8: He Had it Coming

"Dad, don't be ridiculous. I don't understand why you feel the need to do this; you two have already met, so..."

"It's not a big thing, Kurt; I'd just feel weird if we didn't have any kind of official version thing..."

Finn's confused, and walks upstairs to where Burt and Kurt are talking. "Hey? What's going on?"

"Where having Kurt's boyfriend over for dinner," Burt says before Kurt can get a word in.

Finn's stomach starts rolling. "We... are? Why?"

"Because," says Burt. Finn flinches. "I don't see why we shouldn't."

Finn tries to look at Kurt, but he avoids Finn's eyes. "...Okay," Finn eventually says. Breathe Hudson. Breathe.

"Fine. If you're all decided," Kurt grumbles. Finn is suddenly filled with a burst of fear – Oh god, what if he doesn't want Sam over because–

"Alright," says Burt. "You boys be okay, yeah?"

He walks out, and Kurt and Finn are left alone. Kurt sends Finn some look Finn doesn't understand, and Finn stares down at the floor to avoid it.

Sam arrives at six, and Kurt opens the door for him.

"Hey," he says, smiling softly.

"Hey."

Then Sam leans down to kiss him, just for a second. Finn grips onto a vase to make sure he doesn't have another outburst. He can't help but notice Kurt flashes him a worried look, and Finn grips the vase tighter. What does that mean?

They pull away from one another, and Finn can let go. His hand was starting to hurt.

"Finn, hi," Sam walks up to Finn. "So, does this seem majorly awkward to you?"

"I – I – words. Words make sentences. "Yeah," he eventuallysays feebly. There's an uncomfortable pause.

"Well, you people better have food," Sam says. Kurt smiles at him. Finn does his best not to be sick.

Dinner isn't really less awkward than the introductions were; Kurt doesn't say much, their parents ask too many questions, Sam seems generally uncomfortable, and Finn just tries to pretend he's not there.

It sucks.

"So, have you, uh, starting the season yet?" Mom asks uncomfortably.

"Not yet. Our first game's in a week," Sam informs her.

"I told you that," Finn points out. His mom glares at him.

"It's called small talk, sweetie."

"Sorry," Finn mutters. Under the table, he sees Sam reaching to grab Kurt's hand. Kurt looks anxious, and flashes Finn a look before returning the gesture. Finn hand to hold onto the table ledge to keep himself under control. Burt glares at him then, and Finn can't shake the feeling that there's something he doesn't know.

Which is funny, because he knows stuff none of the rest of them do.

"Anyway," says Sam, "Can we just admit this was a terrible idea and this is horribly awkward and I shouldn't be here?"

Everyone except Finn laughs. "True," says Mom. "Sorry about this. Not my idea."

Sam looks at Burt for an explanation. "Just thought it might be a good idea," he says.

"You were wrong," Kurt points out snidely. "I told you so. Didn't we tell him, Finn?"

"What?" Finn's surprised. Sam raises an eyebrow at him. "Oh... yeah."

He pokes at his meat uncomfortably. He's so not hungry.

Sam nods. "Alright then," he says, "I'm still not just leaving."

"Why not?" Finn blurts out before he can stop himself.

Everyone stares. Sam looks taken aback. "Why should I?" he asks. He sounds genuine.

"I... nevermind," Finn says, and he returns to stabbing his beef with his fork. There's yet another awkward silence.

"You know what? To hell with dinner. Can we just go watch TV like normal people?" Burt suggests. There is murmured agreement.

"I'm not finished," Finn points out.

"Well, no offense, but we'll probably be here until February if we wait for you to finish," Sam says. "You've ate about two grams so far."

Finn grimaces. That is so unfair. "Unlike you, obviously," he grumbles. He doesn't even know what he's saying now; he wants to say something, anything that will get to the guy.

"Well, uh," Sam indicates his plate, which shows he has eaten a lot more than Finn. Well, duh.

Finn smirks at him, even though he wants to be sick. "Of course. You like eating meat; that's no surprise."

"Finn!"

Kurt looks aghast, and Finn stares at him, suddenly realizing what he just said. Shit. That wasn't just a pointless attack on Sam because he wanted to attack Sam; that was all kinds of homophobic and douchey, and Kurt will be really hurt. Plus, Burt is going to kill him.

Speaking of which, Burt is glaring at him now. "Finn," he says, "Mind giving me a hand setting up the other TV?"

Finn doesn't know what he's on about, but he obeys anyway – he feels dread settle in his stomach. Burt walks with him until they come to a door, and Finn's suddenly pressed against it with Burt in his face.

"What in the hell is wrong with you?" he asks. "I thought you learned your lesson last year; I wouldn't have taken you back if you hadn't."

"I – I just–" he doesn't have an excuse, although that might have something to do with the fact having a guy this close in his personal space is scaring the shit out of him.

"Don't you start," Burt warns him. "I don't know what you 'reason' for this is, and I don't care. Did you not guess how your little outburst had affected things; didn't you see that Kurt wasn't spending time with his own boyfriend anymore because he was so scared of how you'd react? That's why I had this dinner thing anyway; force them to talk to each other again, and make you just deal with it. Hell, that girl who dumped you – the Berrys' girl. Got a feeling that might not be a coincidence?"

Finn's head is swimming. He doesn't understand.

"Look, Kurt is happy with this guy, and that's all I need to know. I don't care what they get up to, and I won't let you attack them and make snide implications like they're doing something wrong," he rants. He breathes in deeply. "You know the thing about Kurt? He hasn't had it easy. People 'round this town, they don't like the way he swings. Him being with this boy? It's one of the few times I've seen him happy and comfortable with who he is. And I'm not going to let any homophobic bastard ruin that for him – especially not you," Burt says.

Finn's on the edge of tears by the end of it. "I know," he says. I agree, he means.

Burt sighs. "You go apologize to 'em. Both of 'em."

Finn nods, even though he so doesn't want to do that. "Okay," he says. "Please don't kick me out again."

"I won't," Burt says. "But watch yourself, kid."

Maybe if he'd done that, this wouldn't be happening in the first place.

"Kurt?"

Finn sees him lingering in the hallway, watching as Sam prepares to leave. "Is he going?"

"Well, duh," Kurt says. "What you said made everything too uncomfortable. He's leaving now."

Finn bites him lip. "Look man, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have–"

"I don't want to hear it, Finn," Kurt says, cutting him off.

"Wait, what?"

"I don't want to hear it," Kurt repeats. "You've made your feelings on this entire matter perfectly clear. You've been acting like this for weeks; like me and Sam being together is some kind of disgusting assault to you personally. You made your opinions on my 'faggy' décor well-known previously–"

"Dude, that was months ago!"

"That's not the point!" Kurt yells. "You don't approve. I know this. You've tried, and… it just didn't work," he says. He breathes in heavily. "The first time? It broke my heart. Now? I don't… I cannot care anymore, Finn. Sam and I are happy together, and I don't care whether you like it or not. Just stay away from us, alright?"

Finn knows he needs to say something, anything to change Kurt's mind. But there's nothing to say – the truth would only make things worse and Kurt would…

He wouldn't believe you.

"Kurt, I–"

"Just stop, Finn," Kurt says. Then he smiles. "Oh, and for the record? When we go that far – which isn't often, because I'm something of a prude – I'm usually the one giving, okay?"

Finn gapes at that mental image. He can't help it. He doubles over, gagging and coughing and desperately trying not to throw up. Kurt laughs.

"Wow. Look at you. You can't even thing of the big gay sex without wanting to be sick. By the way, do not do it own these boots," Kurt steps away. He sighs. "It's hilarious that I ever thought I could… but that doesn't matter. I've made my point."

"Kurt, let it go," Sam calls from the hallway. Kurt looks surprised. Sam shoots a look back at Finn, who avoids his eyes. Then he's gone, and Kurt sighs.

"Good job talking and making things okay with him, Finn," he says.

Now Finn's confused. "Wait, what? You don't want me to talk and make things okay with you. And besides, what was I meant to say?"

Kurt glares at him. "You could have said 'sorry', at least."

Finn bites his lip and closes his eyes. He doesn't answer aloud.

No I couldn't have.

He finds his mother still sitting at the dinner table. "Mom?"

"Finn, hey," she says. She doesn't sound angry like Burt or Kurt; she sounds… tired. Sad. Disappointed.

Fuck.

He uncomfortably takes a seat across from her. "So… I'm really sorry, Mom."

She smiles at him. "I don't think 'm the one you need to apologize to, Finn."

He wants to cry. "Mom," he says, and his voice is breaking, "I screwed up, really bad, okay? I've been doing that for weeks. Don't ask me why; I can't tell you. I just… it all sucks, and I really need my mom right now."

He looks down at the table when he's done. Shit, what did I just say? He hears her get up, and walk over to his side of the table. Suddenly, she crouches down in front of him and wraps her arms around him. He returns the hug and winds up sobbing onto her shoulder.

But he doesn't explain, and she doesn't ask him to.