Chapter Three: The Second Date

“Wow, this is amazing,” Blaine said having just taken a bite of Kurt’s homemade quiche. “Come to college with me, cook all me meals please,” he added. Kurt laughed and blushed slightly.

“Thank you but I think I need to finish high school.” The two boys were sitting in a quiet part of a park, on a checked blanket with a picnic basket between them. Blaine had been surprised by Kurt’s date idea but was finding its simplicity enjoyable, not to mention he hadn’t had food this good in a very long time.

“High school is overrated,” Blaine answered. “You have a career right here,” he pointed at the slice of quiche he was eating.

“No thanks, I want to go to college. I’m going to apply to NYADA and actually get in this time.”

“This    time?” Blaine questioned frowning.

“Ah, doesn’t matter,” Kurt mumbled looking down and nibbling carefully on a carrot stick. Blaine considered the young man sitting next to him.

“Your dream?” he asked quietly. Kurt paused in his nibbling for a second before nodding his head slightly.

“Didn’t get into the college you wanted, that doesn’t sound like a good dream,” Blaine commented.

“Some of it wasn’t, some of it was. There were ups and downs like real life but I think in general the life I dreamt was better than I had before. The bullying stopped mostly, I had… someone, it was nice.”

“You had a boyfriend in your dream?” Blaine asked, a smirk playing across his features. Kurt turning bright red was all the confirmation Blaine needed. “Was he anything like me? How close am I to your dream guy?”

“I… er… I guess you’re kinda like him… sort of,” Kurt stuttered through. “Please can we change the conversation, this is embarrassing,” he pleaded. Blaine took mercy and they talked of other things.

Once the meal was finished they headed to the mall. Blaine didn’t really like to shop, but watching Kurt’s eyes light up over a shirt or a pair of boots was enough to Blaine interested. He let Kurt chatter on at him about the latest fashions, Blaine adding his own opinions every so often. He may like to read about fashion but he wasn’t interested in wearing it, he was more of a jeans and t-shirt guy. When Kurt had exhausted himself the pair brought coffees and sat down to drink them.

“I think I’m gonna barf,” a voice said. Blaine immediately felt Kurt tense up beside him. Looking up he was faced by a pair of heavily built men, probably college students on summer break. The one who had spoken was shorter and black, the other was taller and white.

“We’re just drinking coffee,” Blaine replied glaring at the pair, fairly certain they wouldn’t do much in such a public area.

“It’s gross,” came the reply.

“Look, if you don’t like coffee then don’t drink it,” Blaine answered.

“Don’t get smart fairy.”

“Yeah, take your faggy arse out of here, I think Hummel’s brought enough of the ladies department,” the second man spoke. Blaine’s eyes widened, they weren’t random homophobes they knew Kurt. Suddenly Blaine realised who they were, they were the bullies that had driven Kurt to Dalton all those years ago.

While this revelation was dawning on Blaine Kurt had stood up to face the two men.

“Karofsky, Azimio I thought we’d established a long time ago that there is nothing you can say or do that will change who I am. So insult me as much as you want but don’t you dare say anything to Blaine, you aren’t even a tenth of the man he is,” Kurt spat out. Blaine couldn’t helped but be impressed as Kurt stood up for him.

“Like you know what a real man is,” the white man said, Blaine still didn’t know which one was which.

“Well I know you’re not it,” Kurt snapped. The man opened his mouth to reply but before he could a new person joined the group.

“Is there a problem here,” the man said, placing his hand on Kurt’s shoulder and glaring at the bullies. Blaine’s eyes widened, the man looked like a middle age biker, complete with Harley Davidson leather jacket, he hand a beard and bald head and looked like he’d won many fights. Karofsky and Azimio backed off.

Once they were gone Kurt relaxed and turned hugging the biker, who picked Kurt up off his feet briefly before setting him down.

“Thanks Gary,” Kurt said, relief clear in his voice.

“S’alright kiddo,” Gary replied, reaching out a hand to ruffle Kurt’s hair and laughed when he ducked out of the way. “Who’s this?” he asked gesturing at Blaine.

“This is Blaine, Blaine this is Gary, he used to babysit me,” Kurt introduced them.

“Seriously?” Blaine asked before he could stop himself. Gary laughed again.

“Was his Dad’s best man when Burt married Kurt’s Mom. Known this little tike since he was a babe in arms, never had any kids myself so I borrowed him off Burt sometimes.”

“They would always fight over whether I was going to be a car person or a bike person when I grew up. Naturally my Dad won, you’ll never get me on a motorcycle,” Kurt added.

*

Blaine tapped the steering wheel, he didn’t know what was causing the traffic jam but he just wanted to go home. His tie lay and blazer lay discarded beside him on the passenger seat. It had been an interesting day, what with meeting Kurt, but now he was exhausted.

Slowly he crept through the traffic, he could now see the flashing lights of the ambulances and other emergency vehicle. Blaine felt a little guilty in his annoyance now, he hoped no one was seriously hurt. He kept his eyes fixed forward, not wanting to see the state of the car but even so he saw out of corner of his eye, as a police officer waved him past, the large black car on its roof.

Once home he worked on his homework until dinner. Afterwards as he lay on his bed listening to music, accident pushed out of his mind, he thought of Kurt. Sighing he reached for his phone, no word from the older boy. Blaine quickly wrote a text:

how was the rest of your day?  

Once sent he put his phone aside and picked up his laptop.

*

The pair sat in the car outside Blaine’s house. Blaine studied Kurt’s profile as he looked out the windshield, he’d seen a lot of different sides of Kurt that day, he’d seen a once scared and broken down boy stand up for not only himself but Blaine as well, he’d seen a unique glimpse of Kurt’s childhood through the stories that Gary had told in the brief time he’d sat with them, then there was the Kurt who had been relaxed and completely comfortable with in himself.

“How’d you do it?” he asked quietly. Kurt turned to look at him, eyebrow raised sharply.

“Do what?”

“When I first met you, you were completely worn down by bullies, looking desperately for an escape. You’ve pretty much been unconscious since then so how have you managed to develop to the point where you can stand up like that?”

“Actually I always did stand up, I used to insult them in way they didn’t get, or in French. I refused to change who I was. When I went to Dalton it wasn’t just about Karofsky, I mean the bulling was getting worse but it was also the fact that my friends didn’t notice or care or whatever. But someone once gave me some really good advice, they told me to refuse to be the victim.”

Blaine smiled at Kurt’s reply, a warm feeling in his chest.

“My house is empty, come in with me,” he said. Kurt’s eyes widened and his cheeks went red.

“I… er…,” he flustered.

“For coffee, I mean, or tea or anything really, I just don’t want this day to be over yet,” Blaine explained, seeing Kurt’s panic. Calming slightly Kurt nodded and turned off the engine.

Watching Kurt gaze, wide eyed, around his house was incredibly amusing. Finally Kurt’s eyes came to rest on Blaine.

“You live in a mansion,” he stated. Blaine laughed.

“You didn’t seem to mind when we were outside.”

“I wasn’t paying attention outside,” Kurt murmured back, going back to looking around.

“Come on let’s get those drinks,” Blaine said pulling Kurt through the house.

“Can’t your maid do that?” Kurt questioned half-jokingly. Blaine laughed and clasped Kurt’s hand tighter in his.