“Okay, I’ll start on dinner. Candie if you want you can turn on some music and we can sing while fixing the food. Auntie Rachel and Uncle Finn could probably use some down time since I’m sure you guys had a busy day, and mommy probably wants to go call Aunt Brit.” Kurt said as he walked back into the room.

“Sounds like a lovely idea Kurt.” Rachel smiled and led Candie to go pick out some songs, Santana stepping outside to call Brittany, leaving only Finn and Kurt in the kitchen.

“Dude...” Finn said and Kurt could hear the seriousness in his tone. He focused on the dinner in front of him, not even bothering to tell Finn not to call him ‘dude’.

“Yeah?” Kurt asked, not snippy or rude. Just defeated.

“Kurt, you’re my brother, and I love you. I want what’s best for you and I want to be able to protect you. So you have to be honest with me. I heard you and Blaine fighting earlier this morning. And now you come back home with a bruised and swollen cheek. I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on. So be honest with me.” Finn said, not directly asking, but not dancing around the subject either.

“He hit me.” Kurt said plain as day, continuing to toss the salad he had been making as if he was simply having a casual conversation, not admitting something so serious.

“I’ll kill him.” Finn growled.

“No you won’t.” Kurt sighed. “It happened. I’m not sure why, but I know he didn’t mean it. The look in his eye’s afterwards. I know I sound like the cliché girl who goes back to the man who beat her down for years, but I’m serious. I don’t know what will happen without relationship, I don’t think there is one anymore. But I won’t know until I find out why it happens. He’s coming over, and we’re going to talk. I know I shouldn’t get back with him, and I know what you’re going to tell me, about how I’m stupid and weak and desperate. But in all honesty, until I know why, I just don’t know what to do.” Kurt said softly noticing the hurt look in Finn’s eyes.

“Kurt, I wouldn’t have said. I was just going to tell you to be safe. I don’t think you’re stupid or weak or any of those things. You’re the strongest person I know, and I really mean that. And you shouldn’t think of yourself like that either. You are the bravest, smartest, kindest, strongest person I know. The fact that you’re even willing to talk to him, shows how different you and I are. You are the most understanding and honest human being around and I think the world could use more people like you. I love you bro.” Finn spoke passionately and Kurt pulled his brother in for a hug.

“I love you Finn, thanks for always dealing with me. I know it was hard for you, especially after dad kicked me out, but I’m glad we’ve stayed so close. I don’t know what I’d do without you in my love.” Kurt sighed hugging his brother.

“Life sure would be dull without me.” Finn laughed. “Now come on, I’ll help you make dinner so you can go talk to that little prick when he gets here.” Finn teased.

“It’s just salad, there’s not much work that needs to be done.” Kurt laughed, wiping his eyes and returning to the fridge he’d left open, pulling out a vinaigrette dressing.

“Blah, salad is just so salad. Can’t we have something else?” Finn groaned.

“Didn’t your mother ever teach you if you wanna grow up big and strong you have to eat your vegetables?” Kurt teased.

“Dude, look at me. I think I have big and strong covered.” Finn said with a laugh.

“Well I’m trying to bestow upon my daughter healthy eating habits.” Kurt said smacking Finn’s hand away from snatching one of the carrot sticks from where he was cutting.

“Watch it.” Kurt laughed.

“You almost cut my finger off.” Finn frowned.

“Well you shouldn’t be reaching onto the cutting board. Common sense man.” Kurt laughed setting the knife down carefully in the sink and Fin gave him a playful shove.

Music started to fill the room and Candie skipped into the kitchen with Rachel singing along to the words of an old favorite song.

“Give me a second; I need to get my story straight.” Candie sang pretending to be confused and figuring out her story. She was such a little diva.

“My friends are in the bathroom getting higher than the empire state.” Rachel sang gesturing to the closed bathroom door where Santana was hiding out talking on the phone with Brittany.

“My lover she is waiting for me just across the bar.” Finn sang grabbing Rachel’s hands from where she stood on the other side of the kitchen table.

“My seat’s been taken by some sunglasses asking ‘bout a scar.” Finn sang lightly touching the side of Kurt’s face before continuing to sing. “I know I gave it to you months ago, I know you’re trying to forget. But between the drinks and subtle things and the holes in my apologies, you know I’m trying hard to take it back.” Finn sang, eliciting a clearer understanding from Kurt of what the words were meaning.

Kurt could have taken this as a demonstration of how Blaine hit him and now by apologizing he’s trying to take it back, but for now he was going to live life by the song and he decided to join in. “So if by the time the bar closes and you feel like falling down, I’ll carry you home tonight. We are young, so let’s set this world on fire. We can burn brighter than the sun. Tonight we are young so let’s set the world on fire. We can burn brighter than the sun.”

As Kurt began to sing, Blaine walked into the unlocked apartment, completely memorized by the sound of his loves voice. Listening to the lyrics closely he knew that he had messed up badly, and knew he’d have to work extremely hard to earn back trust.

“Now I know that I’m not, all that you got. I guess that I, I just thought, maybe we could find new ways to fall apart. But our friends are back, so let’s raise the cup. ‘Cause I found someone to carry me home.” Blaine sang as he entered the kitchen locking eye’s with Kurt.

“Tonight we are young, so let’s set the world on fire. We can burn brighter than the sun. Tonight, we are young. So let’s set the world on fire, we can burn brighter, than the sun.” Kurt and Blaine sang together ending the song.

“Hey Mr. A.” Candie smiled and greeted him.

“Hi guys. Kurt I’m really glad you called, I really just want to talk to you.” Blaine said walking up to him.

“Hey Blaine, I need to talk to you as well. So um dinners ready if you guys wanted to eat, I’m just gonna go outside and talk to Blaine.” Kurt said hugging his daughter and motioning towards the front door for Blaine.

“Kurt I’m really glad you’re willing to talk to me.” Blaine smiled excitedly as Kurt closed the door behind him.

“Blaine, just let me speak first okay. Don’t say anything.” Kurt said softly and Blaine looked like he was about to protest but he kept his mouth shut.

“You hit me. I don’t understand, can you clarify for me why that happened. I get that we were arguing, but for you to slap me? I just don’t understand. Sometimes we make mistakes, fuck I think my whole life is one mistake after another. This afternoon I made mistakes, mistakes will always be made. I believe in second chances, Candie has shown me that. Good things can always come from things that were initially bad. But one thing I need is an explanation. I know you baby, you’re not abusive. So why’d you do it? Just why?” Kurt asked honestly.

“Let me just start with I’m sorry. I don’t know what made me snap. But you have to know that I’m not a violent person, that’s not me. My father used to always hit my mother and I. I always resented him for that and when I did it I felt just like him. I’m so sorry, and I know that’s not good enough, but I just need you to know that that’s not who I am. And I’m sorry it happened.” Blaine said quietly his arms wrapped around his waist in a protecting manner. For some reason he looked smaller than normal, smaller and broken. “I’m sorry Kurt.” He said a tear slipping down his cheek.

“I did something bad Blaine. Something worse than you.” Kurt frowned and Blaine stepped closer to him, placing an arm around his waist and hugging him closely.

“I know it’s not her fault, I only have myself to blame since I was a part of it. But San and I were out. She talked to me about Brittany, I talked to her about you. We cried a lot. We got wasted. We cried some more and we drank until we couldn’t feel. And once we were numb we did something bad. I know it’s no excuse but I was in a dark place. I had sex with Santana. Please don’t be mad at me. I was so far gone. It was such a mistake. When she came she called out Brittany’s name. And when I shouted yours I knew I had made a terrible terrible mistake. I can’t take back what I did. And I know it’s gonna hurt you to know this, but I just want to be honest with you. I told you we all make mistakes, and for that I’m sorry. I know it’s not cheating since you had already told me we couldn’t date anymore, but I feel like that’s just my mind justifying it. It was wrong and that’s all I can say.” Kurt said a few tears escaping his glassy eyes.

“Kurt, it’s okay.” Blaine said comforting him, “It’s okay. You love Santana, and Santana loves you. I don’t consider it cheating, so you shouldn’t be berating yourself over it. You’re both gay, and the two of you are best friends. It was nothing more than friends comforting each other, in a very awkward way. I mean yes it hurts me knowing that I couldn’t be the one comforting you, and it hurts me even more that I was the one who hurt you. But in all honesty I’ll always forgive you Kurt. But if we do get back together, just try and keep it in your pants.” Blaine said with a smile.

“You’d still want to get back together with me?” Kurt asked wiping his tears.

“As long as you’d still want to take me back.” Blaine smiled and briefly looked up at Kurt’s lips, licking his own in anticipation.

“I love you Blaine.” Kurt smiled brightly.

“I love you too Kurt.” Blaine smiled stepping forward and kissing Kurt’s lips tenderly.

“What about your job?” Kurt asked nervously.

“I called the board of education and found a loophole, we met each other before I became Candie’s teacher, even though it was only like an hour before, but it still counts. So technically we didn’t meet through the school and it’s not illegal.” Blaine explained.

“So we’re all good?” Kurt asked a smile on his face.

“We’re perfect.” Blaine smiled, kissing him once more before leading them back into the apartment, the music playing a familiar tune.

“Before you met me, I was alright but things were kinda heavy, you brought me to life now every February you’ll be my Valentine, valentine. Let’s go all the way tonight, no regrets, just love. We can dance, until we die. You and I, we’ll be young forever. You make me feel like I’m living a teenage dream, the way you turn me on, I can’t sleep let’s runaway and don’t ever look back, don’t ever look back. My heart stops when you look at me. Just one touch, now baby I believe this is real. So take a chance and don’t ever look back, don’t ever look back.”