That was why Blaine was sitting at the Hummel-Hudson dinner table. "Dad, Carole, this is Blaine."

"Hello, Mr. Hummel, Mrs. Hudson. I hope I'm not intruding." His face screamed nervous, fidgeting uncomfortably, and Kurt bit back a grin. Adorable. 

"No, of course not." Carole smiled warmly and gave him a hug before putting the food on the plates, his dad stared for a while and patted his shoulder. "Call me Burt."

Finn's voice arrived before his physical self did, "Are we having chicken for dinner ‘cause I'm famished---- Oh hey, what's up Blaine?"

"Hi, Kurt invited me for dinner."

"Great. What's for dinner?"

He gave Blaine a small smile before placing a plate with a large portion of salad and limited amount of meat in front of Burt. His dad opened his mouth to protest, but Kurt started before he does, "your check up is in two weeks' time. You're not having anything more than that."

"Exactly why I should have more meat, if anything happens, I'll know." But he picked up his fork.

It was amusing to see how Blaine was still partly anxious throughout the course of the meal, while the dinner discussions were just ordinary exchange of events and small questions of Blaine's background.

"So, your parents are okay with you missing dinner?" Burt sounded casual, but he was observing. Kurt Hummel knew his dad more than he knew himself.

"Yes, they're glad that I've made friends outside school." 

Carole smiled and asked fondly, "if you don't mind me asking, what do they do for a living?"

"Oh, no, not at all." Blaine shook his head, "my dad is a lawyer, and works as a free legal advice volunteer once every two weeks. My mom is a volunteer at the local Red Cross."

"Your family must be lovely."

And Blaine practically beamed with pride, "they're great."

+

They retreated to Kurt's room after finishing dessert and Carole insisted on doing the dishes. Under the house policy, the bedroom doors must be kept open regardless of the gender and sexuality of the visitor. So he did.

"Do you think your parents like me?"
Kurt chuckled and sat next to Blaine on the piano chair, it was the second time for the day. "Yes, I think they're impressed. Your amazing parents and your flawless manners."

There was a pause before the reply came, "you know, my parents weren't always this good. At least we weren't always this perfect family."

He bit his lower lip, "my dad used to---For the first three months after I came out to them, he tried a few activities in order to turn me straight."

"After he tried to build a car with me, I snapped. No apparent reason, I just couldn't take it, we had a fight. Mom was away in India saving lives when this happened, she was accepting of who I am and loved me regardless."
"My dad and I, we yelled and screamed and we both cried. We cried so hard that for ten minutes, none of us can really speak." Blaine looked at the ceiling, gulped, "at that moment, I prayed to God, for making my dad understand, for making my dad accept me, for making him love me. Just as I prayed to him for courage before I came out."

Kurt was crying, he didn't know why, but he was crying. He wanted nothing but to hug this hopeless boy in front of him, even he knew that Blaine was okay now.

"Then I finally got my voice back and I asked, ‘Why can't you love me for who I am?'" He closed his eyes, and smiled a little, "He said, ‘I do. I do, for every moment since you were born. But I wanted to protect you from all the hardships that's going to come to you. I can't stand to see you hurt by the flaws of other people.'"

"We were a mess." He laughed as he blinked back the tears, and wiped Kurt's off with his thumb.

They stayed quiet. Kurt pondered over whether he should ask the question, but decided to go for it. "What happened after it?" His voice cracked, he hated it when this happens.

"Well, I told him if I had to be hurt, then shall it be. The next day, he enrolled me to Dalton Academy."

Oh. Dalton.
It was the perfect paradise for gay kids. The Dalton Academy has a ‘zero tolerance on bullying policy', where no one can pick on another student, despite his sexuality. And it was an all boys school, the chances of a gay kid being able to find a suitor is pretty high. Kurt dreamt of being a student there before getting diagnosed.

But why hasn't he returned to Dalton after being NECed?

"That, would be a topic for another day." Blaine gave a small shook of head, it took Kurt a few seconds to register he was thinking out loudly. 

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, I shouldn't have asked."

"It's fine. It was just that, tonight was too good to be ruined."

He was under no illusions, Blaine was avoiding the topic and distracting Kurt by being flirtatious. But well, it worked. 

In turn, he talked about his mom. How she also suffered from cancer (bone cancer), how she died in her dreams. How Kurt remembered her scent, how he kept the dresser, how he spent all his allowance on the perfume she used to wear so he could spray it when he misses her. How she sang with an angelic voice, how she walked as if she was dancing. How she was caring and loving. How she taught Kurt everything he needed to know the keep the house running. How she told him that she loves him no matter what.

Kurt didn't know why he felt okay telling Blaine about his mother, he never really brought it up. And he never really told anyone, not even his dad, how he really felt about her death. 

He thought Blaine would pretend to be interested, but was actually bored. He wasn't. There was nothing but genuine attentiveness in his eyes, more importantly, there was no pity. He understood.

"You have a feeling that you're reliving her life." He said, it was a statement.

If Kurt was completely honest with himself, he did. And there was more than that. "I feel like, she was punished by God because of me. God doesn't approve of me. And she was sinned because of giving birth to me."

This was when Blaine pulled him into a hug, a little awkward considering Kurt had a tube surrounding him, but he hugged him. 

"No. Don't you ever think that way. It was not your fault." He murmured into his hair, "I know it's hard, Kurt, I know."

"But you're a better person, stronger, after what you've experience. And I'm not saying it's worth your mother's life, what I'm trying to say is, I'm glad you're you."

"I really am."

+

"Do you still want me to call you tonight?" Blaine asked as he started the car.

Kurt was certain his dad couldn't see or hear them from this distance. So he gave him a kiss on the cheek, just like their last date. "I'd like that."

"Ten?"

"Okay."

"Okay."

Blaine returned a kiss on his cheek before pulling out, looking proud of himself, and Kurt couldn't help but to giggle.

He backed down from the pedestrian, waving slightly. Kurt hated goodbyes.

"Text me when you're home."

"Okay."

"Okay."

When Blaine's Audi was completely out of sight, he walked back to the house, his dad was sitting at the living room. Clearly waiting for him.

"So." Kurt started the conversation as he sat next to Burt on the couch, "any thoughts?"

"How about you two getting married?"

He cracked up along his dad after blushing furiously and slapped his shoulder, but nonetheless, affectionate. 

It had been a while since they last shared a moment of laughter.

And he was glad that, his dad approved him of his choice.