On Monday, they both didn’t say anything to anyone but somehow people had still found out. So when Kurt bumped into Puck in the hallway and got a pat on his back, he wished he could run away the moment Puck spoke, “So how was she?” he grinned from ear to ear.
“Puck, seriously? It’s really none of your business.”
Puck grinned. “That good eh? Bet you had troubles keeping up.”
“Please stop talking.”
Puck wanted to say more but got cut off when a voice spoke from the PA-system, “Don’t forget to buy your tickets for the Winter Wonderland Ball.” And he managed to hide from Puck as he dashed off to first period.

Kurt liked the annual winter ball of their school. It was quite lame and cheesy and everyone thought of it as lame and cheesy but loved it nonetheless. The school always ended the night with fireworks at midnight and even though it had never been supposed to be about New Year, they liked the concept of it. Over the years more and more students started screaming “Happy New Year” and kissed their loved ones as the firework exploded, and so a tradition had been born. The ball had become some sort of Christmas/New Year’s party and everyone loved it.

After school, he and Blaine walked home, and for the first time in a while Kurt had grabbed Blaine’s hand after a few streets. Blaine smiled, he was enjoying this positive change, he’d really thought they’d be stuck in a meaningless routine of pretence like Kurt and Santana were but this gave him new hope that, no matter what, it would never be like that between them.

“So are you going to the ball?” Blaine asked. Kurt nodded and answered absentmindedly, his mind still occupied with everything that had happened yesterday with Santana and how people had looked at him today and how she had looked at him when no one else was around. "San and I already matched my tie with the colour of her dress."
"Oh..." Blaine froze for a second and made Kurt come to a halt as their hands disconnected. Kurt frowned and looked at his hand then looked back at Blaine a few steps behind. The hurt in Blaine's eyes was impossible to miss and it's then that Kurt realized what he had just said. "Blaine, I..."
"Santana? You're taking Santana?"
"Well...I mean...you know....seeing as her and I are 'dating'" Kurt said and used air quotes but it only seemed to make Blaine even more angry.
"And you and I are what.... ?"
"Blaine."
“No!”, his eyes glistened, “Do you know what I first wanted to sing about, during hope week with Glee? You. Because I never stopped hoping that maybe you’d finally choose me. That maybe you’d finally break up with Santana and would be with me for everyone to see. You know what I learnt that week? Hope might be a powerful thing but it has a damn nasty sting.”
"But...."
"No Kurt, don't! This ball, however stupid it may sound, is important to me. Listen, I bought myself a tux. Saturday evening, I'll be waiting for you at my home for you to come and pick me up. To take me to our prom. I'd love it for you to show up so we could go together. If you don't then I'll know enough", he said.
“Blaine.” Any other words seemed to fail Kurt. He reached out to grab Blaine’s hand but he jerked away, "No! figure it out, Kurt. I’m tired of being your secret.”
“Blaine, you don’t understand. I have no choice.” Kurt’s voice was pleading but it didn’t make a difference.
“That’s where you’re wrong Kurt! You do have a choice. You just choose not to make it.” With that, Blaine turned and walked away from him.

Blaine could feel tears sting in his eyes and knew that if he didn’t keep walking he’d either break down in tears or change his mind. Neither of which he wanted to do right now, he had reached the point to which he’d had enough of it all. He wanted to scream. Scream about his dad, scream about that baby, scream about Kurt, scream about Santana, scream about the ball, scream at himself for being so stupid. He’d told Kurt at the start that he’d wait forever but it had been months and they were still stuck in Kurt’s lies, it’d gotten too much to handle.

Kurt had watched Blaine walk away with an aching heart but he knew it wouldn’t make a difference if he chased after him or not. He’d never before seen Blaine so hurt and it killed him to know he was the cause of it.
The week that passed felt more horrible than the last time they’d fallen out and Kurt didn’t even want to go to the ball anymore. When his dad came to check on him, he was about to put his tie on, “Do you need help with that, Kurtie?” he asked, and as if it hadn’t been weird enough for his dad to offer help when he couldn’t even tie a tie anyway, he’d also called him ‘Kurtie’ which he hadn’t done since Kurt was nine.

“No, I’m alright. Why are you here, Dad?” Kurt smiled. Burt avoided eye contact, obviously feeling caught but then cleared his throat, “Kurt,” his voice was calm and steady but strong and determined which let Kurt know this was something important, “I know.” Kurt felt his breath stock in his throat, not sure his dad meant what he thought he meant. “You’ve always tried to hide it,” and that let Kurt know it was what he thought his dad meant. He felt his heart beat pick up speed, “But I’m your dad, boy. I’ve always known. Fine, maybe not always but definitely as long as you and maybe even longer,” he looked at Kurt with a small smile.
“Dad, I…”
Burt raised his hand, “Kurt, I love you. I always will. I just figured it was time I told you, son. I knew you’d tell me when you were ready and I never questioned any of what you did. I’ve always had my thoughts about what you and Santana had going on but I trusted you to make your own decisions and you always seemed happy enough for me not to worry about the matter. But this week, something changed and seeing you this unhappy…it makes me step in.” Burt smiled sadly at Kurt before he continued, “I don’t know what changed but I need you to do something for me. Kurt, there’s something or someone out there that makes you happy, I’ve seen it. I need you to think of yourself and fight for it, get it back in your life because I can see it’s gone now and you look miserable. Kurt for once, please stop thinking about what others will think and start thinking about yourself. You deserve nothing less. Love is rare and it’s always gone too quickly, so fight for it. As long as you’re happy, you can count on my never-ending support.”

Kurt stood there and stared at his dad. He realized he’d never given him enough credit before, he had no idea what to say... so he just ran in his dad’s arms and held onto him tightly. “I love you Dad”, he said and he heard his dad’s voice waver with emotion when he replied, “I love you too, Kurt,” and then added, “promise me I’ll get to meet him one day?” Kurt stood back and couldn’t hide his amazement as he looked at his dad. Burt chuckled and patted his son on the back, “Where do I drop you off?”
Kurt chewed his lip, his thoughts flashing through his mind over and over again.

Burt looked at Kurt and sighed, “Are you sure you want to do this?”
Kurt nodded, “I have to,” he walked up the driveway and knocked on the door three times with a determination he didn’t have when they had still been in the car.

Blaine sighed, silent tears rolled over his cheeks. Stupid ball, stupid tux, stupid waste of money, stupid Santana, stupid Kurt. Stupid heart. Still, he couldn't really blame anyone but himself he thought. He had known from the beginning what Kurt was doing and yet he'd let himself fall or him, he had believed that Kurt would stop lying to everyone if he'd show Kurt just how much he loved him. He hadn’t been sure what he had expected from Kurt when he'd told him about the ball, but part of him had still hoped that he'd come for him. Part of him had hoped that Kurt loved him enough to do that for him.
Apparently he was wrong.
He wasn't ready to admit it to himself yet, though, so he kept staring at the front door as the minutes passed on the clock. His heart skipped a beat as there was knocking on the door.