BurtPOV
I was working in the garage, Kurt was away on a trip with some friends. Then I heard footsteps and someone said "Mr. Hummel?"
No one that I knew called me that, it mustn't be someone from around here, locals knew I went by Burt. I was working on a car so I said "One second"
When I came out I saw who it was. I had met him twice, if you counted the time I found him hungover in my son's bed. The second time was just as awkward, but that time I saw how much he cared about Kurt and I didn't mind as Kurt had assured me nothing had happened. I really hoped, however that this time would be more comfortable...for both of our sakes.
"Blaine, Kurt's still on his trip, if that's who you're after" I said
"I know...I was just really...I have nothing to do and my house is pretty hetic right at the moment, I was wondering if you'd mind me hanging out here for a while, all the dalton guys are busy. If not, I'll leave...I brought you a coffee" said Blaine, seeming a little shy, not his normal confident self.
"Yeah, that's fine" I said, still not really knowing why he had come here. "Thanks for the coffee"
Blaine assured me it was no probolem and he sat on a stool, drinking his own and looking like he was in some far-off place in his head. I felt like I should say something, he didn't seem uncomfortable with the silence, but I was.
"So how's school?" I asked, testing the oil level in a car that was in for a tune up.
"School is good, the warblers are getting ready for regionals, you know, so it's busy" said Blaine
"Just not at the moment" I said
"Well, I should practice, I am singing most if not all of the solos because the board chose me, but I thought you were working and I certainly can't practice at my house anymore" said Blaine
As I picked up my coffee, courtasey of Blaine and sipped it, wondering how often the boy got coffee with my son.
"You can sing here if you really want to, Kurt does sometimes" I said
"You wouldn't mind?" asked Blaine, face lighting up
"No, it's fine" I said, trying not to sound too mean or too nice, I didn't know that Kurt was being comepletely honest when he said they were just friends. I mean it takes nerve to come up to some guy's dad and tell him that he should give his son 'the talk' and I had a feeling Blaine had more feelings than he admitted.
"Thank you" said Blaine politely
Blaine sang 'misery' and he wasn't bad either, I had a feeling that it was much better with all the backround singers. Blaine did some dance moves, preforming as he sang, how did he have enough breath? Turns out he barely had enough as when he finished he breathed in deeply, taking in oxygen once more.
"That was good" I said
"Thanks, but it is about 1000 times better with the rest of the warblers" Blaine said "I wish I wasn't the lead singer sometimes...I mean there are so many good singers, but you are not supposed to complain about being in the spotlight when your friends want to be in it so badly."
"You know" I said, somewhat awkwardly, but knowing I should let Blaine know "I talked to Kurt, you know about, you know."
Blaine looked at me "Right, Kurt said"
"He did?" I asked, surprised as I thought Kurt was mortified after I talked to him.
"Yes, it meant a lot to him" said Blaine "Thank you"
"Well" I said, not really knowing what to say, but being glad that I had made the right choice twards Kurt "That's good. I should have done that without the advice though" I felt guilty, but it was really awkward...
"At least you did" said Blaine, kindly despite the note of bitterness at his own dad's shortcomings.
I felt bad for Blaine, he deserved parents who accepted all of him as much as Kurt did. I wasn't perfect, I knew, but I tried my best. I loved Kurt no matter what.
"Hey, Blaine, you Ok?" I asked
"What? Oh, yeah, fine" said Blaine. The sun was going down, soon I would be headed back home to Carol and Finn who were both home.
"Can I come back here tommorow, would you mind?" asked Blaine
"Yeah, come whenever you want" I said
"Thanks" said Blaine, smiling and taking his leave.
The next day I kept an eye out for Blaine and he came around two o'clock, a coffee in each hand and a guitar slung over his shoulder. His hair today was left ungelled, allowing his curly hair free. I suspected this was only because of the 'hecticness' around his house but I had to admit I liked it ungelled, it made things less formal. Blaine handed me a coffee with the word burt scribbled on it. I smiled as I saw it.
"Hello Blaine. Thanks for the coffee" I said
"Hey , not a probolem" said Blaine
"Call me Burt" I said
"Sorry, Burt" said Blaine
"You play guitar?" I asked, knowing that the warblers did not use instruments.
"Yeah, without the backround singers, I need something to make me sound better" Blaine smiled "Smoke and mirrors"
"You sounded fine yesterday" I said
"Fine won't beat the new directions from what I hear from Kurt" said Blaine
"He talks to you about them?" I asked, wondering if that was cheating
"Yeah, practically non-stop. He misses them" Blaine looked downcast.
"At least he had you for a friend at Dalton" I said "I knew he would miss McKinley when Carol and I moved him to Dalton, but he needed to be safe. That is what's most important right now" I said
"Yeah, I just wish I could make things better, you know?" Blaine said
"I know" I said "He relates to you so well though, he had gained a good friend, someone to talk to about things"
"He has you, he doesn't need me" said Blaine
"You kidding me?" I said "Since you became his friend I hardly get a peep out of him about that stuff, he tells you. I am the one who is useless now" I said what I had been feeling for a while now, it wasn't rational to be jealous of Blaine, he was good for Kurt, I just felt like an extra, unneeded peice now.
"You are most definitley not useless" said Blaine "you're his dad."
"Thanks" I mumbled, leaving Blaine to sing, strumming his guitar.
I went out to the hardware store as I hadn't ordered enough window washer fluid this month. I saw Blaine, not in the hardware store but sitting in a nearby park (I couldn't find a parking spot in the store so I had to park at the park) and strumming his guitar singing a folky kind of song that wasn't his usual top 40, and I wondered if he had been there all morning.
Blaine looked up "Burt?"
"Hi" I said "Just picking up something for the shop."
"Can I catch a ride?" asked Blaine
"Sure" I said, figuring he'd get to the shop sooner or later anyway, so why not?
"Thanks" said Blaine, getting in on the passenger side as I put the fluid in the trunk.
Blaine had his hair ungelled again today, I doubted he stayed in his house longer than it took him to get showered and dressed.
"Blaine" I said, knowing it probably wasn't my place to pry, but hey, it wasn't his place to tell me to give Kurt 'the talk'.
"Yeah?" he asked
"What is going on at your house?" I asked
"Oh, that" said Blaine, sighing slightly "that's nothing. My mom and dad are seperated and I've lived here with my dad for a long time, because my mom doesn't really make enough money for herself as it is and now she's moving to some city halfway accross the country and my dad...he doesn't...he doesn't want me living with him and I don't think she does either, really, so...they are fighting...I think it's best for me to stay out of it, it's not like they both want me around..."
I felt awful, maybe Blaine had interperted his parent's feelings wrong, but maybe he hadn't. Divorce was hard enough as it was without having your parents not only regecting eachother, but you as well.
"I am sorry about that Blaine" I said
Blaine sighed "Nothing you can do about it. My dad never wanted me in the first place really, and me being gay was the last straw and now he is pushing me towards mom more because she is moving and he is claiming the money thing can't really be an excuse and she...she never really wanted kids either."
"Blaine – I" I said
"Never mind, Burt" said Blaine "If they have me choose, it's going to be dad. Even though mom is more accepting, she doesn't have the money, I'd feel like a burden. And she is moving so I would have to move with her."
"Will they have you choose?" I asked
"If they both don't decide just to kick me out" said Blaine, shaking his head "My dad never cared about the bullying, I think he even thought it might 'straighten me out', he was just glad of the excuse to send me to boarding school"
"We are here" I said, pulling up into the garage.
"Yeah" said Blaine, downcast
"Kurt is back soon, three more days" I said, hopeing to cheer Blaine up
"Yeah" Blaine smiled "It's going to be good to see him, I've missed him"
Something about the way Blaine said that made me completely know without a doubt that Blaine had feelings beyond friendship for Kurt. Was I ok with that? I liked Blaine, I really did. He was a good kid who obviously cared about Kurt and would do anything for him. Blaine was polite, he liked things Kurt liked, he supported him as a friend, why not more? I think I felt even weirder that I was ok about it, I mean I assumed I would have a serious grudge against anyone that was with Kurt, but I didn't have anything against Blaine.
"I am sure he misses you too, the amount he talks about you" I said, not thinking that maybe I shouldn't say this, it might make Kurt mad if he knew I told Blaine that.
"He talks about me?" asked Blaine
"Yeah" I said "I ask how things are going and I inevidebly end up hearing 'Blaine' somewhere in the sentence."
"We do do a lot of things together" said Blaine, rubbing his left arm with his right hand.
"Well, you're friends" I said
"Yeah..." said Blaine quietly
Kurt came back three days later. He hugged me and told me all about his trip, the things he had seen and done. I told him that Blaine had visited, but I didn't give him all the details. I thought that most of that was really between Blaine and I.
Blaine and Kurt met with the warblers (despite the fact they were still on break) and I went to pick him up. I overheard a conversation as the warblers had filed out, leaving Blaine and Kurt alone in the room.
'Why'd you choose me to sing that song with?" asked Kurt
Blaine and Kurt were doing a duet, that would sound nice. I was glad Kurt would get his chance to be in the spotlight.
"Kurt, there is a moment, when you say to yourself, oh there you are!, I've been looking for you forever." Said Blaine
I really shouldn't be listening to this, something gives me the feeling, but my feet seeemed to be glued to the floor as I listened.
"Watching you do blackbird this week" I knew Kurt had done this, he told me about poor pavaratii. "That was the moment for me, about you"
Ok so maybe I definitely should not have listened to this, too late now.
"You move me, Kurt, and this duet would just be an excuse to spend more time with you."
I walked backwards and around the grounds a few times before coming back in and knocking on the practice room door.
"Sorry I'm late" I said
"No problem dad" said Kurt, who's face was rathar red
"Blaine, do you need a ride or anything?" I asked
"That'd be great, maybe you could just drop me off in that park by the home hardware" said Blaine
"No probolem" I said
The car ride was silent and I dropped Blaine off and watched in my rear-veiw mirror as he sat cross-legged on the damp grass and pulled out a book to read, before focusing back on the road.
"How was practice?" I asked Kurt
"Fine" said Kurt quietly
I wondered...were Kurt and Blaine a couple now? Had Kurt felt the same way? Why was I worried about this? Maybe just because Blaine was going through enough without being rejected as well. I would find out sooner or later, I knew, but I wouldn't be the first person Kurt would tell. If anyone was, it would be Mercedes.
MercedesPOV
"Marcedes" said Kurt, when I answered the phone
"Hey Kurt, what's up?" I asked
"Oh, you have no idea" he said
This had to be good, I thought. What had happened?
"Oh?" I said
"I need to talk to you in person ASAP" said Kurt
"Alright, I'll come over for a while if it's alright with your dad" I said, making sure my mom heard, she nodded.
I could hear mumbling over the phone of Burt and Kurt, who said "It's ok, but only for two hours"
"Ok, be right there" i said
Soon I was at Kurt's house, when I knocked the door flew open and Kurt dragged me into his room.
"Hello to you to" I said, rubbing my wrist as he realeased it
Kurt closed his door and sat on one of the throw pillows that had been thrown in a circle on the floor. I sat opposite him and said "So what's the big news?"
"I-it's..." Kurt ran a somewhat shaky hand through his hair.
"yes?" I said, scootching inward for the big scoop
"It's about Blaine" said Kurt carefully
"What about him?" I asked, having only a vauge feeling of where this was going
"We – he...We – we kissed" said Kurt
"What!" I said "white boy, when did this happen?" I asked, excitedly
"Oh about three hours ago" said Kurt
"Well, spill, what happened?" I asked
"Well first I asked Blaine why he chose me for his duet partner, you know, he didn't hold auditions or anything..." said Kurt
"And he kissed you?" I asked, flabbergasted
"No, he – he...told me stuff" said Kurt
"care to share?" I asked, eyebrows raised
"I will just say exactly what he said," said Kurt "Kurt, there is a moment, where you say to yourself, oh, there you are!, I've been looking for you forever. You move me Kurt, and this duet would just be and excuse to spend more time with you"
"Oh, wow" I said "What'd you say to that?"
"Nothing" Kurt smiled a little mischeiviously
I chuckled despite myself "Actions speak louder than words?"
"I didn't know what to say. I wanted to say something, I just sat there and, well...He got up and...we kissed."
"What happened after that?" I asked
"he said we should practice" said Kurt
"And you did?" I asked
"No, I said 'I thought we were' and we kissed again" said Kurt, blushing feircely
"Kurt!" I said in a surprised voice
"What, I wasn't thinking straight" said Kurt
I meerly shook my head at him, smiling.
WesPOV
Something was up with Blaine, he wasn't all there as I played a video game with him and David. Sure viseo games were not as much his thing as they were ours but he was more destracted than usual.
"Blaine, are you in there?" I asked
"What? Of course" said Blaine, shaking his head
"Uh huh" said David, smiling "What's up with you, man?"
"I – I um, doubt you guys want to hear about it" said Blaine, who was beginning to blush. This had to be good.
"Can't be more embarassing when you had us all serenade that guy from the gap" I said
"Thanks by the way, I can't ever shop there anymore" said David, who probably never shopped for anything in his life.
"'cause you're a shopaholic if I've ever seen one" said Blaine blandly
"No changing the subject" said David
"Fine" said Blaine "You really want to know?"
"Yes" I said
"Kurt and I kissed" said Blaine
"What?" I said, I knew of course, that they liked each other, but with the dancing around the situation I never thought they'd get together.
"May I be the first to say FINNALLY" said David
Blaine raised his triangle brows
"What, Blaine?" I said "You two weren't exactly subtle about the fact you liked each other."
Blaine shook his head "Anyway, that may be why I am somewhat distracted"
"Maybe" said David "Why on earth are you doing Candles for your duet then? The lyrics are...they don't really fit, you know..."
"Candles is a good song. Kurt said he was impressed that I chose it over top 40" said Blaine defensively
"Yeah, but Kurt's your boyfriend" I said
"never mind, candles will be great, you'll see" said Blaine
"Fine, whatever you want" I said
BurtPOV
"Um, dad?" said Kurt
"Yeah?" I asked, turning to face him as I had been cleaning up my spilled drink from the counter.
"I, um, wanted to tell you something" he said
"Yeah?" I asked
"Blaine and I...we're, um...we are dating now." Said Kurt
"Really?" I said
"Is that ok?" asked Kurt
"Yes" I said "You should invite him to dinner this weekend"
"Ok, I'll ask him, thanks dad" said Kurt, going to call Blaine, or so I assumed.
_POV
Blaine picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"Hi Blaine" said Kurt
"Hi" said Blaine
"I wanted to invite you to dinner with my family Saturday" Kurt said
"Dinner?" said Blaine
"You'll come, won't you?" asked Kurt
"Of course, I'll double check with my parents" Blaine sighed "I honestly don't think they care though"
Kurt paused...Was Blaine ok?
"Blaine, are you alright?" asked Kurt
"I'll live" said Blaine
"See you Saturday?" asked Kurt (it was Friday afternoon)
"Yeah, see you" said Blaine
BurtPOV
I walked past the park, and seeing Blaine sitting there, strumming his guitar gave me déjà vu. Were his parents still fighting? Then he did something unexpected, he put his guitar away and pulled out...no way...and yet he began playing it...a violin. He began humming sadly and playing a melancholy tune, seemingly of his own making as he had no sheet music. As he finished I clapped and he looked up, surprised. "Burt" he said, sounding a little embarrassed
"That was...amazing" I said, astounded
"Thanks" said Blaine, smiling a little
"Things still not great back home?" I asked, walking towards him, into the park
"No" said Blaine "But speaking of that I should be getting there, get ready for dinner with you" he smiled
"Want a ride?" I offered
"No thanks" said Blaine, putting his guitar around his shoulder and carrying his violin case by the handle.
People stared as he walked by, but he didn't seem to notice, as he made his way to his house.
I got what I needed and went home, hoping to see Blaine in a better mood tonight to meet Carol for the first time, he met Finn a couple of times before I think.
When I got home Finn was sitting in the living room. "You've met Blaine before, right?" I asked him
"A few times, why?" said Finn
"You like him?" I asked
"He seems fine to me" said Finn "You've met him"
"Yeah, I know. I was just wondering, wanted your opinion" I said
Finn shrugged.
BlainePOV
I got back to the house and I heard my parents arguing. I sighed as I turned the key in the lock and went upstairs. I heard words that I didn't hear 'don't want him' was a phrase that came out of both m parent's mouths. I was angry, emotions building and I had had enough. I packed my things, and I mean everything. I wasn't going to take this anymore. I would board at Dalton and when I couldn't stay there I would sleep in the park for all I cared. I would camp or something, summer was warm enough in Ohio.
I walked out of the house, leaving a note of the equivalent of this, with my phone number written on it on the off chance that my parents cared enough to not allow me to be homeless for at least two months each year, which included now.
I couldn't bring all my stuff to Kurt's house. I packed a tent too and I used my (really much too high) allowance to rent a room in a cheap (because there weren't many people around willing to pay much for it) bed and breakfast and I left my stuff there, and headed towards Kurt's house, phone put on vibrate just in case.
I knocked on Kurt's door and Finn opened it. Finn was a really nice guy but he had to be about seven feet tall, and being on the short side myself, he always looked rather intimidating. "Hey Blaine" He said
"Hi Finn"
"Come on in, we're just getting ready" he said, moving out of the doorway to allow me inside.
I saw Kurt, looking great as usual, setting the table and I went to help him. Kurt slapped my hand away "you're the guest, no helping" said Kurt
I put my hands up in mock surrender "You're the boss"
Soon the table was set and we all sat down to eat. I introduced myself to Carol. "Hi, I'm Blaine"
"I've heard a lot about you" she said, as Kurt blushed a little
"Oh no" I said "That can't be good" I smiled as she assured me they had heard only good things.
I talked sports with Finn and Burt and talked shopping and vogue with Kurt and Carol.
"Hey Kurt" said Burt at one point "You'll never guess what I saw Blaine doing today"
"What?" asked Kurt curiously
"Playing the violin in the park" said Burt
Kurt looked at me "You play the violin too?"
"Yeah" I said "Violin, Cello, Piano, Drums, guitar, harmonica and kazoo"
"That's a lot of instruments for a warbler isn't it?" asked Finn
"it's a lot of instruments for anyone" said Carol
I shrugged. My phone buzzed with a text from my mom. It read as long as you take care of yourself.
My heart sank at the lack of emotion in the typed words that lit up my screen. Whatever, it is not as if it's not what I expected.
"Sorry about that" I said, putting my phone away
"Who was that?" asked Kurt
"My mom" I said flatly
Kurt looked a little concerned "She knows you're here, right?"
"What? Oh, she knows" I said, even though I wasn't really sure that I had told her where I was going in my note. I was just going.
"Good" he said, though he looked suspicious and concerned.
"So Blaine" said Carol "How'd you join the warblers?"
I don't think anyone had ever asked me that, they seemed to be under the impression that I simply was a warbler, forever.
"I changed schools for pretty much the same reason as Kurt, although it was less concentrated bullying by one individual. When I came to Dalton I didn't know if I would fit in. I met Wes and David in one of my first classes and they told me about the warblers when I questioned them on their music sheets. I asked for an audition, and they really liked me. I eventually became the lead singer." I said
"I heard that's how Kurt first met you, spying on the warblers" said Carol
"Well, he was very nice for a spy" I said, giving Kurt a wink, he smiled.
"You knew as soon as you saw me, didn't you?" asked Kurt
"Maybe...'don't forget your jacket, new kid'" I said
"That's when I knew you knew, but then I was distracted, you rearranged my jacket." Said Kurt
Soon I had to leave, I thanked everyone for having me and they all said goodbye. I was about to walk to the B&B (I left my car there, not really feeling like driving) when Burt came out and said "Let me give you a ride"
"Um, that's fine Burt, thank you" I said, not wanting Burt to know what I had just done and how little my parents cared.
"Nonsense" said Burt, getting in his car. I would have to explain.
"Burt" I said, after getting in the car "I am um...I am staying at the B&B"
"Why?" he asked sounding concerned
"Because" I said, holding back tears as Burt pulled out of the driveway, cursing myself for being so emotional, what had I expected? "I don't want to stay with either of my parents, I will stay at places and camp and stuff with my dad's money and board at Dalton the rest of the year." I tried to sound strong and careless about this.
BurtPOV
"Blaine" I said, my heart went out to the kid, I could only imagine what he was going through.
"I'll be fine" he said, but I heard his voice break.
"Blaine, why don't you stay with us this summer?" I asked. My mind was made up, I wouldn't let Blaine be all alone.
"What?" he asked, I saw that his eyes were brimmed with tears
"Stay with us this summer. All holidays if you want, weekends, treat our home as yours" I said
A tear fell from Blaine's eyes and it rolled down his cheek, I saw he was trying to hide this. "R-really?" he asked, wiping his face
"Really" I said
"Can I come there now?" asked Blaine "I don't want...I - "
"You can come, I'll help you with your things" I said
"Burt" he said as we got out "Thank you" and he stuck his hand out for me to shake, instead I embraced him in a hug.
I helped Blaine with his stuff and a book fell onto the floor, opening somewhere in the middle, revealing it was a photo album with a small boy usually on his own with neat printing Blaine, age 5.
"Who took these pictures?" I asked
"Nannies" said Blaine, stuffing the album back into his suitcase.
Blaine texted Kurt left my parents, will explain when I see you. Your dad invited me to stay with you. - - - Blaine.
Kurt sent back: Sorry Babe, Courage J 3 Kurt
Blaine let one more tear fall here, I saw, but he was smiling.
"What?" I asked
"Courage" said Blaine "You – it's ... complicated"
"OK" I said
Blaine and I arrived and Kurt rushed to Blaine, embracing him. "Why didn't you tell me Blaine?" he asked as Blaine embraced him back.
"I –" Blaine looked Kurt in the eyes and whatever he was about to say disappeared "I am sorry"
"It's ok Blaine" said Kurt, taking his and as they brought Blaine's things inside.
BlainePOV
I woke up in the guest room in Kurt's house, taking a moment to remember where I was. I got dressed, sorting through the drawers that were now full of my clothes. I walked into the kitchen, I decided to leave my hair ungelled because Kurt had told me he liked my hair curly yesterday.
I looked at my reflection in the kitchen window. I guess my hair wasn't that bad...
Burt came into the kitchen and he smiiled at me "Good morning Blaine"
"Morning" I said, my stomach was somewhat upset, part of me was really regreting leaving my parents like that. I think I might have even gone back, if maybe my mom or dad had called to say 'sorry we made you feel bad, we didn't mean it, we were just argueing, come back.' But istead they didn't care. Maybe this wasn't the right choice but, it was my choice that I would have to live with.
"You Ok?" Burt asked
I nodded and Kurt came out, wearing silk PJ's. I raised my eybrows in surprise and he looked mortified, he ran back into his room. He must've forgotten I was here. I went up to his room and knocked. He said "I – I am just about to change"
"Kurt" I said quietly "let me in"
Kurt opened the door and I came in, seeing his blushing cheeks as he tried to avoid my gaze. "Kurt" I said
Kurt looked at me "Don't be embarassed"
"Why not?" he asked
"I like you PJ's. Besides mine are much more embarassing. I could show you" I said
"Ok" said Kurt
I went into my new room and changed back into my PJ's before heading back to Kurt's room (I added a shirt though, I usually slept shirtless in the summer.)
"Oh" Kurt chuckled "Nice"
"Yeah?" I asked. My PJ's were Hogwarts Griffindor PJ's, they had the hogwarts emblem on the left thigh and griffindor colours, which were completed by me wearing a red t-shirt.
"Very nice" said Kurt
"Well if you thought yours would be embarassing to walk out in, now you know, they are not bad at all" I said.
