Notes: Again, picking up right where the last chapter left off, with Kurt and Nick going into talk to Blaine.

-x-x-x-

Chapter 20 - The Way Out

The air inside the cabin was still stale with hints of vomit, but the open windows made it bearable to breathe in there. Blaine was lying on his back with his eyes closed. When he heard them enter he opened his eyes, took one look at them and then turned his back to them.

"Leave me alone."

"We just want to make sure you're okay," Kurt said, taking another step into the room and sitting down by the foot end of the bed. Nick leaned against the kitchen counter.

"What do you think?" Blaine answered with sarcasm. Kurt and Nick exchanged a silent glance. "I don't have the energy or the will to talk to either of you," Blaine added. "Just leave me alone. I'm sure the two of you can find a way to entertain each other."

There was so much resentment in the words spoken, so much venom. This would always be a gnawing scar between them, Kurt realized and wondered if it would ever be possible to heal what he had broken.

"Blaine," Nick said. "I know you're upset about what happened between me and Kurt, but you should know it didn't mean anything to either of us. It was a mistake that should never have happened."

"But it did happen," Blaine said, his voice so ice cold it sent chills down Kurt's spine.

"Yes, but-" Nick started.

"I don't want your apologies or your explanations, I will never forgive you for this, and I don't want to talk to either of you."

"We only want to help-" Kurt tried.

"Least of all you," Blaine said. "Thanks to your blabbermouth everyone knows."

"But that's a good thing," Kurt said. "Now you can-"

Once again Blaine cut him off. "A good thing?" He turned around to look at Kurt, his eyes just as icy as his voice. "A good thing?!" Blaine sat up on the bed, his body tense and his hair a curly mess on top of his head. "How do you think it feels to have everyone know your deepest, darkest secrets? To have everyone know the thing you despise most about yourself? To know that everyone will look at you differently from now on, to know that this will always be the first thing the people think about when they look at you? You've outed me and you shared things I told you in confidence. And, as if that wasn't enough, you had sex with my friend!"

Kurt had no answer to that. He'd only wanted to help Blaine, but now he realized he'd done a lot of things wrong.

"That's where you're wrong, Blaine," Nick jumped in and said.

"So you and Kurt didn't have sex?" Blaine's words were dripping with sarcasm.

"Yes, we had, but you need to put it in the past. Kurt has no feelings for me, and I have no feelings for him. It was just a stupid thing that never should have happened. We have both moved on from it and you have to, too. What I meant is that you're lucky to have met Kurt," Nick said.

Blaine snorted. He obviously didn't share Nick's sentiment. Nick ignored him.

"Kurt did what I didn't have the guts to do." Nick took a short breathing pause before he continued. "I've known you for seven years and out of those years I've had a crush on you for six."

A small crinkle appeared between Blaine's eyebrows, but for once he was quiet.

"When you're interested in someone, you tend to notice things about them that others don't. I've known you were gay for years. I noticed how you looked at guys in high school, but never shared the other guys' interest to talk about girls. I was too much in the closet myself to ask you about it though, so I just kept an eye on you from a distance. Even after your parents died, when you shielded yourself away from us and we barely had any contact for years, I still kept an eye on you, hoping you would see me. You never did, but I saw you. I saw how you changed, how you started to meet up with older men. At first, I thought it was just a way for you to have your needs met, or maybe you just had a thing for middle aged men.

"But then you came back to us and we started to hang out again. Quite soon I noticed you weren't yourself, and that you weren't happy. I blamed the death of your parents for that change, but in the back of my head I knew it wasn't the reason. At least not the only reason. Then one day, by chance, I found the enormous amount of money you have hidden away in your cupboard and that's when I started to suspect it had something to do with those men I'd seen you with. But it wasn't until David and I found Kurt on your boat that I started to connect all the dots.

"I knew immediately that there was something going on between the two of you, even if both of you tried to hide it. I even tried to pressure Kurt about it, but he stuck to his story," Nick said and smiled at Kurt. "Kurt was different than the other men I'd seen you with and when he came back a second time to 'search for his wallet' and the two of you disappeared together, I knew it was more than a one-night thing. Which sadly didn't stop me from flirting with Kurt…"

Nick cleared his throat. "Anyway, when I saw you with another man after you'd met Kurt, I was so surprised but that's when it all became clear to me. I should have confronted you, but I didn't have any proof and I was scared you would shut us out again. But Kurt wasn't scared, he acted, he did what I should have done. Despite that things were kind of awkward between me and Kurt after that night, he contacted me. He put his own feelings aside because he was worried for you and your safety. He made me act. That's why you're lucky to have Kurt. I believe he just saved your life. Maybe you weren't in any danger today, but in the long run Kurt definitely saved you."

Kurt's chest tightened. He didn't want to think about what could have happened to Blaine if they hadn't all stepped in.

"And when it comes to everyone knowing your secrets, in this case it is a good thing. We don't want to see you live like that. We want to be there for you but we can't if you're shutting us out. Kurt never outed you, I did. Kurt only told me about your relationship, but I already knew. I was the one who told our friends, Blaine. I told them everything I knew, I had to because when no one had heard from you for a week I was scared. You know what? I didn't change how any of us feel about you. We've all put everything else aside this weekend to search for you, that's how much you mean to us. We all love you. Nothing's gonna change that. If everyone weren't exhausted after no sleep and too much worry, they would be here, too, to tell you the same thing. But we sent them home."

Blaine sat quietly. His eyes rested on Nick, but he didn't seem to know what to say. It was a lot to take in. A lot of beliefs for Blaine to reevaluate. Nick's eyes were shiny with emotions.

"I outed myself in the process too, only Thad knew I was gay, but it's a relief that everyone knows. You will feel it too, eventually," Nick continued. "I've talked too much now, but I hope you understand that this being out in the open is a good thing, so don't be mad at Kurt."

Kurt sent Nick an appreciative glance. He wasn't sure Nick's words would make Blaine change his mind about him, but he was grateful, and surprised, by Nick's speech.

Blaine still didn't say anything, he seemed to be in his own little bubble. Kurt felt drained, he couldn't imagine what Blaine felt like. It felt like he had lived three weeks in the past three days. Everything that had happened that weekend, with Blaine, with his dad and Carole coming to visit, with them and David being off to talk to the harbormaster, the worry and the stress, the uncertainty, it all crashed down on him now and it left him numb and without words. Everything had been said. But Kurt still didn't know if it was enough. Or what would happen next.

"I'm tired," Blaine said in a voice that wasn't really there. "I just want to sleep for a while." He laid down on his side with his back towards them and curled his body into a ball again.

Kurt looked at Nick for guidance. What should they do now? Nick gestured that he would step outside and Kurt decided to follow. Perhaps it was best to leave Blaine alone for a while, let him sleep and then they could talk later. Kurt stood up and followed Nick out through the door.

"Kurt?"

The voice was frail and hushed and Kurt wasn't sure he'd actually heard anything, so he turned around. Blaine still laid on the bed with his back towards the room. There was no movement or sign he had said anything, and Kurt thought he must have imagined it. But then Blaine spoke again.

"Will you stay with me?"

Kurt breathed in and tried to control the beating of his heart. "Yes," he said and walked a few steps back into the room. There still wasn't anywhere to sit but on the bed, so Kurt sat down on the same spot he'd just left.

"What did your dad say?" Blaine asked.

"You mean after you two talked?" Kurt asked and thought he saw Blaine nod. "Nothing much. He was determined to find the harbormaster."

"No, he can't talk to him!" Blaine's body got tense and he turned his head to look at Kurt.

"He can," Kurt said firmly. "Somebody has to. Dad, David and Carole went to talk to him."

"No, don't you get it? After you all leave, when this little intervention is over, it will only get worse!"

"The secret is out, there's nothing he can hold against you after this. We'll go to the police and press charges against him."

"No! I don't want the police involved!" Blaine said resolutely. "I don't want their prying questions and condescending looks."

"We'll figure something out," Kurt said to calm Blaine. Of course they were going to the police with this. He couldn't imagine any of Blaine's friends, or his dad, not agreeing with him on that. "And we won't all leave, Blaine," Kurt continued. "I won't. I'm always gonna be around and I'm always going to be here for you."

Blaine lay quiet, staring up at the ceiling. Kurt wondered if it was that difficult for Blaine to accept help. He'd had to manage on his own for so long that perhaps he didn't know how to handle everyone wanting to be there for him. Blaine was a private person, he'd said so himself to Kurt one time, and everyone knowing couldn't be easy for him. But he'd had to learn to accept that he wasn't alone. There were several of them who would 'be in his business' now to make sure he didn't spiral downwards again. They were several who loved him.

"I don't want to be here anymore." Blaine's voice was tiny and scared and Kurt knew Blaine didn't mean here as on this boat with Kurt. Blaine didn't want to be in his position, didn't want to live his life. He wished he was already gone, in California with his brother or somewhere else.

"What happened last week?" Kurt asked. "Last night? Nick called me and said you were out of your mind drunk and tried to jump off the pier."

"I don't want to talk about it," Blaine said and curled into a ball again.

Was it that bad? Kurt felt chills when his mind made up one horrible situation after the other. It was thoughts and images he'd already had a hundred times this past week, but seeing Blaine trying to make himself invisible made them so much more real.

"I think you'll feel better if you do," Kurt said, though he wasn't sure he would.

"Not today. I'm so tired, Kurt. My head feels like it's going to explode and I just want to sleep for the rest of the day."

"Okay," Kurt said. Blaine had been through enough today and this could wait until later when Blaine wasn't hungover. "Do you want to eat something? I brought you some breakfast."

"I can't, I'll throw up again."

"Okay, I'll let you sleep then," Kurt said and stood up. "I'll be here when you wake up. Even if that is tomorrow," he added with a smile in his voice. He'd meant what he said when he said he was always going to be around.

Kurt took one last look at Blaine, who appeared to be already sleeping, and turned around to let him rest.

"Kurt?" Blaine's fragile voice spoke.

"Yes?" Kurt turned back.

"Will you lay here next to me?"

Kurt knew it wasn't easy for Blaine to ask for that, to show that he needed someone, and Kurt's answer came without hesitation. "Yes."

He lay on his back next to Blaine. Blaine's body radiated heat almost like he had a fever, still Kurt noticed that he trembled like he was cold.

"Can you hold me?" Blaine's voice was barely a whisper now, like he wanted to hold back the question and keep up with the strong facade but at the same time he desperately wanted someone to be close to him.

Kurt didn't say anything, just turned on his side and scooted closer to Blaine until Blaine's back pressed against his chest and he could wrap his arm around Blaine. Blaine put his hand on Kurt's, pressing both closer to his chest. Blaine's trembles ended when his breathing evened out and he finally fell asleep.

Kurt breathed him in and told his heart to be still. He was still very much in love with Blaine, there was no denying that. When this was all over, when Blaine was safe and the harbormaster in jail or something, maybe they could have a second chance. If Blaine wanted to. Kurt wasn't at all sure Blaine wanted to be in a relationship with anyone, or even if that was the best thing for him right now.

Blaine was warm and soft and Kurt moved a little bit closer. He wanted to savor every minute of this moment because he knew there might not be many more, but he soon found it difficult to keep his eyes open. It had been a long week for him too.

-x-x-x-

Voices outside the boat woke Kurt up. A little disoriented at first, he soon remembered where he was and why and the lump in his belly returned. Blaine was still sleeping next to him, his body like a radiator in Kurt's arms. Kurt had no idea how long he'd been sleeping, but it was still light outside.

The voices outside were serious and discussing something Kurt couldn't make out. He contemplated joining the group to see what was going on, but he didn't want to wake Blaine up and was afraid moving would do that. He also didn't want to leave Blaine alone, he had promised he'd be there when Blaine woke up.

Kurt didn't have to decide though because soon Thad entered the room. Kurt let go of Blaine and rolled over on his back.

"Hi, sorry to disturb you guys, but we'd like to talk to Blaine," Thad said apologetically.

"He's sleeping," Kurt told Thad in a low voice. "Can't it wait?"

"I guess, but I think your parents want to talk to you. They've kind of waited a while but Nick wouldn't let anyone go in here."

"It apparently didn't stop you," Kurt smiled. He had almost forgotten his dad and Carole were there to visit him and that they were leaving that afternoon. Ever since Nick called that morning his focus had been fully on Blaine, but he should spend some final time with them before they left. And find out how the talk with the harbormaster went.

"Nothing Nick has ever said has stopped me," Thad smiled back.

"Will you stay here with him?" Kurt asked and sat up carefully. "I don't think he should be alone when he wakes up."

"I'm already awake," Blaine mumbled with sleep still in his voice. "What's going on?"

"Oh, good," Thad said. "We would like to talk to you. Outside."

Kurt looked at Blaine who looked pale and uncomfortable.

"I'm sure it can wait until tomorrow," Kurt said to Thad. "You don't have to talk to anyone today if you don't want to," he added to Blaine.

"No," Blaine said. "I might as well get this over and done with. It's already been a shitty day, it can't get much worse."

He sat up next to Kurt, and Kurt sought eye contact with him to make sure he was okay. All he found was determination and walls going up.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" Kurt asked. The look in Blaine's eyes scared him. Whatever Blaine was going to face outside the cabin, he wasn't going to show weakness or vulnerability. He wasn't going to let anyone see his real emotions.

"Yes."

Stepping outside Kurt saw every one of Blaine's friends there. He didn't remember all of their names, but he recognized their faces. They were all concerned and serious faces. Kurt looked for his dad and Carole and found them on the slip, talking to each other, whereas everyone else was packed on the boat.

Kurt instinctively reached out and put a calming hand on Blaine's lower back, but Blaine took a discreet step to the side, away from Kurt, and Kurt's hand fell to his side. Blaine was steeling himself for whatever they had to say to him and even if they all knew that he and Kurt used to be boyfriends, Blaine must feel the need to be strong on his own in front of them and not reveal he was gay. Kurt couldn't say he understood but Blaine had lived like that for years and old habits die hard.

"Blaine," David spoke up and Kurt got the feeling the group had selected him as their spokesperson. "We all just want to let you know that you're not alone, we're here for you if you want to talk of just someone to keep you company. I know you think that what you are and what you lived through changed things between us, but I know that I speak for all of us when I say that it doesn't."

David paused for a few seconds and only looked at Blaine, who said nothing. Kurt could see that the words got to him though. When David picked up again, his voice was emotional and sad. "Why haven't you talked to us? Why did you think you had to keep who you are from us and live this life to keep the secret? We've known each other since we were fourteen..."

Blaine still said nothing. Kurt guessed he was overwhelmed and had no answers to give.

"And we don't think you should stay here on your own, at least not for a while," one of the guys Kurt didn't know the name of continued. "We think you should stay with one of us and we all want to open our homes to you."

"I only live in a studio, but you're welcome to crash on my couch anytime," Thad said.

"I talked to my mom, and you can move in with us whenever you want to," Nick said.

Every single one of Blaine's friends offered their home to Blaine, even Kurt said that his offer still stood.

"Thank you, all of you," Blaine said, visibly moved. "But it's too much. I appreciate what you're doing, but I'll be fine right here."

"No you won't," David said firmly. "The harbormaster may not bother you again for a while, but that man is crazy and I don't trust him for one second."

"What happened?" Kurt asked, all of his attention on David.

"He pulled a gun on us!" David said incredulously.

"What?!" Kurt's heart almost stopped and then it began to race. "Are you okay? Dad?! Carole?!"

"We're fine, Kurt," Burt said calmly.

"Your dad is a hero, Kurt," David said and then he retold how they had stormed into the harbormaster's office where Burt had yelled at the man for an undefined number of minutes, demanding him to explain and telling him to leave Blaine alone. Burt had threatened to contact the police and that's when the harbormaster had pulled out his gun and made counter threats.

When Burt didn't waver, but instead, in words David didn't want to tell, had told the man exactly what he and the law thought about men like him and how many years in prison his crime would give him, the harbormaster had broken down, lowered his gun and promised to never contact Blaine again if Burt didn't go to the police. Burt had answered that he didn't negotiate with criminals and that he made no such promises.

"It's up to you if you want to go to the police or not, Blaine," Burt said, "but in my opinion, I think you should. Someone like him won't stop until someone stops him."

"No," Blaine said. "I don't want to talk to the police. I don't want the authorities involved. They'll take my home away from me, I can't let that happen."

Kurt remembered Blaine saying something about the bank taking the house and everything his parents had owned when they died, but somehow they didn't find out about the boat. Would they really take the boat away from Blaine now?

"What do you want to do then?" David asked. "I agree with Burt, that man needs to be stopped and I think reporting him to the police is the only way."

"I don't know what I want to do," Blaine said, sounding like he carried the world on his shoulders. "I've barely slept, haven't eaten anything, my head hurts and I feel like shit. I can't decide what I want to do now. I just want to sleep for a hundred years."

"Then we can head over to my place," Thad said. "You can rest there and then we can talk tomorrow."

"Thank you, Thad. Thank you all of you, but I don't want to be a burden. This is my home and-"

Blaine was interrupted by his friends who loudly protested and told him he would never be a burden and that he didn't have to manage everything on his own.

"Blaine," Burt interrupted and the cacophony of voices quieted. "I've talked to Carole and we would like to open our home to you and give you a place to stay. It's in Ohio and far from here, but that's the point."

"Dad?" Kurt couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"David is right that the harbormaster can't be trusted. He might be scared now, but who knows what he will do two months, or six months, from now when this episode has faded from memory. That isn't a fear that you should have to live with. You told me that you don't want to live the way you have the past year and Carole and I believe a complete change of environment is the only solution."

"Dad, you can't… Blaine can't… Blaine doesn't want to leave. He doesn't know you, he can't…" Kurt was in shock. Had his dad really thought this through? He couldn't just offer Blaine to move in with them like that. It was crazy! There was also a panic building inside Kurt because out of purely selfish reasons, Kurt didn't want Blaine to move that far away.

"Kurt, this is not a question for you. Why don't you let Blaine answer," Burt answered quite brusquely.

Kurt went quiet and turned his eyes to Blaine, and for a moment it felt like everyone was holding their breath waiting for Blaine to answer.

"Mr Hummel, I can't," Blaine said. "It's too much, I can't accept an offer like that."

"It's not too much, Blaine," Burt said and put his arm around Carole's shoulders. "We don't think this is a safe or healthy place for you to stay at. We know you don't have any relatives to turn to and though your friends' offers are kind and come from a place of love, we believe a bigger change is needed for you to heal. There's a vacant seat in our car when we drive back, if you want to come with us."

"Why are you doing this?" Blaine asked. "You don't know me. I'm a mess with nothing but complications in my life."

Was Blaine actually considering accepting? It sounded like he wasn't rejecting the idea completely. Kurt didn't want Blaine to leave, he wanted him close to himself, not in Ohio. It was absurd to think about it. But he knew Blaine's highest wish was to get away from this city, away from the men and the life he was living. But Ohio? In Kurt's home?

"You are a friend of Kurt's," Burt answered. "It doesn't have to be more complicated than that. But I also know you mean a great deal to Kurt and Kurt means a great deal to me."

Kurt's eyes filled with tears. He'd never loved his dad more than he did right in that moment, and maybe Blaine moving to Ohio was the right thing for him.

Blaine looked thoughtful for a while, then he said, "I have some money, I can pay rent and-"

"No," Burt cut him off. "We're not gonna accept your money, Blaine. But I own an auto shop, Hummel Tires & Lube, where I expect you to work, against payment of course. Do you know anything about cars?"

"My dad and I rebuilt a '59 Chevy one summer…" Blaine said, contemplatively. "No, this is crazy. I can't move in with you."

At that point Kurt decided to step into the conversation again. He stepped in front of Blaine and pretended no one else was there. "You should, Blaine. This is exactly what you need, what you've wanted for so long - a way out of here. Somewhere far away from everything that's complicated. You should go."

Kurt reached out his hand and searched for Blaine's. When Blaine didn't pull away, Kurt laced his fingers with Blaine's and looked into his eyes. Blaine's eyes were a mix of hope and doubt, and so intense they still made him a little dizzy, just like that first day he ever looked into them.

"I know you don't like asking for help, or accepting help from others, but you don't have to manage everything on your own. You don't have to live through this alone. I get that it's scary and insane, moving in with my parents whom you've never met before, but I truly feel you should go with them. Even if I don't want you to go."

A small crinkle appeared between Blaine's eyes, and he looked down at their joined hands and it seemed he just noticed that they were linked together. Then he shook his head, hid his face in both hands, and shook his head again as if he didn't know what to do or what to think. Kurt took a step back, giving Blaine space. He looked at Blaine's friends who were all watching Blaine. Kurt wished they would say something, but they remained silent.

"What about my boat?" Blaine asked, removing his hands. "What about my bike?"

"I guess we could have your bike transported to Lima, if you want to take it with you," Carole said. "Right, Burt?"

Burt nodded. "Yes, and the boat we'll find somewhere to store because there's no ocean in Lima."

"It's all gonna be taken care of, you don't have to worry about it," Carole said. "If you decide to come with us."

"We're leaving tonight," Burt added.

All eyes were on Blaine. He looked hesitant as he ran a hand through his hair. Everyone was quiet waiting for Blaine to answer, the silence almost suffocating. Kurt could see Blaine's mind spinning, weighing the reasons he should stay and the reasons why he should go against each other.

"I have a question," Nick raised his voice and everyone looked at him instead. "Can we come and visit?"

His question broke the tension and made them all laugh, everyone but Blaine.

"Yes, of course, but not all at once. Our house isn't that big," Burt answered with a smile and made them laugh again.

"Yes," Blaine said then unexpectedly and the laughter ended abruptly as they all looked at Blaine again. "I would like to come and live with you in Ohio."

-x-x-x-

Notes: What do you think about Blaine moving to Lima with Burt & Carole?