Blaine had just gotten out of Glee practice, the last rehearsal before Christmas break, when he felt his phone buzzing in his pocket. He ignored it at first, in favor of putting what books he wouldn't need to take home over break into his locker and getting the ones he would need packed into his bag. Eventually, the buzzing stopped, only to start up again almost immediately. Worried that it could be his mother calling about bad weather, he dug into his pocket and with a sigh, answered the phone without looking at the caller I.D. "Hello?"

"You sound tired. Had a bad day kid?"

"Mr. Hum- Burt, wow, uh, no, not a bad day just a long one. I don't mean to sound rude, but why are you calling me? Is everything alright? Is Kurt-"

"Kurt's fine Blaine, at least he was when I talked to him last night. He still not talking to you?"

"A little. We talked at Thanksgiving, I think he still needs time, which I'm willing to give." Blaine shut his locker quietly and headed out of the halls of McKinley to his car, thankful his car's heater warmed up fast since it was in the low twenties out there.

"Just don't give up on him, I know my son, he loves you more than anything, he'll come around eventually. This isn't what I called about though, are you free for dinner tonight?"

"Are you asking me to come over for dinner?" Blaine hadn't spoken to Burt since right after the break up, he couldn't bring himself to face Kurt's father, knowing he'd hurt his son.

"Yep. So, are you free or not kid?"

"I can be, I'll just have to call my mom and let her know where I'm at so she doesn't get worried." Blaine couldn't possibly think of a reason why Burt would invite him for dinner, but he couldn't say no, not after everything that's happened.

"Good, I'll see you soon. Drive slow, the roads may be icy." Burt hung up the phone with a heavy sigh, reminding himself for the tenth time that day that this was the right thing to do.

----------

When Blaine pulled into the Hummel-Hudson driveway, he immediately noticed the absence of Carole's car telling him that he and Burt would more than likely be alone for dinner. Knowing he had to get out and go face whatever was behind that front door, he turned off his car, grabbed his bag, and made the short walk up the sidewalk. This was a trip he'd made many of times, back when times were happier and Kurt was still in Ohio. Now it just felt like a death march, a reminder of how royally he had fucked up. He was so lost in his thoughts, trying not to cry with every step he took, that he didn't notice Burt opening the door before he even made it to the front porch.

"Hey kid, come in, Carole put a pot roast on before she left and it's about done." Burt gave Blaine a welcoming smile, as he ushered Blaine inside out of the cold.

"Thank you for inviting me Burt, although I'm confused as to why." Blaine toed off his shoes, tossing his bag into the living room and hanging up his coat and scarf before following Burt into the kitchen.

"You're welcome, thank you for coming. I have something I want to talk about with you and it needs done in person, not over the phone, so why don't we get dinner on the table and then we'll talk?"

"Sure, that sounds good. You want me to set the table?"

"Yeah, you know where everything is, just make yourself at home."

They set to work, getting dinner finished and on the table in silence, but not an uncomfortable one. Kurt was much like his father in the way that there didn't always need to be words spoken, silence was never an awkward thing with them.

"How's the pot roast?" Burt asked, making small talk and trying to work his way up to the big conversation.

"Delicious as always. Carole always makes the best pot roast." Blaine could tell Burt was working up to something big, so he just kept eating and waiting, knowing Burt would get to it eventually.

"That she does. How've you been kid? We haven't seen much of you since you and Kurt broke up."

"I'm uh, I'm good, busy with Glee club and student council president work with Sam."

"But how are you doing? I know how hard break ups can be, so how are you holding up?" Burt wasn't going to let this go, to be honest, he missed having Blaine pop in and out of the house.

"I really messed up and now I have to pay for it, I'm doing as well as anyone could do, but I'm not the one that had to deal with his boyfriend cheating on him."

"I know how Kurt feels, I'm wondering about you Blaine."

Blaine sighed and sat his fork down. "I feel like crap. I cheated on the love of my life and now he will barely even talk to me. When I think about how bad I feel, I get angry with myself because I don't deserve to feel bad, I was the one who cheated."

"Who said you don't deserve to feel bad? You lost your boyfriend Blaine, you're allowed to grieve over it."

"I hurt him. I hurt him in a way we both swore would never happen. We are- weren't that couple, we were going to grow old together, and I ruined that because I couldn't handle a long distance relationship." Blaine wasn't sure where this conversation was going, but he was pretty sure this wasn't why Burt invited him over for dinner.

"Why'd you do it?"

"What?"

"Why'd you cheat on him?"

"I-I- to be honest, I thought I was losing him. He was in New York with a new life and new friends, and thought he was forgetting about us, about our life and I made a horrible mistake that I knew I shouldn't make, but I wanted to feel like- I just wanted to feel. Now I've lost Kurt, probably forever and I feel like crap everyday because of it."

Burt looked at Blaine, trying to decide how he wanted to word his next sentence. "You know he still loves you, right?"

"Yes? No? I don't know, I thought I did, but I just don't anymore."

"He does, he just needs time. He'll come around, you just have to wait on him, do you think you can wait for him?"

"I'll wait for the rest of my life if I have to, he's my soulmate." Blaine didn't even hesitate to answer, he knows Kurt's it for him, he just hopes that he's still it for Kurt.

"Good, I'm glad to hear that." Burt smiled, knowing that what he was doing was indeed the right thing to do. "I guess it's time I tell you the real reason why I invited you over for dinner.

"Okay." Blaine felt worry creeping up on him, whatever this was, it was important.

"I'm just going to jump right to it, there's no need beating around the bush. I'm dying kid, I have prostate cancer and I'm dying. The doctor said there's no much they can do for me because it took so long to catch it, but they'll do their best to make me comfortable."

"What? Are you- have you told Kurt yet?" Blaine couldn't believe that Burt Hummel was dying, it wasn't possible, Burt was a superhero, he couldn't die.

"No, Carole and you are the only people that know right now."

"Why- you- why me?"

"Because I'm not going to get better Blaine, the cancer is in stage 4, it's only a matter of time before I won't even be able to get out of bed. Kurt will need someone to help him get through this, he's already lost his mother, I don't want to leave him without knowing there will be someone to take care of him when I'm gone."

"Kurt's an adult, he doesn't need- he doesn't want me." Blaine knew he was being difficult, but how could he not? How was he suppose to help Kurt deal with his father dying when Kurt didn't even want to text him, let alone be around him?

"He wants you Blaine, he's just stubborn, he needs you too. I don't care how old he is, he needs someone to help him with this, and you're the only person who he would want there, trust me."

Blaine thought about it, really, seriously, thought about it. Blaine knows Kurt in ways no one else does, they were always so open and honest with each other, Kurt was never afraid to let his walls down with Blaine. That was before Blaine cheated though. "He said he doesn't trust me, not yet, how am I suppose to help him when he doesn't trust me?"

"The time will come when he does trust you, and he'll need you to be there to help him, you said you would give him time, so give him time, right now, that's all I'm asking."

"Okay, I can do that. What do you need me to do first?"

"I have it all planned out, one step at a time. First, I need to tell Kurt."

"Alright, what did you have in mind?"

"How do you feel about a New York Christmas?"