A/N: This one shot is based on the following prompt...
1gleefan prompted: Blaine meeting the Hummels (especially Burt), Kurt meeting the Andersons (particularly a hilarious Cooper)
*Since Blaine meets Burt in "Falling Flat," I decided to go for the second part of this prompt - more specifically, Cooper (there's a third part of this prompt, but I haven't quite figured out how to fill it yet). Also, I'm not so sure I wrote a "hilarious" Cooper, but I hope you still like it.
"Hold up just one minute." Kurt stopped dead in his tracks, grabbing Blaine's arm to bring him to a halt and fix him with a dubious look. "You have a brother?"
"Yeah…" Blaine wished it hadn't come out like this, but Kurt was going to find out within minutes as it was. He'd hoped that maybe casually mentioning it seconds before would suffice. Blaine didn't know who he was trying to kid.
They continued along the walk leading up to Blaine's parents' house, and every step brought on a new wave of anxiety. Blaine was about to introduce Kurt to his family, something he had strategically avoided for quite some time, and his nerves made sense, but when he found out that his older brother was in town for the week, he was filled with a dread he couldn't quite explain.
"Let me get this straight. We've been together for almost a year now, and you never once mentioned a brother, which is kind of a big deal. Is there a reason you failed to inform me of his existence?" Kurt pressed on.
Blaine shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "Well, not really. I guess a moment never really arose where it was necessary."
When they arrived at the house, Blaine dug his key out of his pocket and went to place it in the lock, but before he even made contact, the door flew open, and a very tall, exceptionally handsome man pulled him into a hug, resting his chin on top Blaine's head as he squeezed him in his arms and swayed. The man finally released him, and Blaine, clearly peeved, smoothed and straightened out his outfit.
"Hey, Cooper," Blaine said, finally looking back up.
"It's so great to see you, Blaine! Come in!" His enthusiasm was sickening. He welcomed them into the house with a flourish of his hand, closing the door behind them. Once inside, Cooper's eyes drifted over to Kurt, and his lips began to curl up into a grin. "So, are you going to introduce me to your handsome friend?"
"My boyfriend," Blaine corrected.
"I knew that. I was just joshing you," Cooper said, ruffling Blaine's hair. Kurt winced as some of Blaine's curls came loose from his gel. Cooper turned back to Kurt and smiled brightly, a smile that looked almost plastic and belonged on a Ken doll.
"Kurt Hummel," Kurt said, offering his hand, but Cooper didn't take it. Instead, much to Kurt's surprise and slight discomfort, he pulled Kurt into an embrace, smushing his cheek and nose up against the man's broad, muscly, and insanely good-smelling chest.
"Namaste, Kurt. There's no need to be so formal," Cooper said, finally releasing him, after which he felt a little lightheaded and unsteady on his feet. "You're like family now."
"Can we go find Mom and Dad now or at least sit down?" Blaine asked. They had been standing in the foyer in a tight cluster and hadn't made it but three feet inside the door.
"Of course! Right this way," Cooper said with another wave of his hand. "Mom ran to the store to pick up groceries for dinner, and Dad's still at the office," he explained as they entered the living room. "But make yourself comfortable," he added as if he'd actually been living there rather than Blaine for the last twenty or so years.
Once they were settled on the couch, Cooper in one of the armchairs across from them, Kurt fidgeted in his seat before crossing his legs and folding his hands in his lap.
"So what do you do, Kurt?" Cooper asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
"Kurt's an actor," Blaine answered for him. "He just graduated NYADA." Then he braced himself, knowing exactly where this would lead next.
"An actor! My brother has good taste after all. Did Blainey here tell you that I'm an actor too? I've been involved in various projects in LA - where I live. I've even been on the Hollywood Walk of Fame," Cooper said.
Kurt raised his eyebrows incredulously. "Really?"
"In costume…as a walking retail advertisement," Blaine clarified.
"Work is work, little brother. I need to do some side projects while I'm preparing for the bigger auditions. Gotta keep my acting skills sharp, and every role is an opportunity for practice and research. You know how that is, right, Kurt?" Then his face lit up like he suddenly had an idea. "Hey, man, I could totally give you some pointers!" He smiled his charming smile, and Kurt nodded just to keep it from leaving his face. Kurt was downright fascinated: How was that jawline and chin even possible, and how does one have such straight, white teeth? There must be something in the water, the water of the immaculate Anderson gene pool.
"So, Squirt, how do you like New York, LA's colder, less attractive little brother?" Cooper asked. "Mom told me you dropped out of college to follow your pipe dream of becoming a professional picture-taker - person."
Blaine rolled his eyes and bit his tongue, his nostrils flaring in his agitation. "I doubt that's what Mom said, and I did not drop out of college - I transferred. But, anyway," he continued, trying to keep his cool and be the bigger person. "The location is great, and I've already found there are plenty of internships for photographers."
Kurt sat there grinning stupidly, listening to the brothers talk and catch up, his head and eyes shifting side to side as if he was watching a particularly engaging tennis match. Their words were lost on him because he was much too distracted by the view, which was phenomenal either way he looked. Kurt couldn't wait to meet the parents who produced these two magnificent creatures. He'd have to give them his congratulations along with a heaping pile of thank yous.
Cooper paused suddenly and turned to Kurt, pulling him out of his reverie. Kurt sat bolt upright, feeling like he'd just been caught. "My apologies, Kurt. I didn't mean to leave you out of the conversation."
"Oh, no, no worries. I'm okay just listening. You two go on," he assured them with a grin.
-s-
They were back at Kurt's house preparing for bed when Kurt finally decided to address Blaine's despondency. His sour mood was like a dark cloud that grew larger and more ominous the more time they spent at his parents', so it was Kurt's idea to spend the night at his dad's, hoping it might give Blaine a chance to breathe and shake whatever it was that was ailing him.
Kurt crossed his arms, leaning up against the doorjamb. "So…? Why have you been so glum? I for one thought dinner went well. Your parents seem like pleasant people. I don't think they're going to come after me with torches and pitchforks for stealing you away from them, at least," he jested.
Blaine swished the water around in his mouth and spit out the toothpaste into the sink. "I'm sorry." He grabbed the towel and wiped his mouth. "It wasn't the dinner, and it wasn't my parents. It's Coop. He's always been so…condescending. It's like, just because he's older, he thinks it's his duty to put me down at every turn and to remind me of his success," Blaine said, making air quotes. He hung his head, shaking it gently.
"It's obvious there's a lot of tension between you two," Kurt said.
"Just a little," Blaine scoffed. "I know everything he says isn't true - most of it, actually -, but I can't help that he makes me feel like a failure, and then I start questioning all my decisions and comparing myself to him."
Kurt snaked his arms around Blaine's middle from behind, folding his hands over his belly. He set his chin on Blaine's shoulder, gazing at him through the bathroom mirror. "Don't. Don't let him get you down. He's your brother, and he may be terrible at showing it, but I'm sure he means well." He ran a hand down to Blaine's hip, lightly brushing his fingers along the area just above his waistband, and then pulled him in closer against his body. "He may have a pretty face, but you are so much more than that. You, my dear, are the singular Blaine Anderson, the most kind, talented, and interesting man I know, and his opinions mean nothing." Kurt planted a kiss on Blaine's neck, sending a hot, pleasant prickle through his body.
Blaine spun around in his arms, nearly nose to nose with Kurt now. He gently ran his hands down Kurt's torso, coming to a rest at one of his favorite spots just above his hips, and then wrapped his fingers around Kurt's slender waist.
"You're right," he said softly.
"I always am," Kurt teased, pressing a finger to Blaine's chest, and Blaine smiled and rolled his eyes.
"All that's really important is that I'm happy and I'm doing what I love," Blaine said. He leaned in and gave Kurt a quick peck on the lips. "And I am. I'm happy."
Silence hung in the air, filling the limited, charged space between them as they gazed into each others' eyes. Kurt knew it had already been said without the necessity of words, that how he felt about Blaine was emanating from his entire being, was evident in the way he kissed, held, and looked at him, in the way he was always there for him with open arms and ears or as a shoulder to cry on, and always with an endless supply of support and understanding. But in that moment, Kurt felt the words bubbling up from within him, wanting desperately to burst forth…
"I love you."
And he meant every word, letter, and syllable with every fiber of his being.
"I love you too." Blaine answered, not questioning it even for a second. He took a deep breath as he slowly slid his hands from Kurt's waist and lower toward his thighs. "Now let's get to bed, because there's something else I love that we should definitely be doing." Blaine grabbed Kurt's ass through his pajama pants, and Kurt squealed and jumped, giggling as he pulled away from Blaine.
They left the bathroom and raced down the hallway, skidding to a stop by Kurt's old bedroom. He grabbed the front of Blaine's undershirt and tugged him forward into the room, promptly pulling the door closed and setting the lock with a click.