A/N:
Here is a chapter up early. You all have Darren Criss and Kermit the frog to thank for this. Their duet for the Oscars was the cutest thing ever and made me want to scream. I grew up watching The Muppet Show and Muppet movies (I'm dating myself here- as if Ace and Gary weren't a hint already), so to see Darren and Kermit together was the best thing ever!
http : / www. eonline. com/ redcarpet/ 2012/ oscars/ news/ watch- now- glee- star- darren- criss- and- kermit- the- frog- duet- before- the- oscars/ 296851
(remove the spaces for the awesomeness) Please note- Darren talks to Kermit, saying he's always been a fan, since he's a "small guy" just like Kermit.
Also, just a side note- Chapter 17 had over 400 visitors and chapter 16 only had 190, which means half of the readers missed it. I think I put it up right around a time when the site was down.
Enjoy the first half of our camping adventure- every couple of chapters I find a new favorite to replace my current one. The interaction between Blaine and Finn is currently my favorite awkward situation.
I should have known camping with my three boys would be a little insane. I guess insane is an understatement. It was complete madness. It started out just fine. We drove out to the cabin in the woods. Luckily there was a campground not too far from Lima, complete with cabins and a lake. Finn, Blaine and I were the first ones into the cabin. We each had a backpack and a sleeping bag. Once we put our stuff down inside, we went back out to the truck to help Kurt and Carol with their bags. Carol didn't really bring that much, but she was the only one smart enough to pack the things we all forgot, like food, medicine and toiletries. Of course Kurt remembered, but since he had four bags, he clearly tried to bring everything he could possible need.
We brought everything in from the truck and started to explore the cabin. There were two bedrooms, one with a double bed and one with two sets of bunk beds. Finn, normally not the best at math, was quick to point out the number of beds.
"Sweet! There are five beds! We each get our own! Since I'm the tallest, I think I should get the double bed!"
"That's not going to happen Finn. Carol and I get the separate room with the double bed, because we are the adults. You three boys will each get your own, separate bunk bed in the other room." I told him, as calmly as I could, since he was so excited at the prospect of his own room (which he has at home anyway). This did not go over well with him.
"Please don't make me share a room with the two of them! Even when they aren't having sex, they are disgustingly sweet and clingy around each other." Kurt jumped into the conversation to defend himself and Blaine before Blaine could turn any redder.
"We aren't any worse than the other couples at school; you just get a concentrated dose of our awesomeness since we can't even hold hands at school. Besides, we can control ourselves enough to share a room with you for a weekend."
Finally all the bags were put in the proper rooms. There was still some grumbling going on, but nothing loud enough for me to yell about.
Fortunately, we had eaten dinner before arriving, or else we would have to go outside in the pitch black to try and cook something. Unfortunately, there was no kitchen in the cabin, although there was a fire place which we could use to cook on when we weren't outside at the campfire. Tomorrow morning would prove to be interesting. Kurt was planning on making pancakes, even after realizing he would have only a fireplace to cook with. That evening went by easily, sitting on the couches and laughing. We took turns telling jokes, none of which were actually funny, until eventually everyone headed to bed. I went in to check on the boys and everyone was, surprisingly, in separate bunks.
Blaine was sitting calmly on the top of one set of bunk beds, and all the bags piled on the bed beneath him. Kurt was on the bottom bunk of the other set, with Finn on top. Apparently, Finn demanded this arrangement since it would mean a smaller chance of the two boyfriends getting up to any funny business while Finn was sleeping in the room.
"Good night guys. Get some sleep; we'll have a busy day tomorrow." I said before shutting off the light and walking across the living room to my room, where I found Carol already in bed.
I woke up to terrified screaming coming from the other room. It sounded like something was seriously wrong. I got to the boys room to find the lights on and Finn and Blaine standing on opposite sides of the room with terrified looks on their faces. Kurt was now on the top bunk of his and Finn's bunk bed laughing uncontrollably.
"What the hell is going on here? It's three in the morning!" I practically screamed.
No one answered me. Kurt kept laughing, while Finn and Blaine continued to glare at each other.
"Kurt, I thought you were on the bottom bunk before?" I asked.
"So did I!" Blaine shouted, clearly angry.
Once Blaine said that, I think I figured out what happened. Kurt and Finn must have switched beds at some point. Kurt was still laughing while clutching his stomach. Finn and Blaine both snapped at him at the same time.
"Shut up Kurt!" Finn said.
"This isn't funny!" Blaine said, getting more upset as time went on.
Carol finally joined us and made everyone sit down to calmly discuss what happened. Kurt started us off, since he didn't seem to be directly involved.
"After about an hour of lying in the bottom bunk, I realized I would never be able to sleep knowing that at any moment the top bunk could collapse and Finn's fat ass would crush me to death. Bunk beds weren't designed to hold freakishly tall giants like Finn. So I made him switch beds with me. He was half asleep and didn't complain."
Once Kurt was finished, Carol motioned for Blaine to go next. Now that he had calmed down a little, his cheeks were getting more and more red. He finally started to explain his side of the story, although he avoided eye contact with everyone in the room.
"I was kind of lonely over on the other side of the room by myself, so I decided to go see if Kurt was awake. Last I saw, he was on the bottom bunk. I didn't want to turn on the lights and wake up Finn so I just climbed into the bottom bunk with who I thought was Kurt." He finished, still bright red, staring at the floor. Carol motioned for Finn to go next, although we all knew what happened by now.
"I woke up to find Blaine trying to cuddle with me. I never need to get that close to another dude ever again." Finn practically yelled.
"I didn't know it was you!" Blaine argued.
"You kissed my neck!" Finn yelled back.
By now Kurt was laughing so hard he almost fell off the top bunk he was still sitting on. Blaine crossed his arms, huffed and walked over to his bed and laid down with his back facing everyone. Kurt kept laughing. It wasn't like him to laugh at Blaine, which made me think there was more to the story.
"What are you cackling about now Kurt?" I asked him
"They aren't telling you everything. I woke up when I heard Finn moaning. Moaning! He must have been asleep enough to think it was Rachel, because he seemed to really be enjoying it! I figured he was just having a dream. I leaned over the top bunk to make him stop and saw the two of them in bed together, cuddling. Finn was just as guilty of the cuddling. I kindly asked them what was going on. I guess when Blaine realized I was on the top bunk; he screamed, fell out of bed and woke up Finn." By now Finn had stormed out of the room into the bathroom and slammed the door, while Blaine was still pretending to sleep. Once he was sure Finn was out of earshot, he continued. "I know first hand what Blaine is capable of, and I can almost guarantee Finn is going to have a hickey on his neck!"
I didn't really know how to respond to something like this happening. I just shook my head and walked out of the room. Carol joined me in our room a few minutes later.
"I got Finn to come out of the bathroom and go to sleep, although he's on the couch in the living room. He said he didn't want to stay in that room tonight. Kurt finally stopped laughing long enough to apologize to Blaine. I know Blaine was awake, but he ignored us and pretended to be asleep. Oh, and based on how large the hickey was on Finn's neck, I'm surprised we haven't noticed Kurt with them. He's so much paler." She finished.
"Unfortunately I have noticed Kurt with hickeys before. I walked in on them once when Kurt didn't have a shirt on. There were a few on his chest and a couple on his hips. I'd rather not think about this anymore tonight. Let's get to sleep and maybe tomorrow we can all pretend this didn't happen." I said to Carol. We both went to sleep, somewhat dreading the morning.
The next morning, I woke up to the smell of pancakes. I rolled over, expecting an empty space and bumped into Carol who was still in bed. I guess that meant the boys (and by boys I mean just Kurt) were cooking. How, I don't know, since there wasn't a stove, just a fireplace. Kurt really wasn't one to "rough it".
I walked out to the living room to see Kurt sitting by the fireplace, cooking pancakes on a frying pan balanced over a small fire. He had a second pan with bacon frying. Finn was still asleep on the couch, snoring lightly. I decided to try and talk to Kurt about last night before the other boys got up.
"Hey Kurt, I know last night was kind of hilarious, but can you try to not bring it up today. I think Blaine is really embarrassed, and Finn isn't much better."
"I know Dad, I apologized to Blaine last night and we made up. I'm making him I'm sorry pancakes and bacon. They are for everyone, but Blaine's has a piece of bacon giving it a smiley face. Finn could also use an apology breakfast as well. I just couldn't stop laughing last night… it was so funny." He said as he went back to fixing breakfast.
A little while later, we were all sitting around the table enjoying our breakfast, which was surprisingly good considering it was made without a kitchen. The boys seemed ok, a bit tense, but there was no fighting. Just a lot of awkward silence. I was about to say something but Carol squeezed my leg and shook her head slightly, just enough for me to know that I should give them a chance to work this out on their own.
"Ok, boys, Burt and I are going to go for a walk around the camp grounds to see what's available to us. Since Kurt did the cooking, Finn and Blaine can work together to clean up. Maybe you two can sort out whatever happened last night so we don't have to spend the rest of our vacation in awkward silence. Enjoy!" Carol announced to the room and she stood up, grabbed my hand and dragged me to the front door. Luckily it wasn't that cold out, since she didn't even give me an opportunity to grab my jacket. I wanted to stay and listen, but Carol put her foot down and said it was something for them to work out on their own.
The campground really was nice. There was a lake with a dock and some boats tied up, a lot of hiking trails and many campfire rings laid out, one right outside of our cabin. I collected a small pile of dried wood to start a fire. It wasn't a lot, but the boys could collect some later so we'd have enough. By the time we got back to the cabin, the boys were all sitting around the living room chatting in a very friendly manner. Whatever happened, they must have been able to talk it out. The rest of the day was spent hiking and exploring the grounds around our cabin. It was nice to just spend time as a family.