Kurt's last days of starring in Almost There were coming to a close. Alexander had quickly become a part of him, but he couldn't keep turning down roles when they were offered to him. Sure, he was going to miss the show and everyone tremendously, but this wasn't good for his career that was now starting to take off. His last week was filled with tears. Everyone was constantly coming up to and hugging him, and claiming how much they would miss him, and how no matter who picked up the role of Alexander now, they would never do him justice like Kurt had.

After re-doing his make up and changing into his outfit for the second half of the show, he sat backstage, chatting animatedly with Arielle, the girl who had played his sister in the show. They chatted about their time together and how they would have to stay in touch once he left the production. Their conversation was cut short by a man clearing his throat from behind the two. When Kurt looked up, he groaned inwardly, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. This was his last day — it was meant to be filled with group hugs and tears, but now he was just annoyed.

He'd avoided Andy at all costs off-stage since their last encounter, only acknowledging him when they had a scene to do together. Andy was a nice guy and everything, and Kurt might not mind hanging out with him sometimes if he wasn't so damn obnoxious, or constantly trying to flirt with him when he was fully aware that Kurt was not interested. It had been weeks since the two had actually talked out of character, and Kurt was actually thankful for that, as horrible as it might seem. Since Andy hadn't talked to him in so long, Kurt thought the boy had given up on him. Unfortunately, it seemed like he hadn't.

Arielle stood up and Kurt shot her a pleading look as she did so. In response, she just gave him a sad smile and a shrug and disappeared. Kurt didn't care this time and let out the frustrated groan, slapping his forehead down in his hands. He did not want to be alone with Andy, and he was silently praying to whatever deity was out there that someone would join the two. He cursed everyone who had decided to stay clear and leave the two alone.

Kurt finally turned to face Andy, gritting his teeth. "What do you want?"

It wasn't like Kurt to be this rude or nasty, to anyone, but he'd seriously had enough of this man and his horrible attempts of hitting on him. In a way, he was thankful that he was leaving. It meant he wouldn't have to be around Andy at all. After this last show, Andy would be completely gone from his life, and he let out a relieved sigh at the thought of not having to deal with this nuisance any longer. Kurt wasn't usually the one to hate, but he could honestly say that he despised this man.

Andy ducked his head slightly, rubbing at his neck nervously as he contemplated how to word what he wanted to say. "I just wanted to — er — well, I wanted to know if you were still dating that guy? Blake? Brian?" he finally blurted out.

And Kurt had had enough. He sat straight up and jumped to his feet, glaring daggers at the man sitting on the couch below him. Kurt's fists were balled up and he was positively fuming. "Blaine. His name is Blaine," he corrected. "And yes, for your information, though it is clearly none of your business, we are still dating, and I am very much in love with him. So I would greatly appreciate it if you would please stop asking me. I have had enough of it, and I've been trying to be nice, but honestly, you are so — so completely obnoxious, and I cannot take it anymore! Even if Blaine and I weren't dating, I would not be taking you up on one of your many offers. You are the complete opposite of my type and I would really like it if you would stop bugging me!"

Andy stared up at Kurt, his mouth hanging open and his eyes full of shock and hurt and rejection, but Kurt couldn't careless at this point. He would do whatever it takes for this guy to just leave him alone. He was just so infuriating, all the anger seemed to boil up and Kurt couldn't stop himself from spilling out how he felt about him. He knew he would feel guilty for it later, but at the moment it had felt good, really good, to get that out in the open. Maybe Andy would get the hint now, and if he didn't, Kurt had no idea what else to do.

"Fine," Andy croaked, pushing himself up to his feet. "I'm sorry — I just — nevermind. I'll get over it. Bye, Kurt."

Kurt could only roll his eyes as he watched him walk away with his shoulders slumped, and Kurt could've sworn he heard sniffling, and he knew he should feel bad about this, but he was just too elated that he didn't have this burden anymore, and he could go about spending his last day the way he'd planned. With lots of tears and hugging.

When the show ended, everyone filed backstage. Kurt was the last to join and once he did, everyone surrounded him, pulling him into a hug so big that Kurt couldn't even move. But he didn't care — he hugged back as much as he could and let the tears run down his cheeks along with the others. The hug lasted about five minutes, and Kurt finally excused himself to change out of his costume and clear away the make up. When he returned, fully clothed in his own outfit, he was tackled again by a group of the girls. He sighed, hugging them back. He slung his bag over his shoulder when they broke off the hug and there were a chorus of waves and 'we'll miss you's' as Kurt exited the building.

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Kurt spent the next few days just bumming around the apartment. Since he'd quit his job at the club and he wasn't doing the show anymore, he really didn't know what to do with himself. And he couldn't exactly hang out with Blaine — his students were keeping him busy again with double lessons, and God only knows where Rachel was. Probably yelling at some casting director for not giving her the part in a show. He smiled fondly at the thought, because he knew that's something that Rachel would do. She was used to having her way, most likely ever since she was little. Rachel was a diva and had a fit whenever she didn't get what she wanted. That's why she got most of the solos back when she and Kurt were in high school.

He frowned at bit as he thought back to when he was in New Directions. He always thought he was a little under-appreciated in the club. He was clearly very talented, but yet he was forced to sing along in the background, while Rachel was up front. Sure, he got a few solos, but he was still bitter about not getting more. He was a countertenor for crying out loud, did Mr. Schue not realize that it was very rare to come across one? He shrugged it off, though. It was in the past and over with, and look where it got him today. Actually acting in a Broadway musical! It was his dream come true.

To get his mind off of things, he ventured to his closet and pulled out the untouched Mood bag. He spilled the bag onto the bed and examined the contents. The fabrics he'd picked out were a maroon and a light blue silk. He picked up the fabrics, biting his lip as he contemplated which one to use. He pictured the finished projects on Blaine and decided that the blue would look best. Stuffing the other fabric back into the bag and closet, he set to work.

He was almost finished sewing the buttons on the shirt when he heard his phone buzzing from behind him. He wheeled his chair around and reached out for his phone, staring at the caller ID for a moment before answering. Carole. Why was she calling him? She never called him, she always talked to him from stealing the phone away from his father. The only time she would ever call him would be to confirm that he was still coming to Ohio for a certain holiday, or if there was something wrong. His eyes widened as he realized there must be something wrong at home and he answered the phone frantically.

"H-hello?"

"Kurt! Oh, honey, I'm afraid that I have some bad news."

Kurt closed his eyes, flopping down less than gracefully onto his bed. He tried to calm himself, but he was shaking too much from worry. "What is it? Oh my god, is dad okay?"

He could practically see the frown on her face as she contemplated what to say. "Well, he's in the hospital right now. But don't worry, sweetie. The doctors say he's going to be just fine. They're watching over him for a few days."

Kurt still hadn't relaxed, and he was shaking more now, if that was even possible. He knew that his father's health wasn't all that great, and he was in a coma for a while when Kurt was in high school. Carole had promised him, when he moved to New York, that she would watch over him and not let Burt get a hold of anything that could be potentially dangerous to his heart. Kurt sighed. He was really glad that his father was going to be okay, but that still didn't stop him from worrying. He was already planning in his mind to make a trip down to Ohio. He couldn't stay here when he knew his father was in the hospital.

"What happened to him?" Kurt finally asked, trying not to let his voice crack.

Carole explained that Burt had had a dizzy spell — he was shaky and confused, and he'd passed out. It wasn't because of his sugar or anything, and he hadn't consumed any alcohol. In fact, the whole thing was just all of a sudden, that's why the doctors insisted on keeping him in the hospital for a couple of days. They wanted to watch over him, make sure he wouldn't have anymore of these symptoms and try to figure out the cause. Carole tried to protest when Kurt informed her that he would be coming down. He didn't care if he was being taken care of in the hospital — he wanted to see his dad, and nothing was going to stop him.

After ending the call with Carole, he'd given up on sewing the rest of the buttons on the shirt. Instead, he folded it up neatly and packed it away for another time. He sat cross-legged on his bed, his hands folded in his lap as he just stared out the window. It was sunny and nice out, but Kurt didn't feel all that cheery anymore. He thought he was feeling somewhat better, that is, until he heard footsteps echoing the hall and saw a familiar mop of curls standing at his door.

He broke down again, sprinting over to the boy and wrapping his arms around his neck. Blaine gave him a questioning look, but didn't say anything. He knew now was not a good time to try and get anything out of Kurt, he knew he needed to be comforted for whatever reason was making him feel this way. And he did just that. He wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist and led them back over to his bed, sitting them down. Kurt nuzzled his face further into the crook of Blaine's neck, and the boy rubbed his back soothingly.

When Kurt's sobs subsided, he lifted his head slowly, looking helplessly up at Blaine, who was still holding him tightly in his arms. Blaine removed one hand to wipe a stray tear that was falling down Kurt's cheek, smiling at him gently. "Kurt, what happened?"

Kurt proceeded to tell him everything Carole had said, and the smile on Blaine's face was quickly replaced with a frown and a look of pity for his boyfriend. Kurt moved out of Blaine's arms, but kept his head rested against his shoulder. He continued on, hesitating a bit on his proposal of Blaine going to Ohio to visit with him. He wasn't sure if he was ready to meet his family, but Kurt wanted him to be. He knew that his family, especially Carole, would love him, and hopefully Blaine would feel the same way. That was why he hesitated. Biting his lip, he stared down at his hands for a minute before looking back up and clearing his throat before speaking once again.

"Come with me?" he squeaked out. He clamped his hand over his mouth at the look on Blaine's face when the words spewed out. He knew it was a bad idea and he should've just kept his mouth shut.

"Kurt — I—" Blaine's mouth formed a line as he contemplated his answer. He loved Kurt, and going by his expression he really wanted and needed him to go with him back to Ohio, which he hadn't visited since he graduated high school. There were some memories there that he really wanted to leave behind and going back may just rile them up again, but he couldn't do that to Kurt. He'd have to be strong for his boyfriend, and worry about it on his own time. "When are we leaving?"

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Kurt had booked a flight for them that evening. He'd considered just waiting to get one in the morning, Blaine liked that option best, but he wanted to get down there as fast as possible. After booking their flight, Blaine kissed him goodbye so that he could go and get his own things before they left. Kurt, on the other hand, took that time to break down in Rachel's arms as soon as she walked through the door, then he rushed to get packed. Blaine returned around 4, which gave them an hour to get to the airport and through security before their plane arrived.

When they landed, they headed right to baggage claim and then made their way outside where Carole and Finn were waiting for them. Kurt dropped Blaine's hand and his bags and rushed into Carole's arms. He turned to Finn, who leaned down to hug Kurt back awkwardly considering the height distance. After the little reunion, Kurt introduced the two to Blaine, who smiled and waved nervously. He shrunk down when Kurt pushed him over to shake Finn's hand, and he turned, holding his arm out again for Carole. She stared at him before swiping it away and pulling him into a bone-crushing hug. 

"He's even more handsome than you said," she giggled over at Kurt. The comment made him blush and glare daggers at his step-mother but earned him a smirk from Blaine, who sauntered back over to him. He nudged his ribs, waggling his eyebrows. 

"You think I'm handsome?" he teased.

Kurt rolled his eyes, playfully pushing Blaine away. "Hush up. Now let's go."

They tossed their bags into the trunk of the SUV and piled inside, Blaine and Kurt in the back and Finn taking the passenger's seat. Blaine was holding Kurt's hand, but stared out the window the whole ride back to the Hummel-Hudson home. Westerville was two hours away from Lima, so Blaine had never really been there. He was amazed by how small of a town it was. He thought back to his parents, wondering if they were in the state or on a business trip. They were always on business trips when Blaine was younger; leaving him home with no one except for the maids. His thoughts moved to his high school days — where he had run from the bullies and transferred to Dalton. He thought back to — No. You're here for Kurt. He pulled his mind away from his past and looked up right as they were pulling into the driveway.

The house was nice, Blaine noted. It wasn't too small or too big, just the right size with white siding and a garden with an array of beautiful flowers. Something his old house never had. It was beautiful, yes, but it felt empty. Since his parents were hardly ever home, they didn't feel the need to put up too many decorations, keeping it plain. This house already seemed more homey than his parents', and they were still only outside. He shook his head, ridding his mind of these thoughts again, then followed Kurt into the house quietly. He didn't have much time to look around since Kurt was pulling him upstairs to his old bedroom.

Kurt's room had been untouched apart from the basic dusting and the boys tossed their bags on the queen-sized bed. Blaine took the time to look around the room while Kurt set off for his bathroom to put away his lotions. The walls were a cream colour, and the carpet looked soft and fluffy. The shelves were littered with a few cheerleading trophies and even a few for Glee, plus pictures of what Blaine was guessing were his old friends, some with just Rachel and a black girl, his father and a woman who Blaine decided was his mother going by the matching chestnut hair and blue eyes.

When Kurt came back, he made his way over to where Blaine was admiring the decor. He wrapped his arms around his waist from behind and rested his head on his shoulder. They stayed there for a few minutes, lost in each other's eyes before they heard Carole calling them from downstairs. They both jumped and exited their trance, laughing at how silly they'd been. Blaine reached out for Kurt's hand and they ventured back downstairs. They found Carole in the kitchen, swatting Finn's hand away when he tried to dip his finger into the bowl of mashed potatoes.

"Just go set the table, Finn," she sighed, slapping his hand away once again. He grumbled and pushed past Kurt and Blaine, plates and glasses in hand as he headed to the dining room. Kurt used his free hand to cover his mouth when a giggle escaped. Blaine smiled at him in amusement and Carole rolled her eyes, though her eyes were lit up. She stopped stirring the potatoes and turned to the boys. "We'll go visit your dad tomorrow," she informed then walked over to them. "Dinner's ready. Would you boys mind bringing the rest of the dishes into the dining room?"

She didn't give them time to answer before she was gone, so the boys dropped their hands and grabbed the rest of the food, following after her carefully. They set the food down on the table and took their seats. Finn sat across from Kurt, who was sat by Blaine, with Carole at the head of the table. Kurt eyed the other spot which was reserved for his father and frowned slightly. It wasn't the same without his dad, but at least he had Blaine and he would get to see him tomorrow.

Blaine squeezed his hand gently before bowing his head. When Carole finished the prayer, she okayed everyone to dig in. Kurt looked over at Finn in disgust as he shoveled food into his mouth. Blaine just watched in curiosity as he piled his own plate with food. He thought about how his parents always raised him to have manners at the dinner table, but Finn vaguely resembled a garbage disposal at the moment. When Carole noticed, she scolded the boy, earning a snicker from both Kurt and Blaine.

After finishing dinner, Carole suggested they watch a movie together, but Kurt and Blaine opted for just going upstairs and getting settled in. Kurt planned to leave a few days after his dad came back from the hospital, but he hadn't a clue when that was going to be. It wasn't like he had anything to do back in New York, so he could stay as long as he needed to. The boys pulled on their pajamas and curled up in bed, Kurt lying his head on Blaine's chest with their hands tangled together.

"I think Carole really likes you," Kurt said quietly, leaning up to nuzzle his nose against Blaine's chin.

Blaine smiled down at the boy, not revealing how much that actually mattered to him. They hadn't known each other for too long, just a couple of hours, but Carole was already treating Blaine like part of the family and he couldn't get enough of it. "I like her too," he whispered back. "Finn's a little... different, though."

Kurt snorted. "Yes. Awkwardly tall, human garbage disposal. But he's really just a big teddy bear. Now," he yawned and snuggled closer into Blaine. "Sleep time."

Blaine leaned down to kiss the boy's head. "Goodnight, baby. I love you."

"M'love you, too."

_________________________________

The next morning after breakfast, everyone(excluding Finn, who had to get to the garage) set off to the hospital. Kurt stood right outside of Burt's room, with Carole and Blaine behind him. Kurt was hesitant to go in — he really didn't want to see his father like this, the first time he saw him lying in a hospital bed had been enough for him. But he knew he couldn't just stand out in the hallway all day and peek into the room. He had to be brave. Blaine offered to go in the room with him, but Kurt declined; he needed to see his father alone first. Carole nodded encouragingly and Blaine squeezed his hand when he turned around to face them. He sighed and closed his eyes, dropping Blaine's hand before he pushed the door open and walked in.

"Hi, dad," Kurt spoke softly, slowly making his way over to his dad's bed. The man turned his attention from the tv to his right, where Kurt was standing, shuffling his feet awkwardly. Burt smiled and held out his arms instantly, pulling Kurt into a tight hug. Kurt closed his eyes again, sighing into the hug as he embraced the man back. He dabbed his eyes and pulled away, giving the older man a weak smile.

"Hey, bud," Burt greeted, "what are you doin' here?"

Kurt had pulled a chair right up to the side of the bed and was gripping his dad's hand in his, unaware that Carole and Blaine had fled downstairs to the cafeteria. He knew that his father didn't want him to worry, but Kurt couldn't help it. After Blaine, his dad was the only good thing Kurt had left. He honestly had no idea what he would do if he lost him. He shuddered just thinking about it.

"I had to see you." Burt opened his mouth to speak, but quickly shut it when he noticed the pained look in Kurt's eyes and let his son continue. "Carole said you were going to be fine, but I couldn't believe it. Not until I actually saw you. I'm so glad you're okay, though, dad."

Burt smiled up at his son, running his thumb across the back of Kurt's hand. "Glad I am, too," he replied gruffly, "I am happy you came to see me, kid. It's been too long."

Kurt nodded and they quickly enveloped themselves in a conversation about how each other had been since they'd been together last. Sure, Kurt always made to call him every few days, but it felt so good to see his dad face to face, even if it was in a hospital room. Burt told him all about the shop, about how business was really doing great, and a few crazy things that Finn had done. 

Kurt rolled his eyes and shook his head at his brother's antics, but there was a small smile playing at his lips. He'd been so engrossed in the conversation he hadn't heard the door squeak open, and he hadn't realized anyone was in the room until he felt someone tap his shoulder. He jumped and let out a yelp, turning to see who was standing behind him. He glared up at the boy who just smiled sheepishly back.

Kurt pushed out his chair and stood up, moving so that he was right next to Blaine. "Dad, this is my boyfriend," he introduced once seeing the confused expression on Burt's face.

"Burt Hummel," he said, sitting up a little in the bed and sticking his hand out for Blaine to shake.

"Blaine Anderson. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Hummel."

"Call me Burt."

"Yes, Sir — Burt," he said quickly when the older man eyed him.

Kurt excused himself to grab a cup of coffee after his father and Blaine's introductions, earning a pleading look from Blaine after he announced it. To be honest, Blaine was a little... well, intimidated by Burt. He seemed nice enough, but this was his boyfriend's father for crying out loud, so yeah, he was scared to be left alone with the man this soon after their first meeting. Kurt only smiled at him and kissed his cheek before he was gone, leaving the two men alone. The older man eyed him and he squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze.

"You're treatin' my boy well, aren't you?" Burt asked after a moment of surveilling Blaine.

Blaine nodded quickly, looking up at the man from his feet. "Yes. I would never treat him horribly, Sir."

Burt nodded at him, not saying anything for a few more moments. He wanted to make sure that this boy really was going to be treating his son the way he was supposed to be, not like his last few boyfriends.

"He's been hurt before," he informed, "though he doesn't let it show... Kurt's fragile. With everything he's been through — his mother's death, my coma a few years back and all of the bullying back in high school — he's been treated roughly enough. He needs to be treated right."

Blaine gulped, twiddling his fingers. Kurt hadn't ever said anything about being bullied in high school. He'd expected it, but he never really talked about it. He only said he was picked on since he was the only out gay person in his school, he never mentioned actual bullying or went into further detail. He would have to ask him about it, not now, but sometime. When the time was right. He wanted to know everything about Kurt, even the bad things. He wanted to fix this boy. Wanted to protect him from any harm.

"I would never do anything to hurt him," Blaine replied. "Kurt... Kurt is honestly the best thing that's ever happened to me. I would never imagine treating him badly. Your son is one of the strongest, most amazing and beautiful people I have ever met," he ducked his a head little, blushing, as he continued with the next part of his speech, "I am absolutely in love with your son. I think I have been since the first time I saw him. He makes my heart skip a beat and my stomach do flips. I will always do my best to keep him safe, to keep him happy, and make sure he knows just how much I love him."

He hadn't noticed that Kurt was at the door peeking inside to listen to him. Kurt felt tears welling up in his eyes. It made his heart swell to know that his feelings were reciprocated by Blaine, to know that he wasn't the only one so desperately in love in their relationship. He tossed his half-empty cup in a can right outside the door and resisted the urge to just run in the room and jump into Blaine's arms and kiss him over and over until their lips were red and swollen. There would be another time for that, so for now he just watched secretly behind the door as he poured out his feelings to his father. God, he was so in love with him, and the fact that the two people who meant the most to him were getting along just made his heart swell up even more.

_________________________________

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, Kurt. I'm perfectly fine," Burt assured his son for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. Blaine and Kurt were going back to New York today, though Kurt was a little hesitant about leaving his father so soon after he had been released from the hospital. "You know I wouldn't lie to you, bud. Now go on, get out of here." Kurt threw himself into the older man's arms one last time before he let himself be pulled away to the car by Blaine.

With the promise of calling his dad as soon as they landed at the airport, they sped off. He leaned his head against Blaine's shoulder lazily as Carole drove them off to the airport. Kurt bit his lip, his gaze trailing up to Blaine. He debated on telling him about the other day at the hospital, about how he'd heard everything Blaine had said to his father. There was something nagging inside of him to hear it from Blaine himself.

"Blaine?" he finally decided to just ask. What could it hurt?

"Hmm?"

"I — I overheard you that day at the hospital, when you were talking to my dad. Did you really mean all of it?"

Blaine didn't say anything, only leaned his head down to catch Kurt's lips in a kiss. He intertwined their hands together and pulled back with a grin. "Yes. Every word of it." He didn't care if his feelings weren't returned by Kurt. He couldn't deny his feelings, and it felt incredibly good to have it out in the open.

Kurt couldn't contain the grin that had plastered over his face. It was Blaine's favourite smile — the way Kurt's eyes crinkled and his teeth showed. It just made him want to lean in and kiss him forever. "I am so in love with you," Kurt mumbled as he reattached their lips.