People were tapping pens, staring out windows, a special few were reeling off sentences by the second, and then there was Finn in the back corner snoring quietly. Kurt shook his head ruefully as he watched Finn’s saliva dribble down onto the sleeve of his shirt.

The end of year blues had kicked in. This was the last exam and then he’d be graduating. He’d looked forward to this for months - the beginning of the year actually. The second that the ceremony was done, he’d be headed home, and then he’d be jet setting out of this one horse town.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like Lima. It was more that he was tired of it. Every day was the same thing, and all the people did the same thing. It was monotonous. It was culturally devoid.

“Pencils down.” The adjudicator announced. The sounds of 50 pencils meeting their desks immediately followed. “Sir? Sir?!” The older woman was definitely not used to being ignored. She humph-ed before turning on her heel and grabbing a pen off the desk.

The students stayed silent as the woman aimed and threw with effortless grace. It flew across the room deftly hitting it’s mark, bouncing off Finn’s head. He woke with a snort, hand rubbing at his eyes. “Mom?” He looked around the room, turning pink when he realised where he was.

Kids sniggered into their arms as their test papers were collected. Kurt flicked his fringe back into place and handed his paper over with a polite smile. He collected his bag and headed out to the parking lot.

Once ensconced in his Navigator he let his mind wander, he couldn’t wait for this upcoming trip. This was a chance to be his own person and to find himself. Since the death of his mother, he’d felt like pieces of himself were missing.

It had been years, but still he would wonder whether the way he lived made her proud, and what things they had in common. He felt the all too familiar dull pain in his heart that he experienced whenever images of his mother swam through his head. Wiping a hand over his eyes, he pulled into the driveway.

He dumped his keys in the bowl on the side table as he came through the front door. The clattering in the kitchen indicated that his father was home but instead of greeting him, he mounted the stars and headed down to his room to pack a bag.

He can’t avoid his dad forever, but he isn’t ready to start doing the goodbyes and the sadness yet. They have a few days left to do all of that. A few days before everything is real.

He didn’t dwell on what to pack, there was no need to be a drama queen when he was just going to buy more clothes there. He’d been performing at random places for year - any jobs that he could get really - so that he could pay for the trip. He’d booked the best tour available for his budget. A tour of Milan.

Italy was stylish, Kurt thought as he snapped his suitcase shut, Italy was the place where he could indulge and do everything he wanted.

“Kurt!” The bellow was loud, but not angry. He followed the source of the noise and found his dad leaning over the kitchen counter with a plate of wings in front of him.

“Dig in.” Burt said, gesturing to the plate. “You have to get your strength up! Can’t let jetlag take you down.” Kurt smiled, plucking a wing off the plate.

Normally, he would make something healthy and low in calories but his dad seemed to be looking for something to bond over. “Jetlag couldn’t possibly stop me from enjoying this trip.” Kurt grinned.

“Don’t you think that you’re a little young to leave the country by yourself?” Burt was looking everywhere but into Kurt’s eyes.

Kurt threw the wing back onto the plate and tried to find somewhere to wipe the marinade that was sticking to his fingers. “Why are you asking? You don‘t want me to go anymore?” He couldn’t believe this was happening. It was unfathomable. “I’ve been saving for years…” His hands were shaking, so he curled them into fists and tried to ignore them.

“You know that I’ve been seeing Carole, right?” Burt asked slowly, coming around the bench slowly to sit in the stool next to Kurt.

“”Yes, I know. It’s been a year and a half. I know you’re seeing Carole. What does that have to do with Italy?” Kurt asked, exasperated.

“Carole has a son. He’s older than you by a bit. More… experienced. He goes to your school, you might know him.” Burt said, like he was about to divulge the greatest plan ever created.

Kurt was trying to refrain from smacking his hand into his face. “Finn?” He wasn’t sure why he asked when he already knew the answer.

“Yeah! That’s him. You guys are friends?” Burt looked hopeful.

Kurt didn’t want to deflate him, but he couldn’t lie either. He ran a hand through his hair. “Not exactly.” He said, sighing.

“Well, look. What if he went with you? He wouldn’t be a babysitter… Just another guy. You guys could look out for each other, as a precaution.”

Kurt wasn’t sure if his brain had exploded or if he had heard wrong. He wasn’t sure if any of this could actually be real.

“Let me just… You think I can’t take care of myself, so you want to send Finn with me?” Even out loud it didn’t make sense. “He sleeps through his exams. He’s scared of hot tubs!” His brain was sputtering as much as his mouth.

“Kurt, I know it might not be ideal.” Kurt waved his hands at his father trying to get him to stop talking. To stop everything.

“I can’t do this. Finn Hudson is not coming with me. How could he? He doesn’t even have savings!” He could hear himself growing shrill, he ran his hand through his hair again. Burt just sighed.

“Carole would help Finn pay. I would pay for both of your flights.” Burt spread his hands, as though laying his cards on the table.

He hopped up off the stool so fast that he almost tripped himself. “I can’t deal with this right now.” He left the room, grabbed his keys and headed for his car. “I’ll be back later. Do not talk to Carole about this.”

Burt hung his head and blew out a breath as the door slammed shut.

He went to the travel agent, and stood in the office looking at the pamphlets for Venice, Tuscany and Rome. He tried to think clearly, taking several deep breaths. He could take Finn with him and then they could go their separate ways and meet back up for the ride home.

He knew he was being selfish. Irrational, maybe. Kurt didn’t know how long he spent standing there, and even when he did leave, he didn’t go home. The mall was open late so he bought a new outfit for the graduation even though he knew it would barely be seen.

‘What if I wanted to meet a hot stranger while I’m away?’ He thought as he ran his fingers over the sleeve of an old jacket, a garment that had been used and then thrown away.