19

Blinded with Rage

"Cooper?" Kurt repeated, confused.

"Kurt, um, this-this is," he breathed, still wide-eyed. "This is my brother Cooper."

"I didn't know you had a brother," he said.

"Nice to meet you," the elder Anderson smiled, offering his hand to him.

"Likewise," Kurt agreed, nodding. Cooper frowned, his arm back to his side.

"He can't see you, Coop," Blaine snapped, already angry. "He's blind."

"Oh," he realized, taking a closer look at Kurt's eyes. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know."

"It's fine," Kurt assured, smiling, unsure how to behave toward this man. "Happens all the time."

"What are you doing here, Cooper?" Blaine demanded, jaw clenched and set, gripping Kurt's hand like a lifeline.

"I heard Dad was in jail and awaiting trial. So I came up here," he said quietly.

"Who called you?" He spat.

Cooper paused, as if weighing the consequences about what he was going to say. "Mom." He watched the anger in Blaine's eyes deepen, rage sparking behind his bright eyes.

"And did she tell you why Dad was in jail?" He growled, fists clenched.

"Yeah," he said softly, looking weary. "Yeah, she did, but I wanted to hear it from you. I want to hear your take on it." He looked at him, desperation in his eyes, pleading.

"My take? You mean you actually want to hear my side of things for once."

"Blaine-"

"I think I should go inside," Kurt whispered, patting Blaine's shoulder. "Do you need me out here?"

"No, no, it's fine," he assured, hanging onto him a little longer than necessary before accepting his departure.

The brothers stood in silence for what felt like years but only could've been minutes. Neither made eye contact with the other, Blaine lost in a haze of rage while Cooper stood awkwardly, chewing his lip. Looking as if he wanted the Earth to open and swallow him up.

"What'd she tell you?" Blaine finally grunted, sucking on his tongue ring.

"That you and Dad got into it pretty bad and your boyfriend called the police on him." Blaine scoffed, laughing ruefully.

"That fucking bitch," he snarled. "That stupid fucking bitch. How the fuck can she say that with a straight face?"

"Then tell me what happened," he pleaded. "I want to understand what's going on with our family, Blaine. I know she was bullshitting and I want you to set this straight."

"Why, so you can not believe me again, call me a criminal and tell the judge that I should be locked up?" He retorted, venom in his tone. Cooper stepped back as if struck.

"How many times do I have to apologize for that?" He said sadly. "You know I just wanted the best thing for you."

"IF YOU WANTED WHAT WAS BEST FOR ME YOU WOULD'VE TAKEN ME WITH YOU WHEN I ASKED YOU TO!" He bellowed. "You were my only way out, Cooper. Only way to keep me safe before Kurt came along and you left me."

"I told you-"

"You just didn't want to get saddled with me," he said, shaking his head. "Don't give me the same bullshit that you gave me then. I'll beat your fucking face in if you try." Cooper just stared at him.

"Blaine, please, tell me what's happened? What'd you and Dad fight about-"

"IT WASN'T A FIGHT!" Screaming again. He stalked toward him, getting in his face, hissing as he spoke. "Being beaten senseless while I was chained to my bed isn't a fight. Wrapping a chain around your son's neck like a dog collar and dragging him into the bathroom to burn him with a curling iron isn't a fight. Shoving his head under water over and over again isn't either. How about crying for your mother to get out from behind her scotch glass and help you while a boot kicks your ribs so hard they break? Begging for the woman that's supposed to protect you while you vomit blood on the floor? The man we call father tied me down and sliced me up. He threatened to fucking castrate me, Cooper. And he'd been doing shit like this since you left. Since I came out. He's been beating me all this time and my big brother, who told me I could tell him anything, that I could always come to you if I needed help brushed me off. Turned me away like a fucking leper and took Mommy and Daddy's side because I was just trying to get attention." He lifted his shirt, revealing the fresh scars covering his body. "DO YOU BELIEVE ME NOW? YOU GET IT NOW, COOP?"

His voice echoed around them, dying away.

Cooper looked at his baby brother, angry and broken in front of him. His own chest ached at the sight. "Oh my god, Blaine-" He reached out to him, only to be slapped away.

"Don't," he said shortly. "I don't need you now. If you're not gonna be there for me then, why the fuck would I let you now?"

"Blaine, just let me-"

"Leave," he said, turning away from him. "Just go, Cooper. You cut me out of your life a long time ago. It's about time I do the same, don't you think?"

Cooper looked at him helplessly, tears filling his eyes. "Blaine, I'm so sorry. I...I didn't know."

"Didn't bother to listen when I needed you to," he snapped. "Now go before I get Mr. Hummel to make you."

Cooper bowed his head before shaking it, slowly turning away and walking back to his car.

Blaine didn't even flinch when he heard his sobs echo over the lawn.

"You didn't even let him talk," Kurt said beseechingly.

"I didn't want to hear his excuses," he said stoically. "I have more important things to worry about. Like sectionals, and school, and you. He wouldn't deal with me when I needed him, so I'm not about to do the same."

"Blaine, he's your brother."

"Never acted like it."

Kurt put a gentle hand on his shoulder, rubbing his back to try and soothe him. Blaine looked at him, tenderness creeping into his face. "Tell me about him," he said softly. "Why do you hate your brother so much?"

"I tried to tell him what my dad did to me, tried a couple times. It never worked. He always thought I was making it up just to cause more trouble for my parents."

"Didn't you show him the bruises?" He asked gently.

"Thought it was from fights at school. Told me to stop trying to get attention because I was jealous of him or something. I'm happy he's in commercials and stuff. I'm glad he's doing what he wants. That's all that mom and dad talked about when he was around. Always asking me to be more like Cooper. 'Cooper isn't a faggot. We raised him right.' 'What the fuck is wrong with you, freak? Why can't you be more like your brother?' 'Act right, be like Cooper.' 'We've got one normal son and this thing.'" He shook his head, looking at his lap. "I wasn't good enough for them, and I sure as hell wasn't good enough for Cooper. Never paid attention to me or what I wanted. He just bossed me around when I was little and pushed me out of his life when he was old enough to drive. He told his friends I was a criminal for no reason. I guess I was," he shrugged.

"Barely acknowledged me outside of the house. He was in college when I was in 8th grade, when I came out. Mom and Dad tried to keep him in the dark about it. One Christmas I couldn't take it anymore and I blurted it at the table. Mom cried, Dad cussed and Cooper just sat there looking at me. I ruined Christmas again that year. He never stuck up for me, never thought I was telling the truth and they were lying. No, Blaine was the bad seed with too many issues to function. He didn't want to deal with me. Then he shows up on your front porch looking at me like I'm the villain again? Fuck that. Fuck him. I don't need Mom, I don't need Dad and I sure as hell don't need him. I don't need anyone." He put his hand over Kurt's, squeezing softly. "Nobody but you."

Kurt smiled, kissing him and sending a thrill through his heart that only happened with his lips. Blaine sighed, resting their foreheads together.

"I know you don't want to talk to him," Kurt whispered. "I know you really don't, but you've only got one brother, Blaine. Maybe this time'll be different. You never know, maybe he's ready to listen."

Blaine nodded stiffly. "I'll talk to him. Maybe."

Kurt kissed him again, deeper, opening his mouth with his own to slide his tongue inside. "You wanna talk about something else?"

Blaine grinned wryly, lust rising in his eyes. "Like what?"

"Well," Kurt kissed up beside his ear, dropping his voice to a dark whisper. "We have the house to ourselves again tonight..." His hand slipped between his legs, rubbing teasing circles on the zipper of his jeans. Blaine whined in his throat, his soft lips suckling on his neck. "I think it's an opportunity we should take advantage of."

Blaine chuckled darkly, staring at him. "I've created a monster."

A/N: Sexy times will be continued next time!