June 1, 2012, 8:59 p.m.
Distance Makes The Heart Grow Fonder: Chapter 38
E - Words: 2,005 - Last Updated: Jun 01, 2012 Story: Complete - Chapters: 86/86 - Created: Jun 01, 2012 - Updated: Jun 01, 2012 315 0 0 0 0
Breakfast on this particular morning was nothing less than laughable to Kurt. He kept glancing at Blaine trying not to laugh harder than he ever laughed before because Burt wouldn't stop staring at the two of them with eyes that spoke volumes. Blaine mostly kept his face pointed at his food or making faces at Kurt to let him know that the faces he was making were not funny or entertaining in the least.
Breakfast consisted of scrambled eggs, fresh cut fruit, home fries, turkey bacon (requested by Kurt due to his father's heart attack), and toast. Blaine was amazed at how thin Kurt was based on how well they always ate here. One week's worth of eating here and Blaine was sure he would be leaving the house with a small Buddha-belly.
"So, Blaine. I take it you recovered after what happened last night?" Burt asked before forking some eggs into his mouth.
Blaine froze. Yup, this is actually happening, he thought. "Um. Well, coming here tends to get me to forget about a lot."
"I can see that."
Blaine looked up and finally looked in Burt's eyes. He wore and expression that told him he was uncomfortable himself, but trying to make the mood lighter. Blaine hadn't expected that. He thought before speaking again. "What I mean is, things at my parents' house don't work the same way they do here. Coming here is more like a vacation compared to their house."
Burt put his fork down and listened, as did Carol, Finn, and Kurt. Burt knew what Blaine was talking about. He purposely made this house a safe haven for his son when the outside world could be so cruel.
"Going home reminds me that not everyone is going to be as accepting as all of you have been. So, coming here and talking to you and being with Kurt makes me forget how telling my parents anything about my life or Kurt and hoping for understanding is something that will never happen." He looked back down to his food and took a bite of pineapple. Kurt put his hand on Blaine's back.
"Kurt told us you told your parents about having a boyfriend," Carol informed with a comforting voice.
Blaine swallowed. "I told them I was in love with Kurt. They know who he is," he specified.
"They do?" Kurt asked.
"They saw you at Regional's."
"Oh!" Kurt made an uh-oh face and his eyebrows raised.
"What?" Burt asked.
"Blaine and I sang a duet together there."
"It was kind of flirty," Finn added.
"Only slightly. We could have passed as friends or something."
"No you couldn't. Sorry dude, but no."
"But what does that matter?" Burt asked Blaine. "They knew you were gay. That's why they sent you to Dalton, right?"
"Yeah, but they see this as a phase, like I'll grow out of being attracted to guys. Knowing I was actually acting on it by having a boyfriend just made my dad, well, I don't even know. No different than how he normally is, so I don't know what I was expecting."
"Did he say anything about Kurt?"
Blaine looked at Kurt apologetically. "It's okay," said Kurt.
"He didn't really say anything about him. I stopped him before he had a chance. But he inadvertently called him girlie when he said that if effeminate is my thing then how hard would it be for me to be with a real girl." He looked at Kurt again. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Kurt mused. "Don't apologize for him. Besides, I am kind of femme sometimes, so that doesn't even bother me."
"It bothers me," Blaine enthused. "It wasn't you he was trying to get at, but I hate that he took one look at you and wrote you off. He's not going to change and I can see what kind of future relationship I'm going to have with them based on that."
"Are you sure he won't come around some day?" Finn asked.
He nodded his head then looked at Burt. "Thank you for letting me come over last night. I know you know how I feel about Kurt. I love him. But I think you should know how much I love all of you too. You've done more for me than my parents have and I'm blown away with how much you've treated me like I belong here when you didn't have to."
"Well, we like you, Blaine," said Finn with ease. "If Kurt brought over from douche then we'd probably act differently."
"Do you think I'd let you anywhere near my son alone if I didn't like you?" Burt asked with a sarcastic expression.
Blaine blushed. And we're back to that. "Thank you."
"Just, next time, try to whisper if you're going to be saying stuff like that." Blaine blushed again, brighter this time.
"Things like what?" Finn asked. Kurt laughed.
"Nothing. Finish your breakfast, dear," Carol cajoled.
Blaine had forgotten that he left his cell phone in his pocket and jumped when he heard it ring. He apologized to the table and looked at Kurt apprehensively when he saw that that "Dad" had lit up the screen.
"Go on. Answer it. We'll be here when it's over," Kurt encouraged.
"Hello?" he answered after the fourth ring. "Hold on." Blaine looked to Burt and Carol. "Excuse me." He got up from the table and walked into the kitchen. "Sorry, I had to go into another room."
"Where are you? You're mother and I are at Dalton and you're not."
"I'm at Kurt's house with his family. Why are you at Dalton?"
"We came to bring you your stuff. You got up from the table and left without taking anything you brought with you."
"Yeah, I know, Dad. I was there. But thank you, I needed my book bag."
"How far away are you? We need to talk."
"I'm a little over an hour away and no, I don't think we do. You made yourself perfectly clear last night how you felt and there really isn't anything I can say to you." Burt walked into the kitchen with Kurt in tow.
"Blaine," his father said sternly. "You're mother and I drove two hours to bring you your things. I'm sure you can manage to drive back here and talk to us." Blaine imagined his father turning red. Burt gestured to ask for the phone. Blaine cautiously gave it to him.
"Hi, this is Burt Hummel. Blaine spent the night at my house."
"I'm sorry he drove to you house so late last night, but I'd like him to come back to Dalton to meet with his mother and I."
"It's no problem that he's here. He called my son upset and I invited him over for the night. Look, I'll make sure he goes back to Dalton, but do you mind if I go with him? I'd really like to talk to you and I think it's important that we meet now that our kids are together." Blaine was in shock. Burt was firm, but calm.
"Yes, well. Blaine needs to be here as soon as possible."
"So, that's a yes to you and I having a chat."
"I'm sorry, but I'd really just like to talk to my son. I don't see where you need to enter the conversation."
Burt smiled. Kurt knew his father was masking his chuckle for anger. He was going to let Mr. Anderson have it and Kurt knew it. "Okay, well you need to see because your son showed up on my doorstep in tears because of you and I hear that you have a problem with him being with my son. If you've got a problem with my son or Blaine being with him then you've got a problem with me. Is that clear?" There was silence on the other end. "I can guarantee Blaine is on the road back to Dalton in the next few minutes, but I don't see where coffee with me would be so hard."
"Fine."
"Great. Looking forward to it. I'm going to give the phone back to Blaine now." He hand the cell phone to Blaine.
"Dad."
"What in holy hell did you tell him, Blaine? Good job airing out our dirty laundry."
"I only told them what you said to me. Don't get mad at me for something you did. I gotta go. See you in an hour or so. Oh! And I'm bringing Kurt with me. You're going to meet him properly."
"Blaine." There was a warning tone to his voice.
"What? All you had to do this weekend was keep you opinions to yourself and you wouldn't have to go through this. Welcome to my world, Dad. Now you get to be as uncomfortable as you and mom make me whenever I go see you." There was silence again. "I'll be there soon." Blaine ended the call and froze for a second before looking up at the father and son pair in front of him. He didn't know what to say to them.
"Kurt, you should get dressed if your coming. Make it quick," Burt instructed. Kurt nodded and gave a reassuring smiled to his boyfriend. As he left, Burt called out, "Please choose a boring outfit."
"Got it!" Kurt yelled from the hallway.
Burt put his hand on Blaine's shoulder. "It's going to be fine. It may not be easy now, but this will bet better. Hey, if nothing else, you may get to see your old man get yelled at. That might count for something."
Blaine forced a smile. "Thank you," he said.
"I'd go send you upstairs to make sure Kurt hurries, but after this morning, I'm pretty sure that'd make us run later."
Blaine blushed a crimson red and realized that Burt was joking. Cautiously, he said back, "Yeah, probably."
Burt cocked his head to the side and grinned. "If I ever walk in on you two doing more than kissing, I can't be responsible for what I'd do to you. Just a warning."
"If you ever walk in on us doing more than kissing I'll lay down in front of your cars for you because then I could die a happy person because that would mean we actually did more than kissing." He couldn't believe he was having this conversation with Kurt's dad of all people. It's all in good fun, he thought…and hoped.
To Blaine's surprise, Burt laughed. "You beg? Really?"
Blaine laughed back. "Yeah. Kurt is paranoid about getting caught."
"And you're not?"
"It's not that. Kurt has more of a stream of consciousness on him than I do when we're…alone." Nice word choice, Anderson.
"You know, I had the talk with him because you asked me to."
"Yeah he told me."
"Kind of ironic that you're the one who asked me to talk with him and now you're the one trying to get with him."
"Yeah, funny how things work out, huh?" They chuckled a little. "I didn't know I was interested in him back then."
"What changed you mind?"
"Kurt did, actually. He sang 'Blackbird' by the Beatles and something in the lyrics made me realize what I already knew." The joking stopped.
"You're a good guy, Blaine. I like you and him together a lot. Don't make me hate you because you hurt him."
"Yes, Sir."
"Is this boring enough?" Kurt waltzed back into the kitchen with a simple pair of blue jeans and a blue, plaid, snap front shirt. He had the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a silver men's wrist watch. His hair looked like it was meant to be fashionably tousled. To say the least, Kurt looked like every other seventeen year old boy in Ohio. Blaine smiled and gave him a warm hug. "You could never be boring." He took another look as he made Kurt spin for him. "Handsome, but never boring."
"Handsome? That's a word you've never said to me before," Kurt mused.
"You look different today. Handsome fits. Would you like another word?"
"Mmm," he thought. "Am I too dressed down for dapper?"
"Dapper is reserved for Dalton attire. You could wear your old uniform if you'd like."
"No he can't. We're leaving," Burt cut in. The boys had forgotten he was even there. There were smiles headed out to the cars and Blaine felt that maybe things wouldn't be as bad as he thought as long as he had the Hummel men on his side.