Even with his long stretches debating bills and attending hearings, he appreciated even more that he wasn’t as far away from Kurt as he could have been. Sure, Carole still had her position at Lima Memorial and Finn was busy with classes at the University of Findlay, but his little boy was still everything. Burt had been there through everything with Kurt; first steps, first words, first love, first heartbreak. His life in New York at the moment was insane between his classes at NYADA and his internship at Vogue. Burt wasn’t even sure how he had time for a social life, let alone time with Blaine.

There were a few new men in Kurt’s life in the fourteen months between the breakup and reconciliation, but none seemed to be quite right when it came to Burt meeting them. Nothing made him happier than that Christmas morning when Blaine came over and Kurt hooked their arms together, informing Burt this was his present. The way the two of them lit up, reminiscent of the beginning months of their first relationship, warmed his heart even more than the glow of the lights on their tree. Blaine pulled Burt aside before dinner and promised he would never make a mistake as detrimental as the one that destroyed them. He saw the promise reflect through Blaine’s eyes, still as youthful as when they met but with even more depth now that he’d learned how to reach out when he needed someone rather than bottle everything up until it exploded in disaster.

Kurt’s first show of the semester coincided with Congress’ fall break, which gave Burt the perfect chance to make the ride from Washington to New York to catch the show. He hadn’t had many chances to make it up to the city in ages; after he assisted the Andersons with getting everything from Blaine’s dorm at Columbia to the loft in Bushwick after his freshman year ended, Burt was inundated with reelection obligations and a tense midterm class with several late night sessions. The last time he was able to take a trip up had been just after the summer recess began before he headed home. Now he was on the train breezing through Pennsylvania and into New Jersey. Blaine called just before they hit the border and said he would meet Burt at Penn Station, a requirement Kurt put in place after Burt took the wrong train and ended up at the northern tip of Manhattan.

Luckily for Burt, his train arrived seven minutes early so he had time to make it through the station. As he strolled towards the exit, he noticed a familiar head of gel making its way up the stairs from the local trains. “Blaine!” he called out before he could stop himself.

Blaine looked up and broke into a wide grin. “Hey, Burt!” he said once he reached the top, leaning in to give Burt a hug. “Have a good trip up?”

“Not bad at all. How are you doing? I’m not making you miss class today, am I?”

Blaine shook his head. “Nope. Fridays I just have a seminar until noon and then I’m free. And since Kurt’s in his dress rehearsal all afternoon that gives me time to take you out on the town. Now where are you staying?”

“Hilton in Times Square, but check-in is still a couple hours away.”

“That’s alright,” Blaine replied. He took Burt’s suitcase and began walking to the exit.

“Kid, where ya headed? I just said...” Burt was thrown off.

“We can drop your bags off and grab something to eat before check-in starts.”

Something was off about Blaine’s behavior. He seemed jumpy and nervous, much like when Burt first met him. He shrugged it off, grabbed his garment bag, and followed Blaine out of the terminal. The walk to his hotel wasn’t as bad as he feared, especially for having to keep up with an energetic 21-year-old. Blaine led him directly to the bellhop station where they took the bags off their hands. When the bellhop motioned for Blaine’s school bag, however, he hesitated before opening the flap and taking something out. The item in question was hastily thrown into his pocket and he gave handed the satchel over.

“Can’t go without that?” Burt joked.

Blaine stared at the floor. “I’ll explain later,” he mumbled, biting his lip.

“You alright, kid?” Burt asked.

Blaine nodded timidly. “Fine, sir.”

“See, now I know you’re not,” Burt replied, clapping a hand on Blaine’s shoulder. “You haven’t called me sir in years. What’s up with you?”

“I - can we grab a bite to eat? I’ll explain it all there.”

Burt nodded. “Sure thing, kid. Lead the way.”

Blaine chose to take him to a cafe a few blocks away where they could eat and catch up on things Kurt hadn't told the other about. Burt was proud that Blaine had a love for politics and inquired on a few of the issues that had been in the news in recent weeks. In return, Burt asked how Blaine's classes were going and said he'd do what he could to make it up again for his fall recital.

"Burt, you don't have to do that," Blaine said, a bit flustered. "My parents haven't even come out for one of my performances."

Burt waved him off. "Nonsense. Your shows are just as important to me as Kurt's are. And some day you'll be a part of this family, meaning I'll be even prouder to come out and support you." When Burt didn't hear a reply he glanced up from his sandwich. Blaine had gone pale and his mouth was hanging open. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.

Shaking, Blaine reached into the pocket the mystery object was located in. "Nothing's wrong, exactly," he squeaked out.

"Doesn't sound like it to me, kid.This is the second time you've gone like this since we got to the hotel. Now tell me what's going on."

"Okay," Blaine said, pulling the item out and setting it in between their plates. "Th-this is what I wanted to talk to you about."

Burt's breath hitched as he saw the small box now in front of him. "Blaine, is this what I think it is?"

"It is." Blaine suddenly became invested in a few crumbs littering his cardigan.

"Well I'll be damned," Burt sighed. He took his ballcap off and scratched his head.

"Burt, before you chew me out, can I say something?"

"Of course you can," he nodded.

Blaine's expression tensed slightly as he started. "I know we didn't exactly start off on the right foot," he said. "I was the arrogant private school kid trying to be what everyone else wanted him to be. I mean, I pretty much forced you to have a sex talk with Kurt."

Burt chuckled. "That was quite an experience."

"I understand," Blaine replied. "Over these past five years, though, things changed. I learned how to be myself, how to grow into the man I want to be and not the one my parents want me to be. I'm entering into a profession that I know will excite and challenge me every day with how fickle children can be, especially in a class such as music, orchestra, or choir. I am so happy that I won't be stuck behind a desk for thirty or forty years doing the same routine. And I have your son to thank for that, Burt.

"Kurt brought out sides of me I had boxed up long before, during the bullying and the refusal to accept me. I love him more than I can even express. To this day, I still kick myself any time I think of those first weeks after he came out here and..." Burt handed Blaine a napkin to dab the tears that were welling in his eyes. "There was a time when I thought I had lost him forever and it scared me to think about not having him in my life. Then when he finally forgave me, I still had to worry about what you would think because not only had I broken Kurt's trust, I had broken yours, too. That Christmas out here, the three of us, the skating rink...I finally felt things were becoming normal again."

Burt nodded. "I'm not going to act like I didn't want to throttle you after I heard what happened," he said,"but at least you owned up to your mistake and made amends to all of us."

"I couldn't do anything less than that," Blaine replied before continuing. "It was so difficult hearing Kurt discuss new boyfriends once he started dating, but I knew if we were meant to be our time would come. And when it finally did, I was never letting him out of my grasp again."

Burt leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "So you're asking him tonight?" He asked.

"Oh, no," Blaine chuckled. "I'm asking you for your approval tonight. Or I guess right now."

"Do you mind if I take a look at the ring first?"

"Sure." Blaine reached over and flipped the top of the box open. Burt was stunned to find a simple, solid band inside. “I know it looks nowhere near Kurt’s taste levels, but when you’re a college student whose only source of money comes from tutoring and a gig here and there...”

“He’ll love it,” Burt said. “It’s about the message behind it rather than how it looks. I was just as terrified right before I asked Elizabeth, and again with Carole. But they both said yes, and I know my son well enough to know he wouldn’t turn something like this down.”

Relief washed over Blaine’s face. “So you’re alright with this?” he asked.

“Of course I am. I couldn’t pick a better man for him.”

Blaine couldn’t hold it together anymore. He rushed out of his seat and around to where Burt was and embraced him. “Thank you so much,” he said through the tears.

“You’re welcome,” Burt replied, attempting to hold everything together. “Do you have a date picked out yet?”

“Next month, the five year anniversary of when he first came to Dalton.”

“Good choice. Now enough about this, let’s get you home before your soon-to-be-fiance.”

Blaine giggled. “He’s going to be my fiance. We’re going to get married.”

“And I’m getting a son-in-law who’s jumping the gun,” Burt joked. He took some bills out to drop on the table for a tip and picked up the ring box. “Don’t forget this, for one.”

“Oh, thanks.”

Burt laughed at how flustered Blaine had become. He knew it would only get worse in the weeks to come. They went back to the hotel where Burt checked in and Blaine helped him get everything up to his room before he left to head back to Bushwick. When they met up again outside Kurt’s show, Blaine was once again the calm, composed man Burt knew and loved, but with a burst of love showing through his eyes. And when Kurt called him a month later saying he had news that Burt better be sitting down for, he prepared himself for a new chapter to their lives. One where Blaine would finally join the Hummels in name and Burt had more incentive to get the rights they deserved heard across the country.