'I would like to ask Kurt to marry me.'

Shocked is putting it mildly. Burt thinks he just heard his jaw hit the floor. He takes his cap off, runs a hand over his scalp, and puts it back on.

'Oh. Um. Oh.'

Blaine swallows. Did Burt just get a few inches taller?

'Are you- is that-'

'Well, I-'

'Sorry, I didn't mean to-'

'Blaine.'

Blaine clears his throat. Burt does the same. This is weird.

'Yes. Sir.'

'It's been Burt for two years, kid, I think it's a little late to go back to sir.'

'Right.'

There's another pause. Burt puts his hands in his pockets and takes them out again. Folds and unfolds his arms. Blaine shifts from one foot to the other.

'I.' he huffs out a breath. 'Why- why did you come to me? I mean, did you want permission or something- because I don't think-'

'No,' Blaine says, a little surer of himself, as if he knew this question was coming, 'No disrespect, but the only permission I need is his.' Burt holds back a grin. He can just imagine Kurt's face upon discovering anyone had the nerve to ask Burt for his hand in marriage. He hasn't needed permission for anything for a long time. 'But,' Blaine chews on his lip for a second, 'I- I would love to have your blessing. I know you're the most important person in Kurt's life, and it would mean the world to me if you- well, not approved exactly, but-'

'But you want me to be happy about it?'

Blaine nods.

'Yes, please.' He holds back another 'sir'.

'I see. You figured out how you're gonna do it?'

'Not yet. I'm going to New York right after Regionals, and there's a jewellery store I know he always stops and looks in, and I- maybe a song would be a little- but it doesn't really matter, right? All that matters is that I-' he blushes, even though it's the most obvious thing to say in the world, 'I love him.'

Burt takes a deep breath, nodding a little.

'I know you do. How long have you two been back together? You know, officially?'

'Um. A couple of weeks. But we've already decided the time we were apart doesn't count. So, it's been over two years. A lot of couples get engaged after way less time, and for much worse reasons, I mean it's not like it's a shotgun wedding or anything-'

'Blaine.'

'Sorry.'

'Don't be.'

'Sorry-' Blaine swallows again and clamps his mouth shut.

'Look. I know how much you care about Kurt.' Blaine resists the urge to start talking again, settling for a nod. 'You're never gonna hurt him again, are you?' Blaine shakes his head. 'Well, that's good. You know, I wasn't much older than you when I got married. Actually, Kurt's mom asked me. If we're being specific, she pretty much told me it was happening and I would've been a moron to say no. Her folks weren't exactly crazy about me. That's why this whole- you talking to me- don't get me wrong, I'm glad you feel like you can trust me, but it's just- it's unexpected. I'm not used to healthy in-law relationships.'

Blaine smiles at the word 'in-law'. That's what married people have.

'I knew then that I'd always love her. I didn't think things would pan out the way they did, but that hasn't changed. Sometimes the whole high school sweetheart thing, it works out.'

Blaine forces out an 'I know.' It's nice hearing about Kurt's mother, but it always makes his eyes sting a little, remembering that once upon a time there was a tiny Kurt feeling like his whole world was ending.

'I'm not gonna tell you you're too young. Or that your feelings are going to change, or that this is stupid, because I doubt it'd stop you, and honestly- it's just not what I think. You're a smart kid. A little dramatic, but- you know this is big, right? Like, huge.'

Blaine nods quickly.

'Yes, I know.'

'And you've put a lot of thought into it, haven't you?'

'Yes. I haven't thought about much else.'

'Then,' Burt nods, more to himself than to Blaine, 'I guess you have my blessing. You definitely do. Just imagine I gave you a whole hurt-him-again-and-I'll-rip-your-head-off speech. I figure you know that already.'

Blaine nods.

'Absolutely. I won't.'

'I know.' They stand still for a second, unsure of what to do now. 'Well, come here, kid,' he pulls Blaine into a hug, 'you better get used to this. Hummels are huggers.' He slaps him hard on the back and Blaine coughs, realising just how much he'd wound himself up about this as his body starts to relax. He hugs Burt back, but right now he feels so tiny he doubts his arms will reach around him.

'Thank you,' he breathes out, 'you don't know what this means-'

'Yeah I do. Listen, Blaine,' he pulls back, gripping onto Blaine's shoulders. 'I just want you to think long and hard about why you're doing this. Or why you're doing it now. I know you love each other, but I- I don't really see why you can't just be boyfriends again for a while. It's your decision and I don't want to get in the way, but- but promise me it's not just because you're scared of something going wrong again. A ring feels damn good on your finger, trust me, but it doesn't save anything. Just make sure you're doing it for the right reasons. You're not gonna lose him any time soon, buddy, you don't have to try and lock anything down just yet.'

Blaine breathes slowly for a second before nodding. He looks straight into Burt's eyes.

'Okay. Thank you.'

Burt grins and hugs him again.

'No problem.'