“Okay, so Jude’s book is on the nightstand. We’re on chapter seven and no matter what he says we only read one chapter each night.” I looked pointedly at my son who was the picture of innocence on his grandfather’s lap. “Be good for Grandma and Grandpa and I will take you to the fireworks show tomorrow. If you’re not, we’ll stay in and I’ll make you watch Independence Day with Uncle Finn.” Jude smiled at me and I knew that my threat wasn’t all that terrifying to him. He loved hanging out with his uncle.

‘I’ll be good, Daddy. Promise. I love you,’ he signed to me. I wrapped him in a tight hug, lifting him off of my father’s lap before plopping him back down.

“I love you, too.” I reluctantly made my way to the door. As much as I was looking forward to hanging out with my friends (and Blaine) I hated being apart from him, even if I knew it was only for a few hours. 

It took ten minutes of arguing to figure out the seating arrangement in my Navigator. Puck wanted to sit up front but I knew from experience that Finn would be cramped sitting in the back or the middle. I felt bad throwing Blaine in the back with a bunch of guys he didn’t know, especially that bunch, but as he was the shortest of the group he got the very back seat with Sam. He didn’t seem to mind. I glanced in the rearview mirror a time or two and found them chatting amiably.

We were halfway there when I felt Puck’s chin on my shoulder.

“Hey, Princess, how come I’ve never met this Blaine before? I thought we were tight.”

“Noah, sit back and buckle up or you’re paying the ticket.” Of course he ignored me. Finn was intent on his game of Stupid Zombies, effectively blocking out the conversation Puck and I were holding not two feet away from him. “And I only met him yesterday. He asked me out so I invited him along tonight.” I waited for the smart-ass reply and when it didn’t come I turned to see Puck staring at me with eyes bugged and mouth agape. “What?”

“Dude, this is your first date with this guy? And you brought him to my bachelor party,” he whispered harshly.

“Yeah, I didn’t think you’d mind. Sorry, I guess.” Well, now I felt bad. I had inadvertently turned my date into a party crasher.

“I don’t give a damn about him being here, Hummel. I’m actually glad to see you getting a little action,” he snorted.

“Thanks, Santana,” I grumbled.

“But, Dude, really? Karaoke at a roller rink with four other dudes is your idea of a first date? Hell, even I took Lauren to Breadstix for our first date.”

I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to the road. We were getting close. “She stood you up and you ended up making out with a waitress for twenty minutes.”

“Yeah, but at least I tried, man.”

“Well, I don’t exactly have a lot of experience at this sort of thing, Puck!” My whispers were getting louder. “I thought this might be less pressure. And if it turns out we have nothing to talk about there will be plenty of other opportunities for conversation for both of us.” I swallowed around a lump in my throat. I didn’t even know this guy really but I wanted the night to go well. Crap. “You really think this was a crappy date idea? Oh, god, it is, isn’t it?”

“Nah, it’ll be fine, Hummel. If he doesn’t like the date then screw him.” Puck’s eyebrows waggled suggestively. “I mean it, screw him and lose his number. Just because the date flops doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get some, no strings attached.”

“Noah!” I shrieked. Suddenly the entrance of the parking lot was right there and I had to slam the brakes and jerk the wheel to make the turn. Puck rolled in his seat and fell into Artie who just glared at him silently.

“Kurt, you suck! You’re the worst best man ever!”

“I told you to wear your seatbelt,” I said in my best sing-song voice. We all piled out, Finn getting Artie back into his chair, and strode into Rinky-Dinks like we owned the place. Everybody was talking at once and I had to admit I really missed this. The last time we had been out like this had been over a year ago and the time before that was graduation night. Wow, I really had no life.

All the guys except Blaine and I went straight to the bar ordering beers and nachos. I didn’t see how the two could possibly taste good together but who was I to judge?

“So, Sam was telling me you guys were all in glee club together,” Blaine said as a conversation starter. I smiled. At least they hadn’t scared him off yet.

“Yeah, well, I had to drop out the last semester of senior year but otherwise, yeah, we were all in the New Directions.”

“Wait, New Directions from McKinley? No way,” he guffawed. His grin stretched across his face revealing a lot of very nice teeth.

“Yes way. Why?”

“I was in the Warblers from Dalton Academy. We competed against you guys at Sectionals my sophomore year.” He looked at me curiously, settling at one of the larger tables towards the back of the building. The others were making their way to us with drinks in hand. Artie was being used as a trolley, a tray with two large bottles of whiskey and six shot glasses balanced on his lap, Finn pushing him. “How did I not notice you there?”

“I didn’t go to sectionals my junior year,” I told him. “Jude was in the hospital with pneumonia and I wouldn’t leave his side until he was released.” I hoped the subject changed soon. It wasn’t a memory I enjoyed.

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

Well, so much for having a nice conversation with the guy. I really sucked at dating.

He was staring at me with this intense look on his face. I wasn’t really sure what I was supposed to do right then, but I knew that blushing and staring back—the things I was doing—probably weren’t the best choices.

“This is probably gonna sound really rude but how is it that you have a five-year-old son when you’re only twenty-one. And gay. You don’t have to tell me, I’m just curious.” He said all this in a rush like he was afraid if he stopped he wouldn’t get it all out.

“No, it’s fine. It’s a long story, though,” I said quietly.

He gestured to my friends at the other end of the table who were already well on their way to being obnoxiously drunk and arguing over who would sing what when their turn on stage came around. He looked back at me and I swear his eyes actually sparkled when he smiled. “I think we have time.”

Four hours, twenty-three songs and a whole lot of alcohol later it was closing time and the task of getting four very drunk young men into one vehicle had me rethinking my role as designated driver. I think Artie could have been given a DUI for how he was handling his chair at that moment and he wasn’t even as bad off as the others.

If I hadn’t already decided that I liked the guy, Blaine endeared himself to me by helping me with my overly intoxicated charges. Bless him, the boy even took a crack at steering Finn. It was comical and I admit I let out more than one snort of laughter at their antics.

“No, no, Finn. Finn! No, you need to walk this way, towards the truck. No, don’t worry about the cat over there, I swear he’s not lonely. He has a whole kitty family waiting for him at home so if you took him they’d miss him. Yes, I am a cat whisperer.” Blaine’s incredulous expression combined with his soothing tone had me doubled over in laughter. Thankfully, I already had the rest of the guys loaded and Puck was snoring loudly across Sam’s lap in the very back seat.

It took both of us to get Finn into the front seat where he immediately began to snore. I turned around in my seat to see Blaine being hugged by a very drunken and happy Artie who was going on and on about how Blaine reminded him of the teddy bear he had when he was six. He looked at me questioningly before mouthing ‘What do I do?’ I just grinned at him and started the engine.

By the time we made it back to Puck’s parent’s house all four of my drunken friends were passed out. Lucky for Blaine and me, Lauren was waiting for us and proceeded to carry all four men in one at a time by herself, much to Blaine’s amazement. She thanked me for getting her hubby home safe and shut the door without another word.

“Well, that was certainly interesting,” Blaine mused as we headed back to my place. I was contemplating something but I wasn’t sure how it would come across. As we pulled into the drive I just decided to go for it.

I cut the motor. Neither of us made a move to get out of the vehicle, we just stared at each other. Finally, I mustered up the courage to speak.

“Look, I don’t mean to sound forward, but it’s, like, two in the morning and seeing as you live over an hour from here, doyouwannaspendthenight?” I held my breath hoping that I hadn’t just freaked Blaine out.

He looked at me and slowly smiled. “Sure, that would probably be a good idea. Safer, yeah.”

“Right, safety first and all that jazz.” Wow, I sounded like such a dork.

He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, and then closed it immediately. I sat, waiting, and I was just about to reach for the door handle when he spoke, sounding just as nervous as I was.

“Can I kiss you?”

Oh. Wow. Okay. Yeah. Answer him. He’s staring at you. Now he’s looking worried. SAY SOMETHING!

Instead I closed the distance between us and pressed my lips to his. They were kind of chapped but that was alright because I was kissing a boy and it felt good. I mean, I had kissed a couple of guys over the last two years of college (and had one very heated make-out and grind session) but it had never been quite like this. First of all, he asked permission to kiss me. Secondly, even ten seconds in, he wasn’t forcing his tongue into my mouth. His lips were moving softly against mine. It was so sweet and gentle and totally amazing.

When we finally parted I gasped for air. Even in my head it sounded cheesy but Blaine had taken my breath away.

I stared at him owlishly while my heartbeat steadied back into something resembling its normal rate. He just grinned toothily, his own breathing labored.

“Wow,” he whispered.

“Yeah, wow,” I replied breathily. I could have stayed there in that moment just staring at him for hours but even at two a.m. it was horribly humid and the interior of the car was rapidly becoming stifling.

I exited the car and he followed me silently, grabbing my hand in his as we walked up the driveway. The gesture sent butterflies in circles in my stomach.

I signaled for him to be quiet as we tiptoed into the living room. The television was still on, a blue screen shedding enough light for me to make up the sofa-bed without breaking anything or waking the rest of the house.

“I’ll be right back,” I whispered. “If you want to watch a movie or something the remotes are on the end table just keep the sound down.” He nodded at me, goofy smile still plastered on his face, and I tread up the stairs, skipping the third from the top because it squeaks no matter how lightly you step on it. I peeked into my room first to check on Jude, but he wasn’t in his bed. Or my bed for that matter.

I went farther down the hall to Dad and Carole’s room where the door was slightly cracked and snores were clearly sounding. One quick peek was all it took to know my baby was safe and sound for the night. He had Dad’s arm in a death grip and Carole’s arm snaked around his waist. It was absolutely adorable. I took a quick picture on my phone because I just couldn’t resist, then eased the door shut the rest of the way.

“The Lion King, Blaine?” I said quietly, startling him. He shrugged and smiled at me again. Was he always this perpetually cheerful?

“I love Disney and it was already in the player, so…” With another shrug he patted the spot next to him on the pull-out. “Watch some with me?”

I didnt' know why I felt so comfortable with this guy. I mean, I had known him for less than three days but there I was fussing with pillows and telling him to quit hogging the good blanket and before I knew it we were cuddling.

He never got handsy, which was great because no matter how much I may or may not have liked the guy, I wasn’t ready for anything physical. And even if I was, it most definitely wouldn’t be happening with my parents and kid just up the stairs. Instead, as the movie progressed and my eyes started to droop, I felt his fingers moving through my hair, swirling abstract patterns lightly on my scalp. We were lying down together and my head was on his chest and somehow it just felt right.

Just as I was falling asleep, I thought I heard him singing along with Elton John but I couldn’t tell you for certain.