"Dude you okay" Puck asked looking over his shoulder as he dropped into the car.
"Fine, thank you" Kurt replied quietly with a grateful smile. He was pressed into the seat behind Finn and now that he was out of harm's way surrounded by two of the biggest guys he knew his nerves were evening out and embarrassment was replacing them in earnest.
"Did he hurt you?" Finn asked twisting in his seat to peer at Kurt over the back of his seat.
"No"
Puck and Finn continued to watch Kurt with expectant expressions clearly waiting for him to elaborate on his answer.
Sighing Kurt turned his face towards the window before answering again a few moments later.
"He just intimidates me you know?"
"Sure bro" Finn said softly.
"Prick" said Puck making Kurt chuckle and turn back to look at his brother and his friend.
"Thanks guys" he said with a small smile, "I appreciate you coming for me really I do but please don't say anything to Dad Finn."
"Kurt..."
"Finn please" Kurt begged, "you know he worries and really nothing happened."
"This time" Puck stated whilst looking out of the front window and glaring towards the Lima Bean across the parking area, "what if we didn't get here when we did huh?"
"But you did" Kurt argued.
"But what if...?" Finn tried to press.
"Please Finn?" Kurt pleaded turning his large blue eyes onto this brother with a desperate expression.
Finn considered his brother, his usual composure was gone and he looked so small and vulnerable curled in the back seat; wrestling with his conscious he looked into Kurt's eyes and made the decision to comply with his wishes, anything to make up for his previous failures as a brother.
"Uh, okay sure dude, whatever you want" Finn caved.
"Seriously man" Puck snapped at Finn, "you're not gonna tell your old man?"
"No" Finn said resolutely.
"No?" questioned Puck in disbelief.
"No" Finn reiterated, "its Kurt's call."
"Seriously?"
"Yep" said Finn smiling at his brother who returned it with a soft thankful smile of his own.
Nick was rudely awakened by Blaine flinging himself into his room and banging the door loudly as he burst through it.
"What the hell man" he said from under his pillow where he lay trying to calm his over indulged stomach.
"Kurt..." Blaine managed to spit out before dropping down onto the end of Nick's bed making it bounce slightly and Nicks stomach to roll as a result.
"Blaine calm down man" Nick said in concern as he moved slowly out from under his pillow and slowly sat up so that he could see his friends face, "what's the matter?"
"Kurt..." Blaine tried to start again but stuttered to a halt, too emotional to continue.
"Hey, hey" Nick said with more urgency, untangling himself from his comforter and bringing his legs around to sit next to Blaine on the side of the bed, resting a hand on his shoulder he peered around to encourage Blaine to look at him, "deep breath, okay."
Blaine looked at Nick's concerned face and took a deep breath to steady himself, "Kurt called me a minute ago, he was at the Lima Bean..."
"The coffee house?" Nick asked.
"Yeah" Blaine confirmed, "he called me, that prick football player was there Nick, he was there and there was nothing I could do, I could hear him threatening Kurt and there was nothing I could do, I just had to listen and wait for him to have the crap kicked out of him."
"Jesus" Nick whispered, "Is he okay, he didn't did he?"
"No, he's okay, Finn and Puck turned up before he had the chance but Nick it was so close and he was so scared and what the hell could I do Nick, I don't think I can stand it."
"Hey, hey calm down" Nick soothed, rubbing small circles on Blaine's back, "he's fine right, nothing happened, he's not hurt."
"But what if..."
"Hey, he's fine, his brother and Puck was it, is that his mate"
Blaine nodded in confirmation.
"Right well his brother and his mate got to him before anything happened, there was nothing you could've done man."
Blaine sighed heavily and slumped backwards on the bed his hands covering his eyes and a moan escaping his throat, "I know what you're saying Nick, really I do but it was awful, I'm pretty sure if Finn and Puck hadn't turned up Kurt would've been toast."
"You can't know that Blaine" Nick tried to reason, "he was in a public place right?"
"You really think that matters to that meat head?" Blaine snapped.
"Hey, c'mon calm down"
"Sorry" Blaine apologised, "I'm just frustrated you know? I was so scared for him."
"You wanna drive back down tonight and check on him, I'll come with you if you want?"
Blaine looked at his friend with a grateful expression before shaking his head with a negative response, "Thanks Nick but no, he said he'd call and he's going to be back safe here tomorrow" Blaine smiled.
"Sure?" Nick asked again.
"Absolutely."
"So you feeling okay now" Nick queried.
"Yeah, thanks" Blaine replied sitting back upright on the bed and smiling at Nick, "sorry if I freaked you out" he said with a small smile.
"No worries" Nick smiled in return, "so you hungry?"
"What happened to your stomach ache" Blaine asked with a raise of an eyebrow.
"Well you know it's kind of a kill or cure situation" Nick laughed, "more food could help it out."
"Or it could make it worse" added Blaine.
"yep but it's a chance I'm willing to take" smiled Nick, "so pizza?"
"Sure, just let me call Kurt and I'm in" Blaine agreed before standing and making his way to the door, "thank you Nick" he said sincerely before opening the door and disappearing into the corridor toward his own room.
"No problem" Nick replied to the empty room before standing with a groan and heading towards his bathroom.
"Hey baby" Kurt sighed into his phone once he made it to his room, he had been in the kitchen with Finn and Carole when Blaine's ring tone had sounded loudly and he had quickly excused himself and dashed to his room before answering the call.
"Kurt" Blaine breathed in relief, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine" Kurt confirmed, "How are you doing?"
"Actually not too good"
"I'm so sorry..." Kurt started to say before being cut off.
"Don't you dare apologise" Blaine cut him off quickly causing Kurt to snap his mouth shut in surprise, "I mean it Kurt don't you ever apologise for something like that. I'm just so sorry I couldn't be there for you."
"But you were..."Kurt protested.
"No, I wasn't and it's killing me" Blaine's voice almost broke at the confession.
"Oh Blaine, please don't do this to yourself" Kurt begged, "if I'd known you'd react like this I never would have called you" he apologised.
"No Kurt, god no, don't you ever think that, I want you to call me, I need you to call me but just hearing him there with you Kurt, I, I don't know how to handle it."
"I'm sorry" Kurt sniffed, "but you did help me baby, you helped me by just being on the line, I wasn't really alone because I had you with me, please believe that."
"Kurt..."
"No Blaine, please believe that" Kurt stressed.
"I'm glad you're okay" Blaine said quietly in response whilst attempting to stifle a sniff.
"Me too" Kurt smiled into the phone.
"I love you" Blaine said quietly and Kurt smiled softly, "I love you too" he replied tenderly, "Please don't cry baby."
"You'll be back here with me tomorrow right" Blaine asked.
"Absolutely" Kurt smiled into the handset.
"Maybe your Dad could bring you back early?" he queried optimistically and Kurt could imagine the hope in his hazel eyes as he broached the question.
"I'll see what I can do" he smiled.
"You know I'm not going to let you out of my sight for the entire week" Blaine threatened softly.
"Oh really?" Kurt teased.
"Yes really" Blaine replied in all seriousness, "I can't bear it Kurt, prepare to be my prisoner."
"I don't think prisoner is quite right if I volunteer" Kurt giggled which made Blaine smile for the first time in several hours.
"Call it what you like baby but prepare for a whole lot of me over the next week" Blaine stated.
"Bring it on Anderson" Kurt smiled, " look I better go but I'll see you tomorrow okay."
"Okay"
"Are you going to be alright?"
"Yeah" Blaine replied quietly, "Nick and I are going to get a pizza and probably watch a movie."
"You're kidding right?" Kurt asked in disbelief, "I thought he was sick from too much ice-cream?"
"Yeah well he says he's over it" Blaine laughed.
"Unbelievable."
"So until tomorrow then."
"Yeah, tomorrow, I love you Blaine."
"I love you too baby, sleep tight."
Kurt reluctantly hung up the call and placed his phone back in his pocket before returning to the kitchen where Finn was watching Carole set the table for dinner.
"Everything okay dude" asked Finn as Kurt sat down next to him at the counter.
"Sure" Kurt smiled gratefully at his brother.
"Good, so you wanna beat me at Halo later?" Finn asked.
"Sure" Kurt returned with a grin.
The next day Kurt found himself in his father's pick up heading steadily down the highway toward Dalton, it was a bright day and Kurt looked happily out of the window as the countryside sped by in a colourful blur. Burt had finally agreed to take him back just after lunch, mainly as a result from Kurt's persistent nagging and pouting face; Burt had originally wanted to keep Kurt for a few more hours but Kurt had seemed bent on getting back to Dalton and Burt couldn't come up with a legitimate reason to deny him, so here they were, sitting in a companionable silence, no music playing just the growl of the engine and the thrum of the tyres on the highway for background noise.
"So why the hurry to get back" Burt asked breaking the silence.
"No reason" Kurt flushed slightly.
"Right" Burt replied noticing the colour spreading across his son's cheeks as he gazed out of the window, his fingers playing with each other on his lap, "so, nothing to do with Blaine then?" he teased.
"What? No!" Kurt exclaimed before noticing his father's raised eyebrows, "Okay, well maybe" he said sheepishly.
"Thought so" Burt said smugly.
Kurt flushed again and turned back to watching the countryside.
"Ah so Kurt are you gonna tell me about the eye or what?" Burt said from nowhere.
"Sorry" spluttered Kurt snapping his head around quickly to stare at his father with wide eyes.
"The eye" Burt said again, taking a hand off the wheel to gesture toward Kurt's face.
"Uh, I don't know what you mean" Kurt stuttered staring at his hands which were now gripped tightly together.
"Kurt" Burt said strongly, "Do us both a favour and don't lie to me huh, I've given you the opportunity to come to me off your own back but now you've run out of time"
"Yes sir" Kurt replied shamefully.
"So you gonna tell me or do I have to wring it out of Finn? I assume he knows" Burt pressed.
"He knows" Kurt admitted quietly, fully aware that Finn wouldn't last five minutes under his father's interrogation.
"And Blaine?"
"Yeah, Blaine knows" Kurt mumbled.
"Right" Burt sighed, "so come on then what's so bad that you would try and keep that from me huh."
"Dad" Kurt started, "I don't want you to worry."
"Kurt, it is my job to worry and don't you think I've been worried since you got home on Friday night with that shiner?"
Kurt sat in silence stealing himself for his father's anger which he knew he deserved, instead he was met with a heavy blow of disappointment which enveloped him and squeezed his heart until it hurt.
"Dad I'm sorry" he sniffed raising his gaze to study his father's profile.
"Kurt I'm sure you have nothing to be sorry for, now come on spit it out."
"I ran into Karovsky" Kurt said in a small voice, his eyes flicking nervously to his father whose grip had visibly tightened on the wheel.
"When" was all he managed to reply.
"Last Friday."
"Last Friday when you didn't come home" Burt said whilst taking a deep breath through his nose.
"Yes" Kurt confirmed in a small voice, "He caught me at the mall and I just couldn't come home Dad, I just couldn't" Kurt sniffed, large tears running down his face and dripping onto his jacket, "I didn't want you to see me like that."
"Kurt" Burt sighed heavily, "you can always come home, you should have come home, you need to tell me what's going on."
"I'm so sorry" Kurt sobbed.
"Hey now" Burt squeezed his knee strongly, "enough of that now, you can't ever hide this stuff from me do you hear me Kurt, we have trust if you start to keep stuff back that's gone."
"I know, I'm so sorry" Kurt sobbed again.
"Okay, here" said Burt placing a box of tissues in Kurt's lap that he pulled from the glove box, "clean yourself up before Blaine see's you with puffy eyes."
Kurt gave his dad a small smile before flipping down the mirror and running a tissue along under each eye in a vain attempt to restore some normalcy to his swollen face.
"How bad were you hurt" Burt asked after several silent minutes, broken only by the sound of Kurt sniffing and blowing his nose.
"Just the eye really"
Burt raised an eyebrow and Kurt swallowed thickly in response.
"And my wrist and torso" he added quietly.
"I'll kill him" Burt muttered under his breath.
"Dad please don't do anything" Kurt pleaded, "I'm okay honest" he tried to reassure with a small smile which was met with a stony glare from his father.
"Kurt, you are far from okay, this kid is out of line, we need to press charges" Burt replied.
"NO" Kurt said with a raised voice, "just please leave it Dad, I'm going back to Dalton, I won't see him anymore and if it makes you feel any better you can get Finn to come get me and I promise not to go anywhere by myself in Lima when I visit at weekends but please just leave it this time."
"Give me a good reason why Kurt, just one good reason why that kid isn't up before a magistrate?"
"I don't want to go through that" Kurt said in a resigned tone, "I just can't face the thought of going up against him Dad and besides in a year or two I'll be out of here and until then I'll be at Dalton. Just please?"
Burt considered his son, his deflated posture and desperate tone.
"I can't promise you Kurt, I need to think about this but I'm telling you now that this never happens again, you never keep anything from me do you hear?"
"Yes sir" Kurt agreed.
"Okay then, I'll think on it and we'll discuss it next week okay."
"Okay" Kurt replied in a small voice.
A tense hour followed in which Kurt glanced between the passing scenery and his silent father, they were approaching Dalton and Kurt couldn't help but think that Burt was going to want to speak to Blaine once they arrived. He had considered texting his boyfriend to warn him about the possible impending situation but had thought better of it knowing that his father was watching him out of the corner of his eye.
Pulling through the gates of Dalton Kurt blanched as Burt headed toward student parking, he had completely forgotten about his damaged car.
"Dad just drop me off at the main entrance" he tried.
"That's miles from your dorm isn't it?" Burt asked with a frown.
"No that's fine, it'll save you driving down to the parking area" Kurt said quickly trying to sound casual.
"Don't be daft Kurt, its fine" Burt said in confusion, "We've just driven two hours, I'm sure a few more minutes to student parking isn't going to kill me."
Kurt could feel the colour draining from his face as his father made the turn into the parking lot, he could feel his muscles tense and a sick sour feeling begin to make its way up his throat. Any minute now his father would see the wrecked car and he would probably turn straight around and never let him return to Dalton.
Pulling in a few spaces down from the navigator Burt shut off the engine and turned to Kurt who was shifting nervously and sweating ever so slightly.
"Hey you okay buddy" Burt asked in concern.
"Yeah, just a little car sick I guess" Kurt lied.
"Oh, right" Burt said in confusion, knowing full well that Kurt had never suffered from any kind of travel sickness before.
"Look Kurt, I'm sorry you didn't feel you could tell me what happened and I'm not happy you didn't tell me but like I said we'll talk about it next weekend and I'm just glad you're okay. You're everything to me buddy" he added with a catch to his voice.
"I love you dad" Kurt said flinging himself at his father and hugging him tightly, "I am so sorry."
"Hey now, enough" Burt mumbled, rubbing circles on Kurt's shoulder, "you okay now?"
"Sure" Kurt sniffed pulling away and wiping his eyes on his sleeve.
"Good, c'mon lets grab your bags"
"I've got them" Kurt said as he sprang from the car grabbing his bag of cookies as he did so in an effort to dissuade his father from exiting the vehicle.
"No, its okay" Burt chuckled at his sons sudden lease of life, "I need to stretch my legs anyway."
Kurt's stomach rolled uneasily as he watched his father step from the truck and make his way slowly around to the back of the pickup, grabbing Kurt's bag he stepped around him and made his way over to the navigator.
Kurt stood and watched his father in slow motion, closing his eyes and waiting for the impact of his father seeing the damage.
"She's looking good" Burt said.
Kurt cracked an eye and looked at his dad in confusion.
"Huh" he said dumbly.
"She's looking good" Burt repeated, nodding towards the car, "did you get her polished?"
"Uh" Kurt replied, "Uh yeah, yeah polished" he repeated as he stumbled towards his navigator, appraising it in disbelief as it stood before him completely damage free and gleaming like a new pin.
"Maybe next time you bring her home we should change the oil" Burt pondered out loud completely missing the dazed and confused expression on Kurt's face as he looked over his car in a state of bewilderment.
"Oil" Kurt repeated.
"You okay buddy" his father asked.
"Yep, sorry, yes" Kurt replied snapping his gaze back to his dad, "fine."
"I better get going then" said Burt taking off his cap and running his free hand across his head.
"Bye dad" Kurt said warmly throwing himself into his dad's arms and hugging him tightly, "I'll see you next weekend."
"Okay buddy, take care" he warned tightening his hold on his son before releasing him and handing over his bag, "see you next weekend."
"Bye dad" Kurt waved as he watched his dad climb back into his pickup and pull slowly from the lot, his hand waving from the window of the pickup as he drove until he was out of sight.
Kurt watched the empty road for several minutes before turning to stare at his beloved car, he placed his bag on the floor before running his hand slowly over the gleaming hood and down over the door where the scratched word had been several days before. His stomach pinched as he remembered finding the damage and how scared he had been at the time. Walking full circle around the vehicle it was as good as new, stepping back and picking up his bag Kurt smiled before turning toward the dormitories and heading down the path to find the people he knew were responsible for saving his neck in more ways than one.
