Burt’s considering putting a plaque on the front door that says “The Hummel-Hudson Home for Boys.” He’d started with one son, Kurt, and then gained Finn a year or so ago, and then Blaine soon after. When Finn comes home one day in mid-November, asking if that Sam kid can move in with them, too, Burt really can’t think of any reason why not. In the spring, Burt had got to know the kid a bit, after the whole debacle of Finn thinking that Kurt was cheating when he was actually helping Sam’s recently homeless family. Sam was nice kid, with a good head on his shoulders and an incredible dedication to his family.

     Since Blaine was never in the guest room any more, Burt offered it to Sam, who accepted gladly and thankfully. Burt and Carole started buying even more groceries. After all, they were now feeding four insatiable teenaged boys, even with Kurt being as picky as he was.

     One night, Burt overhears Sam telling the guys about the job that he’d been working. From what Burt has gathered, the kid was working as a sexy dancer in a club for middle-aged women. It paid really good money, and Sam must have valued his family’s well-being over his own dignity. Burt can’t imagine being in a position where he felt he would have to do something like that.

     Things run fairly smoothly for a few days, to the extent that Burt starts to genuinely wonder what life was like when it was just him and Kurt, compared to now being a busy house of six. But, of course, with four teenagers, it isn’t long before some drama pops up again.

     Sam comes home early from Glee practice one day, and Burt can almost see a gray cloud above his head like cartoon characters often have. Burt tries to chat, but Sam just stalks up to his room and closes the door. Next home is Finn, looking embarrassed and uncomfortable. He, too, goes upstairs and closes the door to his room. Burt’s learned to leave Finn alone when he’s upset, and not to even try to talk things through for a few hours. He assumes Sam is the same. Kurt and Blaine come home right when Burt is starting to get worried, considerably after the end of Glee. Burt knows he can get these two to talk.

     After coming in the front door, the boys curl up together on the couch, and Burt can’t help himself from comparing them in his mind to two little puppies huddled together for comfort and warmth. Burt sits down in his chair across from them.

     “Are you two gonna tell me what happened?” Burt asks. “Because I’ve got two silent guys upstairs that don’t look any better than you two.”

     The boys look at each other for a have second. Burt can tell that Blaine is silently imploring Kurt to speak for them, while Kurt is firmly insisting that Blaine talk. With a sigh, Blaine starts talking.

     “I had a bit of an… outburst in Glee today.” Blaine says, looking at his hands instead of Burt. He’s picking at his hands, his fingers getting progressively closer to his wrist.

     “Okay.” Burt says, trying to encourage Blaine to keep talking. “That happens to the best of us. Kurt’s gotten in trouble for that plenty.”

     This doesn’t seem to comfort Blaine as much as Burt had hoped. Kurt’s noticed this, too, and Burt can tell that they are both working now to keep Blaine from shutting them out and retreating into himself.

      “Would you like me to tell the story, sweetie?” Kurt asks softly, reaching to clasp Blaine’s hands in his, clearly noticing the way Blaine’s hands were picking at his wrists. “You can add in whatever you’d like.”

     Blaine nods.

     “Sam was talking about the fact that the girls are going to be using their attractiveness to their advantage. That, apparently, the average straight man is so stupid that he will prefer any performance with wiggling boobs and butts, no matter if another team is better. Anyway, he was suggesting that he try some sexier dance moves. Blaine didn’t like this idea, and said that it was cheap and degrading. Sam disagreed, saying that it was just using your strengths to your advantage. And then Blaine…”

     Kurt trails off, a sad look on his face. Blaine has now completely hidden his face against Kurt’s chest. His body language is suggesting a lot of guilt and embarrassment.

     “Blaine said that Sam obviously has to think that, so that he can sleep at night. Sam asked what that meant, and Blaine said it meant that he is not for sale. They started shoving each other and Blaine left the practice.”

     Burt’s surprised. Blaine’s one of the sweetest, kindest hearted kids imaginable. He doesn’t try to hurt other people, or embarrass others for his own gain. Burt realizes that there must have been something else going on.

     “Hey, Blaine?” Burt asks, trying to get Blaine to lift his head up so that they can make eye contact. “What got you so upset? You’re not a mean person: saying stuff like that is so unlike you. What happened?”

     It has the desired effect. Burt’s words are encouraging enough, supportive enough, to bring Blaine back into the conversation. Blaine must have realized that he isn’t going to get reprimanded or shamed for his comment, but that Burt will listen to his side of things.

     “I –” Blaine opens and closes his mouth a few times, trying to find the words. Burt nods. “I told you that when the guys beat me up, they were verbally bashing us, too, right?”

     Kurt and Burt both let out small noises of confirmation.

     “Well, they – uh – they used all of the slurs and everything, but they were also saying awful things about our sexuality. That we were s-sluts and whores and cheap and worthless and that we probably would l-love to s-suck them off and that we were full of d-diseases and just on and on like that.”

     Blaine’s crying now, stammering out the words as tears run down his cheeks. Kurt’s crying, too, his face buried in Blaine’s neck as he hugs his boyfriend. Burt is horrified.

     “So when Sam was doing all the hip thrusts and grinding moves and saying that was what s-sex was, it just really upset me. B-because it’s not like that at all!  Kurt’s worth more than that. And I-I’m worth more than that, too! We’re not cheap because we’re having s-sex.  We love each other and it’s s-special and it’s b-beautiful and I’m not a whore!”

      Burt’s not sure how long he’d been there, but when he glances away from Blaine for a second to dab at his eyes, he sees that Sam is standing in the doorway. Sam is looking at Blaine, who is now being rocked in Kurt’s arms. Kurt is crying, too, but still trying to whisper words of comfort to Blaine. Sam eventually notices that Burt is watching him. Burt angles his head a bit to invite him into the conversation. Sam hesitates, but comes in, crossing the room until he is kneeling on the floor in front of Blaine.

     He doesn’t say anything for a few long moments, and Blaine doesn’t even notice Sam’s arrival.

     “Blaine.” Sam says silently. “I - ”

     “Sam!” Blaine interrupts, sitting up and wiping tears from his eyes. “I am so, so sorry. I should not have said any of that to you. It was rude and hurtful and I didn’t mean it at all. I just – ”

     “Blaine, listen to me.” Sam interrupts back. “I forgive you. It’s fine. I didn’t know that what I was saying would hurt you like that. I’m sorry that I hurt you, too. I never meant to insult you or Kurt.”

     Blaine just stares at Sam for a moment. Burt wonders what he is thinking. He wonders when the last time was that someone who had hurt Blaine had actually apologized.

     After just a few moments, the whole argument is resolved in typical teen boy fashion, pats on the back, repetitions of the phrase “Yeah, we’re cool, man.” and the agreement to play video games together later. Sam heads back upstairs, and Burt is left wishing that all of Blaine’s problems could be resolved that easily.

     When Kurt is making dinner with Carole later, Blaine tells Burt that he and Finn had talked things out, too. Finn confessed to being jealous of Blaine, and Blaine promised to do anything Finn needed him to do so that the team could win sectionals. Burt feels slightly guilty, but he finds himself thinking that Blaine let Finn off too easy.

     Burt isn’t able to attend the sectionals competition this year, which is really upsetting for him. He watches Kurt’s DVD of it after, and marvels over how much better the club is than they were even last year. Burt gets a bit emotional during the performance of “Man in the Mirror” watching his three newest boys singing about creating change in the world, starting with themselves. He’s just so proud of them. The New Directions’ performance finishes, and Burt watches at Finn gives Blaine the “bro-fist.” Burt thinks that they’ll be okay from now on.