"Looks like Kurt's back," Burt remarks as a decidedly happier and lighter Blaine walks with him to the garage.

"Why don't you ask him to come join us?"

Burt stops in the middle of the road, one eyebrow raised, and Blaine laughs out loud. "I'm serious. It doesn't bother me. You're right about him not being my type, but you shouldn't freeze him out for what happened."

"But he..."

"Is your son, and I'd give anything to have my dad back again," Blaine says pointedly. "I told you, don't give up on him. You're a good person, Burt. He's not gonna come to you, is he? So you have to go to him."

"He's a stubborn ass," Burt grumbles as he pulls up the garage door.

"He's not the only one."

"What?"

But when Burt turns around in shock, Blaine is gone and all Burt hears is the front door slam.

"Kurt?"

Kurt scrambles up from his bed, shoving his phone back in his pocket before he rushes to the top of the stairs. "What?" he barks. "Is dad okay?"

"Uh..."

Blaine is inwardly cursing himself, knowing he should speak, but he's caught in Kurt's steady gaze and he's really rendered completely speechless by the sight of him in black jeans and a white tank, his hair mussed from where he's obviously been lying down.

"My dad?" Kurt repeats. "Is he okay?"

"He's uh..."

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Fine," Blaine snaps, the disparaging comment snapping him back to reality. "He's fine. I just wondered if you wanted to come and join us, that's all. I um...I know your dad would like it."

"You're not gonna get to suck my dick again," Kurt states bluntly, and Blaine turns a brilliant shade of crimson.

"How about you stop being a dick and come spend some time with your dad?" Blaine snarks, and surprised at the spark of anger, Kurt takes a step backward.

"Fuck off. No one tells me what to do."

"The epitome of charm," Blaine calls back as he walks toward the door. "No wonder you're single."

"Well?" Burt asks when Blaine reappears.

"He'll be down in five minutes," Blaine says confidently, though inside he's panicking, wondering how to explain Kurt's absence.

It takes ten minutes, not five, but Kurt does appear, dressed in his own red coverall with his name on, and the moment he does Blaine notices how Burt starts whistling, and he knows he's really pleased.

"What needs doing then?" Kurt asks, sounding bored, but Blaine watches as his eyes rake over the car and he senses he's secretly impressed at the progress that's been made.

"I wanna get this dent out of her hood," Burt tells him as he runs his hands over it. "I reckon we can do it. If not I'll have to drive to the next auction in Tennessee and I really don't want to have to do that."

"You won't get that out," Kurt remarks as he examines the dent. "Look at the way the grooves run down the hood. If you try to hammer that out you're gonna disrupt their lines."

"If he says he can, he can," Blaine interrupts.

"Who asked you?" Kurt retorts with a scoff. "Are you an expert on cars?"

"No, but neither are you."

"I know a damn sight more than you do, sunshine."

"Boys! Holy crap. Give it a rest," Burt cries in despair. "If all you're gonna do is fight then I'll work alone. Kurt; you might well be right, that's been my worry too, but I'd like to give it a go. The next auction isn't for two weeks, and it's on a Friday which is my busiest day. I can't really afford to take the time out, and there's no guarantee they'll have the right hood anyway."

Blaine nods and mumbles an apology, and the three set to work in silence. The work is painstakingly slow and requires watching from all angles. Two or three times when Blaine looks up it is to find Kurt watching him, but then he only looked up to watch Kurt anyway, so he can't really complain. There's a weird kind of jolt though, when they make eye contact, and Blaine looks away first, blushing and with a small smile on his face.

"Ugh. Right, I'm taking a break," Burt announces suddenly. "My eyes are giving up on me. I'll run inside and fix us all a snack. Kurt, can you look her over and let me know what you think please?"

"Sure," Kurt nods, and crouches down so his eyes are level with the hood.

"I reckon he's doing well," Blaine says into the silence that Burt leaves behind. "He's got a good eye."

"Yeah, I think he'll manage it actually," Kurt concedes. "It's just the rest of that side that'll prove tricky. He's done well though, considering he's a mechanic and not a body shop expert."

"Doesn't his garage do it all?"

"Yeah, but he has a guy who works for him, John. He does all that."

Blaine frowns in confusion. "So why doesn't he ask John to come do it then?"

Kurt straightens up, stretching his arms above his head. "Because you're not the only one who needs a friend."

"I have friends."

"No you don't. And neither does he, really. I think he gets quite lonely. He's certainly a lot happier since you've been coming over on weekends."

"I don't get what you mean."

"I mean, dipshit, that he's not gonna ask someone to come fix the dent quickly because then that means he gets less time to work on the car with you."

"Don't call me that!" Blaine cries. "Think what you want about me, but quit calling me names. I've done nothing to you, and I'm sorry that my existence seems to offend so many people, but I have enough of the name calling at home, so please, just stop."

Blaine sits down heavily on the workbench and Kurt watches as he sulks, his bottom lip jutting out slightly as his breath comes shaky and hard. For just a brief second, Kurt wonders what he'd be like when he had an orgasm, but then he quickly shoves that thought to the back of his mind and takes a step closer to him.

"I'm sorry."

Blaine shrugs but keeps looking out the open garage door rather than at Kurt himself. "S'okay."

"No it's not. I'm a jerk. And I'm not just sorry for the name calling either. I'm sorry for that night. I shouldn't have..."

"Just...can we agree to forget about it please?" Blaine says through gritted teeth. "I'd really rather pretend it didn't happen."

Kurt laughs softly. "Was it that bad?"

"Yes it was."

"Oh."

"You called me a little boy," he reminds him. "Said you only wanted me for my mouth."

"Blaine, I didn't..." he breaks off, and they're both struck by hearing Kurt say his name for the first time. "I was being a jerk."

"Sounds like you're a jerk a lot of the time."

"I...Well, maybe I am," Kurt shrugs. "Still, I apologize."

"Accepted," Blaine says briskly.

"Have you been back?"

"To the bar?" Blaine asks, and Kurt nods. "A few times."

"Oh. I thought maybe it was a one off for you." Kurt finds himself surprised, not only at Blaine's admission but also by the unmistakable feeling of jealousy in the pit of his stomach, even worse than the feeling he got that time he bumped into Jeremy and his wife at the theatre.

"I haven't been for a while, not since your dad asked me not to."

"Would you go tonight? If I asked you to?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because the reasons I went there in the first place were all wrong. You, or any of the guys there won't give me what I want or need."

Kurt smiles, making Blaine's heart race as he steps even closer, his blue eyes burning with desire. "Depends what you want," he states seductively, but as much as Blaine is tempted to haul him across the road to his empty house, he swallows and hardens his gaze.

"I want someone who will be my lover as well as my friend. Someone who will pay attention to me and listen to what I have to say. Someone who will laugh with me, let me take them out and lavish time and attention on them and I want someone who will kiss me like they mean it and not just shove their dick down my throat without any thought to what I might want or need in return."

Kurt gives a slight tilt of his head and steps backward. "I'm not that person," he says with what Blaine thinks might be a trace of regret.

"No you're not," Blaine says, but he offers a small smile to soften his words. "But whatever, I'm glad you came back for a visit. Your being here makes your dad really happy, and for that reason, I'd like it if we could get along."

"Yeah, I'll go with that," Kurt smiles, and laughs when Blaine offers his hand. He shakes it and then a moment falls which neither knows how to break, but Burt does it for them, kicking the house door open wide as he comes in holding a tray. He stops, looking to Kurt and Blaine and back again.

"Are you hitting on him? You'd better not be."

"No I am not!" Kurt cries with a quick glance to Blaine.

"He's not," Blaine confirms. "He knows he'd get turned down."

"Ha!" Burt sets the tray down and hands around cans of soda and the plate of cookies. "So Kurt, what's your opinion on that body?"

Kurt keeps his gaze locked on Blaine who blushes but doesn't look away while Burt runs his hands over the now smooth metal of the hood. Licking his lips, he winks. "Stunning."

They work for a couple more hours, but the atmosphere is easier, more lighthearted than before. Burt stretches, easing out the kinks in his back before turning to Blaine. "Wanna stay for some pizza?"

"Um," he gives a worried glance across the road where he can see Spencer's car has returned. "I'd better not. Thanks though."

"No worries. You know where I am, okay?"

"Sure."

"I'll see you tomorrow," Burt calls as he closes the door behind him.

"You don't have to leave on my account," Kurt says quietly, but Blaine shakes his head.

"It's not that. It's...no. I just need to get home really."

"Okay," Kurt says lightly, wondering why he's feeling so saddened that a sixteen year old won't be joining them for dinner.

"Hey, bed wetter!"

Blaine instantly recoils at the sound of James' voice booming across the street. "Dad says get your ass in for dinner!"

Blaine nods, and Kurt knows the young boy has seen him, but he's across the road seconds later flanked by two older guys who Kurt assumes are the other brothers. "Gay boy," the eldest snarls. "James was talking to you."

"I said I was on my way," Blaine whispers, head bowed.

"No you didn't. He didn't," the younger one whines up at his brother. "Dumb ass Blaine was talking to himself again, probably."

Kurt is just about to say something when the middle one speaks, taking him off guard. "Have you been working on the car all day?" he asks Blaine with concern.

Blaine looks equally as puzzled, nodding warily and the other boy sighs. "That's too bad, Blainey, cause you won't have been to the store to buy your diapers!" he laughs loudly at his completely unfunny joke then turns to Kurt. "Did you know he wets the bed? He does. He pees himself like a little kid and then tries to make out like we poured water on him."

Whatever reaction Max had been expecting, it certainly wasn't the massive shove from an enraged Kurt which sends him flying onto his ass on the hard concrete. "Get the fuck off my driveway," he snarls, snatching James by his collar and hauling him onto the sidewalk too. "And you," he barks at Simon, who takes a step toward Kurt but then thinks better of it when he sees he equals him in height. "Tell your dad that Blaine is staying for dinner, and if there's any issue I'll be pleased to discuss it with him. In the meantime I suggest you stay the hell away from me, got it?"

He doesn't get any response, only three backs as they retreat back across the road as quickly as they came, and he turns back to see Blaine almost cowering against the side of the car. His instinct is to hold him, just as Burt always used to do for him too when things were rough, but he resists, rocking on his heels instead. "You shouldn't let them talk to you like that."

"You didn't have to defend me, you know."

"Well," Kurt shrugs, not really sure how to voice what he's thinking. "You're...they made me angry," he mumbles, and Blaine is surprised to see him blushing.

"Still, you didn't have to worry about me, so thanks."

"Anytime."

"I'd better get going."

Kurt looks up sharply. "What? What are you talking about? You're staying for dinner. I told them you were."

"I wasn't sure if you meant it."

"Of course I did," Kurt says briskly, leading the way to the door. "We're only getting pizza though."

"No that's...that's...fine," Blaine mumbles as he hurries along after him. "That's...yeah. That's just fine."

"Stop saying it's fine."

"Sorry. Fine."

"Blaine!"

"Right." He stops, blushing hard as he slides past Kurt into the house, unable to resist whispering "fine" as he passes, and the grin on Kurt's face makes it totally worth the risk.

If Burt is surprised to see Blaine sitting awkwardly in the den when he comes down from the shower, he doesn't say anything. He merely hands the pizza menu to Blaine and tells him to choose, but he slides it onto the coffee table and shakes his head. "I don't... I mean...just whatever you want is..."

"Don't!" Kurt cries, picking up the menu, and then Burt is surprised by the easy laughter between the pair, and also by the way Kurt is smiling, because honestly, he can't remember when he last saw him look that happy. "Do you eat anchovies?"

"Yes."

"Good."

"No!" Burt cries. "Blaine! They're hideous!"

"And this is exactly why I'm grateful you like them," Kurt says, gesturing to his dad. "Because now I can finally justify ordering a pizza with them on. Okay. I'll dial."

Blaine relaxes the moment the decision is taken out of his hands, and finds himself enjoying an evening for the first time in months. Conversation is easy and light, talking about football, which Kurt professes to know nothing about but actually knows a great deal, and McKinley, the school Blaine will start in three weeks and which Kurt graduated from. That topic then leads directly on to father and son discussing moments from Kurt's childhood and Blaine doesn't even mind not being able to join in the conversation because it's so much fun to listen and watch Kurt laugh. In fact, Kurt is so mesmerising like this that Blaine is grateful that he knows what Kurt is really like, because otherwise he'd be crushing hard, and he's not.

Really, he's not.

It's just that Kurt is an incredibly commanding presence, and amazingly beautiful and smart.

"Hey," Burt says to Kurt, glancing at the clock and seeing it's gone nine. "I thought you were going out?"

"Nah, can't really be bothered," Kurt says, glancing across at Blaine. "Um...Blaine? Do you play cards?"

"I used to play go fish with my dad," Blaine says quietly, secretly thrilled that Kurt is staying put, "but that's about it."

"Dad? Shall we teach him to play crazy eights?"

"Oh gosh, Kurt, we haven't played that in years," Burt chuckles, but he rummages in the dresser drawer and produces a well worn pack of cards. "I don't even know if I can remember."

"Sure you can," Kurt smiles, and that is how Blaine finds himself eventually saying goodbye to them at one in the morning, his sides aching from laughter.

"I'll walk you over," Kurt tells him.

"There's no need," Blaine laughs. "I can see my house from here."

"Nope, Kurt's walking you over, no argument," Burt says loudly. "I'll see you tomorrow. Come at nine and we'll have breakfast together before Kurt goes back."

"You're going back?" Blaine asks as they walk across the dark and silent road together.

"I have work."

"Oh yeah. Vogue, right?"

"Something like that."

That seems a funny reply to Blaine, but Kurt doesn't choose to elaborate so Blaine doesn't choose to question him further, not wanting to spoil the evening. "Will you be coming back soon?"

"I might."

"You should. I think your dad has liked having you here."

"And you?"

They stop at the bottom of Blaine's porch steps, neither one wanting to break the eye contact which makes both their pulses race. Blaine doesn't know what in the world to answer with, because he's not sure what Kurt is implying or wants to hear, so he offers a half smile which really makes Kurt's stomach swoop. "It's been okay."

"Just okay?"

"Just okay," he repeats softly, and Kurt scuffs the ground with his toe and laughs quietly.

"Well I really enjoyed today so..."

"Yeah," Blaine admits. "Same. Goodnight Kurt, I'll see you in the morning."

"Sure," Kurt nods, walking backwards, almost reluctant to be apart. "Goodnight Blaine," and then he turns and runs into the house before he can kiss him senseless.