"Hey."

"Hello."

"Don't be mad at me."

"Pardon me, but is that an order?"

"You're mad at me."

"I'm frustrated with you, Blaine. You go off with my father, and let's be honest, that gleam in his eye was more than a little off-putting, and then you simply stop replying to my texts or answering my calls!"

"He wanted to talk to me, Kurt. I was trying to make a good impression, and sending vaguely sexual texts to his son didn't seem like the best way to do that."

"You couldn't have let me know? You just stopped answering? What was I supposed to think – that he'd finally had enough and just buried you in a shallow grave somewhere?"

"That's what I was thinking, Kurt! He took me home by way of a really creepy back road that frankly looked like prime real estate for shallow graves, and I was a little tense. So forgive me if cell phone etiquette wasn't exactly the first thing on my mind."

Kurt gave a very put-upon sounding sigh, but other than that, didn't respond.

"I love you," Blaine ventured.

"That isn't fair," Kurt muttered, sounding like he was desperately trying to stay upset.

"I love you, and I told your father that I do. It actually wasn't that bad, Kurt. I think he just wanted to make sure that I'll...be good to you. And that I understand that this is kind of a big deal for him, too."

"You told my father that you love me?" Kurt asked shyly. Blaine could almost hear Kurt blushing through the phone, and it made his skin tingle to think of it. When Kurt got all coy and and shy and flushed and flustered...it just did things to him.

"Mmm hmmm. And he told me to call him Burt."

"What?"

Kurt wasn't sure quite how to process this information. He had gotten himself all prepared to launch into a tirade at his father when he got home – something along the lines of how dare you try to intimidate my boyfriend like some sick parody of an overprotective father, why don't you just have me fitted for a chastity belt while you're at it, and there is no way you would pull a stunt like this if I were straight – but his father had asked Blaine to call him Burt.

His father hadn't even asked Quinn to call him Burt yet, and she and Finn had gotten back together well before Kurt started dating Blaine.

"Yeah. I think...maybe he likes me, Kurt."

Kurt had been pacing around his bedroom, but at this point he had to stop and sit down.

Why was this so surprising? This was Blaine, after all. Everybody liked Blaine. Blaine was sweet and charming. Blaine was practically hand-made with the approval of teachers, parents, and all manner of authority figures in mind.

Still...Kurt had a boyfriend, and his father seemed to like him. This was actually happening. Kurt suddenly felt a bizarre longing to travel back in time and tell his fifteen-year-old self about it. It's going to happen, and it's not as far off as you think, he would say.

And then Kurt was seized by the vision of an older version of Blaine and himself coming over to visit Burt and Carole, with a couple of impeccably dressed kids in tow that would call Burt Grandpa.

Kurt's breath hitched, and he realized he was tearing up, and he felt like such an idiot with his strange, over-the-top fantasies about time travel and marriage and babies, because really, what the hell was the big deal anyway?"

"Kurt? Are you still there?"

Kurt nodded before realizing Blaine couldn't hear him nod, and then he felt like an even bigger idiot.

"I...yes. I'm here."

"Where did you go?"

"Pardon?"

"Just now...why did you get all quiet?"

"Would you think I was being terribly dramatic if I said it's just...a lot?"

"What? You mean your Dad...?" Blaine sounded confused.

"My Dad likes my boyfriend," Kurt softly clarified.

"Oh." Blaine's voice was full of warmth and understanding. "Yeah. I guess that is kind of big, huh?"

"I never thought...I wasn't sure I'd ever have that. Have this. I'm still not entirely used to it."

"Me neither," Blaine agreed.

"Blaine?"

"Hmmm?"

"Your parents...do they know...have you told them yet? About us?"

There was a pause, and Kurt bit his lip, willing himself not to fill the silence with nervous rambling.

"I...not exactly. I mean, not in so many words. But I think they know. And I know that they like you, Kurt."

"Why...haven't you? I mean, if they like me..."

Blaine sighed. He wanted Kurt to make Kurt understand, but he wanted to do it without hurting him and he wasn't sure that was entirely possible. Blaine's parents were just...well, they weren't Burt and Carole, that was for sure.

"My parents are just different from yours, Kurt. They love me, and they...they accept the fact that I'm gay, but I wouldn't exactly say that they embrace it."

"You're not...just a little bit...embarrassed of me, are you, Blaine?"

"I'll tell them first thing in the morning."

Kurt was taken aback by the force behind Blaine's words.

"No, I didn't mean you have to..."

"Yes I do. If you are thinking for one single second that I'm even a little bit embarrassed of you, then yes I do. I'm so proud to be with you, Kurt. This is my hang-up, and it has nothing to do with you. I'll tell them in the morning."

Kurt let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

"Okay."

Blaine smiled into the phone. "I told my sister about us."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "That doesn't count. Your sister goes to Sarah Lawrence."

"I sent her a picture of you. She thinks you're adorable."

"Well, I think you're adorable," Kurt said flirtatiously.

"I never got a chance to tell you what an amazing time I had tonight," Blaine said, lying back on his bed. "I really like...what we did."

Blaine could almost hear Kurt blush again. God, it killed him.

"I did too. You...I really like the way you look, Blaine. I..." Oh, and Kurt was blushing to the very tips of his ears, Blaine could just tell, and he really, really hoped that Kurt wouldn't get too self-conscious to continue.

"You what?" Blaine asked softly, his voice all rich and sexy in that way that made Kurt's head spin and his stomach do Olympic-grade back flips.

"I've been thinking about it. Since you left. I wish you never had to wear a shirt."

Blaine chuckled. "I'd get a little cold," he said.

"Not if you were always pressed up against me."

"Kurt...I like this side of you. It's so...sexy."

Kurt wondered if it were actually possible to blush to death.

"Yes, well," he mumbled, flustered, "I'm trying to push myself a little out of my comfort zone."

"I can practically hear you blush, you know," Blaine said, absentmindedly stroking his crotch.

"Well, I'm sorry, Blaine, but old habits die h-"

"It's such a turn-on, you have no idea."

Kurt swallowed hard. "It is?"

"Yeah. I hope I never stop making you blush. I love it."

"Well, that shouldn't be a problem anytime soon. You make my head spin."

"Kurt?"

"Yes?"

"What are you wearing?"

"Are you serious?"

"Entirely."

"I'm not having phone sex with you, Blaine."

Blaine laughed. "I'm not asking you to. I just want to know."

"I'm wearing pajamas."

"What do they look like?"

"Well, they're blue silk with a rounded collar-"

"Will you take your top off?"

"You're trying to get me to have phone sex with you."

"I'm not. Just...we were so rudely interrupted earlier, we never got a chance to properly finish our game."

"Okay, Blaine, but you're the one who told me you didn't want to play shirts and skins with me, and it's a two-way street. So if I'm taking my top off, you have to do the same."

"I already did."

Blaine could hear Kurt's breath catch. "Oh," he said, sounding slightly dazed.

Blaine heard a slight rustling on the line. "Okay," Kurt said.

"Did you take it off?"

"Yes."

"I bet you look amazing."

"Not as amazing as you."

"Don't do that."

"What?"

"Compare us like that. Don't. You're gorgeous."

"I-I'm sorry. I just..."

"Kurt, I'm glad you don't look like me. If you did, and I was this attracted to you, that would make me a little narcissistic, don't you think?"

Kurt smiled. "Okay. Point taken."

"You should run your hand across your chest. And pretend it's me."

"I'm still not entirely convinced that you aren't trying to turn this into phone sex."

"Kurt. You can trust me."

"I know. I'm just not sure I can trust that voice. You sound all..."

"Turned on?"

"Um, yes."

"That's because I am. But don't worry, I can keep it in my pants."

"Blaine, you're killing me."

"Now you know how I feel."

Kurt gave a happy little sigh

"Are you...doing it?"

God, Blaine sounded all throaty and sexy, and Kurt didn't think he should tell him that he was almost as worried about his own self control as Blaine's.

"Yeah. What about you?"

"Mmmm. Me too. I wish you were here. I wish I could sleep with you."

"Blaine..."

"Sleep! I said sleep, not sex. I just...wish I could hold you all night and wake up in your arms."

"It's a delicate balance between single-mindedly horny and hopelessly romantic with you, isn't it?"

"You understand me far too well."

"You know...speaking of sleep, I should probably go to bed soon."

"Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"No, Blaine. It's just getting late, and I'm actually pretty tired. It's been a...full day."

"But it's Friday night. We could just talk all night long."

"We could, but the sooner we get to sleep, the sooner we'll be able to see each other again tomorrow. And seeing means kissing."

"Oh. Check mate. Well in that case, we should probably go to sleep right now."

Kurt laughed. "Call me when you get up?"

"First thing. Well, second thing. After I talk to my parents."

"Okay. I love you, Blaine."

"I love you, Kurt."

Kurt put his pajama top back on and wandered down the hall. The door to his Dad and Carole's room was cracked slightly and the light was on. Kurt could hear them talking softly. Kurt walked up to the door and gave it a gentle knock.

Burt approached the door, looking nervous when he saw Kurt standing there.

"Uh...hey, kiddo. What's up?"

Kurt smiled, and did something he hadn't done in a very long time.

He gave his father a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, Dad."

Burt looked confused.

"I just got off the phone with Blaine..."

And then the confusion was gone. Burt smiled.

"He seems like a real nice guy, Kurt.

"He is."

"You going to bed?"

"Yes. I just have to brush my teeth and moisturize."

"Well good night, then. I'll see you in the morning."

Kurt called a quick good night to Carole and continued down the hall, singing softly to himself. His eyes were in soft focus and seemed to shine more brightly than usual.

There was absolutely no denying the fact that Burt Hummel's son was head over heels in love.

Burt watched Kurt go. He sighed. "It's not going to get any easier, is it?" he muttered, turning to Carole. She simply laughed and gave his shoulders a gentle squeeze.

"In my experience? Probably not. But you're doing just fine."