I have decided that heterosexual men communicate in head nods and shoulder pats. That's definitely how my dad and brother roll.
Disclaimed.
Kurt has his wisdom teeth removed over summer break.
His father and Carole have to work, so Blaine offers to drive him. Carole thinks this is incredibly sweet, and Burt gives Blaine one firm pat on the back and a half smile that means he approves. Finn offers once to go instead, but when Blaine says it's no problem, he doesn't protest.
Burt comes in with them to sign the paperwork, but he has to leave right after Kurt is sedated. He sits with Kurt while they watch a video about aftercare. He knows Kurt is nervous about not being able to sing for a while, so he wraps his arm around his shoulders and squeezes him against his side. Kurt learns his head into his fathers shoulder but says nothing. When it's time for the procedure, Blaine gives Kurt a smile and a hug, and receives a few awkward pats on the back in return.
Burt follows Kurt back into the doctor's office and holds his hand while Kurt goes under the gas. Kurt gives him a bright smile, squeezes his hand and says something no one can quite make out through the mask used to administer the knock-out gas.
As Burt leaves through the waiting room, Blaine stands up to talk to him.
"If anything happens, you call me," Burt says.
"I'll let you know," Blaine replies with the bright parent-pleasing smile that is the reason Carole adores him, and Burt is still trying to decide if he trusts him.
"Finn should be home by three. I'll be home by seven. I'll call during my break. You can leave when Finn gets home, if you want."
"I'll stay until Kurt's ready for me to leave."
Burt nods and pats Blaine's shoulder hard and leaves.
Blaine knows they're all being silly. He knows Kurt is going to be okay. He had his wisdom teeth out last summer, and he was fine after a few uncomfortable days. He also knows that Kurt is Burt's only son, the only connection to his late wife, and that he worries about him more than anything. It's killing him that he can't be there, and he doesn't like that he has to trust some high schooler with this. Blaine promises himself that he won't give Burt any more reasons to worry.
xxx
The nurse comes into the waiting room much sooner than Blaine is expecting.
"He's still pretty loopy from the gas, but he's doing alright," she says.
Kurt looks pretty awful, but Blaine smiles at him. Someone has already put the icepack around Kurt's face, which needs to be changed every hour. His face is really swollen, and when he looks at Blaine, his eyes are more than a little glazed over. When he recognizes Blaine, his eyes go a little soft and he giggles.
"My face feels bad," Kurt says. He doesn't quite sound like himself, but he also doesn't sound like he's feeling as bad as he looks.
"I know. I'm sorry," Blaine says softly. He turns to the nurse to ask: "When can he go home?"
"He can go home as soon as he's ready. Just remember to make sure he changes his gauze as often as he needs to. He can have soft foods like applesauce and ice cream, but he shouldn't eat anything solid until he's ready. He shouldn't smoke, drink anything through a straw, or suck on things like hard candy or popsicles-"
"I can't suck anything?" Kurt asks, looking a little serious.
"No, you might pull your stitches," the nurse responds, looking a little confused.
Blaine's ears go a little pink, and he stands next to Kurt. When Kurt opens his mouth to say something else, Blaine puts his hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, we're going to talk for a minute, and then I'm going to take you home for some ice cream, okay?" Blaine says with a smile. He's more than a little amused by Kurt's sudden inability to hold his tongue, but he knows Kurt won't be if he remembers this conversation. Kurt gives him a dazed smile and is quiet until the nurse shows them back to the waiting room.
"I was asking her if I was allowed to suck things," Kurt says.
"I know that. We can talk about it in the car, okay?" Blaine knows he is talking to Kurt like he would talk to a child, but he can't help it. "How are you feeling?"
"I feel like my face feels like it feels bad."
"I feel you," Blaine says, as he opens the door to lead Kurt out of the office. Kurt giggles.
"You are so nice because you hold doors for me. You smell like cologne. I like your hair, because it's curly. Your eyebrows are too big, but I still like you." Kurt is learning again Blaine as he says this. It's probably completely wrong to be charmed by this drug-addled ranting, but Blaine is. "I love you a lot."
"I love you a lot, too." Blaine opens the passenger door to his car. When Kurt sits down, he kisses his forehead. Kurt smiles and continues to babble. He also talks about how much he loves Mercedes, his dad, Finn, Carole, the other Warbler's, and Sam's abs. He stops suddenly in the middle of discussing Mike's dance moves.
"Blaine, I feel bad."
"I know, honey. We'll be home soon."
"No, I feel bad," Kurt stresses. Blaine remembers his cousin having her wisdom teeth removed presses the button to roll down Kurt's window. The window is only about half down when Kurt leans out to vomit. He pulls over to the side of the interstate to rub Kurt's back. It takes a few minutes, but he's able to leave before long. Blaine really just wants to get Kurt home to lie down.
Kurt doesn't seem to be that upset about what just happened, but Blaine's a little shaken. The rest of their drive goes fairly quickly and uneventfully, a fact that Blaine is extremely grateful for. He walks around the car to help Kurt out. He notices the vomit splattered on the side of his (freshly washed) car with mild disgust, but he figures he'll clean it off when Kurt settles down.
He leads Kurt to the sofa, where Kurt immediately sits down. Blaine wraps a quilt around him, and Kurt gives him the same half-drugged, half-smitten smile he's been giving him all afternoon.
"How about you change your gauze while I go get you ice cream?" Blaine says, handing Kurt the baggy of gauze the nurse gave him. Kurt nods without really seeming to understand.
He goes to the freezer to pull out Kurt's favorite Haagen Dasz and put the extra ice packs in. He's not sure when he'll be able to go to the pharmacy to pick up Kurt's meds, and he hopes Finn will be back soon.
Kurt is slumped over on the couch when Blaine walks back in, but he perks up a little when Blaine gives him his ice cream. He takes his gauze out to eat, and it's already bloody. His face is swelling more, and Blaine feels very much like a seventeen year old. His chest feels uncomfortable tight. This makes him feel stupid, but he kind of wants to cry. This is so, so weird, and he really just wants to pull Kurt to his chest until he feels normal again, but instead he hands him the bowl.
"Do you want me to put on a movie or something?" Blaine asks.
Kurt thinks for a minute, before he tells him: "I want to watch Steel Magnolias. It's one of my favorites."
Blaine smiles, because he loves that Kurt's never afraid to be a stereotype. When he finally finds the movie and puts it in the DVD player, he turns back to Kurt and has to laugh. Kurt has managed to get ice cream all over his face. Blaine imagines he can't really feel his face yet. He picks up a tissue and wipes the ice cream off of Kurt's chin. Kurt looks a little embarrassed, but Blaine just smiles because, oh, does he love this boy.
Blaine sits down next to Kurt, and Kurt immediately rests his head on Blaine's shoulder. Blaine kisses his hair but says nothing.
When M'Lynn hands Shelby the orange juice, Blaine hears a car engine shut off. When the key turns in the door and Finn calls out "I'm here!", he's quite relieved. Kurt's been quiet, but he's still really nervous for him.
"Finn lives at my house, but we don't have to share a room, which is good because he has bad taste," Kurt mumbles into Blaine's shoulder. Blaine smiles, but doesn't reply.
"We are watching Steel Magnolias, because I am a steel magnolia," Kurt announces as Finn walks in.
"The steeliest of magnolias," Blaine replies with a gentle squeeze to Kurt's arm. "Finn, I need to get to the pharmacy to pick up his meds. Do you think you can sit with him for a while?"
"Uh, how about I go to the pharmacy? It looks like he'd be better off if you didn't move for a while."
"Well, he kind of puked on my car, and I need to clean it off before…" He shares a look with Finn, and they both know what he's thinking. It's hot out. The whole thing is incredibly gross, but they've both too preoccupied with Kurt's wellbeing to pay much attention to the fact.
"I can clean off your car," Finn says.
"No, no, you don't have to do that, I can-"
"No, really. I want to feel like I'm doing something."
Blaine thanks him and digs through his messenger bag to find the prescription slip. As Finn walks around the couch to get it, he sees Kurt for the first time.
"Hey," he says. His voice is oddly soft for Finn. "How are you doing?"
"I'm okay. Blaine is taking care of me."
"I know," Finn says. He looks at Blaine for a second and then nods once. Blaine would like to think it signifies approval, but he's not really sure. Finn pats Kurt's arm surprisingly gently. "I'll be right back."
"Finn is a good brother," Kurt says softly as the door shuts, and Blaine has to agree. He rubs Kurt's arm a little, but says nothing. Kurt sounds more drowsy than loopy, so Blaine focuses on the movie.
Blaine feels his cell phone vibrating in his pocket. He answers it when he sees that it's Burt.
"Mr. Hummel?" he answers. Kurt shifts in recognition but doesn't say anything.
"How's he doing?" Burt asks.
"He's okay. He was pretty chatty on the way home; now he's mostly tired."
"That's good. Is Finn home?"
"No. He stopped by, but he went to go pick up Kurt's meds. He should be back soon." Before he could hear Burt's reply, Kurt's hand was on his phone. Blaine let him have it.
"Hi, dad," Kurt says. Blaine knows he's trying to sound more energetic than he feels right now. All he can do is pause the movie and tighten his arm around Kurt's waist.
"Blaine and Finn have been taking care of me… I feel fine…Yes, really… I love you, too, dad… I will…"
The conversation continues in the same vein for a few moments. When Kurt hangs up, Blaine is silent. He presses play.
When Burt comes home, Blaine and Finn are watching ESPN. Finn is sitting in his father's arm chair, and Blaine is still on the sofa, Kurt asleep against his shoulder. Burt talks quietly to them, but Kurt wakes up anyway. He moves his jaw in a way that makes it clear he's starting to his medication wear off, but he gives his father something like a smile and sits up enough to let his dad sit next to him. He leans away from Blaine and into his father for a quick hug.
"How're you doing?" Burt asks, squeezing his son's shoulder.
"A little sore, but I'm okay. Kind of hungry, actually."
"I'll get you some pudding," Finn says. As he gets up to go to the kitchen, Blaine follows him.
Blaine gets ice packs out of the freezer while Finn scoops more pudding than Kurt will actually eat into a bowl.
"I'm glad he says he's feeling okay. His face has swollen like crazy," Blaine says, not really looking at Finn.
"Right? It's so weird to see him like this… He's usually so put together. Thanks for watching out for him. I don't really know what to do with sick people."
"Me either. It's a good thing he's such a trooper."
They both walk back to the living room. Blaine sits down next to Kurt again to hand him the ice packs. He takes the mostly melted ones back.
"I think I'm going to head home," Blaine says.
"Are you sure you don't want something to eat before you head out? We've got some leftover lasagna," Burt offers.
"No, thank you."
"Thanks for all your help," Burt says giving a short nod.
"It wasn't a problem at all." He knows his gaze goes a little too soft when he looks at Kurt, but he can't help it. He puts his hand on Kurt's shoulder. He knows it's more to comfort himself than Kurt, but it's been a long day. Kurt moves his hand, gently, and wraps his arms around Blaine's neck. Blaine grins and wraps his arms tightly around Kurt's waist. He holds him for a moment, then stands up to leave.
"Thanks for your help, Finn. Bye, Mr. Hummel. Bye, Kurt. I'll text you tomorrow."
A chorus of "Bye, Blaine", and he leaves. The door shuts behind him.
"I think I like him," Burt says, sounding a little surprised. Finn nods a little, looking vaguely contemplative.
"Me, too," Kurt smiles.