Author's Note: Oh dear lord, I love this story so much that I wrote the fifth installment right after I posted the fourth chapter! Thank you so much for the reviews! I really loved your feedback and getting your support means the world to me.

This is a quick update but the next one may take a little longer, just so you know!

I'm sorry for those of you who don't like Hunter. I usually hate OCs but I didn't know who to put Kurt with and I didn't want to do Sam or Karofsky who are generally the go-to options (and Puck and Finn are a little out of the question for me... sorry guys!)

I got a lot of feedback that said Blaine was OOC and I'm sorry about that but I wanted to write a different point of view for him. I'm going to try to give him more of a back story, but I think that people should realize that perhaps there's more to Blaine than the happy, laidback, bubbly guy we see on the show.

Anyways, that's enough rambling, here's the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of the characters. Kurt Hummel/Chris Colfer and Blaine Anderson/Darren Criss are not mine (unfortunately). (I do own Hunter Birdell).

Summary: "There's a knock at the door and Kurt opens it to see a drenched Blaine Anderson looking lost and defeated." Blaine tells his parents about Kurt with disastrous consequences.

Genre: Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Drama

Warnings: Possible language, abuse

Rating: Upped to M (just to be safe)

Pairings: Kurt/Blaine (Klaine)

COURAGE

When Kurt breaks the news to his family that Hunter's asked him to be his boyfriend, there's an uncomfortable silence. The pasta on Burt's fork drops onto his plate, Carole looks at him, her eyes wide, and Finn's eyebrows arch high into his forehead in a look of confusion.

It's only when Kurt makes an audible "ahem" in his throat that his family starts to react. Carole smiles with him, her eyes crinkling up at the corners, and says, "That's so great to hear, Kurt!" and Finn looks at Kurt and can only say, "Wait, Hunter's gay?" until his mom smacks him in the arm. It's Burt who stays quiet and silently stabs his tortellini, his expression hardening and his eyes serious.

Finn and Carole (okay, mainly Carole) really try to be nice and ask Kurt questions about Hunter, but everyone is aware of the awkwardness. Carole's eyes don't look as happy as the time Kurt told her about Blaine and Finn is grimacing in a fake smile like he's constipated. Burt says nothing the entire meal, only breaking his silence to ask Carole to pass the salt.

It's later, when Kurt is lying in bed, texting Mercedes, that there's a knock at his door and he looks up to see his dad. Burt stands awkwardly in the doorway, his eyes hard but kind, and his mouth drawn tight in a straight line.

"Son, can I come in?" he asks in a gravelly voice, and Kurt sits up straight and nods.

"Yes, of course, Dad."

Kurt can tell from his dad's body language that he's tired and he wonders what's up. Burt sits down on Kurt's bed with him. He takes off his cap and folds it in his hands, and looks at his son with piercing green eyes.

"Kurt," he begins, "are you sure about this Hunter guy?"

When Kurt opens his mouth to object, his dad waves him off, signing that he wants to continue.

"Kurt, don't get me wrong. I am happy for you, happy that you've been able to move past Blaine, because God knows that you were beating yourself up about something that wasn't your fault. But son, you're getting yourself into another relationship so quickly. I know you say that you're old enough to handle yourself and I know you think you know what you want, but shouldn't you take some time for yourself? Blaine, even though things didn't end well with him—son, he cared about you. He was really important to you and you have so many good memories with him, and getting a new boyfriend might not be the best way to try and erase all those good memories."

Kurt bristles defensively. Burt doesn't know half of the story, and he begins trying to formulate the words to tell his dad about everything, about Blaine with the girl in the coffee shop, about the phone call, about how incredibly shitty Kurt's felt the last few weeks, but his confidence wavers and instead he retorts, "Dad, Hunter is a good, no great boy. He's respectful and intelligent, and-"

"-and he doesn't have the least bit in common with you," Burt calmly interrupts Kurt.

"That is not true," Kurt bites back, his hands clenching angrily, but his answer doesn't even sound completely true to his own ears.

Burt sighs tiredly and runs his hand over his head. He puts a hand comfortingly on Kurt's shoulder and squeezes, and then gets up and leaves Kurt thinking about his father's words.

Kurt is glad his dad doesn't call him out on the wavering note in his answer.

Kurt spends the weekend trying to eradicate all memories of a fair, dark-haired boy with corny jokes, shining eyes, a pure voice, and expressive eyebrows, and fill his mind instead with thoughts of a coppery-haired, tan boy with a hitched smile.

After they've made it official, Hunter walks into McKinley proudly, his hand laced in Kurt's. Kurt smiles at the perplexed student body as they gape and stare at the couple, mouths wide open like goldfish. He imagines the thoughts that are rushing through their minds—mainly their shock that Hunter has turned out to be gay, and that some loser like Kurt has managed to snatch him.

It's only about three minutes after they've entered school. Kurt is sorting through his locker for school books while Hunter rests his head lazily on the back of Kurt's shoulder, his hands placed gently around Kurt's waist, pressing a gentle kiss to the side of Kurt's neck, when they're both met with the ice cold shock of a slurpee. It's a cherry slushy, and Kurt can feel the burning humiliation even through the freezing shards of ice. He wipes red slush miserably off of his face and flicks it to the floor, knowing that his Alexander McQueen get-up is completely destroyed and there's no way that his Burberry handbag will make a recovery. The jocks that have slushied them hi-five each other and walk away laughing, but Kurt is too preoccupied with the juice dripping out of his ear to throw a comeback at them.

It's mainly Hunter he's worried about.

The glossy-haired boy with bright eyes looks at Kurt in complete shock. Most of the ice was thrusted down the back of his shirt, and the red liquid is pooling in Hunter's pants and his shoes, and he is shivering (Kurt's not sure if it's from his utter embarrassment or the cold, but he's hoping that it's the latter).

"Here," he says, extending a sticky, red hand to Hunter. Kurt is relieved when Hunter takes his hand, and follows him obediently into the bathroom.

Kurt ignores the artificial coloring in his ear as he gently wipes the corn syrup from Hunter's hair and face with a package of moist towelettes. He's trying desperately hard to forget that the last time he and Hunter were in the boys' bathroom together, it was Hunter who was helping Kurt out, and that by some cruel fate their roles have been reversed.

Through the cleaning, Hunter stays quiet, his eyes glued on the floor. He follows every one of Kurt's orders obediently, but his eyes are sad and sorrowful.

Kurt goes through about half a package of moist towelettes before he decides that's the best he can do. He wipes some of the syrup from his own face before it runs into his eye and then says softly, in a barely audible voice, "I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" Hunter asks. He's stopped shaking, and his hair is damp and sticky, but at least his skin is clean.

"For, you know..." Kurt trails off lamely, "you never would have gotten slurpeed if it hadn't been for me."

And once that initial confession has forced its way out, it's like a dam has broken, and all of Kurt's insecurities come flooding out of him. "I understand completely, Hunter, if you don't want to be with me. I know that I'm a loser and you were—are—not on the same social level, and I know I'm a little messed up and-"

He's surprised when he's interrupted by a gentle kiss, and fingers raking their way through his matted, syrupy hair. The lips come off of his, and he finds himself staring right into Hunter's hazel eyes.

"I'm proud to be with you, Kurt Hummel, and don't you forget it," is the simple statement, and as Kurt stands in shock, his fingers reaching up to touch his lips where Hunter's have just been, Hunter busies himself pulling out some towelettes and wiping Kurt's face clean.

Kurt just stands there numbly, and wonders if there is a God after all and if his life is finally turning around.

They're at the Lima Bean one day after school, and Hunter's hand is intertwined with Kurt's. Both of the boys order, and Hunter shushes Kurt when he offers to pay. Instead, he plants a kiss right on Kurt, right in the middle of the line, and tells Kurt to go find a seat while he picks up their coffee and scones.

Kurt walks of, a bit dazedly, a smile dancing on his lips, and finds a small table with two empty seats. He sits down, feeling a bit lightheaded from the emotions and outright adoration that Hunter has for him.

Kurt hums happily to himself, his eyes closed, replaying Hunter's kiss in his head over and over again. He opens his eyes when he hears a rustle in front of him, expecting to see Hunter with a wide grin and a cornucopia of food.

But it's not Hunter.

"What do you want?" Kurt spits, without taking any efforts to hide the animosity within his tone.

Blaine looks taken aback. He threads his fingers through his dark, chocolate-colored hair and there's anxiety in his eyes. His face is thin and drawn, and he's jumpy, looking back and forth over his shoulders periodically as if he's afraid Puck will jump out of nowhere and beat the shit out of him (which Puck really did promise Kurt he would do, so Blaine's concerns are not unfounded). Blaine's always been small (at least smaller than Kurt), but sitting there in the Lima Bean chair, his body hunched over, he looks almost pathetic.

Kurt is shocked at Blaine's appearance, but he masks his emotions. "What do you want?" His voice carries venom, and he raises one eyebrow, indicating that he is not happy with Blaine's company.

Blaine speaks then, his voice hoarse. "Who is that?" he points a shaking finger at Hunter, who is standing in the long line, waiting to pick up the order.

Kurt tries to ignore the injured tone in his voice because how dare he? How dare Blaine try to make Kurt feel sorry for him when he was the one who gave up on their relationship—on them, when he was the one who broke Kurt's heart, when he was the one who decided to turn the tables and play nice Mr. Socially Acceptable Straight Boy for a change? Who the hell is Blaine to come to Kurt now and want sympathy?

"It's none of your business," Kurt replies coldly, and Blaine's face furrows and his lip trembles. "But since you probably aren't going to leave me alone until I tell you, and since I know that you will nag Mercedes and Tina and all of my friends until you find out, he is a good fr—he is my friend. And my boyfriend," Kurt stresses the word, wanting to make Blaine hurt, wanting to make Blaine feel the way Kurt felt when he saw Blaine with that blonde, stick-thin whore.

"I don't like him. I don't think you should date him," Blaine says, a bit stubbornly, his voice laced with faint jealousy, and something in Kurt just snaps.

He gets up, bristling angrily. "Who asked you, Blaine? You don't know the slightest thing about him! What makes you think that I'm entitled to listen to your opinion? I didn't ask you to stop dating that STD-ridden whore! You lost your right to being in my life when you broke up with me! You broke up with me! I was happy with you, Blaine! And now I've found someone who cares about me, who loves me, and who isn't afraid to be with me!"

Kurt knows he's being immature and childish. He's screaming, but he doesn't care; he just needs to get all of his feelings out. It's all so damning, and his head is spinning, and he just wants Blaine to hurt as much as he has, he wants Blaine to be on this emotional rollercoaster that he's had to ride by himself for the past few weeks. "I loved you Blaine, but obviously, you don't feel the same way, so why don't you just get the hell out of my life the way you asked me to get out of yours."

Kurt feels a comforting hand on his shoulder, and he turns abruptly, nearly knocking poor Hunter over. Hunter's holding their baked goods in a paper bag and precariously balancing their coffees in the same hand, and his free hand is still held out hesitantly to Kurt.

Kurt takes it, takes the hand of this new, sweet boy that is leading him into a new chapter of his life, and follows Hunter out of the Lima Bean. Tears spike his eyes and he swallows hard, his nose hot and dripping, as he focuses on keeping the tears from falling and pushes himself into Hunter's warm, comforting embrace. He focuses on trying to erase the image of a lost Blaine, sitting back in the Lima Bean, hot tears trailing in rivulets from his soulful eyes as he stares blankly after Kurt's retreating form.

"Kurt?" It's Finn, and he is hesitant as he stands in Kurt's doorway. He slips his hands nervously over each other and bites his lip. He looks relieved to see that Kurt is in his room alone and there is no Blaine—wait, no Hunter—and that (thank God) Kurt is fully clothed.

"Yes, Finn?" Kurt looks up from where he's tacking a picture of Lady Gaga to a poster board.

Finn looks at his feet and huffs a bit nervously. He digs his hands deep into his pockets before continuing. "Blaine called."

Kurt opens his mouth to reply, but Finn continues, barreling on.

"I told him to fuck off." Finn raises his gaze from the floor to meet Kurt's eyes, searching for approval. It takes some effort but Kurt smiles.

"Thanks, Finn."

Kurt likes Hunter a lot. What isn't there to like?

Hunter is kind, courteous. He opens the door for Kurt when Kurt is getting into his car, takes him to and from school in his gorgeous Bentley, takes Kurt on small, weekly dates. Hunter is gentle with him; he holds Kurt's hand. He doesn't mind kissing Kurt in public (and in fact loves to flaunt Kurt off to anyone who will listen), and he gets along with Kurt's friends. He listens, enthralled, to Kurt's performances inside and out of Glee, and is sensitive about Kurt's feelings.

There is nothing wrong with their relationship. This is the relationship that people search lifetimes for, and many people never find. This is a perfect, glorious relationship straight out of fairy tales.

Except there's one huge problem.

Kurt cannot stop comparing every single little thing Hunter does and says to every single little thing Blaine did and said.

For example, Hunter will hold his hand protectively and affectionately in the Lima Bean and patiently wait for Kurt to order before he orders himself and then pays. Though Kurt appreciates Hunter's gesture—he does, really—he can't help remembering the way Blaine always impulsively ordered for him (and always got Kurt's lattes just right). When Hunter takes Kurt out, dressed in a pair of nice, faded jeans and a t-shirt that clings to his muscled chest just right, Kurt always thinks of Blaine, who always dressed in a nice, button up shirt (sometimes with a tie) or a chic cardigan and dark skinny jeans that showed how much he cared. When Hunter texts Kurt good night :) Kurt can't help but think about how Blaine always included some sort of inside joke, or sweetheart or baby or honey or I love you.

And around Hunter, Mercedes and Tina seemed reserved, quieter. There's not the natural ease that there was with Blaine, where all of them could poke fun at him and punch him lightly and spill embarrassing stories about Kurt (and believe it or not, Kurt even misses that). And sure, Finn thinks Hunter is cool and what-not, but Hunter isn't there to patiently guide Finn through every math question and answer every one of Finn's stupid questions about Hamlet in the way Blaine never failed to do so.

When Kurt is kissing Hunter, sometimes he pictures chocolate, carefree curls rather than coppery tufts, and pale, fair skin rather than the tan skin under his fingers. He imagines those hazel golden eyes replaced by Blaine's simply hazel ones framed with dark lashes, staring at him adoration.

And he misses Blaine's voice. Oh, how he misses Blaine's voice, the pure, raw talent that sprang from Blaine's throat; the way Blaine twirled and swirled around like he was gliding effortlessly, the spring in his step when he got excited. He misses the high notes that Blaine reaches with ease, the excitement that shines in his eyes when he performs.

Kurt hates himself for this; he knows it's not fair to Hunter. Every time Hunter kisses him or cuddles with him, Kurt is overwhelmed by a crashing wave of guilt, but when he yells at himself to stop, he finds that he can't control his wandering mind.

Blaine is an asshole, Blaine did this to him, Blaine broke him.

Then why can't Kurt forget him?

Author's Note: I bet the Klaine lovers are happy, haha.

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