FIC: The Orchid and the Weed 2/13
Title: The Orchid and The Weed; or Been Black and Blue Before 2/13
Warnings: Homophobia, violence, sexual harassment
Includes: angst
Rating: NC-17 overall
Word Count: ~102k
Summary: Due to family monetary struggles, Kurt is forced to go back to McKinley... not that he wants anyone to know the reason. For Kurt and Blaine, though, the biggest hardship is separation. Worried about how his boyfriend is coping, Blaine convinces his mother to let him transfer.
Notes: Post Original Song AU. For aelora for help_japan.
Part One
Part Two
“I need to know exactly whose jeans those are,” David said, pointing to Blaine’s legs just before he pulled onto the highway. “Because I’m pretty sure I’ve seen them on both of you. Am I stroking out right now or am I right and you’ve reached clothes-sharing relationship synthesis?”
Kurt looked up from where he sat in the backseat, texting Mercedes like a fiend. He felt small back there, with the upperclassmen up front. None of them were in uniform, but it hadn’t been that long since David was his senior Warbler and Council member.
“They’re our magical traveling pants,” Blaine said. “They fit both of us, somehow, even though Kurt is a skinny.”
“We’re about the same size,” Kurt argued. “Blaine needed some clothes when we crashed Rachel’s party back in February, and since they fit, we’ve just been passing them back and forth.”
“That party made me nervous. I was worried your friends wouldn’t like me,” Blaine admitted.
“It’s impossible for people not to like you, Blaine,” David assured him before Kurt could launch any kind of protest.
Blaine made a face and then looked out the window. They were obviously trying to distract him, since soon they would be approaching Columbus, where Gray Academy and his sister were located.
“Rachel likes you, anyway. She wrote a song about you,” Kurt continued for the sake of further distraction.
“Oh, geez.” Blaine leaned his forehead on a few fingers and shook his head.
“It’s called “Gay Boyfriend.” Though, Mercedes had to point out to her that there’s already a few songs with that title. Three, that we know of.”
David chuckled deeply. “Are there, now?”
“I’ll send them to you. They’re tremendous fun. Mercedes and I used to sing them to each other all the time.” Kurt clapped his hands and sang, “He doesn’t think I know, but I know, I know, I’ve always known! He doesn’t think it shows, but it shows, for sure. It’s always shown!”
“I don’t know that I want those particular shenanigans captured in song,” Blaine muttered. “...I wasn’t her boyfriend, either. It was just one date.”
“If it makes you feel better, I think Rachel’s version went the same way as “My Hairband.” Trashcan.” Kurt scratched Blaine’s back lightly.
Blaine turned to him with a little smile. “Do you think it was as well-written as “Get It Right”?”
Kurt had to laugh. Blaine hadn’t thought much of New Directions’ original songs. That had been clear on his face when he’d watched them perform, but he’d clapped anyway and complemented their energy and the use of confetti. Which was exactly why they should like Blaine. He was generous to a fault. Even his cattiness just now was more like a purr than a hiss.
“Though I’ve written much worse songs,” Blaine added after a second, almost to himself.
“Is Rachel aware that Blaine is your gay boyfriend now? Because I don’t think anyone needs more drama over that,” David said.
“She has been duly informed. She hates me now for reasons unrelated... with maybe one well deserved.” Mocking Rachel’s single status elicited more guilt than was perhaps warranted since it was in response to her own behavior... but Kurt still regretted it every time he landed a blow and the others laughed.
“I doubt she hates you.” Blaine’s eyes drifted to the road, and he pointed. “Take that exit. I can direct you from there.”
A few minutes later, the three of them were signing into the front office and emptying out their pockets. The three boys sat there for a while in silence, looking around the office which was all dark, rich woods and cream highlights.
“Maybe if I bring Ti some warm milk, she’ll open up,” Blaine teased, looking up at the ceiling.
“You’re meaaan.” Kurt leaned into Blaine to wait.
When Tianna appeared in the office doorway, Blaine sat up with a jolt. She pulled her plump lips into a coy little smile as she saw her brother, and waved at them all before trotting over.
She had the same unruly hair as Blaine, although she made no effort to gel it into submission save for occasionally, like today, pulling the mass of curls into pigtails. There was a new streak of red dyed in since Kurt had seen her last. She also had the same intense, chimera hazel eye color as Blaine that attracted the attention immediately, but in their shape, her eyes favored her mother more. And, like her brother, Tianna tended to attract the attention of both boys and girls. Unlike him, she might have an attraction in return to either.
Blaine wrapped his arms around her tightly, as though he’d entirely forgotten that he was here to give her a stern talking to. Instead, he just rocked her from side to side and drew in a deep breath.
Kurt thought that Blaine might in fact be the most open and amazing person in the world.
“Missed you too, short stuff,” she teased, looking up at him.
“Who’s short?” Blaine demanded, without any real bite to the words.
Kurt and David looked to one another. Almost simultaneously, they nodded and looked back to Blaine and his sister. When Tianna began to pull back, David stepped forward and gave them both a smile.
“Why don’t we go to one of the visitation rooms?” he suggested.
“Did they frisk you on the way in?” Tianna asked, turning lead the way.
“No, but they took my hand lotion. I’m lost without it, I tell you,” Kurt complained.
Tianna looked back at him and laughed, then took his hand as they walked. “Been too long, cutie.”
“Stop trying to steal my boyfriend, Ti,” Blaine said, taking Kurt’s other hand.
“Now I’m lonely.” David never stopped smiling.
Blaine grabbed David’s hand, and Kurt started to skip and sing, “We’re off to see the wizard...”
“The wonderful Wizard of Oz!” Tianna giggled. “Does this make me Dorothy? I’m sad. I wanted to be the Wicked Witch.”
“Forget that, girl. I am Elphaba,” Kurt told her.
“Oh, fine, Elphie. Be that way. I guess Blaine is the Scarecrow, hm?”
“I’m probably the Cowardly Lion,” Blaine muttered.
“Pfft. Hush up, Blainers. You is not.” Tianna opened the door for them and let the boys go through before her. “So I hear you’re out, Kurt.”
David chuckled. “Naaah. What would make you think that?”
“Out of the uniform, I mean,” Tianna said. She flailed her hands in the air. “Out of jail free!”
“I was gonna say...” Kurt pulled Blaine into a chair with him, and they sat nearly on top of one another.
“How do you like freedom?” Tianna flopped onto a couch and crossed her legs toward them. “Is it as sweet as I remember?”
“Freedom is a relative concept. I like being home with my family, and I like actually getting to see my friends more than once every few weeks. That’s nice.”
“If anyone gives you guys any trouble, I’ll beat ‘em up for you.” She held up her tiny fists and waved them around like she was going to go boxing. “You know that goes for bullies of all ages. I’ll take out that weird teacher blond teacher who called Blaine ‘Mr. Muppet Brows,’ too.”
“Maybe we can hire you as a bodyguard,” Blaine suggested. “Keep you off the streets.” He leaned forward and folded his hands seriously.
Tianna leaned forward, mimicking the gesture. “Is business time, now? I was hoping for more gabbing with your boyfriend first.”
“Tianna, we all care about you very much,” David started gently.
She rolled her eyes. “Seriously? You guys are going to intervention me? Come on.”
“Mama said you got caught with a ‘prohibited substance,’” Blaine explained. “Ti, I don’t want you drinking. You and I both have a terrible tolerance for alcohol and just do dumbest things when we drink.”
“And if you’re not happy, drinking is only going to make it worse,” David pointed out. “Alcohol is a depressant, you know.”
She sighed. “I wasn’t drinking. It was just some weed.”
“Wh-what?!” Blaine sputtered. His hands were shaking and his face could not have grown more red. “You had marijuana?!”
The way he lowered his voice to speak the name of the evil substance was almost comical, but no one was laughing.
Tianna spread her hands. “I had my period, what do you expect from me? It hurt. A lot. I thought I was going to die.”
David wrinkled his nose.
“Did it help?” Kurt asked. Blaine gave him a warning look.
“Not really. Well, it still hurt, but I just didn’t care anymore. I got the stuff from Erin.” She shrugged. “Erin didn’t get in trouble. Just me.”
“You were the one who got caught with it!” Blaine argued.
“Well, she wasn’t holding. She was toking,” David said. “Of course she got caught.”
Blaine’s eyes grew rounder and rounder at his not-helping friends.
“I’m just saying, if it didn’t help, and it’s keeping you from your family, maybe you should find another coping strategy.” Kurt deliberately did not look at Blaine, who might scathe him to death with his eyes.
“Y’know, I haven’t smoked for a while and that stuff makes you cough like a motherfucker even if you’re used to it,” she told him. “I wouldn’t recommend it.”
“I’m not going to be smoking anything ever,” Kurt informed her. He stroked the front of his neck. “Might damage the instrument.”
Blaine pressed his fingertips hard to his temples. “Goddamn, Ti.”
David stood and patted Blaine’s back. “Look, I know this is all fun and games to you, but it’s really been hard on your mother.”
“Not everything is about her,” Tianna snapped, her voice going hard for the first time. “She’s the one who uprooted me from my friends and stuck me in this place. She’s the one who drove Daddy away!”
“Ti, that is not true!” Blaine stood up. Kurt stood behind him, touched the back of his shoulders lightly.
Tianna just crossed her arms. “It is true. They fight all the time. She just won’t let stuff go.”
“That’s not all her fault. She had to fight him, because of me-”
Tianna’s lips twisted, plump and red and sour. “She’s not exactly your biggest supporter in this family, Blaine!”
“I know. I know.” Blaine turned from her slightly and let out a sigh. “I’m very aware of who my biggest supporter is. I just want to be able to help you, too. You’ve been different...”
“I’ve been broken-hearted. But I’m over it. I’m done. You can stop worrying about me and just let me be your big sister.” Tianna looked away, and touched the corner of her left eye.
Blaine looked back at Kurt and David helplessly. Kurt licked his lips and sat beside Tianna.
“We know, honey. We know it hurts,” he said softly.
“He’s just one guy. Guys suck.”
“Yes. They do.” Kurt slipped his arm around her and squeezed. “Straight guys anyway.”
Tianna curled into Kurt’s arms for a hug. “Absolutely. From now on, only hot chicks and gay guys trying to figure out their sexuality.”
Kurt kissed her cheek. “The world needs good hags like you.”
“Of course.” Tianna looked up at her brother then reached out her hand. “I promise to try harder. But I can’t promise not to be the family fuck-up anymore.”
“You’re not a fuck-up.” Taking her hand, Blaine sat on her other side. “You’re great. I’m just bummed you won’t be home for so long.”
“Look at that puppy face, Ti,” Kurt said dramatically. “Won’t you be seeing that sad puppy face every time you do something against the rules? Think of the puppy!”
“Stop it!” Blaine protested.
“No, okay. I get it. God.” She bowed her head over and put her face in her hands. “I can’t wait until I’m graduated, guys. You have no idea how much I hate high school.”
“I might have an idea,” Kurt muttered.
“You should see the bruise on his back, Ti. That school is just terrible.” Blaine leaned on her.
She turned to Kurt and tapped his shoulder. “Take it off. Let me see.”
“No.” Kurt swatted her hand. “It’s not that bad.”
“It’s that bad,” Blaine said.
Tianna took both of their hands. “What am I going to do with you guys?”
“You could take care of yourself, to give them one less thing to worry about.” David put his hands in his pockets and stood over them.
“Shut up, tall person.” Tianna craned her head back. “Don’t you know you’re just here to give us something pretty to look at?”
David laughed, put his fists on his hips like Superman, and smiled widely.
“Day-um. Wanna give us a turn? Get a look at the rear view?”
“I don’t think my girlfriend would appreciate it. She already gets upset because Nick told her that Blaine and I would make a prettier couple than she and I.”
“Whatevs.” Tianna pointed to the door where a teacher was peeking through the window. “The She-Devil is watching us. I think she’s suspicious because I’m all curled up with boys.”
“You must be absolutely dreadful. It’s not often that people assume I’m going to get naughty with a girl,” Kurt told her.
“I don’t wanna go,” Blaine murmured.
“I know.” Tianna hung her head and let go of Kurt, turning to her brother. “I’ll be good... I’ll try.”
“Don’t hurt yourself, dear.” Blaine wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. “Just get your phone privileges back so I can call you.”
“And you take care of yourself, too, okay?” She looked into his eyes, so much like her own, then back at Kurt. “Take care of my baby brother.”
“Always,” Kurt vowed.
***
Kurt petted his boyfriend’s hair slowly. There was no hiding Blaine’s mood after the visit to his sister. Obviously, his worries had not been assuaged in the least, although Kurt felt that she’d pay more attention to her actions if she were thinking about her brother, instead of her parents. There was obviously a lot of bitterness between Tianna and her mother, and Kurt understood how intense things could get with a parent, especially if there was a lot of love and pride involved. And if the parent and rapidly-becoming-adult child happened to be very different people.
Blaine pulled his socked feet up onto the sofa and put his hand on Kurt’s thigh.
“Do you wanna go up to your room?” Kurt offered, letting his fingers trail around Blaine’s face.
“Hm?”
Kurt smiled softly. Oh, yes, Blaine was distracted.
“Let me get you something. I could stay over if you want?”
“Would your dad really let you spend the night here? Where he can’t watch me with his shotgun?”
“I can convince him we won’t be messing around... Maybe I’ll talk to Carole first.”
Blaine laughed softly. “I like her. She’s nice. And she actually likes me.”
“Dad likes you. He’s just afraid you’re going to bruise his little virgin flower.”
“People just don’t give pansies enough credit. They really are hardy little flowers, y’know. Some people think of them as weeds.” Blaine moved his hand up Kurt’s side.
“I like to think of myself as a weed from Hell.” Kurt leaned closer until he could feel Blaine’s warm breath against his lips.
“I think... I might be an orchid.”
Though Blaine had been joking, Kurt could roll with anything... especially a statement like that.
“Hm. I can see it. Delicate. Exotic. Lovely.”
“I’m lovely?”
Kurt kissed him then, letting his hand grasp the back of Blaine’s neck and bring him forward almost dominantly. Blaine grunted deep in his throat and, hanging his arms around Kurt’s neck, pulled himself into his lap. A shudder worked its way up from deep inside Kurt, and he snuggled Blaine to him as they tasted each other with one unhurried kiss after the other.
Blaine panted and touched his forehead as though dizzy, then rested his head against the sofa and looked at Kurt. Just looked at him with those expressive eyes that sang, sang, sang how much he loved his boyfriend, every time they caught sight of him.
“You move me, too.” Kurt cupped Blaine’s cheek, then stroked his brow with a thumb. “And uh... Yeah, you are lovely.”
“Stop.” Blaine looked down and touched the back of his neck.
“My lovely little orchid,” Kurt teased. And boom, yet another nickname, to add to the dozen or so in-jokes they’d cultivated since meeting last fall.
“Gosh.” Blaine shook his head and laughed at himself. “Okay, just... don’t call me that out in public.”
“As you wish.” Kurt pressed his hand to Blaine’s chest to feel his rapidly beating heart. “Can I get you anything? Why don’t I get us something to drink?”
“I can get it-”
“Nope.” Kurt wiggled until Blaine fell back onto the couch. “I’m getting it.”
“Okay. Um, water, then. I’m kind of parched.”
Kurt hopped up and danced away from the sofa, to the sound of Blaine’s merry laughter.
The kitchen was already lit up when Kurt entered, and he almost didn’t see Mrs. Anderson standing there by the sink, with a pack of cigarettes on the counter, biting her thumbnail and eyeing him with ferocity.
But he did. Right in the corner of his eye, he caught the sight of her disheveled hair, and he turned from his mission just to get stuck right in her headlights.
They stood there for more than a minute, just staring at one another. It was almost too much. Kurt almost laughed at the absurdity of it. Then she spoke,
“You’re his boyfriend.”
It wasn’t a question, and therefore there was no opening to confirm or deny, really. Kurt nodded anyway, because clearly, oh so clearly, she’d seen them making out on the couch. He hadn’t been aware that anyone was home. Had he known, he would have kept his hands to himself until they were safely in Blaine’s room or car. The last thing Blaine needed was his mother flipping out on him over something like this.
“You’re his boyfriend.” The last word bent over her tongue, almost dripping with disgust.
Not trusting himself, Kurt turned to the refrigerator, grabbed bottles of water for them both, and headed for the doorway.
“Don’t. Wait.”
Kurt looked over his shoulder and raised a brow. When only more silence came, Kurt managed in a tight, high voice, “Can I do something for you, Mrs. Anderson?”
“How... How did you meet my son?”
Kurt thought he might fall over with surprise. What a question, after the tension that had been in the room. He set the water down on the counter, crossed one arm over himself, and held the other hand up close to him, curling it tightly closed.
“I was spying on The Dalton Warblers. So he made sure I got to see their performance in the senior commons, and then he got Wes and David to take me out for coffee.”
Clearly, this was not what she expected him to say either. She blinked. “Why?”
“He thought I might be in trouble.” Kurt paused. “He was right. I think, maybe, he saved my life. Your son’s a good man.”
“And then you started dating?”
“No. Not for another...” Kurt ticked off his fingers. “Five months? We were friends first. Spent a lot of time hanging out, drinking coffee, and singing. And that was even before I transferred to Dalton.”
Her shoulders went crooked as she leaned on the counter. “I didn’t realize you went to his school. I thought you went to McKinley?”
“I did before, and I do now. Dalton is too rich for Hummel blood, unfortunately.” Kurt lifted his chin. “I’ll survive it.”
Something about his choice of words caused her face to tighten, and her back to straighten, as though they meant something to her beyond the defensive bravado most would see. “I’m sure you will.”
Kurt drew in a deep breath, wishing he didn’t see that remembered fear in her eyes. It was a fear he knew well enough from his dad and Carole’s eyes, and sometimes from Finn. Everyone in the world seemed to think he was going to expire quietly in the hallways of a subpar public school, yet another teenage tragedy for the gay community to mourn. But since meeting Blaine, Kurt had decided he wasn’t gonna go out like.
This fear, in her eyes, was for her own son. Kurt wished he couldn’t understand her position. He wished he could just hate her for not accepting her son completely and hopping on board the gay pride float.
He turned from her as she began to speak again, but when he waited, she said nothing. He hurried back to the sofa, and realizing that he’d forgotten Blaine’s water, he reached for his hand instead.
“Come spend the night with me,” he suggested.
“I don’t know. Mama should be back soon. I don’t want to leave her alone for that long.” Blaine was getting to his feet despite the anxious look in his eyes. “And your dad still won’t want us spending the night together.”
“Then... just let me take you out to dinner. Just get out of here for a few hours. We’ll find some place that doesn’t have sociopaths and hateful people around and paint the town rainbows.”
Blaine chuckled and reached for his shoes. “Let me change first. I smell like carsweat.”
“You smell fine.”
Blaine bounded up the stairs. “Hey. Who’s getting taken out here? I wanna be the prettiest princess for our date!”
“There’s literally no way that wouldn’t happen.” Kurt grabbed Blaine around the waist as they reached his bedroom and followed him into his closet. “Oh, clothes. My former lover.”
“I’d be jealous, if we weren’t sharing that lover now,” Blaine teased very lightly.
“Menage à trois!” Kurt flipped a hand into the air.
Their eyes met, and Kurt peeled off his shirt and waited for Blaine to pick out something for him to wear. It was almost ludicrous, the reality of dating someone who owned more clothes than him. He’d build his wardrobe back up, of course. Right now, though, he just had to make it work.
It made a delightful excuse for them to share clothes, though.
“You’re really fond of red,” Kurt muttered, looking through the shirts. “Why haven’t I seen you wear these yet?”
“Uniform? Take whatever you want. Mi vestuario es su vestuario. What do you think of blue and orange?” Blaine held up a shirt and pair of pants. “Not red!”
“You’ll look like Tintin. I never said I had a problem with red. You’re a deep Autumn. Warm colors are good on you.” Kurt grabbed a tight black shirt and traded with him for the blue.
“Aww... actually, this isn’t bad. I never have an opportunity to wear my ugly pants.”
“Why do you buy them if they’re ugly?”
“Because the uglier they are, the awesomer they are. You can’t tell how good something is going to look on the rack anyway. You have to try it. This is a sound fashion principle, and I’m disappointed in you for not knowing it!” Blaine pointed at him as he unbuttoned his pants with one hand.
“No, I know what you mean. I had this yellow blazer-- We sold it in the Great Closet Cleaning Tragedy of 2011-- Pav would have loved it. I think it was made of his big brother.” Kurt looked through Blaine’s pants for something truly hideous. “Ohhh. I love these.”
Kurt pulled out a pair of hip-hugger plaid purple pants. Blaine looked, then laughed. “Of course you find the only item in my closet that Tianna bought for me. And they’re too long for me to boot. They’re yours, if you want them.”
“Alright, fashionisto. Find me a shirt.”
Nine minutes and two kisses and one grope and a biiig blush later, the two of them were headed out the door. Kurt half-skipped to Blaine’s car and took the driver’s seat. He loved this fabulous old beast, all wings and shiny eggplant-colored paint. The ’58 Studebaker had a bad rap for it’s heavy engine, but Kurt knew better than to listen to gossip. The Golden Hawk could kick the collective ass of some of the more commonly restored vehicles in tests of speed, and would look good doing it. He snapped his fingers in the air as Blaine hopped in beside him, and they grinned at one another.
Just as Kurt began to pull out, he caught sight of Mrs. Anderson, with a shawl wrapped around her shoulders and her hand curled over her mouth, peeking out the doorway.
“Your mom...” Kurt said absently.
Blaine turned and waved at her. “I didn’t realize she was at home. Hold on.”
Kurt pulled the car parallel to the sidewalk and waited as Blaine rolled down the window.
“We’ll be back in a few hours, Mama. Is that okay? I’ll tell you all about our visit with Ti!”
“Just come home safely, baby,” she called after him.
Kurt drove silently for several minutes before Blaine sighed and twisted his fingers.
“Do you think she was okay with me leaving?”
“I think she’s afraid for you. It’s tough out here for a queenie boy.”
Blaine’s brows went up, and he nodded.
“And I think it would be hard for her to lose you,” Kurt admitted.
“She’s not going to lose me. I’m just going out to dinner.”
“With your boyfriend.” Kurt reached over to hold Blaine’s hand as he drove. “I get the feeling that, while maybe she’s not your biggest supporter in the family, you might be hers, right now.”
Blaine looked down at his hands and drew in a deep breath. “I’m just all tapped out. She can do without me for a few hours. It’s not like I’m abandoning her.”
“I’m not saying you should stay home. You spent most of the day in the car and parenting your big sister. You’re not obligated to babysit your mother, too.” Kurt squeezed Blaine’s hand then let it go to make a turn. “We can go wherever you want. Unwind for a little before hitting the family drama again.”
Blaine tilted his head to the side and smiled, holding out one palm, then splaying his fingers back for effect. “I know where I wanna go.”
Kurt glanced over at Blaine. “Ohhh... you want to go shopping.”
“Summer wardrobe is not that far away, Kurt.” Blaine gestured energetically with both index fingers extended. “We have to be prepared!”
“What, am I going to argue with you?”
***
“You look stho hansthome, dahlink.” Blaine flung both hands in the air and beamed at Finn and Kurt, the latter of whom giggled and waved his boyfriend off.
Finn just frowned in confusion. “Did you burn your mouth on your coffee?”
“No. Kurt ish just faboolous!” Blaine clapped his hands and started to pet over the double-breasted military style jacket (red!) with black straps between the shiny buttons. He’d just gotten it for Kurt the other day. Sure, he’d said it was for himself, but it was totally for Kurt, and it made Blaine feel all fuzzy and happy to watch Kurt twirl around in it with the glee only a good wardrobe piece could bring to your day.
Actually, he’d considered listing “watching my boyfriend bounce” as one of his interests on Facebook. It just brightened his world.
“What’s he doing?” Finn asked.
“Karl Lagerfeld, maybe?” Kurt suggested.
“You think so?” Blaine sucked in his cheeks and started fanning himself with his hand furiously. Kurt laughed and hooked arms with Blaine.
Finn scratched his head and joined them in their booth. “Dudes, I’m so confused right now.”
“That’s okay.” Blaine picked up the coffee he’d already gotten and handed one to Kurt. “You’re still our favorite Finn.”
“How was the rest of your weekend?” Kurt asked before taking a sip.
Blaine shrugged. “Mom seemed glad to hear Ti was doing okay, and that we’d talked to her. I told her that you’re the Ti-Whisperer. The two of them can’t be in a room together anymore without screaming.”
“I don’t think your family is the only one that has that problem. My dad and I fight like cats sometimes. But maybe a family counselor would help? Anyone to mediate, really. Aside from you.”
“You don’t think I’m doing a good job.” Blaine said the words with certainty, because he knew he wasn’t holding his family together very well.
“I think a mediator by definition has to be outside of the situation.” Kurt patted Blaine’s leg, then gave his knee a squeeze.
“Skip school with me today. We can play in the park,” Blaine suggested.
Finn chuckled, and Kurt leaned into Blaine’s shoulder. “If I weren’t sure you’d get in a lot more trouble than I would, I’d take you up on that.”
“Fine, fine, fine. I guess the Andersons really only have room for one problem child.”
Blaine took a drink of his coffee. The hot, sweet liquid slid down his throat, warming, soothing, and filling him. Preparing him for the day. He’d always had an affinity for drinking something warm in the mornings. When he was much smaller, it was hot chocolate or tea, but he’d started a routine of coffee with his father by the time he was ten. Little Blaine, disheveled curls bouncing, would come down early every morning, and his father would give him a little cup of coffee and let him mix in as much sugar as he liked. He would sit across from Blaine, chatting with him about their plans for the day as he read his paper, until he had to leave. Then, he’d ask Blaine if he wanted any more coffee, with a little pat to the head.
His big man.
The ritual had extended to their Sunday morning pancakes. Blaine wasn’t sure when this had begun, but on Sunday morning after an early Mass, Mama and Tianna would go out, and it was just Blaine and his dad. They went to the same diner every week, and Blaine always ordered blueberry pancakes. His dad always ordered eggs florentine with a side of extra crispy bacon and extra extra extra crispy hash browns, and he always gave Blaine a strip of his bacon. They both had piping hot coffee with three or four sugars and creamer.
Blaine remembered a little better why this ritual had ended, than when.
“Dad? Um...”
“Your mother told me.”
Some things happened abruptly, and some just faded away. You could only spend so many mornings together, sitting in silence, awkwardness growing and feeding on the silence, before something came up. Just this once. So you skipped it. Then another thing came up, and another, and then that ritual was forever gone, and would never be back.
Rebuilding the Studebaker together had been a last ditch effort.
“Babe?” Kurt’s hand rose to Blaine’s face to discretely wipe away a tear.
“What?” Blaine feigned ignorance of anything being wrong, but it was mostly for Finn’s sake. Kurt could read him better than that. Kurt watched him, often. There was no hope that Kurt had missed the look passing over his face. “I was thinking about my dad. I... I miss him, I guess.”
Unable to find the words, Kurt reached over to take Blaine’s and kissed his cheek gently. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. Maybe it would be better if I knew for sure what was going on.”
“What’s happening now?” Finn asked.
Blaine looked up and sighed. He didn’t really want to burden people with his problems. “My father left for a business trip two weeks ago. It’s... it’s been a long time. I don’t think he should have been gone this long, but my mother doesn’t really want to talk about it. I think their marriage is in trouble.”
“Maybe they just need to get some space.” Finn move his finger over the rim of his cup.
“I don’t think Mama sat down with him and decided they needed space,” Blaine said. “He just left.”
Finn shrugged. “Whatever happens, there’s nothing you can do. They have to figure it out.”
“I feel like, though, that stress over me had something to do with how much they’ve been fighting.”
Kurt petted Blaine’s neck. “Blaine, honey, if what Ti has been saying is any indication, I don’t think you could possibly be the reason they’re having problems. You’re a fight, but you’re not the reason they’re fighting. You can’t blame yourself for your parents’ issues.”
“You blamed yourself for your dad’s heart attack,” Blaine replied. Although it was a losing move. He knew the moment he spoke where this conversation would go.
“And,” Kurt said gently, “as you point out to me so often, I was wrong.”
“You blamed yourself?” Finn frowned at Kurt.
“He still does.” Blaine leaned onto his hand and looked up at Kurt. “He takes on too much.”
“Hm.” Kurt’s lips curled upward and he sat back in the booth. “Back ‘atcha.”
Blaine looked to his coffee and curled his hands around the warm mug. He took a drink, then put his arm around Kurt’s back. “You’re my new morning ritual,” he murmured.
Kurt let out a soft laugh and kissed Blaine’s temple. Someone nearby made a displeased noise, but neither of them moved, and Finn just sat up straighter to look around.
No one approached them that morning for being too affectionate. Still, Blaine was careful for the rest of their time together, because of the unfriendly frown on Finn’s face.
***
Okay, so the day hadn’t exactly been going swimmingly, but Kurt would take what he could get. Coffee with his boyfriend in the morning, a chance to give him some courage with the kisses, and the opportunity to borrow this fabulous jacket.
He floated along that morning, ignoring taunts and names and some paper missiles with evil things written on them thrown his way. He let Blaine’s words about his fabulousness and fierceness echo in his ears and fill his heart, and he made believe that his boyfriend was by his side, holding his hand, and covering his back. Invincible together.
Just after third period, he stepped into the hallway to a face-full of grape slushy. The laughter faded down the hall before he could wipe his eyes away. Azimio, he guessed, but he couldn’t be sure. With a distressed whine, he pulled off his jacket, hoping that it might be spared more dripping slushy stains, then cleared his eyes and looked around for a bathroom.
Darting inside, he turned on the hot water, tending to the jacket first and letting the water run over it before grabbing a paper towel to wipe off his face. He could get the rest later, after making sure this didn’t stain.
“Think you’re in the wrong bathroom, Fancy.”
Karofsky’s gruff voice was unmistakable. Kurt said nothing and just rubbed the fabric together with a little hand soap, hoping, hoping.
“Ruined your dress, huh?”
Kurt pinched his lips together and closed his eyes. He shouldn’t have come in here by himself, and he knew it. Another bruise to worry his boyfriend.
“Hey, faggot!”
This voice Kurt did not recognize, and his stomach turned to ice water when he felt a hand grab the tender curve where his thigh met his backside. He jerked around, where two large seniors stood blocking the doorway. The boy who’d spoken was taller, and on the football team, but the other, Johnson, had bothered Kurt before. Never with as much stalkerly determination as Karofsky, but Johnson gave Kurt light slams on a fairly consistent basis. When there was no one around to stop him.
“I’m just trying to wash my jacket,” he said in as low and calm a tone as he could manage.
“Aw, and here I thought you were tryin’ to sneak a peak, huh?” Johnson leaned over him and put his hand on the sink.
“Sorry to disappoint you. I’m taken.” Kurt’s lips stretched into a tight smile. In this moment, his urge was to kick Johnson right in the johnson, but that would bring a world of pain on him, with the tall guy and Karofsky right there.
“Yeah? Bet that’s disappointing, huh, Karofsky? He sure got a purdy mouth.” The tall one laughed and stepped to the side as he looked back at Karofsky.
“Jeez, Cooke. Why would I care?” Karofsky demanded.
A little too defensive. The other two laughed harder, and Kurt let out an involuntary squeak as Johnson pressed his heavy body into him.
“Guys-” Karofsky stepped forward, then he looked between the two of them and rolled his eyes. “If you wanna have a threesome with this queer, fine by me. I got stuff to do.”
He beat it out of the boys’ room, and Kurt’s eyes followed him. That brought it down to two against one, unless someone else came in. That would be a matter of luck, though, and could easily not be in his favor.
Johnson grabbed Kurt’s arms and tossed him toward the wall. He caught himself before hitting the concrete, but Cooke stepped in front of him as Johnson held up the jacket, cutting off his exit.
“Ohh... It’s so darling! I bet you just eat up the catwalk with this one, hm? Shakin’ your fairy tail for all the boys to see?” Johnson looked right at Kurt, then pulled the fabric with all of his strength, ripping it unevenly.
“No!” Kurt lunged forward, but there was no getting that jacket back. Cooke moved to the side to grab him again, and Kurt dashed between them, caught the handle of his bag, and fled the bathroom. He made it half-way down the hall before looking back. He wasn’t being followed, so he ducked around the corner and just tried to make it to the choir room.
He spotted Karofsky by his locker, and in a moment of adrenaline and foolishness, he fixed his gaze on the bigger boy, shooting daggers of distain and contempt from his eyes.
“You’re a coward,” Kurt spat.
Karofsky’s face fell, but Kurt stormed away from him without waiting for a response.
By the time he’d reached the choir room, Kurt was whipped up into a good froth, and he kicked a chair as he threw his bag into the risers.
“What the Hell is wrong with people? How is it even remotely okay to behave like this is a zoo instead of an institution of learning?” he demanded as alarmed eyes turned to him. “Freaking herd mentality... zero critical thinking... lowest common denominator grunts, apes, and jackasses so terrified of anything new or strange that they shake their fists in the air and destroy on sight, lest they actually have to expand their tiny little paradigms!”
“You missed some slushy.” Mercedes pulled a little package of moist towelettes out of her bag (clearly one of her personal harassment coping mechanisms) and pulled Kurt closer to start wiping him clean. She watched him with a little smile as she did it, as though she wanted him to know that she knew his near nonsensical rambling wasn’t aimed at them.
Finn leaned forward. “Are you okay?”
“Did they get that jacket you were wearing before?” Lauren asked. “That blows. That was a sweet little piece of fashion right there. I was thinking of stealing it from you.”
Kurt pressed his fingers hard over his brows and forehead as he let out a low groan. “I hate this school.”
“If you hate it so much, why are you even back here?” Rachel asked.
“Rachel,” Tina admonished.
“What? He was pretty much in the Golden Land of No Slushies, a place where you could hardly say that the other students weren’t smart, the place where his boyfriend is and he actually had a chance at getting solos.” Rachel crossed her arms. “Really, Kurt. You brought this on yourself. Why would you come back?”
“Because we can’t afford it,” Finn said a bit loudly.
Kurt shot him a dark look, but his brother only shrugged.
“We can’t. Dalton is expensive, and our parents tried, but in the end, he’s back here and nothing has changed.”
Rachel’s face was growing red. Clearly, she’d intended for her little jab to sting Kurt and not expected it to boomerang back on herself so quickly. Now she felt bad, and would mope over that. Kurt just hoped her moping would lead her to a place where she’d learn to think before opening her mouth.
“Why didn’t you just tell us?” Mercedes sat down and looked up at him sadly. “God, Kurt, I don’t want you to be miserable. None of us do.”
Kurt put his hand on her head. “Don’t get me wrong. I love you guys. You’re the only thing I wouldn’t change about this place. I just can’t stand in this fucking school.”
Mercedes’ eyes grew almost comically round, and Tina put her hand over her mouth. The others had reacted similarly, and since none of them aside from Quinn were likely to be scandalized by foul language, even if they were surprised to hear it from him, Kurt sighed and turned around. Mr. Schue was at the door, looking stern and a little alarmed.
“Kurt-”
“Office, right?” The shrill, sharp words were out of his mouth before he could stop them, and if he hadn’t been about to be sent to the principal’s office before, he could tell from Mr. Schue’s face that he was now. He picked up his bag.
“C’mon, Mr. Schue,” Tina pleaded. “He didn’t mean it.”
“I’m... I’m not offended,” Quinn managed. It was an obvious lie, but kind of her to say. “Really, none of us are. I’m sure he’s sorry.”
“Seriously?” Santana shot up angrily. “Haven’t I said worse?”
Mr. Schue looked over them with a stern expression and crossed arms.
“Don’t be mad at him,” Kurt advised them, before they got themselves into trouble, too. “He’s just attempting to do his job.”
Finn jump up from his seat. “I’ll go with you.”
“I’m not a baby, Finn! You don’t have to follow me around all the time!” Kurt snapped.
“Yeah, I kind of do!”
Kurt turned and stormed out of the room quickly, with his brother following him obstinately and the rest of the Glee club looking to one another in silence.
“Bullies pick people off when they’re alone,” Finn said after a minute. As though Kurt didn’t know that.
Kurt said nothing and continued down the hallway. Figgins’ office was only a few more feet.
“You can’t push me away. I know you’re not happy, but we agreed that I would be there to help keep you safe. You need to wait for me outside of your classes if this is going to work!”
Kurt stopped, looked at the office door, then up at Finn, who seemed angry and fretful and most of all, confused.
“This is humiliating,” Kurt said simply as he reached for the door.
Finn grabbed his arm and took a step forward to keep Kurt from slipping into the office and away from this conversation. “I know it sucks. But nobody in the Glee club looks down on you for it. They all saw what was happening to you last fall, even if they didn’t really get it and we all completely failed at doing anything about it. And those guys who give you a hard time, they’re just waiting to get you alone.”
“Separate the little, weak ones from the herd before they attack. I’m familiar with the strategy.”
“You’re not so little anymore. And... you’re not so weak, when you’re with other people. But you can’t do this by yourself, Kurt. You just can’t.”
“You’re right.” Kurt made a noise of frustration and looked behind him down the hallway. “I know you’re right.”
“Will you be in a lot of trouble? I don’t think I’ve ever been sent to the office for swearing. Just for walking around in my underwear... and cutting up Vocal Adrenaline’s tires with Puck.”
“Slap on the wrist. They won’t even call Dad. Mostly because Figgins can’t stand him, and Dad’ll use the same language right to his face.”
“Heh.” Finn nodded, probably imagining Burt in the office swearing up a tornado.
Kurt shifted the weight of his bag. “Don’t worry.”
Finn paused. Kurt knew that he wanted to ask Kurt to call him when he got out so he could come get him, but after that blow up, he hesitated.
Kurt patted Finn’s arm and went into the office.
***
Blaine sat on a stool in the kitchen, fiddling with his phone and trying to decide how to answer Kurt’s message.
I’m really sorry. Your jacket got ruined. I’ll find a way to get another one for you.
There were fathoms under that message. Things unsaid. Something Blaine would understand if Kurt were with him. Something Blaine sort of suspected, even if Kurt hadn’t said it.
Ultimately, he chose to ask if Kurt was okay, and, receiving an answer in the affirmative... Blaine was at a loss as to what came next. He probably wouldn’t get the chance to be with Kurt again until Wednesday morning... maybe. He could call him tonight. At least they would get to hear one another’s voices.
But it wasn’t enough, dammit. How was he supposed to hold out until then?
Lea entered the kitchen, setting down a few bags on the island counter next to Blaine. “Oh, I didn’t expect you to be home. Could you help me, ba- What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Blaine set his phone down and started to sort through the groceries.
Lea sighed and turned away from him, putting plates away from the dish drainer. “I wish you felt like you could tell me what’s going on with you. It’s... It’s not about that boy, is it?”
“It is.” Blaine opened up the refrigerator.
“Did... Did you two have a fight?” she offered.
“No. We’re good. It’s everyone else who has the problem.” That had come out sharper than he’d intended it, but it was hard not to be a little upset. Someone had harassed his boyfriend today, and there was nothing he could do.
The silence in their house had received a life of its own over the past few years. Blaine wasn’t inclined to feed it more than absolutely necessary. So when he got the groceries put away, he took his phone and got ready to leave. “I need to get back to school. I just came back to get a book I forgot.”
“Please, Blaine. Just sit down. I want to talk to you.”
His mother turned around and put her hands on the counter. He stopped and looked to her with a curious frown. She didn’t seem too upset, or cross, or stressed out. She actually seemed pretty normal at the moment. For a brief second, Blaine wondered if his dad had come home.
Or, maybe his dad had...
“What is it, Mama?”
“Let me get you something to drink. Cocoa? Coffee?”
“I’m good.” Blaine leaned forward. “Tell me.”
***
“So, what’s the story?”
Burt set his beer down next to Kurt at the kitchen table. Kurt had been trying to complete his French homework, the struggle stemming more from lack of interest than from difficulty. He looked up at his father as the man sat down with him.
“Hm?” Burt prodded again.
Kurt shrugged and touched the page in front of him. “Homework.”
“Okay.” Burt sipped his beer and cocked his head to the side.
Kurt tried to muster up his reserves of patience, because they had been significantly shortened today by the ruination of Blaine’s jacket and getting sent to the principal’s office. Also, sort of losing it in front of the Glee club. Mercedes had been trying to get him alone for a talk most of the afternoon, and he didn’t really want to talk. He’d talked his tongue sore about this already with both his family and Blaine.
But getting short with his father would just make them both feel bad and solve nothing.
“What did you want to talk about?” Kurt ventured.
“You’re really good at foolin’ me most of the time. Most of the time.” Burt’s brows rose questioningly as he pursed his lips.
Kurt sighed and looked up at the ceiling. “It’s not a big deal. Some guys messed up the jacket Blaine let me borrow.”
“Yeah. I’m sure that’s a bummer. But I also think there’s more going on that you’re not tellin’ me. Is that Karofsky kid bothering you again?”
At least he could be honest about this. “No, not really. We got into it once because he was hassling Santana, but he’s mostly stayed away from me.”
“Mr. Schuester called me this afternoon. He says you’re not happy. He said you had some kinda melt-down in the choir room.”
Kurt’s mouth went slack. It felt almost like a betrayal. He didn’t know why it shocked him when Mr. Schue did teacher-things like punish them or call parents, aside from the fact Mr. Schue was usually too wrapped up in his own stuff to do it. “It wasn’t exactly a ‘melt-down.’”
“That’s not exactly been my only clue that you’ve had a hard time with the transfer.” Burt leaned forward. “I know you don’t want to cause anymore stress in this family, but if we’re gonna be a family, we have to take care of everyone. We’re all in this together, and we all do our part. It’s not just you takin’ it all on your shoulders. I’ve talked to you about this before.”
“It’s hard. It’s... It’s not impossible.” Kurt looked away. He didn’t want to get into a fight with his father about finances right now. Burt never exactly had a head for money. “The kids at school have always messed with me. Always. For one reason or another. What they’re doing now isn’t any different. So no, I’m not happy there, but... I can do it. I can make it through.”
Burt tapped his finger on the table, thinking and frowning. “Tell me what happened today?”
That his father was asking, and in that tone, softer than Kurt was used to, it was different. It was a little unnerving.
“Someone threw a slushy on me after third period. I went into the bathroom to try to save Blaine’s jacket, and... Karofsky saw me there. He said something stupid, and I ignored him. Then two other guys came in. Karofsky ran away, and the guys, they...”
“Threatened you?”
“They didn’t say anything, not like... They didn’t threaten to kill me or even pound me. They just made insinuations, and loomed over me with their giganticness. They tore the jacket, and...” Kurt hesitated. ”One of them grabbed me. There’s not even a bruise. They were just trying to scare me.”
“So you just were blowin’ off steam when you went into the choir room.” Burt sat back and nodded slowly.
“It’s just frustrating. I feel like I can handle this better than I was able to last fall, for a lot of reasons, but... But I faltered then, and everyone expects me to fall flat on my face now.”
“It’s not that. We just- Well, I just want to make sure we’re payin’ enough attention. Carole and I feel like we got caught up in our problems and each other, and we didn’t notice when things got too serious for you. You needed us, and we should’ve been there for you to hold onto.”
“I didn’t want to stress you out,” Kurt said quietly. “Any more than I usually do, anyway.”
Burt touched his knee very lightly. “Just because I got sent to the hospital once doesn’t mean I can’t handle looking out for my own kid. That was months ago.” He pursed his lips. “How bad is it? I need you to be honest with me here, Kurt. Can you do that? Do we gotta fix this right now, or are we waiting to rethink all this for next year?”
“I can make it to summer,” Kurt said confidently. At least he got to be part of the decision. “Blaine is a lot more help than he thinks he is, and Finn keeps them off me when he can. It’s not a lot, but it’s enough to keep me from getting overwhelmed... But not enough apparently to prevent a temper tantrum. As long as I watch the Hummel Mouth, I should be fine.”
Burt stood and patted Kurt on the back. Kurt bit his lip and felt a stab a guilt along with the ache in his back.
“You let me know if this starts to get serious again. I need to know. That principal and the administration there don’t give a flying fuck about you kids, and all we can do is keep on them until you’re out of there.”
“Everyone at that school gets bullied,” Kurt said. “Everyone does. It’s gotten worse over the last year.”
“I noticed,” Burt drawled. He drew in a deep breath. “You know it’s hard for me to let you keep going there when I can see the toll it takes on you. It’s visible. The people who love you can see it all over ya.”
“I know. I don’t believe for a second you would have even considered it, though, if we had another option.” Kurt looked up at his father.
Burt rubbed his fingers over his mouth. “Maybe not right now. We’ll figure something out.”
“And if we don’t... I still have you guys.”
“That’s what I really want. For you and Finn to start realizing that you have both of us, and that you have each other. It’s too hard to go through the world alone.”
Kurt stood and gave his father an unexpected hug. Burt let out a laugh but patted Kurt’s back firmly. Kurt refused to pull away, even if it hurt.
Onto Part Three
Warnings: Homophobia, violence, sexual harassment
Includes: angst
Rating: NC-17 overall
Word Count: ~102k
Summary: Due to family monetary struggles, Kurt is forced to go back to McKinley... not that he wants anyone to know the reason. For Kurt and Blaine, though, the biggest hardship is separation. Worried about how his boyfriend is coping, Blaine convinces his mother to let him transfer.
Notes: Post Original Song AU. For aelora for help_japan.
Part One
Part Two
“I need to know exactly whose jeans those are,” David said, pointing to Blaine’s legs just before he pulled onto the highway. “Because I’m pretty sure I’ve seen them on both of you. Am I stroking out right now or am I right and you’ve reached clothes-sharing relationship synthesis?”
Kurt looked up from where he sat in the backseat, texting Mercedes like a fiend. He felt small back there, with the upperclassmen up front. None of them were in uniform, but it hadn’t been that long since David was his senior Warbler and Council member.
“They’re our magical traveling pants,” Blaine said. “They fit both of us, somehow, even though Kurt is a skinny.”
“We’re about the same size,” Kurt argued. “Blaine needed some clothes when we crashed Rachel’s party back in February, and since they fit, we’ve just been passing them back and forth.”
“That party made me nervous. I was worried your friends wouldn’t like me,” Blaine admitted.
“It’s impossible for people not to like you, Blaine,” David assured him before Kurt could launch any kind of protest.
Blaine made a face and then looked out the window. They were obviously trying to distract him, since soon they would be approaching Columbus, where Gray Academy and his sister were located.
“Rachel likes you, anyway. She wrote a song about you,” Kurt continued for the sake of further distraction.
“Oh, geez.” Blaine leaned his forehead on a few fingers and shook his head.
“It’s called “Gay Boyfriend.” Though, Mercedes had to point out to her that there’s already a few songs with that title. Three, that we know of.”
David chuckled deeply. “Are there, now?”
“I’ll send them to you. They’re tremendous fun. Mercedes and I used to sing them to each other all the time.” Kurt clapped his hands and sang, “He doesn’t think I know, but I know, I know, I’ve always known! He doesn’t think it shows, but it shows, for sure. It’s always shown!”
“I don’t know that I want those particular shenanigans captured in song,” Blaine muttered. “...I wasn’t her boyfriend, either. It was just one date.”
“If it makes you feel better, I think Rachel’s version went the same way as “My Hairband.” Trashcan.” Kurt scratched Blaine’s back lightly.
Blaine turned to him with a little smile. “Do you think it was as well-written as “Get It Right”?”
Kurt had to laugh. Blaine hadn’t thought much of New Directions’ original songs. That had been clear on his face when he’d watched them perform, but he’d clapped anyway and complemented their energy and the use of confetti. Which was exactly why they should like Blaine. He was generous to a fault. Even his cattiness just now was more like a purr than a hiss.
“Though I’ve written much worse songs,” Blaine added after a second, almost to himself.
“Is Rachel aware that Blaine is your gay boyfriend now? Because I don’t think anyone needs more drama over that,” David said.
“She has been duly informed. She hates me now for reasons unrelated... with maybe one well deserved.” Mocking Rachel’s single status elicited more guilt than was perhaps warranted since it was in response to her own behavior... but Kurt still regretted it every time he landed a blow and the others laughed.
“I doubt she hates you.” Blaine’s eyes drifted to the road, and he pointed. “Take that exit. I can direct you from there.”
A few minutes later, the three of them were signing into the front office and emptying out their pockets. The three boys sat there for a while in silence, looking around the office which was all dark, rich woods and cream highlights.
“Maybe if I bring Ti some warm milk, she’ll open up,” Blaine teased, looking up at the ceiling.
“You’re meaaan.” Kurt leaned into Blaine to wait.
When Tianna appeared in the office doorway, Blaine sat up with a jolt. She pulled her plump lips into a coy little smile as she saw her brother, and waved at them all before trotting over.
She had the same unruly hair as Blaine, although she made no effort to gel it into submission save for occasionally, like today, pulling the mass of curls into pigtails. There was a new streak of red dyed in since Kurt had seen her last. She also had the same intense, chimera hazel eye color as Blaine that attracted the attention immediately, but in their shape, her eyes favored her mother more. And, like her brother, Tianna tended to attract the attention of both boys and girls. Unlike him, she might have an attraction in return to either.
Blaine wrapped his arms around her tightly, as though he’d entirely forgotten that he was here to give her a stern talking to. Instead, he just rocked her from side to side and drew in a deep breath.
Kurt thought that Blaine might in fact be the most open and amazing person in the world.
“Missed you too, short stuff,” she teased, looking up at him.
“Who’s short?” Blaine demanded, without any real bite to the words.
Kurt and David looked to one another. Almost simultaneously, they nodded and looked back to Blaine and his sister. When Tianna began to pull back, David stepped forward and gave them both a smile.
“Why don’t we go to one of the visitation rooms?” he suggested.
“Did they frisk you on the way in?” Tianna asked, turning lead the way.
“No, but they took my hand lotion. I’m lost without it, I tell you,” Kurt complained.
Tianna looked back at him and laughed, then took his hand as they walked. “Been too long, cutie.”
“Stop trying to steal my boyfriend, Ti,” Blaine said, taking Kurt’s other hand.
“Now I’m lonely.” David never stopped smiling.
Blaine grabbed David’s hand, and Kurt started to skip and sing, “We’re off to see the wizard...”
“The wonderful Wizard of Oz!” Tianna giggled. “Does this make me Dorothy? I’m sad. I wanted to be the Wicked Witch.”
“Forget that, girl. I am Elphaba,” Kurt told her.
“Oh, fine, Elphie. Be that way. I guess Blaine is the Scarecrow, hm?”
“I’m probably the Cowardly Lion,” Blaine muttered.
“Pfft. Hush up, Blainers. You is not.” Tianna opened the door for them and let the boys go through before her. “So I hear you’re out, Kurt.”
David chuckled. “Naaah. What would make you think that?”
“Out of the uniform, I mean,” Tianna said. She flailed her hands in the air. “Out of jail free!”
“I was gonna say...” Kurt pulled Blaine into a chair with him, and they sat nearly on top of one another.
“How do you like freedom?” Tianna flopped onto a couch and crossed her legs toward them. “Is it as sweet as I remember?”
“Freedom is a relative concept. I like being home with my family, and I like actually getting to see my friends more than once every few weeks. That’s nice.”
“If anyone gives you guys any trouble, I’ll beat ‘em up for you.” She held up her tiny fists and waved them around like she was going to go boxing. “You know that goes for bullies of all ages. I’ll take out that weird teacher blond teacher who called Blaine ‘Mr. Muppet Brows,’ too.”
“Maybe we can hire you as a bodyguard,” Blaine suggested. “Keep you off the streets.” He leaned forward and folded his hands seriously.
Tianna leaned forward, mimicking the gesture. “Is business time, now? I was hoping for more gabbing with your boyfriend first.”
“Tianna, we all care about you very much,” David started gently.
She rolled her eyes. “Seriously? You guys are going to intervention me? Come on.”
“Mama said you got caught with a ‘prohibited substance,’” Blaine explained. “Ti, I don’t want you drinking. You and I both have a terrible tolerance for alcohol and just do dumbest things when we drink.”
“And if you’re not happy, drinking is only going to make it worse,” David pointed out. “Alcohol is a depressant, you know.”
She sighed. “I wasn’t drinking. It was just some weed.”
“Wh-what?!” Blaine sputtered. His hands were shaking and his face could not have grown more red. “You had marijuana?!”
The way he lowered his voice to speak the name of the evil substance was almost comical, but no one was laughing.
Tianna spread her hands. “I had my period, what do you expect from me? It hurt. A lot. I thought I was going to die.”
David wrinkled his nose.
“Did it help?” Kurt asked. Blaine gave him a warning look.
“Not really. Well, it still hurt, but I just didn’t care anymore. I got the stuff from Erin.” She shrugged. “Erin didn’t get in trouble. Just me.”
“You were the one who got caught with it!” Blaine argued.
“Well, she wasn’t holding. She was toking,” David said. “Of course she got caught.”
Blaine’s eyes grew rounder and rounder at his not-helping friends.
“I’m just saying, if it didn’t help, and it’s keeping you from your family, maybe you should find another coping strategy.” Kurt deliberately did not look at Blaine, who might scathe him to death with his eyes.
“Y’know, I haven’t smoked for a while and that stuff makes you cough like a motherfucker even if you’re used to it,” she told him. “I wouldn’t recommend it.”
“I’m not going to be smoking anything ever,” Kurt informed her. He stroked the front of his neck. “Might damage the instrument.”
Blaine pressed his fingertips hard to his temples. “Goddamn, Ti.”
David stood and patted Blaine’s back. “Look, I know this is all fun and games to you, but it’s really been hard on your mother.”
“Not everything is about her,” Tianna snapped, her voice going hard for the first time. “She’s the one who uprooted me from my friends and stuck me in this place. She’s the one who drove Daddy away!”
“Ti, that is not true!” Blaine stood up. Kurt stood behind him, touched the back of his shoulders lightly.
Tianna just crossed her arms. “It is true. They fight all the time. She just won’t let stuff go.”
“That’s not all her fault. She had to fight him, because of me-”
Tianna’s lips twisted, plump and red and sour. “She’s not exactly your biggest supporter in this family, Blaine!”
“I know. I know.” Blaine turned from her slightly and let out a sigh. “I’m very aware of who my biggest supporter is. I just want to be able to help you, too. You’ve been different...”
“I’ve been broken-hearted. But I’m over it. I’m done. You can stop worrying about me and just let me be your big sister.” Tianna looked away, and touched the corner of her left eye.
Blaine looked back at Kurt and David helplessly. Kurt licked his lips and sat beside Tianna.
“We know, honey. We know it hurts,” he said softly.
“He’s just one guy. Guys suck.”
“Yes. They do.” Kurt slipped his arm around her and squeezed. “Straight guys anyway.”
Tianna curled into Kurt’s arms for a hug. “Absolutely. From now on, only hot chicks and gay guys trying to figure out their sexuality.”
Kurt kissed her cheek. “The world needs good hags like you.”
“Of course.” Tianna looked up at her brother then reached out her hand. “I promise to try harder. But I can’t promise not to be the family fuck-up anymore.”
“You’re not a fuck-up.” Taking her hand, Blaine sat on her other side. “You’re great. I’m just bummed you won’t be home for so long.”
“Look at that puppy face, Ti,” Kurt said dramatically. “Won’t you be seeing that sad puppy face every time you do something against the rules? Think of the puppy!”
“Stop it!” Blaine protested.
“No, okay. I get it. God.” She bowed her head over and put her face in her hands. “I can’t wait until I’m graduated, guys. You have no idea how much I hate high school.”
“I might have an idea,” Kurt muttered.
“You should see the bruise on his back, Ti. That school is just terrible.” Blaine leaned on her.
She turned to Kurt and tapped his shoulder. “Take it off. Let me see.”
“No.” Kurt swatted her hand. “It’s not that bad.”
“It’s that bad,” Blaine said.
Tianna took both of their hands. “What am I going to do with you guys?”
“You could take care of yourself, to give them one less thing to worry about.” David put his hands in his pockets and stood over them.
“Shut up, tall person.” Tianna craned her head back. “Don’t you know you’re just here to give us something pretty to look at?”
David laughed, put his fists on his hips like Superman, and smiled widely.
“Day-um. Wanna give us a turn? Get a look at the rear view?”
“I don’t think my girlfriend would appreciate it. She already gets upset because Nick told her that Blaine and I would make a prettier couple than she and I.”
“Whatevs.” Tianna pointed to the door where a teacher was peeking through the window. “The She-Devil is watching us. I think she’s suspicious because I’m all curled up with boys.”
“You must be absolutely dreadful. It’s not often that people assume I’m going to get naughty with a girl,” Kurt told her.
“I don’t wanna go,” Blaine murmured.
“I know.” Tianna hung her head and let go of Kurt, turning to her brother. “I’ll be good... I’ll try.”
“Don’t hurt yourself, dear.” Blaine wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. “Just get your phone privileges back so I can call you.”
“And you take care of yourself, too, okay?” She looked into his eyes, so much like her own, then back at Kurt. “Take care of my baby brother.”
“Always,” Kurt vowed.
***
Kurt petted his boyfriend’s hair slowly. There was no hiding Blaine’s mood after the visit to his sister. Obviously, his worries had not been assuaged in the least, although Kurt felt that she’d pay more attention to her actions if she were thinking about her brother, instead of her parents. There was obviously a lot of bitterness between Tianna and her mother, and Kurt understood how intense things could get with a parent, especially if there was a lot of love and pride involved. And if the parent and rapidly-becoming-adult child happened to be very different people.
Blaine pulled his socked feet up onto the sofa and put his hand on Kurt’s thigh.
“Do you wanna go up to your room?” Kurt offered, letting his fingers trail around Blaine’s face.
“Hm?”
Kurt smiled softly. Oh, yes, Blaine was distracted.
“Let me get you something. I could stay over if you want?”
“Would your dad really let you spend the night here? Where he can’t watch me with his shotgun?”
“I can convince him we won’t be messing around... Maybe I’ll talk to Carole first.”
Blaine laughed softly. “I like her. She’s nice. And she actually likes me.”
“Dad likes you. He’s just afraid you’re going to bruise his little virgin flower.”
“People just don’t give pansies enough credit. They really are hardy little flowers, y’know. Some people think of them as weeds.” Blaine moved his hand up Kurt’s side.
“I like to think of myself as a weed from Hell.” Kurt leaned closer until he could feel Blaine’s warm breath against his lips.
“I think... I might be an orchid.”
Though Blaine had been joking, Kurt could roll with anything... especially a statement like that.
“Hm. I can see it. Delicate. Exotic. Lovely.”
“I’m lovely?”
Kurt kissed him then, letting his hand grasp the back of Blaine’s neck and bring him forward almost dominantly. Blaine grunted deep in his throat and, hanging his arms around Kurt’s neck, pulled himself into his lap. A shudder worked its way up from deep inside Kurt, and he snuggled Blaine to him as they tasted each other with one unhurried kiss after the other.
Blaine panted and touched his forehead as though dizzy, then rested his head against the sofa and looked at Kurt. Just looked at him with those expressive eyes that sang, sang, sang how much he loved his boyfriend, every time they caught sight of him.
“You move me, too.” Kurt cupped Blaine’s cheek, then stroked his brow with a thumb. “And uh... Yeah, you are lovely.”
“Stop.” Blaine looked down and touched the back of his neck.
“My lovely little orchid,” Kurt teased. And boom, yet another nickname, to add to the dozen or so in-jokes they’d cultivated since meeting last fall.
“Gosh.” Blaine shook his head and laughed at himself. “Okay, just... don’t call me that out in public.”
“As you wish.” Kurt pressed his hand to Blaine’s chest to feel his rapidly beating heart. “Can I get you anything? Why don’t I get us something to drink?”
“I can get it-”
“Nope.” Kurt wiggled until Blaine fell back onto the couch. “I’m getting it.”
“Okay. Um, water, then. I’m kind of parched.”
Kurt hopped up and danced away from the sofa, to the sound of Blaine’s merry laughter.
The kitchen was already lit up when Kurt entered, and he almost didn’t see Mrs. Anderson standing there by the sink, with a pack of cigarettes on the counter, biting her thumbnail and eyeing him with ferocity.
But he did. Right in the corner of his eye, he caught the sight of her disheveled hair, and he turned from his mission just to get stuck right in her headlights.
They stood there for more than a minute, just staring at one another. It was almost too much. Kurt almost laughed at the absurdity of it. Then she spoke,
“You’re his boyfriend.”
It wasn’t a question, and therefore there was no opening to confirm or deny, really. Kurt nodded anyway, because clearly, oh so clearly, she’d seen them making out on the couch. He hadn’t been aware that anyone was home. Had he known, he would have kept his hands to himself until they were safely in Blaine’s room or car. The last thing Blaine needed was his mother flipping out on him over something like this.
“You’re his boyfriend.” The last word bent over her tongue, almost dripping with disgust.
Not trusting himself, Kurt turned to the refrigerator, grabbed bottles of water for them both, and headed for the doorway.
“Don’t. Wait.”
Kurt looked over his shoulder and raised a brow. When only more silence came, Kurt managed in a tight, high voice, “Can I do something for you, Mrs. Anderson?”
“How... How did you meet my son?”
Kurt thought he might fall over with surprise. What a question, after the tension that had been in the room. He set the water down on the counter, crossed one arm over himself, and held the other hand up close to him, curling it tightly closed.
“I was spying on The Dalton Warblers. So he made sure I got to see their performance in the senior commons, and then he got Wes and David to take me out for coffee.”
Clearly, this was not what she expected him to say either. She blinked. “Why?”
“He thought I might be in trouble.” Kurt paused. “He was right. I think, maybe, he saved my life. Your son’s a good man.”
“And then you started dating?”
“No. Not for another...” Kurt ticked off his fingers. “Five months? We were friends first. Spent a lot of time hanging out, drinking coffee, and singing. And that was even before I transferred to Dalton.”
Her shoulders went crooked as she leaned on the counter. “I didn’t realize you went to his school. I thought you went to McKinley?”
“I did before, and I do now. Dalton is too rich for Hummel blood, unfortunately.” Kurt lifted his chin. “I’ll survive it.”
Something about his choice of words caused her face to tighten, and her back to straighten, as though they meant something to her beyond the defensive bravado most would see. “I’m sure you will.”
Kurt drew in a deep breath, wishing he didn’t see that remembered fear in her eyes. It was a fear he knew well enough from his dad and Carole’s eyes, and sometimes from Finn. Everyone in the world seemed to think he was going to expire quietly in the hallways of a subpar public school, yet another teenage tragedy for the gay community to mourn. But since meeting Blaine, Kurt had decided he wasn’t gonna go out like.
This fear, in her eyes, was for her own son. Kurt wished he couldn’t understand her position. He wished he could just hate her for not accepting her son completely and hopping on board the gay pride float.
He turned from her as she began to speak again, but when he waited, she said nothing. He hurried back to the sofa, and realizing that he’d forgotten Blaine’s water, he reached for his hand instead.
“Come spend the night with me,” he suggested.
“I don’t know. Mama should be back soon. I don’t want to leave her alone for that long.” Blaine was getting to his feet despite the anxious look in his eyes. “And your dad still won’t want us spending the night together.”
“Then... just let me take you out to dinner. Just get out of here for a few hours. We’ll find some place that doesn’t have sociopaths and hateful people around and paint the town rainbows.”
Blaine chuckled and reached for his shoes. “Let me change first. I smell like carsweat.”
“You smell fine.”
Blaine bounded up the stairs. “Hey. Who’s getting taken out here? I wanna be the prettiest princess for our date!”
“There’s literally no way that wouldn’t happen.” Kurt grabbed Blaine around the waist as they reached his bedroom and followed him into his closet. “Oh, clothes. My former lover.”
“I’d be jealous, if we weren’t sharing that lover now,” Blaine teased very lightly.
“Menage à trois!” Kurt flipped a hand into the air.
Their eyes met, and Kurt peeled off his shirt and waited for Blaine to pick out something for him to wear. It was almost ludicrous, the reality of dating someone who owned more clothes than him. He’d build his wardrobe back up, of course. Right now, though, he just had to make it work.
It made a delightful excuse for them to share clothes, though.
“You’re really fond of red,” Kurt muttered, looking through the shirts. “Why haven’t I seen you wear these yet?”
“Uniform? Take whatever you want. Mi vestuario es su vestuario. What do you think of blue and orange?” Blaine held up a shirt and pair of pants. “Not red!”
“You’ll look like Tintin. I never said I had a problem with red. You’re a deep Autumn. Warm colors are good on you.” Kurt grabbed a tight black shirt and traded with him for the blue.
“Aww... actually, this isn’t bad. I never have an opportunity to wear my ugly pants.”
“Why do you buy them if they’re ugly?”
“Because the uglier they are, the awesomer they are. You can’t tell how good something is going to look on the rack anyway. You have to try it. This is a sound fashion principle, and I’m disappointed in you for not knowing it!” Blaine pointed at him as he unbuttoned his pants with one hand.
“No, I know what you mean. I had this yellow blazer-- We sold it in the Great Closet Cleaning Tragedy of 2011-- Pav would have loved it. I think it was made of his big brother.” Kurt looked through Blaine’s pants for something truly hideous. “Ohhh. I love these.”
Kurt pulled out a pair of hip-hugger plaid purple pants. Blaine looked, then laughed. “Of course you find the only item in my closet that Tianna bought for me. And they’re too long for me to boot. They’re yours, if you want them.”
“Alright, fashionisto. Find me a shirt.”
Nine minutes and two kisses and one grope and a biiig blush later, the two of them were headed out the door. Kurt half-skipped to Blaine’s car and took the driver’s seat. He loved this fabulous old beast, all wings and shiny eggplant-colored paint. The ’58 Studebaker had a bad rap for it’s heavy engine, but Kurt knew better than to listen to gossip. The Golden Hawk could kick the collective ass of some of the more commonly restored vehicles in tests of speed, and would look good doing it. He snapped his fingers in the air as Blaine hopped in beside him, and they grinned at one another.
Just as Kurt began to pull out, he caught sight of Mrs. Anderson, with a shawl wrapped around her shoulders and her hand curled over her mouth, peeking out the doorway.
“Your mom...” Kurt said absently.
Blaine turned and waved at her. “I didn’t realize she was at home. Hold on.”
Kurt pulled the car parallel to the sidewalk and waited as Blaine rolled down the window.
“We’ll be back in a few hours, Mama. Is that okay? I’ll tell you all about our visit with Ti!”
“Just come home safely, baby,” she called after him.
Kurt drove silently for several minutes before Blaine sighed and twisted his fingers.
“Do you think she was okay with me leaving?”
“I think she’s afraid for you. It’s tough out here for a queenie boy.”
Blaine’s brows went up, and he nodded.
“And I think it would be hard for her to lose you,” Kurt admitted.
“She’s not going to lose me. I’m just going out to dinner.”
“With your boyfriend.” Kurt reached over to hold Blaine’s hand as he drove. “I get the feeling that, while maybe she’s not your biggest supporter in the family, you might be hers, right now.”
Blaine looked down at his hands and drew in a deep breath. “I’m just all tapped out. She can do without me for a few hours. It’s not like I’m abandoning her.”
“I’m not saying you should stay home. You spent most of the day in the car and parenting your big sister. You’re not obligated to babysit your mother, too.” Kurt squeezed Blaine’s hand then let it go to make a turn. “We can go wherever you want. Unwind for a little before hitting the family drama again.”
Blaine tilted his head to the side and smiled, holding out one palm, then splaying his fingers back for effect. “I know where I wanna go.”
Kurt glanced over at Blaine. “Ohhh... you want to go shopping.”
“Summer wardrobe is not that far away, Kurt.” Blaine gestured energetically with both index fingers extended. “We have to be prepared!”
“What, am I going to argue with you?”
***
“You look stho hansthome, dahlink.” Blaine flung both hands in the air and beamed at Finn and Kurt, the latter of whom giggled and waved his boyfriend off.
Finn just frowned in confusion. “Did you burn your mouth on your coffee?”
“No. Kurt ish just faboolous!” Blaine clapped his hands and started to pet over the double-breasted military style jacket (red!) with black straps between the shiny buttons. He’d just gotten it for Kurt the other day. Sure, he’d said it was for himself, but it was totally for Kurt, and it made Blaine feel all fuzzy and happy to watch Kurt twirl around in it with the glee only a good wardrobe piece could bring to your day.
Actually, he’d considered listing “watching my boyfriend bounce” as one of his interests on Facebook. It just brightened his world.
“What’s he doing?” Finn asked.
“Karl Lagerfeld, maybe?” Kurt suggested.
“You think so?” Blaine sucked in his cheeks and started fanning himself with his hand furiously. Kurt laughed and hooked arms with Blaine.
Finn scratched his head and joined them in their booth. “Dudes, I’m so confused right now.”
“That’s okay.” Blaine picked up the coffee he’d already gotten and handed one to Kurt. “You’re still our favorite Finn.”
“How was the rest of your weekend?” Kurt asked before taking a sip.
Blaine shrugged. “Mom seemed glad to hear Ti was doing okay, and that we’d talked to her. I told her that you’re the Ti-Whisperer. The two of them can’t be in a room together anymore without screaming.”
“I don’t think your family is the only one that has that problem. My dad and I fight like cats sometimes. But maybe a family counselor would help? Anyone to mediate, really. Aside from you.”
“You don’t think I’m doing a good job.” Blaine said the words with certainty, because he knew he wasn’t holding his family together very well.
“I think a mediator by definition has to be outside of the situation.” Kurt patted Blaine’s leg, then gave his knee a squeeze.
“Skip school with me today. We can play in the park,” Blaine suggested.
Finn chuckled, and Kurt leaned into Blaine’s shoulder. “If I weren’t sure you’d get in a lot more trouble than I would, I’d take you up on that.”
“Fine, fine, fine. I guess the Andersons really only have room for one problem child.”
Blaine took a drink of his coffee. The hot, sweet liquid slid down his throat, warming, soothing, and filling him. Preparing him for the day. He’d always had an affinity for drinking something warm in the mornings. When he was much smaller, it was hot chocolate or tea, but he’d started a routine of coffee with his father by the time he was ten. Little Blaine, disheveled curls bouncing, would come down early every morning, and his father would give him a little cup of coffee and let him mix in as much sugar as he liked. He would sit across from Blaine, chatting with him about their plans for the day as he read his paper, until he had to leave. Then, he’d ask Blaine if he wanted any more coffee, with a little pat to the head.
His big man.
The ritual had extended to their Sunday morning pancakes. Blaine wasn’t sure when this had begun, but on Sunday morning after an early Mass, Mama and Tianna would go out, and it was just Blaine and his dad. They went to the same diner every week, and Blaine always ordered blueberry pancakes. His dad always ordered eggs florentine with a side of extra crispy bacon and extra extra extra crispy hash browns, and he always gave Blaine a strip of his bacon. They both had piping hot coffee with three or four sugars and creamer.
Blaine remembered a little better why this ritual had ended, than when.
“Dad? Um...”
“Your mother told me.”
Some things happened abruptly, and some just faded away. You could only spend so many mornings together, sitting in silence, awkwardness growing and feeding on the silence, before something came up. Just this once. So you skipped it. Then another thing came up, and another, and then that ritual was forever gone, and would never be back.
Rebuilding the Studebaker together had been a last ditch effort.
“Babe?” Kurt’s hand rose to Blaine’s face to discretely wipe away a tear.
“What?” Blaine feigned ignorance of anything being wrong, but it was mostly for Finn’s sake. Kurt could read him better than that. Kurt watched him, often. There was no hope that Kurt had missed the look passing over his face. “I was thinking about my dad. I... I miss him, I guess.”
Unable to find the words, Kurt reached over to take Blaine’s and kissed his cheek gently. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. Maybe it would be better if I knew for sure what was going on.”
“What’s happening now?” Finn asked.
Blaine looked up and sighed. He didn’t really want to burden people with his problems. “My father left for a business trip two weeks ago. It’s... it’s been a long time. I don’t think he should have been gone this long, but my mother doesn’t really want to talk about it. I think their marriage is in trouble.”
“Maybe they just need to get some space.” Finn move his finger over the rim of his cup.
“I don’t think Mama sat down with him and decided they needed space,” Blaine said. “He just left.”
Finn shrugged. “Whatever happens, there’s nothing you can do. They have to figure it out.”
“I feel like, though, that stress over me had something to do with how much they’ve been fighting.”
Kurt petted Blaine’s neck. “Blaine, honey, if what Ti has been saying is any indication, I don’t think you could possibly be the reason they’re having problems. You’re a fight, but you’re not the reason they’re fighting. You can’t blame yourself for your parents’ issues.”
“You blamed yourself for your dad’s heart attack,” Blaine replied. Although it was a losing move. He knew the moment he spoke where this conversation would go.
“And,” Kurt said gently, “as you point out to me so often, I was wrong.”
“You blamed yourself?” Finn frowned at Kurt.
“He still does.” Blaine leaned onto his hand and looked up at Kurt. “He takes on too much.”
“Hm.” Kurt’s lips curled upward and he sat back in the booth. “Back ‘atcha.”
Blaine looked to his coffee and curled his hands around the warm mug. He took a drink, then put his arm around Kurt’s back. “You’re my new morning ritual,” he murmured.
Kurt let out a soft laugh and kissed Blaine’s temple. Someone nearby made a displeased noise, but neither of them moved, and Finn just sat up straighter to look around.
No one approached them that morning for being too affectionate. Still, Blaine was careful for the rest of their time together, because of the unfriendly frown on Finn’s face.
***
Okay, so the day hadn’t exactly been going swimmingly, but Kurt would take what he could get. Coffee with his boyfriend in the morning, a chance to give him some courage with the kisses, and the opportunity to borrow this fabulous jacket.
He floated along that morning, ignoring taunts and names and some paper missiles with evil things written on them thrown his way. He let Blaine’s words about his fabulousness and fierceness echo in his ears and fill his heart, and he made believe that his boyfriend was by his side, holding his hand, and covering his back. Invincible together.
Just after third period, he stepped into the hallway to a face-full of grape slushy. The laughter faded down the hall before he could wipe his eyes away. Azimio, he guessed, but he couldn’t be sure. With a distressed whine, he pulled off his jacket, hoping that it might be spared more dripping slushy stains, then cleared his eyes and looked around for a bathroom.
Darting inside, he turned on the hot water, tending to the jacket first and letting the water run over it before grabbing a paper towel to wipe off his face. He could get the rest later, after making sure this didn’t stain.
“Think you’re in the wrong bathroom, Fancy.”
Karofsky’s gruff voice was unmistakable. Kurt said nothing and just rubbed the fabric together with a little hand soap, hoping, hoping.
“Ruined your dress, huh?”
Kurt pinched his lips together and closed his eyes. He shouldn’t have come in here by himself, and he knew it. Another bruise to worry his boyfriend.
“Hey, faggot!”
This voice Kurt did not recognize, and his stomach turned to ice water when he felt a hand grab the tender curve where his thigh met his backside. He jerked around, where two large seniors stood blocking the doorway. The boy who’d spoken was taller, and on the football team, but the other, Johnson, had bothered Kurt before. Never with as much stalkerly determination as Karofsky, but Johnson gave Kurt light slams on a fairly consistent basis. When there was no one around to stop him.
“I’m just trying to wash my jacket,” he said in as low and calm a tone as he could manage.
“Aw, and here I thought you were tryin’ to sneak a peak, huh?” Johnson leaned over him and put his hand on the sink.
“Sorry to disappoint you. I’m taken.” Kurt’s lips stretched into a tight smile. In this moment, his urge was to kick Johnson right in the johnson, but that would bring a world of pain on him, with the tall guy and Karofsky right there.
“Yeah? Bet that’s disappointing, huh, Karofsky? He sure got a purdy mouth.” The tall one laughed and stepped to the side as he looked back at Karofsky.
“Jeez, Cooke. Why would I care?” Karofsky demanded.
A little too defensive. The other two laughed harder, and Kurt let out an involuntary squeak as Johnson pressed his heavy body into him.
“Guys-” Karofsky stepped forward, then he looked between the two of them and rolled his eyes. “If you wanna have a threesome with this queer, fine by me. I got stuff to do.”
He beat it out of the boys’ room, and Kurt’s eyes followed him. That brought it down to two against one, unless someone else came in. That would be a matter of luck, though, and could easily not be in his favor.
Johnson grabbed Kurt’s arms and tossed him toward the wall. He caught himself before hitting the concrete, but Cooke stepped in front of him as Johnson held up the jacket, cutting off his exit.
“Ohh... It’s so darling! I bet you just eat up the catwalk with this one, hm? Shakin’ your fairy tail for all the boys to see?” Johnson looked right at Kurt, then pulled the fabric with all of his strength, ripping it unevenly.
“No!” Kurt lunged forward, but there was no getting that jacket back. Cooke moved to the side to grab him again, and Kurt dashed between them, caught the handle of his bag, and fled the bathroom. He made it half-way down the hall before looking back. He wasn’t being followed, so he ducked around the corner and just tried to make it to the choir room.
He spotted Karofsky by his locker, and in a moment of adrenaline and foolishness, he fixed his gaze on the bigger boy, shooting daggers of distain and contempt from his eyes.
“You’re a coward,” Kurt spat.
Karofsky’s face fell, but Kurt stormed away from him without waiting for a response.
By the time he’d reached the choir room, Kurt was whipped up into a good froth, and he kicked a chair as he threw his bag into the risers.
“What the Hell is wrong with people? How is it even remotely okay to behave like this is a zoo instead of an institution of learning?” he demanded as alarmed eyes turned to him. “Freaking herd mentality... zero critical thinking... lowest common denominator grunts, apes, and jackasses so terrified of anything new or strange that they shake their fists in the air and destroy on sight, lest they actually have to expand their tiny little paradigms!”
“You missed some slushy.” Mercedes pulled a little package of moist towelettes out of her bag (clearly one of her personal harassment coping mechanisms) and pulled Kurt closer to start wiping him clean. She watched him with a little smile as she did it, as though she wanted him to know that she knew his near nonsensical rambling wasn’t aimed at them.
Finn leaned forward. “Are you okay?”
“Did they get that jacket you were wearing before?” Lauren asked. “That blows. That was a sweet little piece of fashion right there. I was thinking of stealing it from you.”
Kurt pressed his fingers hard over his brows and forehead as he let out a low groan. “I hate this school.”
“If you hate it so much, why are you even back here?” Rachel asked.
“Rachel,” Tina admonished.
“What? He was pretty much in the Golden Land of No Slushies, a place where you could hardly say that the other students weren’t smart, the place where his boyfriend is and he actually had a chance at getting solos.” Rachel crossed her arms. “Really, Kurt. You brought this on yourself. Why would you come back?”
“Because we can’t afford it,” Finn said a bit loudly.
Kurt shot him a dark look, but his brother only shrugged.
“We can’t. Dalton is expensive, and our parents tried, but in the end, he’s back here and nothing has changed.”
Rachel’s face was growing red. Clearly, she’d intended for her little jab to sting Kurt and not expected it to boomerang back on herself so quickly. Now she felt bad, and would mope over that. Kurt just hoped her moping would lead her to a place where she’d learn to think before opening her mouth.
“Why didn’t you just tell us?” Mercedes sat down and looked up at him sadly. “God, Kurt, I don’t want you to be miserable. None of us do.”
Kurt put his hand on her head. “Don’t get me wrong. I love you guys. You’re the only thing I wouldn’t change about this place. I just can’t stand in this fucking school.”
Mercedes’ eyes grew almost comically round, and Tina put her hand over her mouth. The others had reacted similarly, and since none of them aside from Quinn were likely to be scandalized by foul language, even if they were surprised to hear it from him, Kurt sighed and turned around. Mr. Schue was at the door, looking stern and a little alarmed.
“Kurt-”
“Office, right?” The shrill, sharp words were out of his mouth before he could stop them, and if he hadn’t been about to be sent to the principal’s office before, he could tell from Mr. Schue’s face that he was now. He picked up his bag.
“C’mon, Mr. Schue,” Tina pleaded. “He didn’t mean it.”
“I’m... I’m not offended,” Quinn managed. It was an obvious lie, but kind of her to say. “Really, none of us are. I’m sure he’s sorry.”
“Seriously?” Santana shot up angrily. “Haven’t I said worse?”
Mr. Schue looked over them with a stern expression and crossed arms.
“Don’t be mad at him,” Kurt advised them, before they got themselves into trouble, too. “He’s just attempting to do his job.”
Finn jump up from his seat. “I’ll go with you.”
“I’m not a baby, Finn! You don’t have to follow me around all the time!” Kurt snapped.
“Yeah, I kind of do!”
Kurt turned and stormed out of the room quickly, with his brother following him obstinately and the rest of the Glee club looking to one another in silence.
“Bullies pick people off when they’re alone,” Finn said after a minute. As though Kurt didn’t know that.
Kurt said nothing and continued down the hallway. Figgins’ office was only a few more feet.
“You can’t push me away. I know you’re not happy, but we agreed that I would be there to help keep you safe. You need to wait for me outside of your classes if this is going to work!”
Kurt stopped, looked at the office door, then up at Finn, who seemed angry and fretful and most of all, confused.
“This is humiliating,” Kurt said simply as he reached for the door.
Finn grabbed his arm and took a step forward to keep Kurt from slipping into the office and away from this conversation. “I know it sucks. But nobody in the Glee club looks down on you for it. They all saw what was happening to you last fall, even if they didn’t really get it and we all completely failed at doing anything about it. And those guys who give you a hard time, they’re just waiting to get you alone.”
“Separate the little, weak ones from the herd before they attack. I’m familiar with the strategy.”
“You’re not so little anymore. And... you’re not so weak, when you’re with other people. But you can’t do this by yourself, Kurt. You just can’t.”
“You’re right.” Kurt made a noise of frustration and looked behind him down the hallway. “I know you’re right.”
“Will you be in a lot of trouble? I don’t think I’ve ever been sent to the office for swearing. Just for walking around in my underwear... and cutting up Vocal Adrenaline’s tires with Puck.”
“Slap on the wrist. They won’t even call Dad. Mostly because Figgins can’t stand him, and Dad’ll use the same language right to his face.”
“Heh.” Finn nodded, probably imagining Burt in the office swearing up a tornado.
Kurt shifted the weight of his bag. “Don’t worry.”
Finn paused. Kurt knew that he wanted to ask Kurt to call him when he got out so he could come get him, but after that blow up, he hesitated.
Kurt patted Finn’s arm and went into the office.
***
Blaine sat on a stool in the kitchen, fiddling with his phone and trying to decide how to answer Kurt’s message.
I’m really sorry. Your jacket got ruined. I’ll find a way to get another one for you.
There were fathoms under that message. Things unsaid. Something Blaine would understand if Kurt were with him. Something Blaine sort of suspected, even if Kurt hadn’t said it.
Ultimately, he chose to ask if Kurt was okay, and, receiving an answer in the affirmative... Blaine was at a loss as to what came next. He probably wouldn’t get the chance to be with Kurt again until Wednesday morning... maybe. He could call him tonight. At least they would get to hear one another’s voices.
But it wasn’t enough, dammit. How was he supposed to hold out until then?
Lea entered the kitchen, setting down a few bags on the island counter next to Blaine. “Oh, I didn’t expect you to be home. Could you help me, ba- What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Blaine set his phone down and started to sort through the groceries.
Lea sighed and turned away from him, putting plates away from the dish drainer. “I wish you felt like you could tell me what’s going on with you. It’s... It’s not about that boy, is it?”
“It is.” Blaine opened up the refrigerator.
“Did... Did you two have a fight?” she offered.
“No. We’re good. It’s everyone else who has the problem.” That had come out sharper than he’d intended it, but it was hard not to be a little upset. Someone had harassed his boyfriend today, and there was nothing he could do.
The silence in their house had received a life of its own over the past few years. Blaine wasn’t inclined to feed it more than absolutely necessary. So when he got the groceries put away, he took his phone and got ready to leave. “I need to get back to school. I just came back to get a book I forgot.”
“Please, Blaine. Just sit down. I want to talk to you.”
His mother turned around and put her hands on the counter. He stopped and looked to her with a curious frown. She didn’t seem too upset, or cross, or stressed out. She actually seemed pretty normal at the moment. For a brief second, Blaine wondered if his dad had come home.
Or, maybe his dad had...
“What is it, Mama?”
“Let me get you something to drink. Cocoa? Coffee?”
“I’m good.” Blaine leaned forward. “Tell me.”
***
“So, what’s the story?”
Burt set his beer down next to Kurt at the kitchen table. Kurt had been trying to complete his French homework, the struggle stemming more from lack of interest than from difficulty. He looked up at his father as the man sat down with him.
“Hm?” Burt prodded again.
Kurt shrugged and touched the page in front of him. “Homework.”
“Okay.” Burt sipped his beer and cocked his head to the side.
Kurt tried to muster up his reserves of patience, because they had been significantly shortened today by the ruination of Blaine’s jacket and getting sent to the principal’s office. Also, sort of losing it in front of the Glee club. Mercedes had been trying to get him alone for a talk most of the afternoon, and he didn’t really want to talk. He’d talked his tongue sore about this already with both his family and Blaine.
But getting short with his father would just make them both feel bad and solve nothing.
“What did you want to talk about?” Kurt ventured.
“You’re really good at foolin’ me most of the time. Most of the time.” Burt’s brows rose questioningly as he pursed his lips.
Kurt sighed and looked up at the ceiling. “It’s not a big deal. Some guys messed up the jacket Blaine let me borrow.”
“Yeah. I’m sure that’s a bummer. But I also think there’s more going on that you’re not tellin’ me. Is that Karofsky kid bothering you again?”
At least he could be honest about this. “No, not really. We got into it once because he was hassling Santana, but he’s mostly stayed away from me.”
“Mr. Schuester called me this afternoon. He says you’re not happy. He said you had some kinda melt-down in the choir room.”
Kurt’s mouth went slack. It felt almost like a betrayal. He didn’t know why it shocked him when Mr. Schue did teacher-things like punish them or call parents, aside from the fact Mr. Schue was usually too wrapped up in his own stuff to do it. “It wasn’t exactly a ‘melt-down.’”
“That’s not exactly been my only clue that you’ve had a hard time with the transfer.” Burt leaned forward. “I know you don’t want to cause anymore stress in this family, but if we’re gonna be a family, we have to take care of everyone. We’re all in this together, and we all do our part. It’s not just you takin’ it all on your shoulders. I’ve talked to you about this before.”
“It’s hard. It’s... It’s not impossible.” Kurt looked away. He didn’t want to get into a fight with his father about finances right now. Burt never exactly had a head for money. “The kids at school have always messed with me. Always. For one reason or another. What they’re doing now isn’t any different. So no, I’m not happy there, but... I can do it. I can make it through.”
Burt tapped his finger on the table, thinking and frowning. “Tell me what happened today?”
That his father was asking, and in that tone, softer than Kurt was used to, it was different. It was a little unnerving.
“Someone threw a slushy on me after third period. I went into the bathroom to try to save Blaine’s jacket, and... Karofsky saw me there. He said something stupid, and I ignored him. Then two other guys came in. Karofsky ran away, and the guys, they...”
“Threatened you?”
“They didn’t say anything, not like... They didn’t threaten to kill me or even pound me. They just made insinuations, and loomed over me with their giganticness. They tore the jacket, and...” Kurt hesitated. ”One of them grabbed me. There’s not even a bruise. They were just trying to scare me.”
“So you just were blowin’ off steam when you went into the choir room.” Burt sat back and nodded slowly.
“It’s just frustrating. I feel like I can handle this better than I was able to last fall, for a lot of reasons, but... But I faltered then, and everyone expects me to fall flat on my face now.”
“It’s not that. We just- Well, I just want to make sure we’re payin’ enough attention. Carole and I feel like we got caught up in our problems and each other, and we didn’t notice when things got too serious for you. You needed us, and we should’ve been there for you to hold onto.”
“I didn’t want to stress you out,” Kurt said quietly. “Any more than I usually do, anyway.”
Burt touched his knee very lightly. “Just because I got sent to the hospital once doesn’t mean I can’t handle looking out for my own kid. That was months ago.” He pursed his lips. “How bad is it? I need you to be honest with me here, Kurt. Can you do that? Do we gotta fix this right now, or are we waiting to rethink all this for next year?”
“I can make it to summer,” Kurt said confidently. At least he got to be part of the decision. “Blaine is a lot more help than he thinks he is, and Finn keeps them off me when he can. It’s not a lot, but it’s enough to keep me from getting overwhelmed... But not enough apparently to prevent a temper tantrum. As long as I watch the Hummel Mouth, I should be fine.”
Burt stood and patted Kurt on the back. Kurt bit his lip and felt a stab a guilt along with the ache in his back.
“You let me know if this starts to get serious again. I need to know. That principal and the administration there don’t give a flying fuck about you kids, and all we can do is keep on them until you’re out of there.”
“Everyone at that school gets bullied,” Kurt said. “Everyone does. It’s gotten worse over the last year.”
“I noticed,” Burt drawled. He drew in a deep breath. “You know it’s hard for me to let you keep going there when I can see the toll it takes on you. It’s visible. The people who love you can see it all over ya.”
“I know. I don’t believe for a second you would have even considered it, though, if we had another option.” Kurt looked up at his father.
Burt rubbed his fingers over his mouth. “Maybe not right now. We’ll figure something out.”
“And if we don’t... I still have you guys.”
“That’s what I really want. For you and Finn to start realizing that you have both of us, and that you have each other. It’s too hard to go through the world alone.”
Kurt stood and gave his father an unexpected hug. Burt let out a laugh but patted Kurt’s back firmly. Kurt refused to pull away, even if it hurt.
Onto Part Three