skivvydancer

Title: Failing and Fixing
Rating: PG (Language, innuendo)
Pairings: Klaine, Anderbros (NOT Andercest)
Spoilers: 3x15 “Big Brother”
Summary: No, Cooper definitely didn’t mind being idolized.  What he did mind was the price it came with: an estranged little brother.
Author’s Note: Cooper and Kurt heavy fic, but they do talk almost exclusively about Blaine.  I have so many feelings for the Anderson brothers it’s not even funny.  Takes place just before “Somebody That I Used To Know.”

Cooper sat in the auditorium, feeling truly alone for the first time in days.

It was definitely a welcome change.

Cooper knew that his homecoming might be a bit hectic.  His commercials had made him pretty well known, so while he expected that he would be recognized while visiting home, he had no idea that he would turn McKinley High on its head.  He hadn’t expected to be followed by gaggle of giggling girls every time he stepped through the doors, hadn’t expected to be accosted for an autograph and a picture at the turn of every corner, and certainly hadn’t expected to be asked to teach a master class, of all things.

No, he didn’t come back to Lima and expect any of these things to happen to him.

But to deny that he hadn’t hoped for such a grand homecoming would have been lying to himself.

He didn’t mind the giggling girls, the autographs, and pedestal that these kids had put him on.  No, he would gladly take that recognition and validation with every bit of charm and graciousness he could muster to his adoring fans.  They deserved that much, and who was he to lie?  All of the attention, it felt good.  Especially after his agent called him earlier that morning to tell him that he lost the audition for the newest Michael Bay flick, yeah, he deserved this.  He worked so hard on those commercials.  He deserved to be idolized.

But as much as he loved being in the spotlight… he hated the price that came with it.

Blaine hadn’t so much as spoken to him since their last conversation in the hallway two days ago.  Cooper sensed he might have pushed just a little too hard, but he was only trying to help his brother – give him some advice, some words of wisdom.  But Blaine had pushed back, and he had pushed back hard.  Now his brother was effectively giving him the silent treatment, and Cooper was slowly starting to drown in his own guilt and frustration.

He knew he wasn’t the best big brother, but he certainly felt like he could have done better than this.

Cooper heard the door open, but didn’t bother turning around.  The last thing he needed right now was a fan trying to hunt him down.  More than anything he wanted to be alone with his thoughts and try to figure out how to make things right. Maybe if he shrunk a little lower in his seat, he could just—

“Cooper?”

Of course, he should have known better than to just think he could disappear whenever he wanted to.  He was the Cooper Anderson.  “Hey, Kurt,” he began, plastering on a blinding (if forced) smile.  “What’s up?”

“Oh, nothing really,” Kurt replied, smiling widely.  “It’s my free period, so I came in here to practice my NYADA audition piece.”

Cooper’s brow furrowed.  “NYADA?”

“New York Academy for Dramatic Arts.  It’s my first choice for college.”  Kurt dropped his gaze and let out a long breath.  “Actually, my only choice…”

“I’m surprised at you, Kurt,” Cooper began, his false bravado rearing its head once more.  “After everything I taught you in my master class, did you even listen at all?”

Kurt cocked a brow in defiance, and Cooper found himself wanting to mirror the expression in front of him.  “While I appreciate your opinions and advice, Cooper, I have my own dreams and plans that I have to follow, thank you very much.”

Cooper couldn’t help but smirk at Kurt’s confidence.  “Well one thing is for sure, you’ll definitely get far in the business with that kind to attitude.”

Kurt smiled.  “Yes, I can just imagine my acceptance speech for the Tony awards now: ‘I’d like to thank all the people who got me here today, namely those who said I couldn’t do it in the first place.  Screw you guys.’”

A chuckle fell from Cooper’s lips.  “No, but seriously, if you are even half as amazing as Blaine makes you out to be, you’re going to go places Kurt.”  He sighed.  “Trust me, I can tell.”

“Thank you,” Kurt replied quietly.  He stood there for a moment, the silence heavy between them, before dropping his saddle bag down on the ground and taking the seat in front of Cooper.  He turned in his chair to look up at the older Anderson.  “What’s going on, Cooper?”

Cooper sat back in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest and squirming in his seat a bit.  “What makes you think anything’s going on?”

“For starters, the way you’re sitting is a dead giveaway.  That’s the standard Anderson defense pose – it’s the same way Blaine sits when he doesn’t want to talk about something that’s bothering him.”  Kurt tilted his head to the side, and Cooper suddenly felt like he was under intense scrutiny.  “Come to think of it, it was probably something he picked up from you.  You may be two completely different people, but you’re still brothers.  The resemblance is still there.”

Cooper let out a sigh and leaned forward, clasping his hands together nervously and resting his elbows on his knees.  “Even if there is something bothering me, what makes you think I would talk to my brother’s boyfriend about it?” He inwardly winced at his tone; he knew he was being petulant but he couldn’t bring himself to act otherwise.

So much for being the mature, older brother.

“Because I know what’s bothering Blaine.  Because I know that despite his frustrations he still loves you and looks up to you.  Because deep down, I know all he wants is an ally, someone he can come to whenever he needs to.  And because I’m pretty sure that you want that too.”

Cooper held Kurt’s gaze, blue battling blue, before leaning back again and settling into the seat again.  He hesitated a moment, then began.  “I love my little brother,” Cooper started, “but… I think I’m just trying to come to terms with the fact that he’s not so little anymore.  He hasn’t been for a while, and I just…”

As Cooper trailed off, Kurt placed his arms against the back of the chair and rested his head on them, his head tiling to the side once more.  But this time, Cooper didn’t feel like he was being watched, or studied.  He felt like he was being listened to.

So he continued.

“I wouldn’t trade anything Blaine for anything.  He’s an amazing person, and a wonderful brother.”  Cooper couldn’t help but notice the small smile that pulled at Kurt’s lips, and he felt himself smiling as well.  “He’s kind, and smart, and so talented – he’s everything I ever hoped he would be.  But… sometimes it feels like he’s much better off without me.”

Kurt started at this declaration and opened his mouth to speak, but Cooper held up his hand, a silent plea to let him continue.  Kurt’s mouth closed and rested his head once again on his arms.  “I was the first person that Blaine came out to. I wasn’t even around when he did – I was already in California at the time; he called me and did it over the phone.  I was the one who encouraged him to be honest about his sexuality to our parents, and, as you know, that didn’t exactly turn out so well.  I couldn’t be there for him, to stand up to Mom and Dad for him.  He had to fight that on his own.  He was only thirteen.”

Cooper tried his best to ignore the sympathetic look in Kurt’s eyes and continue, his voice rising.  “Imagine how I felt six months later, when I get a phone call from Mom explaining how Blaine’s in the hospital because some assholes from his school beat the shit out of him – for something he can’t even control!” Cooper inhaled deeply, checking his emotions before they got out of control.  “I caught a red-eye flight home that night, and when I got here… seeing him in that hospital bed… I felt like I failed him.  I wasn’t here to protect him.  I was off in California, selfishly living my own dreams.  What kind of older brother does that?”

Cooper paused.  Kurt looked like he wanted to say something, but his lips had formed a thin line, as if he were trying very hard to keep his words from spilling out.  Cooper decided to spare him and keep going.  “I found out about Dalton, showed the option to my parents – they were all for it.  So he went to Dalton, and I went back to California, and I thought things would be okay.  But the phone calls became less frequent, and the conversations turned so trivial.  And then I heard he was the lead soloist for the Warblers, that he was making friends, that he had this amazing boyfriend… but never from him.  Always from Mom, or Dad, or Facebook, of all places.”

Cooper found himself wringing his hands and staring at his feet.  “I’ve been hard on Blaine these past few days – hell, these past few years– because I want to help him, somehow, any way that I can.  And I’ve had success in my acting career; even if it’s not monumental, it’s something I can offer him.  But it just… doesn’t feel like he needs me anymore.”  A deep breath.  “I’ve failed him.”

Cooper’s eyes were firmly planted to his feet on the ground, feeling more relieved but also thoroughly depressed after his lengthy confession.  He looked up slowly when he felt Kurt rest a comforting hand on his forearm.  “Cooper Anderson, you listen to me,” he began seriously, “your brother is who he is today because of what you have done for him.  Because of the amazing brother that you’ve been.”

Cooper scoffed.  Kurt swatted his arm.  “Ouch,” whined Cooper as he pulled back, rubbing his arm protectively.

“You have been a good brother to him,” Kurt continued, ignoring Cooper’s pout.  “He came out to you first – that says something.  And maybe coming out to his parents didn’t go so well, but would there have ever been a perfect time?  You can’t change how they reacted – even if you had been there, you wouldn’t have been able to change anything.  You could have only been there for him, which you were in the best way you could.  You told your parents to send him to Dalton after he was attacked.  You may not feel like you did much, but you helped him put the pieces back together.”

“But if I’ve done such a good job then why has he pulled away?” Cooper wanted to know.  He just couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d hurt his family, his own brother—

“Blaine… he keeps to himself a lot, you know.  It’s not just you.  He puts on a polite enough front, and yes, he is generally a happy person, but when something upsets him he tends to cave in on himself, bottle it up until he can’t keep it in anymore.”

“But he wasn’t always like that,” Cooper muttered.

Kurt shrugged.  “Well he’s experienced enough to know that completely expressing himself can be dangerous.  I’m not saying I necessarily agree with it, but his experiences have shaped him, affected him, whether he recognizes it or not.  He doesn’t try to intentionally hide things from you.  It’s just that sometimes getting him to actually talk about his emotions is like pulling teeth.”

Cooper took a deep breath.  That made sense.  Blaine had definitely been more reserved ever since the incident, and while Dalton was a safe haven for Blaine and at the time exactly what he needed, he could see how the environment could be a bit stifling to some.

“As for trying to help him… Look, Cooper, I know you mean well but Blaine pushes himself enough as it is.  He doesn’t need someone else doing it for him.  All you can do is—”

“—support him,” Cooper finished, remembering Blaine’s outburst during his master class.  “You’re right.”

Kurt smiled at him for a moment before standing and grabbing his bag.  “Look, why don’t you just stay here, and I’ll go get Blaine.  That is, if you want to talk to him.”

Cooper felt himself nodding.  “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.  Just make sure to give me a minute or two.”  He turned to stare up at the tall boy now standing beside him. “You sure you can get him to come in here and talk to me?”

Kurt smirked, and Cooper saw a glimpse of that trademark Hummel attitude seeping through.  “Oh, I have my ways…”

Now it was Cooper’s turn to smirk, because there was no way he could let his little brother’s boyfriend get away with that kind of remark.  “I feel like that was intended to be vaguely sexual in nature…”

Kurt flushed straight up to his ears, a column of red creeping up his neck.  “No!  No, I didn’t mean it like—I just meant, I know how to make Blaine open up to me—”

“Oh, I bet you do,” Cooper continued, having far too much fun teasing Kurt.

Kurt spluttered for a moment, causing Cooper to chuckle, before composing himself with a deep breath and walking up the stairs to the auditorium doors, head held high.  Before he let Kurt leave, though, he called out to him once last time.  Kurt paused, hand on the doorknob, before turning slightly, his blush still evident.

Cooper held his gaze for a moment, still smiling, before sincerely offering, “Thank you.”

Kurt let a slow, kind smile find his features.  “Anytime.” 

And then Cooper was alone once again.

Well, hopefully he wouldn’t be for long.  Hopefully Kurt would be able to convince Blaine into coming to see him, and hopefully they’d be able to talk this out, brother to brother, and finally see eye to eye.  But Cooper didn’t really need to hope.  He was pretty sure Kurt was going to come through for him.

Cooper had to give Blaine props – he had impeccable taste when it came to boyfriends.

Title: With Every Passing Second Comes a Second Chance (Pt. 2, because LJ is a #$^ and won't let me post it all as one.)
Part 2 of 2  (Part 1 is here).  Here there be Klaine.  Enjoy!

~*~

“I wish you could have been there, Blaine,” Kurt began as he dropped his bag at the foot of his boyfriend’s bed.  “I think we finally got through to them.”

Blaine sat up just slightly and patted the vacant spot on the bed next to him.  Kurt happily obliged to join him, cuddling close.  “I wish I could have been there too,” Blaine said, his tone wistful.  “But I guess I’ll just have to settle for your dramatic retelling, which let’s be honest, is probably just as good.”

Kurt smiled, lying down on his side to face Blaine and bring him closer by his hip.  “I will just… always relish the look of utter defeat on his face once it was all said and done.”

Blaine chuckled and Kurt basked in the simple sound.  After the last few days, the stress of everything that had gone down was really starting to get to both of them, and just such a simple sound was music to Kurt’s ears.

“Stop being so cryptic and just tell me what you guys did!” Blaine asked, pinching Kurt’s side.

Kurt swatted his hand away and returned his own hand to Blaine’s hip, thumb pushing away the silky fabric to rub softly at the skin there.  “Honestly, it wasn’t much.  We invited the Warblers to come to McKinley, you know, to show them how Michael is really supposed to be done—”

“—of course,” Blaine interjected.

“—and so we had this big number planned, ‘Black or White,’—”

“—good choice—”

“—and Blaine, we rocked it.  I mean, we owned that number.  And I think they knew it, because halfway through, the Warblers actually joined us on stage.”

Blaine’s eyes (well, the one Kurt could actually see) widened.  “All of them?”

“All except Sebastian.  He was… less than impressed with his fellow teammates.  But if I had just had a camera to catch his expression… I would have loved to share it with you, the look on his face when all of his teammates decided they weren’t going to stand for this anymore.”

Blaine smiled and drew closer, resting his head on Kurt’s other arm.  “I’m proud of them,” he said softly.

Kurt’s smile slowly waned.  Leave it to Blaine to forgive and forget everything they’d been through this week.  “Well, they still have a ways to go in my book.  Getting up on stage and singing a little ditty with all of us doesn’t change what they did to you.  They’re gonna have to grovel a bit before I’m so ready to forgive them.”

“Kurt,” Blaine began, his voice harder than before, “be nice.  Those guys are my friends.”

“They were your friends, Blaine,” Kurt bit back, harsher than he intended. 

“No, are,” Blaine insisted.  Kurt sighed and pulled back just a bit in order to fix his boyfriend with a knowing glare.  Blaine glared back, though the intensity of his stare was cut in half considering he only had one good eye.  “I know those guys.  Yeah they made a mistake, but they’re harmless.”

“Oh, harmless?  You mean the way Sebastian was harmless?”

Blaine huffed and pulled away to sit up, swaying a bit as he reoriented himself upright.  Kurt bit the inside of his cheek; yes, that had definitely been a low blow, but what the Warblers had done was not going to be forgiven until they asked for it – hell, until they begged for it.  And even then he felt like he held the right to withhold it.

“Are you ever going to let that go?” Blaine asked, holding his head in his hands.  “I’ve apologized, I’ve told you that I’m not going to talk to him again – what else do you want me to do, Kurt?”

And dammit, now Kurt felt like a total ass.  It was bad enough that Blaine was still trying to recover from being sedated from his surgery earlier in the day; now his boyfriend was badgering him about things that were supposed to be behind them.  Kurt sighed, sitting up and resting a hand on Blaine’s lower back.  “I’m sorry, Blaine,” he began softly.  “I didn’t mean… you’ve apologized enough, and I didn’t say it to make you feel worse.”  When Blaine stayed quiet, Kurt continued.  “I only brought it up to prove a point.”

“That I’m a terrible boyfriend?”

“Blaine, no,” Kurt reassured, moving to sit in front of him and face him head on.  Blaine was resolutely studying his hands resting in his lap.  Kurt placed his hand against Blaine’s cheek and smiled when Blaine unconsciously leaned into it.  “You always assume the best about people, until they give you a reason to think otherwise.  And I honestly love that about you.”  He shrugged.  “It definitely balances out my own cynicism.”

Blaine smiled and met Kurt’s eyes.  “I guess that is true,” he murmured before moving his face to press his lips in a chaste kiss against Kurt’s palm.

Kurt’s heart fluttered at the action.  He smiled.  “Yes, it is.  It’s also true that it sometimes gets you into trouble.”

A sigh fell from Blaine’s lips.  “Yeah, that too.”

They sat like that for a moment, weighing the silence, before Kurt scooted closer and wrapped his arms around Blaine’s waist and resting his head on his shoulder.  “We’ve both been through so much, Blaine,” he started, his voice barely above a whisper.  “We have gone through hell and back, and now we have each other, and I will be damned if I ever let anyone deliberately hurt you, or me, or us, ever again.”

Blaine’s arms came to wrap around Kurt’s body, clutching him tightly and nuzzling into his neck.  “I know, I know,” Blaine said, his voice strained.

Kurt rubbed his hands up and down Blaine’s back before one hand settled into the base of Blaine’s curls, the other resting on his lower back.  “I know they were your friends, Blaine,” he started again, his voice still so quiet.  “But until they come around and genuinely ask for forgiveness, I’m not letting them back into our lives.  Back into your life.”  He leaned back to stare at amber eyes as he rested his forehead against Blaine’s.  “You deserve so much more than that.”

Blaine surged forward, capturing Kurt's lips with his own and pulling him on top of him as he lay back on the bed.  Kurt's lips moved in tandem with Blaine's as he settled over him, distributing half of his weight on his hands that were on either side of Blaine's head, while his tongue poked out to swipe at Blaine's bottom lip.  A truly feral moan ripped from the back of Blaine's throat and suddenly Blaine's hands were on the back on Kurt's neck, trying to pull him even closer as he opened his mouth to welcome Kurt's tongue against his own.

Kurt keened as his hips surged forward, letting the rest of his body fall on Blaine.  Blaine nipped Kurt's lower lip, sucking it into his mouth and Kurt didn't even try to suppress the gasp that escaped.  He pulled back, his lip scraping against Blaine's teeth, and inhaled deeply, desperate for breath. 

"I love you," Blaine rushed out, "more than anything."

Kurt smiled and a chuckle fell between them.  "I love you too."

"I figured," said Blaine as he pulled Kurt close again.  "Now come back here--"

"Bl--Blaine," Kurt breathed as Blaine started mouthing at his neck, "Normally I would have absolutely no problem with this but you've--ah!--been sedated half of the day--"

"And bored out of my mind for the other half--"

"--and I really am sorry about that but I think--oh god--I think that maybeweshouldcooloff!"

Blaine sighed as he pulled back, his head hitting the pillow with a soft oof.  A pout formed on his lips.  "You’re no fun.”

“And you’re exhausted,” Kurt commented, noting how heavy Blaine’s eyelids looked.  “Today’s been a stressful day.  Maybe you should sleep.”

“Ugh.  No,” Blaine protested, though his eyes did close while he spoke.  “I’ve slept so much today, I don’t need any more of it.”  His tired gaze sought out Kurt’s once more.  “Maybe if I could just get some coffee?  I think it’ll help me stay awake, and I promise, after you leave I’ll get some more rest.”  His hands skimmed up Kurt’s sides.  “I just don’t want to waste any time I have with you.”

Kurt pretended to be annoyed, which may not have been too difficult because it was kind of annoying how absolutely adorable his boyfriend could be – and with an eyepatch on, no less.  He leaned up to kiss Blaine’s forehead.  “I’ll go make a pot, okay?  Just relax, and don’t feel bad to take a ten minute power-nap while I’m gone.  I promise I’ll wake you up if you’re dozing by the time I get back.”

Blaine hummed contentedly as Kurt clambered off his boyfriend and made his way toward the door.  As he reached for the knob, he heard Blaine call out to him.  Turning, he quirked a brow at the dopey smile on Blaine’s features.  “I love you,” he said simply.

Kurt couldn’t stop the chuckle rising up in his throat.  “I love you too, Blaine,” he replied as if he hadn’t said it only a few minutes ago.

Kurt made his way to the kitchen, pulling out the expensive coffee that he knew the Andersons only used for special occasions.  Normally he wouldn’t be so bold, but he knew that Mrs. Anderson liked to spoil her youngest son (and had been doing just that for the last few days), and considering that the surgery had been a success and Blaine only had a few more days with the eyepatch on, he figured this was definitely something to celebrate.  He had just finished filling up the pot with water and getting ready to pour it into the back of the coffeemaker when the doorbell rang.

Kurt furrowed his brow in confusion.  Everyone in New Directions knew that Blaine’s surgery had been today, and they also knew that Kurt had requested that all visits wait until tomorrow to give Blaine a day to recuperate on his own.  He had made sure to text them all once he made sure that Blaine was okay, but he also thought they had a little bit more respect than that.

Okay, respect was a bit of a strong word to use with New Directions.  Sure they meant well, but they didn’t always have the best ways of showing it.  But they should have at least had the common sense—oh, who was he kidding.  No, no they wouldn’t…

The doorbell rang again, and Kurt quickly put down the coffee pot and ran to the front entrance, not wanting to keep his friends waiting in the cold.  “Look, I appreciate you all caring about Blaine so much but I told you, no visitors until tom—”

Kurt stopped mid-sentence as he opened the door and registered the six navy and red blazers standing on the Anderson family porch.  His mouth fell open slightly, trying to find some kind of words, but the only ones that were coming to mind were less than kind.

“Oh!” David began, obviously surprised.  “Uh, hi Kurt!” he began, a nervous smile painted on his lips. 

Kurt pressed his lips together in a tight line.  “Hi,” he responded curtly, closing the door just a bit so that they couldn’t see into the house past his own body.  “Is there anything I can help you with?”

“Well, um,” Thad spoke up, “we were wondering, is Mrs. Anderson home?”

“No,” Kurt deadpanned.  “She’s been staying with Blaine during the day, so when I come over after school she goes into the office for a few hours.” 

“Oh, well, that’s okay,” David continued.  “We were kinda hoping that we could talk to Blaine… and you too… if that’s okay?”

If Kurt were being completely honest with himself, he had to admit that at that moment he wanted nothing more than to tell them to go away and slam the door in their faces.  But even though he could be a bitch at times (and yes, he knew this), Kurt Hummel was nothing if not classy, so instead he stepped back and opened the door, gesturing half-heartedly with his arm to come in.  He waited until everyone was inside before closing the door behind them and walking briskly toward the kitchen, assuming they’d get the hint to follow.  He started counting scoops of coffee into the coffeemaker when this time Jeff spoke up.

“So Kurt… how have you been?”

Really?  This was the route they were taking to have this conversation?  Kurt took a deep breath and set the coffee to brew before turning back to the boys standing around the island.

“Well, if you really want to know,” Kurt began, not even trying to hide the disdain from his tone, “I’ve been here after school every day since Blaine’s visit to the hospital, trying to assuage both of our stress levels over Blaine possibly going blind.  Our setlist for Regionals was stolen – in case you forgot, that was you guys – and I spent most of today going out of my mind with worry about Blaine’s surgery on his eye this morning.”  He felt a nasty smirk pulling at his lips, but he couldn’t even bring himself to feel bad at the six expressions of remorse staring back at him.  “But other than all that, I’ve been just great.”

“Blaine had surgery this morning?” Trent said just above a whisper, his face pale.

“Is he okay?!” Jeff followed.

Kurt glared at each boy individually, letting the terse silence hang for a moment.  “He’s fine.”

Each Warbler visibly relaxed, obviously relieved.  “Could we see him?” Nick asked, his voice timid.

“He’s asleep,” Kurt half-lied quickly.  There was no way these guys were going to see Blaine before they got through him first.  If they weren’t here to apologize and explain themselves, then they could kiss their friendship with Blaine goodbye.  He folded his arms and leaned against the kitchen sink, waiting for someone else to speak.

“Kurt,” David started softly, “we’re really, really sorry.  We messed up royally.”

He nodded.  “Understatement, but continue.”

“We didn’t realize what Sebastian was planning.”  David shook his head thoughtfully.  “If we’d known that we would have stopped him.  Hell, we should have stopped him from the beginning.”

“But you didn’t,” Kurt bit out.  “You let him go through with it.  You let him do it, knowing it was intended for me, and knowing what I have been through in the past.”

Kurt felt surprised at his own words.  He had been so angry at the Warblers for what they did to Blaine that he had almost forgotten to be angry for himself as well.  He was allowed to be angry, and he was sure as hell that they would feel it too.

“I came to you guys last year looking for safety,” Kurt continued, his voice low and laced with anger.  “I was bullied – thrown into dumpsters, slushied, called terrible names – I’m not even sure why I’m having to remind you all now, because I thought our friendship meant a little more than that, that you’d actually remember.  But apparently not.” Kurt stepped forward, planting his hands on the cool marble of the kitchen island.  “Apparently, Dalton isn’t a school with a zero-tolerance bullying policy.  It’s an elitist country club where only the privileged few who can afford to be there are safe.

“And Blaine!” Kurt continued, his voice now rising as he threw his hands up dramatically.  “Do you all have any idea what he’s been through this week?!  He’s been terrified of getting surgery, he’s been exhausted trying to keep up with the school work he’s missed, he’s been in serious physical pain for most of the week, and worst of all?  He’s been confused and hurt trying to figure out where the hell you guys have been!”

Kurt looked at each boy, all of them avoiding his gaze and staring sheepishly at the floor.  He swallowed, blinking back tears that he didn’t even realize had formed because hell no he was not going to cry in front of these guys.  “I know we’re not the best of friends,” Kurt supplied, “and I even understand if you harbor some resentment toward me.  Some strange kid shows up in the middle of last year, disappears to a rival choir just in time for Nationals, and then takes your lead soloist away for the new school year.”  He shrugged.  “I get that competition can be hard.  But I thought that you guys at least cared about Blaine more than that.  I thought he was actually your friend, not just some well-oiled cog in the Warbler machine.”  Another deep breath.  “But real friends wouldn’t leave someone they cared about screaming in pain on the asphalt, now would they?”

The coffeemaker beeped, indicating the pot was ready.  Kurt waited for someone to speak, having said his piece.

Nick was the one to break the still silence.  “Give us a second chance,” he pleaded, his voice humble.  “Please.”

“We screwed up,” John repeated from earlier, “but we’re going to make it right.  We’re going to make sure this shit doesn’t ever happen again.”

Kurt wasn’t one to believe empty promises.  “How?” he challenged.

“Sebastian claiming that he’s the captain of the Warblers… well, that’s more of a self-proclaimed title,” David went on to explain.  “Thad and I are still on the council, but ever since Sebastian got voted third seat, he’s been doing everything in his power to sway decisions his way, and we haven’t really been able to do much about it.”  A sigh fell through David’s lips as he rubbed the back of his neck.  “Of course, we haven’t exactly been fighting very hard either.”

“But that will change,” Thad put in determinedly.  “David and I won’t let Sebastian do whatever he wants anymore.  We’re going to challenge his suggestions, his way of manipulating the other Warblers.”

“And we’ve got each other’s back this time,” Jeff added. “This is all our responsibility, not just Thad and David’s.  We’re going to make things right this time around.”

“Six of us standing up to him are a whole lot more effective than just one,” Trent said.

Kurt studied them for a moment, contemplating their words, before nodding slowly.  “Sounds like you have a decent plan,” he admitted as his gaze found his shoes.

He started when he felt a reassuring hand squeeze his shoulder.  He blinked up to see David staring back at him, his expression serious and compassionate.  “We don’t resent you, Kurt.  Not for leaving us last year, and not for Blaine choosing to transfer, either.  And it makes me sick that our actions this week have left you thinking that.  But Blaine is our friend… and you are too.  And we’re going to make this right, starting now.”

Thad leaned forward on the island.  “Is there any way you can forgive us?”

Kurt folded his arms, contemplating quietly.  He had never been one to forgive easily, and he certainly never forgot when he was wronged (that was the easiest way to get hurt again).  But as much as he hated to admit it, he knew that Blaine was right.  These guys were not bad, and they obviously felt awful about what they had done (or, in this case, what they hadn’t done).  Still…

“I think I need some time,” Kurt said quietly.  “It’s not that I don’t think you’re sincere, but…”

Jeff looked heartbroken, but Nick quickly spoke up.  “That’s okay, Kurt.  Take all the time you need.”  He smiled tiredly.  “But you’re going to see things change around us.  We promise.”

For the first time since the Warblers had set foot in the Anderson kitchen, Kurt found his lips being pulled into a soft smile.  “I believe it.  And I’ll be looking for it.”

David patted Kurt on the back.  “We’ve got you covered.  Blaine too.”

Kurt offered a genuine smile.  “Speaking of whom,” he segued, turning back to the coffeemaker and pulling out two mugs from the cabinet overhead, “I know he might actually want to see you guys.  He’s already expressed how proud of you all he was when I told him of how you stood up to Sebastian today.”

“But you said he was asleep,” John pointed out.

“I lied,” Kurt admitted breezily, pulling down some extra mugs.  “Of course I was going to make sure that you were here for the right reasons before letting you up there to see him.  The last thing he needs is any more disappointment.”  He put a little sugar in Blaine’s mug before reaching in the refrigerator for the cream.  “If you want, you can help yourselves to some more coffee.  I made more than enough.  I’ll head on up to let him know you guys are here.”

He walked up the steps briskly, leaving the boys in the kitchen to fend for themselves for a moment, while he went to emotionally prepare his boyfriend for the onslaught to follow.  He was pretty sure that Blaine would want to see them – he had said only minutes before that they were still his friends – but he couldn’t quell the part of him that screamed to protect Blaine, the way Blaine had protected him from that slushie. 

He nudged the bedroom door open with his hip to see Blaine nestled into his pillows with eyes closed.  Kurt found himself smiling at the even rise and fall of Blaine’s chest, and he couldn’t stop his mind from fast forwarding far into the future, seeing a scene similar to this, bringing his husband coffee in bed on a lazy Saturday morning.

Well, sans eyepatch.

Kurt placed the mugs on the nightstand and pressed his lips to Blaine’s forehead sweetly.  “Honey, wake up,” he started.  “We have—ACK!”

Blaine’s eyes darted open as he wrapped his arms around Kurt’s waist and pulled him onto the bed.  Kurt tumbled onto Blaine’s lap and gasped as Blaine pinned him playfully, kissing his neck once more.  “I thought you were asleep!”

“I’ve always been good at faking it,” Blaine replied between kisses.

Kurt jerked back to look at Blaine skeptically.  “Oh, I really hope not.  Otherwise I’m about to discover a whole new level of insecurities I never knew I had.”

The vibrations from Blaine’s chuckle shook through Kurt’s entire body.  “I only fake it when I have to,” Blaine murmured, lips finding the sensitive spot behind Kurt’s ear.  Kurt’s breathing hitched.  “With you, I don’t have to.”

Kurt screwed his eyes shut while Blaine kept mouthing along his neck and behind his ear.  A whimper escaped from the back of Kurt’s throat, a noise that only spurred Blaine on, much to Kurt’s chagrin.  “Okay Blaine,” Kurt started, his voice pitched much too high for his liking, “I get it, you’ve been bored and horny all day, and I promise we’ll take care of it later, but we really can’t do this right now!”

“Give me one good reason why we can’t.”

A tentative knock sounded at the door.  Blaine bolted upright and practically flew to his side of the bed, leaving Kurt still on his back and folding his arms over his eyes.

“I can give you six.”

Blaine cocked a questioning brow before the knock sounded again, this time accompanied by a voice.  “Um, is it okay if we come in?”

Kurt exhaled and sat up, situating himself next to Blaine at the head of the bed.  He tried to offer a reassuring smile to Blaine, who looked a little shell shocked recognizing David’s voice on the other side of the door.  He let his fingers lace with Blaine’s and squeezed slightly.  “If you want to see them, you should probably tell them to come in,” Kurt whispered.

Blaine gaped for a moment while he searched for the words.  “I, uh…” He blinked and shook his head quickly as if trying to clear his own head, “come in!”

The door slowly opened as David, Thad, and the other four boys made their way in.  Kurt watched his boyfriend look at his lap and take a deep breath, plastering on a soft smile before looking back up.  “Hey guys,” he started quietly.

Each Warbler mumbled a greeting as they stood awkwardly at the foot of the bed.  “Um,” Jeff spoke up from behind Nick, “how… how have you been, Blaine?”

Blaine let out a self deprecating laugh and Kurt’s heart clenched at the bitterness behind it.  “Well, I can easily say that I’ve been better.”

A heavy silence took over the room, and Kurt wondered who was going to break the tension first.  No doubt everybody involved felt uncomfortable – Blaine wondering if he could trust the guys he once called his friends (and obviously still wanted to trust), the six Warblers wondering if Blaine would actually forgive them, despite Kurt’s reassuring words.  Kurt sat and watched, and waited, and wanted so badly to be the one to interrupt the awkwardness pervading the room. But this time he kept his mouth shut, knowing that this was between Blaine and his former Pips.

“We’re so sorry, Blaine,” Trent started in.  “We have no excuses for what happened.  We should have spoken up and stopped Sebastian.”

Blaine shrugged.  “You guys didn’t know what was in the slushie,” he replied, “and you couldn’t have known that I would have jumped in front of it.”

“Dude,” John spoke up, “we went to school with you for almost two years.  If we had just taken two seconds to think about what we were doing, and who we were doing it to, we should have been able to figure out that you would gallantly jump in the way.”

“We’re supposed to be your friends,” offered Nick, “but we really didn’t act like it, to you or to Kurt.”

“We just wanted to apologize,” Thad said.  “And hopefully try to make it better.”

Blaine looked to his boyfriend for reassurance, which he gladly returned with a kind smile and a gentle squeeze of his hand.  “What did you have in mind?” Blaine asked, turning back to the navy and red blazers before him.

“Well, we hoped we could start by buying our way back into your good graces?” Jeff supplied, handing over a paper bag that Kurt hadn’t even realized he had.  Blaine took the bag cautiously, opening it slowly and peeking in.

A smile spread over Blaine’s features and he laughed loudly, shaking his head.  “You guys know me too well.”

Kurt cocked a brow, silently entreating Blaine to let him in on the joke.  When Blaine saw Kurt’s expression, he handed the bag over so Kurt could see inside.

Kurt smiled at the sight of at least a dozen biscotti, all different varieties, in the bottom of the sack.  “I’ll give you this much – you at least know how to bribe a guy.”

Laughter filled the space that silence filled moments before, and Kurt had to admit that he did feel just a bit more relaxed.  Everyone else seemed to as well.  “We know this doesn’t fix everything,” David said as the laughter died down, “but we hope this is a decent peace offering, and a promise that from now on, things are gonna be different.”

“Or, at least the same as they were before Sebastian happened,” Jeff added.

Blaine smiled – genuinely smiled – and Kurt couldn’t stop his own lips from quirking up.  “I’m glad to hear it.”

“So… are we okay?”

Blaine paused for a moment before nodding slowly.  “Yeah.  We’re okay.”

And yeah, maybe Kurt wasn’t ready to forgive just yet.  But as Blaine’s old friends settled around the room into the camaraderie they’d all known for so long, he knew he couldn’t blame his boyfriend for letting it go.  If the tables had been turned, and New Directions were the ones standing in front of him with a nonfat mocha and begging for forgiveness, he’s not so sure he’d be able to hold such a cold front.

But Blaine was smiling.  And Blaine was laughing.  And obviously Blaine was happier now than he had been in the entire last week.  Yes, Kurt knew he’d be keeping his eye on the Warblers for a while.

But for now, Blaine’s smile was enough.