Warbler Infections

Chapter 33: "Background Check"

December 20th, 2010
Blaine's POV:

  "No, yeah, I know dad it's just....I'll find someone's place to stay at....please, no, don't make me go bac.."

  Though muffled by headphones, the sounds of sniffles and a fist hitting a headboard were apparent.

  Or maybe it's the way Kurt has been pacing our room for the past forty five minutes.

  "Ugh. Why can't Dalton just let us stay over winter break? I mean, free dining hall privileges, access to the library all week, walks without smokers on the trails.."

  By now he was half way done packing his suitcase, chucking in random hair products and colognes he wouldn't need. In his haste I wasn't going to mention that most of the bottles were mine.

  Ralph Lauren Polo? Thrown over his shoulder.

  Marc Jacob's coat? Flung onto his desk chair.

  Jimmy Choo dress shoes? Missed the bag and tumbled onto the floor.

  Something was seriously wrong.

  "Shit! No no no no no. My watch! Where the hell did I put it? Blaine! I need your help for a sec! Please tell me you've seen my watch with the bronze band...I thought it was in my nightstand drawer but it isn't there and..."

  "Uh, Kurt?"

  "God, I'm screwed! This was my great grandfather's...If my dad finds out that it's gone...no I don't even want to think.."

  "Kurt, if you sat down."

  "Did I get mugged?! Maybe somebody snuck in here last night and stole it cause I though I heard a creak from.."

  "-KURT JUST STOP!"

  His side of the room was eerily silent, not including his long shakey breaths and coughs into the mattress.

  I dragged my rolling seat over to his bed, taking his left arm off his chest, gently pressing the cold face of a watch into warm skin.

  "No, no I know that wasn't there befo.."

  "Shhhhh. It's all okay. Bab- Kurt, if somethings bothering you this much I want to help. I notice the little things about you. And I know you skipped economics yesterday and went without breakfast this morning. I can't stand seeing you all distressed like this."

  Choked off cries came to a steady halt, Kurt forlornly peeling his face from the burgundy comforter. Under normal circumstances I would have poked fun at the sheet tattoos engraved on his cheek, if it weren't for the quivering lip and glossy red irises.

  "You could uh, probably tell that I was arguing with my dad back there. I know he only wants the best for me but I'm not sure...well. He wants me to go home and stay with him, Finn, and Carole for the whole break. You know, go see my McKinley friends, get hot cocoa and go ice skating, take a road trip to the mountains for Christmas Eve. All the typical Hummel family traditions."

  "Oh, so what's the problem? Not that I'm trying to invalidate your feelings but...all that stuff sounds pretty great."

  "It is."

  He slipped the watch off his disturbingly thin wrist, running slender fingers over the icy metallic surface. His form becoming statuesque despite the image of ticking clock hands reflecting in his pupils.

  "The problem isn't that I can't go back there. It's that I can't go back there. I've spent so much time distancing myself from Lima. And I hate that. Hate that my old high school, my childhood home for heaven's sake could make me feel uneasy."

  It took a while for me to soak it all in. He doesn't want to see his dad? His best friends? It doesn't make sense.

  "Well...none of us actually know why you came here. Don't get me wrong! We love you but, you never really told us anything about your past."

  He slammed his suitcase shut, wiping a developing tear as fast as he could before I noticed.

  Unfortunately for him I noticed.

  "I'm still not really sure I can say anything, but, maybe it's better if I spill. Cause if I don't right now I don't know if I ever will."

  "You know I'll always be here to listen, comfort, anyth..."

  "Grab a jacket. We're taking this somewhere else."
———————————————————————
No.

  This isn't real.

    So Kurt lost his mom before he hit double digits, nearly lost his dad a couple months ago, and to top it all off...

  His worst tormentor assaulted him after threatening his life.

  No wonder why this couldn't be a standard bedroom conversation.
——————————————————————
The crunch of freshly fallen snow under my boots was like a taunt.

Crunch. One step closer to helping Kurt.

Crunch. Closer to learning this secret.

Crunch. Ha, you still don't know.

  "Alright, this is far enough from the dorms. I'm ready."

  We settled under a large birch tree, one of the places I'd seen him wander off to multiple afternoons.

  "Ok, I guess the story technically started mid sophomore year..."

  Every word spilling out Kurt's mouth felt like a stab wound to my core. I cant even fathom how difficult it was to face all of it.

  Alone.

  Shoved into lockers, called the f slur by his own step brother, tossed carelessly into dumpsters, jumping at the sound of a door opening.

  His first kiss stolen so easily.

"- And that's when my dad decided to use his and Carole's honeymoon fund to pay for the tuition here. That's why I can't go back. At least not yet. Hard as I try, all I can see when I think of Lima is damp locker rooms and purple bruises."

  Something drew me nearer, lightly rubbing my palm up and down his stuff spine. He buried his head into the crook of my neck and shoulder, allowing me to rest my head atop his own, carding my fingers through his silky locks.

  "Thank you."

  He continued fiddling with the loose string on his cardigan. "For what? You're the one who stayed and listened all this time."
———————————————————————
The gravel trail was near empty when we headed back for dinner, Kurt still shivering even while sporting my puffy coat I loaned him half a mile ago.

  "You go in, I think I'm gonna go lie down and apologize to dad, maybe tell him that I'll go home. Not really hungry right now."

  Note to self, bring up some food later cause he won't go back to get any for himself.

  "That's fine. Go get some rest and I'll be back in an hour or so."

  He grinned half heartedly, turning on his heel to go back to the dorm.

  "But I want you to know why I said thank you. Cause you've helped me realize how blind I've been recently. Seriously. I owe you Kurt."

  This time the smile reached his eyes.

  There. That's much better.

Hey guys! I know it's been a hot minute since I updated but my mom just seems to find something I HAVE to do every Sunday. But I wanted to come back with a Klaine chapter cause I feel like I've been neglecting their storyline lately. I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried a bit during this one. Maybe it's the content, period hormones, the fact that I was listening to sign of the times. Who knows. But I'm glad that I put it out and I think it ties some of the previous klaine plots together *wink wink* Have a great morning, afternoon, or evening. You can only help the people around you when you learn to help yourself first.
Your fellow gleek,
  - Linds 💕