Blaine gulped as he sat across the table from Kurt’s father.  Under normal circumstances, he would have been fine.  He would have introduced himself as Blaine, Kurt’s boyfriend.  He would have called him ‘sir’ and maintained eye contact and done all of the mannerly things he’d been taught over the years.

But the fact of the matter was that this wasn’t a normal circumstance.  He’d walked in on him pressed against his son with their lips sealed together, and that was just not a chapter in the manners handbook his parents had given him when he was six.

“Mr. Hummel, I –” Blaine started to explain.  Burt put his hand up though, silencing Blaine before glancing around him and into the living room.

“Look, kid,” Burt said slowly as he turned his gaze back to Blaine, “I’m not going to hound you, and not just because Kurt’s eavesdropping in the other room.” Blaine glanced quickly over his shoulder to see Kurt quickly looking up towards the ceiling.  “If you guys are dating, then what you do when you think you have the house to yourself isn’t any of my business.  Just no – um – don’t do that under my roof.”

Blaine gulped and nodded before dropped his gaze.

“I really just want to ask you to keep an eye out for him,” Burt went on after a few moments of silence.  “I know I can’t keep him here forever.  The drive from here to Dalton is a distance that he shouldn’t have to make every day.”

Blaine nodded and looked up at Burt to see something that he’d never seen in his own father’s eyes.  Concern, love, acceptance.  He swallowed the sudden lump in his throat and willed himself to stay in control.

“Just – this whole thing is weird,” Burt went on.  “I don’t know how much it takes for Kurt to get hurt.  All I do know is that my kid came in that door last night limping and cradling his wrist to his chest and – Christ, Blaine – if that’s what a couple falls can do to him…”

Burt trailed off and Blaine nodded slowly, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth.  “I promise, sir,” Blaine said after a few moments of silence, his voice low and determined.  “I’ll keep your son as safe as I can.  I can’t completely stop him from going out and doing whatever it is he does but…I can try to make sure he stays safe and that he isn’t stretching his boundaries.”

“He’s incredibly stubborn,” Burt warned.

“I know.”

“And he’s difficult to argue with.”

Blaine laughed and nodded.  “Trust me, I’m well aware of that, too.”

Burt chuckled and stood up before walking around the table to clap Blaine on the shoulder.  “You’re a good kid,” Burt said as he looked down at Blaine.  “You make Kurt happy, and as long as that doesn’t change and that you look after him, then I don’t have a problem with this.”

Blaine nodded, a small smile creeping onto his face.

“But I am worried about your father…”

Blaine sighed and nodded, playing with his fingers on his lap.  “I am, too,” Blaine admitted.  “As of right now, they personally haven’t seen him.  They’ve only gotten reports from residents, but…”

“It’s only a matter of time,” Burt finished when Blaine trailed off.

Blaine nodded and sighed.  “I wish I could talk some sense into him,” Blaine said, “but we aren’t on good terms anyway, and I’ve already tried and he didn’t even listen and –” Blaine cut off and let out a dry, humorless chuckle.  “I’m sorry,” he went on.  “I shouldn’t be unloading all of this onto you.”

Burt was silent for a few minutes, his gaze set on Blaine’s face with a certain intensity that made Blaine fidget a little.

“You’re always welcome here, kid,” Burt eventually whispered.  “Always.  I don’t care what the reason is, but if you aren’t comfortable at your house for whatever reason, at whatever time, you can come here.”

“I – thank you,” Blaine muttered back, his throat thick with emotion.

Burt smiled and signaled with his hand for Kurt to come into the room.  Blaine stood up and wiped his sweaty hands off of his pants, a small smile on his face.

“Oh, and Blaine?” Burt said before Kurt came into the room. 

Blaine looked up and met Burt’s eyes.

“You can call me Burt.”

Blaine grinned again just as Kurt sidled up next to him and gripped his hand in his own, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek before whispering into his ear.  “He didn’t scare you, did he?”

“No,” Blaine whispered back, bringing his free hand up to brush his thumb across Kurt’s cheek.  “But I think he really likes me.”

Kurt let out a high peel of laughter as they both gave their attention back to his dad.

“Take care of each other,” he said to them gripping both of their shoulders and squeezing gently. 

Blaine nodded again as Burt caught his eye, Kurt squeezing his hand as they watched the man leave the room.

“So that went well,” Kurt breathed as he looped his arms around Blaine’s neck.

“It did,” Blaine agreed, grinning as he gripped Kurt’s hips gently. “All he really told me was to keep you safe.”

Kurt smiled gently as he leaned in and started mouthing along Blaine’s jaw, his teeth grazing his slight evening stubble.  “It’s Ohio,” Kurt whispered as a small moan escaped Blaine’s lips.  “I think the only real things that could cause me damage are high winds and thugs trying to beat up short private school boys.”

Blaine grinned and let out a low growl before gently pushing Kurt against the wall and sealing his mouth with his own.  “It’s a good thing your dad went upstairs,” Blaine whispered against Kurt’s lips.  “Because I think this goes under the ‘none of that in my house’ rule.”

…..

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” A voice says in the dark room.  There’s only a small, blue light in the corner of the square room, illuminating a vial of something propped up on a table, a glass cover surrounding it.

“Don’t question me,” another voice, this one lower and harsher, replies.  “I tried to inform your gel-infected brain already that this was the surest way to keep your job –”

“I just don’t think using things that aren’t tested –”

“So if you’d just trust me, Shuster, we can get this done and over with and you worry-wart heart won’t get caught and sent to prison.”

The man sighs and silence falls in the room, the only sound being their light footsteps.

“How are you going to get it out of –”

“Unlike you, I come prepared to do what needs to be done and instead of letting my mind wander aimlessly around my lack of love life and my failure of a glee club.”

The figure turns towards the keypad next to the glass enclosed vial before flashing a beam of light on the keys.

“Luckily my powers of intimidation combined with my natural intensity can scare anything out of the technology controlled rodents that are allowed to walk around the halls of the school,” the voice goes on as it punches in keys.  “Even my all-knowing self isn’t sure as to how they came across this code, but when cornered and harassed they handed it over like a drug dealer sells crack.”

The final number is punched in and followed by a moment of anticipated silence before the glass cube is lifted from the table.

“Now just grab the condom shaped liquid and we can hightail it out of here, because I think I forgot to mention to you that the security does a building check every fifteen minutes.”

“Sue –”

But she isn’t listening, instead grabbing the vial for herself and shoving it into Will Shuester’s hand.

“Take a swig and then hand it over.”

“I don’t know –”

“It’s supposed to make you the best you can be or something along those lines,” she says, rolling her eyes.  “Just do it.”

“It isn’t tested –”

“Yeah, well, my anger management pills aren’t tested either, and look how great those are working.”

Will sighs but tentatively takes a sip, Sue grabbing it out of his hands before swallowing the rest for herself.

“Alright, now I don’t feel any different but we’ll know for sure on Monday when we find out if that excuse for a principal gave your job and your little glee club over to perky little Holiday.”