Sitting in the warm bath, Kurt hugs his knees to his chest and loses himself in thought. He tries not to think of Blaine, because thinking about him makes an ache form in his chest and has tears forming in his eyes. So, he tries to focus on anything else.

"Kurt?" Tilly calls as she knocks on the bathroom door, pulling him from his thoughts.

"Yes," he softly replies.

"You've been in there for an hour and half. Are you okay?" she worriedly asks.

"Yeah." Kurt skims his fingertips over the top of the water, watching the water ripple outward and disappear. "I'm just...thinking."

Gripping the edges of the tub, Kurt stands up; hearing the water sloshing around, and feeling the water roll off him. Drying off, he pulls on boxers and loose fitting shirt. Opening the door, he startles a little when he finds Tilly still standing there.

"Fuck, Till, you scared me," he says as he holds a hand to his chest.

"Don't curse," she scolds him.

"Sorry," Kurt mumbles. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at work?" He walks past her and to the room he sleeps in.

"I took the day off. I've been worried about you after what you told me what happened a few days ago," she tells him.

"There's nothing to worry about, Till," he assures her. "I won't be doing anything stupid." Rummaging through his bag, he pulls out a pair of jeans. Pulling them on, he sits on the edge of the bed and starts to put his shoes on.

"Where you going?" Tilly asks as she

"I have someone I need to talk to." Kurt stands up and grins; grabbing his keys, he gives Tilly a kiss on the cheek and walks out of the room, ignoring the scoff she gives him.

~

Illegally unlocking the door and pushing it open, Kurt steps into the apartment Blaine and he came to to be together. Looking around the space, he goes back to perfect days with Blaine without a care in the world but each other. Disarming the alarm, Kurt checks the time and ponders how long until John shows up.

Sitting down on the couch and getting comfortable, he waits for Mr. Anderson to walk through the door.

After Blaine told him about his dad's affair with someone from his office, and he saw this place, Kurt easily figured out when he came here. Remembering him always coming home late on Tuesdays and Fridays with the excuse of working extra on cases those days. Now, looking back, he feels kind of stupid for not figuring it out sooner.

He knows he's being stupid, right now, just like he told Tilly he wouldn't be, by being here right now. Staying away and doing nothing is what he should do. But he can't stay away. He has to know. He has to know why John is doing all this. Yeah, Blaine could be the one to confront him, but he knows that Blaine isn't strong enough to do that on his own. So he's doing it for him.

He fiddles with his lighter, flicking it on and off at times to pass the time and have something to do. He's not entirely sure how much time passes when he hears a key in the lock.

Hearing the door forcefully shut and people furiously kissing, Kurt sits in the dark and gags at listening to John getting all hot and heavy with someone. Walking over to the light switch in the kitchen, he flicks it on and freezes at what he finds. He stands there in shock and confusion with his mouth open trying to figure out what the fuck just happened.

He's experienced some wild and crazy shit so far in his life, witnessed things that were different and unusual, but this...Seeing this takes the fucking cake for him.

Standing there and staring at him with his own shock and surprise on his face is John. But behind him is someone Kurt never expected to see in a million years.

The guy, obviously Avery, is about ten years younger looking than John with short, brown hair and green eyes. His clothes are skewed, shirt hastily pulled from the waistband of his pants, and tie almost completely undone. His hair is a mess from where fingers have been running through it and his lips are swollen and red, making it easy for Kurt to figure out that this little escapade started in the car ride here. He mentally gags at that image, wishing he could bleach his brain.

"What the hell are you doing here?" John asks in his deep voice.

"I came here to talk to you. But, John," Kurt says in a tone that is half joking and half serious. "I had no idea. I figured you out all wrong, didn't I?"

"Who's that, John?" Avery asks, nodding his head towards Kurt.

"That's Kurt," John replies with a huff.

Kurt sees understanding dawn on Avery's face.

"Oh, Kurt," he says a little too enthusiastically. "The gay one?"

"Yes, that would be me," Kurt says as he rolls his eyes, annoyed by Avery already. "So, John, you like getting fucked by Avery?" Kurt looks Avery up and down, thinking there might have been a time he would have gone for him. "Personally, I like mine my age with curly hair and caramel colored eyes. If you know what I mean. Wink wink, nudge nudge, John."

"What do you want, Kurt?" John aggressively asks.

"How about you send your little boy toy away and we'll talk."

"Hey!" Avery rudely says, trying to make an attempt to say something back, but being stopped by John.

"Ave, just go before you do something stupid." John makes Avery look at him so he can listen.

"He's already doing something stupid," Kurt says under his breath, chuckling when Avery gives him an evil glare. But John just completely ignores his snide comment.

"John is wrong. You're an asshole!" Avery remarks.

"Maybe." Kurt shrugs his shoulders and smirks, not caring about the comment. "But I'm not the one fucking a married guy. Now am I?"

"Stop talking, Kurt!" John yells at him when Avery squares his eyes and gets on the defensive. "Ave, it's just best if you leave right now."

"Fine." Avery fixes his clothes and runs his fingers through his wild hair. Looking to John, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth and eyes instantly filling with love, Kurt sees for himself that Blaine was right about John being in love with him as he stares back. "I'll see you later."

"Alright," John says, nodding his head and smiling. "Bye."

"Bye." Avery presses a quick kiss to John's lips. Pulling away, he flicks off Kurt before walking away.

"I'm flattered, but, no," Kurt says, smirking, waving his fingers as Avery leaves.

"What did you want to talk about, anyways?" John asks after Avery closes the door and turns to face Kurt.

"Well, I came to talk about Blaine," Kurt replies, skipping over what just happened for the moment.

"What do you have to say about him?"

"I'm in love with your son and I want you to let go of the grip you have on him."

"You love my son," John comically says, smirking at Kurt. "Let me guess: you want me to stop him from asking Kennedy to marry him?"

"Yes." Kurt sees John shake his head no and pull something from the inside of his jacket pocket. He keeps his eyes on his turned back as he hears the drag of a pen on paper, having no clue what he is doing.

"Here," John says as he rips paper and holds out a check for him.

"What's this?" Kurt takes the check and sees it's written out for half a million dollars and realizes what John is doing. "Are you trying to bribe me?"

"Take that money and leave. Leave my son and move on."

Kurt looks at the check, never having held this much money before. That much money could start a new life anywhere he wanted. He could live in Paris like he's always dreamed of, or go to New York and see Broadway like he's wanted to for years, but never had the chance. But every dream he's had of those places included Blaine by his side, and he knows this is money to make him walk away from him.

Taking out his last cigarette, finally deciding to give up after this one, he grabs his lighter and flicks it. Lighting his cigarette, he takes it between his fingers and holds it in the same hand as the check, blowing the smoke out towards John. Lifting his lighter, he flicks it on and off out of habit.

"You know, its funny how you found out about Blaine and me because of this lighter." He turns it around in his hand, the smudges of fingerprints noticeable in the light.

"Funny how?"

"Like this." Kurt flicks the lighter and brings the flame to the check, watching the edge catch fire and quickly travel along the paper. Dropping it in the empty trash bin, Kurt watches it burn until there is nothing left. "I don't want your fucking money!"

"What do you want, then?!"

"Blaine!" Kurt honestly says it like it's the most fucking obvious thing in the world. "Just like I said. Simple as that."

"You can't have him."

"Why? He's not someone you can control."

"Yes, he is, that's why he's marrying Kennedy." John takes loosens his tie and walks to the kitchen. Kurt watches him pull a glass from a cabinet and grab the glass bottle of whiskey and pour himself a drink. "He's my son and I don't want him with you."

"You hate me that much that you won't let me be with him?"

John takes a sip of his drink and hangs his head, letting out a sigh. "I don't hate you, Kurt."

"That's the biggest loud of bullshit I've ever heard." Kurt laughs at the absurdity of what John said. He sits down on the couch, turning away from John. "Ever since I came out you have hated me."

"I don't hate you, Kurt," John repeats, lifting his head and finishing his drink. "I envy you."

"How the fuck could you envy me?"

"I treated you like I did because I hated seeing you being so open about yourself. I hated seeing you and knowing what could have been for me if I wasn't so scared. I envied you being yourself without a worry as to what anyone said or thought about you. You were the me I wished I could have been from the beginning."

"Why did you hide?" Kurt curiously asks, actually intrigued to know the choices John made.

"If you had known my dad you would understand," John answers, taking a sip of his whiskey.

"Sorry not trying to sound inconsiderate, but your dad is dead. Don't be someone you're not for him."

"It's more than that," John quietly adds.

Taking one final puff of his cigarette, Kurt puts it out on the cushion of the couch, not caring that he's destroying it.

"You just ruined a five thousand dollar couch," John informs him.

"Considering you just offered me a check for half a million dollars," Kurt arches an eyebrow as looks over his shoulder at John as he speaks, "I'm pretty sure you can afford a new one. Besides, I'm, also, sure you won't want it after I tell you I fucked Blaine on it." Kurt looks at John and grins. "Oops," he says with a fake innocence to his voice. "Sorry."

"You can stop now. Please," John begs.

Letting out a laugh, Kurt enjoys making John uncomfortable and mad.

"Does Sarah know?" he asks.

"No." John shakes his head. "And I would appreciate if you didn't tell her, or anyone else."

"I would never do that to anyone."

"Thanks."

Kurt stands up and walks to the fridge and pulls out a bottle of water, parched and needing something to do so he can figure out what to say. Taking a long drink of the cold water, he leans back against the kitchen island and listens to the all too quiet of the apartment.

"Did you tell Sarah about me and Blaine?" he finally speaks and asks, no longer standing the quiet.

"No." John shakes his head and takes a sip of his whiskey. "She had no need to know."

"Figures," Kurt whispers.

"Figures what?"

"You keep that you're gay from her," Kurt replies. "You wouldn't tell her that her little boy is." He sees John agree with him by minutely nodding his head. "What is it?" Kurt asks. "Why live like this? Why force Blaine to deny who he is?"

"Kurt," John sighs, running a hand over his face. "I'm just trying to protect him."

"What are you protecting him from? From me. I would never hurt hi-"

"The world!" John blurts out. "We live in a world where an innocent young man like Matthew Shepard is killed just for being who he is. I can't have that happen to my son."

"Yeah, we do live in a world like that," Kurt partially agrees. "But we also live in a world that is changing. Every day is a step closer to people seeing us and seeing we are just like everybody else. If you try to protect Blaine from everything that could harm him, you don't let him live in the end."

"I can't, Kurt," John sadly says; Kurt surprised just by how much he sounds and looks like Blaine in that instant. "I just think it will be easier for him in his life to be the clean-cut husband married to Kennedy, than deal with the trouble that will come with being with you."

"You want him to be you!" Kurt points out. "He will just do what you are doing now. Are you happy, John? Are you happy sneaking around to be with the person you love? Are you happy knowing that you're living a lie?"

"No." John shakes his head as he answers. "It's terrible knowing what I'm doing to Sarah. I love her, but I want to be with Avery. It's too fucking late to change."

"It's never too late to change," Kurt tells him.

"It is for me." John finishes his drink and pours another one. "And I'm not changing my mind about Blaine. He's marrying Kennedy, and that is that."

"There is nothing I could do to change your mind, can I?"

"No," John firmly answers, shaking his head.

"I guess there's no other reason for me to be here." Shaking his head, Kurt heads to the door, knowing he's fighting a losing battle. He has no chance of changing John's mind about Blaine.

Opening the door, Kurt stops and turns around. Letting the door close, he looks to John and grins. "I change my mind. About the money?"