Life in the Making [4/?]
Title: Life In The Making [4/?]
Author: tomatoe18
Rating: PG-13 (for now)
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Dave Karofsky/Kurt Hummel, Finn Hudson
Warnings: AU after 2.13. WIP. Random moments of OOC-ness. A bit of fluff.
Spoilers: Up to 2.13 "Comeback"
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or any of its characters. This fic was not made for profit.
Summary: This is the story of how Dave and Kurt started to mend what is broken between them, with them and around them. With Finn's help, it might not be too late to patch things up.
Author's Note: I'm sorry this chapter is late; I've been busy at work. And to tell you the truth, this chapter? So not going where I wanted it go originally. But I'm having such a huge Karofsky/Adler Withdrawal Syndrome (because he hasn't been showing up on the show!) that I couldn't help but change the last third of this chapter to include Kurt's favorite Neanderthal. :P It's just amusing how, whenever I try to write something depressing, my conscience is always telling me to lighten things up a bit and make the boys happy. And this is what happened with the chapter. I hope you appreciate the happy because I'm sure we could all use a bit of a reprieve from all the crazy that is happening in the world today. Enjoy!
Story Note: This is written as sort of prequel to my first Kurtofsky fic, The Jocks Are All Right, but you don't need to read that one to understand what's going on in this story. It's simply my take on how Dave and Kurt could start being friends, and then lovers, and create a friendly environment in McKinley High.
Chapter Guide: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
*
Saturday mornings were usually a quiet one in the Hudson-Hummel household. The whole family liked to sleep in on the weekend, but this weekend was turning out to be an exception. Not only did Kurt wake up before eight and was fully and impeccably dressed by nine, he found his whole family in the kitchen when he came in search for breakfast. His father and Carole greeted him good morning at the same time Finn walked in. Both Finn and Kurt stopped in their tracks when they saw each other and what they were wearing.
"You're going to school on the weekend?" Finn asked incredulously as he eyed Kurt's uniform.
"And where are you going with that jacket?" Kurt countered, taking in Finn's letterman jacket.
"There's a track and field invitational at school. Sam and Mike joined in; they're in the relay team. A bunch of us are going to support them."
Carole sighed. "Aw, you're both not staying home this weekend? Kurt, I thought you were going to help me with the groceries today."
Kurt gasped as he remembered the promise he'd made Carole earlier this week. "Oh, Carole, I'm so sorry! I forgot. I mean, this week is just crazy. Between that talk with Norrington and what happened with that audition yesterday, I just don't know where I put my brains."
Carole chuckled. "Oh, honey, that's all right. I know you have a lot on your mind. But, seriously, Kurt, why do you have school? This is Saturday."
"Extra Warblers rehearsals," Kurt said exasperatedly, rolling his eyes for emphasis. "Wes added some more rehearsal time because next week we have mid-terms at Dalton and everyone will be busy studying. And he insists on us wearing our uniforms because it counts as 'dress rehearsal'."
"So I guess you won't be wearing costumes for Regionals, huh?" Finn asked, pouring milk for himself and for Kurt.
Kurt sighed as he gratefully accepted the glass of milk from Finn. "Definitely not."
"Well, kid, don't despair," Burt said from behind his newspaper. "You'll get to wear all your fabulous clothes again once you go back to McKinley."
Finn was so startled by the announcement, he spat the milk he just gulped back to the glass. Kurt glared at his father for blurting it out just like that, while Carole proceeded to pass on a napkin to his son. For his part, Burt merely winced a little and then shrugged, as if dropping a bomb like wasn't a big deal at all.
"WHAT?!" Finn shouted.
This time, it was Kurt's turn to wince. He knew Finn would react this way. Finn hadn't been around when Kurt talked to his dad and Carole about his discussion with Norrington two days ago, since the other boy was helping Karofsky out with the audition. He was hoping he didn't have to tell Finn about his situation until after Regionals, but he didn't see how he could back out of this now.
*
To be honest, when Kurt had had that discussion with his dad and Carole a couple of days ago, he was actually glad that Finn hadn't been there. He knew his stepbrother wanted him to go back to McKinley and would vote in favor of the transfer in a heartbeat. Kurt didn't want that. He had needed some objectivity in this issue and their parents were the ones who could be trusted to be more objective in their opinions. So yes, he had deliberately left Finn out of the loop until the situation was a little bit clearer.
Naturally, Kurt's dad and Carole had initially been upset by the news about the scholarship. They both had admitted that without such financial aid, it would be extremely difficult for them to pay for Kurt's tuition. But they were both concerned with Kurt's safety at McKinley and didn't want him to be subjected to further bullying. They had then considered other options for Kurt's education, ranging from homeschooling ("oh, no, dad, no way!") to moving him to Carmel High ("no to that either, dad. Carmel is even farther away from McKinley than Dalton is! How am I supposed to commute? How am I supposed to meet my friends?") At one point, Carole had even wondered if they could go to McKinley's school board and initiate a proposal for the implementation of zero tolerance against bullying policy at McKinley. While Kurt had agreed that it would work in the long term, they still needed a solution for the short term.
And until yesterday afternoon on Friday, the solution still hadn't presented itself to the Hudson-Hummels. Kurt had tried consulting Norrington again about his Cs in Music Theory and come up with nothing else but sincere apologies from his advisor and a promise that he would have a talk with the old witch that taught the subject. But the Cs would still remain Cs and Norrington had regretfully informed him that they would definitely have a negative impact on Kurt's academic review by the scholarship committee. Meanwhile, his dad had reported, after talking to someone at McKinley's admin office, that Kurt's old school would be more than willing to accept him back. So, coming back to McKinley seemed like an even larger possibility... and Burt Hummel had not been sold on the idea.
That was, until Kurt showed him David Karofsky's audition video that Mercedes had sent him. He'd come clean to his dad then, about how Karofsky had come to see him and asked for his forgiveness. About how Kurt had told Karofsky to wait before making his apologies because he wasn't ready to hear them. About how Karofsky had been the one to approach Finn and asked him for help regarding Kurt's situation.
"I don't think he'll be bullying me anymore," Kurt had told his dad. "If any, what his audition tells me is that he's actually quite smart. I mean, his song choice is not random. He's definitely got the talent and he knows how to use his talent. I don't think someone who is quite obviously using his brain in this audition would do something so stupid as harming another human being."
"I don't know, Kurt," Burt had replied. "In those few weeks before our wedding, you seemed really depressed by the bullying. Even if this Karofsky kid isn't going to bully you anymore - even if he's now friends with Finn and the other members of the glee club - who can say that other kids won't bully you anymore?"
"I know," Kurt had admitted, "and I worry about the others, too. But even at Dalton, there are also people who don't like me. Like my Music Theory teacher. She doesn't like me and she bullies me through my grades. No matter where I go, there will always be people like that. I can probably take it a little better if it's just verbal, you know? At least, when they're just words, I can ignore them. But what this teacher did... she's jeopardizing my future. And that? I'd rather take on a dozen Azimios and Karofskys than a dozen teacher like that."
And Carole, who was rather miffed by the teacher's behavior, had immediately backed him up on that. After all, she wanted the best for her boys and 'the best' in her book meant that there would be a wonderful college life for them. If Dalton was messing with Kurt's grades, she didn't want him there.
In the end, his dad had said, "I'm not sure about any of this at all, about you going back to McKinley, but it doesn't look like there's a better option. Let me be clear, though. If anything happens to you... I swear to God... I will hurt the people who hurt you. And I'll be talking to Finn and making sure he has your back. There'll be no asking him to make up cover stories for you. If he sees you get bullied, he has to tell me, as do you."
"OK," Kurt concurred, "but can you wait before talking to Finn? He's got a lot on his mind right now. He's got Regionals coming up. With Karofsky now in the glee club, he'll have to deal with the members who don't like him. Finn will have his hands full trying to keep the peace in the club, especially now since he and Rachel aren't together anymore and they seem to be fighting a lot more than usual."
His dad had agreed to that yesterday… so what was up with that slip of tongue today, huh?
*
"I'm always the last to know about these things!" Finn grumbled as Kurt led him into the living room for a brother-to-brother talk. "I thought we were close, Kurt. I thought we tell each other stuff over warm milk and stuff like that."
"Will you please calm down?" Kurt was practically begging. "I meant to tell you but I wanted you to be clear and level-headed when I tell you about it."
"And I wasn't level-headed yesterday?" Finn challenged. "Why do you keep huge things like this from me?"
"Finn!" Kurt snapped. "Stop whining and listen."
The taller boy quieted but frowned as he sat down on the couch in the living room. He crossed his arms over his chest and started to pout. He even looked away petulantly when Kurt sat down next to him, prompting Kurt to grab a pillow and smack it against Finn's head.
"Ow! That hurts!"
"Stop being a baby!"
"Boys!" Carole yelled from the kitchen. "No fighting!"
They both glowered at each other before Kurt finally shook his head and sighed. "This is stupid. I don't know why you're angry with me for not telling you right away."
"I feel like you don't trust me," Finn retorted right away. "You talk to my mom and you talk to your dad. But you never talk to me and that hurts. I know I've done some shitty things to you in the past, but we're family now and we're supposed to take care of each other."
"I can take care of myself," Kurt replied instantly. Then he cringed at how brusque he sounded. And sure enough, hurt was written all over Finn's face. Kurt hurried to apologize. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so short with you."
"I get that, dude," Finn said after a few moments lapsed in silence. "I get that you can take care of yourself, but you don't have to. Because that's what we're all here for."
Kurt leaned back on the sofa, hugging another pillow to himself. This was so not how he pictured their conversation about his transfer back to McKinley would sound like. He didn't expect he was going to have to have a heart-to-heart about their relationship as stepbrothers. "It's not like you told me right away about the football team fiasco."
"Because it was about Karofsky," Finn explained. "I know he's not your most favorite person in the world. What was I supposed to do? Tell you that I really wished he didn't quit glee after getting slushied by his the puckheads who are his ex-teammates? You wouldn't have sympathized."
"I wouldn't have at that time, no," Kurt admitted, "but it would've been nice to just know about it then. I felt so stupid sitting there, telling Rachel and Mercedes about how I couldn't believe you didn't tell me any of that even though we drink warm milk together every night."
Finn punched him lightly in the arm. "Well, you made me feel completely useless just now, dude. And I didn't actually tell anyone to keep my secrets. You told Burt to keep it from me, didn't you?"
Kurt let out another long sigh. "All right, all right. So we both screwed up. Happy now?"
"Not yet," his stepbrother said. "So what's this deal about you transferring back? Are you in trouble with anyone there?"
"No," Kurt answered. He then launched into an explanation of what had happened a couple of days ago, about his scholarship situation and his grades at Dalton. Right now, with Finn, he no longer felt awkward about recounting his academic woes, because the solution - no matter how far from ideal it was - was already there. By the time he finished telling Finn his story, he felt a lot better about the whole thing.
Finn, for his part, listened without interrupting. From the way his eyebrows were jammed together half the time, Kurt guessed Finn was struggling to understand the way the system worked at Dalton. He didn't blame him; anyone who'd have to deal with Dalton would have made that kind of face. Kurt tried to keep things simple for Finn but he knew his stepbrother, while rather slow on the uptake, was not entirely dumb. In any case, Finn was nodding at the end… and then shaking his head.
"That's messed up," he said at last. "Your academic progress is reviewed every month? Way to put pressure on a student."
Kurt agreed. "I know, right? But that's the way they do things there. Come to think of it, I was really lucky to get in there in the first place."
"What about Regionals, though?" Finn asked. He began to vibrate in his seat. "Oh, man, are we getting you back for Regionals because that would be awesome. With you and Karofsky in the team, we can't lose. We'll be kicking Aural Intensity's ass!"
Kurt smiled apologetically. "Nope, sorry."
"What?! Why not?!" Finn spluttered. "You're going to compete against us at Regionals too? That's not right, Kurt! You can't go against us!"
"I can and I will," Kurt laughed. "I'm sorry, Finn, but there's nothing I can do about that. I'm going to see it through. I can't just abandon ship now."
Incomprehension marred Finn's face and he seemed frustrated by it, so Kurt explained, "My scholarship still applies for this month's tuition so I have to see it through until the end. I will come back to McKinley after spring recess, but for now, I'm still there. And, well, as much as I don't like the school board and their gazillion silly rules, I want to say goodbye properly to my friends."
Finn furrowed his eyebrows. "What about Blaine? Have you talked to him?"
"No," he quickly answered. "Not yet."
Kurt couldn't deny how reticent he was about talking to Blaine. Their friendship was… not what it used to be. Ever since getting rejected by Jeremiah, his GAP crush, Blaine had been different. He'd alternated between whinging about the sad state of his love life and getting angry for having been misled by the guy. And yet, he still couldn't stop obsessing about the older guy. Kurt had tried cheering him up and distracting him by picking other topics for their conversations but Blaine kept coming back to Jeremiah.
Now he no longer felt like he could tell him anything and everything. He certainly wasn't about to talk ask Blaine for his opinion on the scholarship thing. After all, Blaine was one of those Dalton students who blindly worshipped the school despite being a transfer student there himself.
No, he wasn't going to bring up the topic with Blaine until after Regionals. And he wasn't going to tell the council about his transfer either until then. He owed them that much, at least. They did accept him even though they rarely listened to his ideas or made use of his talent, and some of the members were very kind to him. Thad and Jeff, especially.
A moment later, Kurt suddenly realized Finn was asking him something. Kurt raised his head and asked, "Sorry, I didn't catch that. What did you say?"
"I just wanted to know if you need my help breaking the news to everyone about you transferring back."
Kurt blinked. "What? Why would I need help with that?"
Finn shrugged. "I guess I don't want anyone to think like you can't make up your mind. I know the real problem is about the scholarship and the money and everything, but people don't need to know about that. That's private stuff. What if they think you're just playing around? When you left, everyone was upset. And the Warblers might be upset too if they hear you're leaving them. How can we make it so that you won't catch shit from everyone for transferring back and forth?"
He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was Finn actually worried about his reputation? About their family's reputation? About their money and inability to afford the tuition of one of the most expensive schools in the entire Midwest? The thought was ludicrous!
But, as he paused and thought about it for a while, he could see why Finn was worried. He did leave the New Directions in a hurry, leaving them before Sectionals and then competing against them there. Now that he was coming back, he wondered if anyone would think that he was just being flippant. Of course they were his friends, but with the exception of Mercedes (and maybe Rachel), he was pretty sure not all of them would understand the real motives behind his actions.
"Dude, leave it to me," Finn decided, patting Kurt's arm with the back of his hand.
"What? No!"
"Yes," Finn insisted. "I got your back in this one, Kurt. All you gotta worry about is getting yourself out of Dalton and back to McKinley. Leave the rest to me."
"I'm not sure I like the sound of that."
"Relax! It's all going to work out fine. Trust me on this one, all right?"
He wanted to argue but at that moment Finn was looking so damned sure of himself that Kurt found himself at loss for words. His stepbrother could be very persistent when he wanted to and he'd proven over and over that, no matter how thickheaded he could be, he was capable of churning out good ideas from time to time. Was Kurt ready to let Finn have his way and execute whatever idea he was having right now for his benefit?
Before he could answer his own question, though, the doorbell rang. Burt sailed past them in the living room to the front door, calling out, "I'll get it."
"That's probably my ride," Finn said, getting up from his seat. "I gotta go."
"See you later," Kurt said. "And tell Sam and Mike good luck." Smirking, he added, "Take pictures if you can. I actually want to see Sam in running shorts."
"Pervert." Finn shuddered. "Seriously. Anyone but him."
Kurt laughed and couldn't resist teasing further. "What problem do you have with me liking him anyway? I know he's not gay but a guy can still look, right?"
Finn opened his mouth to retort but at that moment Burt reappeared and distracted Kurt by how stiffly he was holding himself. For a second Kurt was worried, thinking that his dad was having another heart attack. But when he saw the hulking figure behind Burt Hummel, Kurt himself felt like he was going to have a heart attack of his own.
David Karofsky was in their living room. Kurt's former bully was in their house. Holy shit.
*
"Finn," Burt said stiffly. "Your ride's here."
Finn actually had the grace to look guilty. "Um, Burt, you didn't have to invite--"
"Of course I had to invite him in," Burt cut in harshly. He glared at his stepson. "Where are your manners?" He huffed before softening his tone. "You could've warned me, though."
"Yeah, sorry, I just… I got distracted," Finn apologized.
Kurt followed the exchange between his dad and stepbrother with only one ear tuned in. The other, he provided to catch anything their unwanted guest was saying. If any. But there was no such thing. Karofsky stood there quietly as Burt and Finn argued about hospitality and mannerism. His face was stoic but his stance was rigid and his eyes… they were fixed on the floor beneath the soles of his sneakers. He was very clearly discomfited by the less than friendly welcome he was getting.
This is ridiculous, the thought came unbidden to his mind. My dad is lecturing Finn about manners when he is clearly making the guest uncomfortable.
And Kurt was not down with that.
Before his brain could process what he was doing, he found himself on his feet and walking past the other two Hudson-Hummel men towards Karofsky. He stopped about three feet away from the Neanderthal, surprising everyone - himself included - in the room. Karofsky lifted his gaze from the floor and met his. His eyes - were they hazel? - radiated both wariness and curiosity at the same time.
Kurt almost smiled when he realized how right he was about his observation the other day, about how the jock's true emotions showing in his eyes and not on his face.
"Hey," Kurt greeted before he could stop himself.
"H-hey?" Karofsky stammered. Now even his expression was full of confusion. "'Sup, Hummel?"
"You're picking up Finn?"
"Guess so. Texted me last night, asking me to pick him up here." He glanced at Finn briefly. Since Kurt's back was to Finn, he didn't know what his stepbrother was doing, but no voice came from him. Kurt assumed he just shrugged. Then Karofsky shrugged and said, "It's on the way, so it's no big deal."
"I didn't know you were a fan of track and field events," Kurt said even as his brain went, What? What is this lame attempt at conversation, Hummel? Why are you even carrying on with this?
Surprisingly, Karofsky smiled. Just a teensy weeny bit, but it was a smile nonetheless. "Group unity, I guess. I mean, Evans is not my biggest supporter, but he's in the glee club and the football team. Finn seems to think that, if I show him my support, he'll think better of me."
Kurt's eyebrows hit his hairline. This was becoming a recurring gesture where Karofsky was involved. "Making amends left and right there, then?"
"Yeah," Karofsky admitted. He paused, seemingly as surprised by his own admission as Kurt was. But then he shrugged. "It's the right thing to do."
There was a sharp intake of breath from behind Kurt and he knew that must be his dad. Again, Kurt didn't care. Instead he nodded to Karofsky and said, "Well, that's good. I'm glad you're leaving your Neanderthal ways behind."
"That word is getting old, though," Karofsky shot back. "How about picking another word to describe me, Hummel?"
The boldness, once again, surprised Kurt, but when he searched Karofsky's eyes he saw only humor and no malice. Kurt had to hand it to him: Karofsky was good with comebacks.
"Touché," he conceded. "Maybe I'll call you Sweeney."
Karofsky grinned, startling Kurt a little bit. Wait. What was he talking about? That grin? It startled him a lot. Who knew Karofsky was capable of looking like a normal human being when he smiled like that?
"I'm actually down with that," the jock said. He scratched the back of his head and continued, "And thanks for your vote yesterday. You were… generous."
"It was well deserved."
"Generous," Karofsky insisted, this time sounding extremely grateful. "You had every right to vote against. You didn't have to-"
"Oh, you better stop right there and let me get something straight there, Sweeney," Kurt interjected before Karofsky could finish his sentence. "I may not like you, but I know a good voice when I hear one. And I can admit that. I'm not going to be that guy who is so petty he will send his rival to a crack house and jeopardize his rival's life because he can't handle the competition."
"Crack house? What crack house?" Burt chimed in, sounding alarmed. Kurt decided to ignore him... again.
"Anyway," he continued addressing Karofsky, "all I'm saying is: congratulations for getting in. Now all you have to do is sing in front of a crowd of hundreds and try to steal the Regionals from us, Warblers."
Karofsky didn't immediately answer and stared at Kurt like he was some sort of exotic creature from outer space. There was no mistaking, however, the admiration his gaze held.
What the hell? First the grin and now this? If Karofsky didn't stop this, Kurt might have to relent and forgive him sooner rather than later. Damn him. And, seriously, who was this guy, really? It was like Kurt never met this guy at all.
"All right, Hummel. You're on," Karofsky replied at last. The smile made a comeback. Actually, it was more like a smirk this time but Kurt was too fascinated to argue semantics with himself. "What if… if we win, you buy the whole club ice cream?"
"Oho, I see you're a betting sort of man," Kurt countered. "You really want to bet with me?"
"Scared, Hummel?"
"You wish, Sweeney," Kurt snorted. "All right. And if we win, you're the one buying us the ice cream."
"Deal." He raised his hand and extended it toward Kurt. There was a flicker of uncertainty on his face as he did so but he didn't lower it. Instead, he said, "We, uh, need to shake on it to make it official."
Kurt didn't even hesitate. He stepped forward and took Karofsky's hand. As soon as they touched, Kurt felt the urge to shudder. It could be repulsion - because he still remembered how Karofsky touched him during The Kiss - but… he wasn't going to deny that this touch was different. It was… warmer. Gentler. Friendlier.
Karofsky's grip was firm but not constricting. He let go after giving it two tugs. Later on, Kurt would examine why he felt a great sense of loss when the other boy withdrew his hand, but for now, Kurt was so pleased with their interaction that he didn't think about anything other than "this is progress. This is good."
"And I'm the witness so neither of you could back out of this little bet, you guys," Finn piped up.
Kurt suddenly realized then that Finn - and, oh dear, his dad - was still there and had been hearing their entire conversation.
Then it hit him: did he just carry a normal conversation with David Karofsky in front of his family without any bloodshed?
Wow. That was not just progress. This was accomplishment of epic proportions. He was so going to treat himself with a tub of Häagen-Dazs later on as a reward for his achievements in courtesy and civility. White chocolate raspberry truffle, even!
"Well, we better get going," Finn announced. "The event must be starting now."
"Yeah, we're running kind of behind." Karofsky turned to Burt and nodded. "Sir, if you'll excuse us?"
"Go ahead, boys," Kurt's dad grunted.
"See you later, Kurt," Finn said as he waved. Then he shouted, "Mom, I'm going!"
"Okay, honey!" Carole replied from somewhere inside the kitchen.
Finn beamed and then dragged Karofsky out. As they reached the door, Karofsky turned around again and addressed Kurt, "Bye, Hummel. See you at Regionals."
"Bye," Kurt replied, chuckling. "See you at Regionals." As an afterthought, he added, "Oh, and Sweeney? Get the ice cream ready!"
His former enemy's laughter rang out before it was drowned by the sound of the closing door.
TBC
Author: tomatoe18
Rating: PG-13 (for now)
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Dave Karofsky/Kurt Hummel, Finn Hudson
Warnings: AU after 2.13. WIP. Random moments of OOC-ness. A bit of fluff.
Spoilers: Up to 2.13 "Comeback"
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or any of its characters. This fic was not made for profit.
Summary: This is the story of how Dave and Kurt started to mend what is broken between them, with them and around them. With Finn's help, it might not be too late to patch things up.
Author's Note: I'm sorry this chapter is late; I've been busy at work. And to tell you the truth, this chapter? So not going where I wanted it go originally. But I'm having such a huge Karofsky/Adler Withdrawal Syndrome (because he hasn't been showing up on the show!) that I couldn't help but change the last third of this chapter to include Kurt's favorite Neanderthal. :P It's just amusing how, whenever I try to write something depressing, my conscience is always telling me to lighten things up a bit and make the boys happy. And this is what happened with the chapter. I hope you appreciate the happy because I'm sure we could all use a bit of a reprieve from all the crazy that is happening in the world today. Enjoy!
Story Note: This is written as sort of prequel to my first Kurtofsky fic, The Jocks Are All Right, but you don't need to read that one to understand what's going on in this story. It's simply my take on how Dave and Kurt could start being friends, and then lovers, and create a friendly environment in McKinley High.
Chapter Guide: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
*
Saturday mornings were usually a quiet one in the Hudson-Hummel household. The whole family liked to sleep in on the weekend, but this weekend was turning out to be an exception. Not only did Kurt wake up before eight and was fully and impeccably dressed by nine, he found his whole family in the kitchen when he came in search for breakfast. His father and Carole greeted him good morning at the same time Finn walked in. Both Finn and Kurt stopped in their tracks when they saw each other and what they were wearing.
"You're going to school on the weekend?" Finn asked incredulously as he eyed Kurt's uniform.
"And where are you going with that jacket?" Kurt countered, taking in Finn's letterman jacket.
"There's a track and field invitational at school. Sam and Mike joined in; they're in the relay team. A bunch of us are going to support them."
Carole sighed. "Aw, you're both not staying home this weekend? Kurt, I thought you were going to help me with the groceries today."
Kurt gasped as he remembered the promise he'd made Carole earlier this week. "Oh, Carole, I'm so sorry! I forgot. I mean, this week is just crazy. Between that talk with Norrington and what happened with that audition yesterday, I just don't know where I put my brains."
Carole chuckled. "Oh, honey, that's all right. I know you have a lot on your mind. But, seriously, Kurt, why do you have school? This is Saturday."
"Extra Warblers rehearsals," Kurt said exasperatedly, rolling his eyes for emphasis. "Wes added some more rehearsal time because next week we have mid-terms at Dalton and everyone will be busy studying. And he insists on us wearing our uniforms because it counts as 'dress rehearsal'."
"So I guess you won't be wearing costumes for Regionals, huh?" Finn asked, pouring milk for himself and for Kurt.
Kurt sighed as he gratefully accepted the glass of milk from Finn. "Definitely not."
"Well, kid, don't despair," Burt said from behind his newspaper. "You'll get to wear all your fabulous clothes again once you go back to McKinley."
Finn was so startled by the announcement, he spat the milk he just gulped back to the glass. Kurt glared at his father for blurting it out just like that, while Carole proceeded to pass on a napkin to his son. For his part, Burt merely winced a little and then shrugged, as if dropping a bomb like wasn't a big deal at all.
"WHAT?!" Finn shouted.
This time, it was Kurt's turn to wince. He knew Finn would react this way. Finn hadn't been around when Kurt talked to his dad and Carole about his discussion with Norrington two days ago, since the other boy was helping Karofsky out with the audition. He was hoping he didn't have to tell Finn about his situation until after Regionals, but he didn't see how he could back out of this now.
*
To be honest, when Kurt had had that discussion with his dad and Carole a couple of days ago, he was actually glad that Finn hadn't been there. He knew his stepbrother wanted him to go back to McKinley and would vote in favor of the transfer in a heartbeat. Kurt didn't want that. He had needed some objectivity in this issue and their parents were the ones who could be trusted to be more objective in their opinions. So yes, he had deliberately left Finn out of the loop until the situation was a little bit clearer.
Naturally, Kurt's dad and Carole had initially been upset by the news about the scholarship. They both had admitted that without such financial aid, it would be extremely difficult for them to pay for Kurt's tuition. But they were both concerned with Kurt's safety at McKinley and didn't want him to be subjected to further bullying. They had then considered other options for Kurt's education, ranging from homeschooling ("oh, no, dad, no way!") to moving him to Carmel High ("no to that either, dad. Carmel is even farther away from McKinley than Dalton is! How am I supposed to commute? How am I supposed to meet my friends?") At one point, Carole had even wondered if they could go to McKinley's school board and initiate a proposal for the implementation of zero tolerance against bullying policy at McKinley. While Kurt had agreed that it would work in the long term, they still needed a solution for the short term.
And until yesterday afternoon on Friday, the solution still hadn't presented itself to the Hudson-Hummels. Kurt had tried consulting Norrington again about his Cs in Music Theory and come up with nothing else but sincere apologies from his advisor and a promise that he would have a talk with the old witch that taught the subject. But the Cs would still remain Cs and Norrington had regretfully informed him that they would definitely have a negative impact on Kurt's academic review by the scholarship committee. Meanwhile, his dad had reported, after talking to someone at McKinley's admin office, that Kurt's old school would be more than willing to accept him back. So, coming back to McKinley seemed like an even larger possibility... and Burt Hummel had not been sold on the idea.
That was, until Kurt showed him David Karofsky's audition video that Mercedes had sent him. He'd come clean to his dad then, about how Karofsky had come to see him and asked for his forgiveness. About how Kurt had told Karofsky to wait before making his apologies because he wasn't ready to hear them. About how Karofsky had been the one to approach Finn and asked him for help regarding Kurt's situation.
"I don't think he'll be bullying me anymore," Kurt had told his dad. "If any, what his audition tells me is that he's actually quite smart. I mean, his song choice is not random. He's definitely got the talent and he knows how to use his talent. I don't think someone who is quite obviously using his brain in this audition would do something so stupid as harming another human being."
"I don't know, Kurt," Burt had replied. "In those few weeks before our wedding, you seemed really depressed by the bullying. Even if this Karofsky kid isn't going to bully you anymore - even if he's now friends with Finn and the other members of the glee club - who can say that other kids won't bully you anymore?"
"I know," Kurt had admitted, "and I worry about the others, too. But even at Dalton, there are also people who don't like me. Like my Music Theory teacher. She doesn't like me and she bullies me through my grades. No matter where I go, there will always be people like that. I can probably take it a little better if it's just verbal, you know? At least, when they're just words, I can ignore them. But what this teacher did... she's jeopardizing my future. And that? I'd rather take on a dozen Azimios and Karofskys than a dozen teacher like that."
And Carole, who was rather miffed by the teacher's behavior, had immediately backed him up on that. After all, she wanted the best for her boys and 'the best' in her book meant that there would be a wonderful college life for them. If Dalton was messing with Kurt's grades, she didn't want him there.
In the end, his dad had said, "I'm not sure about any of this at all, about you going back to McKinley, but it doesn't look like there's a better option. Let me be clear, though. If anything happens to you... I swear to God... I will hurt the people who hurt you. And I'll be talking to Finn and making sure he has your back. There'll be no asking him to make up cover stories for you. If he sees you get bullied, he has to tell me, as do you."
"OK," Kurt concurred, "but can you wait before talking to Finn? He's got a lot on his mind right now. He's got Regionals coming up. With Karofsky now in the glee club, he'll have to deal with the members who don't like him. Finn will have his hands full trying to keep the peace in the club, especially now since he and Rachel aren't together anymore and they seem to be fighting a lot more than usual."
His dad had agreed to that yesterday… so what was up with that slip of tongue today, huh?
*
"I'm always the last to know about these things!" Finn grumbled as Kurt led him into the living room for a brother-to-brother talk. "I thought we were close, Kurt. I thought we tell each other stuff over warm milk and stuff like that."
"Will you please calm down?" Kurt was practically begging. "I meant to tell you but I wanted you to be clear and level-headed when I tell you about it."
"And I wasn't level-headed yesterday?" Finn challenged. "Why do you keep huge things like this from me?"
"Finn!" Kurt snapped. "Stop whining and listen."
The taller boy quieted but frowned as he sat down on the couch in the living room. He crossed his arms over his chest and started to pout. He even looked away petulantly when Kurt sat down next to him, prompting Kurt to grab a pillow and smack it against Finn's head.
"Ow! That hurts!"
"Stop being a baby!"
"Boys!" Carole yelled from the kitchen. "No fighting!"
They both glowered at each other before Kurt finally shook his head and sighed. "This is stupid. I don't know why you're angry with me for not telling you right away."
"I feel like you don't trust me," Finn retorted right away. "You talk to my mom and you talk to your dad. But you never talk to me and that hurts. I know I've done some shitty things to you in the past, but we're family now and we're supposed to take care of each other."
"I can take care of myself," Kurt replied instantly. Then he cringed at how brusque he sounded. And sure enough, hurt was written all over Finn's face. Kurt hurried to apologize. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so short with you."
"I get that, dude," Finn said after a few moments lapsed in silence. "I get that you can take care of yourself, but you don't have to. Because that's what we're all here for."
Kurt leaned back on the sofa, hugging another pillow to himself. This was so not how he pictured their conversation about his transfer back to McKinley would sound like. He didn't expect he was going to have to have a heart-to-heart about their relationship as stepbrothers. "It's not like you told me right away about the football team fiasco."
"Because it was about Karofsky," Finn explained. "I know he's not your most favorite person in the world. What was I supposed to do? Tell you that I really wished he didn't quit glee after getting slushied by his the puckheads who are his ex-teammates? You wouldn't have sympathized."
"I wouldn't have at that time, no," Kurt admitted, "but it would've been nice to just know about it then. I felt so stupid sitting there, telling Rachel and Mercedes about how I couldn't believe you didn't tell me any of that even though we drink warm milk together every night."
Finn punched him lightly in the arm. "Well, you made me feel completely useless just now, dude. And I didn't actually tell anyone to keep my secrets. You told Burt to keep it from me, didn't you?"
Kurt let out another long sigh. "All right, all right. So we both screwed up. Happy now?"
"Not yet," his stepbrother said. "So what's this deal about you transferring back? Are you in trouble with anyone there?"
"No," Kurt answered. He then launched into an explanation of what had happened a couple of days ago, about his scholarship situation and his grades at Dalton. Right now, with Finn, he no longer felt awkward about recounting his academic woes, because the solution - no matter how far from ideal it was - was already there. By the time he finished telling Finn his story, he felt a lot better about the whole thing.
Finn, for his part, listened without interrupting. From the way his eyebrows were jammed together half the time, Kurt guessed Finn was struggling to understand the way the system worked at Dalton. He didn't blame him; anyone who'd have to deal with Dalton would have made that kind of face. Kurt tried to keep things simple for Finn but he knew his stepbrother, while rather slow on the uptake, was not entirely dumb. In any case, Finn was nodding at the end… and then shaking his head.
"That's messed up," he said at last. "Your academic progress is reviewed every month? Way to put pressure on a student."
Kurt agreed. "I know, right? But that's the way they do things there. Come to think of it, I was really lucky to get in there in the first place."
"What about Regionals, though?" Finn asked. He began to vibrate in his seat. "Oh, man, are we getting you back for Regionals because that would be awesome. With you and Karofsky in the team, we can't lose. We'll be kicking Aural Intensity's ass!"
Kurt smiled apologetically. "Nope, sorry."
"What?! Why not?!" Finn spluttered. "You're going to compete against us at Regionals too? That's not right, Kurt! You can't go against us!"
"I can and I will," Kurt laughed. "I'm sorry, Finn, but there's nothing I can do about that. I'm going to see it through. I can't just abandon ship now."
Incomprehension marred Finn's face and he seemed frustrated by it, so Kurt explained, "My scholarship still applies for this month's tuition so I have to see it through until the end. I will come back to McKinley after spring recess, but for now, I'm still there. And, well, as much as I don't like the school board and their gazillion silly rules, I want to say goodbye properly to my friends."
Finn furrowed his eyebrows. "What about Blaine? Have you talked to him?"
"No," he quickly answered. "Not yet."
Kurt couldn't deny how reticent he was about talking to Blaine. Their friendship was… not what it used to be. Ever since getting rejected by Jeremiah, his GAP crush, Blaine had been different. He'd alternated between whinging about the sad state of his love life and getting angry for having been misled by the guy. And yet, he still couldn't stop obsessing about the older guy. Kurt had tried cheering him up and distracting him by picking other topics for their conversations but Blaine kept coming back to Jeremiah.
Now he no longer felt like he could tell him anything and everything. He certainly wasn't about to talk ask Blaine for his opinion on the scholarship thing. After all, Blaine was one of those Dalton students who blindly worshipped the school despite being a transfer student there himself.
No, he wasn't going to bring up the topic with Blaine until after Regionals. And he wasn't going to tell the council about his transfer either until then. He owed them that much, at least. They did accept him even though they rarely listened to his ideas or made use of his talent, and some of the members were very kind to him. Thad and Jeff, especially.
A moment later, Kurt suddenly realized Finn was asking him something. Kurt raised his head and asked, "Sorry, I didn't catch that. What did you say?"
"I just wanted to know if you need my help breaking the news to everyone about you transferring back."
Kurt blinked. "What? Why would I need help with that?"
Finn shrugged. "I guess I don't want anyone to think like you can't make up your mind. I know the real problem is about the scholarship and the money and everything, but people don't need to know about that. That's private stuff. What if they think you're just playing around? When you left, everyone was upset. And the Warblers might be upset too if they hear you're leaving them. How can we make it so that you won't catch shit from everyone for transferring back and forth?"
He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was Finn actually worried about his reputation? About their family's reputation? About their money and inability to afford the tuition of one of the most expensive schools in the entire Midwest? The thought was ludicrous!
But, as he paused and thought about it for a while, he could see why Finn was worried. He did leave the New Directions in a hurry, leaving them before Sectionals and then competing against them there. Now that he was coming back, he wondered if anyone would think that he was just being flippant. Of course they were his friends, but with the exception of Mercedes (and maybe Rachel), he was pretty sure not all of them would understand the real motives behind his actions.
"Dude, leave it to me," Finn decided, patting Kurt's arm with the back of his hand.
"What? No!"
"Yes," Finn insisted. "I got your back in this one, Kurt. All you gotta worry about is getting yourself out of Dalton and back to McKinley. Leave the rest to me."
"I'm not sure I like the sound of that."
"Relax! It's all going to work out fine. Trust me on this one, all right?"
He wanted to argue but at that moment Finn was looking so damned sure of himself that Kurt found himself at loss for words. His stepbrother could be very persistent when he wanted to and he'd proven over and over that, no matter how thickheaded he could be, he was capable of churning out good ideas from time to time. Was Kurt ready to let Finn have his way and execute whatever idea he was having right now for his benefit?
Before he could answer his own question, though, the doorbell rang. Burt sailed past them in the living room to the front door, calling out, "I'll get it."
"That's probably my ride," Finn said, getting up from his seat. "I gotta go."
"See you later," Kurt said. "And tell Sam and Mike good luck." Smirking, he added, "Take pictures if you can. I actually want to see Sam in running shorts."
"Pervert." Finn shuddered. "Seriously. Anyone but him."
Kurt laughed and couldn't resist teasing further. "What problem do you have with me liking him anyway? I know he's not gay but a guy can still look, right?"
Finn opened his mouth to retort but at that moment Burt reappeared and distracted Kurt by how stiffly he was holding himself. For a second Kurt was worried, thinking that his dad was having another heart attack. But when he saw the hulking figure behind Burt Hummel, Kurt himself felt like he was going to have a heart attack of his own.
David Karofsky was in their living room. Kurt's former bully was in their house. Holy shit.
*
"Finn," Burt said stiffly. "Your ride's here."
Finn actually had the grace to look guilty. "Um, Burt, you didn't have to invite--"
"Of course I had to invite him in," Burt cut in harshly. He glared at his stepson. "Where are your manners?" He huffed before softening his tone. "You could've warned me, though."
"Yeah, sorry, I just… I got distracted," Finn apologized.
Kurt followed the exchange between his dad and stepbrother with only one ear tuned in. The other, he provided to catch anything their unwanted guest was saying. If any. But there was no such thing. Karofsky stood there quietly as Burt and Finn argued about hospitality and mannerism. His face was stoic but his stance was rigid and his eyes… they were fixed on the floor beneath the soles of his sneakers. He was very clearly discomfited by the less than friendly welcome he was getting.
This is ridiculous, the thought came unbidden to his mind. My dad is lecturing Finn about manners when he is clearly making the guest uncomfortable.
And Kurt was not down with that.
Before his brain could process what he was doing, he found himself on his feet and walking past the other two Hudson-Hummel men towards Karofsky. He stopped about three feet away from the Neanderthal, surprising everyone - himself included - in the room. Karofsky lifted his gaze from the floor and met his. His eyes - were they hazel? - radiated both wariness and curiosity at the same time.
Kurt almost smiled when he realized how right he was about his observation the other day, about how the jock's true emotions showing in his eyes and not on his face.
"Hey," Kurt greeted before he could stop himself.
"H-hey?" Karofsky stammered. Now even his expression was full of confusion. "'Sup, Hummel?"
"You're picking up Finn?"
"Guess so. Texted me last night, asking me to pick him up here." He glanced at Finn briefly. Since Kurt's back was to Finn, he didn't know what his stepbrother was doing, but no voice came from him. Kurt assumed he just shrugged. Then Karofsky shrugged and said, "It's on the way, so it's no big deal."
"I didn't know you were a fan of track and field events," Kurt said even as his brain went, What? What is this lame attempt at conversation, Hummel? Why are you even carrying on with this?
Surprisingly, Karofsky smiled. Just a teensy weeny bit, but it was a smile nonetheless. "Group unity, I guess. I mean, Evans is not my biggest supporter, but he's in the glee club and the football team. Finn seems to think that, if I show him my support, he'll think better of me."
Kurt's eyebrows hit his hairline. This was becoming a recurring gesture where Karofsky was involved. "Making amends left and right there, then?"
"Yeah," Karofsky admitted. He paused, seemingly as surprised by his own admission as Kurt was. But then he shrugged. "It's the right thing to do."
There was a sharp intake of breath from behind Kurt and he knew that must be his dad. Again, Kurt didn't care. Instead he nodded to Karofsky and said, "Well, that's good. I'm glad you're leaving your Neanderthal ways behind."
"That word is getting old, though," Karofsky shot back. "How about picking another word to describe me, Hummel?"
The boldness, once again, surprised Kurt, but when he searched Karofsky's eyes he saw only humor and no malice. Kurt had to hand it to him: Karofsky was good with comebacks.
"Touché," he conceded. "Maybe I'll call you Sweeney."
Karofsky grinned, startling Kurt a little bit. Wait. What was he talking about? That grin? It startled him a lot. Who knew Karofsky was capable of looking like a normal human being when he smiled like that?
"I'm actually down with that," the jock said. He scratched the back of his head and continued, "And thanks for your vote yesterday. You were… generous."
"It was well deserved."
"Generous," Karofsky insisted, this time sounding extremely grateful. "You had every right to vote against. You didn't have to-"
"Oh, you better stop right there and let me get something straight there, Sweeney," Kurt interjected before Karofsky could finish his sentence. "I may not like you, but I know a good voice when I hear one. And I can admit that. I'm not going to be that guy who is so petty he will send his rival to a crack house and jeopardize his rival's life because he can't handle the competition."
"Crack house? What crack house?" Burt chimed in, sounding alarmed. Kurt decided to ignore him... again.
"Anyway," he continued addressing Karofsky, "all I'm saying is: congratulations for getting in. Now all you have to do is sing in front of a crowd of hundreds and try to steal the Regionals from us, Warblers."
Karofsky didn't immediately answer and stared at Kurt like he was some sort of exotic creature from outer space. There was no mistaking, however, the admiration his gaze held.
What the hell? First the grin and now this? If Karofsky didn't stop this, Kurt might have to relent and forgive him sooner rather than later. Damn him. And, seriously, who was this guy, really? It was like Kurt never met this guy at all.
"All right, Hummel. You're on," Karofsky replied at last. The smile made a comeback. Actually, it was more like a smirk this time but Kurt was too fascinated to argue semantics with himself. "What if… if we win, you buy the whole club ice cream?"
"Oho, I see you're a betting sort of man," Kurt countered. "You really want to bet with me?"
"Scared, Hummel?"
"You wish, Sweeney," Kurt snorted. "All right. And if we win, you're the one buying us the ice cream."
"Deal." He raised his hand and extended it toward Kurt. There was a flicker of uncertainty on his face as he did so but he didn't lower it. Instead, he said, "We, uh, need to shake on it to make it official."
Kurt didn't even hesitate. He stepped forward and took Karofsky's hand. As soon as they touched, Kurt felt the urge to shudder. It could be repulsion - because he still remembered how Karofsky touched him during The Kiss - but… he wasn't going to deny that this touch was different. It was… warmer. Gentler. Friendlier.
Karofsky's grip was firm but not constricting. He let go after giving it two tugs. Later on, Kurt would examine why he felt a great sense of loss when the other boy withdrew his hand, but for now, Kurt was so pleased with their interaction that he didn't think about anything other than "this is progress. This is good."
"And I'm the witness so neither of you could back out of this little bet, you guys," Finn piped up.
Kurt suddenly realized then that Finn - and, oh dear, his dad - was still there and had been hearing their entire conversation.
Then it hit him: did he just carry a normal conversation with David Karofsky in front of his family without any bloodshed?
Wow. That was not just progress. This was accomplishment of epic proportions. He was so going to treat himself with a tub of Häagen-Dazs later on as a reward for his achievements in courtesy and civility. White chocolate raspberry truffle, even!
"Well, we better get going," Finn announced. "The event must be starting now."
"Yeah, we're running kind of behind." Karofsky turned to Burt and nodded. "Sir, if you'll excuse us?"
"Go ahead, boys," Kurt's dad grunted.
"See you later, Kurt," Finn said as he waved. Then he shouted, "Mom, I'm going!"
"Okay, honey!" Carole replied from somewhere inside the kitchen.
Finn beamed and then dragged Karofsky out. As they reached the door, Karofsky turned around again and addressed Kurt, "Bye, Hummel. See you at Regionals."
"Bye," Kurt replied, chuckling. "See you at Regionals." As an afterthought, he added, "Oh, and Sweeney? Get the ice cream ready!"
His former enemy's laughter rang out before it was drowned by the sound of the closing door.
TBC