“How many suitcases do you actually need?” Chase asked as he hoisted the third one into the rental car.

“You always have to be prepared!” Kurt argued, “What if we get stuck in a blizzard? Or what if by some miracle it is 75 and sunny. I just want to make sure that I have the appropriate garments”

Chase let out a short chuckle while he closed the trunk and moved to the passenger seat to open Kurt’s door. “You know you have a weather app on your phone right?”

“Don’t mock me” Kurt quipped as he sat in the passenger seat leaving the door propped open to continue his conversation with Chase.

Chase lifted his arms to show he surrendered this argument and smiled “you know you look good in anything” he said as he leaned in to steal a chaste kiss from Kurt. He quickly closed the door and ran over to get into the driver’s seat. “All ready for our first road trip?” It was a rhetorical question and Kurt just smiled and tried to calm his nerves as he knew this weekend was going to be a doozy.

It was really an accident that he got himself in this mess. He had invited Chase to spend Thanksgiving with them a week prior to the break-up. The thing about Kurt is that no matter how well he plays of the BITCH GLARE, he really is one of the most compassionate people. After he heard the story about how Chase’s parents would be going to India for Christmas this year and Chase not being able to get the proper time off he thought, eh why not? Now that he was finding himself sitting a car with pseudo boyfriend for 10 hours with the ending culminating in him meeting his father he thought that maybe he shouldn’t have been so nice. Not that there was anything wrong with Chase. He constantly found himself looking over at him in the course of their drive trying to figure out how to deal with his anxiety.

“A penny for your thoughts?”  Chase brought him out of his head

“Um” Kurt hesitated trying to think of something that could sound somewhat believable and decided to just go with the truth. “I don’t want this to come off rude”

At that Chase’s eyes went wide “Are you going to tell me you don’t like my outfit?” his face slowly turning into a smirk. And that was the thing with Chase nothing really ever seemed that serious. He was always able to play everything off as a joke, or a bad pun. It was something that Kurt loved because it made him feel like things would never get heavy, and there was no way as something as light as what they had to turn bad, the way it did with Blaine.

“I just don’t want you to think that…” Kurt was having trouble trying to figure out how to phrase the rest of his sentence without it sounding like a slap in the face.

“Spit it out Hummel, we only have 6 hours left of this 10 hour drive” this made Kurt smile

“Okay okay, I just don’t want you to think because you are meeting my family that we are at “that stage” he said with quotation marks in the air. Chase looked over at him, then back at the road once again his eyes finding Kurt’s.

 Kurt could not tell if he was upset by that statement or if he was just thinking it through. It was a second or two before he got a response but it seemed like the silence went on forever. He suddenly became aware of his surroundings, the endless miles of dirt, the heater that was turned on full blast and the way Chase was gripping the steering wheel.

“I guess I shouldn’t ask your father for your hand in marriage then?” Chase said with a grin. Kurt chuckled and smiled at Chase. The rest of the ride was fueled with conversation about design houses that Chase had worked with, speculations about future Vogue covers and how small town department stores had the best deals. The thing is that all he really had in common with Chase was fashion, which was great but limiting. Of course Chase didn’t mind hearing Kurt talk about musicals and classic movies but it really wasn’t his thing. Just like Kurt didn’t really care too much about modern art and photography even though he didn’t mind hearing Chase talk about it. At one point during the ride home Kurt had fallen asleep and drifted into a dream that involved musicals, lima bean, and a very present Blaine.

The doorbell rang, and the familiar chime sent comfort through Kurt’s body. Chase and Kurt had arrived an hour later than expected. Kurt was surprised to not find his father waiting by the door, he wondered if his unexpected guest might have something to do with it. He was about to ring the doorbell again when the door was pulled open. Burt took one look at his son and lifted him in his arms. “I have missed you so much” he said surprising Kurt and making it a little difficult for him to breathe. They both reveled in the feeling of togetherness. He didn’t even realize how much he needed his father especially after everything that had happened the month prior. He knew if he had been home that his father’s words would have helped him find some answers, those same words 3,000 miles away didn’t feel the same.

Kurt quickly realized that Chase was standing to the side trying to figure out his own introduction.

“Omg I’m so rude, Dad this is Chase, Chase this is my dad” Burt quickly regained his composure, reaching out a hand to the young man. He didn’t know how he should be acting since he wasn’t sure this person was even Kurt’s boyfriend. He hoped for Blaine’s sake that he wasn’t. He looked over Chase’s appearance and he seemed to be more like Kurt than Blaine was, obviously interested in fashion. He felt older and carried himself with confidence, but he lacked the warmth that Blaine had and when he looked into his eyes he really couldn’t see where this kid was coming from.

“Pleased to meet you Mr. Hummel, thank you so much for extending an invitation” Chase said while shaking Burt’s hand.

“No need to thank me that was all Kurt, but any friend of Kurt is a friend of ours” Burt made sure that he emphasized the word friend. Kurt was not oblivious to the tone that his father was taking he was also very aware that Burt didn’t correct Chase in calling him Mr. Hummel but he was hoping for his own sake that he would not be cold to him this whole trip. 

Carole came down the stairs shortly after and almost toppled Kurt with the force of her hug “We really miss you son” she said with misty eyes. “Finn will be joining us tomorrow morning, are you guys in the mood for a late dinner?”  She looked over realizing she hadn’t introduced herself yet “I’m sorry I’m being so rude, I’m Carole Kurt’s stepmother” Chase walked over and offered his hand “I’m Chase.. Kurt’s..” he looked over at Kurt expecting him to fill the gap. All of a sudden Kurt’s hands got clammy and he hoped with everything in him that someone could save him at that thought Burt walked over catching his son’s hesitant eyes “I don’t mean to interrupt introductions but I think my stomach just growled twice and the neighbors called to tell me to take care of it” The room broke out into polite laughter as Kurt looked over to his father with gratitude in his eyes.

Kurt could not sleep, he tossed and turned for what felt like hours. He didn’t know why his old room felt so odd, he had an idea as to why. Every time he drifted off to sleep he would find himself sinking into a memory. He started drifting and found himself face to face with Blaine, when he reached over to pull him close his arm fell into the empty space. He had enough of these small day dreams and reached over to turn on the night light as his hand hit something and brought it to the floor.
“Shit” he whispered, he didn’t want to wake up the whole house especially not Chase who was in the guest room a few feet from his room. He had been driving all day and needed the sleep more than Kurt did if he was going to survive Thanksgiving with his family. He quickly pulled off the covers and attempted once more to turn on the light now trying to figure out what he dropped, when the light went on it seemed to only illuminate one thing in the room. Next to his bed he could see a small picture frame holding a photobooth strip from Blaine and Kurt’s trip to a carnival. He swore he didn’t remember seeing it there before he got into bed. He thought back to when he was packing everything up and thought he had put it in one of the boxes. Now it just sat laid on the floor taunting him along with all the other ghost in the room. Kurt had to get out but as he glanced back at his alarm clock 3:05 looked back at him.  “Ugh” he groaned as he got up and made his way quietly down the stairs careful not to wake anyone. When he reached the kitchen he instinctively went for the tea pot, as a usual ritual he had when he couldn’t sleep. As the tea pot boiled he heard a creak in the steps, he hesitated and when he looked back he found his father at the end of the stairs.

“Couldn’t sleep?” Burt said nonchalantly acting as if it was perfectly normal for him to be up at this hour. “Not a wink” he said while his eyes started to get curious “You?”

Burt walked over to the refrigerator, opened it and looked over the contents. “Well you won’t be happy about this but this is about my “midnight snack” hour”

“Dad!” Kurt said in a register a lot higher than he had expected to come out of his mouth. He quickly walked over to close the refrigerator door. “You know better than that! You are supposed to be taking care of yourself” Burt smiled as he re-opened the refrigerator door. “Seriously, you leave for a few months and all hell breaks loose around here” Kurt muttered mostly to himself.

“Now kiddo, a few Oreo’s are not going to kill me” he reached over and grabbed the milk and two glasses, “Care to join?” If there was anything that Kurt needed at the moment it was a father/son talk even if this was throwing his usual “Don’t you dare eat that” routine by the wayside. Kurt sighed as he looked up his dad “Yes” he said begrudgingly through his teeth.

Burt walked them both over to the living room, sitting on the big sofa while handing Kurt a glass of milk and a few Oreo’s. “Go ahead, spill, I know you have something on your mind, or more like someone”

At that Kurt looked away, staring at the ceiling trying to collect his thoughts. “It’s like that room is full of ghost father”

“We don’t have ghost Kurt” Burt replied with a sarcastic smile

Kurt glared at him before continuing “You know what I mean, I can’t be in there without thinking about… Blaine” he said his name at an unusual whisper. “I can’t lie in my bed without drifting into some dream or memory of us in that room” at that Kurt began to blush “not like that… dad” Burt found it amusing how easily Kurt could turn red almost giving himself away. “It’s just I don’t want to be haunted by him forever, and I feel even worse knowing that Chase is in the other room”

Burt wanted nothing more than to avoid the Chase talk, he knew what his son was doing and he felt that Kurt had found a suitable re-bound that he was trying to turn into a relationship. Of course Burt was caught off guard with the news that Chase would be joining them for Thanksgiving. He had not even heard of Chase longer than two weeks and all of a sudden he was being thrown into the family. At first he thought that maybe he could be serious about him. Burt knew that love could not be explained or calculated but in watching them interact tonight he didn’t see it. He didn’t see Kurt look at him with anything more than vain interest. This was a placeholder for Kurt Burt assumed and he hoped that Kurt could tell the difference. Kurt broke his father out of his thoughts

“Dad are you going to say something?” Burt didn’t know what to say, he didn’t want to make it seem like Kurt should take Blaine back. He knew that what Blaine had done to his son was the worst pain that Kurt had experienced. There was no way to justify it, he knew only time could heal that wound. But he also knew Blaine, he knew that he had crippled under his own pain and was lashing out to save himself, or at least that is what he thought. 

“What do you want me to say Kurt? I know you miss Blaine, and I don’t want to talk about what he did to you without wanting to hit him over the head with a baseball bat but I also know Blaine and I know that what he did was not because he didn’t love you but because he was just….lost” Kurt looked dumbfounded, was his dad actually defending Blaine? He didn’t have words, so he let the silence speak for itself. He wanted to have his father explain himself but at the same time didn’t want to continue talking for fear that his emotions would betray him. He trained his stare straight ahead making sure not to catch his father’s eye, as he looked further in front of him he made out something on the chair. It was blue and under a blanket and the more he looked at it the more he knew what it was. He got up slowly; Burt looked to see where he was going. As he reached the chair he yanked the blue cloth from under the grasp of the blanket. Out of it came a blue sweatshirt emblazoned with Dalton Academy. He turned to look at his father

 “What is this?” Burt’s eyes turned jumpy looking up at his son and across the room, then to the sweatshirt. He cleared his throat “ Um that looks like your old Dalton Hoodie”

“I never bought a Dalton Hoodie, You know very well what this is” Kurt’s words were angry, and anger was growing by the minute he was now in front of his father dangling the article of clothing. “Why are you not telling me the truth?”

Burt closed his eyes and reached hand over them and massaged his temples. He was now annoyed by his son’s tone “Kurt are you going to calm down?” he gestured with his hand to take a seat “Don’t you think you are overreacting?”

“Overreacting? “ Kurt questioned with a sarcastic tone. “You are avoiding questions and I am the one..”

“Alright alright “ Burt interrupted. “Blaine came to see me a few weeks ago” To this Kurt eyes opened wide in disbelief 

“Are you serious? How dare he? I mean” Kurt’s anger seemed to release a new thought every second.

“Now before you let your mouth run a mile a minute he had nowhere to go, no one to talk to”

“So he thought to come to my father and you would receive him with open arms?” Kurt got up from the chair “I would hope that you told him to leave?” Burt looked up to see Kurt’s eyes filled with unshed tears. He knew this would happen, he didn’t want to mention to him that Blaine had come seen him after his NY trip, he also didn’t want to mention that he has been coming around ever since.

“Kurt you don’t understand, this isn’t black and white and I’m sorry that you have to hear this from your father but Blaine has no one, you have Rachel, you have us but Blaine had you and now”

“Ugh, I don’t have to listen to his” Kurt lamented before reaching the stairs. His father quickly strode to meet him there before he ran upstairs. He put his hand on his shoulders to ease him to turn around and face him.

“Listen kiddo, I know you think that I am defending what Blaine did and I by no means think what he did was right. Trust me I was expecting for me to throw him out by his lapel on to the front lawn just as much as you but then he spoke and I heard it, I heard the pain and despair. That kid was lost, he was lost without you and he made a mistake. A mistake that might even be unforgivable but you know him, and I think you know that he had to be in a pretty dark place for him to ever hurt you”

At those words Kurt let the tears finally fall as he held on to his father, arms holding him so tight he didn’t know if he could let go. Burt let Kurt cry out everything he had in him, when the sobs finally silenced he looked up to see that Kurt was still holding on to the sweatshirt. “Here son, I’ll take that and make sure that he gets it back” Kurt quickly pulled back the sweatshirt “No” he said louder than expected “I  ... I want to keep it, if that’s okay”

“I won’t tell if you don’t” Burt responded with a kiss to his son’s forehead as he sent him off to bed.