When Burt, Carole, and Finn arrived at the airport in New York, Kurt was trying to talk Blaine out of holding up the sign he had made for their arrival.
He was wearing a chauffeur's hat and sunglasses because he needed a disguise and wanted to make it fun for his family.
"The Relations of Soon to Be Mr. Handerson." Burt squinted as he read the handcrafted sheet of paper. "Well that's interesting."
"I told him to throw it away. We are not going by Handerson."
"I don't see why not. It's the perfect mashup."
"Honey, I've seen what journalists title their articles. I don't think you want to have the word hand in your name." Carole spoke seriously, and Finn had to keep from laughing. "It just opens up too many possibilities.
"Carole!" Kurt was shocked to hear that come out of his step-mother's often quiet and well-behaved mouth. Burt grabbed her hand and kissed it to cover up the fact that he was also laughing.
"Anyway. We ought to get out of here." Burt shooed everyone away from arrivals and toward the baggage claim.
Blaine and Kurt had taken the SUV to pick everyone up, so they could all fit. Finn called the front seat much to Kurt's protest, but a soft smile from Blaine and Kurt jammed himself into the back-middle seat.
"Dude, this thing is awesome." Finn was rubbing his hands along the leather panels on the doors.
The car ride was spent talking about the car and the sleeping arrangements. Blaine offered his apartment to Burt and Carole, who turned it down insisting that they would stay at Kurt's place. Finn took up Blaine's offer but only so he would have an alibi to go stay with Rachel. There were a few arguments over where Kurt would stay. But in the end, they had arrangements made up to the night before the wedding.
Blaine pulled into the garage under his building and Kurt was kind of glad they wouldn't be going through the front doors. He could only imagine his family's faces standing under the awning, directly across from Central Park as a uniformed man held the door open for them.
They all brought everything with them out of the SUV and up to Blaine's apartment. They were going to have lunch together before Burt and Carole went to get settled in Kurt's home.
Finn stared open mouthed at the elevator man the entire ride up to the top floor.
As soon as they stepped out of the elevator, Burt let out a long whistle.
"Your home is beautiful, Blaine." Carole walked over to the walls and glanced up at the album covers. "It seems very you."
Blaine chuckled and wrapped an arm around Kurt's waist. "It is thanks to this guy right here."
"Kurt, you did this?" Carole looked over at him. Surprised he hadn't mentioned it. Burt was now just as curious, redesigning someone's entire apartment seemed like something Kurt would have immediately mentioned on one of their catch-up calls.
"Yeah."
"He designed and decorated this entire room in one day." Blaine boasted since Kurt wouldn't.
"You never mentioned that, Kurt." Burt was looking at him curiously.
"Well I did it a while ago and I figured you might think it was weird." Kurt crossed his feet and looked down at them.
"Why would I think it was weird? You did a great job." Burt looked around, taking in all the hard work.
"Well I did it three days after we started dating."
"Wow." Carole laughed. "Blaine trusted you to redecorate after three days?"
"He has excellent taste." Burt side eyed them sensing Kurt was leaving something out on purpose. Luckily for him he was too excited about the wedding to pay attention to Kurt's failure to mention Blaine giving him free use of his credit card three days into their relationship.
"So what is for lunch?" Burt asked clapping his hands together to snap everyone out of their admiring stares.
"Sandwiches de Giovanni." Kurt chuckled. Blaine went in earlier to order one for everyone and exited the building with a week's worth for each of us.
"Where's Finn?" Kurt glanced around unable to find the limbering fool clumsily bumping into things in the living room.
"Holy crap, Blaine. This media center is awesome. Do you have Fallout?" Finn popped his head out of the first room upstairs and called down.
"Yeah. We can play it tonight." Blaine yelled back up. "Come eat lunch." Finn pushed the rest of his body out of the doorway and Kurt glowered at him.
"Stay with the group."
"Have you seen that room though? It's awesome."
"Yes. Finn. I've seen every room in here. If you had been there you would have known that I designed most of them."
"Did you design that one?" Finn's face lit up, excited to hear that his brother might have taken part in the creation of the best media room in history.
"No." Kurt looked away. "Blaine wouldn't let me touch that room. Sam even stood guard when I was taking down measurements for everything."
"Sam's been in there?" Finn's face twisted in envy. Kurt just patted him on his back and shoved him toward the kitchen.
After a hearty meal of sandwiches, Burt and Carole thought they should go get settled. They were headed toward the door ready to hail a taxi when Burt heard Blaine call his name.
"Wait up!" He was jogging up to them reaching into his pocket. He held out a key and Burt raised an eyebrow. Blaine laughed, "Kurt said you might want to give it a go."
Burt looked down at the Audi logo and stifled an excited giggle. "Blaine, thank you but we can just grab a taxi. It's really no problem."
"Take it." Blaine just raised a daring eyebrow. Burt couldn't turn it down twice.
Burt smiled and snagged the key from his hand, joyfully slamming the elevator call button. He was prancing back and forth and Carole had to keep from rolling her eyes. Kurt reached around and put his chin on Blaine's shoulder, watching his parents get in the elevator, Burt staring at the Audi key in his hand like it might hold the secrets to the universe.
"He's excited to have you as a son." Kurt whispered in Blaine's ear. Blaine melted into Kurt.
"Well I am almost out of cars for him to drive."
"It's not the cars." Kurt kissed Blaine's ear before spinning him around. "Though I'm sure he enjoys that. He will be glad to have such a great man join the family."
Blaine just smiled sadly. He was ecstatic to become part of Kurt's family, but he felt like he was giving Kurt the short end of the stick since he wouldn't really acquire another family himself. They hugged until Finn cleared his throat from the other side of the room.
"So…do you guys want to play Fallout?"
"I'll meet you up there, man." Blaine chuckled, pulling out of Kurt's hug.
"I ought to head to the store and make sure everything is ready for when I leave."
"I'm sure Brittney can handle the store for a week, Kurt." Blaine rolled his eyes but smiled. Kurt froze for a minute. He had nearly forgotten that him staying with Blaine in Europe through the whole tour was a surprise. His eyes wrinkled as he made his smile casual.
"I guess I'm just a micromanager."
"Okay well call when you are done, and we can take your family out to dinner." Blaine kissed him on the cheek oblivious to Kurt's plot and jogged up the steps to meet Finn.
"The red controller is mine!" He yelled as he approached the doorway.
Kurt spun on his toes and headed toward the elevator.
"Are you sure this is going to work Britt?" Kurt was leaning against the counter with his arms folded. "If you feel the least bit timid about it, I need to know now. I can always change plans."
"Kurt," Brittney smiled and tilted her head. Kurt smiled back, her with her Lord Tubbington printed sweater and side ponytail made it hard for him to take her seriously, but he had worked with her long enough. "I know everyone thinks I can't run a store for a day let alone two months, but I can. I promise."
"I know you can, Britt."
"Plus, with the raise from running the store I can finally afford to get Lord Tubbington the liposuction he's been demanding for years. Next, he just needs a whisker lift, they've been saggy ever since he kicked his opioid addiction."
"Oh Brittney. I will miss you." Kurt shook his head smiling.
"You'll only be gone a week. Imagine being gone two months." Kurt turned at the voice of Blaine's new manager.
"Tana!" Brittney shouted running around the counter to give her girlfriend a hug. "But Kurt will be gone for two months!" Brittney's face quirked into confusion between the two.
"Will he?" Santana glared at Kurt.
"Please don't tell him. It's supposed to be a surprise."
"Well it would have been nice if you had at least told me. Jesus Hummel the tour starts in a week and a half and there are arrangements that have to be made if you're coming along."
"What arrangements."
"Well where you are going to stay for one."
"I'll just stay in the flat in Paris."
"The what." Santana's cheeks sucked in and her glare deepened as she waited on Kurt's answer.
"The flat in Paris. The one Blaine got at Christmas."
"He did what now?"
"Blaine Rockstar bought Kurt a place in Paris. That's where they are going on their honeymoon." Brittney happily clarified.
"Well that would have been nice information to have." Santana looked genuinely hurt by Blaine's failure to mention his new residence to her.
"I'm sure he forgot to bring it up with all the madness happening." Kurt reassured.
"Whatever. So you're going to be joining us on tour and Blaine isn't supposed to know. Are there any other important details I should be aware of? You know since I'm the one in charge of everything and not Blaine."
"Look he always gets to surprise me with everything. So I decided to return the favor and surprise him. I didn't think it completely through."
"You sure as hell didn't. Well it doesn't matter now. We can figure it out later." Santana rolled her eyes and strutted over to a secluded corner, dragging Brittney along after her. Her expression lightened when Brittney wrapped her arms around her.
Burt and Carole tromped over to where Kurt was.
"Alright what's the plan?"
Kurt turned to his dad's voice and grinned at him. He loved when his parents came to visit. He was happy in New York but having them there made it better.
"We're going to meet Finn and Blaine at a restaurant in Manhattan. Is that what you are wearing?" Kurt didn't even pause as he looked his father up and down. From his dusty baseball cap to his frayed boots.
"Is it like a nice restaurant?" Burt looked at his outfit then back at Kurt and Carole who were both glaring at him.
"Go change." Carole ordered, smoothing down her own exquisite body con dress. She had brought all her nice clothes for this trip. Not even because her stepson was going to marry a rockstar. Her stepson was Kurt Hummel and he would accept nothing less than the best from his family. In fact, the layered necklace and buckled booties she was wearing were all picked out by Kurt when they had gone shopping together around Christmas time.
"You look lovely Carole" Kurt grinned at her.
"Thank you, Kurt. You look handsome yourself." She admired his patterned suit as he adjusted his gilded lion head brooch.
A few minutes later, Burt stumbled back into the café wearing polished brown shoes. A pair of navy slacks and a light purple button up shirt. He just made a noise as he shrugged his shoulders waiting for his son's approval.
"Perfect. Let's go or we will be late." Kurt ushered them through the door, and they all ran for their vehicles.
Valets took Kurt's jeep and the Audi Burt and Carole were driving, much to Burt's dismay. He frowned as he handed off the key, wondering if it might be the last time he got to drive the car. Kurt laughed and pushed him toward the front door.
Carole and Burt peered around the ornate entryway as Kurt made his way to the hostess perched behind the front counter.
"Hello, we are here to meet Blaine Anderson." Kurt smiled while he said it, pushing back a fanboy moment. He really had to stop having those.
"Yes. Mr. Hummel. Mr. Anderson called and said he would be arriving a little late. He said we should take the rest of his party to the table."
"Perfect." Kurt smiled while he spoke, but his heart dropped into his stomach at the thought of why Blaine might be late. He peeked over at Jeff who had been keeping his distance since they got out of the car. Jeff locked eyes and chuckled, only making Kurt feel stupid for worrying.
They sat down at a reserved table in a private room. Jeff went to sit on a chair against the wall, but Carole grabbed his arm. "Oh no you don't." She pushed him toward a chair at the table. "You're sitting with us. No more hiding in the corner."
"No really. That's okay."
"Listen kid, I've seen what you do for my boy. Don't think we want you sitting against the wall pretending not to exist." Burt patted his back. "You are our son-in-law's best man after all." Jeff couldn't help but smile back at Burt. He gracefully accepted the seat they offered him, and the hostess placed another setting.
Kurt looked over at him. "You know why Blaine and Finn are running late don't you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Kurt." Jeff's lips were trying to smile but he spread them thin to prevent it.
"They're still playing that video game, aren't they?"
"Would Blaine really show up late to a family dinner because of a video game Kurt?"
"Well Finn sure would." Burt added.
As if on cue, Blaine and Finn rushed into the private room adjusting their jackets and catching their breaths.
"Sorry we are late there was a…" Blaine was gesturing with his hands trying to come up with a reasonable excuse.
"There was a crowd of girls and Blaine had to outrun them and I was pushing them off myself and it was horrible."
"We know you guys got distracted playing the video game." Kurt eyed Blaine and he punched Jeff lightly as he passed.
"Snitch."
"He guessed!" Jeff snorted with his hands up defensively.
Blaine leaned down and kissed Kurt's temple before pulling out his chair and sitting beside him. "Sorry, love."
"Yeah sorry." Finn took some of the blame, after all it was his idea to play it. "Also, I already asked Blaine and he said it was okay if you guys adopt me so I can live with you and play video games for the rest of my life." Finn's face lit up as he smiled at Kurt making Kurt laugh and look over at Blaine who was casually nodding well aware that he had made this agreement.
"Sorry Finn, but when we adopt it will probably be a baby, not a full-grown adult."
"What now?" Burt choked on the water he was drinking.
"Anyway. Should we order drinks?" Blaine clapped, looking around, turning to get the attention of their waitress.
The waitress immediately ran up to him, her pen ready. "What can I get for you, Mr. Anderson?"
"How about a bottle of Jean Milan Carte Blanche Brut?" He smiled up at her and she wrote it down.
"A great choice, sir. If you don't mind could I see your ID?" Blaine reached for his wallet to hand her his fake when he looked over at Burt whose gaze was daring him to commit a crime in front of him.
"Oh no. That's for my soon to be mother and father in law. I'll just take a Diet Coke." He retracted his hand from his pocket and the waitress winked at him.
Kurt laughed and whispered, "Smooth."
"And for you, sir?" The waitress smiled over at Kurt.
"I'll take a Manhattan." He swiftly pulled out his wallet and handed her a fake ID.
Blaine just shook his head at him and laughed. Kurt winked and took his card back from the waitress. "Very good." She meticulously took drink and appetizer orders from the rest of the table and the second she was gone Burt glared at Kurt.
"You know. Maybe Blaine is my favorite son after all." Kurt put a hand to his heart mocking offense.
"I am very nearly 21 dad and it is almost my wedding day. I think that qualifies me for one drink."
"And what about you Finn? Why do you have a fake ID?"
"I uh…I…Woah Jeff are those carbon fiber cuff links." Carole glared at Finn as he looked for an excuse.
"Yeah. Come on guys. You are awful. Drinking underage and going in bars." Blaine held his chin up and smiled.
"Oh please." Kurt squeezed his arm making Blaine cackle. They ceased their dialogue when the waitress came back with the drinks. She obviously knew that a few of the ID's she was shown were fake. Blaine had been here plenty of times and the whole world knew he was only 19.
The dinner went on peacefully. Jeff was getting way more attention than he was used to and it made him smile shyly.
"So Jeff." Burt glanced over at him casually. "Are you bringing a lucky lady as your date to the Klaine wedding?" Kurt rolled his eyes at his father's ease with which he used their ship name. The man couldn't figure out how to open google, but as soon as Finn explained what Klaine was, that's all he called them.
"No." Jeff tried not to look across the table to Blaine whose mouth was pulled up in a mischievous grin.
"Why not Jeff?" Blaine asked. "You have a plus one. Aren't you going to bring somebody?"
"Well."
"Oh my God are you going to bring Louis?!" Kurt beat him to the punch. "You've been texting a whole lot more ever since the homecoming party." He squinted his eyes at him.
"I didn't ask him." Jeff scratched the back of his neck, willing somebody to change the subject.
"Why not?" Carole piped up from down the table.
"It's kind of complicated." Jeff's face was bright red and he kept taking sips of water to give his hands something to do.
"Is it because you've only known each other for a week or is it because you met him while he was working as a stripper?" Blaine swirled the straw in his diet coke.
Carole coughed on air and Burt patted her back looking equally shocked.
"Dude there's nothing wrong with being a stripper. My friend." Finn paused and smiled down his row at his two brothers, "Our friend Sam was a stripper for a short stint in high school to help his family afford clothes."
"I have no problem with what he does." Jeff growled. "I didn't want to invite him because it's too soon." Blaine looked on curiously at Jeff, completely unaware of how he had offended him.
They were near the end of their meal and Blaine glanced down at his almost empty plate.
"I am going to go pay the bill. Jeff would you mind tagging along, I think there was a crowd outside and I don't want them rushing in." He didn't let his eyes leave Jeff's face even as Burt insisted on paying.
"No need." Blaine said shaking a hand toward him and willing Jeff to stand with him and leave the private room.
"What is it?" Jeff glared at him as they left the room he, like everyone else, knew there was no security threat.
"What's the problem?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You won't invite Louis even though you guys like each other a lot and when I asked you got all weird about it. So what's the problem?"
"There's no problem."
"Jeff. Come on man, talk to me." Blaine leaned his head back against the wall. Jeff glanced nervously around, luckily no tables were sat near where they stood.
"I messed up." Jeff folded his arms over his chest and looked down.
"What do you mean?" Blaine leaned closer and went to reach out to put a caring hand on Jeff's shoulder. Jeff just turned away from it and watched it drop in the air between them.
"I remembered something that I really shouldn't have, and I really like Louis, but this keeps getting in the way."
"What did you remember?"
Jeff rolled his eyes up to the ceiling and let out a long stream of breath, "You."
"Me?" Blaine put the fallen hand against his chest and stuck his neck out. "You remembered me? Did you forget or…"
"Blaine all those years ago at Dalton when I told you I thought I was gay because I liked someone." Jeff's face was worried. The more he spoke, the more he wished he could take it back.
"Oh." Blaine didn't know what to say. Was his best friend and body guard actually declaring his love for him right outside the door that had his fiancé and his fiance's family behind it. "Jeff, I don't know wh—"
"Look. It's not like I'm still in love with you or anything. I haven't followed you around in the hopes that someday you'll realize you love me or something. I really like Louis. But I think I just need to go to your wedding alone."
"Why did you never tell me?"
"I don't know."
"If I would have known. I don't know maybe I would have—"
"You wouldn't have become famous? You wouldn't have met Kurt?" Jeff shook his hair out of his eyes. "There's plenty of what if's? I'm happy you've found Kurt, he's who your meant to be with. It will just take me a little bit to get over my high school crush."
Blaine laughed and reached his arms out to hug Jeff then thought better of it. Jeff reached his arms out too and they embraced, holding on to each other for a moment like they had in the dorm room, when Blaine thought his friend was just going through a crush.
"My high school crush was this assistant manager at Gap. He was in his twenties and I thought he was basically my boyfriend." Blaine was trying to make Jeff feel better.
"Do you still hang out with him?"
"I haven't seen him since I got him fired." Blaine laughed into Jeff's shoulder and pulled away. Jeff was smiling now too.
"Yeah. High school crushes can be pretty messed up. I mean mine turned out to be this horrible musician."
Blaine held his hands up defensively, "Woah, man."
"I'm mending a broken heart let me have my fun." Jeff pulled open the door to their room and gestured for Blaine to go first.
As they approached the table, Finn looked up at them. "So were you attacked by crowds of girls?"
"Yeah Blaine had to outrun them, and I was fighting them off myself." Jeff mimicked Finn's voice and the whole table laughed, aside from Finn who didn't get why it was so funny.