Chapter 25

The next morning was full of anxious anticipation for the mechanic to call. All seven of them were sat around a table at the diner ever since breakfast, their eyes constantly glued to Puck’s cell lying on top of it. The only conversation constituted of their remarks on slowness of the guy fixing the car, and grumbles about not having had enough sleep.

Finally, shortly before noon, the phone rang and the mechanic proclaimed the car ready to go.

Within a half hour, they were speeding towards Salt Lake City, and ahead to Nebraska. Nobody was able to stay behind the wheel for more than an hour at a time. Pit stops turned into coffee stops, but that didn’t seem to help at all. They needed sleep, and there was no discussion about it.

At Kurt’s insistence, they stopped at a motel soon after crossing the Nebraska state border. After the unpleasant situation in Lake Point, the couples tried to stay as inconspicuous as possible; not having Blaine’s hand in his own felt strange to Kurt already. They were, however, welcomed by a plump middle-aged woman who couldn’t care less about anything that wasn’t the soap she was watching on her very old TV set.

They all immediately flopped onto their beds, falling asleep in a matter of minutes, even though the sun was barely beginning to set. Kurt and Blaine agreed without words to leave one of the two single beds unoccupied and snuggle in the other.

Being this close, falling asleep and waking up together made them feel like home, no matter where they were.

***

The remainder of the trip back was uneventful and exceptionally tiring. Having nothing, no place to be excited about now, when they left California far behind, left them aching for home and their own soft beds. Until then they’d barely thought of home, with just a sting of homesickness here and there. No landscapes flashing outside their windows were now entertaining enough to hold their attention for long.

Kurt was blissful to have Blaine and a few of the other important people in his life with him, but he still missed his dad. The last time he’d gone this long separated from him was when he’d run away from home, and the night spent stranded in Lake Point was enough of a reminder of that particular period in his life. Kurt couldn’t wait to see Burt, Carole, and even Aileen, who’d become as much a member of his family as his step-mother and step-brother had by now. Still, Rachel, Puck, Santana and Brittany seemed to belong to that makeshift family a little bit, too.

The anticipation to be back in Lima, see his aunt and Goldie for Blaine was marred with the thought of meeting the Hudson-Hummels again. No matter how many times Kurt told him Burt was thrilled to hear of them getting together, Blaine couldn’t shake the fear that his potential – future – father-in-law would have liked it much better had he and Kurt stayed just friends forever. He couldn’t possibly be the best son-in-law material, after all.

They arrived in Lima after another day and a half of travelling across the country, exhausted beyond measure, but happy both that they were home safe, and that they had decided to go at all.

First, they drove to Lima Heights Adjacent to drop Santana off. She hugged everyone goodbye, lingering a moment with her arms around Brittany, before giving her a peck on the cheek and reluctantly letting go. Just as she did do, her mother appeared on the threshold of the Lopez house, waving happily at Santana, who answered with the same gesture and a smile.

‘I have to figure out how to tell them,’ Santana sighed, turning back to her friends one more time.

‘If you need anything, you know where to find us,’ Kurt told her with a sympathetic smile.

‘Yeah, thanks. See you.’

Dragging her suitcase in her trail, she walked up to greet her mother on the doorstep. They disappeared inside just as the others turned the corner on their way to the Pierces’.

Brittany’s parents looked relieved to see her safe and sound, and thanked her friends for keeping an eye on their daughter. Brittany herself bolted to give a tight squeeze to Lord Tubbington, and ask him if he hadn’t gone back to taking drugs while she was away.

From Brittany’s they went on to Rachel’s, parting ways with Puck at the Pierces’. Finn said his goodbyes with a much overlong kiss that got interrupted by Hiram clearing his throat prominently to get the couple’s attention. Mr Berrys waved to Kurt and Blaine happily, hugged their daughter, and shook Finn’s hand, before bustling into the house with Rachel and all her suitcases.

Aileen’s was their next stop. At Kurt’s suggestion, Finn stayed in the car, while his brother and Blaine went into the house. Aileen welcomed them with warm embraces and kisses to their cheeks, glad to see them back just as much as she was to see them together, tentatively holding the hands that were free of baggage, while Goldie jumped all around them, clearly delighted to have them home.

Aileen left them alone at the door to Blaine’s room, a little smile playing around her lips, and tugged the dog gently by the collar to the kitchen.

‘I’m gonna miss you,’ Kurt said, putting his arms around Blaine’s and propping his chin on one of his shoulders.

‘We’re going to see each other every day, though, right?’

‘Of course, but it won’t be the same as sleeping together- You know what I mean,’ Kurt added quickly.

‘I do, but we can still-‘

Blaine didn’t manage to finish the sentence, startled by the way Kurt suddenly backed out of the embrace.

‘What is that?,’ Kurt asked, frowning.

‘What?’ Blaine turned rapidly to look in the same direction as his boyfriend.

A new object seemed to have materialised on his bedside table while he was gone. In a simple red-painted wooden frame, there stood a dark photograph of what was unmistakably the two of them. The picture wasn’t posed, but taken without their knowledge, as they stood in Aileen’s living room before leaving for prom back in May. Kurt’s hands were still hovering over the boutonniere he’d just fastened to Blaine’s lapel, and both locked their gazes on each other, adoring and blatantly smitten.

‘Oh my god, how is it that I can totally see it now, and then I was completely blind. I was like Bjőrk in Dancing in the Dark,’ Kurt murmured, taking a step towards the photo and tracing the frame with his fingers.

‘That night I was just wishing I was your real date,’ Blaine said.

‘That moment felt a little like that.’

‘A little,’ Blaine agreed, slipping his arm around Kurt’s waist. ‘But I’m happy anyway. As long as I have you, I’m happy.’

Kurt’s mouth turned up in a gentle smile.

‘Good, ‘cause I’m never saying goodbye to you.’