A/N: Hope you like, Merry Christmas. My writer's block magically lifted today, at least for a while. Let's hope that state holds. Maybe my psych is giving me a Christmas present of its very own.

P.S.: This chapter explains the title to it all. Even those almost three years ago I knew I wanted to get to this point. I'm honestly just surprised my brain held on to that till now so decisively.

Chapter 3

The silence holds, grows, as they sip their teas – turns stale then dense – is suddenly broken when Mr. Anderson blurts out ... "I don't know how to talk to him."

Kurt swallows then clears his throat, only to have Blaine's father start to ramble next to him.

"I overhear him sometimes, on the phone ..."

Kurt almost chokes on his fresh mouthful of tea, mental note taken, 'No more phone sex!'

" ... talking to his brother, Cooper."

"I've met him," Kurt nods relieved.

"Blaine loves you so much, and ... and I wish he'd feel like he could talk to me about you guys."

Kurt glances over at Mr. Anderson then, worrying his lower lip between his teeth. "I don't understand, Blaine said ..."

Mr. Anderson puts down the mug next to himself, drops his head into his hands, letting out a long breath. And Kurt is pretty sure he hears tears in the man's voice when he speaks again, "I know I was an idiot. I went about it all wrong."

"Blaine says ..., Blaine thinks you ..."

"I know, I know," Mr. Anderson interjects, voice tearing.

Kurt swallows hard, gripping the hot mug even tighter.

"I never meant it that way. I didn't mean to put into his head that I'd prefer him straight. It was meant to be the opposite. I'd meant to let him know that I still think of him as a guy even though he might be gay. I wasn't sure at the time he even was. I think he wasn't sure at the time."

"He wasn't not sure. But he wasn't ... completely confident in it yet, no," Kurt confirms.

And Mr. Anderson looks at him somewhat questioningly when their eyes meet next.

So Kurt answers the unspoken question with a smile, "He was still figuring it out, deep down at least, when we met. Not who he was, but how to be that person. I mean he introduced himself to me as gay, but later on he tried dating one of my female friends. Because he needed to know for sure, and he did not know how else to figure it out. And I was then one who got angry then, because I could not figure that out back then. Only later when we talked about that time more, which took us forever to dare approach after we had gotten together, only then I got this, we got it."

"He didn't do that because of me, did he?"

Kurt frowns at that, "Doubt himself? Honestly, I think only Blaine can answer this one. I'm sorry."

"No, you're right, I know. And I also know I should be going to him with all this but ... he won't even stay in a room with me for longer than absolutely necessary, certainly not alone. Especially since you two got together he has moved even further away."

"Why?"

"Protecting you, from me. From people like me. Well, from who he must think I am. As I said, even a fool like me can see how head over heels he is for you. And I ..., I'm losing him more every day. I need him to know I respect who he is, and that I love him. Just as he is, just as he was, ... just as he has always been."

"You think he has always been gay?" Kurt asks with a hesitant smile. He has heard all those other phrases far too often, turn gay, become gay, decide to be gay.

"I think he is wonderful. I've always thought he is wonderful. And either way it would not matter to me, but yes, I personally think he was born that way. I can't say I ever suspected, but I wasn't looking for it either. I tried to be there, and keep him healthy and happy, and confident in himself. I guess I was not too great at that last one."

"Don't say that. In fact, don't even think that."

Blaine's father looks up then again, eyes wiped clear but still glassed over, red and swollen, confusion written all over his face.

"From the first day we met he tried to get me to stand up for myself and to take care of myself, because he knew I had lost that sense of being worth being taken care off. He knew that if no one else did it you would have to start doing it by yourself. He had done it. He wanted me to know that I could do it too, with him if I wanted but also alone. He wanted me to know my own strength. He was so adamant to not allow himself to fall in love with me because he ..., he told me later he hadn't been able to bear the thought of adding pain to that pile he could see me heaving around already. He knew so much better than I did that that could break me, anyone really. So he made sure I got better first. I think he really even did not think to allow himself to fall for me until he could see me gain that bite that snark back that he somehow knew, after I had forgotten already, was the real me, ... buried under that ... all that stuff."

Blaine's father hears the sadness, hanging heavy in those last words. And he knows it too. "Bullying?"

"Yeah." Kurt shakes his head at himself, smile torn. "Blaine knew. He could see it all ... like no one had in my life. He didn't have to pretend he got me. He ... he just really REALLY did. Does."

"I can see why he loves you so. You really got a way with words."

"Must be the fashion blog I've been writing for years."

"Is that what you want to do later, write for Vogue or something?" Kurt turns and smiles at him. "I try to take an interest, ... since that car thing backfired."

"I am not sure yet, but it feels like ..., it feels right in many ways, yes."

"As a man of words, Kurt, any advice on how to fix things with my son?"

"I think I have a couple ideas."

It is already a whole week that Blaine has been back from his trip when he comes to pick up Kurt for a date night ... that is about to be turned onto its head, and Blaine's whole world with it. Okay, maybe not his whole world, but certainly that part dominated by the way he thinks of his father.