2013

Things don’t get better.

Distance makes things worse. Kurt’s heard that adulthood is basically having friends in different places. Apart from Rachel, no one of Kurt’s friendgroup is in the city. He misses his family, Blaine and Mercedes like crazy.

That’s why they always try to see each other when someone’s in Lima.

Emphasis on try. At least, Kurt tries and Mercedes does too, but in February Kurt and Mercedes were both back in Lima and they tried to hang out with the three of them and Blaine didn’t show. He was busy.

Kurt got angry and asked him what he’s busy with, since as far as Kurt knows, Blaine’s not really doing anything.

In the end it always works out. It was a shame that they couldn’t see each other, especially during the birthdays, but that’s the downside of living in different states. Now Kurt’s back for the summer after his freshman year. NYADA is challenging, but it’s worth it.

Kurt’s driving to Blaine’s house. Mercedes is in the passenger’s seat. She’s talking excitedly about her first year in LA.

When they arrive, they get out of the car and Kurt walks to the door to ring the bell. He hasn’t been here in a while, since they usually hang out at Kurt’s place or somewhere in town. This time, Finn and Puck decided to have a beer chugging tournament at Kurt and Finn’s house, so they decided to not impose. And to not ask.

Maybe two years ago, Finn and Puck would’ve asked them to join, but Finn and Blaine never sorted out their issues. Finn begrudgingly plays nice during Friday Night Dinners, but outside of that, he’s still giving Blaine the cold shoulder.

Blaine’s mom opens the front door and she has a surprised smile on her face.

“Kurt, Mercedes? How fun. Come in, come in, I didn’t know you were coming over!” she says happily and she rushes Kurt and Rachel inside. Kurt and Mercedes change into a pair of tsinelas.

“Blaine didn’t mention that we’re coming?” Mercedes asks with a frown.

“No, I would’ve prepared some treats for you if I’d known!” Blaine’s mom says and she puts her hand on Mercedes’s face. She nods approvingly. Kurt and Mercedes share a smile when Blaine’s mom turns her back. Blaine’s mom secretly-not-so-secretly hopes that Mercedes and Blaine will date. No one has the heart to tell her about Sam.

They follow Blaine’s mom to the kitchen and Blaine’s mom serves some drinks. Blaine’s family is nice enough, but their house is not Kurt’s home. Blaine can just open the fridge whenever he wants a snack at the Hummel-Hudson house, but Kurt and the Andersons never crossed that line.

“So weird. He must be here soon!” Blaine’s mom says as she pours the lemonade. It’s always lemonade.

“You mean, he isn’t home?” Kurt asks.

Blaine’s mom shakes her head. “He went out this morning. I don’t know where he’s gone.”

Kurt takes out his phone to text Blaine, but he sees that Mercedes’s has already beat him to it.

Mercedes: hey we’re here

Mercedes: Kurt’s queer

Mercedes: but where r you at??

Me: [photo of the glass of lemonade]

Me: it was 1pm right?

Blaine: omw!!!!!!

While they wait, Kurt and Mercedes make small talk with Blaine’s mom. She’s very excited to hear about their lives in the big city, working towards a qualification and she laments that Blaine’s doing nothing in Lima. Kurt shares her frustration.

After an hour, the front door slams open. Blaine arrives in the doorway of the kitchen with a tired smile.

“Sorry!”

Blaine’s mom chastises him in Bisaya and Blaine rolls his eyes. It makes Kurt frown. He doesn’t like the disrespect that Blaine shows his mom. He’s the one who’s late.

Kurt and Mercedes rapidly finish their drinks and the three of them go up to Blaine’s room.

“Where the hell were you?” Kurt asks the moment they’re inside.

“Jeez, Kurt, I already got my mom’s lecture. Spare me yours,” Blaine says as he falls face down on the bed. Kurt and Mercedes both look at each other, aghast.

“We waited for you,” Mercedes adds, also sounding annoyed, “An hour. You didn’t let us know. And you didn’t tell you mom we’d be coming over.”

Blaine rolls on his back. “I’m nineteen. My mom doesn’t need to know who I hang out with.”

“Maybe she does when it’s at her house,” Mercedes says.

“My parents are used to you dropping in unannounced, but yours aren’t,” Kurt says.

Blaine sits up and he leans on his elbows. “I thought you’d be happy to see me. It’s been too long.”

“We are!” Kurt quickly says. Blaine looks genuinely upset.

“But we’re also a bit pissed off at you,” Mercedes explains.

“Right. Okay.”

Later that day, back in the comfort of his own room, Kurt’s texting Mercedes about the day. It was painfully awkward and the two came up with excuses to leave early. Blaine probably noticed, but Kurt and Mercedes tried to bring back the light-hearted mood, but Blaine kept sulking.

Mercedes is livid. She’s ranting through her messages about how annoying Blaine’s been recently and how unfair he was. The worst part is that Kurt feels the same kind of anger.

God, Kurt doesn’t want to talk about it, but they should. To his horror, a notification pops up on his screen. Blaine’s sent something.

Blaine: Hey

Blaine: So I think all 3 of us can agree that today was not a fun day

Blaine: Idk why but you two seemed very mad at me

Blaine: What is wrong

Kurt’s thumbs hover over the screen. How can Blaine act so surprised? What is wrong? he asks! He so desperately wants to give Blaine a piece of his mind, but he changes his mind. Maybe he should take the worried friend approach, since that’s also true.

Me: Look I’m saying this with total love and worry

Me: But yes, something’s wrong

Me: With you

Me: You’ve been weird and moody lately.

Me: Planning things with you feels like pulling out teeth.
Talking to you feels like walking on a tightrope.
You’re clearly worrying about something
but, like, don’t take it out on us.

Me: I hope I’m not overstepping

Me: But you’re my best friend and again I worry

Me: I worry about you doing nothing. I worry
about you being pissy. I worry about you disrespecting
your mom and acting like your dad tbh.

Me: What is it, Blaine?

Me: We’re your best friends. Talk to us.

Me: We want to be there for you.

Me: But you keep shutting us out.

Me: You don’t do anything. You have no
drive. You just sit at home and get angry
at your parents. How can we help?

Me: This friendship honestly hasn’t been good in
a long while and we all ignore it.

Me: But I always dread talking to you because
lately it ends with either of us snapping.

Me: And I don’t want that.

Me: I just want us to be able to talk again.

Me: I care too much about you to let this go to waste.

Me: There’s just this negative energy lately and I hate it.

Me: And today kinda felt like the straw that breaks the
camels’back, like after months of frustration.

Me: Anyway I’m gonna turn off my hpone for now
cause Carole needs help with dinner

Mercedes clearly has no problem being the devil’s advocate. When Kurt comes back to his phone after dinner, he can see that she’s still seething.

Mercedes: I feel the same tbh

Mercedes: Like get the fuck over yourself dude

Mercedes: Idk why you’re acting loke such a piece of shit
but this honestly isn’t fucking fair to us

Mercedes: Get a life an d fucking talk to us for once

Blaine ignores the messages. It’s been a few days and they know he’s read it, but there’s no response. Mercedes has practically given up on him. She’s so angry. Kurt never knew that Mercedes felt the same deep frustrations about Blaine. Kurt thought that it might’ve been in his head and that he was being unfair since he is secretly still angry about what happened two years ago.

But no, Blaine’s also been a shit friend to Mercedes.

And then, Kurt realises why there’s no answer. He checks their groupschat every day and that’s when he sees it. Blaine’s left the group.

Me: He’s left the group

Mercedes: No fucking way!!!!!!

Me: Yes fucking way

And Kurt’s tried to be patient. He wanted to give Blaine the space he needed, since Kurt and Mercedes did unload a lot of crap on him, but now his anger finally matches Mercedes’s. He swipes to the private chat between him and Blaine.

Me: well if I’d known this then I would’ve
been nicer to your mom. She
definitely needs the respect from
someone.

Blaine: lol bye

And then Blaine’s profile picture changes to a blank template. Kurt blinks away the tears, because he knows what this means.

Me: [screenshot of the conversation
between him and Blaine]

Mercedes: WTFFFFFF

At dinner, Kurt tells his family what has happened. At first he was angry, but now he’s devastated. Finn once again vows to kill Blaine.

Kurt’s dad is weirdly quiet.

“Dad?” Kurt asks.

“I don’t know what to think, Kurt,” his dad says with a heavy sigh, “He’s changed, maybe for the worse. I think there’s something behind it, but I agree that maybe it’s fine to let it go. It’s only causing stress and irritation and I don’t want you to feel that way.”

Kurt nods towards his dad.

Mercedes: [screenshot of a conversation
between her and Blaine]

Mercedes: ………………

Kurt’s lying on his back, staring at his screen as if it’s an alien object. Nothing makes sense. He rereads the conversation on the screenshot several times, but it still doesn’t make sense. Mercedes wrote to Blaine a snarky ‘so this is goodbye then?’ to which he replied with confused emojis. Mercedes explained that she knows that Blaine blocked Kurt and that she expects to be next, in which Blaine replies that he’d never do that to her?

Mercedes: wtf now he wants to talk to me

Kurt wants to haul the phone across the room.

Me: really?

Mercedes: yeah, Saturday evening at the mall

Mercedes: should I do it???

Me: yes

Mercedes: alright if you say so

Me: I want answers

Mercedes: so do i

Mercedes: so what d o I do?

Mercedes: do I mediate between the two of you?

Kurt puts the phone down next to him. He needs some time to think. The last few days have been an absolute hell. It’s like those four months all over again. But now Blaine’s throwing punch after punch. He closes his eyes and he listens to the tick, tick… BOOM! album. Music’s always calmed him down.

Come to your senses
Defenses are not the way to go
And you know, or at least you knew
Everything's strange, you've changed
And I don't know what to do to get through
I don't know what to do

When the song ends, Kurt’s in tears, but he’s made up his mind. Come To Your Senses is right. It’s time for Kurt to come to his senses, instead of waiting for Blaine to realise what he’s doing. He grabs the phone again.

Me: no

Me: I am done