Catalyst

Chapter 15

By Dani J.

Summary: Kurt and Blaine have decided to just be friends and the dapper boy realized he really missed Dalton Academy so he's gone back. No Klaine-bashing is intended, it just wouldn't have worked for this fic. However, Kurt has an admirer in a new kid… and Puck isn't happy at all but doesn't seem willing to step up.

Disclaimer: I own nothing whatsoever. Blame RM and company for this unfairly attractive and addictive group of characters. Well, except for my cute, original character, Kristopher.

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Last chapter: When Noah was about to leave that afternoon, Kurt kissed him almost desperately in the hallway leading off the foyer, mindful of his father's almost looming presence in the living room.

"Call me later," Kurt breathed against Noah's mouth, his body pressed tight to the other's muscular form. Noah barely held back a whine, his hands sliding down the back of Kurt's sweat pants as he pressed him close. With one last, sweet kiss, Kurt let him go, his body thrumming after hours of being too close to Noah and yet unable to do anything. Damn his dad's words!

That week, school was long and boring, the classes almost melding into one another. Kurt had planned on getting Noah to himself as much as possible but what with Glee club and football practices, worst of all his father's presence at home, the boys didn't get much one-on-one time.

Now Kurt was once again in the cafeteria but this time he was joined by Kristopher, looking hot in jeans, boots and biker jacket. Kris had spent much of the week hanging out at spots where he was likely to see and meet Kurt and he watched the pale-skinned diva now with something close to worry.

He didn't know what had changed with Kurt but the boy no longer looked at him like he was ice cream on a hot day. There was still that subtle attraction between them but it was no longer that sharp, cock-twitching force it had been the first week Kris had arrived.

He and Kurt happened to be sitting with a mixed group of Cheerios, Gleeks and some of the A/V Club that Kris had joined. He rather saw himself in the future doing something in the arts or the media, given his penchant for anything artistic so he had first hung out with the audio visual kids and then joined the club. Now he was sat telling Kurt that he should help him out with his project.

Kurt smiled at the boy beside him as he picked at his salad. Truth to tell, only half his mind was on Kris, his words washing over him mostly unheeded. The other half was on Noah who had just come in with a group of very loud jocks. Kris looked up at the commotion and then rolled his eyes, a little smirk on his face.

"Some of those kids are a real waste of space," he announced now, oblivious to the way Kurt's eyes had widened incredulously.

"I beg your pardon?"

Most of the kids who had known Kurt from freshman year knew what that tone meant. Usually it meant that Mr. Hummel was not pleased and he was gearing up to rip a strip off of some unfortunate soul with his acerbic wit.

Kris, clueless to the brewing storm beside him, shrugged as he stuffed a French fry into his mouth. Swallowing, he continued. "No, I mean, look at them; have you ever seen a more pathetic bunch of knuckle-draggers?" He chuckled in a way as to invite Kurt and the others to join him.

Unbeknownst to him, some of the kids had already started clearing away their things, anxious to get out of the blast zone. The particular group that Kris was denigrating happened to include not only Noah, but also Finn, Mike and Sam. Kurt didn't care too much for most of the other jocks but those four were fellow Gleeks.

Kurt opened his mouth to let loose with a stinging put down when Kris continued, "Of course, I don't believe in stereotypes and I know Chang is a straight-A student. I'm gonna ask them to be part of my project, too."

Kurt shook his head, confused and feeling wrong-footed. "Uhm, what?"

Kris looked at him, concerned. "Hey, you okay?" At Kurt's nod he shrugged, took a slug of his vitamin water and continued. "Just looking at those jocks over there, most people who don't know them wouldn't think that they are a pretty interesting bunch of guys, not just brainless jocks, would they?"

Kurt turned to look at the group that was clowning around and acting like any bunch of kids with too much adrenaline flowing through their veins. At the moment, Finn had Sam in a headlock, threatening to mess up his 'perfect blond locks'. The others were watching and hooting with laughter, calling out instructions to Finn as Sam pretended to struggle while laughing hard.

Kris and Kurt watched for a bit before Kris turned back to Kurt. "So, will you help me? My project is going to focus on stereotypes in the average school setting. You guys in the Glee club can be a part of it if you want to."

Kurt smiled at Kris, once again impressed with this kid who could have been a part of the jock culture if he wished but who clearly preferred another path. He nodded, sipped his water and then said, "I'd be happy to be a part of your project, Kris, if you think it will help."

Kris's eyes roved over the beautiful face before him and repressed the urge to just kiss the soft pink lips, right there in the school's cafeteria. "I'd be happy to have you narrate, as well; I love your voice, especially when it gets a little huskier."

Kurt knew his cheeks were red and he lowered his lashes away from the heat of Kris's stare. Seriously, this boy was coming onto him in the lunch room, oblivious to the fact that gay kids in Lima just didn't do that sort of thing. He nodded now, though, and accepted the offer. "I would be happy to narrate it, thank you."

Kris chuckled as he looked at the color in Kurt's face. You know what, he told himself now, it's time to move this thing forward. With that decision made, he moved closer to Kurt and whispered, "If you're not doing anything on Saturday, you could come over to mine and look at some sample tapes, projects I've done before…"

Kurt's eyes flew up to his, widening as he realized what exactly Kris was offering. "Uhm, uh, I need to check on something first. Could I tell you later… if I can make it on Saturday?"

Kris eased back, not wanting to crowd Kurt too much and nodded, pleased with himself. Kurt found him hot, he knew that; there was no way he would pass up the opportunity to hang out with him at his house.

Across the room, almost shielded by the bunch of jocks he was with, Noah watched the interaction between Kurt and Kris. His heart clenched as Kris's flirting seemed to escalate before suddenly Kurt was flushing and stuttering something. Noah knew what that was all about; he himself was a master at getting girls flustered, especially if he'd just asked them to do something hot and heavy with him.

Without saying a word, Noah got up and left the cafeteria unnoticed, heading to the choir room as his spirits sank.

He had thought that, after their date the previous Saturday and Sunday's kisses, that Kurt would just give the Marshall kid his walking papers. No, now it seemed as if Kurt was going to just string him along while still hanging with that other guy.

Noah berated himself for his stupidity; he and Kurt weren't boyfriends. They had been on one date – well, he thought of it as one and a half after their McDonald's lunch outing – and who became serious after one date? No one – and definitely not Kurt Hummel.

Brad, the piano player, was in the choir room going through some sheet music and Noah nodded at him politely. He'd never talked to the man apart from indicating what music he would need if he had to perform but now he turned to him with a little smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Are you married?"

The man looked up, his small eyes glinting behind his round spectacles. None of the kids had ever really spoken to him before and he didn't know many of their names but he knew this kid. He was the Puckerman brat who was almost always in trouble. Now, though, the kid looked down about something and he couldn't just ignore him.

"Uh, yes, I am actually. Why?"

Noah nodded, perched himself on a stool and looked down at the guitar he'd taken from his case that he sometimes left in the choir room.

"When you met her, did you ever wonder what she saw in you?"

Brad was definitely interested now. He guessed the boy was having love problems; the fact that he was talking to him, a virtual stranger about it, meant it was probably serious. The older man smiled a little before replying.

"Oh, yes, lots of times. Still do, actually. I think everyone goes through that, really."

Noah nodded and thought about that for a bit before speaking again. "What if you don't think you're good enough to even try?"

Brad made a little scoffing noise and shifted on the piano bench. "Pfft, if you think she's worth it, you owe it to yourself to try. I take it she's beautiful, maybe popular... and you think she's too far above you? Something like that?"

Noah nodded but there was a soft look on his face and his voice carried out into the hallway where someone was listening to them.

"Yeah, beautiful; hair, skin, eyes, body – the whole works… smart and talented, too. Took me a while to see all that but..." and he shrugged.

"Wow, she sounds almost perfect. Did she seem interested in you?"

Noah nodded but answered aloud. "Yeah, real interested but now, not so much."

Brad shrugged but because Noah wasn't actually looking toward him he said, "What can you do? If you really love her – or at least think you do – go for it. She can only say no."

Noah smiled sadly and muttered, "Thanks," before placing his guitar in its case. He had been going to sing a song he'd been working on but after Brad's words, he thought maybe he should go back to the lunch room and talk to Kurt. Maybe he should just come right out and ask him what was going on. They hadn't had a chance to get together since the weekend because school was just one thing after another but he missed even getting a chance to talk to Kurt face-to-face.

He closed up the guitar case, slid it back into its special place and waved to Brad as he left, his heart a little lighter.

Kurt strode back into the lunch room, smiling grimly as he saw Kris still sitting with the group and came up to him.

Kris looked up and smiled, his green eyes lighting up as he saw Kurt. "Hey, back already?"

Kurt nodded and tried a little smile, hoping it didn't look strained. "Yes, about Saturday? Yes, I'll be free."

"Yes? Okay - great!" Kris gathered up his stuff, dumped the trash and waved to his group before leaving the cafeteria, Kurt walking quietly beside him. "Everything okay?"

Kurt looked almost as if he hadn't heard him and then, squaring his shoulders he gave Kris a little smile before saying, "Perfectly."

The tone was one Kris hadn't heard before but right now he was just glad that Kurt was willing to come and hang out with him in two days' time. As they reached a junction in the corridors, Kurt turned right as he turned left but Kris called back quietly, "See you on Saturday, then; I'll pick you up."

With a wave of his hand, Kurt headed for his next class, his mind going back to Noah's conversation with Brad.

It was too much to hope that Noah was really gay; after all, there he was, having a heart-to-heart with Brad of all people about 'her'. No doubt it was some Cheerio and Noah was impressed enough to describe her as 'beautiful and talented'.

Kurt smirked to himself cynically as he thought of his dad's words on Sunday. He guessed his dad was right after all, not that he would ever tell him that. He was also right too in that he was not a baby anymore. He knew exactly what Kristopher was after and everyone was getting their jollies where they could. Why shouldn't he join the happy throng?

This Saturday, he would take it slow with Kristopher – long and slow hours of sex, that is. Pure sex… no emotions mixed up in it to make it more than what it was.

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Noah, on his way back to the cafeteria, watched Kurt walk away from Kristopher, no doubt headed to his next class but his mind had stalled on the word 'Saturday' and Kurt's nod.

Kurt was going out with Kris on Saturday and from the look on the guy's face, it was going to be… more.

Noah felt as if someone had hit him with a heavy pillow; he felt stunned but his body wasn't hurt. His mind kept swinging between what he'd just told Brad and what he'd just heard. He couldn't even call out to Kurt and he wondered if this was what they meant by shock.

Why did he even allow Brad's words to give him hope that he didn't deserve to feel? Of course Kurt wouldn't prefer him to the Marshall kid. He had never been a beast to Kurt; from the first moment he'd met Kurt he'd made it plain how much he was into him.

Yet he himself had known Kurt for years and it was only when this Marshall guy had shown an interest had he realized how he'd felt about Kurt. How pathetic was that? No, it was better to stick with the tried and true and as luck would have it, the tried and true turned up immediately.

Turning around he pasted a smile on his face and said, "Ladies!"

The trio of Cheerios – sophomores from the looks of them – giggled in stereo and Puck felt a sick twist to his stomach. Girls were what he was used to, so girls were what he would stick with. It was just like him to go and make a fool of himself in front of the Hudmels and now Brad.

He smirked sexily at the girls who were all preening and sticking out their chests at him and he chuckled in the old patented Puckster way and gathered them under his arms, strutting with them down the corridors as the bell for the next period rang.

Yeah, tried and true was safer.

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Friday night – family night at the Hudmel residence – was a strained affair. Kurt admitted privately it was his fault because when his dad had asked if he could come into the shop for the whole day on Saturday, Kurt had been a little less than respectful in his reply.

"You could have said something earlier, dad! I have a date for tomorrow." He had almost glared at his father, much to Carole and Finn's surprise.

Burt had not liked his tone and told him so, adding, "And anyway, Puckerman wouldn't mind, he can always come and keep you company there."

The silence that had followed Kurt's snippy rejoinder, "It's not with Puck," was incredulous at best.

"What do you mean it's not with Puckerman?"

"It's that Kristopher kid again, isn't it." Finn found it necessary to put in his tuppence worth.

"And what if it is," Kurt replied, even snippier than before. "What is it to you who I date, Finn?"

"Now look here, kid, there's no need for that tone here." Burt's voice had risen and Kurt had backed down, a mutinous look on his face. "Last weekend you were all over Puckerman – and don't think I don't know about those ten minutes in the hallway before he left."

Kurt flushed, biting his lips as he ducked his head, trying to block out Carole's surprised murmur and Finn's equally quiet, "oh, man".

Burt stared at the top of his son's head and then said softly, "Hey, what's going on with you, huh? I thought things were working out with Puckerman. I mean, I don't know if you were actually dating but you seemed to like him…"

Kurt nodded and then said lowly, "I thought things were okay, too."

Burt touched the back of the hand nearest him to get Kurt to look at him. "So, yeah, what happened between then and now?"

Kurt lifted his chin, pulling on his mask of imperturbability and Burt recognized that whatever he was going to say hurt him a lot. "Well, a leopard can't change its spots, right? I heard Puck talking about some girl he loved, how beautiful she was and talented."

"What?!"

All three listeners had spoken at once and Kurt chuckled humorlessly as he nodded. "Yes, in the choir room; he was talking to Brad, the piano guy."

"Really, I didn't even know he could talk?" Finn's comment caused a short silence and then Burt shook his head, his face full of concern for his hurting son.

"Are you certain you heard Puckerman say that?"

Kurt nodded sharply and, with his lips pursed, he looked squarely at his dad before saying, "Absolutely; in fact, shortly after that, just as I was going into class after lunch, I looked up and there he was at the end of the hallway, walking with his arms around three Cheerios. So… yeah."

Everyone had looked at him with varying degrees of pity which he hated but accepted as they were his family. So, now here he was on Saturday, taking extra diligent care to wash and prep his body, although his mind was somewhat frozen. He had no idea how expert Kris was with boy-on-boy encounters but he was taking no chances.

Even if the water on his face wasn't all from the shower head, he was determined he would have fun that day. He hadn't had sex since before he and Blaine had parted ways and his body was telling him it was about time. It didn't matter that Kris wasn't his first choice; what mattered was having fun, wasn't it?

Choosing his clothes with care, Kurt finally stood in front of his full-length mirror and inspected his appearance. The tight black jeans were not so tight they couldn't be slid out of easily and he was wearing a thin, vibrantly blue shirt without his usual undershirt. That meant that his nipples would respond immediately to any stimulus – whether it was touch or simply a draught of cold air. No one knew that that was why he dressed in so many layers; he had extra-sensitive nipples and once he had been abused by some stupid sixth-graders who had teased him for having pointy, girly nipples. He was never seen without his layers after that.

He turned around so he could see the fit of the jeans and he adjusted the shirt to his satisfaction before finally grabbing a jacket. It was black and butter-soft, leather of the finest quality and matched his gleaming boots. He knew he was going over to Kris's ostensibly to work on a project but both he and Kris knew it was about a whole lot more than audio visual coursework.

He climbed the stairs after giving the room one last look and headed out into the foyer to wait for Kris. This time, his dad wanted Kris to come inside for a few minutes, so Kurt waited for him; he smiled a little when he heard the distinctive sound of the engine of his muscle car.

Kris had just about stepped up to the door when it was flung open and Kurt was there, looking like a walking wet dream in an amazing cobalt blue shirt and jet black clothing. He almost felt himself salivating as he took in the determined look in the aquamarine eyes. Oh, yes, Kurt was definitely on board with Kris's plans for the afternoon, from the looks of things.

He was a little surprised though when Kurt stepped back, still holding the door and with a slight tilt of his head, invited him inside. Kris simply smiled a greeting and leaned down to peck Kurt on a soft cheek with its peekaboo dimple… hoo boy. And he smelled fantastic, too, Kris registered as Kurt led him inside.

Mr. Hummel was waiting in the living room and Kurt did a swift re-introduction. Kris shook the man's hand, still a little puzzled but he was a well-mannered boy so he took the seat that Kurt's dad indicated.

Kurt perched on the arm of Kris's chair and ignored his dad's little admonishing frown. Kris glanced from father to son and wondered at the odd tension in the room.

"So, where are you kids off to this time?"

Burt's question wasn't wholly unexpected and Kris had an answer ready. "Well, I had asked Kurt to help with a project so we're going to do some research… yes, at a library… and then I'm going to take him out to get some food."

Kristopher's smooth answer did not fool Burt, especially with that challenging look that Kurt was wearing. He knew that Kurt was hurting over that Puckerman kid; this was why he didn't believe kids should start dating so young. The one-on-one thing caused too much heartache; what happened to the days when kids used to have fun in groups? Now 13-year-olds were going on one-and-one dates and the statistics for teen pregnancies were through the roof. At least Kurt couldn't get pregnant but he could still get his heart broken and that was just as bad, if not worse.

Now Burt gave Kristopher the gimlet eye and asked, "So, if I were to call the Library at say 5, you would be there, still researching?"

Kris's eyes widened and he started to worry but he hoped he only looked startled. "Of course, but… why would you call about us?"

He was playing a tricky game; he was hoping that by asking the question it would trigger Kurt's defensiveness, believing that his dad didn't trust him. Just as the silence was stretching too long Kurt jumped in.

"Look, dad, what are you getting at? What, suddenly you don't trust me?" The 'dad' had come out in such a hostile tone that even Kris was surprised by it. "Would you have said that if it was Finn going on a 'date' with Rachel… or Quinn… or Santana?"

Kris watched as Burt Hummel's whole body hardened, not just his face. "Look here, Kurt; I'm not going to stand for your disrespect. Get me?" He stared at Kurt until he backed down, his head turning away as he stared out of the window, his soft pink lips in a tight line. "It is my goddamned job to see that you are safe. Until you are 18 and even beyond, you should be so lucky, it will be my job. Do you understand?"

"Perfectly." Kurt's voice was clipped, professionally polite and just as warm. "Well, is the interrogation over; do we have your permission to leave now?"

Kris watched as Burt stared at Kurt, a nerve twitching in his jaw and then the elder Hummel nodded. "Yeah, I guess I'm through." Burt shook his head, his eyes hard as he looked at Kurt. "What the heck am I thinking; you don't need anybody looking out for you, do you?"

Kurt turned back to his father, his face paler than usual and Kris wondered what had been happening before he even came by. Kurt stood up and nodded before looking at Kris with one eyebrow raised enquiringly.

Kris stood up and with a polite nod he bid the elder Hummel good evening. There was no response and the silence was cold as Kurt led the way out into the late afternoon air. When Kris looked at him, however, there was no sign of any tension or unhappiness and Kris felt as if he should wonder what the heck just happened.

Once again, Kris saw Kurt settled in the passenger seat before rounding the car to slide behind the wheel. He threw a quick glance at Kurt before turning on the radio, hoping that the music would distract Kurt a bit. There was no way he was going to back out of what could potentially be a fantastic date; he just needed to tread carefully for a while and get Kurt into the right mood.

He smiled to himself, wondering what Kurt was like in bed. He had a feeling that, given the right treatment, Kurt would be a wildcat. He was so buttoned-up, even though he had a great sense of humor, that Kris was just dying to see what he was like beneath the layers.

They did actually go to the Library, much to Kurt's surprise and Kris laughed at him good-naturedly as they perused some relevant material and checked out other resources. By the time 6 o'clock came around, they were both ready for some food and Kris took Kurt to the only sushi restaurant in all of Lima, Ohio.

The ambience was relaxed and sophisticated and by the time they were full and slightly buzzed from the sake, Kurt had all but forgotten about the little snit he'd been in. Kris looked at Kurt's flushed, smiling face as they walked back to the car in the gathering gloom and thought, 'Mission Accomplished'.

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Kurt stared in awe at the house at the long driveway, thinking that he'd not known that houses like this existed in Lima. Hell, he didn't think the whole of Ohio had anything like this gleaming white edifice.

Kris looked proud and a bit smug as Kurt oohed and aahed over the décor of his home. Well, it was his home for the rest of the year before they had to leave again. His dad's job took him all over the place, and not just the U.S., either.

They each had a bottle of water in the massive kitchen, Kurt smiling shyly at the housekeeper and a maid, apparently, to whom he was introduced. Then Kris grabbed his hand and they were running, giggling up the stairs to the bedroom level. Kris pushed open a pair of white double doors and Kurt stepped into a bedroom straight out of a home decoration magazine.

With all the marvelous furnishings in the room, though, what caught his eyes was the massive, wall-to-wall entertainment center. It was a kid's dream because it held not just a huge flat-screen TV but a state-of-the-art stereo system and the latest in videogame paraphernalia.

"Wow!" Kurt didn't care how gauche he sounded, this room was a dream come true. Even when Kris tugged on his hand and pulled him down onto a sofa at the foot of his queen-size bed, Kurt couldn't stop staring about. Even when Kris's lips attached themselves to his throat, Kurt's eyes were roving over what he realized was the latest Wii incarnation.

"Uhm, do you have friends over to help you… uh, play with all this stuff," Kurt asked, his voice a bit breathless as his body responded to Kris's amorous attentions.

Kris hummed an affirmative while trying to unbutton Kurt's shirt but it was when the side of his thumb brushed against one of Kurt's sensitive nipples that he got Kurt's full attention.

Watching the blue eyes darken with arousal, Kris ground his hips down against Kurt's and watched the moist lips part as Kurt panted in response. Jesus, this kid was gorgeous! Kris felt himself harden more as one of Kurt's legs came up to slide across the back of his legs, holding him on top of Kurt and making Kris's head spin.

They stared at each other for seconds and then Kris lowered his mouth, met halfway by Kurt's and then there was no more talking for a long while.

"God, you're so beautiful..."

Things came to a screeching halt right then.

Kris, already happily naked, had slid his hand into Kurt's jeans, the waist of which was open. He had just realized that Kurt wasn't wearing any underwear and then he slipped his long middle finger into Kurt's body. His cock twitched and he breathed hard at the realization that Kurt had prepped himself before coming out with him. His mind almost reeled at the thought of how good this was going to be.

Suddenly, though, Kurt stiffened against him, his face straining away and Kris paused, asking: "What's wrong, Kurt, did I do something… did I hurt you?"

Kurt stared up at him as if he were looking at a stranger and then he looked around the room as if he hadn't seen it before. Shaking his head as if throwing off a daze, Kurt looked back at Kris and said, his voice weak, "What am I doing?"

Kris stared at him and chuckled breathlessly, his body still humming in anticipation of sliding into Kurt's slick, tight heat. "What are you doing? You are about to get the fucking of your life, sexy."

"No! No…" Kurt's voice tapered off as he looked back at the boy hovering above him, apology deep in his eyes. "No, I'm sorry… this isn't right."

Kris's face was thunderous as he reared back and stared at Kurt incredulously. "'Right'? What the fuck do you mean, 'right'?"

Kurt slid his legs from the couch and stood shakily, pulling up his jeans and zipping it before hunting around for his shirt. Finding it, he dressed quickly with shaking hands, all the time muttering, "I'm sorry, I made a mistake… so sorry…"

Kris stared at the distressed boy and ran a hand through his hair. He couldn't believe this was happening! This had never happened before and now he didn't know how to respond. He knew he shouldn't be angry with Kurt but he was so fucking turned on it hurt and his mind was just a blank.

When Kurt turned to stand before him, though, Kris realized the other boy really was in distress. His chest was hitching as if he were trying to breathe and his face was flushed, crystalline tears hovering on his thick lashes. Kris slid quickly back into his jeans and came over to stand before Kurt, grasping his arms and rubbing them soothingly.

"Okay, okay, calm down; maybe we went too fast, okay? It's okay," he murmured, not really believing his own words but needing to say something to soothe the other boy.

Minutes passed and when Kurt finally looked at him, Kris knew that the color in his face was now mostly from embarrassment. Once again Kurt began to apologize and Kris pulled him into a hug so the words were a bit muffled.

"I'm so sorry, Kris; I feel as if I led you on." Kris tightened his arms, enjoying the feel of Kurt's body against his. His erection had subsided and now he was simply a little disappointed at their aborted evening.

Kris nodded and then, on a sudden shot of inspiration, asked, "Does this have something to do with what happened earlier – with your dad, I mean?"

Kurt stiffened and then relaxed before nodding. "Yeah, in a way," he whispered. "He was right and I was just too stubborn to admit it. Dads," he sniffled with a little gurgle of laughter. "They think they know everything."

Kris held him away and stared at his blotchy face, thinking that even now Kurt was so beautiful, a real prize. "Yeah, mine drive me up a wall regularly. Okay, come on," he said and pushed Kurt towards another white door. "Let's get you cleaned up and I'll take you home."

Kurt looked at this boy before him who had every right to be an asshole to him but who was being altogether gracious and smiled back at him.

Kris felt a surge of affection for Kurt in that moment and, shaking his head teasingly at him, led him into the en suite so that Kurt could wash his face. Leaving him to it, he went to a little refrigerator and took out two cans of soda, opening them and drinking deeply from one while waiting for Kurt.

The drive back to Kurt's house was no more subdued than the drive out and that was when Kris realized that he should have realized the evening would not go completely as planned. Kurt was pretty much a chatterbox when he was happy and the quiet, taciturn Kurt of earlier was an indication that something had, indeed, been wrong.

When they got to the house, Kurt turned to Kris, an apology on his lips but it was stopped as Kris leaned over and kissed him. Kurt didn't really return the kiss but he savoured it, feeling as if Kris had forgiven him for the lousy way their date had turned out. When Kris pulled back, however, Kurt leaned in and gave him a quick peck in return before whispering, "Thank you."

Then he was out of the car and hurrying up the walkway with Kris sitting in the dark car as he watched him. When Kurt turned at the door of the house, he gave Kris a little wave and then went in, after which Kris drove off, a rueful smile on his lips. Well, he didn't rule out another day; I'll just have to go slower, he thought.

As Kurt stepped inside the house it was barely 8:30 and Burt, Carole and Finn were still up, of course. When Burt heard the sound of Kurt's entering, he got up, intuitively knowing that something was off.

"Kurt?"

Kurt had been trying to sneak past the entrance to the living room but now he stopped in his tracks and turned slowly towards his dad.

Burt took one look at Kurt's face and surged toward him, catching him up into a fierce hug. Kurt said nothing for all of five seconds and then slumped against his dad, whispering, "I'm sorry."

He held onto Burt and said it again… and again, barely registering that his dad kept saying 'shhh' as he hugged him. Finally, Burt eased back when he felt some of the tension leave Kurt's body and looked at his son. "You can talk to me when you're ready, okay?"

Kurt felt like he didn't deserve a dad like Burt but he nodded anyway and with a softly sniffled 'good night' he headed down to his room. He flung himself on the bed, heedless of his clothes for maybe the first time in his life and put an arm over his face.

He had been awful to his dad who'd only had his best interest at heart. He knew his dad was worried about his reaction to Puck's defection but he hated anyone seeing him be vulnerable. As to Puck, he wished childishly that he'd never met him or never allowed him to get close, at least emotionally.

As the tears dripped down the side of his face, he almost found himself wishing he had never met Kris and then never met Blaine. In a fit of self-pity, he wished he'd never had to grow up and deal with this kind of pain. Locker checks and dumpster tosses – he could handle those. What he couldn't handle, he thought as he sniffed now, was dealing with a broken heart.

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TBC

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