
"Kurt, I don't know how they found out about our kiss but I need you to not worry about this. I need you to be strong and I need you to pretend everything is fine." Kurt just gasped and pulled away.
"You...you want me to act as though I'm fine?" Blaine just held up his hands in surrender.
"Kurt, think about it. This person obviously goes to school with us and if you walk around visibly showing that you're defeated then the texts may just get worse. You'll be getting them everyday instead of just once in a while...I don't think we could handle that." Kurt just relaxed against Blaine and let his tears flow freely, Blaine didn't want him to ignore the problem, just pretend to. Kurt just nodded his agreement against Blaine's chest, not feeling up to talking anymore.
Blaine reached past Kurt and gently shut the door to their room, grateful that nobody had walked by. The two friends sat like that until the late hours of the night, with Kurt crying into Blaine's chest and Blaine holding onto him tightly. It was almost two in the morning when Kurt finally nodded off, tears tracks obvious on his face. Blaine stood and grabbed Kurt under his knees and head, carrying the light boy bridal style to his bed. Blaine laid him down and got him ready for bed. He removed Kurt's shoes and blazer. He decided to leave the shirt on, with a few buttons undone, and left the pants as well. He felt that Kurt wouldn't be too pleased that he had fallen asleep in his uniform, but Blaine felt that Kurt also may not be happy about Blaine undressing him.
Blaine just sat down on Kurt's bed, wiping the tears off his friends face and pushing his limp bangs off his face. Blaine couldn't understand how anyone could harass such a beautiful, perfect boy. There was no way Kurt had done anything to deserve this. Kurt was sweet and kind – and yeah, he was a little bit of a diva – but it was endearing and adorable.
Blaine moved to his own side of the room, meandering about and getting ready for bed. Blaine felt so useless, he couldn't do anything to help Kurt except hold him when he cried. Blaine almost decided to not go through with his plan for tomorrow, but decided that, if anything, Kurt needed to be cheered up.
Blaine fell asleep within moments of collapsing on his bed and when he dreamed that night it was of blue eyes and an angelic voice.
Secrets and Deceit: Part I
Kurt was hurrying to his locker, not wanting to be late for class. He had eaten with Wes and David that morning and no matter how much he asked that had refused to tell him where they were over break. All Kurt had gotten was that they had been together for the holidays. When Wes had gotten up to get more bacon, David had looked over at Kurt and assured him that when Wes felt the time was right they would explain to both Blaine and Kurt. It was only then that Kurt had noticed that Blaine was absent, not just from their table but from the cafeteria in general. Kurt had let it go, figuring that Blaine must have gone to class early – something that wasn't entirely unusual for him.
As Kurt walked to his room he noticed a familiar scent fill the air. It was sweet and made Kurt sigh in pleasure. Kurt loved the smell of vanilla, it calmed him down when he was upset and he made a conscious effort to use his vanilla body lotion every day.
The smell got stronger and stronger as Kurt neared his locker. Finally he was standing in front of his locker and was overcome by the smell of vanilla. Kurt raised an eyebrow and spun the lock, pulling open the door. What he had not been expecting was an avalanche of orchids to cascade out of his locker. Kurt stepped back quickly, surprised by the sight in front of him. Kurt felt rather than saw a body next to him. When he looked up he saw Blaine leaning against a locker, smiling brightly at him.
Kurt opened and closed his mouth, effectively looking like a fish. He was shocked by what had just happened.
"Was this... was this you?" Kurt flailed his hands a little, not really caring what he looked like at this point. Blaine just shrugged himself off the lockers and moved to stand beside Kurt.
"Do you like it?" Kurt just picked up a single flower, holding it up to his nose and smiling. "I just thought that after all the crap that's been happening you could use a little happiness...and I wanted to say that I'm sorry...for everything that happened over holidays."
Kurt blushed and looked away. "That wasn't just your fault Blaine...I can share the blame." Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand in both if his own, Kurt didn't pull away but kept his gaze averted.
"Hey...Kurt, look at me." Kurt slowly brought his eyes up to meet Blaine's. "Blame is something people use when a mistake happens, so nobody needs to take to blame." Blaine quickly lifted Kurt's hand to his mouth, pressing a soft kiss to his knuckles, and then whisked down the hallway. Kurt just gaped after him, trying to understand what his best friend – who had never shown any interest in him before – had just said to him.
Kurt felt his cheeks heat up and knew that they were a rosy red by now. He felt his heart swoop inside his chest and almost sighed out of happiness but then it hit him. He had a boyfriend; a beautiful, smart, funny, amazing boyfriend who had liked him from the moment he met him – and not when he was suddenly unattainable.
Kurt shook his head, trying his best to rid himself of any warm, fuzzy thoughts towards Blaine. Blaine was just upset and scared of losing Kurt; he wanted Kurt to break up with Elliot so that they could spend all their time together again. Kurt knew that once he and Elliot broke up Blaine would stop his advances and turn to other boys again. Kurt felt himself starting to get angry. He would not let his happiness be taken away by Blaine's selfishness.
Kurt grabbed his books for his next class and slammed his locker door closed. He threw the flower he was holding to the ground to lay amongst the others there. He got about three feet away before he turned around and grabbed the flower back. He clenched the orchid in his hand and sighed. Between Elliot's hatred towards Blaine and Blaine's jealousy, Kurt felt himself getting pulled in two opposite directions. He didn't know what to do with these boys anymore, but he knew that their tug 'o' war for Kurt's attention wouldn't last long before he snapped.
Kurt hadn't been to a real Friday night family dinner in weeks, which was precisely why he was driving at insane speeds to get to Lima. Even though he had been home for winter holidays he still hadn't got to see Burt and Carol that much because of their vacation. Kurt was just excited to see his parents and be able to sit down and have a peaceful supper and a quiet weekend with them.
Kurt got home in a record time of one hour, with two hours being the usually amount. He jumped out of his Navigator and slammed the door behind him, running to the front door. He didn't even make it all the way up the driveway before the front door opened, revealing a forty-something year old man running to meet him. Kurt felt a smile take over his face and felt instantly lighter.
"Dad!" Kurt ran right into Burt's outstretched arms. Kurt sighed when he felt the strong arms wrap around his torso.
"Hey pal! We've missed you so much!" Kurt released his father and stepped back so he could looking into the older Hummel's eyes.
"I've missed you guys to...so where are Finn and Carol?" Burt slung an arm around Kurt's shoulders and led him back to the driveway, set on helping Kurt get his bags.
"Well Carol is making supper as we speak and Finn is out on an errand for me, he should be back soon though." Kurt just nodded, grabbing one of the two bags from the back of his vehicle. After Burt grabbed the other bag the two headed inside. Kurt dropped his bag at the foot of the stairs and walked into the kitchen.
He smiled when he saw Carol. She was bustling around the kitchen, checking dishes and pulling pans in and out of the oven. Only when Kurt cleared his throat did she turn around. Once she saw it was Kurt she immediately put down the pot in her hand and ran over to give him a hug.
Kurt had almost forgotten what a mother's hug felt like, and was constantly surprised by the warmth and love that came across. "Hey Mom." Kurt felt Carol's breath hitch and he pulled back slightly only to see tears in her eyes. "What..." Kurt began but Carol just shook her head.
"They're happy tears, Kurt. I guess hearing you call me 'Mom' is going to take some getting used to." Kurt beamed at her, happy that she was crying not because she was sad, but because she was happy.
"Well Mom I guess I'm just going to have to start using it more often." Carol laughed and smacked Kurt's arm lightly.
"I guess so son. Now go take your bag upstairs and get down here to help me with dinner; your father and Finn and useless in the kitchen." Kurt laughed at the indignant look on Burt's face when he heard what Carol had said. He walked out of the kitchen, grabbed his bag and headed upstairs to his room.
He pulled open the door and let out a sigh of relief. It still smelled like home, like vanilla and home cooked meals and...love. Kurt loved Dalton and the security it brought, but it wasn't home and that's what this was. His father and he had made a home with Carol and Finn, a safe place that was full of love and acceptance. Kurt set his bag on the floor and fell into his bed. Staring up at the roof he thought of the past few days.
Blaine had been overly nice; the flowers had been a prime example of that. Ever since New Year's Eve Blaine had been the definition of a gentleman, holding open doors for Kurt, carrying his lunch tray, acting like a knight in shining armour.
Kurt couldn't understand what Blaine was doing. Maybe he was trying to make up for the kiss they had shared over Christmas, Kurt just didn't know. The thing that was concerning him the most was what would happen if Elliot found out. Kurt knew that the senior hardly got along with Blaine, but what would he do if he found out about Blaine's actions? Kurt was starting to get truly distressed when his door swung open.
"Kurt, Mom's asking for you downstairs. She said something about you being the only one who knew what you were doing and then she kicked me out of the kitchen." Kurt looked at Finn and smiled. Finn seemed genuinely upset that he had been told to leave the kitchen.
"Alright, I'll come down." Kurt jumped off his bed and passed Finn, muttering under his breath, "Absolutely useless." Finn made an indignant noise and started chasing Kurt.
"I'm going to get you, Hummel!" Kurt shrieked and took off down the hallway. He stopped at the stairs and turned back to Finn, who had a hard time careening around the corners.
"Like you could catch me, Hudson!" This only increased Finn's efforts and Kurt took off down the stairs at a dead sprint. Finn was close behind and on the last step Kurt's foot slipped, causing him to fall to the floor. Finn didn't even have time to think about stopping before he too was lying in a pile on the floor, his body sprawled across Kurt's. Both looked at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.
Neither knew that Burt was coming out of the kitchen and didn't have time to compose themselves before Burt saw them.
"Boys what the hell are you..." Burt stopped when he saw the scene in front of him. It was something that Burt never would have thought he would see in his lifetime. His son and stepson were lying of the floor laughing, completely carefree and innocent behaving like real brothers. A tear almost came to Burt's eye at the sight of it all, before this moment he hadn't truly realized how well this family was going to work. Burt just shook his head and smiled. "Alright you two, it's time for supper, get up to the table."
Kurt was eating silently, knowing that he was going to have to drop the bomb soon. He had been dating Elliot for almost a month now and his parents still didn't know. He was going to have to tell them sooner or later, but he just couldn't find the right time. He drew in a big breath and set down his fork, wanting to just get this over with.
"Dad...I have something I need to tell you." Burt just raised an eyebrow. Kurt almost stopped talking altogether. There was something about the expression on his father's face that made him think that he had already done something wrong.
"What it is Kurt? Is someone bullying you? Are those boys harassing you? Or maybe your boyfriend did something to upset you?" Kurt just froze, his eyes widening almost comically. He was about to ask his father what he was talking about when he caught sight of Finn's face. His eyes were almost as big as Kurt's and his mouth was opening and closing rapidly. Kurt instantly knew what had happened and narrowed his eyes.
"Finn! What the hell?" Finn threw up his hands, looking as though he was surrendering.
"Kurt I didn't know! Why haven't you told him yet anyways?" Kurt just stared. This was not how he wanted his father to find out about Elliot. Kurt's thoughts kept spiralling around, bouncing from wall to wall inside his head. Only the low, growling sound of his father's voice brought him out of his thoughts.
"Kurt, why didn't you just tell me?" Kurt's heart almost broke hearing his father so broken.
"Dad, I..." Kurt was interrupted by Burt, the older man lifting his hand to Kurt.
"We've always been able to talk about everything, why is this any different? Why can't you trust me with something so important?" Burt looked heart-broken, and Kurt couldn't bear it. He had never wanted to hurt his father, he had never wanted this.
"Dad I didn't tell you because I was scared." Burt opened his mouth to interrupt but Kurt shook his head. He needed to get this out. "I wasn't scared of you; I was scared of disappointing you. There's nothing worse that I can imagine. What of you hated him? What if you thought he wasn't good enough for me? I really like this guy, Dad, and I don't think I could take it if you didn't like him too."
Burt looked at Kurt with sadness in his eyes; he couldn't believe all the pain and fear his son had been holding in, just because he was afraid of disappointing him. He stood up and walked over to Kurt, motioning for Kurt to stand up as well. Kurt rose slowly, wary of what his father was going to do. Kurt knew that his father would never hit him, but he knew that Burt had no problem yelling. Kurt was surprised when he felt his dad's arms grab onto his shoulders and pull him in roughly for a bone-crushing hug.
"If you like him then he must be a good guy. I've always trusted your judgement, and I trust that you wouldn't pick a total loser." Kurt chuckled at his father's wording.
"Not a total loser, just a little bit right?" Burt smiled and Kurt knew that everything was going to be okay. The two stepped away from each other and sat back down. They began to eat their dinner once again when Burt spoke up.
"I still expect to meet this boy, though." Kurt looked at his father, beaming at him, and nodded. It was then that Carol could no longer contain herself.
"So is he cute?" Kurt laughed and nodded. The two lapsed into easy conversation, discussing this new boy in Kurt's life. Finn and Burt ate their meals in silence, both trying to hide the huge smiles that were trying desperately to break across their faces.
Blaine sat at his desk, running his hands through his hair. Midterms were only a few days away and then all hell would break loose. What most new kids didn't know about Dalton was that during test weeks the serene campus turned into a madhouse. Easton was no longer the only crazy house; instead all three houses were thrown into chaos.
Each house dealt with the stress differently, making the whole ordeal that much worse. Spencer boarders were at any and all of the Dalton recreation facilities. The gym, the pool, even the track, despite the cold weather. Hawkins students became edgy and volatile. The young men would stay at the library until it closed, pouring over books and making notes. However, every person on campus could agree that the Easton house was by far the worst. The overly excited boys would turn to pranks to relieve stress, with no one being an exception, not even their own house members.
Needless to say, Blaine was having a hard time concentrating on studying. He hadn't been able to spend any time with Kurt lately, considering that the brunette was even more worried about midterms than Blaine was. Blaine was getting closer and closer to just tracking his roommate down and forcing himself on him. He needed to go for coffee with Kurt, or talk to him. It was so bad that Blaine would even offer to go shopping with Kurt just to get some time with him.
Blaine slammed his textbook shut and stood up. He couldn't take this anymore, he needed to get out and do something. He needed to find his best friend.
"So you're finally going to introduce me to your family?" Kurt was getting a little tired of this. Elliot was being insufferable, and frankly, he was acting like a child.
"Yes, Elliot...and I understand that you would have preferred to meet them a while ago, but as I've told you before the timing wasn't right. So you can wipe that smirk off your face!" Kurt hadn't meant to get so exasperated, but the way Elliot was looking at him was driving him insane. Now Elliot was laughing in his face, and Kurt was seriously contemplating leaving the library. He was just about to walk out when Elliot grabbed his arm.
"No, babe! I'm...I'm not laughing at you...I'm just really happy." Kurt raised an eyebrow at his boyfriend. "Ok well maybe I was laughing at you a little, but you look so cute when you're angry!" Kurt tried his hardest not to let the threatening smile break across his face, but lost out in the end. Elliot tugged on his arm, pulling Kurt into his arms.
"How can I not stay mad at you?" Elliot flashed Kurt a dazzling smile.
"I'm just too amazing, I guess." Kurt just rolled his eyes, playfully shoving Elliot's shoulder. The two continued talking, not noticing the door to the library opening slightly.
"Alright, well I have to go." Kurt just smiled and laughed slightly.
"That's right; Mr. Dorm Advisor needs to go to his important meeting." Kurt spoke in a tone tinged with mocking, joking around with his boyfriend. Elliot stared at Kurt for a moment before grabbing him around the waist, picking him up in the process.
"Put me down you beast!" Kurt laughed and squealed, loving the feeling of Elliot's arms around him. Elliot obliged Kurt's screeches and set him down, keeping his arms around him.
"I really am excited about meeting your parents, and your brother." Kurt looked into Elliot's eyes and saw his sincerity. It warmed his heart to know that someone cared about him enough to want to meet his family.
"I know, and I really want you to meet them." Elliot bent down to gently press his lips to Kurt's. Kurt got the butterflies that he always seemed to get when kissing Elliot, but ever since after Christmas break he couldn't help but feel like there was something missing. Kurt was snapped out of his thoughts by Elliot breaking their kiss. Kurt pulled him in again, pressing his mouth to Elliot's with more passion, feeling slightly guilty about not really paying attention while they were making out. Elliot laughed into Kurt's mouth and pulled himself away again.
"I really do have to go, but you should know that I'd much rather stay here with you." Kurt smiled gently and nodded.
"I know, I know; but you're Mr. Big Shot so you have to go to meetings. Now get out of here, before you're late and the Spencer DA tries to chase you with a hockey stick again." Elliot let out a loud laugh and leaned in for one last chaste kiss. He turned away from Kurt, cutting across the library to head to his meeting. Kurt sighed while looking after him, wishing that he could just go study now, but he knew better than that.
"Alright Blaine, come on out. I know you're there." The door swung open to reveal a smug looking Blaine. Kurt crossed his arms over his chest and glared at his best friend.
"What? You getting your kicks by being a Peeping Tom these days? Not really sure if that's a sociably acceptable thing there, Blaine." Blaine just laughed and stood beside Kurt.
"Dinner with the family? Really? Kurt you've been dating for months and you're just introducing him now?" Kurt didn't like the superior tone in Blaine's voice, his eyes narrowed on their own accord.
"What I do with my boyfriend is none of your business!" Kurt snapped at Blaine, causing the raven-haired boy to stare in surprise. Blaine knew that he had been pushing his luck but he hadn't expected Kurt to snap at him.
Kurt saw Blaine's face fall, knowing that he had overreacted. "Blaine...I'm sorry, it's just... Well things have been a little crazy lately. With midterms next week and sectionals coming up, I've just been pushing myself a little too hard." Blaine looked at Kurt, taking in his beautiful features, soaking up the look of sincerity that Kurt was giving him.
"It's fine, I crossed a line. And you're right anyways, what you do with Elliot is none of my business." Kurt laughed, loud and boisterous, shocking Blaine entirely.
"How did we get here Blaine?" Blaine shot Kurt a questioning look. "You know, we were best friends." Blaine couldn't believe what Kurt was saying. Was he saying that they weren't friends anymore? Blaine's breathing started to quicken.
"We are friends, Kurt! Nothing's changed!" Kurt just shook his head and looked to the ground.
"Everything's changed Blaine. First our kiss at Christmas, then you being kind and chivalrous all the time, and the flowers, Blaine. Are you trying to send me mixed messages, because if you are I can tell you right now that it's working." Blaine stared at Kurt. This is exactly what he hadn't wanted, he had wanted to bring Kurt closer, not push him away. Blaine opened his mouth to try and explain his actions but was interrupted by the library door slamming open.
Both boys jumped, considering that no one ever used that door. Most students came and left by the main door, with the obvious exception of Blaine and the person who had just barged in on the two boys. When the person walked through the door both Kurt and Blaine's jaws dropped to the floor. Elliot was standing right in front of them, eyes wild with rage.
"You kissed him!" Blaine's eyes widened, not even knowing how to respond. "You little shit! You can't just let me be happy, can you Blaine? First Trevor, now this!" Elliot continued to scream, not noticing that Kurt was slowly herding both boys towards the door. Once they were outside the library Kurt finally spoke up.
"Elliot! You need to calm down; we need to talk about this!" Elliot stopped yelling at Blaine for a few seconds only to start yelling at Kurt.
"And you!" Elliot pointed a finger right at Kurt, making the younger boy flinch. "You cheated on me Kurt, and you haven't even tried to explain yourself! What did I do to deserve this? God, you are just like Trevor!" It was Blaine who was raging now. He walked up to Elliot and pushed him into the wall. He voice was not loud, but low and deadly; a growling, terrifying sound.
"Shut up Elliot." Blaine yanked Elliot off the wall only to slam him back into it. "Shut the fuck up about Trevor. Kurt is nothing like him, and you know that." Kurt was fed up with the building testosterone. He grabbed Blaine by his collar and yanked him backwards, successfully breaking him off Elliot. He moved to stand in between the two boys, in case they tried to go at each other again.
"Okay, who is Trevor?" Both boys looked at Kurt, completely forgetting that the brunette hadn't been here to see all the drama from last year.
"Trevor was my boyfriend last year, before he cheated on me with Mr. Perfect over here." Kurt's eyebrow's shot up into his hairline, wondering why no one had bothered to tell him this. He was about to ask when Elliot started talking again. "Tell me Blaine, what makes you so much better than me? Why do I always get second place next to you? What the hell do you have that I don't?" Elliot lunged forward to get to Blaine, but Kurt placed both his hands on his chest and pushed backwards.
"Elliot stop!" The older boy paused and looked at his boyfriend. "If you two get caught fighting again then that's it. You're going to get expelled." Elliot backed away from Kurt's touch, pressing himself against the wall. It was dead silent in the room, no one even beginning to know what to say. Finally Blaine spoke up, looking into Elliot's eyes defiantly.
"Kurt didn't cheat on you." Elliot scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest.
"I'm pretty sure kissing you counts as cheating, unless he's dating you too." Blaine tried to step forward but was blocked by Kurt's body. He took a deep breath and spoke again.
"He didn't cheat on you Elliot, I forced myself on him." Elliot gaped at Blaine. Blaine looked to the ground, and when he spoke again his voice was like that of a broken child's. "He's nothing like Trevor."
"God you are such a little home wrecker." Elliot sneered, "You know what, you should have dating Trevor; you two are perfect for each other." And with that Elliot stormed down the hallway, with Kurt taking off after him. Blaine just sunk to the floor, resting his forehead on his knees, tearless sobs ripping through his chest.
"Elliot wait! Elliot!" Kurt ran after Elliot, trying to keep up with the older boy. Elliot whipped around suddenly, causing Kurt to almost crash into him.
"What else is there to say Kurt? What could you possibly say to make this better?" Kurt stuttered, trying to come up with a response.
"Blaine...did...I didn't...you heard him!" Elliot scoffed and glared at the younger boy.
"Why don't you accept some responsibility? It doesn't matter that he kissed you first. I wouldn't have even cared if you had kissed him first. The worst part is that you hid this from me, like you thought I wouldn't understand!" Kurt felt tears come to his eyes, this wasn't what he had wanted; he had never wanted this. He stretched out his hand, just wanted to hold his boyfriend, hoping that his touch would explain everything.
"Elliot...please..." Elliot jerked out of the reach of Kurt's hand, not wanting to be touched.
"Don't Kurt, please don't" Elliot took a deep breath, seeming to making a decision. "We need to take a break." Kurt's heart clenched in horror, this wasn't what he wanted!
"No Elliot! I'll do anything, you can't leave me!" Elliot backed away from Kurt, holding his arms out in front of him as if to ward Kurt off.
"Kurt, either we take a break or we break up. I just can't be around you right now." Kurt held back a sob and nodded, doing anything to make Elliot not want to break up with him. Kurt dropped his gaze to the floor, feeling so ashamed. He felt a pair of strong arms wrap around his shoulders, and jerked, shocked that Elliot even wanted to touch him. He felt Elliot's hot breath in his ear as the older boy whispered to him.
"You're the most important thing in the world to me and I don't want to lose you. I think that if I don't take some time to think about this then I just might." Elliot inhaled deeply and let it out all in one whooshing breath. "I love you, Kurt." Kurt froze at those three words, not knowing how to respond. Did he love Elliot? He didn't know, not at all.
"It's alright if you don't answer back. I just thought you should know." Elliot let Kurt go and bent down to look in the younger boys' eyes. "I want you to do something for me." Kurt met Elliot's gaze and whimpered.
"Anything." Elliot just smiled kindly, the warmth not really reaching his eyes, sadness taking precedence over every other feeling.
"I want you to think about what you really want while we're apart. It's obvious that you have feelings for Blaine still, and that might be my fault." Kurt moved to deny the claim, but was stopped by Elliot. "I think I moved in too fast, you were trying to get over him and I came into the picture. I just want you to think about it." Kurt sniffled, trying to hold back tears.
"Okay." Elliot grabbed Kurt's chin, giving him a quick peck on the cheek.
"I'll see you in a few days." And with that Kurt was left alone in the hall. He wrapped his arms around himself, as if to hold himself together. He saw Blaine poke his head out of the library and took off, not really knowing where he was running to, just needing to get away.
He ended up in the choir room, not really surprised at where his feet had taken him. His threw himself onto the piano bench, shoulders shaking with sobs. He didn't know what he wanted. How could Elliot ask him something like that! He glanced at the keys in front of him, and knew what he had to do right now. He peeled off his blazer, setting it next to him. He placed his hands on the keys, letting them walk skilfully across the keys. He whispered the words to himself, not feeling like singing with all his might.
Making my way downtown,
Walking fast, faces pass and I'm homebound.
Staring blankly ahead just making my way,
Making my way through the crowd.
And I need you and I miss you,
And now I wonder.
If I could fall into the sky,
Do you think time would pass me by?
Do you know I'd walk a thousand miles,
If I could just see you tonight.
Kurt threw himself into the keys, playing as hard as he could, trying to convey every feeling through the music. His voice grew stronger, rising along with his resolve.
Though it's times like these when I think you of,
And I wonder if you ever think of me.
'Cause everything's so wrong and I don't belong,
Living in your precious memories.
'Cause I need you and I miss you,
And now I wonder.
If I could fall into the sky,
Do you think time would pass me by?
'Cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles,
If I could just see you tonight.
Kurt thought about how much Elliot meant to him. He was everything in Kurt's world, all he'd ever need. He didn't know if he loved him, but that would come later. Then Kurt thought about Blaine and how much pain his friend had caused him. It was no contest in Kurt's eyes over who actually cared about him. Blaine was just scared of losing Kurt, so he was trying to convince Kurt that he was interested in him. Kurt knew that Elliot loved him, and that was all he needed.
If I could fall into the sky,
Do you think time would pass us by?
'Cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles,
If I could just see you.
If I could fall into the sky,
Do you think time would pass me by?
'Cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles,
If I could just see you,
If I could just hold you,
Tonight.
Kurt stared at the keys, finishing the song delicately. He knew what he wanted now. And he knew how to get him back. Kurt grabbed his blazer and turned around, jumping when he saw Jeff standing at the door.
"Jeff! You scared me!" Jeff seemed to not hear Kurt, instead walking to stand right in front of him.
"I heard you and Elliot broke up..." Kurt frowned, how could he have possibly known that? Jeff seemed to see the look on Kurt's face.
"I passed Elliot in the hall and saw him crying. I stopped him to ask what was wrong and he said that you cheated on him, and that he broke up with you." Now Kurt was thoroughly confused, Elliot had said that they weren't breaking up.
"We're not broken up Jeff, we're taking a break." Kurt stopped to beam at his friend. "He said he loved me." Jeff just looked dumbfounded.
"But you cheated on him!" Kurt nodded, the smile slipping off his face.
"Yeah, but I know what I want now, and I know exactly how to fix this." Kurt smiled again and walked past Jeff, patting him on the shoulder as he went.
Jeff glared at the piano, fuming inside. He needed to do something...now. He made his way to the door but stopped himself. No he needed to calm down, everything was fine...for now.
Secrets and Deceit: Part II
Blaine was tired. He was tired of conflict and of midterms and of Warbler practices. Normally none of these things bothered him, but that was when he and Kurt were speaking. It was the morning after the huge confrontation in the library. Kurt had come back to their dorm room in a good mood...that was until he saw Blaine. His smile had slipped right off his face at the sight of his friend. Blaine had witnessed the brunette deflate before his eyes.
Blaine's heart ached to comfort his best friend, but somehow knew that Kurt wouldn't let him. Instead he stayed on his side of the room and settled for sneaking glances of at Kurt from out of the corner of his eye. They went to bed that night without speaking, both wanting to ignore the problem.
When Blaine woke up the next morning Kurt was already gone. Blaine exhaled, wishing with all his heart that he could fix this. He got up and got ready for the day, going through his routine mechanically. His day finally looked as though it was going to get better when he entered the cafeteria and saw Kurt sitting at their usual table, two coffees sitting in front of him.
Blaine walked up attentively, not wanting to assume that Kurt intended for Blaine to sit with him. He stood at the side of the table, shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other until Kurt spoke up.
"It's for you." Blaine looked down at his friend, shocked that Kurt was talking to him. He sat down gingerly, before Kurt changed his mind. He looked nervously from Kurt to the coffee cup in front of him. He jumped slightly when Kurt spoke again.
"I can't not have you in my life, Blaine." Blaine's eyebrows shot up into his hairline, he hadn't been expecting this at all. He let himself hope for a second, hope that maybe Kurt was choosing him. "You're my best friend, I need you." Blaine felt his stomach twist uncomfortably. "I need you to forget what happened over Christmas. It was a lapse in judgement and I regret giving you the idea that I like you back." Blaine felt a lump rise in his throat and he held back tears, determined not to cry in front of Kurt.
"Elliot told me he loved me last night, and I know that's real. This..." He gestured in between himself and Blaine, "this is you being scared about losing your best friend. And that's not fair Blaine." Blaine's brow furrowed. Kurt thought that he only liked him because he was afraid to lose him? He thought about the timing in which he had started to express his feelings.
Only Blaine knew that he didn't just want Kurt because he was taken. Sure, that was what had awoken his feelings, but he knew that he truly loved Kurt. But then Blaine looked at how much damage he had done since he had become aware of his feelings, and the damages certainly outweighed any good that had come out of his realization. He knew that if he wanted Kurt to be truly happy then he would give him what he wanted. He looked into Kurt's eyes and saw the happiness that thinking of Elliot brought him. Blaine sighed; yes this was for the best.
"Alright. We can still be friends though, right?" Blaine began to panic a little. What if Kurt wanted nothing to do with anymore? What if he had ruined everything?
Kurt smiled at him; a million-watt smile that Blaine was sure blinded everyone in the entire cafeteria. "Best friends." Blaine gave a small smile at Kurt's words and nodded.
"Best friends." They were just staring at one another, Kurt blissfully happy in the fact that everything was starting to straighten out again, Blaine trying his hardest to hold himself together. They were startled out of their thoughts when Wes and David came to sit down at their table. Kurt and Blaine shared a look and glanced at the two boys.
Wes and David had been avoiding just about everyone but each other ever since Christmas holidays. They walked to class together, ate lunch by themselves, and didn't venture out of their dorm room unless it was to go to Warbler's practice. Kurt spoke first, low and tentative, as if he was afraid that he would scare the two off.
"Hey guys." Wes gave a half-hearted wave, pushing his food around his plate. David met Kurt's eyes and Kurt was taken aback by the strength and sorrow lying beneath their usual happiness. Kurt began to worry, knowing that David wouldn't look like that if something wasn't wrong.
"What's going on?" David just sighed and lowered his head. Kurt turned to look at Wes and found that the older boy was biting his lip, as if to keep from crying. David finally spoke, keeping his eyes trained on the table.
"You know how Wes and I spent Christmas together?" Both Kurt and Blaine nodded. "Well we spent most of the break at the Ronald Reagan at the UCLA." At this the two juniors looked confused.
"Why would you spend time there? Were you volunteering or something?" David shook his head sadly.
"I only wish. No we were there for Wes' little sister." David nudged Wes, urging him to continue the story. Wes looked up and Kurt almost started crying at the look of absolute pain in his eyes. Without thinking he reached across the table and grabbed the Asian boys' hand, squeezing it in encouragement.
"My sister is really sick." Blaine nodded solemnly, waiting for Wes to finish. "She has leukemia, guys." Kurt shut his eyes and took a deep breath. It was like déjà vu, images spilling across his vision. His mother lying in a hospital bed, getting weaker by the day. His father bringing him back to the hospital only to find that his mother's condition had gotten worse overnight. His mother, lying in a coffin, and an eight-year-old Kurt feeling broken and empty inside.
Kurt shook his head, trying to clear the images away. His friend needed him right now and he was going to be there for Wes, no matter how much he hurt himself in the process.
"How far along is it?" Blaine looks at Kurt in shock, surprised by the calmness of Kurt's voice.
"Christmas holidays were her first chemotherapy appointment." Kurt nodded and tried not to remember what the cancer patient ward looked like in the Lima Memorial Hospital. That was the last thing that anyone needed, and he was not going to be a burden. Kurt drew in a deep breath and focused back on his friends. They were speaking in hushed tones, consoling Wes and trying their hardest to make him feel better. Kurt joined in, offering kind words to the boy whose situation was so much like Kurt's had been.
The rest of the day had gone by with nothing new. Kurt was still thinking, Blaine was still upset, and Elliot was still hurt. Elliot avoided Kurt like the plague, driving a stake through the younger boys' heart. The only thing that had made it easier was having Blaine by his side, making sure that no one asked Kurt about Elliot, or even mentioned the senior around Kurt.
Blaine wasn't defending Kurt just because Sectional auditions were the next day, he truly cared that Kurt was distraught by his fight his Elliot; but Blaine knew that Kurt was going to kill this audition, and Kurt deserved to be in the spotlight for once.
Blaine knew all about McKinley and how Kurt was denied solos. He knew that it wasn't fair; he knew that Kurt had an outstanding voice. And he knew that Kurt had earned this solo, and nothing was going to get in the way, especially his dick of a boyfriend.
Blaine and Kurt went to bed that night without speaking, the silence making Blaine wonder if Kurt was truly alright. He got his answer the next morning when Kurt was running around the room, muttering about hairstyles and accessories. Blaine got up and caught Kurt as he ran by, setting the brunette down on his bed.
"Kurt...breathe." Kurt seemed to realize that he had, in fact, stopped breathing for a few, short seconds. He took a deep breath in threw his nose, holding it for a couple seconds before letting the air rush through his teeth.
"You are going to do amazing today; you are going to kill that song so hard that it won't know what to do." Kurt just chuckled and looked at his friend.
"That doesn't even make sense." Blaine pursed his lips playfully and shook his head.
"Doesn't have to, you get the point, that's all that matters." Kurt laughed and marvelled at how he felt so much calmer after talking to Blaine. It made sense though; Blaine was the only person who knew Kurt inside and out. Not even Elliot knew Kurt as well as Blaine did, but Kurt was sure that he'd get there.
Kurt finished getting ready with no more difficulties. He and Blaine walked down to Warbler Hall for Kurt's audition time. When they got to the choir room door, Kurt stopped. Blaine looked and the slight boy and saw that he was staring, just staring, at the door. Blaine placed his hand on the small of Kurt's back and gently pushed him. Kurt looked at him with a mix of fear and surprise.
"You'll do fine. Just sing for them like you sang it to me and that solo is yours." Kurt smiled at Blaine, melting the curly-haired boy's heart. He pushed the doors open with one last glance at Blaine, then walked through the doors. Blaine watched as the doors were shut on him, hoping on every hope that Kurt would get the solo.
Blaine was standing by the door when a flurry of blue eyes and flailing limbs burst out of the choir room. Blaine just about fell from his perch on his chair, completely startled by the loud noise. He didn't even have time to gather himself before Kurt was pulling him to his feet and jumping around him. Blaine couldn't even understand what he was saying; only catching excited tones and squeals of happiness.
Blaine felt himself smile and grabbed Kurt's arms, pinning them to his sides. Despite his arms being under control, Kurt was still jumping up and down, his eyes wide and bright. Blaine just chuckled, never having seen Kurt act this excited in public before.
"So I'm guessing you got the solo?" Kurt smiled wider, if that was even possible.
"I got it Blaine! God this feels good! I guess this is how Rachel feels all the time." Blaine jumped up in excitement, rejoicing for his friend. Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine and pulled him close, taking Blaine by surprise. Blaine only paused for a second before he reciprocated the hug, revelling in the taller boy's warmth.
Blaine was shocked by how much he felt for this boy, and the fact that Kurt couldn't see was driving him crazy. He wanted so badly to make Kurt see, but he knew that he had done enough damage. He had almost ruined Kurt's first relationship, all because he had realized his feelings too late. Blaine knew that he should be happy that Kurt was happy, but he couldn't help imagine that Kurt would be happier with him.
Blaine berated himself, he couldn't know for a fact that Kurt would be happier with him, or happy at all for that matter. For all he knew Kurt could see Blaine for what he truly was, or see something that he didn't like. Blaine's heart started to ache at the thought, the thought that the boy he loved was with another was almost enough to bring tears to his eyes. Kurt was all he wanted, but was the only thing he couldn't have.
Blaine was brought back from his thoughts by Kurt pulling out of their hug. He was still smiling, glowing with pride. Blaine just smiled and stared at him. Kurt was amazing. Kurt was why Blaine got out of bed in the mornings, if Blaine could just see that smiling face every day, he knew that that would be enough.
Kurt started to talk again, none of the words really making an impact on Blaine. They walked down Warbler Hall together, with Kurt talking and Blaine admiring, both lost in their own worlds.
The Warblers stepped off their bus, walking as a group into the building in front of them. That was what the Warblers were all about; unity, symmetry, perfection. One Warbler, however, was not perfectly in line, following at the same pace as his fellow teammates. A blue-eyed boy with perfectly styled hair was peering around the lobby, straining his neck to see overtop of people. His eyes fell on a group of teens standing off in a corner and he took off, leaving his group staring after him.
A tall Asian boy took a step forward, as if to retrieve one of his charges, but an arm went up in front of him, blocking his path. He looked over at the dark-haired boy to whom the arm belonged to, quirking an eyebrow. The dark-haired boy just laughed.
"Lighten up Wes. Kurt hasn't seen his friends in weeks." Wes sighed, but seemed to let it go, turning to look back at his group.
"Fine, but just this once Blaine. He is on our team." Blaine just shook his head, chuckling quietly at his anal retentive friend. Blaine looked over his shoulder to see Kurt being swarmed by the New Directions. Blaine couldn't really bring himself to be upset over Kurt's temporary abandonment; he understood how Kurt felt about his old Glee club. Sure the Warblers were his friends, but the New Directions were his family.
Kurt flung himself into Finn's arms, laughing at how tightly his brother was hugging him back. It wasn't long before the entire Glee club was descending on him, asking questions and handing out hugs. Kurt felt himself let go a little bit, forgetting all the bad things that had happened in the last couple of weeks. The threatening texts, his kiss with Blaine, his fight with Elliot; none of it seemed that bad now that he was around his friends. That was until Finn started to talk.
"So Kurt, where's Elliot?" Kurt just stared, not really sure how to answer. He decidedly that the truth was the only way to go with this group, they would find out sooner or later.
"We had a bit of a disagreement, and he decided that he no longer wanted to come today." Mercedes narrowed her eyes, along with Finn and Rachel. Mercedes was the first to speak, voice thick with contempt.
"What did he do to you? Did he hurt you Kurt?" Finn looked enraged at Mercedes words.
"I'll kill him Kurt; if he lays one hand on you I will end him." Kurt was about to correct them when Rachel jumped in.
"Is he pressuring you to do...things?" Kurt's eyes widened and Finn took this as an agreement.
"What!" Finn's yell was heard across the lobby, catching everyone's attention. Rachel elbowed him discretely and Finn continued quietly. "He's going to die Kurt. Come on, we're going to find him so I can break his neck." Kurt stamped a foot, having quite enough of his friend's wild accusations.
"No! No, okay? He's not pressuring me, he didn't abuse me, if fact, it's my fault that we're arguing." At this everyone fell silent and stared at him.
"Boo, what did you do?" Mercedes voiced her question with a look of utter astonishment on her face. Kurt blushed, embarrassed that he was going to have to tell everyone what he had done.
"I cheated on him..." There was a collective gasp that Kurt rolled his eyes at before finishing his sentence. "With Blaine." The group was silent for a few moments before erupting in chatter once again. It was Rachel's question that caught his attention, though.
"So are you and Blaine together now?" Kurt stared at her in shock, not sure how to respond. Of course he and Blaine weren't together, they were best friends.
"No...Why would you even ask that?" Mercedes gave him her best bitch stare, but Kurt was completely bewildered.
"Please Kurt. You've been drooling over that boy since you met him, and now you're kissing him and breaking up with Elliot? It's a valid question." Kurt just shook his head.
"What I want to know is why you're all so eager for the chance to beat Elliot up, or put Elliot down, or replace him with Blaine." Kurt thought for a moment then felt his whole body jerk as he thought of something. "Did Blaine put you all up to this?" Finn just held up his hands and shook his head, as if to ward off a Kurt freak-out.
"No! Of course he didn't...it's just..." Finn paused, causing Kurt to grow impatient.
"What, Finn? It's just what?" Finn sighed and carried on.
"It's just that at New Year's, Elliot came off as...well as a bit of an ass. Like he didn't really care about you. I mean what kind of boyfriend shows up to a party at the last minute?" Kurt's jaw dropped.
"It was romantic! He flew all the way back from Europe just to see me!" Mercedes stepped in, placing a hand on Kurt's arm.
"Boo, we're just saying that we don't think he's the guy for you. Something seems...off about him." Kurt stared at his best friend, feeling betrayed. He shook her hand off his arm and took a step back.
"Why can no one be happy for me?" Mercedes opened her mouth to talk but Kurt cut her off. "I am finally happy, and you're all trying to sabotage it!" Rachel took a step towards Kurt, but he just took another one back. "You know what? Until all of you can learn to keep your opinions to yourselves I want you to stay away from me! I will not let you wreck my relationship." Kurt stalked away, heading back towards the Warblers, leaving his friends staring after him.
Kurt was fuming in his seat, giving everyone around a clear warning to leave him alone. Blaine was the only one who had enough courage to sit beside the enraged boy. He placed a hand on Kurt's arm, pleased when he didn't shake it off. Blaine leaned in closer to whisper in Kurt's ear just as the New Directions took the stage.
The music was different from anything Kurt had ever heard them do. It was mystical and airy, and able to make even him fell a little calmer. The spotlight found a single person in the middle of the stage – Rachel, of course – and she raised her head and began to sing in the sweetest voice Kurt had ever heard.
Sometimes the dreams we dream,
Are the lies we need to tell.
And the worlds we want and the things we need,
And the castles and fairytales and heartbeats,
And the love that we think we need,
To breathe is not real.
Blaine leaned in closer, whispering directly into Kurt's ear. "She really is quite amazing, isn't she?" Kurt smiled despite his anger towards the short girl on stage.
"Rachel is a star, and someday everyone will know her name." Blaine smiled at him, easily seeing the love Kurt had for his friend.
But I could dream up worlds forever,
And I could dream up lies for the rest of my days,
And I could sit around and wonder,
But all I do is lie to me.
I wish I could find my structure,
I just want to right my wrongs,
But I'm plagued by the ideologically signs,
That I'm trapped within my own mind all of the time,
And I fear that you think,
That I might not be strong.
Kurt smiled as Rachel started to cry, knowing that it was nothing new to her. The young star teared up every time she sang, and Kurt welcomed the familiarity. He knew that Dalton was safer for him, especially with Karofsky running around and this stalker – well, stalking him – but he couldn't help but wish that he could still be with his friends.
But I could dream op worlds forever,
And I could dream up lies for the rest of my days,
And I could sit around and wonder,
But all I do is lie to me.
And the wind may drag me one way,
Who knows where I'll land?
And some words have lost their meanings,
And I don't understand.
As we arch our backs and close our eyes,
We tell ourselves we're in for a ride.
I could dream up worlds forever,
I could dream up lies for the rest of my days.
And I could sit around and wonder,
But all I do is lie.
I could dream up worlds forever,
I could dream up lies for the rest of my day.
And I could sit around and wonder,
But all I do is lie.
All I do is lie,
All I do is lie to me.
Kurt stood up and applauded, closely followed by his team surrounding him. The lights dimmed and when they were brought back up the entirety of the New Directions were standing on the stage. Kurt was surprised to see Mike standing at the front. He wondered if they were opening with dancing. The first strains of music started and the Warblers quickly sat down. Kurt audibly gasped when he heard singing coming from Mike's mouth.
I can't win,
I can't reign.
I will never win this game,
Without you, without you.
I am lost,
I am vain.
I will never be the same,
Without you, without you.
Kurt openly stared at the stage, wondering how he could not have expected this. The New Directions were always switching up the game, with the obvious exception of Rachel and Finn getting all the solos. Mike had a beautiful voice, and Kurt almost felt sad at the thought that he heard never heard him before tonight.
I won't run,
I won't fly.
I will never make it by,
Without you, without you.
I can't rest,
I can't fight.
All i never is you and I,
Without you, without you.
The music picked up, with the rest of the group joining in. Brittany moved the front and began dancing ruthlessly with Mike, spinning and flipping over one another in a mesmerizing show. Kurt stared at the dreamily, remembering how once upon a time, he had been a part of a group that was capable of anything. They fell back into line, with Mike stepping forward again.
Can't erase,
So I'll take blame.
But I can't except that we're estranged,
Without you, without you.
I can't quit now,
This can't be right.
I can't take one more sleepless night,
Without you, without you.
I won't soar,
I won't climb,
If you're not here I'm paralyzed,
Without you, without you.
I can't look,
I'm so blind.
I lost my heart, I lost my mind,
Without you, without you.
The group once again exploded in movement, everyone's arms and legs perfectly in sync and they moved to the music. Kurt glanced over at his team and saw that the ever-confident Warblers looked a little nervous. Kurt had known something like this was going to happen, but he had refused to sell out his friends. The Warblers were good; they just had a different style of presentation than the New Directions. Kurt chuckled at the argument he had had with Wes a few weeks back. He had been pushing so hard to get the Warblers to abandon their shuffle-and-snap, but Wes was adamant. Kurt was sure that Wes was rethinking his decision right about now.
I am lost,
I am vain.
I will never be the same,
Without you, without you.
Without you.
Kurt cheered loudly as soon as the song ended, deeply proud of his friends. He caught Mercedes eye and gave a wave in her direction. She beamed at him and waved back, earning him several pairs of Warbler eyes on him. He smiled at his team reassuringly and followed in line and Wes led them to their greenroom.
The next fifteen minutes while the Hipsters performed were intense. Wes was pacing, Blaine was talking to himself, and David just stood staring at the wall. Kurt was surprised, for boys that always seemed so put together, they sure fell apart easily. Kurt straightened his jacket and moved to stand in front of the boys.
"Alright, that's enough." Everyone looked to Kurt in surprise, pulled from their conversations and thoughts. "I know that the New Directions are good, but I also know that we are too. There's nothing wrong with a different kind of presentation, and I know for a fact that teenage boys behaving like gentlemen is a huge plus for most adults." This earned Kurt a few chuckles from around the room. He took this as encouragement.
"Look you guys, there is absolutely nothing we can do about how they performed, but we can do something about how we perform." Everyone looked at him expectantly. "I think that we need to loosen up a bit." Wes looked taken aback by this, but Kurt ploughed on. "Spencer, I've seen you dancing with the other boys during breaks. You guys are really good; you just need to bring it to the stage." And with that the Warblers huddled closer, conspiring any way to win.
In a few minutes they were called to the stage. They all huddled in the wings, with Kurt at the front. It had been decided long ago that Kurt was going to open for them, and he had never been more nervous in his life. Blaine walked up beside him, putting a reassuring arm on his shoulder. Kurt smiled anxiously, letting Blaine know that his support was appreciated.
The announcer introduced them and the lights went down. Kurt walked to the middle of the stage and waited for the music to start. What if he tried to sing and nothing came out? What if he forgot the words? He was startled out of his negative thoughts when he felt the spotlight on him, hearing the opening notes of his song being sung by the boys in the wings.
Don't look down.
Kurt was surprised at first to hear his voice, but after he realized that he wasn't messing up he let go a little. He let himself sing at the best of his ability, seeing the audience stare at him in surprise. He was used to this reaction; his voice was unusually softer and higher than most boys his age. He took it in stride, letting the words he sung reach out and linger.
You may think you've had it rough,
And try to give it up.
But when you think you're stuck,
Just go another way.
Kurt swayed with the song, setting up the rhythm. Out of the corner of his eye, Kurt saw Spencer and a few others come onto the stage. They came to stand slightly behind Kurt, forming a V-formation with Kurt at the head. They began to move, guiding their arms and legs through simple moves, making them become more complicated as the song progressed.
Take a chance now,
'Cause it's easy.
Take a chance now for you and me.
Take a chance now,
You can reach it,
Take a chance for me.
The boy's movements sped up even more, their hand a blur of movement as they moved from their formation to walk towards the edge of the stage. The rest of the warblers came out, working through the easier movements, complimenting the boys in the front perfectly. Kurt smiled wide at the audience, seeing some people beginning to stand and sway with the music. Kurt caught sight of Finn standing and fist-pumping. Kurt smiled, happy at the fact that his is friends were supporting him. Kurt took a huge breath in and belted out the last words, his arms slowing to work in time with the boys behind him.
Love is all,
Love is all you need.
Kurt finished, breathing heavily at the exhilarating feeling of performing. He barely had time to breathe before the boys began to sing gently. They moved into tiered rows, with Kurt standing on the bleachers. Blaine came in and began to sing in a soothing voice.
I throw my hands up in the air sometimes,
Saying A-O, gotta let go.
I wanna celebrate and live my life,
Saying A-O, baby let's go.
The boys picked up their vocalizing, voices unifying perfectly. Blaine started to move forwards, jumping up and down on the balls of his feet. He put his arms up, causing a few people in the audience to follow.
I came to dance,
Dance, dance, dance.
I hit the floor 'cause that's my plans,
Plans, plans, plans.
I'm wearing all my favourite brands,
Brands, brands, brands.
Give me some space for both my hands,
Hands, hands, hands.
Yeah, yeah.
Kurt and Spencer came forward to dance with Blaine at the front. Their movements were unpractised, but they flowed nonetheless. Kurt saw the New Directions squirming in their seats, obviously enjoying the show in front of them. Kurt almost laughed out loud when he saw the slightly enraged look on Rachel's face. He smirked in response, knowing that he had gotten the best of her.
'Cause it goes on and on and on,
And it goes on and on and on.
I throw my hands up in the air sometimes,
Saying A-O, gotta let go.
I wanna celebrate and live my life,
Saying A-O, baby let's go.
'Cause we gonna rock this club,
We gonna go all night.
We gonna light it up,
Like it's dynamite.
'Cause I told you once,
Now I told you twice.
We gonna light it up,
Like it's dynamite.
By this point the crowd was standing on their feet, dancing along with voices of the Warblers. Blaine's heart was pumping. This was what he loved, he loved being on a stage in front of all these excited people and giving a performance. He loved singing for others and making people happy.
I'm gonna take it all,
I'm gonna be the last one standing.
Higher over all,
I'm gonna be the last one landing.
'Cause I believe it,
And I, I just want it all.
I just want it all,
I'm gonna put my hands in the air.
Hands in the air,
Put your hands in the air.
Throw my hands up in the air sometimes,
Saying A-O, gotta let go.
I wanna celebrate and live my life,
Saying A-O, baby let's go.
'Cause we gonna rock this club,
We gonna go all night.
We gonna light it up,
Like it's dynamite.
'Cause I told you once,
Now I told you twice.
We gonna light it up,
Like it's dynamite.
Like it's dynamite.
They finished the song, heads down, lights out. The audience burst into cheers that went on long after they left the stage. The Warblers stood in their greenroom, waiting to be called back to the stage. After twenty impossible long minutes they were told to go to the stage for the announcing of the winner.
They lined up along the stage and waited for the results. The announcer pulled the third place card from the other two cards. Everyone held their breaths.
"And in third place is...The Hipsters!" The group of elderly people clapped and hugged each other. They accepted their smallish trophy and left the stage. The New Directions and Warblers shuffled in closer together. Both teams stared at the announcer as if he held the fate of the world in his hands.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen. For the first time in Ohio state history...The New Directions and Warblers have tied for first place!" Both teams erupted into cheers, ecstatic that they were moving on. Kurt momentarily forgot his anger and his friends and was mobbed by the New Directions. The teams exchanged congratulatory handshakes and words.
They accepted their trophies and left the stage. The Warblers had to leave quickly as their bus driver was being paid hourly. Kurt gave Finn a quick hug and a promise to see him soon.
The bus ride back to Dalton was noisy to say the least. The usually composed boys kept breaking out in song. Kurt sat by himself in the back, not participating. He was happy that they had tied, but he couldn't help but think of what he was planning to do tonight.
He had it all figured out, he had already talked to Wes about calling in impromptu performance. This was going to be perfect. He had asked Spencer to bring Elliot to the choir room. The senior was still angry at Kurt and wouldn't talk to him, but Kurt was sure that this would change everything. He wanted to be with Elliot, and he hoped that this would fix his mistake.
Elliot was walking back to his room, trying to get there as quick as possible. He had heard that the Warblers had tied, and he had no desire to see the exuberant group. He was missing Kurt way too much to let himself see him. He was still mad at his boyfriend, and he knew that if he saw him he would forgive the younger boy, and he was not ready to do that. Just as he was leaving the main building a voice called out behind him.
"Elliot!" Elliot stopped at the sound of his name and turned to see Andrew Peters running towards him. Elliot stopped and smiled at the freshman. His white blond hair was flopping into his eyes, which were shining a bright green.
"Hey Andrew, what's up? Have in run-ins with Wes lately?" Andrew blanched at the memory of his unfortunate accident with the Asian boy. Elliot laughed good-naturedly and patted the freshman's back. "I'm just kidding." Andrew exhaled at this, immediately becoming excited again.
"I'm supposed to bring you to the Warbler choir room." Elliot pursed his lips at the mention of the Warblers.
"I...um...I actually can't right now. I got other stuff..." Andrew looked unconvinced, grabbing onto Elliot's arm.
"It's really important." Elliot sighed; he knew that in the end he would have to go with Andrew, if only to get the younger boy to stop bothering him. He began to move in the direction of Andrew's insistent pulling.
Before he knew it, Elliot was standing in Warbler Hall. The choir room had people spilling out of it, making Elliot wonder what was going on inside. Andrew pulled him towards the crowd, pushing through people to get inside the room.
Elliot tilted his head at what he saw upon entering the room. There was a raised platform acting as a stage, with a complete drum set, bass and guitar set up. A microphone stood in the center of the stage and Elliot watched as three people walked onto the stage.
Elliot vaguely recognized the boys as they stepped to their instruments. A boy with vibrant blond hair, Spencer Harris if he remembered correctly, went and behind the drums. The genius from Hawkins, Jackson Daniels, grabbed the bass guitar. And finally, Jason Harris came up to grab the electric guitar. Elliot started at the sight of Spencer's older brother. He would have never thought the experimenter was musically inclined. Elliot remembered when Jason had blown up his room when Kurt had been living with him. He looked around and saw that other than Spencer and Jackson, everyone was just as surprised as he was. Elliot watched as a final boy came up to the stage, and gasped when he saw who it was.
"Hey everyone. So I know you all were told that there was going to be an impromptu Warblers performance, but this isn't it." The sound of whines and groans spread across the room. "I'm here because I need to apologize to someone very important to me, and these boys behind me have graciously offered their talents."
Kurt looked up at the crowd, scanning the faces. He stopped when he saw Elliot, keeping eye contact with the older boy and trapping him there.
"I am so sorry for what I did to you, and I hope this makes up for it." As Kurt finished talking the boys in the back began to play. Jason came in fast, playing the opening notes expertly. Elliot was stunned; this wasn't a song that Kurt would usually sing.
Break down
I can't take this,
I need somewhere to go.
I need you,
I'm so restless,
I don't know what to do.
'Cause we've had our rough times,
With fighting all night,
And now we're just slipping away.
So just give this chance,
To make the wrongs right to say:
Don't, don't, don't walk away.
Elliot stared at the stage, at his boyfriend. His boyfriend. His usually composed, calm, quiet boyfriend, who was standing on a stage in front of his peers singing his heart out to a punk song just to get his point across. Just to apologize. He felt like the world's biggest idiot.
I promise, I won't let you down,
You down,
If you take my hand tonight.
I promise, we'll be just fine,
This time,
If you take my hand tonight.
Kurt looked straight at Elliot, trying his best to convey how much he meant the words. He hoped with every fibre of his being that his boyfriend would forgive him. Elliot was safe; he needed him more than anything else.
Without you,
I go through the motions.
Without you,
It's just not quite the same.
Without you,
I don't wanna go out,
I just wanted to say.
That I'm sick of these fights,
I'll let you be right,
If it stops you from running away.
So just give me this chance,
To make the wrongs right, to say:
Don't, don't, don't walk away.
The lights went down and the music cut out, resulting in a loud screech of feedback from the microphone. Elliot heard the murmured questions of the boys around him, wondering if this was part of the performance. A few seconds later the lights flipped back on. As his adjusted back to the light of the room Elliot noticed something was different. He stared at the front of the stage and saw Spencer, Jackson, and Jason looking around.
Elliot whipped his head around quickly, searching for gleaming chestnut hair and brilliant blue eyes but he came up short. Kurt wasn't in the choir room, at least, not anymore. Elliot pushed through the crowd to talk to Spencer.
"Spencer!" The younger boy looked down at Elliot, confusion in his eyes. "Where did Kurt go?" Spencer shrugged his shoulders and glanced around the room.
"You got me, man. He never told us anything about bailing halfway through the song." Elliot looked away from the confused musicians. He spotted a shiny head of black hair and took off towards it.
Blaine was starting to panic, Kurt would never, ever, leave a performance uncompleted. It went against everything he loved about singing and performing. He stopped searching when Elliot came to stand directly in front of him.
"Something's wrong." The both spoke at the same time, but were too worried to really care.
"He wouldn't just leave like this." Elliot glared at Blaine.
"You think I don't know that?" The older boys' anger was eclipsed by his desperation. "We need to find him. Now." Blaine nodded and led the way out into the hall. They walked swiftly towards the front doors of the building. Once they were outside of Easton they finally spoke.
"I'm going to go check our room, you go check yours." Elliot nodded curtly at Blaine's instructions, not even caring that the boy who was trying to steal his boyfriend was now helping him.
The two boys headed in different directions, going to different rooms, searching for the same boy, thinking the same thought, over and over.
Please just let him be okay.
Kurt didn't know where he was, although he was pretty sure he was in the truck of a car, if the limited space and constant bumps were any indication. He thought back to the last few seconds of his performance. He had been singing to Elliot, and then it had gone dark. He had felt a sack being pulled over his head, and then he had been pulled roughly from the stage. Two hands had grabbed him and pushed him down the hall, away from the choir room. Kurt remembered being so scared that he could barely breathe. He felt the floor beneath him turn from tile into icy pavement. He shivered from the cold, only his Dalton Oxford covering his thin arms.
And right before he had been shoved in the truck, his captor had leant in close and whispered to him in an unmistakably familiar voice.
"I told you to stay away from him."
So now Kurt was in the dark, terrified and alone. And now he knew who his stalker was. An image of bright blond and summer grass green eyes flooded his mind. Jeff, the boy he had confided in, who he had told about his entire stalker problem. Little had Kurt known that Jeff didn't need telling. He felt like such an idiot, imagining Jeff laughing at him from behind closed doors.
The car slowly pulled to a stop and Kurt heard the opening and closing of a car door. The trunk opened soon after, letting light shine in, not that he could really tell. He was pulled harshly from the trunk and set on his feet, barely having enough time to steady himself before being pushed in a new direction.
They walked into a building, their footsteps echoing off of the walls. Kurt was thrust into a chair and tied to its back. The sack was ripped off his head finally allowing him to see. After his eyes adjusted, Kurt looked around. They were in a warehouse, and an abandoned one by the looks of it. The walls were covered in grime that looked as though it had been there for centuries.
Jeff walked over to stand in front of Kurt. The blue-eyed boy stared in disbelief. So many questions were running through his head.
"Jeff..." Jeff snorted a laugh and looked down at Kurt.
"You looked so surprised Kurt, as if you don't know what you did." Kurt just shook his head, he had known that the stalker was mad about him dating Elliot, but why would Jeff care. Kurt voiced this question.
"Why do I care? Kurt, without you at Dalton my life would be absolutely perfect right now!" Kurt shrunk back at the words. Kurt had become closer to Jeff in the past few weeks, occasionally sitting with him at lunch and walking to class together. If made his stomach turn to think that all that time he was spending with Jeff was time he was spending with his tormentor. Kurt looked into Jeff's eyes, something didn't match up.
"Jeff, you're not even gay. You and Elliot don't even hang out! Why does my dating him even matter to you?" Jeff's eyes darkened so quickly that Kurt began to shake.
"That's where you're wrong, Hummel. I am most definitely gay, I just don't flaunt it like the attention whore that you are." Kurt was having a hard time catching his breath. "And I used to hang out with Elliot, before you got in the way."Kurt looked at his friend – no, his captor – in confusion.
"Don't look so surprised. You know, life at Dalton did exist before you came along." Jeff walked away, but not without giving a sarcastic smile to Kurt. As soon as Jeff was gone Kurt leapt into action. His cell phone was in his pocket, if he could just reach it.
He wiggled his arm, realizing that Jeff hadn't tied him as tight as he had thought. He kept moving his arm until his hand was up past his hip. He reached into his pants pocket, trying his hardest to grab his phone. His long fingers finally wrapped around his phone and he began to gently pull it out.
Once he finally had his phone out of the confines of his pants he set in on his knee. Careful not to knock the phone to the ground, he called the first person he thought of.
Blaine was frantic, maybe even manic. It had been over half an hour and nobody had seen Kurt. He had checked his room, but had found that his roommate wasn't there. After quickly talking to Elliot, Blaine knew that Kurt wasn't in Elliot's room either. He had already called Finn and told him the situation, to which Finn had absolutely freaked out. Soon after that Burt had found out and had taken Finn's phone, demanding answers from Blaine. Blaine knew better than to keep secrets from an angry Burt Hummel, so he told him everything. He told him about the stalker and the threatening texts. Burt was furious at first, but his fury soon turned to concern for his son. He told Blaine to keep looking, and that they would start their own branch of a Lima search party. The two had hung up and Blaine couldn't help but feel the slightest bit better, now that an adult finally knew.
He was sitting on his bed now, wondering where exactly his friend was. His phone trilled at him, causing him to pull it out of his pocket with alarming speed. He just about fainted from relief when he saw the caller ID.
Kurt Hummel
He answered quickly, ready to give the boy who had been worrying him sick a piece of his mind. He didn't get a single word out though, due to the fact that as soon as he answered Kurt started to ramble.
"Blaine! You answered, thank God you answered. Blaine I need help, you wouldn't even believe...I can't even believe it. He hasn't told me anything, oh god I think he's coming back...no, it wasn't him." Blaine finally spoke up, silencing Kurt.
"Kurt. Kurt! What is going on? Where are you?" Blaine could hear Kurt breathing heavily over the phone.
"Blaine...I'm scared." Blaine's eyes widened, Kurt never got scared, or at least he never admitted it.
"Kurt, where are you?" He heard Kurt sniffle quietly before answering.
"He took me to a warehouse, an abandoned one." Blaine pinched his nose, becoming more stressed and worried each second.
"Do you know where the warehouse is?" Kurt whimpered slightly.
"No, he put me in the trunk. I couldn't see anything. But I know that we only drove for about twenty minutes." Elliot walked into Blaine's room at that moment, rushing over when he saw Blaine was on the phone. Blaine held up a hand, signalling for the older boy not to say anything.
"Okay Kurt. Elliot just walked in; we're going to come find you." Kurt laughed brokenly through the phone, sounding hopeless.
"Please hurry. He's going to be coming back soon." Blaine heard Kurt gasp, followed by rapid footsteps that got loudly with each passing second. Blaine heard a clatter and an angry voice screaming in the background.
"Who did you call?" Silence, followed by a resounding noise that could only be made from punching someone. "No one can help you now." A scraping sound came through the earpiece of Blaine's phone, with quiet sobs in the background. Blaine's heart clenched, whoever had Kurt was hurt him and it was killing Blaine to hear it. Suddenly he couldn't contain himself any longer and found himself screaming into the phone.
"Don't touch him! Who are you? I swear, if you hurt him..." Elliot ran up to Blaine, trying to take the phone from him. Blaine shrugged him off and ran to his bathroom, locking the door behind him. Elliot began to bang on the door, demanding that Blaine let him in. Blaine backed away from the door, trying to get away from the noise Elliot was making. The person on the other end of the line talked, capturing Blaine's attention and shocking him into silence.
"What? You'll do what, Blaine?" A pause hung in the air as the voice registered in Blaine's mind. Taking his silence as a victory the caller hung up. The banging on his bathroom door was gone, although Elliot was now jiggling the door handle.
Blaine walked over in a daze and unlocked it, walking out to face Elliot.
"What the hell, Blaine! Why didn't you let me talk to him?" Blaine turned to Elliot, the look on his face quietening the senior immediately. "Blaine, what happened? Who was on the phone?" Blaine kept staring at Elliot, thoughts whirling around in his head. Elliot gave him a light shove, pulling Blaine out of his thoughts enough to answer the older boy.
"Jeff. It was Jeff." The name sparked something in Elliot's eyes that Blaine couldn't place. It seemed like a cross between realization and panic. Blaine suddenly saw that Elliot knew something about this.
"Elliot...why would Jeff do this?" Elliot just shook his head, eyes filling with tears, much to Blaine's disbelief.
"This is all my fault." Blaine reached out as if to touch the older boys' shoulder, but thought better of it and lowered his hand. He could barely stand to look at Elliot most days, and no matter how bad of a situation they were in Blaine just couldn't seem to handle him. Elliot's head snapped up, his eyes suddenly clear. The look of determination on his face was intense enough to make Blaine step back.
"Come on." Elliot grabbed Blaine's wrist and pulled him towards the door.
"Elliot! Let go of me! Where are we going?" Elliot didn't even cast a look back, dragging Blaine towards his car once they were outside. Blaine tore his arm out of Elliot's grip, not wanting to be touched by the one person he couldn't stand. Elliot whipped around to face the shorter boy, his face screwed up in frustration at the struggle that Blaine was putting up.
"I know where Kurt is..." All the thoughts in Blaine's head vanished, with only one remaining. He spoke with confidence, completely sure of his next decision.
"Get in the car. He needs us."
Kurt's jaw was throbbing, a feeling that was completely new to him. Of course, he had been shoved at McKinley, but this kind of pain was leaps and bounds above a sore shoulder. Kurt hadn't heard Jeff come back in to the warehouse, or else he might have ended his call sooner. When Jeff had seen what Kurt was doing his face had contorted into an ugly mask of rage. He had brought his fist back and punched, hitting Kurt square in the jaw.
Kurt knew on some level that Jeff had talked to Blaine, he only hoped that Blaine hadn't heard Kurt get hit, or his crying in the background. He wanted to be strong, like Blaine believed him to be, but he was so scared and that coupled with the physical pain was enough to make him break out into tears.
Jeff was pacing now, back and forth, back and forth, in front of Kurt. Occasionally he would pause and turn to Kurt, with Kurt flinching away from his gaze. After what seemed like hours of silence Kurt finally spoke up.
"Jeff, what do you want?" Jeff turned to glare at Kurt, as if he had just asked the simplest question in the world.
"I want the boy I love back." Kurt's head was reeling, Jeff loved Elliot? Kurt used his most calm tone of voice as possible.
"Jeff, I didn't even know that you and Elliot knew one another." Jeff smiled, although it didn't reach his eyes.
"Of course not, he forgot all about me once he met you." Kurt stared at Jeff uncertainly, not really following what the blond-haired boy was saying. "Last summer Elliot and I worked at the same place, a children's camp just outside of Westerville. I was a counsellor and he was the activities coordinator. Over the summer we started to spend more and more time together, learning about one another, becoming closer. We both realized that we had gone to the same school, that we were in the same grade, that we had even shared some classes. It was on the last night of camp that he finally worked up the courage to kiss me.
Jeff smiled at this, as if recalling a pleasant childhood memory. Kurt sat in his chair, shocked at what he was hearing. Elliot had never told him anything about this; in fact, he had always said that his previous summer had been nothing special. Kurt found himself having a hard time understanding.
"We had promised each other that once we were back in school we were going to make it official. When we got back I was so excited to see him, I couldn't wait to spend as much time with him as possible. We sneaked around a lot, trying to spend time together out of the public eye. But he kept pushing it back, saying that he had DA responsibilities, or that the Easton boys needed him. The one constant thing that he always told was that we'd be together soon.
Jeff's smile turned bitter, making Kurt pretty sure about what Jeff was going to say next. Kurt heard a bang, but chalked it up to the old building moving. Jeff apparently had thought the same as he kept on speaking.
"Then, in November, something changed. I didn't see Elliot at all anymore. No more conversations in the halls, no more late night meetings in the common room, nothing. It was a few days after I was completely shut out that I realized. He had found someone new, he had found you. Imagine my heartbreak, Kurt, when I walked around the corner only to find the boy I loved mooning over someone else, not even acknowledging that I was there. I couldn't stand seeing him so infatuated with someone else. I tried to warn you, I sent the texts telling you to stay away from him, but then you got him involved.
Kurt sat there and stared at Jeff, not knowing what to expect next from the boy. What he hadn't been expecting was the knife that Jeff pulled out.
Kurt barely even had time to react before Jeff slashed forward with the knife, cutting down the length of Kurt's arm. The brunette gasped out in pain, feeling the warm liquid run down his arm. He felt sick at the smell and closed his eyes to try and concentrate on anything else. However, Jeff just sliced again, this time on the other arm and a little deeper. Kurt actually felt the knife in his flesh before it was pulled out. Kurt snapped his eyes open and looked directly at Jeff, speaking his words with venom.
Kurt was shaking now, hoping more than ever that Blaine and Elliot were on their way. He felt like such an idiot, he had been befriending the person who hated him, who had been making him live in fear. Kurt felt something well up inside of him, something strong and powerful. It felt exactly like when he had stood up to Karofsky.
"You're a coward." Jeff stopped and stared at him in disbelief.
"What did you call me?" Kurt swallowed thickly, knowing he couldn't turn back – no – he didn't want to turn back now. He spoke louder, emanating confidence.
"I said you're a cowa..." Kurt was cut off by a sickening smack. Jeff had slapped him, hard, across the face. It was on the opposite side that Jeff had punched him on earlier. Now both were throbbing painfully, but Kurt couldn't bring himself to regret his decision.
"Go ahead, Jeff. Hit me all you want, it's not going to change anything! It's not going to change the fact that I'm with Elliot and you're all alone." Jeff began to swing randomly, hitting Kurt's face, stomach, anything he could reach. Kurt saw delicate tears falling from Jeff's eyes and smiled, instantly knowing that he had gotten to the blonde.
"You're alone, because I was a better offer." Kurt gasped as Jeff's fist without the knife came around, landing a blow squarely on his jaw. The punch was hard enough to throw his chair back, tilting farther and farther until in tipped completely over. Kurt's head smacked the pavement with a sickening crack, stars immediately blurring his vision. A head of blonde hair came into Kurt's field of view, puzzling him. His head felt heavy as he looked at the face above him. He felt as if he were on a boat – rocking from side to side – but heard no waves, no birds, nor any indication of being on water. The face above him spoke, quietly, as if it didn't want to be heard.
"I never wanted this, Kurt, but I deserve him more than you." Kurt held onto consciousness for a few more moments, getting the last words in.
"You are so broken."
Elliot was speeding; Blaine knew this for a fact. There was no doubt in his mind that Elliot was careening down the road at unfit speeds. However, he couldn't bring himself to care. Kurt was at the end of whatever roads Elliot was taking, and he needed to get to Kurt. The two hadn't spoken since they had left the school, both too focused on Kurt to carry on a conversation, although it was not as if they were going to exchange pleasantries in this kind of situation.
Blaine turned his body to face his window, propping his head against the cool glass and closing his eyes. All he wanted – no, needed – was for Kurt to be okay when they got there. Blaine couldn't stop his brain from creating whatever scenarios it wanted, though, so he was subject to seeing images of a broken and bloodied Kurt, crying out for someone, anyone, to help him. Blaine opened his eyes, not wanted to torture himself with the disturbing images any longer. His eyes focused on the landscape just outside the vehicle. He recognized the area, but only vaguely. He turned to Elliot, raising his eyebrows.
"Where are we?" Elliot seemed to snap out of a trance, like he was only just realizing that he wasn't alone in the car.
"We're in the old industrial part of Westerville." Blaine didn't see how that was relevant to finding Kurt, but Elliot continued before he had a chance to voice this. "Whenever Jeff used to get upset he would drive out here. Something out the old buildings calmed him down, I guess." Blaine looked over his shoulder at the dilapidated warehouses passing by. He couldn't imagine how anyone could find the buildings calming. As Blaine stared at the crumbling structures a question popped into his mind.
"How do you know all this about Jeff?" Elliot squirmed uncomfortably in his seat, as if the thought of Jeff was setting him on edge.
"We dated briefly..." Blaine was sure that the sound of his jaw hitting the floor could have been heard in the next town over.
"You dated him? And you never thought that before now this would be key information?" Elliot stared ahead, jaw set and working furiously.
"Who I dated in the past is none of your business." Blaine just stared at the older boy, eyes wide.
"None of my...I think it became my business when your ex started to threaten my best friend!" Blaine threw his arms up in the air, exasperated by the fact that Elliot had disclosed important knowledge.
"Well it didn't, and you would've told Kurt about him." Blaine froze for a moment, momentarily stunned by Elliot's words. He slowly turned towards the senior, a look of disbelief on his face. Elliot glanced over at him, briefly seeing his face change from disbelief to something else.
"Why are you looking at me like...Ow!" Elliot was cut off by Blaine fist hitting his arm. Elliot swerved, distracted by the pain in his arm. Blaine simply smirked and looking forward once again.
"Dude! Don't hit the driver!" Blaine merely stuck his tongue out, feeling somewhat childish but satisfied nonetheless.
Blaine jerked forward as Elliot slammed the car to a stop. The younger looked out his window, seeing a giant, crumbling warehouse before him. The driver's door opened and slammed shut, but Blaine couldn't bring himself to move. Elliot came to stand outside of his window, knocking lightly on the glass. Blaine opened his door slowly, climbing out of the car, never taking his eyes off the building. He stood beside Elliot, both looking to the dilapidated mess on concrete. Blaine looked to Elliot, craning his neck to see the elder boy's face.
"That's where he is?" Elliot nodded, scowling slightly at the sight of the building. Blaine looked from Elliot back the building, taking a deep breath. "Well then let's go."
The two walked side by side towards the building, following along the side once they approached the wall. Elliot took the lead, heading towards a door halfway down the wall. They reached the wall and Elliot stopped, but only long enough the hold his finger to his mouth, effectively telling Blaine to be quiet.
Elliot turned the handle and pushed in on the door, a plume of dust spraying out from it. Elliot walked through the door first, beckoning Blaine to follow behind. They walked into the shadows, leaving the light of day behind. The darkness caused Blaine to walk right into something, causing an unknown object to fall to the floor with a loud bang. The two boys stood there, waiting to hear the sound of footsteps, but after realizing that no one was coming to look for them they continued on. A faint light was coming from up ahead, giving off just enough brightness for the two to make their way through the garbage on the floor.
As they walked they began to hear voices, soft at first, but louder as they ventured on. Elliot held up a hand and leaned in to whisper to Blaine.
"He's right there." Elliot pointed at a gap between two crates. Blaine came to stand beside Elliot, both looking through the gap together.
What they saw couldn't be described as anything but horrifying. Kurt was tied to a chair, face swollen on one side. Jeff was circling him, speaking in a harsh tone. Blaine was momentarily distracted by a small pool of something wet on the floor beside Kurt, but leaned forward when Jeff began to talk, intent on hearing the blonde's words.
"It was a few days after I was completely shut out that I realized. He had found someone new, he had found you. Imagine my heartbreak, Kurt, when I walked around the corner only to find the boy I loved mooning over someone else, not even acknowledging that I was there." Blaine turned to glare at Elliot, but the older boy's eyes were fixed on Kurt.
Blaine was stilling having a hard time believing that all this time it had been Jeff. Blaine had been in Warblers with the boy for years, and never once had he given Blaine a reason to believe he was capable of doing something like this. Blaine tuned back into the conversation the two boys in front of him were having.
"You're a coward." Kurt had spoken in such a strong voice that Blaine almost cheered for him. Blaine's heart pounded at the thought that this extraordinary boy could still stand up for himself even when he should have been terrified. Blaine's heart almost stopped though when he saw the rage on Jeff's face. He saw Jeff's mouth move, but the words didn't register with Blaine. He saw Kurt start to talk again when he was suddenly cut off by a sickening smack. Blaine choked, and had to grab Elliot to keep the boy from jumping out from behind their hiding spot.
Kurt began to speak again, more vindictive and provoking this time. Blaine watched as Jeff hit Kurt again and again, hits landing wherever his hands could reach. Jeff hit Kurt a final time, sending his chair flying back. Blaine almost threw up when he saw Kurt's head make contact with the hard cement below. He watched as Jeff came to loom above the brunette, and spoke so quietly that Blaine couldn't here. Blaine saw Kurt's lips move once last time before his neck went lax and his head turned to the side.
Elliot slipped from Blaine's grip as he watched his best friend, the boy he loved, lie motionless on the ground. He snapped his gaze away from Kurt when he heard Elliot start screaming.
Elliot had torn away from Blaine, running to Kurt, to Jeff.
Jeff.
Jeff, the boy he had been so sure he had loved last summer. The boy who Blaine had so easily started to date and then so easily left. A rage pooled up inside him, causing him to yelling directly at Jeff.
"Get away from him!" Jeff jumped back, obviously surprised by the sound of another person's voice, let alone Elliot. Elliot stormed up to him, causing Jeff to back away from Kurt's still body. "What have you done Jeff?"
Jeff backed away even more, mouth opening and closing in an attempt to answer Elliot's question.
"Just wanted you back, I just...I just thought..." Elliot's eyes burned with anger.
"You thought what? That if you got rid of my boyfriend I would come running back to you?" Jeff took a step towards Elliot, a look of anger started to show on his face.
"He stole you from me Elliot! What was I supposed to do?" Elliot moved the right, causing Jeff to do so as well. The elder kept doing this until Jeff's back was turned to Blaine. He could see the curly locks of the younger boy begin to peek out from the shadows.
"I don't know Jeff, not knock him out, most certainly not stalk him and terrify him for months on end." Elliot only hoped that Blaine had understood his subtle hint. He sighed in relief when he saw Blaine creep out and quietly walk towards Jeff's turned back. Jeff suddenly became frenzied and waved a knife around. Elliot's eyes widened, knowing that suddenly this situation had just gotten much more dangerous.
"Elliot, I couldn't handle it. I love you so much, he doesn't deserve you. He doesn't even love you." Elliot was momentarily thrown by the blonde's words, but focused again once he saw Blaine directly behind Jeff. The two made eye contact and Elliot nodded minutely.
"Jeff, Kurt never stole me. You just never had me." Blaine jumped into action, tackling Jeff to the ground with a grunt. Jeff cried out in surprise, not knowing that there had been another person in the warehouse. Blaine landed on top of him, struggling to keep the much stronger boy still. Blaine grabbed Jeff's hair in his hand tightly and pulled his head up from the ground. Jeff seemed to know exactly at that moment what Blaine was going to do, his eyes widening to the size of saucers. Blaine thrust his hand downwards, smashing Jeff's head against the ground. He gagged at the feel of the platinum-haired boy's head hitting the ground. He looked down and saw that Jeff's eyes were closed. He hurriedly checked for a pulse and sighed in relief when he felt one.
"Thank god..." Blaine stood up shaking and glanced over to Elliot. The boy was staring at him as though he were a ghost. Blaine simply walked over to Kurt and untied him from the chair.
After lying Kurt out on the floor Blaine began to inspect his injuries. His hands ghosted over Kurt's bruises, tears forming in his eyes to see a creature so beautiful laying there so broken. His hands traveled to Kurt's shoulders, then down his arms. It was on his arms that Blaine felt something slick and warm. He looked to his hands and saw blood, Kurt's blood. Blaine remembered seeing something wet beside Kurt's chair before and almost felt sick at the thought that it had been the boy's blood. He swayed slightly where he sat and looked over his shoulder at Elliot.
The elder was just standing there, staring at Jeff as though if he stared hard enough he could erase what had happened. Blaine called out to him, voice shaky and quiet. Elliot took a few moment s to respond, but eventually looked to Blaine. Blaine reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell, tossing it to Elliot. Elliot caught it deftly and stared at Blaine.
"You need to go call the police, now."Elliot began to walk towards the door when Blaine called after him. "Elliot!" The older boy turned to look at Blaine. "Tell them to bring two ambulances." Elliot just nodded and hurried towards the door.
Blaine watched him leave and turned back to Kurt as soon as Elliot was out of sight. HE inched closer to the motionless boy, bringing his brunette head to lie in his lap. Blaine began to run his fingers through Kurt's soft hair, an action that he would have never been allowed to do if the boy was awake. He once again felt tears pool in his eyes and began to quietly apologize.
"I'm sorry, Kurt. I'm so, so, so sorry. This is all my fault, this was me...I couldn't protect you...I couldn't do anything..." Blaine finally stopped when he heard a soft voice from below him.
"Hey..." Blaine's eyes shot open and saw that Kurt was awake, but just barely. "This is not your fault, it's no one's fault." His voice began to get raspy and Blaine quietened him. Kurt started to cry and Blaine just held him tighter.
"Shhh...You're fine. It's going to be alright. The ambulance is on its way." Blaine felt Kurt tense up in his arms and Blaine wondered what he had said that had gotten him so upset. Kurt just whispered and cried.
"I don't want to go to the hospital, Blaine. Please...please don't make me." Blaine started to cry at the desperate tone in Kurt's voice.
"You have to go; you're losing too much blood." Kurt just clenched onto Blaine's arm, though his grip was alarmingly weak. Blaine saw that Kurt was starting to pass out again and he started to panic. He grabbed Kurt's face in his hands and pulled the boy's gaze towards him.
"Kurt. Kurt!" Kurt looked into Blaine's eyes, although Blaine couldn't be sure how much he was actually seeing. "You have to stay awake, okay? Okay?" Kurt only nodded and smiled weakly. His next words sent aches straight to Blaine's heart.
"Sing to me?" Blaine smiled shakily and nodded. He took a few short breaths and began to sing softly to the boy he loved, hoping that even in his current state, he would understand the words for what they truly meant.
Long, steady road,
Oh travels be kind.
I'm searching for some peace of mind.
The home that you know,
A home left behind,
Oh trouble, don't trouble this time.
And baby don't look back,
Odds don't stack,
They just crumble down around you.
You gotta go if you wanna come back,
I won't crack,
I can't make a sound without you.
And even if sounds crazy darling,
I won't let you go.
And even if it don't stop raining darling,
I won't let you go.
And even if the world's burning darling,
I won't let you go.
Even it if sounds crazy darling,
I won't let you go.
Kurt stared into Blaine's eyes, finally seeing the truth that was there. There had never been any lying, any fear of losing his best friend, Blaine had been telling the truth all along. Blaine actually cared.
Know your way down,
Your music, your town,
You're never a-walking alone.
A storm that won't wait,
A heart that won't break,
Your mountains ain't made out of stone.
So baby don't look back,
Odd don't stack,
They just crumble down around you.
You gotta go if you wanna come back,
I won't crack,
I can't make a sound with you.
And even if it sounds crazy darling,
I won't let you go.
And even if it don't ever stop raining darling,
I won't let you go.
And even if the world's burning darling,
I won't let you go.
Even if it sounds crazy darling.
Blaine heard noise coming from the door and yelled out. He saw two EMT's race to him, asking him questions. He answered them quietly and directly their attention to Jeff. One went over to tend to the blonde boy while one stayed to look after Kurt. Kurt, however, couldn't care less that help had finally arrived.
He was still staring at Blaine, a look of profound knowing in his eyes. Blaine didn't know how to take the look Kurt was giving him. The boy was neither rejecting nor accepting his earnest confession. The EMT grabbed Kurt and stood up. Kurt started to panic and struggle and Blaine immediately knew what to do. He stood quickly and held his arms out to the EMT, trying to convey that this was the only way Kurt would calm down.
The EMT sighed slightly and passed Kurt off to Blaine.
"The ambulance is straight outside, carry him out there and wait for me." Blaine nodded and headed towards the door. While he walked he began to sing to Kurt ounce again, picking up where he had left off.
So baby don't look back,
Odds don't stack,
They just crumble down around you.
You gotta go if you wanna come back,
I won't crack,
I can't make a sound without you.
Kurt reached up a hand to rest on Blaine's cheek, making the black-haired boy's heart race. He kept singing, keeping his eyes locked on Kurt's. He emerged from the warehouse, wincing at the bright sunlight and flashing cop lights. He waited outside the doors for the EMT, seeing Elliot talking to an officer, describing the events. They made eye contact for a moment, and in that moment it was as though Elliot knew.
He face fell slightly, but he seemed to steel himself and turned back to the officer. The EMT came out and rested a hand on Blaine's shoulder, guiding him in the direction of the ambulance. The EMT jumped in the back first, holding out his arms for Blaine to pass Kurt up. Kurt gripped Blaine's arm for a moment, but relaxed when Blaine looked to him. Blaine passed Kurt up with ease, hopping in beside him after.
The EMT began to talk to Kurt in a soothing tone.
"Sir, what's your name." Kurt seemed to be having trouble answering the question, as if he couldn't remember the answer. Blaine opened his mouth to answer for him, but the man shook his head.
"He needs to answer these questions on his own." Blaine nodded and looked to Kurt, willing him to answer the man.
"My name is John, what's your name?" Kurt seemed to concentrate a little more this time around and opened his mouth slowly, trying to form his lips around the words.
"Kurt Hummel." Blaine blanched at how horrible the countertenor sounded.
"Okay, Kurt. So how are you feeling?" Blaine looked to John with a look of disbelief on his face, but John met his gaze and shook his head slightly. Kurt just chuckled.
"I must say...I've been better." The two chatted back in forth in stilted conversation for a few more moments. Blaine saw another man rush by, this time with a blonde-haired boy in his arms. Blaine couldn't make himself feel bad for what he had done to Jeff, not after he had seen Kurt's injuries.
Blaine finally realized what John had been doing after a while. While he and Kurt had been talking, John had been quickly assessing Kurt's injuries and bandaging his arms. John looked to Blaine now that he had finished his work.
"Can you sit back here with him?" Blaine nodded vigorously, and John smiled and patted his shoulder. He quickly moved around to the front of the vehicle, hopping in and starting it up. They left the warehouse, driving down the road towards Lima. Blaine felt something brush up against his hand and looked down to see attempting to hold his hand.
Blaine grabbed Kurt's fingers, pushing his digits in betweens Kurt's. Kurt sighed at the contact and looked up at Blaine. Blaine didn't even need to be told this time, he picked up his song exactly where he had left off.
No I can't,
No I never will,
Never, ever would,
No I never could let you go.
No I just can't,
No I never will,
Never, ever could,
No I never will let you go.
No I just can't,
No I never will,
Never, ever would,
No I never could let you go.
Kurt smiled as the song came to an end, finally feeling safe. Kurt's mind was racing. He had never felt safer than when he was with Blaine. He couldn't for the life of him think of why it had taken him so long to realize. He knew what he had to do now, and not everyone would like it, but he had to. It was the only thing that made sense anymore.
Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand one last time, gazing up into his golden-field eyes. They reminded Kurt of summer days, driving through the country. They suddenly became the only important thing, and as Kurt focused on them harder and harder he found himself getting more and more tired. He heard Blaine speak, but could understand the words. A voice answered him thankfully, so Kurt wouldn't have to now. Kurt felt Blaine down and whisper in his ear.
"Go to sleep, Kurt. You're safe now." Kurt sighed at the warm breath in his ear and closed his eyes. Those two words kept running though his mind as he drifted off to sleep, imagines of himself and a black-haired boy running through wheat fields laughing playing behind his eyelids.
You're safe. You're safe. You're safe.
In the next installment: In the aftermath of Jeff's attack, how will Kurt cope with his confused heart? With Elliot wracked with guilt and Blaine torn by revenge and love, how will anyone know what to do? With Valentine's Day just around the corner, what will our favorite love triangle do to win the prize?
As always reviews are appreciated and welcomed :) I love hearing your guys thoughts! Until next time my dears, lots of love!
