CHAPTER 24

Summer came to an end. There was Blaine's birthday – much less dramatic and more enjoyable this year, without impending goodbyes or inappropriate presents or, well, breaking up – and then school started, causing Kurt's anxiety to stir.

But every single day after classes, fresh from meeting new, interesting people, making friends and conquering the world, Blaine came back to him. He was bouncy and affectionate, eager to spend their time together, to talk and play new things for Kurt, to tell him all about his day and to have crazy amounts of sex.

Nope, he didn't seem bored with his decade older boyfriend at all.

In fact, they still couldn't get enough of each other, stealing away every free moment they could spare (and some they really shouldn't) to be together – so much so that all too often it was late at night before they realized that Blaine should probably go home. Nine times out of ten, it ended with him simply staying the night anyway. He had enough of his things at Kurt's now that it wasn't a problem, and obviously, neither of them minded.

Eventually, at the beginning of November, during a Saturday brunch, Cooper grumbled.

"Why don't you two just move in together? This is the first time I've seen Blaine all week, and he's supposed to live with me."

There was no anger in Coop's voice, just teasing, but the question sounded earnest enough and Kurt gaped at him, stunned.

"Wait, are you serious? You wouldn't mind?"

Coop chuckled and grinned in this cute way that made his face all scrunchy. He'd done that a lot in the last two months, mostly due to one adorable redhead junior analyst from his company.

"Well I hadn't planned for him to move out quite so soon but since he basically lives with you now anyway... It would just be a formality at this point. And I'd finally be able to stop worrying he'll come home at the worst possible moment when Melissa's over. Really, getting dressed every time either of us wants to go grab some water or whipped cream or whatever gets pretty tedious lately."

Since Kurt was busy rolling his eyes, Cooper turned to Blaine.

"Not that I'm kicking you out, Bee. You can stay if you want and it'll always be home, no matter what, but in case you two were interested in having the same address, you have my blessing. That's all I'm saying."

Blaine's mouth was half-open at this point, but his eyes were already sparkling with child-like enthusiasm as he looked over at Kurt, who grinned.

"So what do you say? Will you move in with me? I should warn you I'm really snappy when I'm overworked or frustrated, and I can get distant when inspiration hits me, but you already know all that. So it's your call. I'd be happy to live with you."

He'd be more than happy, in fact – it would be a dream come true. His apartment seemed empty whenever Blaine went home, quiet in an unwelcome way, and Blaine's belongings, though numerous, always looked out of place there, like guests. Having Blaine move in would feel like moving a puzzle piece into its proper place.

But then Kurt realized something and added, "Of course, I can't exactly provide you with your own room –"

Blaine laughed brightly.

"Oh, I think I'll survive. It's never been a problem so far, has it? You'll just grant me some closet space (Kurt groaned) and a few shelves for my books, and let's see, I can sleep with you."

"Oversharing!" Cooper yelled, covering his ears, and they all laughed.

"So is that a yes?" Kurt bounced a little, as much as it was possible to bounce in a deep, overstuffed armchair.

"Yes, I'll move in with you." Blaine's grin was blinding. "How about tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow sounds awfully far away, but I'll take it. Seeing how I need to gut my closet tonight and all."

Who knew he'd ever feel happy about the prospect of having less space for his clothes?  

Kurt's only experiences of living with anyone apart from his family were a female friend back in freshman year of college and later, James. While both of them had a lot of good moments, he remembered the beginnings as a challenging adjustment. James had been a bit of a slob, leaving his clothes everywhere and always forgetting to close the toilet lid, while Rachel, an early bird, had proven physically unable not to sing during her extensive morning routine. There'd been lots of tiny conflicts, negotiating boundaries and rules for weeks before living under one roof had become easy, and then even nice.

Kurt was fully prepared for the same this time.

So he was stunned to see that with Blaine, nothing like that actually happened. Blaine knew not to expect coherency from Kurt before his first cup of coffee and never touched Kurt's half of the closet, respecting the elaborate system Kurt kept there. He was easy to live with, they didn't get on each other's nerves and if there was a problem, they simply talked it out.  They joined their lives smoothly and seamlessly, a process as easy as intertwining their fingers whenever they were walking together, and for Kurt, this was another sign that they were meant for each other.

The quiet, effortless happiness of everyday life with another person was something he'd never fully experienced and he hoped it would never end. It felt like home.

***

They'd been together for seven months when Kurt decided it was time Blaine got introduced to his family, and Christmas was the perfect occasion. The Andersons were away on a Caribbean cruise, and Cooper’s girlfriend of a few months had invited him to her home for Christmas. Blaine knew Coop only said no because of him, and he felt bad about it. He liked Melissa. She and Cooper were so sweet together that Blaine constantly reminded himself to check for cavities, because really. Sweetness overload. So when Kurt mentioned that he'd love for Blaine to go home with him and meet his family, he didn't hesitate much.

Which might have been a mistake. Really, he should have thought about it better, because he only made it halfway through dinner on the first night before he had to excuse himself and flee upstairs. He ran into Kurt's old room where they were supposed to sleep, under the pretext of needing to take out his contacts.

Blaine didn't even wear contacts. He just desperately needed a few minutes by himself.

But maybe he should have actually gone and hidden in the bathroom instead of here. Because Kurt's room... Well, it was still Kurt's room, and that only felt like rubbing salt into the wound. Ten years since Kurt had moved away, and he still had his own space in his parents' house, a place to call his own. He had a home outside New York where he could always come and be welcomed with open arms, no questions asked.

Blaine's old bedroom had already been turned into a craft room, his mom told him.

Kurt had it all: the acceptance, the support, the unconditional love that every parent was supposed to give their children, or so Blaine heard. And it wasn’t just Mr. Hummel (It's Burt, kid), which was at least understandable to Blaine, but Carole, too. Not even Kurt's actual mom, not someone who might for some reason feel obliged to love him, and who still so very clearly did.

Not that Blaine had any doubts concerning Kurt's lovability – god no, he knew first hand just how easy it was to love his boyfriend. And he wasn't exactly jealous, either. It was just... family. The kind of family Blaine only ever read and heard about: where no one had to constantly try to fit in, to be whoever they all wanted to see among them. Where every action didn’t threaten to disappoint. Those were the only family dynamics Blaine had ever known and seeing Kurt's family so accepting and honest, so embracing, broke something deep within him.

Why couldn't his parents be like this? Why could they never have asked him with such sincere interest about his life and his opinions? Why had even his tiniest mistakes been harshly critiqued and recalled forever, while other people could clearly try and fail and find their way before they succeeded, safe in the knowledge that they'd be loved no matter what?

Why couldn't he have a family like Kurt's?

He heard footsteps on the stairs and quickly wiped at his wet eyes, getting ready to apologize to Kurt for behaving like a hermit on his first day here. But it wasn't Kurt. The half-closed door opened to reveal Mr. Hummel.

No, Burt.

Great, not only was Kurt surely disappointed with him, but his family must have thought Blaine had absolutely no manners. They probably wondered why Kurt even dated him at all. Would he get a lecture about his behavior now? Or would it be an interrogation to determine if he qualified to be Kurt's boyfriend? Sure, both Burt and Carole had been really nice when they welcomed them earlier, but that must have been for Kurt's sake. Oh god, what if they told him to go back to New York?

Within seconds, Blaine had wound himself up so tightly that when Burt sat down by his side on the bed, a little squeak escaped his throat. He felt a firm, heavy hand on his shoulder and tensed, barely daring to look into the man's eyes, but when he did, he found no anger or disappointment there, just kind inquiry. Burt smiled and took his hand away, and it was weird, but Blaine missed the comforting weight already.

"Hey, kid, you can relax, you know? No one's going to judge you here. We're not that scary, are we?"

Blaine quickly shook his head, but even to himself it didn't seem convincing, and Burt chuckled.

"You know what? Once, I'd have been somewhat glad to know that Kurt's dates were a bit afraid of me. But now –" Burt's eyes, while still kind, grew serious as he turned to face Blaine fully. "You love my son, don't you?"

Well, that was the easiest question in the world. "Yes, sir."

"Stop with the sir, kid," Burt commanded and Blaine bit his tongue to stop the automatic response of yet another Yes, sir. Burt smiled. "I can see how much you care about him, the way you look at him. And he loves you with all his heart, it's clear as day. I haven't seen my boy so happy in many, many years, Blaine, and it's your doing. Believe me, there's no better recommendation than that. I admit I had my doubts when I learned how young you are, but honestly, age is just a number. I only care if you're good for each other, and you seem to be, so you have my wholehearted blessing."

Blaine realized he was staring, his eyes stinging again, so he quickly blinked a few times to keep the fresh tears at bay. Burt was still looking at him with that solemn but kind expression, so Blaine cleared his throat to respond.

"Thank you, s– I mean, Burt."

"Kurt told me about your family, you know." Something dark and cloudy flew across Burt's features momentarily, and then disappeared. "It's not my place to judge – god knows I'm aware how hard it is to be a parent sometimes. But I just want you to know that no matter what, you have family here, with us."

Blaine's expression probably reflected the stunned disbelief he felt. He must have misunderstood. He was just Kurt's boyfriend, and not even for a year now, how–

Burt laughed, bright and warm.

"Blaine, you may be a decade younger than Kurt, but if I know my son, and I dare say I do, I'm sure he'll bring you here one day as his husband. And we'll be happy when he does. So really, there's no use waiting a few years to adopt you into the family, is there?"

Burt grinned a wide, slightly mischievous smile, so similar to Kurt's.

"Now come on, let's go back before Kurt thinks I'm interrogating you and comes to the rescue."

Christmas with Kurt's family was unlike any Blaine had ever experienced – in the best of ways.

There were small, thoughtful gifts for everyone instead of piles of generic, expensive presents his parents were known for. Colorful lights and mismatched Christmas decorations that his father would surely call tacky were everywhere, some clearly made by children's hands, long ago. The food was plentiful, so much more than just one formal dinner, and the whole house smelled of baking.

The first morning, Carole used the fact that Blaine was up before Kurt to request his help in the kitchen, and soon they were decorating cookies together, drinking hot chocolate and chatting happily. There was no rule about eating anywhere but the dining room, like in the Anderson house, and everyone seemed to just graze on yummy things whenever they felt like it.

Everyone consisted of the four of them plus Kurt's step-brother Finn, who arrived from California on Christmas Eve with his wife Anabelle and his 13-year-old daughter, Drizzle. (High school pregnancy, Finn explained, nonplussed, when he noticed Blaine doing math in his head with his eyes big as saucers. Kind of a long story. The best mistake of my life.) It was crowded and loud, everyone talking constantly, and it was impossible to find a quiet corner.

Blaine loved it with all his heart.

It felt like home.