Author's Note:
I hope everyone had a great holiday, whichever one it might have been. I also hope most of you enjoyed the repeat of the first Kliss heard round the world and the first of what we all hope are many duets. Not to mention the inspiration for my last story. ;)
Okay, enough from me ... on with the show!
Don't know anything, don't know anyone, and certainly don't own anything. (I wish though!) Please feel free to review with constructive criticism, etc.
07 - Brunch
Blaine had been working at the record store for a little over a week now and he absolutely loved it. Not only did he get to listen to all sorts of music, but the owner and the staff loved to talk music as much as he did.
When Friday rolled back around he'd finally gotten his first paycheck, and though Dan had insisted that he didn't owe anything for the first month, Blaine insisted on at least paying for activating his cell phone and cable and such. With what was left, after holding out money for gas, he planned to take his mother to brunch on Sunday.
"Mom?"
"Blaine!" his mother said as she answered her phone. "It's been so long, I was going to call you today if you hadn't called me."
"Sorry, Mom," Blaine said. "I've been busy. I got a job so I can help pay my way."
"You did?" she said. "I'm so proud of you!"
He smiled. "Look, I just got paid and ... after holding out money for my bills, I have enough left over to take you to brunch this Sunday. Do you have any plans?"
"No, of course not," she said. "And if I did I'd change them."
Blaine smiled again. "I'd like you to meet Kurt as well."
He could almost hear her smile on the other end of the line. "I'd love that honey."
He told her when and where they would meet and then they said their goodbyes.
"So where are you guys going Sunday?" Dan asked.
"Kurt suggested The Mill," Blaine said. "Burt and Carole love it so he said it might be nice."
Dan nodded. "It is beautiful, though I've got to admit I've only been for dinner. If it's nice you should ask for a table out on the deck. It's a little more private."
Blaine gave him a questioning look.
"The water gurgling in the background helps to drown out the background noise," Dan said. "And your conversation is background noise to everyone else." He winked at him.
"Ahh," Blaine said.
"How are you doing?" Dan asked.
"I'm okay," Blaine said smiling. "I definitely feel better now that I'm earning my own way." He looked at Dan. "Why do I get the feeling that you're not asking about that?"
Dan tipped his head to the side. "Well it is the first time you're going to see your mom since... And it's the first time you're introducing her to Kurt."
"Yeah, well..."
"I'm just..."
"Worried?" Blaine said smiling.
"Let's say concerned," Dan said returning the smile. "Just remember, I'm here to talk one way or the other." Blaine nodded. "Actually ... please come let me know how it goes when you get back home. Sorry, I know I'm projecting but..." He sighed. "Derrick's first real date after he started college ... he agonized over it for a week ... with..." He pointed at himself. Blaine nodded and laughed. "No, not funny, he stressed about it for a week with me on the phone and then waited a week after the date to let me know what happened."
"Left you hanging huh?" Blaine said frowning. "I won't, I promise."
Kurt sat on one of the benches on the path leading to the entrance of The Mill watching Blaine pace. He watched Blaine pass the bouquet of flowers he'd gotten for his mother from one hand to the other as he checked his watch for the tenth time.
"Are you okay, baby?" Kurt asked frowning.
"Yeah, I'm just..." Blaine suddenly sat down beside him. "I'm freaking out." Blaine smiled over at him and said, "But hey, at least I can admit it."
Kurt smiled at him. "It's okay, baby." He brushed a few stray hairs back into place.
"Blaine?"
Blaine's head snapped in her direction. Kurt hurriedly grabbed the bouquet as Blaine jumped up and sprinted toward her. She wrapped him in a hug as he did the same, almost picking her up in the process. Mrs. Anderson was roughly his height with medium length dark hair roughly the same shade as Blaine's, which she had loosely pulled back.
"Look at you!" Mrs. Anderson said as Blaine finally let her go and allowed her to step back and look at him. "Your hair, I love it! I missed those curls."
"Well I just toned the gel down a bit," Blaine said almost blushing.
"I liked the dapper look," his mother said, "but you just look so much more ... comfortable."
He smiled at her.
"Are you really okay where you are?" she asked. "Are you really doing okay?"
"Yes," he told her nodding. "Dan's been great. Here, let's go in and sit down and I'll tell you everything." He took her hand and walked her over to Kurt who was standing quietly over to the side waiting.
"Mom ... this is Kurt."
"Nice to meet you Mrs. Anderson," Kurt said with almost a curtsey.
"Nice to finally meet you too, Kurt," she said her hazel eyes twinkling slightly.
"Um, these are for you," Blaine said taking the flowers from Kurt and offering them to his mother.
"They're beautiful, and my favorites," she said smelling them.
Blaine took her arm and she offered the other to Kurt. He smiled and took it and the two escorted her inside.
"Mr. Anderson," the hostess said as they walked in. "We have your table ready out on the deck." Blaine thanked her and the three of them followed her through the dining room and out to the deck.
Blaine pulled out the seat facing the water for his mother then ushered Kurt over to the seat opposite her. After they were both seated he sat between them.
"You don't know how glad I was that you called," Mrs. Anderson said. "I miss you so much."
"I miss you too, Mom," Blaine said taking her hand.
"Now tell me," she said. "Are you doing okay where you are? You said you were with a friend, but you didn't say who... I..."
"It's okay Mom," Blaine said squeezing her hand. "His name is Dan, Dan Deen; he's one of the teachers at McKinley."
"One of your teachers?" she said. "You said he wasn't g... I ... I mean..."
"It's okay, Mom," Blaine said. "It's not a dirty word. No he's not gay, he's just a friend. I was stupid when I left ... I let my pride get in the way of my good sense and decided to stay in my car..."
"You..." she started as her face instantly dropped, but he nodded and squeezed her hand again.
"I said it was stupid," he said. "Dan saw me when I stopped in to get something to eat, and he refused to let me sleep in my car again. He took me home with him and let me get a shower and let me crash on his couch.
"He made a deal with me, I could stay with him but he had two conditions and agreed to a compromise for my pride." He smiled. "He said I didn't have to, but I could get a job and pay my own way so that I didn't feel like I was taking advantage, which I've done. But his conditions were that I make things right with my friends ... and that I call you and let you know that I was okay."
"I like him already," she said with a sniffle.
"Okay, now that I know you're okay," she said. "I think a proper introduction is in order." She turned to Kurt. "So you're my son's boyfriend?"
Kurt nodded and smiled.
"He's wonderful," Blaine said. "He's the best thing that's ever happened to me, the most talented person I've ever met..."
She watched as her son's eyes lit up as he talked. A tear found its way down her cheek.
"Mom? Are you okay?"
"Yes," she said wiping the tear away. "I just ... I haven't seen you this happy since... I am so sorry."
Blaine looked at her. "I'm sorry. I hid from you..." He sighed. "It's no wonder you thought your little boy was gone. I hid him from you..."
"Why wouldn't you hide from us," she said. "It's not like we invited you to share yourself. I am so sorry, I should have put my foot down; it never should have come to the point that you no longer felt comfortable in your own home."
"Mom, please," Blaine said. "I don't want to do this. I'm not here to blame ... I just want to make sure that we're okay." He was tearing up.
Kurt reached over and took Blaine's other hand. His mother watched as just the simple touch calmed her son and made him comfortable and all the fears that she had before, when he'd first told her that he was gay, suddenly seemed so unreasonable. She smiled at them both.
"Why don't we just go ahead and order?" she said. "Does anyone have any recommendations?"
"Well Dan said that he and the coach have only been here for dinner," Blaine said.
"Oh, Carole and Dad have been here loads of times," Kurt said. "Carole says that their Quiche Lorraine is simply to die for, Dad even said that he liked it and he doesn't even like breakfast that much."
They all had a look at the menu and placed their orders.
Once their food arrived they had a lovely chat. Kurt told her about his family, about how his dad and Carole had met and how he now had a step-brother. Blaine told her how Kurt had planned out their wedding and that he and Finn had loads in common, so between Kurt and Finn they pretty well had all of his interests covered.
Blaine told her about his job at the record store and then more about Dan and his brother Derrick. They told her about meeting Derrick's fiancé, Bryce, in New York, and how they were all there when the two had gotten engaged and that they were invited to the wedding.
She admitted that she was a little shocked and now felt foolish since after Blaine had told her that he was gay that she'd never considered that he might one day settle down and marry.
"Well we're not anywhere near there yet," Blaine told her. He turned and looked at Kurt. "But ... one day ... maybe."
Kurt smiled at him. "One day, if he's really, really good and plays his cards right."
She smiled at them.
The server came by and took their dishes then brought them all fresh coffee. "I have some more of your stuff out in my car," his mother told Blaine.
"More of my stuff," he said. "I took all that I thought was mine. I don't really..."
"Nonsense," his mother told him. "Do you really think your father has the first iota of fashion sense?"
Blaine kind of scrunched his face.
"The only thing that man ever picked out for you was that God awful suit that you wore to your grandmother's funeral when you were twelve! And thankfully you've long sense outgrown that. Any clothing that was purchased for you was chosen by me," she said. "So you can at least have it for your lovely boyfriend and fashion consultant to mix and match at his leisure."
Kurt grinned as Blaine laughed.
"And your computer is out in my car as well. I think I managed to get all the pieces. I made him buy that for you because I knew you needed it for school ... and as a thank you for all of the little technical things you do for me. Thank you for helping me to add your number to my phone by the way, but I would love it if you would make it show your name and play that lovely song that it used to when you called me. Now that I think about it, I'd love it if it would play that song more often like it used to as well."
He smiled broadly. "I think we can make arrangements for all that to happen."
Blaine returned home to find the house empty. Kurt helped him bring the stuff that his mother had brought him in, but then had to leave. They had gotten Carole some quiche and Burt some of his favorite pie and Kurt wanted to get it home before he got ... distracted.
Blaine had just managed to put his things away in his room and settled in a chair in the living room when he heard the back door.
"Dan is that you?" Blaine called.
"Yeah," Dan said walking through the kitchen and stopping to get himself a Gatorade. "You're back, how'd it go?"
"Great..." Blaine took in the sweaty man before him. He was wearing a sleeveless muscle shirt and baggy sweatpants that looked only slightly newer than the ones he'd worn as sleep pants on their trip to New York. "What happened to you?"
"I just managed to go for a run," Dan said, opening the bottle a drinking some. "Been a little distracted and missing it lately, though I can't imagine why..."
Blaine smiled. "Sorry."
"Well ... how'd it go?" Dan asked as he sat on the very edge of the stool by the counter.
"Great!" Blaine said again. "There were smiles ... there were some tears ... but mostly smiles." He wore a smile from ear to ear.
"I'm glad; I could tell you were nervous."
"You don't say," Blaine said smiling. "I'm surprised that Kurt didn't strangle me."
Dan smiled as he took another drink.
"I didn't realize how much I really missed her until I saw her today," Blaine said. "We've never really been big on sharing or showing emotion ... but as I looked at her today, I started thinking about what we did share and how much it meant. I mean, I didn't really notice it until she pointed it out today, but all of the clothes she bought for me were things I liked ... somewhere in the dysfunction, she paid enough attention to get it ... to get me..." He sighed. "I thought I could do this..."
"Do what?" Dan asked, placing his bottle on the counter.
"I thought I'd be alright without anyone ... that I could move on..."
"Hey, whoa, whoa... Whoever said you had to move on and do without anything or anyone?" Dan said.
"I just ... moving out and moving in with you I thought..."
"Blaine, that's not what this was all about," Dan said standing up and walking over to him. "No one's given up on you ... except ... your father. This wasn't an ending. I mean, I can see how you might have felt that way when you left his house and slept in your car ... but you wouldn't have had everyone out looking for you if anything ended. Your mother wouldn't have been as ecstatic as she was when you called her if anything was over."
"I..." Blaine looked stunned.
"You're friends are all still here for you ... you're mother is still here for you ... this was ... just a fresh start." Dan watched again as the words processed, just like the first night they'd spent talking on the sofa. Then he saw the proverbial light bulb go on.
"I am ... an idiot," Blaine said half laughing.
"I thought we settled on young adult, but the terms sometimes seem interchangeable," Dan said smiling. "We really need to actually talk more, because you have some ... interesting ways of looking at things."
"Yeah, I guess I do," Blaine said. "I ... thank you."
"Nothing I wouldn't point out to Derrick when he has one of his moments," Dan said. "I'm just hoping that Bryce will take care of most of them from now on." He grinned.
Blaine's face carried a look that Dan had seen on Derrick's face a thousand times. The look that said 'I have something to say, but I can't find the words that fit.' Blaine suddenly reached over and hugged him tightly.
"Easy, I'm all sticky!" Dan said laughing.
"I don't give a shit," Blaine mumbled into his shoulder.
Dan wrapped his arms around him and hugged him back. "You know by handing Derrick over to Bryce, I was supposed to get a vacation from 'big brother duty'."
"Sorry," Blaine mumbled into his shoulder.
Dan shook his head. "That's okay," Dan said rubbing Blaine's back. "I wouldn't know what to do with the free time anyway."
Blaine smiled and sniffed back a tear. "Oh man, you're ripe!" he said finally pulling back.
"Hey you hugged me first remember!" Dan said laughing.
"Right, my bad," Blaine said. He smiled, but then the expression changed. Tears finally made their way down his cheeks.
"Blaine? What is it?"
"You're not my parent ... you're sure as hell not my father. You're not my teacher or my chaperone ... but..."
Dan had tears in his eyes now too seeing Blaine's state. He reached over and gently grasped Blaine's chin and tilted his head up to look him in the eye. "Come on, what's wrong? You've got to at least give me a clue..."
"In New York..." Blaine honestly looked like he was trying, but the words just wouldn't come.
"Okay, maybe a little more of one than that..."
Blaine managed a slight laugh through his tears. "In New York, when I saw you and Derrick talking that night ... it wasn't just the talk about ending things ... I just ... I wished that I had someone like that to talk to.
"I mean, I love Kurt with all my heart, but some things are just... Oh, hell I don't even know how to say this."
"Too close?" Dan offered after some thought.
"Yes!" Blaine exclaimed. "I just..."
"Come here," Dan said pulling him into another hug. "It's okay. I think I get it now. I told you, I'm here to talk... one way or another ... whether you can find the words or not."
Blaine relaxed, seeming to deflate into his arms. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," Dan said. He pushed him back enough to be able to look at him. "Derrick calls it 'the tongue tied thing'. You know you and he are a lot alike. You seem very well put together ... you have a witty or smart assed remark for almost every occasion. You can even see all sorts of things in other people. When you come right down to it, though, when it comes to seeing you and what makes you tick ... it just doesn't come as easily."
Blaine nodded.
"You know, I'm not sure ... I don't know if you believe in fate, or karma, or whatever ... but there may be more than one reason why you're living in his room now. In fact, I didn't really want to mention it before, but... You know, it was his furniture that you picked out to move back in, and you actually pretty much arranged it back in the room the way he had it when he was in there." Blaine looked at him strangely and Dan shrugged. "If Kurt hadn't been the one who picked out the linens ... I might have been calling an exorcist."
"No," Blaine said shaking his head.
"Not exactly the same," Dan said, "but in the same color family."
Blaine started chuckling and Dan just shook his head.
"You are not my brother," Dan said. "Thankfully ... I don't think the world could handle two of him... I'd be more than happy to treat you as an adopted one though." Dan ran his hand through Blaine's hair.
Blaine shrugged. "I don't want to be greedy..."
"You're not, I'm offering." Dan spun him and draped his arm across his shoulders. "Now, I think after that hug we could probably both use showers, so why don't we both go get cleaned up, and then we can go sit out on the deck with some drinks and talk until we decide on something for dinner."
Blaine nodded as the two walked down the hall.
