Kurt was having a very pleasant dream. He and Blaine were in Central Park having a picnic. It was sunny and teeming with New Yorkers enjoying the sunny warm weather. The happy couple was feeding each other strawberries, a band of gold circling each of their ring fingers. Happy people walked by, waving cheerfully at the two them. A small child ran over with a small bouquet of flowers. She ran off laughing. There was even a pretty white pony giving little children rides in the background. All was well and content. 

He was jarred awake and ripped from his heavenly dream world by a crack of thunder. The whole house shook. In his sleep befuddled mind, he briefly wondered if the house had been hit by an airplane falling out of the sky. But upon hearing rain hitting the roof and no high pitched screams from Finn’s room (and they said Kurt screamed liked a girl; little did they know), Kurt realized he was safe and trauma free in his room. Ohio had some major thunderstorms, especially in the summer, and they seemed to be smack dab in the middle of one.

Damn that thunderstorm for interrupting his nice dream! He looked over at his alarm clock to see that it was only 9 am. He was about to roll over and go back to sleep when a shocking realization came to him. Blaine had left him! Well maybe. He wasn’t sure. He couldn’t remember much about last night, especially after leaving the park. Kurt laid back down and tried to sort out last night’s course of events. “Okay, Blaine and I broke up, then Puck gave me brownies with pot and alcohol, and then we went to the park and then we… we… we did something else… and somehow I got into my room and…”

“Oh, god!” he moaned as he rolled on his back. He remembered drinking last night but didn’t know how much exactly. He wasn’t sure, but he wondered if getting trashed almost two nights in a row made him an alcoholic. “Two nights of drinking doesn’t make me a lush. It just makes me a stupid teenager!” he scolded himself for being dumb. “This is the last time I drink, and this time I mean it!” Although he felt like hell, this time he didn’t feel as nauseated. He just wanted to descend into blissful sleep, to forget everything that had happened. But first, he had to get to the bathroom… NOW!

He threw off his blankets and rushed to the washroom, but not before taking a quick look outside. They were in the middle of a full blown thunderstorm, with torrential rain, high-speed winds, thunder and lightning. “I guess it fits my mood,” Kurt thought to himself grumpily. “I’m going to become a curmudgeonly old bastard at 20. Or maybe I can become a cat lady. I like cats.” His mind wasn’t completely clear yet as he was forced awake, so his thought processes bordered on ridiculous.

After his bathroom routine, Kurt checked to see if anyone else was up. All of the bedroom doors were closed, so he figured that everyone must have still been asleep. It also seemed pretty quiet downstairs. He made his way back to his room, completely missing the fact that there was a large lump on the other side of his bed. He was just relieved that he wasn’t doing a full-on Linda Blair impression. He had a small headache and felt a bit run down, but it was nothing like the monster headache he had the morning after Scandals.

“Good day to stay in bed,” he grumbled and crawled back into bed, but not before taking another large drink of water that was on his bedside table. He flipped over to lie on his stomach and stretch out when his hand hit something hard. He grabbed his blanket and put it to his chin, which was his first instinct. He wasn’t really sure how that would protect him, but it made him feel better about the situation for a split second.

“Ouch!” said a muffled voice under the blanket and pillows. “Kurt, why are you beating on me? I promise I haven’t posted it yet! Don’t be mean!”

“Posted what?” Kurt thought to himself. “And why is there someone in bed with me? Oh no, what did I do?” He started to panic thinking that he picked someone up somewhere since Blaine was out of the picture. The ultimate rebound. “Oh god, oh god, oh god! What if I went back to Scandals and brought home Sebastian or David? Or even worse, what if it was Puck or Sam?” Maybe Puck had decided to crash with Kurt because he was too drunk to drive his bike home. He desperately hoped that was the case. “Yeah, I bet that’s it!” he added. He vaguely remembered talking to both of them in the backyard last night. He knew that it wasn’t Rachel because the voice was too masculine, but it was muffled under the covers so he wasn’t sure about that, either. He also knew that it wasn’t Finn, because Finn would have had him on the floor by the morning.

Kurt remembered when the Hudson-Hummels went camping last summer – against his will of course; family togetherness and everything – and he had to share a tent with Finn. Unfortunately, Blaine had another commitment so he couldn’t go, to Kurt’s disappointment. Living in the woods like a savage would’ve been so much more pleasant with his boyfriend around. He ended up sleeping outside the tent most of the night because of Finn’s thrashing. It took him two weeks to get his skin back to normal after that trip.

This was bad, very bad!! “Sorry! I didn’t know you were there,” Kurt apologized. “And I’m sorry to be rude, but who is that?” He didn’t want to assume, but he didn’t want to piss anyone off with a case of mistaken identity, either. “I don’t remember much of last night, I’m afraid.”

He sat up partway, propping his body with his elbow and poked at the blanket. “What do you mean by posting?” he demanded. “There better not be any more embarrassing Facebook pictures out there. I’m not sure I could live it down considering the week from the ninth ring of hell I just had!”

“What do you mean, ‘who is that’, babe? Don’t even recognize your own boyfriend? Man, those brownies really DID mess with your head, then,” said the voice under the covers. “And stop poking me. That tickles!”

“Blaine?” Kurt said incredulously. “Holy shit, you’re here!”

Blaine threw off the covers and sat up. “Where else would I be?” he asked. “Do you really not remember last night?”

“Last thing I remember clearly is sitting in the woods at Johnson Park! Everything else was a surreal blur,” Kurt said as he shook his head. “I thought you were gone. Like really gone… forever gone.” He sat up all the way and put his arms around Blaine. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you right now.”

“The feeling is mutual, sweetheart,” Blaine said as he returned his boyfriend’s embrace, putting his chin on the top of Kurt’s head. “How’s the hangover?”

Kurt pulled away as he said, “Not much of one, actually. Just a bit of a headache and a really dry mouth. Oh, and I have a desperate need to have a shower. I feel like I was rolling around on the ground. I’m gross.”

“I made sure that you drank lots of water before we went to bed. Other than the fact that you’ll be peeing all day, you should be in much better shape than last time,” Blaine informed with a sympathetic smile.

“I was just telling myself off for drinking again. If I’m not careful, I could be on the slippery slope to alcoholism,” Kurt said dramatically as he shook his head. “Nuh-uh. No more for me. No way, Jose!”

“Kurt, you’re not an alcoholic,” Blaine said with an uneasy tone to his voice, realizing that this conversation might be getting to be too close for comfort. “You drank like three times your entire life!”

“No offense, Blaine, but I hardly think you know what constitutes as alcoholism. You’re about as innocent as a baby lamb!” Kurt snapped. He saw that he definitely went a little too far when he saw the hurt look on Blaine’s face. “I’m sorry, that was uncalled for,” he said quietly. “I’m so sick of being cranky at people who don’t deserve it. Are you okay?”

Blaine moved to the edge of the bed and responded, “No, this isn’t your fault. This is another Blaine-has-too-much-baggage-for-one-so-young thing. Jesus, I’m so messed up. Mom was right when she called me damaged goods.”

“Baby, you know you can talk to me about anything,” Kurt said, moving beside Blaine and putting his arm around him soothingly. “It might make you feel better. Cathartic, you know.”

“Hey, you remembered!” Blaine said as he gave a sad smile. “Would you hate me if I said I really didn’t want to talk about it right now?” he added nervously.

“Of course not,” Kurt said gently, disappointed but understanding Blaine’s reluctance to talk. This week was stressful enough for the poor man.

Blaine let out a small sigh of relief and said, “Thanks, Kurt. I promise we can talk about it very soon. I just need some time to get my thoughts together. Too much stuff going on right now, you know?”

“I hear ya on that one,” Kurt said and put his head on Blaine’s shoulder. “Lately I just wish the world would screw off.”

“You and me both, babe,” Blaine agreed, squeezing his boyfriend’s knee. Changing the subject, he asked, “So I hear I missed some fun last night. Puck mentioned that you tried to, and I quote, ‘get it on with Santana.’ Do I have anything to worry about there?” He gave a mischievous smile.

“I did what?” Kurt exclaimed. “I don’t believe you. You were here last night? I wish I could remember what happened.”

“I showed up just before bedtime. You were a bit trashed, so I put you to bed and you were asleep within minutes,” Blaine said, stroking Kurt’s messy hair. “According to Puck and the video I saw, you were lying on the ground talking about fairy junk and other random ridiculousness. Kurt, you were really out of it. I’m assuming the Santana stuff was just Puck being stupid to get a rise out of me. You know how twisted his sense of humor is.”

“There’s a video?!” Kurt shrieked. Blaine shushed him as everyone was still sleeping. Kurt demanded much quieter, “I need to see it. Right now!”

“Are you sure you don’t want to get cleaned up first?” Blaine asked. At Kurt’s hard look, he shrugged and grabbed his phone on the table beside the bed. “Don’t worry, this isn’t posted. Puck emailed it to me.”

“Oh, thank god!” Kurt said with relief.

“Not posted… yet,” Blaine teased. Kurt tried to grab the phone but Blaine held it away. “You be a good boyfriend, and my phone is as far as it will go, I promise.”

Kurt pouted and crossed his arms as he said, “Blackmail doesn’t become you, Blaine.”

“Oh stop being a cutie patootie and come over here so I can show you this video,” Blaine admonished. Kurt grinned and cuddled up next to his boyfriend, not caring that his disheveled appearance might be less than attractive. Blaine selected the video and pressed play, watching Kurt’s reaction. Not once did he let the phone leave his hand. He had every intention in keeping this video to show their kids someday, and he wasn’t going to let Kurt delete it.

The video was dark and shaky, but Kurt could be clearly seen on the ground rambling about some weird stuff. As he watched, his eyes got wider and wider. A couple of times he even laughed, but Blaine could tell that he was embarrassed. At the end of the video, Blaine took back the phone.

Kurt facepalmed. “Furt sounds like Fart. Really, Kurt? Really? I was having a hard time following my thought processes in that video. And why was I talking about fairy’s junk?” he asked and Blaine shrugged. “Let me watch it again! I want to make sure I didn’t miss anything. This would be great for a reality show!” He went to grab the phone but Blaine put it behind his back.

“How about I just email it to you? That way my copy stays nice and safe. I’m putting this puppy away for safekeeping,” Blaine said with a mischievous glint in his eye. Kurt groaned but nodded. There was no use in arguing with Blaine when he got like this. The retribution would just be that much worse later. How he fell in love with a joker, he would never know. But it was true when they say you can’t choose who you fall in love with.

“Love you, too,” Kurt said drily and gave Blaine a kiss on the cheek.

“Why don’t you go get a shower? No offense, but you’re starting to smell a little ripe. Rolling around in the woods does that to ya, you know. Maybe later I’ll wash your bedding since you were sweating in it all night. I need to do our laundry anyway,” Blaine suggested.

“Keep talking like that, Blainers, and you’ll be showering out in the rain!” Kurt teased.

“Oh, god, not you too!” Blaine groaned. “Rachel called me Blainers in front of everyone last night. I really don’t want everyone in New Directions calling me that. I’d prefer it to be used by my nearest and dearest, and even then sparingly please. And is that the polite way to talk to someone who’s going to wash your dirty underwear?”

“First, I can wash my own dirty underwear, thank you very much! And second… Ewwww!!” Kurt put his hands on his hips as he said haughtily, “Hey, if you can call me babe, then I can call you Blainers. I think it’s precious so I shall make it so. I decree it!”

“Okay, Jean Luc Picard,” Blaine said and rolled his eyes. At Kurt’s confused look, Blaine explained, “It’s a Star Trek: Next Generation reference.” Kurt’s face remained blank. “It doesn’t matter. Go get cleaned up, babe.”

“That’s one of those geek things, isn’t it?” Kurt asked innocently. Blaine looked at him in disbelief. “I guess I have a lot to learn. By the way, can I borrow your Choose Your Own Adventure books? Sam said I have to read them. I guess it’s a prerequisite of being a geek. Is there a final exam or a membership card or something? Sam mentioned something about a guild.”

“Kurt, you’re messing with me, aren’t you?” Blaine asked. Kurt just looked at him. “He’s not messing with me!” he said to himself, looking at the ceiling. He looked back at Kurt and quoted, “There is much I must teach you, young padawan.”

“Young what-a-wan?” Kurt asked. At Blaine’s exasperated stare he added, “God, I’m just kidding Blaine. Star Wars, right? We’ve watched the trilogy before.”

“There are six movies, not three,” Blaine informed. Realizing that this conversation was going nowhere, he stood up and moved over to Kurt’s side of the bed as he said, “Okay, so you aren’t completely hopeless.” He pulled Kurt up and grabbed his towel and bathrobe. “Go become more Kurt-like. Right now you look and smell like Patches the public library hobo.”

“Wow, that’s harsh!” Kurt exclaimed. “He smells like rotten eggs and old socks.” He sniffed his underarm and made a face as he added, “Okay, that wasn’t the best idea. Be right back.”

Both men had showers - separately, people; get your minds out of the gutter! - and started to look a little more human. On this day, Kurt sported his usual t-shirt and jeans ensemble, but accessorized it with a baseball cap. He didn’t feel like doing anything with his hair, and it was raining so it would have been a wasted effort to spike it. It was looking a little damp and chilly, so he added a hoodie for good measure. He looked in the mirror and smiled. He was totally rocking the skater boy chic lately. He was done with the makeup for now because it was just too messy.

Blaine picked out one of his new outfits, to Kurt’s delight. It was something a little different than Blaine would have normally worn. His pants were red and full length, and he sported a nice white dress shirt with a blazer. He completed his outfit with a skinny tie, not a bowtie, which was his go-to accessory. And the biggest shocker was that he actually wore a pair of socks! Kurt had always jokingly thought that Blaine might have been allergic to socks, even in the winter.

“Dayum, that’s hot!” Kurt said, walking around his boyfriend and looking at him appraisingly. He brushed some lint off the blazer and adjusted Blaine’s lapels. Yes, Blaine was incredibly hot, of course, but he didn’t take care of his clothes as meticulously as Kurt did.

“You like?” Blaine asked, looking at himself in the mirror. He looked more college professor than high school student, but he liked the new look.

“I wouldn’t have bought it for you if I didn’t, silly!” Kurt scolded.

“And that’s the Kurt I know and love,” Blaine quipped. “I’m glad you’re starting to feel normal again.”

“Sweetie, normal is all relative. What I may have thought as normal a week ago is a hell of a lot different than what I consider normal now,” Kurt said as he put his arms around his boyfriend’s neck. “Let’s just say I’ve changed and leave it at that, shall we? Once I figure out what “changed” means, we can explore it further.”

Blaine put his arms around Kurt’s waist and asked, “So you and me. Are we okay?”

“I don’t remember much of anything last night so I guess that’s up to you, Blaine. I just wish you didn’t take off like that when I announced that internship possibility. I wanted to talk it over with you first before I made a decision,” Kurt said and kissed Blaine softly. “Yeah, I know I’m not one to talk, seeing that I did the same thing. I think we need another long chat.”

“We do,” Blaine murmured. “But for now I just want to hold you for a few minutes.”

“When I thought I lost you, I felt my soul die a little bit,” Kurt said seriously as he put his hand on Blaine’s face gently. “I mean it when I say you’re my soulmate.”

“I’m so glad to hear you say that,” Blaine said with tears in his eyes. “’Cause I feel the same way.”

“No tears, Blaine. I never want to make you cry again,” Kurt whispered. After another kiss, this one a little longer and more passionate, he pulled away. “By the way, what other crazy-ass thing did I say last night? I didn’t ask you to marry me or anything, did I?”

At thinking about Kurt’s declaration of marriage last night while under the influence, Blaine’s breath hitched and he inhaled a bit of saliva. All of a sudden he started choking.

“Piece of advice there, Blaine, make sure to swallow before you breathe,” Kurt advised and gave a chuckle. Blaine had a violent coughing fit, but eventually caught his breath. “Are you okay?” he asked and Blaine nodded vehemently. He grabbed Blaine’s water glass and passed it to his boyfriend.

After Blaine got his voice back, Kurt asked, “So did I say anything?”

Blaine lied, “Nope. Nothing weirder than what you saw in that video. You sent a couple of hilarious drunk texts, but that’s about it.” He didn’t want Kurt to know that he knew about the impending proposal. Impending as in a year away or more, but impending nonetheless. It was still freaking him out a bit, but in a totally good way.

“So what’s the plan for today?” Kurt asked as he sat down with his laptop to check his Facebook and email. “Oh, I know! Let’s grab Rachel and Santana and go to Dayton for the day! That might be a bad idea cause of the crappy weather, though. But I really need to get out of Lima for the day, and I wanted to hit the outlet malls.”

“Kurt, I’m sorry. I promised Mom that I would do some errands for her, remember?” Blaine apologized. He really didn’t want to do the family errands, but it would keep his mother off his back for a while. She was always busy planning some event, and didn’t have time for the little things. He hated being treated as the family butler. He wasn’t expecting his dad home anytime soon so running errands for his mom was a good compromise. It kept the peace.

“Oh shit, yeah,” Kurt said with disappointment. “Oh well. I guess I’ll hang with Rachel and Finn then. I might ask Santana and Tina to join us, though, because I really don’t want to watch them sucking face all day. I had to be exposed to that at school every day, and I have to put my foot down in my own home, thank you very much. That’s what Finn’s room is for.”

“You don’t seem to complain when we do the same to Rachel and Finn. Remember that night when we rented a few movies? You couldn’t keep your hands off me,” Blaine accused. “I think we scarred Rachel for life!”

“Oh please! It was totally the other way around,” Kurt said and smiled wickedly. “I was totally irresistible.”

Blaine laughed and said, “Yeah, you keep thinking that, my dear.”

“If I go to the mall in Lima, I’ll send you a text and you can meet us there, okay?” Kurt asked.

“That sounds like a plan! And I shouldn’t be any more than a few hours,” Blaine promised. “How about this? I do my errands, and then I’m taking you out on a date. Not just to Breadstix, either. Where I’m taking you will make Breadstix look like the Golden Arches Palace! We can talk more then.”

“That would be amazing!” Kurt exclaimed. “But I have nothing to wear! I guess that means I need to go shopping. As if I need an excuse to shop.”

“Shop away, babe, but you do realize that all your clothes are in garbage bags downstairs, right? We didn’t throw them out,” Blaine said, gesturing to the stairs. “How about I help you bring the bags to your room and you can put the clothes on hangers. I’ll even get you a new travel iron when I do my errands.”

“You spoil me, Blaine,” Kurt said with a smile. “I’m not sure if I’m ready to go back to that, though. My old clothes, I mean. I still think they’re a waste of my money and energy to maintain. Not that video games are any more productive, but they’re way more fun!”

“You said before that you might try a mix of the two looks. How about that? I’m sure you’ll come up with something spectacular!” Blaine encouraged. “How about a nice black and white ensemble?”

“That would work,” Kurt mused, putting his index finger to his lips thoughtfully. “Tasteful yet simple. It doesn’t call attention to myself, but I still know I’m hot stuff! You’re a genius, Blaine!”

“You could be completely naked, and you’d still be hot stuff,” Blaine said and realized what just came out of his mouth. He blushed and added, “You know what I mean, Kurt. Foot in mouth disease strikes again!”

Kurt looked up, closed his laptop and stood to meet his boyfriend. He reached around and lightly grabbed Blaine’s ass. “Maybe after our date. You realize that you’re totally getting lucky tonight, right?” he whispered seductively.

“I presume no such thing,” Blaine said with a slight squeak in his voice. “I must say I like this new impulsive Kurt. Keep it up.”

“That’s what he said,” Kurt joked. “Dammit, I did it again!” he shouted. “I’m slowly turning into a base pervert.”

“Again, I’m not complaining,” Blaine said and grinned. After stealing another kiss, he added, “Let’s go get those clothes.”

They went to the basement, making sure to keep quiet so they wouldn’t wake everyone up. There were two spare rooms in the lower level. One was currently being used by Sam, and the other was used to store random odds and ends that didn’t fit anywhere else in the house.

Both Kurt and Blaine grabbed two bags and dragged them upstairs. “Damn, everything is going to be so wrinkled,” Kurt whined. “It’s going to take me forever to get all this organized. I’m such a douchebag.”

“Douchebag, Kurt? I think you’re hanging with Puck a little too much,” Blaine teased. He dropped the bags at the closet and said, “There, that should keep you busy for a few hours, and I’ll help when I get back.”

“All that moisture in the basement is going to kill my silks. I dread looking into those bags,” Kurt grumbled. He turned his back on the bags suddenly and walked to the door as he said, “Wait, nevermind. I don’t care.” After looking back at the bags, he ran back to his clothes as he opened and bags and said, “Who am I kidding?? I totally do!”

Blaine looked at Kurt with that puppy dog look he had perfected. It used to be a technique for getting his own way back in the bad ol’ days, but now it was a look of adoration. “God, Kurt, I love you. Everything you do is so damn cute. Even trying to be a tough guy is cute,” he said. He shrugged and added, “Not sure how that’s possible, but it is.”

“Blaine, now you’re just being mean,” Kurt said but had a smile on his face. He knew Blaine was just teasing him.

“So now that you have a project for the day, will you walk me out?” asked Blaine.

“Sure, everyone should be getting up soon,” Kurt said. “At the risk of sounding all sappy, I’ll miss you when you’re gone.”

“And I you, my love,” Blaine said romantically. “But tonight shall be just you and me. It feels like it’s been too long.”

Kurt grabbed Blaine’s hand and entwined his fingers in his boyfriend’s. “We’ll figure all this out. Remember I said I’ll never say goodbye, and I mean it,” he said. “Let’s go.”

Kurt and Blaine made their way downstairs. Just as they hit the bottom of the stairs the door opened and a booming voice said, “Get your butt inside, Carole. We can get the luggage later. You’re going to get soaked.” In walked Burt Hummel holding an umbrella.

“Dad!” Kurt said and grabbed the umbrella from his father. He shook it out in the hall and put against the wall. “You made it through the storm!”

“It didn’t really start getting bad until we landed,” Burt responded, giving Kurt a strange look. “Hi, Blaine.”

“Hi, Burt. I was just about to leave for awhile. Got some stuff to do at home. Do you need help bringing in your luggage?” Blaine offered.

“Thanks, but I think I’m okay. It’s only a small bag as I need to go back in a few days. Thanks for the offer, though. Be careful out there, the lightning is pretty bad,” Burt cautioned.

“Do you really need to go?” Kurt asked Blaine. “Maybe wait until the weather calms down?”

“Sorry, Kurt, I promised Mom,” Blaine said sadly and kissed Kurt’s cheek. “I’ll be back soon, I promise.”

“At least take the umbrella, Blaine,” Burt offered. “You can bring it back later.” Carole came running into the house with a second umbrella. After shaking it off inside, she closed the door.

“Family reunion in the foyer!” Carole joked. “Hi guys! Have a good night last night?”

Blaine and Kurt looked at each other knowingly because Carole didn’t have a clue about what happened the night before. “It was fine, Mom, thanks,” Kurt said. “Blaine was just leaving.”

“Well, I’ll get out of your way. Are you sure you can’t stay for brunch, dear?” Carole asked Blaine, who shook his head. “By the way, you’re looking especially handsome today! Let me guess, one of Kurt’s creations?”

“Thanks! Yup, Kurt picked it out, but I had a say in it too!” Blaine responded. “I’m not completely hopeless when it comes to fashion!” He hugged a soggy Carole as he added, “Sorry I can’t stay, Carole, but I’ll be back soon.”

“Looking forward to it,” Carole said as she smiled. She started walking up the stairs as she called, “Come on Burt. Let’s get you changed. You’re soaked.”

“I hope we see you soon, Blaine,” Burt said. “Thought we might have a little chat,” he added as he gave a hard look to Kurt. Kurt just swallowed hard and looked elsewhere, anywhere else but his father’s disapproving eyes. Burt followed his wife upstairs to change into something a little more appropriate than his business suit.

“He’s going to kick my ass,” Kurt said in a small voice.

“No he isn’t, babe. Stop being a drama queen,” Blaine scolded as he grabbed Burt’s umbrella. “Talk to you soon. Text me if you need me. I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Kurt responded as he gave one last kiss to his boyfriend. After Blaine closed the door, Kurt leaned up against it and gave a large sigh. He could tell that his dad was pissed off, but he was just holding it in. That’s what Burt did when there was conflict. Then he would blow up when it got to be too much. “That really couldn’t be good for his heart. I know that look he just gave me. I’ve gotten in trouble enough to know exactly what it meant,” Kurt thought to himself. “I know I need to face Dad’s wrath alone, but I would have been way more comfortable about the whole thing with Blaine at my side.”

He made his way to the kitchen and started to take out pots, pans and bowls to start making brunch for everyone. He thought to himself, “Maybe if I whipped up a quick soufflé, it might help me calm my nerves.” He was taking the eggs out of the fridge when Burt appeared.

“Hi, Dad,” Kurt said nervously.

“Kurt, get over here please,” Burt commanded. Kurt looked at the floor but made his way over to his father, expecting to get upbraided for his behavior. Instead he was shocked when his father brought him in for a bone-crushing hug. He closed his eyes in relief and returned the hug, although much less tightly.

Burt pulled away and asked, “Kurt, are you okay? I’ve been worried sick.”

“I’m okay now, Dad. Don’t worry,” Kurt responded.

“Carole has been keeping me informed on what’s going on. You know we need to talk about this later, right? I just want to relax a bit,” Burt said. Kurt could tell that Burt didn’t want to have “The Talk,” but it was going to happen anyway.

“Of course,” Kurt answered. He didn’t dare say anything else. He refused to say anything to incriminate himself any more than he already had.

“Just to make sure, you aren’t going through another Mellencamp phase, are you? Not sure I could deal with that again,” Burt grumbled. “Besides, I like Blaine and I don’t think he’d like it much if you started dating Brittany again.”

Kurt figured that was his father’s way of trying to make a joke. “Nothing like that. You had a long trip. Let me make you a coffee,” he said with a nervous laugh. “And Brittany is with Santana now, remember?”

“I can make my own coffee, Kurt. You go ahead and do what you need to. Maybe let Finn and Sam know I’m home and we can all have brunch together. I’ll come get you after that for our talk,” Burt said and grabbed the newspaper.

“Thanks, Dad. I really don’t mind helping Mom with brunch,” Kurt offered.

“Well, you ask her then,” Burt responded. He looked over his paper and added, “I’m glad you decided to call her Mom. I think that means a lot to her.”

“It means a lot to me, too. She’s my mom now,” Kurt said quietly as he put the eggs on the counter. “Well, I better go wake up Finn and Sam. I think Rachel’s here too.”

“The more the merrier,” Burt said. As Kurt turned to walk away, he asked, “Hey, Bud?”

“Yes, Dad?” Kurt responded but didn’t turn around.

Burt opened his paper and said, “I love you and I’m glad you’re okay.”

“I love you too. I’m glad you’re home, Dad. I missed you,” Kurt said and left the room. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt even worse after that exchange. He could hear the disappointment in his father’s voice. He wished that Burt would yell and scream, or even ground him. This was way worse.

Kurt also decided that this wasn’t the time to talk to him about Blaine. Not yet.

He slowly walked upstairs to Finn’s room and listened at the door. He breathed a sigh of relief that the couple wasn’t doing anything that would traumatize Kurt’s sensibilities. Giving a wicked smile, Kurt pounded on the door and yelled, “Up and at ‘em, you two! Don’t sleep your day away!” He knew the two would probably have a terrible hangover, but if he had to suffer today, so did they.

Carole was in the bedroom changing out of her wet clothes and opened the door. “Kurt, that wasn’t very nice!” she scolded. “Why didn’t you let them sleep in?”

“Sorry, Mom, but I wanted to have a family meal for once,” Kurt shrugged.

The door opened and Finn stuck his head out as he grumbled sleepily, “That was so not cool, dude. It’s summer. Can’t a man and his fiancée sleep in?”

“Get your big dumb ass downstairs, Finn. Dad is home, and attending brunch is not an option!” Kurt said. “Morning, Rachel darling!” he yelled into the room and ran down the stairs before he got a smack from his big brother.

He went to the basement and gently knocked on Sam’s door. He didn’t want to punish Sam, especially since they had struck up a closer friendship the night before. Sam opened the door a crack. His blond hair was sticking out everywhere.

“Rise and shine, pal o’mine,” Kurt said with a fake cheeriness. He was still suffering with a mild hangover, but no one else needed to know that. “Dad is home and we’re doing brunch. I figured we would have a family meal before he had to go back to DC and you returned to Kentucky.”

“Thanks, Kurt. I’ll be up in a minute,” Sam said as he rubbed his face. As Kurt started to return to the main floor, Sam asked quietly, “How are you feeling? I thought you would be praying to the porcelain god this morning.” A look of realization flashed across his face. “Okay, now I get it!”

“Get what?” Kurt asked.

“Well, I always wondered why Coach Sylvester called you Porcelain. Now I know why!” Sam exclaimed.

Kurt looked at him, confused. “You just asked if I was praying to the porcelain god. Are you saying my face looks like a toilet?” he ribbed.

“What? No! Nothing like that!” Porcelain is white and smooth without blemish and so is your skin!” said a flustered Sam.

Kurt put his hands on his hips and raised his eyebrow, waiting for Sam to dig a deeper hole. He knew Sam meant well, but the sadistic part in him enjoyed watching his friend squirm. “Why are all the boys hitting on me lately?” he asked himself.

“C’mon, Kurt. Help me out here! You know what I mean, right?” Sam asked desperately.

Kurt laughed and said, “Stop taking yourself so seriously, Samuel!”

“Kurt, you should know me by now,” Sam said, realizing he wasn’t in trouble. “And my name isn’t short for Samuel. It’s Samson. But don’t you DARE tell anyone!”

“Samson, really?” Kurt asked, amused at his friend’s discomfort.

“It’s from the bible. You know, that dude with the hair?” Sam explained. “You read the bible stories, right? That’s like Sunday School 101.”

“I can’t say that I have,” Kurt said, giving a bitter smile. “Remember, God and I aren’t on speaking terms.”

“So how are you feeling?” Sam asked. He didn’t want to get into a religious debate with Kurt.

Kurt shrugged and said, “Actually, not bad. Blaine made me drink lots of water before bed. It doesn’t mean I’m going to do anything like that again, though. I think I’ve had enough alcohol for a long time.”

“Sorry Puck did that to you, dude. I told him it totally wasn’t cool,” Sam said.

“Don’t worry about it,” Kurt assured. “He was just looking out for me. He might be an asshole, but he does have a good heart.”

“He does,” Sam agreed. “I’ll be up in a few. Maybe I’ll show you that game after breakfast. You know, the one I talked about last night?”

Kurt smiled to Sam and said, “That would be lovely. I have to hang my old clothes in my closet, but maybe after that?” Changing his mind, he added, “Screw it; they’ve been in bags long enough. A few more hours won’t hurt them. Oh! Speaking of which…” He went into the second spare room to grab the last two bags of clothes. He waved to Sam and carried the bags to his room.

Since he didn’t have anything else to do until brunch, he decided to go downstairs to play on Finn’s X-Box while he waited for his friends to get up. He really wished Blaine was there with him, though. A family meal didn’t feel complete without him.

******

Burt was confused. Confused and a little concerned. Actually, concerned was a bit of an understatement. He was damn worried. He didn’t want to come into the house yelling at Kurt, but at the same time, he wanted to shake his son and tell him to snap out of whatever wacko phase he was going through. Even though Carole had brought him up to speed, he was still shocked to see Kurt in an outfit that Finn would wear. He could also see that Kurt had jet black hair under his baseball cap.

Burt had to go through Kurt having a giant identity crisis before, and he thought that his son was over all that bullshit. Something had happened while Burt was gone, and he was going to find out what it was.

“Goddammit, Carole, what am I going to do with him?” Burt asked as he helped his wife prepare brunch.

“You didn’t see him a couple of days ago,” Carole said. “He was in pretty bad shape. What you see today is actually pretty tame. He wore all black, complete with goth style makeup and spiked hair.”

“Oh, I’m aware. That damn Sebastian put a video of Kurt up on Facebook singing in what looks like a dive bar and set it to public. Then he has the nerve to tag me. Arrogant little punk. How in the hell did he get into a bar?” Burt asked, his blood pressure rising. He had to keep calm, to look at things rationally.

“I think he got a fake ID somewhere, dear,” Carole said.

Burt put his head in his hands and groaned, “I thought I was going to be lucky and not have to deal with this crap with Kurt. He’s usually such a good kid. I can’t even pretend to understand him, but he was a good kid.”

“And he still is, Burt. He’s just lost,” Carole said as she flipped the bacon in the frying pan. “I think he just realized that he’s an adult now, and he’s searching for some sort of direction. He just went about it the wrong way. Thank goodness for Blaine. He was there for Kurt from the beginning.”

“I really like that kid. Blaine is good for Kurt,” Burt said, kissed Carole on the cheek, walked to the arch separating the kitchen from the hall and looked into the living room. Kurt was sitting on the floor with Finn and Sam and playing a video game. Rachel sat on the couch, trying unsuccessfully to give Finn advice on his gaming technique. Kurt’s baseball cap was on the floor and his black hair was plastered to his head. Burt was shocked as Kurt didn’t leave his room without perfectly styled hair… ever. It was almost as if he didn’t care. Burt noticed that his son was smiling, but there was a sorrowful energy radiating from him. This was not his Kurt. This Kurt looked broken.

Kurt looked back to the kitchen, gave a sad smile and waved at Burt. Finn gave him a friendly shove because he wasn’t paying attention to the game. He shoved Finn back and diverted his attention back to the task at hand.

Burt sighed and watched the scene, remembering when Kurt was eight years old. Elizabeth had just died and Kurt was missing his mom. He was sitting on the stairs, holding on to one of his mother’s sweaters and crying, not understanding why he would never see her again. He looked so small and scared. Looking at Kurt now, Burt could see the same thing. Kurt was lost, and he was looking to his dad to tell him what to do.

Burt wanted to help him so badly, like he had always done in the past when Kurt was in trouble. But that would just hurt his son instead of help him. Kurt was like a baby bird that needed to fly, and the only way to do that was to throw him out of the nest. Not literally, Burt would never throw out his son, but he needed to force Kurt to be an adult.

As he looked at his two, no three, sons – he now considered Sam as much of a son as Kurt and Finn – and his soon to be daughter-in-law, he felt a sort of helplessness. Sam still had a year at McKinley and would be returning to the Hudson-Hummel’s house, but the other three faced an uncertain future. Rachel had been accepted to NYADA, but going to New York alone, even with Finn, may not be good for her. New York was a scary place. He felt way better about her going when the three of them went together, with Blaine joining them in a year. And Kurt, he had his heart set on that school. It broke Burt’s heart to know that he was rejected from the only school he had applied to. It was even worse that Kurt had made honor roll at McKinley.

He walked slowly out into the hall. He had to get these feelings out. Although the teenagers weren’t paying attention to the older man, he decided to sing, pouring out his worries and concerns:

“You're not ready for the world outside.
You keep pretending, but you just can't hide.
I know I said that I’d be standing by your side.”

Burt watched the scene as Kurt played the video game as he sang some more:

“Your path's unbeaten, and it's all uphill.
And you can meet it, but you never will.
And I’m the reason that you're standing still.”

Burt realized at that moment that he had to stop sheltering Kurt. Despite the emotional turmoil that Kurt was going through, he had it pretty easy. It was time for him to find a job, or at least pitch in more at the shop. He needed to learn responsibility and not depend on Burt so much. He put his hand on the archway as he sang, the teens essentially ignoring him. He sang directly to Kurt:

“I wish I could say the right words,
To lead you through this land.
Wish I could play the father and take you by the hand.
Wish I could stay here but now I understand.
I’m standing in the way.”

It was time for Burt to let Kurt go, to fly free and make his dreams come true. Unfortunately, it wasn’t going to happen if he kept sheltering his sons. He continued singing:

“The cries around you, you don't hear at all.
'Cause you know I’m here to take that call.
So you just lie there when you should be standing tall.”

“I wish I could lay your arms down,
And let you rest at last.
Wish I could slay your demons
But now that time has passed
Wish I could stay here,
Your stalwart, standing fast.
But I'm standing in the way .
I’m just standing in the way.”

Carole went to where Burt was standing, put her arms around her husband and gave him a tight hug. She knew that Burt was troubled. “He’ll be okay, Burt,” she said quietly.

“I really hope so,” Burt responded, looking into the living room. After brunch, he and his son would have a serious talk about Kurt’s future, and Burt’s role in it.

“Don’t worry about it now. The food is ready,” she said with a smile. “Hey kids, come get your food before it gets cold!” she called into the living room.

Finn paused the game and popped up, saying, “Sweet! I’m starving!” Rachel rolled her eyes and helped Kurt off the floor. Sam followed with a large grin. Finn walked up to Burt, gave him a hug and said, “I’m glad you’re back, Dad. Kurt was being an idiot, but I put him in his place.”

“Finn! You’re one to talk,” Kurt said indignantly. “And I can take care of myself perfectly fine. No need to snitch to Dad, you big tattletale!” he huffed and pushed past the people in the hall and went to the kitchen. Rachel followed, trying to calm him down. Finn could be such a jerk sometimes!

Burt looked at Finn and said, “Dad, huh?”

“Well, if Kurt can call Mom ‘Mom,’ then I figured I can call you Dad. Is that okay?” Finn asked, hoping that he didn’t piss off his step-father.

“Of course you can! We’re one big family. Hell if Sam, Rachel, and Blaine wanted to call me Dad, I don’t think I’d complain too much,” Burt chuckled. In the span of a year and a half, his family had grown from two to seven. It was a bit overwhelming, but at the same time, he couldn’t be happier at the turn of events.

“Awesome! Thanks, Dad!” Finn said, slapped Burt’s shoulder and made his way to the kitchen to eat more than his share of food. He changed his mind and came back to where Burt was standing in the hall. “Look, I need to talk to you and Mom later about something. Maybe Kurt, too. I think I know what I’m doing for the future,” he said quietly. “Just keep it on the down low, okay?”

“What’s this about, Finn?” Burt asked.

“I’ll tell you later, but I think it’s a good thing,” Finn assured.

Burt nodded and Finn smiled as he left the hallway. As Burt followed to join his large family, he realized that his job raising Kurt was finished. There was just one more thing to do, and it was to help Kurt spread his wings and fly.