Chapter 12

“Are you okay?”

“…I don't look okay?”

Kurt fixed the collar of Blaine's dress shirt as a small smile snuck onto his face. He patted it down and then quickly moved Blaine's hands away from his waist before someone could come into the room. “You always look… incredible. It's just that I know my father can be a bit much so I wanted to make sure. Not that hes ever met anyone Ive been interested in but with the circumstances…”

“With me being old as dirt?”

Kurt rolled his eyes at that statement. Blaine was hardly ‘old as dirt'. “Exactly.”

Blaine smiled as he watched Kurt, linking hands with the younger man's. He held them in his own and they looked one another in the eyes. “I'm fine. I've dealt with fathers before. It's nothing I can't handle.” He placed a kiss to Kurt's check and watched the soft skin there start to turn red. Kurt pulled their hands to his face and nudged his glasses a bit higher on his nose.

“I imagine Sarah has a challenging father but I don't know if he compares to the likes of Burt Hummel.”

Blaine shrugged a bit as he smiled. “That may be true. But you know me, Kurt. I could sweet talk a dragon into making me a campfire. Your dad isn't exactly a walk in the park, but it can be done.”

“I admire your confidence.” Kurt smiled, kissed Blaine on the lips, and then about-faced. Blaine watched him walk to his bedroom door and then pull it open. “I'll be helping Carole in the kitchen if you need me. Get settled in and come down and join us?”

Blaine looked around Kurt's bedroom and nodded as his eyes landed on a stack of comic books. He smiled softly, taking in the way his boyfriend eyed him curiously. “I'll be down shortly.”

Kurt blushed at the kiss blown at him before he went downstairs to join the others. He wasn't exactly in a rush to get down there—he still had his father to deal with and there was also Finn who had the audacity to ask Blaine how old he was in conversation—to be fair, Finn probably didn't know he was lacking conversation etiquette but seriously, bro?— but at least Kurt knew he could rely on Carole to be the kind, welcoming, patient woman she wa—

“Come here.”

Shit.

Kurt stopped halfway through the living room and turned to look at his father. Burt was seated on the couch. He and Finn were in the middle of an episode of The Walking Dead and Finn seemed to be really into it before he glanced up at the interruption. Kurt let a small sigh slip before he walked over to the sofa.

“Yes?”

Burt didn't look away from the television. “Where's your guest?”

“Blaine is upstairs unwinding from the trip,” Kurt answered. “You can say his name, dad. I'm about to go and see if I can help Carole out if you need anything…”

Finn turned away from the two of them and looked back at the television.

“Well when you have a minute, I'd love to talk to you about all of this.”

Kurt looked up at the TV as well. He had his arms folded over his chest and Burt could sense his desire to speak about anything else but this. “What would you like to talk about?”

Burt gave a sarcastic smile. “Hm. Maybe the 30 year-old guy you brought home?”

Finn stiffened where he sat. Kurt could tell his stepbrother was debating between going up to his room to give the two space, trying to focus on the show, and trying to listen to this conversation. Kurt closed his eyes momentarily—he and his father didn't normally have chats like these that'd make him uncomfortable, at least not since his whole coming out process. Until then, it had been how's school? and fixing cars and why don't you ever come out of your room and thank god your mom's cooking skills rubbed off on you. Nothing that made Kurt want to walk away.

The truth was, Kurt knew he could depend on his father. Burt was one of his closest friends. They may not have talked about everything, but his dad knew him better than he knew himself. He knew he was gay even while Kurt was still trying to understand what was going on. Girls were pretty and could be nice but Shawn Harrison's lips looked like they'd feel great pressed against his. Growing up and coming to accept these things about himself was difficult for Kurt, but his father was there to help him learn who he was. Burt also didn't tease him about his lack of flannel or his interest in Star Wars, or how he preferred reading Hemingway as opposed to watching LeBron James running up and down a court. Burt let him be himself—nerdy, quiet, boy-liking Kurt. He had a feeling that would change when Blaine came along, and Kurt wasn't so sure if it was because Blaine was his first boyfriend or because he was so much older than he was…

“All I can really say is that I like him, dad. He likes me too.”

Burt nodded, finally turning to face his son. “I know that. He does seem to like you. But I just want to make sure that you're not settling for the first guy that shows interest in you, Kurt. I mean, look at him—”

“He's not the first guy. He's just the first guy I've told you all about, and that's because I like him. The others weren't even worth mentioning.”

“You two seem serious,” Finn said absently. His eyes were still on the television as a crew of zombies traipsed around some abandoned looking alleyway. “I don't want to think about my little bro dating but he seems cool so far.”

“I'm about three months older than you, Finn.”

“You'll never be bigger than me, though.”

“I can't make the same judgments he has,” Burt interrupted. “The guy could be a good actor. I don't know how I feel about someone not much younger than me dating my son.” Both of the teens scoffed and Burt glared at each of them. “The fact of the matter here is that this guy has lived his life and yours is just beginning. He's still technically married, has a child—”

“Dad,” Kurt uncrossed his arms and they fell by his side. “Listen, I know this is hard for you. This is probably harder for me.”

Burt was quiet at first, but after reaching forward for his beer he finally spoke. “He's an older guy with a boatload of cash. I'm supposed to believe this is hard for you?”

Kurt finally sat on the arm of the chair and stopped his father from taking a sip. Burt looked up at him a bit confused but didn't deny his son the eye contact he was looking for.

“I'm dating a man who was very much married to a woman when I met him, dad. Now all of the sudden we're together and he has a daughter who I think the world of. He's sweet and I do like him, but this isn't easy dad. I can't say for certain that he's not going to wake up one day and realize that what we have is a bit more than he bargained for, and he feels the same way about me. So no, it isn't easy.”

Burt was silent. Finn looked over at them.

“I care less about what he owns and more about who he is, dad. I think you know me better than that.”

“I know I don't want you hurt,” his father answered.

“Give him a chance, please? For me.”

Finn turned to the TV again. He cleared his throat. “I admit this is a bit weird for me, too. I don't know. You've never really dated and I always imagined you to bring home some weird guy you met at New York Comic Con, not a sugar daddy.”

“Finn please,” Kurt blushed as he dropped his head into his hands. “Seriously?”

“I'm for real! But I like him. He's nice and I can't wait to get to know some more about him.”

Kurt peeked up at his father. Burt was drinking from his beer bottle, otherwise not phased. Kurt sighed and stood up, going to find Carole as promised.

Part of him wondered why he brought Blaine home so soon. They hadn't been seeing each other that long anyway, this definitely could've waited. Maybe towards the end of the summer they'd be more serious and Kurt would be going into his junior year definitely knowing what he wanted. But that wasn't the case. Now, he dragged Blaine into something that would probably end horrifically if Burt had anything to say about it.  But regardless of how his father felt, Kurt knew that he met Blaine for a reason. He wasn't about to doubt them yet…

The kitchen smelt absolutely amazing. Carole had an old Petula Clark record that she hummed along to as she cooked. Kurt took a glance around the familiar home—there'd been a renovation since he first left for NYU, which meant that some of the little things that'd reminded him of his mother like the old wallpaper and the counter they'd eat cookie dough at was gone. He walked over to her with a smile, trying to shake off the conversation he had with his father and Finn before leaning against the brand new kitchen island.

“Hello, handsome. You're just in time to taste the sauce…”

Kurt smiled as he watched her moving around the kitchen. Carole was going the pretend everything was normal route and he really appreciated it. “I'd love to.”

She dabbed a bit onto the spoon and Kurt nodded his approval after tasting it. She gave a thumbs up and then moved her attention to the pasta. “We'll be good to go in not much longer. I want to impress that debonair guest of yours.”

Kurt chuckled as he cleaned his glasses on his shirt. “Blaine already thinks the world of you, I'm sure. He thinks you give the world's greatest hugs.”

Carole laughed. “Oh, is that so? I'll have to sneak him an extra slice of apple pie.”

Kurt smiled.

“So you two met when you went to work for him?”

“Yep,” he nodded. “Family nanny. He's a busy lawyer—made partner at his firm not that long ago. His wife… well, soon to be ex,” Kurt corrected himself while trying not to feel guilty about that. Sarah had played her cards in all of this as well. “She's an editor for a big time fashion magazine owned by her family.”

“Ah,” Carole nodded, seeming impressed. “Important people in New York, I take it.”

“You could say that.” Kurt stood up now, going to help with the pie crust. Carole stayed over by the pasta, stirring and adjusting the temperature. “I had what I thought to be a harmless crush on Blaine for the first couple weeks but then… I don't know. We started spending more time together and I feel terrible about it but things changed between us.”

“Where does that leave his ex-wife?”

“She'd been being unfaithful for years already so they were already falling apart,” Kurt said, hoping that his stepmother wouldn't look at him any differently after this conversation. “I'm not trying to excuse what we did, but I do know I'm interested in seeing where this could go. Part of me wonders if he's falling for me because I was more of a support system than she… Sarah was to him.”

Carole nodded, looking over at him. “What do you think?”

He looked up too. “What do you mean?”

“Well,” Carole began. “Do you think Blaine's interest in you is some temporary high? Because I don't know if some guy would let you so close to his daughter and also come meet your family if this was all just a fluke.”

Kurt began to spoon the filling into the pie. “You're right. I'm just afraid, I guess. And your husband isn't exactly helping.”

She smiled and patted his back before opening the oven. “You leave that old fart to me.”

…

Blaine wondered if he was being a creep as he picked up one of Kurt's pictures from his dresser. It was a framed photo of small Kurt and the woman he assumed to be his mother. They had the same colored eyes and that sharp nose, and though her brown hair curled, there wasn't a difference in the color. The two of them were hugging one another in front of the home, a For Sale sign collapsed in the background. Blaine smiled as he looked at it. Kurt couldn't be any older than five. He wore thick glasses and a heavy green coat with a dinosaur on the front. His mother had on a purple vest over a sweater with a dark toboggan pulled low over her ears. Blaine thought about when he bought his first home with Sarah for their little girl and how happy they were; how it all went downhill from there.

Blaine placed the photo back down and then went to sit on Kurt's bed. He was definitely dating a guy who had a poster of the Avengers on his wall. Blaine smiled to himself and shook his head.

He was dating a guy who was passionate about the things he liked and wanted Blaine to be the same. He was dating a guy who wanted to support him. He was dating a guy who was beautiful, and shy, and cared about Madison, but most importantly didn't care about what Blaine could give him. Their relationship, while rocky, wasn't one of ‘what can you do for me?' but ‘how can I make you smile?' and Blaine had always wondered what something like that would be like.

He was dating a guy.

His parents had taken that fact about as well as he expected them to. Blaine wondered if he over reacted to their reactions—it wasn't like he expected their support—but still, maybe he should've handled things differently.

Whatever. Right now he had bigger things to worry about. Like impressing Burt and Carole, and Finn too, and letting them all know that Kurt was special to him and in good hands while away in New York.

He slid his phone out of his pocket and dialed Cooper's number. A quick chat with his baby girl would help calm his nerves a bit.

“Squirt. What's up?”

“I'm 29. We can find a cooler nickname to call me if you insist on calling me a nickname…”

“…Squirt. What can I do for you? I'm in the middle of a tea party with my adorable niece.”

Blaine smiled. “Let me speak to her please.” He began to play at the fabric of his sweater as Cooper transferred the call. Blaine grinned when the little girl's voice filled his ears.

“Daddy?”

“Pickle head?”

“Daddy!”

Blaine laughed, lying back on the bed. “Hi there! I don't mean to interrupt your tea party but Papa misses you. How's hanging with Uncle Cooper?”

“It's fun but I miss you too. And I am going to I have a surprise for you when you get back!”

“Oh do you?” Blaine smiled. “Well I have to compete with you. I'm sure my surprise will be bigger.”

“Doubt it.”

Blaine closed his eyes for a while and listened to Cooper's tea party dialogue going on in the background. He shook his head because his older brother was in character even for this. “We'll see about that. I'll call you again before bed, ok? Be good to your auntie and uncle.”

“I will, papa. I love you, stinky.”

“Love you more, fart face.”

They each hung up and Blaine sat up with a smile. Sure, things were going to get difficult for their family going forward but he refused to let Madison take the blunt of it. The goal was to keep his little girl as gleeful as she sounded on the phone, even if he and Sarah were far from amicable right now.

Blaine stood up and checked himself in Kurt's mirror. He looked a lot better than he felt. A floor beneath him was a man who more than likely wanted him to get the hell out of his home and out of Kurt's life, and Blaine had only the length of a dinner to at least lay a foundation that he was a good man. He had to convince Kurt's family that he meant well and that he did want to be a part of his future.

He really did.

And here goes nothing.

Blaine checked himself in the mirror once more before deciding that he was presentable enough to go join Kurt and his family downstairs. He left the room with a deep breath and slowly walked down the steps. Maybe saying that this felt like walking to his last supper was a bit of a reach but it kind of felt that way. Just a little.

Finn did offer him a comforting smile when he reached the bottom step. Burt hadnt yet turned around. “Hey, man. Youre just in time.”

Blaine smiled back and approached the living room where the two sat. “Yeah. It smells amazing.”

Burt turned to him for a moment but didnt say anything. He looked away and back at the television. Blaine opened his mouth to say something polite but… it wasn't worth it. It was obvious this man wasn't trying to hear it. Instead, he smiled and started to walk towards the kitchen. “I'm going to ask Mrs. Hummel if she needs any help.”

Finn stuck a thumb up and grabbed for the remote.

Inside the kitchen, Kurt was laughing at something his stepmother said to him. It was the type of laugh that made him have to hold onto a chair not to stumble over, and Blaine couldn't help but grin at the sound of it. He stood in the doorway for a moment, simply watching. This was something that Blaine could get used to—waking up to that sound every morning had to be heaven, despite what people said. When he realized that Carole caught him staring, he stood up straight and cleared his throat, walking over and sending a polite wave. Kurt straightened up as well and tried to stop laughing at whatever it was, but there were still little giggles that still escaped.

“I am suddenly very sorry I didn't walk in here a minute sooner,” Blaine said with a smile. Carole removed her oven mitts and smiled at the two of them.

It was a bit to take in. She wasn't used to seeing Kurt so comfortable with someone that wasn't one of the family members or Sebastian, but he was at ease around Blaine. The man did have a calming presence about himself, though, despite being as powerful as she heard he was. “I swear we weren't talking about you,” she said.

Blaine laughed and crossed his arms. “Well I wasn't suspecting that you were until now.”

Kurt took a deep breath as he tried to relax. “I'm sorry. We were reminiscing over the times when Finn and I were in high school and she reminded me about when he dressed like Lady Gaga. That day was amazing.”

Blaine's eyes shot up and he laughed. “Finn? That Finn in there? Oh dear god.”

“McKinley's had a lot of interesting days,” Carole said. “Well, it looks like we're all ready to eat.”

“I'll set the table,” Blaine told her, rubbing Kurt's back before he walked away. Kurt smiled and followed after him, going to help.

“So how do you like it here so far?” Carole asked.

Blaine perked up. “Well I'm from Westerville so Ohio isn't foreign territory to me. Lima is a nicer town that Kurt made it out to be.”

Kurt shrugged. He wasn't crazy about it.

“But it is weird being away from the big city. I haven't really gotten a break that wasn't work related in quite some time.” He placed forks beside each plate and smiled at Kurt. “I can't think of a better occasion to do so, though.”

Carole smiled, agreeing with him. “It's lovely to get to meet you. I'm sure Burt and Finn feel the same way.”

“Burt and Finn feel the same way about what?” Burt asked as he entered the dining area. Kurt gave him the ‘you better behave' face before approaching with the roast.

“About getting to meet someone your son thought well enough of to bring home,” Carole said, pretty much wearing the same face.

Finn smiled and took a seat across from his brother. Blaine sat to the left of Kurt and gave the boy a reassuring smile before scooting a bit closer. “I agree,” Finn said. “Maybe you can meet my girlfriend before you head back to New York. She wanted to stop by and see Kurt before he left again.”

Blaine nodded his head and smiled. “That'd be great.”

Burt moved in close to the table once he was seated, glancing around at his family. Carole started to pass the food around and told everyone to enjoy.

“It smells amazing,” Blaine said. He took a bit of mashed potatoes for himself and passed it over to Kurt. “And you all have a lovely home. It feels very homey and I adore that.”

Finn immediately began to dig in. Burt looked up at Kurt and Blaine who sat together, adjacent to his end seat. The two of them were a bit tense, and he felt that it was probably his fault, but he couldn't help that. Regardless of what Carole or even Finn thought, it was Burt's job to make sure that his son wasn't making a decision that could harm his future. No matter how old Kurt got, Burt would always be his father, and as his father, he cared about who his son was spending time around.

“Thank you, Blaine. It's a woman's touch. Burt and Kurt had a pure bachelor pad when Finn and I first moved in.”

Kurt laughed along with them. “Well my dad wasn't exactly about to let me decorate. I did have a ‘Heath Ledger as the Joker' era during those days and homey wasn't the word to describe what this place could've looked like.”

Blaine laughed before taking a bite. “Oh goodness.”

“I would've loved that,” Finn thought aloud.

“So Blaine,” Burt said, looking to change the conversation entirely. “What kind of law are you in?”

Blaine swallowed and cleared his throat. “I'm in civil litigation. I initially wanted to be a corporate lawyer but this door opened up to me and of course I took it.” Kurt began to pour him a glass of lemonade and he smiled at him, saying thank you. “But I do enjoy what I do, helping people. I've always wanted to help people.”

Carole nodded. “So you're Partner? And at 29… that's impressive.” She stared at her husband for good measure but he didn't seem to be affected. Blaine smiled a bit as he nodded.

“Yes. The man I work for was my professor at Columbia when I was in law school, and I studied closely with him. He taught me well. I think that if I started out at a different firm, I wouldn't be nearly as successful as I am today. I owe him a lot.”

Kurt listened as he ate. Every once in a while he'd look over at his dad in anticipation—waiting for him to drop the big bomb. There had to be a bomb. He just knew it.

“It's all about who you know, they say,” Burt commented. Blaine nodded. That was partially true.

“I did have to work many late nights, though. It definitely wasn't a handout. But even though I've done well with Jones Day, I don't know how much longer I'll be with them.”

Kurt forked at his green beans and looked over at Blaine. “Really?”

Blaine nodded. “It sounds crazy to leave and it might be, but I don't think they'd accept … this. Us. And I'm not going to beg anyone to accept us.”

Burt looked over at Carole.

“I wouldn't be surprised if Timothy told the entire firm everything already anyway, and once he starts attending company dinners and charity events with my wife I don't think I want to be around to see that. Even when she's officially my ex-wife.”

Kurt frowned at that. Suddenly that guilty feeling in the pit of his stomach was back.

“Wait,” Finn said. “So this Timothy guy was sneaking around with your ex-wife? And you work with him? That's really low.”

Kurt nodded his agreement. Finn didn't even know the half of it. Nothing sucked more than having to walk in on your boss having an affair with one of her husband's supposed friends. It was low, yes. But then again, so was sneaking off late at night to mess around with her husband, he thought.

“It happened and I'm not exactly innocent either,” Blaine turned to look at Kurt. “It's time for a change of scenery anyway. I'm starting a new chapter in my life and a new place of employment would fit in perfectly.”

“So are you going to interview with other firms?” Kurt asked him, not wanting to linger on anything that would put their extramarital relationship in the spotlight.

Blaine shook his head no. “I think what'd be best for me now is to just try my hand at corporation law. I know a few that are hiring and it'd give me more flexibility. I may have to travel more but I could also be at home more often for the most part.”

“You'd have a rocky schedule,” Kurt said more to himself than to anyone else.

Blaine nodded. “Yes, depending on how much I'm needed.”

Burt hummed from his end of the table. “So how many people know about you and Kurt now?”

Blaine and Kurt exchanged a look. “Well everything has been happening very fast so there wasn't exactly a coming out party or anything, but those close to me know,” Blaine said. He smiled as he spoke. “I told my brother first when all of this began, and he was supportive. He and Kurt have met.”

“Cooper is great,” Kurt mentioned. Blaine smiled.

“He's ok. But he knows, and my parents know, though they didn't have the greatest reaction to what I had to say.” He took a deep breath. “My daughter, Madison… she has an idea that Kurt's important to me, well to us for that matter, but I haven't given her the nitty gritty. I'll be able to tell her more after her mother and I have spoken to her, and we move into our new home.”

“But neither of us want this to throw her,” Kurt said quickly. “She's a brilliant girl and she adores her parents and … I guess I don't want to be the bad guy in her eyes.”

Blaine nodded his agreement. “I would hate for that to happen.”  

Burt finished chewing and looked up. Finn seemed to be very much into his meal and not much else mattered. “What have your friends had to say about this?”

“No matter what anyone says about us, Mr. Hummel, I'm not letting that change how I feel about Kurt.”

Carole smiled as Burt nodded his understanding.

“The couple people I've told what's been going on do think I'm a bit out of my mind—Sarah's powerful in our city and she's the mother of my child. But, this is what it is.”

“Sebastian on the other hand has been cheering you on since… well since I told him your name.”

The table laughed and Carole wasn't at all surprised. Sebastian was like son number three to her—Kurt and he had been inseparable during the months leading up to them leaving to New York together.

“He just wants you to be happy,” Blaine said with a smile. “Just like your family, so I don't mind sitting through this at all.” He went back to eating before his food could get cold and everyone did the same.

Burt sat forward. There wasn't much he could see wrong here. It wasn't like Blaine was being suspicious… he wasn't hiding Kurt from anyone, and he was willing to meet his friends and family. He did seem genuine in his interest for his son, but Burt couldn't really comprehend that. He just never in a million years imagined Kurt finding someone like Blaine. It was going to take some getting used to. “Blaine.”

The man looked up from his plate and at Burt. “Yes?”

Burt noticed his wife staring at him as if he'd do something illegal and relaxed. “I was thinking that on the way to your hotel, we'd stop at—”

“What hotel?” Carole asked curiously. “Who's staying at a hotel?”

Blaine looked at her with the most obvious face. “Me,” he said with a quirked eyebrow. “I'm staying in North Lima…”

“No you aren't,” Carole told them all. Her voice was firm. She peered at Burt first. “I've prepared our guest room for your stay. My husband knows that. You're more than welcome to stay here, Blaine.”

Blaine looked at Carole, and then Kurt, and then Burt. He licked his lips. “It's not a problem—”

“No, it's fine.” Burt put his fork down. “You're welcome to stay in the guest room. But I was saying you should come to my shop with me and then we'll go get some drinks after dinner.”

Kurt wanted to smile, but he didn't know if that was a good idea. At first it seemed sweet, like his father was opening up to the idea of Blaine potentially being around and in Kurt's life. But then, it sounded like the shop would be the perfect scene of a crime—Burt knew that place backwards and forwards, and probably had a great place to stash a body. Who knows what he kept in that shed out back.

“That sounds great,” Blaine said. He was smiling widely, and Kurt felt something stirring in his gut.

He couldn't let Burt kill his boyfriend. Madison needed Blaine.

“Kurt?”

“Huh?” He looked up at his dad and cleared his throat. “Sorry. Huh?”

“I said you can hang out with Finn in the meantime.”

Finn was across the table helping himself to seconds. “That's right. I've got our movie lineup ready, bro.”

Kurt smiled. He couldn't wait. “I've missed you a lot, contrary to popular belief.” 

Finn nodded. Kurt better had missed him.

…

Timothy poured a glass of champagne for Sarah as she spoke on the phone. It was late on Sunday evening, and though he was busy with this case that Blaine had scored for him, he did think he could take a minute or two for a break, if you will.

Sarah sat back on the sofa; phone cradled to her ear. She smiled at Timothy when he handed her the glass and accepted the kiss placed to her lips. Honestly, part of her did feel a little bit empty since signing those divorce papers. Maybe it was knowing that Blaine didn't care about her anymore—she thought that he'd always cared, even though things were rough towards the end. Maybe it was knowing that he was with someone else also, because she would never pin him to be a cheater. Her, yes. Him, no fucking way.

As she listened to one of her employees ramble on about one of the spreads they were doing for the upcoming magazine, Timothy started to unhook her bra. His lips were at her neck and she smiled as she tried to push him away. Pulling the phone back from her ears, she mouthed “I'm on the phone…”

Timothy rolled his eyes, reaching to remove her panties. This weekend happened to be the best one he had in a while—probably since the first time he and Sarah fucked in Blaine's bed. This weekend symbolized the end of Blaine Anderson entirely. He'd done it. He'd taken the man's wife, though he wasn't entirely sure how long he'd stay with her, honestly. He'd take his job as soon as he won this case. He'd be helping out raising his little girl too, and that made him smirk as he kissed Sarah down her neck. It was easier than he thought it'd be.

“Let me call you back, Ronda… I've got another call coming in. Ok. Ok.” Sarah turned on the sofa and pushed him away again, smirking as she answered the call. Tim smiled at her and dragged her body down the couch, leaning in to kiss her lips.

“Mm, hello?”

“Hello. Sarah?”

She turned her face to the left and adjusted the phone; Tim's lips moving down her body. “Yes. Speaking. Who is this?”

“This is Barbara Anderson,” the voice told her. “I just had to call and apologize. You were like a daughter to me.”

Sarah was seriously confused. Was this Blaine's mother calling her to apologize when she was the one who'd been cheating on her son? What the hell did Blaine tell her? “Oh? It's alright, Barbara. Relationships run their…” her eyes rolled back and she looked down at Timothy biting across her midriff, “course. Your son and I were good while we lasted but in the long run, we weren't meant to be.”

“But,” Barbara sighed. “I just didn't see that coming at all. I'm sorry. Bill and I didn't raise either of our boys to be a gay and you didn't deserve to be led on like that. We loved you for him, you know. We thought you were perfect together.”

Sarah jumped up and Tim held his arm when she kneed him there. “Ouch!” he exclaimed.

“I'm sorry—what? A gay?”

Tim looked at her.

“Well Blaine came to us and told us about him and this Kurt fellow before storming out,” she said. “William is still devastated. I just don't know what to do. I love my son but I'm not sure I can support this, and what he did to you was horrific.”

Sarah's mouth literally dropped open. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. “I…”

“I know, sweetheart. He said some things about you as well. Neither of you are perfect, hell, no one is. But I just wanted you to know that if you need anything from us during this time of transitioning, we're here for you.”

That could not be true. There was no fucking way Blaine was cheating on her with the fucking help. Their nanny? The MALE nanny? No fucking way was that who he decided to screw instead of her. “T-Thank you, Barbara. I appreciate that so much.”

“Yes,” the older woman responded. “So have you two decided how to handle this going forward? I would ask him but he's probably still upset with his father and me. I'd like to call him but…” she trailed off. “About Madison? How're things—”

“I'm… I'm sorry, Barbara. I'll have to speak to you another time about all of this. Work is busy. Can I take you out to lunch one day soon?”

Timothy sat back, watching the looks on Sarah's face change from horror to repugnance to a simple, blank look.

“I'd love that,” Blaine's mother answered.

Sarah hung up and brushed her blond hair away from her face. She looked at Timothy and shook her head.

“What is it? Everything ok?”

“Kurt.”

Timothy waited for the rest of that statement. “I'm sorry? Who is that?”

Sarah stood up and paced the floor. “Blaine is leaving me for Kurt. The fucking nanny who kept blackmailing us, Timothy. He's sleeping with Kurt!”

“What?” Timothy began to laugh as he stood to his feet with her. He towered over the woman at a bit over 6 feet tall. “He's gay? How are you sure about that?”

Sarah looked away as her boyfriend began to smile. “This isn't a joking matter. He told his parents this… they both fucking played me. Bad enough he's playing the victim in all of this—”

“Oh my god,” Timothy doubled over as he began to laugh. Sarah simply stared at him.

None of this was funny. There was nothing funny about losing your millionaire husband to a male that was ten years your junior. What would people think about her? She wasn't good enough to keep Blaine, she'd lost him to a fucking child practically, and she in turn downgraded to his friend who wasn't close to making the amount of money Blaine was pulling in. “How can you laugh?”

“How can you not?” Timothy asked her. “Think about this. We hold all of the cards, Sarah. You can probably get custody and settle with Blaine so that you can keep the condo.”

“I don't even want the condo! Not now,” she said. “Fuck. I'm going to think about what they were doing when I wasn't there. And with my daughter in the home…”

“I told you he was a sleaze.”

Sarah started to pace again. “I'm embarrassed. There's no way I'm letting this happen. That twink… no. I'm not letting it happen.”

Timothy sat back down and looked up at her. “This is the perfect opportunity for angry sex.”

She walked away and shook her head.  “I can't let that relationship continue.”

…

Blaine enjoyed getting to see Burt's tire and lube shop. There was something about getting to see the place Kurt grew up and hearing stories about the young man he was crazy about. He knew it was weird for Burt— having his son involved with a man almost ten whole years older than him, but it was great that he seemed to be trying. That's all that Blaine could ask for.

They walked into the pub and Burt tipped his hat hello to the patrons before climbing into a seat at the bar. There were people playing pool and a few dancing, but most had their eyes glued to the baseball game on. Blaine took a seat beside Burt and sat high at the bar.

“Two beers,” Burt said to the bartender—a tall, husky man with a graying beard. The bartender stared at Blaine for a moment but eventually went off and grabbed two tall glasses.

“I guess people don't usually look like me when they come in here,” Blaine stated more than asked. Burt took a good look at Blaine and smiled.

“You look like you're about to give a lecture. Unwind a bit.”

Blaine looked down at himself too. This was unwound Blaine. “I didn't pack anything more comfortable than this, really. Besides my pajamas.”

Burt smiled.

“Well,” Blaine rubbed the nape of his neck and nodded to the man who sat the beers in front of them. “At least let me pay for a round? That's the least I could do to say thanks for giving me a chance.”

Burt looked up at the baseball game. “I'd never sway another man from paying.”

Blaine smiled. “Burt, I like your son a lot.”

Burt took a long swig before turning to Blaine. “That's clear to see. But I hope you can understand my point of view here,” he said. “An older guy who's never before been with a guy turns up out of the blue and is suddenly coming home with my son? And neither Kurt nor you think it's weird? It's bizarre.”

“Oh,” Blaine laughed. “Kurt thought it was very weird. I can still tell he questions me and I can't blame him. This is bizarre,” Blaine shook his head and went to take a drink. They were both quiet momentarily. “But what I do know is that your son makes me happy, and I'd love to be the one to make him happy, Mr. Hummel.”

Burt glanced over at him.

“I can't say that we're going to work out, and be together forever with butterflies and a cherry on top. It'd be dumb for me to say that.”

“I agree.”

“But,” Blaine continued, undeterred. “What I can say is that I know how I feel about Kurt. He's special to me, and seeing him with my daughter… it's just incredible. The man makes me feel how I think I should feel. I know to you he's your little boy, but to me he's someone I could fall in love with and I don't want to miss out on that. Being in love, you know?”

Burt stopped to smile. He nodded and took another drink from his beer. “I know.”

Blaine watched him for a while before looking up at the television. He felt his phone vibrate and quickly reached down for it.

From Kurt:

Just checking to make sure you're alive. Text 1 for yes, stay silent for no.

Blaine smiled and shook his head.

To Kurt:

What do I type for ‘I think you're absolutely adorable'?

“It's good seeing him happy, you know? Comfortable.”

Blaine turned to face him.

“He's had one heck of a childhood. Things seemed to spiral after we lost Elizabeth, his mother. But now, he's doing so well for himself and he does seem to be content in New York. He seems happy to be with you… I've noticed the way you to look at one another,” he stopped to take another drink. “Like when you speak, he stares and it looks like he wants to know everything you have to say. And when he's speaking, you look as if you could listen all day. I think that's amazing, Blaine.”

Blaine felt the heat on his neck as he started to smile. “Yeah. It is amazing.”

From Kurt:

You could send me an emoji or two.

“But I don't want him hurt.”

Blaine looked up from his phone. “That goes for the both of us. I'll be honest… it scares me bringing him into all of my drama, but I'm not man enough to not be a selfish asshole and tell him to move along. You know?”

Burt smiled.

Blaine looked down at his phone. “I want him around. Borderline need him around. Not only because of his role in my daughter's life but because of his role in mine. And I would love to be there for him too, Mr. Hummel.”

The man nodded. “I know.”

Blaine took another drink before responding.

To Kurt:

:P :-*. Your dad and I are actually having a nice conversation. I'll fill you in later.

From Kurt:

I'm proud of you both. I'll see you later then, old man. :-*

Burt quietly finished off his beer as Blaine slid his phone away. “So when are you going to tell me some about you and Carole? How'd you know she was the one that you wanted to take that leap with again?”

Burt chuckled softly to himself. “Actually, it was because of a lot of the reasons you're mentioning today about Kurt.”

Blaine looked away from the screen and at him.

“She's amazing. I was attracted to her from jump. She cared about my kid like he was her own, and she's actually a fantastic cook.” Burt laughed. “I'm happy and I feel safe when I'm with her. That's what it's all about. What's there to argue, right?”

Blaine nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly. “Right.”

Burt smiled and pushed his empty glass forward. “Drink up and let's get going. Carole will start calling me soon to make sure I'm not torturing you, and I've got work early in the morning.”

Blaine grabbed his glass. “Let me get you at least half a glass more so that we can toast.”

Burt smiled and nodded to the bartender. Once his glass was filled, they raised them. “What to?” Burt asked.

Blaine smiled. “To taking the first step towards something new, no matter how scary it can be, and of course to happiness.”

Burt tapped his glass against Blaine's. “I'll drink to that.”

…

“Madison. That's a very pretty name.”

Kurt smiled, nodding his agreement as Finn looked at the selfie he took with the little girl when he first started working for the Andersons. “Yeah. She's a great little girl. I'm happy I didn't deny the job.”

Finn wiggled his eyebrows. “I bet you are. Gosh, Kurt. I can't believe you're hooking up with a rich dude with a kid. That's so… Sebastian of you.”

Kurt laughed. “For your information, we aren't hooking up. We're actually dating.”

Finn smiled and handed Kurt the phone back. “Yeah. I respect that.”

“How's Rachel been, anyway? We're just talking about Blaine and myself.”

“Well Rachel is Rachel,” Finn answered. “Not much to say on that front. We're about to celebrate our 2 year anniversary and I'm thinking about taking her to Breadstix.”

Kurt looked away from the movie they had playing in the background and at his brother. “What? Finn, it's your second year anniversary. I'm pretty sure you guys celebrated at Breadstix for your 2 month anniversary. Take her somewhere nice.”

“Breadstix is nice. You love Breadstix.”

“But does Rachel?” Kurt asked.

Finn shrugged. “Well I like Breadstix.”

He smiled.

“And that's pretty much all I can afford after buying her gift.” He reached over to his dresser and dug a velvet box out of a small bag. Kurt sat up on the bed and smiled as Finn handed it to him.

“You got her an engagement ring?” Kurt joked, opening the box. But then when he actually saw a diamond ring staring back at him, he almost dropped it. “Wait… wait is that actually an engagement ring?”

Finn smiled widely. “Yes! I'm going to pop the question! She's going back to California in a couple months and I don't want her to go back without a ring on her finger, so, there's that.”

Kurt simply stared at Finn. They were way too young for marriage, weren't they? Unless… “Oh my god! Am I going to be an uncle?”

Finn screwed his face up in confusion. “What? No! I just want to propose. Let other dudes know she's off limits.”

After a sigh of relief, he handed the box back carefully. “The ring is beautiful, bro. I … I just hope you're sure this is what you want and you're ready for it. Marriage is one hell of a commitment and you know, before you take that leap you should be sure. You see what my guy is going through.”

Finn smiled as he laid back down. Kurt fixed his Avengers t-shirt before lying next to him and they stared at the TV screen. “You're right. And I feel for Blaine, but I really do want to marry Rachel.”

Kurt smiled, patting his hand. “Have you spoken to her dads?”

“No.”

Kurt turned to face him. “Are you going to?”

Finn shrugged. “I mean, I figure there wouldn't be a need to unless she says yes. Don't want to waste their time. Besides, they have a lot of gay inside jokes I don't really understand.”

Kurt shook his head as he looked back at the TV.

“I would want you to be my best man if it does happen.”

Kurt smiled and nodded his head. He was surprised that Puck or Sam weren't the first choices, but he wasn't going to complain. “I'd love to, Finn.”

“Sweet.”

For the rest of the time, they were quiet. Finn wasn't sure if Kurt was actually paying attention to the film, but he knew he wasn't. The food they'd eaten was making him sleepy, plus he was actually quite nervous about all of this proposal stuff.

There were a few knocks on Finn's bedroom door and he knew it was Burt. “Come in.”

Burt poked his head inside and smiled. “Blaine and I are back. Just thought I'd say goodnight to you boys.”

Kurt smiled at his dad as Finn said goodnight. “I hope you had a good time.”

Burt nodded. “I did. See you in the morning.”

Kurt smiled. “Night, dad. And thank you.”

From Blaine:

I'm going to need help making the bed in the guest room as soon as your folks are asleep. ;)

From Blaine:

-Quietly- making the bed.

Kurt rolled his eyes.

“You can go hang out with your boo,” Finn said, and Kurt was about to offer him money not to ever say that again. “I'll cover for you if need be. Goodnight.”

Kurt stood up and kissed his stepbrother on the forehead. “Thank you, Finn. See you in the morning.”

He went up to the second floor and into the guest room without a problem. Blaine was pulling on a t-shirt and smiled when he saw him enter.

“I missed you.”

Kurt closed the door behind himself. “Long day?”

“The longest,” Blaine reached out his hand and pulled Kurt closer. “Right about now I just want to sleep and dream good dreams.”

Kurt kissed him quickly and it made Blaine smile. “How can I con you into staying an extra day and con Maddie into letting you stay another day?”

Blaine laughed as he walked them back to the bed. They plopped down together and Blaine kissed his cheek. “I wish I could, but I need to get back and finalize everything with the move. Plus, the last thing I need is for Sarah to get any leverage on me—say I'm not there for my baby girl.”

Kurt nodded. “True. But I want to take you out when I get back to New York. My treat.”

Blaine's eyes went wide and he smiled. “Oh? Do you?”

“I do,” Kurt repeated. “I promise it won't be a nerdy date or anything like that.”

Blaine laughed and dropped his head onto Kurt's chest. “I wouldn't mind a nerdy date. Whatever that is.”

Kurt smiled. “Well this'll be sweet, I promise. It'll get your mind off things.”

“Sounds perfect.”

“And,” Kurt ran his fingers through Blaine's hair. “I would like to continue being Maddie's nanny. However, I don't want to move in with you all until your daughter is 100% ok with that. After we've explained us… whenever that happens.”

Blaine looked Kurt in the eyes and nodded, understanding completely. “That sounds like a plan to me, darling.”

“Mm,” Kurt kissed him in the hair and wrapped his arms tight around him. “So you had a good time with my old man?”

“I got to learn a lot about you,” Blaine said with a smile. “And he actually respects me so I think we are getting somewhere.”

Kurt laughed. “You see, deep down inside he's a big ol' softie.”

“Unless someone hurts you,” Blaine told him. “And I agree with that completely. It's a dad thing and the man loves you. I respect that first and foremost.”

Kurt hummed. “Even if he didn't approve of us?”

Blaine shook his head no. “That I wouldn't respect.” He laughed with Kurt. “So should I look at places to rent for you around the neighborhood or do you have an area in mind?”

Kurt stretched a bit and thought about it. “I guess I'll talk to Bas about it. I may share the place with him and Hunter at least until I move in with you.”

“Wow,” Blaine smiled. “I'll look for large apartments though. So you don't have to… hear them.”

Kurt covered his face. “Ew.”

Blaine laughed again. “You know what we should do? Kiss. A lot.”

Kurt took his glasses off and placed them on the night table. “We should put on some quality music and kiss.”

Blaine grinned, rolling them over on the mattress. “I love the way you think.”