A/N: Hi guys! How were your Christmases? Sorry there was a long delay, but as I mentioned before, I expanded (greatly) the epilogue, so now it's this chapter, then another one. I still have the original one (it's about a page long), so if I get enough reviews, I might also post that, just for fun! It's basically these last two chapters in speed mode! Anyway, enjoy!
Disclaimer: Somehow owning Glee was not one of my Hannukka presents...
Chapter 7 – Friend Explanations
Exactly three weeks later, Rachel reminded us of our promise to tell them how we met. Kurt and I had spent the previous night in my apartment watching Disney movies and eating popcorn. He had fallen asleep in my arms around midnight, right before Flynn made his daring escape from jail. Marveling at the beauty, innocence, and youth capture in Kurt's sleeping face, I gently carried him into my room. Settling him down on my bed, I made to leave the room, but was stopped by a mumbled, "No...stay..."
Surprised, I glanced back to see Kurt blindly, still mostly asleep, reaching out to try to grab me. Gently, I climbed into my bed next to him, sighing as he curled himself into me. Within minutes, I was asleep, arms wrapped around Kurt's slumbering form. So much for sleeping on the couch...
The next morning, I made us omelets and brought him breakfast in bed. After a morning of cuddling and more Disney (and Kurt grumbling adorably about my lack of 'proper hair-care products'), I drove him back to his apartment. Inside, we found Rachel and Brody sitting in the living room, waiting for us.
"Hello?" I asked nervously, unsure as to what was going on. Hadn't I already gone through the friend-inquisition?
"Do you know what last night was?" Rachel asked, grinning mischievously.
"Friday night?" I hedged, but Kurt remembered.
"It was our sixth date, wasn't it?"
"That it was. Now spill, boys." Rachel ordered.
"Wait, what are we 'spilling', again?" I questioned my boyfriend. I vaguely remembered Kurt saying something about our sixth date once, but I couldn't remember what he'd said...
"Why you smiled when hearing about how I sulked over my ex last year." Kurt reminded me, grinning.
"Oh, yeah," I remembered, "should we just tell them how we met? I mean, that'd be easier." Quietly, I added, "Unless you still don't want them to know."
Kurt shrugged. "It's fine. Do you mind if I tell the story?"
Waving a hand, I invited him to speak, and, settling us both comfortable on a couch, Kurt started, "Do you guys remember the night you met?" Seeing Rachel open her mouth to talk, Kurt hurried on, "Nevermind, I know you guys do. Think back to that night, and tell me where I was throughout the concert."
Cocking his head to the side, Brody answered first, "Well, you stood in line with Rachel, which was where we all met. Then we all got into the stadium, and you went to your seats with us. I went to tell my friends I'd be sitting with you guys, and when I came back, you walked off, telling us not to look for you before the concert began. Then, right before the concert started, you texted Rachel saying you'd found somebody to take home, and that I should drive Rachel home, right?" Brody paused, looking for confirmation.
Casting me a relieved look, Kurt nodded. "Yeah, I was walking around, and I happened to run into Blaine, and he invited me backstage—"
"Kurt," Rachel broke into Kurt's hurried rambling, looking serious, "don't lie."
"I-I'm not." Kurt stuttered, and Rachel gave him a sad look.
"Kurt, I may be occasionally self-obsessed, but I'm not stupid. Now, tell us what really happened." she ordered Kurt gently.
Rubbing soothing circles into Kurt's back, I gave him a supportive nod, and he sighed. "Fine. When I was walking around the stadium, a group of guys surrounded me. They, umm, they b-beat me up, calling me a fag."
Rachel gave a little gasp, but Kurt forged on. "After a little while, they left me there, lying on the ground. I managed to get myself to the nearest, thankfully empty, bathroom. There, I texted you to go home with Brody."
"Why?" Rachel asked, transferring couches to sit next to Kurt.
"I didn't want you to see me like that...I didn't want to ruin your birthday present." Kurt's eyes glittered with unshed tears as he looked at Rachel, who was now crying herself.
Hugging my boyfriend securely to my chest, I took over the story as Rachel took Kurt's hand. "That was where I came in. I had a little stage fright, and ran to the nearest bathroom. There I found my angel, sitting there, accusing me of being bulimic. After a minute of talking to him, I could tell he'd been hurt. I carried him backstage, but then it was time for me to perform. By the time I'd finished the concert, Kurt was gone. All that was left was his cell phone, which he must've dropped. I called speed dial #2, and got Burt. He arranged for me to meet Kurt the next day at the Lima Bean. There, I invited him to come see the second concert that night, as he'd missed the first." Taking Kurt's other hand in my own, I nuzzled his hair with my nose. "Before the concert, I asked him to be my boyfriend, and he said yes."
"Wait, you two were boyfriends? Then why did you break up with him, just to get back together now?" Rachel demanded to know, instantly suspicious of me.
"The next morning, I got a call, saying that my brother had been shot, and I needed to come help him. Cooper had walked in on some burglar, gotten himself shot, and being Cooper, needed someone to look after him. I left for New York immediately, and only later realized I hadn't gotten his number. All I had his address, but his home number was listed as private. I took care of Cooper for a month or so, then came down with pneumonia myself. By the time I was able to go to Lima, Kurt had moved. The number wasn't private, but when I called, the man didn't know where the Hummel's had moved to...Kurt wasn't on any social networks, I never got his cell number, I didn't know where he lived...I'd lost him..." I trailed off, saddened by the thought of never seeing Kurt again.
"But wait, why didn't you try to contact Blaine, Kurt?" Brody asked, puzzled.
Shrugging, Kurt answered, "I didn't have his number, and I figured people wouldn't believe me if I wrote/emailed/called saying I was Blaine Anderson's boyfriend..."
Shaking her head at us, Rachel broke out laughing hysterically. "So, you're telling us that Kurt, you spent the past year mooning over some celebrity that you claimed to hate?"
Kurt and I glanced at each other, shrugged, then nodded. "Yup, that's about right."
"That's just priceless." she gasped between laughter.
"So, how did you two meet again?" Brody asked, curious.
"My brother." I explained briefly, and Rachel and Brody looked confused.
"You have a brother? Well, of course, stupid, he got shot. Wait, you said his name was Cooper..." Rachel trailed off, eyes wide.
"Yeah, that Cooper. I actually figured it out about two seconds before Blaine walked in." Kurt smirked, and I hugged him tight.
"We were both surprised to see each other." I remembered, and Kurt laughed.
"I beat you, though. I was the one who fainted..."
"True." I allowed, and they gaped at us.
"That's just insane." Rachel commented as Brody nodded in agreement.
"Tell me about it." Kurt groaned, and I muffled my laugh in his shoulder.
About fifteen minutes later, Rachel asked the dreaded question. "So, Kurt, how did Burt take it? I gather he knew about Blaine, then about how you couldn't find him..."
Feeling Kurt tense up against me, my muscles tightened in response. "You, um, you have told him about me, right?" I asked nervously.
Biting his lip, Kurt hedged, "Maybe? I might've forgotten to..."
Giving him a horrified look, he shrugged. "I thought you'd want to talk to him face to face."
"So he can shoot me that much easier for causing his son a year of misery?" I asked, aghast, and Kurt smirked.
" 'A year of misery', Blaine? Egotistic much?"
"All the time!" I winked at him, and Kurt blushed slightly.
"Okay, so, trip to Ohio sometime soon? Or should we invite him up here?" Kurt asked me.
"Invite him up here? That way he can't kick me out of his house?" I suggested, and Kurt chuckled.
"He'd never do that. You guys seemed to get along well when you first met."
"Yeah, that was because we were talking about how I should ask you out, not bail on you for a year!" I protested, and Kurt shook his head.
"Oh, man up, honey. I'm gonna call him now. Any particular time he should come?" Kurt asked, reaching for his cell phone.
Thinking about my schedule (which was really unnecessary, seeing as anything Kurt-related was always my top-priority), I suggested, "As soon as possible? I don't have any concerts coming up, so if I do have to go to the hospitable, I won't miss anything big."
"You goofball." Kurt hit me lightly in the shoulder, and dialed in his dad's number while Rachel and Brody looked on in amusement.
"Hey, dad, how are you?" Kurt asked cheerfully. "Yeah, I'm fine. Actually, I'm great. Anyway, I was wondering if you'd like to visit New York sometime...well, Rachel would love to see you, of course, and there's something I wanted to talk to you about in person...no, don't worry, it's nothing bad." Kurt nodded. "I'll see you on Wednesday, then. I love you, dad." Kurt smiled, then hung up.
He turned to me. "He'll be here Wednesday night."
Groaning, I fell back on the coach. "I'm soooo dead."
The rest of the weekend and the start of the week passed too quickly. Before I knew it, it was Wednesday afternoon, and I was shrugging on my coat to leave the studio.
"So, you and Kurt going out tonight?" Wes asked, taking in my nervous state.
"No, not exactly." I answered, and David chuckled.
"You gonna expand on that, or just leave it up to our minds?"
I looked at David in shocked surprise. "David!" Wes scolded, trying not to laugh too hard.
"Seriously, you're asking me this question after dating Kurt for three weeks? Weirdo." I muttered, then stood up straight. "Nope, I'm meeting the dad."
Cocking an eyebrow, Wes questioned, "I thought you'd already met the dad...a year ago..."
Grabbing my bag, I answered, "And that, my friend, is why I'm so freaking nervous. Wish me luck!"
"Good luck!" the two of them chorused, and with a short wave, I was outta there.
Kurt and I had decided to make dinner beforehand (in Kurt's apartment, which Rachel and Brody had willingly vacated), and have Kurt talk to Burt first, reveal me, then let me talk (preferably before the shotgun came out).
I helped Kurt make a healthy dinner for his dad (or what I occasionally called 'rabbit food'), then hid (yes, I hid) in his room when the doorbell rang. "You're insane." Kurt chuckled my way as he went to get the door.
"Hey, Kurt!" a deep, familiar voice rumbled through the apartment, and I heard Kurt's laugh.
"Dad! How are you? How was your trip?" my boyfriend asked, and I could picture him taking all of Burt's bags. Heavy footsteps came down the hall, but thankfully went into the room opposite mine – Rachel's room, where Burt would be sleeping.
"I'm good, my trip was good, now tell me why I needed to come all the way to New York to talk to my son." Burt cut to the chase, and I winced. Oh lord, this is where I die...
"Well, if you'll just come sit over here..." Kurt's voice trailed off, and I heard footsteps walking away from me.
Straining my ears, I crept into the hallway, where I could hear them better. "Okay, now talk." Burt ordered, and I imagined Kurt smiling.
"Okay, so, do you remember how I've mentioned Cooper to you, dad? The NYADA professor who was giving me dance lessons?" Kurt asked his dad.
"Yeah, you and Rachel said he was a good guy. Why? Did he do something? Has something happened to him?" Burt questioned his son, tone urgent.
I heard a slight ruffling of fabric as Kurt readjusted himself on the couch before he hedged, "No, nothing happened to him now. Actually, he's doing great."
"So, what's the point of all of this?" Burt insisted, confused.
"He introduced me to his brother, actually. His, um, gay brother." Kurt stalled, and I smiled. Here it came.
"So you made me get on a plane to New York just to tell me you had a boyfriend?" Burt asked, voice still puzzled. "I mean, that's great and all, kiddo, but couldn't you have just told me over the phone?" He hesitated, then added, "What's really going on here, Kurt? It's not...is it?"
Kurt's answer was rushed, and I frowned. Who was Burt talking about? "No, no, dad, of course not, Dave's in L.A., I think. No, but you have met him before. I just want you to listen to what he has to say before you do anything." Kurt requested, and I bit back a shiver. Here it was.
Surprisingly, Burt sounded relieved. "Oh, I think I know what's going on now. Come on out, mysterious boyfriend." he called, and I stepped into the living room.
"Hi, Burt. How have you been?" I asked nervously, and Burt chuckled.
"Okay, here's the deal, Blaine. You come into our lives bout a year ago, win us all over, then disappear. The last time I talked to you, I was giving you permission to date my son. Next thing I know, you've disappeared back to New York, and my son's miserable. You don't call, you don't visit, nothing. Now, if you can give me a good explanation as to why you left my son hanging for a year, then I might not have to shoot you. Otherwise..." he trailed off, and his voice momentarily became threatening, "start talking."
Wow...that's all I could think for a second...the ability to smile and maintain a normal voice while completely terrifying me was an ability Burt wielded well...
"Would you believe me if I told you I didn't have your number?" I cringed, expecting him to discard this (kinda pitiful, really) answer. "I never actually took down your home number, or Kurt's cell phone number. All I had was your address, but by the time Cooper could be left by himself, and I had recovered from pneumonia, you had moved."
"What about a phone book?" Burt asked, voice amused, and I knew he was playing with me.
"Your address' number was listed as private. The moment it wasn't, I called, but the guy who answered didn't know where you'd moved to. I thought you might've switched towns or something." I answered readily, and Burt nodded.
"All true. So, how did you two meet again?" he asked, perfectly at ease now.
"I was practicing with Cooper, who was meeting Blaine afterwards for lunch. Blaine walked in, we got past the whole, you're alive thing, I fainted, we went out to lunch, and have been dating ever since." Kurt summarized, and Burt chuckled.
"You fainted, Kurt? Wow, Blaine, I guess you can say you really have knocked a guy off his feet now, huh?"
"True, I hadn't thought of that yet." I realized, and Kurt, laughing, poked me in the ribs, and pulled me down to sit next to him on the couch.
"And this dramatic re-entrance to each other's lives happened when, exactly?" Burt asked, glancing between us.
"A little more than three weeks ago." Kurt answered readily, and Burt eyed me.
"So you just happened to leave this out when I last called?" he asked his son, and Kurt gulped slightly.
"I wanted to make sure it wasn't a dream." he confessed, and my heart melted.
"I'm never leaving you, I swear." I muttered into Kurt's hair, and he leaned against me.
"Well, abandoning all the cuteness here, why don't we eat, and you can tell me what you've been up to for the past year." Burt eyed us fondly.
As he walked into the dining room, I exhaled heavily, and Kurt chuckled. I could feel the vibrations of his laugh against my chest. "I survived." I muttered, and the vibrations grew.
"You survived." he agreed, then got up to help his dad out.
A/N: There you go, guys! One more chapter, then maybe the original epilogue, if you guys tell me you want it! Please review and tell me if you want the original epilogue, otherwise I'll assume you guys aren't interested...anyway, thanks for reading and sticking with this!
