CHAPTER 3:

December, 2012

"Dad!" Kurt shouted down the stairs as he heard the door shut "Is that you? You home?"

Burt laughed to himself, who else would it be anyway? I'm the only other one with a key.

"Yeah Kurt, it's me! Where are you?"

Breathe Kurt. It'll be fine.

But what is its not?

It will, he'll understand.

But what if he doesn't?

Shut up! It will be okay. Now man up, go down there and tell him!

"Upstairs dad! Be down in a second!" Kurt shouted; his voice shaking as he did. He took a deep breath before descending the stairs one by one, taking as much time as he could.

"Hey Kurt, how're you kiddo?" Burt said, engulfing him in a bear hug, nearly crushing him. Kurt buried his face in his father's neck and breathed in his scent. I might need to remember this moment.

"D-dad?" Kurt said, stuttering as he pulled back from the hug to look his dad in the eye."I-I have something I n-need to...tell you" he took a deep breath.

Burt narrowed his eyes and cocked his head slightly to the side. The tears in Kurt's eyes glistened in the light and his expression softened immediately.

"What is it bud? Would you like some coffee?" Kurt closed his eyes and nodded as he followed Burt to the kitchen and sat down in one of the chairs around the two-seater table.

"You're usual?" Kurt nodded at Burt's question and continued to look at the table. Burt sighed and nodded. It looks like whatever it is; it's really getting him down. Burt opened the fridge door and got out a can of beer, opening the bottle with the bottle opener and pouring it into a glass.

Burt placed a steaming cup in front of Kurt, who immediately wrapped his hands around his mug to draw out the warmth. Burt took a sip of his beer before closing his eyes and sighing, slouching down in his chair and pushing his baseball cap back.

"You gonna tell me what it is that's botherin'ya?" he finally asked after a long pause.

Breathing just got hard.

Kurt brought his mug up to his lips with shaky hands and Burt eyebrows furrowed in concern. My little boy should never be this nervous around me.

"Um...dad. Do you remember...when I was little... and mom used to read me those fairytale stories from her brother's grim treasury?" Burt nodded, urging Kurt to continue "Well...u-um, there was always a prince and a p-princess in the ones that she read because she didn't like to see me cry at the sad endings" Burt smiled at the memory "And, I always used to ask her "Mommy, when will I have my fairytale?". And she always used to say "When you find your princess""

Kurt wiped a tear from his eye before it escaped, taking another sip of his coffee.

"Well...I always kind of accepted that that was how the world worked. That a prince would find his princess and a princess would have her prince charming" Burt cocked his head slightly and raised his eyebrows, trying to make eye contact but finding Kurt was staring in to the brown liquid, watching it as it swirled in his cup.

"But I don't believe that anymore" it was no more than a whisper when he said it "And I don't want to believe that anymore"

Burt's eyes softened at his words but his face remained expressionless, unnerving Kurt. He took a deep breath.

"You remember Blaine, right dad?" Burt nodded at the memory of the small, bouncy, curly haired child, Kurt former best friend and smiled "Well, he always used to tell me that...I was his p-prince, and that he didn't want a princess to tell him what to do like his sister did, he wanted someone like me. He didn't want a pretty girl" a single tear rolled down his porcelain cheek as he spoke.

"He made me feel special inside. Like I finally belonged somewhere but at home with you. He was the only person...that really...loved me. And I know we were only...eight? But I knew even then what it takes people years to figure out" Kurt paused, chancing a glance at his father to see that he was staring at the table with tears in his eyes.

I hope those aren't disappointed tears.

"I knew that I didn't want a princess. What I really wanted, what I really needed was a prince to hold me, and carry me bridal style to his horse so we could gallop off into the woods like in the movies" Burt smiled ever so slightly at his words.

"I don't want to hide this from you anymore. I have spent...so many years trying to conceal it. But now I really don't have the strength to do that. So what I'm trying to say to you dad, is that I'm-"

"Gay"

Kurt looked up in surprise and found himself greeted with a smiling face and familiar, tear-filled eyes.

"Yes" Kurt breathed.

"Thank you, Kurt. For telling me" Burt started saying before he stood up and opened his arms "Now come and give your old man a hug"

Kurt smiled through his tears and launched himself into his father's arms, wrapping his around his body as he held his dad close, tears seeping into his flannel shirt.

"I love you, Kurt, and nothing will ever stop me from doing so. You are my little boy, and you can never tell me anything that will change how much I love you" he said before kissing his sons forehead.

"I love you too dad"

Kurt smiled as he lay in bed, smiling at the ceiling. It had all gone okay. He was still loved and he needn't worry any more. He pulled the covers up to his chin as he heard his dad out in the corridor.

"Kurt? You decent?" Burt asked, and for once, Kurt didn't cringe at the phrase, he just smiled at his dad before shouting "Yes!"

Burt opened the door slowly, just to make sure that he was telling the truth before smiling and walking over to sit on the edge of his bed. He smiled down at Kurt before placing a hand on his hair and stroking it back off his forehead. Kurt would usually hate people touching his hair, but he just lay there and let Burt do it.

"You mentioned Blaine earlier" Burt began, Kurt's smile slid off his face "And I have never felt more guilty, Kurt"

"Dad, you don't need to fe-"

"Yes, Kurt, I do need to feel guilty. Listening to you describing him to me earlier, it made me realise how much he meant to you, and I just...I had no idea" Burt shook his head, a stray tear appearing in the corner of his eye. He cleared his throat and continued.

"But...Kurt...did you really...you know...love him?" Burt asked rather awkwardly. Kurt's face remained expressionless as he said this. Kurt nodded. Burt exhaled heavily.

"Then I will help you find him. I need to repay you, Kurt, for taking you away from him. And I will see you two together again even if it's the last thing I do" Kurt smiled and felt like laughing and crying all at once. Instead, he just sat up and wrapped his arms around his father's neck.

"I love you, dad"

"I love you too, kiddo" Burt replied, pulling back from the hug "G'night Kiddo" he said before opening the door again.

"Night daddy" Kurt said, letting his American accent flow freely. Burt smiled tearfully, before closing the door.

As soon as the door clicked shut and he heard the door at the end of the door close, signalling that his father had also gone to his room, he shot up in bed, reaching underneath the bed frame and pulling out the box labelled 'Blaine', placing it in front of him and closing his eyes, trying to summon the courage to lift the lid.

December, 2002

"Kurt?" Blaine's wide hazel eyes greeted him as he awoke from his sleepy state and smiled briefly before he remembered the circumstances.

It was the last time.

The last time he would sleep over at Blaine's house.

The last time he would visit Blaine's on a Saturday.

And perhaps, the last time he would see Blaine.

"Blaine?" Kurt mumbled. Blaine chuckled at his best friend and kissed his nose as he wrinkled it as he yawned.

"Kurt I need to show you something" He whispered in his ear excitedly, biting his lip, his brown curls hanging down on to his eyes that were shining in the light of his Spiderman nightlight. Kurt smiled and pushed his hair back off his forehead before sitting up. Blaine sat cross legged across from him so their knees were touching and Blaine took hold of one of Kurt's hands.

"What do you want to show me Blainers?" Kurt questioned, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes with his free hand and yawning again, making Blaine smile about the adorableness of his best friend. He let of Kurt's hand for a moment, missing the warmth immediately, to reach under his bed and retrieve a box.

He placed it in front of Kurt, and Kurt examined it.

There was a piece of masking tape taped to the lid with the word 'BLAINE' scrawled on with a permanent marker; Kurt could see where he had gone over the edge of the tape trying to write like Mrs. Robinson had taught them. Kurt smiled at it.

"Open it, Kurt" Blaine said. Kurt lifted the lid off the box and tears crept the way to his eyes at what he saw.

Pictures.

Postcards.

Drawings.

Plans.

"Oh, Blaine..." he whispered, lifting the first photograph he could find of them. It was them asleep on the sofa, Kurt's face buried in the crook of Blaine's neck as Blaine held him in his arms. Blaine's curls were sticking up in all directions and he had a permanent smile on his face.

"So you'll never forget me" Blaine whispered. Kurt placed the photo back in the box before replacing the lid and putting it on the floor next to the bed. Kurt then pressed a soft kiss to Blaine's cheek and wound his arms tightly around his neck, letting his silent tears seep into Blaine's pyjamas.

Blaine lowered them both down, still embracing, on to the mattress, pulling the covers over them both and kissing Kurt on the temple.

Kurt pulled back, losing himself in the hazel orbs.

"I will never forget you"

December, 2012

Kurt opened his eyes from the memory, a tear escaping from the corner of his eye and rolling down his cheek as his eyes fell of the piece of masking tape on the lid.

'BLAINE'.

He placed his hands on either side of the lid and slowly opened the box.

The first thing he saw was a letter addressed to 'My best freind Kurtsie' Kurt smiled at the misspelling and the old nickname.

His hands shook as he lifted the envelope and broke the seal...

Author's Notes:

Hey again,

I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

I'm sorry, I have no extra information! I feel like a letdown!

Anyway, please review! And tell me if you don't like it so I can stop embarrassing myself (seriously).

Love you all,

-H.x