"Katie, why didn't you tell me?" Everett asked once they were seated at a table.
"Tell you what?" Katie asked softly.
"About your Dads," said Everett. "And the fact that you have two of them?"
"Does it really matter?" Katie asked as anger started to build within her.
"No," said Everett, his eyes falling to the table a moment before returning to meet Katie's. "But, will you tell me why you didn't tell me?"
"They got judged for it in high school. If I can stop them being judged, I will."
A small smile escaped Everett's lips. "You must really love them."
"I do," Katie said. "They're my Dads. I'm going to love them forever."
"Of course, but ah Katie…"
"Yeah?"
"It's ok to tell me," said Everett "No judgement, I promise."
"Thank you," Katie said softly. "I.. I really appreciate that, and I'm sure they would too. And Everett,"
"Mm?" he said, looking up at her.
"I'm sorry for flaring up at you."
"That's ok," said Everett.
"It's just, I get protective. I don't want them to get hurt. Not again."
"Again?" Everett asked quietly.
"You know slushies right?" Katie asked, and Everett nodded. "They used to get them… in the face."
"In the face?" asked Everett, blinking.
"Mean people used to throw it at them, and there was this one time, my Dad told me, when he took a slushie that was meant for Daddy. Only, it had rock salt in it and it really hurt his eye."
Everett made a sympathetic noise of pain. "Ouch," he said. "I can only imagine how much that would have hurt. Brave guy."
"That's my Dad," said Katie, smiling proudly. "Enough about me though, what about you?"
"Me?" Everett asked. "Oh, it's just me, my Mum, my Dad. We're not all that interesting."
"Sure you are," said Katie, leaning closer over the table. "I'm intrigued already."
"Well, we're rather religious."
"Oh?" Katie asked, raising an eyebrow. "Which one?"
"Promise you won't judge?"
"Hey!" Katie said. "What did we just establish here huh? This is a no judgement zone, I promise you."
"We're Christians."
"Ah," said Katie as a smile escaped her lips. "Like my Aunty Mercedes,"
"Your aunt?"
"Yeah," Katie said. "She's a really strong believer… Wait, is that what you call it?"
Everett shrugged. "I don't think it matters."
"So what's it like?"
"Oh, we go to church every Sunday, we say grace before meals, that sort of thing."
"Should we have…"
Everett smiled. "No, it's ok. We can do it some other time I suppose, if you want to try it, but I usually just do it with my parents, and we don't tend to do it out in public. My parents aren't the types of people who fancy drawing attention to themselves."
"Oh, I see." Katie said. "I think my Dads are just the opposite. Singing out in the street, serenading each other out in public… Oh, and never, ever get between Daddy and his fashion…" Katie said, laughing.
"That sounds romantic actually." Everett admitted. "The serenading and the singing in the streets and stuff."
"Yeah, I always thought they were sort of like a fairytale.. Only, modernised a little."
"Modernised?"
"You never hear of two men in old fairytale stories do you?" Katie asked. "I wish there was, but…" she shrugged.
"It shouldn't matter who you love," Everett said.
"Thank you!" Katie said. "I'm glad someone agrees with me."
"So, if they're a fairytale, that'd make you their little princess."
"I suppose it would," Katie said, smiling.
"Oh! Look at the time! I've gotta get you home!" Everett said, standing up in a rush.
Katie couldn't help but burst out laughing as she gracefully rose to her feet.
"What?" Everett asked, glancing at her as he popped a fifty dollar note on the table- so they'd definitely be covered.
"Are you really that scared of my Dads?"
"Well, who knows what they'd do," Everett said, causing Katie to laugh even more.
"Hey! What happened to no judgement?"
"I'm not judging," said Katie seriously. "It's just funny, that's all. I mean, my Dads aren't all that scary. Quite the opposite if you ask me."
"It didn't seem that way to me," Everett said uncertainly. "Anyway, I told your Dad I'd have you back, and we do have school tomorrow…"
At the sight of Everett's car pulling up, Kurt and Blaine grabbed their books and made out as if they were reading when Katie came through the door.
"Hey sweetie," said Blaine, looking up at the sound of the door closing. "He got you home before nine. Good…" he muttered more to himself than anyone as he glanced at his watch.
"Did you have fun?" Kurt asked.
"Yeah," Katie said quietly. "Wait, you two weren't sitting there staring out the window the entire time, were you?"
"What?" Blaine asked at the look his daughter gave him. "You're my little girl. Of course I'm going to wait for you." Katie started to laugh.
"I didn't just make a joke, did I?"
"No," Katie said, struggling to stifle the remaining laughter that was attempting to bubble through. "It's just, Everett thought you were scary. You sort of just proved him right if you were watching out the window the entire time."
"That's a father's job isn't it?" Blaine asked defensively. "Protecting his little girl?"
"Yeah," Katie said, smiling at him. "Just try not to scare him completely so he runs away, ok?"
"I'll try my best," Blaine said solemnly. "But no promises."
"Daddy?" Katie said, looking at Kurt with pleading eyes.
"I'll keep him in line, don't worry Precious."