Feb. 17, 2013, 11:53 a.m.
In The Heat Of The Night: Chapter 3
E - Words: 3,079 - Last Updated: Feb 17, 2013 Story: Complete - Chapters: 29/29 - Created: Feb 17, 2013 - Updated: Feb 17, 2013 916 0 1 0 0
Kurt skipped all his classes the rest of that week. He couldn't chance running into Mr. Anderson. He was thoroughly embarrassed that his teacher –his crush- had seen him performing. Kurt needed to get away. He didn't want to think about the situation. He'd spent all night wondering why the teacher purchased the sessions when he knew who was performing.Twice at that!Kurt thought as he drove. He was on the highway back to Lima and he had only his thoughts to keep him company.
Kurt pulled into the driveway a little after 6 pm. He'd contacted the site and told them he was taking a vacation- yet another perk of his job. He set his own hours. Kurt pulled in behind his father's truck and next to Carole's car and smiled. He loved his step mother. Kurt knew her through Finn, his step brother –though they'd dropped the step part of it years ago. Finn was his only friend while growing up and Carole did all the things his mother refused to do. When Kurt was feeling sad, he'd run across the street to the Hudson house and confess his problems to his friend's mother. Carole would then scoop him up and comfort him.
When Kurt's mother left, the little boy bypassed his father in favor of the nurturing arms of his future step mother. She let him cry in her lap then made him a bowl of ice cream. This became a routine for the two. Years later, after his father married her, she and Kurt kept the tradition up. When Kurt was being bullied and when he got his rejection letter from NYADA, he ran to her. She'd fix him a bowl of ice cream and let all his feelings out. It both fattening and comforting. It was also cheaper than therapy.
"Hey, honey. I wasn't expecting you." Carole shouted from her spot on the couch when Kurt opened the door. Kurt smiled and walked over to her; placing a kiss on her cheek.
"I know, mom," he'd taken to calling her that years ago, "I just wanted to visit. I missed you guys." Kurt half lied. He really did miss his family but he hadn't come for that reason.
"You missed us so much that you dropped everything to come home during a school week?" His father's voice boomed from the doorway. He didn't sound angry, he sounded concerned. He had a knack for knowing when his son was in need of his concern. Kurt smiled up at his father.
"Yes, actually, I did miss you!" Kurt insisted. His father simply smiled and reached for a hug. Kurt was quick to comply, letting himself be pulled into a tight hug.
When his father let go, Kurt took his place back on the couch. He spoke with his parents for a spell before heading to his room. It was just as he'd left it. Kurt crawled on his bed and laid down. His drive was long and he was exhausted.A nap never hurt anyone.Kurt fell asleep wondering what he was going to do about his predicament.
Professor Anderson missed the next week of class. The stomach flu, he claimed. He knew otherwise, of course. He was sick to his stomach but it wasn't the work of any particular virus or bacteria. It was because he'd been caught with his pants down; literally. The teacher groaned at the memory. How could he have been so stupid? He should have quit while he was ahead. Unfortunately, it wasn't that easy. There wasn't a special gum or lozenge that helped rid of inappropriate feelings. Blaine could attest to that. If there was, he would have taken it the second he laid eyes on the student. That would have saved him many sleepless nights and restless days.
During times of distress -which this was- Blaine visited his parents. They always knew how to cheer him up when he was down. After contacting the school and advising them that he was going to be absent for a few days, the teacher hit the highway. He pulled up to his childhood home a few hours later.
As he'd done throughout high school, Blaine pulled is car up the cement driveway and parked it in front of the door. He then hopped out and headed inside. The smell of cigars and cinnamon greeted the teacher at the door. He smiled; it was just like the old days. "Mom!" He shouted as he walked through the foyer.
"In here, honey." His mother replied. Blaine followed the sound of her voice and found her and his father sitting in the kitchen enjoying tea and each other's company. "What a pleasant surprise. What are you doing here, Pumpkin Seed?" The youngest Anderson rolled his eyes at the nickname; she'd been calling him it since he could remember.
"Just...you know...missed you guys. With school in, we're all pretty busy and I feel like I don't get out here much." Blaine replied. His parents looked between each other and then back at him. That was exactly the wrong thing to say to a pair of college educators.
"So you visit in the middle of a school week?" David Anderson questioned; his thick New Jersey bred, Italian accent slurred a few words at their ends. "That doesn't make sense unless something's wrong. Do I need to call that school?"
"Dad! I'm thirty! You can't call my job because you think I'm having problems." Blaine whined. He was starting to feel like a child all over again. He couldn't help it though. His father was a former trainer for FLETC and his mother was a former Assistant District Attorney. They were primed to protect and serve and that started at home in their eyes.
"Like hell I can't. If one of those other teachers or a student is giving you problems, then I'll handle it." His father preached. His mother, Emily, nodded in agreement.
"No, I'm not having any issues. I just missed you guys." The teacher lied. Both of his parents were now college professors and, as peers, he didn't know how they'd react to his story of immorality. As parents, they'd probably laugh at his desperation -they were a bit off kilter when it came to things of that nature- but as fellow educators, they'd probably frown upon his situation. So, Blaine kept it to himself.
Blaine took a seat next to his father at the table and watched as his mother prepared him a cup of tea. "You know, you probably wouldn't miss us so much if you'd get a boyfriend." His mother said when she placed the tea in front of him. It was his father's turn to nod.
"Yeah. You're not getting any younger son. It's about time you met a nice guy. I met your mother when we were still in college." Blaine rolled his eyes. He knew what was coming next. Anytime one of them mentioned anything about their relationship, they had to tell the story of how they met. "I remember, I was taking a class on gun safety and, midway through the lesson, this beautiful woman with long curly hair walked in. Now, all the girls were dressed alike-jeans, t-shirts, and tennis shoes- but not your mother. She walked into that room wearing this black dress and high heels." Blaine watched as his parents exchanged loving glances. He wanted that. He wanted the opportunity to share glances with someone that said 'I love you' a thousand different ways. At that moment, he could only image sharing those glances with one person and that person happened to be a student.
His mother chose that moment to pick up the story. "Yeah, the professor was so pissed." Her accent was thick like his father's but in a New Englander way; she was from Boston after all. "He said that if I was going to dress to impress then I better be ready to shoot to kill. So, I walked to the front, grabbed my gear and got into position."
"Yeah, she pulled that damn trigger and hit the target right through the heart. I knew I was in love. You gotta love a woman that knows her way around a gun."
Blaine smiled. After almost forty years of marriage, his parents were happy as ever. Sure, things had been difficult, especially when they were adjusting to his sexuality, but they'd managed and they were a happier couple, and family, because of it. "Sooner or later you're going to find that, honey." Emily offered. As much as Blaine tried to hide it, his parents knew he was lonely. He'd only dated here and there in his life; never staying with a guy longer than a few months.
"I'm working on it. I just haven't found that someone yet." Blaine replied. That was another lie. He had found someone special; he just couldn't be with that person. Even if he had a shot, he doubted Kurt felt the same. He couldn't say any of that though.
His parents nodded understandingly and the subject was dropped; for the time being that is.
Kurt woke a few hours later to the sound of his father calling him for dinner. He quickly jumped out of his bed and headed towards the kitchen. Whatever they'd prepared smelled delicious. Without hesitation, the performer sat down at the table and began shoveling food onto his plate.I feel like Finn right now.He thought as he grabbed another dish full of food. There was no way he was going to let himself eat all of it –he had shows to do after all- but he liked the idea of having it there if he wanted it.
The family ate in silence for a bit. They were nearly finished when Burt finally broke through the silence. "Heard from your brother lately?" His father asked. Kurt nodded. He'd spoke with Finn a days prior.
"Yeah. He called me once he got settled in Texas. He says he loves it there and that he's met some girl. 'She's got the biggest boobs I've ever seen. And their natural, dude.'" Kurt mocked. Carole rolled his eyes and Burt chuckled. They both could imagine Finn saying that.
"Good. I'm glad you guys are still close. I worried when you went off to college and he joined the military." They'd all worried about the Kurt-Finn separation. The two had been practically inseparable since they day they'd met –thirteen years prior. Kurt had taken it hard when his brother, and best friend, decided to join the military. It wasn't until the older boy explained why he felt the need to become a soldier that Kurt was finally comfortable with the idea. He knew Finn wanted to make his father proud and he was happy that the older boy found a way to do that.
"I was too." Kurt confessed. "But things worked out well. We talked all the time while he was in boot camp and we still talk now. I'm even considering visiting him in a few months. I've never been to Texas." Burt nodded and finished his dinner. It wasn't until the two were seated in the living room that the topic of his visit came up again.
"So, you gonna tell me why you're here? I get that you missed us, we missed you too, but you're not one to shuck responsibility just to come visit. You'da waited if it wasn't important." Kurt visibly shrank. He'd never outright lied to his father, so his was going to be difficult.
"I'm fine, dad. It's just...well...okay there's this guy." Kurt began. If he could tell the truth without the less favorable subjects coming up, then maybe he could get some advice out of his father.
"What's his name? Where's he from? Is he nice? He ever been to jail? Does he drink? Does he do drugs? When can I meet him?" The questions flew out of his father's mouth so quickly that Kurt was certain he missed half of them.
He shook his head and then tried to explain. "No, dad. Okay, there's this guy but I thought he didn't know I existed. But then I noticed him watching me while I was doing homework, one day-"
Burt cut in at that moment. "Is 'doing homework' another way of saying that he saw you having sex? Are you having sex, Kurt? You can't just throw yourself around like that. You matter, son." Kurt groaned.Super embarrassing!
"No, dad. I saw him watching me while I was doing homework. What I want to know is why he was watching me. He's never paid any real attention to me before and, all of a sudden, he's watching me while I'm doing homework. It's making my head spin."
Burt tilted his head. "Really, Kurt? Really? You can't put those obvious signs together?" It was Kurt's turn to tilt his head in confusion. Burt rolled his eyes and continued. "You don't just randomly watch someone. If you're watching someone, you're doing it because they've captured your attention and now you're interested. Regardless of the fact that he may not have been paying attention before, something you're doing grabbed his attention and held it."
Yeah, I had my cock in his face. That's why he was watching me."I don't know, dad. I don't think he's interested." Burt held up a hand and Kurt stopped speaking immediately.
"No, trust me, kid, no guy is that interested in someone without reason. It's like a football game. If I'm not interested in either team, then I'm not watching." The performer furrowed his eyebrows in thought. If what his father was saying was true, then Mr. Anderson might be interested.
Kurt tried to think back to his interactions with the teacher. Sure, Mr. Anderson was jumpy when Kurt was around and sure he'd said the sweetest things during Kurt's performance, that didn't mean he was interested, did it?If so, why did he freak out when I saw him?"Dad? There's more to the story." Burt perked up and stared at his son intently. "When I confronted him about it, he kind of freaked out. What does that mean?"
Burt smiled at his son. "It means he's scared shitless of what could happen if you two got together. He might be shy. The thought of you finding out that he liked you may have been nerve wrecking for him. I'm sure if you talked to him, you two could sort it out." Easier said than done.
Kurt nodded despite himself. His father had put a lot into perspective but he still didn't have all the answers he was looking for. That's when it hit him, he needed to go to the man himself. Despite the fact that he was embarrassed beyond belief, he needed to talk with Mr. Anderson and he needed to know where they stood. Worst case scenario, Mr. Anderson could claim that he'd stumbled upon the site on accident; to that, Kurt would blackmail him into secrecy. What? He wasn't above blackmail. Best case scenario, Mr. Anderson would profess his love and they'd live happily ever after. Kurt much preferred the second option. Blackmail was a messy business.
Blaine and his parents went out to dinner that evening. They ate at a tiny, Italian restaurant not far from the house and shared drinks at a friend's bar. When they returned home that evening, Blaine offered to help his mother grade some papers. She accepted the offer quickly; too quickly if you asked her son. "So, why the impromptu visit, Blaine? You're not one to visit out of the blue. You like planning ahead; this definitely wasn't a planned trip."Busted!
"Ummm...." Blaine sat the paper down that he was grading and pulled his glasses off. He wiped away imaginary dirt before perching them back on his nose. "Well...I have a problem."
"I knew it." His mother shouted as if she'd just discovered the meaning of life. Blaine rolled his eyes. He loved his mother dearly but she was a bit much sometimes. "What happened?"
Blaine took a breath and explained the finer points of his situation; leaving out any indication that Kurt was academically linked to him. Emily listened intently as her son shared a story of uncertainty, lust, and pornography. When Blaine was finished, he looked exhausted. At that, Emily burst into a fit of laughter. "Hey, it's not funny!" Blaine shouted at his mother's cackles.
"Let me get this straight. Your friend, that you're desperately in love with, does porn. You ran across him performing and got caught watching. I don't see how that's not funny." She laughed. Blaine let out a frustrated sigh. Seeing that her son was growing irritated, Emily stopped her laughter. "Okay, okay. Maybe it's not funny. I don't see what the problem is. I always knew you'd fall for someone completely different than yourself. Sure, I figured different meant you'd marry someone messy but...tomato, tomahhhto. As long as he's not a prostitute, I don't care. That's illegal after all. "
Blaine shook his head. His mother really was a special kind of wonderful. Most parents cringed at the thought of their only child being associated with someone in that line of work; his mother shrugged it off. She treated it as if he was a fry cook at the Krusty Krab.How did I get so lucky?"I know he saw me, but I don't think he expected it. Now I don't know what to do. I keep wondering how he would have felt if he knew it was me. I wonder if he would have still performed. Is it all about the money for him?"
"Well, have you asked him?"Obviously not, Emily!Blaine's internal voice always called his mother when he was feeling sassy. He never dared to say it out loud though.
"NO! I can't. I'm too embarrassed. I'm too nervous. I mean, what if he says it's just money to him. I care about him so much and he doesn't even know it."Partial lie.Blaine really did care for Kurt. It was most likely an unrequited love but the caring was still there. In class, Kurt was kind and caring. He was sociable and engaging. Simply put, Kurt was amazing and Blaine couldn't imagine bouncing back from the heartbreak if –when- Kurt didn't reciprocate his feelings.
"You should talk to him. You can't live life if you aren't willing to get out there and at least try." Blaine sighed; his mother was right. He couldn't avoid Kurt forever. He'd have to talk to him sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, sooner was nearing and it was time he got a grip on the situation; no matter how much it could hurt in the end.
Comments
They are both in Ohio and they don't even know it. I love Blaine's mom but both his parents seem nice. I love that Finn and Kurt were friends way before there parents got married. Why did Kurt's mom just leave?