Thank you for the reviews and everything else, you guys are the best! Here's some more beach for you guys.
I, on the other hand, will be returning to the city tomorrow. On one hand: access to internet, on the other,…. Hmmm, no… no disadvantages! Yay for going home!
Hey, I have a full week of them… I will accept challenges/suggestions for activities for them (no promises though… sorry) because I do have a few, but not enough for that whole time. So, by all means, give me prompts! (no smut, though… sorry – I imply it, but I can't write it)
xXxXx
"Finn, get your ass out of the couch and come help me." Kurt shouted from the kitchen. He was pleased when Finn's heavy footsteps were audible.
"What?"
"Your mom called, and they'll be back in ten with lunch, and she asked us to set the table and make a salad."
"Oh, ok…" Finn nodded as he moved to grab plates from the cupboard "What's lunch?"
"Grilled fish…" Finn smiled broadly at this, and Kurt felt a sense of victory. Finally! It took coming to Portugal to find something entirely healthy that everyone in their household deemed delicious. This fish was really something else – so completely fresh that it almost tasted like the sea itself.
The boiled potatoes were done and he was going to start with the salad (having already prepared the most brilliant Spanish sauce ever for the fish) when Finn announced he was done setting the table. "What do you want me to do?"
Kurt frowned for a moment, wondering what he could trust Finn with… and then an evil glint took over his eyes. It was not what he could trust Finn with, it was what he could use Finn to avoid… "You can slice up the onions for the salad. You know how to do it, right?"
"Sure, I've seen you do it, dude. No problem."
Kurt grinned. Oh, thank goodness, yes! Kurt had already had the opportunity to slice up some of the onions they'd bought – it hadn't been pretty. It had resembled one of Rachel's many solos –or maybe all of them put together. Pleased with himself Kurt picked up a knife from the drawer and set to slicing up the bread.
"Oh my God!" Finn nearly shouted after not more than a minute "My eyes!"
"What? What's wrong?" Kurt was trying not to laugh.
"It stings! I'm like… Crying! AWW! It's BURNING!" Finn dropped his knife on the spot, shooting towards the bathroom. Kurt was left behind chuckling to himself. Oh, well, at least he got half of it done… he sighed picking up the knife and starting to slice the rest.
"Cheesus! Kurt!" Finn's voice shouted from the bathroom "Fuck! You knew it!" Kurt looked up to see Finn returning to the door, eyes red and puffy and tears still spilling out uncontrollably, holding up an accusatory finger towards Kurt "You told me to do it so you wouldn't have to do it! Shit, this hurts!"
Kurt suppressed his own laughter and was about to deny the horribly unfair accusation when It doesn't matter if you love him or capital HIM sounded from the top of the counter. He smiled and shot Finn a smirk, ignoring the sting in his own eyes.
"Hi!" he beamed as Finn was muttering and cursing, dipping his head under the sink tap and rubbing his eyes with cascades of water.
"Why, hello…" Blaine's voice came from the other side of the line.
"You're EVIL, Kurt, EVIL!" Finn grunted, whipping his face clean.
"What was that?"
"Oh, Finn's upset because I told him to slice up the onions for the salad and it burnt his eyes pretty bad so he's crying his eyeballs out… and he thinks I did it on purpose, so I wouldn't have to do it myself."
"Well, and didn't you?" Blaine's vice was highly amused.
"Preposterous accusations. I resent it!" Kurt scoffed.
Blaine laughed "My apologies. Hey, you're coming to the beach today, right?"
"Yeah, I think so, why?"
"Just making sure. Deeds would kill me if I didn't go with her today, but I really wanted to be with you, so…"
"Oh, right, well, don't worry – no dilemma, I'll see you at the beach."
"Great! Hey, the guys will be there, too. Brace yourselves."
"We will." Kurt chuckled.
"Hey, does your brother have a ball, a football ball?"
"Wait a sec… Hey FINN!"
"What is it, oh murderer of eyes?"
Kurt rolled his eyes, but couldn't help smirking, as he leant against the kitchen's doorframe eyeing Finn, laying on the couch, still rubbing at his eyes "Blaine's asking if you have a football ball."
"Yeah, why?"
"He does, why?"
"Tell him to bring it, maybe we could be a little more active than just sit there playing cards…" Blaine said easily "They have a volley ball, but this one gives me an excuse to tackle you to the ground."
Kurt felt his cheeks burn slightly and was quick to retreat to the kitchen "What if I refuse to play?"
"You want me to tackle you as much as I do." Blaine answered matter of factly, with a hint of a chuckle there.
"And what makes you think you'll be the one tackling?"
"Oh, I have absolutely no issues with you tackling me, Kurt…" Blaine was laughing "You can tackle me all you want, all. day. long…"
Kurt smiled to himself, hopping on top of the kitchen counter and musing "Careful what you wish for, I might just do it. I was on the football team on my sophomore year, you know. The only game the team won that season, it was because of me."
"Kurt." Blaine's voice was suddenly strangely deep, yet there was still the hint of a joke there, though. "Please tackle me."
Kurt let out a small laugh "Oh, and did I tell you? I was a cheerleader too… we won Nationals with me singing a fourteen minutes Celine Dion medley entirely in French, while performing the choreography."
"Just… tackle me!"
"I thought we were taking it easy…?" Kurt teased.
"I… huh… right. Just…"
"Oh my, Blaine, do you need a dictionary?"
"Oh shut it, Kurt!" Blaine snapped and Kurt laughed gingerly.
"Sorry, it was just too funny."
"My sexual frustration is funny?"
"When it's because of me? You bet it is." Kurt let out a content sigh "Besides, you brought it upon yourself, you were the one who started going on and on about wanting to tackle me."
"Yeah, well…"
"Worry not, Blaine." Kurt smiled to himself, hopping off the counter to start pacing around the kitchen "At the risk of sounding terribly vulgar, you can trust me when I tell you I'll probably let you tackle me on purpose…"
"Ahh, so it's just as bad over there?" Kurt could hear the smile on the other end of the line.
"You have no idea, Blaine… You can honestly tackle me as ha-"
"LUNCH HAS ARRIVED!"
"Aaaaaandmy dad is here, gotta go. Tack- Huh – see you later."
He heard Blaine's laughter for a second just as he turned around, turning off the phone, to face Carole and Burt carrying a whole lot of bags, face scorching red.
"Who was that?" Burt asked quietly as he put down his bags
"Blaine…" Kurt muttered as he moved to grab the salad bowl and take towards the dining table.
"What was that? I didn't hear…!" But called after him.
"It was Blaine!" Finn said from the couch, before shooting Kurt a vindictive glare "and they were practically having-"
"A very heated debate over who was worse, Bush senior or junior." Kurt nearly screamed.
"It was heated alright…" Finn muttered under his breath.
Burt shot him a frown but chose to ignore it with a heavy sigh before turning to Kurt "Well, about him… What's going on with you two, Kurt? Are you dating?"
"Huh… we're going on dates… yeah. I guess." Kurt nodded, trying to busy himself as much as he could (by this point he was jut rearranging the silverware to perfection) so he didn't have to look at his father.
"Alright, and do you think it'll go anywhere…?"
"It's a bit early to tell, dad." He muttered as Carole finished bringing in the food and told Finn to sit at the table.
"Well, if you had to guess." Burt pressed.
"If I had to guess I would say I'll do my best to keep in touch when we leave, and I suppose… we'll be boyfriends…" he said that last part so under his breath that everyone strained their necks to catch it.
"Sorry?"
"Oh, for goodness' sake! I want him to be my boyfriend." Kurt sighed, giving up on any hope of them dropping the subject "In time, I want him to. I know I barely know him, but I've never felt this comfortable with anyone, and I suppose that's a good sign… We talked about it last night and he feels the same way, so… I guess, it will go somewhere, dad. I don't think this is just a summer fling."
"Alright, then." Burt smiled "Just remember this is a family vacation, so easy on the dates, but huh… good luck with it – he seems like a fine young man."
"Huh… right, thanks dad."
"And… huh… be careful, too. Don't… huh… just… don't get caught in the heat of the moment and… huh… do something you might regret…" Burt was cringing all the way through his words.
"Dad…" Kurt looked at Burt with a stern glare "we're not having this conversation right now. Seriously, another word and I'll stick my fingers up my years and start singing."
"It's just, I feel, as a parent I should tell you that the first-"
Burt was interrupted as Finn broke into a coughing fit, choking on his food.
"Finn, eat like a person, please. You're not a caveman." Carole reprimanded her son with a heavy sigh as Burt slapped his back in an attempt to help.
"Sorry…" Finn panted out "wrong pipe…"
For once Kurt was grateful for Finn's not so coincidental timing.
xXxXx
When Kurt and Finn arrived to the beach that afternoon (yes, Kurt had left the house before five p.m.! Shocking, I know!), it wasn't hard to find the large group of friends – most of them standing in a circle and playing with their volley ball. Only a few of the girls remained sitting on the towels, Deirdre amidst them, talking excitedly. So, if Deirdre was there… Kurt looked around but he couldn't see Blaine anywhere.
"Hey, Deeds…" Kurt smiled as he dropped his things next to what he identified as Blaine's towel "Hey, Pipa, Mafalda, Meg…"
"Hi!" they smiled in unison.
"Where's-UNHF!" All wind was knocked out of him as he could barely register anything happening at all, before he was falling hard on the sand, a pair of strong arms around him. It all happened so fast that it was only when he was on the ground that he felt the cold water seeping through his clothes. He gasped at the temperature drenching him, and as he did he could hear Blaine's laughter. He wriggled beneath his hold to face him and Blaine let go of the embrace to hold himself a few inches above, hovering on top of Kurt, one hand on each side of Kurt's head. Water dripping off his wet curls. "Heart attack, Blaine!"
Blaine laughed again, pecking him quickly on the lips before retreating back up, only creating enough distance so he could shake his head, sending bucket loads of water flying around him, including Kurt's face, who yelped and pushed him off of himself "Hi!" he panted from where he'd let himself collapse next to Kurt, now sitting up and inspecting his nearly soaked T-shirt.
"Don't even dare talk to me!" Kurt glared at him "My shirt!" he cried.
"It'll live…" Blaine chuckled, reaching out and pulling it over Kurt's head and arms in one swift motion before he could even register what was happening.
"What're you doing?" he gasped, his heart suddenly racing even more.
"You got sand all over me, I need to go wash it out." Blaine's voice was cheerful and filled with evil undertones as he wrapped his arms around Kurt once more, and, somehow, managed to throw him over his shoulder.
"What –OH NO WAY!" Kurt screeched. He didn't really care that he pretty much sounded like a hyper active banshee "PUT ME DOWN!"
"You got sand on me, so you're helping me get it out." Blaine's tone remained calm and relaxed as he continued to walk towards the sea, all the while Kurt continued to flail, kick and screech.
"I did NOT! PUT ME DOWN! I SWEAR TO GOD!"
"All this screaming and fighting is not helping you…" Blaine smiled calmly, water already lapping at his ankles and he didn't so much as flinch at the temperature as he kept walking "It's just making it funnier."
"IT'S NOT FUNNY! BLAINE!"
"Your brother thinks it's funny." Blaine pointed out as they could still hear the laughter from everyone who'd stopped playing volley to watch Kurt's impending doom.
"My brother's an IDIOT! PUT ME DOWN!" Kurt regretted it as soon as he'd said it.
"Ok…" Blaine sighed happily as he dropped Kurt on the spot. He was engulfed in icy cold waves in a matter of nanoseconds. But, just as quickly, he felt a strong, firm hand grabbing his forearm and pulling him up. He scrambled to his feet, trying to look as dignified as possible shaking his hair out of his eyes to glare at Blaine who'd just now let go of his arm.
"I hate you."
"You don't." He smiled "Now we're even…"
"Even? When did I ever throw you into ice cold water?" Kurt shot him a glare as he started to walk back towards the sand.
"Our first date, when you made me surrender…" Blaine called after him, crossing his arms over his chest.
"You started that one too! You threw a handful of sand at my hair!" Kurt rolled his eyes without even bothering to look back at Blaine.
"Like this one?" was all Kurt heard before he felt the harsh impact of wet sand on his bare back. He stopped dead on his tracks before turning slowly around to find Blaine smirking. He squinted his eyes and shook his head ever so slightly.
"Big mistake…" he muttered, before launching himself, and in a few strides he was successfully tackling Blaine to the ground, or else, to the water.
They kept at it for what was probably five minutes, throwing sand and water at each other, pushing the other's face into the ice cold water, tackling each other into the water… They were panting and gasping for air when Kurt finally gasped "Truce?"
Blaine merely nodded with a half smile as he was gulfing for air. With a relieved smile Kurt started towards the sand, Blaine in tow. They were already halfway towards the towels when he felt Blaine's arms wrapping around his waist. He prepared himself for anything, but there was nothing. It took Kurt a moment to realize Blaine was just hugging him. Just hugging. As Blaine's chin came to rest on his shoulder he turned his head to look at Blaine and meet those amazing hazel eyes.
"Hi…" Blaine smiled.
"You're an idiot." Kurt scoffed, turning his head back around, but he was quick to hold Blaine's arms in place, wrapping his own over them. They let go of their embrace as they reached the towels, and both had to rearrange their own. Everyone was returning to their previous activities as they laid down next to each other, on their stomachs. Blaine folded his arms beneath his chin and smiled broadly.
"You came early, today."
"And it was a mistake, apparently."
"Never!"
"You just threw me in the water and tried to drown me like fifty times!"
"I did not! It was all done in self defense!" Blaine laughed before adding in a half whisper "And you were the one who said I could tackle you as hard as I wanted…"
"I never said that."
"Because your dad interrupted you. We both know it was what you were gonna say." He smirked, triumphant, wiggling closer "But if it makes you feel any better, I want you to tackle me as hard as you can, too."
Kurt giggled and turned to lay on his back, closing his eyes and folding one arm beneath his head "We'll see…" He felt Blaine's hands taking his own as they started playing carefully with his fingers "Being adorable will get you nowhere."
He heard as Blaine chuckled and moved even closer to lay his head on Kurt's shoulder. After a while in silence Blaine raised his head to look at Kurt "Hey…" Kurt opened one eye, squinting against the sun "You know I'm kidding, right?"
"About?"
"The whole tackling thing… It's a joke. I know we talked about it yesterday, I don't wanna freak you out or anything, I'm kidding. I mean, I do want to, but…"
"Blaine…" Kurt threw his head back with a soft chuckle "Relax, I get it. Don't worry…"
Blaine smiled broadly before dipping to kiss Kurt, slow and lazy, propped on one elbow and moving his other hand to run light fingers through Kurt's damp hair. After a few moments he felt Kurt's hand push against his shoulder and broke the kiss with a questioning look.
"Huh… sorry…" Kurt muttered "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course!" Blaine settled back to look expectantly at Kurt, still on his side, propped on one elbow.
"Huh… How's Portugal… with the… gay thing?"
Blaine seemed surprised by the question at first but quickly understood "Oh, huh, right. It's… ok. I guess. Could be better, but you won't get anyone calling you… certain words in the middle of the street or anything. I think it was less than two years ago that they passed a law to allow gay marriage, but, to tell you the truth, the only reason it passed was because the vote was only in parliament…" he sighed "But, anyway, it's taboo. People don't really talk that much about it, and while they don't really embrace it, or even accept it, they keep their homophobia pretty silent or reduced to small jokes in conversations."
Kurt nodded silently, turning on his side to look directly at Blaine "And it doesn't bother you that most people on this beach are probably judging us? Even if they're not yelling out slurs at us…? Even if they're just doing it behind our backs…?"
He sighed, chewing quietly on his lip before looking right at Kurt's clear blue eyes "I'm not your ex, Kurt. I'm out, and I'm proud. I'm not going to hide you… or us. I'm not planning on ever going back to the closet in any way. You don't have to be scared to show we're together in public… not while you're with me…" Blaine smiled and brushed a stray strand of hair from Kurt's forehead "The days when I tried to hide it and conform myself to belong are long gone. If I have to change myself to fit into society then I'm not sure that's a society I want to live in. Of course it gets me down some times, but why waste my energy caring about that every waking minute of my life? They can look and judge all they want, but at the end of the day I'll still be thinking about you, probably in not so innocent ways too, and no one can change that. So I'd very much rather enjoy my day having fun with you, and not worrying about what everyone on this beach thinks about it. I'm not going to waste any time on something I have absolutely no control over. This is much better use of my time." He smirked and winked slightly.
Kurt leaned closer and brushed their noses together "Thank you."
"For what…?" Blaine's smirk was replaced by a slight frown.
"I just… I've always felt so alone – I mean, I knew I wasn't the one who was wrong, and I would and will never change myself for anyone, but, still… I just felt alone in thinking I shouldn't have to hide it, ever. You're the first person I've ever met who isn't afraid to stand tall despite everyone else..."
Blaine's smile was tight and somewhat forced as his hand came to rest on Kurt's hip, thumb rubbing at his skin "I'm… sorry."
"For what? For not coming into my life earlier?" Kurt almost laughed.
"Well, kind of, yeah…" Blaine shrugged quietly. This time Kurt really did chuckle before leaning forward capturing Blaine's lips with his own, feeling the other boy's smile under his kiss. Kurt's head was reeling. For the first time in his life he was kissing another boy in a public space, and the other boy was not only comfortable with it, but he actually wanted Kurt to, tugging him closer, wrapping his arms around his torso, intertwining their legs. For the first time in his life he was allowed to show affection, and he was getting it back, too. His heart was swelling and soaring to all new heights – he couldn't be happier. He was so happy that, in some kind of weird paradox, he almost forgot they were in the middle of a crowded beach, mid-afternoon. In his mind there was only Blaine and their kiss.
It was only when a ball landed on his back that he was brought back to the outside world, pulling back from the kiss, looking around for the source of the disruption. He found the group of teenagers, Finn amongst them, doubled over in laughter and Pipa was holding out an apologetic hand, as she couldn't quite bring her voice to comply and articulate words – instead squealing with laughter.
Blaine wiggled carefully from under Kurt, shooting a glare, halfway between annoyed and amused, at the group. He went to pick up the ball, but as he did he noticed Finn's Football ball and picked it up instead "Hey, what about this?" he held it high.
Kurt frowned slightly pulling Blaine's hand as he was walking by. Blaine glanced at Kurt "What?" he asked after he threw them the ball.
"I… huh… just…" Kurt didn't really know how to put it. How do you say 'I thought we were having a good time kind of making out, and why do you want to stop that?' without sounding pathetically insecure?
Blaine didn't need Kurt to say it though, reading his blush fairly easily, he crouched next to Kurt in a second, smiling and almost laughing as he shook his head "It's not like that…"
"What… what then?"
"It's just… if we kept at it for a bit longer I would've needed to go for a dive quite soon…" he blushed slightly "Last night is still a bit vivid in my head, Kurt…"
"Oh…. OH! OK… Yeah… Let's… let's play." Shit, Kurt, you didn't think about that, did you? Good thing one of you has a brain, otherwise you'd be in a pretty embarrassing position (almost literally, too) in a few minutes…
In ten minutes they were playing it as hardcore as they could – even the girls seemed fearless as they dove, trying to tackle the boys. Blaine, mostly as a joke than anything else, was making good on his promise to try to tackle Kurt as much as possible (always sneaking a short, though firm kiss before getting back up and helping the other boy up as well) and Kurt was making good on his promise of letting Blaine tackle him on purpose. Either that or he was just really lousy at football, and no one was that lousy.
When Deirdre, who Blaine had told to sit out because she could get hurt, complained she wanted to play Finn convinced Blaine to let him try something. "You're my arms, better work it!" he told her as he held her close to his chest, before starting to run once more. He would yell "Catch it! CATCH!" or "THROW IT NOW!", and when they would succeed he would throw her in the air and catch her in celebration.
"Finn's amazing…" Blaine panted, doubled over, hands on his knees, as he stopped for a moment next to Kurt who was still laying on the sand, trying to recover from a particularly surprising tackle from JD "I think I'm gonna steal him… I need him."
"I'm jealous…" Kurt was also panting as he squinted to look up at Blaine, the sun right behind his head.
"Don't be. I only want him as a babysitter."
"They always say that…" Kurt grunted as he pushed himself to sit up "But they always screw the nannies."
Blaine burst out laughing "Trust me. He's so not my type." He offered a hand to Kurt.
"No?" Kurt smirked taking Blaine's hand to get up, but instead he tugged him down with a laugh, and Blaine came crashing right next to Kurt who was quick to scramble away.
"No…" he sighed, sitting up and brushing the sand off his skin "apparently I like them mean and backstabbing." He called after Kurt who let out a bark of laughter and only glance over his shoulder for a second.
After a while no one could really run anymore and they gave up on trying to play anything, as they would spend more time on the sand trying to recover and regain some kind of energy instead of actually playing. Having returned to the towels the guitar was out and they'd resumed to jamming like the other day. Kurt was singing along happily to 'Hit Me Baby One More Time' (also noticing how Blaine's voice was killing the song in the best way possible) when he spotted his dad and Carole setting their things down a few feet away. He waved as he met their eyes and they waved back with easy smiles. He didn't notice as Blaine looked over, and quickly stood up and started gesturing.
"What are you doing?" he frowned.
"Telling them to come over…" Blaine shrugged.
"What? No!"
"Why not...? Kurt, they came here to spend these days as a family, it's not exactly fair that they barely get to be with you two." Blaine said without looking at Kurt, still smiling and waving them over. With slightly confused smiles the two adults picked up their things and walked over.
"Hi, Mr. Hummel" Blaine smiled taking Burt's hand "Mrs. Hummel."
"Blaine, how are you?"
"Brilliant. Would you care to join us?"
"Oh, sweetie, that's alright, we wouldn't want to spoil your fun!"
"Yes, Blaine, they wouldn't want that!" Kurt's smile was as fake as Pam Anderson's breasts.
"I hardly think you'd spoil anything, please!" Blaine kept his charming smile on, not even sparing a glance towards Kurt.
"If you insist…" Carole shrugged.
"He doesn't."
"I do." Blaine kicked Kurt ever so slightly, keeping his warm gaze over Carole and Burt as they set their things down only a little apart from the rest of the group who was still cheerfully singing "Hey guys, these are Kurt and Finn's parents…"
Everyone waved and smiled eagerly before turning back to their music.
"So, how are you liking Portugal?" Blaine's polite conversational tone was almost surreal in the middle of all the madness. Everyone around them was practically shouting as they sang, completely out of tune, screwing up so much it was probably in purpose, and yet, there was Blaine, his full attention on Carole and Burt, the most charming of smiles on his face and voice impossibly calm and polite. How is he even real?
"It's beautiful! It's a pity we'll only have one more week…" Carole sighed.
"Oh, that's right… When are you heading back, by the way? If I'm not protruding…"
"Oh, of course not, honey. We'll be heading out… today is Tuesday, right? Hum… Our flight is next Friday…"
"Oh, alright. Have you ever been to Lisbon?"
"Huh, no, not actually. We just got out of the airport, asked where we could find a car rental service and took a cab there."
"Well, if you'd like I could show you around a little bit."
"Oh, our flight isn't very early, so we would have some time to kill… but still."
"I have a house there – well my grandma does – but you could stay for the night, if you wanted and we could go a day early, so you could get a bit of sightseeing in before your flight."
"But are you… Do you need to go to Lisbon or…?"
"Oh, I was planning on seeing you off, actually… I think Deeds would die if she didn't get her romantic scene with Finn at the airport…"
"Seeing us off, as in… driving to Lisbon just to say goodbye at the airport?" Burt frowned.
"Yeah." Blaine smiled.
"Really?" Carole, Burt and Kurt were in perfect harmony as their faces turned to stare at Blaine with confusion and surprise.
"Of course… Why wouldn't I?"
"Because it's a two hour drive, and I'm sure you could find better use for that time and the gas money…"
Blaine chuckled "Every single year I spend two months and a half here on holidays with nothing to do but take care of Deeds and go to the beach, I have plenty of time to spare… And gas isn't a problem. So, think about it, and let me know. I'd be more than happy to show you around Lisbon."
"Oh, he's a keeper!" Carole winked at Kurt and he wanted to go hide in a deep dark whole, but Blaine merely chuckled politely with his infuriatingly charming smile unfaltering.
"That's a generous offer, Blaine." Burt said slowly "Are you sure your parents or your grandparents wouldn't mind you taking off to Lisbon like that…?"
"My parents are back in New York, and my grandma wouldn't mind at all. I do it every other weekend anyway… Beach is really nice and all, but two months and a half of only beach can be a little tiring. So, it's really no trouble at all. Let me know."
"Alright… we'll let you know." Burt nodded carefully "In the mean time, why don't you join us for dinner tonight?"
Kurt stared at his father with wide murderous eyes. Was everyone just trying to make him uncomfortable?
"I… Yes, that would be lovely. If it's not imposing."
"Not at all!" Carole smiled cheerfully.
"Alright, I'll just have to go drop Deeds off first, but…"
"Oh, she can come, too!" Carole clapped her hands "It's been so long since I've been around kids! They grow up so fast…!"
"Yes, yes, they do." Blaine nodded in agreement "And I'm sure she'd be thrilled to join her future parents-in-law for dinner, but I really should warn you she can get a little tiring after a while. She's all cute now, but more than an hour or two of it and it's not so cute anymore."
"Oh, I doubt it!" Carole smiled "I love kids!"
"Hey!" Kurt pointed a wary finger at her "No little brothers for me, thank you very much!"
They all chuckled and Burt shook his head "Oh, she can love 'em all she wants, but I had my fair share with this one, so I'm with him."
"What do you mean you had your fair share with me? I was an excellent kid! I always helped you out with everything, I cooked, I never got into trouble at school, great grades…"
"Oh, and the loud music, the hour long shower concerts, all the…"
"Alright, dad, we get it! You're right!"
"Oh but, Kurt!" Blaine smirked laying a careful hand on Kurt's shoulder "Your dad might want to talk it out." He turned to Burt with an easy smile "Please do!"
Burt laughed as Kurt shot him the deadliest of glares "Well… I was half kidding, Kurt was a pretty great kid, to tell you the truth. When he wasn't fussing over his clothes… or… ahah, there was this one time I accidentally shrunk one of his sweaters when I was doing some laundry… You should have seen his face! He was so red! It looked like he was about to burst – you could boil an egg on his forehead!"
Kurt rolled his eyes and locked his jaw, trying to remain as stoic as he cook as Blaine chuckled along with Burt and Carole.
"But I think nothing will ever beat that one time he was trying to be straight, and he spent almost a week wearing flannel plaid shirts, baseball caps and singing and listening to Mellencamp." Kurt was sending him all kinds of glares – if looks could kill "It's even funnier because it wasn't that long ago!"
Blaine turned to look at Kurt "Mellencamp? Flannel?"
Kurt held his head high and tried to look as dignified as he could "I'm not a box, there are more than four sides to me." He shrugged.
"AH!" Finn's voice cut through their laughter and Kurt almost cringed at what he was sure would be bad "That's what you said to Mr. Schue when you sang Pink Houses! It was awesome!"
"Awesome, heh?" Blaine turned to Kurt with a challenging smile "Care for a reprise?"
Kurt considered his options very carefully. So carefully that you could almost see the wheels turning. "Alright… Can you play it?"
"I can!" Burt said, and everyone turned their heads, frowning.
"You play the guitar?" Kurt frowned.
"I used to serenade your mother… Granted, my repertoire consists basically of Mellencamp, Springsteen… some Bryan Adams, if you're lucky… but, I can play some tunes, the simple ones. My best buddy in high school played it and he taught me a few songs…" he shrugged and smiled "Hand it over! I'd like nothing more than to play as you sing, Kurt."
Kurt's embarrassment and anger disappeared almost completely and at once as he looked at his father with suddenly warm eyes "Alright… You can play it…"
"Ok… Let just get the hang of it…" Burt muttered, trying his fingers on the strings and plucking at them slightly. While Burt fiddled with the guitar Kurt watched him, silent, smiling softly. Blaine's laughter had subsided and he'd now resumed to bite his lip, eyes shifting between Kurt and Burt, feeling the affection of them wash over him. Normally he wouldn't have done it, because, hey, Burt was Kurt's father, and usually Blaine did have a very strict sense of decorum, but he couldn't help it. Let's just say his arm had a will of its own as it wrapped itself around Kurt's torso, pulling him close, letting Kurt's back rest against his chest.
Kurt glanced backwards to find Blaine smiling at him, and he returned it before reaching up for a quick kiss.
"Alright!" Burt laughed "Let's get this show on the road!" He started playing and Kurt straightened himself just slightly, not wanting to escape Blaine's strong embrace.
"There's a black man, with a black cat, living in a black neighborhood…" Kurt could feel Blaine quietly laughing against his back, and he knew he should be feeling ridiculous, but all he cared about at the moment was that he was singing, and his dad was playing and singing along too, with him, while he sat in a beautiful beach with his family and a pretty much amazing group of people who only cared about how much fun they were having, and wouldn't give a rat's ass that he was sitting against Blaine, with his arm around him, Blaine's thumb drawing circles around his hipbone and his nose buried in the crook of Kurt's neck.
There was a loud and joyful applause at the end and Burt was encouraged to play some more, but Kurt let Finn take the singing lead on those, because Pink Houses was pretty much his entire Rock repertoire. They'd been at it for a while, Kurt still relaxing against Blaine's embrace when Blaine kissed his ear lightly and whispered "Wanna go for a walk?"
Kurt twisted slightly to look at him "Sure…" he smiled before getting up and helping Blaine up as well. The shorter boy picked up his guitar from its case, where it had been resting as everyone was using António's, and smiled "We're going for a walk… call me if you need anything."
Carole nodded grinning and Kurt rolled his eyes at her, even if he couldn't help smiling a little himself.
It was almost seven thirty so the beach was close to empty and the sun was low and golden, casting its light over the sea and sand in the most beautiful way. They were walking slowly with the water softly lapping at their ankles.
"You can pull Mellencamp surprisingly well." Blaine bumped his shoulder playfully against Kurt's.
"I only sang it because of my dad… Honestly, that week… not my best moment." Kurt frowned slightly "I was having a hard time… Sophomore year… my dad had just started dating Carole and suddenly he was hanging out with Finn and bonding over football and everything I never did have in common with him. It just made me so painfully aware of how little I had in common with my dad… I got a little jealous and I thought that maybe if I tried I could… I don't really know what I was thinking. I just wanted to be the son my father had always wanted."
"Oh, disappointed parents…? I'd know about that… but to tell you the truth, Kurt, I don't think there's one thing about you that's disappointing to your dad… the way he was looking at you just now…"
"Oh, trust me, I know that. After my little Mellencamp stunt, which, surprise-surprise, didn't work, I knew that… We talked, and he told me that. I don't know what I was thinking, honestly! I was just insecure and afraid to lose the one person in my life that… meant everything to me. But, then there I was, in the middle of the school corridor, dressed in plaid flannel and a baseball cap, and my dad was still going out with Finn to a ball game, or whatever, and not me… And I couldn't do it anymore, I couldn't pretend. That day… That was the day I promised myself I would never change for anyone, because I knew that if anyone was ever going to love me, it would be for I am, and not who I thought they wanted me to be."
Blaine half chuckled "It took me a lot longer to figure that out… I only gave up the role playing games when I graduated high school – that was my turning point." he sighed "My dad wasn't very happy when I came out, and I played along with his many attempts at trying to make me straighter… But I just… at some point I had to draw a line, you know? I haven't spoken to him in almost a year… Huh… more than a year actually" he frowned "It was when I enrolled in NYU… He wanted me to go to law school. Follow in his footsteps… I refused." He shrugged.
"Oh, I didn't… you're not on speaking terms with your dad? Oh, wow… That's… That's… fuck."
"Yeah… He's a normal person… kind of a good man, actually. Never did anything awful, per se… But he's a lousy father. I had it worse, but Tom and Deeds don't really have it much better than me, anyway. He barely ever calls… My mom, she makes an effort, I got give it to her on that level, but she's always so busy with work… Hey, at least she doesn't want to turn me straight." Blaine shrugged before grimacing and half chuckling "Oh God! It sounds awfully depressing when you say it out loud… doesn't it?"
Kurt nodded silently.
"It's not that bad…" he shrugged "It really isn't! It sounds so much worse than it is… I'm pretty happy actually – I'm pretty sure I got everything I need, and most of what I want… I'm good. I think I've gotten to a good place in my life…" he nodded to himself and smiled broadly "I mean, what more can you want than this?" he twirled around spreading his arms and throwing his head back to look at the purpling sky.
"There you go again, trying to escape the hard stuff…" Kurt muttered, but he was careful to keep his tone easy and light.
Blaine chuckled "I promise I'm not. Not this time."
"Ok, then…"
"I really am happy. I've got plenty of reasons to be happy. And one more as of this week." Blaine laughed and Kurt shook his head smiling to himself quietly "Hey, let's sit…" he took a seat at a rock, keeping his feet splashing gently at the water, and Kurt sat by his side.
"Well then… I'll take your word for it." Kurt shrugged and sighed contently "I'm pretty happy myself, as well…"
"Oh dammit!"
"What?"
"We're not gonna have one of those tearful moments in the rain!" Blaine whined "You know, one of those epic heartbroken speeches!"
Kurt laughed and shook his head "Somehow, I think we'll live."
Blaine beamed and started playing with his guitar, randomly picking at the strings at first, until settling something more concrete.
"It's seventy two degrees… zero chance of rain… it's been a perfect day…"
"Oh, no…!" Kurt laughed and Blaine shrugged and continued.
"I don't really know the words, I'm gonna try to wing it… let's see-ee-he! There was something about the sun… and then the line about them having something, yeah!" Blaine was practically in stitches as Kurt shook with laughter beside him "And if this is what we've got, then what we've got is gold… We're shining bright and I want you, I want you to know… The moon it's on tis way, our friends all say goodbye, there's nowhere else to go, I hope that you'll stay the night!" he slapped his guitar a few times to make a rhythm and Kurt continued to laugh but started to clap along keeping a steady pace "Oh oh oh, you'll stay the night… Yeah!" he laughed "I'm not that good at this, but I'm trying to get a kiii-ii-iss, hey I made a rhyme just now, though I know that it was bad… And I should just quit making a fool of myself… But you're right here laughing, and it's mind blowing, it feels amazing, that I'm the one doing it… And if this is what we've got, then what we've got is gold! We're shining bright and I want you, I want you to know… Oh oh oh, please stay the night!" Blaine held up his hands "I give! I can't! I wasn't cut out for songwriting…" he laughed.
"Oh, that was the best and worst thing I've ever witnessed." Kurt managed between laughs "Your attempt at serenading me was truly something else."
"That bad, huh?"
Kurt waited until his laughter had subsided before reaching forward and kissing Blaine, his left hand coming to pull Blaine closer. He smiled sweetly as he pulled back only enough to look into Blaine's amazingly golden eyes "It was absolutely ridiculous, Blaine."
Blaine threw his head back in laughter "And here I was thinking you were gonna say it'd been perfect…"
"It was perfect too… Perfectly ridiculous." Kurt shrugged.
"Oh, well… at least I tried… I guess I'll just have to pick a song I know the words to next time."
"I guess you will."
"Or… you could serenade me."
Kurt cocked an eyebrow before frowning just slightly, keeping a smile on his lips "I can't play the guitar…" he muttered.
"Your voice is beautiful enough to carry its own weight…" Blaine shrugged before settling his head on Kurt's shoulder.
Kurt bit his lip, trying to keep his smile from becoming unreasonably large, as he wrapped an arm around Blaine's shoulders, pulling him as close as possible. "it's five o'clock in the morning… conversation got boring… you said you'd go into bed soon, so I snuck off to your bedroom, and I thought I'd just wait there, till I heard you come up the stairs, and I pretend that I was sleeping, and I was hoping you would creep in with me.
Put your arm around my shoulder, and it was as if the room got colder, and we move closer in together, and started talkin' about the weather… You said tomorrow would be fun, and we could watch a Place in the Sun. I didn't know where this was going, when you kissed me…
Are you mine? Are you mine? Cuz I stay here all the time, watching telly drinking wine… Who'd've known, who'd've known, when you flash upon my phone I no longer feel alone… no longer feel alone… I haven't left here for days now, and I'm becoming amazed how you're quite affectionate in public, in fact your friend said it made her feel sick. And even though it's moving forward, it's just right amount of awkward, and today you accidently… called me baby.
Are you mine? Are you mine? Cuz I stay here all the time, watching telly, drinking wine… Who'd've known, who'd've known, when you flash upon my phone I no longer feel alone, no longer feel alone… Let's just stay, let's just stay, I wanna lie in bed all day, we'll be laughing all the way; told your friends, they don't know, we exist but we're taking it slow, let's just see how it goes, let's see how it goes…
Are you mine? Are you mine? Cuz I stay here all the time, watching telly, drinking wine… Who'd've known, who'd've known, when you flash upon my phone I no longer feel alone, no longer feel alone… Let's just stay, let's just stay, I wanna lie in bed all day, we'll be laughing all the way, told your friends, they don't know, we exist but we're taking it slow, let's just see how it goes, let's see how it goes…"
"That was amazing…" Blaine sighed after a moment in silence.
"Really?"
"Yeah… I've never had anyone sing to me before…" Blaine pulled back from where he'd been resting his head against the crook of Kurt's neck "It feels amazing."
Kurt smiled just as warmly before pressing their lips together.
"I would've never pegged you as a Lilly Allen fan, though…" Blaine frowned a little as he pulled back and Kurt couldn't help laughing at the totally random comment.
xXxXxXx
Songs mentioned: Stay the night – James Blunt and Who'd Have Know – Lilly Allen. I feel like they describe them exactly. Which is why I wrote Lilly Allen's lyrics . they are a perfect fit for their situation.
Tootles!