The gym was about half-full, with a big sign welcoming parents and a long table covered in a tablecloth, bowls of chips and trays of cookies. Blaine poured himself a glass of punch. He never drank coffee in the evenings.
Teachers were sitting at tables scattered around the gym with their names printed on a tent cards. Blaine pulled out a piece of paper, and found a name that matched. Luckily the teacher was free. He could do this.
"Hi. I'm Blaine Anderson, Troy's Dad," he said, shaking the teacher's hand before sitting down.
The teacher was a woman in her thirties, with shoulder-length blond hair. She took one look at Blaine, and her generic smile warmed into a much friendlier one. "Oh yes. I'm Jessica Warner," she waved to the card on her table.
Blaine nodded, smiling back and feeling nervous. "I think Troy has you for math, right?"
"Yes, and he is doing quite well so far," Jessica nodded. "Um, so is your wife here? It's best to talk to parents together."
"Oh, um, we are divorced. I have custody and she lives in a different state," Blaine explained, wanting to make it clear that he was the one in charge of Troy's education.
Jessica's smile widened even further. "Oh really?"
...
An hour later, Blaine was back at the snack table, getting another glass of punch. It had been a little exhausting, having the teachers seem more interested in getting to know him, the new man in town, instead of telling him how Troy was doing in their classes.
One of the teachers, Jessica, caught his gaze and seemed to be heading his way, her look a little too interested.
Turning to face the other direction, he saw a very handsome man pouring himself a cup of coffee from the big urn. He was a couple inches taller than Blaine, with fair skin and brown hair styled off his face. He poured milk into the hot beverage and took a sip, making a bit of a face.
"I think that coffee has been sitting there a few hours," Blaine chuckled, finishing off his punch.
The man shrugged, perusing the picked over contents of the table. "My expectations weren't very high, but this spread has failed to even meet them."
He had a higher voice than Blaine expected, with almost a musical lilt. But when he gave Blaine a half-smile, he was hit with the double whammy of gorgeous blue eyes and a dimple.
"Um, um, yes..." Blaine stammered, forgetting what they had been talking about.
The other man's eyes seemed a touch bemused by this. "What grade are your children in?"
"I just have Troy, grade two. We just moved here," Blaine took a half-step closer. Should he introduce himself?
The other man opened his mouth to talk, but then his gaze went across the gym to a pretty blond woman standing near the entrance with an Asian boy. "Have a good night," he said quickly to Blaine, before rushing away.
Blaine watched the man join the other two, talking and smiling. An attractive couple, and the boy must be their adopted son. Many people adopted babies from China these days.
He felt a pang of disappointment. His gaydar had perked up a little around that man, and usually it wasn't that far off.
He left soon afterwards, wanting to avoid any more overly friendly teachers.
...
"Dad, can I sleep over at Dave's place on Saturday?"
Blaine looked up from his laptop, feeling a little distracted. "Hmmmm?"
Troy rolled his eyes, reminding Blaine of his ex-wife. He took after her in looks, with wide green eyes and straight brown hair. Blaine just hoped her personality hadn't been passed along as well.
"A guy in my class asked me to a sleep-over Saturday. Say yes, please," his son widened his eyes beseechingly.
Blaine chuckled at Troy's attempt at puppy dog eyes. He must really want this, to pull that old trick out. "Well, I'd have to meet his parents first."
"Great! I'll get your their phone number!" Troy jumped up, running over to the desk-top computer. Blaine had lots of parental controls on it, and kept it in the living room. Wanting to be somewhat aware of what his son doing online.
Smiling after his son, Blaine looked back at his work. At least his son seemed to be adapting to living in this small city, doing well in school and making friends. That was the most important thing.
Troy came back ten minutes later, passing him a piece of paper with a name and phone number on it. "Call now, OK?"
"Fine. How about you change into your pyjamas and brush your teeth? I'll come in to read to you once I'm done the call," Blaine said, picking up his phone and entering the contact details.
Nodding, Troy raced off to his bedroom, slamming the door behind him.
Blaine phoned, waiting for it to pick up.
"Hello?"
"Oh, hello. May I speak with Kurt Hummel?"
"Speaking."
Blaine was a bit surprised. The voice was a little high for a man, and slightly familiar. "Oh, um, yes. Well, I believe your son, Dave, invited my son over for a sleepover. I'm Blaine Anderson."
"Oh yes. Troy, right? He can't stop talking about him."
That was good to hear. "Great. Well, we have just moved to town and I'd like to meet you first, if that's alright."
Maybe he was being a bit paranoid, coming from a big city, but he was careful with his son.
"Of course. Sensible precaution," Kurt chuckled, seeming understanding about the request. "Look, we are having a casual get together Friday night. Why don't you pop by around 7 for a drink or dessert? You can bring Troy along."
Blaine had been expecting grabbing a quick coffee during the day, but this would be even better. He could see their house, get a feel for Dave and his parents. "Um, sure. Yes. Can I bring anything?"
"No, no. We'll have lots of food. I'll text you the address, Blaine."
"Great, Thanks Kurt."
After hanging up, Blaine closed his laptop and got up, stretching. He ambled over to Troy's bedroom, and knocked on the door before entering.
His son was in his pyjamas, playing with his Harry Potter LEGO set. Blaine picked up a thick book with a bookmark near the beginning . "Come on, in bed please."
Troy climbed under the covers, and Blaine sat beside him, leaning against the headboard. Troy immediately snuggled against his side and Blaine wrapped an arm around him.
"Now where were we," Blaine opened the book, and started reading a chapter. It was a pretty funny one, and Blaine chuckled along with Troy over the students having to deal with the inept, vain teacher.
"Gilderoy Lockhart reminds me of Ms. Warner," Troy commented as Blaine finished the chapter and put the book down.
Blaine nodded, looking down at his son. "Your math teacher? She doesn't seem to know what she's doing?"
Troy shook his head. "No, she's an OK teacher. Just that she always wears dresses and lots of make-up."
Blaine couldn't argue with that. She had already sent him emails twice since the parent-teacher event, suggesting that they needed to talk about Troy. When he had replied to ask if he was having problems in her class, the responses had seemed a bit flimsy. He had said he was busy with a new job and she could email him any concerns.
"I spoke with Dave's dad," Blaine said, changing the subject.
"So, I can go on Saturday?" Troy asked, with a wide smile.
Blaine gave him a level look back. "You know I need to meet his parents before I give permission."
"But Dad, this isn't the big, scary city! It's Lima! Nothing scary happens here!" Troy whined, pouting.
The big production didn't sway Blaine. "Yes, it's safer here than Columbus, and that's the main reason we moved here. But there are still bad people out there and I love you too much to put you in danger. So, we are going to meet them on Friday."
Troy rolled his eyes at his over-protective father, but seemed to let it go.
Blaine kissed him goodnight, and turned out the light, leaving the bedroom door open a crack so it wasn't too dark.
Troy has adapted fairly well to the move, settling into school well. It would be great if he made some close friends, so Blaine was really hoping things looked OK with Dave.
...
"Can I ring the doorbell?" Troy asked, and then raced up the steps when Blaine nodded.
The house was a simple two story in an average neighbourhood. Although nothing fancy, the lawn was neat and the house in good shape. It was a mild fall night, and there were many neighbourhood kids out on bikes and scooters, racing around on the street.
The door was answered by an Asian boy that looked vaguely familiar. "Troy!" he said, a big smile taking over his whole face. He opened the door wider, letting them in. "Kurt is out back," he added, looking up at Blaine.
They followed him through the house, and out the back door. The yard was a good size, with a fence enclosing it. Near the house was an area with paver stones and many patio chairs. Most of the rest of the space was grassy, and Dave and Troy ran off to play soccer with an older boy and a young man in his twenties.
A guy stood up from a patio chair, and Blaine recognized him from the teacher night. He smiled, stretching out a hand. "Kurt Hummel, although I kind of think we met before."
"Blaine Anderson," he replied automatically, feeling a zing of awareness from Kurt's hand. "Um, yes, from that teacher parent thing. You had bad coffee."
Oh sheesh, what a stupid thing to say. Blaine cringed internally. Good looking men always did this to him.
Another man had stood up, standing beside Kurt. He was about six feet tall, slim and muscular, with blond hair and a friendly smile. Another very good looking guy.
"Sam Evans," he said simply, shaking Blaine's hand as well. "Would you like a drink? Beer, wine, soda?"
"Oh, um, a coke would be fine," Blaine said, sitting in one of the chairs when Kurt waved him that way.
Sam gathered up some empty bottles and plates, and headed back into the house, seeming perfectly at ease.
Blaine was a bit thrown by this. Were Kurt and Sam a couple? Sam has acted like a host, offering him a drink and tidying up. But then who had that blond woman been at the school? Maybe Sam's sister? Dave's aunt?
"So, why did you move to Lima of all places, Blaine?" Kurt asked, giving him a friendly smile.
The dimple was back, momentarily distracting Blaine. "Oh, um, I just got divorced recently and wanted a better, quieter place to raise Troy than Columbus. A law firm here offered me a job, and I think they understand I'm a single father. I won't have to work such long hours as my last job."
"Kids come first," Kurt agreed. "Lima definitely is a quiet place. I grew up here."
"Really?" Blaine asked, intrigued. Kurt had a worldly air about him, and the way he had dressed at the school showed a real sense of fashion awareness. Tonight he was in skinny jeans and deep red turtleneck sweater, looking casual but put together.
Sam returned then, passing Blaine a glass and opening up a couple more bottles of beer.
"Yup," Kurt said as he took a bottle from Sam. "Sam and I even went to McKinley High, sang together in glee club."
Gay. The thought popped into Blaine's mind, taking note of how close they were sitting, and how comfortable they seemed together. They must have adopted Dave.
"Well, a lot of the other football players were in it," Sam said defensively to Blaine.
Not gay. Blaine thought, noting the hetero way Sam responded to his glee club participation being mentioned.
"Why didn't you stay on as kicker? The other guys said you were good under pressure," Sam said to Kurt.
Not gay. Blaine thought, looking at Kurt assessingly again. Football, really? He didn't seem like the sporty type.
"Only if he played the right warm-up music," a woman said, coming out of the house towards them. Blaine immediately recognized her from the school.
She set a Bluetooth speaker down on the table and clicked on her phone a few times. A fast beat started pounding out a familiar song, and she grabbed Kurt, pulling him out of his chair.
All the single ladies (All the single ladies)...
Blaine was again surprised when Kurt and the woman stood side by side, facing Sam and Blaine, and started dancing in perfect unison. They knew every move from that old Beyoncé video, and Sam and Blaine just hooted and cheered them on.
Gay! Thought Blaine, smirking to himself at the way Kurt was dancing, smacking his own ass and flipping his head around like he had long hair.
The boys playing soccer stopped to watch the dancing, laughing along. Blaine was surprised when the tall teen and young man joined in, their steps not as polished as Kurt's. They even dragged Dave with them, who played along, watching the others and trying to match the steps.
When the song ended, the woman lowered the volume, and plunked down on a wicker love seat, Kurt at her side. She wrapped her arms around him tight, giving him a spontaneous hug. "You are still pretty good at that," she said to him.
"You taught him how to dance?" Sam asked, clearly amused.
The younger guys had gone back to playing soccer, the break to do a dance routine apparently nothing strange to them. Blaine liked the whole relaxed feel of this gathering.
The blond woman grinned back at Sam, and then sent Kurt a flirty look. "And I taught him how to kiss too."
Not gay. Blaine thought, his spirits deflating again. The easy familiarity and everything else was pointing towards Blaine's first impression being right, that Kurt was with this blond woman. Maybe Sam was the uncle?
Kurt rolled his eyes. "As I was about to tell Sam before you invaded, Brittany, I stopped playing football about the same time I stopped kissing you. When I came out to my Dad."
Gay! Blaine thought, and tried really hard not to beam in happiness at the news.
The young man was heading towards them now. He was about six feet tall, and fairly muscular, with spiky brown hair and hazel eyes. Blaine would guess he was in his early twenties.
"Well, it's time for me to head out," he said, looking around at Kurt, Brittany and Sam.
They all jumped up, giving him hugs and saying their goodbyes. Kurt was the last one, his hug the longest.
"You'll be back next Friday, right? House rules," Kurt said firmly, pulling back.
The man nodded, chuckling. "Yes, of course. But you can't say 'house rules'. I don't live here anymore, Dad."
Kurt just laughed, watching him fondly as he left, and sitting back down.
Blaine was more confused than ever. Kurt looked to be around his age, early thirties. How could he have a son only ten years younger?
Brittany walked off, taking the speaker with her and gathering the remaining three boys near her. Soon she was teaching them some hip hop moves, and Blaine was happy to see Troy even joining in.
Sam had picked up a guitar, and was strumming it lazily, his musical talent obvious. He seemed to be playing around, trying to figure out the right chords for a song.
With everyone else occupied, it seemed like the right time to figure out what was really going on here. "Um, so the guy who just left is your son?"
Kurt turned back to Blaine, nodding. "Yes, that's Ethan. He got a football scholarship to OSU. He's in his third year."
"It's nice that he comes back to visit pretty often," Blaine said, still trying to think of a diplomatic way to ask about the family situation.
"It's a family tradition. We always try to have dinner together as a family on Fridays. He comes if he doesn't have a game," Kurt explained. "My father started it, when my mother died."
"Oh, he raised you on his own? I'm a single father too now," Blaine said, still feeling a bit awkward explaining his situation.
Kurt grinned. "Actually, he remarried when I was in high school. He met Carole the way we met, at a teacher-parent night."
Sam scoffed, stopping his strumming to look up teasingly at Kurt. "That's not the way I heard it. Didn't you hook them up as a way to get closer to Finn?"
"Hey! Blaine is here, trying to see if we are normal enough to trust having his son sleepover. How about you stop telling him all about my awkward years as the only gay teen in town?"
The only gay teen? So that must mean Sam was straight. Not Kurt's boyfriend?
Sam grinned at Kurt and looked at Blaine. "You have nothing to worry about with Kurt. Why do you think they keep sending him foster kids? He's a great parent."
"Oh, you foster Dave?" Blaine asked, the possibility one of the few scenarios he hadn't considered tonight.
Kurt smiled ruefully. "I kind of fell into it, really. I came back to Lima when my Dad passed away. My step-mom was getting older, and wanted to move in with her sister, in Toledo. So I came back to fix up the house and the business, getting them ready to sell. Thought it would only take a few months."
"And now it's been what, six years?" Sam smirked, coming over to sit beside Kurt and wrapping a friendly arm over his shoulder.
"I decided to stay in the house and run the business until I had enough money to do the repairs needed. And then along came Ethan, needing a safe place to stay. An old school friend was in child services and convinced me to help him, saying it would just be a few months," Kurt drawled, his tone clearly ironic.
"And now you have two more boys and adopted Ethan," Sam said, seeming pleased.
"You adopted him?" Blaine said, again surprised, but impressed.
Kurt shrugged. "He came out to his religious parents when he was 16, and his father beat him so badly he ended up in the hospital. I fostered him when he was discharged, and we all worked with his family. Lots of family counselling and all that, but the social workers never thought he would be truly welcome or safe with them. He aged out of foster care, and basically didn't have a family."
"And then he went off to college and you took in other kids," Sam added, clearly proud of his friend.
Kurt seemed a bit embarrassed by all this talk about his past. "Well, I couldn't go back to New York then. I needed to stay in Ohio for Ethan. We are family now. Besides, you and Brittany help out lots with the kids. Giving them free dance and music lessons."
Sam stood up, stretching, and put his guitar in its case. "Anytime, Kurt."
They hugged goodbye, and Brittany and the kids came over, giving another warm goodbye. Brittany left with Sam, leaving Kurt alone with Blaine.
"Blaine, I don't think you met Wardell," Kurt said.
The older African American boy smiled, and shook Blaine's hand. He was around fourteen, already fairly tall but very thin.
"Can you boys please help clean up out here? It's getting late," Kurt said, gathering up the bottles and glasses, and carrying them towards the house.
Blaine helped, taking a mostly empty platter of fruit with him.
In the kitchen, Kurt efficiently rinsed the dishes and filled the dishwasher, and put the bottles in recycling. Like the rest of the house, things were a little run down, but very clean and tidy. It looked like a comfortable family home.
"So, Blaine, you heard all about me, but I didn't hear much about you except that you are divorced and a lawyer. Where did you live before?" He poured out a glass of water, and after arching a questioning eyebrow at Blaine, passed him one too.
"Columbus. I worked long hours at my father's firm, and it really wasn't good for my family. My ex-wife liked the money, but it turned out she left Troy mostly with the nanny. She had a lot of bad habits that eventually came out, and made it pretty easy to get sole custody," Blaine explained, sitting at the kitchen table with Kurt. Talking way more than he usually did. But how often did you find another gay, single father?
Yeah, and it had nothing to do with thinking he was hot...
"So, you wanted to reconnect with your son. Well, bravo to you for uprooting your whole life to give him a new start," Kurt said, and seemed to mean it.
Blaine felt really pleased at the praise. "Well, it's not as amazing as everything you have done..."
Kurt gave a half-smile. "Marley, my social worker friend, gets most of the credit for all that. She grew up poor, like me, with a single mom. She always calls me when there's an orphan or an LGBTQ kid that needs placement. Knows I can't turn them away."
"So, um, about tomorrow, I have no problems having Troy stay over, if it's not too much work for you," Blaine said, knowing he'd have to take his son home soon.
"No trouble at all. Sleepovers are great, actually. It keeps the kids busy all night and they have a blast. Gives me a quiet night," Kurt said, and then he paused. "Um, actually, you could, um, hang out here too. Um, tomorrow night..."
Blaine's eyebrows raised up, and he could swear Kurt was blushing slightly. Was he asking Blaine for a date?
"Oh, I didn't mean all night, um, I just meant, like have dinner here and watch a movie? To, um, make sure Troy feels comfortable staying over," Kurt rushed on, still a bit flushed.
Blaine smiled gently, and nodded. "I think it's a great idea. Just to make sure Troy settles in OK."
"Great!" Kurt sprang up, almost tipping over his glass. "Let's tell the boys."
Following Kurt, Blaine almost chuckled. This could be a very good weekend after all.
...
"Dad, do you really have to come over to Dave's place?" Troy whined, picking up his duffle bag.
Blaine grinned, pulling on his leather jacket. He had taken special care with his grooming and clothes today, wanting to look good, but not wanting to make it look like he was trying to. He was wearing his favourite jeans, and a black polo shirt with a few white vertical stripes running down the sides.
"I won't stay too long. Dave's dad invited me over for dinner, and it would have been impolite to refuse him," Blaine replied, trying to keep a straight face as he urged Troy out of the condo. "We will keep out of your way."
"You better!"
One thing Blaine really loved about Lima was how fast it was to get anywhere, rarely dealing with any traffic or parking issues. It felt like mere minutes before he was parking in front of Kurt's home.
Dave answered the door quickly, and hauled Troy excitedly down to the basement. Blaine stood awkwardly in the entranceway.
Kurt appeared around the corner, and Blaine felt like he'd been punched in the gut. This was the third time seeing the man, and he looked even better than before. Black jeans made his legs look long, with a fitted white t-shirt. A multicoloured scarf was wrapped around his neck with casual elegance. Gorgeous.
What made it even better was that Kurt seemed just as stunned by how Blaine looked. He slipped off the jacket, hanging it in the closet, and loved the way Kurt was slowly looking him over.
"Um, Troy and Dave headed off to the basement," Blaine finally said.
Kurt swallowed hard. "Oh, yeah. I gave Dave the controllers to the Nintendo when he finished his chores. They'll be busy for hours."
He led Blaine into the kitchen, and took out a black apron, holding it out towards Blaine. "I was about to start chopping up pizza toppings. Want to help?"
They both put on black chef aprons, and washed their hands. Blaine wasn't that experienced in cooking, but Kurt was a good teacher. Pretty soon they were standing side by side at the counter, chopping vegetables.
"So, you hide the controllers?" Blaine asked, slicing mushrooms.
Kurt shrugged. "It's good motivation for the kids to get their chores done."
"Well, I'm new at being a single dad, so any advice you have is welcome," Blaine said, trying not to get distracted and cut himself. He just wanted to watch Kurt.
"I just do things the way my Dad did, really. He was an amazing father. We had really different interests, but he made an effort to encourage me. He made this a home," Kurt said, the love he had for the man really coming through.
Blaine sighed, thinking of his parents. "I frankly don't know what to do. I didn't have an example like that in my life."
Kurt flashed him a look, and then nodded. "Well, I never know how long the kids I have will be with me, so I focus on giving them a regular schedule and teaching them life skills. Things we all need to know before we are adults. How to cook and clean, take care of your clothes, shop on a budget. But mostly it's about spending time with them, showing you care."
"And they do all that?" Blaine said, thinking back on how hard it was to get Troy to even brush his teeth.
"We do things together. Then they feel like they are helping, being a part of things."
Kurt pulled out four metal pans, each with pizza dough already spread out over them. "I'll call the boys up to put on their own toppings."
Blaine went over to open the bottle of red wine he had brought, hoping it didn't look too date-ish. It was great watching Kurt in action, getting the boys to wash their hands and prepare their pizzas. Once in the oven, he even asked them to set the table, and Dave showed Troy how.
Kurt and Blaine prepped their own pizzas, getting them ready to stick in the oven after the boy's. "Where is Wardell?"
"Sleepover at a friend's place," Kurt said, smirking slightly at Blaine.
Blaine laughed. "It sounds like there are sleepovers every weekend!"
"I know a lot of single moms who like an occasional night off too. We all take turns," Kurt said, layering his toppings all over, but not adding any onion.
Blaine left the onion off his pizza as well.
They sat with the boys when their pizza was ready, sipping the wine and letting them babble on excitedly about the video game. Blaine found it really cute when Dave would start a sentence and trail off, with Troy jumping in to finish it. They were fast on their way to becoming close friends.
They were finished by the time Blaine and Kurt's pizzas were cooked. Kurt told them they could go back downstairs once they put their dishes in the dishwasher.
Blaine poured out more wine, suddenly feeling a bit shy and nervous. They ate quietly, sneaking glances at each other. The food was good, and Blaine tried to just enjoy it. He got Kurt talking about his father and the Hudsons.
After tidying up the kitchen, they carried their glasses out to the living room. Kurt looked over a shelf of DVDs and came over to show a few to Blaine. "I'm in the mood for a classic. Would any of these interest you?"
They were all black and white films, and Blaine grinned. "Hmmmm it's been ages since I've seen those movies. Audrey or Katherine?"
It took a minute for Blaine to chose one, and Kurt put it in the player. He turned down the lights, and sat of the sofa beside Blaine.
Pretty soon the 1950s movie started, Audrey Hepburn striding across the screen, captivating two wealthy brothers.
"Would you like more wine?" Kurt asked.
Blaine shook his head. "I better not. I'll be driving home soon."
"So soon?" Kurt asked, looking disappointed.
Gathering his nerve, Blaine shifted closer to Kurt on the sofa. "Well, I don't want to overstay my welcome."
"You are very, very welcome here, Blaine Anderson," Kurt told him softly, his gaze dropping to Blaine's mouth.
Unable to resist, his heart pounding hard, Blaine leaned in, gently touching Kurt's lips with his own. He backed off just an inch, hoping he hadn't read the signals completely wrong, his breathing already faster.
Kurt was the one making up the distance this time, his kiss much firmer. Blaine sank right into it, drawing Kurt into his arms, making it a proper kiss. It was incredible, his heart thumping and everything around them seeming to fade away.
They were jarred out of it when the movie ended, and it was suddenly quiet except for their fast breathing. Had they just made out the whole movie?
Kurt chuckled, pulling away. "These old movies. They don't have long end credits."
Blaine took his hand, not wanting to stop touching Kurt just yet. He expected it to be smooth, but it had some rougher patches.
Kurt seemed a bit embarrassed. "I use a lot of cream on my hands, but I can't wear gloves at the shop."
"What kind of shop is it?"
"Tire and Lube," Kurt said, and grinned. "I know, everyone's always surprised, but I grew up working there. I know my way around a car."
"How do you fit that around the boys?" Blaine asked.
"I have a couple of employees, one covers early shift, one late shift. I work while the kids are in school, and they come to the shop afterwards. We all go into the office, so they can do their homework while I take care of the business paperwork. Sometimes I show them how to do stuff on the cars, just like my dad showed me."
Blaine leaned close for another kiss. "You are incredible, Kurt. I can't believe I found a guy like you in Lima, Ohio, of all places. I thought I wouldn't meet any gay men until Troy was an adult and I could move back to Columbus."
"You were planning on being celibate for ten years?" Kurt chuckled.
Giving Kurt another kiss, Blaine shook his head. "With you around, God, I hope not."
Kurt gave a wicked grin in response to that. "Well, being single parents makes that a bit harder to arrange. Even finding time to date."
"Well, we could just do things with the boys. Come over to my place for dinner. Take the kids out to an amusement park," Blaine thought quickly, wanting to make this work.
"Sometimes I wonder if this is all worth it. I could be living in New York, a free man, dating anyone I wanted. Working in the arts, having great discussions over crafted cocktails and French cuisine. Instead, I'm trapped here, barely able to pay the bills. Growing a garden just to have enough for everyone to eat," Kurt shook his head, pulling away from Blaine a little.
Blaine felt a bit hurt by that, but he knew it wasn't the Kurt he'd already come to know so far. "You know, you said at dinner how much you admired your dad for raising you alone for all those years, and the way he went into politics to fight for gay rights. He was a small town man who did what was right and made a difference in many people's lives. And you are doing that exact same thing, Kurt."
Kurt blinked hard at that, looking emotional, and Blaine gathered him close. "I'm trying to do it too, Kurt. Leaving the easier, more glamorous life, to be here for my son. I want to raise him like you are raising these foster kids. Being there for him, loving him."
"You will be good at it, Blaine," Kurt said, pulling back.
"So, are you OK to keep seeing me?" Blaine asked, just needing to know.
Kurt nodded. "Yes, but my schedule is pretty full, and the kids come first. Can you handle that?"
"Yes, because I'm in the same situation," Blaine chuckled, and kissed Kurt properly, feeling so happy.
"Kurt, can we have dessert?"
Blaine and Kurt broke apart, laughing. Dave had hollered the question from the basement.
"It could have been worse. He could have come upstairs and seen us, um, together," Kurt flushed, and got off the sofa.
Blaine followed him into the kitchen, watching as be pulled out a container of brownies and some ice cream.
Kurt went to the basement stairs. "OK, come on up. You have to eat it at the table because it's messy."
Five minutes later they were all digging into rich, chocolaty, warmed brownies, with melting vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup on top. The boys were letting out hums of pleasure.
Kurt licked the chocolate syrup off his spoon. "If you boys guess the secret ingredient in the brownies, you will get out of washing your dishes."
Both Troy and Dave shouted out guesses, like buttermilk, pudding and cinnamon. Kurt just shook his head, chuckling at some of the funnier suggestions.
No one guessed right, so the boys cleaned up the kitchen. Blaine walked to the door with Kurt.
"Thanks for a great night, Kurt. I never thought meeting the parent of one of Troy's friends would turn out like this," Blaine said, taking Kurt's hand just to hold it.
"With zucchini brownies and making out on the sofa?" Kurt said, his eyes flirty.
"Zucchini!" Blaine laughed.
Kurt shrugged. "We had a lot at the end of summer. I sneak it into all sorts of things."
"Mmmm I like sneaky men," Blaine said softly, leaning in for a kiss. "Maybe you can sneak me into all sorts of things too."
Kurt chuckled, opening the door and pushing Blaine outside. "Was that some kind of proposition?"
"Oh God, no," Blaine said, aghast. "Um, I've been married for ten years and I'm totally rusty at dating, Kurt. That was me trying to flirt."
"It's been years for me too, Blaine. I'm rusty as well," Kurt confessed. "Like yesterday when I invited you for dinner. I was blushing and could hardly finish a sentence."
Blaine leaned in until their foreheads touched. "I'm really happy we met, Kurt."
"Want to come over for breakfast?" Kurt blurted, and then blushed. "Um, I mean, you need to come back to pick up Troy, right? Or would lunch be better, in case they sleep in?"
Blaine kissed him, and pulled back smiling. "Text me in the morning. I'll come over whenever you want."
And the way Kurt smiled back at him practically had Blaine floating all the way to his car.
...
-A/N: Fluffy & more fluff! Thx for reading!
-Tropes: This is one of five seperate stories in a 'TROPES' series, all based on the 'Ultimate Battle of the Tropes' posted by spaceorphan18 recently on tumblr. This story has three tropes: "Wait, What is this hot single dad doing at the PTA meeting? I thought I was the only hot single dad here", "We're super cute middle-aged people just trying to raise kids", and "Canon did show us this, but clearly thought processes need to be explored in more detail."
-Parenting: This is a very idealized version of parenting & foster care. I know kids aren't always this agreeable/well-behaved, especially kids who have been through so much, like these foster kids.
-Trope: "Canon did show us this, but clearly thought processes need to be explored in more detail." Basically, this is a love letter to Burt Hummel as a father. He was a wonderful, single father for years before Carole came along. He accepted that Kurt was gay, and fought for his rights. Took the time to have the hard talks with him. Taught him to do chores around the house. Helped him become a strong, smart, fantastic man.
-I can easily see Kurt following in his father's example, giving a home to kids in need. Giving them a simple but warm family home, with a healthy balance of work and play. Sam and Brittany still live in Lima, and help Kurt out with babysitting and giving informal dance/music lessons.
-Foster Care in Ohio: "Foster parents care for children until a court decides that they can return home safely or that they should be placed with adoptive parents or legal guardians. Foster parents often work directly with the child's parents. They teach them skills and encourage them. They also are expected to be active and involved in the child's case. This means attending court hearings, school meetings and functions; providing routine transportation for the child; and communicating regularly with caseworkers and service providers.
Most children return to their parents or another relative within a year, but sometimes it takes longer. By becoming a child's foster parent, you agree to care for the child as long as necessary. Foster parents often continue to encourage and support the child and family after the child returns home." (from the Ohio government website)
-Adopting Teenagers: "Research shows that young adults who age out of foster care without permanent families are more likely to have negative outcomes, including homelessness, unemployment, incarceration and unexpected pregnancies. Adopting a teenager can provide them with the support and guidance they need to become independent, successful adults who live up to their potential.
Adoption also can provide the lifelong supportive connections that we all need. You can be there at holidays, to walk them down the aisle on their wedding day and to be grandparents to their children."
-In this story, I can see Kurt working with the social workers to get Ethan back with his family. But by the time he is an adult, there is still no healthy relationship there. Kurt asks Ethan if he would like to be adopted, and as an adult, doesn't need his family's consent to do so. It is a way to formalize their father/son bond, and to give Ethan a loving home he can always return to.
-Sabrina: Kurt & Blaine watch 'Sabrina', a 1954 black & white movie starring the lovely Audrey Hepburn with Humphrey Bogart & William Holden. Plot: 'A playboy becomes interested in the daughter of his family's chauffeur, but it's his more serious brother who would be the better man for her.'
-Roots and Wings: The title comes from this old quote. 'There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots, the other, wings.' -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
-Happy Father's Day!