The Hummel's kitchen smelled like homemade food and Glade vanilla candles, but it was the scent of Burt's grease-stained coveralls that really comforted Blaine. He had just told Burt what had happened at his father's office and the older man was pacing from the table to the counter restlessly, mumbling under his breath. Blaine was only able to catch a few words, like bastard and unbelievable.

"Burt," Carole said from the stove, where she was working on dinner. "You're gonna stress yourself out. Remember your heart…"

"My heart? I don't care about my heart, Carole, that man…" Burt turned around to face her, his face red with anger. He stopped to take a deep breath when his wife looked at him with her hands on her hips and a quirked eyebrow. "Carole, that man's unscrupulous. He's helping out a guy who beat up someone for being gay. The poor boy that was attacked could've been Kurt or Blaine!"

Blaine felt his stomach twisting and he hoped he wasn't going to throw up again.

"I think Blaine has had enough drama for one day and we should leave him alone," Carole answered firmly. "We can talk about this later or tomorrow or when he's a bit calmer. Not now."

With that, Carole walked to where Blaine was sitting and took from him the mug that had contained tea about an hour ago, but was now empty and still tightly trapped in Blaine's grip. He was holding onto it as if it were an anchor.

"Let me take this, dear, dinner is almost ready," she said and then she brushed some of his curls away from his forehead. Blaine nodded, a tiny smile spreading on his lips.

Burt sighed and came back to the table to sit in front of Blaine. "You're right, Carole. I'm sorry, Blaine…"

"Don't be," Blaine shook his head slowly. "I'm pretty furious myself."

"And exhausted," Burt added, nodding towards him. Blaine had taken off the dirty jacket, but was still wearing the clothes he had worn to work, the sleeves of his white button up were rolled up and the gel in his hair had disappeared after all the times he had passed his fingers through it during the drive to Lima. "Would you like to take a shower before we eat?"

"No," Blaine rubbed his temples with his fingers, trying to relax. "I'd probably fall asleep before I can even step out of the bathroom."

There was a pause filled only with the sounds of Carole finishing up with the food before Burt spoke again. "Are you planning to call Kurt and let him know you're here?"

Blaine bit his lip. "Yeah, I am… but not tonight. I'm just… I'm not ready and I really need to put my thoughts in order. I don't want to screw things up with him even more."

"I understand," Burt said quietly. He intertwined his fingers over the table and leaned a bit closer to Blaine. "I'm gonna be honest with you, buddy. I think you need Kurt right now. Carole and I are here to help you in any way you need… but we're not Kurt and we'll never be able to make you feel better like Kurt can."

Blaine knew they were right. He knew he would feel instantly better just by holding Kurt, but he was still so shaken by what had happened that day that he was afraid he would end up crying into Kurt's sweater if he saw him. And Kurt didn't deserve that, he deserved to be asked for forgiveness in a proper way.

"I'm also against lying to him, Blaine," Burt continued. "If he calls me and he mentions you… I can't lie to him."

"I wouldn't ask you to lie to him," Blaine nodded his understanding. "I'll talk to him. I promise."

"Whatever it is stopping you from talking to Kurt," Carole said as she put a plate of spaghetti in front of him, "don't worry about it. He'll jump right into your arms as soon as you give him a chance. He misses you."

Blaine sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "God, I miss him, too. So much…" He looked up at Burt. "I know I made a mistake with him, I know I hurt him… but I swear, Burt, I love him. I want to make things right. I want to be with him."

"I've never doubted that for a second, buddy," Burt answered with a grin and pointed towards Blaine's still untouched food. "Now eat before it gets cold."

Blaine grabbed his fork and started rolling spaghetti on it. Carole tried to lighten up the mood and bring some sense of normalcy into Blaine's day, so she started talking about something that had happened to her at work that day. Blaine felt the tense muscles of his shoulders and back relaxing slightly during dinner. Things were still complicated and he had a lot of thinking to do, but at least now he was in a place where acceptance and love weren't denied to him.

Blaine looked up at the couple that was now bickering about the amount of salt Burt was trying to sneak into his food and felt warmer than he had ever felt in his life. He felt like he finally belonged.

When Blaine woke up in Finn's room the next day, he sighed in relief. For one terrible moment before he opened his eyes, he had thought all the events from the previous day had been nothing but a dream. He had thought he was still trapped in his horrible life, with his horrible father.

He turned his head towards the window. The sun was shining high, making the snow that was covering the backyard glitter under its rays. Robert was wandering around, smelling the trees, chasing his own tail and enjoying being outside. Blaine smiled a bit. It seemed like both of them were much happier there with the Hummels.

He got out of bed, stretched his arms into the air and looked into his bag for something to wear. He grabbed the first pair of jeans and sweater he found and put them on. A few minutes later he was down down the stairs to the kitchen, where Burt was reading the newspaper.

"Good morning!" He said as soon as he saw Blaine entering the kitchen. "It seemed like you really needed some sleep. I was wondering if I should wake you up or not."

Blaine frowned and glanced at the clock on the opposite wall. His eyebrows shot all the way up to his hairline. It was almost noon. "Whoa. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sleep in so late."

"Don't apologize, buddy, you had a rough day yesterday," Burt folded the paper and put it on the table. "Did you get enough rest, at least?"

"Yeah, yeah, I did," Blaine nodded, dropping down on a chair in front of the other man.

"You sure you're comfortable in Finn's old room? You can switch to Kurt's whenever you want. He had a better bed. He made me buy hypoallergenic sheets and pillows and all that crap," Burt said.

Blaine smiled. Yeah, that sounded like something only a teenage boy like Kurt would ask his father. "I'm sure… I just, I don't think I feel right there." He almost added without him, but he wasn't about to give details of his and Kurt's private life to Burt.

He zoned out, thinking about Kurt and what he was going to do to put his life back on track. He honestly didn't know what to do. He didn't know where he was going to live, where he was going to work… he wasn't even sure if Kurt would really take him back.

Some of his anxiety must have shown on his face, because Burt suddenly was laughing and clasping him on the shoulder.

"Come on, bud, seems like you need to get out of here and clear your head," Burt left the kitchen and Blaine followed, a bit confused. "Let's go grab something to eat and we'll talk."

"Okay," Blaine agreed hesitantly.

He thought of his dad during the entire ride to the little restaurant Burt took him to. Walter had never simply taken his son out to eat a burger and talk about his problems, his life, whatever was on his mind. Listening had never been one of Walter Andersons' skills. Paying attention to his son hadn't been one either, or caring about him, or knowing him at all.

And here was Burt Hummel, who had probably done this same thing with his own son a hundred times, who always put Kurt's wellbeing first, who always had time to listen to whatever Kurt needed to say. And he was doing the same thing for someone who was practically a stranger, someone he had seen only twice, someone who had broken his son's heart.

Burt Hummel was the greatest man ever.

Blaine glanced at the other man over the edge of the menu he was holding and cleared his throat, awkwardly. "Mm… you're not planning on eating a burger or fries, right?"

Instead of getting upset, Burt lowered his menu and chuckled. "Careful, Blaine, you're sounding a lot like your boyfriend."

Blaine actually blushed at those words. "I just… I don't want Carole to be mad at me if she finds out I let you skip your diet…" he mumbled shyly.

"Don't worry, I'm gonna order one of those vegetarian burgers that Kurt always forces me to eat and I'll be fine," Burt answered.

It wasn't until their waitress had left their food (Blaine had ordered a cheeseburger and fries, but only after Burt assured him there was no need for Blaine to eat the same thing as him just because Burt couldn't) that things got a little more serious. So far, they had talked about the weather and Burt had mentioned a few things about the tire shop. Now, he leaned from across the table to take a good look at Blaine.

"How are you doing, buddy?" He asked, evidently concerned. "Are you feeling a bit better?"

Blaine stared at his cheeseburger for a moment. "Not really. Everything's still a mess and I have no idea what I'm going to do with my life. Yeah, I feel sort of liberated, but… what am I supposed to do now?"

"Well, that should be easy to figure out," Burt shrugged and took a bite of his burger. "When you close your eyes and imagine your future, what do you see?"

"Kurt," Blaine replied instantly, without even thinking about it. When he realized what he had just said, he froze, his burger halfway between the plate and his mouth. He put it down again slowly. "I mean…"

"You wanna marry my kid?" Burt asked bluntly.

Blaine swallowed. He wasn't sure he was still hungry. "I-I… I never thought I could actually get married. I haven't thought about it."

Burt smiled softly, his eyes lost staring into the distance, as if he was seeing something that no one else could. "Kurt started talking about his wedding when he was four. He sneaked into my wife's closet and stole her wedding veil and a pair of shoes. He walked around the house humming the wedding march until he tripped over the heels and started crying."

Blaine's heart warmed at the image in his head of a tiny Kurt in his mother's shoes.

"Elizabeth picked him up and kissed his cheeks until he stopped crying. I was coming down the stairs to see what all the screaming was about and I heard him asking her in whispers if he would ever get married one day," Burt sighed. "She said that of course he would and asked him why he doubted he would. So Kurt said that every time he had seen a wedding, in movies or in real life, he had always seen a girl and a boy getting married. But he didn't want to marry a girl. He said he wanted to marry a boy."

There was a pause and Blaine was torn between melting because of how sweet Kurt had clearly been when he was a little boy and curiosity to see where Burt was going with this.

"Elizabeth told him that she was sure he would find a prince to love him like in the movies," Burt chuckled. His eyes were shining, but he didn't cry. "You know, buddy, if she were here right now, I think she would tell Kurt that he needs to stop searching. She would say that you're the one."

Maybe Burt wasn't crying, but Blaine was certainly about to. "Burt…"

"I'm not trying to pressure you into marrying Kurt or anything, if that's not what you want," Burt interrupted, gently. "I'm just saying… it's completely fine if that's what you want to do. You can love whoever you want, Blaine. This family is never going to judge you. And I'm glad you chose to love my son. I think he needs you as much as you need him."

Blaine nodded, overcome with emotion, not sure what to answer to what Burt had just told him.

"Now eat your food, son, it's getting cold," Burt pointed towards Blaine's untouched burger and fries as he took another bite of his own.

There was another pause as they both chewed their food, lost in their own thoughts.

"Did Kurt tell you I wanted to be a photographer?" Blaine said suddenly.

Burt looked at him with interest. "I think your father mentioned something about it when we went to your place for your birthday. I didn't know that's what you wanted to do, though."

"Yeah… but then my father said I had to be a lawyer like him and I went to Harvard," Blaine explained. "When we came over for Thanksgiving, Kurt told me he had signed me up for Photography classes."

"That sounds like something Kurt would do," Burt muttered, rolling his eyes fondly.

"I think I'd like to do that," Blaine confessed timidly. "See if I can make a living out of it…"

"That's a fantastic idea, Blaine," Burt said, grinning.

Blaine couldn't hold back his smile at Burt's approval. He was about to add something else when his phone started buzzing in his pocket. He picked it up and recognized the number immediately.

"Sorry," he apologized and he stood up, flashing Burt an apologetic smile before accepting the call. "Lucy?"

"Mr. Anderson," she said and she sounded happy to hear his voice. "How are you doing?"

"A bit better, I'd say," Blaine answered as he found a quiet place in the hallway that led to the bathroom so he could talk without being disturbed. "How are you? I still feel bad for abandoning you there."

"You didn't abandon me at all," Lucy brushed his words off. "I just wanted to let you know I finished emptying your office after you left. Took all the things I knew were yours and packed them. I have them in my car, so I can give them to you whenever you want."

"You're amazing, Lucy," Blaine said, feeling a rush of affection for the woman.

"Please, Mr. Anderson, I just didn't want anyone else going through your stuff." There was a moment of silence and Blaine noticed Lucy was hesitating. "I… I heard about the case. The new case your father wanted you involved with."

Blaine shifted from one foot to the other uncomfortably. "Yeah, well, I'm sure you understand why I couldn't stay."

"Of course I do," she said passionately. "I think it's terrible, Mr. Anderson. But I… I overheard something when I was giving some documents to Katherine outside your father's office."

Blaine frowned. "What did you hear?"

"Apparently something's not going well with the trial. It's being delayed."

"What do you mean?"

"It seems like the kid who got beaten up got into a lot of debts because of his hospital bills and he can't afford a lawyer anymore. Neither can his parents. I think your father thought his client could benefit from that situation somehow…" Lucy explained in a hushed voice.

Blaine's heart was pounding inside his chest. He made the decision without even thinking about it. "Lucy, I'm going to need your help."

He joined Burt again at their table five minutes later. When he sat down, he was vibrating with excitement and nerves.

"Everything alright?" Burt asked.

Blaine nodded, taking a huge bite off his burger that, somehow, wasn't cold yet. "I think I'm taking my very last case before saying goodbye to my life as a lawyer."

Burt seemed surprised. "Really? I thought you wanted to put that behind you as soon as possible."

"I do, but I need to prove my father wrong first," Blaine replied and proceeded to fill Burt in with what Lucy had just told him.

Burt was even more excited than he was. "Blaine! That's great! Did you already talk to the boy or his parents? Do you know for sure if you'll be representing him?"

"Not yet, but I don't think they'll say no," Blaine picked a couple of fries and tossed them in his mouth. "I'm going to offer my services for free. And I have no idea what it'll cost me or how hard I'll have to work… but I'm going to win this for that boy."

"Of course you are!" Burt exclaimed, as he hit his fist against the table, laughing. "I'm so proud of you, buddy."

Blaine's hazel eyes fixed on Burt, wide and shocked. "You… you are?"

"You bet I am," he hit the table again.

Blaine hadn't expected the rush of happiness that those words sent through his entire body or the smile that came with it, but he welcomed them anyway.

Maybe Burt was right after all. Maybe everything really was going to be alright.

Light rain was falling steadily on Wednesday afternoon and Kurt leaned against the counter with a bored expression on his face, letting his blue eyes wander over the street, where people were trying to shield themselves under large umbrellas. The bakery was empty at the moment, but he'd had a very busy morning, so he was enjoying a moment of quiet, even when he had nothing to distract himself with.

He started going through the list of orders he had to get done before the weekend, trying to organize himself so he wouldn't be working like a mad man until the last minute. He was about to go into the kitchen to make sure he had all the ingredients he needed so maybe he could bake the first batch of cupcakes that had been ordered for a baby shower when the front door opened and Finn came in, his usual goofy smile on his face, as he waved hello and shook his head like a puppy to try and get a little drier.

Kurt frowned. Finn was coming to see him a lot more often lately, since Blaine had left, and Kurt suspected it had something to do with his brotherly instinct to try and keep Kurt from being depressed. He really appreciated it, but he didn't understand.

"Finn? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the garage with Dad?" He asked, coming from behind the counter to meet him. He paled. "Is Dad alright? Did something happen to him?"

"Dude, chill out, nothing's wrong," Finn said immediately. "I just had a day off and decided to come over."

"Oh," Kurt sighed in relief. Then he frowned again. "A day off on a Wednesday? And with this weather? There must be a lot of work to do."

"Hey, if you don't want me here, just say it," Finn huffed.

"No, no, I didn't say that," Kurt answered, pushing his brother further into the bakery and towards one of the empty tables. "I just thought it was weird. Would you like something to drink or eat?"

Finn's face lightened up like a beacon. "Yeah, what do you have?"

Kurt rolled his eyes before turning around, walking to the counter and putting a few chocolate chip cookies on a plate. Then he went to the kitchen and poured a glass of milk. "Here. I'm starting to think you only come over because I feed you."

"Well," Finn mumbled, his mouth already full. "That's one of the reasons."

"You're a dear," Kurt said, arching an eyebrow and giving Finn his best bitch glare that he had perfected back in high school. Then he relaxed back against the chair. "Actually, I'm kind of glad you showed up."

"Really?" Finn took a sip of his milk and a drop dribbled down his chin all the way to his hoodie.

"Yeah. It's been too quiet…" Kurt whispered, playing with a paper napkin. He had always enjoyed the silence, somehow. He had found it even inspirational. But lately, without Blaine… it was too heavy. It made him ache.

Finn started talking about his plans with Puck for the weekend, about a client he'd had the previous day that turned out to be a really pretty lady and that he was hoping would come back and about all the random things Finn usually talked about. Kurt found the sound of his voice sort of pleasant and just sat there and listened to him, adding a few comments or laughing at the appropriate moments. It was nice having a brother, Kurt thought. When he looked back at how lonely Burt and he had been before Carole and Finn arrived in their lives, he couldn't remember how they had survived like that.

He realized Finn was still talking and forced himself to pay more attention. "… and your Dad hasn't been going to the shop very much this week, I've been covering for him. That's why he told me I could have the day off today. He was planning on taking Blaine with him to help him and I guess they are…"

Kurt's head jerked up to look straight at his brother. "Wait, what?"

Finn blinked in confusion a couple of times and then his entire face went red. "Oh, crap."

"What do you mean Blaine went with Dad to the garage?" Kurt asked and his heart was already beating faster, because that's what it did at the mere mention of Blaine's name.

"I just… look, Kurt, it's not my place to tell…" Finn fidgeted nervously on his seat.

Kurt snatched the remaining cookies and the glass of milk from him. "Finn, tell me what's going on right now."

Finn gulped. He had always been way bigger than Kurt, but there wasn't anything scarier than his brother when he was upset about something. "I don't know everything; I just know that Blaine is living with Burt and mom."

Kurt's eyes went wide. "What?"

"Oh, damn, I wasn't supposed to tell you!" Finn hid his face in his arms, which were crossed on the table. "Mom made me promise. They're all waiting for Blaine to be ready to talk to you…"

"Why is he living with them?" Kurt questioned, leaving aside the fact that his entire family was lying to him for some reason.

"I think he got into a really big fight with his dad and he left his job and his apartment," Finn shrugged and used the fact that Kurt was evidently too busy being concerned about Blaine to pay attention to what he was doing, to get back one of the cookies. He chewed on it thoughtfully. "He was really, really depressed. Burt's been with him almost all the time since he arrived."

Kurt felt like he couldn't really breathe. He stood up abruptly. "Let's go," he blurted out.

Finn looked at him without understanding. "Go where?"

"You're driving me to Lima, come on," Kurt ran to the back of the counter and looked for his keys and cellphone. He put his coat and scarf on quickly.

"Don't you have to work?" Finn tilted his head to the side as he watched his brother running around the shop to make sure everything was in order to close.

Kurt went into the kitchen to make sure nothing was on and that he wouldn't find any messes when he came back. "I don't care about that right now, Finn, I just need to see Blaine."

"But they'll know I told you! Kurt, seriously, they're going to kill me!" Finn whined, trailing behind him like a lost puppy.

Kurt ignored him, checking the back door was locked.

"Kurt!" Finn whined even more. "Come on, dude, they're just waiting for Blaine to be ready to talk to you. You know everything is complicated with him, you know better than anyone else!"

"And that's exactly why I'm going to see him!" Kurt said, turning around to face his brother. "Finn… he needs me. I know he does. But after the last time we talked… I'm sure he blames himself. I'm sure he thinks I don't love him anymore…"

Finn let out a frustrated snort. "Fine. But I'm leaving you at our parents' place and leaving. I'm staying away until you make them promise they won't kill me."

"Sometimes I have a hard time believing you're actually an adult," Kurt rolled his eyes as he hushed his brother to leave the bakery. They ran to Finn's truck to avoid getting wet with the rain that was still falling with no signs that it was going to stop soon.

Maybe it was because Finn had to drive carefully because of the weather or because he just couldn't wait one more second to see Blaine, but Kurt thought that Lima had never seemed so far away.

Blaine's hair was messy and still a little damp from the shower he had taken when he arrived back from the garage with Burt over an hour ago. Carole had the night shift and had already left and Burt had no intention of cooking dinner, saying they could order a pizza when they were hungry, so Blaine had taken possession of the kitchen table.

He had his laptop open in front of him, the few law books that he had packed with him and a few papers with notes that Lucy had emailed him earlier that day. He hadn't been surprised when Henry's parents accepted his offer as soon as he told them he wanted to represent them free of charge. They were desperate, after all. But he was overwhelmed with how much this case meant to him, how much it would mean to win. Not only because it would show his father he wasn't the worthless crap he had been told he was his entire life, but because it could make a difference for a lot of gay kids living in a place like Ohio.

He could hear the sound of the shower on the upper floor, where Burt was washing off another day of work at the tire shop. He had a steaming cup of coffee in his hand as he let his tired eyes scan over piles of legal documents. He had put on his glasses, as he did every time he knew he had a lot of work ahead. But he was excited, like he had never been with any other case. This one actually meant something to him.

Blaine created a new document on his computer and started typing, a slight frown of concentration on his face, as he wrote the first draft of his opening statement for the trial. He still needed to meet with Henry and his parents for the first time to go through all the facts with them, but he already knew the basics, so he could at least write an outline of what he wanted to say.

Kurt leaned against the doorway silently, a lump in his throat now that he was finally seeing Blaine after days and days of missing him, now that he was seeing him so close and he could actually confirm that he was fine. Blaine looked tired, serious, not happy, but at least not miserable anymore, as if he was in limbo. Kurt crossed his arms over his chest to hide the fact that his hands were shaking.

The whisper startled Blaine, who had momentarily paused typing to check what he had just written.

"Hi."

Blaine's head snapped to the side, his eyes wide behind the black-rimmed glasses. He gaped when he saw Kurt standing there and Kurt had to force himself to keep the little smile on his lips or he would start crying and launch into the other man's arms.

"Kurt…" Blaine exhaled, and he sounded amazed, as if he had never imagined he could find Kurt there.

But it wasn't that. It was just that after weeks of not having Kurt right there in front of him, after weeks of just seeing him through the photographs he had taken, the real Kurt was even more breathtaking than ever. His eyes seemed bluer, his hair looked even more perfectly styled, his strong body seemed to fit even better into those stunning clothes he wore, his skin looked even paler and smoother than Blaine remembered it…

"So…" Kurt started, taking a hesitant step into the kitchen. "I heard you're crashing here with my parents…"

Blaine took off his glasses and ran his hand over his face. "God, Kurt, I'm so sorry. I should've… I should've told you I was here. This is your house, not mine, I have no right to just come and invade it and…"

"Can you stop for a second?" Kurt said softly, lifting his hands in front of him to calm Blaine down. "I'm not mad at you. At all. I'm glad you had somewhere to go to when you needed it."

Blaine nodded, trying to avoid looking straight at him, because it felt like too much. "Thanks…"

"I just…" Kurt paused to stop his voice from breaking. "I just wish I was that place."

Blaine's heart ached at those words. "Kurt… you are. You definitely are. You were the first thing that crossed my mind but I… I didn't want you to see me then. I was so out of control and…"

"I would've helped you." Kurt kneeled in front of him and tentatively put his hands on Blaine's knees. "I want to be here for you, Blaine…"

Blaine swallowed nervously, his hands tingling to touch Kurt's. "I hurt you. I know I did and I hate myself for it every day because…"

Kurt reached up and pressed a finger against Blaine's lips, silencing him. "No. no more hating yourself, especially not for something involving me."

"I lied to you that night at the bakery," Blaine blurted out, needing to say those words, to get them out of his system. "Everything was a lie, Kurt… not loving you, being embarrassed about you… gosh, I love you so much I can't even breathe sometimes. And I've never been prouder of anything in my life like I was when I got to call you my boyfriend…"

Kurt's eyes started shining with the tears he was unsuccessfully trying to hold back. Blaine very carefully wiped them away with the tip of his fingers, giving Kurt the space and the chance to pull him away if he wanted to, but Kurt actually leaned into the touch.

"Don't make me be without you again, Blaine, please…" he whispered, and for a moment he sounded like a scared little child. Blaine's heart ached even more.

"Never again," Blaine promised, feeling the urge to cry himself. "I'm sorry I did this to us…"

Kurt shivered. He needed Blaine like he had never needed anything else in his life. The weight of the days spent apart fell on him, and the urge to be closer, to make sure it really was Blaine there with him was so intense he felt dizzy. His voice was equal parts of hopeful, hesitant and shy when he spoke again. "Can you kiss me?"

Blaine didn't answer, because no words seemed adequate. His need was as strong as Kurt's was and he had been longing to kiss this man for many lonely nights. He pulled Kurt up by his arms until the slightly taller man dropped down onto his lap. Impatient, Kurt leaned down to crash their lips together before Blaine could even wrap him in a tight embrace.

It was as if they received a shot of happiness. Suddenly, they were surrounded by colors and music and the intoxicating scent of each other. All the things they thought they had lost forever came back, ten times as intense than they had been before. If they hadn't been sure that what they had was real before, they were sure now.

Kurt threw his arms around Blaine's neck and giggled into the kiss, happily. Blaine opened his eyes just enough to see the man he was kissing, to make sure this wasn't another dream, to take a look at the beautiful reality he was holding.

Kurt started dropping quick, tiny kisses all over his face, making him laugh. Blaine couldn't remember the last time he had actually laughed…

"It's nice to see you two worked things out…" A voice said from the doorway and they reluctantly pulled away to find Burt watching them. "Did Finn tell you he was here?"

Kurt quirked an eyebrow. "How did you guess?"

"I knew as soon as Carole told him that he wouldn't be able to keep the secret," Burt shrugged and walked to the fridge.

Blaine buried his face in the crook of Kurt's neck, taking comfort in how amazing his skin felt. "I'm glad he told you. I was too much of a coward to do it myself."

Kurt kissed the top of his head. "That's not true. I've heard you were pretty brave a few days ago…"

Blaine moved back to look Kurt in the eyes. "I guess there's a lot I need to tell you."

"You can tell me everything on the drive back to Columbus," Kurt said with a smile before turning to Burt. "Dad, if you don't mind, I'm taking my boyfriend home."

The wave of warmth that rushed through Blaine's body made him cling even tighter to Kurt.

"I don't mind at all," Burt answered, taking a sip from his bottle of water. "But I want the two of you here for Friday night dinner."

"Maybe I can come over sometime next week and give you a hand at the garage?" Blaine offered, almost hopefully.

Burt's smile got even brighter. "I'd like that, as long as it doesn't take any precious time from your big case."

Kurt frowned, without understanding. "Big case?"

Blaine nodded, enthusiasm hovering in his hazel eyes. "I'll tell you in the car."

Kurt grinned. "Sounds exciting." He stood up and grabbed Blaine's hand in his, tugging to make him follow. "Let's go get your stuff."

Burt waved goodbye to them from the front door twenty minutes later after making them both promise again that they would be there for dinner on Friday. Once he was alone, he walked into the kitchen, thinking about calling Finn to see if he wanted to come over and eat that pizza with him.

He felt like he needed to celebrate this little victory.