"Kurt you ready?" Burt shouted from the driveway.
"Coming dad, bye Carole" said Kurt pulling his step-mother into a warm embrace.
"Goodbye love, see you next weekend" replied Carole placing a kiss to Kurt's cheek before he pulled away.
"See ya Finn" Kurt called towards the kitchen where he'd last seen his brother.
Finn ambled out of the kitchen placing a plate of sandwiches down on the coffee table as he passed, wiping his hands on his jeans he pulled Kurt into a hug, "yeah dude see you next weekend."
"KURT" Burt called again.
Kurt rolled his eyes and smiled again at Carole before scooping up his bag and heading towards the door.
"Oh honey here I nearly forgot" said Carole heading quickly to the kitchen and returning with a large paper bag, "these are for you and your friends, I remember Blaine saying how much they all liked them the last time I sent some back with you."
Kurt opened the bag and smiled at the contents, Carole had made at least three dozen of her infamous rocky road cookies and the smell emanating from the bag was mouth watering.
"Jeff'll go nuts" laughed Kurt as he pulled Carole in for another hug, "thank you" he smiled.
"Oh man" moaned Finn "how is that fair mom?"
"Yours are in the kitchen Finn" said Carole with a roll of her eyes in Finns direction.
"Cool. You're the best" Finn replied as he disappeared towards the kitchen again.
"Have fun Finn" Kurt called as he finally made it to the door to find his dad standing by his pickup tapping his foot impatiently.
Blaine and Nick had finally headed back to Dalton around mid-afternoon leaving Kurt to his own devices as Finn had yet to return home and Carole and his dad were still working. Kurt had toyed with the idea of heading down to the garage to spend time with his dad but had settled instead for putting on some music and preparing dinner for Carole.
He weaved around the kitchen singing at the top of his voice, chopping and preparing, dancing and laughing to himself as he went, he was always free at home, no-one judged him here; it was an unusually liberating experience.
Carole watched him adoringly through the kitchen window as she sat in her car, an affectionate smile spread across her face highlighting the crinkly laughter lines around her warm eyes. She had truly come to love Kurt as a son and seeing him so happy and free after his painful experiences warmed her heart. She gave him a few more minutes to himself before stepping out of the car and heading into the house.
"Hey honey" she smiled as she placed her bags down on the counter.
"Oh hi" Kurt gasped in shock and embarrassment as he span around at her greeting.
"You didn't need to do this Kurt" she said gesturing around the kitchen.
"Oh that's okay" he smiled gaining some composure over his embarrassment at being caught mid performance, "I like to cook and Finn wasn't around to annoy so I thought I might as well make myself useful."
"Well I appreciate it" Carole smiled, "now off you go and do something else while I finish this. Go on shoo" she said waving her hand in Kurt's direction and pushing him into the lounge.
"Okay, okay, I'm going" he giggled as he backed away with his hands up in surrender.
Dropping down onto the couch he pulled out his phone and sent a text off to Jeff.
Hey, how's yr wk end? B&N gone back to Dalton. Kx
Almost immediately he was granted a response from his friend.
Hi K, good ta. How come u have sleepovers when I'm not there huh v sad.
Kurt laughed at his friend's message before typing a quick response.
Sorry. Really not much of a sleepover everyone just crashed traffic was a bitch. Will do it again soon though. Kx
U better Jx
Just so u know I think Nick has an ice-cream problem Kx
How so? Jx
He has every flavour in one sundae it really was quite something!
Yep, I taught him that, it's called the Jeff
REALLY, you are kidding me? Kx
Nope. Jx
LOL figures. Kx
Hey don't knock it 'til you try it Hummel, it's genius I tell you, pure unadulterated genius. Jx
Yes well your genius will probably be sick tonight from over indulgence; you should text him to make sure he's alright. Tell him I told you so from me. Kx
LOL. Will do. See you tomorrow Kurt. Jx
See you tomorrow Jeff. Kx
Kurt pocketed his phone and stood, returning to the kitchen to tell Carole that he was off out for a walk.
The Lima Bean was busy for a Saturday afternoon, Kurt had been standing in a long queue of people for several minutes making little to no progress and despite looking along the queue towards the cash desk he could see no reason for the holdup. Sighing audibly he shifted his weight between his feet and let his eyes wander aimlessly around the place, it was busy, most of the tables were full and dozens of conversations crisscrossed over each other to make a continuous hum of indiscernible noise. Kurt watched as people went about their business, it was different being there alone, previously he would have been with one of his friends from McKinley or more recently he would have been with Blaine. The Lima Bean had become their bolt hole, the place they went to spend time together as normally as they could without drawing attention to themselves, being there alone left Kurt feeling a little empty and exposed. He looked over to their usual table to find a group of ladies sitting there laughing, immersed in happy conversation. He found himself smiling, quietly enjoying their companionship from a distance. Taking a step further toward the counter Kurt cast his gaze toward the door, the smile slipping from his face and his breath leaving him when he saw the familiar red hew of the McKinley jackets which were bundling through the door, a jumble of heavy bodies thumping against each other creating a ruckus with shouts and jeers directed at each other.
Immediately shrinking behind the family who were queuing behind him Kurt made himself as small as possible, trying desperately to become invisible just by sheer force of will. So far no-one had noticed his presence, too busy congratulating each other on whatever sporting victory they had achieved. Grabbing his phone from his pocket and scrolling through it blindly Kurt found himself pressing it to his ear, his eyes closed as he waited for a response.
"Hey Kurt" Finn answered cheerfully.
"Finn where are you now?" Kurt whispered quickly, never taking his eyes off the group who were now crowding around a booth at the far end of the room, jostling each other to get the best seats.
"Ahh just coming back into town" he replied distantly, clearly holding the phone away from his face as he looked out of the window at the passing landscape, "why?"
"I need you to come to the Lima Bean and get me" Kurt whispered, this time with an increased note of urgency.
"Sure dude, no worries, we'll be there in ten."
"Can you make it sooner?"
"Uh sure I guess, why what's wrong?"
"The football team just arrived" Kurt whined whilst stepping out of line and backing toward an unoccupied table behind a large plant in the opposite corner of the room to the jocks booth. Dropping down into a chair he angled himself so that he could still see the their table without being seen himself.
"Holy crap man, hang on were coming" Finn blurted.
"What the hell's going on?" Kurt heard Puck say from the end of the line although he didn't listen to Finn's explanation as he was too preoccupied with his current situation.
"Finn just call me when you're here and I'll come out okay" he asked before ending the call and scrolling his contact list again for Blaine.
"Hey baby" Blaine smiled down the phone.
"Hey"
"You okay?"
"Absolutely, just needed to hear your voice" Kurt bluffed, the dread he was feeling muted somewhat just by hearing Blaine's voice.
"Where are you?" asked Blaine, "it's really noisy?"
"Lima Bean" Kurt answered distractedly as he peered across the room again.
"Oh cool, hey, this will make you laugh Nick and I just got back and Nicks gone for a lie down due to the cramps in his stomach, I guess you were right about the ice-cream huh?"
"Yeah ice-cream..."
"Hey Kurt are you okay you seem a little distracted."
Kurt didn't respond immediately, his attention diverted to the large teen making his way toward the back of the queue. If he were to turn around now he would see Kurt.
"Kurt, baby, are you there" Blaine asked again.
"Blaine" Kurt whispered into the handset, "Karofskys here."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN KAROFSKYS THERE" Blaine all but shouted, causing Kurt to move the handset away from his ear.
"He's here, in the Lima Bean, the entire teams here" Kurt mumbled.
"Stay there, I'm coming"
Kurt could almost see him flying around his room trying to get on his shoes whilst simultaneously grabbing his keys and wallet.
"It's fine Blaine, really, stay there, please. Finn and Puck are on their way but I really need you to talk to me until they get here okay" Kurt begged.
"No Kurt, I can't do that, I have to come" Blaine babbled and Kurt could tell he was no longer in the dorms from the change of background noise.
"Blaine..."
"Blaine..."
"BLAINE STOP" Kurt shouted as loud as he dared, his hand wrapped around the mouthpiece of his phone to try and stop the sound extending to the rest of the room.
"Kurt what?"
"Please, just talk to me; I need you to talk to me. It's too far for you to come now and Finn is literally minutes away I promise" Kurt beseeched, "but I need you to stay with me, please" he added in a small voice.
"Okay baby, okay"
Blaine was practically at his car, he had pushed past several of his friends on his dash to get outside causing them to watch him go with mixed expressions of concern and amusement. Blaine was hardly ever not composed and seeing him in a state of disarray was intriguing for some of them. Now he found himself sagging down onto a low wall, running his hand through his hair as he spoke to his anxious boyfriend.
"Are you okay baby, did he hurt you?"
"No, they haven't seen me yet but they're all here Blaine, the whole team" Kurt said with a shaky breath.
"Oh god" Blaine's stomach dropped through the floor.
"Hey, its fine, I'm fine I promise they haven't seen me" Kurt tried to reassure his boyfriend.
"Kurt please" Blaine begged, "please keep out of their way, how long is Finn going to be?"
"Minutes I hope, probably less if Pucks driving" he tried to joke but was met with nothing but his boyfriends nervous breathing, "so how was your drive back" he asked trying to make small talk.
"What?"
"How was your drive back" Kurt tried again.
"Seriously, you're asking me how the drive home was when you could be beaten to a pulp any minute" he said exasperatedly.
Kurt winced at this and responded with only silence.
"Shit Kurt I'm sorry" Blaine said quickly, "honestly, I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that, I'm just freaking out here you know."
"Yeah I know" he replied quietly, "but I need to talk about something else so please, just tell me."
"Okay fine, it was okay, Nick grumbled about his stomach and the traffic was bad but it was okay" Blaine said with a resigned tone.
"Thank you" Kurt said softly.
"No problem baby, I love you" Blaine murmured.
"I love you too" Kurt sighed before suddenly snapping upright as his attention was drawn to the familiar red jacket which had drawn level with his table. Shrinking back as far against the wall as he could he turned his face away in an attempt to remain concealed.
"Hummel?"
Blaine heard the word come through his phone and was paralyzed with terror.
"Kurt, Kurt talk to me, is that him?"
"Yes" was the whispered reply.
"Oh god baby, oh god" Blaine panicked, jumping up from the wall and began pacing the walkway, the hand not holding the phone grabbing at his hair and tugging it sharply.
"Kurt, stay with me okay, he can't touch you in public, do you hear me baby, he can't touch you."
Kurt held his phone in an almost painful grip, his gaze frozen with that of the giant football player now standing in front of him.
"I told you not to come back here Hummel" he growled.
Blaine thought he might actually die; he was two hours away and was just about to hear his boyfriend get beaten black and blue by some prick, he clutched his phone closer to his ear willing himself to be transported back by some divine intervention.
"Leave me alone" Kurt said firmly his knuckles turning white due to the pressure he was exerting.
"Why the hell should I" the voice replied.
"I have as much right to be here as you do"
"That's where your wrong fairy" the voice said, although now it sounded closer than before and Blaine was sure that he must have stepped closer.
"I love you" Blaine whispered again and Kurt inhaled and squared his shoulders.
"What are you going to do then huh" he asked, cursing the quiver that had snuck into his voice, "bit crowded in here don't you think?"
"Yeah, well you can't stay in here forever can you" the voice leered.
Kurt paled his bravado quickly fading.
"Do we have a problem here" came a second voice from further away, allowing Blaine to take the first breath in what seemed like hours.
"Puckerman" the voice growled, "and Hudson what are you a tag team?"
"Back the hell away from my brother"
Blaine allowed himself to slump back onto the wall.
Kurt looked up to see Puck stood behind the jock, his hands crossed over his chest, Finn stood next to him his hand extended shoving the shoulder of his tormentor.
"Fuck you Hudson"
"Yeah. That all you got?" Finn goaded as Puck glowered.
"Like I told the fairy you can't stay in here forever" he jeered.
"Oh bring it" Puck spat taking a step toward him
"Happy too"
"Hey" Kurt shot between the two, "Finn let's just go."
"Yeah Finn better do what the fairy says"
"Fuck you"
"Finn please" Kurt asked again causing the taller to look at him.
"Yeah man let's get him outta here" Puck agreed casting an eye over a clearly upset Kurt.
"This isn't over" Finn ground out as he shoved the jock roughly again before turning and placing Kurt between himself and Puck and steering him out of the door.
Puck held his position until Finn and Kurt were fully out of the door before stepping closer.
"I am looking forward to pounding you into the dirt you piece of shit" he said menacingly as he leaned in so only the jock could hear; no-one else had noticed their altercation, happy conversations continued to be held all around them, the bubble in which they had existed for the last few minutes remained intact.
"You two better watch your backs" the jock replied before turning and heading back to his booth.
Puck watched him go before turning and casually exiting the door with a swagger.
"Baby are you okay" Blaine babbled breathlessly into the phone.
"Yeah" he replied softly, now safely ensconced in Pucks car.
"Jesus Kurt" Blaine sighed resting his head in his hands.
"Blaine can I call you when I get home?" he asked quietly.
"Sure baby, anything you need, are you sure you're okay?"
"Absolutely" and he could hear the small smile in Kurt's voice.
"Okay then, call me later, I love you."
"I love you too."