Kissing Boys In The Street

by fearlessly

His father would never hug him like his brother had and would never kiss him like his mother did. Blaine was fine with it – he had long grown accustomed to his father's lack of affection. It hurt but his love for Kurt far outweighed the hurt that his father had caused.

Kurt stood in Blaine's childhood bedroom and watched Blaine go through the motions of choosing a shirt and matching bowtie but he could tell that his husband wasn't really present. His mind was far, far away. Kurt couldn't blame him; it wasn't easy watching a father die, even when that father wasn't always the most loving or accepting.

It had been two months since they had received the news. Kurt had come home one day to a very withdrawn husband and after just a little bit of coaxing Blaine told him about the phone call he had received from Cooper. His dad had been diagnosed with lung cancer and he didn't have long.

They flew to Westerville as soon as they were able to get a flight out of New York City. Blaine's relationship with his father had never been a good one exactly – at least not since his teen years. But Kurt knew that Blaine loved him very much and he had always looked to him for acceptance – that is until recently. Once Blaine and Kurt had said I do, something changed in Blaine. He no longer sought out his father's blessing, he no longer cared if he was offending him, and he no longer needed him in his life.

He had Kurt, he loved Kurt, and he would never ever change or apologize for it. Blaine still did talk to his dad once a month but the conversations were always about safe topics. They would also see each other every Christmas when they went back to Lima to stay with Burt and Carole. Their relationship was always held an arm's length and although it hurt Blaine, he had come to accept it.

But when someone tells you your parent is dying, you drop everything and just go. They had spent two weeks at the Anderson residence. Blaine's mother was insistent that they stay there, despite Blaine and Kurt's discomfort. They didn't feel like they could ever be themselves in Blaine's father's house but in order to keep the peace and in order to spend precious time with Mr. Anderson, they had agreed. It was difficult. Kurt and Blaine could not be so forthcoming with their affections – they still hugged each other and held hands but never in his father's presence. And the nightly snuggles were kept to just that – snuggles and nothing more.

Within those two weeks, Blaine spent hours with his dad every day. Sometimes Kurt would sit with them too but mostly, Kurt let Blaine have his time. The days went by quickly and when Kurt and Blaine boarded the plane to go back to New York they both breathed a sigh of relief although they knew the battle was not over.

Blaine called his father every day until he couldn't anymore because his father had become too ill to hold the phone or even speak. Not long after, Cooper summoned Blaine again, this time for the last time so again they boarded the next flight out to Westerville, which is where they found themselves now.

Blaine still hadn't chosen a bowtie. He simply stood looking into his suitcase with a blank stare on his face. Kurt moved to him and gently placed his hands on his arms, turning him to face him. The look on his husband's face was one of heart-break and Kurt could hardly stand it.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you, honey?" Kurt asked as he chose the sky blue tie with tiny black polka-dots and proceeded to wrap it around Blaine's neck.

"I love you," Blaine said, "but I just need these final moments with him alone."

"I understand. I'm just worried about you." Kurt said as he wrapped the fabric and tied it expertly.

"I'll be okay, Kurt. But will you … will you pick me up afterward?"

"Of course. Text me when you're ready and I'll be there."

"Thank you," Blaine said and leaned into the man he loved for some much needed support.

Kurt wrapped his arms around him and held him close, rubbing his palm up and down Blaine's back. "He loves you, you know. Deep down inside that heart of his he loves you very much."

"I know," Blaine mumbled against his husband's shoulder. "We haven't been close and we've definitely had our moments but I'm going to miss him, Kurt. After everything, he is my father."

"Of course you are, honey," Kurt held Blaine out so that he could look into his eyes. "That is perfectly normal. I'm going to help you get through it."

"You always do. I love you so much."

"I love you too." Kurt kissed the corner of his mouth and straightened his bow tie. "Now come on, Cooper is waiting in the car."

XXXXXXX

The air in the hospital room was stale and heavy. It was hard for Blaine to breathe. But he was breathing which was not necessarily true for his father. Robert Anderson lay still in his hospital bed. The cancer in him had spread and taken over both his lungs. He was breathing but it was laboured and intermittent. He was dying. And Blaine didn't have much time.

Blaine walked tentatively further into the room and stood at the foot of the bed. Seeing his father lying there in such a weakened state was not something that he was prepared for. Tears sprung to his eyes as he looked at his dad's pale, almost grey, skin tone. His eye sockets, cheekbones, and chin more prominent than ever. His chest rose and fell in an erratic rhythm and machines beeped all around him. Blaine took in a deep breath and closed his eyes, a couple tears trailed down his cheeks as he was suddenly flooded with memories – memories that he had made a conscious effort to never access because they had been entirely too hurtful. But now, there was no holding them back. Blaine had to deal with them if he was to forgive his father before he took his last breath.

He was fifteen and had just come out to his family. He had wanted to do it for a while but had always been scared. His school was having its first ever Sadie Hawkins dance and Blaine thought it would be a good time to come out. He wanted to ask his best friend Thom to the dance and he wouldn't be able to do that if he was in the closet.

So one night at dinner he told his parents and brother that he liked boys. Cooper had not even batted an eye, he simply carried on as if everything was normal – and really it should have been. His mother was a little shocked and Blaine could tell that she was concerned for him but all in all she was supportive. She squeezed his hand and told him that he was loved just as much as before. His dad had remained silent through it all, not even looking up from his steak and potatoes. And he hadn't said anything at all for the following week either.

Things changed though after the night of the dance. Thom had agreed to go with Blaine and they waited for the bus together on the corner close to where Thom lived. It was awkward as both of them were a little shy. This was both of their first dates and with a boy, no less. The butterflies in Blaine's stomach were wild – free; so, he did what he had wanted to do for a while and kissed the corner of Thom's mouth, coyly. The blush that rose in both their faces could have lit up the night sky.

The next morning, once Blaine was showered and had come downstairs to fix his breakfast, Robert took him into his study and let him have it. "Blaine, if you continue down this path you are never going to amount to anything special. What is all this? You liking boys? That's crazy, son. You, like this," Robert motioned at him with his hand, "it's the last thing I wanted. This is the last thing I need, Blaine. What are all my clients going to think? And how am I supposed to respond when my friends tell me that they saw my son kissing boys in the street?"

Blaine hadn't realized he was crying until the sound of his own sobs brought him out of the memory. How he had hated his dad back then. He never figured out which of his dad's friends saw him kiss Thom that night but really it didn't matter. His dad's views were his own and they had been engrained into him since he was young. It was a different time when his father was growing up – Blaine understood it but couldn't accept it because he was his son. A father was supposed to love and accept his son, no matter who he loved.

Blaine moved around the bed so that he could stand beside it, closer to the dying man. Blaine tentatively took his dad's cool and fragile hand in his own and let his thumb run over the bony knuckles. This would be the last time he would get to hold his hand. This would be the last chance he had to forgive him. But how could he after the way in which his dad tried to change him – change his very being? The bad memories filtered into Blaine's mind once again.

With Thom long forgotten Blaine bounced in a state of excitement. His new boyfriend Kurt would be coming over to the house today for the very first time. He thought it would be a good idea to introduce Kurt gradually so he had invited him over when only Cooper and his mother were home. He would figure out how to introduce him to his dad later. Kurt (and he) and had enough of the homophobia lately and he hadn't wanted to add to that.

Blaine, dressed in dark jeans and a burgundy sweater, stepped out onto his porch to wait for his boyfriend. What he didn't notice was that his dad had just pulled into the garage having finished work early and used the side door to enter the house.

As soon as Blaine caught sight of Kurt approaching up the sidewalk he ran to him. It had been a month of dating him and Blaine's heart just couldn't contain all the feelings he had for this beautiful boy. What had taken him so long to see the light, he didn't know but now that he had he was going to make the most out of every moment. "Kurt," he said, "you found it!"

"I will always find you, Blaine," Kurt said with a huge smile on his face as he made his way up the driveway.

"I'm so glad you're here," Blaine smiled as he grasped both of Kurt's hands in his and leaned in to kiss him. Lips on lips, the kiss was chaste but eager and filled with promise. Both their eyes sparkled in the winter sun as they gazed at each other. "Come meet my mom and brother," Blaine whispered. "They're going to love you."

Cooper and Mrs. Anderson did indeed fall in love with Kurt and everyone had a fun and relaxed time – because Robert had stayed in his study. Blaine hadn't even known he was home - until later. After Kurt had left Robert let himself into Blaine's room and looked at him with such disappointment that Blaine wanted to cry. And he did.

"How can you do this to your family," he hissed. "The Andersons have always worked hard for the money we have. And we've done that so that we can give you everything, Blaine. We have put you in one of the best private schools in the country. Is this how you repay us? I saw you, Blaine. I saw that disgusting kiss on my driveway. My driveway! You need to stop Blaine. For the love of God, stop kissing boys in the street."

Blaine's mind returned again to the present. He was sitting heavily in the chair beside his father's bed with both his hands wrapped around his hand. He had given up on holding back his tears or wiping at his face. He let himself cry as he remembered how much it had hurt to hear his dad call him disgusting. How could love and affection ever be disgusting? Blaine never understood it.

As Blaine grew older and his and Kurt's relationship became stronger Blaine toughened up. He stood up to his father as much as his heart could take – he wouldn't be pushed around, not when it came to his love for Kurt. Even when they had broken up, Blaine didn't allow his father to bad mouth him or congratulate him on "finally coming to his senses" and on "getting his act together and finally ridding himself of the sins". When Blaine was too tired to argue he simply withdrew and ignored. And that actually brought his dad around a little bit. Robert was in no way okay with Blaine's orientation but he was no longer as belligerent and hurtful as he had once been. He was starting to realize that Blaine wasn't going to grow out of it – it was who he was and in order to keep the peace with his wife, Robert let go a little bit.

Robert's execution of how he treated Blaine had eased up but his beliefs were still the same – and it hurt Blaine just as much as it always had that he wasn't accepted like Cooper was.

Blaine watched his dad's chest rise and fall. He counted the breaths for a long while until he grew tired and closed his eyes, the memories swirling in his mind again.

The day Kurt Hummel had accepted his proposal had been to date, the happiest moment of Blaine's life. The man he loved, the man he wanted to spend his entire life loving had agreed to marry him. Nothing on earth could bring him down from the elation he felt in his heart.

It had been a really big task to get all the show choirs together and to essentially rent out Dalton Academy for his extravagant plan. But he and his family had deep ties with the school and so when Blaine asked the Headmaster, there had been no hesitation. The plan went off without a hitch and when Blaine saw Kurt on that staircase – the very same one that they met on, his heart skipped not just one beat but several.

After Kurt said yes and they hugged their friends and family who were so graciously present for the whole ordeal, Blaine took Kurt by the hand, his thumb caressing over the smoothness of his brand new ring, and tugged him outside to the Dalton courtyard. It was just the two of them now and Blaine had so much more he wanted to say. He could speak of his love for Kurt for days … years … lifetimes and never tire of it or run out of things to say. "I'm so glad you said yes," Blaine squeaked through wet lashes. "Oh thank God you said yes, I don't want a life without you by my side."

Kurt was crying so much that he couldn't even respond but Blaine didn't need him to. He knew how much Kurt loved him and wanted to be with him. Despite all the ups and downs, they were soulmates and they would spend their entire lives showing each other love, support, and faithfulness. Blaine's heart was going to explode if he didn't kiss his new fiancé again. Right now. Right here in the open - in the courtyard of the place they met, the place they fell in love, and the place in which they had their first kiss.

"I love you so much," Kurt said. And Blaine couldn't hold back any longer. He kissed Kurt with everything he had. It was passionate, deep, and truly perfect.

Blaine rode that high for weeks afterwards, even after Kurt had returned to New York Blaine was on cloud nine eternally.

Cooper saw how happy he was and hugged him on a regular basis, "I'm so happy for you, Squirt."

And his mother couldn't stop kissing his cheeks. "You look so happy, baby," she said. "And that makes me happy too. Congratulations."

But his father would never hug him like his brother had and would never kiss him like his mother did. Blaine was fine with it – he had long grown accustomed to his father's lack of affection. It hurt but his love for Kurt far outweighed the hurt that his father had caused. So when his dad approached him in the kitchen one morning Blaine wanted to let it roll off his back – but couldn't.

"You know Mr. Johnstone, Blaine? The chemistry teacher at Dalton?"

"Yes of course," Blaine said as he buttered his bagel.

"He told me something that really has made my skin crawl."

"And what is that?"

"He saw you and Kurt, Blaine. He saw you two kissing right there in the open - on Dalton Academy property. That school is one of the highest ranked in the country. They instill morals and values and you've shamed it by kissing another boy…"

"Dad, stop," Blaine put the knife down and turned towards his father. "First of all, Kurt is not another boy. He is my fiancé. We have been together for almost three years and I promise you, that kiss was nothing comparted to other things we've done on Dalton Academy property."

"Blaine Devon Anderson, how can you say these things to me?" Robert hissed with the most disgusted look on his face.

"The same way you can say all those terrible things to me, dad!"

Robert sighed. "Listen son. You are part of this family. I made you myself, your mother and I and I will be damned if I will let my youngest son ruin his life. This isn't good for you Blaine. What about your health? What types of diseases are you going to bring into this house? Stop kissing boys in the street, Blaine!"

Blaine's jaw dropped. How could he? How could his father be so ignorant and so cruel? He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down because right now all he wanted to do was punch his dad in the face. He carefully wrapped his bagel up in some wax paper and turned back toward his father. "Dad, you and I … we're done."

When Blaine heard gasping he tried to blink away his tears so that he could see through the haze of moisture. Everything was blurry but when he wiped at his eyes with a tissue he was able to see things once again coming into focus.

His dad's eyes were open – his hazel eyes which had once held that Anderson lustre to match his own were lucid and clear and staring right at him.

"Dad," Blaine whispered and moved closer, his hands still wrapped around his dad's. Blaine wasn't expecting for him to wake or open his eyes but now that he had he felt like he had so much to say to him - but the words wouldn't come out. He wanted to forgive him, he did, but the years of verbal and emotional abuse he had suffered was blocking it. Now, even with his father on his death bed Blaine was having a hard time forgiving him.

"Son…" Robert croaked.

"Shh, dad, you don't have to say anything. Just breathe, okay?" Blaine pleaded with him through watery eyes. "Just breathe and rest."

Robert's eyes seemed to soften. He blinked slowly, like the motion everyone takes for granted was the hardest thing to do at the moment. But his gaze never faltered away from his son and his hand squeezed Blaine's as he tried to speak again.

"Blaine…"

"Dad, shhh…"

"No. Listen."

Blaine stilled, his eyes large, his hands squeezing, and his heart aching painfully in his chest.

"All my life…" Robert began, his voice was raspy, barely a whisper and Blaine had to lean in to hear him, "I was taught that men could only love women."

Blaine swallowed. He couldn't listen to this. Not now. He couldn't have his dad's dying words to him be more hatred and disapproval. It was just too much to bear. But when his dad continued he couldn't stop him. He simply held his breath and listened.

"And all my life I was wrong," he said, his voice trembling and laboured. "I was wrong son. And I'm so sorry that it took me until now to finally learn what you were trying to teach me all your life."

Blaine couldn't stop his crying. The whines forming in his throat were exhaled in powerful sobs as he listened to his father's words.

"Love is love," Robert said.

Blaine was shaking with emotion as he heard his dad's words and saw his eyes fill with tears. "D-dad...I forgive you."

It hurt Robert to smile but he did anyway as he looked at his youngest son for the last time. "I know. And I'm sorry for the way I treated you and Kurt. I love you so much, son," Robert paused so that he could breathe, shallowly and painfully. "Promise me … just one thing."

"Yes."

Robert squeezed his son's hand as he closed his eyes, a few tears falling. He drew in a harsh breath, one last one and used it to tell his son something that Blaine would carry with him for the rest of his life, "That … when … I'm gone … you'll keep kissing boys in the street."

XXXXXXX

Blaine cried at his father's bedside for about an hour. He held his hand long after he had taken his last breath. Blaine kissed his dad's hand and his cheek as he cried for him, for all the time they had wasted fighting but also for all the time they wouldn't get to spend together and for everything that Robert would miss. He would never get to meet his grandchildren or see him win a Tony. But Blaine's heart was already healing because despite everything, he knew that his father would be able to truly rest in peace. He had accepted him and Blaine had forgiven him.

It took him a while to extricate himself from his dad's hand and bedside but he had to tell his family, as of now no one knew because they had all given Blaine all the time needed to spend with his dad and hadn't even attempted to enter the room.

The moment Blaine exited the room Cooper and his mom took one look at him and knew that Robert had passed. The three of them held each other and cried. They had all known this was coming but it didn't make it any easier. After he told his mom in general terms what his dad had said (and she had sobbed uncontrollably), he texted Kurt because as much as he loved his family, Kurt was the one he needed right now. Always.

XXXXXXX

Of course Kurt had arrived in record time. He too spent time with Cooper and Mrs. Anderson, hugging, soothing, and offering words of encouragement. When he thought it was appropriate he took Blaine's hand and announced that he was taking Blaine home to rest as he hadn't gotten much sleep the night (and weeks) prior.

They walked out of the hospital and to the sidewalk towards where Kurt was parked. Kurt took Blaine's arm and threaded it through his own, holding him close as they walked slowly.

"Kurt?"

"Yes, honey?" Kurt stopped to look into his husbands sad but still brilliant eyes.

"I want to kiss you."

Kurt was a little surprised because he hadn't expected for Blaine to say that but it was entirely welcomed. Kurt had long given up his trepidation of public displays of affection – New York City sort of did that to a person. But even so, his husband was hurting right now … he was grieving and whatever Blaine wanted he would give to him, no questions asked. "I want to kiss you too … always."

Kurt barely got the words out before Blaine's mouth was on his. The kiss was a little more heated than Kurt had expected out in the middle of a Westerville, Ohio street but he didn't really care. He kissed Blaine back with all the love he had in him, his hand moving to cup at his husband's cheek as their tongues caressed languidly.

Once the kiss was broken Blaine took in a deep breath and let it rush out between his lips in a long exhale. He once again took Kurt by the arm and continued walking.

"You okay?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah," he said. "I'm good actually. In many ways I'm better than I've ever been."

Kurt didn't need to ask. He knew. He knew that he had been able to forgive his dad and that a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He also knew that Blaine would tell him eventually what his dad had said to him – but even if he didn't, it wouldn't matter.

They had each other and that would never ever change.

XXXXXXX

A/N ... This story was fully inspired by / got its title from / and includes some lyrics from the song Boys In The Street by Greg Holden. The version that I fell in love with though is covered by Austin Percario and KHS. I think it would be complimentary to either read the lyrics or watch the video(s).