A Coffeeshop Narrative

"No apologies necessary."

They didn't have any plans to meet again but Blaine spotted Kurt as soon as he walked into the Lima Bean on Thursday. Blaine hopped in line right behind Kurt and tapped on his shoulder.

Kurt turned. "Fancy seeing you here," Blaine greets, earning a smile from the boy.

"Do you have time to sit?" Kurt asks.

Blaine checks the time and decides if he's a little late to Warbler practice it wouldn't be the end of the world. "For you? Of course."

They get their coffees and Kurt insists that they split a cookie—one that he brought this time. "Ooo, a second coffee and cookie date. We are spoiling ourselves."

"Whatever shall we do next?" Kurt teases.

Blaine tried to not take their teasing too seriously. He really liked Kurt but as a friend. They were just friends and Blaine had to remember that or else things would get awkward between them.

"How has your week been since I last saw you?" Blaine asks.

"Could've been worse," Kurt says. "I only got slushied twice this week."

"Slushied?"

"Yeah, glee kids aren't cool at McKinley. We get slushies thrown at us pretty frequently."

"That would never fly at Dalton. We have a no tolerance bully policy."

"If only McKinley had something similar, there would be no slushies or pushing people into lockers."

"Does that happen a lot?"

"What? Kids harassing other kids? All the time."

"Have you—I mean, has it happened to you?"

Kurt bites his lower lip, pulling it into his mouth and releasing. "Yes, it has."

"Kurt, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. It's not your fault that I go to school with homophobic Neanderthals."

"I'm sorry that it's happening. I wish I could do something," Blaine corrects himself.

"You are doing something," Kurt assures. "You're not homophobic nor a Neanderthal. And you let me rant about the ones who are both of those things. It helps a lot, trust me."

"I always wanted to talk to someone when I was being bullied at my old school. It might've helped me. I might not have transferred to Dalton, I ran away from my bullies and I regret it every day."

"Regret leaving?"

"No, I love Dalton. I regret not standing up for myself before I left. By leaving, I let them win. I don't want them to feel that they have this power over me."

"They don't have any power over you. No one does," Kurt says. "Only you have the power over yourself."

Blaine looks down at his coffee, his hands gripping the mug tightly. Kurt reaches over and takes one of Blaine's hand in his own.

"No regrets, okay?" he says. "Regretting will get you nowhere. By continuing to remember them, they win. Forget about the bullies and move forward that is the only way you get to be completely happy and take their power away."

"Because they didn't want me to be happy?"

"Exactly. Be yourself with no apologies necessary."

*

Apparently being late to Warble practice was the end of the world. Wes basically attacked Blaine when he walked into the room. 

"Where the hell have you been?" 

The third council members, including Wes, were standing at their seats waiting for an explanation.  In reply, Blaine holds his half-empty coffee cup to them. 

"Of course, you went to the Lima Bean. Since when does coffee take prior over the Warblers?" David asks. 

"I thought friends having a crisis took prior over rehearsal. Not coffee," Blaine answers. "If you expect an apology for me helping a friend, you won't get one."

The council sits. "Let's run through the number again. This time, Blaine stand in the back," Wes instructs. 

 After being punished throughout rehearsal, Blaine was in no mood to talk. He saw Wes try to grab his attention before he left the room but Blaine didn't care to speak with him right now. He locked himself in his dorm room and cracked open his history book and read. Someone was knocking on the door but Blaine didn't move to open it.

"Seriously? The silent treatment," Wes said. "I know you're in there so I'm just going to keep talking. Listen if you'd like to."

Blaine thought about putting headphones on but he didn't feel like getting up and grab them off his desk.

"You know the Warblers vote on everything right? We all decided to put you in the back for once. You need to know there are consequences for not being punctual," Wes sighed. "I don't want you to feel mistreated but I also don't want you to feel too special."

Blaine thought Wes's speech was over but the boy started up again.

"Being a part of something doesn't make you special, Blaine, something is special because you are a part of it." Blaine looks up from his page. "The Warblers are special because of each member pulling their weight, we are a team. If you can't stand with us in that than you aren't the guy I thought you were."

"Did you ever consider that I wasn't mad about standing in the back?" Blaine asked back.

"You aren't?" Wes sounds disbelieving. 

Blaine gets up to open his door. "No, Wes. I know what it means to be a part of a team and I wouldn't change being a member of the Warblers for anything. Even if I had to stand in the back every practice and performance."

"So, what's really wrong?"

"Why don't you come in?"

Blaine recounted his conversation with Kurt at the Lima Bean.

"Basically, you're worried about him and can't do anything to help?"

"Yeah, I can't stop thinking about him. I have the image of someone pushing him into a locker and slamming his books out of his hands."

"That's awful, why don't you ask him if he'll transfer?"

"Where? To Dalton? Not everyone can afford it here, Wes." Blaine sighs.

"Maybe Kurt can, would it hurt to ask?"

*