So why did it feel like he was driving to his own doom once they had finally left the cemetery parking lot?

The loud thumping of Blaine’s thumbs drumming across the steering wheel was all Kurt heard in the quiet car. For some reason the other Warbler had turned the continuous loop of Katy Perry off, so now the only thing filling the car was the constant thump, thumps and awkward silence. Kurt wanted to pretend he wasn’t nervous, but at the same time he knew it would be a big lie.

����Perhaps he shouldn’t be so nervous, but something about his father meeting Blaine sent a chill down his spine each time he imagined different scenarios of how it would go. A few of them actually had a happy ending, but those were also the ones he thought of in attempt to calm his twitching fingers that rested upon his knees. The rest of them all ended up horribly, over dramatized and a threat or two thrown in by his father and stepbrother when Blaine ran from the house.

����“You look just as nervous as I feel." Blaine said softly, fingers gripping the steering wheel beneath his hands as he waited at a red light. “I don’t have to meet him, I can just drop you off if you think it’s better that way.” he offered, secretly hoping Kurt would allow him to meet his father anyway.

����Kurt’s fingers dug into his knees as he thought about Blaine’s proposal. On one hand it seemed so much easier that way, he wouldn’t have to worry about them meeting and Blaine never looking at him again afterwards. On the other hand, wouldn’t that just be running away? If he really wanted the type of relationship with Blaine that he found himself daydreaming about multiple times a day, shouldn’t the other boy meet his father anyhow?

����“No, it’s okay.” Kurt said, somehow finding the courage to go along with it. If Blaine was even a possibility in the future he would have to get to know his family eventually, why not nip Kurt’s dream in the bud right now? The smile the other boy sent him in return caused his stomach to do a familiar flip-flop.

����“Cool.” Blaine said happily, returning his attention back to the road once the light had turned green. He was still nervous, but something told him Kurt was even more so. Was there a drift between the junior and his father? Sure, he had had said earlier that both of his parents had known he was gay since he was three, but did his father actually accept it?

����Kurt bit his bottom lip slightly when Blaine’s dark blue Mustang pulled into the driveway next to his father’s white work truck, a familiar dark blue car parked behind it. He managed to open his door and step out before the shorter boy could run around the car again, his gaze on the other blue car. Why did it seem so familiar to him?

����“Kurt?” Blaine asked, watching the puzzled look on Kurt’s face turn into surprise when he placed one of his hands on the other’s shoulder. “You alright?” he asked, a smile tugging at his lips when a small smile graced the taller boy’s face.

����“Yes.” Kurt said, reaching up to pat the hand on his shoulder before looking towards the house. “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked when he had realized he hadn’t given Blaine the chance to back out earlier.

����“As sure as I can be.” Blaine said with a nod, giving the shoulder beneath his hand a gentle squeeze before dropping it to his side again. “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked, wanting to make sure once more that he wasn’t pushing Kurt into something he didn’t wish to do.

����Kurt smiled again when Blaine asked. “I’m sure.” he said with more confidence then he thought he possessed. He began to walk up the sidewalk, taking a calming breath as he heard Blaine’s shoes scuff the sidewalk behind him as the other Warbler followed him.

����Blaine felt his arm move, but he wasn’t really aware of what exactly he was doing until his fingers brushed across Kurt’s hand. He quickly pulled it back when a glass door came into view, giving Kurt an apologetic look when he glanced at him over his shoulder. He closed his eyes briefly, opening them and blinking a few times when he noticed that Finn now stood in the door, his nose pushed up against the glass as he glared in his direction. Right, the stepbrother didn’t like him, did that mean he had been saying awful things to Kurt’s father? Blaine felt his stomach twist into even more knots with each step they took to the door.

����Kurt sighed when he saw Finn walk up to the glass. He shook his head whenever the taller male began to glare at Blaine, really wanting to know what Finn hated about the other Warbler. Maybe once Finn got to know the shorter boy better, he would perk up and actually try to get along with him.

����Once they were close enough, Finn pushed the door open, giving a brief smile to Kurt before turning his narrowed gaze back to Blaine. “Finn, stop.” Kurt whispered pleadingly, reaching up to pull on his stepbrother’s sleeve since he was ignoring him.

����Finn looked towards Kurt again, frowning when he saw how nervous he looked. He glanced back and forth for a few seconds, finding that they both looked that way. “Burt!” he hollered, ignoring the soft sigh Kurt gave in return. “Kurt’s back!”

����“Well, don’t make him stand in the cold, Finn!” Carole scolded, gently pushing against her taller son’s arm to scoot him out of the way. “ Kurt, honey, come in before you catch a cold.” she said, moving to the side to let the two boys walk in from the cold. “Oh!” she said, once she caught the new boy’s smile. “You must be Kurt’s friend.” she said happily, smiling when the curly headed boy shook her hand gently.

����“Hello, Mrs. Hummel.” Blaine said politely, trying to ignore the way Finn was practically breathing down his neck as he stood behind him.

����“Carole, this is Blaine. Blaine, this is my stepmother.” Kurt introduced them quietly, looking towards his stepmother with a curious expression. “I thought you had work today?” he asked, blinking when a few familiar voices were heard from his living room.

����“I did, but I took the afternoon off so I could go with you three for lunch that has somehow turned into dinner.” Carole said, giving her son a confused look when he kept staring down at Kurt’s friend. “Finn!” she scolded once again, sighing when he sent her a strange look. “Why don’t you and Kurt go keep the girls busy while I take Blaine to meet Burt.” she said, shooing them both off in the direction of the living room.

����Kurt’s eyes widened as Carole spoke. She wanted Blaine to meet his father by himself, how was that even fair? “C-Carole I really think I should go with y-”

����“Nonsense, It’ll only take a few minutes.” �Carole said, giving Blaine a bright smile when the boy looked between her and Kurt with wide eyes.

����“Come on, Mercedes and Rachel haven’t stopped asking where you’ve been since they got here.” Finn grumbled, grabbing his brother’s arm and pulling him towards the living room.

����Suddenly, the blue car in the driveway clicked into place, Mercedes' face popping up in his memory from the day she had come with Rachel to help him with his audition song. He struggled against Finn’s grip for a moment, calming when Blaine sent him a reassuring smile and a little nod. Was it really okay to let the other Warbler meet his father alone with only Carole at his side? It sure didn’t seem so to him, but it wasn’t like he had a choice with the way Finn was practically dragging him down the hallway.

����Kurt was greeted with the girls' excited chatter, his brother leaning against the doorway to brood. He did his best to keep up with both of them, finding it a little difficult at first, considering Nick, Jeff and the other Warblers didn’t talk as fast and all at once like the two girls did. Once he got into the swing of things, Rachel asked who Blaine was, both she and Mercedes sharing a knowing look when he stuttered as he explained how they had met.

����As Kurt continued to talk to his other friends, Blaine still had most of his thoughts. He was scared that his father might send him away after all without him there to reign him in. Now that he thought about it, it wasn’t like he could stop the older man from speaking his mind. Finally, he gave in to what he had thought earlier on the ride back from the cemetery, if Blaine really was meant to stick around then he would have to get along with his father and the rest of his family.

����Kurt hoped Blaine’s charming and dapper personality shone through. Hopefully, his father would notice what kind of person the senior was. He wished, with all that he was worth, that the man would just know how much Blaine actually meant to him.

Blaine followed after Carole at a slightly slower pace, wiping the palms of his sweaty hands across the jeans he had thrown on earlier that morning after he had listened to the voice-mail Kurt had left on his phone. As they walked across the kitchen, he suddenly wished he had taken a bit more time in picking out his clothes, considering all he wore now was a pair of worn out jeans and a simple white-tee that was covered by his jacket.

����When the woman in front of him twisted the door knob and pushed the door open, he felt his heart quicken and his stomach coil. Another desire hit him, this time it was the fact that he wished he had thought to stop at a store or something for a toothbrush. Many other things he would’ve liked to have done beforehand swam around his head as they walked closer to the man hunched over a open-hooded mini-van.

����“Burt!” Carole chirped excitedly, the woman’s smile causing the other man to return it with his own after he had stood up and leaned away from the mini-van.

����Burt grabbed the rag sitting on the cart next to him, wiping his hands off as he looked over the teen he had seen just a few days before when he had picked Kurt up from Dalton. He smiled and took the other’s hand and gave it a firm shake when the younger male held it out towards him. “So you’re the one who gave Kurt a ride.” he said, smile growing wider when the boy’s eyes grew wide.

����“Was he...grounded or something? I didn’t mean to...” Blaine began, licking his lips nervously when a quiet chuckle left the older man.

����“Calm down, kid,” Burt began, throwing the rag on top of a pile in the corner of the garage. “No one’s in trouble.” he said with a shrug before reaching up to readjust his baseball cap.

����“Oh...” Blaine said, mentally wincing at the stupid answer. He looked over the man, calming down as the other seemed relaxed and at ease with him standing before him. “My name is Blaine, Blaine Anderson.” he finally said, a smile lighting up his face when Burt was the one who extended his hand this time. He took it quickly, this handshake less awkward than the one before.

����Burt’s brow raised at the familiar name, his grip tightening around the other’s hand when he finally made the connection. “Burt Hummel.” he answered, stuffing his hands in his pockets when they had finally let each other’s hands fall. “You Jared’s kid?” he asked, holding back a laugh at the surprised look that crossed Blaine’s face.

����“Yes sir.” Blaine answered, staring at the man with a surprised expression. Kurt had told him his father owned a car shop in Lima, but his father lived in Westerville. As far as he knew his dad never ventured to the smaller town except for when he was working on a case, which wasn’t very often. He also believed that his father used a mechanic in Westerville for all his car troubles.

����“He’s a good man.” Burt said, sending a smile towards his wife when she also gave him a surprised look. Hers wasn’t the same as Blaine’s though, she knew who Jared was and how much he had done for Kurt. Burt quickly trained his focus back on the shorter boy who was still looking at him with a puzzled expression. “He did some business for me a while back.” he said, the small explanation seeming to be enough for Blaine as he sent an understanding look his way.

����“Right.” Blaine said with a nod, mentally chiding himself. Of course Burt could have used his father for some reason or another. While curiosity grew as to what exactly for, he kept his mouth shut on the matter when he noticed the older man wasn’t going to elaborate.

����“How is Kurt doing?” Burt asked, cutting right to the point. Of course he had asked Kurt himself, but considering all of the things his son had kept from him in the past he had to have another person’s outlook. It was the main reason he wanted to meet Kurt’s new friend, but it seemed he got an added bonus when Jared’s son walked through the door.

����“Great!” Blaine said happily, smiling towards Carole when a relieved sigh left her. “Everyone loves him, especially the Warblers.” he continued, confused when a dark look crossed Burt’s face.

����“So no one’s...” Burt trailed off, closing his eyes for a second to organize his thoughts. “No one is messing with him or anything?” he asked, surprised when a flash of something unrecognizable crossed Blaine’s face.

����“I would never let anyone.” Blaine said quickly, cheeks reddening slightly once he realized what had just escaped his mouth. “I mean...I and the rest of his friends wouldn’t let anything...like I said, everyone loves him.” he said in a rush, trying to correct himself.

����Carole grinned as she watched Burt give the boy a confused look. “That’s great, dear.” she said, gently reaching up to pat Blaine’s shoulder.

����“Good.” Burt said gruffly, a heavy weight being lifted off his shoulders at the boy's words, no matter how jumbled they were. “It was nice to meet you, Blaine.” he finally said, wondering why the boy’s face had flushed so much. He noticed the heavy jacket the other male was wearing and glanced towards the little heater he had kicked on earlier to warm the garage. That was probably it, then.

����“Burt, why don’t we invite Blaine to dinner?” Carole began, smiling when Blaine turned a look of surprise to her this time. “We are taking the girls, too, what’s one more person?”

����“Fine with me.” Burt said, looking at Blaine. “What do you say?” he asked.

����Blaine couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Was he really invited to go and eat with Kurt’s family? Did that mean they liked him, that he was in the clear? He opened his mouth, shutting it right after once he remembered his manners. “I couldn’t possibly intrude, I mean-”

����“You’re coming, whether you like it or not.” Burt said gruffly. “If you don’t like it, take it up with your dad, but I think Kurt would want you to come.” he said before turning back to the mini-van he had been working on.

����“Thank you, sir.” Blaine said happily, fingers and toes tingling with anticipation to tell Kurt.

����Burt pulled his head from the mini-van once again to give Blaine a look. “Stop with the formalities, kid.” he said before poking his head back under the hood.

����“Ye- I mean, okay.” Blaine stuttered, following a giggling Carole out of the garage. That had gone better than he thought it would. Burt even seemed to like him, considering he had invited him to dinner with the rest of his family. Though the fact that the man apparently knew his father still made him wonder why. What could Burt have needed a lawyer for?

Kurt looked up when he heard a familiar laugh from the hallway, the knots in his stomach un-twisting slightly. If Blaine was laughing, then it couldn’t have gone too bad, could it? He stood up from the couch where he was sitting in between Rachel and Mercedes, face brightening when Carole gently pushed Finn away from the door frame. The look on Blaine’s face made his smile grow wider.

����“We have another added to our dinner party, it seems.” Carole called out, smiling towards the girls when Rachel clapped excitedly.

����“Wait, what?” Finn demanded, brow furrowed in confusion as he looked down at his mother. “He’s coming too?”

����“Yes, of course.” Carole said with a wave of her hand. “Burt says we’ll be leaving in a few hours, so just occupy yourselves until then.” she said before leaving the living room.

����Finn groaned, shooting a glare at Blaine before plopping down in an arm chair on the other side of the room. He continued glaring at the back of the shorter teen’s head, ignoring the disapproving looks Mercedes and even Rachel sent him when Kurt and Blaine weren’t looking their way.

����“It's...wow.” Kurt said, smiling when Blaine walked up to him. He couldn’t believe it had gone so well, but then again it wasn’t like the Warbler had been introduced as his boy-

����“Blaine Warbler.” Rachel said, standing before Blaine and holding out her small hand, effectively killing Kurt’s train of thought. She smiled when Blaine shook her hand back, pulling hers away and pointing at him slightly.

����“Rachel, his last name is actually An-” Mercedes tried to cut in but was quickly cut off by the other girl’s words, as usual.

����“It’s an honor to meet the leader of our competition. Rachel Berry, by the way.” Rachel said, laughing when Blaine sent her a confused look.

����“Leader?" Blaine asked, glancing at Kurt, who only shrugged his shoulders in return.

����“Rachel...” Mercedes said with a sigh. She turned towards Blaine with an apologetic smile. “Sorry, she seems to think the person with the most solos is the leader.” she said before giving Rachel a look. “I’ve told her a few times that the rest of the council actually decides everything, but she won’t listen.”

����“All that fancy stuff is too complicated.” Finn muttered from his spot. He sat up a bit straighter when Blaine looked his way finally. “Why not just give the solos and stuff to people who can sing the best and just forget about all the voting?”

����“Well, I’m pretty sure other people would like to audition.” Blaine began carefully. “We give people the chance to audition and if the senior council agrees, then they are allowed the solo,” he said, frowning when Finn scoffed.

����“Whatever, man.” Finn snapped. “I like our way better.”

����“I have to agree with Finn. You can’t just waste talent when it’s staring you in the face. All of our glee club understands this.” Rachel said, giving Mercedes a confused look when she laughed.

����“Sure we do.” Mercedes said, with a roll of her eyes. “I would kill if the rest of Glee club got to vote sometimes...”

����“You don’t get to?” Kurt asked, glancing towards Rachel when the short girl gave an indignant huff.

����“They do!” Rachel insisted, narrowing her eyes when Mercedes shook her head slightly.

����“We have like once or twice, but other than that...” Mercedes said with a sigh, noticing how Rachel pursed her lips and decided to change the topic. “So, how is Dalton going?” she asked, smiling towards Blaine when the Warbler sat up with interest, hazel eyes shining as he stared at Kurt’s face.

����The rest of the time spent at the house was enjoyable, even if Finn did sulk through most of it. Blaine, being the charming gentleman he always was, even got the girls and Kurt laughing. When they loaded up to head out for dinner, Blaine offered to drive Kurt, which he accepted after aiming a hopeful look to his father.

����Of course, Finn couldn’t stand that so he had asked if he could ride along, Blaine agreeing in fear of upsetting the family he had just been introduced to. Finn didn’t miss the way Blaine’s fingers brushed against Kurt’s leg and hand during the drive, the other boy thinking he wasn’t paying attention. Each time, his mood darkened and his foot would 'accidentally' kick the back of the driver's seat.

�Dinner had been light and cheerful, everyone getting their fill of pasta and breadsticks. Blaine had impressed Kurt by being able to keep a conversation going about cars with his father, explaining that he and his dad had rebuilt a car over the summer a few years ago. Everyone seemed to be at ease with the other Warbler except for Finn, who kept shooting Blaine dirty looks across the table when Burt and Carole weren’t paying attention.

����When everyone had finished, Kurt stated that he had ‘forgotten’ his coat in Blaine’s car, so he left with him, ignoring the knowing looks all three women shared at the table. Once they had made it outside, he shivered, hugging his arms to his chest as they walked across the parking lot to Blaine’s car, which was parked next to Mercedes'.

����“You’re freezing.” Blaine said, after a glance in Kurt’s direction. He quickly ran ahead to his car, unlocking the doors and opening the door to pull Kurt’s blue coat from the front seat. By the time he had shut the passenger door, the junior was already waiting in front of the car. “Here.”

����Kurt smiled as Blaine draped his coat across his shoulders, his teeth still clattering together as he stared at the other’s bright smile. He pulled the jacket closer and smiled back when Blaine leaned against the hood of his car, reaching out and grabbing Kurt’s hands to pull him closer. “Thank you for coming and...for everything else today.”

����“My pleasure.” Blaine said, smiling once again when Kurt shivered as a cold gust of air blew through the parking lot. He stood up once again, slowly wrapping his arms around Kurt’s waist in a loose hug, resting his chin on top of the other’s shoulder. “It’ll keep you warmer.” he said, once he felt Kurt tense slightly. He smiled when the junior seemed to relax, not caring how cold it got as long as Kurt let him hold him like he was.

����“I like this.” Kurt whispered after a few minutes of silence, eyes widening when he realized what he had just blurted out loud. He pulled back from Blaine’s arms quickly, looking down to his shoes. “I mean, well, I ju-”

����“I like it, too.” Blaine said, stopping the soft string of words Kurt was saying. He smiled when Kurt looked up at him, eyes shining with something he couldn’t quite recognize. “I...like it a lot, actually.” he admitted, reaching out to take Kurt’s hand.

����Kurt squeezed Blaine’s hand, closing his eyes as he thought of how to say what he had been thinking for the past few weeks. “Blaine...I have to tell you so-”

����“KURT!”

����Kurt jumped, pulling his hand from Blaine’s before whirling around in the direction where Finn’s voice had come from. His shoulders slumped when his father and then Carole walked out after his stepbrother, waving him over. Of course, the one time he had gathered enough courage to actually tell Blaine...he turned around to find said boy smiling sadly.

����“We can talk about this later, if you want?” Blaine offered, his heart skipping a beat when Kurt nodded. “You better go before Finn comes over and hauls you away.” he said, surprised when Kurt stepped forward to give him a hesitant hug that he returned.

����“Later.” Kurt whispered in his ear before pulling back and smiling, cheeks and nose rosy from the cold wind. “Be careful on the way home.” Kurt said.

����“I will.” Blaine said, walking around to the driver's side door. “I’ll text you when I get home.” he promised, sliding in and shutting his door when Kurt nodded once again. He made sure Kurt got to his father’s truck before turning the ignition of his own car.

����Once Mercedes and even Burt’s truck pulled out of the parking lot, he finally pulled out himself. He was pretty sure his mouth was going to freeze with the large, giddy smile it had at the moment. He wasn’t sure what Kurt had meant when he said he had to tell him something, but he had liked Blaine hugging him!! Could this mean that the other boy wanted the same thing he did?

�Burt escaped to the garage once more once they returned home, making sure no one had followed him before pulling out his cell phone. Thankful that Carole had charged it before they had left, he scrolled through his contacts until he found the name he had been looking for. He hadn’t needed to call it in a while and vaguely wondered if the other man would be as nice to him now that he wasn’t paying.

����“May I speak to Jared Anderson please?”