A/N- My computer has died a death, so i am trying to upload this from my iPad. apologies for any formatting problems! Thanks for reading and reviewing :)
Blaine strides down the hallway, grinning from ear to ear. He rounds the corner swiftly and narrowly avoids knocking Tina to the ground.
"Oh, I'm sorry Tina, you ok?" he asks as he drops a small apologetic kiss on her cheek.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Tina asks, eyes wide.
"Nothing. Why?"
"You're smiling. Too much."
"Why do you say that, do I usually look miserable?" Blaine asks, still grinning widely.
Tina pauses and thinks about her answer. "Not...miserable. More...pensive I guess. Yeah. Pensive. And rather like you're waiting for the other shoe to drop."
"Well maybe this time, there is no other shoe." Blaine says, and with a bop to Tina's nose he carries on his way.
"Blaine's all weird." Tina comments to Mercedes as they both unpack their history books.
"Weird like how?"
"Like all smiley. Really smiley. And he touched me."
"What?" Mercedes shrieks.
"No, no. God no. He kissed me on the cheek, then he said something about there being no other shoe to drop, tapped me on the nose and nearly skipped down the hallway."
Mercedes looks at Tina knowingly. "You need to talk to Quinn."
Blaine doesn't see Kurt for the rest of the day. But it's ok. It's enough to know that he is somewhere in the building, probably thinking about Blaine as much as he is thinking about Kurt. He daydreams his way through his classes, replaying every moment from last night and this morning in his head. Truth be told, he's still surprised that he managed to sing an appropriate song to Kurt in the first place, or convince him to dance with him on the front porch. Every lyric fit their situation perfectly, and he hopes he really does now have the chance to make Kurt feel his love. Congratulating himself on his cheesiness, and managing to keep his thoughts pure rather than completely smutty, Blaine heads home.
He forces himself to complete all his homework and fix his dinner before texting Kurt. Just as he is picking up his phone however, it rings. Rachel.
"Hey Rach, what's up?
"Blaine. Why were you smiling so much today?" Rachel demands.
"Well come right out and ask why don't you?"
"I need to. We all want to know, only no one wants to ask. So I said I'd do it."
"O-kay," Blaine drags out as he tries to think. "Um..."
"It's Mr. Hummel again, isn't it? Quinn said it would be. She told you to leave him alone. Seriously Blaine, you have got to get over this crush. He could be the one to take us to Nationals at last, and I for one, will not..."
"I am over it Rachel." Blaine suddenly decides. Because, really, he is. It's gone way past the crush stage, though Rachel need never know.
"What?"
"That's why I was so happy today. I talked with him yesterday after Glee, we ironed everything out, and I feel good."
"Really?"
"Really. And you know, I agree with you. He really could get us to Nationals. So let's just stop with all this crush talk, and focus on regionals next month."
"Oh Blaine, thank goodness." Rachel gushes, the smile evident in her voice. "I am so relieved to hear you say that! Wow. Ok. And I'm pleased for you too. It's no good to waste your senior year on an unrequited love."
"You are completely right." Blaine says with a grin.
"Ok, I'm going to go so I can call the girls and tell them. Have a good night."
Blaine hangs up and sits on his hands to calm the shaking. Thank God it wasn't Quinn or Santana who called, he thinks. Rachel bought it, and can hopefully convince the others. He really doesn't want to start thinking about how complicated this is all getting, so he texts Kurt instead.
How are The Aristocats?
They've been replaced by Nemo. Dad's concern for his whereabouts is deeply worrying, especially as he's seen this so many times before. I may rename him Dory. ;)
I share your dad's worries.
You would. Did you miss me today?
Maybe.
Maybe?
A bit.
Huh. Just a bit. Well then...
I had the very great pleasure of spending quite a bit of time with you this morning, remember?
No. I am also called Dory. Remind me.
I made you breakfast. You slept in my bed.
Not with you though :(
No.
Is this your idea of inappropriate texting?
Rachel called. She wanted to know about my crush on you.
Blaine jumps as his phone rings in his hand.
"Kurt?"
"What's happening?"
"Huh?"
"With Rachel? What did you tell her?"
Blaine relays the story of his day to Kurt, trying to allay his fears as best he sighs deeply.
"This isn't great."
"I thought I did the right thing."
"You did, it's just... I found an apartment."
"Already?"
"Yeah. I went after school. And I was going to ask you if you'd help me move on Saturday."
"Do you think we can manage between the two of us? And what if Richard is there?"
"He won't be, he's going to watch some football game. And I was going to ask my dad and brother to help, since they have trucks."
"Won't it look a bit strange if I show up?"
"I guess I didn't think about that. I just wanted an excuse to spend time with you."
"You can come over, I'm on my own until Sunday."
"No. Not good. Too tempting."
"Oh. Yeah." Blaine thinks for a while. "You could ask all of us to help."
"All of whom?"
"New Directions. That way, I'll still be around but you'll also have extra cars, and guys like Puck and Sam to lift stuff."
"I guess that could work."
So that's what Kurt does. The Glee club are happy to help, especially as Kurt promises to buy them all pizza by way of a thank you. Blaine, Rachel, Mike and Tina pull up outside Kurt's old house early on Saturday. Two trucks are already in the driveway, and Blaine catches sight of an unnaturally tall guy loading boxes. Blaine slams his car door with unnecessary force and walks towards the house. He's agitated. He hasn't been alone with Kurt since he dropped him back here on Thursday morning, and he's feeling more than a little frustrated. Last night he didn't text Kurt, and waited to see who would give in first. He heard nothing all evening until nearly 11 pm when his phone vibrated on the nightstand.
Good night beautiful x
Which was fine, lovely, and would have made Blaine deliriously happy had he not been so convinced that Kurt was avoiding him. He knows they decided to take things slowly, and that they agreed they couldn't be left alone together right now. Indeed, it was Blaine's suggestion that Kurt take some time to get over Richard before moving forward, but he really thought he might have gotten some interaction in the 48 hours since they parted. But nothing. No secret hand holding, no sideways looks or sly winks, no pulling into the janitors closet for a passionate embrace. Well. The last one may have been a bit too much wishful thinking, but even so. And to make matters worse, he now has to spend the entire day in Kurt's company, with no chance to get him alone.
"Hey Guys!" Kurt calls from the front steps. "Thanks for coming. So, this is my dad, Burt." Burt nods in greeting as he shuffles past with an enormous box marked 'books.' "And this is my brother, Finn."
"Hey Finn," Rachel simpers and immediately follows him into the house.
"Oh. Ok." Kurt looks surprised. "Anyway. So all the stuff that is going is packed in boxes. I'm not taking any furniture apart from my piano, the desk and chair in the study and the antique dresser that my dad will move with Sam as they seemed the most sensible. Mike and Tina, if you go down to the kitchen Quinn can tell you what needs loading. Blaine, can you come and help me upstairs please."
Blaine swallows nervously as he follows Kurt up the stairs. It looks like he will be alone with him after all, and now he suddenly finds himself panicking about what to say. Mercifully, Kurt leads him past what was obviously his and Richard's room, and into a small study. The second the door is shut, Kurt is attacking Blaine's lips. Losing all trail of coherent thought, Blaine lets his hands tangle into Kurt's hair as he reciprocates. The kiss is frantic, their desperation for one another evident as they both moan wantonly at the feel of tongue against tongue, and hands grasping anywhere they can. Blaine begins to kiss Kurt's neck as he throws his head back.
"Holy fuck Blaine! You have no idea how much I have missed you. Shit. All I've been thinking about is getting to taste your lips again. Jesus Christ, the things you do to me. You have no idea."
"Oh I think I do," Blaine smiles against Kurt's cheek as he slows down and kisses him softly "I'm pretty sure it's exactly the same as you do to me." He connects their lips once more, sinking into the kiss, and feeling all his fears melt away as Kurt wraps his arms around him.
"Kurt!" A sudden voice booms out. "You up here?"
The pair pull apart quickly, Kurt trying desperately to smooth down his hair.
"Yeah! In the study." He looks at Blaine who is standing frozen like a startled deer. "It's my dad." he hisses. "Don't worry about it. He's clueless."
The door pushes open and in strides Burt Hummel. He stops for a second and takes in the scene before him. He only saw Blaine in passing, but he's pretty sure he didn't look that dishevelled five minutes ago. In fact he recalls thinking how smart he looked, for someone who would be hauling boxes all day. But now his button up is untucked from his pants, his bowtie is askew and his face is positively on fire as he bites on a- swollen?- lip and stares at the floor. Burt switches his gaze to Kurt. Holy hell. What are those marks on his neck? he thinks to himself. They definitely weren't there. And his hair!
"You gonna introduce me son?" Burt asks, planting his hands on his hips and staring at Blaine.
"Sure. Um..dad this is Blaine Anderson, Blaine...meet Burt Hummel."
"Good to meet you kid." Burt says affectionately as he shakes Blaine's hand. "You a student of Kurt's?"
"Y-y-yes Sir." Blaine manages to stammer out.
"He a good teacher?"
"The best." Blaine says smiling at Kurt, whose eyes light up. Watching this interaction is the final nail in the coffin for Burt. He's not dumb. Although it seems that apparently, Kurt is. At least when it comes to this boy.
"Good. Right Blaine. You look like a strong kid. You can come and help us move the piano. Kurt, you may like to pack the rest of the stuff in here. Starting with the mirror." he says, rubbing the side of his own neck and fixing his son with a very pointed look.
Burt keeps Blaine busy for the rest of the morning, and never lets him out of his sight. He notices that Kurt has put on a scarf and fixed his hair and is now busying himself loading the last of the boxes.
"What now?" Puck asks as he leans heavily against the side of his truck.
"Now we drive to the other end and unload it all." Burt laughs.
"I'll ride with Finn!" Rachel calls as she climbs in the truck cab next to him. Rather than looking annoyed at the girls presence, Finn looks positively elated. Blaine looks disgusted. Anger builds inside of him as he realizes that if they end up dating, people will think it's cute. Not wrong.
The convoy of vehicles pull out of the road until all that's left is Burt, Blaine and Kurt. Anxious to avoid being in an uncomfortable situation, Blaine announces his departure and heads towards his car. He is distracted by the arrival of a red volvo pulling up on the other side of the road. Recognizing the figure immediately, Blaine turns and sprints towards it. In a matter of seconds, Blaine has the car door open and is pulling Richard to his feet.
"You fucking BASTARD!" Blaine yells, as his right fist connects squarely with the mans jaw. Stumbling against the car hood and yelling curses, Richard spits blood as Burt's strong arms encircle Blaine from behind.
"Easy kid, easy. He's not worth it. Come on." He pulls Blaine back towards his car and manhandles him into it. Kurt stands shaking as he watches Richard drive away quickly. Unable to comprehend the scene he has just witnessed, he walks slowly towards Blaine and his dad.
"Um...are you ok?" Kurt asks hesitantly.
"He'll be fine Kurt." Burt replies, not giving Blaine a chance to answer. "Just go. They'll all be waiting at the apartment."
Nodding slowly, a very pale Kurt walks to his car and drives away.
"Let me look at your hand." Burt demands. Blaine looks up at him from his drivers seat, and stretches his hand out in silence. Burt crouches down on the sidewalk and examines it, sneaking occasional glances at Blaine as he does so. "I think it's ok. Still, I'd like Carole to look at it. That's Kurt's step-mom. She's a nurse, she'll be over later. You're lucky you didn't break your whole hand, you hit him that hard."
"I..uh..I box." Blaine says weakly.
"Impressive."
"I've never hit another person though. Only in the ring."
"I thought that was one of the rules of boxing, you don't use it to be violent towards others."
"Yeah."
"So why'd you hit him then?" Burt asks, and he finds himself feeling overwhelming pity for this young man who looks so bewildered at his actions. Pity coupled with admiration, of course. If he'd been ten years younger and had a healthy heart he'd have done exactly the same.
"He...he cheated on Kurt. And he's just an ass. He made Kurt move against his will, made him miserable for all those years, when all he ever wanted was just someone to love him for who he is." Sensing he has already said far too much, Blaine breaks Burt's gaze as he stares out through the windshield.
Burt clears his throat. "I'd agree with you on all that, kid. But you seem to know an awful lot about the state of my son's love life."
"Um..."
"Let's just say he's very lucky to have students who take such an interest in his well being, shall we?"
"Yes." Blaine breathes a sigh of relief.
"Let's also hope that ass doesn't decide to press charges."
"I didn't think of that."
"Most people don't think in a moment of madness. Come on. Follow me to the apartment." He stands and claps Blaine on the shoulder.
Burt keeps Blaine right by his side again while they all help unpack. Carole arrives and inspects Blaine's hand, Burt telling her quietly what had happened, knowing she won't breathe a word. She finds herself inexplicably drawn to this boy, who relaxes more around them both as the afternoon wears on. Smart, witty and kind, she finds herself forgetting completely about the age gap, or the teacher and student thing, and wishing instead that Kurt and Blaine could just be together. She can see all too well that Blaine would be good for Kurt, a million times better than that repulsive man they had all been tolerating for the past five years. As they all sit down to eat their way through a mountain of takeout pizza, she watches Blaine interact with those around him. He is smiling, happy, and laughs along with everyone at Sam's atrocious impressions. But every so often, his eyes flick across the room to look at Kurt and she sees such longing, such passion and hope there that it is enough to break her heart.
The Glee club all begin to leave, Kurt thanking them profusely for all their help. As they all crowd out of the door, Kurt gently reaches out to touch Blaine's fingers with his own.
It is this tiny gesture, above all else, that convinces both Burt and Carole that this is about more than just infatuation. It runs much deeper than either knew. Nodding at Burt, Carole goes to locate Finn, who is busy swapping numbers with Rachel, and asks him to drive her home. Left alone, Burt asks his son to sit.
"So." Burt says, easing himself into an armchair. "I would like to hear your take on why you think Blaine hit Richard today."
"Um..." Kurt thinks for a while. He's hardly had time to think about it himself, let alone come up with a reasonable explanation for his dad. "Jealousy, maybe? I really don't know. You'd have to ask him."
"I did."
"Oh?" Kurt tries to act casual, but inside his heart is pounding. Blaine is, after, all, only seventeen. How is he supposed to think clearly after punching a man twice his size to the ground, and then being interrogated about it.
"He said it was because Richard cheated on you."
"He did. You know that."
"I do. What worries me is that Blaine knows that too. Does the rest of your Glee club?"
"No!"
"Then how come Blaine does?"
Kurt sighs and fiddles with his hands. "I walked out that night, not the next day like I told you. Blaine found me and took me to his house- it was raining and I was soaked. He loaned me some clothes and let me stay the night."
"I see. And what did his parents say about that?"
"He lives with his mom. And she's on a business trip."
"Christ, Kurt. How can you be so stupid?!" Burt yells as the full horror of this situation begins to unfold.
"Don't yell at me dad, please. I stayed in a completely separate room, nothing was inappropriate." he lies, "and he listened while I talked. Maybe I put too much trust in him, but he's...he's...a good friend I guess."
"You can't do this."
"I'm twenty seven dad. I can do what I want."
"You can't do this to him, Kurt." Burt leans forward in his chair and looks earnestly at Kurt curled up on the couch. "Blaine is a good kid. Really good. You will ruin his life if you start some kind of affair with him."
"I'm not, I.."
"Bullshit Kurt! Don't lie to me. Now I'm not going to ask you the details about what has been going on, but it's quite clear that something has already started. I am telling you to end it. You don't need me to explain to you the consequences of a teacher having an affair with his pupil, let alone the fact that Blaine is still a minor."
"Oh fuck." Kurt moans as he hold his head in his hands. Eventually he looks up at Burt, his eyes shining with tears, and Burt's tone softens.
"Kurt listen. I know this sucks. You can't help being attracted to each other. But you can help what you do about it. Especially you- as the adult in this situation. Remember what I told you, all those years ago? Once you start doing this stuff, you're never gonna want to stop. Don't take that from him, Kurt. Let him have these experiences with someone his own age, without having to sneak around for fear of getting caught, or having to spin a web of lies so you can be together. He'll graduate in the summer, and then he'll go to college. He won't want to be tied to someone of nearly thirty while all his friends are out bar hopping and having fun. You'll get past this son," Burt says as Kurt starts to cry harder. "I know it may not feel like it right now, but you will. With everything that's been going on with Richard you don't need this added into the mix. Just finish it, for both your sakes. I love you too much to see you throw away everything for a quick fling. And for some unknown reason, I care about that kid too much to see him mess up his whole life for an infatuation that won't last."
Burt moves to the couch and takes Kurt into his arms. He rubs his back soothingly as his son sobs, and hopes fervently that he's done the right thing. Kurt cries until he can cry no more. Sitting up, he rubs at his raw eyes and offers his dad a trembling smile. He knows what he must do. He has to break Blaine's heart.