School had finally let out for summer a few days ago and Kurt was trying to settle into his new routine. Summer for him usually meant sleeping in, working around the house or helping his father at the tire shop when he was needed. Most days Kurt was free to do whatever he pleased and that wasn’t exactly a favorite point for his neighbors who seemed to feel that the widower Burt Hummel needed to raise his son with a firmer grasp. If he wasn’t careful he’d have one of those inverts on his hands, you know.

Kurt had heard it all. About how he was a wild one, how he should learn to keep his mouth shut and be content where he was, content to take over his fathers tire shop one day and settle down with a nice girl. About how he shouldn’t worry so much about the clothes he wore, that was for the girls, or about that hippie music because it would rot his brain. No, it was the marijuana that did that but Kurt didn’t touch the stuff.

Summer in Ohio was always such a funny thing. Not that it was much different the rest of the year. It was like the weather couldn’t ever quite decide what it wanted to do until August. June and July were warm and sunny most days but there were plenty of rainy days as well and sometimes the temperature would drop. By the time August rolled around and the weather evened out it was just painfully hot. August in Ohio was humid, often lacking in a breeze, and positively stifling.

As if he didn’t already feel horribly stifled in other ways, Kurt wasn’t looking forward to the impending heat wave. For now though he’d enjoy the relative cool summer of late June by taking the long way home through town. The glass bottle of Coke in his hand was still cold but starting to sweat profusely, leaving little drops of perspiration on the ground beside him in a trail. He hummed softly to himself as he walked, in no real hurry to get home and start on dinner.

When he turned down the street adjacent to his, Kurt spotted a moving truck with a father and son unpacking it, a mother standing by to supervise as mothers did. Kurt felt a twang of jealousy at this new boy for having a mother but it quickly dissipated when he realized who they were.

Nearly three weeks ago, Pastor Andrews had passed away and since then the local church had been without a pastor. The church had been doing as well as it could, hosting a few passing evangelists and having bible studies by elders, but they’d been looking for a new full-time pastor. One look at the family and their things told Kurt this was him. The new pastor and his family.

He sighed a little, trying to keep the disappointment off his face. He’d been hoping for a new friend, but if this boy was the pastors son, there was no way they’d be getting along. Kurt was a rebel, the boy who skipped services, had liberal thoughts and spent more time on his appearance and ‘womanly’ things than was thought of as healthy. Not really best friend material for the pastors son.

It was only when their eyes met that Kurt realized he’d been staring. Staring and not moving. He quickly closed his mouth and averted his gaze, feeling his porcelain cheeks heat up. As he hurried off he missed the grin on the other young mans face as well as the scolding from his father for not getting that box into the house like he was told.

The rest of the walk home went quickly because Kurt’s legs were nearly running still, embarrassed from the encounter. The worst part was that he couldn’t seem to get the boys eyes out of his head. He licked his lips a little at the thought, wondering what those eyes would look like close up, staring into his. What his lips would feel like pressed…

Kurt shook his head, trying to clear the thoughts as he pushed through the front door of his house. “Dad?!” He called out, wondering if his father was home early from the shop or if he still had the house to himself.

Upon not hearing a reply, Kurt made his way into the living room, lowering himself into his dad’s big armchair. He sighed heavily, staring up at the ceiling, trying to pretend he didn’t still see those eyes.

This was going to be a long summer.