Chapter 5- Where His Demons Are

Looking at himself in the mirror, Kurt dialled the number he now knew by heart, hating himself with the push of every button. He hit the call button and waited for the rings to fade into the voice he least wanted to hear right now.

"Kurt. I've missed you," Blaine's salty-sweet voice whispered down the phone. Kurt wanted to hang up immediately, but that would have only made make things worse. He needed to have this conversation with Blaine or else things would have gone very badly for him in the future. He just knew that Blaine was going to make a huge song and dance out of the phone call, telling the press that they fixed things and were back together or some shit that Kurt could not be bothered to deal with after starting school. This wasn't what his normal life entailed.

"Hello, Blaine," Kurt replied tonelessly, trying to keep the irritated edge out of his tone. He wasn't an Oscar nominated actor for nothing. "How have you been?"

Kurt heard Blaine's heavy breathing and wanted to throw up. His mind wanted to flash back to the last time he heard it, but Kurt's conscious wasn't having any of it.

"I'm not going to lie to you, Kurt, I've been better."

Kurt didn't want to ask, but knew that Blaine was going to tell him anyway. "What's going on?"

And here it came.

"Don't give me that, Kurt. You know what I've seen today. You know what the blogs are talking about. Who the fuck is Sam Evans?"

"Blaine, this is none of your business."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Because it's none of your business! I shouldn't have to constantly worry about what I'm doing on the off chance that it might upset you. I'm sorry, but we're not together anymore and we were never really friends before that. Frankly, I don't want to be."

Blaine sounded exasperated. "But you owe me, Kurt. I made your career what it is."

"No. I made my career what it is. And I chose to take a break for making films so I could have a shot at a normal life at high school. And I can't do that if you're breathing down my neck every few hours questioning my decisions. This can't continue, Blaine."

"I might just come and see you for myself. You're not answering my Skype calls and I'm lucky I even got through to your phone. Clearly you're hiding something and I need to know what it is. I'm not working at the moment, I can take some time off and see the country I was born in. Ohio sounds nice this time of the year."

"Don't," Kurt warned. "Don't you dare. Or this time I'll actually file for that restraining order. I have the proof Blaine. A judge will grant it if I ask. Just stay in California and leave me alone."

Blaine tutted down the phone. "It seems you've forgotten what happens when you deny me."

Kurt paled slightly. He wanted nothing more than to just put down the phone and not think about any of this. But he had to deal with Blaine sooner or later, to prevent everything from imploding as it once had all those months ago. "You can't scare me with that anymore, Blaine. I'm across the country and I'm starting a new life now. If you even cared about me at all, you'd respect what I want and leave me alone."

Blaine sighed. "I love you and that's why I know that you can't do this without me. How about I enrol at the school too? So you're not alone?"

Kurt actually snorted. "That sounds like a disastrous decision. It's clear that you're going to persist so I'll say this. If you even so much as think about coming here, I'll make it so you never work again."

"You couldn't do that if you tried. People love me."

"Not as much as they love me. You know I'm not one to toot my own horn, but I have far more influence than you in the industry, Blaine. You're only in the entertainment headlines today because of me. And I didn't even have to beg my brother to get me a career." Kurt knew he was sounding far too smug to keep Blaine at the placid level he so desperately longed for, but he was done.

Done with the games, done with Blaine's bullshit. He needed to shut this down and he most certainly could.

"Cooper did not get me my career, Kurt. Don't be a bitch, you know I earned it."

"There's a reason he doesn't even speak to you anymore, Blaine. Maybe think about that before you try to demand things from people."

"If you're going to try and play this game with me again, you need to relearn the rules," Blaine replied swiftly, regaining his cool. "You lost out last time, and you don't want me to tell people about everything that happened afterwards, do you? It took you so much energy to keep it a secret, it would be a shame for your new boyfriend to hear about it."

Kurt swallowed heavily. "Fuck you, Blaine. That was entirely your fault. You know what, though? Do it. Tell everyone. I don't care anymore."

"You won't be saying that when it actually comes out."

"You were the cause, Blaine. I'm not ashamed of what happened. But if you want to be a dick about this, feel free. Let's see who believes you."

Blaine laughed through the phone, the sound sending a chill down Kurt's spine even from across the country. "Okay, Kurt. Was great catching up. Bye now."

Kurt hung up, throwing his phone across the room. "Jesus, what a day."

Santana leaned back in her seat, putting her legs up on the chair opposite. Sam was also opposite her, picking at the salad she had prepared for him.

"Craving some cool ranch? Or is it a certain actor friend of ours that you're craving?"

Sam threw a piece of lettuce at her.

She smiled. "You're picking that up. Do you want to talk about Glee Club?"

Sam sighed. "Like I said, I just have a weird thing with pianists. And Kurt put so much into the performance and I just couldn't help it. The lyrics, his playing, his voice. I know you understand."

Santana nodded. She might have been a big bitch, but she wasn't completely heartless. She too had felt everything that Kurt had poured into the performance. Everything about Blaine, she presumed, back in the early stages of their relationship. He hadn't been seen with any other guys and she assumed that Blaine was the only guy Kurt had been with. "He's damn good. He's going to drive Rachel crazy."

Sam chuckled. "She's not going to know whether to suck up to him or try and destroy him."

Santana's eyes darkened. "She can certainly try."

"You really like him, don't you?"

Santana rolled her eyes. "Fine. I like him. I'm not a big fanboy like you, but I like him. More importantly, I can respect and trust him. Right off the bat. It's been one day, don't you already feel like he's part of us?"

"Deep," Sam winked.

"You know what I mean," Santana scoffed. "He fits in with us so easily, it's like there was a Kurt-shaped space in our lives all this time but we didn't know it."

Sam smiled. "I get you. He has such a presence. You know they say to never meet your idols?"

Santana nodded.

"Well I met mine and he's better than I ever could have hoped. And I just know that people are going to try and make things difficult for him. Not on my fucking watch."

Santana gasped. It was rare that Sam swore. It was all part of that Southern charm shit that she had to get on board with. "We'll protect him, Sam. He thinks he'll be protecting us, but we've got him. Between the two of us and him, nothing can touch him."

"Are you worried about Blaine Anderson? Because I am."

Santana sighed. "Don't go there, Sam. Blaine's in LA. We don't need to worry about him just yet. Plus, Kurt's dad is around when we're not. I'd like to see Blaine take on Mr. Hummel."

"I'd love to see that too. Blaine seems like such a nice guy for the cameras, but he's so transparent, it actually pains me a little bit."

"He's clueless. He doesn't know how to get by on actual talent. He relies on a persona."

Sam nodded. "We have to keep him away if he comes calling. I know Kurt said he'd file an injunction against him, but we can deal with Blaine personally."

Santana rubbed her hands together, sensing that a storm was coming and that she and Sam would be there when it did.