Hello people! Here I am again, with a quicker update, hope you appreciate even if this is a fast forward-chapter, but it's necessary to get to some more substantial plot.
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or anything else remotely fun.
Looking back, Blaine isn't quite sure where January disappeared. In one moment, he's eagerly participating in the countdown for a new year until Kurt rolls his eyes and grabs him for a passionate kiss – and in the next he's discovering heart shaped cookies and cute teddy bear-mugs in the Lima Bean again. It makes him blush in shame, how difficult it was for him to start dating Kurt, how he held back from something he really wanted just because he was scared. He'll probably never get to repay Kurt entirely for his patience, but he tries to make it up to him every single day by being the best boyfriend he can be. Which means he has to come up with some great plans for Valentine's Day. It's their first as boyfriends, after all.
He had every honest intention of planning well in advance, but January slipped between his fingers.
Wes and the Council is running them hard in preparations for Regionals, crafting the perfect set list. And because Sebastian is in charge of choreography, they've had several of what Kurt called boot camps. It's actually a lot of fun, but the extra hours spent on dancing eats up spare time Blaine could have been with Kurt or spent planning their Valentine's Date.
Because no matter how important the Warblers are, they still have a future to think about. They are Seniors, they will be graduating in merely months, and they need to prepare for their lives in college. They've sent in their applications, in due time for the various deadlines, and that had been an eye opener for Blaine.
For months, Kurt had been talking about NYADA, which Rachel had been recommended by McKinley's guidance counselor. The more he talked about it, the more it tempted Blaine. He just knew it was the school for him. He loves singing, he loves entertaining, he loves capturing the attention of a huge audience, and he thrives on their feedback. To spend a life on some kind of stage would be a suppressed dream come true. But he had never really seriously considered it, because of Cooper.
Cooper, who moved to LA as soon as he could, who spent his college fund on every kind of acting class, vocal lesson, dance course and barely relevant teaching he could find – and still hasn't made it as big as he'd hoped for in Hollywood. He's heard his dad's snide remarks when Cooper comes home to eat out of the Anderson fridge until a new job opportunity falls in his hands. He's heard his dad share his worries for Cooper's future with Ella the house keeper; apparently the person he feels comfortable talking about these things with. He's never talked with Blaine about Cooper or his mediocre acting career or lack of financial stability.
But Blaine had been reading between the lines, catching how one poor artist per family was enough, and thus Blaine would be better off thinking about a more practical and secure education. He imagined his dad could help him if he went to law school, or he would probably be happy if he chose business. Maybe medicine, if he wasn't so squeamish about blood. There are a lot of ambitious heirs at Dalton, with high class career paths. He's listened to the boys talk about their plans and options, trying to draw inspiration from them, trying to pick a goal for himself to work towards.
As a Freshman, he considered just choosing whatever David or Wes would apply to. They had a lot of fun together, so it would probably be fun being their colleague, and a Thompson and a Montgomery would without doubt pick a source of income that would make Mr. Anderson proud.
As a Junior, he spent a few months considering if his fencing accomplishments could secure his future. But how many professional fencers are there really in the world? If only he'd been good at football or soccer, but of course his athletic achievements had to be within something rare and useless. You don't see Nike or Pepsi Max throw money after the endangered sports.
But then Kurt made his infamous spying adventure at Dalton, and ever after Blaine hasn't really been able to think about the future, because the present with Kurt had been more than enough, overwhelming him really. Sure, he knows he wants a future with Kurt, that's as obvious as his need for oxygen. And he could easily imagine them living together, building a shared life, decorating their first Christmas tree, hosting Thanksgivings-dinner for their parents, inviting their friends for the grandest Halloween party ever, going on a summer vacation just the two of them, participating in Pride, visiting Burt in Washington, worshipping each other for the umpteenth Valentine's... What he couldn't envision, was what he'd do to pay his financial half of their life. Where would he pick up in his paycheck?
He supported Kurt in his driven determination to get into NYADA, and did what he could to help him with essays, think creative with his resume, and get the application as appealing as possible. And Kurt really tried to return the gesture, but Blaine has no idea to go from. It was obvious he'd have to go to New York, to be with Kurt, and he didn't exactly mind moving to that city. But what should he do there? Kurt offered suggestions and ideas, but Blaine simply had no idea how he wanted to spend the next 50 years career wise.
In the end, he'd gone home to see his dad, hoping the parental generation had plans and strategies for him to adopt. He is aware of the ambitions expected of an Anderson, and hopefully his dad can push him in the right direction.
"Dad?"
Devon looks up from the newspaper, and sees his son standing in the doorway, back slouching and arms crossed across his chest over a stack of brochures. He wishes Blaine wouldn't be so hesitant around him. He'd hoped they had rekindled properly by now, that he knew he can always come to him. He adjusts the reading glasses resting dangerously low on his nose, and leans back in the kitchen chair, trying to give his son his most encouraging smile.
"Could I ask for your help with something?" Blaine asks timidly.
"Always," Devon nods. He folds the paper and puts it furthest away on the table. Blaine nods back, and places the stack across of his father. Devon notices they are information brochures from various colleges. This should be interesting; he's been waiting for Blaine to come to him about this.
"Do you want me to refill that?" Blaine asks, gesturing at Devon's lukewarm coffee.
"That would be great, Son. Ella left some banana bread in the fridge, if you want a snack."
Devon observes his son puttering around in the kitchen. He pours two mugs of coffee, with cinnamon for himself and a splash of cream for Devon. The way he arranges the slices of banana bread on a plate and folds a couple of napkins for them makes Devon think of Kurt. Blaine's never been a slob, but Devon realizes that by hiring Ella fulltime his son has never had much of an opportunity or incentive to find his way around in the kitchen. But after he started seeing Kurt, he's revealed a new side of himself. He must have picked up a thing or two from his boyfriend. Devon still remembers fondly a creamy fish soup Blaine made for supper during Christmas, with focaccia bread – also made from scratch.
It's not difficult to see how much happier Blaine has been after Kurt came into his life, and somehow it seems as if their father-son-relationship has earned from it too. He just wants his kids to be happy, and to talk with him. He wants them to be safe and comfortable in their own skins, and he's seen Blaine bloom during the last year. He wishes he had been good enough of a dad to be allowed to take credit for that, but he's pretty sure that it's Kurt who somehow has eased out the inner, truer Blaine.
The way Blaine is rubbing his neck and chewing his bottom lip, tells Devon he isn't as close to his son as he'd like to be. It saddens him to see Blaine struggling this much to come to him.
"Great coffee," he hums, and helps himself to a slice of Ella's delicious cake. "So, Blaine, how can I help you?"
"I need some advice," Blaine says carefully, looking warily at his dad. He shoves the stack of brochures closer to Devon, and Devon flips briefly through them to get an impression of which schools his son is considering. They're all located in New York, he notices, and he isn't entirely surprised. He wouldn't have been surprised by most bigger city in this country, but he thought maybe Blaine would want to go to LA where he at least would have his brother nearby.
It quickly becomes clear why Blaine wants to go to New York, though, when he lets it slip that Kurt is going there.
"What are your plans?" Devon asks.
"I have no idea," Blaine sighs, and he looks so defeated. "I don't know what to choose."
"Well, what are your alternatives, then?"
Blaine finally loses all composure, and lets his head fall to the table. Blindly, he shoves the stack of papers even closer to Devon.
"All of these are your options?" Devon asks surprised. It's such a ridiculous span of career paths among these brochures, and it only confuses him. School of medicine, arts and science, criminal justice, law school.
"Son, these aren't exactly alternatives with anything in common."
"I don't know what to do, Dad," Blaine groans from the table. "You have to tell me where I should apply."
"You should apply wherever you want," Devon says easily, still going through the brochures. The one from FIT he hadn't exactly expected, but sure, Blaine cares about his clothes and how he dresses. Maybe it's a gay thing… Devon squints, and tries to imagine Blaine next to Tim Gunn.
"Oh, that belongs to Kurt. It's his backup plan."
"Really?" Devon smiles. He'll let Blaine do whatever he wants – hell, he let Cooper go to clown school for three months to enhance his chances of getting a part in sitcoms. But it's a relief that he knows his son well enough to know he doesn't hide a dream of being the next Armani or Brooks Adopted Brother, or whatever the big fashion designers are called. "So what is Kurt's main plan?"
Devon listens to Blaine gush about NYADA, and everything they have read about classes in stage combat, accents, dancing, singing, monologues, improvisation, make up. He listens to Blaine's confidence in Kurt, as if he's already been accepted and NYADA won't know what hit them. There's a blush across Blaine's cheek bones, and his eyes are literally sparkling from excitement. It's obvious that he's proud of his boyfriend.
However, it's far from obvious why Blaine hasn't applied himself. So Devon asks.
Blaine looks at him incredulously.
"You already have a struggling actor in the family. Of course you'd want me to go for something with more job opportunities."
"There are plenty of job opportunities. Cooper goes to auditions all the time," Devon says teasingly, but Blaine doesn't smile back.
"I know you worry about him. I know you have to help him with rent now and then. I know the big break might be a pipe dream. I don't want to be a burden to the family, and I want to make you proud of me as a successful Anderson."
Devon takes a large sip of his coffee, and leans back in the chair again, looking at his youngest son.
"Your grandfather told me to go to law school," he says calmly. "And I didn't mind much, I saw potential and hoped I could contribute to making Columbus a better place to live. Fighting crime like some superhero," he chuckles humourlessly. "It turned out to be less exciting than expected, with much more travelling, bureaucratic responsibility and administrative tasks than world peace and justice. But it was okay. I honoured the Anderson firm and name, and I learned to be satisfied with what I had. But then I met Mr. Hummel and got involved with his campaign, and I realized that I would have wanted to work with politics all the while if I had sat down to make my own priorities. Being a business lawyer isn't so fulfilling, when there are legislation facilitating unfair practices. I found a new arena to really make a change."
"You and Burt make a good team," Blaine murmurs, fingers wrapped around his mug.
"We do. And I know I'm an old man in your eyes, but I'm reducing my involvement with the family firm in favour of working with Burt. I've finally found my calling, and I'm gonna spend the rest of my years working with what fuels my fire."
"I'm happy for you, Dad."
"Thank you, Son. Could you perhaps explain to me why you haven't applied to the school that makes you vibrate with excitement in your chair?"
"But Dad, if you are quitting the firm, there should be a new Anderson preparing to continue that tradition."
"What century do you think we live in? There's no reason a son should have to work with the same as his father. I didn't stand up to my father. But Blaine, you don't have to stand up to me. I'm telling you to apply wherever you want. If you aren't accepted to NYADA, or it isn't what you wanted it to be, there's no harm in changing school later. But don't for a second think you have to please me or secure some crown prince-throne." Devon leans over the table to take his son's hand in his. "And now I wanted to same something clever about how the only business the youngest Anderson should succeed in will take a lot of trying, and make a wordplay of that Broadway play with that Harry Potter-kid."
"Thanks Dad," Blaine chuckles, finally looking amused at him.
"I'm not telling you where you should apply. I want you to decide for yourself, and follow your heart. And, yes, I know most of your heart has already planned a path to New York to be with Kurt. Let the rest of your heart decide how to spend your time there."
Talking with his dad had helped Blaine realize what he'd tried to ignore – he really, really, really wanted to apply to NYADA. But that didn't mean he could just fill out the application and mail it. No, first he needed to talk with Kurt, and make sure it was okay that they'd compete for the same few places. Blaine waited for a quiet moment when they both were in a good mood. Then he carefully and politely asked his boyfriend what he'd think if Blaine sent an application too. Kurt had looked at him as if he was the most idiotic human being, before punching him in the shoulder and kissing him soundly.
"You idiot, I thought you had already applied! We've been talking about this for weeks, maybe months, and I was so sure we were planning and doing this together."
"I didn't think I could," Blaine said defensively, reminding Kurt about all their conversations to figure out where Blaine should apply.
"I thought we were just talking about your back up-plan, just like FIT is mine," Kurt smiles sadly. "I'm sorry I never asked, and only assumed."
"And I'm sorry I didn't share everything with you, but I don't think I really understood that I want to go to NYADA until now. Of course you'd understand before me…"
Kurt had given him that fond smile reserved for Blaine, before leaning in to kiss him again, and that was the last of their conversation for that evening.
Together, they had mailed everything needed for their application packages. Then it was a matter of trying not to think about it, and instead drown their attention in school work, Warblers, hanging with friends, and going to Lima to work in the garage (okay, Kurt was working, and Blaine was loitering around until Sam took pity on him and engaged him in something more entertaining that watching Kurt in coveralls, as he said. Clearly, he didn't know what watching Kurt in coveralls could lead to).
So now college applications have been sent in, Kurt's play is coming more and more together, fencing season is really kicking off and the first competitions aren't far away. January slipped away without asking for permission, and Blaine isn't quite sure how to keep up the pace. At the moment, graduation seems both gratifying and terrifying.