A/N: I know, I know, I know! This chapter took a while to get up. I blame high school homework loads. Anywho, Just wanted to let you guys know how happy you make me. I sit and reread reviews, smiling at the laptop in public like I'm crazy. You're all the absolute best (:
Kurt stayed outside of his home on the porch long after Blaine was out of sight. He would have stayed out there longer if he didn't know his dad was waiting for him in the living room. Sighing, he turned around and opened the door, letting the warm air from the house engulf him.
"That you, Kurt?" His dad called from the living room.
"Yeah, it's me." He replied, carefully putting away his Dalton dress shoes.
"C'mere for a second, will you?" Kurt frowned, not wanting to let his dad give him "the talk." Shyness aside, he walked down the hall, hoping a different topic would be brought up instead. He could hear Carole whispering to Burt as he entered the room.
"Give him some privacy, won't you? He'll be fine..." Her voice was stern, but she smiled at her husband nonetheless. Kurt cleared his throat, and walked over to sit down next to his mother, opposite of Finn and Burt.
"Yes, dad?" He asked, playing with his fingers in his lap.
"You like that kid a lot?" He asked sternly, not wasting any time. Kurt looked up at him and saw nothing but concern in his face. Oddly enough, he saw this exact expression on Finn's face. It was surprising, but reassuring how much they cared.
"More than you are probably imagining." Kurt whispered, not used to telling his dad about his love life.
"Just don't take things too fast man," Finn said, "I've seen people rush through relationships and it just sucks." Burt nodded.
"I really like him," Kurt said, a little more forcefully now, "I know you all think I'm lonely, but I know better than to settle for less than I deserve." Carole smiled at him.
"You two are just being overprotective. Kurt's a smart kid, he knows what he wants." She said, ruffling his hair.
"Why does everyone insist on ruining my hair?" He laughed, trying to fix it.
"Invite him again someday, alright?" His dad said. "His old man could come over too maybe, drop by the garage." Kurt gave his dad a hesitant look.
"He's not really close with his dad. He's staying at Dalton until summer."
"Oh, that won't do." Carole said. Kurt raised an eyebrow at her, confused. "Invite him over for Christmas, I won't have him spending it alone at his school, it breaks my heart." They all laughed at what a mom she was, and Kurt promised to ask Blaine if he was interested.
"I'm tired, is it alright if I hit the sack a little early?" Finn asked, stretching his arms above his head.
"Do what you want kid, and take your brother with you. You look exhausted Kurt." His son smiled sleepily at him, and let out a yawn. Finn got up and started out the door, closely followed by his shorter sibling.
"Oh, and Kurt," Burt said, just as they were almost out of the room, "If that Blaine kid does come here for the holidays, make sure there's none of that kissing all over the place." Finn couldn't hold back his laugh, tears forming in his eyes. Kurt blushed deeply.
"I don't know what you're talking about." He lied, knowing by the look on his dad's face that he was only teasing.
"Whatever you say, Kid." His dad laughed. Kurt smacked Finn on the head, embarrassed.
"It was his idea!" Finn said, giggling as he opened the basement door and began walking down the stairs. Kurt almost tripped on the last step, when he saw that the room had still remained unchanged since he had left.
"When are you going to redecorate in here, Finn? I know you don't like my side of the room." He was surprised there weren't football posters plastered on Kurt's side of the room, whose Julie Andrews pictures remained untouched.
"Still your room, you know." Finn shrugged. Kurt could not help but smile at this. He walked sluggishly towards the couch, and let himself plop on it happily. Finn sat next to him, grabbing the remote, and turning on the TV.
"How's Rachel?" He smirked smelling her perfume. She must have been in this room a lot lately...
"Meh." Finn shrugged, flipping through the channels. "Same as always. She won't let me touch her." Kurt laughed aloud at this.
"Don't rub it in!" Finn whined. His gay brother got more action than he did. The thing's he put up with for his possessive girlfriend...
"Oh, let's watch Chicago!" Kurt said, jumping up and down in his seat. Finn sighed and flicked the channel to the movie network, where the film was playing. Kurt shrieked.
"You are such a fangirl!" He complained. Thankfully, Finn was rescued from watching the movie when Kurt's phone rang. He grabbed it right away, praying it was a call from Blaine. Finn muted the TV and listened as his brother picked up the phone.
"Hello?...I was just about to watch a movie actually..." Kurt said smiling widely.
"Who is it?" Finn asked, already knowing the answer.
"Mercedes!" Kurt whispered back, taking him by surprise. He expected it to be Blaine. "Okay...come over tomorrow! I'm leaving that night though, I have to get back to Dalton early this weekend...Just a project. Alrighty. Love you Cedes...bye." Kurt hung up and shoved the phone back into his pocket, yawning. Finn turned off the TV, resulting in another smack in the head from Kurt.
"Oh please, we're both tired. Just go to bed!" Finn said, getting up and taking his shirt off, throwing it onto the ground in a crumpled heap. Kurt did the same, walking over to his bedside while unbuttoning his cardigan. He folded it neatly onto his laundry pile and took his shirt off. Neither of the boys took notice of each other as they continued to change into their pajamas. It was amazing how comfortable the two had gotten after they had become brothers.
"Finn?" Kurt asked, pulling on his Dalton sweatpants. His brother, already changed and in bed grunted in response. "Did you like him?" Finn pulled himself up from his pillow, elbows propping him up.
"Why are you so worried about what we think?" He asked as Kurt switched the lights off and sat down on his bed.
"I just want you guys to be okay with it..." Kurt whispered, wiggling under his blanket.
"You're still not over what I said a few months ago." Finn accused, recalling the day he had used the word "Faggot" in this very room.
"No, that's in the past. I forced myself onto you which was inappropriate. I just-I want you guys-" Kurt found himself unable to finish the sentence, not exactly sure of what he had been afraid of.
"We like him, Kurt. He seems like a chill guy. We're happy for you. Especially your dad. Well-our dad."
"Really?" Kurt said, choking up just a little bit.
"Yeah. Now go to bed or I swear to God, I will make you sleep outside." Finn said sleepily. Kurt let himself fall back onto his pillow, thinking about how lucky he had gotten.
His family approved of his new boyfriend, he had a day to spend with Mercedes tomorrow, and he could still taste Blaine's peppermint mouth on his tongue.
He was going to sleep well that night.
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"What's wrong with him?" Asked a rich voice. Kurt couldn't tell if he was dreaming or not.
"Not sure..." Replied the familiar voice of his brother, Finn. Kurt suddenly felt a sharp stab in the nose, jolting him awake.
"Ow! Finn!" He complained, rubbing his nose. He blinked rapidly for a few seconds, and could just make out Mercedes and his older brother standing by his bedside. He propped himself up into sitting position, allowing Mercedes to sit next to him.
"What are you doing here? I missed you!" He said, giving Mercedes a fierce hug. She embraced him happily, smiling widely.
"We were supposed to hang out today, didn't you remember, white boy?" She asked laughing. Kurt gave her a confused look.
"But it can't be past seven a.m..." Mercedes raised her eyebrows and pointed to the clock on the other side of the room. Kurt groaned, it was three o'clock in the afternoon.
"I've been calling all morning, and Finn said no matter what he did you wouldn't wake up!" She said, not bothering to control her laughter. Kurt gave Finn a piercing look.
"What did you do to me?" He asked, noticing melting ice-cubes scattered on the floor next to his bed. Finn looked away innocently.
"Dude, you have issues. I put ice-cubes down your shirt, I hit you a lot, you were starting to freak me out. So I got her to come over and help me. We've been at it for a half hour..." He stared at Kurt, wondering if he was ill. "Turns out all you needed was a poke in the nose."
"I'm just really tired." He said, stretching and setting his feet on the cold, wet floor. "Do you mind if I hit the showers, Mercedes? I'll make it really quick, I promise!" Mercedes gave him a smile which he took as a "Take your time."
"I'll be upstairs," She said, pointing at his bed-head. "and you better get that checked out if you wanna go out in public with me." Finn laughed, while Kurt turned a deep red.
"Oh ha-ha, Mercedes." He said, smiling as he walked towards the bathroom. He opened the door, entered, and made sure it was locked before beginning his morning facial routine. He decided to cut down the toning, and used one moisturizer instead of three to keep his face fit for the rest of the day. He ducked his head under the sink, having taken a shower last night, and only needing to wash his hair. A record breaking fifteen minutes later, Kurt was primped up, and ready to go. He examined his handy work in the mirror before leaving to meet his friend upstairs. To an average person, he would have looked great. Yet to himself, he was far from it. Kurt Hummel always had high expectations for skin and hair care.
"It'll be embarrassing to go out in public like this...but I don't want to keep her waiting." He thought to himself.
Anything for Mercedes.
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"So, how's Blaine?" Mercedes asked, winking at her porcelain friend. She noticed that he flushed and looked down before answering.
"He's fine." Kurt decided not to elaborate, keeping his friend guessing. "Could I make myself some hot chocolate?" He asked, before she could pursue the subject. Mercedes nodded reluctantly, wanting to hear more about Kurt's boyfriend, but pointed him to the chocolate mix in the kitchen nonetheless. They had arrived at her house a mere hour ago, exchanging stories about Dalton and McKinley, catching each other up on what had happened in the week after they last saw each other.
"Finn told me Blaine's your boyfriend." Mercedes teased, following Kurt into the kitchen, watching amusedly at how he pointedly looked away from her when she said this.
"Yeah, he is." Kurt said, pouring water into the kettle, and setting it on the stand. Mercedes laughed. "What's so funny?" He asked, finally turning to look at her. He had a playful expression on his face.
"Just how embarrassed you are! It's adorable though, I'm really happy for you." She said, watching him rip open a sac of hot chocolate mix and pour it into an empty mug.
"You're sweet. How's Anthony?" Kurt asked, wishing Mercedes would find someone already. She shrugged, smiling. "Still just friends, huh?" He said, giving her a hopeful smile.
"Yeah, but I think he likes me." She said looking dazed. Kurt laughed, pouring the now boiling water into his mug, and stirring the hot chocolate. Mercedes motioned for him to follow her back onto the living room couch. He trailed out of the kitchen slowly, not wanting to spill his hot drink, and took his seat next to her. He was secretly a klutz, but he would never admit it. Kurt stared at Mercedes, who looked deep in thought.
"What's on your mind?" He asked his best friend. She turned to stare at him as he blew into his mug.
"Kurt, are you happy?" She asked, still inspecting his face closely, looking for any hesitation. Kurt shrugged.
"I think so." He said, not having thought about "happiness" since the kiss with Karofsky.
"I mean, at Dalton." She said, still watching him, eyebrows furrowed.
"Oh, yes. Yes, I am. It's not the best, but it's better than McKinley...I've met some really great people...and then there's Blaine and Wes..." He smiled into space, already missing his school. "Of course the downside is I'm an hour away from home, and my family. An hour away from you and the rest of the glee gang." She reached over and squeezed his hand, grinning.
"Thank God! I worry about you, all alone up there." Kurt smiled, squeezing her hand back tightly.
"You're too good to me. I know going to Dalton made it seem like I was running away, like a coward, but it was hard. You gave me the courage to go, because you're never afraid, and you go for everything that you want." He leaned on her shoulder, feeling her arm wrap around his shoulders.
"Kurt Hummel, you are the best, kindest, bravest friend I have ever had. Don't let anybody in this entire world tell you that you are a coward." She heard Kurt sigh contently, and they stayed there in that position for the next hour or so. Neither of them spoke a word, because they didn't need to. Mercedes was comfortable with silence, and it was a trait Kurt cherished. It was comforting to be close to someone other than Blaine, especially one that didn't attend Dalton.
"Hey, Cedes?" Kurt started after an hour of relaxed silence. She didn't respond. Her breathing was steady and even. Kurt chuckled to himself, she was adorable. He shook her awake, motioning at the clock.
"Ugh! I'm so sorry, you must have been bored. Why didn't you wake me?" She asked, rubbing her eyes.
"I like just sitting here with you. Its calming." Kurt smiled up at her, glancing up at the clock again. "It's only six o'clock, I still have an hour to spare!" He got up, ready for a duet, or movie marathon. Mercedes gave him a motherly look.
"Kurt, you need to be back at Dalton tonight. It's an hour drive. I want you to stay, but I don't like the idea of you driving all the way up there alone...it's already getting dark." Kurt tried to protest, but she shushed him with her finger, and lead him out of the room into the main hallway.
"No, no, no. It's not fair, we still need to catch up!" Kurt whined, walking down the stuffed hallway childishly. Mercedes opened the door to their left, and pointed to the front door.
"Love you, Kurt. Text me when you get back to Dalton." He smiled at her, opening his arms. She accepted his hug graciously, and planted a kiss on his cheek. He bent down to slip his shoes on.
"I love you, Mercedes." He said simply, his new Dolce and Gabbana shoes on and fabulous. He opened the door, and stumbled uncertainly out of her house. He continued down the driveway towards his car, and waved goodbye to his friend. "I'm sorry for not visiting more often!" He called, watching her wave from the doorway. She gave him a sympathetic look, knowing he missed her and felt guilty about his busy schedule. She was right, it was starting to get dark. He unlocked his car, and pulled himself into it.
"She always knows what's best for me..." Kurt reflected happily. Mercedes was a gift. A gift granted to him, that he was eternally grateful for. He pulled out of her driveway, watching her eyes follow him as he sped down the road, and out of sight. He lived a mere fifteen minutes away from Mercedes' house so he wasn't worried about driving in the dark.
"Oh sweet mother of pearl!" Kurt shrieked, swerving his car dangerously. A cat had run under his car. He pulled over and stopped the car's engine, pulling the key's out of the ignition. He took a deep breath to steady himself, heart racing. He decided to call Finn, too shaken to continue to drive. He managed to press all the right buttons, and soon enough Finn answered their home phone.
"Yello?"
"Hey, Finn. It's Kurt." He said, his breathing back at a normal rate now.
"Hey, what's going on?" Finn asked, worried.
"I'm on my way home from Mercedes' house...I pulled over after I almost ran over a cat and crashed my car. I'm kind of scared to drive back home." Kurt admitted, frowning to himself. Now that he had said it out loud he felt stupid. Finn chuckled just a little.
"You alright? Need a lift?" He asked, trying to look past the humor in the situation. Kurt laughed.
"I think I'm fine. Sorry, I was being stupid. I'll be home to pick up my stuff soon, and then I'll leave back for school."
"Later bro, watch out for deers." Finn teased.
"Oh shut it!" Kurt yelled back into his cellphone, before turning it off and throwing it onto the passenger seat. He was about to restart the car when he noticed where he had pulled over in his rush to get away from the cat to calm himself. It was a gas station. His stomach grumbled, begging for a taco. Smiling, he scooped up some change from the dashboard into his pocket, and opened his car door. Once the vehicle was locked, he walked the few short meters to the entrance of the cheap, gas station store. His hand touched the ice cold handle, and almost turned it, before a voice stopped him. A voice he never wanted to hear again in his life.
"Hey, faggot! I thought you moved to gaytown?" Kurt turned around to see Dave Karofsky pumping gas into his car.
"Stay away from me." He said strongly, though his hands were shaking. Karofsky jammed the nozzle back into it's place, and stepped around his car towards Kurt.
"I thought I made it clear that I didn't want no Homo's walking around my area. You want a hot date with the fury, Hummel?" He stepped forwards towards Kurt, and nudged him in the shoulder with his fist. This small action caused tiny Kurt to stumble backwards, almost falling. He tried to say something, something brave, but all that came out of his mouth was a whimper.
"Get the fuck out of here." He said, stepping closer to him and slamming him onto the hard concrete ground. Kurt led out a small groan of pain as a shard of glass from the pavement cut deep into his elbow. He pulled him up by the arm, squeezing it tightly.
"Ow, let go!" He screamed, flailing his arms at the large boy. Karofsky pulled back to kick him hard in the shins, sending Kurt onto the ground for the second time that night. He made to step closer to him, cracking his knuckles, but Kurt was too quick for him. He scrambled up from the ground and sprinted back towards his car. He was sure the bully was chasing him, but when he looked back, he was being lectured by the station owner for not paying for his gas.
"I got lucky..." Kurt thought to himself as he fumbled with the keys to his car. Thankfully, he got the door open and jumped inside, jamming the keys into the ignition as if his life depended on it. He started the car and drove away shaking, before Karofsky could see where he had gone. Kurt drove in silence, trying to control his whimpering. No one could know about this...Especially not Finn or his dad. They would just get angry, and worried. He didn't need that for them. He took deep breaths to calm himself down...if anyone asked, he fell on the ground, and was still shaken from the cat incident. It had happened so quickly, Kurt was still in shock.
"It's okay. You're okay. He didn't do anything but push you once or twice. Everything is fine." He repeated to himself out loud the entire way home, trying to convince himself that what had just happened was unimportant. An eternity later, he pulled into his driveway. Kurt cut the ignition, and bolted out of the car. The driveway was slicked down with ice, so he was forced to take his time getting to the front door. He almost slipped on the last step of his porch, but miraculously found his balance before tumbling to the ground. He walked up towards the entrance.
"Come on, open!" He muttered to himself, trying to budge the locked door to his house. He knocked on it furiously, desperate to get inside. Kurt knew Karofsky was far away, but couldn't help but feel unsafe. Blissfully, Carole opened up the door after seven knocks, and gave him a big hug.
"Come in sweetie, you're freezing!" She said, closing the door behind him as he stepped into the warm house. Burt and Finn appeared in the hallway.
"I have all your stuff ready for you kiddo. I know we didn't get to spend that much time together this weekend, but I want you back at that school before it get's even darker." He said, holding out Kurt's small messenger bag in his hand. Kurt tried to plaster on a smile, and took the bag. He murmured a thanks to his dad for his thoughtfulness. It was then that he noticed there was blood tricking down his white sweater.
"Kurt, what the hell happened to you?" Finn asked, taking in the small path of blood from his elbow to his hand. "You look freaked out."
"Oh, honey, what happened?" Carole asked, also noticing how uncomfortable Kurt looked now that Finn brought it up. Kurt laughed nonchalantly.
"Nothing, I fell." He said, trying to convince them. His father stared at him, very seriously.
"Kurt, you look petrified." He said, narrowing his eyes at the frown lines forming on his sons face.
"I'm fine, did Finn tell you about the cat?" He said, giggling. "I thought I killed it, I felt terrible!" His family nodded at him, a little less tense.
"You're sure that you're alright?" Carole asked him. Kurt nodded vigorously.
"It's nothing you guys. I almost killed a cat, I'm shaken up about it. I fell on the ice outside, so there's a small cut on my elbow. You can stop worrying, I'm fine." He smiled at his family convincingly this time, and they continued to relax.
"Maybe we're overreacting. I just don't want to see you hurt again." Burt said, handing Kurt a jacket. "You want a ride back to Dalton?" Kurt shook his head, knowing he would not be able to keep up this facade for another hour.
"Take care, see you next week, man!" Finn said, still a small trace of suspicion on his face. He pulled him into a short hug, slapping Kurt on the back several times.
"Bye Finn." He smiled, turning to his parents. "Bye mom and dad." He said as cheerfully as he could muster. They both pulled him into tight hugs, a little tighter than usual. They were still not entirely convinced about Kurt's story.
"Next week, we're hanging out. One on one." Burt said, patting his sons head. Kurt laughed, and nodded in agreement. He opened the front door, and found himself back outside again.
"Bye Carole!" He said, waving back at his mother as he trudged down the driveway. His family continued to wave at him until he turned his car on and drove away, off to Dalton. It was pitch black now, and once he was sure his family was no longer watching, Kurt let more whimpers escape his mouth.
He was scared.
A/N: So what did you think? This was personally a very difficult chapter for me to write...I wanted more Blaine, and less hurt Kurt, but I just had to write it. New chapter later today! Keep an eye out for it (:
PS: Did you know that Chris Colfer was a big fan of AVPM before Darren was even on the show? I learned that today, and it made my entire life.
Chris Colfer is totally awesome (: