Author's Notes: Some Klaine action yay!
This wasnt going to plan. To be honest, it was going even worse than he could imagine. Its one to fight, they always did that. Bicker, yell and try to trump each other, nothing like some horribly friendly competition. But its not like that, its more violent, more spontaneous like its all been bottled up and now they were just releasing it on each other.
"Maybe because you guys are." His dad answered, taking a pause from the care above him to look at him.
Kurt sqirmed on the desk he was sitting on. "But I have nothing to be angry about." He countered, biting his lip.
His dad shot him a look of disbelief.
"I dont! Seriously I dont!"
His dad hummed as he worked on the car above him.
Kurt hopped off the table and walked over to his side. "You dont believe me."
"Youre not a good liar." His dad responded coolly.
Kurt crossed his arms and went back to the desk. His dad chuckled watching Kurt drop in the sunken swivel chair.
"I dont know how you do it Kurt." Kurt raised an eyebrow at him. "I think I would go crazy if I was stuck in a room with them."
"We practically are."
"So I hear."
Kurt nodded and sighed “It's strange. . . “
His dad waited for him to continued, so they waited in silence for several
minutes. His dad stopped working and looked over at Kurt, who was looking over the papers on the desk.
“Everything alright?”
Kurt looked up, the energy he had before was gone. He shrugged.
Burt walked out from under the car and over to the other side of the desk.
Pulling a chair underneath him, he sat down and looked around the room till his eyes came to Kurt.
“You ok?”
Kurt bit his lip. “We're fighting.”
“You always did. That's the thing you guys do.”
Kurt shook his head. “It's not like that anymore.” He fixed himself in the chair. “I didn't want to admit it with Brittany, but . . . we've changed.”
His dad nodded. “For the better?”
Kurt huffed off the chair and walked underneath the car. He looked around the underbelly. Burt watched silently and waited for Kurt to sit back down. He didnt. Kurt mindlessly spun the front wheel, refusing to look at his dad.
"Whats really the matter Kurt?"
Kurts lips tightened into a line. He stayed quiet.
Burt opened his mouth, but shut it as the front bell went off and Finn came jogging to the back to them. He had a huge smile on his face. When he got to them he bent over to catch his breath before standing back up and clapping his hands a couple of times.
“Sup guys.”
Kurt briefly smiled and waved before diverting himself away. Burt smiled.
“How was your day Finn?”
Finn shrugged as he sat in the swivel chair. Burt huffed humorously.
Finn shrugged with a smile. “It's a good chair to sit in.”
Burt shook his head. “It's a broken chair.”
“But it's always been here.” Kurt spoke up.
They turned to him but he still had his back to them.
“Where were you at today?”
Kurt turned his head back. He looked Finn over and then shrugged. “You don't need me.” He said quietly
“We needed you for Santana.”
Kurt shrugged again and turned away from them as he walked over to a dusty propped open window. Finn came up from behind him and looked over his shoulder at his translucent reflection.
“You were suppose to be there?” His dad questioned in disbelief. “You said that you had nothing going on today.”
Kurt turned around and ignored Finn. “I didn't!”
“But you did.” Finn calmly said
Kurt glanced at him and then looked away. “I don't have to be there. I don't go there anymore. I can finally choose to be there or not”
Finn moved himself in front of Kurt, who gave him a glare. “You have to be there.”
Kurt huffed and sat down in the swivel chair, with Burt mumbling a comment about it. “I don't have to be here. Or there!”
Finn took a breath and nodded his head. “Yeah, but-”
“But nothing.”
The garage went deaf with the hostility. With a grunt Burt stood up and went over to the front desk with a coat rack on the wall. They watched as he got his jacket, wallet and keys, and booted down the computer.
“What's going on dad?” Kurt asked slowly
“We are going to breadsticks for our family dinner . .?” Burt answered as he botton up his jacket.
Kurt looked up at Finn who nodded.
“I'll catch up with you guys.”
“Where do you think you can go?” His dad chuckled
Kurt shrugged. “I'll . . . close up shop?”
Burt opened his mouth but Finn waved him not to. Finn then turned to him.
“We are eating at five-thirty so don't be late.”
Kurt nodded. He watched as the two left out the front doors. The car outside hummed loudly and then purred away. Kurt spun himself in the chair, leaned back and eyes close.
He didn't want to actually want to go to dinner. He wasn't even hungry and Breadsticks is just too much for him. Memories of dates with Blaine came back to him. The time when he and Finn had to accompany their parents to a date. The time during prom, the awkward time with David. It's all just too much for him. Maybe that was his problem. The memories. They hurt when he thought about them. It reminded him about the joy he felt with them, the ignorance they conquered and the silliness they shared. He sat back in the chair and tried to push them back, he didnt do anything wrong. He distanced himself away from them all because they seemed more interested in his new fame than he himself. It wasn't his fault, he tried. He did.
Kurt stood up and started to organize the papers on the desk. He didn't take notice of any, except when a ‘K' name flashed past him. His heart raced and he suddenly making a bigger mess trying to find the piece of paper. He got to the bottom of the desk where his eyes scanned the name again. He picked it up and ran his fingers threw his hair. The name sounded weird to him, but the last name was Hummel and he had no memory of any relative having it. As he read it over and over, he started to notice that it was a copy of the deed to the garage. The odd name was printed under the heir to it if his father would fall ill enough not to be able to work or manage the facility, Kurt would be next in line. He stared at the paper, wondering why his dad had this out.
His attention was diverted as the back door was opened. He turned and saw Blaine Anderson walking in thru the back door. He was looking from side to side until he walked up to Kurt. He quickly folded the paper and stuffed it into his pants pocket.
Kurt put on a smile and shot it at him. “Looking for something Mr. Anderson?”
Blaine smiled at Kurt with a small giggle passing his lips. “Yes, Mr. Hummel, I am looking for the diligent senior that runs this establishment.”
Kurt couldn't help but to giggle. Blaine was sometimes too much. He shook his head. “The establishment is closed for the day.”
Blaine quickly nodded. “Is your dad here? My mom's car is going haywire and I'd like for him to look at it.”
Kurt's smile started to disappear.”I'm sorry but he's done for today.” He turned away to clean up the desk.
“Yeah, but I just want to get the car in here for tomorrow.”
Kurt hummed in agreement while rolling his eyes. “I understand but it is closed. The cars that are here will be locked down with the rest of the auto shop and any that come will be turned away.”
He heard Blaine sigh and he turned his head around. Blaine was giving him a look with his head tilted and an eyebrow raised.
“Seriously Kurt?” He said slightly annoyed. “Where's Burt, I'll ask him?”
Kurt turned back, paperclipped a stack of papers together and smirked. “Too bad Blaine. I'm in charge here.”
Blaine's scoff made Kurt spin on his heels to him. Blaine had crossed his arms and the face he was giving made Kurt look back at him suspiciously.
“Like Burt would leave you to handle this place.”
Kurt's cool tone suddenly started to fizzle. “Yeah, cause I'm his son. It kind of runs in the family.”
“What about Finn? We both know that he knows more that you ever did.” Blaine smirked.
Kurt huffed. “Sure, but he isn't here.” He mumbled
Blaine laughed briefly, before turning towards to back door. “I'll bring it around front.”
Kurt couldn't help but smile as he turned away and looked towards the garage doors before shaking his head. “Sorry Anderson. Hummel's tire and lube is closed. Come back tomorrow.” Or never. That might work for me.
Kurt smiled to himself at the thought and ignored Blaine as he stashed the stacks of papers
“Seriously Kurt!” Blaine suddenly yelled.
Kurt didn't turn around, just giggled under his breathe. Blaine was not only adorable when he was pissed but it so funny for Kurt to hear, especially when they are broken up and Kurt is the one making him angry. It was one of his dirty secrets.
He slammed the drawer shut and started walking towards the front where his coat was hanging. He glanced at the digital clock sitting on the desk and noticed he had less than ten minutes to get to Breadsticks. He grabbed the keys to the car he was renting.
“Kurt. . . “ He turned around to Blaine, who wore a smile and a frown at the same time. “Don't be like this. Not again.”
Kurt smiled sinisterly. “If I'm going to be stuck here, I'm going to be stuck on my own terms.”
He walked over to the front doors and locked them. He went over to the large garage doors and locked the chains so they couldn't pulled. He the turned for the back door. He smiled at Blaine as he passed him.
“I gotta go so . . .” Kurt pushed open the door and swept his hand.
Blaine walked right over to him and stood in front of him. Kurt's breathing slowed as Blaine looked right into his eyes, something silently sparkling in them.
“One day I will figure you out. One day.” Blaine said wondrously, keeping his gaze.
Kurt steadied his breathing to hid his other emotion Blaine was bringing to light inside. “One day you will know when to give up.”
Blaine blinked. “I don't give up on people.”
“You should.”
“You haven't”
Kurt's face and mind went blank. He let the door slip shut and they stared at eachother. “I have. A long time ago.”
Blaine took a step closer, chests brushing against each other. Kurt could feel his heart pumping against his chest, and was sure that Blaine could hear it.
“Have you really?”
Kurt silently nodded.
Blaine tilted his head. “Cause if you did, why did you come back? No one was forcing you to.”
Kurt wanted to say Rachel made him. That she blew it all over New York about the glee club and that he overheard her talking about it in the choir room which confirmed his suspicion. Nothing like that came out.
“Why are you here?” Kurt sighed defeated suddenly.
Blaine took a step back and looked to the ground. “I don't know . .”
He looked up at Kurt, his eyes having a slight glimmer in them. “I might've wanted to see you. Again.”
He had said it so lowly Kurt could barely comprehend them. The moment they entered his head, Kurt bumped himself against the hinge of the door backing up and shook his head. “No, don't say that. Believe what they said. It just wasn't meant to be.”
Blaine matched Kurt's step forward, alarmed by the timidness coming from Kurt's voice. “You stood up for yourself, that is not the problem!” He tried to be soothing but the urgency for Kurt to hear it was more important.
“I said stupid things! I was wrong to even open my mouth!”
“You say things that other people are afraid to say. You have courage.”
“I have an ego the size of New York, I shouldn't have even came, you know that. They knew that. Everyone but us knew that.”
“You need to stop believing what they say,” after a moment's pause, “they are wrong. About what happened. About you.”
Kurt turned away, biting back the tears as the brutal memory came back. It was at the old apartment. Everyone had gone away, busying themselves leaving him and Blaine alone in the loft. It was after an interview about the incident where Kurt had snapped at June Dollaway, someone Blaine was working with to help his career. She was making slight jabs at them, at Kurt to be specifically. Calling him “her” and Blaine's “girlfriend”. Not only that but when she wasn't insulting him, she ignored him and talked about Blaine and another woman acting like they were to be a thing.
Kurt knew better than to lose his temper. It only gave her a one up against him and allowed her to brandish him as a “Groomzilla” and other names. He got bashed at work and all around New York City he was label as such. Blaine didn't witness any of it, mainly because he kept them out of Blaine's viewing. Changing the channel when he walked into the room, stuffed the clips from magazines into the kitchen drawers, and he diverted Blaine from buying any type of newspaper. The memory of Blaine finding the many clips of it came back to him, it stung the same why it did when it was happening to him. Blaine stood by the counter, one hand gripping the top while the other started to crumple the newspaper.
“That is so not true.” Blaine mumbled
“I am so sorry Blaine, I didn't mean-”
“She just loves the tabloids. God why? Ugh”
“I don't know why but she just got under my skin and pressed my buttons. I-I-I'm so sorry.” Kurt waited a moment, waiting for Blaine to say something. He didn't want to admit to himself that he thought Blaine was ignoring him, just didn't notice him.
“Blaine.”
“God Kurt!” Blaine suddenly exhaled.
He wasn't sure if Blaine was addressing him or just yelling it out in frustration. He stayed still as Blaine crumpled the newspaper onto the counter, huffing with anery, he could see that. Then Blaine tossed it into the sink, shook his head and then walked out of the apartment. On the good side he didn't look over at Kurt, so he wasn't technically angry with him. Not yet until he made up his mind. But on the bad side, Blaine hadn't looked over to him.
Kurt took a breath and allowed his tears to drip down his face. He wasn't going to hide that the memory stung. The memory from which bad turned to worse and worse turned to devastating. The memory which reminded him of the downfall between him and the man he used to love. A memory that confirmed his lurking insecurity of them and their relationship. One push and the card tower they built cam crashing down. He couldn't make it better or go threw with it again.
Threw the tears he saw Blaine take a gentle step forward, his expression soften. “I'm going to prove you wrong Kurt.”
Kurt made no noise, just shook his head. Blaine gave him a small smile.
Kurt closed his eyes and turned his head away. He heard the back door open and then slam shut. If it wasn't for the door's hinge, he would have collapsed to the floor as he started to cry. Again. Again for Blaine Anderson. Again for the man who he had let go for the “sake of Blaine's career”. He knew this wasn't right, the way he was feeling. This ping of guilt and this overarching cloud of doubt with himself. He was sure that was the right thing to do. This was the right thing to do. Seeing him though, made
Kurt's stomach lurch with an uneasy feeling he wanted to shove away somewhere he wouldn't feel it. Ever.
He got to Breadstick late. He got there in one piece with himself being washed up, and but his insides were shambles of what they were. It tried to shake it off, push it out of his mind like he would do after a derogatory comment was said or if he was harassed by certain paparazzi. The conversation vanished with his soup. The memory was suppressed with his bread. The dizziness “the person” caused faded with his meal. Blaine stuck though, all throughout his dessert.
“Is everything alright Kurt?” Carol asked, taking his hand with her's.
Kurt looked at the hand that laid on top of his, shook away the tears, and said briefly: “As good as someone like me can be.”
“And how good can you be?”