A/N I forgot to do that at the end of 'For in my Heart I CArry such a Heavy Load', so I'll do it here in the hope that you'll see it: Thanks to all those who read, followed, favorited and left rewievs. I really appreciate it!
Kurt is surprised by how much he enjoys the flight. Blaine is easy to talk to, and he enjoys his company and their innocent, teasing flirtation. They clear most of the important things they have to know about each other to be able to pass as boyfriends and then decide to practice on the physical aspects of their fake relationship. They leave the plane hand in hand, and although they are in Ohio, no one bats an eye.
They decide to go for another coffee before finding their hotel, and when they are seated at a corner table, Kurt decides to disclose one last, slightly embarrassing detail about their stay.
"So. About that hotel."
"Yes?"
"Um...my dad booked the rooms. And as I told him we're together, he...booked us a double."
"So?"
"So we have to sleep in one room."
"I assumed we would."
"You did?"
"It would look kind of weird if you had insisted on separate rooms for you and your boyfriend, wouldn't it? So, as long as you don't insist on some crap like one of us sleeps on the floor or keeping your sword between us the whole time, I'm good."
Kurt has to laugh.
"I'm glad to hear that. And I'm sure you'll be glad to hear that I don't own a sword. But I hope you don't have a husband that I must prove to that I'm no danger to your virtue?"
"None that I know of. I do have a father and an older brother though, but I doubt they want anything to do with my virtue."
Just like that, they are back to laughing as Blaine tells tales of his eccentric actor brother.
"And you?" Kurt asks when he can talk again. "Have you never wanted to follow his example?"
"I generally avoid to follow Cooper's example as much as possible," Blaine answers, shaking his head. "I...write."
"Anything I should have read?"
"No, I'm still working on, you know, the whole being published thing. At least, for a real novel. I've published some things, but they're more to pay the bills, in addition to the escorting."
"So what have you published? What do you write to pay the bills?"
Blaine looks slightly embarrassed. "Romance novels."
Kurt gapes at him with open mouth. "You write porn."
"It's not exactly..."
"Straight porn."
Blaine starts to answer, but then shrugs and lifts his arms in a gesture of surrender. "Yes, okay, you got me. I write straight porn for a living."
Kurt keeps gaping for a minute, and then he can't close his mouth because he just has to laugh. Blaine looks at him with an expression of amused patience, waiting for him to explain.
When Kurt feels he can stop laughing long enough to talk, he gives in.
"I just imagined what my dad would say if I told him my boyfriend was a porn writer – slash – escort. I mean, are you aware how that sounds?"
Blaine groans. "If I really were your boyfriend, I'd be terrified by now. But even though I'm not, do you think we could stick to event escort/aspiring author, please?"
Kurt nods enthusiastically, mouth full of coffee. "We definitely can. After all, you're here so the rumors about my love life stop, not to add new ones."
"So, if I may know, what precisely are these rumors?"
"Oh, you're so polite, I like that. Um, they're not so exciting, I guess. My - my dad basically just wants me happy, and since my career didn't quite go as I imagined but I'm quite happy with it anyway he focuses on my love life to nag me about. He tries to be subtle about it, but...well. I can see he wants for me to 'settle already', and it doesn't exactly help that my last break up was a very public and...loud affair."
"Oh, was that the story with what's her name again?"
"Linda. You have to remember that name. It's the one person at that party you are not required to be polite to. In fact, I practically forbid you to be polite to her."
"I'll do my best. I can't guarantee anything, though. I've been told I'm quite dapper."
Kurt takes in the gelled hair and the bow tie and can't argue that.
"You are. Oh, well, I guess you may be polite, if you must. But only polite."
"I already promised I won't sleep with her. So what's the story with her and your ex?"
"At the last bigger family party – I don't remember the occasion, some birthday or other, about three years ago, I went to pick up some people from the airport, and when we got back, we walked right in on them - my dad called it 'being indecent' on the living room couch. It was...very embarrassing for everyone involved."
"I can imagine."
"And since then, she just keeps making these remarks. Like I'm too boring or too ugly to get another guy. And if I do, she'll just sleep with him, too."
"Wow, she seems like a real sweetheart. And what does she mean, boring and ugly? I mean, we haven't known each other that long, but you seem pretty interesting to me. And you're hot."
Kurt snorts, discreetly but incredulous. "Yeah, right."
"No, really. Has no one ever told you? Have you had other boyfriends since asshole?"
"Ian. But asshole is okay. And nothing that went for longer than a couple of dates. Which is the third problem. Like, my older relatives, they have kind of accepted that I'm gay, but they seem to think that all gay guys just go to bars on the weekends and pick up a different guy every time. I have really heard my Aunt Mildred say that there's no use in allowing gay marriage because 'the gays don't really want to marry, anyway.' So I kind of want to show them a committed gay relationship."
"So how long have we been together?"
"In my timeline, we're hitting three months. I know that's not long in terms of commitment, but it's the longest that worked. I mean, I don't want to imagine my dad's reaction if I called him and said, There's this guy I've been seeing for a year now but you've never met him and I haven't even told you his name!"
They laugh, but then Kurt looks at his watch. "We should finish and leave soon. I've told the concierge we'd be there at five."
Blaine nods as he takes another sip pf his latte. "Can I ask you just one more thing? Earlier, you mentioned that your career didn't pan out as planned. You own a dance studio, right? So what did you want to do originally?"
Kurt smiles a little wistfully. "Broadway. I applied to NYADA, the performing arts school? But I didn't get in. I planned on applying again for the next year, and in the mean time I took a few classes to improve my chances. One of them was ballroom dancing, and I...just loved it, and I was really good at it, too. So I took more classes instead of reapplying, and then I learned how to teach the dances, and then five years ago I had that ridiculously good offer of a job as dance instructor, and when the owners of the school retired, I took over. It's great. The only thing is, I don't do much actual dancing anymore. Administration and finances take up a lot of time, and most of the actual teaching is done by Mike and Brittany. Still. I'm glad I went this way. Are you ready to go?"
As they stand up and get ready to leave, the old man that's been sitting at a neighboring table the whole time puts his newspaper down and looks at them. Kurt nearly drops his tray.
"Uncle...Uncle Andy?"
