Blaine was sitting next to Shane in the uncomfortable airport chairs. He was listening to music pumping through his iPod earbuds, not really paying attention to anything else. Above, the loudspeaker crackled and a voice spoke through the terminal. "Flight 1471 to New York La Guardia will begin boarding in five minutes with first class customers. Please have your tickets ready when we call your section to board."
Upon hearing this, Blaine pulled out his earbuds and turned off his iPod, stuffing it into the backpack that was sitting by his feet. His mother passed boarding passes to him and Shane. Of course the Anderson family was flying first class. Bart wouldn't stand for anything else. The two brothers compared their tickets, hoping to be seated next to each other. Blaine's ticket read seat 4A, while Shane was in seat 3A. Blaine sighed, realizing that he would be spending the next six hours sitting next to one of his parents.
As it turned out, Blaine was seated next to his father. As the airplane began to taxi down the runway, Blaine turned his head away, leaned it against the window and tried to fall asleep. He felt his father shift next to him, and a thought occurred to him. Well, there's no time like the present, Blaine thought nervously.
"Dad?" he began tentatively.
"Hm?" Bart asked looking up from some work papers that he had brought with him.
"I, uh, I wanted to ask you something…"
Bart looked at him, his eyes telling Blaine to start talking.
"Well, it's about…Erin," Blaine finished, blushing profusely. It'll only make you more believable, the actor inside Blaine thought.
Bart smiled knowingly. "Oh?" he asked his son with raised eyebrows.
Blaine wasn't exactly sure what he was telling his dad. Just over a week ago he had stated in no uncertain terms that he was not interested. "Well, I do like her," he began unsurely, "and I don't really know what to do. I mean, I've never really…asked a girl out before." He blushed and looked down into his lap.
His father laughed kindly and put a comforting hand on his son's shoulder. "I thought I saw something there."
Blaine found room in his worried mind to marvel at how oblivious his father could sometimes be.
"Just be yourself. She already likes you, I can tell that much. And when you're ready, ask her out. Take her someplace nice, and treat her right," Bart advised.
"Thanks dad," Blaine muttered. He didn't like having to lie to his parents, but his dad seemed so happy to hear this.
After the flight attendants brought the drinks around, the screens in front of the seats flickered to life. Blaine brought out his earbuds and plugged them in, ready to pass the time on the long flight with whatever movie they were playing.
He settled into his seat, letting the opening music from the movie wash over him. To his surprise, his father put down his papers, plugged in his own headphones, and also sat back to watch the movie.
The title flashed on the screen. Milk. Blaine had never heard of it before, so if it ended up being really bad, he could always pull his iPod back out.
Blaine stared transfixed at the small screen in front of him, knowing that the same images were being played for his father too. He didn't have to look over to know that Bart Anderson had stiffened in his seat, a look of disgust crossing his face.
The two men on screen were half naked, lying together in a bed, gripping each other, kidding passionately.
Blaine felt an odd mixture of joy and fear course through his body upon seeing the images. He kept his focus on the screen while noticing peripherally how worked up his father was becoming. It wasn't until Sean Penn's character spoke out about gay rights, however, that Bart finally ripped out his headphones in disgust.
Unwillingly, Blaine took out one of his earbuds and turned to his father.
"What's wrong, dad?" he asked carefully.
Bart didn't appear to hear his eldest son speak at all though. "What. The. Hell," Bart said, fuming, and continuing a rant that had already formed in his head. "I pay good money to fly on this airline, and all they can show me is some fucking gay crap? These people, homos, are disgusting…I can't believe that they're promoting their fucking unnatural lifestyle in public where anyone can see!"
Blaine felt the sting of his father's harsh words that weren't directed at him, but still hurt nonetheless. His face betrayed nothing.
Bart took no notice of his son and pulled his papers back out of his bag to continue working. Shane, sitting in the row ahead, had heard everything. He awkwardly twisted in his seat so that his head was facing Blaine.
"You okay?" he asked his shell shocked brother.
Blaine just closed his eyes, nodded, and turned back to the movie. He had never heard of this man – Harvey Milk – before, but he wanted to know more. He wanted to see how this strong, inspiring man was able to deal with the ridicule of his peers just due to his sexual orientation.
Blaine watched in a stunned silence as the characters became emboldened by Harvey's quest and gathered the courage to come out to their families. I want to do that someday. But my father would never accept me, Blaine thought sadly.
The movie was drawing to a close now, Blaine could feel it. His father's eyes looked up, just for a moment it seemed, and his attention was caught by the screen. He watched as the action played out silently in front of him.
A man was walking down the hallway. Desperate, perhaps insane, a man who felt that everything had been taken from him and he needed to take drastic measures in order to replace order in his life. He entered an office, spoke to a woman, and walked through a door. He spoke to a man, pulled out a gun, and shot.
He was back in the main hallway now. He found himself with Harvey Milk. They went to a room to talk, and the man drew the gun again and shot. And just like that, Harvey Milk was dead.
Blaine gasped in shock and horror, tears threatening to leak out of the corners of his eyes. From his side, his father snorted, and looked back down to his papers.
Blaine watched the last few minutes of the movie in a stunned silence, not caring if his father saw him cry. The candlelight vigil, the procession through the San Francisco streets. It all happened so close to home.
Blaine sat for a moment after the movie ended before removing his earbuds. His father turned to him, "How was the movie?"
Blaine gave a noncommittal jerk of the head.
"That gay man, the homo politician, he died, right?"
Blaine nodded this time.
Bart snorted again. "Well, he deserved it. Anyone living that way deserves to die…"
Blaine was silent a moment more before finally saying, "Do you really mean that? Can you really say that anyone deserves to die just because of who they love?" He said it so quietly, Bart barely heard. But he heard enough.
"I know what you're thinking, Blaine. But these – people – they live dirty lives."
Blaine just sadly nodded his head and turned away from his father as if he was trying to sleep. In reality, he was silently crying into his sleeve.
The plane landed in New York at 7 pm local time. Blaine stood up and gathered his backpack before following his family off of the plane.
They'd called for a car and it was waiting just outside of the baggage claim. Blaine hugged his arms to his chest. He had forgotten how much colder it was in New York. He hadn't thought to put on much more than a sweatshirt; his coat was packed in the bottom of his suitcase.
He found himself, as the smallest member of the family, smushed between Shane and his mother in the backseat while his father sat in the front next to the driver. He drove them through the busy New York to Marlene's father's apartment in the Upper East Side. James was standing in the lobby waiting to greet them when they arrived.
"How are my favorite grandsons?" he called to Blaine and Shane as they practically burst from the car and ran toward their grandfather.
"Grandpa!" Shane shouted, reaching his grandfather first and hugging him fast.
Blaine waited patiently for his brother to separate from his grandfather, then rushed in for a hug. It had been too long since he'd seen his favorite relative. Blaine and his grandfather were alike in so many ways. They both had the same hazel eyes that crinkled when they smiled. They shared all the same loves, and while Blaine was often described as being composed as someone much younger than him, his grandfather was joyous and youthful. They balanced each other perfectly.
Marlene was laughing at the reception, and finally was able to hug her father when her eldest son pulled away. "How are you, dad?" she whispered. Her mother had died just over a year ago, and he'd taken it badly. But, he seemed to be coping and thriving despite the absence of his partner of over forty years.
"I'm fine, you worry too much Marl," he said, laughing in the same way that Blaine did.
Bart walked up to his father-in-law and held out a hand. "Nice to see you, James," Bart noted stiffly.
The older man smiled and simply pulled his son-in-law into an embrace. Bart pulled away awkwardly and turned to pay the driver while Blaine and Shane began to collect the luggage.
"You know, dad, we really could stay in a hotel. I don't want the boys driving you crazy or anything," Marlene offered as the group walked toward the elevator.
"Nonsense," he began. "This old place is too big for me to be alone in all the time. And these boys keep me young," he added, ruffling Blaine's and Shane's curly heads. The boys grinned.
"So what do you have planned for us, grandpa?" Shane asked excitedly. Every year, James planned an amazing excursion in the city to enjoy with his grandsons.
"I may have a few surprises up my sleeve…" James said with a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Oh, dad, don't spoil the boys too much," Marlene said amid her sons' protests.
By now, the family was inside the spacious New York apartment. Blaine and Shane immediately ran toward the spare bedroom that they always stayed in and began to get comfortable.
When the two brothers were sure that their parents were out of earshot, Shane paused and turned to his still silent brother. "You sure you're okay about all the things dad was saying on the plane?"
Blaine nodded his head slowly.
"Really?"
Blaine turned away.
"Because he didn't mean any of it about you. He loves you, and I'm sure he'd still love you even if he did know that you're…gay."
Blaine turned to face his brother with an incredulous look on his tear streaked face.
"Hey," Shane said softly, sitting next to his brother on the bed. "It's going to be okay."
I wish you were right.
James knocked on the bedroom door before entering. "We're going out for dinner tonight," he told the two boys.
"Where?" asked Shane.
"Where else? Your father's favorite pizza place." James laughed, but stopped when he saw Blaine hunched over and the nervous looks that Shane kept shooting at him.
He gave Shane a questioning look, but the younger boy simply shook his head. The grandfather quietly told him to leave, that he would deal with the older boy.
"Blaine? Are you all right?" James asked as he sat down next to his grandson.
Blaine sniffed and wiped his face, but when he spoke, it was with a clear voice. "I'm…fine, grandpa," he said.
James reached out a hand and turned Blaine's face toward him. They boy's eyes were red, puffy, and sad, but he was trying his hardest to smile at his grandfather. He simply embraced the boy tightly, silently conveying him everything he needed to hear in the hug. When the two broke apart, Blaine smiled for real. "Thanks, grandpa. I needed that."
James left the room, deciding that alone time was best for his grandson. When he's ready, he thought to himself, he'll tell me what's wrong. He always does.
Unfortunately, Blaine's quiet alone time was interrupted shortly afterwards. He was in the bathroom, washing off his face, when Shane came bounding in.
"Come on, Blaine! Everyone's waiting for you and I'm starving!"
"Just a minute, Shane. Seriously, haven't you heard of privacy?" Blaine snapped. Immediately, his brother's face fell, making him look like a hurt puppy. "Oh, come on, Shane, you know I didn't mean that. I'm just a little upset right now."
Shane's face broke into one of his devilish grins. "I know. I'm just playing with you!" With that, the younger boy ran out of the bathroom, the older boy hot on his heels. The two skidded to a halt just before they reached their parents and grandfather.
"Well?" Shane asked, as if he had been one of the ones kept waiting, rather than the other way around. "Aren't we going to go?"
James laughed at the boys' entrance and said, "You heard the boy! He's not to be kept waiting!" before walking out the door.
Blaine was the last to leave. As he passed through the door that his grandfather was holding open, he felt the older man's hand give his smaller one a tight squeeze.
A few hours later, the boys found themselves lying in their bed in the dark bedroom. They weren't even close to tired yet, but their parents demanded that they go to sleep and try to get over the jet lag. Instead, the two boys were holding a whispered conversation.
"I think I might come out to grandpa," Blaine said nervously.
"What?" Shane whispered loudly. He received a kick from Blaine telling him to quiet down. These apartment walls were thin. "Sorry," he said. "But, WHAT? If you think dad'll react badly to you telling him, how d'you think he'll react to hearing it from mom or grandpa?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, grandpa would ask them about you, wouldn't he?"
"Not if I told him I couldn't come out to them…yet."
"Yet?"
"I'll have to someday. Otherwise they'll be pretty surprised to find me married or in a civil union or whatever with another man."
That shut Shane up. He could barely think ahead a few minutes; he was more of an "act-before-you-think" type. But Blaine was already planning on…marriage? Blaine's frankness with him made him once again want to ask him the question that had been on his mind for the past two weeks. But he couldn't yet. Not now. So instead, the younger boy just stayed quiet.
"Shane…? You still awake?" Blaine asked when his brother remained silent for a few minutes.
"Yeah, I was just thinking," he responded pensively.
"M'kay then," Blaine said, turning on his side. He reached over the side of his bed and pulled out his iPod. He turned up the volume on his favorite Disney songs playlist and felt himself drifting off to sleep to the sounds of Beauty and the Beast.
