Chapter 9

Kurt and Blaine were just about to leave the Hudsons’ and walk to their respective homes, when Kurt’s phone started ringing. One glance at the screen told him it was his father, so he hurried to answer.

‘Yeah, Dad?’

‘Are you still at Finn’s, kiddo?,’ Burt asked, his voice strangely chipper for seven o’clock on a Sunday morning.

‘We’re just leaving. Why?’ Kurt frowned a little in confusion.

‘Could Finn come with you? We’ve got something to discuss.’

Kurt gulped; what was that supposed to mean? But it couldn’t be anything bad either, right? Otherwise his father wouldn’t sound this… happy?

Since the only person apart from the two of them left was Puck, kicking him out and getting Finn to drive them all home (stopping at Aileen’s to drop Blaine off first) didn’t take a lot of time.

‘What do you think they want from the two of us?,’ Finn asked Kurt on the way. ‘Do you think it’s about the party? Maybe the neighbours called my Mom and told her we were… um-‘

‘Indecent?’

Finn nodded, obviously freaked out with the image of his raging mother that was emerging in his mind. Kurt rolled his eyes seeing his friend’s expression.

‘No, I don’t think it’s that. I think it’s something else entirely.’

They were just turning into the Hummel driveway, and Finn didn’t manage to formulate his next question before Kurt jumped out of the car, heading straight to the door and motioning to him not to dawdle.

They went into the house; Kurt was intrigued what the matter of their discussion was to be, while Finn still felt nervous and uneasy. Carole hurried out of the kitchen with a smile on her face and a tea towel in her hands. She was wearing a scarlet silk robe, and Kurt thought he’d rather not wonder whether or not it had come completely off within the last twelve hours.

‘Hi, boys,’ she chirruped. ‘I bet you haven’t had breakfast yet, right?’ They nodded, Finn’s eyes lighting up immediately at the mention of food.

All three of them entered the tiny kitchen, filling it up completely, especially as Burt was already sitting there with the morning paper in hand and sipping his coffee.

‘Hey, guys. How was the party?,’ he asked, looking up at them solemnly.

‘C-cool,’ Finn stuttered.

Kurt shrugged and rolled his eyes again. ‘Nothing special, Dad.’ He resisted smiling at the thought of the whole spin-the-bottle fiasco.

Carole bustled around, preparing their scrambled eggs and toast, while Kurt poured orange juice for himself and Finn. It was clear no one was going to get around to the serious discussion they were supposed to have before everyone was fed and content. And when Finn finally got his plate and began stuffing his mouth disgustingly full of food, he seemed to completely forget he was anxious just a few minutes ago.

The last bites of breakfast were swallowed, and Burt folded his paper at last to put it back onto the table. The smile on Carole’s face became more tentative than ever, as she glanced at the boys who were sitting across from Burt.

‘So, Carole and I were talking last night,’ he finally started, his eyes going from his son to Finn and back again. ‘And I asked her to marry me.’

Finn’s eyes almost jumped out of their sockets. Kurt couldn’t decide if he was more shocked, worried or happy for the freshly engaged couple. His father deserved every ounce of happiness he could get, especially as Kurt still hadn’t really stopped blaming himself for the grief he had caused Burt almost a year ago.

‘And she said yes, but on one condition,’ Burt went on, his gaze drifting to Carole for a moment. ‘You guys have to give us your blessing.’

‘I don’t want either of you to feel uncomfortable with this,’ Carole hurried to add. ‘If we got married, we would obviously have to live in one house, so we should make sure everyone is okay with that. Finn, honey? What do you say?’

Her son was still in state of severe shock, but eventually he nodded.

‘I’m cool with that, I guess.’ He paused, knitting his brows. ‘I mean, living with Burt, Kurt and Blaine in the summer wasn’t that bad, right?’

Kurt chuckled, and saw that his father was suppressing a similar reaction.

‘But you do know it’s going to last more than two weeks if they get married?,’ he asked, before turning to Burt. ‘Okay, I have one question. Where are we going to live, exactly? Neither our house, nor Carole and Finn’s is big enough for a family of four.’

His father nodded in agreement, before looking up at him.

‘We’d get a new house, big enough for everyone. No worries, I won’t make the two of you share a room.’

‘Well, that’s a relief,’ Finn muttered, making Kurt send him a glare.

‘I’m not a bad roomie,’ Kurt said indignantly. ‘Blaine’s shared a room with me plenty of times and never complained.’

Finn let out something in between a snort and a chuckle.

‘’Cause you’re like an old married couple.’

Kurt ignored him, deciding to go back to the matter at hand.

‘As long as I get to be in charge of redecorating the new house, you have my blessing.’ He couldn’t help the grin that crept onto his face.

***

‘They’re getting married, seriously?,’ Blaine laughed, reaching for his second slice of pizza.

Kurt tried to nod, but it didn’t really work when his head was resting on Blaine’s thigh. They were at Aileen’s, enjoying their last afternoon before school began. It didn’t matter that they were apart for no more than a few hours; there was always plenty to talk about.

‘Yup, my Dad’s getting hitched,’ he sighed. It still seemed strange when he thought of that, but he didn’t hold re-marrying against his father; the guy had been alone for long enough, his mourning had to end at some point. And despite their crappy beginnings, Kurt really grew to like Carole. Bonding time over buying clothes and visits to the hairdresser’s made them quite fond of one another. ‘They wanted our blessing, you know.’

Blaine considered that for a moment, as he chew a huge bite of pizza.

‘That kinda makes sense. It’s not like you and Finn are best friends or something.’

‘Well, that’s because that spot is taken,’ Kurt replied, sitting up and picking up his diet coke.

‘Yeah, but you know what I mean.’ Blaine took a moment to scan his friend’s face. ‘It’s not like he didn’t use to throw you into dumpsters and stuff.’

They were eating in silence for a moment, as Kurt’s mind was wrapping around the matter. It was true that his relationship with Finn had been quite bad. He used to be that popular jock, who let his friends toss people into dumpsters when the teachers weren’t looking. Whom Kurt had idealized, because one day Finn had the brains to tell his friends it wasn’t cool to shove people into lockers. On whom Kurt used to have a crush what seemed like a few centuries ago.

‘God, he’s gonna be my brother now,’ Kurt mumbled. ‘Sort of. I’m going to have a brother.’

He lifted his incredulous eyes at Blaine, as the realization sank in. It was a weird feeling to suddenly get a sibling out of nowhere. After seventeen years of being an only child, he was getting a brother, who also happened to be seventeen. And who used to be his crush and bully all in one.

Blaine let out a small chuckle, as he placed a hand on Kurt’s shoulder.

‘Trust me, having a brother is not that bad. I don’t really talk to mine.’

A few months – or even weeks – ago, neither of them would have done it, but now both boys burst out laughing.

Because no matter what was happening now, they knew they had family.