Summary: Two years ago Kurt's boyfriend was kidnapped and supposedly murdered. Two years ago Blaine was ripped away and brainwashed into believing his captor loved him. It's two years later and they've been reunited, but it's not everything they imagined it would be.
Warning: Non-explicit mentions of non-con. Some violence as well. Also mentions of suicidal thoughts (past mentions).
A/N: I apologize for missing last Tuesday. Some real life stuff hit, although thankfully the stress ended up being a false alarm. I thought to make up for it that I'd try to post two chapters this week (even if this one's a little short). This one today and then another on the regular Tuesday. I even brought a notebook with me to work and wrote during my lunch break!
This is also officially my longest story yet, considering Fallout only managed to make it to 25 and this one is already there and not finished yet!
Chapter 25: Safe
Exhaustion was starting to set in, but Blaine forced himself to stay awake in hopes that his parents and sister would be back soon. Joey hadn't left him and Kurt was still at his side, but a part of him- the part that was still a scared young teen begging to go home- desperately wanted his parents. He wanted to be held tightly and told he was loved.
Kurt could give him that, but it was different coming from him. He loved the feeling the other boy gave him, but it wasn't quite the same as having his parents hold him tight; making him feel protected and safe for the first time in years.
He might be nineteen years old but deep down he was still a little boy who wanted Mommy and Daddy to make everything alright again. The nineteen year old part of him realized that things would never be the same but he didn't care. He wanted to pretend. He wanted to pretend he was a little boy again.
That little boy had never met Jean-Pierre LaMontone, had never been watched by him, had been safe. He missed that with a desperation he couldn't even explain to himself.
His eyes flickered tiredly and he gave his head a little shake, trying to stay awake.
"You can go to sleep Blainers. I'll wake you up when they get here," Joey told him softly, patting his hand gently.
Blaine just shook his head, whispering. "I want this to be over. I want my life back. I-I want Mom and Dad-"
"They're on their way-"
"Well they're taking too long," he grumbled, feeling a little childish as he let out a sigh. He felt Kurt squeeze his hand comfortingly and he squeezed back lightly, before pushing himself up into a sitting position on the bed. "I just- I'm sorry. I just this all- I want Mom and Dad I guess. I miss them-"
"Hey it's alright Blainers," Joey soothed in a quiet voice. "I'm not upset. I don't blame you bud. We missed you too, more than you'll ever know. We're going to go home soon, I promise. You're getting out of here today and it's back to Ohio as soon as you're ready."
"It's been awhile- do you think they're alrigh-"
"They're fine Blaine," Joey reassured him quietly. "They probably went a little crazy shopping. Last year Dad donated most of your old clothes to Goodwill so they need to pick up your basic necessities."
"I was supposed to be dead," Blaine chewed down on his lip for a moment. Everyone said his mother never gave up, but then why did she let his dad throw away all his old clothes? Wouldn't she want them there for him for when he came back, since everyone said she was convinced that he would? "But Mom-"
"Was really pissed off when she found out," Joey supplied with a weak smile. "I don't think she and Dad talked for a whole week after that incident. Dad- he was having difficulties and he couldn't handle it. He said that it all reminded him of you and that the memories were too painful." Joey paused, locking his eyes on Blaine's for a long moment, "We never stopped loving or missing you Blaine. That wasn't what it was about."
"I know," he mumbled in a quiet voice. There was a soft creaking by the door and his head snapped up sharply to see his mother come into the room with several shopping bags in her arms. His father and sister followed her, each with a few bags of their own. "You're back," he whispered in a soft voice.
"Of course Baby," his mother greeted him gently. "We just got a little carried away. We figured if we need to stay here for a few days with getting things settled with the police and our flights that we'd all need a few things; toiletries, clothes and such." Her voice softened with a quiet smile, "In all the excitement we never really packed properly. We were too preoccupied with getting you back. That and we're pretty sure Joey didn't pack much either when he came up for Kurt."
Joey gave a bit of a sheepish smile, "It's true."
"Right," he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up shakily, Kurt ready at his side to steady him. "Can I have some clothes?" He asked in a very quiet voice, his head down slightly. "The hospital gown's kind of uncomfortable and-"
"You don't have to explain yourself Sweetie," his mother passed him over a bag. "There's a few things we picked up for you in there. I don't know if you still like the same things, but I went off of what you used to wear before, if that's alright?"
"It's fine, Mom," he murmured, accepting the bag warily. He looked inside, a little taken aback by the quality of the clothing. He knew he used to wear clothes like this all the time, but now he was so used to the cheap polyester blends Pierre bought for him that even the pure cotton shirt felt like silk when he let a finger stroke across it. "Thanks. I'm just- going to go change."
He slipped into the small bathroom attached to his hospital room and stared at himself for a long moment in the mirror. The thin boy staring back at him wasn't the same kid that had gone missing two years ago. He'd changed so much that it was hard to believe his family could even recognize him. He hardly recognized himself. His muscle tone had disappeared from lack of exercise for one and he looked so much more tired than what he remembered of his previous self.
The old Blaine had never sported such deep circles under his eyes that were only accented by the dark bruising. He never had the cut extending from under his eye down his cheek that would probably permanently scar because of it's formerly inadequate treatment, even if it was properly stitched up now. Of course not all his scars were as easily visible as that one.
His eyes were the biggest change- he noted. He hadn't noticed before. He'd been too busy trying to survive and keep himself some semblance of sane, but now it looked obvious. His eyes looked so different, darkened and haunted that he could barely look at himself.
Carefully he turned his back on the mirror and picked out a sealed package of clean underwear from the bag. Once he ripped it open he shed the thin gown and put on the undergarment, before checking to see just what exactly his parents had picked up for him. In the bag were a few soft, cotton, collared shirts and a button-down, as well as two pairs of fitted looking pants. One pair was a bright red, the other coal black.
He slipped on the black pair quietly. He hadn't worn a color that bright in years and he wasn't sure he could just go back to it so quickly. He paired it with the grey polo shirt and let out a deep sigh before he stepped out of the bathroom and faced his family and Kurt.
Kurt came up to him quietly and opened his arms for a hug. He stepped into it gratefully, feeling the arms squeeze around him and taking some comfort in it until Kurt murmured to him, "Blaine are you going to be okay now that your family is here? I have some things I need to deal with before I can make definite plans to go back to Ohio. I have to talk to the Dean of my school-"
"I'll be okay," Blaine spoke the lie quietly. Honestly he needed Kurt with him, but he desperately didn't want to smother him with his neediness. He knew that despite how much he wanted it, Kurt couldn't be with him every second of the day. "You go do what you need to do. I'll be fine now."
"I hope you're telling me the truth," the words left Kurt's mouth in a sigh. "I love you Blaine. I love you so much, you know?"
He hazarded a nod, "I do."
"Can I kiss you?" Kurt's mouth moved so the words were whispered next to his lips.
He nodded again, his lips shaking as Kurt captured them in a short, sweet kiss that sent his heart beating wildly.
"I'll see you soon," Kurt told him in that same soft tone, before giving him a little smile. "You look great by the way, more like yourself." Kurt gave him another quick kiss and slipped a scrap of paper into his hand. "If you need me this is my new cell phone number. Just call or text okay, or get Joey or Bri or someone to. I'll come right away, I promise."
"Okay," he tightened his fist around the scrap, holding onto it for dear life. "Thank you."
Kurt squeezed his other hand, "I'll see you soon Blaine. I love you."
"I love you too," he murmured, watching as Kurt made slowly towards the door, hesitating several times before the young man slipped out of it. He chewed on his lower lip for a long moment, just watching the space where moments ago Kurt had just been.
"You do look great," his sister grinned at him brightly, breaking him out of his stare, "but it's missing something Blaine-o, some color." She had something hidden in her hand and she took a tentative step towards him before holding out a red bowtie.
His face reddened a little bit. The gesture was sweet and made tears build in his eyes but he wasn't even sure if he remembered how to tie one. "I- I don't know-"
"It's like riding a bike. You never really forget," Brianna gave him a gentler smile, "but if you want I'll do it for you this time? Or- if you'd rather we can just skip the bowtie for now?"
"No, I- I'd like to wear it," he forced out weakly. "Could you- um-?"
"Of course," she took a step forward and gently draped the fabric around his neck before her adept fingers manoeuvred the fabric into the appropriate shape. The tie fit snugly but not too tight around his neck, just like he remembered it, even if the memory was vague.
It was strange how such a small thing felt so right. He felt a bit like himself again; like he'd gotten just a little bit of the old Blaine back.
Pierre thought bowties were stupid and had slapped him the only time he'd gotten up the courage to ask for one. At the time he'd told himself it was because money was tight, but really he knew it had been all about supressing Blaine and everything he treasured about himself. It had been to keep him downtrodden and submissive; too afraid to ask for something as simple as a small accessory.
That lesson had taught him not to ask for hair gel either, or anything that wasn't strictly a necessity. Honestly he'd been shocked when just a few weeks before on his nineteenth birthday he'd been allowed to print out that picture of him and Kurt and purchase a ratty poster from a yard sale a block away.
He sniffed back the approaching tears and forced a smile on his face before wrapping his arms around his sister so quickly that it surprised even him. Brianna relaxed into the embrace immediately, her arms tightening around his back. "Thanks Bri."
"It's no problem," she murmured, stepping back when his grip on her loosened. "You'll remember how to do it in no time."
"In the meantime why don't we get you discharged and to the hotel, huh Baby?" His mother moved over to wrap an arm around his back. "There's a nurse waiting outside to escort us to reception."
His teeth came down on his lip again, "Rachel wanted to visit-"
"We'll get a hold of her and she can come by the hotel," his mother told him softly, starting to lead him out of the hospital room. He held back against the very light, leading push. "Blaine?"
He didn't like hospitals. He wasn't sure anyone, other than the people who worked there and sometimes not even them, did. However that didn't change the odd feeling of safety that the place was giving him. It was the first place he'd spent any amount of time in that wasn't that tiny apartment in two years; the first place where he'd gotten to see his family again and the Hummels.
What if the hotel room felt just like the apartment?
"Can't we-" he stopped, shaking his head, unable to find a reasonable excuse not to leave. Some other person would be needing his hospital bed soon, possibly right now. So he just braced himself, tensing a little as his family led him through the hallways towards the reception area.
The waiting room was a quiet bustle of noise, but he wedged between his brother and his sister on a bench near the reception area as his parents finished filling out the paper work. He worried his lip the entire time, his knee bouncing nervously.
His little space of safety was nearly gone and he was going to have to face the world again; a world that had already betrayed him once.
"I'll go pull the car around," Joey murmured, laying his hand on Blaine's shaking knee for a moment and giving it a quick squeeze. "It may get a little noisy out there Blainers, but no one's going to let anything happen to you, okay?"
He looked up sharply, his eyes wide, nervous and questioning.
"The press is kind of having a field day, but don't worry about it. We've got you," Joey explained, trying to be reassuring at the same time, but was only mildly successful. His brother squeezed his knee again, "I'll see you in a few minutes."
Those few minutes passed much too quickly and soon he was pressed with his sister between both of his parents as they left the huge hospital building.
His brother's warning about the press having a 'field day' had not nearly prepared him for this. Lights were flashing in his face and a microphone had been shoved in his face as people called out questions at him all at once. He couldn't make out a single one and just flinched back violently, thankful for his mother's presence when she wrapped him protectively in her arms, following quickly behind his father and sister.
He clutched her tightly, and suddenly his fear of leaving the hospital didn't seem as irrational as they were forced to fight their way through the crowd. At least his parents were fighting their way through; he just buried his face in his mother's shoulder, trying to drown out all the noise and shouting.
Shouting, it always preceded pain and the pain was supposed to be over, but all of it still lingered inside him.
"Look," he heard his father's voice boom over the crowd, "my son has been through more than enough without being bombarded by a bunch of strangers. We understand that you're all concerned about his wellbeing, but all we want to do right now is get him somewhere quiet and reconnect as a family."
The crowd seemed to quiet for a moment, but the second his father stopped talking more questions were being shouted simultaneously at them.
He tucked his head down, letting his mother's arm around his back be the only thing leading him through the crowd as he hid his face from them. Even after they managed to get inside the rental car he clung to her, squeezing her tightly.
"It's okay Sweetheart," his mother whispered softly into his ear. "It's over now. You're safe."
If only he could believe her.
A/N: Next chapter has Kurt talking to the Dean of NYADA and Blaine trying to feel comfortable in the hotel with his family. I hope for chapter 27 that there's a Hummel Anderson reunion (with Rachel). There are some plans for Blaine to visit a friend of his in New York (it's sad I warn you) and for Kurt to say goodbye to Bradley, but I'm not sure about the order. I just know it's going to happen.
Again I'm so sorry for the delay in updating this chapter. Things have been really hectic, especially with my health scare (but I'm fine). I was tempted to do away with the schedule all together, but then I realized having a deadline each week really motivates me to write. So I'm going to keep aiming for every Tuesday.
When there are delays I will announce them on my Twitter where my handle is also Nicbearosaurus.
Now that that's all said, please leave me a review.