My heart was pounding as I walked into the familiar shop. I’d been here many times before but never had I felt this nervous. I was pretty sure anyone passing by me could hear my heartbeat over the clang of metal and the whir of power tools. But I had a goal in my mind and I was going to accomplish it.

Even if it killed me. Or Burt did.

I spotted Finn and Puck at the far end of the shop and they both waved, Puck sliding his goggles to his forehead with a grin. They laid down their tools as I walked over, wiping their hands on coveralls and shop towels.

“Sup, man,” Puck greeted me with some complicated handshake that I know I messed up completely in my fumbling. I nodded to him and Finn, not trusting myself to speak just yet.

“Are you looking for Kurt? Cause it’s his day off today…” Finn asked, puzzled as to my presence.

I shook my head and cleared my throat. “Ah, um, no, actually I’m looking for Burt. Is he busy?”

“I think he’s in the office doing payroll, but I can get him if you want,” Finn offered. I shook my head again and started to back away.

“No, no, it’s fine. I’ll go. I don’t want to keep you from your work,” I assured him. Puck was eyeing me warily and I tried to pretend that I didn’t notice.

“You okay, man? You look a little green,” he asked me. It was hard for me to keep my eyes from bugging at his observation, but I did my best.

“Ah, just feeling a little under the weather. I’m sure it’s nothing, though,” I said evasively as I turned away.

“Whatever, man, just don’t blow chunks on the floor. I don’t wanna have to clean that shit up.”

“Okay!” I called over my shoulder. I was pretty sure if I had stayed there any longer I would have cracked. But I had to talk to Burt first.

I knocked on the office door even though it was open. Years of having manners forcibly instilled within me made the action second nature and Burt looked up at the sound.

“C’mon in Blaine,” he said pushing his papers to the side of his desk.

“Is this a bad time?” I ask tentatively. Part of me wished he would say yes, to come back later, but another part of me knows that I need to do this now. If I don’t, who knows how long until I get the courage up to say what I need to say. As it is, I’m running on pure adrenaline. And a little bit of fear.

“Never a bad time for one of my boys,” he said, grinning. His eyes narrowed then and I felt the need to vomit, but kept it back. It really wouldn’t help my case to defile my boyfriend’s father’s office like that. “You okay, kid? You look like you’re gonna fall over where you stand. Get in here and sit down. Shut the door if you would.”

I nod agreeably, closing the door carefully. It took all my focus to complete that one task without slamming it and shaking the photos on the walls. I glanced around at the photos for a distraction.

The first my eyes landed on was faded and smudged, a much younger Burt standing in front of the shop before the addition had been put in with a beautiful woman under his arm. She had long chestnut hair and a very pregnant belly and they were both grinning like crazy.

Next was a collage of Kurt’s school portraits from kindergarten to his senior year with all the awkwardness of adolescence caught in between.

On the opposite wall was a candid shot of Burt, Kurt, Carole and Finn from the wedding, all laughing together in their finery.

After that was the photo that the Hummels had sent out as their Christmas card last year. It was taken in the living room with Burt and Carole on the couch with Jude in between them. Kurt and I were standing behind the couch with Finn and Jessica, Kurt’s head on my shoulder and Finn looking down at Jess adoringly, one hand laid on her prominent pregnant belly.

Seeing that photo hanging on the wall of Burt’s office for everyone to see bolstered my confidence. I’d already been accepted into this family. I shouldn’t be so nervous just asking a question.

But I was.

“You gonna tell me what’s going on, Blaine?” Burt’s voice broke me from my thoughts and I turned to him. He was smirking at me with one eyebrow raised, looking so much like Kurt at that moment it was eerie because, other than the eyes—“Hummel eyes are a dominant trait, get passed to all the kids”—they really didn’t look that much alike. Kurt took after his mother, except for those piercing blue eyes.

I blew out the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding and turned to face the man who had become like a father to me over the last three years. Sometimes it floored me to realize that it really had only been three years. Well, three years, two months and thirteen days, but who’s counting?

Okay. You can do this. Now.

“Burt, sir,” I started, training my eyes on the bill of his baseball cap and pointedly ignoring the narrowing of his eyes at my use of the title, “I came here today to ask your permission to propose to Kurt.”

There. Done. That wasn’t so bad.

I felt my breath coming faster and faster as Burt slowly stood from his desk. He didn’t say a word as he opened one of the desk drawers and reached inside. I was practically panting by then.

He pulled an item from the desk and held it out to me. It was a paper bag.

“Breathe into this, kid, before you pass out. I’m not as young as I used to be. I don’t need to be catching you when you fall, which you will if you don’t calm down.”

I took the bag and did as I was told. I didn’t even realize how dizzy I had been until the world began to come back into focus. A few more breaths and I lowered the bag.

“Better?” Burt questioned. I nodded slowly. “Good. Now, to answer your question: Yes.”

“Yes?” I gaped at him. I couldn’t believe my ears. I was going to propose to Kurt. I was going to ask him to marry me. Holy freaking crap!

Burt just laughed at my bewildered expression. “Did you really think I’d say no? I’ve been referring to you as my son-in-law for over a year now.”

“Really?” I said, my grin stretching so wide it almost hurt.

Burt shook his head, still laughing. “You know, you’re kinda clueless sometimes, kid. Yes. I already consider you a part of the family. I’d be thrilled if you two made it official.”

I don’t know how I kept myself from screaming. I was so happy at that moment. I felt my eyes begin to water and did my best to stop it. I had one more thing to ask. It was a related question and even if I had been pretty confident that Burt would have no problem with me marrying Kurt, this was something I was unsure of.

“I have another question to ask you, Burt. If you have time, that is,” I realized belatedly that we’d been in there for over half an hour and I was keeping the man from his work, but he just shook his head again and clapped me on the shoulder.

“Blaine, get this through that curly head of yours: I always have time for you. You’re the man my son’s gonna marry—“

“If he says yes,” I interjected nervously.

“Of course he’s gonna say yes, Blaine,” he snorted. “Now what did you need to ask me? I hope it’s not proposal advice, ‘cause I’ll be honest with you, I’m crap at those things. I proposed to Kurt’s mom in the Dairy Queen parking lot and to Carole in a classroom full of high school kids.”

I bit my lip to hide my smile. “No, I already have something in mind for that. It’s, uh, well, I am going to ask Kurt about his opinion on this, but I wanted yours too, because, well, in a way it affects you, kind of, and—“

“Just spit it out kid,” Burt growled softly. He looked puzzled and I couldn’t blame him, really, I wasn’t making a whole lot of sense with my rambling.

“I want to take Kurt’s last name. When we get married. I want to be a Hummel.”

Burt froze then, eyes wide and I started to panic. Maybe he didn’t want that. Maybe that was too weird. In my state of distress I began to babble, as I’ve been known to do.

“I mean, I have no real ties to the Anderson name, except my brother, but even then we’re not super close or anything, more like Facebook friends, really. And you’ve been more of a father to me in the last few years than my real father ever was. If you think about it, it would make saying our names a whole lot easier. Rather than a super long hyphenated name we would just be ‘the Hummels’. But if you’re not okay with that I completely understand I just—“

My rant was cut short when the air was suddenly squeezed from my lungs by the force of Burt’s hug. After a moment I hugged him back, the tears that I had felt earlier spilling over.

“I already told you, son, you’re a part of this family. Have been for a while. Nothing would honor me more.”

Burt held me like that until I got myself calmed down, my eyes no longer streaming, merely wet. I thanked him as I straightened my shirt and readied myself to go.

“Gotta go get a ring now,” I said softly. “I’ve already picked one out, but I wanted to get your approval first.”

“Did you really think I would say no, Blaine?” Burt chuckled as I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly.

“I hoped you’d say yes, but…” I trailed off. He gave me a knowing look, sadness in his eyes.

“I guess I’ll just have to keep working to show you how much we love you, kid,” he said gruffly.

I gave him a small smile. My biological family had broken me down, but my new family was slowly but surely building me back up. I just had to remember that they had accepted me and loved me for who I was.

“Well, with any luck I’ll be around for a while, so…”

“You don’t need luck, kid. You’ve got love.” Burt’s words brought tears to my eyes again.

Yeah. I did.