Note: Goes along with drabble 232
AN: So, here begins another one of my little arcs. I've got four drabbles that go together to tell a story. You'll get two today and two tomorrow! Hope you enjoy!
"Do you want me to turn the heat on?" Burt asked from behind the wheel of his pickup truck.
The question pulled me out of my thoughts. Glancing to my left, I saw that Kurt had his arms crossed in front of him, and was shivering slightly despite having been given the okay from the doctor's to go home. Despite the bruises, there had been no broken bones and his core temperature had returned to normal, whatever that meant.
"No, it's fine," Kurt replied, relaxing his arms, clearly trying not to worry his dad.
Reaching out, I wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer to me. The gesture met with resistance on Kurt's part.
"You're safe now," I told him softly. "I'm going to do what I should have been doing all along, and look out for you from now on."
I heard a muffled half-sob from Kurt as he relaxed against me and recalled the terrified look he had wore both when the paramedics were working on him at the school and back in the ER cubicle. I had a feeling the shivering wasn't strictly from feeling cold.
I truly hadn't thought that things had gotten as bad as they had. I hadn't noticed the weight loss like Rachel had. I didn't realize how many bruises Karofsky and the other bullies were leaving on him. I really hadn't thought the torment was getting so physical. Until he had collapsed in my arms, I hadn't considered the thought that I could lose him to all of this. Sure I had seen news articles about people killed by bullies or those being bullied committing suicide but I didn't think that could be Kurt. Kurt had always seemed so strong in his own way.
Today, I had seen none of his usual strength and it had hit me that he really could end up being a story in the news if things continued. He might have the emotional strength to handle most of the stuff he had to deal with but even the strongest people needed others to lean on from time to time.
Looking over Kurt's head, I saw Burt casting glances toward his son as he drove and saw the same guilt I was feeling reflected there. Suddenly, I totally understood his outburst in Kurt's room that day. Burt couldn't protect Kurt from everything, which only made his desire to have one safe place for Kurt to retreat to that much stronger. My words that day, hadn't just hurt Kurt but had disturbed that sanctuary that Burt tried to provide for him.
"I understand now," I said, the next time Burt glanced toward us.
The single nod he gave me told me that he understood what I meant by those three words and for the first time I truly was okay with Burt marrying my mom. Now, I only hoped I could prove myself worthy of this family.