Chapter Two:  Assistance Given

Tuesday October 14, 2031

Kurt watched Jess closely the following day. She showed all the tell-tale signs of self-harm. Jess wore long-sleeves, even when Kurt caught a glimpse of her during her gym class. In fact, she kept her sleeves pulled down so far that they almost completely covered her hands. Kurt knew he needed to approach the girl but didn't know how. He was thinking the matter over when Blaine appeared in the choir room with Zach on his hip.

“Ready for lunch?” Blaine asked cheerfully. Zach reached his arms out for Kurt, who balanced him on one hip and kissed his forehead.

“I don't think I'm going to eat today,” Kurt said. “I'm not hungry.”

Blaine gave him a concerned look.

“Don't look at me that way,” Kurt said with a frown. “Just because I'm not hungry doesn't mean I'm relapsing.”

“Did you eat breakfast?” Blaine asked.

“I'm not doing this with you, especially not in from of Zach.”

Blaine opened his mouth to protest but Finn strode into the room before he could.

“Hey, Blaine!” Finn greeted him boisterously. “I didn't know you were coming for lunch today.”

Several times a week, Blaine would bring Zach and join Kurt and Finn on their lunch break. Blaine had decided to join them today in the hopes of alleviating some of Kurt's anxiety over the situation with Jess and Cate.

“Finn, will you take Zach to the cafeteria and get him something to eat?” Blaine asked.

Zach reached his arms out to his uncle, who took him from Kurt.

“Something healthy, Finn,” Kurt added. “No junk food.”

“Got it,” Finn said. He started out of the room but hesitated at the door and turned back around. “You guys aren't getting rid of me to have sex in Kurt's office again, are you?”

Kurt flushed crimson, dropping his face into his hands.

“Finn, get out,” he said sternly, peeking through his fingers.

“All right, but you have thirty minutes and then we're coming back.”

Finn disappeared out the door before Kurt could start shouting. Blaine closed the door to the choir room before coming back to Kurt and leading him to sit on the piano bench.

“I haven't relapsed,” Kurt told him. “I swear.”

“I believe you,” Blaine said. “But I want to keep things that way. You're too close to this subject to have it not affect you.”

“I'm fine,” Kurt assured him. “I just . . . I don't know how to do this,” Kurt said helplessly.

“Do what exactly,” Blaine asked. He thought he knew the answer but did not want to leave any chance of misunderstanding.

“How am I supposed to talk to Jess?” Kurt supplied. “How do I do this without her hating the girls for telling us?”

“I don't know if there is a way to avoid that, sweetheart. But you have to talk to her regardless, and not just because of your duty as an educator. It's for her own good, not to mention you know what she's going through. You'll be giving her someone she can confide in as well as relate to. Don't you think that will be worth it even if she does get mad at the twins for a little while?”

“What if I only make the situation worse?” Kurt asked, leaning into Blaine's side.

Blaine wrapped both arms around Kurt and kissed his temple.

“We have two teenage girls cutting themselves. Things can't get much worse.”

Kurt drew in a shuddering breath; Blaine knew instantly he was trying not to cry.

“They're going to be okay, love. We're going to get them both help.”

Blaine cupped Kurt's cheek in one hand and turned his head so their foreheads were resting together. His fingers slid under Kurt' shirt to find the old scars on his stomach. Blaine's finger trailed over each scar. Kurt's mouth parted in a surprised gasp. Blaine took the opportunity to slot their mouths together, allowing his tongue to dip inside Kurt's mouth. Kurt moaned, his hand fisting the fabric of Blaine's shirt and pulling him closer. Knowing Kurt would chastise him later but unable to make himself care at the moment, Blaine ran a hand into Kurt's hair. Blaine was about to suggest moving things to Kurt's office which would provide them more privacy but the door opened and they sprang apart like guilty teenagers who had been caught by their parents.

“Dudes, I told you thirty minutes,” Finn said as he set Zach on his feet. Zach ran to his fathers and clambered onto Blaine's lap.

“We weren't doing anything,” Kurt said. His appearance contradicted his claim. His usually coifed hair was disheveled; his shirt untucked and rode up to expose the ivory skin of his torso. His lips were red and kiss-swollen.

Blaine wasn't much better. Not only was his shirt crooked, but at some point several buttons had come undone. Kurt didn't remember doing it but knew he was responsible. Blaine's lips were equally swollen. Kurt was immensely glad Finn had caught them and not a student. There had been a time, not long after Kurt was hired, when the men had indulged in every fantasy of having sex in Kurt's office. But that was when they were both younger, still in their twenties and childless.

After the twins were born, Blaine would often bring them to visit on Kurt's lunch break but with two daughters to care for; they had acted the responsible parents and focused on their children. But after all these years, Finn still remembered the time Kurt had drug Blaine into his office by his bowtie and slammed the door in Finn's face.

“What did you feed him,” Kurt asked, determined to change the subject away from his sex life with his husband.

“A fruit bowl and apple juice,” Finn answered.

“Thank you, Finn,” Kurt said graciously, pressing a kiss to his son's black curls.

“You're welcome,” Finn answered as he headed back out the door. “But seriously, you're thirty-eight years old. Stop having sex in your office.”

“We didn't do anything!” Kurt exclaimed at the same time that Blaine pointed out, “We weren't in his office.”

“You're not helping,” Kurt hissed in annoyance.

Finn threw his hands up and left the room for good.

“Why did you have to say that?” Kurt demanded.

“Not only was it true but it got your mind off things,” Blaine replied with a simple shrug.

“I suppose it did,” Kurt agreed reluctantly.

“We should get going,” Blaine said, rising to his feet. “When will you be home?”

“There's an afternoon choir practice. I'm hoping to catch Jess afterwards. I'll be home sometime after that depending on how things go.”

“Good luck,” Blaine said before pressing a kiss to Kurt's lips. “Zachary, give Daddy a kiss.”

Kurt leaned in to kiss his son and ruffle his unruly curls. Blaine left with a wave of his hand and a comforting smile.

K/B

“Okay, guys, that's enough for today. Great work!” Kurt exclaimed with a clap of his hands.

The group of teenagers dissipated as they gathered their belongings and left. Kurt was spared from singling Jess out when she approached him.

“Hey, Dad,” she said cheerfully. Kurt smiled as he always did when Jess called him that. “Can I catch a ride with you? My parents are working late.”

“Of course, Jess. Could you help me straighten up while we wait for Cate and Chloe? They had to go by their lockers.”

“Sure,” Jess answered. She helped Kurt set the room to rights.

As they worked, Kurt tried to think of a way to broach the subject but nothing had come to him by the time they finished. He sighed unhappily and finally asked Jess to sit with him.

“Jess, it's come to my attention that you've been hurting yourself.”

“Who told you?” she demanded.

“It doesn't matter who told me,” Kurt answered. “What matters is whether or not it's true.”

“It isn't,” Jess lied.

“You only wear long-sleeves and you keep them pulling down over your hands.”

“That doesn't mean anything.”

“You're right. Ordinarily that wouldn't mean anything but we both know it does here. Just tell me the truth, Jess. Believe me, I understand.”

“You don't understand anything,” Jess said angrily.

“I do,” Kurt said. HE rolled up his sleeves so his forearms were bare. HE knew it was hard to see his scars on his left arm with the ‘courage' tattoo but the ones on his right were more obvious.

“You . . . .” Jess trailed off, dumbfounded.

“I used to hurt myself, when I was a little older than you,” Kurt told her.

“How did you stop?” she asked.

“Papa helped me,” Kurt answered, referring to Blaine. “But ultimately I had to go to rehab to stop for good.”

“Sometimes I want to stop, but mostly I don't think that I can.”

“You can stop if you want to,” Kurt promised her. “But only if you want to.”

“Why did you do it?”

“I lost my mom at a young age. I was bullied a lot. I did it for a lot of reasons.”

“I'm bullied, every day.”

“Why didn't you ever say anything?”

“I have to other teachers, but they never do anything about it.”

“Well, I'm not other teachers,” Kurt said simply. “We're going to get you help and the bullying will stop if I have to go to the school board myself.”

Kurt knew he had made a difference when Jess smiled at him.