Blaine Anderson was a weird kid.

Simple as that.
He wore his heart on a sleeve.
He was short, he had huge eyes that were so clear and open he couldn't hide any emotion in them. Mop of thick, dark curls he positively hated cause hello, what boy would like to walk around with a damn bush on his head? He also loved to sing, which would be nice if he didn't sing 24/7 and annoy pretty much anyone in sight.

But, Blaine also had the most amazing audience in the world.
His parents and a baby sister who looked at him as if he hung the moon and the stars. Blaine adored her, of course, but he wouldn't admit even if his life depended on it.
His mom would always make cookies, triple chocolate chip, his favorite, when he would "perform" for them and they would all sit down and listen to him. Tana would clap her chubby little hands and smile her widest smile at him. Lilly would whisper to her how amazing her brother is while watching Blaine with a fond smile.
But more than anything else, Blaine loved his father.
His father who was, without a doubt, the world's greatest dad.
Alan was the kind of father every kid wants but only few lucky one's have.

One of those fathers who teach their kids to ride bikes and make them tree houses. Truth be told, their tree house was far from perfect, all crooked but Blaine loved every moment of that week the two of them spent building it, while Tana played with her own "tools" and Lilly brought her two men lemonade when they got tired.
Blaine's dad also took him and his friends camping at least every other weekend and he would teach them everything he learned in boy scouts. They would make camp fires and roast marshmallows over it and they would all sing around it. He took Blaine fishing and they would usually fall in the water and come home all smelly while Lilly and Tana made little "ewww" noises at them.

There were days that Blaine will never forget. Like when he was 6 and his dad came home and told him to go to his room and wait, because he has a surprise for him.
"Are we going somewhere?" Blaine asked him excitedly.
"Noup. Staying here. Now go or I'm not gonna give you your present" Alan told him.
"But it's not my birthday or Christmas. Or anything special" Blaine pondered what may be the reason he was getting a present.
His father hunched down and hugged Blaine tightly. "No, today is nothing special. But guess what?" he asked with a smile and Blaine smiled back, expecting an answer. "You are special" his father told him and Blaine positively beamed at him. His father gently pulled at one of his locks and told him to go to his room and wait till he calls him. Blaine smiled again and sprinted up the stairs.
20 minutes later he could hear his father calling his name and he hopped off the bed, all giddy with excitement and flew through the door. He was halfway down the stairs when he froze mid step.
"Oh my Gosh" he squealed and jumped up and down a few times before he rushed down the stairs and flung himself into his father's waiting arms.

"You bought me a piano?" Blaine said, looking to his left from his father's arms, afraid to blink, as if the shiny black piano with a huge blue ribbon on top of it might vanish if he did.
"Sure did. You sounded amazing last month at your recital at school and I know how much you love to play so I thought you might want to have one of your own" his father told him.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you" Blaine chanted as he hugged his dad tighter. "You're the best dad ever"
"This is actually from both your mom and me. It was her idea, to be honest, but don't tell her I admitted that, ok?" his father said with a smile.
"She shall know nothing" Blaine responded theatrically as he jumped again and ran to sit on the bench. He ran his fingers lightly over the lid on the piano, as if he might break it if he touches it.
"It's so pretty" he said in awe.
"Yeah, and we should name it" his father announced as he flopped down next to Blaine, making him laugh.
"You're so silly. WE can't name a piano, it's not a person" Blaine said smiling as he pressed a few keys on the piano and squealed again.
Best present ever, he thought to himself.

"Hey now, look, Robert is not a fond of staying nameless" Alan offered while pressing a key that will emit the deepest sound.
"Her name is not Robert" Blaine said, mock annoyed.
"Oooh, it's a she I see." Alan smiled at his son. "What's her name then?" he asked, patting the piano.
Blaine scrunched his face, thinking.
"Valerie" Blaine said and his father laughed out loud.
"Well, if you say so. Ok, I'm gonna leave you and Valerie alone buddy but I do want to hear you guys entertaining me while I do my boring adult stuff in the living room, ok?" Alan asked with a fond smile.
"Oh, oh, oh I can play the new piece we learned last week. I should practice anyway. I'm not really good at it" Blaine said lowering his head a bit.
"Well, I don't believe you" his father said solemnly. "I bet my son is amazing at it and he will prove it right now. In fact, Valerie is more than willing to help him" Alan smiled as he got up off the bench and kissed the top of Blaine's head. "The floor is yours maestro"
Safe to say Blaine and Valerie were inseparable after that.

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But Blaine was not 6 anymore. He was already 13 and life was getting complicated. Very complicated. Apparently girls thought that his eyes were "warm and honest" instead of "just huge". They found his curls "adorable and soft" instead of utterly awful as he did. They loved his voice when he sang, and they looked at him kinda weird if you asked Blaine. They didn't think he was annoying. Like at all!
In fact, Blaine got his first date when he was 13. This new girl came to school and she was smiling at him the whole time and after a week she came up to him and asked him if he wanted to go to the movies with her. After gaping at her for about an hour or so, or at least that's how long it seemed to Blaine, he managed to nod and she beamed at him and gave him her phone number.
He came home that day and told his parents that they have to drive him to a date with this crazy girl who won't stop staring at him. Exactly in those words.
Alan and Lilly looked at each other with knowing smiles but said nothing.

Next day Blaine called the girl, whose name turned out to be Alice, and his dad drove to her house to pick her up so they could go to the movies. Her mom would be picking them up after that.
Now, Blaine wasn't dumb. He knew that boys and girl held hands at dates and stuff but he never, in a million years expected, to be cornered after the movie and to have Alice stick her tongue in his mouth, while he gasped in shock.
He managed to pull away and tell her that he had to go home before he spun away and practically ran from the theatre.
Fortunately, his house was only half an hour away from the theatre and he was making disgusted, gagging sounds all the way home. His neighbors were looking at him funny.
He walked in the house to find his parents watching movies cuddled on the couch. All he did was block their view to the TV for a few seconds to make a face and say "Girls are disgusting" before he proceeded to his room not emerge until it was time to go to school tomorrow.
"I take it last night didn't go well" his father asked lightly on their way to school.
"No. Don't wanna talk about it. Ever." Blaine answered and made another face.
Alan just hummed. "She kissed you didn't she?" his father asked knowingly and Blaine gasped.
"How did you know?" he asked wide eyed, turning to look at his dad, finding him grinning wildly.
"Oh buddy, I was young once. Long time ago, yeah, but I think things are pretty much the same now" Alan said, still smiling down at Blaine.
"It felt like..." Blaine tried to find words, scrunching his face. "Like a..." words eluded Blaine.
"Like gigantic slug in your mouth?" his father offered and Blaine exclaimed "YES" triumphantly before he realized his dad knows and blushed a deep crimson.

"Hey, hey, its ok buddy, stuff like that happens. Sorry it happened to you but just so you know, you're not the only one who had an awful first kiss" Alan said fondly. "I mean, this is your first kiss, right? Or have I missed something?" he asked seriously even though he knew he hadn't missed a thing. "Are you driving? Gambling? Do you have a favorite liquor?" he teased.
"No. No. No and yes. That was my first kiss. And it was awful. I'm just gonna pretend it never happened. Can I do that?" he asked his father and the man laughed out loud.
"That's a big fat no dude. You can't pretend it never happened. But you can go and talk to the girl and tell her you wanna be her friend, and that's all you want. Can you do that?" Alan asked looking appreciatively at his son.
"Yea I can do that" Blaine said in a small voice as he climbed out of the car, his dad handing him his bag.
"Hey" he said offering him a fist to bump, their trademark, "here's to second chances. And second kisses" he teased.
"Are you kidding me?" Blaine asked as he bumped the offered fist. "I'm not kissing anyone again until I'm 40. Or 45, just to be safe" he said as he turned around and walk towards school, leaving a smiling Alan behind.

Turns out Blaine didn't wait until he was 40. Not even close. He was at a birthday party a few months after that, at his best friend Mike's house and they were having more fun that Blaine ever believed was possible. There was this boy who told the funniest stories ever, Mike's cousin Chris. He was a year older than them and he lived in New York. To Blaine's mind, that was like Mars. New York. This boy was in New York. And he was so funny. Then and there Blaine decided that it was NY's fault and that as soon as he gets the chance he should move to New York too so he can be as cool as Chris. At about 2 am, Mike, Chris and Blaine were the only ones left and they were watching Halloween cuddled up under a blanket on the floor. Mike rolled further away halfway through the movie and his light snores were filling the room. Both boys smiled at him, sharing a ball of popcorn between them.
"Oh you've got some..." Chris said as he reached out and used his thumb to remove a piece of popcorn stuck to Blaine's bottom lip.

"Um" Blaine said, not lifting his eyes from the TV as he wiped his lips with the back of his hand. "Thanks"
"You have really pretty lips" Chris said, returning his eyes to the TV, blushing.
"I do?" Blaine asked dumbly, bringing his fingers to touch them for whatever reason. "I always thought they are kind of girly." he admitted.
"I don't think you're girly" Chris said and then his eyes went wide and his cheeks flushed deep red. "I mean, your lips are not girly. Definitely not girly. Ye-ah" Chris stuttered and smiled faintly.
Blaine looked at him for a second and then he looked down at Chris's lips. "Hm..." he said.
"What?" the other boys asked.
"Your lips are kinda nice too. Also not girly. Trust me, I know" Blaine said with a sigh.
"You do?" Chris's eyes went wide again as he turned his full attention to Blaine, ignoring the movie completely.
"Yeah. Long story. It involves me, crazy tongue girl and projectile vomiting when I came home" Blaine said seriously but Chris laughed a throaty laugh but then clamped a hand over his mouth, afraid he may have woken Mike up.
Luckily he didn't.
"Sorry" Chris said. "That was not funny" he offered.
"To you it was" Blaine smiled at him. "To my dad it was, too. He called it 'slug kiss'" Blaine said making a face and Chris laughed again.

"So you're scarred for life?" Chris pondered.
"Not really. I'm just not gonna let anyone kiss me ever again and I'm safe" Blaine shrugged.
"Huh" the boy next to him hummed, not taking his eyes off of Blaine.
"What?" Blaine asked smiling softly.
"I just thought..." the boy cut mid sentence. "Never mind"
"Oh come on, tell me" Blaine said, nudging him a bit with his shoulder.
"It doesn't matter" Chris said with a small smile.
"It does matter to me" Blaine said, locking his eyes with the other boy and Chris gushed out before he could stop himself "Maybe you were kissing the wrong person".
Blaine frowned, thinking. "What do you mean?" he asked, still looking at Chris.
Chris didn't say anything but took a deep steadying breath as he lifted his hand and placed it on Blaine's cheek, stroking it with his thumb. "Can I..?" he asked and then trailed off.
Blaine didn't back off. Didn't recoil from the touch. Didn't swat the other boys hand away. In fact, it felt kinda nice. Chris's hands were soft and he smelled like strawberries. It didn't felt awkward or anything. It just felt...Nice.
So Blaine looked up at his warm brown eyes and simply nodded.
Chris closed those few inches between then and gently pressed his lips to Blaine's.

And right then and there Blaine decided that in fact, it was a good call not to wait until he's 40 or 45 to kiss again. Cause this was nothing like that incident, there's no other way to call it, with Alice.
Chris's lips were soft and silky and he moved them so slowly that Blaine barely felt like there's any movement at all. He inhaled through his nose and pushed the tiniest bit forward and into the kiss. After a moment or two Chris pulled back with barely audible smack when they lips separated.
Blaine stared at Chris for a long minute, other boy's face mask of insecurity.
"Projectile vomiting again?" he asked, true concern in his voice.
Blaine scrambled to his hands and knees and shook his head. "Not even close. Canwedoitagain?" he breathed out and Chris blushed adorably. "I was hoping you would say that" he said before he leaned in again and connected their lips.
Blaine knew there were other boys who liked other boys and that there are boys that REALLY liked other boys he just never thought he might be a boy who liked other boys or that he might be a boy who REALLY liked other boys.
Turns out, he did.

A lot. Or at least he liked kissing Chris. Not that it happened a lot. Chris was leaving in the morning with his parents back to NY. Well, at least it did happen a lot that night. They were cuddled on the floor and at one point when Chris's tongue traced his bottom lip he didn't feel disgusted. He gasped in delight and mimicked Chris's actions until they blended perfectly together.
It felt wonderful. Kissing Chris was the most amazing thing ever. But he also noticed that he didn't just like the way Chris kissed him. He also liked the fact that Chris's arms were so strong around his shoulders. He was bigger than Blaine and Blaine loved it. He also liked the fact that Chris didn't smell like a girl. He smelled different. A smell Blaine liked. He also liked that when he traced Chris's face with his fingers he could feel how strong his jaw line is. He never noticed those things before.
Chris was very much a BOY and Blaine very much liked it.
Oh, look at that, He thought to himself as they drove home. He felt..Weird was the word. He knew that it wasn't usual for a boy to kiss another boy. He wasn't stupid, he knew things like that were frowned upon. He couldn't help but think what his family would say about this.
"Dad" his eyes went wide as he choked the word out.

When Mike's dad dropped him off at his house he walked inside and called out from the hall "I'm home. Going to my room". He couldn't look up at his mom and dad, not after what he did last night. He felt so ashamed.
"Hey buddy, are you that tired you can't give your old folks a kiss?" his father teased as he came into the hallway. He paused as he saw the look on Blaine's face. "Hey, are you ok?" his father asked concerned for him.
"Yes. I'm fine" Blaine said but he convinced no one.
"You're not fine" his father said, pulling him in for a hug and Blaine clutched to him before he managed to choke out "I'm sorry"
His father frowned but didn't let go of his son. Lilly walked out in the hall but Alan mouthed "I've got this" and she smiled fondly at him. He knew Blaine better than anyone.
"Come on, let's get you to your room" Alan said and two of them headed up the stairs.
Once inside Blaine sat on the bed and sagged. His dad sat next to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Are you gonna tell me what's bothering you buddy or do I have to beat it out of you?" he tried to defuse the tension with a joke.
Blaine tried to smile and failed miserably. "Ok, you're scaring me now Blaine. Are you hurt? Did someone hurt you?" the man asked, genuinely worried.

"No, no." Blaine shook his head, feeling awful that he's making his father worry about him like that. "No one hurt me. I just.." he looked up at his dad, into his eyes so much like his. He knew that if there was one person in the world he could tell these things to it was Alan. His dad. It was just his dad. And Blaine was about to disappoint him more than he ever did before.
"Something happened last night at Mike's house" he started slowly.
"You got drunk." Alan said calmly.
"What? No" Blaine responded quickly.
"Really?" his father was really impressed. He also knew that Blaine was telling the truth cause you could so easily tell when Blaine was telling a lie. Which was why Blaine almost never, ever lied. "I was totally expecting you to have a hangover" he smiled at Blaine. "I mean, I'd be kinda mad at you, you're just 14 but I guessed you boys would sneak beers or stuff and I had my home made remedy for hangover prepared for you" his dad said honestly.
Blaine genuinely smiled at this. Here he was, world's greatest dad. Literally. He can do this. He can tell him.
"So no to the drinking. What happened?' Alan asked again.
Blaine fidgeted a little and his dad talked again "Look, whatever it is, you know you can talk to me. But Blaine" he said and squeezed his shoulder a little, "you know you don't have to, right?" and Blaine knew he really meant it. "If you don't feel like talking to me or to anyone, that's fine too. But if you do wanna talk, I'm here. If not today, then whenever you're ready" his father said and Blaine felt a strange pride cause this man right here was his dead.
"Aboykissedmelastnight" He said in one breath, in haste before he could lose his courage.
He didn't dare look up from his hands.

"Blaine" his father said no traceable emotion in his voice and this time Blaine knew he had to look up at him.
He was ready to see anger, rage, disappointment maybe even hate in his father's eyes but all he saw was worry. "Did he make you kiss him?" Alan asked seriously.
Blaine's eyes went wide. "No dad, no he ..." Blaine lost his voice in a middle of that line. He took a deep breath and collected himself. "He actually asked me if he could kiss me and I said yes. Well, I nodded and he did. I mean not nodded, he kissed me. And I'm sorry dad, I'm really sorry." Blaine's voice pleaded.
Alan just looked at his son's face for a minute.
"And you liked it?" he asked simply.

Blaine swallowed audibly. "Yes" he said and a long silence followed.
Blaine jumped up because he couldn't handle the silence anymore. "I know I'm not what you wanted for a son, I'm so sorry dad. I'm really sorry. I'm just gonna go get a can of gas and go burn myself in the town square as a sign of protest against myself" Blaine rambled and Alan actually laughed out loud at that, leaving Blaine dumbstruck.
"Come here you nut job" his father motioned for him to come back on the bed and sit next to him, which Blaine did. His father wrapped his arm back around his shoulders and sighed "Awww, my little dude likes dudes. Well, good to know" he said simply and Blaine gasped.

"You're...You're not mad at me?" Blaine asked, not being able to believe what he's hearing.
"Why would I be mad?" his dad asked, genuinely ASKED. As if Blaine should list him reasons why his father should be mad at him for kissing boys. Well, boys kissing him but the point remains.
"Because I like..Because I like boys?" he said in a small voice, full of shame.
"Hey, hey, I will have none of that" Alan said as used his hand to lift Blaine's head up, forcing him to look in his eyes. "So you like boys, big deal. I kinda had a feeling things may turn out this way after that Alice incident. Would I prefer if you liked girls? Honestly, yes. But not for me. For you Blaine. It would be so much easier for you if you liked girls. But you don't" Alan said as if he is commenting on the weather. "Does that mean I'll love you any less? Not a chance in hell. In fact, I think that will make me love you even more, even though I highly doubt that is possible, you're really cool little dude" his dad ruffled his wild curls and they both smiled. "But the world is most probably not gonna be very nice to you and you are going to need all of us to remind you everyday just how amazing you are, no matter who you chose to love" his dad finished kissing his hair.
"And then Blaine cried. Because he was so relieved to hear those words from the only people who really mattered. His family.

"Now, where is this boy who kissed you?" Alan teased and Blaine sniffed before he smiled and said "New York"
Alan went rigid. "He snogged my son and then ran all the way to New York?" he mock gasped. "Excuse me while I go and get my shotgun" he said seriously. "Some future son in law" Alan said with a huff.
"Oh my God dad, stop talking" Blaine blushed and covered his face with his hands.
"Well, my job here is done. I'm gonna go and pretend I have something better to do or maybe I can go and inform myself on gay lovin', I'm thinking I'm gonna need to know those things" He said teasingly.
"Daaaad" Blaine groaned, mortified.
"All right, I'm gone" he said opening the door to exit and then pausing, turning to look at Blaine.
"Hey buddy?" he said to get his attention.
"Yeah dad?" Blaine replied, face still red.
"I love you, you know that, right?" Alan asked.
Blaine beamed at him and ran to hug his dad again. "Yeah I know dad. I love you too. So much" Blaine said honestly.
The subject of their "little dude" liking "other dudes" was never a problem in Anderson household. They were the most supportive, most amazing parents a child could wish for.

For Blaine's 16th birthday Lilly and Alan bought him a shiny new car, to match his shiny new license and his shiny new boyfriend. Shiny new boyfriend that answered to the name James and was simply adorable. Lilly and Alan loved him and so did Santana. In fact, Santana liked him a bit too much. She was 4 years younger than Blaine and positively spoiled rotten. Well, not really, they were both spoiled rotten, comes with the territory when you have parents like Lilly and Alan. But she was their little princess and every princess needs a prince, right?
Let's just say that Santana took it really bad when she was explained that James is in fact, Blaine's prince.
And for 2 years he really was. He was Blaine's first real boyfriend, Blaine's first real anything, other than kiss. Chris had that. Alice was never again mentioned. And it wasn't a fight that broke Blaine and James apart. Oh no. Blaine was going away to college to NY to study music and let's just say that James understood that it would never work. Not with him in LA and with Blaine in NY. And even if he tried James couldn't fight with Blaine. Blaine was like an overgrown puppy. Well, overgrown, sexy as hell, puppy. He had grown into such a handsome piece of ass, to quote James.

With Santana's ambitions Andersons thought that it would be most reasonable thing to move. For all of them to move.

New York, here come the Andersons.
Blaine never thought he might get to be where he is today. With people knowing his name and recognizing him on the street. With his songs being nr.1 on top lists. With more money than he thought he could make in a life time. And all that at 23.
Not bad Blaine, he thought to himself.
He was living with Mike, his Mike. His childhood best friend was still his best friend. Mike was a choreographer for a famous TV show and let's just say he was living his dream. The boy had the beat in his blood. They were roommates simply because they wanted to be, it's not like either of them had to make ends meet. Living with Mike was as simple as breathing. They knew each other so well.
Speak of the devil...

Blaine picked up his ringing phone and smiled as he said "Hello my man".
Mike laughed. "Not in a million years Blaine" he said and it was Blaine's turn to laugh.
"You keep saying that and yet, you're still living with me. You want me and you know it" Blaine teased.
"Oh you saw right through me. Damn" Mike went along with it.
"Ok, seriously, what's up?" Blaine asked as he flipped trough the channels.
"I just ran into your sister, she wants us to put our best suits on and join her for a party tonight. Apparently, everyone is gonna be there" Mike said.
"Oh yeah, Tana called me today to tell me about it. Man, I don't wanna go but she never asks anything of me and I can't just say no" Blaine groaned. "Ok, so we're going?" he asked his best friend.
"Of course we're going. When have I ever said no to free booze" Mike asked.
"That would be never. Ok, where we are going again, she told me but I forgot"
"Mystique. She'll pick us up. Dude, your baby sister is picking us up. She's like a big girl now" Blaine could almost see Mike's smile.
"Yap. MY little Tana is all grown up. Ok, I'm gonna go sleep for a while, just so I don't look like a zombie tonight. See ya later" he said as a goodbye before Mike said "bye" and hang up.