Dinner that night with Blaine's family was pretty much the same as any other meal with them. Blaine chatted with his siblings, while his parents only asked him questions about school. Though, tonight he wasn't in a chatting mood. He was preoccupied with what happened with James earlier. He didn't regret punching him. He felt James had it coming to him, but he couldn't shake what he said about Kurt. He couldn't understand why anyone would be so cruel towards him. Kurt was kind, and pure, and never did anything to hurt anyone. How could James be so blind to how wonderful Kurt is?

Jared broke his train of thought. "So, who was that guy I saw you carting around all afternoon?" he asked during a quiet moment.

Blaine looked up from his food and saw his entire family eyeing him. He didn't miss the vice grip his father suddenly had on his fork. "We know each other from school. He's in the Warblers."

"His name's James Ackerman; I met his mother. She's lovely; does a lot of charity work." His mother added.

Jared took a sip of his drink. "You seemed to be enjoying yourself. Is he a nice guy?" Are you interested in him, is what Blaine was getting out of his last question.

"I had a momentary laps in judgment. He's impossible." Blaine looked back down at his plate and speared a carrot before popping it in his mouth.

"This boy, James… Is he…?" His father made a small gesture towards Blaine.

"Gay?" he asked, filling in the blanks. His father grunted. "Yeah, Dad. He's gay."

There was an awkward silence. "And are you two…?"

"Together?" Blaine waited to answer before his father confirmed his thoughts and nodded tersely. "Hell no!"

"Blaine, watch you mouth at the table." His mother commanded. "You've been using bad language all day. I can't tolerate it. You used to be so polite."

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "James sort of has that effect on me." Again, everyone stared at him. "He's rude, impossible to deal with, full of himself, extremely forward, and has a lack of respect for personal privacy."

"Is that all?" Jared laughed.

"What do you mean: 'forward?'" his father asked, ignoring Jared's comment and gripping his fork again.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Hey! Didn't I see him leave with a split lip?" Jared cut in.

"Yes, his mother said he got hit with a tennis racket by accident." Blaine looked at her as he held his breath. He lied? Blaine thought. "Were you there when it happened?" she asked directly to Blaine.

His heart started pounding. Tell them! "He didn't split his lip on a tennis racket." There was a silence in the room. There wasn't even the sound of utensils moving around on plates. He gathered a bit more courage. He had to say something to the questioning faces looking at him. "I punched him." He zoned out and thought of Kurt while his mother went on and on about acting appropriately.

Blaine felt telling his family about Kurt was like coming out all over again. It was one thing to tell them that he has feelings for boys; it was another to tell them he was now acting on them.

"Blaine, what would possess you to put your hands on someone at all, never mind at the country club?"

He took a deep breath and kept the thought of Kurt burning in him. "Because he insulted my boyfriend."

Silence fell again. He waited for someone else to react. "Blaine," his mother whispered.

"You're dating now?" his father asked.

Blaine looked up at him, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He felt lighter, regardless of his parents' shock and tone of voice. "His name is Kurt. We've been together a few months now."

"A few months? Blaine, why didn't you tell us?" Jared asked encouragingly.

"Kurt…" his mother began while thinking. "Isn't that the boy you sang that solo with at Regional's?"

"Yes," Blaine said, gaining a little more confidence.

"Him? You're dating him?" his father stated for clarification with venom in his voice. He made a face that Blaine didn't like. It wasn't very approving. "But he's so-"

"-DON'T finish that sentence. I refuse to listen to anything anyone says about him that doesn't reflect who he actually is. His eyes bore into his father's. "Yes he effeminate, but I wish people would stop using that as a negative. He's so much more. Kurt's… He's wonderful." His face softened at the thought of his porcelain skinned boyfriend.

"If he acts like a girl then he brings it upon himself."

Blaine's face hardened again. "No he doesn't! He's into fashion and he's compassionate. What about that warrants hate? People get on him about his voice all the time and it's something he can't control because he was born with a high voice."

"Do you always spend this much time defending him?"

Blaine looked at his father questioningly, unsure of where his line of questions were going. "Only to prejudice people."

"Wouldn't you rather be with someone easier?"

Then it dawned on Blaine what he meant. "You mean, like a girl. Because being with a girl would be easier for YOU." He licked his teeth and put his utensils down, not hungry anymore. "I know you don't approve of me being gay because you still think it's something I'm choosing, but I, at least, thought you accepted it."

"It just seems Blaine, that if this Kurt kid is as girly as everyone thinks, then would being with a girl be so different? If effeminate is your thing then how do you know this isn't a phase?"

Blaine huffed, almost choking on the air he exhaled. He could believe they were back to this conversation after years of it not coming up. His father hadn't said anything like this since he came out. "Anatomy Dad! That's the difference! I enjoy male anatomy. This isn't a phase. I am attracted to boys. I like boys," his voice was raising in volume, "and I LOVE Kurt. Nothing you or anyone says or thinks is going to change that."

"You know what, Blaine?" his father began, his voice stern and full of judgment. "You're seventeen years old-"

"Dad stop!" Jared yelled. "Don't tell him how he feels or what he does or doesn't understand."

"Stay out of this!"

"No! If I have to listen to this then I get a voice in it." Blaine swallowed hard as he listened to his brother. Something about Jared's stern tone moved him. He felt loved. "He lives in a world where people constantly tell him he's wrong, yet he continues to be the same person he's always been. He's kind, caring, exceedingly bright, and hard working. How is that wrong? He finds happiness with another boy and falls in love with him. Who the fuck cares? He deserves that much. He deserves people who care about him because of the amazing person he is, not people who forget all that because he's gay."

Silence fell. Blaine's father's face was red with rage. His mother went white and bother parents stared down at the table. Blaine's eyes were welling. He never knew his brother felt this way. "Nothing?" Jared asked. "Nothing to say? There was a long pause. "Blaine are you finished with dinner?" He nodded his head. "Get your things, you're coming home with me."

Blaine stood immediately. "He's not going anywhere." His father demanded. Blaine sat back down.

"Yes he is. If you don't want him exactly as he is, then you should have any of him. I can't stand coming over here and listen to you say how much you miss him and love him and how proud of him you are, but the second he gets here, all you do it disregard who he is and how he feels. He's not a child anymore. He can make his own decisions and he knows what he wants."

Blaine loved his brother for what he was doing, but hated that Jared and his father were talking about him like he wasn't there. He looked to his mother for something, anything, to make this all go away. She remained silent and unmoving. Blaine gave up and he stood up from the table again and left the table.

"Where are you going?" his father asked.

"I'm taking my car and I'm driving back to Dalton."

"Oh no you're not!"

"Yes I am. You all see fit to talk about me like I'm not here, so I'm just aiding the process." He looked at his brother. "Thank you, Jared. I love you for trying, but Dad isn't going to change." Without another word, his entire family let Blaine leave the house without so much as a goodbye.

As soon as he got in on the road, the tears began to fall. His breath continued to catch over and over again and his nose ran. Blaine ended up pulling over to the side of the road because the tears had clouded his eyes. When he began to calm, he pulled out his phone.

B- I love you so much. Don't ever change

K- I love you too. Is everything okay?

B- Not really. I'm driving back to Dalton. I told my parents I was in love with you. It didn't go well.

There was a long pause that Blaine didn't anticipate. He expected an immediate response telling him everything would be okay. Then his phone rang. Kurt's home number flashed on the screen. "Kurt?" his voice was ragged. You could hear the lump in his throat being pushed down.

"Blaine?" It wasn't Kurt's sweet voice on the other line. It was Burt's. "How far away are you?"

"I'm two hours from Dalton."

"Come to our house. You shouldn't be alone."

"Okay," was all Blaine could manage.

"It's gonna be alright. Just get here."

"Thank you."

"Try to drive safe."

"I will." Both men hung up the phone and Kurt was able to breath. He realized he was shaking, so he kept taking deep breaths. He blew his nose on the tissues in his glove compartment and wiped his face.

Blaine closed his eyes and breathed in and out through his nose. Three hours, he thought. Only three and I'll be safe in Kurt's arms. He thought of Kurt and the Hummel family and how he wished he had what Kurt did.

He drove in silence and reflected back on his entire relationship with Kurt. Things were easier in the safety of a zero tolerance school, but having distance between them had really taught him a lesson or two in faith. Even if they didn't see each other everyday, as long as they had each other, he and Kurt would somehow be okay. Going through hardships together, coming out the other end of a problem, no matter how big or small, he knew he loved him more now than he did yesterday. That was true of the day before as well. Today, he will always love him less than he will tomorrow. This was giant truth that he was now loving that he realized. It calmed him to think that as long as he and Kurt were together, they would always be growing more and more in love with each other with each passing day.

Three hours passed and he pulled up in front of the Hummel house. He got out of his car and when he looked up at the house, Kurt was already standing in the open doorway. They stared at each other for a second and then ran into one another's arms. Blaine wasn't crying, but felt hot tears run from his eyes.

Kurt held Blaine tighter than he ever held anyone and cradled the back of his head with his hand. He kissed Blaine's head sporadically and whispered "it's going to be alright," and "I love you," and "You're with me now, it'll be okay."

Kurt let Blaine go when he felt his father's hand on his shoulder. He moved out of the way and let Burt look at Blaine.

Blaine was afraid to make eye contact at first. He was ashamed of his tears. Burt was so strong and Blaine was acting like a baby. Then, in a simple gesture that meant the world to Blaine, Burt opened his arms and let Blaine fall into them, giving him the hug and permission to love Kurt that his own father should have done a long time ago.