“Next time you call the house, please try and disguise yourself or something. My dad was totally suspicious that a teacher called the house after one day of school.”

This was how Kurt found himself seated in a chair across from Will Schuester in his office. He leaned back in the chair, tossing Mr. Schuester’s rubber band ball between his hands, watching him. “I apologize, Kurt, for making you wait,” Will said, peering up at him from where he was jotting down notes on a piece of paper. “I just have to finish up potential songs for our set list.”

A lone eyebrow shot up from Kurt’s pale face. “You teach Glee club?”

“Sure do,” Will beamed at him. “Interested in joining?”

“I would love to, Mr. Schue, but unfortunately I only have time for one extracurricular activity,” Kurt couldn’t help but break into a grin. Sometimes his own wit amazed him. “Kicking ghost butt and taking names.”

“Speaking of which…”

“Do tell, Yoda,” Kurt said, wagging his eyebrows playfully. “What’s the paranormal emergency?”

Will shot him a look that spoke volumes and Kurt could tell that whatever it was, Will definitely needed his help. Kurt knew that Will hadn’t had any other mediator to help him out. Well, except maybe that Sebastian kid but Kurt could tell from his mother’s warnings that he was a last resort. He smiled to himself, happy that he finally had someone he could come to with his paranormal tales, even if he and Will didn’t exactly see eye to eye. 

“There’s a spirit that I have tried numerous times to help, but he… refuses,” Will began. “And at first, his antics were small but now it’s getting worse and I’m just worried that it’ll escalate to a level soon that we can’t control. He’s angry and violent and wants revenge, and I can’t exactly say I blame him, given what happened but it’s not the type of behavior I can condone here, Kurt.”

“Who was this kid?”

“Dave Karofsky,” Will’s voice caught on the name and Kurt could tell this kid held some meaning to him. It was personal this time. “He was on the football team and he even sang a little in Glee club.”

Kurt bit his lip before asking, “Was that why there was yellow caution tape all over the football team’s locker?”

Will nodded and spoke very softly to Kurt. “He committed suicide about a week ago.”

Kurt remained quiet for a few minutes after that. Sure, he was used to dealing with death all the time. He’d lost his mother at an early age, for one. And on a daily basis, he met dead people from all walks of life who had died in every which way he could imagine. But something like this was when it hit too close to him. A teenage boy committing suicide? And Kurt just knew it was because of whatever pressures he was feeling at home and at school, and Kurt would venture to guess that sexuality played a least somewhat of a role.

“For the record, Mr. Schue, I have absolutely nothing in common with a football player who killed himself,” Kurt muttered, hoping Mr. Schue wouldn’t notice the way his voice was breaking. “So I don’t know how much help I can be.”

“Actually, you just might,” Will said. “Dave Karofsky was… in the closet, for lack of a better term.”

Kurt had the urge to roll his eyes. He knew it. “Really, Mr. Schue, that’s our in? You want me to play the gay card?”

“Kurt, Dave was really starting to make progress, believe it or not. Sure, he was still bullying kids here but I know that’s largely due to his insecurities,” Will looked at him grimly when Kurt began to protest. A closeted football player who was also the biggest bully of them all? Of course this was how the story was going to go. “He was struggling but I know that he was seen a few times at Scandals, the gay club across town, and they say he was really starting to fit in. But when he got rejected by his crush here, and the school started bullying him for being gay, it just all became too much. And I know you can understand what he was going through."

“If you’ve ever been in love, it’s an amazing feeling. But it’s a horrible feeling to be a gay teenager and get rejected by your crush, considering there are so few of us out here to begin with. And if he was so new to all of this, then it must have hit really hard.”

Will eyed him thoughtfully. “Speaking from experience?”

“Please,” Kurt scoffed and rolled his eyes. He wanted to play this off and he was trying to, but this was a sore subject for him. “As if. I’ve had crushes and all that but I can’t say that any of them have returned the favor.”

Much to his chagrin, of course.

And his current crush, the hottie haunting his bedroom, didn’t seem to be overly fond of him, either. Which was probably for the best, because how would it ever work if Blaine was dead and he wasn’t?

But he could dream, right?

“But I can imagine how Dave must have felt.”

“Enough to kill himself?”

Kurt pursed his lips, and pondered for a moment. “I can’t say what I’d do if someone pushed me that far. I honestly don’t know, but I don’t think it’d ever be enough for me to do that. Unfortunately, not everyone is as lucky as me to have a supportive family. I just don’t think I could. I couldn’t do that to my father.”

Will nodded slowly, just the slight dip of his head twice. “But as it turns out, killing himself wasn’t enough. It won’t be enough until he takes him down as well.”

“Who are you talking about?”

Kurt watched as Will scrubbed a hand over his face in what seemed to be frustration. “He tried to hurt Finn Hudson the other day. And he’ll try and try again until he succeeds.”

“What?” Kurt practically screamed this time. It was one thing to know this Karofsky kid had been bullying gay kids when he alive and trying to make someone just as dead as he was. But the fact it was new brother? That was going way too far and something in him snapped then. “Finn is the one that Karofsky liked?”

Before Will could even let his response roll off his tongue, Kurt had exploded. “You know what?” Kurt yelled, standing up this time. “Don’t answer that. It’s time me and this Karofsky kid had a face to face interaction.”

“Kurt! Violence isn’t the answer here!” And this time, Will had stood up to face Kurt. “You’re supposed to help spirits, not hurt them.”

“I was all for playing nice until you informed me that the guy that Karofsky’s been messing with is my brother,” Kurt glared at Will, not understanding how Will could be so passive about this. He wasn’t about to let this slide and he knew it was time to take matters into his own hands. “And sure, Finn isn’t my real brother. But he’s my brother in every way that counts. And I’ll be damned if I have to watch him die at Karofsky’s hands because I stood around and chose to do absolutely nothing!”

And with those parting words, Kurt was out the door. Kurt could hear Mr. Schuester calling his name as he strode out but the effort was futile. Kurt was determined this time.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Kurt got home, he said his quick round of hello’s to everyone in the house and headed up to his room. What he really wanted was a nap but he knew sleep would never come. His mind was too clouded and filled for him to even catch a wink.

He sighed in relief when he noticed that for once, he was alone in his bedroom that entire night. Maybe he had really gotten rid of Blaine.

And yet, he couldn’t shake that slight feeling of disappointment at the notion that his wish might actually have come true.

It figured that when he wished for his one true love to come into his life, fat chance it would. But when he wished away the hot guy from his bedroom, he actually listened.

Or maybe he hadn’t.

“Jesus, Blaine,” Kurt said as he caught a glimpse of his reflection from his mirror. Kurt had been seeing ghosts for years now but it still freaked him out every time one materialized in front of him without a warning. “You’re still here? I thought I told you to get lost.”

Blaine was leaning very casually against one of Kurt’s bed posts, arms folded across his chest and one triangular eyebrow raised at Kurt. “Isn’t it a little late to be going out, Kurt?”

Blaine was eyeing him up and down, a smirk on his lips. Kurt had to admit, the outfit that Blaine had seen him in the previous day was the polar opposite of the one he had on now. It was definitely not one of his usual fashion statements. Kurt liked to call this one his ghost busting outfit; black jeans, black boots, black shirt and a black hoodie, an outfit he could kick some ass in if need be.

And he had a feeling it would be.

“How about you try getting out of my room, Blaine?” Kurt sneered at him. Damn Blaine and his pretty face. It made it very hard for Kurt to be mean to him. “And my business, too?”

Blaine didn’t move from his spot. “Your father wouldn’t want you doing this.”

“My father,” Kurt glared up at him. Blaine was pushing it. “And what would you know about my father?”

“I like your father very much,” Blaine said calmly but his golden eyes were dancing bright in the moonlight. “He is a good man and I think you’re lucky to have a father who loves you so much. It would upset him, I would think, to know that you’re deliberately putting yourself in harm’s way.”

Kurt noticed the way Blaine’s voice had changed slightly when he had mentioned that Kurt was lucky to have a father who loved him. It dawned on Kurt then, that maybe Blaine hadn’t been so lucky. Just one of the many Blaine mysteries.

“I can take care of myself.”

That was a big fat lie and Kurt knew it, but how would Blaine know?

“Can you?” Blaine lifted one his triangular eyebrow dubiously at him again. Kurt was starting to notice things about him, which he probably shouldn’t be. Like the light spatter of freckles across his face and how just one curl had broken free from the prison of gel. “I don’t think so, sweetheart. Not in this case.”

Kurt really hoped that Blaine couldn’t see the way his face flushed, the blush steadily creeping onto his face and over his neck. Blaine had called him sweetheart.

And okay, maybe he hadn’t meant it the way Kurt wished he had. In fact, Kurt was certain he hadn’t. But it didn’t stop his insides from getting those familiar butterflies he seemed to get whenever Blaine was around.

“I know where you’re going, Kurt,” Blaine said, his eyebrows now knit in concentration and his honey colored eyes bore into Kurt’s own ocean blue ones. “You are going down to the school to talk to that boy, the one that tried to hurt the other boy you seem fond of. But I am telling you, sweetheart, that he is too much to handle on your own. If you absolutely have to go, I suggest you bring that teacher with you.”

Kurt stared at him, wide eyed and open mouthed. For one, there was that word again. And how could Blaine have known all of this? “Have you been following me? Because there is no other way that you could possibly know of all that.”

“All I know is that you’re putting yourself in the path of danger.”

“Path of danger? You have been following me!” Kurt said, stabbing a finger at him accusingly. “Blaine, Finn is my brother, thank you very much! I don’t need you spying on me.”

Blaine made what Kurt was sure was quite a rude gesture back in his day. “You are not going anywhere.”

“Try and stop me, cadaver breath.”

Blaine did a pretty good job at trying to stop Kurt. Kurt’s hand had been on the doorknob when he felt the lock twist into place underneath his palm. He stared down at the handle, and pulled on it but he knew it was worthless. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to figure out his next move as he turned back to face Blaine.

“Blaine,” Kurt knew he was sounding desperate now. “That was uncalled for.”

Blaine was starting to look very uncomfortable at this point. Kurt could tell that he wasn’t too pleased with what he had just done. Whatever had gotten him killed in his previous life, Kurt knew it hadn’t been because he was a bad person in any sort of way. Blaine was a good guy. Kurt knew he was trying to be.

“I can’t let you go, Kurt,” Blaine voice was just above a whisper and so, so close to Kurt. It was lilted with concern and worry and caution too, for Kurt. “Please don’t go. David is not like the other spirits you might have met. He will kill you if he can.”

Kurt mustered an encouraging smile. “Then it’s up to me to stop him.”

Blaine was still looking uncomfortable but very firm. Kurt looked down at his hand and he noticed that it was tan and big and his fingers were long. He had a really good grip for a dead guy, or even a live guy. And Kurt let his mind wander briefly to just how nice of a grip Blaine had and where it could grip…

Blaine saw Kurt’s gaze drop and his eyes fell to where Kurt’s were, and snapped his hand back as if Kurt had set it on fire. He stepped away from Kurt, his eyes wide. Kurt couldn’t exactly see him because the moonlight was behind him but he did hear that soft, pleading tone.

“Kurt.”

And when Kurt was finally out the door and down the steps to his new home, he looked back up into his window, wondering if Blaine might still be there.

But he was gone.