Chapter 13
Kurt pulled into a parking space in the lot behind the Lima Bean coffee shop in Downtown Lima. Like many other mid-western towns, Lima was feeling the effects of the economy, and the downtown area wasn't as bustling as it once was. Many storefronts were empty, and only a few people were wandering around doing their Saturday morning errands.
"Here we are," Kurt said, as he turned off the car. "Beautiful downtown Lima, Ohio."
"Is that a hint of sarcasm I hear on your voice, Mr. Hummel?" Adam asked, with a chuckle.
"Yes, it is, Mr. Crawford," Kurt replied with a humorless chuckle of his own. "It seems so strange to be back here again. I wanted out of this little cow town so badly for as long as I can remember. New York feels more like home to me in just six months than Lima ever did. I just never seemed to make sense here. Other than glee club, high school was hell for me.
"There are a lot of closed minded people in this town, and I was bullied in high school just for being me. I can't even count how many times I was pushed into lockers, or called fag or queer. It wore me down at times, but I refused to change who I am because some narrow-minded people can't accept me. It got a bit better senior year, but I'm grateful to be out of here."
Adam took Kurt's face in his hands, and said, "I'm sorry for what you went through, love, but I am glad that you had the strength to be your own person, and stay true to who you are. I'm also glad that you are now living in a place where your individuality is not just accepted, but also celebrated. And most of all, I am glad that your journey to get out of this little cow town lead you to a place where I had the opportunity to meet you because meeting you is one of the greatest gifts I've ever received in life."
Kurt was overwhelmed by the love he saw in Adam's eyes, and felt his own eyes fill with tears. "I don't think I would have made it through these past few weeks without you, Adam," Kurt said. "You've been my savior through all the insanity with Blaine. I still can't believe that stuff didn't scare you off. I am thankful for every second we are together. I love you, Adam."
"I love you too, Kurt," Adam replied, as he kissed away the tears rolling down Kurt's cheeks. "So, are you going to show me around town or are we just going to sit here in the car all day?"
"This won't take long," Kurt said, as he got out of the car. He made his way over to the other side of the car to stand next to Adam and continued, "There isn't much to see here. But perhaps after dinner, we can drive over to West Lima to go to Scandals if you'd like to check out the gay scene in Lima. I still have my fake ID, not that they really pay much attention to it."
"Oh, I'm sure the Lima gay scene is every bit as happening as the New York City gay scene," Adam said with a smirk.
"Who's using sarcasm now, Mr. Crawford?" Kurt said, as he playfully punched Adam's arm.
Adam laced his arm through Kurt's and said, "Let's go on that tour now, love."
Kurt and Adam walked arm in arm down Market Street. Kurt pointed out In the Sheets, the music store where he took piano lessons as a child, and shopped for sheet music. They browsed around at all of the gaudy bed and bath accessories in Sheets and Things, where Howard Bamboo was still working as a sales clerk. Kurt also pointed out the building that used to house the roller rink April Rhodes once owned, where he had sprained his wrist after falling while skating with the glee club one night.
As they reached the end of the block, Kurt said, "And here is one of the highlights of the tour, my dad's shop. Hummel Tire and Lube. I learned everything I know about cars here."
"Do you know a lot about cars, love?" Adam asked.
"Well, I can change a tire, and the oil," Kurt said. "That's about it. I even have coveralls with my name on them in there. There was no way in hell I was going to get any oil and grease on my clothes."
Adam laughed, and said, "Now that is something I would like to see. Kurt Hummel the grease monkey."
"Let's go in and see who is working," Kurt said, as he opened the door for Adam.
They walked into the shop, and heard someone shout, "Kurty!" One of the mechanics started to walk across the shop to the door. Towering at 6'7" tall, and a hulking 300 pounds of muscle from years of lifting tires, the man pulled Kurt into a tight bear hug, and said, "It's great to see you, Kurty! Your dad told me you were going to be in town this week."
"Cassius, it's great to see you, but let me breath," Kurt said, as he tried to wiggle his way out of Cassius' arms. "You're getting grease on my clothes."
Cassius put his hands on Kurt's shoulders and held him out at arm's length. "Let me look at you," Cassius said. "You are all grown up. So handsome. New York is doing right by you, kiddo."
"I'm happy there, Cassius," Kurt said. "School is great, and my work at is going well. And I have a new boyfriend. Cassius, this is my boyfriend, Adam Crawford. Adam, this is my honorary uncle, Cassius Davis."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Davis," Adam said, putting his hand out to shake Cassius' hand.
Cassius took Adam's hand and stared down at him. He asked, "Do you treat Kurt with respect, Adam?"
"Absolutely, sir," Adam replied.
"Kurt is a great kid, Adam," Cassius said. "He's family. You better treat him with love and respect, or you'll have to answer to me."
"Take it easy on him, Cassius," Kurt said. "Adam is an amazing guy."
"You said that about that weaselly rat bastard you used to date, too, kid," Cassius snarled. "And looked what happened there."
"I can assure you that Kurt will always be respected, loved, and admired by me, Mr. Davis," Adam said. "I realize what an amazing catch he is, and I don't want to lose him."
"That's all that matters, Adam," Cassius replied. "By the way, you can call me Cassius. Come sit and have a cup of coffee with me, boys." He put one arm around Kurt's shoulders, and the other arm around Adam's shoulders, and led them to the break room. Cassius poured cups of coffee for everyone, and said, "So tell me, Kurt. How did you and Adam meet?"
"We go to school together," Kurt replied. "He's a senior at NYADA, and the founder of the NYADA show choir. He invited me to join the group, and we just kind of fell in love from there."
"Kurt has been an amazing addition to the show choir," Adam said. "He really adds a new layer to our sound, and his solos are incredible."
Cassius said, "I knew that this kid was destined for stardom from the start. Burt used to bring him to the shop on the weekends when he was a little kid, and he was always singing and dancing. We would put a dozen toy trucks in front of him, and he'd just ignore them, pick up a wrench, and start singing into it. He was a cute little kid." He smiled fondly at Kurt, and messed his hair.
Adam laughed, and said, "That must have been precious. I wish I could have seen little Kurt singing and dancing around the tire shop. Did he have little coveralls that he used to wear?"
Cassius said, "I have a picture of him on the corkboard on my tool bench. Let me go get it." He walked out of the break room.
"Cassius is quite a character," Adam said, as he watched Cassius walk across the shop to the tool bench.
Kurt smiled fondly, and said, "Cassius is my dad's best friend. They've known each other since kindergarten. He looks intimidating because of his size, but he's really just a big old teddy bear. He was in the marines for 10 years. He got injured in Iraq before I was born, and had to leave the marines. When he came back to Lima, my dad gave him a job at the shop, and he's been here ever since. He really helped us out after mom died. Dad was a mess, and Cassius was the one who looked out for us, and helped my dad with the shop, and made sure that we were eating and taking care of ourselves. I don't think he ever missed seeing me in a performance the entire time I was in high school."
Cassius walked into the break room, and said, "Here's the picture. Kurt sure was a cute little guy when he was a toddler. Very inquisitive and precocious." He handed the picture to Adam.
Kurt was just three years old when the picture was taken. He was wearing little blue coveralls with his name on them, and a baseball cap, just like Burt usually wore at work. He was standing on the hood of a red car, and singing into a wrench, as Burt and Kurt's mother Elizabeth looked on with proud smiles on their faces.
"This is just the cutest picture ever," Adam said. "Do you remember what he was singing?"
"It was Burt's birthday, and Elizabeth stopped by to bring him a cake," Cassius said. "She taught Kurt how to sing 'Greased Lightning' just for Burt's birthday."
Adam laughed and said, "Adroable. Is their video of this one, love?"
"I don't think so," Kurt said.
Cassius said, "I have to get back to work now. Kurt, you stop by again before you go back to New York."
"We will," Kurt replied.
"I love you, kid," Cassius said, as he hugged Kurt.
"I love you too, Cassius," Kurt replied.
"It was nice to meet you, Adam," Cassius said. "Take care of Kurt for me."
"Always Cassius," Adam replied.
Kurt and Adam walked outside. Kurt said, "I love Cassius, but his coffee is like jet fuel. Would you like to go get a cup of tea at the Lima Bean, and then we can walk over to the high school."
"Can I see the football field where you kicked the extra point?" Adam asked. "Perhaps we should find a football so I can see you kick another one."
"I haven't kicked a ball in almost five years," Kurt said. "I don't think I could do it again. Come on. Let's go get some tea."
The walked to the Lima Bean, and got their tea. As they were leaving the store, they ran into Mr. Schuester.
Kurt said, "Hello, Mr. Schue."
"Hello, Kurt," Will replied, as he pulled Kurt into a warm embrace. "It is so great to see you. Kurt, I'm no longer your teacher. Call me Will."
"OK, Will," Kurt said. "Will, this is my boyfriend, Adam Crawford. Adam, this is the Glee Club Director, Will Schuester."
"Hi, Adam," Will said.
"Hello, Will," Adam said, as he extended his hand towards Will. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Will said, "How long are you in town for, Kurt?"
"We're here for the week," Kurt said. "My dad is having surgery on Monday."
"Finn mentioned that," Will said. "Please wish him well for me."
"I will," Kurt said.
"I'm just getting a cup of coffee, and then I'm heading over to the school for rehearsal," Will said. "We have to redo our entire show now that Blaine is gone. I had to talk Jacob Ben Israel to join the glee club so we would have enough singers. You should come over and watch. I'm sure the kids would love to see you, Kurt."
"That would be nice," Kurt said. "I'd love to see everyone. Do you mind, honey?"
"Sure, that's fine, love," Adam replied.
"Just let me get my coffee, and we can walk over together," Will said.
After Will got his coffee, they started walk to the school.
"I heard about your performance at the NYADA winter showcase, Kurt," Will said. "How is school going for you?"
"It's challenging, but great," Kurt said. "I've been learning so much, and it's a lot of work, but I'm loving every minute of it. The teachers expect a lot from us, but they are amazing teachers. They are all seasoned Broadway veterans."
"You couldn't find a more dedicated student, Will," Adam said. "Kurt is constantly in the dance studio just practicing his pliés and pirouettes. And he still finds time to help me select songs and chroreograph the show choir."
"Adam started a show choir at NYADA during his freshman year," Kurt proudly told Will. "It's a really fun group. Adam finds a way of picking songs you'd never expect to hear performed by a show choir, and making them fun."
"That sounds amazing," Will said. "Hopefully you'll be performing the next time I go to New York."
When they arrived at the school, Will said, "I have to stop at my office to get my sheet music. Why don't you head to the auditorium? I'm sure some of the kids are already there."
"Is it all right if I show Adam the choir room first?" Kurt asked.
"Sure," Will replied.
Kurt walked into the choir room with Adam. He sat down at the piano and started to absentmindedly play the intro music for "Sunset Boulevard." He said, "Some of my happiest memories of high school took place in this room. It was in this room that I really started to make real friends. We had so many fun performances in here. I sang Defying Gravity right about on the spot you are standing now, and I also sang As If You Never Said Goodbye in this room."
"Wowsers," Adam said. "I would have loved to hear you sing those songs. Those are incredibly powerful songs."
Kurt stood up and took a photo album off one of the shelves. "Rachel and I made this photo album for Will before we graduated," Kurt said, placing the photo album on the piano. "We have pictures from most of our performances and school musicals."
They started to flip through the photo album. There were many great shots of Kurt during performances, and he was animatedly telling Adam about the different competitions and musicals they had done over the years.
Adam said, "I love your enthusiasm, Kurt. And I love that you have shared so much of your past with me. Each story makes me love you more. You are truly an incredible person, Kurt. I love you." He hugged and kissed Kurt.
"I love you too, Adam," Kurt said. "We should probably head to the auditorium, but I want to show you one more thing first." He took Adam's hand, and walked to the chairs in the back of the choir room. He said, "You have to see what's outside these windows."
They climbed up on the chairs, and looked out the windows. There was a small butterfly garden outside the window. The school wall opposite the windows was painted with a beautiful mural in honor of "The Phantom of the Opera." The Phantom was painted on the wall, with the some of the lyrics to "Music of the Night:"
Let the dream begin
Let your darker side give in
To the power of the music that I write
The power of the music of the night
"Wow," Adam said. "That is remarkable."
"I actually painted the mural, and planted the garden," Kurt said. "That area was just filled with junk. It was a place where the druggies would hang out to smoke pot between classes. I talked Principal Figgins into letting me improve the space. My dad helped me get donations of the plants and shrubs from a local nursery, and I worked at the tire shop to make money to buy the paint. It took me six months to do this, but I made the view from these windows much nicer, and more inspirational."
"Very impressive, love."
"Thank you, Adam," Kurt replied. "Come on. Let's go to the auditorium now." He stepped off his chair, and reached for Adam's hand.
Adam stepped off his chair, and said, "Your talent and creativity never ceases to amaze me, Kurt. It knows no bounds."
They walked to the auditorium, and Kurt introduced Adam to everyone.
Tina walked over to them and said, "What are you doing here, Kurt? You are the reason Blaine isn't here right now. I know he cheated on you, but you need to get over yourself and go back to him. He's perfect. He has the sexiest bushy eyebrows ever, and his voice is like an angel's voice from heaven afar. And the way his ass and ankles look in those sexy flood pants he wears all the time is the hottest thing I've ever seen. He is just the most beautiful boy in the world.
"He loves you, Kurt, and wants to be with you. You and Blaine are meant to be together. It doesn't matter that he slept with someone else. It doesn't matter that he has been crushing on Sam since you left."
Kurt interrupted Tina's rant by saying, "He's what?"
"Blaine needed someplace to place his love after you brokehis heart," Tina said. "He had no interest in me because he doesn't like girls—or at least he claims he doesn't like girls. So he put all his love onto Sam while he's been away from you. But Sam is just a placeholder until you come to your senses, and come back to Blaine."
"Oh, Tina Cohen-Chang, you are really letting your hagdom shine through," Kurt said. "Blaine and I are through. I am never getting back together with him. He was stalking and harassing me, Adam, Rachel, and Santana. I have moved on, and Blaine should too."
"I can't believe you came here with this guy when Blaine is in the hospital and can't sing with us," Tina said. "We're probably going to lose regionals because of you. And how can you cheat on Blaine when he is in the hospital anyways."
Kurt looked over at Adam and rolled his eyes. He said, "Tina, you need to wake up and realize that Blaine and I are history. I've moved on. I have a great new boyfriend who I am crazy in love with." He wrapped an arm around Adam, and said, "Adam is the love of my life.
"And please don't blame this on me. Blaine is the one whose actions lead to us breaking up. It's his actions that lead to him not being here. Not mine."
Will said, "All right, everyone. Take your places onstage."
Kurt and Adam sat down a few rows from the stage. Adam took as they Kurt's hand and kissed it.
"I'm sorry about Tina, honey," Kurt said. "She has been really obsessive about Blaine the past few months."
"It was rather interesting to witness that, love," Adam said.
"I really don't belong here anymore," Kurt said.
"Do you want to take off, love?" Adam asked.
"We can watch them for a bit, and then head out," Kurt said.
Kurt and Adam watched the New Directions rehearsed, and spent the afternoon at the Lima Mall.