FIC: Party Crasher
Series: No Day But Today
Title: Party Crasher
Pair: Klaine, unrequited Rurt
Includes: zombies (somewhere out there), post-mpreg, violence
Word Count: ~4712
Summary: Refugee Town has a shindig, Rafe outs himself, and an unexpected visitor shows up.
AN: I’m slowing down the posting schedule because my workload has gotten to the point of intolerability. But I did have this piece waiting to be edited, so I’ll hope to start posting every other week until it is finished. Wish me luck.
It was the first party at the end of the world. Directly after standing around a modest bonfire to grieve their lost ones, they gathered in the open grounds in the middle of their houses. Rafe wasn’t about to call it fabulous, but all the young guys were up on a makeshift stage singing a capella versions of their favorite songs. Rafe sat back and watched them side-step in unison. A finger trailed along his lower lip.
If he’d asked, they’d let him in on the fun certainly. The guys were just way too nice not to. Just two things, though. He couldn’t dance in unison with them, not really, unless they all used canes. Also, he couldn’t sing. Beyond those two things, well... If it came down to prancing around do-whopping behind nubile young men, or getting to relax and just watch those young men...
Like that was a hard choice.
Kurt, spry as Rafe had ever seen him, high-stepped his way sideways across the stage, and Blaine grabbed his hands for a twirl. The rest of their group watched and laughed at the two of them, as well as Nick, David, Mike, and Finn dancing around behind them.
Good, god, they were precious. Nice, light fair to cut through the gloom of their previous songs at the fire side. Rafe had never heard a Rent song used as a dirge, but in a crazy way, it made sense. It made too much sense, the same sort of desperate, life or death sense that Rafe had felt when he’d watched Rent for the first time.
After the boys had finished, they came down from the stage to let the girls take over. When Kurt stayed with them, Rafe had to laugh. Of course Kurt would sing with either or both. And he looked so happy, right then.
Blaine took Pippa from Van and danced with her. He and Finn laughed and smiled together. Rafe rose, half-thinking that he should go hang out with them, like the bubbly social butterfly he’d been. Once upon a better time. But he waited, entranced by Kurt and the girls singing “Survivor.”
Rafe’s lips went crooked. And his head went swimmy. And his stomach went fluttery.
As Kurt left the stage, Rafe watched him. It felt like his stupid eyes shone bright beams, betraying him to everyone. Maybe like flamboyant fairy lights were dancing after Kurt. Watching Deirdre touch his arm gently, talking to him. Tina stopped with him, then Brittany, and they hung off of either arm.
Then he parted from them and went over to Blaine and his baby.
“Homewrecker. You homewrecker,” Rafe muttered to himself.
He was staring. It was unseemly. And normally, he would be okay with that. As a generally rule, Rafe liked the unseemly, to be unseemly, to unseem and to unravel the conventional. He wasn’t about making anyone comfortable with him.
Well. Almost anyone. His eyes followed Kurt’s hips as he danced with Blaine and Pippa.
“You wanna dance?”
Rafe turned his head and blinked at Nick. “I... I um.”
“Oh, c’mon. Tina’s dancing with Van, and I’m pretty sure she’s straight.”
“I can’t dance,” Rafe objected. He lifted his cane and poked Nick’s shoulder with it.
“Oh, you could if you wanted. Maybe no highstepping.” Nick looked up at Santana and Brittany on the stage singing together, then started to groove next to and around Rafe. His arms waved up in the air, and he rolled his hips around and around.
Rafe stood very still and laughed. “Oh... Oh, wow. Huh.”
Nick stopped and shook his head. “I’m not making fun of you. I just hate to see you hanging out all alone. It’s not so easy to be single here. Everyone’s paired up except for the olds-”
He raised a brow as he looked over to Burt and Carol talking to one another as they looked out over the group.
“Okay.” Nick tilted his head to the side and pushed out his lower lip. “Hm. Even the olds are pairing off.”
Rafe stared at Burt for a minute. Seeing them hook up wouldn’t be that bad. Even if that would basically make Kurt his brother. “Oh, honey. I’m fine. I’m just not the partier I used to be.”
“Not as many parties to be had.” Nick reached over and pinched Rafe’s cheek. “Try to have some fun, okay? And don’t spend the whole night pining.”
“What?” Rafe rolled his eyes. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Hm.” Nick patted his arm and went over to dance with Van and Tina.
Kurt circulated through the group. It was like Rafe was glued to the spot. Kurt circled. Rafe stayed in place. And the longer he stayed there, the less likely it seemed like he would ever be able to move. Headlights, staring him down, and he couldn’t get away. Though, he really didn’t want to. Maybe that was the problem. He didn’t want to make things unseemly, or wreck any homes. Especially their precious little First Family. But he also didn’t want to leave.
And not just because of the lurching dead out there.
“Hey, wallflower.” Kurt leaned against the wall with Rafe and smiled. A wide, beamy smile that didn’t even show his teeth.
Adorable muppetface.
“Are you having fun?” he asked.
Freeing himself from the headlights of Kurt’s shining blue eyes, Rafe determined to look anywhere but at him. “Piles and piles of it, hon. You should go back with your hags.”
“I could lend you one.” Kurt shrugged his head to the side. “Blaine and I are on diplomat duty tonight. We’re helping the masses bond and calm. It’s why he doesn’t have to watch the perimeter.”
“Maybe I should go out there. On the perimeter. Let someone feeling more social have a go at the dance ‘floor,’ such as it is-”
“Dance with me?”
Rafe’s strength collapsed, and he looked at Kurt in surprise. “Dance?”
“Dance. Brittany is doing Britney! It’s like the siren song for queenie boys!”
“Why does everyone want to dance? I can’t-”
“Of course you can!” Kurt sucked in his cheeks, smirked impishly, and pulled Rafe’s arms up to drape over his neck. “Ditch the cane! We’ll take a spin. I’ll hold you up. ”
“You’ll hold me up,” Rafe murmured.
“I’m good at that. When I’m not falling down.” Kurt laughed at his own kind of dark joke.
Rafe’s face flushed as Kurt turned him around where the other dancers were. He shook a little, surprised that Kurt was strong enough to carry his weight. He shouldn’t have been, but Kurt consistently surprised Rafe. He’d been doing so since the day they’d met. The very day.
“Are you okay?” Kurt’s eyes cast upward, scanning Rafe’s face. So genuine.
“I’m fine.” Rafe let out a breath. “Oh. So fine. Whoo! I can’t remember the last time I danced with a married guy!”
Kurt laughed. “Not technically married.”
“Not technically? Does that mean I can kiss you and Blaine won’t mind?” Rafe waggled his brows.
“I’m pretty sure that’s not what that means.” Kurt looked pensive. “It means...”
“It means we need to plan you two a wedding!” Rafe said cheerfully.
Oh, good God, he was going to cry. He had to stop obsessing over this. Surely there was something else around this dismal little town to obsess over!
“That would be cheering. Though I sort of feel we were married in the woods in Ohio.”
“People renew their vows!” Rafe felt his good leg wobble, and he leaned into Kurt heavily. “Sorry.”
“Oh! Hold on, I’ll get you over to the chairs there.” Kurt grabbed Rafe around his ribcage and bore his weight as he guided him to the side of the open area. “I shouldn’t have made you dance.”
“Yes, you should have. I was being a one-legged gay hermit.”
Kurt giggled and lowered Rafe into a seat. “Are you feeling weak again? Should I get Mama Chang to give you a checkup?”
“I don’t know what it is. Just got... light-headed, I guess.”
Kurt squeezed his hand. “I think you should let her check you out.”
“Sure. Okay. Anything for you, sweetie.”
Kurt’s arm went around his shoulders, and he pressed a kiss to his cheek. “You’re not alone here. There are so many of us. Me, and Van, and Tina, and your mother, and my dad. Blaine? Probably Santana. It’s hard to tell if she likes anyone besides Brittany. We should get a tail on her so she can wag it for us.”
“I would love to put a tail on her,” Rafe said excitedly. “And some horns.”
“We all love you, y’know.”
Rafe leaned on Kurt and sighed. He looked down at Kurt. He was just a bit taller than him. Just a bit. He drew in a deep breath and caught sight of Blaine, who was watching them from a distance. Rafe couldn’t see the expression on his face. But his imagination took over and wiped the smile from his own face.
Why at the end of the world did he have to suddenly grow a conscience? Why now?
“I love you, too,” Rafe admitted.
Kurt smiled again, softly, then Rafe’s words, and the tone of them, registered and his eyes went so wide.
“Oh, Rafe-”
“You have everyone else here to worry about. Don’t worry about me. Honey. Please. Don’t worry about me.” Rafe leaned over and kissed the side of Kurt’s mouth. The right side, so Blaine could see that it was a friend kiss and not on the lips. But Blaine knew how Rafe felt.
It wasn’t fair for Kurt not to know. It was taking advantage of his kindness.
Kurt’s lower lip pushed out, and distress scrunched up his brow and his nose. “What can I do? I’m sorry, Rafe. I didn’t know.”
“I didn’t want you to. I wanted to just... stop feeling it.”
“We need to find you someone,” Kurt murmured.
“Good luck with that. There aren’t that many someones anymore. Too many straight boys without girls. And me, the loneliest little queen! Not that I wouldn’t go for you in other circumstances. It’s just hard to get over you when there’s no one else around.” He laughed bitterly. “Can’t even blow off for a few days. Get out of town, the only town, and clear my head.”
“That’s true.” Kurt patted Rafe’s hand and looked into his eyes.
“You’re beautiful, you know. I told your dad that, when I first saw you. Strung out and pregnant. Hair a disaster, but you were still gorgeous.” Rafe let his head fall back, and he looked up at the sky bedecked magnificently with stars. “Maybe I could find someone just like you. Maybe there’s someone. I never thought of myself as the settling type, and suddenly all I want to do is dig in and settle.”
“Everything’s changed,” Kurt said. “And there are people out there. I don’t know how many, or which countries are still standing, but there are. And we will find someone for you. I am not going to let you die alone.”
“God, don’t say that. I’ve already lived way, way longer than I should have, thanks to one Hummel or the other.” Rafe hugged Kurt gently. “Can you get my cane? I want to stop hermitting. This is depressing, and dramatic in a way that just isn’t fabulous.”
Kurt nodded and rose. He brushed his fingers over Rafe’s hair before going to get the cane. Leaning on his hand, Rafe twisted up the side of his mouth and looked over at Blaine, who was now pretending not to look.
***
Blaine tried not to sulk too hard. He hadn’t talked to Kurt about Rafe’s feelings. So if Kurt accepted friendly kisses and cuddles from Rafe, it was Blaine’s own damn fault.
Mike cracked jokes and tried to get Blaine to dance with him, had even recruited Tina to take Pippa so they could fool around, but Blaine didn’t much feel like it. He knew that it was stupid to be so jealous. Kurt loved him. He loved Pippa. He loved their family and what they had worked so hard to create here.
But it still made Blaine’s throat uncomfortably tight to see Kurt with another guy who liked him that way. His emotions around the subject were like waves in the ocean. Up, down, back and forth, side to side. First he was amused that Kurt didn’t see it, then angry that Rafe would dare to feel that, then ashamed that he would get so angry at someone for having feelings for Kurt, then guilty that Rafe was alone, but also possessive over Kurt and mad at himself for letting this go on.
Actually, it was more like having PMS, when he thought about it. Maybe he was pregnant now. He rolled his eyes at himself and sat by their stage. Mike rubbed his shoulders.
“Just talk to him. It’s not that big of a deal.”
“It isn’t, but now I feel stupid for not saying something earlier. I should have. I guess I just didn’t know what to say.”
“I thought you were the one who protected people from their drama,” Mike joked. He sat by Blaine and bumped against him.
“Everyone but my own.” Blaine rubbed the back of his neck and watched Rafe. After Kurt had returned his cane to him, Rafe had started moving around and talking to people. It looked like he was going to dance with Nick. That was for the good, anyway. Now Blaine was starting to feel bad again. He couldn’t deny Rafe Kurt’s friendship. That would just be cruel.
Mike sat up straighter and started grinning. Blaine looked up from his folded hands. There was Kurt, offering him his hand.
“Wanna dance?”
“Oh! Yeah! Always.” Blaine bounded up and with a tender kiss, took the lead.
Kurt looked tired, and a little conflicted, and he rested his head on Blaine’s shoulder with a sigh.
“Do you wanna go home?”
“No. I just want things to be less complicated. Might as well wish for the moon.”
Blaine nuzzled his cheek against Kurt’s head.
Kurt sighed again, then said, “Do you want to get married?”
Blaine stopped moving and looked Kurt in the eye. Kurt’s eyes twinkled just a little, and he bit his lip.
“It’s okay to say no,” he murmured.
“No, it- I mean, yes! Yes, I want to get married. But my wedding binder is back in Ohio.”
Kurt laughed and grabbed Blaine to resume dancing. Blaine petted the back of Kurt’s hair, kissed his cheek, and felt their bodies practically humming together.
“I love you,” Blaine whispered.
“I love you, too.” Kurt turned his face toward Blaine and rubbed their noses together.
On the way back to their house, walking hand in hand because Burt had taken Pippa for the night, Kurt spilled the contents of his discussion with Rafe, to Blaine’s surprise. It hadn’t occurred to him that things might resolve themselves. He’d figured that he would have to ask Rafe to back off, stand up for his man, and all that.
That had never been how the two of them worked, though. They talked. It was how they rolled, usually.
“I have to find him a boyfriend,” Kurt declared. He looked over his shoulder.
He was missing Pippa. He still didn’t like to be away from her for too long. Blaine understood. Completely. But time with grandpa wasn’t only so they could be alone. It was for Burt, too.
“We’ll have to turn someone gay for that to happen,” Blaine replied. They stepped into the living room.
“I don’t know how, but we can try...” Kurt trailed off as he heard a creak on the far side of the house.
“It’s the house.” Blaine pulled Kurt to him and kissed his forehead. He wasn’t sure they’d ever stop jumping.
Kurt closed his eyes. They kissed, checked the doors and windows, and went to their darkened bedroom.
“Mmm. Fiance kisses,” Blaine groaned. His hands pulled Kurt’s shirt over his head and he immediately descended on Kurt’s neck, nibbling and sucking until Kurt began to shudder.
Kurt let out a little growl, and Blaine tossed him back on the bed and started down his chest with hungry, determined kisses. Kurt arched his back and began to pull away, but Blaine touched his side gently, as though to say, “I’ll be careful.”
It was the cold that made Kurt’s chest so damn sore. The nursing was getting to be old hat by now, but the cold... Blaine was gentle, and careful around that area, and he moved down until he was kissing along Kurt’s belly. It wasn’t tight as it had been before, and probably wouldn’t ever be. But Kurt was still so long and lean and luscious. Which was funny because he had also been so cute and ripe and bitable when he was pregnant.
Blaine just figured he loved all Kurts, no matter what.
“God, Blaine.” Kurt grabbed the back of Blaine’s head, gripping his curly hair tight in his long fingers. “This is dangerous.”
“Van got us a present when she was out,” Blaine said idly. He grinned up at Kurt, who arched a brow and moved his hand over Blaine’s shoulder, feeling the firm muscles.
“Are you going to tell me what it is?”
“Hm... Maybe you should check in the top drawer in the bathroom.”
“The bathroom?” Kurt frowned. Then he got this look, and Blaine thought Kurt might have guessed. He pushed Blaine off of him and darted down the hallway to get it.
“Oh, blessed be the condom fairy!” Kurt yelled in an English accent from the other room.
Blaine curled over laughing. “We don’t have to! I just thought you should know we have options!”
Kurt didn’t reply, and Blaine sat up to wait for him. And to strip. When he’d gotten his clothes off, he tilted his head.
“Kurt?” he called.
No answer.
“Stop teasing! You know I can’t-”
A crash came from the living room, and Blaine bolted out of the bedroom, grabbing a bat on the way out. The house was dark, but he could see two shadows on the floor.
A roar emerged from Blaine’s throat, and he lunged at the two on the floor, leaping over the sofa to get closer to them. He would have swung away if he hadn’t been certain one of the shadows was Kurt. The other, he didn’t know what it was.
“Blai-!”
The top shadow choked the smaller one, cutting off the word. And Blaine slammed the bat down on the back in the air.
“Fuck!” the deep-voiced figure sputtered. He scrambled to get away, but Blaine swung once more, knocking him to the ground.
Kurt was pushing himself backward, his hand over his ribs. Blaine looked back at Kurt once, just once, to connect to Kurt’s human eyes and keep himself from beating that asshole who had invaded their home to death. Instead, he grabbed the gun they stashed in the sofa and ran over to stand on the man’s chest and stick the gun in his face.
“Get some light!” Blaine said.
“Get off of me!” the man complained.
“You just choked my partner! You don’t get to make orders,” Blaine barked.
“I didn’t hurt the girl!” he protested.
Kurt quickly turned on a few kerosene lamps and stood behind Blaine with the bat. The man lay there pinned, all grungy clothes and a shock of gray hair on a face that didn’t warrant the age. He looked up at them both in shock.
“A-are you naked?” the man asked. Then he blinked dumbfounded at Kurt.
“Y’know,” Kurt said casually. “I keep telling people that if they’d knock politely, they’d probably see a lot less gay sex around here. But does anyone have any manners these days? Nooo.”
Blaine bit back a laugh. This really wasn’t funny. Aside from the reality of standing with his foot on a man’s chest, gun cocked and ready, while naked as the day he was born. That this fool had mistaken Kurt for a girl and still decided to choke and hurt him was less funny, but Kurt didn’t seem fussed about that particularly.
“Is there anyone else?” Kurt asked. “That came with you? Anyone else with weapons? There are children here, you know.”
“No. God, no. I saw your scouts come back here, and I followed them!” the man said. “That’s all.”
“Why did you attack us?” Blaine demanded.
“We should tell... uh...” Kurt shook his head, staggered backward, and sat on the couch.
“Kurt?!” Blaine turned back to him.
“Blaine, don’t-”
The man rolled over and kicked Blaine’s other leg out from under him. As Blaine tumbled to the ground, their visitor darted out the door.
He cast one look at the door before moving to Kurt’s side and touching where Kurt had been holding.
“He hurt you.” Blaine pressed gently and Kurt winced.
“He kicked my side pretty hard. I think he was stealing food. We need to tell everyone that we have an intruder who doesn’t want to play nice.” Kurt started to push himself up. “Ah...”
“He might have broken a rib.” Blaine stood. “I’ll go. You rest.”
“You should put on pants,” Kurt advised.
Blaine looked down and sighed. “Why do we always get interrupted?”
“New parents. It’s a thing.” Kurt leaned back, holding his side with a disquieted look on his face. “I’m glad Pip wasn’t here.”
“Me too. Better make sure he doesn’t run into her.” Blaine dropped a kiss onto Kurt’s forehead and hurried off to hunt down pants.
***
They never got their party crasher’s name. There was gunfire before Blaine even made it out the door to hunt him down. Blaine tossed Kurt a sweater, gave him the gun, and went out to find out what was going on.
Heart racing, Kurt waited in his house for the news. A few minutes later, Tina came sprinting into the house carrying a small bag.
“Kurt! God.” She dropped beside him. “Mama Chang is a little busy. She sent me.”
“Thanks. It’s not that bad, but Blaine was worried.”
Tina bowed over him and reached under the sweater to feel.
“Ow!”
“I don’t think it’s broken... swollen, though. I’ll have her check it out....” Tina frowned as her hand moved along his side. “How bad does it hurt? There’s a gash here, not too deep, but... Does it hurt any lower than right here?”
“In my stomach? No.” Kurt frowned back.
“Well, it wasn’t that long since you were almost bleeding out in a delivery room. I just wanted to check, okay?” Tina sat next to him and opened up her bag. “I have permission to give you something for the pain.”
She pulled out a little bottle and a syringe. “Mama Chang taught me how to use this...”
“Look at you. Dr. Cohen-Chang-Chang,” Kurt joked, eyeing the needle.
“Pippa’s getting a lot of hair now, isn’t she? She always had such cute curls, but pretty sure we’ll be able to give her pigtails!”
“I’m actually dying to start playing with her hair,” Kurt admitted. “Deirdre found me some faux jewels to put on her clothes. It’ll be like frontier bedazzling!”
Tina giggled. “Okay. All done. You’ll feel better in a minute.” She reached over and brushed Kurt’s hair off of his forehead.
“I’ll feel better when I know everyone else is okay.” He folded his arm over his body and draped the other over Tina’s shoulders. “But that was good, Doc.”
Tina wrinkled her nose and smiled. “It’s good to finally be useful.”
“You’re useful. You’re sane,” Kurt said dryly. “It’s a rare commodity around here.”
***
Burt had dropped the baby into Rafe’s arms and headed out of the house before anyone explained what was going on. There had been gunfire, then everyone was running around. Rafe had hobbled into Burt’s house just in time to babysit, it seemed.
After holding Pippa for a minute, she started squalling and wouldn’t stop. So Rafe grabbed her sling, strapped it on himself, and made his way over to Kurt’s house.
“Pippa!” Kurt rose from the couch immediately and rushed over to them. “Oh, Rafe! Thank you!”
“She won’t stop crying. I’m a terrible nanny!” Rafe complained.
Kurt took her and held her close. “She’s wet... I’ll change her. Do you want to stay? I don’t think it’s good to be wandering around out there right now.”
“What happened? Your dad ran out before anyone...” Rafe followed Kurt into the bedroom. His brows raised as he saw Kurt wincing and the gun tucked in the back of his pants. “Are you okay?”
“I got a little kicked. There’s a stranger in our midst.” Kurt touched his side and let out a breath, then laid Pippa down and began to unbutton her onesie. “Can you get me a diaper? And keep and eye on the door.”
Rafe nodded and did what Kurt told him to do. When the baby was dry and in a better mood, Kurt sat down with her on the bed. Tina came in with some warm tea for them and they sat together, waiting.
They were all quiet until Blaine appeared. He looked at Rafe with a frown, then smoothed his palms over the sides of his head.
“I need, um. He’s dead. The man who attacked you is dead, baby.” Blaine crawled into the bed.
Rafe scooted over to make room for Blaine, and their eyes met. Rafe smiled softly. “Just bringing the baby over.”
“Thank you, Rafe.” Blaine swallowed. “Um. The man got into another house. He was... hurting Santana.”
Rafe’s heart sped up. Kurt’s eyes grew wide.
“And... and... Brittany got kind of hysterical,” Blaine said grimly. “Mama Chang is taking care of her and Santana right now.”
“What the hell is wrong with people?” Tina covered her mouth and looked away. “We could’ve taken him in! He could have had a place here, but he attacked Kurt! He hurt Santana, and... Why do they have to attack us?”
“They’re scared,” Blaine said. “Scared and half-insane and that’s what others have done to them. We’re lucky here. We have something special, a place where we can come in insane and get better. Like with Juni. Like with Van. Like with me. And we have to protect it.”
Kurt turned toward Blaine, and Blaine’s arms went around Kurt and the baby. Rafe looked at them both for a moment, then to Tina, who was resting her chin on Kurt’s shoulder. Blaine seemed particularly disturbed. Rafe remembered how Blaine had been when he’d first met him. He’d been a little dangerous. But Rafe did not believe Blainers would go from house to house assaulting people, even if he’d been starving. Maybe if Kurt or the baby had been starving...
“Do you think he had a family?” Rafe looked over the three other faces, just as surprised as they were by the words.
Next Part: For You, There Will Be No More Crying
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Title: Party Crasher
Pair: Klaine, unrequited Rurt
Includes: zombies (somewhere out there), post-mpreg, violence
Word Count: ~4712
Summary: Refugee Town has a shindig, Rafe outs himself, and an unexpected visitor shows up.
AN: I’m slowing down the posting schedule because my workload has gotten to the point of intolerability. But I did have this piece waiting to be edited, so I’ll hope to start posting every other week until it is finished. Wish me luck.
It was the first party at the end of the world. Directly after standing around a modest bonfire to grieve their lost ones, they gathered in the open grounds in the middle of their houses. Rafe wasn’t about to call it fabulous, but all the young guys were up on a makeshift stage singing a capella versions of their favorite songs. Rafe sat back and watched them side-step in unison. A finger trailed along his lower lip.
If he’d asked, they’d let him in on the fun certainly. The guys were just way too nice not to. Just two things, though. He couldn’t dance in unison with them, not really, unless they all used canes. Also, he couldn’t sing. Beyond those two things, well... If it came down to prancing around do-whopping behind nubile young men, or getting to relax and just watch those young men...
Like that was a hard choice.
Kurt, spry as Rafe had ever seen him, high-stepped his way sideways across the stage, and Blaine grabbed his hands for a twirl. The rest of their group watched and laughed at the two of them, as well as Nick, David, Mike, and Finn dancing around behind them.
Good, god, they were precious. Nice, light fair to cut through the gloom of their previous songs at the fire side. Rafe had never heard a Rent song used as a dirge, but in a crazy way, it made sense. It made too much sense, the same sort of desperate, life or death sense that Rafe had felt when he’d watched Rent for the first time.
After the boys had finished, they came down from the stage to let the girls take over. When Kurt stayed with them, Rafe had to laugh. Of course Kurt would sing with either or both. And he looked so happy, right then.
Blaine took Pippa from Van and danced with her. He and Finn laughed and smiled together. Rafe rose, half-thinking that he should go hang out with them, like the bubbly social butterfly he’d been. Once upon a better time. But he waited, entranced by Kurt and the girls singing “Survivor.”
Rafe’s lips went crooked. And his head went swimmy. And his stomach went fluttery.
As Kurt left the stage, Rafe watched him. It felt like his stupid eyes shone bright beams, betraying him to everyone. Maybe like flamboyant fairy lights were dancing after Kurt. Watching Deirdre touch his arm gently, talking to him. Tina stopped with him, then Brittany, and they hung off of either arm.
Then he parted from them and went over to Blaine and his baby.
“Homewrecker. You homewrecker,” Rafe muttered to himself.
He was staring. It was unseemly. And normally, he would be okay with that. As a generally rule, Rafe liked the unseemly, to be unseemly, to unseem and to unravel the conventional. He wasn’t about making anyone comfortable with him.
Well. Almost anyone. His eyes followed Kurt’s hips as he danced with Blaine and Pippa.
“You wanna dance?”
Rafe turned his head and blinked at Nick. “I... I um.”
“Oh, c’mon. Tina’s dancing with Van, and I’m pretty sure she’s straight.”
“I can’t dance,” Rafe objected. He lifted his cane and poked Nick’s shoulder with it.
“Oh, you could if you wanted. Maybe no highstepping.” Nick looked up at Santana and Brittany on the stage singing together, then started to groove next to and around Rafe. His arms waved up in the air, and he rolled his hips around and around.
Rafe stood very still and laughed. “Oh... Oh, wow. Huh.”
Nick stopped and shook his head. “I’m not making fun of you. I just hate to see you hanging out all alone. It’s not so easy to be single here. Everyone’s paired up except for the olds-”
He raised a brow as he looked over to Burt and Carol talking to one another as they looked out over the group.
“Okay.” Nick tilted his head to the side and pushed out his lower lip. “Hm. Even the olds are pairing off.”
Rafe stared at Burt for a minute. Seeing them hook up wouldn’t be that bad. Even if that would basically make Kurt his brother. “Oh, honey. I’m fine. I’m just not the partier I used to be.”
“Not as many parties to be had.” Nick reached over and pinched Rafe’s cheek. “Try to have some fun, okay? And don’t spend the whole night pining.”
“What?” Rafe rolled his eyes. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Hm.” Nick patted his arm and went over to dance with Van and Tina.
Kurt circulated through the group. It was like Rafe was glued to the spot. Kurt circled. Rafe stayed in place. And the longer he stayed there, the less likely it seemed like he would ever be able to move. Headlights, staring him down, and he couldn’t get away. Though, he really didn’t want to. Maybe that was the problem. He didn’t want to make things unseemly, or wreck any homes. Especially their precious little First Family. But he also didn’t want to leave.
And not just because of the lurching dead out there.
“Hey, wallflower.” Kurt leaned against the wall with Rafe and smiled. A wide, beamy smile that didn’t even show his teeth.
Adorable muppetface.
“Are you having fun?” he asked.
Freeing himself from the headlights of Kurt’s shining blue eyes, Rafe determined to look anywhere but at him. “Piles and piles of it, hon. You should go back with your hags.”
“I could lend you one.” Kurt shrugged his head to the side. “Blaine and I are on diplomat duty tonight. We’re helping the masses bond and calm. It’s why he doesn’t have to watch the perimeter.”
“Maybe I should go out there. On the perimeter. Let someone feeling more social have a go at the dance ‘floor,’ such as it is-”
“Dance with me?”
Rafe’s strength collapsed, and he looked at Kurt in surprise. “Dance?”
“Dance. Brittany is doing Britney! It’s like the siren song for queenie boys!”
“Why does everyone want to dance? I can’t-”
“Of course you can!” Kurt sucked in his cheeks, smirked impishly, and pulled Rafe’s arms up to drape over his neck. “Ditch the cane! We’ll take a spin. I’ll hold you up. ”
“You’ll hold me up,” Rafe murmured.
“I’m good at that. When I’m not falling down.” Kurt laughed at his own kind of dark joke.
Rafe’s face flushed as Kurt turned him around where the other dancers were. He shook a little, surprised that Kurt was strong enough to carry his weight. He shouldn’t have been, but Kurt consistently surprised Rafe. He’d been doing so since the day they’d met. The very day.
“Are you okay?” Kurt’s eyes cast upward, scanning Rafe’s face. So genuine.
“I’m fine.” Rafe let out a breath. “Oh. So fine. Whoo! I can’t remember the last time I danced with a married guy!”
Kurt laughed. “Not technically married.”
“Not technically? Does that mean I can kiss you and Blaine won’t mind?” Rafe waggled his brows.
“I’m pretty sure that’s not what that means.” Kurt looked pensive. “It means...”
“It means we need to plan you two a wedding!” Rafe said cheerfully.
Oh, good God, he was going to cry. He had to stop obsessing over this. Surely there was something else around this dismal little town to obsess over!
“That would be cheering. Though I sort of feel we were married in the woods in Ohio.”
“People renew their vows!” Rafe felt his good leg wobble, and he leaned into Kurt heavily. “Sorry.”
“Oh! Hold on, I’ll get you over to the chairs there.” Kurt grabbed Rafe around his ribcage and bore his weight as he guided him to the side of the open area. “I shouldn’t have made you dance.”
“Yes, you should have. I was being a one-legged gay hermit.”
Kurt giggled and lowered Rafe into a seat. “Are you feeling weak again? Should I get Mama Chang to give you a checkup?”
“I don’t know what it is. Just got... light-headed, I guess.”
Kurt squeezed his hand. “I think you should let her check you out.”
“Sure. Okay. Anything for you, sweetie.”
Kurt’s arm went around his shoulders, and he pressed a kiss to his cheek. “You’re not alone here. There are so many of us. Me, and Van, and Tina, and your mother, and my dad. Blaine? Probably Santana. It’s hard to tell if she likes anyone besides Brittany. We should get a tail on her so she can wag it for us.”
“I would love to put a tail on her,” Rafe said excitedly. “And some horns.”
“We all love you, y’know.”
Rafe leaned on Kurt and sighed. He looked down at Kurt. He was just a bit taller than him. Just a bit. He drew in a deep breath and caught sight of Blaine, who was watching them from a distance. Rafe couldn’t see the expression on his face. But his imagination took over and wiped the smile from his own face.
Why at the end of the world did he have to suddenly grow a conscience? Why now?
“I love you, too,” Rafe admitted.
Kurt smiled again, softly, then Rafe’s words, and the tone of them, registered and his eyes went so wide.
“Oh, Rafe-”
“You have everyone else here to worry about. Don’t worry about me. Honey. Please. Don’t worry about me.” Rafe leaned over and kissed the side of Kurt’s mouth. The right side, so Blaine could see that it was a friend kiss and not on the lips. But Blaine knew how Rafe felt.
It wasn’t fair for Kurt not to know. It was taking advantage of his kindness.
Kurt’s lower lip pushed out, and distress scrunched up his brow and his nose. “What can I do? I’m sorry, Rafe. I didn’t know.”
“I didn’t want you to. I wanted to just... stop feeling it.”
“We need to find you someone,” Kurt murmured.
“Good luck with that. There aren’t that many someones anymore. Too many straight boys without girls. And me, the loneliest little queen! Not that I wouldn’t go for you in other circumstances. It’s just hard to get over you when there’s no one else around.” He laughed bitterly. “Can’t even blow off for a few days. Get out of town, the only town, and clear my head.”
“That’s true.” Kurt patted Rafe’s hand and looked into his eyes.
“You’re beautiful, you know. I told your dad that, when I first saw you. Strung out and pregnant. Hair a disaster, but you were still gorgeous.” Rafe let his head fall back, and he looked up at the sky bedecked magnificently with stars. “Maybe I could find someone just like you. Maybe there’s someone. I never thought of myself as the settling type, and suddenly all I want to do is dig in and settle.”
“Everything’s changed,” Kurt said. “And there are people out there. I don’t know how many, or which countries are still standing, but there are. And we will find someone for you. I am not going to let you die alone.”
“God, don’t say that. I’ve already lived way, way longer than I should have, thanks to one Hummel or the other.” Rafe hugged Kurt gently. “Can you get my cane? I want to stop hermitting. This is depressing, and dramatic in a way that just isn’t fabulous.”
Kurt nodded and rose. He brushed his fingers over Rafe’s hair before going to get the cane. Leaning on his hand, Rafe twisted up the side of his mouth and looked over at Blaine, who was now pretending not to look.
***
Blaine tried not to sulk too hard. He hadn’t talked to Kurt about Rafe’s feelings. So if Kurt accepted friendly kisses and cuddles from Rafe, it was Blaine’s own damn fault.
Mike cracked jokes and tried to get Blaine to dance with him, had even recruited Tina to take Pippa so they could fool around, but Blaine didn’t much feel like it. He knew that it was stupid to be so jealous. Kurt loved him. He loved Pippa. He loved their family and what they had worked so hard to create here.
But it still made Blaine’s throat uncomfortably tight to see Kurt with another guy who liked him that way. His emotions around the subject were like waves in the ocean. Up, down, back and forth, side to side. First he was amused that Kurt didn’t see it, then angry that Rafe would dare to feel that, then ashamed that he would get so angry at someone for having feelings for Kurt, then guilty that Rafe was alone, but also possessive over Kurt and mad at himself for letting this go on.
Actually, it was more like having PMS, when he thought about it. Maybe he was pregnant now. He rolled his eyes at himself and sat by their stage. Mike rubbed his shoulders.
“Just talk to him. It’s not that big of a deal.”
“It isn’t, but now I feel stupid for not saying something earlier. I should have. I guess I just didn’t know what to say.”
“I thought you were the one who protected people from their drama,” Mike joked. He sat by Blaine and bumped against him.
“Everyone but my own.” Blaine rubbed the back of his neck and watched Rafe. After Kurt had returned his cane to him, Rafe had started moving around and talking to people. It looked like he was going to dance with Nick. That was for the good, anyway. Now Blaine was starting to feel bad again. He couldn’t deny Rafe Kurt’s friendship. That would just be cruel.
Mike sat up straighter and started grinning. Blaine looked up from his folded hands. There was Kurt, offering him his hand.
“Wanna dance?”
“Oh! Yeah! Always.” Blaine bounded up and with a tender kiss, took the lead.
Kurt looked tired, and a little conflicted, and he rested his head on Blaine’s shoulder with a sigh.
“Do you wanna go home?”
“No. I just want things to be less complicated. Might as well wish for the moon.”
Blaine nuzzled his cheek against Kurt’s head.
Kurt sighed again, then said, “Do you want to get married?”
Blaine stopped moving and looked Kurt in the eye. Kurt’s eyes twinkled just a little, and he bit his lip.
“It’s okay to say no,” he murmured.
“No, it- I mean, yes! Yes, I want to get married. But my wedding binder is back in Ohio.”
Kurt laughed and grabbed Blaine to resume dancing. Blaine petted the back of Kurt’s hair, kissed his cheek, and felt their bodies practically humming together.
“I love you,” Blaine whispered.
“I love you, too.” Kurt turned his face toward Blaine and rubbed their noses together.
On the way back to their house, walking hand in hand because Burt had taken Pippa for the night, Kurt spilled the contents of his discussion with Rafe, to Blaine’s surprise. It hadn’t occurred to him that things might resolve themselves. He’d figured that he would have to ask Rafe to back off, stand up for his man, and all that.
That had never been how the two of them worked, though. They talked. It was how they rolled, usually.
“I have to find him a boyfriend,” Kurt declared. He looked over his shoulder.
He was missing Pippa. He still didn’t like to be away from her for too long. Blaine understood. Completely. But time with grandpa wasn’t only so they could be alone. It was for Burt, too.
“We’ll have to turn someone gay for that to happen,” Blaine replied. They stepped into the living room.
“I don’t know how, but we can try...” Kurt trailed off as he heard a creak on the far side of the house.
“It’s the house.” Blaine pulled Kurt to him and kissed his forehead. He wasn’t sure they’d ever stop jumping.
Kurt closed his eyes. They kissed, checked the doors and windows, and went to their darkened bedroom.
“Mmm. Fiance kisses,” Blaine groaned. His hands pulled Kurt’s shirt over his head and he immediately descended on Kurt’s neck, nibbling and sucking until Kurt began to shudder.
Kurt let out a little growl, and Blaine tossed him back on the bed and started down his chest with hungry, determined kisses. Kurt arched his back and began to pull away, but Blaine touched his side gently, as though to say, “I’ll be careful.”
It was the cold that made Kurt’s chest so damn sore. The nursing was getting to be old hat by now, but the cold... Blaine was gentle, and careful around that area, and he moved down until he was kissing along Kurt’s belly. It wasn’t tight as it had been before, and probably wouldn’t ever be. But Kurt was still so long and lean and luscious. Which was funny because he had also been so cute and ripe and bitable when he was pregnant.
Blaine just figured he loved all Kurts, no matter what.
“God, Blaine.” Kurt grabbed the back of Blaine’s head, gripping his curly hair tight in his long fingers. “This is dangerous.”
“Van got us a present when she was out,” Blaine said idly. He grinned up at Kurt, who arched a brow and moved his hand over Blaine’s shoulder, feeling the firm muscles.
“Are you going to tell me what it is?”
“Hm... Maybe you should check in the top drawer in the bathroom.”
“The bathroom?” Kurt frowned. Then he got this look, and Blaine thought Kurt might have guessed. He pushed Blaine off of him and darted down the hallway to get it.
“Oh, blessed be the condom fairy!” Kurt yelled in an English accent from the other room.
Blaine curled over laughing. “We don’t have to! I just thought you should know we have options!”
Kurt didn’t reply, and Blaine sat up to wait for him. And to strip. When he’d gotten his clothes off, he tilted his head.
“Kurt?” he called.
No answer.
“Stop teasing! You know I can’t-”
A crash came from the living room, and Blaine bolted out of the bedroom, grabbing a bat on the way out. The house was dark, but he could see two shadows on the floor.
A roar emerged from Blaine’s throat, and he lunged at the two on the floor, leaping over the sofa to get closer to them. He would have swung away if he hadn’t been certain one of the shadows was Kurt. The other, he didn’t know what it was.
“Blai-!”
The top shadow choked the smaller one, cutting off the word. And Blaine slammed the bat down on the back in the air.
“Fuck!” the deep-voiced figure sputtered. He scrambled to get away, but Blaine swung once more, knocking him to the ground.
Kurt was pushing himself backward, his hand over his ribs. Blaine looked back at Kurt once, just once, to connect to Kurt’s human eyes and keep himself from beating that asshole who had invaded their home to death. Instead, he grabbed the gun they stashed in the sofa and ran over to stand on the man’s chest and stick the gun in his face.
“Get some light!” Blaine said.
“Get off of me!” the man complained.
“You just choked my partner! You don’t get to make orders,” Blaine barked.
“I didn’t hurt the girl!” he protested.
Kurt quickly turned on a few kerosene lamps and stood behind Blaine with the bat. The man lay there pinned, all grungy clothes and a shock of gray hair on a face that didn’t warrant the age. He looked up at them both in shock.
“A-are you naked?” the man asked. Then he blinked dumbfounded at Kurt.
“Y’know,” Kurt said casually. “I keep telling people that if they’d knock politely, they’d probably see a lot less gay sex around here. But does anyone have any manners these days? Nooo.”
Blaine bit back a laugh. This really wasn’t funny. Aside from the reality of standing with his foot on a man’s chest, gun cocked and ready, while naked as the day he was born. That this fool had mistaken Kurt for a girl and still decided to choke and hurt him was less funny, but Kurt didn’t seem fussed about that particularly.
“Is there anyone else?” Kurt asked. “That came with you? Anyone else with weapons? There are children here, you know.”
“No. God, no. I saw your scouts come back here, and I followed them!” the man said. “That’s all.”
“Why did you attack us?” Blaine demanded.
“We should tell... uh...” Kurt shook his head, staggered backward, and sat on the couch.
“Kurt?!” Blaine turned back to him.
“Blaine, don’t-”
The man rolled over and kicked Blaine’s other leg out from under him. As Blaine tumbled to the ground, their visitor darted out the door.
He cast one look at the door before moving to Kurt’s side and touching where Kurt had been holding.
“He hurt you.” Blaine pressed gently and Kurt winced.
“He kicked my side pretty hard. I think he was stealing food. We need to tell everyone that we have an intruder who doesn’t want to play nice.” Kurt started to push himself up. “Ah...”
“He might have broken a rib.” Blaine stood. “I’ll go. You rest.”
“You should put on pants,” Kurt advised.
Blaine looked down and sighed. “Why do we always get interrupted?”
“New parents. It’s a thing.” Kurt leaned back, holding his side with a disquieted look on his face. “I’m glad Pip wasn’t here.”
“Me too. Better make sure he doesn’t run into her.” Blaine dropped a kiss onto Kurt’s forehead and hurried off to hunt down pants.
***
They never got their party crasher’s name. There was gunfire before Blaine even made it out the door to hunt him down. Blaine tossed Kurt a sweater, gave him the gun, and went out to find out what was going on.
Heart racing, Kurt waited in his house for the news. A few minutes later, Tina came sprinting into the house carrying a small bag.
“Kurt! God.” She dropped beside him. “Mama Chang is a little busy. She sent me.”
“Thanks. It’s not that bad, but Blaine was worried.”
Tina bowed over him and reached under the sweater to feel.
“Ow!”
“I don’t think it’s broken... swollen, though. I’ll have her check it out....” Tina frowned as her hand moved along his side. “How bad does it hurt? There’s a gash here, not too deep, but... Does it hurt any lower than right here?”
“In my stomach? No.” Kurt frowned back.
“Well, it wasn’t that long since you were almost bleeding out in a delivery room. I just wanted to check, okay?” Tina sat next to him and opened up her bag. “I have permission to give you something for the pain.”
She pulled out a little bottle and a syringe. “Mama Chang taught me how to use this...”
“Look at you. Dr. Cohen-Chang-Chang,” Kurt joked, eyeing the needle.
“Pippa’s getting a lot of hair now, isn’t she? She always had such cute curls, but pretty sure we’ll be able to give her pigtails!”
“I’m actually dying to start playing with her hair,” Kurt admitted. “Deirdre found me some faux jewels to put on her clothes. It’ll be like frontier bedazzling!”
Tina giggled. “Okay. All done. You’ll feel better in a minute.” She reached over and brushed Kurt’s hair off of his forehead.
“I’ll feel better when I know everyone else is okay.” He folded his arm over his body and draped the other over Tina’s shoulders. “But that was good, Doc.”
Tina wrinkled her nose and smiled. “It’s good to finally be useful.”
“You’re useful. You’re sane,” Kurt said dryly. “It’s a rare commodity around here.”
***
Burt had dropped the baby into Rafe’s arms and headed out of the house before anyone explained what was going on. There had been gunfire, then everyone was running around. Rafe had hobbled into Burt’s house just in time to babysit, it seemed.
After holding Pippa for a minute, she started squalling and wouldn’t stop. So Rafe grabbed her sling, strapped it on himself, and made his way over to Kurt’s house.
“Pippa!” Kurt rose from the couch immediately and rushed over to them. “Oh, Rafe! Thank you!”
“She won’t stop crying. I’m a terrible nanny!” Rafe complained.
Kurt took her and held her close. “She’s wet... I’ll change her. Do you want to stay? I don’t think it’s good to be wandering around out there right now.”
“What happened? Your dad ran out before anyone...” Rafe followed Kurt into the bedroom. His brows raised as he saw Kurt wincing and the gun tucked in the back of his pants. “Are you okay?”
“I got a little kicked. There’s a stranger in our midst.” Kurt touched his side and let out a breath, then laid Pippa down and began to unbutton her onesie. “Can you get me a diaper? And keep and eye on the door.”
Rafe nodded and did what Kurt told him to do. When the baby was dry and in a better mood, Kurt sat down with her on the bed. Tina came in with some warm tea for them and they sat together, waiting.
They were all quiet until Blaine appeared. He looked at Rafe with a frown, then smoothed his palms over the sides of his head.
“I need, um. He’s dead. The man who attacked you is dead, baby.” Blaine crawled into the bed.
Rafe scooted over to make room for Blaine, and their eyes met. Rafe smiled softly. “Just bringing the baby over.”
“Thank you, Rafe.” Blaine swallowed. “Um. The man got into another house. He was... hurting Santana.”
Rafe’s heart sped up. Kurt’s eyes grew wide.
“And... and... Brittany got kind of hysterical,” Blaine said grimly. “Mama Chang is taking care of her and Santana right now.”
“What the hell is wrong with people?” Tina covered her mouth and looked away. “We could’ve taken him in! He could have had a place here, but he attacked Kurt! He hurt Santana, and... Why do they have to attack us?”
“They’re scared,” Blaine said. “Scared and half-insane and that’s what others have done to them. We’re lucky here. We have something special, a place where we can come in insane and get better. Like with Juni. Like with Van. Like with me. And we have to protect it.”
Kurt turned toward Blaine, and Blaine’s arms went around Kurt and the baby. Rafe looked at them both for a moment, then to Tina, who was resting her chin on Kurt’s shoulder. Blaine seemed particularly disturbed. Rafe remembered how Blaine had been when he’d first met him. He’d been a little dangerous. But Rafe did not believe Blainers would go from house to house assaulting people, even if he’d been starving. Maybe if Kurt or the baby had been starving...
“Do you think he had a family?” Rafe looked over the three other faces, just as surprised as they were by the words.
Next Part: For You, There Will Be No More Crying
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