Chapter 20

"Say that again," Burt says.

"Well, dad, I…"

"It's my fault," Finn says.

Kurt looks over at Finn in shock.

"Well, Finn took me to a strip club on my birthday, but it's not his fault. I got talking to this bouncer. And exotic dancers make a ton of money, you know…"

"No, Mr. Hummel, it's my fault," Rachel insists.

Kurt's head whips around so he's facing Rachel. He raises an eyebrow at her and continues.

"Well technically, Rachel convinced me to do an amateur night and they offered me a job. But it was my choice. I mean, you know how ridiculously expensive my wardrobe is. At first it just all seemed sort of perfect — the money was great and I'm actually a really talented dancer — but then I met Blaine and I really liked him, but he knew who I was….and things got kind of crazy when we started dating…"

"Wait, wait. Who's Blaine?" Burt interrupts.

"Um, that would be me, sir. Blaine Anderson."

Burt turns to look at Blaine, whom he does not recognize at all. He raises an eyebrow, but then turns back to Kurt.

"OK," Burt says. "What else?"

Kurt takes a deep breath, the glitter on his chest catching the light in a way that should be ridiculous, but on Kurt just looks ethereal and gorgeous to Blaine. Kurt pulls back his shoulders, adjusting his already impeccable posture, and continues.

"Well, now everything's a total mess because I blew my NYADA audition and so now I'm probably going to be dancing in that shithole for the rest of my tragic life, which is ironic because that stupid job is the whole reason I was so distracted and messed up my audition in the first place."

The room is dead silent for a few moments as everyone just stares at Kurt unsure of what to say or do.

Burt is the first to speak.

"How do you fit in to all of this?" he asks Sebastian.

"I'd like to know that myself," Blaine says. "Care to enlighten us?"

Everyone turns to face Sebastian, who's been completely silent as the whole scene has unfolded.

"Yes, Sebastian, why don't you tell everyone how you were blackmailing me so you wouldn't tell anyone about my job?"

"You were blackmailing Kurt too?" Blaine asks.

"Too?" Kurt asks incredulously, looking from Blaine to Sebastian and then back to Blaine.

"I, uh….actually, you know… I think I'm gonna go," Sebastian replies, pointing toward the door.

"Kurt, you were being blackmailed and you didn't tell me?" Rachel asks, looking hurt. Leave it to Rachel to think it's about her.

"Dude, that's really not cool," Finn offers.

"Yeah, this just got a little too Lifetime movie for me," Sebastian remarks. "Goodnight, crazies."

He practically runs for the door, and no one tries to stop him.

"I think it's time everyone went home," Burt says. "Finn, walk Rachel to her car, and then go to bed. You've got school in the morning. Kurt, say goodnight to your friends, then … kitchen."

Burt heads back into the kitchen, leaving a stunned quartet of teenagers in the living room.

"Dude, why didn't you just tell me?" Finn asks in a low voice and without looking at Kurt. "I wouldn't have told Burt. We're bros, you know."

"I know," Kurt says, looking down at his feet. "Things just got out of hand."

"Why didn't you tell me that Sebastian guy was blackmailing you?" Rachel asks, touching Kurt's arm gently.

He doesn't answer, just chokes back a sob.

"How long?" she asks.

"Remember the customer who was being a creep?"

"The night you came over to my house," Blaine says softly.

When Kurt nods in confirmation, Blaine inhales sharply and purses his lips. Kurt notices out of the corner of his eye that both Blaine and Finn are clenching their fists. If Sebastian hadn't left, he would probably be well on his way to a black eye by now.

"I'm sorry I lied to everyone," Kurt says.

"Oh, Kurt," Rachel gasps as she throws her arms around him. "I'm always here for you."

Finn puts his hand on her shoulder.

"Rachel, you should go before Burt comes back in. We don't want to get Kurt in any more trouble."

"Yeah, you're right. Kurt, call me tomorrow if you can. We'll have a sleepover and cry into our Ben and Jerry's as soon as humanly possible."

She presses a light kiss to Kurt's cheek and retrieves her coat and hat from the hallway. Finn follows her out the front door, leaving Kurt and Blaine standing across the room from each other shifting awkwardly.

Blaine breaks the silence first.

"If I had thought for a second that he was going to do something like that, I would have killed him," Blaine says.

"It wasn't your battle to fight," Kurt replies wearily.

"Doesn't mean I wouldn't have tried."

Kurt nods and gives Blaine a tight-lipped smile that says he knows Blaine is telling the truth.

"What did you mean when you said he blackmailed you too?" Kurt asks.

"When I let it slip that you were stripping, he told me he'd keep quiet if I went on a few dates with him."

Kurt's eyes widen and he huffs out a half-laugh.

"God is he really that desperate?"

Blaine laughs weakly in response. "It would appear so," he says.

"He took me to a gay club in Columbus," Kurt says with a smirk.

"He wha…?" Blaine can't even finish his sentence because now he's laughing in earnest. Kurt starts to lose it, and their giggles devolve into belly laughs until tears start forming in their eyes.

"Oh, god," Kurt gasps as his laughter peters out. "How did my life become this ridiculous?"

Blaine is wiping at his eyes and trying to contain his laughter.

God, Kurt looks gorgeous when he laughs like that.

"Kurt," he says. "Have I told you you look really hot covered in glitter?"

Kurt starts laughing again and looks over to meet Blaine's eyes and sees he's not joking. His breath catches in his throat.

"Really?"

Blaine nods and steps closer to Kurt. He reaches an arm under Kurt's coat and around his waist, resting his forehead to Kurt's.

"You told your dad we were dating."

Kurt pulls back from Blaine's arms and looks him in the eye. A flash of panic is evident in his expression.

"Uh, well…I meant…," Kurt stutters. "I know we hadn't talked about it and then…"

"Kurt."

"I was so embarrassed and …"

"Kurt," Blaine says again. "It's okay. Really. We were…are dating. If you still want to."

"And I didn't know if you knew Sebastian was blackmailing me and… wait, what?"

"I'd like another chance if you'd give it to me," Blaine says.

"Oh…well, yes," Kurt says, pressing his forehead back to Blaine's as a smile starts to form. "Yes, definitely."

Blaine pulls back this time.

"Wait…you thought I was part of Sebastian's blackmail?"

"Well, no," Kurt says, looking away. "Not once I really thought about it. I knew you couldn't be involved. I was just so scared of everything coming out and I didn't know what to do. I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry about," Blaine insists. "I'm the one who screwed up."

"Can we just agree that we're both idiots?" Kurt asks, leaning in closer.

"Totally. The biggest, most idiotic of idiots. In fact, we're working on a Ph.D. in idiocy."

Kurt laughs again, his breath brushing softly across Blaine's face. When he speaks, his voice is steady, but breathless and full of emotion.

"Now kiss me before my dad comes back in here and physically throws you out himself, you big idiot."

Blaine smiles at Kurt and his eyes are shining in the soft light of the living room. He leans forward slowly and presses his lips to Kurt's, soft and sweet. Kurt sighs and wraps his arms around Blaine's neck loosely, pulling him in tighter. And for the moment, it's perfect and everything else falls away.

The angst, the lies, the blackmail…all gone. It's just Kurt and Blaine and soft lips colliding in the most delicious dance of passion and longing.

Kurt threads his hands through Blaine's hair, pulling a sigh from them both as his tongue glides effortlessly into Blaine's mouth. When their tongues touch, the kiss immediately switches from passionate to desperate — it's hot and wet and a little bit dirty — before trailing off into teasing and sensual nips of teeth and lips.

The room is quiet, the only sounds their breathing and the soft whisper of lips and tongues fighting for dominance. Blaine bites down lightly on Kurt's bottom lip; causing Kurt to moan in response. Kurt can feel Blaine pulling back, but he grips him tighter, as if he's willing the moment to last forever. And for a moment he thinks it might.

"Ahem."

Kurt pulls back from Blaine at the sound. He turns to see his dad in the doorway again.

"Kurt, I think it's time your friend went home," he says.

"Alright dad, he's going," Kurt says. He turns to Blaine. "I'll call you."

Blaine gives him a sympathetic look and walks backwards toward the door, holding Kurt's hand until the distance forces him to break it. He raises his now free hand in a half wave and turns for the door. When it closes behind him, Kurt turns back to face his dad.

"I think we need to talk," Burt says.

Blaine smiles to himself as closes the door behind him. No matter what happens, he and Kurt will at least be figuring it out together. He brings his fingertips up to brush his swollen lips, savoring the memory of Kurt's mouth, hot and perfect against his own.

"Well that was intense."

Blaine jumps at the sound on instinct and nearly punches Sebastian in the face as he pivots on the spot.

"Shit, Sebastian. What the fuck?"

"Such language, Blaine. What would your mother say?"

Blaine wants to punch the smirk off his obnoxious face.

"Christ, lay off," Blaine says with an exaggerated eye roll. "I think that whole scene in there pretty much cut you out of the picture entirely."

Sebastian's shoulders sag and he sighs deeply, his breath ragged and shaky. Blaine doesn't know what to make of the sudden shift in body language.

"Blaine, can I ask you something?"

Blaine lifts an eyebrow offering both an invitation to continue and a warning that he's on thin ice.

"Why don't you like me?" he asks. "I mean, I guess I get why you're angry now with the Kurt thing and all and the blackmail. But before….when we used to hang out all the time…"

Blaine doesn't know what to say. He had been expecting… innuendo maybe, gross nicknames, but not this blushing, almost bashful, school boy now standing before him.

"Sebastian…" he starts.

"Were we ever friends?"

"Of course, we were," Blaine insists, running his hand through his hair nervously. "But you make it so difficult sometimes. All the innuendo and the never-ending cockiness, it's exhausting."

"But you saw through that, right?" Sebastian asks hopefully. "You know that's not the real me."

A glint of something burns brightly in Sebastian's eyes. Desire? Hurt? Hope? Blaine can't be sure. Sebastian reaches forward and runs the back of his hand along Blaine's cheek. Blaine pulls away sharply.

"Except it kind of is the real you," Blaine says harshly.

Sebastian drops his hand to his side before reconsidering and crossing his arms over his body, his posture screaming defensiveness. Blaine sighs. He knows Sebastian acts like an ass most of the time because he's just so incredibly lonely. His parents are never around, and he doesn't have any real friends. Most of the Warblers treat him with carefully measured politeness; none of them are actually friends with him, though. And maybe that's why Blaine couldn't bring himself to write Sebastian off completely for so long. But Blaine no longer feels pity for Sebastian. Now it's just … indifference. He feels nothing.

This is a guy who tried to trick him into dating him and when that didn't work, he went after Kurt. No, Blaine Anderson is definitely not friends with Sebastian Smythe. Not anymore. Maybe not ever.

When Blaine speaks, his voice is quiet, but strong; he needs to know.

"Why were you blackmailing Kurt?" he asks.

"Truth?" Sebastian asks, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Would be nice for a change."

"I was angry at you for rejecting me and I wanted to hurt you," he says without a hint of regret in his voice, just a quiet resignation. He stares at the ground between them. "Not my finest hour."

Blaine bites his bottom lip as he considers Sebastian's words.

"Okay," he says after a moment. "Here's what's going to happen. You're not to come near me or Kurt ever again. Understand?"

"But Blaine, I…"

"No, I mean it. Something tells me if you ever get with a one-mile radius of Kurt Hummel again every person who took part in that awkward display in there would run you out of town…or worse. So the way I see it, we're done here."

"Listen, I'm sorry alright. I'm sorry. Just …. Shit, Blaine…don't." He throws his hands up in frustration. "This is just bullshit."

"Goodnight, Sebastian," Blaine says softly. As far as Blaine's concerned, the conversation is over. There's nothing left to say.

Blaine reaches for his car door, but Sebastian steps in front of him, effectively blocking his path with his much taller frame.

"Move," Blaine demands.

"Please don't shut me out," Sebastian pleads, reaching out for Blaine's hands and pulling him closer. "You're my only friend."

He leans forward, trying to press a kiss to Blaine's lips, but Blaine turns his head at the last second and shoves him off. Blaine's eyes are burning, and he draws his brow down into a deep furrow, glaring up at Sebastian.

"I was your only friend, Sebastian." And Blaine's voice is a low growl when he says, "Don't touch me again. Ever."

At those words, Sebastian stumbles backward a few steps and stares open-mouthed as Blaine slips into his car and pulls away. Sebastian walks to his car feeling — for the first time in his life — very, very small.

Kurt follows his dad into the kitchen, noting two mugs of warm milk sitting on the table. Burt takes his usual seat and pushes one of the mugs toward Kurt.

"Have a seat, kiddo."

"Dad, I…"

"Let me say something first, okay?"

Kurt nods, still acutely aware that he's wearing his heavy wool coat over his bare chest, and he shifts uncomfortably in the stiff-backed kitchen chair as Burt begins to speak. These kinds of talks with his dad are always kind of awkward, even though things usually get better after.

"Kurt, when you were 5, you asked me if when you got married if I would give you away. And I remember thinking, 'He's just 5; he'll grow out of it.' But the thing is, you never did."

"Dad…"

"Let me finish, Kurt. See, you never did because you weren't supposed to. But it took me a while to really understand all that, and these last couple of years I've really had to change the way I see the world. And in my head, I know that it's kind of how I always saw it. I was just afraid. But you, Kurt, you were born seeing the world differently. You're different... and that makes our relationship tough sometimes. But you gotta know that our relationship only works if we talk to each other. And you lied to me a lot, kid. You've never done that before, and it hurts. It's gonna take a lot of time to fix that."

"I know," Kurt says, playing with the edge of his mug and not making eye contact.

"That said, I'm mostly just worried that you didn't come to me when that Sebastian kid started blackmailing you. You could have really gotten hurt. Not everyone is as kind and caring as you."

Kurt's tears are falling in earnest now, leaving wet trails through the glitter still stuck to his face.

"I'm so sorry, dad. I'm so very sorry."

"I know, kid…I know," he says, handing Kurt a napkin. "So, why don't you tell me about Blaine?"

"Blaine?" Kurt asks, looking up to his dad with watery eyes.

"Yeah, little guy…big dopey heart eyes? You were just eating his face in my living room."

Kurt groans and drops his head on his arms. "Oh jeez, this is so embarrassing."

"Oh come on, you've kept everything from me for months. You owe me an embarrassing story about you and your boyfriend. Spill."