Things had changed a lot in the last two months.

Case in point – right now Burt is staring into his living room, having just come home from a long day at the shop, to find Kurt, Finn, Blaine and Rachel hanging out. There’s a photo album spread out between the four of them – Kurt and Blaine on the couch with a minimal distance between them and Finn and Rachel both crammed into the armchair trying desperately to become one person or something, which probably meant they were back together – and they’re all laughing at one of the pictures Rachel’s pointing to.

“I had to take it, Rachel,” Kurt laughs. “I couldn’t resist.”

He gives the kids a wave when Kurt looks up and sees him standing there. A chorus of greetings follows him as he makes his way into the kitchen, setting down his lunch bag and taking off his jacket. He drapes the jacket over one of the kitchen chairs – which Carole will probably yell at him later for – but the thought doesn’t make him hang it up in the closet.

He can hear the voices of the kids even in the kitchen, and it sounds like they’re having a blast.

He can’t imagine it not being like this, the way it is now…Kurt and Finn, happy, acting like true brothers and hanging out on a Friday night with their significant others.

It was amazing to think that just a few short months ago, things had been so different.

Kurt had been at Dalton when he and Blaine had gotten together. Kurt and Blaine had basically announced it at the dinner after Regionals, and it had taken Burt awhile to get on board with it.

Not because Kurt was dating a boy.

Not necessarily because Kurt was dating Blaine (though that was part of it).

It was simply that Kurt was dating. That the baby boy he’d raised was somehow suddenly almost a man, and dating someone and Burt wasn’t the most important man in Kurt’s life anymore.

It had been hard for Burt, watching him with Blaine, fighting every urge he had to protect Kurt, to lock him away and keep anyone from ever hurting him. Of course, he knew he couldn’t do that. Damn it.

It was almost like there was no transition from friends to boyfriends for Kurt and Blaine. They were as they’d always been – constantly calling each other, having movie nights on the couch, and going out for dinners. If Burt hadn’t caught them making out on the couch one night (the only time he’d ever caught them), he’d have thought they were still just friends.

He’d had his doubts about Blaine, what with the drinking and the sex talk prompting, but Burt had come to realize that Blaine was a good kid – really confused sometimes, and completely oblivious – but a good kid. And he grew to respect Blaine a lot when Kurt transferred back to McKinley.

Blaine was nothing but supportive. He remembered the night he’d come home to find the pair curled on the couch, a movie playing. Neither one of them had been watching it though, as they’d been in an intense discussion.

Kurt had looked upset, and Burt had stepped in.

“What’s going on here, boys?” Burt asked.

“It’s nothing, Dad.” Kurt ran hand over his eyes.

“Doesn’t look like nothing.” He grunted.

“Kurt wants to go back to McKinley.” Blaine answered.

“Blaine!” Kurt hissed. Blaine just gave him a look.

“Is that kid still there?” Burt asked Kurt, sitting down in the chair.

“Yeah.” Kurt’s voice was soft. “Mercedes told me he slushied Santana today.”

“Then I think you know what my answer is going to be.”

“I know it’s stupid to want to go back.” Kurt muttered.

“It’s not stupid.” Blaine countered. “You miss your friends.”

“So you’d be behind Kurt going back even if it meant you’d be at different schools?” Burt addressed Blaine.

“Of course.” He smiled at Kurt, and Kurt smiled back, and damn if Blaine hadn’t earned Burt’s respect in that moment.

Everything with that Karofsky kid had suddenly fallen in to place a few weeks later, and before Burt could blink, Kurt was transferring back to McKinley.

To say the thought didn’t keep him up at night would be a lie.

He knew what those kids were capable of…but it was what Kurt wanted, and as long as no one was threatening to kill his son, then he would let Kurt decide what was best. His kid had a good head on his shoulders, despite everything he’d been through.

It was no surprise for Burt to find Blaine on the doorstep on Kurt’s first day back at McKinley.

Blaine had looked kind of wrecked, just standing there on the porch, and Burt had quickly let him in. Burt suspected that the kid was having a harder time with Kurt gone back to McKinley than he was letting on.

“Kurt!” Burt called. “Blaine’s here!”

“Coming!” Kurt’s voice called back, and then Kurt was nearly running down the stairs in his haste. “Blaine!” He exclaimed when he reached the bottom.

The two boys hugged and Burt cleared his throat. “I’ll, uh, be in the kitchen.”

Even thought he knew he shouldn’t, he couldn’t help but stand and the doorway and listen for a moment.

“Why didn’t you stay at McKinley earlier?” Kurt asked Blaine.

“You were with your friends.” Blaine replied. “I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“You’re not an interruption, Blaine.” Kurt chided him gently. “You’re my boyfriend. I want you to get to know them.” A pause. “It was awfully sweet of you and boys to come and sing to me though.”

“They wanted to say good-bye.” Blaine murmured.

“And you say you’re bad at romance.”

“We both know that I’m terrible at it.”

“Not terrible, just…misguided.” Burt could hear the laughter in Kurt’s voice. “Come on, I’ve got the new Vogue upstairs.” He heard two pairs of feet on the stairs. “And wait until you hear what Rachel’s planning.”

Burt couldn’t stop himself from calling after them.

“Door open, Kurt!”

Things stayed the same, and Kurt was actually happy at McKinley. That Karofsky kid kept his promise, and left Kurt alone. Blaine was at their house more, now that the boys weren’t in school together, and many a Friday night dinner turned into family plus Blaine and Quinn.

And then suddenly, Kurt and Finn were fighting. Badly. Nearly as badly as the previous year, with the unresolved feelings and horrible words uttered in basements.

It all came to a head at a Friday night dinner.

The meal had been silent so far, but Kurt and Finn had been glaring at each other all evening. Blaine and Quinn were clearly trying to keep up pretense, and launched into a conversation about some song Burt had never heard of when Finn slammed his utensil down on the table.

“Just tell Blaine the truth.” He was…begging? Burt’s eyes widened. Kurt’s gaze turned murderous.

“There’s nothing to tell, Finn.” Kurt said softly, staring at his plate.

“Tell me what?” Blaine asked.

“It’s nothing.” Kurt glanced at Blaine and then back at Finn. “Finn’s just overreacting.”

“If you won’t tell him, I will.”

“Finn, just drop it.”

“Then tell Blaine about you and Sam and what you were doing at that motel.” Finn said. Burt dropped his fork to his plate.

“Excuse me?”

“Dad, please.” Kurt muttered. “We weren’t doing anything.” He stood up. “Thanks a lot, Finn.” With that, he took off upstairs. Blaine calmly folded his napkin, and set it on the table next to his plate before giving Finn a long look.

“I don’t know what’s going on here, but I do know Kurt.” Blaine said. “If he says that he’s not cheating on me, then he’s not cheating on me.” He stood up too. “But it means a lot, Finn, that you’re worried about me like that.”

“You’re a great guy, Blaine, and I don’t want…”

“He wouldn’t.”

“But how do you know?”

“I just do.” With that Blaine turned to Burt. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go check on him.” Burt nodded. “Dinner was lovely, Carole.”

Burt didn’t realize it then, but that was the night that Blaine became part of the family. Anyone who had that much faith in his son was worth accepting.

And then prom happened.

Burt still wasn’t entirely sure what all had gone down, but the general gist was that Kurt was voted Prom Queen, and humiliated, but that he and Blaine had gotten the last laugh by getting to dance with each other in front of everyone.

Burt let Blaine sleep over that night. The pair of them spent the entire night on the couch, and Burt didn’t have the heart to separate them.

The following week was rough on Kurt in Burt’s eyes. He helped Coach Sylvester plan her sister’s funeral, and auditioned for a solo for the big choir competition. He was belittled for his choice of song (but Kurt refused to let him go up to the school and complain), and he was spending a lot of time alone – Blaine apparently had finals and Dalton let out a whole week earlier than McKinley did. Of course, the last week of school, Kurt and Finn would be in New York.

Still Burt remembered when Kurt came home from the funeral looking drained. Finn was right behind him, and the two were talking quietly.

They fell silent as they saw Burt, Carole and Blaine waiting on them (Burt preferred having some kind of game on when Blaine came over and had to wait for Kurt – it gave him something to talk about with Blaine).

“Hey,” Kurt sank down onto the couch beside Blaine.

“How are you?” Blaine asked him quietly.

“Okay.” Blaine frowned as if he didn’t believe Kurt, but didn’t comment because Finn stole the attention.

“I broke up with Quinn,” He announced.

“That’s rough,” Blaine replied.

“I just realized at the funeral when Sue was talking about being connected that I just didn’t have that with her.”

“How’d she take it?” Carole asked.

“Not well,” Finn answered.

“You couldn’t have waited until after we got back from New York?” Kurt looked at Finn.

“Sorry, dude.” Kurt sighed.

“We seem to perform better when we’re all fighting anyway.” Kurt muttered. They fell silent, the sounds of the announcer calling the game filling the room.

“Kurt – do you- “

“I am not talking to Rachel for you.”

Burt didn’t see Blaine or even hear from him the entire time Kurt was in New York. It was weird. He almost missed having the kid around. Needless to say, Blaine was with him and Carole when they picked the boys up at the airport.

“Getting antsy, Kid?” Burt asked Blaine, who was bouncing lightly on his feet. Blaine blushed.

“It’s been a long week.”

“I hear ya,” Burt agreed. “Quietest the house has been since Kurt was born.”

“Here they come,” Carole pointed, spotting Finn in the crowd. Finn looked upset, but Kurt wore a smile as he walked. Burt couldn’t help but smile himself as Kurt dashed the last couple of feet and nearly threw himself at Blaine.

The two boys hugged for a long moment, and Burt eventually cleared his throat to break them apart. People were starting to stare, and Burt didn’t want any trouble.

Cause if someone said something he might have to bust some heads together.

Finn was in a somber mood the entire drive back to Lima and Burt heard Kurt making plans for the next day with Blaine to have coffee and tell him all about the trip.

Burt just hoped he’d get to hear about it first.


All that led up to the current moment, with Burt listening to the kids talk.

“I still can’t believe that security guard took this one.” Burt’s ears perked up with Kurt said that. Security guard? Rachel laughed.

“We were probably lucky we weren’t arrested.” She said. “But it would have been worth it for every moment on that stage.”

“I still can’t believe you two broke into the Gershwin Theater.” Blaine replied. “Much less got pictures.”

“I’m going to perform on that stage one day.” Rachel’s tone was a little…scary, if Burt was honest, but damn the girl had drive. “You and me, Kurt, when we get to New York next year, we’re going to audition for every show.”

“Totally.” Kurt agreed. “And I’ve got a lead on an internship at Vogue thanks to Miss. Pillsbury.”

“That’s amazing.” Blaine replied. “So what am I going to be doing while you two are off auditioning for Broadway and interning at fashion houses?”

“Going to NYU, silly.” Kurt told him. “Where I’ll be going unless I get into FIT. We can get a two bedroom and split the rent three ways.”

To say that Burt was startled by this development was an understatement. Kurt, Blaine and Rachel going off to New York next year? Probably living together?

He had to sit down.

Burt knew that Kurt cared about Blaine – it was obvious. But for him to make this kind of commitment, and for Blaine to be on board with it –

Kurt was in love with Blaine…and Blaine was in love with Kurt. That boy, who’d somehow made a place for himself in their family without any of them realizing it, was in love with Kurt.

Burt chuckled to himself. Those boys were in love, and they were going to live together next year and go off to New York on the adventure of a lifetime.

It was more than he could ever have wanted for his son.

He made a mental note to tell him that before calling the kids in to help with dinner.