AN:As always, sorry for the delay. I'm trying to have 2x08 up faster. Have a 90 minutes long episode as an apology :)

2x07 Confrontations

Previously on NYADA Sophomore Year. Kurt and Blaine returned home for Thanksgiving where the Hummels and Andersons set down for dinner together. Kurt makes nice with Rachel because Finn is still moping around and tells her what a jerk Jesse is. Before he headed back to NY, he had a long overdue sleepover with Mercedes, where the two of them had a frank discussion about sex, and Mercedes tried to decide where she stood. And that's what you missed on NYADA Sophomore Year.

'I should really start thinking about gifts earlier', Kurt thinks as he hurries through the corridors to Brittany and Santana's room. As before, he has no idea what to give Blaine for Christmas and everyone else he already asked, hadn't been helpful at all. It's the only reason he is even considering asking San and Brit, is desperate enough to ask them for help.

He opens the door, a second after a perfunctory knock, which he regrets only a moment later. But not because he catches them making out or worse, but because there's a large furythingreclining on Brittany's bed.

"Dear God, what is that thing?!" he exclaims, causing the two girls, who were making out after all, to come up for air.

"Oh hey, Kurt," Brittany greets him with a smile before she disentangles herself from Santana and bounces over to her side of the room to pick up the monstrosity on the bed.

"This is Lord Tubbington the first," she announces proudly and thrusts the overweight cat into his arms, causing him to nearly drop the thing.

Lord Tubbington takes one look at him and hisses, and Kurt is glad to see that they feel the same about one another. Carefully – because he doesn't want any craws digging into his sweater – he puts the thing back down on Brit's bed before taking a step back to put some distance between them.

"Okay, let me rephrase that. What is a cat doing in your room?"

Brittany just continues smiling at him, while Santana rolls her eyes behind her.

"I found him a few weeks ago. Poor thing was all alone, hiding behind a dumpster," she explains.

"And you took him home with you?!"

It's not that he has a problem with pets per se, he just doesn't think it's very hygienic to bring home a stray.

"And you are planning to do what with him?" he asks, because while Brit is one of his best friends at NYADA, he knows she can be a bit naïve and stuck in her own world at times.

"He lives here with me and Santana now," Brittany tells him, giving him a look stating that he is the crazy one for even asking.

Kurt opens and closes his mouth a few times but nothing comes out.

"We got's a problem though now," San finally interrupts and Kurt raises an eyebrow, because he isn't so sure they only have one problem.

"Brit and I are spending Christmas with her family and we can't just show up with a cat. And of course we can't just keep him here either while we are gone."

Kurt nods but has no advice for her.

"I wanted him to stay in a cat hotel, but they are really expensive," Brittany pouts.

"So what are you going to do?" he asks, because apparently he can't stay away from their drama.

Santana shrugs. Brit looks deep in thought. And Kurt just might have an idea how to help them out.

"Wes is celebrating Christmas in New York this year. I could ask him if he'd take in the cat until you come back to school," he says and seconds later gets tackled by Brittany.

"I'd totally kiss you but San told me you don't like Lady kisses," she exclaims and Kurt pets her arm, thankful that Brittany stopped kissing him on the lips when she is excited.

"But you know that you can't keep him here forever, right? You need to think about a long term solution," he tells her after she released him and immediately knows that was the wrong thing to say.

Tears well up in Brittany's eyes and if looks could kill he would be dead right now judging by Santana's glare.

Deciding that being alive is more important than Blaine's Christmas present, he hightails out of the girls room and quickly calls over his shoulder that he'll let them know after he spoke to Wes.

Life at NYADA definitely never was boring, Kurt thinks as he speeds away from his murderous looking friend.

"Don't you think this is a bit much?" Adam asks when he sees the price tag on the scarf Trent has handed him. It's gorgeous and he's certain it would bring out Kurt's eyes even more, but it is a quite expensive gift for someone who is, unfortunately, just a friend.

"Well, it's not like you can't afford it," Trent replies before disappearing between the racks again to help Adam find the perfect gift for Kurt.

"And I'm not sure that giving him a gift like that would really be laying low," he continues.

Trent's head pops up between the racks again, and his friend rolls his eyes.

"Kurt likes designer clothes but can't really afford them. If you give him what he desires he'll fall in love with you eventually," Trent tells him matter of fact, as if there can't be a flaw in his logic.

"But I don't want him to be with me just because I can buy him things," Adam argues, because while he'd do about anything to get Kurt to notice him in a non – platonic way, he isn't sure if buying his affection is the way to go.

"Everyone loves gifts and you'd just show him what he could have if he were dating you," Trent replies before disappearing again.

Adam runs his hand over the scarf he is holding. It's incredibly soft and it really would look amazing around Kurt's neck.

"Fine. I'll take it," he concedes and Trent claps his hands together excitedly.

The scarf does indeed look good around Kurt's neck when the older boy unwraps his present hours later and immediately puts it on.

"Oh wow, it's gorgeous, Adam. But you shouldn't have," Kurt tells him and Adam's cheeks flush.

"I, um, saw it and thought of you," he croaks out but luckily Kurt doesn't seem to notice his weird behavior and just beams at him.

The next day, he and Trent are down in Soho, trying to find presents for their parents, when Trent comes up to him holding a scissors pin.

"I don't think that's right for my mom," he tells his friend who rolls his eyes.

"It's not for your mom, it's for Kurt, dumbass. He always wears those weird pins, so this one should be right up his alley."

"Hey", Adam replies. "His outfits are awesome and not weird." They really are not. They might be a bit out there from time to time, but Kurt always looks incredible in them.

"Whatever. You should take it and give it to him."

"But I already gave him a Christmas present. Won't he think I'm crazy for giving him another one?"

"Just tell him you saw it and couldn't not buy it. He'll love it."

Adam considers it for a moment, but so far Trent's advice hadn't been unhelpful, so he decides to trust his friend on this one as well.

"Alright."

As Trent predicted, Kurt loves the pin and after a mock argument of 'I really couldn't – no I insist you take it', the older boy leaves with a spring in his step, the pin secured firmly on the lapel of the blazer he is wearing that day.

It goes on like that and by the time the last day of school comes around Adam has bought Kurt no less than four presents which the object of his affections all accepted with a fond eye roll fortunately.

"Seriously, Adam. You have to stop giving me things. Makes me feel bad that I only got you that one lousy gift," Kurt argues before he leaves with gift number four – tickets for a new Broadway play, his parents got plenty of from a colleague at work. It's his favorite, because Kurt immediately told him that they should go and watch the play together.

Trent pops up behind him, while he is still starring dreamily after Kurt, and his voice goes up at least an octave when Trent slings an arm around his shoulders.

"Told you the gift idea was a good one," his friend remarks and Adam nods.

"Kurt will be yours in no time," Trent continues, but of that his isn't that certain unfortunately.

Blaine is struggling to fit yet another sweater in his small carry-on when there is a knock on the door, and the master of packing himself, appears in his doorway. Dressed in a quite unique outfit like he is most days when they are not just lounging in either of their dorm rooms or back in Ohio, and clutching an envelop in his right hand.

"Don't tell me – another gift from Adam?" he asks his boyfriend, biting back a laugh. By now he is certain that everyone but Kurt is aware of the British freshman's crush.

Kurt immediately crosses his arms over his chest and shoots Blaine a glare.

"So what if it is. His parents got a bunch of tickets for a new show at some charity dinner and Adam thought I might like to see it," he explains before Blaine can tease him about some imaginary crush again.

"It was very thoughtful of him to ask me," he continues and his boyfriend actually dares to snort.

Unwilling to dignifythatwith a response, he empties Blaine's suitcase out on the bed and starts repacking for him.

"How did you survive before you met me," he mumbles, because his nearly eighteen year old boyfriend still hasn't learned to properly pack a suitcase.

"Wesdiditforme," comes the reply, and Kurt raises an eyebrow.

"What was that?"

"I said, Wes usually repacked for me," Blaine admits, his cheeks lightly pink. "But I bet I can learn to pack before you realize Adam has a major crush on you," his boyfriend adds cheekily, before putting his now perfectly packed luggage on the floor and pulls Kurt down next to him on the bed.

"And what happens if I win that bet – which for the record isn't even a possibility because Adam doesn't like me that way.?" Kurt mock huffs.

"I get to say 'I told you so' as often as I like, as long as you don't decide to leave me for him," his boyfriend jokes, but Kurt's gaze immediately softens.

"Never," he promises.

Leaning even closer to his boyfriend, he cups Blaine's jaw and draws him in for a soft kiss. When Blaine licks his bottom lip, he immediately opens his mouth to the questing tongue and it doesn't take long for their kisses to become heated.

Before they can do more than merely make out though, Beatz barges into the room and throws an empty duffel bag onto his own bed.

"I guess that's my cue to leave," Kurt sighs, because he still has his own packing to finish and if they continue like this, he'll probably want to do more than they can do with Blaine's roommate in the room.

"Pick me up for the party at seven?" he asks, after a chaste kiss.

"7:30, got it," Blaine replies and Kurt rolls his eyes because he can be punctual if he wants to. It's not his fault he always wants to look his absolute best for dates with his boyfriend.

"Seven," he repeats before waving in Beatz' direction and leaving the room.

He still has to pack and pick an outfit for the NYADA Christmas party after all.

Three hours later, he and Blaine arrive downstairs in the festively decorated common room, where the NYADA Christmas party is already in full swing. Most of the seniors look like they've been drinking eggnog for a while already, while the freshmen mostly hang out in groups and watch the proceedings with wide eyes.

Like the year before, he and Blaine sing a duet together when it's their turn on stage and Kurt hopes that this is a little traditions they'll be able to keep up after Blaine graduates.

Because there are teachers around, he and Blaine both only get another cup of hot chocolate before they sit down briefly on one of the comfortable couches in the room. Holding the hot beverages in their hands, they snuggle up together, while listening to Nick and Quinn take the stage with another sweet Christmas duet.

Their peace and quiet is disrupted only moments later, unfortunately, when a not entirely sober Jesse storms up to them, his glare directed straight at Kurt.

"What the hell did you tell Berry about me, Hummel?" he yells, but thankfully most eyes stay on Nick and Quinn on the stage.

With Kurt sitting down, Jesse is towering over him, but for once Kurt isn't afraid, because he is pretty certain Jesse won't actually hurt him physically. It would result in his immediate expulsion if he did.

"How can I help you, Jesse?" he replies calmly – and man, if that's how you got Jesse to lose his cool, maybe he should be nice to Rachel more often.

"Don't play dumb, Hummel. I just called her to make plans for break and she told me, and I quote, 'after talking to Kurt – you know Kurt, you go to NYADA together – I've decided that I'm better off without you, and that you can go fuck yourself."

Jesse's face is red with anger, but Kurt can't stop himself and smirks.

"Looks, like you're not the only one who can talk smack about people, or well, in your case, the truth," he replies with an icy voice, patented Kurt Hummel glare in place.

Jesse looks about ready to explode, while Blaine is suddenly clutching his arm tightly.

"You're going to regret this," Jesse threatens. "If I were you I'd watch your back from now on."

He knows it's probably the wrong thing to do in that situation, but Kurt starts laughing.

"Really, Jesse? I didn't know you and Rachel were that serious about one another. Definitely didn't sound that way when you were talking about her," he challenges, because Jesse looks far from a villain right now, with his eyes red from the booze he must have had, and his clothes slightly disheveled.

"We're not," Jesse spits, "but it's nice to know you have a guaranteed lay when you're home for break. And trust me, no girl has ever said no, after having my famous eggnog."

Before he can asks Jesse if he really is that pathetic – pathetic enough to have to get girls drunk to touch him – Blaine unfortunately decides he doesn't want to sit quietly and just observe anymore.

"Leave Kurt alone, Jesse. I am the one you have a problem with, so leave him out of it."

Kurt turns abruptly in his seat and levels a glare at his boyfriend. Jesse, fortunately takes this as his cue to leave and bother someone else.

"I didn't need your help there, Blaine. Nothing I couldn't have handled. You might not believe it, but I am capable of fighting my own battles," he tells his boyfriend, with probably a little more force than strictly necessary.

"I know that but-" Blaine starts, but Kurt shakes his head.

"Let's not argue, okay. We're supposed to celebrate the end of the semester with our friends and that's what I intend to do. Besides, this will be our last Christmas party here with you still being a student, so I'd rather not get into an argument with you, because of Jesse St. James of all people."

For a moment it looks like Blaine wants to argue with that as well, but then his boyfriend snaps his mouth shut and laces his fingers with Kurt's.

"Alright," he concedes. "Let's go and celebrate then."

Two days and another long train ride later, Kurt is accompanying the members of New Directions to the Lima homeless shelter like he did the previous year, only this year Finn and Rachel are there as well. To his surprise, Rachel actually smiles at him for once instead of immediately reminding him how much more talented she is. It's a step in the right direction, but he is not so naïve to believe the their whole dynamic has changed after just one friendly talk.

It saddens him again, to see how many people are on the streets in Lima; has been paying more attention to them in New York as well since his last time volunteering. So he makes sure the spend as much time with the kids in the shelter as possible when he isn't singing back up for New Directions , because while his childhood sucked because he lost his mom, he at least never had to worry that his dad wouldn't be able to put food on the table. Edible food – sure; but his dad had always been able to spoil him and buy him whatever he wanted.

Mercedes pulls him aside when everyone has a plate in front of them and Kurt quickly puts on his coat and gloves before he follows her outside.

"I tried to have sex with Sam," his best friend blurts out as soon as the door closes behind them and Kurt nearly drops his gloves.

"Tried?" he asked, because that doesn't sound very promising.

Mercedes turns bright red and starts to fiddle with her scarf.

"Yeah, well. We stopped before we could really do anything," she finally admits.

"What happened?" Kurt asks, voice laced with concern.

"I don't really know. I've been thinking about what we were talking about and I really thought I could do it, but when we were actually ... you know trying to do it, I kind of panicked and Sam noticed that I wasn't feeling comfortable."

"What did he do? Do I have to kick his ass?" Kurt demands, and while he is certain he wouldn't stand a chance against Sam, he would at least give the ass-kicking a shot.

"He was great actually," Mercedes admits with a blush. "And it finally forced us to talk about things."

"And...?" Kurt prompts, wishing his friend would just get on with it and tell him everything.

"We agreed to keep taking things slow and that he wouldn't pressure or break up with me if I decide that I want to wait."

"That's great," Kurt exclaims, before pulling his best girl into a bone crushing hug.

A man in his thirties who looks like he could be Jesse's dad interrupts their hug by clearing his throat behind them.

"Mercedes, you are needed for the next song," Mr. Schuester tells her and Mercedes gives him an apologetic smile before hurrying back inside.

Once she is one, the teacher looks him over and Kurt fidgets uncomfortably for a moment.

"Kurt Hummel, right?" Mr. Schuster finally breaks the silence and Kurt gives him a curt nod.

"After hearing you sing tonight, I'm surprised that you are the boy attending NYADA," he continues and Kurt tries his hardest to not glare at the teacher. He's heard enough stories about his blatant favoritism of certain students to take offence.

"And why is that?" he asks through gritted teeth, still trying to stay polite because while Mr. Schuster isn't his teacher, he is still an adult.

"Well, no offence, but you sound like a girl," Mr. Schuester replies.

'Fuck politeness', Kurt thinks. A few weeks ago, statements like that might have sent him into a crying fit but not anymore thanks to Ms. Corcoran.

"With all due respect, sir, you haven't really heard me sing yet, unless you count singing back up for your students. It actually worries me a bit that a music teacher can't tell the difference between singing like a girl and a countertenor, no offence," he adds for good measure, and watches with satisfaction when Mr. Schuester gapes like a fish out of water.

"And even if you think I sing like a girl and shouldn't even have gotten into NYADA, others don't share your opinion. I have an audition for a small part in an Off Broadway production in January," he continues, because he won't let himself be insulted by a man he met twice.

Mr. Schuester recovers fast though and puts on a smile, even hypothetical aliens could tell it's fake from outer space.

"Well, good for you. I'm actually about to send one of my own students off to New York next fall and I'm sure I can get Rachel into a summer work shop there this year. I don't know if you've heard her sing, but she is by far the most talented singer I've ever taught and once Harmony graduates I'll finally be able to give her all the competition solos she deserves."

Kurt barely refrains from rolling his eyes at the teacher, but his gushing about his students does explain some things. No wonder Rachel thinks she is the world's greatest if she constantly gets to hear it at school and probably at home as well.

"Well, good luck for Regionals. From my experience – having gone to Nationals last year – I can tell you though that the groups that only featured one performer didn't even make it to second round."

Already exhausted and bored with the conversation he doesn't give the teacher a chance to reply and turns around. Before going back in he calls over his shoulder though.

"I have to head back in now because I promised your club that me and my girly voice would sing back up for them some more."

He doesn't wait for Mr. Schuester's reaction and slams the door shut behind him with a little more force than necessary.

Christmas is a livelier affair this year, because thankfully his son and stepson aren't fighting about something he never found out what it was. There are more people around the dinner table as well, because Carole insisted that they invite the Andersons after spending Thanksgiving dinner at their place.

"So how was the Christmas party? Stay sober?" Burt asks his son, while they are waiting for Carole to bring out the rest of the food, and predictably his son glares at him.

"You'll never let me forget that one, right?"

Burt shakes his head. "Nope. But one day when you have kids of your own who pull that kind of stunt and you'll freak out about it, I'll laugh about it."

"God, dad. We're not having kids until we're at least thirty, but I wouldn't mind if you found it funny a bit sooner," his son immediately shoots back and Burt tries his best to ignore the 'we'.

Because Kurt's only sixteen and as much as he wants their relationship to last – because he so doesn't want to deal with his son after a break up – he also knows that it isn't very realistic. To be quite honest, he'd be surprised if they make it through Blaine's first year in college. Not because he doesn't want them to last, but because they are still so young and have never been with anyone else as far as he knows.

Just then, Carole carries in the pot-roast she and Kurt have been cooking together and Burt forces his thoughts away and starts to dig in the moment the food touches his plate. His son glares at him when he drowns his mashed potatoes in gravy, but everything tastes better with a little sauce. He'll worry about eating a bit healthier when he's like fifty or sixty.

"Thanks again for having us over," Robert tells him and Carole while the boys are in the kitchen making coffee and cutting up pies, and his sister and Cooper have disappeared to god knows where.

"You've saved us from having to eat pizza again for Christmas because none of the other restaurants in our neighborhood deliver today."

"Don't worry about it," Burt tells him. "Kurt loves to cook dinners like that, especially now that he has to eat in the school cafeteria most of the time."

"And it won't be a problem if Blaine stays over again for New Years so he can go to that party with your sons?"

Burt shakes his head but waits with his answer until Kurt, Finn and Blaine are back in the room.

"No, that's alright. We'll be home this year though to make sure he doesn't 'accidently' falls asleep during a party again."

Kurt and Finn immediately start to protest, assuring him they don't know what party he's talking about, but Burt stops them mid-sentence.

"I wasn't born yesterday, you know. And also, Mr. Fitz from down the street saw you dump quite a lot of garbage bags in front of the house across from him."

That causes his boys to immediately shut up, but Burt has decided long ago to let this one go.

"The house was clean when we got back and none of you looked hung over, so I let it go this time. But I don't want a repeat. You want to throw a party, you ask for permission, got it?"

Even Blaine nods frantically when he stares at his son and stepson, which causes his wife to snort.

"At least your boys cleaned up. When Cooper was a teenager he would throw these wild parties when I was gone, and when I got back the next day his baby brother was trying to clean up the house," Robert recounts, causing all occupants of the room to laugh.

Blaine's cheek are flushed though and when his dad notices he turns to Kurt.

"I'll have to show you some of his baby pictures the next time you come by our house," he tells him and Burt laughs when Blaine frantically shakes his head, because he had 'threatened' Kurt with the same thing.

The main character of the story reappears that moment with Burt's sister in tow and Burt tries to ignore that they both look a bit disheveled. He tried to meddle with her relationships before, and it never ended well, so for now he decides to stay out of whatever Kate and Blaine's brother have going on.

The Andersons sans Cooper, who decides to accompany Kate to a bar where she is meeting some of her high school friends, depart after desert and he and Carole share a cup of hot chocolate with a splash of rum while Kurt and Finn do the dishes in the kitchen.

Maybe he only got it a year late and with a lot more people, but he finally got that perfect Christmas he wanted to have with his new family.

He is ready to leave before Blaine even gets here – which as much as Blaine wants to pretend it never happens – is actually what happens most of the time when they go on dates, so he joins his dad, Carole and Finn in the living room while he is waiting for Blaine to arrive so his dad can drive them to Puck's party.

To his surprise, his dad hands him and Finn a glass of champagne as well while they are waiting and Kurt quickly accepts his because since his dad caught him and Blaine, he and Finn haven't even been allowed a glass of eggnog for Christmas.

"But just because I'm driving you there and you are staying the night doesn't mean that I would condone you getting drunk at Noah's party," his dad reminds them before finally handing over the glasses.

"If there is alcohol – and knowing your friend, I'm sure there will be – you can have a glass for the countdown but that's it. If I find out you've been drinking all night, you are grounded again," his dad points his fingers at Finn, "and you won't leave campus unless I let you."

Kurt nods because neither he nor Blaine feel comfortable getting drunk at a party where other McKinley students will probably be as well.

"And, Finn. Make sure Kurt and Blaine don't share a room alone," his dad adds and Kurt has about enough of being treated like a responsible nearly adult one minute and like a baby the next.

"Yeah, because Blaine and I are going to do it surrounded by McKinley's finest," he mutters under his breath, but loud enough so his dad can hear it.

His aunt raises an eyebrow and Kurt glares at her, trying to telepathically remind her that he wasn't the one who hooked up with some guy at the Halloween party they went to together.

When he looks at his dad, his gaze is stern, but Carole is stroking his arm, and before he can get into an argument with his dad, which could get him grounded, the doorbell rings and Kurt hurries to answer it.

He and Blaine share a brief kiss at the doorstep because he doesn't want to give his dad more reasons to think he and Blaine might have sex at Puck's party and before he can get into any trouble they pile into his dad's truck and are off to the party of the year - according to Puck.

When Burt comes back from dropping the kids off, his sister is waiting for him, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Seriously, Burt?"

"What?" he replies with a huff.

"Don't you think you've been overacting lately? Sending me to Boston to babysit when they could have easily crashed with that friend of hers. Telling Finn to spy on his brother? I get that you want to protect Kurt, but you act like you've never been a teenager at all."

He wants to say it's different and that once she is a parent herself, she'll be the same, but somehow he doesn't think that will score him any points with his sister.

"I, it's..."

But Kate interrupts him before he can even finish thinking about what he wants to say.

"Kurt's different than we were. He can't just do what other kids do because it's not safe for him. And well, even if it weren't a concern, he doesn't even have a car in New York," she adds with a wink and Burt winces.

"I understand that you don't want him to grow up too fast, but if you keep up what you're doing right now, you're pretty much forcing him to sneak around."

"Like you do," he dares to challenge her, but Kate merely rolls her eyes.

"You want to know what I'm doing with Cooper all you have to do is ask."

Burt winces again because he really doesn't want to know.

"So what, you want me to tell him to just go ahead and do it, that I wouldn't have a problem with it if he and Blaine did it in my house."

Kate's expression softens before she pulls him down onto the couch next to her.

"Kurt's going to have his first experience whether you want him to or not. But if you keep telling him that this something that's wrong, something inappropriate, you are forcing him to sneak around, and potentially go places that aren't safe for him and Blaine. I'm not saying give him the house, I'm just saying that should stop being constantly on his case when it concerns where he and Blaine will be sleeping."

"But he is still a kid..."

"Burt, Kurt's sixteen and a half and he has been in a monogamous relationship for over a year. That's more than we both had at this age and we were doing the exact things that you are calling inappropriate now."

"It's not the same. You'll know when you have your own kids," he says after all, but Kate doesn't react the way he thought she would.

"Well, if I do, I hope my big brother will remind me what a hypocrite I'm being."

They are both quite for a moment before Kate continues.

"They are going to have sex at some point regardless of whether you want them to or not. And you can either tell him that it's okay and up to him so he doesn't feel like he has to sneak around and possibly go somewhere where it's not safe for him, or you keep treating him like a child that can't be trusted, and he will sneak around whenever he can, because he is a teenage boy with a good-looking boyfriend."

Deep down he knows his sister is right – that he'd rather deal with the fact that his son might be or might be soon sleeping with his boyfriend than getting a call from the hospital because someone beat his kid up for trying to get some privacy somewhere that wasn't safe because he felt like he had to hide this aspect of his life.

"I, I can't promise anything, but I will tell him that the decision is up to him and that I won't hate him if he does something I'd rather he'd wait for a few more years like I told him when I had the talk with him."

They don't say anything more about the topic afterward and Kate soon excuses herself to get ready for her own New Year's Eve party a bunch of old high school friends are throwing.

"You okay?" Carole asks when she finds him on the couch a few minutes later and Burt nods before shaking his head.

"It's just so hard to accept that my baby is growing up and doesn't need me anymore to make decisions about his life," he confessed and his wife snuggles up to him.

"I know, Burt. And it's especially hard when they end up making mistakes you never wanted them to make. But at some point we'll have to let go and let them make mistakes. And all we'll be able to do will be support them, because at some point they have to learn how to fix their own mistakes."

He's said it before and he'll say it again – times like these he really misses the tea parties.

Puck's house is packed with students wearing the McKinley colors when Burt drops them off and Blaine tries not to be intimidated by them. They are guests of Puck after all, so there shouldn't be a problem with the jocks.

Most of New Directions are occupying two couches in the basement while Puck mixes drinks at a makeshift bar in a corner of the room. When Kurt's friend Mercedes spots them, she immediately waves them over, and Blaine tightens his grip on Kurt's hand when his boyfriend rushes over to her.

Next to Mercedes the Asian couple he briefly talked to during the last party he attended is making out, but they break apart to say hi, when they notice him and Kurt.

"Hey, Blaine, That dance work shop your friend was telling us about during Kurt's birthday party – can non-students attend that as well?" Tina asks after greeting Kurt as well.

Her boyfriend immediately makes a face.

"Tina, no. I told you my dad would never allow it. He wants me to become a doctor – you know that."

Blaine gives Mike a sympathetic smile, because not to long ago, his dad tried to tell him what to do with his future.

"But it's not what you want," Tina interjects. "And you already are a great dancer, but with a work shop like that you'd get even better."

Before Mike and Tina can get into an argument, he promises to look into it, before he changes the subject.

"I'll head upstairs and try to find something not spiked with alcohol," Kurt informs him before he gets to continue his conversation with Mike and Tina, and Blaine nods absently.

"So, what do you think your chances are to make it to Nationals this year? It would be so cool if we could all meet up in L.A," he gushes.

"Well, now that they have me, winning at Regionals shouldn't be a problem," a cool voice interrupts and when Blaine looks up he cringes because it's the cheerleader who was hitting on him pretty much the whole evening during the last New Year's Eve party without him noticing.

"Kitty," she introduces herself when Blaine just looks puzzled.

"She's one of the new members I told Kurt about," Mercedes interjects and Blaine's eyes widen, because that would mean he'd been hit on by an 8th grader the previous year. It's probably best that he doesn't know how she even ended up at their party last year.

"Is Kurt still not back?" Mercedes interrupts his musings.

A quick scan of the room tells him that his boyfriend did never come back from his kitchen run and Blaine thinks that he probably should have realize it sooner.

"I'm gonna go and check on him," he informs Mercedes, trying to keep the worry out of his voice.

Hopefully there is nothing to worry about, because for all he knows, Kurt could have gotten in another argument with Rachel who isn't downstairs either.

Unfortunately, however, he was right after all, to worry in the first place, because when he finally finds his boyfriend, Kurt stands with his back pressed against the fridge while five large boys in letterman jackets surround him, and look like they have cornered Kurt for a while.

"Are you gonna cry like a little girl now, fag?" one of the boys slurs tauntingly. Neither of them appear to be sober, and Blaine freezes as memories of his disastrous first school dance flash through his mind. How the taunting had quickly turned into physical violence when Blaine had dared to defend himself.

A high pitched whimper draws his attention back to Kurt, who presses even harder against the fridge to escape the boy advancing on him.

"I asked you a question, homo," he yells at Kurt while he simultaneously grabs his shirt and shakes him.

In that moment, Blaine finally regains his voice and he yells at them – consequences be damned.

"Hey! Leave him alone!"

Slowly, one by one, the group of jocks turns around and looks him up and down.

"What, you a queer too? We don't want your kind here – spreading your fairy dust," the guy who was still holding onto a shaking Kurt's shirt sneers.

It takes all his strength to nod and stand his ground instead of fleeing and never looking back.

"Let him go. We were invited here same as you."

"Bullshit-" the ringleader starts but Finn and Puck arrive that moment and Blaine thanks his lucky star.

"Actually my bros here were and you weren't, so beat it before we make you," Puck yells at the group of jocks.

For a moment it looks like the large boys are gearing up for a fight, but when he spot the menacing glares on Puck and Finn's faces, the ringleader nods once, releases Kurt, and pushes past Blaine with the rest of the group in tow. He gets shoulder checked more than once, but he doesn't give a fuck about that because Kurt has tears running down his face. He crosses the room as fast as possible and pulls his shaking boyfriend into his arms, before stroking his back soothingly.

"It's okay, they're gone," he whispers before kissing Kurt's temple.

"I could have handle that on my own," Kurt hiccups, but there is no bite in his voice like when he chastised Blaine at the NYADA Christmas party.

"But we're a team. You don't have to handle everything on your own anymore. And it doesn't make you week for needing help from time to time," he assures Kurt, who still has Blaine's shirt in a vice grip.

Kurt nods but doesn't let go of him.

"Do you want to go home? I think Mercedes is still sober and could drive us."

This time Kurt shakes his head.

"No, I don't want to miss the countdown because of some stupid, homophobic Neanderthals," Kurt spits and abruptly lets go of him, eyes blazing with anger.

There's nothing he can say to make things better, so he grabs the water bottles Kurt must have abandoned when the jocks cornered him, before leading his boyfriend back downstairs so they can celebrate with the McKinley glee club.

As soon as the noise dies down and the straight couples, who don't have to fear negative reactions, stop sucking each other's faces, Kurt heads back upstairs, takes out his phone and pulls up his dad's number.

It takes a while for his dad to pick up the phone and Kurt feels guilty for disturbing his dad and Carole's celebrations, but he really isn't in the mood to spend the night at Puck's anymore.

"Kurt?" his dad finally answers, confusion evident in his voice.

"Can you come pick Blaine and me up?" he asks, his voice wavering a bit.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Can you come? I promise I'll explain in the car."

An arm wraps around his waist and Kurt leans into Blaine's embrace.

"Sure thing, kiddo. Be there in ten," his dad tells him, sounding worried now and Kurt feels bad for being selfish – for not being able to suck it up and stay the night as planned.

"Thanks, dad," he replies before hanging up and turning around in Blaine's arms.

"Your dad?" Blaine asks and Kurt nods.

"You can stay if you want. I'm sorry – I should have asked."

His boyfriend shakes his head.

"The only place I want to be is by your side, okay."

Kurt's answer is to briefly press their lips together. They are alone – the rest of the partygoers celebrating downstairs in Puck's basement.

His dad shows up ten minutes later like promised, his eyes immediately looking both of them over for visible injuries.

"What happened?" he asks as soon as Kurt and Blaine are buckled up and Kurt slowly fills him in, holding Blaine's hand in a vice grip.

"I'm so sorry, Kurt," his dad tells him afterward and when their eyes meet in the rearview mirror he can see how angry his dad is.

"Though I'm glad to hear you had people there who stood up for you."

He knows his dad is referring to Finn and wonders if his dad ever found out how Finn had been treating him in junior high.

"But I shouldn't need people to protect me at a fucking party I was invited to!"

He is more angry than scared now – safe in his dad's car – and he doesn't even care that he is swearing in front of his dad.

They reach his house, moments after his outburst and his dad turns around to face Blaine after killing the engine.

"Go ahead and wait for Kurt in his room," he tells his boyfriend and Blaine immediately complies after squeezing Kurt's hand.

His dad follows Blaine out of the car, so Kurt climbs out as well because he assumes his dad wants to talk inside.

Carole is waiting for them in the living room and her eyes widen when she takes in Kurt's red-rimmed eyes.

"Should I make up the couch?" she asks after giving Kurt a hug, but to his surprise his dad shakes his head.

"Blaine's staying with Kurt tonight," he tells her and Carole nods once, before bidding them good night.

"I'm sorry," Kurt says, though he isn't sure what he is apologizing for.

In response, his dad opens his arms for him and Kurt steps into them eagerly.

"It's just so unfair," he sobs. "I was doing anything – just getting some water -and they thought it was okay to harass me."

"That's never okay, Kurt," his dad interrupts but Kurt is stuck in his own mind.

"Not that I can help the way I sound or look," he spits, because he's prayed for a change when he was younger.

He doesn't hate his voice or looks anymore – thanks to Blaine and his teachers at NYADA - but if it would mean never getting harassed again by small-minded bigots, he'd accept an offered change in a heartbeat.

"Every time I look at you I see your mom in you – there's nothing wrong with you, Kurt," his dad soothes.

They stand like this for a while - Kurt's wet face pressed against his dad's shoulder – until he feels calm enough to let go.

"Thank you," he croaks.

"What for?"

"For not hating me when I came out. For letting me go back to New York. I don't know if I could have handled four years of this – going to McKinley," he admits.

"You're stronger than you think. And while I miss you every dad, I don't regret sending you there in the first place. Just knowing that you are safe and happy helps me sleep at night.

"Speaking of sleeping-" Kurt starts, needing to know if his dad meant it when he said Blaine could stay with him.

"Go on up, but, um, keep the door open. I trust you, but yeah-" his dad trails off.

Kurt blushes because he gets the implications. He doesn't think it would help his case though, if he told his dad that he really isn't the mood for fooling around right now anyway, so he just nods.

"Of course. Night, dad."

"Good night. Love you."

Blaine's waiting up for him, still in his street clothes – his pjs lying next to him on the bed.

"You want the bathroom first?" Kurt asks him.

"Am I not going downstairs?" Blaine replies, brows furrowed.

"As long as we leave the door open you can stay with me," he explains.

Later, after they've both changed, they stand side by side while brushing their teeth. Their kiss good night is short and tastes like Kurt's peppermint toothpaste. Once they are in bed, it doesn't take long for him to fall into a fitful sleep, after he snuggled up to his boyfriend.

Blaine's glad to be back in New York after New Year's Eve and he suspects Kurt feels the same way. On the other hand, he is sad because this will be his last semester at NYADA – the last few months of being able to see his boyfriend every day. Because even if he stays in New York City for college, it won't be the same.

As if someone is reading his mind, his computer alerts him to new emails that moment and when he gets up and walks over to check, he sees that they are from various colleges he applied to.

After briefly reading through them, he jumps up and down a few times like a little kid, because after sending in his audition tapes, he got invited to the second round of auditions of Tisch, AMDA, Berklee, UCLA and Carnegie Mellon. Blaine is ecstatic, because he never assumed he'd get so much positive feedback.

He knows that he should call Kurt straight away and tell him the good news, but hesitates. Because now that he knows that he was at least good enough to advance to the second round, it makes a potential future without Kurt immediately in it so much more realistic.

After all, only two colleges are in New York and what if he doesn't get to choose for himself? What if he doesn't even get accepted at a school here? And what if he does, but decides to go to Boston, Pittsburgh or even worse, L.A.?

Would it really be fair to string Kurt along for up to four years? Because his boyfriend never expressed interest in going to college anywhere other than New York when Blaine was working on his applications.

Could he be selfless and let Kurt go so he could find another high school student to date while he was still in high school as well instead of waiting for his college boyfriend to come home on breaks?

Blaine sighs, because the answer is no. Unless, Kurt doesn't want him anymore, he's going to be selfish and take whatever time Kurt will give him after graduation. Unless Kurt asks him to break up, he'll do his best to be a good boyfriend for Kurt, even if it has to be from afar.

"Dude, you're going to get a headache from thinking this hard. Boy trouble?" Beatz, who at some point must have entered the room, asks.

He is no Wes or David, but days like this he is glad that his roommate is a nice guy like Beatz who doesn't mind it if Blaine gushes a bit too much about Kurt.

"Not entirely. I heard back from colleges and I'm worried how it all will impact my relationship with Kurt," he admits.

Beatz just shakes his head.

"Don't stress. You don't even know yet which schools will ultimately let you in. Why not cross that bridge when you actually have to make a decision," his roommate advices and Blaine nods, because Beatz is right.

He can still fret over his future once he is force to make a decision.

"Thanks, man. I better call Kurt and tell him the good news," he tells Beatz who makes a shooing motion and Blaine laughs before picking up the phone and hurrying outside.

After hearing about Blaine's college invites Kurt is especially determined to do well in his own audition for an OFF Broadway production forOliver!.It was Ms. Corcoran who told him about the production, which was still looking to cast 'The Artful Dodger', a role for which Kurt was the right age and had the vocal range the musical called for. The theater putting on the play would triple cast all roles that required a minor, so Kurt, if cast, would be able to do it while attending school.

When Adam heard about his audition, he immediately volunteered to help Kurt with the accent he was supposed to speak in, and while he thought he sounded ridiculous, Adam assured him he was doing well.

Thankfully, the casting director seems to agree with Adam's judgment, because he let Kurt finish his audition piece without kicking him off stage for sounding like an idiot. 'The Artful Dodger' isn't exactly a role he ever saw himself in, but after rehearsing for his audition for a few weeks, the character has grown on him. So it is with a smile that he leaves the stage, after the casting director told him well done, and that they would be getting back to him in the next days.

"How did it go?" Blaine asks, as soon as Kurt returns to where his boyfriend is waiting, and Kurt throws his arms around the older boy.

"I didn't forget any of my lines and he let me finish, so I think it went well," he tells Blaine, remembering his last audition where Ms. Corcoran stopped him before he was done.

"That's great," Blaine enthuses. "They'd be stupid not to take you."

As grateful as he is for Blaine's support, Kurt shakes his head.

"No, that just means they've found someone better suited. Which doesn't mean that they thought I sucked," he repeats Ms. Corcoran's words back to Blaine. He needs to start thinking more positive and stop linking every rejection to him having no talent. He wouldn't attend a prestigious performing arts high school if he were a hopeless case, regardless of what the Mr. Schuesters and Rachels are saying.

"I'm glad you see it this way. Personally, I'd love to see you as Oliver. You'd be adorable."

Kurt huffs, because he really does not look young enough for the main role. And he is busy enough as it is. A smaller role would be just fine to boost his résumé when it's time for him to apply to colleges.

They walk back to campus hand in hand, and Kurt has to tell Blaine every little detail again, before his dad calls and Kurt has to start over. Not that he minds that much – or at all to be honest.

The next day he has a hard time concentrating in class, constantly checking his phone under the table, though he knows the theater wouldn't call him during school hours. It's interesting that the waiting for the call is a lot more nerve wrecking than the audition itself.

After being reprimanded for not paying attention for the third time, Kurt puts his phone a way and at least attempts to the notes and listen, because he knows it's unusual for a sophomore to have permission to audition for off campus production, and he wants to prove he can handle it and not neglect his school work as a result.

In the end it takes another day before he finally gets the awaited call, but when he does get it and is told he got a call back, Kurt's screeching and jumping up and down like crazy, alerts everyone in the vicinity to the fact, that Kurt Hummel got really good news.

Jesse, who unfortunately is in the common room with him, just glares at him though.

"What is it Hummel. Scarf sale?" he mocks, but Kurt just gives him a big smile in return.

"Oh, nothing. Just got a call back for a musical," he replies haughtily, and Jesse's jaw drops before he smirks.

"You know, I haven't been here long, but I know the rules. So, you are going down and all I have to do is tell the administration about your little extracurricular activities."

Kurt's smile widens even more if possible, because not even a douche bag like Jesse St. James can ruin his good mood.

"Go ahead. I wouldn't mind if Ms. Corcoran found out what kind of person you really are," he shoots back, before he abruptly turns around and struts away. After all, he has some celebrating to do.

2x08:Love is in the air.

Most of this is based on my experience as a teenager (growing up in Europe) so in case you find it unrealistic that Burt would let Kurt and Blaine share a room - this is how it was for us. If you'd been dating someone for a while, your parents usually let you stay the night with your boy/girlfriend, mostly once you were at least 16.