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Chapter 3

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Once again, without discussing it with Kurt, they'd decided it had been enough for Kurt to just meet Carole that weekend. Though they did talk about Finn quite a bit and Kurt couldn't help but see Burt's pride and affection when he talked about the football player. In unsettled Kurt for whatever reason.

He also tossed Kurt a set of keys before they left that Sunday. He went out to see a shiny (used) mini coop. "Hybrid." Burt informed him, leaning against the porch pillar, arms crossed over his chest as he watched his son look it over in surprise and gratitude.

Sebastian lifted a brow, how did he expect Sebastian to fit in there? Burt tossed him a smug look back and the two both laughed in shared amusement. They had a lot of little moments like that, Burt was a father after all and Sebastian was debauching his son.

"Convertible too." He finally said in regards to Sebastian's question. There had been plenty of head room for him anyway, Sebastian's own cars required some maneuvering to fit in nicely. Kurt squealed and slid in to put the top down. He turned it on and it purred and Kurt stuck his head out.

"This is too much dad!" He wasn't turning it down though.

"It's so you can come home on the weekends." He told Kurt sternly. "Or whenever you absolutely need to drive somewhere." He hesitated and tacked on. "Only when the weather's decent. I'm still coming up for Friday dinners in the winter and inclement weather."

Kurt didn't even utter a sound of protest to the restrictions. He just continued poking around and learning all the ins and outs of his new car. Sebastian kept his face completely neutral, they never told Burt that Sebastian let Kurt drive his fleet of vehicles in all weather. Kurt was a fantastic driver and could even be a pro-racer if he so desired. He'd run tracks with some of the guys his family sponsored. Kurt was such a car nerd, he had to bring him with whenever Sebastian had to make the rounds.

Although Sebastian made sure none of the guys told Kurt that, even in passing as an offhanded compliment. Kurt might just decide to take them up on it and either add that to his list of hobbies or focus in that for a career. While Sebastian got a thrill out of Kurt's energy when he put the cars through their paces on the racetrack, he didn't want to see Kurt go against another pro and some of their cheap efforts to win the race. A race was not a life and Kurt's life was too precious to Sebastian to even risk it. Burt would blow a gasket if he even knew Kurt was out there going anywhere over 85 miles an hour.

Kurt got out of the car and jogged over to Burt and Sebastian. He threw his arms around his dad's shoulders and gave him a strong hug. Burt's arms went around that trim waist and hugged him back. "Thank you so much Dad!"

"Of course, kiddo." He ruffled Kurt's hair and it was a testament to how happy he was that he didn't protest the action. "Maybe that means you can come out second weekend of next month?" Burt asked hopefully.

Kurt pulled out his phone to look. "Shouldn't be a problem, no Warbler practices or commitments. No Lacrosse games."

Sebastian looked over Kurt's shoulder at the dates. "I do have a practice that Saturday but I can miss it."

"No way." Kurt pressed a quick kiss to Sebastian's cheek. "You don't need to skip anything for me. Besides, I'm just going to be here in Lima, nothing exciting."

Sebastian wasn't convinced even as Kurt waved it off. Sebastian had a feeling that it would be a very eventual weekend for Kurt if Burt had picked it out specifically. "What's happening that weekend, anyway?" He glanced over to Burt who smiled.

"Homecoming game." Burt explained and Kurt's good mood dimmed. "It'll be nice for you to support Finn. I'll be bringing him and Carole up next weekend for Friday dinner." And the thing he didn't say, he'd probably be bringing them both up as much as possible from now on, practices and training sessions notwithstanding.

"Oh." Kurt felt hollowed out by that announcement. "Right, of course, he's Carole's son." Kurt shook himself out of his unearned insecurity and decided to focus on the positives and not what he knew was going to happen. He could be wrong and this football playing, cheerleader dating captain cliché could be the nicest person on the planet. His biases were coming out and he tried to squash them. He'd never met the boy, had never met a football player before, actually other than his father and his father was great. "I look forward to meeting him. Does he know about me?"

"We've talked a great deal about you." Burt reassured then glanced at Sebastian. "And Sebastian, but maybe, for the first meeting... we just introduce you?"

Sebastian's hackles rose at that request and he stood straighter in defense of both of them. "You don't want me to meet him?"

"Of course I want you to meet him!" Burt shot out with annoyance that Sebastian would even think that. "It's just that I want to give Kurt and Finn time to bond before introducing him to the two of you, together."

"I knew it!" Kurt exclaimed in a voice just a bit too high for the other's hearing. They winced. "You're ashamed of me, ashamed of my relationship and he's a homophobe!"

Kurt might have jumped too far in his conclusions but his father had offended Sebastian and he was in defense mode now.

"Of course not!" Burt snapped. "I am incredibly proud of both of you and I love seeing the two of you together. I think all relationships could aspire to be more like yours. It's just that you're a bit much on your own, each of you. I wanted to ease him in to this before he had two of you to contend with." He waved between Kurt and Sebastian as if they should know exactly what he was saying. Before either of them could counter that, he was trying to explain himself a bit more. "Despite what Carole thinks, he's a sweet somewhat intelligent boy but he's pretty simple too. He's not as sophisticated as you two are. Being presented with two of you, he'll feel inadequate and probably defensive. I'm just trying to merge the two worlds as smoothly as possible."

"We don't go out to try and make anyone feel inferior." Kurt countered, arms crossed over his chest. "In fact, we're very inclusive and non-judgmental."

"You maybe, usually but not always."

"I have only judged people who've deserved it." Kurt protested on his own behalf. "Usually when they make some asinine comment about my sexuality or looks." Sebastian nodded his agreement and support of Kurt doing so, even if he was one of the biggest culprits.

"Be that as it may..." He couldn't argue with that, he would have been ramming those same words down the person's throat if Kurt hadn't already taken care of it. Burt's eyes flickered over to Sebastian. "And you've been on remarkably good behavior. I thank you for being so inclusive with Carole, I was thinking I would have to play ref all weekend."

Sebastian scowled. "I have manners."

"Yes, you do, but I also know that you look down on this town and the people here, outside of us Hummels." Burt pointed out and Sebastian's scowl only deepened. "Look, kid, I don't mean to offend you, you're a great guy and I could never ask for a better person for my son. You just... sometimes... are a bit too caustic and overprotective of Kurt." Burt glanced back to his son. "And I love you boys, so much, but Kurt already can rub people the wrong way when he's in a mood."

"I was 6." Kurt scowled at his dad now too. "Will I ever live that down?"

"You were also 10 and 12 and 16." Burt pointed out. "This last time was with a waiter who couldn't care less if it was arugula or spinach. He just wanted you to order, not give him a lesson in lettuce."

Kurt opened his mouth and then closed it when Sebastian started sniggering. He transferred that glare over to Sebastian who didn't look at all repentant. "That was your fault." Kurt pointed out, Sebastian had set him up for it.

"And you couldn't keep your hands off of him for a minute when you figured out that the very same waiter was uncomfortable with you two being together. You couldn't just reduce the PDA for an evening?" Burt also turned his attention on the taller teen to lay into him.

"Hey, no one should feel comfortable with homophobia. We shouldn't have to stop being ourselves for someone else." Sebastian defended himself.

"No, but you don't have to broadcast it all throughout dinner. He might have just been uncomfortable with PDA and not the fact that it was two guys. Your snarky comments didn't help either."

Sebastian shrugged, he was still unrepentant, no matter the real reason or under Burt's ire. "Doesn't give me a real reason why you don't want to have Finn meet the two of us together."

Kurt was seeing it though. Sebastian may be comfortable just being so out and Kurt would never deny it himself, he was a bit too flamboyant anyway to ever try. He was a little less comfortable broadcasting his sexual interactions with Sebastian in 'polite society' even if he would never hide his sexual orientation.

He just didn't have to rub it into someone's face when they could see it clearly enough as it was. He never really told Sebastian to knock it off, he said it occasionally because it was expected but he still let Sebastian get away with it because he wanted it too, deep down but not that deep down.

Kurt sighed. "You just made it worse for yourself Dad, surely you see that just as clearly as I do?" He wrapped his hand around Sebastian's. "He's going to be even more obnoxious than he normally is."

Sebastian rolled his eyes at Kurt, that was just part of their regular banter and so didn't take it badly. They both knew it was going to be true anyway. Burt sighed, realizing now that he'd dug himself that hole.

Burt circled back to the biggest red flag on the field though that he had to hone in on and bring home to Kurt. "I'm not ashamed of your relationship. I want Finn to get to know the two of you together as I have, which Carole was blessed with seeing this weekend. He knows you're gay, we didn't keep the relationship a secret from him."

"Yeah, what did he have to say about that?" Kurt was still a little defensive and Sebastian moved to take Kurt into his arms, both looking at the older Hummel as a unit.

"Not much." Burt gave a shrug. "I think maybe you're a very abstract idea to him at the moment. I am trying to reduce those 'asinine' comments as you're so fond of pointing out. Please, Kurt?" He was including Sebastian in that look though and the couple shared a look and Kurt sagged back against his boyfriend.

"I'm not pleased." Kurt had given into the request though.

"Me either." Sebastian added, holding the older Hummel's eye. "I feel like we're being hidden away, swept under the rug."

"Never!" Burt argued. "I have never tried to squash any part of you two being out and open and in public. I've asked for caution and warned against some activities, but I have never ever told you to go against your best judgment." They'd heeded his advice on occasion, but had ignored it too. They'd had mixed results with ignoring his 'words of wisdom'. "He's not bringing his girlfriend either. We wanted a chance for you two to meet without anyone else around."

Kurt had clomped onto that while Sebastian was a bit more resigned. "Right, girlfriend... Right... he has a girlfriend! Carole didn't talk about her when we shopped yesterday. What's she like? Have you met her?" Kurt stepped forward to ask his dad, his excitement moving him without his complete knowledge of doing so.

"Only Kurt Hummel would be excited about meeting a girl." Sebastian mocked dryly. Though there was a fondness in his eyes as he looked over his boyfriend's suddenly energetic face.

Kurt tossed his back a withering glare but there was no actual heat in it. "Hey, excuse me if the only females in my life have now doubled. No, the Crawford girls don't count. Those girls are always fawning over you and Blaine and a few of the other guys. Plus they're in the same boat as us, whenever we have socials they're stuck in a God-forsaken uniform. You can tell so much from what she chooses to wear."

"Hate to bust your bubble, buddy, but whenever I've seen her, she's been wearing a uniform too. Her Cheerios uniform."

"Cheerios?" Sebastian's sarcastic voice caused a smile to cross Kurt's lips and because of his son's smile, Burt couldn't help but do so too. "Cheerios for a cheer-leading team? Wow, where would one even begin to..." Sebastian shook his head and Kurt slipped under his arm again to press against the side of his body, just as amused as Sebastian, but a little disappointed too.

Burt rolled his eyes, this was exactly why he wanted to be cautious introducing the kids to each other. "As for personality, she's a nice girl, she's part of some abstinence club and-".

"Ok, I've heard enough." Kurt waved his dad's explanation off of the girl he'd likely never interact much with. His dad had unknowingly told him everything he would ever need to know about the girl.

"Kurt-." Burt sounded disappointed but Sebastian was leaning just slightly to say something in his ear too and Kurt giggled.

He bounced to his dad and gave him another hug, not listening or hearing anything Burt was trying to say just then. "It's been so nice seeing you. You're absolutely correct, I should spend a weekend down here more often than I have been. I'll definitely be here more often than I had been this last year." His arms around his father were strong and it always surprised Burt that those thin arms could even reach around him much less hold such strength.

Burt wrapped his arms around Kurt in return, holding him just as fiercely against his chest. Kurt might never believe it, but he was the most important thing in his life and he loved him dearly and was proud of everything he ever did and who he was. Sometimes though, he wished he could curb some of Kurt's more judgmental sounding words.

He knew that Kurt had the biggest heart and he didn't usually mean it the way it came across, sometimes he did, but usually not or he regretted it the second he said it or was called out on it. He was definitely the most open kid he'd ever met, willing to listen to another point of view. Maybe not always agreeing with it, but realizing he was just looking at it through his own lens. He pointed that kind of thing out to others too, especially Sebastian.

"Thank you for the car." Kurt said to Burt's chest and Burt nodded against the top of his head.

"Sebastian?" Burt asked when Kurt pulled back, pressed a kiss to his boyfriend's cheek and ran giddily for the car while saying something about seeing him back at Dalton.

Sebastian looked like he was ready to chase after Kurt, jump into his own car and race him back to Dalton. At Burt's prompt, he turned, somewhat bashful by his desires because it would have been rude to leave Burt like that. Besides, it wouldn't have been the wisest or safest thing to do, but he was never one to back down from a competition, especially with Kurt.

Even the two of them getting together had been an effort to outdo the other, or at least it had seemed like it from Burt's perspective. Thankfully, a lot of that seemed to have simmered down but in it's place had come a fierce protectiveness that Burt hadn't seen coming. He didn't hate it, Kurt would never be in the wrong having someone like that in his corner, even if he didn't need it. Looking back, he might have been able to see it since even the first time he met the green eyed boy. Burt had never been sure if the boy was serious or mischievous and had to finally settle on something in between.

Burt didn't spend nearly the amount of time Kurt had with the boy, didn't spend as much time as he would have liked. They hadn't brought up the third musketeer in awhile either. He wondered if that was just the natural part of aging or if something had happened. It wasn't just physical proximity that Burt had lost by sending his son to boarding school, his son didn't share as much as he used to either.

Burt wondered if he had kept Kurt home with him if that would have been different. If his son would have been open and shared more with him.

It was a moot exercise in thought though, as his son was very happy where he was, had a lot of friends and a dotting boyfriend that Burt actually really liked. They had a good relationship even if it wasn't as close as his relationship with his own father had been like growing up. It reminded him that he needed to call the old man, it had been awhile since he'd seen him or talked to him.

"Burt." Sebastian held out a hand and Burt raised an eyebrow. It's what he always told Sebastian to call him but he was surprised to hear it now. He thought the boy would have to actually follow through with his promise to marry his son before he felt comfortable calling him by his given name. He was still holding his hand out for a shake though, not a hug. He was so touchy feely with his son but held back with his father. Burt hugged everyone he cared about and wouldn't accept the hand, unless he couldn't go in for a hug.

He pulled Sebastian in for a hug. "You are like a son to me, always remember that." He said for Sebastian's sake. He might not know or see the boy as often as he wished, but he knew that much about him. They were nearly 18. "It's ok to even call me Dad."

That really threw Sebastian. "Sir." He nodded when he pulled back and hesitated. "Burt." Well, baby-steps it seemed was always going to be the case with him and his son's boyfriend. Maybe it wouldn't have been so stilted of a response if he hadn't inadvertently offended him. He must have hurt Sebastian more than he thought he had with his request. Sebastian and Kurt threw digs at each other all the time, said very offensive things at times and yet they always seemed fine.

The first 'Burt' had been a sign of disrespect actually and the second one a sign of being touched and honored. Burt sighed. "I wonder how many years I have to know you and for you to be basically my son-in-law before you warm up to me."

"I-." Sebastian frowned, they hadn't had too much time to talk this weekend. Sebastian always choosing things that would take him away from Burt whenever Kurt was busy with Carole or just out of the room. "I respect you and I find being around you very comfortable. I'm sorry I'm not very good a showing you the same warmth you show me." Sebastian scratched the back of his head. "Being here is always so different than what I grew up with. I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry, I put you in an awkward position by calling you out on it." It was the first time they'd talked without the risk of Kurt walking in on them to break it up. "I was beginning to think it was me that you were avoiding. Now I'm realizing it's just adults in general." He patted Sebastian's shoulder. "I hate to break this to you, but you're joining the world of adults soon."

"Not yet." Sebastian teased right back and Burt was relieved to see some of that poke through. "And it's parents, not adults that I'm uncomfortable with." He winked at Burt and then breathed in and out deeply. "Honestly, I'm not uncomfortable around you... you're Kurt's dad and you mean the world to him. I know I can snark off with Kurt and we can banter back and forth as well as add on to each other's comments about someone else. I'm just always on my best behavior with you because I know one foot out of line and he's going to have my ear in a vice." Sebastian gave a small shrug. "He's always extra cautious around my parents as well even though I don't hold them in quite the same regard. I'm pretty sure it's because of their reactions rather than mine that he does it."

Sebastian had never directed that snark toward him and he was grateful but it did keep some walls up between them. There should be respect between adult and child and parent and non-biological child and biological child. "I'm made of tougher stuff, don't walk on eggshells around me. Like I said, you're nearly an adult, it's time for you to start acting like it with me too." It didn't give Sebastian permission to sass him but a few teasing jibs wouldn't be remiss and adults were also respectful to each other, heard each other out politely.

Sebastian nodded. "I will try."

"I'd rather you relax." Burt squeezed Sebastian's shoulder. "I have a feeling you're going to be in my life for the remainder of it. If you keep this up, you'll be exhausted by the time you're 30."

Sebastian chuckled. "Got it." For once, he didn't thank Burt for allowing them to spend the weekend, finally seeing that as family, they were always welcome, no matter what.

Burt watched him leave, trailing behind Kurt at a reasonable pace. Burt couldn't help but feel like his words were right about both of them. They were at that age where they held themselves like adults but also had a lot of youthful energy. It was an awkward transition period for some and some switched smoothly and seamlessly. For some people they never completely switched over or if they did it was years down the road.

For both of their sake, he hoped that they were some of the lucky ones that could have a foot in both worlds and knew how to move between them back and forth well and when to be in each world. Burt had forgotten how to be young, he felt way too much like an adult, like a father who'd been through a lot.

He rubbed his bald head and headed back in, some people were foisted into adulthood far too early. So far he'd been lucky with Kurt. There'd been a few things that made him grow up quicker than he normally would and he'd always been an old soul. He was saved having to step into an adult role way too young by attending boarding school. He could focus on being a kid rather than taking care of his old man.

Every time he saw Kurt, he felt lighter after he left, knowing he'd done a good job raising that boy all on his own. He couldn't have asked for a better son and nobody would ever hold a candle to him.