“Dad, Dad, Dad!” Justin burst into Kurt’s bedroom. “Dad! You awake? Tana said you have to take me to school today.”

Kurt rolled onto his back to face his very awake, very energized son. It had always been a heady thing, to have your own, once unique, eyes staring back at you first thing in the morning.

“Dad, did you hear me? Your eyes are open but you’re not moving,” Justin started to bounce slightly on the bed.

“Justin it’s seven-thirty in the morning and it’s a my Friday. Why am I taking you to school?” Kurt reached out and grabbed the moving boy and pinned him against his chest in a tight grip.

“Dad! Let me go!” Justin put up a weak struggle to free himself. The bare minimum of what was necessary of a growing boy’s disdain for morning cuddles with his father.

So when the boy stilled in his arms Kurt buried his happy smile in Justin’s hair. He sent thanks to the universe that he had one more day to enjoy this before Justin thought he was “too old”.

He was sad to break the moment. “Let’s try this again. Justin, why am I taking you to school?”

Justin sighed into Kurt’s shoulder. “Tana said that she’s got an appointment with her lady doctor. So she’s already gone because of traffic. And I already ate so you just have to take me to school.”

“Fair enough. Go on and make sure you have all your things while I put on some clothes.”

“Okay,” Justin shot out of the room like a bullet, somehow the door softly closed behind him.

Alone again Kurt reached up to his headboard and stretched his body out all the way to his toes, cracking every joint he could manage one by one. Normally after work he would have driven straight home and into bed so he would be less of a groggy asshole when Justin said goodbye for the day. But he just had to be a nice guy last night and take Blaine home. So instead of having a refreshing nap Kurt was borderline psychotic with exhaustion. Lucky Justin.

Kurt pulled on the pair of pajama pants he kept handy by his bedside and stumbled into the bathroom to splash cold water on his face. He sighed at the memories of high school and the first half of college when a quarter to six in the morning was the start of his day. After a sea salt exfoliating shower he would sit down at his vanity and complete an over zealous moisturizing routine. Every morning spending an hour and half on naturally flawless skin that could have been better spent sleeping or having more of a breakfast than a granola bar, or sleeping, or generally being a more productive person. Or sleeping!

Just twenty more minutes and I can go back to sleep until Justin comes home. Then family time, dinner, a quick nap and then up and ready for the always exciting Friday night shift at the bar. And Blaine’s first Friday night.

He slipped on his oldest and most comfortable pair of Converse and a hoodie. He was just dropping the kid off at school not hitting the runway. He let his thoughts wander to Blaine, again.

I wonder how Blaine will do with the larger crowd and full of tourists. Kurt smiled at the thought. The way Blaine fed off the locals the night before was nothing short of amazing. He’ll do great as long as no one gets him drunk.

“Have a good time at work last night Dad?” Justin asked from the kitchen.

“It was fine. Normal Thursday. Decent tips. Why?” Kurt leaned against the table across from his son.

Justin bit his lip and grinned. “You’re kinda smiling like an idiot right now.”

“I am not!” Kurt felt himself blush. It was too early to be called out by his kid. It was going to be one of those days.

“Yes, yes you are. But don’t worry. I’m not judging you. It’s nice to see you smile like that. Didn’t a new band start last night?” He kept up as he followed his father into the garage.

Kurt grabbed his keys from the hook. “Yes. Get in the car.”

“Meet anyone new in the new band?” Justin lost the fight against the giggles.

“You ask too many questions. Put on your seatbelt.”

Questions that didn’t stop for the entire drive to school.

“What’s his name Dad?” Justin sing-songed.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kurt said through gritted teeth.

“Does he sing? Is he a good singer? Bass player? Or, dear god! He’s not the drummer is he?”

“There is nothing wrong with drummers Justin. Uncle Finn is a drummer. And stop it.”

“Guitar?”

“Piano.” Dammit!

“A-ha! I knew that there was someone!” Justin’s feet kicked out in excitement. “What’s his name Dad?”

Kurt pulled to the curb of the school. “Okay son have a good day at school. No getting into any fights and try to not learn something that I already know incase you need help with your homework.”

“You’re no fun. I’ll get it out of you later,” Justin gave him a smug smile. “Patience is a virtue that I happen to posses.” He closed the car door and flounced towards a group of children that Kurt recognized as Justin’s close friends.

Kurt couldn’t let a golden opportunity like this to just go to waste. In a flash he was sitting in his open window with his elbows on the top of the Navigator.

“Okay Justin Sweetheart Hummel. Daddy loves you so much. I’ll be waiting for you at home, my precious angel baby cupcake!” Kurt smiled and waved at his horrified son. “Bye-bye darling.” He blew the boy a kiss for good measure.

He looked into the rearview mirror as he drove away and was pleased to see the kids he had known since Justin started school laughing along with Justin. He was proud of his son’s ability to surround himself with a good solid core group of friends. Kurt had no doubt that his son would have a very different high school experience from his own.

Kurt’s smile only grew when he heard his phone chime with a new text message.

Well played. You win. No more questions. –Justin

Kurt replied from the garage.

Don’t try to out due the master my son. You are not prepared. I <3 U –Dad

As it turned out, Justin was a much more worthy adversary than Kurt had been willing to give him credit for.

“So, Hummel,” Santana was perched above him on the armrest as he dozed on the couch. “Word around the water cooler is that there might be a boy man enough to make even you blush.”

Kurt tried to wave her away to no avail.

“Come on Kurtie. You know how we feel about lying in this house,” she was placating him.

“Santana,” Kurt groaned into the couch cushion, “you can’t always believe the rumor mill. You know that people who work at bars can’t be trusted.”

She gasped. “Who said anything about anyone at the bar? My source is much closer to you than that.”

She reached down to tuck Kurt’s hair behind his ear. A spot she knew was sweet for him.

But he was in no mood to be pet.

“Justin.” Kurt sat up. “He’s only supposed to use that cell for emergencies.”

“Oh Kurt don’t pout, you’ll get wrinkles,” she slid down and plopped beside him. “You can’t blame the kid. First time in years he sees his father crushing on another guy? Sounds like an emergency to me.”

Was he crushing? And how would Justin know what that looked like anyway? The last time that Kurt had any inclinations towards any sort of romance with another man Justin had been three. Back when Kurt had still been so young and naïve to think that being a single father and dating would be so easy. Cute kids were supposed to be better than a puppy right? And there was no toddler cuter than Justin, ever.

So when he had come up with the brilliant idea to take Justin on a day trip to Columbus for Pride, he thought it was going to be like shooting fish in a barrel.

“Daddy want ice cream!” Justin squealed from his stroller.

“Justin you just had funnel cake. That’s a lot of sugar for your little body,” Kurt tried to explain.

Justin twisted to look up at Kurt with big shining eyes. “Please Daddy?”

“Oh my God how can you possibly say no to a face like that?” A boy, no a man, approached them. “Daddy please let him have some ice cream! He’s breaking my heart.”

“And who is going to save my breaking heart when the sugar rush hits him?” Kurt noticed how warm the other man’s smile was. How it made his brown eyes light up.

“Well,” the man took a step closer to Kurt, “this place is going to stop being ‘family friendly’ in like an hour anyway. And there happens to be a nice park down the street that you can just let him run around and work off that sugar. Unless there’s someone else you need to run that by first?”

“No,” Kurt almost shouted out. “Um, it’s just Justin and me, there’s no one else.”

Way to not look desperate. Kurt berated himself.

“My name’s Tom.”

“Kurt,” he took the offered hand. “And this is Justin, my- my son.”

Tom kneeled beside the stroller. “Heya Justin. Would you like Daddy and me to take you to the park?”

“Can I have ice cream?” Justin pouted.

“Well Daddy? What do you say?” Tom flashed his own puppy dog eyes up at Kurt.

It didn’t last long.

The novelty of dating a man with a kid faded quicker than Kurt had thought it would. Cancelled dates due to a sick child; not having the freedom of the completely unencumbered. It all piled up until the inevitable conversation.

“You’re wonderful Kurt. I really care about you and Justin. You’re a great father and your priorities should be to Justin, of course. It’s not you it’s me. I’m just not there yet. You were meant for this but, in my life, right now, I need someone a little more there. For me. I know it sounds selfish but look at it from my side. There’s someone out there for you Kurt. Someone who will love you and Justin the way that you both deserve to be loved. Maybe when Justin is older and not so dependent on you. I really hope that we can stay friends.”

Kurt shuddered at the memory. Sure he had been disappointed in the moment, he had grown really fond of Tom. And worse, so had Justin. The poor boy had been heartbroken to find out that Tom wouldn’t be coming around anymore to play with him. And that had pissed Kurt off even more than being dumped.

But it had been an important life lesson. The only relationships worth a damn in Kurt’s life was with his family. His family was all that mattered.

“Jesus Kurt! You’re not still stuck on that douche bag from Pride are you? That was five years ago!” Santana scoffed. “Kurt that guy was an asshole! He was twenty-seven going on four and that was the only reason he got along so well with Justin.”

“Where is all this coming from Tana?” Kurt grumbled and tried to bury his head into her shoulder. “I need sleep. I have a shift tonight.”

“Yes you do. So I’ll leave you to your beauty sleep,” she placed a soft kiss on his forehead. “But don’t think that this conversation is over. I need to clean up in here so go to your room to sleep.”

Kurt wobbled on his feet and made his way to his room. Even stretched out on his own comfortable bed he couldn’t manage to shut his brain off long enough to go back to sleep.

He had just met Blaine the night before and while having met someone an hour before rarely stopped him from having a little fun Kurt knew that this was different. Blaine was different. As to the how and the why and all those other pesky incidentals, Kurt had no clue.

It was just too strange that after only one night to feel so, something. He almost felt like a teenager again experiencing his first real crush on another boy. Only, unlike in high school, this crush had a chance of reciprocating. Maybe.

It’s not like Blaine had gone running for the hills after Kurt had pressed their lips together. It wasn’t that Kurt didn’t want to make a move on Blaine, to run his fingers through such luscious looking thick curly hair. To feel Blaine’s body over him, to-

Kurt shook his head to clear that line of thinking.

He needed to stop being so concerned about the amazing singer with the beautiful smile.

And there is that whole working together thing. He reminded himself. One really shouldn’t piss in the company pool and all.

But maybe he just couldn’t bring himself to care.

Kurt pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes and kicked his legs out in frustration.

Why am I even thinking about this?

He forced his eyes closed and fell into a fitful sleep.

Kurt had never been so nervous to go to work before and that was including his first day.

“Hey, Kurt!” Blaine bounced across the break room to Kurt’s side.

“Hello Blaine,” Kurt couldn’t help but smile back. The man’s enthusiasm to even just say hello was infectious.

Blaine sighed. “Look, sorry about last night. If I said anything out of line or did anything. I don’t think I did but it never hurts to apologize or something. You’re not talking. I did say something stupid! I-”

Kurt laughed in earnest, “Stop. I can’t get a word in with you babbling.” Kurt pulled his mouth into a pout. “You really don’t remember anything?”

Blaine breathed what must have been a sigh of relief. “Oh no Kurt, I remember everything but I wanted to make sure none of what I remember saying like pissed you off or anything,” he quickly explained.

“And why would anyone get pissed off at being called pretty?” Kurt grinned. “I’ve never been called pretty before.”

Why don’t you just bat your eyelashes at him while you’re at it with the flirting? Give the man a coy giggle maybe?

Blaine had the good sense to blush. “Yeah see that. Okay. I uh- seem to remember also that you um- kissed me.”

Kurt slowly leaned forward, his lips a breath away from Blaine’s. “You ramble when you’re nervous. How else was I supposed to shut you up?”

He waited a beat to see what Blaine’s reaction would be and was momentarily hurt when the other man pulled away, laughing.

“By all means feel free to shut me up like that anytime,” Blaine gave him another brilliant smile. “But right now I had better get to the stage.”

“For the sound check?” Kurt shrugged.

“For the sound check,” Blaine continued to smile. He reached up and gave Kurt’s forearm a gentle squeeze. Naturally, Kurt couldn’t help but flex a little.

“But Kurt?”

God does he have to say my name with every other sentence like that? Kurt gave himself a mental kick to focus on where Blaine was standing at the door.

“Yeah?” Kurt fought the wince at how high his voice sounded.

“Maybe tonight after work we could get something to eat? Sober me this time?”

If I get a coffee I could last through breakfast and still be able to go to sleep when I got home. I just need to text Justin that I might not be home when he wakes up. Wouldn’t be the first time.

“Yeah sure, I’d like that.”