Chrysanthemums

Chapter 25

Kurt was doing some redecorating when there was a knock on his door.

"Surprise!" Rachel exclaimed, hugging him. "You were gone so long, you'd better have a good excuse, mister!"

He grinned. "I'm falling in love."

Her eyes went wide. "Tell me everything about him. Everything."

He shut the door, shaking his head at her worry. "He's a good guy, Rachel."

"Kurt, your last boyfriend put his cigarettes out on your skin," she said, gesturing to his shoulder. "Of course I'm protective."

"I promise you, Blaine's nothing like him. It's... I can tell him anything, Rach. And I have."

"Wait, Blaine, as in the guy helping Mr. Schue with the glee club?" she asked excitedly.

He laughed. "Yep. Does that tell you enough about him to trust me when I say he's a good guy?"

"I mean, Karofsky's son is in the glee club."

"Max is a good kid, Rachel. He can't help who his biological father is. And he doesn't even like him."

"Karofsky doesn't like Max or Max doesn't like Karofsky?"

"Both, actually." He'd gotten back to his guest room, which was emptied. "Watch your step, I recommend you stay outside or stand in the middle of the room."

She looked in, seeing he was repainting it a warm pastel yellow. "What's going on in here?"

"Redecorating. But I've told Blaine everything– well, I'm telling him everything, but I'm not finished yet. He knows everything about high school."

"Everything?" she asked knowingly.

But she didn't know. "Yep, everything. He knows I used to cut myself."

She paused. "I– really? How'd he react?"

"He told me my chrysanthemums were very pretty. And he's being telling me everything, too."

"Like what?"

"I'm not betraying his confidence, Rachel." He paused, thinking of something he could tell her. "He has a daughter."

"WHAT?"

He laughed. "Is it really that shocking?"

"No, but that he's moving here is!"

"What?" He didn't look at her, continuing to paint.

"Oh, cut your crap, you're painting one of your spare bedrooms yellow. This is gonna be her bedroom, isn't it?"

Kurt sighed, looking back at her. "It will be if they visit. I told him that he and Tracy are welcome here anytime. But you are not allowed to talk like that and freak him out, got it?"

"What about his wife?"

"Ex-husband. They don't have anything to do with each other anymore."

"What about custody?"

"Blaine has full custody. Rach, I know what I'm doing. I'm not marrying him or something. Just calm down."

She sighed, walking over and kneeling beside him. "But what if he hurts you, Kurt?" she asked quietly.

He kissed her cheek. "He's not going to, I promise. He is less violent than Brittany."

Rachel laughed. "Is that possible?"

"I didn't think so until I met him."