August - Part 2

It was only the second week at football camp but Finn already regretted not telling people that the boy at McCullum had been his brother because since the party Friday night the camp seemed to be divided with him standing somewhere in the middle.

In retrospect, Finn should have remembered that his lies always came back to bite him in the ass. He had just showered and changed after another exhausting training on the field when he was cornered by Luke and his cronies.

"Hey Hudson," Luke said, a smile on his face that put Finn on edge. "So I did some digging around and a little birdie told me you were involved when that whole thing went down at McCullum."

Finn paled. Luke and his friends were the last people he wanted to know about what had happened.

"Wouldn't have taken you for a homo, but I guess that explains why you told us you weren't even there. Afraid we'd find out the truth?"

Finn was honestly confused now. Were the people at his old school spreading lies about him as well now?

"I don't know what you mean," he told the other guys and then quickly decided to leave because he didn't like the way Luke was looking at him.

It was only a few hours later when Finn found out what Luke had meant, as a newspaper article was plastered on his locker. "Quarterback questioned by the police in possible hate crime incident," the article said. But the headline wasn't what caught Finn's attention. Someone had scribbled another story onto the article and Finn balled his hands into fist.

"Quarterback Finn Hudson had to flee the state after beating up a fag who refused to give him sexual favors in exchange for protection at school any longer." Next to the article was a picture of Kurt and Finn outside the Hudmel home in Austin followed by one of Kurt entering the house after Finn.

Finn ripped the article off his locker and stormed outside where most of the group were sitting around listening to music. Once he reached Luke he thrust the piece of paper into his face and yelled. "Did you do that? What is wrong with you?"

Luke just smirked. "Can't handle people knowing the truth, Hudson?" Finn felt all eyes on him and knew they had all read the fake article as well. He had enough of people calling him gay because he hung out with Kurt, enough of people blaming Kurt for getting hurt and enough of people who were saying Kurt deserved to get hurt.

Before he knew it his fist collided with Luke's nose and a sickening crunch reached his ear. Before he could stop and step away from a fight though, Luke retaliated and hit him in the stomach. Finn doubled over in a pain for a moment before tackling Luke and hitting every place on his body he could reach.

"Kurt is my brother you asshole and it was people like you who hurt him. So stop spreading your disgusting rumors or you will pay for it."

He barely noticed his surroundings anymore and nearly punched his coach as well when he pulled Finn off of Luke.

He spent the next thirty minutes or so in a trance like state, staring blankly at a wall in the camp director's office while the man was on the phone with his parents. He had finally found the courage to stand up for himself and Kurt but he had resorted to the violence his brother hated so much. Maybe that was the reason why he didn't feel better.

Toby was waiting for him outside the office and followed him back to his room, where Finn began to throw clothes haphazardly into his suitcase.

"Sucks they're kicking you out man, but if you hadn't punched him, me and Mark probably would have," the younger boy told him.

Finn gladly remembered Toby's words the next morning when he was leaving the camp and had one last run in with Luke, who had been kicked out as well once the director had heard about the article and the rumors.

"Don't come back to Texas Hudson, or next time you'll be the one in the hospital." Finn scowled at him as he got into the cab. He had no intentions at all to come back here for a long time.

He spent most of the plane ride worrying about his parents' reaction because when they had talked on the phone the previous night, his mom had just told him they would talk when he got home.

He knew he had been lucky that the camp director hadn't called the police on him, but he still couldn't imagine his mom being all too happy about the fight. And wasn't stress bad for a baby? He really had to try harder not to upset his mom if he wanted to become an awesome big brother one day.

Thankfully, it was Kurt who picked him up from the airport and they shared a silent ride back to Lima. He was hopeful that he wouldn't have to talk to Kurt about the incident as well, but his hope was shattered when his brother told him to expect him with a glass of warm milk soon. Warm milk was their code for we need to have an honest talk and you will probably not like what I have to say, but Finn knew he owed Kurt an explanation.

When they came back to the house, his mom and Burt were already waiting for him in the living room and Kurt quickly excused himself to give them some privacy. But knowing his brother he was probably just hiding around the corner to eavesdrop on their conversation.

His mom was the first to break the silence. "You know that we don't condone violence Finn, but – and please don't repeat this to anyone – I'm also really proud that you defended your brother against these other boys."

Finn stared at his mom in wonder when Burt took over. He just hoped they weren't doing one of these good cop bad cop things he'd seen on TV.

"Now ordinarily I'd say you are grounded till you're thirty, but in this case your mom and I agree that we hope it's punishment enough that you're going to miss out on half of the camp. We do however expect you to work in the garage for free until you paid back the money we wasted on the camp, understood?"

Finn quickly nodded because he had expected a much harsher punishment and he liked working on cars. Kurt still owed him a couple of favors for the disturbing mental images he had to deal with during their vacation so he was sure his brother would lend him some money if he needed it.

Once his parents told him he was allowed to go, he quickly went upstairs to call Sarah. He realized while he was talking to her that as much as he liked football, he was actually glad to be back in Lima sooner than expected.

Carole would never admit it out loud but she was glad Finn was back home because she and Burt had decided that they should talk to their kids about the baby before she got pregnant so they had some time to get used to the idea.

For all she knew she could already be pregnant and so she really didn't want to postpone the talk any longer.

The opportunity arose during the first Friday night dinner they had without Blaine and Tala in months and after finishing the dishes she told her family to meet her in the living room.

"There's something your dad and I need to talk to you about," Carole went straight to the point once everyone was seated.

She was about to elaborate when she caught the glances Finn and Kurt were giving each other. Something was definitely up between the two of them, but now wasn't the time to find out what they had done wrong.

"I know you might think this is kind of sudden, but Burt and I have talked about and we both agree that now is a good time," Carole continued, only to be stopped by her son.

"It's okay mom, Kurt and I already know you're pregnant," Finn blurted out before he winced because Kurt had stepped on his toes to keep him quiet.

"We decided that … what?" Did Finn just say he and Kurt thought she was pregnant? She probably had to go on another diet soon.

"But your mother isn't pregnant," Burt interjected when it became clear that Carole wouldn't say anything.

"You don't need to lie to us, " Kurt piped up. "We know about the test and then you were throwing up when we went to Grand Haven."

Carole stared at her sons. How did they know about the test? She was sure Burt hadn't mentioned anything because no parent wanted to admit they accidentally got pregnant when they kept warning their kids to be careful.

"How?" Finn and Kurt both suddenly went silent, but after Burt glared at them for a few seconds Finn broke.

"Kurt overheard you saying something to Blaine's mom and followed you to the store," he said quickly, flinching when he caught Kurt's glare.

"And Finn thought we should spy on you when you took the test," Kurt shot back.

"Enough," Burt yelled to break them up. "I've had it with all the eavesdropping going on in this house. Some things are private and you really need to learn to respect that."

Carole felt guilt for a moment because she had indulged in some spying as well, but right now she had to act like a parent.

"So you're both grounded for a week. No TV, no phones and no laptops. You can hand them over after Carole and I are done talking," Burt told the boys who immediately tried to argue their way out of the punishment, but Burt silenced them soon enough.

"What Burt and I wanted to tell you is that we are trying to have a baby, but you already knew that. So take the week and think about how you feel about that," Carole told the boys before leaving the living room because she didn't want to deal with two angry boys when Burt took away their phones.

The only upside of the situation they were in was that the boys already had some time to get used to the idea and it explained a lot of their strange behavior lately. The boys had been trying to make sure she was healthy for the baby, and that gave her hope that it would all work out well if they gained another family member.

The next day, Burt led Carole out of the car to escape two moody teenagers and to talk to her about something he had done.

"Why are we sitting in the car in front of our house?" Carole asked once she had closed the door.

"Just making sure we are not being spied on right now," Burt answered before turning around in his seat and taking is wife's hand.

"I know how upset you were when they wouldn't let you run for office. So I did some thinking and I went up to Columbus a few days ago and announced my own candidacy."

Burt looked at his wife anxiously hoping she would agree with his decision. Suddenly Carole flung herself into his arms, but quickly moved back again.

"Ow," she said, pointing at the gear stick. "I honestly don't know how teenagers manage to make out in a car," she mumbled and Burt took a nervous glance into the backseat of the Navigator they were sitting in. Not the time to think about that, he thought.

"So you're okay with it?" he asked his wife who was still rubbing her side.

"I think it's great Burt," she said and this time when she leaned over Burt met her in the middle for a quick kiss.

"I'm glad you approve, because I can't do this without your support," he mumbled against her lips.

Once he pulled back, he added. "I know keeping secrets is a bit difficult in our home, but I don't want to tell the boys just yet. I need some time to figure out how to do this before my name gets officially announced."

"Whatever you need, Burt. But just don't be surprised if they are angry you kept something so important from them when you do tell them."

Burt hoped Carole was wrong, because he couldn't tell his sons until he figured out how to handle Kurt's sexuality during his campaign.

Kurt made two cups of warm milk as soon as his dad and Carole left the house, which he carried up to Finn's room once he was done. His brother was lying on his bed staring at a magazine Kurt didn't want to examine too closely, but luckily Finn quickly put it away once he spotted Kurt.

Kurt handed over one of the cups and then cleared a space on Finn's messy bed to sit down.

"Before we talk about how much our parents suck, do you want to tell me what happened in Texas?" he asked his brother once he was comfortable.

Finn took a couple of sips before he put the cup down and looked at Kurt. "There was this guy who was spreading rumors about you and McCullum. I tried to ignore him at first but then he went to far with the stuff he was saying and I punched him. He fought back, I hit him some more and we got caught. End of story."

Kurt wasn't sure what to feel. On the one hand he was happy that Finn had defended him, but on the other hand he abhorred violence especially after he had ended up in the hospital the previous year.

"I know you don't like hitting people, but I just had to shut him up." Finn continued, as if he had read Kurt's mind.

"It's okay," Kurt told him and surprisingly he meant it. Maybe for once it was nice not to take the high road.

"So can we talk about how much our parents suck now?" Finn asked after squeezing Kurt's knee briefly.

"Yeah, talk about inopportune moment. I got into a fight with Blaine and now I have no way to reach him. I told him I needed space, but I didn't mean more than a week," Kurt complained, because Finn had proven to be a good listener in the past when Kurt had problems with Blaine.

"That sucks, but I'm sure that if you explain it to my mom, she'll at least tell him you are grounded."

Kurt really hoped so because he had to talk to Blaine soon, if he didn't want to lose his boyfriend to another stupid argument. Blaine had promised not to leave him and he had to trust him if he wanted their relationship to work. He couldn't let the past dictate his future any longer.

"So how about you and Sarah, " he deflected. "Any news on that front?"

"Well, her parents finally allow us to be in her room as long as we keep the door open, but I'm pretty sure that if her mom ever finds out I called her an alcoholic I'm not allowed to come over ever again."

Kurt snorted. "That was the worst lie ever." "Sorry, I panicked," Finn said and they both started laughing remembering that dinner.

"About that favor you owe me though," Finn continued once they stopped laughing and Kurt wasn't sure he would like what Finn was about to say, "I think I might need your help soon."

Kurt raised his eyebrow in question knowing that he would probably regret it.

"I mean she let me touch her," Kurt quickly interrupted his brother. "Don't finish that sentence. I don't want to know. Just tell me when you need me to get rid of the parents and I'll do it. I definitely don't want to know the details."

"Oh, my mom got me pamphlets for that if you don't want me to explain it to you," Finn said looking rather sheepishly and Kurt threw a pillow at his head before fleeing the room.

Only six more days till freedom.

Blaine didn't know what to make of Kurt's behavior. It was true that a year ago he had wanted to return to Dalton, but now that Thad and Nick had graduated as well, he barely had any friends left in the Warblers. He had also grown quite fond of New Directions under Ms Corcoran's leadership, but he had to do what was best for his future.

He decided to give Kurt a couple of days to come to term with it while he met up with Dalton's headmaster before making a final decision. He had to know that Sebastian wouldn't be a problem even if that meant confessing how they had met. His mother, who Burt had informed after the incident, had supported his decision and had even come with him when he went to see the headmaster.

After a few days had passed and he still hadn't heard from Kurt he was getting worried however, especially when his calls went straight to voicemail when he finally decided to call his boyfriend.

He was about to drive over to the Hudmel house and force Kurt to talk to him when he got a call from Carole telling him that Kurt was grounded for a week. She wouldn't tell him what Kurt had done, only that his punishment would end the second day of school.

He knew Kurt would be livid if he found out about Blaine's decision through Carole, and so he hoped Kurt would take it better if he told him in person after his punishment was over. Luckily, school at Dalton started a week after McKinley and Blaine was sure he would need the time to catch up with Dalton's curriculum.

It had been a while that he and Kurt had been separated for more than a week and soon enough Blaine was bored out of his mind. Santana wasn't around a lot and a few phone calls to the members of New Directions told him that they were all busy with their boy and girlfriends, enjoying the last days of summer.

Monday morning, the first day of school at McKinley, Blaine went up to Dalton to pick up his new uniform. Around noon his phone started alerting him to text messages from New Directions asking why he didn't come to school, but he texted them that his mom needed his help today, because he didn't want Kurt to find out from one of his friends either.

After he finished decorating his new dorm room and a quick lunch with Trent who was moving in early as well, Blaine drove back to Lima with his new uniform resting on the passenger seat.

After he spent some time at Dalton today he was actually excited about putting it on again and to see if his old size still fit. He hadn't grown much this summer, not nearly as much as Kurt the past summer, but they were at least closer in height again. Although, Blaine had to admit, he didn't mind having to tilt up his head to kiss his boyfriend. His boyfriend who hopefully would still want to talk to him after he told him about transferring schools.

His mom wasn't home yet when he went back to the house, but Santana and Brittany were making out in the living room when he went inside.

"Did you tell anyone?" he asked her when she looked up to greet him. Santana shook her head. "Thanks, I really have to tell him in person." He waved his hand at Brittany before going upstairs to try on his uniform.

He was buttoning up his white dress shirt when he heard the front door open and close and was surprised that Brittany didn't stay for dinner as she had done the past couple of days when she was over.

Blaine shrugged and put his tie around his neck when he was interrupted by a gasp behind him.

Blaine turned around slowly, having already guessed who was standing behind him. Kurt was clutching the doorframe with one hand as his other was holding a bouquet of roses.

"Did you even plan to tell me or were you just not going to come back to school again?" Kurt asked, letting the flowers fall to the floor.

Blaine rushed over to his boyfriend and tried to take Kurt's hand, but Kurt snatched it back, hurt evident in his eyes.

"Of course I would have. I wanted to come over to your house tomorrow once you weren't grounded anymore," he tried to explain as tears were welling up in Kurt's eyes.

"You seriously thought my dad wouldn't let you talk to me about something so important even if I was grounded?"

Blaine frowned. He had to admit he hadn't even thought about that and the devil on his shoulder told him he was glad he couldn't see Kurt while he made his decision because he knew that if Kurt had begged him to stay, he would have said yes in a heartbeat.

"I'm sorry Kurt, but I told you I was doing this for us," Blaine tried again as Kurt still refused to let him hold his hand.

"And I wanted to apologize for reacting the way I did when you told me you were considering it, but I didn't think you would go ahead without talking to me about it again. This decision affects both of us and yet you didn't think I should be involved in the decision making."

Blaine hated making Kurt cry but going back to Dalton was the only way. He was sure he wouldn't be able to get into an Ivy League school if he stayed in public school. After all, this had been one of the reasons why his father had allowed him to transfer to private school.

"Can we please sit down and talk about this," he pleaded again and finally Kurt took a step inside his room and sat down at the edge of Blaine's bed.

"So talk," he said, as Blaine sat down on his desk chair so he could face Kurt.

"I know that you are worried about Sebastian but I spoke to the headmaster and he assured me he would have a talk with Sebastian so he would leave me alone." He was still a bit apprehensive himself, but trusted Dalton's anti-bullying policy to keep him safe from all harassment.

"It's not just Sebastian," Kurt admitted. "I barely saw you this summer when we were living in the same city and I'm afraid I won't get to see you any more if you move back into the dorms. I know what life is like there."

Blaine stood up and sat down next to Kurt before pulling him into his arms. "You have nothing to worry about, I promise. We made it work when I was here and you were in Austin, so this should be a piece of cake. And next year when can get a small apartment together in New York," he assured his boyfriend.

"You promise?" Kurt asked as his head rested on Blaine's shoulder. Blaine pressed a kiss to Kurt's temple.

"I promise."