Thanks once again to everyone that reviews and puts this in their alerts or favorites.
I'll admit right off the back this was not an easy chapter to write...and it isn't my favorite. It was hard to write because I am so bored with Christmas, but this is the last of it. I've actually left a lot of stuff out that was going to be originally covered because it was too filler and would just make this go forever, so this is the last of the Christmas ones. Finally. I didn't mean for this fic to be so long and still have tons to go. I planned to finish before the Glee came back...but I guess that didn't quite work out. I blame the characters.
At any rate, enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own glee, if I did...I really don't think you want to know what my mind might make the characters do...
Summary: Klaine. Kurt is stepping into a whole new world whether he is ready for it or not. After all, behind the face of structure, tradition, and well mannered boys there is chaos just waiting to be unearthed.
Chapter Twenty One
Everett and his girlfriend, who much to Wes' and David's chagrin had turned out to actually exist, were cuddled up together by the fire that Mr. Anderson had built earlier that night as Kurt prepared to leave and Wes and David were trying to convince Lorie that she couldn't possibly live without them and as such they should be extended an invitation to stay until at least New Year's.
"You have families, boys, and I think they might want to see you for the holidays. But you are welcome to come back. You too, Kurt. We can compare recipes and not share the results with these miscreants."
Kurt grinned and nodded enthusiastically. Other than his mother, he'd never met anyone that had as much interest in baking as he did. Carole was good about a lot of motherly things that Kurt hadn't let known to his dad that he could have done with, but baking was not one of them. She liked ready to put in the oven cookies, and brownie mixes.
"We definitely have to get together soon. If not before break, then some weekend afterwards. I'll make Blaine bring me if I have to." Kurt grinned at Lorie.
She pulled him into a hug. "Honey, you can come whenever you want. With or without Blaine."
Kurt rolled his eyes. "I'm sure I will at some point." He glanced at Blaine who was leaning against the wall to keep as much weight as possible from his ankle.
Lorie let him go and turned back to Wes and David who were munching on the last of the baked goods she had allotted them for the day which didn't count the two separate covered plates piled with all different kinds of cookies the boys would be supposedly taking home with them for their families. Lorie and Kurt both knew they wouldn't make it halfway back home for either of them.
Kurt headed to stand in front of Blaine. "And," he said, "am I welcome whenever I want...even if Lorie isn't here to entertain me."
Blaine laughed, but didn't respond.
"I wouldn't even mind if your father and Nancy weren't home either," Kurt added in a whisper so that the others wouldn't hear.
Blaine's eyes widened and Kurt broke out into laughter, his lips twitching up into a smile. Blaine pushed off the wall, stepping into Kurt's personal space, "you make it so hard to not act on my every impulse."
Kurt gave a hum in response. "I'm very torn, Blaine," he admitted a few seconds later. He closed his eyes and sighed. "I can't just jump into it...but some day."
"I know." Blaine took one of Kurt's hands and rubbed his thumb over the back of it. "I'm willing to wait for you for as long as it takes, Kurt."
Kurt leaned down a bit to kiss Blaine on the cheek. "Text me when you get back from your mom's, we could do something."
"Will do."
Kurt called a goodbye in the direction of Everett and his girlfriend, who waved at him, and then he hugged Wes and David goodbye. Nancy wrapped her arms around him before he could make it to the door, and then he was shaking hands with Mr. Anderson, and Blaine was hugging him again before he, Wes, and David headed out.
He waved goodbye to the two boys, and got into his car and then he was on his way back home. His dad and Carole were due back early the next morning, and Kurt knew that he was going to arrive home to find Finn in front of his T.V. playing video games with plates of food around him. The house would be a mess; the snow wouldn't be shoveled; and undoubtedly he would have to take care of everything.
He was surprised, as such, when he finally got home, to find the driveway shoveled, as well as the path to the house and the sidewalk. The stairs to the door were clear of snow, and there were copious amounts of salt helping to keep it ice free. He smiled to himself and began to grab his overnight bag and the other few things that he'd accumulated from his friends and Blaine's family. With the advance notice that Blaine had given him, Kurt had managed to scrounge up something for everyone. Shopping was his gift and he'd gotten them different knick knacks that could be considered thoughtful from someone that hadn't actually met them yet.
Kurt managed to push the door open and he stood there, ready to step inside into a house that wasn't the mess he'd expected, when Finn appeared. He threw himself at Kurt before Kurt had even made to stepped inside the house, almost knocking the shorter boy down, and managing to ensure that everything Kurt was carrying did fall to the ground.
"Kurt!" Finn exclaimed the moment he pulled back. "I really, really, really missed you, dude."
Kurt laughed. "I think that conveyed the message well enough. Help me with my stuff. I want to put it away before I do anything else."
"Are these presents?" Finn asked, peeking into a paper bag with Christmas trees all around it.
Kurt hummed in response. "From the Andersons and Wes and David. You won't find anything in there for you. I've hidden your present well."
Finn pouted but picked up some of Kurt's bags and then followed his step-brother to their room.
Kurt set his things down, dropping the three bags full of presents at the foot of his bed and his bag of toiletries on his bed to unpack first. Finn set everything down on Kurt's bed and walked over to his bed to sit down. "Sooo," he said, "how was it? Did you talk to him about everything?"
Kurt nodded. "Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?"
Finn mumbled something and fell back onto his bed, his head hanging over the edge.
Kurt who hadn't been looking at Finn continued, "but just so you know, yes, I did talk to him and I also had a good time. A lot of things got...resolved, I guess. There's still so much more, but there's the hope of something happening someday." He turned away from unpacking and stopped short of going on about Blaine's family when he realized Finn looked as if he were in desperate need of a cuddle.
"What happened Finn?" Kurt asked cautiously.
"I talked to Rachel," Finn said and sighed. "She came over this morning because Jesse had gone to see her to explain and apologize for everything. He's back in Ohio for the holidays."
Kurt walked over to Finn's bed and sat down next to the other boy. "So, are they...did they get back together or something?"
Finn grunted. He sat up some moments later and added a, "no. Well, I don't know. She said she still loves me, Kurt, and I want to forget everything and just give her the Christmas present I got for her, and I don't know talk to Puck again without wanting to pummel him...but I can't help it if I can't forget."
"Oh, Finn," Kurt said and patted Finn's knee.
"And I don't even know if she does love me. Not really, you know, because maybe she'd wait for me if she cared even a little bit...she'd understand I need the time. But she's so damn desperate to be with someone..." he trailed off into a sigh.
Kurt stood up. "Well," he said, "maybe it's time that you take some time for yourself, Finn. You were with Quinn for a long time, and then with all that drama with Puck and the baby...then you jumped at being with Rachel and when you tried to take some time away from all of that ended up sleeping with Santana, and then you were pining for Rachel and then you got her. Girls are your problem, Finn."
Finn blanched. "You're not...you're not trying to tell me you like me or something again, are you?"
Kurt shuddered. "God, no. You're my brother, now, Finn, and I am very much over you. I just mean that you could try being single. Get over what Rachel did, or get over Rachel."
Finn groaned a little and then flopped back onto his back on the bed. "Maybe, maybe you're right," he said at long last. "But I miss her, Kurt."
"I know you do, but do you want to be this person that can't trust her while you're with her, still mad at her and resenting her? Or do you want to get over that and then when you can look her and not think about what she did and just that, I don't know, you like her just let your relationship get back to what it was?"
Finn didn't answer for a while, and Kurt knew it was something he already knew the answer to, but he still needed to think about.
"It was wrong of me," Kurt said as he crossed the room back to his bed, "to push you into getting back together with her because I was afraid that you'd get hurt if she and Jesse somehow reconnected." He laughed a little.
Finn sighed. "I missed you, dude, but you make me think too much."
Kurt laughed. He finished unpacking quickly and left his presents where they were. "Have you had dinner yet, Finn Hudson?"
"Not yet."
"Did you ever find the bread?"
Finn shook his head.
"Well, I'll try to make you a sandwich, no promises."
Blaine was finishing up with his packing, when his phone rang, and he grabbed it at once, expecting a call from Kurt. He frowned when the name on the screen was Garret's instead, but he answered the call, regardless.
"Hey, Gar, what is it?"
Blaine heard Garret laugh. "It's like I can't call to just say hello. Friends do that, you know."
Rolling his eyes, Blaine switched his cell phone to his other ear.
"But I did call for a reason," Garret continued.
"Ha! I knew it." Blaine dropped his toiletries bag into the duffle on his bed. "So, what is it?"
Garret didn't answer for a while and Blaine folded his pajamas and put them inside his bag. "Gar?" Blaine asked.
"It's embarrassing, okay," Garret said. "I just...I know Kurt was in New Directions before and I thought. Well, maybe it's stupid but I met this guy but I didn't get his number. He was there for New Directions at Sectionals and it's only been recently I've been thinking back on that and he came off a bit bi."
Blaine sat down, eye widening. "So, you want me to ask Kurt to set you up or something?"
Garret didn't speak for a while, and then when he finally did it was to say, "I just want his number. Or full name so I can facebook him. Some form of contact." Blaine thought he could hear Garret blushing. "I didn't catch his name. I was, um, focused on other things at the time."
"Not even a first name?"
"Just, he was there for some girl. Name started with an R...we sort of talked for a bit. Me and the guy and I liked him, sort of, but I wasn't focused on that and now looking back I should have been. So, could you ask him?"
Blaine had a bad feeling about it, but he knew he'd have to go along with it for the sake of the still sometimes rocky friendship. "Um. I guess."
"Great! Just ask him for the name or number if he has it. He was really hot and had wavy hair..."
Blaine tuned him out as he went on describing his new object of affections. For a long time after the break up Blaine had worried about how he'd react when Garret started dating again, or whenever he became interested in someone else. He'd never considered the possibility that when it did happen, all he might feel was relief. There was worry interlaced with his relief, though, because whoever this boy was, he must have been there for a girl. And as much as Blaine might have a few weeks before wished any kind of pain on Garret, now he couldn't think of inadvertently letting him wind up hurt.
Blaine cleared his throat. "Look, I'll talk to Kurt about it and I'll ask him if he knows if this guy is gay or bi, or whatever, just...I think Kurt would have mentioned if he knew someone that was gay so don't get your hopes up, alright. I know you're trying to move on and that's great. I love that you're doing that, but I don't want you to get hurt either. You're my friend."
Garret made a funny sound and then, "I hate how every time you say something it makes me want to just convince that porcelain doll of yours he's mistaken and actually likes girls. Just talk to Kurt about him and send me his name or number, alright. I would ask how it's going with Kurt, but I want to live in my little dream world where the two of you aren't planning on spending the rest of your lives together." He sighed. "Merry Christmas. Tell everyone I say hi. Have fun at your mom's."
Blaine didn't know what to say for a few seconds, and then he said simply, "Merry Christmas. I'll text you." Even though he knew that the only reason he would actually contact Garret would be to give him the information he'd requested.
Garret hung up then and Blaine dropped his phone on the bed and continued to pack. Wes, David, and Kurt had been gone for only three hours and the house was already lonely without them. It was more calm, now, without Wes and David playing video games or running around the house in their sugar high. But it wasn't just that, that it lacked. Kurt's very presence had become fixed in just the twenty four hours he'd been there. Blaine dropped a few more things into his bag and then make a quick turn around the room to see if he'd gotten everything he needed and closed his bag, setting it down next to his guitar.
The guitar had been a gift from his grandfather when he was ten and become more interested in music than the sports his father wanted him to play, and it had been a constant friend since then. Blaine took it with him where ever he went and for a while that had made him cool at school. He was the kid that could play the guitar well, but that had changed soon enough and then when he was bullied, it was his trusty guitar that got him through it.
He hadn't played it in months. In fact, he'd almost forgotten it back in his dorm room and managed to remember about it at the last minute. Now he grabbed the neck gently and brought it up to rest of his leg. It was probably out of tune. His arms and hands remembered the guitar and welcomed it like a lost appendage. He set it back to tune within minutes, and started strumming random notes.
His thoughts had been going back to Kurt since the boy had left and there they went again as he began to form his random notes into a melody.
Burt and Carole arrived home early Christmas Eve morning to find their sons fast asleep against each other on the bigger couch, Kurt's head nuzzled into the space between Finn's chin and his shoulder, and Finn had dropped his head on top of Kurt. Both boys had their own blankets but only Kurt was in pajamas. The T.V. was on, the sound lowered, but casting light onto the boys in the still dark dawn.
"Should we wake them?" Burt whispered to Carole.
She walked around to look at them. "Well, they can't be too comfortable. Finn is definitely going to complain about his neck tomorrow."
Carole gently shook Finn's shoulder until the boy blinked at her and groaned a little.
" 'm tired, mom," he said in a disgruntled manner. He shifted and little, moving his head off of Kurt's and pushing the shorter boy away a bit.
Kurt at being moved, woke up at once. "Wha?" he asked blearily.
"Kurt, honey, you fell asleep in the living room. Can you make it to your room?"
Kurt looked confused and rubbed at his eyes, letting his blanket fall off of his torso.
"Come on, kid," Burt said and pulled at Kurt's arm to stand him up. "I'll lead him downstairs just in case."
Kurt leaned into his dad and smiled a little. "Daddy, you're home," he whispered more coherently while waiting for Burt to open the door to the basement.
Burt chuckled. "Can you make it down the stairs, sleepy?"
Kurt nodded and started walking down. Burt followed close behind and turned back to go upstairs only after Kurt had hugged him and then slipped into bed, falling asleep instantly.
"Finn looks more comfortable, now, I think he's staying there for a few more hours," Carole told him when he returned upstairs. "It's good to be home and to the boys. Remind me to tell Kurt tomorrow how much I love what he'd done with the place."
Burt just then realized that the Christmas decorations were up and that Kurt and Finn had obviously gone out to get a tree and he smiled. Although Kurt hadn't incorporated everything that was Carole's into his usual Christmas decorations, he could spot the things he'd changed and where he'd added things that were obviously not theirs. He felt a warm feeling come over him, knowing that his kid had attempted to welcome Carole into their lives that much more fully by doing this.
"It does look good," Burt said with a grunt.
"Come on," Carole said, taking his hand. "Let's just go to bed for a bit longer. I'm tired from the flight and these boys will be out for another three hours, at least."
Burt nodded and let himself be pulled up to his bedroom. It had been weird, welcoming another woman into the room he and his late wife had once shared, but Carole had been gracious about the entire thing. She understood how important Elizabeth had been to him, and she'd made him allowances, just as he had done for her. The way they were living was for the moment was just temporary. They hadn't told the boys yet, but there was a house in Lima that would be a perfect fit for them and with Dalton no longer a worry monetarily, there was just a matter of making an offer and putting their current house into the market.
Kurt sank into the spot on the couch between his dad and Finn. "Carole told me to leave the kitchen," he told them, "said I was cramping her style."
Finn grinned in his direction. "Why so down about that? Less work for you, dude."
Kurt glared at Finn. After telling Finn off about calling him dude almost every time he did it, and his stepbrother promptly ignoring him or actually not hearing him, Kurt had given up on making Finn actually stop. Now, he only shot Finn with a glare and hoped the other boy would understand.
Finn didn't seem to notice.
"Well, watch the old tube with us, then, kiddo," his dad said and Kurt considered glaring at his dad for calling him kiddo, but decided to just let it go on account of the holidays.
"What are you watching?"
His dad shrugged. "Some holiday thing."
Kurt laughed and leaned back into a cushion. He'd missed this, being around his dad and even Finn and Carole even though he had gone off to Dalton so quickly after the wedding.
They were silent and just regarded the T.V., Kurt trying to figure out what it was they were watching and Finn texting in a way that reminded Kurt of Everett.
"It's good to have you around for a change, Kurt," his dad said as commercials began. "We missed you around here."
"I missed being home," Kurt admitted, and it was true. "I mean, I love the boys. Wes and David are hilarious. And Thad is a sweetheart. I can even tolerate Neil and his plastic foot, but I haven't gotten to wear my own clothes is a while, and I kind of miss my room here sometimes..." he trailed off.
Burt put his arm around Kurt's shoulders and pulled him against him for a few seconds before letting go. Kurt smiled at his dad.
"Kurt!" Carole called from the kitchen.
Kurt smiled a little and stood up. "I knew she'd come around," he said before rushing into the kitchen.
Carole was cleaning the counter and kept glancing in the direction of the oven timer. She didn't ask him to help with anything, but handed him his phone.
"Thought you might want that. I know how much Finn freaks out when he misplaces it."
Kurt nodded looked down at his phone, which was telling him there were a few of unread messages. He opened them by time of arrival and read through them before starting to respond.
Blaine
Gar met a guy at Sectionals. I need a name or phone. He was there for ND. Any idea who?
Kurt's eyes widened. He couldn't mean Jesse? Kurt had seen them together, but he'd never expected that Garret could become interested in him.
Blaine
Oh, and is he bi or gay? It's good Gar's moving on, but he doesn't need to pine over a straight guy.
Kurt had never wondered if Jesse was bi. Thinking about it, now, he couldn't really put a label on him. He knew he'd have to find out somehow, though, before letting Blaine pass on any information about him to Garret. While Kurt was glad that Garret seemed to be trying to move on, he wouldn't wish pining on someone that was obviously straight on anyone.
Mercedes
Hey, white-boy, when are we hanging?
Kurt bit down on his lip. Since his transfer, he'd hung out with Mercedes once, and already he was looking at possibly being busy for most of his break, but he knew he'd have to fit his best friend in there somewhere, if only so he could get her take on what he should do with Blaine.
Neil
Misplaced The Foot. Does anyone happen to...well, know where it is?
Kurt rolled his eyes. Of course Neil had misplaced the foot.
Wes
When I see you next there better be a cookie container full of cookies involved. Merry Christmas
At Wes' text, Kurt laughed out loud. He could picture in his head a despondent Wes, looking at the empty container of cookies he'd taken home with him. There would be no getting out of making Wes some for the next time he saw him.
Blaine
Lorie says you left something back at my house. I think it's an excuse for her to have you over again.
Kurt frowned to himself. What had he left? He'd made sure he had everything when he was packing. Now it was going to bother him.
Rachel
Hey fellow diva, I'm in need of your advice. We're very alike you and I.
Jesse, again. Kurt was really tired of one Jesse St. James. He started off with answering Rachel.
Not sure when I'll be free, but advice, sure. Not sure how helpful I'll be.
He answered Blaine next.
Do you know what I left at your house? Lorie shouldn't worry about me coming over, I would do it without the excuse of picking something up. I think Garret is talking about Jesse St. James. I don't know if I told you about him or not, but he dated Rachel last year only to break her heart and screw us over for Regionals. So, I'm not his biggest fan. I did see him with Garret during Sectionals. I don't know if he's bi. He was with Rachel, and I think he is still interested in her and they may or may not have gotten back together. I'll let you know when I find out.
"Is there anything I can help with?" Kurt asked Carole looking around the kitchen as he sent the numerous pages of texts to Blaine and wrote a quick reply to Neil.
Unless you've sneaked said foot into my stuff, I have no idea where it is. Could technically still be at Dalton. Merry Christmas. -Kurt
Carole shook her head. "Everything is ready, just waiting on that Turkey in the oven. In fact, I'll go tell Finn to set the table."
"Alright," Kurt muttered and followed her out to the living room, sitting down next to his dad again, as Finn got up to set the table in the dining room.
Will have some ready for when I see you next. When will that be, anyway? Before going back to school, I hope?
He sent that to Wes.
Finn flopped back down to his spot and propped his feet up on the coffee table. "Who're you texting, dude?"
Kurt looked up. "Neil lost...or rather, misplaced, the foot."
Kurt hit reply on Mercedes' text. "And Blaine's ex might be interested in Jesse," he added after second thought.
Finn's eyes widened and Kurt didn't know if his reaction was to his first comment or his second.
"Jesse isn't gay though, or was he?"
Kurt shrugged. "Could be bi."
Burt looked between the two boys, but said nothing. Carole who had remained in the room, patted his arm in understanding.
I've missed you too, M, tell me when you're free and we can figure something out. Merry Christmas.
Kurt put his phone away and sighed. He really didn't know if he was going to be able to deal with any drama with Garret, Rachel, and Jesse. If Jesse knew what was good for him he would be straight.
The turkey was ready in half an hour and Carole pushed everyone into the dining room and then went to get the last few things from the kitchen including the turkey itself and Kurt wasn't sure how she managed by herself. He pushed away thoughts of anything that didn't have to do with his family, and enjoyed the easy banter they fell into as soon as food had been distributed to every plate. It was a different atmosphere to the one at Blaine's house, but Kurt could say easily that as welcome as he'd felt with the Anderson's, this was home. With his dad, Carole, and Finn. Even Pavarotti, chirping from the living room fit perfectly.
As mentioned previously, this isn't my favorite chapter. I didn't want to completely skip over the Hudmel Christmas, but I didn't see the plot moving in any direction with Christmas. I considered exploring Blaine and Everett's time at their mom's...and even present opening with Finn...but it was all too cliche and I just didn't want to write it. I tried, but it wasn't happening.
The idea that Garret could be attracted to Jesse was sort of implied back when they met at Sectionals, but I didn't know if I'd go there or not. So I kind of ignored it for a while, and when thinking about what Gar could do in an attempt at actually moving on, I figured it might fit that he would try to get together with Jesse of all people...specially when Jesse's in Lima for Rachel and Kurt knows this. The issue of whether he is bi or not is still questionable as the characters won't actually tell me...so we'll see how this subplot goes. After all, Gar isn't exactly over Blaine yet.
This chapter as a whole is a bit filler. It advances that plot with Gar and Jesse...but it was really here to just keep the timeline going and such. Things will get better for Klaine in the next chapter as I am pretty sure there will be a heavy dosage of the two of them.
I think this chapter also suffered because I wrote Rachel out of it. I just couldn't write her in the way I wanted to after everything that went on in BIOTA. Which I admittedly did rather like.
SPOILERS: I liked the idea behind the episode as a whole. Teenagers drink. They get away with it on most occasions, and there is nothing anyone can really say to stop them from drinking. That mixture of alcohol and hormones is just waiting to spill over and so happens the drama. I wasn't upset at all by the kiss. Or Blaine's confusion. Or even his comparing Kurt to Karofsky. I've read a lot of different reactions on the whole situation with these two ranging from their being OOC, to Blaine not taking into consideration Kurt's feelings at all. But the thing is, Blaine has no idea what he's doing and he's having this major identity crisis and the one person that he feels will understand him...his best friend, basically tells him he must be joking and that he can't, at sixteen, wonder if maybe he was wrong about himself. Not that Blaine isn't blameless. the line about Kurt being like Karofsky was a low blow, but I think by that point he was too upset to consider just what he was yelling at Kurt. And Kurt had his points too. And he was very in character. I do not agree with what he said about bisexuality, but I can accept that Kurt might see it that way, or that he could say something like that in a moment of panic at losing the only other person he knows that can understand him. The one thing that really bothered me was Rachel thoughout the entire episode.
I like Rachel sometimes, when she's actually caring about other people. It makes you forget that she sent a possible member of ND to a crack house...but how she treated Kurt really brought all that back. But what bothered me was that Kurt still seemed to care about her and her feelings. I remember when he dressed her in a catsuit. Granted he's obviously matured since then and become her friend, she wasn't being a very good friend to him at all and he took it because he knew he was right. Still, it bothered me how she could compare herself to Kurt back in Duets and understand how he felt being alone...and then just some months later once they've actually become friends, turn around and try to take the one boy that Kurt actually has a chance with, even saying to him that she didn't care about his feelings, knowing fully well that Kurt is in love with Blaine and then when Blaine turned out to be gay, brushing it off because she obviously didn't care how it came out either way.
So, I couldn't write Rachel and that set me back a bit...but we'll see what happens.
I'll hopefully get the next chapter out soon as that one shouldn't be too hard to write.
Hope you liked it. Please review.
-Erika