When the bell rings, Kurt is down the stairs and at the door only moments later, short of stumbling through the last steps, already reaching out for the handle.

Before he even gets to touch the door knob, though, he hears a low grunting sound of a grumble behind him.

Kurt freezes in the movement, heat rising to his cheeks immediately at getting caught. Great. He can't help but brings up his shoulders a little. So much for hoping to smuggle Blaine in, without having to confront Burt right away. Kurt huffs and turns with slight defeat to see his dad scuffling out of the living room towards him.

"Dad, please..." He shakes his head at his father, eyes narrowing.

But Burt only cuts him short with a tilt of his head. "Just answer the door, Kurt."

He meets Kurt's gaze full on for a moment and Kurt's shoulders slump. His father's green eyes are serious in their usual no-bulls***-kind of way, but they are not hostile. Not in their depths, that is.

The posture that Burt puts on display, though, is certainly meant to be one of authority. Poor Blaine. Kurt braces himself, more on behalf of Blaine, really, and opens the door with a sigh.

In a way of an advanced apology, he gives his boyfriend the warmest welcoming smile, and Blaine mirrors it for a second.

Then he obviously notices Burt over Kurt' shoulder, standing a bit down the hallway, arms crossed over his chest, leaning in a dangerously casual way against the wooden sideboard. Blaine's face falls a little.

"Oh, Mr. Hummel, hi. I..." He falters slightly as Burt doesn't stir once in his stance, silently waiting and staring, the only movement the raising of his eyebrows. Kurt throws his father a look of reprimand, and tries again: "Dad, please." But Burt ignores him, bringing up his chin even more, leveling Blaine with his eyes.

Kurt sees a debate on Blaine's face about what to do next. A wave of compassion rises in him. The expressive play of those eyebrows would be nothing but adorable, if Kurt didn't feel so bad for Blaine for having to go through this.

Kurt is almost smiling at the thought, when a jolt of resolution seems to suddenly run through his boyfriend, straightening his spine.

Then Blaine steps inside, letting the door fall shut behind him.

Kurt's mouth twitches. Cutting off your exit? Very doubtful move, Blaine. Kurt's hand jerks up to his mouth. He knows he shouldn't be amused at the whole situation, but yet Kurt has to stifle a chuckle. His dad still seems unimpressed, though.

Blaine brings up his hands as well, even if in an entirely different gesture, facing Burt directly. "Mr. Hummel, I...Let me just say, that I am aware how this must look..."

"Oh, are you...?" Burt's voice is another on-dragging growl, as he pushes himself off the low sideboard with his hip, and cocks his head at Blaine, taking one slow step forward, arms still locked across his chest.

Kurt's eyes widen at his dad. He knows his father can become rather protective, but just as sure as he is about that fact, he is certain that Burt would never attack Blaine, not like he attacked Karofski. Kurt just knows.

Blaine on the other hand doesn't have the luxury of that knowledge, Kurt muses.

The things Blaine knows about Burt are based only on Kurt's stories and those few times, when he'd been at their house. And with Burt usually not mingling in their affairs, when Kurt has friends over to visit, Blaine hasn't really had much time to get to know Kurt's dad.

Kurt presses his lips together. And then of course, he's not 'just a friend' anymore now.

Starting to feel kind of protective himself, Kurt stands a bit straighter beside his boyfriend, opening his mouth to say something.

Before he can, though, Blaine cuts in, holding his ground, his chin drawn back to his chest a little, but his voice not wavering. Almost not.

"Yeah, I am aware." His eyes flicker up to hold Burt's stare. "Because Kurt told me, he told you... and then I told him, what I had told you..." Burt blinks a little puzzled for a fleeting instant, and Blaine falters, furrowing his brow at his own wrestling with words. Kurt's hand is at his mouth again.

But then Blaine seems to finally come out on top of it, and tries again, voice clearing: "I told him that that I came to see you last week and I... Mr. Hummel, I had no hidden agenda whatsoever then. Nor do I have one now."

Kurt's look flits over to his dad.

"Mm." Burt draws out the throaty noise, shifting his weight on his feet, and with a tilt of his head narrows his eyes again at Blaine.

"You know what I don't get?" His tone is too calm, almost friendly. But his whole demeanour belies that impression. "I mean, you come across as a rather smart kid." Burt slowly shakes his head at Blaine. "You wanna tell me you never thought for a second that you might be that guy? At that party? That you threatened me with?"

Huh. Kurt's really curious to hear the story of what Blaine actually told his dad by now.

Blaine actually gasps: " I... I never meant to threaten you with anything, I... and no." At the last part, Blaine's voice settles.

Burt's brows arch even more: "No?"

Blaine lowers his eyes only for a second, then collects himself and meets Burt's stare after a short breath: "I...I mean as much as I like to come across as... smart, or... knowing... I..." His voice fails him shortly again, but he quickly braces himself: "The truth is, when it comes to myself, to my feelings... my brainpower just seems to fail me ever so often... and I seem to be the last one to make sense of them..."

Blaine's look is a little apologetic, but above all straight and sincere, and Kurt's heart clenches at the sight.

Blaine swallows and continues: "I honestly didn't have a plan that day, I mean to... get with Kurt. I..." His hands gesture a little helplessly, but he never breaks the eye contact with Burt. "I tend to act on impulse, sometimes, do what feels right to me... and I just wanted... "

He falters. Kurt can see him struggle for the right words, watches Blaine's lips form sounds when his voice won't seem to catch up. Then Blaine lets it go with a final shrug. "I just didn't know. Back then. Not like now."

Burt blows his breath out of his nose.

"One week, kid. What has changed in one week?" His tone is still harsh, but Burt's eyes have softened a little, though they are unceasingly glowering at Blaine. Kurt can see the faint glint in them, but he's not sure his boyfriend can tell as well.

Blaine just hunches his shoulders up again, then lets them fall.

"I don't know. Everything?" His features twitch lightly, and he gingerly shifts his weight. "Maybe my brainpower has finally caught up with me, after all, with that insight a few days ago, that that's what I want to be... boyfriends... " Kurt lips press together and his lashes flutter down at that half-hearted attempt at a joke, even as Blaine's voice already trails under Burt's doubtfully raised eyebrow. But then again, it's just that, Kurt muses with an inward chuckle: Blaine finally got smart.

Blaine huffs and stands a little straighter, bringing up his hands again, the reasoning tinge to his tone coming to him more easily this time:

"Please, Mr. Hummel, I know you'd do anything to protect your son, that's why I came to you in the first place. If you..." Blaine steels himself and searches out Burt's eyes once more. "If you get to know me, you'll see that I care just as much about that, I mean... that we want the same thing."

Kurt's heart dances in his chest, and his body is flooded by a warm hazy feeling welling up inside. His look flickers from Blaine to his dad again.

Burt is studying his boyfriend for a very long moment, his mind working visibly behind thoughtful eyes relenting more by the minute. Kurt turns his head back to Blaine and the movement distracts Blaine away from Burt's scrutiny for a second. They exchange a short glance and a shy smile, before a low voice makes them jerk towards Kurt's dad once more.

"Blaine." It's not so much Burt's tone, but the way he addresses Blaine directly, that demands their immediate attention. And makes Blaine square his shoulders unconsciously again.

"Yes, Mr. Hummel?"

Burt's posture has loosened a bit, the tension fading from it gradually even as they watch. Kurt lets out a relieved breath. His dad rubs one hand across his mouth and chin deliberately, before he speaks:

"Blaine, you come across as quite mature for your age... " Burt's brow twitches and he adds a little under his breath, but still audibly: " I don't know, maybe it's that uniform... or that hair..." Kurt has to pull himself together to stifle a grin, while Burt indistinctly gestures to all of Blaine.

But Blaine doesn't flinch, and Burt continues unerringly: "And maybe I have a bit of a distorted standard for that, you know, because Kurt, he's so...well, you know him, you said it yourself, he is moral and mature and compassionate, he just has a knack with people, you know, he simply gets things... and I..."

Burt's look flickers back and forth between Blaine and his son for a moment, and then he leans against the sideboard once more in an impulse. It is technically the same pose as before, but now Burt's powerful frame slumps in a way that has a decided air of lazy evenings on the couch. Not one of alert, anger and aggression anymore.

Still, Burt makes his tone reasonable, but there's also that trademark tinge of annoyed amusement to it, that Kurt recognizes so well from many past conversations between them. It means his dad is coming around, but still wants to make a point.

Burt looks at them respectively:

"What I'm trying to say is, that I forget with him sometimes," he inclines his head towards Kurt, then turns back to meet Blaine's eyes: "And I think I did with you, too... that you're both actually still kids."

Kurt's chin jerks up in the lightest of movements, but his dad already brings up his hands good-naturedly: "I know you don't want to hear that, and I know one can be confused about their feelings and make mistakes as an adult just as well... but I have been sixteen, too, it's been some time, but I do remember some of it..."

He looks at them as if expecting a wry remark or at least some rolling of the eyes, but all he finds are waiting expressions, so he goes on:

"I'm saying that it actually fits. I mean, Kurt doesn't tell me all too much, but from what he's told me... it fits." He must be referring to Blaine's 'experiment' with Rachel, Kurt thinks. When Blaine spent the night drunk in his bed. Because he surely hasn't told his dad about the romantic slip with Yeremiah.

Burt goes on, by now a half-smile tugging at his lips. "And what's more, I trust Kurt's judgement. " He doesn't glance at his son this time but instead mutters under his breath with humour: " Most of the time, that is." Kurt throws him a look, but there's no heat in it. Burt shrugs it off anyway and addresses Blaine directly once more, voice rising a bit:

"I'm saying I believe you, kid, maybe mostly because I want to." At that Blaine's eyebrows jerk up once more. Still Burt keeps his tone matter-of-fact: "Because I've seen how he is with you. And I do think your heart's in the right place, even if your head isn't from time to time."

Before Blaine can even react to that, Burt points a raised finger at him, eyes narrowing again a little: "But just you know, that... concerning everything else from now on... I will hold you to that standard you put on display."

He gestures at Blaine again. "You know, all that... well-bred, well-mannered, well-disciplined gentleman school boy appearance... I'll hold you to it, and I'll have an eye on you..." Burt speaks the words distinctly and emphasizes his meaning with his finger jabbing at the air.

Kurt actually blushes, because he knows too well, what his dad is hinting at now. He is not so sure, though, that Blaine has gotten it quite the way Burt meant it, but his boyfriend brings up his hands once more, voice all quick assurance:

"Of course, I mean, you can... hold me to that, I mean I would never..."

"I'll stop you right there..." Burt cuts in with another good-natured chuckle, and Blaine just stands with mouth open, not too certain, obviously, what has just happened. "For your own sake."

Burt has muttered that last part rather to himself and is now looking up at the two of them for one prolonged moment, head shaking silently, hands loosely on his hips. But he seems amused more than anything else now.

He takes a deep breath. "Anyway. I said what I wanted to say. Good." And then he actually turns and moves to trot back into the living room, not without inclining his head in the smallest of invitations: "Now, since I can't be there the day after tomorrow, do you want to tell me some more about that duet you're doing?" There's a twinkle in his eyes.

Kurt swallows and takes a moment to marvel at his dad with affection.

That's Burt for you, straightforward in everything he does and says, be it criticism or praise. He might appear grumpy, strict or a little blunt to the outsider, and he can be quite intimidating, when you threaten what or who is dear to him, but in the end he never means anything but well.

Kurt smiles. He respects his dad, his positions, his efforts. So of course, he has and will try to do his dad justice, and take responsibility. Sometimes maybe even too much.

But then there's always times when he just is a teenage son, too.

And so Kurt may act embarrassed in front of friends at his dad's rigid set of rules and his protective streak, when he overreaches, but at the end of the day, Kurt knows what is at the very heart of it. Always.

And, it is all in the eyes, when you know where to look, Kurt muses. They tell it all.

It's a trait that runs in the family.

Blaine stirs beside Kurt, mouth still slightly ajar, and that finally sends a jolt through Kurt's body and he remembers there was a question.

He stands up taller, and jerks into action, voice tentative at first: "Dad, Blaine actually came here, so that we could... rehearse... that duet some more, because it still needs some... work... "

On the edge of his sight, Kurt sees Blaine's shoulders hunch up, and hazel eyes grow slightly wider, probably dreading that Kurt is risking to much right now, going too far, treading on thin ice.

But Kurt aims for his best unbothered tone: "So what do you say, if we did that, rehearse, I mean, and later we could give you a sample...?" He doesn't waver and holds his dad's probing look. He knows himself this must sound quite... well, transparent, but then again, didn't Burt just say it himself? He had been sixteen, too, once upon a time, so maybe, after all that drama he's put them through, he could remember that now...

Burt shifts his weight on his feet again, and his stare wanders back and forth between Kurt and Blaine once more, the latter struggling visibly so stand straight and not blink all too much.

A grumble. Then a sigh.

And then -if in fact for nostalgia's sake or something else entirely- Burt does turn with a growl to head for the kitchen:

"Off you go, then. Carole will be home in a minute, anyway, she'll want to hear that sample, too, later on." He squints back one more time at them. "So I will call you when dinner is ready." Kurt thinks to nod, and Burt huffs another tired grunt in their direction. And then he's gone.

Kurt lets out a long breath. Then his looks falls on Blaine.

Blaine's posture next to him has slumped a little the very instant Burt was out of sight.

Yet Blaine still stands frozen to the spot for a moment longer, gazing after Kurt's father in what Kurt assumes must be amazement. Well, some minor after shocks of adrenaline may be joining into the mix as well. Kurt smiles and reaches for Blaine's hand.

The contact makes Blaine jerk out of his transfixion, and he turns impossibly wide eyes at Kurt: "That... that..."

"That went well, didn't it?" Kurt finishes for him with a relieved chuckle.

Blaine's mouth falls open again in disbelief, and Kurt just grins at him, clasping his boyfriend's hand more tightly.

"Come on, Blaine, what I meant is, you did well. You got though it, and it's over, so..."

Blaine's look drops down to their joined hands when Kurt takes one step back and increases the pull. Then he meets Kurt's eyes, and Kurt pours all endearment and shy promise into the connection.

"So, what do you say we go upstairs and... practice some more, like I said we would?"

He watches the change on Blaine's expression at the word with relish. That reaction was just why he avoided to use that term earlier.

That here is just for them, after all.

So he strokes his thumb gently across the back of Blaine's hand and mirrors the slow smile that Blaine gives him, obviously recovering quite well now from the last few minutes' strain at Kurt's suggestion.

Eventually Blaine nods.

And with a grin Kurt turns to tug his boyfriend behind him up the stairs.