Dropping his keys on the small table just inside the door, Kurt nudged the apartment door closed with his foot. He sighed happily as he made his way slowly through to the living room. He had just come back from dinner with Blaine at a French restaurant - their first date since they got together after Blaine's show on Friday night. The evening had been perfect; conversation flowing easily as they discussed growing up in Ohio, music, and musicals. Kurt found himself falling a little more for Blaine every minute he spent in his company.

Rachel was in the living room, watching a movie of sorts on the TV. She had been in an extremely good mood lately; her rehearsals for her new musical were going well and she was feeling confident about the workshop performances which began in just over two weeks' time. She looked up from the TV when Kurt entered the room.

"Out with Blaine again?" she asked, her face all-knowing.

Kurt joined her on the couch, realising that now he was actually dating Blaine, he could no longer keep his full identity from her.

"Yeah, we went out for dinner at La Grenouille."

She looked at him keenly. "That's very romantic. Are you dating him now?"

"I am, actually." Kurt couldn't help but smile at the thought.

"And you're just telling me now?" she asked in mock outrage.

"We've only been dating two days," Kurt protested. He took a deep breath. "You know how I told you that I met him in a coffee shop?"

"Yeah." He could see her puzzling over in her mind about where this could be going.

"Well, that's not exactly true."

Rachel frowned at him. "What do you mean ‘not exactly true'?"

"I actually met Blaine several weeks ago at work; he was a guest on the show."

Rachel's eyes narrowed slightly as she thought over Kurt's words. "A guest on your show?" Kurt could almost see her mind going through the list of people she knew had been on his show lately. Her eyes widened. "You mean...?"

He swallowed. "The guy I've been spending so much time with lately, my boyfriend, is Blaine Anderson."

Rachel gaped openly at him. "Blaine Anderson, the musician? As in the guy we've been to see in concert several times? The guy whose albums we have right over there?" She pointed to where their CDs were neatly stacked on a shelf.

Kurt said nothing, just simply nodded.

"Oh my God," Rachel said slowly, emphasizing each syllable. She stared at him in shock as she lowered her arm. "Does your dad know?"

Kurt shook his head. "You're the first person to know - Blaine hasn't told anyone yet. It's still in its early days so I don't want to tell my dad yet. I'll tell him once we've been dating a little longer."

"So, you're keeping it a secret?" Rachel asked worriedly, her look of shock being replaced by one of concern.

Kurt blinked at her, slightly confused as to what the problem with that was. "Publicly? Yes. From our friends and family? No, we'll let them all know eventually."

Rachel still looked worried.

"I'll tell my dad and Carole once we've been dating longer than a few days and I know this isn't going to be a short, couple-of-dates thing, which I don't think it will be, but you can never know for certain," Kurt assured her. When Rachel's expression didn't change, he sighed. "Rachel, you know what it's like to be in the public eye when you're dating someone," he said, trying to keep the bite of exasperation he felt out of his tone. "Your last relationship ended because Mark couldn't handle the reporters and paparazzi anymore."

"Yes," Rachel sighed, "but that was different, Mark wasn't a famous talk show host or musician like you guys are," she said with the air of explaining the simple fact that two plus two equalled four.

"Exactly. Blaine and I are used to being photographed, questioned, and having speculative articles written about us, so we know how to handle it and what to say to reporters to brush them off and not give anything away about our personal lives."

Rachel bit her lip. "That's not what I meant. You and Blaine get a lot more attention than I do - Broadway stars are of less interest to the public than TV stars and musicians - and as you're both famous the slightest hint that you are dating will cause an avalanche of press and photographers to descend on you."

Kurt stared at his friend. He knew she was only trying to help and was just worried about him, but he and Blaine had discussed this, they could keep their personal lives to themselves and away from the public.

"What do you think we should do then?" he asked, merely humouring her and not really interested in what she had to say.

"I don't know," she admitted. "But you have to tell your family soon. You don't want them finding out about Blaine through some magazine or whatever and..." she trailed off, nibbling on her bottom lip. "Just be careful."

"Are you sure this is a good idea? I know it'll be a while until I can meet them in person, but what if your dad thinks I have a- a-" Blaine looked wildly around Kurt's room like the word he was searching for would be written on one of the walls, "a shifty look and flies to New York and hunts me down?"

Kurt chuckled and wound his fingers through Blaine's, pulling him close and placing a kiss to the tip of his nose. "A ‘shifty look,' Blaine - really? You charm everyone you meet with your dapper gentleman personality, why would my dad be any different? He'll love you, they both will."

Blaine didn't look convinced and sat down on Kurt's bed with folded arms and a curled-over posture, his eyes large and filled with anxiety as he worried on the inside of his cheek and bottom lip with his teeth.

Kurt joined him on the bed and fired up his laptop. "Stop worrying, it will be fine," he said soothingly. When Blaine didn't look particularly reassured, he pushed the laptop of his lap and shuffled closer to his boyfriend. "Come here." He put an arm around Blaine's shoulders and pulled the shorter man against him. Blaine fell against his chest, curling up against his side like a little child seeking comfort during a thunderstorm. "If you're getting this worked-up over meeting my family over Skype how bad would you be meeting them in person?" he asked lightly, trying to ease Blaine's nerves.

When Blaine did nothing other than wrap his arms a little tighter around his waist, he said, "Blaine, look at me."

Slowly, Blaine tilted his head back to meet Kurt's eyes.

"They'll love you," Kurt said firmly. "All they want is for me to be happy and if they know you make me happy then they will like you." He bent down until his lips were centimetres from Blaine's ear. "And you make me happier than I have been in years," he said softly, with conviction. He pressed a kiss to the soft skin below Blaine's ear then another on his lips before reaching for his laptop and tugging it towards him.

Blaine sat up a little, still staying pressed against Kurt's side. "I'm just worried that your family won't like that my life is under public scrutiny and I practically live in a fish bowl. I'm worried that they won't think I'm good for you," he finished in a small voice.

Kurt's mind flashed back to his conversation with Rachel almost a week ago; he pushed the memory away. "We talked about this remember? I have it almost as bad as you with the paparazzi and the media, but we can keep our relationship out of all that, other people manage in our situation. Unfortunately, we'll just have to be careful when we're out in public and with what we say to people." He adjusted Blaine's bowtie with a fond smile.

"You're right," Blaine said with a small smile. "I'm being stupid and overreacting, I'm sorry."

Kurt patted Blaine's cheek. "You are being silly. Lucky you've got me to stop you doing stupid things all the time, isn't it?"

Blaine laughed. "I don't know how I managed without you." His tone was serious behind the light, joking nature of his words.

Kurt smiled at him and was about to return the sentiment when his laptop interrupted the moment by informing him that someone was trying to connect with him on Skype.

"I'll talk to them first and tell them about you and then you can join me on camera, ok?"

At Blaine's nod, Kurt reluctantly moved away from his boyfriend and accepted the Skype request.

"Hey, Dad, Carole!" he greeted his father and step-mother when they appeared on the screen.

"How are you, honey?" Carole asked.

"I'm great, work is going well and no, I haven't been working too hard," he added, knowing his dad always wanted to make sure he wasn't overexerting himself. "How is everything in Lima? How's the garage going?"

"Everything is fine here, kid, you know Lima, things don't change much around here," Burt replied.

"Too right they don't," Kurt muttered under his breath. Out the corner of his eye he saw Blaine shoot him a questioning look. He smiled at his dad and Carole as they asked how Rachel was.

"She's good," Kurt replied. "Her new musical starts workshop shows next week and she says rehearsals have been going well and she feels confident."

"That's good to hear," Burt said sincerely. "Tell her we wish her all the best and that we'll come up to New York to visit you both and see the show once it has opened."

"Will do," Kurt promised. He glanced fleetingly over at Blaine who was watching him. "I have some news actually - it's good news," he hastened to assure them when he noticed a small frown line appearing between his dad's eyebrows, "great news, actually. I have a boyfriend; we've been dating for around a week now." Despite his earlier reassurances to Blaine, he felt just as awkward and nervous announcing this to his family as he had done back when he was in his first year of college and telling them about his first boyfriend.

Carole looked delighted. "That is great news! What's his name? Where did you meet?"

Kurt smiled at her. "His name is Blaine," he told her, flashing Blaine a quick smile as he did so. "We met when he came on my show a few weeks ago."

Burt wasn't as thrilled as Carole was. "On your show? What is he, an assistant or something?"

Kurt opened his mouth, and then closed it again, glancing briefly over at Blaine - who was looking worried again - before saying, "He was a guest on the show actually. Blaine is a musician."

"A musician?" Burt's expression was difficult to read. "Like a pop star?"

Kurt licked his dry lips. "He plays guitar and sings. He writes all his own music. You might have heard of him, actually, his full name is Blaine Anderson."

Carole started to speak, but Burt cut her off. "Blaine Anderson," he repeated. "I've heard you mention him before. You have his CDs and been to see him perform live. He's that kid with the bowties."

Kurt avoided looking over at Blaine. "Uh, yeah, that's him."

"So, you're dating a celebrity?" Kurt was able to read his dad's expression now - it wasn't a pleased ‘I'm happy for you, Kurt' one.

"I'm considered a celebrity, Dad." He could feel Blaine shifting uncomfortably on the bed. "And don't judge him just on the fact that he's famous. He's smart, funny, caring, sweet, and he makes me happy." He swallowed. "I really like him, Dad. He's not like anyone I've ever met before, he's..." he trailed off, unable to find the words.

"He's with you just now, isn't he?" Carole asked gently.

"Ye- how did you know?"

She smiled at him. "You keep looking over to the left and I know it's not Rachel you're looking at."

He met Blaine's eyes, smiled, and waved him over. "Yes, he's here, so you can meet him - sort of."

Blaine slid over next to him and Kurt positioned the laptop so they could both be seen clearly by the webcam. Carole smiled and Burt stared at the screen intently.

"Hi, Mr and Mrs Hummel, it's a pleasure to meet you, albeit in an unconventional way." Blaine smiled politely at Burt and Carole, but his body was tense. Kurt took Blaine's hand and squeezed it.

Carole smiled at him. "It's nice to meet you, too."

Burt was eyeing Blaine critically, as if taking the musician's measurements. "You treating my boy right?" he finally asked bluntly.

"Dad!" Kurt hissed.

"I am," Blaine assured him, managing to keep his voice composed and sincere despite the death-grip he had on Kurt's hand. "Trust me, sir I would never hurt your son, I really care about him."

Kurt smiled at his boyfriend, the grin widening when Blaine turned his head to face him and their eyes met. When Kurt looked back at the laptop he found that his dad was still watching the pair of them closely, but his expression had softened into something that hinted at a smile.

"I believe you, Blaine, and I'm looking forward to meeting you in person," Burt said, nodding to Blaine - a nod that, to Kurt, signified his seal of approval. Blaine's grip on his hand loosened.

"We both are," Carole added. She glanced down. "Sorry, we can't talk any longer; we really need to leave now if we want to get to D.C. in time."

"It's fine, a short Skype call is better than none," Kurt said.

"Let us know when you can next manage another one," Burt said. "I'll call you and let you know how the meeting in D.C. goes." His eyes flicked to Blaine. "It was nice meeting you, Blaine, I'm glad Kurt has someone taking care of him. I mean, he has Rachel as well, but as she can be a bit...Well, it's nice he has you."

Blaine smiled at Burt and Carole. "It was lovely to meet you both. I look forward to meeting you properly when you visit New York."

"You too, sweetie," Carole said with a smile.

"Take care now, Kurt, love you."

"Love you too, Dad."

Burt and Carole finished saying goodbye and then disconnected. Once Skype was closed, Blaine breathed out a sigh of relief.

"For a moment I thought you dad was going to forbid you from ever seeing me again."

Kurt rubbed Blaine's knuckles with his thumb. "Like he ever could," he said with a small smirk. He rested his head on Blaine's shoulder. "He's just quite protective of me - has been since my mom died - and doesn't want to see me get hurt. He likes you though, I told you he would, and Carole does as well."

"It was a close call though."

"No, it wasn't. Your dapper demeanour and beautiful smile charmed them just like I said." Kurt tilted his head to kiss Blaine's neck. "I think it's impossible for people to dislike you, you're just one of those people you can't help but like."

"I think you might be a bit biased," Blaine said quietly as he rested his head on top of Kurt's.

Kurt closed his eyes, revelling in being close to Blaine. "Maybe."

They sat in content silence for a few moments, until the sound of a door thudding shut and a voice calling out, "Kurt?" jolted them out of their serenity.

Kurt opened his eyes and lifted his head. "Rachel's home."

"Kurt?" Rachel's voice sounded closer.

"Coming, Rachel!" Kurt shouted in the direction of the bedroom door. He scrambled off the bed and grabbed Blaine's hand, tugging him to his feet. "Come on, you've met my dad and step-mom and now it's time for you to meet my roommate."

He led Blaine through to the bright kitchen where he found Rachel with her back to them, putting away some groceries in the fridge.

"Hey, Rachel." Kurt leant against the counter, keeping a hold of Blaine's hand.

Rachel shut the fridge door and glanced at him briefly. "Hey, can you help me put this stuff away?" She was halfway to the counter where the bags of groceries were when she did a double-take. "Oh," she said, her eyes wide as she spotted Blaine.

"Rachel, this is my boyfriend, Blaine. Blaine, this is my friend, Rachel."

Blaine dropped Kurt's hand and stepped forward with his hand outstretched. "Nice to meet you."

Rachel shook his hand. "Yeah, you too." Her eyes followed Blaine's hand as he entwined it with Kurt's again.

"I was just introducing Blaine to my dad and Carole over Skype," Kurt informed her.

Rachel was quickly losing her surprise at the sudden appearance of Blaine in their kitchen. "Oh, good," she said, turning back to the bags of groceries and unpacking food onto the counter with a pointed look at Kurt. "It was about time you did that."

Kurt reluctantly let go of Blaine's hand and picked up a couple of boxes of cereal. "Well, they loved him."

"I didn't think Mr. Hummel was going to like me at first." Blaine picked up a few jars and Kurt opened the cupboard where they belonged for him on his way back to collect more food to put away.

Rachel handed Kurt some cheese. "Yeah, Burt can be a bit protective sometimes." With all the groceries now put away she leaned against the counter. "So have you told your family, Blaine?"

Blaine fiddled with a tea towel folded by the sink. "I'm calling my mom tonight, so I'll tell her then."

Kurt looked at him worriedly as he shifted his weight uncomfortably and avoided the eyes of everyone in the room. Blaine hadn't told him much about his family, just that his older brother Cooper was a lawyer and that his parents still lived in the outskirts of Westerville in Ohio.

Rachel seemed to have noticed Blaine's reluctance to speak and changed the subject. "My new musical starts workshop performances on Tuesday night and I can get tickets for you both, if you want to come."

Blaine raised his head and met Kurt's eyes, smiling at him a little tightly. "I'm free that night."

"We'll be there," Kurt told Rachel.

Rachel smiled at them. "Great!" Her phone started ringing and she swiped it off the counter. "I'm just going to take this," she said, leaving the kitchen.

Kurt joined Blaine over by the sink. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but is everything ok with your family?"

"I don't have the closest relationships with my mom and dad. My dad has never been happy or comfortable with me being gay and since I came out to my parents when I was fourteen, he - after a couple of bonding sessions which he hoped would turn me straight - hasn't really had much to do with my life. He hardly talks to me, he stopped going to performances I did with the Warblers in high school, and the father-and-son time stopped." A small smile inched onto Blaine's face when Kurt took his hand and squeezed it gently. "I only ever talk to him whenever I go home and even then he doesn't have much to say to me."

The look on Blaine's face broke Kurt's heart. His forehead was creased and his lips were pressed together. Kurt knew if he could see Blaine's eyes he wouldn't be able to hold back tears - Blaine's eyes were large and expressive, and Kurt could always see his emotions in them. He rubbed the back of his boyfriend's hand with his thumb. Blaine looked so small and broken.

"What about your mom?" Kurt asked softly.

"She's a bit more accepting of who I am. She still isn't completely happy or comfortable with my sexuality though." He swallowed. "But we talk on the phone every so often, she's come to a few of my shows, and she spends more time with me when I'm at home than my dad does. She still doesn't treat me the same way as she did before she found out that I was gay, though. I know she considers me a disappointment."

"I'm so sorry, Blaine, I had no idea your family was like that."

Blaine finally looked at him and Kurt felt tears prick the backs of his eyes.

"It's ok, I don't talk about it much, and you're the first person I've told in years. But I'm used to it all now; I'm used to going on without my family."

Kurt let go of Blaine's hand and pulled the shorter man into a hug, tightening his hold on him when he felt Blaine nuzzle against his neck. "It's their loss that they don't see how talented, wonderful, and sweet you are, Blaine."

"Thank you," Blaine mumbled.

"For what?"

"For caring. Nobody has cared this much about me in years."

It took all of Kurt's control not to break down into tears. "Well, now you've got someone who cares about you a lot."