Road To Love: Chapter 12

After Dave left the Hummel-Hudson house, Blaine wanted to stay with Kurt, but Kurt insisted that he get back to Dalton. He reluctantly left after kissing Kurt deeply and promising that he would see him again soon.

Kurt spent the rest of the afternoon in front of the television, watching Dr Phil. He hoped there would be a feature on how to help your closeted ex-bully accept himself after being publically outed, but unfortunately, he had no such luck.

Burt got back from the garage at around 4pm and he immediately knew that something was wrong when he saw Kurt sprawled across the living room couch, forehead creased with worry lines. Kurt decided to tell his dad everything – he was done keeping secrets.

Burt reacted in much the same way that Blaine had – his emotions transformed from fury, to disbelief, to pity. Once Kurt had finished explaining everything, Burt shuffled closer on the couch and pulled his son into a tight hug.

"Kurt, you don't owe this kid anything, ya hear me? I know you. You'll find a way to turn him into your responsibility, or even to blame yourself for what happened. But this isn't your fault, it's his. He bullied you, and he forced a kiss on you and got caught out, and now he's too chicken to face up to what he did."

Kurt shook his head, tears welling up in his eyes. "No, dad, it's not that simple. I don't blame myself, I know it's not my fault, but it's complicated. You saw how upset Blaine was on the day that you found out about us. It kills him that dad doesn't accept him…Dave has built his entire life around people who wouldn't accept him, so it's even harder for him, facing up to this."

Burt sighed and rubbed Kurt's back soothingly. "You're too good for your own good, you know that?"

Kurt smiled despite his tear-filled eyes.

Later that evening, the Hummel-Hudson family were seated around the dining table for dinner and Finn was shooting Kurt furtive glances. Kurt was beginning to get increasingly annoyed, and he eventually slammed his glass down on the table a little louder than necessary, startling everybody.

"What is it, Finn?"

Finn swallowed nervously. "Dude…is Karofsky really gay? Did he kiss you?"

Kurt sighed. "Yes, Finn, he did kiss me, as you well know. Even the best editors couldn't fake what you saw in that video. And it is none of your business whether or not he is gay. Just…stay out of it. Please. The less you talk about it, the easier it will be for me when I go back to school."

Burt looked up from his dinner plate, his expression grim. "Kurt, there is no way that you are going back to that school."

Kurt turned to his dad in surprise. "I didn't mean this week, dad. But the mid-semester break starts in two days, so I won't be missing much, and I'm hoping everything will have blown over by the time we go back."

Burt shook his head stiffly. "I'm not taking that chance. Those friends of that Dave kid…they sound like trouble. They harassed you even before this whole video thing came about, so it'll be a hundred times worse now. Carole and I have talked it over, and…we think you should transfer to Dalton."

Kurt's jaw dropped. "Dad, no, Dalton is so expensive, you can't afford-"

Burt waved him off before he could finish his sentence. "Carole and I haven't taken our honeymoon yet. We had quite a bit of money saved for a long trip to Europe, but we've decided we'd be quite happy just to take a week or so relaxing on a beach in Fiji. We can afford to pay for at least a year at Dalton with the amount of money we'll save."

Kurt shook his head. "No, dad, that money was for your honeymoon! You deserve to take your Europe trip."

"And we will, just a little later than we'd planned."

"I can't ask you to do this."

"You're not asking, I'm offering. In fact, I'm insisting. I don't want you back there. A trip is just a trip. You're my son. You're the most important thing to me."

Kurt felt his eyes well up with tears once again, and turned to Carole. "Are you absolutely sure about this, Carole? I know how much you wanted to see Paris."

Carole reached across the table and took Kurt's hand in hers, smiling sweetly and genuinely. "Of course I'm sure, sweetheart," she said. "I can think of no better use for that money. And besides," she added, with a smirk and a wink, "you'll get to see Blaine every day."

Kurt smiled hesitantly despite himself. "So I'm really doing this? I'm going to Dalton?"

Burt grinned triumphantly. "You bet you are."

Kurt let out a joyous laugh, and sprang to his feet, bending over behind Carole in her seat to squeeze her shoulders in a hug and kiss her cheek. He then ran to do the same to his dad, who was grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh, I see how it is, kid," he teased. "You deny my offer until you're reminded that Blaine will be there, and suddenly you're ecstatic."

Kurt blushed slightly, before his eyes widened and he sprinted towards his bedroom.

"Where are you going?" Burt called after him.

"I have to call Blaine and tell him the news!" Kurt shouted over his shoulder.

As soon as he was in his room, Kurt grabbed his cellphone from the bedside table and flung himself onto the bed, hitting speed-dial. Blaine picked up almost immediately.

"Hey, Kurt, I was just about to call you! How are you? Is everything okay?"

Kurt heard a voice in the background that sounded like David. "Hey, is that Kurt? Tell him I miss him!"

Kurt grinned from ear to ear. "Everything's fine, Blaine - more than fine, actually. Is David with you?"

"Yeah, and the rest of the guys. Why?"

"Can you put me on speaker?"

"Yeah sure, hold on." Kurt heard a soft click, and then a chorus of male voiced filled his ears.

"HI KURT!"

Kurt giggled into the phone. "Hi, guys! I have some news for all of you!"

"Are you pregnant?" David quipped, which was quickly followed by a loud "Ow! Blaine, that was uncalled for!"

Kurt chuckled. "Not quite," he said. "I'm coming to Dalton."

"WHAT?"

"I'm transferring to Dalton after the break!"

At this, Kurt heard a loud, excited, sound that could only be described as a cross between a high-pitched squawk and a squeal. It was followed by a thunderous roar of laughter from the other boys in the room.

"Oh my god, Blaine, what was that SOUND?" Jeff cried.

"It sounded like someone just grabbed your nads and pulled!" David gasped, and Kurt could hear him wheezing as he struggled to regain his breath.

Kurt grabbed a pillow from his bed and shoved his face into it, struggling to muffle his giggles.

"Shut up!" Blaine yelled in an affronted tone. The laughter got louder. "That's it, you have all had your Kurt privileges revoked! I am taking you off speakerphone!"

There was a click, and then the laughs and protests of the other boys were muffled as Kurt was taken off speaker.

"Sorry," Blaine mumbled, sounding embarrassed. "I just got a little excited, that's all."

Kurt giggled loudly. "I am now making it my life's mission to get you to make that sound again."

Blaine groaned. "You're just as bad as the rest of them!"

"I know," Kurt sighed teasingly. "Why do you put up with me?"

"Because you put out."

"BLAINE!"

Blaine laughed lightly. "So…you're transferring, huh?" He asked, his voice filled with hope and excitement.

"Yup. What do you think are the chances of us being roommates?"

"Pretty much nil, unfortunately," Blaine responded with a sad sigh. "They don't let couples room together. They figured that if the straight boys aren't allowed to bring girls into their rooms, the gay couples shouldn't be allowed special sex privileges."

Kurt snorted. "We put up with so much shit elsewhere, I think we deserve some sex privileges."

"Tell me about it."

"Who's your roommate?"

"I don't have one right now. My old roommate, James, just graduated."

"Ooh, so you have your room all to yourself, huh?"

"Yup. Will you come and visit me sometimes?"

"…Perhaps, if you're lucky."

"I can't believe this."

"Me neither."

"You're coming to Dalton."

"I am."

"I can kiss you whenever I want."

"I can hold your hand when we walk down the halls."

"I can serenade you in Warblers practice again, and again, and again."

"I can be myself without having to worry about getting slushied or shoved into lockers."

"I can sleep soundly at night, knowing that you're safe."

"I can tell you that I love you every single night."

"You do that anyway."

"Yeah, but now I can look you in the eyes while I say it, and kiss you once you've said it back."

3 days later, Kurt and Finn were officially on mid-semester break.

They had 3 whole weeks' worth of freedom, and Kurt was excited to spend it with his friends, and most of all, Blaine.

The first weekend, both Kurt and Blaine had to work at the garage, because Burt had changed some hours around during the holidays. Both boys were more than willing to work a little extra, however, with the knowledge that they would have plenty of time to spend together during the week.

After their shifts were over on Sunday, the boys went to check the wall-chart in Burt's office to see when they were scheduled to work the following week. They were both surprised to see that the entire week was left blank.

They headed back to the house to grab an afternoon snack, passing Burt on their way through the lounge. It had become common practice for Blaine to tell his father that he was working later than he actually was, so he could stay behind after work and hang out with Kurt for an hour or two. Usually, this consisted of putting a DVD on in Kurt's room, and not watching it.

Once they had their drinks and cookies, Kurt and Blaine went to sit on the couch across from Burt.

"Hey dad, the wall-chart isn't filled in for next week, do you want me to do it?" Kurt asked.

Burt grinned, looking up at his son excitedly. "Nope. I'm closing the shop next week."

Kurt raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Dad, you never close the shop. Like, ever. And holidays are our busiest times."

"Yeah, but Carole and I were browsing online and we found a special deal for cheap tickets to Fiji, so we're taking our honeymoon a little earlier than we'd planned."

Finn, who was seated on the couch in the corner of the room playing Angry Birds on his iPhone, looked up in horror. "We'll be home alone? How will I eat?"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "I can cook, Finn!"

"Oh," Finn said, grinning dopily. "Cool. You guys have fun in Fiji, then."

Burt chuckled to himself, and turned the page of his newspaper.

Kurt, in a moment of boldness, decided to push his luck yet again. "Can Blaine stay here when you're gone?" He blurted out.

Blaine's head snapped around to stare at Kurt, his jaw dropping. Burt looked at the boys with raised eyebrows. Kurt felt his face heating up under his dad's scrutiny, but after a moment of deliberation, Burt shrugged. "Sure, if you guys can come up with a good enough cover story for Blaine's dad, I don't see why not."

Kurt let out a squeal of excitement, and turned to pull Blaine into an excited hug.

"Hey!" Finn complained, frowning. "If Kurt gets to have Blaine stay here, why can't Rachel stay too?"

"If you can convince her dads to let her stay, then that's fine by me. Although you should check with your mom, it's not really my decision."

"Really? But I thought you said I'm not allowed to have girls sleep over in my room."

"Girls is not the same as Rachel, Finn. No, you can't just invite any girls to sleep over in your room. But Rachel's your girlfriend. I like her, and I trust you both."

"Oh…well, thanks, Burt."

"Don't mention it, bud. To be honest, I think I'd rather have some other people over here, actually. What if Kurt went out and you nearly set fire to the kitchen again, eh Finn?"

"Hey! Cooking mac and cheese is harder than it looks!"

Kurt and Burt burst out laughing, and Blaine grinned widely at his boyfriend's dad. He never failed to surprise him.

"Are you sure this okay, Mr. Hummel?" He asked.

"For God's sake, kid, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Burt? And yes, it's fine. I know that Kurt could have just had you over anyway without telling me, so I appreciate the fact that he asked for my permission first. All I ask is that you kids – and that includes you, Finn – be respectful of the other members of the house while you're here, stay safe, and clean up after yourselves. I don't want to be coming back to a filthy house filled with empty pizza boxes and dirty dishes."

Blaine smiled and squeezed Kurt's hand. "Of course, Burt. I'll be on my best behaviour."

"Yeah, I'm sure," Burt muttered, raising an eyebrow at Kurt and Blaine. They both blushed scarlet.

"What're you gonna tell your old man though, Blaine?" Burt asked, frowning slightly.

"Oh," Blaine said, waving his hand in the air dismissively, "I'll just tell him I'm going camping with Wes. He won't question it, he loves Wes. But only because Wes acts like a pompous ass when he's around him."

Burt barked out a laugh. "Well, looks like that worked in your favour."

Blaine turned to Kurt, grinning mischievously. "It sure did."

On the day of Burt and Carole's departure, Blaine had already arrived at the Hudson-Hummel home before they were due to leave for their 12pm flight. Kurt, Blaine and Finn all went to stand on the porch, waiting to bid them goodbye. Carole kissed them all on the cheek, blinking back tears.

"Mom, don't cry!" Finn said, looking panicked. "It's only a week!"

"I know," Carole sniffled, wiping at her eyes, "but I've never been away from you for this long, Finn. I'm going to miss you. I'm going to miss all my boys."

"Don't worry, Carole," Blaine said, "you'll forget all about them soon enough." He winked cheekily, and Carole slapped him playfully on the arm.

"Blaine Anderson, you are terrible!" She laughed, as Finn glared daggers at Blaine.

Just then, Burt emerged from the house, lugging both his and Carole's suitcases behind him.

"Right," he huffed, as he stuffed the suitcases into the trunk of the cab. "Let's get this show on the road!"

He quickly hugged Finn and Blaine, but clung on to Kurt for quite a few seconds.

"I'm gonna miss you, kiddo," he sighed, pulling back reluctantly. "Be good. I love you."

"I love you too, dad," Kurt replied, smiling sadly. "Have fun, you guys!"

Burt opened the cab door for Carole, and she beamed brightly at him as she climbed in.

The boys waved at the cab as it departed. Once it was gone they headed to the living room. Finn sat on the floor in front of the TV, and challenged Blaine to a game of Halo, which Blaine accepted, much to Kurt's annoyance.

"Oh, that's how it's going to be, is it?" Kurt complained, hands on his hips. "You two playing video games all week while I bring you beverages and snacks?"

"I'll have a coke," Finn said, and Kurt smacked him upside the head.

Blaine smirked and made his way over to where Kurt was standing, grabbing the front of Kurt's shirt to pull him in close. He wound his hands around his boyfriend's slender waist, and tilted his head to mouth at the soft skin beneath Kurt's ear. "Just one game, babe, I promise," he whispered seductively. "Then we can take advantage of the fact that we're alone, in a big house, for an entire week." Kurt shivered.

"Umm, wrong," Finn piped up behind them. "You seem to have forgotten that I'm here, and I'd rather not listen to you two have sex."

"Shut up, Finn," Kurt snapped, rounding on his brother. "Rachel's coming over later tonight, if I remember correctly."

"Yeah," Finn grumbled. "But she's a bit of a prude. We've never gotten further than second base."

Kurt rolled his eyes, while Blaine attempted to stifle his laughter by burying his face in his boyfriend's shoulder.

"Well, Finn," Kurt said in a disapproving tone, "Perhaps if you tried being romantic instead of attempting to force your hand down her shirt every time you two are alone together, she would be more willing."

Finn looked at Kurt, his eyebrows furrowed in contemplation. "And that works?" He asked, as if the idea of romance was completely foreign to him.

Kurt glared down at the boy. "Oh my god, you are hopeless," he said, exasperated. "The first time Blaine and I had sex – actually, the only time, come to think of it...we'll have to change that soon…sorry, I'm getting off track here. As I was saying, the night of our first time, Blaine took me to a beautiful deserted lake on our two-month anniversary. We had a picnic and then we lay in a field of wildflowers to look at the stars. That's where we said 'I love you' for the first time. Then he took me into a beautiful, elaborate pillow fort thing that he had constructed. It was the single romantic thing I have ever seen in my life. My dad walking in on us in the morning was a bit of a mood killer, but until then, it was all amazing."

Finn turned to stare at Blaine, his mouth agape in shock. "Dude," he said finally, "you seriously did that?"

Blaine nodded.

Finn groaned. "I would never be able to do something that cool for Rachel! How do you even come up with that sort of thing?"

"It doesn't have to be that dramatic, Finn," Kurt said. "Rachel knows you. She knows romance doesn't exactly come easy to you, so I'm sure she'd appreciate anything you do, as long as she could see that you put in the effort to make it special for her. I'm just lucky, I guess, that I got stuck with a boyfriend who could have come straight out of an old black-and-white romance movie."

Blaine grinned, looking extremely proud of himself. "I always thought I had a certain resemblance to Cary Grant."

"No," Kurt said, "You're George Peppard. That way I get to be Audrey Hepburn."

"I have no idea what you guys are talking about," Finn mumbled. "Blaine, let's play Halo."

Kurt sighed, and placed a lingering kiss to Blaine's lips before heading to the kitchen to get Finn his coke.