Title: Who do You Think You Are? (Chapter 1)
Chapter Rating: PG
Warning: Implied child abuse
Summary: In which we are introduced to Kurt and Blaine's adult life together, and we also discover something about Blaine's past.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the character's you recognize, I'm just playing around. There is certainly no copyright infringment intended. Any and all spelling mistakes/typos are my fault.
A/N: This is my first Glee fic and I'm doing it in the future! Gah! I love the show so I hope everyone's in character, but please please tell me if you think they're not/what adjustments could be made. This story mostly takes place in the future, but the large parts of italics are the past. Enjoy!
Kurt stood at the stove turning over vegetables in the sauté pan, brushing his hair softly out of his face, when the door to his small New York apartment opened. "Hey," Blaine's calm voice preceded his entrance, his body following shortly after, already tugging off his scarf, putting it on the coat rack by the door. He set his briefcase down, walked over to Kurt, wrapped an arm around his waist and kissed him quickly on the lips.
"Hey," Kurt smiled at him. "How was work today?"
"Mmm, that smells great," he was unbuttoning his coat and walking back to the door to shut and lock it. "Work was…the same as always. Uneventful."
"I'm sorry," Kurt sighed and turned off the stove, placing the pan on a cool burner. He grabbed two plates from the cupboard and set them on the breakfast bar that passed for a table in their small home.
"What for?" asked his partner, grabbing the cutlery.
"I thought when we moved here," he sighed, "I thought when we moved here, things would be different. I thought, you know, we could get real jobs. But nothing's happened! We're stuck working stupid shift work, making menial amounts of money, not doing anything import-" Blaine cut him off by grabbing his hand.
"Kurt, honey, it's okay. It's going to all work out. These things take time and we both know that. We'll get jobs singing, I know it."
Kurt hiccupped lightly, dishing out their dinner. Blaine could clearly see the tears starting to well in his eyes. "Today a Christmas card came in the mail from Schuster and his wife. What would we even put in a Christmas card if we sent one out Blaine? Nothing, that's what!" He shouted as he dropped the pan, with a little bit more force than was necessary, into the kitchen sink. He leaned back against the counter and stared angrily at Blaine for a moment before the boy walked over.
"It's okay." Blaine grabbed Kurt's elbows in his hands, pulled his lover towards him. "We'd have lots to put in that letter. We moved to New York, we've tried out for Broadway shows! How many people can say that? We both have jobs and we are thinking about getting a bigger place. We're working towards our future together. That's what we'd put in there." He smiled deeply, dipping his head to meet Kurt's eyes. When Kurt refused to look up, Blaine reached out, wiping a tear away with his thumb. "We'd have lots to say." Kurt nodded.
"I know, you're right." He pressed gently on Blaine's chest, easing out of the embrace. "I just get so frustrated sometimes. I have all these dreams, for me and for us, and I feel like…ugh, I feel like this apartment just isn't big enough for us."
Blaine sat down in front of his plate and patted the seat next to him. "Things will get better, I promise."
"There is just not enough room in my suitcase for everything!" Kurt was reeling with glee, trying to fit everything in his suitcase, tumbling over shoes on the floor and hair styling products splayed over the bed. He picked up a canister of hairspray, and judged it for a moment, turning it in his hand before grunting and dropping it back on the bed.
"How much space do you need? I have some room in my suitcase. But remember, we still need room for everyone's presents…" Blaine sat cross legged at the head of their bed, a sheaf of paper in his hands, checking his list.
"Oh, I don't know. I just need to bring those. And these. And this."
"Kurt, you know we're only going for a week…right?" Blaine couldn't help but smirk and he tried to mentally fit all of Kurt's things in his suitcase while still leaving room for gifts.
"Who knows what situations may arise while we're there?"
"Um…I do. Dinner with your family, drinks with friends…not much outside of the norm." Regardless of his words, Blaine's tone made it clear that he was just taunting his boyfriend.
"Well, I think it will all fit. We'll just have to squish." He grinned at Blaine. "I'm so excited, I can't wait to see Dad again." He was stuffing a pair of shoes into the only remaining empty spot in his own suitcase when a set of warm arms wrapped around him from behind. Blaine's breath was hot on his neck, his lips brushing lightly against the sensitive skin.
"Why don't we do something fun before we go?"
"Blaine! We have to be at the airport in 2 hours." Despite his serious protest, Kurt could hardly ignore the heat in his belly.
"We'll be fast…" His tongue darted out to touch Kurt's ear, sending a shiver through the young man.
"Just…let me finish packing, okay?"
"Hurry up," Blaine's voice was still husky as he backed out of the bedroom. "I don't want to have to wait too long…"
"Dad!" Kurt's suitcase was dropped to the ground as he rushed for his father, arms open for a hug. As usual, Burt did not disappoint; he enveloped his son in a large bear hug, before pushing him away.
"Hey, how was your flight?"
"You haven't seen me in months, and that's your first question for me?" Blaine was hugging Carole and shaking hands with Finn while Kurt exchanged small talk with his father.
"Hey, no hello for your brother?" Finn joked, loading Kurt's bag onto a luggage trolley.
"Sorry, of course Finn." Kurt turned and hugged him, before hugging and kissing Carole on the cheek. "How is everyone, how is everything? Gosh, I feel like it's been years, not months!"
"Rachel wanted to come, too, but she had a class she just had to go to. She told me to say sorry, and she can't wait to see you guys." Finn was pulling the trolley behind him, but Blaine managed to wrest it from him, arguing that they were his and Kurt's bags, anyways. The family walked outside to the parking lot, pulling coats tight to their bodies to ward of the winter chill, continuing to talk and laugh as they piled into the car and drove away from the airport.
"I hope you guys don't mind, I've put you in Kurt's old room. There should be plenty of space for you without that old chaise lounge."
"Dad, there was plenty of room with that in here." Kurt scoffed at his dad. "Is anyone else coming for Christmas?"
His father leaned against the door jam, watching as the boys settled in. "I don't think anyone else is staying here, but I think Finn called a whole bunch of your old Glee friends, wants them to come over for a dinner or something. You'll have to ask him." He paused, taking off his customary hat, and looking inside of it for a moment. "Well, I'll leave you guys alone to get unpacked and everything. It's good to have you back."
"It's good to be back." It was Blaine who spoke up.
~2012~
"Blaine, if this makes you really uncomfortable, we can just go work on it at the library, or something. It doesn't matter."
"No, I'm sure it will be fine." The boys had gone to Blaine's house to work on a project, much to Blaine's apparent discomfort. All day he had been on edge about something and upon pulling up to his house had seemed even more bothered. Kurt had tried to discover what it was, had tried to ease Blaine's distress, but the boy wouldn't say what was irritating him so, and everything Kurt did just seemed to make it worse.
"Blaine, what is wrong?" Kurt was beginning to get irritated himself. They were in Blaine's room and he sat on a chair near the door, watching Blaine fumble with his computer.
"Nothing," Blaine sat heavily in his computer chair, clicking away at the keys, "I just want to be done before my dad gets home."
"Is it me? Do you want me to leave? We can do this via e-mail, you know." Kurt rocked forward in the chair.
"No! No. It's fine."
A door opened downstairs and Blaine clearly stiffened at the noise. "Blaine?" A loud baritone voice reverberated through the walls, sending a shock of fear through Kurt, and clearly, Blaine as well. He looked at Kurt, eyes wide and gestured to Kurt to be quiet.
"I'm upstairs, dad. Just working on a project. With a friend." He added the last bit almost as an afterthought, as though he was unsure of whether to say it or not.
"What?"
"A project, dad! In my room." The door to Blaine's room opened quite suddenly and a large man in a suit came in.
"Who's your friend?"
"Uh, dad," Blaine stood up and smoothed out his pants, Kurt could see his hands shaking and he was sure that smoothing clothing was just a cover to get sweat off of his palms. Kurt had used the manoeuvre many a time when he was frightened. "This is Kurt." But why was Blaine so scared of his own father?