Author's Note: Thank you for your New Year's wishes. As always, I will reward reviews with a sneak peek at the next chapter.

Chapter 37: As Ready As I'll Ever Be

"Nathaniel's mother is nothing like I expected. I was picturing some cozy Mrs. Tiggywinkle character with gray hair in a bun and half-moon spectacles. Instead, I'm looking at a wiry woman with a vivid, pretty face. Her eyes are bright blue, and her graying hair is in plaits on either side of her face. She's wearing an apron over jeans, T-shirt, and espadrilles, and is vigorously kneading some kind of dough on the kitchen table." (Sophie Kinsella, The Undomestic Goddess)

The trip to Kurt's dad's place didn't take long, but by the time they got there, Blaine had a whole flock of butterflies swarming in his stomach.

Okay, Blaine, you can do this. You only get one chance to make a great first impression, so don't mess it up!

Kurt seemed just as nervous as Blaine. He unbuckled his belt and sighed. "Are you ready for this?"

Blaine got out of the car and took the bouquet. Then he clasped Kurt's hand and squeezed it gently, both of them needing that reassurance. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Kurt's family must have been on the look-out for them. The door swung open as soon as they were out of the car, and revealed two men. One of them was older and shorter, with piercing eyes, wearing a flannel shirt and a baseball hat, clearly Kurt's dad Burt. The other man was very tall and would have looked quite handsome, if it weren't for the scowl on his face.

This must be Kurt's stepbrother. What's his name again? Oh yes, Finn as in Huckleberry Finn. And this is Rachel's husband? Wow, what a height difference!

For a moment, nobody said anything. Just when Blaine wanted to break the awkward silence and say 'good evening' and 'thank you for the invitation', Finn disappeared and Burt said gruffly: "Come on in. Dinner's ready."

Kurt didn't say a word and just got in and wiped his feet on the mat, so Blaine copied this. Then Kurt's stepmother Carole came hurrying towards them, smiling and throwing her arms open wide for a hug. Blaine was astounded when she hugged him as well as Kurt, as though he was just as welcome as her stepson. He liked it though, and the warmth in his voice was genuine when he thanked her for inviting him to dinner.

Clearly, she wasn't expecting a gift, and that made her appreciate the flowers he'd brought all the more.

Blaine surreptitiously looked around the house as Kurt steered him to the dining room. It was decorated in warm colours and there were pictures of Kurt and Finn and Sarah and Toby everywhere. It wasn't a magazine-worthy interior like that of his parental home, but it felt cheery and warm and lived in. Like a true home.

When Kurt and I will have a family of our own, I want our house to have that very same feel to it. No expensive decorators for me, thank you very much!

He could picture it so clearly. Small children's shoes next to their big ones, stick figure drawings proudly displayed on the fridge, a sofa that would have to be replaced once the children were a bit older and stopped spilling all sorts of stuff onto it and every last inch of the coffee table covered in toys. Maybe they could add a golden retriever or a cat to the equation? Was Kurt a dog or a cat person?

And then he reprimanded himself for daydreaming. Focus, Anderson, you have Kurt's family to charm.

At the dining table, Blaine sat down next to Rachel, who flashed him a welcoming smile, and opposite Sarah and Toby, who seemed glad to see him, if their excited bouncing was anything to go by. Kurt sat at his other side.

Carole seemed to be solely responsible for dinner. She brought out every dish herself, while everyone else remained seated. Blaine had half a mind to get up and offer his help, but decided to keep that for his next visit. Burt had been glaring at Blaine since he'd opened the door, and that glare had only deepened when Blaine had given Carole his bouquet, so he had better not draw any attention to himself right now and make matters worse.

It all looked yummy. Blaine fleetingly wondered what it must be like to grow up in a family where home-cooked meals were served every day. His mother never cooked, and neither did his father. They preferred to eat out or order in. When Blaine was little, he had a nanny, whose job included providing breakfast, lunch and supper for him and Cooper. She wasn't much of a cook, but he still remembered her spaghetti sauce, her cheesy meatloaf and the way she prepared fish as an oven dish with apples and cheese so as to cure both Blaine and Cooper of their fish aversion.

The nanny left when Blaine was twelve, and from then on, his parents gave him money to dine out or order in, as they did. Only, he soon got tired of that, and decided to teach himself how to cook. He wrote to his former nanny to request her spaghetti, meatloaf and fish recipes. He watched cooking competitions and cookery shows on TV. And after some trial and error, he mastered a variety of dishes that he liked and that took a minimum of time and effort.

This, though, was not just a quick convenience meal. It was a family meal with all the trimmings, and Blaine's eyes gleamed with contentment as he vowed to himself to do it justice.

The Hudmels clearly did not stand on ceremony. As soon as Carole had put everything on the table, they all started serving themselves and eating without further ado, Finn filling his plate to overflowing and digging in as though he hadn't eaten in days. Blaine hastily helped himself to everything too, and had to stifle a moan when he took his first bite. The meat was so tender, the mashed potatoes perfectly creamy and the gravy complemented the dish so well that he was tempted to lick his plate clean when he'd finished eating.

He told Carole honestly that this was the best pot roast he'd ever had. She encouraged him to have a second helping "before Mr Greedy here" - she squeezed her son's shoulder affectionately - "eats everything that's left". Finn grinned at Blaine rather sheepishly without refuting the accusation.

Burt, however, seemed to resent Blaine paying his wife a compliment, and started in on him, finding fault with him for being too polite and for moving too fast with Kurt.

Blaine defended himself as best he could. He could feel Kurt simmer next to him, getting tenser and angrier by the minute. An accusatory remark from his dad to Blaine proved to be the last straw for Kurt, who chewed Burt out mercilessly. Blaine felt a bit sorry for Burt, and was glad Kurt's scorching glare was not directed at him.

When Kurt mentioned he wanted his parents to meet his boyfriend because Blaine would be an important factor in his life from now on, Blaine grinned from ear to ear and his heart swelled with emotion.

The same goes for me, sweetheart. I've only had you in my life for a week, and already I can't imagine living without you. You're the one. I'm sure of it. You belong with me, and I with you.

After Kurt's outburst, the conversation went in another direction, and Blaine happily talked about his job with Carole, and about Tina and her sons. And then Rachel was talking about Sarah and how beautifully she could sing, and Sarah obligingly demonstrated her talent.

When Blaine saw Finn reaching for some more pot roast, he remembered he'd been offered a second helping, and hastened to take some more meat and mashed potatoes before Finn emptied every dish. Carole nodded encouragingly and spooned out some gravy for him.

And then Finn mentioned tonight's game to Burt, and Blaine casually remarked that he hoped Samuels would be benched after his lousy performance last week. Both men turned to him astonished. Did he like football? Why, yes, he did! He'd played both soccer and football in school, hadn't he? One of his best friends had even been a professional college player, as had his brother, by the way. It was in his blood.

Both Burt and Finn seemed to like that, and they warmed up considerably towards him after that, discussing the team with him at length and inviting him to come sit with them to watch the game. Blaine helped clear the dishes first, though. He owed Carole at least that much after such a good meal.

He continued chatting with Burt and Finn, relieved at having found common ground. He felt the sofa give next to him, and knew it was Kurt. He reached for Kurt's hand, twining their fingers together.

As soon as I touch you, I feel home.