Kurt’s eyes burn from crying into his pillow for so long. He knows he should sit up, call Blaine, and let him know that he won’t be coming back to Dalton in the fall. But he’s scared that the sound of Blaine’s voice will cause his heart to shatter.

There’s a knock at his door.

Kurt turns his face so he’s not speaking into his pillow.

“Come in,” he croaks.

His dad walks in, feet quiet on the floor, and he shuts the door behind him.

“Hey, kiddo,” his father greets, settling on Kurt’s bed.

Kurt doesn’t respond. He’s still angry and he’s afraid that if he opens his mouth, he’ll say something he’ll regret later.

“I know you’re pissed,” Burt begins. “But come on. You can’t expect me to be okay with all of this.”

Shrugging, Kurt remains silent.

His dad sighs and pulls off his baseball cap. “I never shoulda said that,” he says. “About you and Blaine. I remember being seventeen and eighteen and hating how people thought I didn’t understand what I felt about someone.”

“Then why’d you say it?” Kurt asks hollowly.

“Because I – I’m scared you’re gonna throw away who you are, all over a boy.”

“Just because we were having an affair doesn’t mean I’m not-”

“That’s not what I’m talkin’ about, kid. I’m talkin’ about you. The way you’re acting these days. We never fight like this. I know you’re gonna miss whoever at Dalton and I know you’ll miss seeing Blaine every day. But c’mon. Level with me. I gotta be the parent and you know that. I don’t wanna see you turn into some disrespectful little brat and I know that if I let you go back there, you’d come back later and it’d be too late. I know you wanna go back there to him ‘cause you don’t want him to take on all the backlash alone. But you’re not thinkin’ clearly because he’s all you’re thinkin’ about.”

Kurt buries his face into his pillow once again and he knows his dad is right, he knows it. He feels his father’s hand on his back.

“But you’re seventeen. You’re allowed to think about him, Kurt. But in the meantime, you gotta let me think about you. It’s what I’m here for. And I’m not gonna let you get in so deep that you can’t see anything above the water line.”

Kurt’s throat becomes hot and his entire body twists with guilt because this is his dad and he’s never done anything to hurt him or hinder him. He’s just trying to help and here’s Kurt, being selfish with a case of tunnel vision. Months before Dalton, he almost lost his father to a heart attack. His dad almost died.

“I’m sorry, dad,” he cries because he doesn’t know what he’d do if he didn’t have his dad anymore.

“I know, buddy,” Burt says. “It’s okay.”

“I just – I don’t want-”

“I know,” Burt says calmly. “But it’s not like I’m saying you can’t ever see Blaine. You’ve still got weekends and nights when you don’t have too much homework. I know it’s a long drive but I can give you a bit more money for gas now. I want you to be happy, Kurt. But I want you to be happy in a place where I can be the parent.”

Kurt takes his face out of the pillow and sits up, wiping at his damp cheeks. “I know.”

“And we gotta work on this attitude. I don’t appreciate you swearin’ at me. When you’re around your friends and stuff, I mean I totally remember how it is, you can say whatever you want. But not to me.”

Kurt nods and exhales a warm, shaky breath. He doesn’t want to hurt his dad. He doesn’t want to disappoint him because even though he has Blaine now, his dad is his dad and family has to come first. He hadn’t even been thinking that much about his family while he was at Dalton because they’re so secluded there. It’s like they’re cut off from the rest of the world and the only people that matter are those inside the walls of the school.

“I’m sorry.”

“Stop saying that.”

“But I am.”

“I don’t want you beatin’ yourself up with guilt. That’s not what I want. You know you screwed up and we’re gonna deal with it. You just work on what you can and I’ll do the rest.”

Fuck, why is his dad so damn nice?

“But, besides all that, I think you and I need to talk about this…affair – thing you had going on with Blaine.”

Oh god, no.

“Can we not?” Kurt asks weakly.

“I think we gotta.”

“Oh god,” Kurt groans lowly, not at all looking forward to this conversation.

“We never got to talk about, uh, relationship stuff before ‘cause it was never really an issue. But you’re getting older and-”

“Please no sex talk. Please. I can’t do that right now.”

“This isn’t about sex,” Burt says firmly. “This ain’t about that.”

“Then what-”

“This is about me instilling, you know, good morals or whatever. I know you love Blaine, I get that. But I think you also know that it’s not the best idea to cheat on people or use ‘em or anything like that because everyone’s got a heart and it’s not right to go around breaking them.”

“I never meant to do that,” Kurt says sadly. “I didn’t know what – I didn’t understand-”

“I know. And I know people screw up. You’re entitled to screw ups, Kurt, you’re not perfect. No one is. But I think I know what you’re going through better than you think I do.”

“Because you’re an adult?” Kurt guesses, sarcasm laced in his words.

“Because I’ve been there,” his dad states.

Hold on.

What?

“What?”

“I’ve been there,” his dad says again. “I know what it’s like to be confused about who you want and I know what it’s like to fall in love with the person your heart doesn’t belong to.”

“Wha – how?”

Suddenly things become very, very interesting.

“It’s how I fell in love with your mom,” Burt admits.

Well. This is news.

“I was dating another girl when I met your mom. You mom was – she was everything I wanted. There was nothin’ wrong with the girl I was seein’ at the time, but your mom,” Burt says, cutting himself off with a laugh, “she was the girl I loved. But she was seein’ this other guy at the same time. We were just friends but…well, one night everything changed.”

“I really don’t need those details,” Kurt stops him.

“Basically we felt really guilty about it later. It didn’t all come out the same way your situation did because we ran off to Vegas one night and got hitched.”

“…While you were still technically with two other people?”

“Yup.”

“But I – I’ve seen pictures of your wedding!”

“We had a real ceremony later,” his dad explains. “She wanted one and I’d have given her the moon if I could.”

“What happened when your girlfriend and her boyfriend found out?”

“Oh they were pissed. I’ve never been hit so hard by a woman,” Burt recalls. “Marcie had a great right hook. Your mom’s guy threatened to skin me alive but she talked him down off the ledge or whatever. She had a really good way with words.”

“Where are they now? Marcie and the guy?”

“Couldn’t tell ya,” Burt shrugs. “Your mom picked me and that’s all I cared about.”

Kurt nods because that’s pretty much how he feels about Blaine. He chose Kurt and that’s all that mattered.

“So you see why I can’t get mad at you for any of this. But I don’t wanna condone it either ‘cause it’s not okay. But I know how confusing things can get in your head.”

Unsure what to say after all of that, Kurt looks down in his lap and wrings his hands.

“I want things to work out with you two,” Burt says. “You just gotta be careful.”

“I know,” Kurt says quietly.

They sit in an awkward silence because really? What else do you say after that? Burt slides on his baseball cap once more and stands.

“So. I’ll – uh, let you unpack or whatever.”

Just as he’s about the leave the room, Kurt speaks up.

“Thanks, dad.”

“Anytime, kid.”

He leaves and Kurt’s left alone in his room surrounded by boxes, suitcases, and bags stuffed with his belongings. He’s extremely reluctant to unpack because he knows he’ll come across things that will remind him of Blaine or Dalton. Even though he knows his dad is right, it still makes him sick to think that he can’t return to the life he had come to know. Just as he makes to climb off his bed to begin despite the inevitable onslaught of emotions, his phone buzzes in his pocket.

Blaine’s name glows on the screen.

“Hello?” he answers.

“They kicked me out of Dalton.”