“I know all of this is probably really shocking and unbelievable,” Blaine continued, “But let me explain-“

Before Blaine could finish, Kurt shoved open the door of the Impala, scrambled out, and took off running down the road.

“No –Kurt, wait!” Blaine yelled after him as he jumped out of the car and ran after him. 

If the circumstances had been different, Blaine might have found the sight of Kurt frantically fleeing the scene as Blaine struggled to chase after him comical, but as it were Kurt had every reason to be running.  He had just witnessed a phantom minivan try to kill them and then watched his boyfriend destroy it with a shotgun.  Not exactly your average Saturday. 

“Stop running!  Just let me explain!”

“Stay away from me!” Kurt screamed.

Blaine was only a foot or two away from Kurt at this point.  He lurched forward and was able to grab Kurt around the waist and pull him to a stop.

“Letgoletgoletgo!” Kurt thrashed as Blaine held on to him.

“Please, Kurt,” Blaine gasped as he tried to keep hold of his boyfriend, “I know all of this is crazy and overwhelming, but you need to calm down so I can explain!”

“You shot that car and it…. it disappeared.  This is all just insane.  This can’t be happening.  You and your crazy brother drugged me or something!” Kurt concluded as he continued to fight against Blaine’s arms.

“We didn’t drug you, Kurt!” Blaine cried exasperatedly, “What you saw back there was real!  You know it was.  I wouldn’t lie to you Kurt.  Please, calm down so we can talk about this.”

Kurt slowly stopped struggling and Blaine released his hold on him.  Kurt turned around slowly and faced Blaine.

“Alright,” he conceded, “You have thirty seconds to explain to me what just happened before I call the police.  Or a psychiatric hospital.  Whichever one can help me right now.”

“Okay,” Blaine took a breath, “What I shot back there was a vengeful spirit.  A ghost, basically.”

Kurt scoffed and gave Blaine a dubious look.

“I’m telling you the truth, Kurt!” he continued, “That’s what’s been causing all the accidents on this road lately.  It’s what caused Quinn’s.  My dad and Cooper –they fight things like this for a living, but that’s not what I want to do with my life, so I left them.  Except, now there’s something supernatural in Lima…. so Cooper and I are trying to help.  That’s what’s been going on for the last couple of days.  That’s why I missed our anniversary dinner and that’s why I haven’t told you everything about my life.”

“How am I supposed to believe that?” Kurt replied indignantly.

“Well,” Blaine replied slowly, “What other explanation is there?”

Please believe me, Blaine silently begged, Please don’t think I’m crazy.

They locked eyes for a moment.  Kurt’s face visibly paled, but the fear in his eyes was replaced with comprehension.

“Oh god….” He breathed, “This is all real isn’t it?’

“Yes,” Blaine replied as he grasped Kurt’s hands in his own, “I’m sorry.”

In that moment, Cooper drove up slowly next to where they were standing on the side of the road.

“Hey, guys,” Cooper said, “I know this is, like, a really profound and emotional moment for the two of you, but we were just attacked by a spirit not too long ago and it could come back any minute now.  So, we should probably be getting out of here…. like, now.”

“Right,” Blaine said, “We should go.”

“Wait –wait, so you mean it’s not dead?!” Kurt exclaimed, sounding scandalized.

“Sorry, kiddo,” Cooper said.

Kurt dove into the back seat of the Impala and demanded to be taken as far away from Route 81 as possible.

*

Cooper dropped the two teenagers off at the apartment to talk, claiming he had other business to take care of.  Blaine stood apprehensively outside the door, toying with his key ring.

“So, this is where you live?” Kurt asked quietly.

“Yeah….” Blaine answered, “But you should know, because of all the stuff I told you before, it’s a little bit different and –“

“Blaine,” Kurt said, “I’ve been waiting a whole year to see your home.  Don’t make me wait any longer.

Blaine sighed and begrudgingly fit the key into the lock and opened the door.  As they made their way inside, all of the supernatural paraphernalia seemed glaringly apparent in the tiny room.  Not only that, but Blaine couldn’t help but notice that the folding chairs around the kitchen table, stained area rug, and chipped paint were nothing to be proud of either.

He anxiously held his breath as he waited for Kurt’s reaction.  However, Kurt seemed to be looking at him expectantly.

“Well,” Kurt said finally, “Aren’t you going to show me around?”

“I –um….” Blaine stammered. 

That was not the reaction he had been expecting.

“There’s not much to see,” he admitted.

“Well, right now I see your family room, kitchen, and dining area” Kurt continued as he stepped further inside taking in his surroundings. 

Blaine couldn’t help but think that the fact that Kurt referred to the sofa and old television as a family room, the kitchenette as a kitchen, and the table in the corner as a dining area was quite generous.

 “Where’s your bedroom?” Kurt asked.

“Oh, it’s right through there,” Blaine said, gesturing to the leftmost door.

Blaine led Kurt over to the doorway.  He paused for a moment before pushing open the door.  He had been over to Kurt’s house plenty of times and they spent most of their time hanging out in Kurt’s room (Door open, as requested by Burt Hummel).  However, this was the first time anyone besides his father or brother would see his bedroom.

As they stepped inside Blaine grimaced slightly as he took a look around.  He wasn’t used to having company, so things were in a bit of disarray at the moment.

“Wow,” Kurt laughed, surveying the mess, “You’re almost as bad as Finn.  I’m disappointed in you, Blaine.”

Kurt smiled as he continued to look around. 

“What’s with the bunk beds?” He asked, gesturing to the stacked beds in the left corner of the room.

“Cooper and I used to share,” Blaine explained, “The room’s not really big enough for two beds so….”

“Right,” Kurt said.

Kurt made his way over to Blaine’s bookshelf, which contained a modest collection of contemporary novels as well as textbooks, but also had several books that appeared to be nearly ancient and were inscribed with unreadable symbols.  He crossed the room to look at a group of framed pictures displayed on Blaine’s dresser.  One was of the two of them at junior prom last year, smiling as Kurt donned his “Prom Queen” crown.  The second was a portrait of a family smiling in front of a large white house.  The father had dark brown hair and hazel eyes.  He was beaming at the camera as he grasped the shoulders of a young boy who stood in front of him.  The boy resembled the man and appeared to be laughing while the photo was taken.  The woman in the photo was breathtakingly gorgeous.  She had long blonde hair that fell in waves on her shoulders and a bright, kind smile.  She was holding a baby in her arms, which couldn’t have been more than a year old.

“Is this your family?” Kurt asked.

“Yeah,” Blaine answered, approaching the dresser, “That’s us in front of our old house.”

“So these are your parents,” Kurt said pointing to the two adults in to the photograph.

“Yeah.”

“You’re mom was beautiful,” Kurt said as he took his eyes away from the photo to look at Blaine, “I wish I got to meet her.”

“Me too,” Blaine agreed, sadly.

Blaine had always been grateful that Kurt had been able to empathize with his feelings about losing a parent at a young age.  Although the situation was tragic for both of them, he was glad he had someone who could relate.

After a few more moments of silence, Kurt took Blaine’s hand.

“I think it’s time you explained everything to me,” he said, “Everything.”

Blaine sighed and brought Kurt over to sit down on his bed.  He recounted the story of his mother’s death and how it prompted his father to start hunting.

“Growing up, Dad would leave for days at a time or sometimes bring us with him when he thought he had a lead on whatever monster killed our mom.  It was like that for a few years, but eventually he expanded to hunting anything evil and supernatural.  There are a lot of other people like him too.  They call themselves “hunters” and they’re everywhere, all across the country.  Once Cooper was old enough, he started going off on his own hunts.  He and dad still work together sometimes though.”

“So, where’s your dad now?” Kurt asked.

“We don’t know,” Blaine admitted, “That’s why Cooper came here.  Dad was working on the Route 81 case and then he disappeared.  Cooper thinks something might be wrong.”

“How long has he been missing?”

“Not sure…. A week maybe?” Blaine answered.

“How do you not know?  Doesn’t he live here?” Kurt asked.

“Um, no.”

“You’re dad doesn’t live here,” Kurt said in disbelief, “You live here alone.”

“Yes.”

“Blaine!” Kurt cried, “You can’t live here alone!  You’re a minor!  You don’t have a full-time job!  It’s illegal!”

“Kurt, relax, I’m fine here,” Blaine assured him, “The apartment is rented in my dad’s name and he pays the rent.  He knows the landlord so it all works out.  And I work part-time at the Lima Bean during the school year and at Six Flags over the summer.  I have money saved up.”

“I can’t believe your father allows this,” Kurt said furiously, “You’re seventeen, you shouldn’t be living alone!”

“It was my choice,” Blaine explained, “Before I started high school I decided I didn’t want anything to do with hunting anymore.  I was sick and tired of always moving around and switching schools.  Changing schools and traveling all the time is the reason why I was held back a year.  I was sick of it.  I just wanted a normal life.  I told my dad that and we fought, so I left.  I got into Dalton on a full scholarship, so the money wasn’t an issue and the dorms gave me a place to stay.”

“But when you transferred to McKinley you had to come back here,” Kurt finished, sounding somewhat guilty.

“Right,” Blaine said, “But I like living here, Kurt.  I mean, sure it’s not the most lavish place in the world, but living here means I get to see you at school every day.  I get to be just a few minutes away from your house.  I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”

“But, Blaine….”

“No ‘but’s’,” Blaine smiled, “I love you.  I want to be near you.”

“Fine,” Kurt sighed, “So, you guy’s don’t know where your dad is?  Do you think he’s hurt?”

“I’m not sure,” Blaine said, “But he disappeared while working on this case.  So we think we might find something by finishing it.”

Kurt took a huge sigh and slumped back on the bed.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Blaine inquired.

“Nothing, nothing sorry,” Kurt assured him, “It’s just…. it’s a lot to take in.”

“Right, sorry,” Blaine apologized, “I know it’s a lot.  It’s not normal to be aware of this kind of stuff.”

Blaine sighed and took Kurt’s hand.

“If you don’t want to stay together after all this,” he continued, “I understand.”

“What?!” Kurt said, springing up from his previous lounged position, “Why wouldn’t I want us to be together anymore?”

“Why would you want us to be together?  I’m a freak, Kurt,” Blaine cried, “My life is like something out of a horror movie.  I keep trying to make things normal for myself.  I keep trying to have an ordinary life.  I left my family, I went to school, but somehow everything always gets fucked up in the end.”

“Hey, listen to me,” Kurt soothed, “The spirits, monsters, and supernatural stuff;  It scares the shit out of me and makes me question almost everything I thought I knew about the world before this.  But I still know how I feel about you and the kind of person you are.  I love you.  It’s hard to know that you kept so much from me for so long, but I understand why you did, okay?  Besides, normal is overrated.”

Kurt smiled at him and Blaine knew he was trying to cheer him up, but Kurt had to know the gravity of situation.

“You don’t understand, Kurt.  This stuff is dangerous.  I can’t risk ­­–“

“You think I don’t understand how dangerous it is?  Blaine, I was with you in that car.  We were almost killed.  It still doesn’t change things.  I love you.”

Blaine was still apprehensive.  Sure, Kurt felt this way now, but how about a few months down the road?  He was finally coming to terms with the fact that he wouldn’t be able to completely escape the supernatural, no matter how normal of a life he tried to lead.   And there were things out there much more lethal than vengeful spirits.  What if one day Kurt realized Blaine wasn’t worth the risk?

“You’re really sure about this?” Blaine questioned, “I wouldn’t blame you if you ran away in the other direction screaming.”

“Well, to be fair, I’ve already done that once,” Kurt laughed as his cheeks turned pink, “But I’m sure.  I’ve never been more sure of anything.”

Kurt reached over and tucked a stray curl behind Blaine ear before cupping his cheek and pulling him in for a kiss. 

Blaine kissed him back and entangled his hands into Kurt’s hair.  This is perfect, he thought.  Nothing felt more right than the two of them in this moment.  Blaine knew that he loved Kurt and that Kurt loved him.  They might be okay throughout all of this.  But that didn’t stop other thoughts from creeping into his mind.  What if Kurt gets hurt….?

Kurt moved his hands to Blaine’s waist and tried to deepen the kiss when Blaine pulled back abruptly.

“I should teach you some stuff,” he blurted.

“Excuse me?” Kurt asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Supernatural stuff!” Blaine exclaimed.

With that, he sprung up from the bed and into the main part of the apartment.

“Blaine, what are you talking about?” Kurt questioned as he followed Blaine and watched him fumble through one of his cabinets.

Blaine had a plethora of items in his hand.  He set them down at the table and took a seat, motioning for Kurt to do the same.

“Salt!” he said, as he presented Kurt with a box of kitchen salt.

“Yes, honey, that is a box of salt,” Kurt said slowly, sounding rather concerned for his boyfriend’s sanity.

“I’m trying to teach you how to protect yourself from the supernatural!” Blaine said impatiently, “The first and most important weapon you need to be aware of is salt.”

“Um,” Kurt said, “How does salt help us?  Do we chant some voodoo over it or something?

“What? No,” Blaine replied, “Salt can protect you from spirits and demons.  The shotgun that I used against the minivan was loaded with rock salt.  If a ghost is hit with it, it disappears for a little bit, but it won’t die.  Iron works in the same way.”

Blaine gestured to the fireplace poker by the coat rack. 

“You can also use salt to protect a whole area by pouring a ring of it around the place you want to protect.  Nothing evil will be able to enter the circle,” Blaine explained, “That’s why the apartment is lined with salt by the door and windows.”

At that Kurt burst out laughing. 

“What?” Blaine asked, slightly confused.

“Nothing it’s just that,” Kurt giggled, “When I saw the lines of salt around the edge of the apartment, I thought you were just really bad at sweeping the floors or something.”

Blaine rolled his eyes, but continued, “So anyway –“

“Let me guess,” Kurt smiled, “Sugar kills vampires?  Baking powder kills werewolves?”

“Uh, no,” Blaine replied, “You have to cut a vampire’s head off to kill it and a silver dagger to the heart will take care of a werewolf.”

“Oh, wow,” Kurt said with wide eyes, “I was just kidding.  So, vampires and werewolves?  Those are real too?  That really puts a damper on the whole Twilight Saga….”

“Can I get back to my lesson now?” Blaine laughed, “So, next:  holy water.  You can use this to test if someone is a demon or not.  If they can drink it or touch it, they’re human, but if not, you should run.”

“Got it,” Kurt replied, “How do you kill a demon?”

“Well, you can’t really kill a demon,” Blaine answered, “But you can exorcise it.”

“So like the stuff they do in The Exorcist and The Exorcism of Emily Rose?”

“Basically,” Blaine said, “Most demons, especially powerful ones, won’t just sit there and let you exorcise them though.  So it’s helpful to have one of these.”

Blaine stood and walked over to the large rug in front of the door.  He pulled it up to reveal an intricate devil’s trap painted on the floor.  It consisted of a large circle that contained several triangles and other symbols that created a star-like symbol in the center.

“Whoa,” Kurt breathed, “That’s quite…. gothic.”

“It’s a devil’s trap,” Blaine explained, “It works kind of like the salt ring, but it’s much more powerful and if a demon walks inside the trap it can’t get out unless the trap is broken.”

“Interesting,” Kurt said quietly.

“The last thing that you should know about is silver,” Blaine said holding up a shiny knife, “Like I said before, silver through the heart can kill a werewolf, but it also works against dozens of other monsters.  Some monsters don’t even need to be stabbed with it.  Just coming into contact with silver can burn a Wraith.”

“I guess I made a good choice then when I got you this,” Kurt said, reaching for Blaine’s wrist where he wore his silver bracelet, “Hopefully it’ll protect you from some Wraiths…. whatever those are.”

“You’re pretty safe with this too, then,” Blaine smiled as he clasped Kurt’s hand where he wore his promise ring.

The boys were startled when the door handle rattled for a few seconds before a loud banging erupted on the other side.

“Blainey!” Cooper cried outside the door, “Why’d you change the locks since the last time I was here?”

Blaine sighed and reached over to open the door for his brother.

“Thanks, man.  You gotta get me a new key,” Cooper greeted him, “Hey, Kurt.  How’re you holding up?”

“Pretty well, I think, considering my whole world got turned upside down today,” Kurt replied with a small smile, “My freak out level has gone from dangerous hyperventilating to mild shock.”

“Good.  You should get used to the shocks,” Cooper laughed, “Welcome to the supernatural side of life.”

“So, Coop, where have you been this whole time?” Blaine pondered.

“I decided to check out the local motels to figure out which one Dad was staying in when he was here,” Cooper explained, “It turns out one Mister Nick Farley was staying in town.”

“That’s one of Dad’s aliases,” Blaine informed Kurt.

“The concierge said he hadn’t checked out yet, so I went to his room, but the place was deserted.  I found this though,” Cooper said holding up an old leather bound book.

“What is that?” Kurt asked.

“Dad’s journal,” Blaine breathed.