Blaine knocked on the door of the Hummel-Hudson home lightly, half-hoping no one would hear and answer the door. He was in no hurry to return to the Berry household. Unfortunately, he underestimated Kurt (who occasionally took forever to get ready and was very late as a result), and the door opened almost immediately. His slight annoyance was quickly mitigated by the thought that the countertenor must have been waiting on the other side for him. "Hi," he said, answering Kurt's radiant smile with one of his own. "You look beautiful."
He never ceased to be happy when compliments made Kurt blush and look down, his boyfriend sweet and innocent and gorgeous. "Thank you," Kurt said, still not meeting his eyes. "You do, too."
Blaine did his best not to have the same reaction as Kurt. Yes, he was obligated to remind the countertenor of how unfairly handsome he was, but he also meant it. Kurt put a lot of effort into his appearance on a daily basis, and he was naturally beautiful, but when the countertenor went all out for a special event, he was beyond stunning. "Thank you," the tenor said, remembering his manners. "Sadly, you seem ready to go."
Kurt chuckled gently. "Thankfully, Finn is not, so you can come in."
"I wasn't aware Finn was joining us," Blaine replied as he accepted the invitation and stepped into the house. "If the Berrys are going to… well, be like they always are when either of us are around, won't he be uncomfortable?"
"Oh, absolutely," Kurt confirmed, going to the fridge for water and offering Blaine one as well. "It most certainly wasn't my idea to bring him."
"Rachel definitely believes she can change him," the tenor replied, politely declining the water.
"The scary part is, she has," Kurt said with a sigh as he took a seat next to Blaine on the couch. "For the better, mostly."
Blaine shrugged. "Relationships change people," he said casually, very aware they were approaching dangerous territory. "I think you're wrinkling your shirt," he said, having learned how to distract Kurt. Sure enough, the countertenor jumped up, straightening his clothing, and Blaine joined him. "What do you think dinner's going to be like?"
"For Finn? Horrifying. For us? Either wildly entertaining or absolutely humiliating," Kurt assured him dryly, making him smile. Blaine wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's waist, pulling him close. "What?"
"Nothing," he said, still smiling. He didn't want to admit that he'd just wanted to be close to Kurt; that seemed a little much for just a few days after their first date. "We haven't decided when we're going out next."
Kurt finally smiled in return, apparently accepting Blaine's odd whims, and wrapped his arms around the tenor's neck. "Since you asked me last time, do I get to ask you this time?" The countertenor's subtlety was on point, as usual, and Kurt was visibly leaned forward, expecting a kiss.
"Only if I don't ask you first," Blaine teased, revelling in the opportunity to be sappy. The opportunity to kiss Kurt was always too good to resist, but their moment was interrupted by a giant clomping his way down the stairs.
"Sorry, sorry, I'm ready…" Finn looked up from the cuff he was trying to button at last and paused, taking in the scene in the living room. "I interrupted, didn't I?"
"You couldn't have done so more effectively," Kurt commented, releasing Blaine and stepping away. "Rest assured when we get to the Berrys', I will blame our lateness on you." The wrath of Rachel was a considerable threat. "Everyone in the car."
Rachel had mentioned a few times since the accident that it would be nice for Blaine and Kurt to join her and her dads for dinner. Always the requests had been brushed aside, but the night before after booty camp, she had cornered Blaine and demanded it happened soon. Thus, the boys were all dressed up and heading to their little 'family' dinner. Burt and Carole had been invited after Rachel had invited Finn, but they had declined, well acquainted with the Berrys, and their excuse was being out of town, which they subsequently made happen.
The car ride was rather quiet, no Rachel present to fill it with empty chatter. Blaine had been loaned Mr. Berry's Suburban for the trip, since there was no other back seat that comfortably accommodated Finn. Kurt had taken shotgun despite Finn's attempt at 'dibs' and though he was normally a very responsible driver, Blaine drove one-handed so he could keep Kurt's hand in his.
Blaine had to briefly release his boyfriend to get out of the car, but they joined hands again as they walked to the Berrys' front door. Blaine wasn't sure who he feared opening the door to, Rachel or her fathers, and a quick glance at Kurt confirmed the countertenor was thinking the same thing. The tenor almost reached up to knock before reminding himself that this was his home, and simply opening the door. Daily, Blaine waded through the crowded foyer to reach the open-concept kitchen and living room, but in his memory, Kurt had only been to the house once, and things had changed a lot since then. Of course, they couldn't be avoided for long, and the moment Kurt and Blaine stepped into the living room, hand-in-hand, the countertenor was swept away into the gleeful embraces and lavish attention of two very proud fathers.
"Oh, my dearest," Leroy said to a rather frozen Kurt, "it's so nice to see you feeling so much better." The older man showered Kurt's cheeks with kisses as Hiram stepped away, giving Blaine a look.
"Hey, that's mine," he said, teasing the diva who had Kurt in his clutches. His boyfriend looked overwhelmingly grateful as Blaine tugged him away, Leroy finally releasing Kurt.
"Trust me, if you hadn't pushed him off he never would have let go," Hiram said with a wry smile at Blaine. "Finnegan," was all he said to acknowledge the jock's presence, nodding in his direction before turning and heading for the bar area.
Blaine was not quite prepared for his equally enthusiastic greeting from Leroy. "Yes, you live here, but I never see you!" he said by way of explanation. "And you seem like you could use a few extra hugs anyway." Thankfully, Blaine was released without intervention from Kurt, who was looking rather overwhelmed. "Nice to see you, Finn." Leroy at least shook the jock's hand before throwing one arm around a flinching Kurt and the other around Blaine. "Come, come," he said, not giving them much of a choice as he shepherded them towards the couch; the sound of something falling confirmed that Finn was following. "Rachel will be down any moment. She's been looking for a song for your Glee assignment," he continued as he deposited the couple on the couch facing the piano, Blaine scooting over with reluctance to make room for Finn.
"Popular music is not her favorite," Hirman informed them as he returned, shoving what looked like Shirley Temples into their hands and handing Finn a can of Pepsi. "Not theatrical enough, for the most part."
"Agree to disagree." A sip of his drink confirmed his suspicions.
"Have you met Rachel?" Kurt turned to him with a raised eyebrow.
"She has strong opinions, certainly." Leroy managed to say that with no trace of sarcasm in his voice. "When she was little-"
"Leroy, it's too early for stories, she's not even here yet!" Hiram chastised, handing his husband a drink and proceeding to clink his glass against it. 'You knew she loves hearing them." Kurt stifled what sounded like a snort by taking a sip of his drink.
"I cannot imagine why Mr. Schuester thinks this is a good idea!" They all heard Rachel well before they saw her. "Popular music is a last resort when pandering to the audience, not a serious topic that we should waste a week on so close to Sectionals."
"Firmly agreed," Hiram said as he handed a third Shirley Temple to his daughter.
"You could try singing Last Resort," Blaine suggested sarcastically. "Technically, I think it was released in 2000, but I think you could get away with it." Kurt choked on his drink. As funny as it was to think of Rachel singing metal, with her belting ability, it would probably sound fantastic.
"I'll likely do a ballad, from a popular musical," Blaine was pretty sure he saw her twitch at the thought, even though some of her and Kurt's favorite musicals were in fact popular. "Perhaps I'll choose a very unique song that was released in the last ten years, but no one will know, to prove to Mr. Schuester that this is a useless assignment."
"That will definitely help your case," Blaine said, nodding sagely, and Rachel made a face at him. He sent a long-suffering glance towards Kurt, but was surprised to find his boyfriend smiling.
"You two are more like siblings every day," Leroy said with a smile, voicing what Kurt had likely been thinking, and at that, Rachel was the one choking on her drink.
"If we thought you would allow it, we would adopt you in a second," Hiram added on, smiling at Blaine as he placed a hand on his husband's shoulder. "How long until dinner is ready, love?"
That was sweet enough to make everyone but Finn smile; the idiot jock, of course, just looked uncomfortable. "I would say just enough time," Leroy said with a knowing look at his husband, who smiled. Rachel clapped her hands excitedly and Blaine resisted the urge to groan.
"As you may know," Rachel began, sweeping to stand in front of her dads and address the boys on the couch, "the Berry family has a venerated tradition of turning everyday dinner into dinner theatre." Hiram was already sitting at the piano, playing absentmindedly. To Blaine, it sounded like the beginning of Purpose, but he couldn't be sure.
"Rachel, we had dinner theatre last night." Blaine, at least, distinctly recalled being used mostly as a prop as the talented soprano sang My New Philosophy to the delight of her fathers.
"And?" Rachel and Leroy said at the same time. Hiram looked like he was trying not to laugh.
"No use letting such exceptional talent go to waste, while it's here." Rachel beamed, thinking her father was talking about her, but Leroy instead reached over towards the couch, touching Kurt's cheek gently. Kurt clearly did not approve.
If you change your mind, I'm the first in line
Honey, I'm still free
Take a chance on me
Before any more objections could be raised, Leroy started singing, Rachel looking delighted and pulling a pained Finn off the couch. Kurt shot Blaine a look that asked 'why on earth did you bring me here?'
If you need me, let me know, gonna be around
If you've got no place to go, when you're feeling down
Hiram quickly joined his husband, a cappella, and as the song began to pick up, Blaine had to admit it didn't sound best with just a piano. Still, Finn was being led around the piano by Rachel as the husbands began to sing together, their daugher quickly joining in, and Blaine knew before long they would be forced to join. Standing up from the couch, he held a hand out to Kurt.
If you're all alone when the pretty birds have flown
Honey, I'm still free
Take a chance on me
Gonna do my very best, and it ain't no lie
If you put me to the test, if you let me try
Take a chance on me
Take a chance on me
Kurt still looked rather like he was wondering why Blaine had decided to inflict such torture on him, but he smiled and took Blaine's hand, singing along when Blaine decided to join in. When in Rome…
We can go dancing
We can go walking
As long as we're together
Listen to some music
Maybe just talking
Get to know you better
'Cause you know I've got-
Kurt seemed much more comfortable flirting through song (the New Directions had taught him well) and he just smiled when Blaine pulled him close. The smile quickly disappeared when Rachel cut him off
So much that I wanna do
When I dream I'm alone with you
It's magic
Rachel was looking at Finn with those big doe eyes of hers, but there was something else there, something Blaine hadn't seen before. He saw Hiram and Leroy exchange a glance that looked none too pleased. Still, Leroy shoved the sheet music into Finn's hands as his daughter sang, Hiram never having glanced at it.
You want me to leave it there
Afraid of a love affair
But I think you know
That I can't let go
If you change your mind, I'm the first in line
Honey, I'm still free
Take a chance on me
Finn, not a great dancer no matter the situation, became much worse when he was trying to dance and sing and read (definitely not one of his strong suits), and when he stepped violently on Rachel's foot, causing her to yelp halfway through the chorus, Blaine was happy to take over for them. A very amused Kurt helped.
If you need me, let me know, gonna be around
If you've got no place to go, if you're feeling down
If you're all alone when the pretty birds have flown
Honey, I'm still free
Take a chance on me
Gonna go my very best and it ain't no lie
If you put me to the test, if you let me try
Rachel, never one to be upstaged for long, quickly joined back in on the chorus, everyone singing along. She had clearly benched Finn, who was sitting on the couch looking grumpy. Blaine chose not to look in his direction; really, the song was a classic, it was his fault for not knowing it.
Take a chance on me
(Come on, give me a break, will ya?)
Oh you can take you time, baby
I'm in no hurry, know I'm gonna get you
You don't wanna hurt me, baby don't worry
I ain't gonna let ya
With her boyfriend benched, Rachel decided to steal Blaine's, singing the last part with him and butting the tenor out of the song entirely. Leroy smiled at him as he looked bewildered, wrapping an arm around him as a reluctant Kurt sang with Rachel. The countertenor glanced over at Blaine on the last lines, but he was smiling.
Let me tell you now
Our love is strong enough to last when things get rough
It's magic
You say that I waste my time but I can't get you off my mind
And I think you know
That I love you so
Leroy released Blaine to sing with his daughter on the last part, Blaine joining Kurt on the other side of the piano, realizing that each and every member of the Berry household was a stage hog. He was more than fine returning to the couch with Kurt, but Rachel grabbed them and Finn to close out the song, Hiram playing an abridged version of the wedding march before they closed it out, just to add the flair from the musical.
If you change your mind, I'm the first in line
Honey, I'm still free
Take a chance on me
"And, of course, she's been singing ever since," Leroy said, finishing up the tag-team story he and Hiram had been telling since the food was served. Rachel smiled brightly at her dads, glad two other people were as obsessed with her as she was, and Kurt turned back to the food on his plate. Rachel was a vegan, so it was wonderfully healthy and very edible. Finn, he noticed, did not seem to agree.
Over the course of the dinner, he had learned a couple of things about the Berry family. Hiram shamelessly name-dropped people Kurt was sure he'd never met in his life. Leroy had an exceptionally dirty mind and a laundry list of celebrities he fantasized about, which Kurt only knew because he seemed to share his dreams with his husband. Neither father seemed exceptionally fond of Finn, though both were polite to him.
And, the most important one, the Berry family had very clearly welcomed Blaine as one of their own. As much time as the tenor spent rolling his eyes at Rachel and Leroy (and it was a lot), he exchanged innumerable glances with Hiram that Kurt, as an outsider, didn't understand. Leroy doted on Blaine almost as much as he doted on his daughter (though he had far less stories to tell about the tenor, for which Blaine seemed grateful). Blaine had even joined in when Hiram and Rachel recited the foundations of the Berry family (honesty, respect, and dance, apparently).
Kurt was unimaginably grateful. Blaine actually seemed happy to be living with them (if he, personally, had stepped into the role of Rachel's younger brother, he was sure he would have run off to join the circus by now). As they had before, Rachel and Blaine bickered like siblings throughout dinner, but the tenor couldn't hide how fond he was of the brunette nuisance. They made better siblings than Kurt and Finn, really.
Finn, for his part, had been blissfully quiet throughout the dinner.
"No one can hit the high notes quite like her," Blaine said, clearly fighting a smile, and Leroy glowered at him. "What?" he asked innocently.
"Very funny." Hiram tried his best to sound dismissive, but it didn't quite work for him. "Rachel certainly isn't the only one who can hit high notes at the table."
Kurt blushed pink when they both looked at him, realizing what Blaine had been alluding to just a second too late, and he ducked his head, staring resolutely at the table.
"Try to look less green, Finn," Blaine snapped at the jock across the table.
"No fighting at dinner," Hiram said with a put-upon sigh.
"How are you lovebirds?" Leroy asked with enthusiasm, taking a sip from what might have been his third drink. "I can't imagine forgetting everything about my partner." Hiram smiled at his husband.
"We're not-" Kurt cut Blaine off, not sure he wanted to know where Blaine was going with that denial.
"How did you two meet?" Rachel looked over at Blaine, who grinned back at her, and he was clearly missing a joke.
"Well, when I was in high school, I went to a theatre camp across the country from my hometown- San Diego," Leroy explained quickly, "and I ended up in this cabin of rowdy boys who were not quite as interested as I was."
"Let me guess, Daddy was in your cabin," Rachel said, still smiling, and how had she not heard this story?
"Or he was the counselor," Blaine muttered into his drink, making Rachel giggle.
"Well, they finally convinced me that we should sneak out of the cabin after lights out and go into the nearby town. We were too young to drink, so I'm not sure what they intended to accomplish, but I went along. We ended up in a coffee shop, one of those little hole-in-the-wall places where Hiram was performing karaoke with some blond stick." Kurt wasn't sure what gender Leroy was referring to, but he supposed it didn't matter. "Blown away by his talent, I approached him. Not sure what to say to this stranger from North Carolina, I ended up inviting him to our camp's final production. He was older and out of my league, so I figured him agreeing was just me being blown off politely, but he showed up and fell in love watching me act, and we became penpals. Ended up in the same college town, by no coincidence whatsoever, and we've been together ever since."
"Always such a beautiful story, Daddy," Rachel said with a smile. "Anyone for dessert?"
"I'll help you clear plates," Blaine said immediately, hopping to his feet, and Kurt was stranded with the Berry fathers. Finn was going to be no help.
"He's quite doting, isn't he?" Leroy said with a smile towards Kurt.
"Exceptionally sweet," Hiram chimed in before Kurt could formulate an answer. "Very talented, very handsome."
Okay, he could take a hint. "If you're trying to talk me into dating him, I already am."
"Oh." Hiram, at least, had the decency to look embarrassed. "He had not told us that."
"We went on our first date last week," Kurt admitted, unable to stop a smile from spreading across his face. "Well, our second first date, I suppose."
"Ah," Leroy said, smiling at his smile, "and do you kiss on second first dates?"
"Leroy," Hiram chastised gently. Kurt could feel his face heating up.
"What?" Leroy asked innocently. "It's just a question!" He glanced over at Kurt quickly, noticed the color in his face, and smiled. "And that is my answer."
"Ignore him," Hiram encouraged, "he gets this way whenever we watch Love Actually."
"I love Hugh Grant and I will not apologize for that."
"I'm not quite sure it's love you're feeling."
The banter was broken, not nearly soon enough judging by Finn's expression, by Rachel and Blaine returning. The tenor had managed to balance three cakes, though all of the plates looked precarious. Rachel, carrying two, was laughing and started serving without a pause.
"No cake, Rachel?" Kurt asked, starting to feel a little guilty about the gratuitous slice in front of him.
"There's no way to make a vegan cake that's edible," Blaine said before Rachel could answer. "Even she'll admit that, sometimes."
"Kurtsie here was just telling us about your first date," Leroy said imploringly.
Blaine, a veteran of the Berrys, rolled his eyes. "I highly doubt that."
"I just can't imagine- losing the entire memory of someone," Hiram sounded more sympathetic than curious, for which Kurt was grateful.
"We're doing all right, in spite of everything," said Blaine calmly, reaching over to take one of Kurt's hands. Meeting Blaine's eyes, full of comfort and love, made a warm feeling spread through him.
"Fantastic cake, Rach," Finn said, effectively ending the moment. Blaine gave him a look that the jock failed to notice, and Kurt smiled when he realized Leroy had done the same thing.
"Leroy made it," Hiram said. "Rachel's not even eating it." Kurt stifled a laugh in a bite of cake. The Berry fathers had very little patience for Finn and he appreciated that.
"A goddess of song she may be," Blaine's voice was dripping with sarcasm, "but Rachel cannot cook."
"I take offense at that! I helped make dinner."
"You cut vegetables."
As Rachel defended her culinary skills once more, Hiram met Kurt's eyes with an amused look. Kurt smiled in return. While he could understand how Rachel had been raised by these two men (Leroy in particular), he also found himself enjoying the Berry family.
"Children, children, you must not bicker like this," Leroy said when he'd grown tired of the jabs. "Rachel didn't help make the cake because she refuses to break eggs."
"So she is to thank for the lack of shells," Blaine said with a nod. Leroy threw his hands up in frustration.
"I think someone needs another drink," Hiram said, standing up, "and maybe a Xanax. Anyone else?"
"I think Kurt could use a drink," Blaine gestured to his empty glass, "and Rachel could always use a Xanax." Rachel huffed and Hiram turned away from the table quickly, hiding his laughter from his daughter.
"Blaine, plans for your show choir assignment?" Leroy asked, the tenor shaking his head. "Kurt?" Not quite comfortable with performing in front of the New Directions yet, Kurt also declined. "Finn?" The change in Leroy's tone was noticeable.
"Uh, no-" Finn started to say, a mistake in front of his girlfriend.
"We should do a duet," Rachel said, smiling over at Finn with enough affection to make Kurt feel queasy. "There are plenty of excellent duets from the last ten years that will appease Mr. Schuester in his insistent quest to pander to both our imbecilic high school classmates and a judging panel no more fit to score us than the knuckle-dragging jocks they once were."
Blaine mouthed 'Xanax' to Kurt, making him laugh. Rachel looked over, but seemed to decide against commenting. "Are you ready to go?" Blaine asked him, glancing down at Kurt's plate. While he appreciated Mr. Berry making them dessert, he was not up for chocolate cake, and nodded. "Finn, I'm sure you can finish that in record time." The tenor pushed Kurt's plate towards his step-brother. "I'll walk you out."
Hiram and Leroy both gave him tight hugs as he left, and if he had expected one from Rachel, he would have been disappointed, since she was too busy saying goodbye to Finn. Avoiding the sight, Kurt gratefully stepped outside with Blaine.
The tenor didn't say anything once they closed the door on the Berrys, sitting on the front steps instead, and Kurt stooped to join him.
"That could have been worse," he said finally when the silence was killing him.
"Oh, absolutely," Blaine said. "I do appreciate the way their presence prevents Finn from talking." Far from his usual anger, Blaine's voice was quiet and contemplative, gaze fixed somewhere in the distance.
"The story of how they met…" Blaine's laughter was startling in the atmosphere.
"Hiram and Leroy met in college. They lived in the same hallway during their freshman year. However, that's not nearly enough of a meet-cute for either of them, so they tell those ridiculously elaborate stories. Each one sounds like a rom-com premise and generally involves performing." That made more sense.
"They both dote on Rachel."
Blaine sighed. "In fairness, they both dote on everyone. They certainly dote on me," he had noticed, "and they would dote on you if… you know."
If what? "I don't."
"If they knew how to act around you," Blaine said softly, looking over at him for the first time since they'd sat down. Kurt bit his lip because no, that wasn't a criticism, but even those people who had known him so little couldn't treat him the same? "Hey," Blaine interrupted his thoughts, reaching up like he was going to touch Kurt's face but then seeming to think better of it. "While they usually call you Céline Dion, that's pretty normal for them." Blaine smiled, always the mind reader. "It'll get better, easier, with time. I promise."
Kurt was the one who leaned in, kissing Blaine softly, but the tenor was the one who shifted closer to him on the steps, one hand going to Kurt's hair as the other rested lightly on his waist. Blaine was also the one who pulled away but stayed close, wrapping his arm around Kurt's shoulders.
"They might be in there for a while," he said, eventually. "Hiram and Leroy love to torment Finn." Kurt laughed, softly, keeping the mood. "It's cold out here, don't you think?"
Blaine smiled to himself as Kurt walked back into the room with two cups of steaming liquid in his hands. At first, the countertenor had been afraid to touch anything in his museum-pristine house, but over time, Blaine had convinced him that he was more than welcome. Even if the owners of the house wouldn't necessarily approve of the sentiment, anything that was Blaine's was Kurt's.
"I considered spiking these with Kahlua, but the thought of my father's shame dissuaded me," Kurt said dryly as he set them down on the coffee table, settling against Blaine with a noise of contentment. "Not that he would be particularly pleased we're here alone, of course."
"Is your dad actually under the impression that my parents are home whenever you're here?" If so, Blaine had some apologies to make.
"Well, he's never asked, so I've never lied," Kurt said with a shrug, taking a sip from his mug. "Perfect. Just like a homemade mocha."
"You put Swiss Miss in the coffee?" Kurt nodded with a smile. "Good man."
"Sometimes," was the cheeky answer he received before Kurt leaned over to peck him on the lips, warm and chocolatey. There was no better way, he decided as he picked up his mug, to fight the unseasonable cold outside than with mochas and crappy television and Kurt.
Actually, he probably didn't need the first two at all.
"I hope it isn't this miserable when we're in New York." Kurt cast a glance out the window, disdain written all over his face.
"Kurt, that's a month from now. It'll be June. You'll be wishing for these temperatures in New York in June."
Kurt eyed him over the top of his mug. "Have you ever been?"
"To New York?"
"Yes."
"Yes," Blaine said honestly. "My mother is a big Broadway supporter and my brother is a consummate diva, where else would the family agree to vacation?" A sip of his drink confirmed that his boyfriend was a genius.
"Tell me about it," Kurt insisted, curling closer to him on the couch.
"Well," Blaine said as he looped an arm around his boyfriend, inviting Kurt to snuggle even further into him, "the first time I went-"
"You've been there multiple times?"
"Try to control your jealousy," was Blaine's response, because envy colored Kurt's tone whenever his future home was mentioned, but it was particularly present with that accusation. "The first time I went, I was about nine. My father went on a 'business trip' to a golf course in Phoenix, so my mother took Cooper and I to New York. Cooper was a teenager, so he grumbled all the way through the trip, but we had a lot of fun. We went on a cruise to see the Statue of Liberty, to Coney Island, to MoMA… Broadway, of course. I was too young for Avenue Q, but we all went to see Wicked, with the original cast, and it was… breathtaking. I think I fell irrevocably in love with musical theatre right in that moment."
Blaine looked over at his boyfriend, smiling, and wasn't totally unsurprised to see Kurt glowering in return. "I'm sorry, but there's no hope of me controlling my jealousy when you saw Idina Menzel as Elphaba and Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda. None at all."
"You realize you live your life adjacent to a woman just as talented as the both of them, correct?"
"Ugh, don't remind me." Kurt looked at his drink like he was reconsidering the alcohol before taking a long swallow. "And please, for the love of anything more powerful than I, never say that in front of Rachel."
Blaine was stopped from replying by an unfamiliar and unexpected sound. It took a moment for him to know where to look, but once realization struck, he turned in horror to confirm it was true. His front door was opening. And he wasn't the cause.
For once in his life, Blaine found himself praying it was his brother.
Alas, prayer had never worked, and Blaine saw a flash of colorful coat as his father's deep voice announced. "Son, our flight was canceled." Oh no.
"Apparently," came the expected complementary voice, "while we're living in this lovely polar vortex of ours," it was, for the record, forty degrees outside, "northern California is getting hail!"
"Were you going to San Francisco?" Blaine called in response, standing from the couch. Kurt was looking from Blaine to the door and then back as if he had no idea how to react. Unfortunately, Blaine had no way of helping him.
"Don't you ever listen when I talk?" That, of course, was his father.
"As your dad is so politely saying," came his mother's voice, tinted by annoyance, "we told you when you came home in March that we would be headed to San Francisco today and wouldn't be back until the fifteenth."
"Yes, that last part I remember." With that, his mother came into view, smile vibrant, clothes colorful, perfume overpowering, arms outstretched. Blaine, seeing no other option, held a hand out to Kurt, pulling him off the couch. His mother stopped dead when the countertenor came into view.
"Oh," was her comment, glancing quickly back towards the door. "I wasn't aware you had… company." That was almost a whisper, as if his father wasn't about to come around the corner at any moment, as if there was some way to keep this from him.
"I wasn't aware you two would be home," he said in turn, stepping around the couch. His mother, to her credit, still hugged him, but it was more like an afterthought. Blaine was pretty sure he could hear the wheels turning in her head. Keeping him clutched close, she muttered, "We can handle this."
Blaine replied, "We have to," and she released him, turning her smile and presence on Kurt.
"Hello," she managed to still sound cheerful, ensnaring a very stiff Kurt in a hug. "I'm Pam Anderson, it's lovely to meet you…"
"Kurt Hummel," the countertenor introduced himself, just sounding relieved that she had released him. "It's lovely to meet you as well, Mrs. Anderson."
"Please, Pam," she waved her fingers at him, as if dismissing the notion she could be a Mrs. Anyone. "My husband will be along in just a second. I'm sure he'll be delighted to meet a friend of Blaine's."
"Mom," he said insistently, not willing to downgrade Kurt, but she who bore him gave him a Look. One that said yes, she knew Kurt was a boyfriend rather than a friend and yes, she knew both of them might be insulted by the slight but no, the term was not worth angering his father further and no, she was not going to argue with him about it.
His mother could be very eloquent with her eyes.
"I expected the house to be empty." Blaine could hear his father getting closer with every word and he resisted the urge to take Kurt's hand. One look at both boyfriend and mother confirmed they were all in the same boat. "Shouldn't you be at-"
Michael Anderson stopped dead when he turned the corner, looking Kurt up and down, and made no attempt at a smooth recovery in the silence. His jaw clenched, his lips thinning to a slash. "Blaine," was the only word that came out of his mouth, and it was said through his teeth.
"Yes?" Blaine asked, doing his best not to react similarly. He knew his father would disapprove, but he had expected the usually decorous man to at least attempt to conceal it. His father was making no such effort.
"Shouldn't you be at school?" Michael asked again, focusing his attention solely on his son, as if he could ignore the countertenor out of existence.
"Dalton is an academy, not a prison. I'm free to come and go as I please."
Michael's gaze remained fixed on his son, angry and unyielding. "Why do I pay so much in boarding fees if you're going to spend your weekends at my house anyway?"
"Because boarding doesn't just apply to weekends?" Blaine asked sarcastically, knowing he shouldn't have risen to the challenge as soon as he began speaking.
His mother sighed, drawing the focus towards herself as she was so adept at doing. "Perhaps this should be a conversation we have. As a family. Blaine, would you like to see your guest out?" His mother threw a smile in Kurt's direction, his father didn't so much as blink.
"Of course, Mom," he said, ghosting his hand over the small of Kurt's back but not touching as he led his boyfriend to the front door. Out of view and earshot, he pulled his boyfriend close. "I am so sorry."
Kurt didn't seem to be the one who needed comforting, petting Blaine's back gently and whispering soothing words. "It's all right, Blaine, everything is okay."
"They're not… they don't… he just…" Blaine tried to explain, lamely, but Kurt shook his head.
"I think I figured out where they stand." The countertenor didn't sound as though he'd been too charitable with his assessments, but Blaine couldn't ask that of him.
"I'll see you next weekend, okay? I'll drive to Lima." If his parents didn't get on a plane tomorrow, chances were they were never leaving.
"I'll see you then." Blaine glanced back quickly, to make sure neither parent was watching, before leaning over to kiss Kurt, the most understanding boyfriend a man could ask for.
"We'll flip a coin," Santana persisted the next day, shifting from her spot leant against the piano to pick a quarter out of her backpack. "Heads, you tell me what Kurtsie looks like without pants on. Tails, I tell you what Brittany looks like with her pants off."
"Haven't you seen Kurt without pants?"
"I'm mainly in this for the embarrassment it'll cause you," Santana admitted, unrepentant.
"And where, exactly," Blaine asked, laying back next to his best friend on the floor, "is the win in this for me?"
"Fine, I'll tell you what Finn looks like without his pants." Santana grinned down at him and then flipped the coin without waiting for agreement, catching the quarter with ease as it hurtled back to earth. A frown formed on her face as she checked the result.
"I have no desire to know what Hudson looks like naked," Blaine asserted quickly, assuming tails, "and for the record, I don't actually know what Kurt looks like without his pants." Santana sighed, the sound loud in the empty choir room, and leaned back beside him. "So, creaky old lady, I heard you had a second meeting with Miss Pillsbury?" Santana, Finn, and Mercedes were apparently all on the list of seniors she was most worried about, and had been called individually into her office that day. Blaine heard Santana had pitched a fit at not having Brittany by her side, but he wasn't about to risk life and limb asking about that.
Mostly, he just wondered how the hell Puck hadn't made that list.
"Being creaky will not prevent me from cutting you." Blaine ignored the empty threat. "It sucked. And as much as high school, especially McKinley, sucks in general, I'm not ready for what comes after."
The statement was heavy, and Blaine waited a moment to reply. "I have a feeling you're not alone in that sentiment." Santana rolled on her side, facing him, but a small voice called out for her before she could say anything.
"Sanny?" Brittany had entered without them hearing, and she shut the door behind herself. "What did Miss Pillsbury say?" How long had she been there?
Santana gave Blaine a significant look, but he had no way of interpreting it. She looked scared, annoyed, angry, and impatient- but given that nothing in her look seemed to imply he should leave, he slid under the piano as she stood to talk to her girlfriend.
"Oh, you know, the usual adult crap about how I need to have a plan." Blaine was grateful just for the audio, given that Santana, at the least, was aware of his presence, but given the silence that followed her statement, accompanying visual would have been helpful.
The next voice he heard was still Santana's, "I don't know what to do, Britt. I wanna leave Lima, but I don't know where I want to go."
"What do you know?" Brittany asked simply.
Santana's answer was everything he could have hoped for. "I want to be with you. Wherever you are, that's where I want to be."
Blaine resisted the urge to say something as Brittany replied, "So, you do know where you want to be," only slightly misinterpreting what Santana was saying.
Words fell by the wayside again, though Blaine tried not to let his brain run away with interpreting the sounds he did hear. The next words were "get a room," and certainly neither of the girls had said them. Glee club had begun.
"Finny!" Puck objected loudly, identifying the first speaker. "You never tell two girls to get a room unless yours happens to be nearby."
"Fuck off, Puckerman." That was definitely Santana.
"Doesn't matter, Puck," Finn said, inadvisably speaking again. "Getting a room would involve them being seen together, and we can't have that, can we Santana?" Blaine stood at that, expecting to have to stave off physical violence very soon.
"Says the school's biggest homophobe, Orca Puffy Nipples," Santana snapped back, Brittany doing his job simply by holding her hand.
Finn recoiled as if she'd slapped him. "I am not a homophobe, he insisted, using probably the biggest word he knew. A few innocent bystanders slipped into the room as Finn defended himself, and Blaine clambered out from under the piano to join them in the back rows, making sure to save a seat for Kurt.
Rachel defended her boyfriend as she walked in, "Finn has always been very accepting-"
"Shut up, Rachel," everyone chorused, Santana harsher than most.
For once, the brunette soprano listened to popular opinion, and Finn was left floundering alone as Santana added, "You didn't even have the balls to stand up for your own brother when he needed you, so don't you dare talk to me about coming out. You are one of the most spineless people I've ever met."
"I wanted to help Kurt!" Finn objected. "We all wanted to help Kurt. We didn't know how serious things had gotten." Blaine had planned for his snort of derision to be quiet, but judging by the furious glance he got from the jock, his mission had failed.
"Bullshit," Santana snarled. "Everyone knew the bullying was more serious than a couple of shoves here and there. Sam got a black eye standing up for him, and he barely knew Kurt. You were supposed to be his brother, and you were a coward."
"Maybe I was a coward then, but at least I've grown up since then! At least I would never hide in a closet-"
"I hate to break it to you, Finnegan," Blaine said coldly, wishing his temper would allow him not to get involved in the argument, "but cis straight white men don't get to talk about closets."
"Says the guy who dated my girlfriend to sneak back into one."
"This isn't about him," Santana snarled, glaring at Blaine with no real fire in her eyes, simply prompting him to shut up. "This is about you being the world's worst brother and a homophobe to boot. Because you haven't grown up, Finn; you've hurt Kurt more in the past few weeks than Karofsky ever did."
That was enough to silence Finn, who just stood there gaping. Blaine wasn't sure the statement was strictly true (though if he had been present, remembering what he did, Kurt would have agreed), but he still high-fived the victorious Santana as she took a seat. Eventually, Rachel had enough of her boyfriend standing there and staring like an idiot and stood, gently guiding him into a seat and whispering what were doubtlessly untrue words of encouragement.
That was perhaps the quietest choir room Mr. Schuester had ever entered, given that all the fire had left Santana and she seemed content to sulk in the back with Brittany nearby. The teacher gave the classroom a quizzical look, but shrugged and pulled sheet music out of his bag when no one seemed inclined to share, giving the rest of the students some time to arrive.
Kurt arrived last, alone but seeming unruffled, and the way his smile lit up his face caused something in Blaine's chest to crack and overflow, because the last time the countertenor had smiled at him that way had been… Before. Settling into the seat Blaine had left for him, Kurt didn't hesitate for a second before taking the tenor's hand, gently intertwining their fingers without a word. Blaine smiled to himself, squeezing his boyfriend's fingers as he turned to look at the front of the room.
Mr. Schuester seemed to be taking a silent count and nodded when he realized everyone was in the room. "All right. Who is ready to bring some popular culture to us today?"
Santana's hand shot in the air immediately, and clearly Blaine had underestimated her anger. She was radiating fury, untempered by how sad Brittany looked, and though it seemed Mr. Schuester didn't want to call on her, he really had no choice.
Santana stalked to the front of the room, gesturing to the band and turning her gaze on Finn. Everyone immediately recognized the song, popular to the point of being overplayed, and Finn did not look prepared for the wrath about to fall on him.
I don't mind
Letting you down easy, but just give it time
If it don't hurt now, but just wait, just wait a while
You're not the big fish in the pond no more
You are what they're feeding on
Mr. Schuester looked alarmed, but there was really no stopping Santana. She made an excellent substitute for Hayley Williams, her lips curling in derision towards Finn on the last two lines in particular. Quinn and Tina were the voices that joined her when backup was needed, Quinn having an unlimited amount of anger as of late, and Tina (he suspected) just loving the song.
So what are you gonna do
When the world don't orbit around you?
So what are you gonna do
When the world don't orbit around you?
Ain't it fun
Living in the real world?
Ain't it good
Being all alone?
Everyone occasionally had fun throwing it back in Finn's face that he was no longer the Pied Piper of the school (Kurt's phrase) after everything that had happened in the last two years, but Santana's enjoyment was vicious. However, Blaine had gotten very good at reading her, over the last few weeks, and while the song was definitely targeted (and was so fitting that even Rachel looked a little pleased), it was more anger than she'd shown towards Finn so far. More anger, he thought, than she had towards Finn.
Where you're from
You might be the one who's running things
Well you can ring anybody's bell and get what you want
See it's easy to ignore trouble
When you're living in a bubble
Santana did anger better than anyone else, and until the gesture she made on 'bell,' Blaine had actually forgotten that she and Finn had slept together. The last two lines she made about Kurt, prowling up into the stands and smacking the logo on Puck's letterman jacket when she sang about bubbles.
So what are you gonna do
When the world don't orbit around you?
So what are you gonna do
When nobody wants to fool with you?
Ain't it good to be on your own?
Ain't it fun you can't count on no one?
Ain't it good to be on your own?
Ain't it fun you can't count on no one?
Ain't it fun
Living in the real world?
Santana had cut down the almost-five-minute-long song, for which everyone was grateful. Even though no one was as angry at Finn as Santana seemed to be (except maybe Blaine), energy such as hers swept through the choir room with ease and most of the New Directions were on their feet, with the exception of the target himself, his devoted girlfriend, and surprisingly, Kurt, who looked unimpressed. Blaine stood before he realized that Kurt hadn't, but ultimately it didn't really matter; they were allowed to have different opinions on things. Especially things as polarizing as Finn Hudson.
Don't go crying to your mama
'Cause you're on your own, in the real world
Don't go crying to your mama
'Cause you're on your own, in the real world
Don't go crying to your mama
'Cause you're on your own, in the real world
Don't go crying to your mama
'Cause you're on your own, in the real world
Blaine wasn't sure who had started it, but by the second repetition, the stomping was enough to shake the choir room. It didn't hurt that the song applied to all the seniors, really, who would be thrown out into the real world much too soon for their liking. Still, Santana kept it focused on Finn by sending him mocking hand gestures.
Ain't it fun, ain't it fun
Baby, now you're one of us
Ain't it fun, ain't it fun, ain't it fun
Ain't it fun
Living in the real world?
Ain't it good (ain't it good)
Being all alone?
A/N: It was 2015 the last time I updated this story, and for that, 2017 me is very sorry. I'm especially sorry that my return to this story, this chapter, is mostly fluff that sets up a lot of things. However, this chapter is necessary, and I've already started the next one, so hold tight.
For all my reviewers who ask when Kurt will be getting his memory back, I predict there will be seven-eight more chapters of this story, which I plan to have finished in the next six months or so.
Songs used/mentioned:
'Last Resort' by Papa Roach (mentioned)
'Purpose' from Avenue Q (mentioned)
'My New Philosophy' from You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (mentioned)
'Take a Chance on Me' from Mamma Mia (Rachel/Blaine, Kurt/Leroy, Hiram/Finn)
'Ain't it Fun' by Paramore (Santana, Chorus)
Reviews are Love.