Chapter 14

Kurt heard the front door bell ring but his head was muffled under the pile of pillows that he was currently trying to bury himself in to. He shut his eyes to the sounds in the house and tried to slip back in to the oblivion of sleep. All he could see before him were images of Jack looking distressed and that kid Michael's face as he told him about the sex video.

He felt nauseous as he thought about what Blaine must be thinking of him. What a total joke. He couldn't even cut it for a week and here he had promised faithfully to stick it out until February. Well there was no way that he would be able to keep that promise.

He was startled out of his maudlin thoughts by a knock on his bedroom door.

"Not now Dad, please. I'm really not in the mood for dinner tonight."

"Kurt, it's Blaine."

"Shit!"

Kurt sat up quickly and wondered how loudly he had just sworn. He heard the door open slowly and a tentative, "Can I come in?"

"What are you doing here?" Kurt asked emphatically.

Blaine's head appeared around the edge of his door. "I heard you have had a pretty horrific day and I brought Mango and Passion fruit Bacardi Breezers to make it better." A six pack appeared around the edge of the door as proof.

Kurt smiled despite himself. "You are ridiculous… OK fine, come in but I warn you my hair is a disaster zone." He started scrambling around for a suitable hat to cover the offending mullet on the top of his head.

Blaine appeared around the door and stopped when he saw Kurt in bed. "Wow, that's a flashback right there. I feel like I'm 17 again, sneaking in to your Dad's home for a sleepover."

Kurt blushed. "It's alright, I'm dressed." He pulled aside the comforter and climbed out of bed, identifying a beret that didn't clash with his shirt and plopped it on his head.

He hurried toward the door of his room. "Let's get out of here. I'm sure that the last thing either of us needs right now is further complications that are sure to arise if we stay in my bedroom."

Blaine smiled at the unintentional innuendo and bowed jokingly to Kurt while opening the door and ushering him out. Kurt rolled his eyes and looked down at the contents in Blaine's hand.

"Bacardi Breezers, really? I haven't had one of those since McKinley I don't think."

Kurt kicked himself for sounding ungrateful. He was still reeling from the complete surprise of Blaine's sudden appearance in his bedroom.

"Ah, well they are having a comeback and this was the only choice apart from beer at the 7-11."

"Thanks Blaine, that's really sweet. Sorry, I promise to stop being an ass."

Kurt led the way downstairs and in to the family room at the back of the house. He sat on the couch and took a really good look at Blaine. He looked gorgeous in dark, form fitting jeans, a red shirt and charcoal gray woolly cardigan. Kurt flushed at the fact that he was still in crumpled clothes that he had been sleeping in for the last two hours. He resisted the urge to get up and change, telling himself strictly to calm down.

Blaine took a seat on the couch next to him and swung his body around so that he was facing Kurt, knee on the couch and arm along the back. He looked remarkably relaxed compared to how anxious Kurt was suddenly feeling.

"It's good to see you," Kurt said. "I have to admit, I wasn't sure you would want to speak to me again after today."

Blaine smiled. "Trust me. We have all had days like that. It's kind of par for the course when you are working with this population."

Kurt found himself staring at Blaine for a minute too long. "Sorry…I am a bit startled that you are here. In a really good way," he clarified quickly. "It's just that after our last conversation I didn't know how you were going to react. I kind of wondered if this was it."

"Why? Because the kids gave you a hard time? Kurt, I'm pretty impressed that you are doing this at all. Of course, I'm not going to think badly of you that you are finding it hard. I'm grateful that you are still in Columbus and didn't hop the State," Blaine said this with a smile but he was only half joking.

"Trust me. The thought has occurred. But overall, I think I would regret it. Also, I am sure Mr Schue would kick my ass if he ever found out that I bailed from something like this so quickly."

Blaine laughed a little. "Good to know that Mr Schue is scarier than I am."

Kurt smiled.

"How's Jack?"

"He's OK. He came to my office and we talked for about an hour. I think in some ways we had a bit of a breakthrough. I'm just sorry it was at your expense."

"That's OK. I really fucked up."

"What happened?"

"You know… I just ran out of ideas. I thought that if the kids heard one of their own singing they might be a bit more respectful and would understand what I was trying to achieve. But no one would volunteer and I just knew that Jack would do great and would amaze them all. I totally pressurized him which was stupid. I just thought that if he got over the fear and sang then everything would be OK."

"So he told me that Michael jumped to his defence and it got quite out of hand."

"Yeah. I mean God that kid went for me. Although based on how miserable Jack looked I probably deserved it. I have no idea what made Jack leave the room though. He was uncomfortable one minute and gone the next."

"Ahh, I have some light to shed on that. Jack told me I could share parts of our talk today with you."

Blaine handed Kurt an open bottle. Their hands touched and Kurt savoured the jolt that went through him. He looked up at Blaine who met his eyes and gave him a sweet knowing grin.

"Go on," Kurt encouraged. "I have my drink, I'm ready to hear where it all went wrong."

"OK. So I don't know if you remember this but according to Jack, Mike said to you something that implied Jack is gay."

Kurt's eyebrows furrowed. "Yeah, possibly, I think he said something about how I couldn't force Jack to do something just because we are both gay."

"Yeah, that sounds about right. Did you then say something agreeing with that statement?"

Kurt frowned. "I don't remember, it all happened so quickly. I told Michael that that wasn't the reason that I was asking Jack but then Jack was gone…"

"Yeah. So here's the deal. Jack is super sensitive about anyone thinking he might be gay. It seems that he was severely bullied in his previous school when people found out there. I haven't even got half of that story yet I don't think, but we are talking a cyber-bullying campaign that makes the hallways of McKinley seem like a fairy playground."

"Oh, poor kid." Kurt felt a wave of pure empathy run through him. He wanted to run to Jack immediately and wrap him up in cotton wool.

"Yeah. As a result, he's living in constant terror that the kids will rumble him at TH and that everything will start back up again. He is pretty freaked that Mike seems to have guessed and I think when you didn't deny it, he felt that you "outed" him in some way."

"What? I don't even remember saying that."

"I know. Kurt, the reality is the inner workings of a 17 year old boy's brain at the best of times are often illogical. Multiply that by ten when you have a kid who has been through the stuff that Jack has."

"You really think it gets worse than what you already know?"

"I'm scared that it does. No one seems to know what happened to him exactly but the level of fear he shows when anything related to homosexuality comes up is really concerning."

"Oh the sweetheart," Kurt gave a loud sigh and leaned back deep in to the sofa closing his eyes.

"I admit it, Blaine" he said, directing his voice towards the ceiling. "I am in way over my head and I don't have the first clue where to go from here."

Blaine leaned back with him. "I'm not sure I have that many answers Kurt but I'm happy to help if you will let me."

Kurt turned his head to the side and opened one eye. He raised an eyebrow in Blaine's direction. "Really? I thought you were totally against this whole idea from start to finish."

Blaine smiled a little and bit his lip. "Well, let's just say, I'm quite enjoying having my own little stalker at the school."

Kurt groaned and hit him with the back of his hand in the arm. "Not funny."

"No. OK, admittedly bad timing. But I can't help thinking that what you are doing is pretty romantic. And honestly I think you could be awesome for the kids."

"If they ever give me a chance."

"They will. We just need a strategy."

Kurt thought about that for a minute and then sighed. He turned his body around to face Blaine and put his arm up on the back of the sofa, his head resting on his hand. In this position he could enjoy the view of Blaine to soften the blow of his next traumatic revelation.

"Did you hear how the rest of the class went after Jack left?"

"No. I had a note from the counselor asking me to get in touch with her first thing on Monday morning. What happened?"

"That kid Michael got right in my face and told me some home truths. I didn't mind too much as I probably would have done the same thing at his age, but he dropped the biggest bombshell. Supposedly the video of the sex tape is on YouTube and he implied that he and a number of the other kids had watched it."

Blaine froze. "Oh SHIT! What did you say?"

Kurt laughed rather bitterly. "Nothing. He didn't give me a lot of space to say anything and then he walked out and the other kids left behind him."

"I'm sorry Kurt. That's horrible."

"The worst bit was, he told me that I wasn't very good in the video. I know it is ridiculous that that would bother me but somehow that's the only bit of the whole day that is looping in my head."

Blaine bit the inside of his cheek, not quite covering his amusement. "I find that verdict deeply improbable based on years of personal experience. Maybe the other guy ruined it?"

Kurt smiled ruefully. "He wasn't anything special, that's for sure. Closet cases usually aren't as they are too scared of being caught out that they don't tend to relax. Ironic, really in this circumstance."

"So… have you looked on YouTube for it?"

Kurt felt his face flame. "NO! …Well, OK, I thought about it but then I decided ignorance is bliss. I don't know how I am ever going to leave the house again as it is. I certainly don't want to make it worse by seeing the images that other people have lodged in their heads. Yuck… I feel so gross and dirty."

Blaine reached his hand out and took Kurt's hand in his. "I'm so sorry. It's totally not OK. Can you call your agent to get it removed by YouTube?"

"Yeah, I guess. But I suspect the bigger deal I make of it now, the more media attention will come my way again and I can't tolerate that right now."

Kurt felt Blaine's hand squeeze his and he looked in to Blaine's eyes. He couldn't believe that this amazing man was in his home right now and that, even after everything, he thought that Kurt was still worth spending time with. He sighed deeply and realised that in this moment he felt more relaxed than he had been all week.

"So while we can't control what's happening out there. What am I going to do about your delightful children?"

Blaine smiled. "Dave calls them a pack of hyenas, if that's any consolation? He heard me tell one too many stories one night and decided that it was the most accurate description."

Kurt laughed. "Yeah that does help a bit."

Blaine grinned and then sobered up giving the question some thought. "I mean the reality is that this is going to be a challenge. You know these kids are not like New Directions or the Warblers. I mean let's be real, Mr Schue didn't really have to teach anything. You guys were so talented and so motivated that all he had to do was channel the energy and make sure you didn't kill each other. And the Warblers were so self-motivated that we didn't need a faculty advisor, which is actually, looking back on it, ridiculous.

'The TH kids are not going to be like that. I mean I have no idea what the talent level will be like in that room. The first hurdle you are going to have to overcome is a room of kids with no self belief, which is why asking for volunteers has gone so badly. Not one of them will put themselves forward like that because they all genuinely think that they will fail. Even Jack, who we know has talent oozing out of his pores, will not take the risk.

'So we have got to figure out how to get the kids to buy in to what you are selling and jump in."

Kurt nodded. That made a lot of sense. "So Yoda, where do we go from here?"

Blaine and Kurt spent the next few hours coming up with strategies, ideas, lesson plans and song choices.

They had moved off the couch and were now sprawled on their bellies on the floor surrounded by pieces of paper with brainstorming ideas, diagrams and stupid drawings that Kurt had scribbled in frustration.

"I wish we had your guitar here," Kurt sighed while they were trying frantically to remember the middle bridge to one particular song. "Hey, what's the deal with that anyway? Was Jack right when he said that you don't play anymore?"

Blaine had his chin resting on his balled fist on the floor. He now moved up with his weight resting on his forearms so that he could see Kurt better.

He closed his eyes in thought and Kurt could see him breathe in. When he opened his eyes they were so pain filled that Kurt actually felt as though he had been punched in the gut.

"I stopped playing soon after we split…" Blaine put his head down on his hands. "I don't know… I just, I wasn't in a good place at all and every time I picked up the guitar all I would remember is you. It just became really painful and so bit by bit I stopped playing."

He shrugged and looked back up at Kurt with a disturbingly blank expression. "Hey, it's not like there are that many chances to play and sing as an adult anyway, so it's not that big of a deal."

Kurt felt a desperate need to contradict him and tell him all the ways that his thinking was flawed but he could see that Blaine did not want to discuss the issue further. He looked so raw. Instead Kurt filed it away as something he was determined to see change in the future.

He smiled at Blaine instead and put his hand on his shoulder. "OK. Well, let's see how we can make do with just our stellar voices, huh?"

Blaine smiled and rolled on to his side with his raised up on his hand. "You know, I'm kind of enjoying this. I'm remembering all those planning sessions in college while we figured out how to ace auditions and wow fundraisers. Do you remember that night we stayed up 'til three in the morning, fuelled mainly on caffeine shots and jelly doughnuts?"

"Oh no way, those jelly doughnuts were all yours. I think I was eating spoonfuls of that disgusting Brewer's Yeast. I swear whoever sold that to me as a pick-me-up must have been laughing all the way to the bank. I'm pretty sure it was made from sawdust."

Blaine laughed. "That's right. I'd forgotten that. I just remember being so wired and the dorms were quiet so we had to run in to the middle of the science quad and sing at the tops of our voices just to take the edge off! I thought for sure campus security was going to come and arrest us but no one did."

"Do you remember after that?" Kurt's eyes sparkled at the memory. "The old oak tree? That was a pretty special night. I'm just glad we woke up with the dew and had enough time to get dressed before anyone found us."

Blaine looked straight in to Kurt's eyes and smiled. "That was a really good night. Although I think we both had stinking colds for a week after!"

"Yeah, lots of chicken noodle soup as I recall."

Both men smiled at each other and were silent for a long few minutes.

"It feels weird being this close to you without touching you," Kurt admitted.

"I know." Blaine responded.

Kurt sighed and turned back to the blueprints of their campaign in front of them.

"Are you sure you are going to have time to come help me with this? I know this is your usual key time for meeting with the boys."

Blaine rolled on to his back and stared up at the ceiling. "I'll juggle things around a bit. Once you are on your feet you won't need me so regularly and I can probably spare two afternoons a week on a regular basis. I'll make it work."

"I'm so anxious about this. I had no idea that this would be harder than facing a casting panel in an audition."

Blaine looked over at him with a worried expression. "Kurt, are you going to be OK with this? I mean the sex tape is going to keep coming back to haunt you. The kids will bring it up whenever they want to score a cheap point. Are you going to be able to cope with that?"

Kurt closed his eyes and sighed. "That fucking tape is going to follow me around wherever I go now. And honestly, I know it feels like it should bother me more, I guess I don't really feel connected to it in any way. It feels more like one of my acting jobs gone wrong. It definitely wasn't me in that room. I haven't been me for a while. Does that make sense at all?"

Blaine nodded. "Yes. Actually, a lot of sense."

They smiled at each other and once again found that they were unable to break eye contact, still savouring the connection for too long.

Blaine finally coughed and rolled away from Kurt. "I should get going."

He stood up to leave and started to pull on his sweater and jacket. Kurt felt suddenly really awkward and anxious. He didn't know what to do now.

Blaine looked over and saw him fidgeting. He broke in to a big smile and closed the gap between them in two paces. Then he pulled Kurt in to a bear hug and held him close.

"I love that you are doing this. Thank you."

Kurt relaxed in to the hug and squeezed back tightly. "Thank you for coming to my rescue. I feel like a damsel in distress but I am really grateful."

Blaine released the hug and for a second Kurt wondered if he was going to kiss him, but he didn't. He just squeezed Kurt's hand one final time and told him he would see him on Monday.

Kurt followed him to the front door and then leaned his head against it once Blaine had left. It was official, this bizarre dating thing that they seemed to be starting was going to kill him.

He heard a cough behind him and turned around to see his father standing there.

"So… are things OK? Are you going to quit?"

"No, Dad. Not this week. My knight in shining armour has ridden to the rescue."

Burt shuffled his feet a bit and then nodded.

"Good. I knew that Blaine was the good sort." With that he turned and walked in to the living room to watch the football.

Kurt smiled after him and then went to clear up the papers in the family room. He looked down at the sheet with the plan for Monday. His stomach had butterflies just thinking about it. He hoped it would work.

A/N: The feedback on the last chapter blew me away. I was smiling all evening. THANK YOU to all of the amazing people who took the time to comment. Goo central.

I totally blame you all for the fact that this chapter ended up much sweeter than I was expecting! I hope you enjoyed it... please review : )