A/N: Good evening (or morning/afternoon depending where you are in the world). I know it's been a long time since I've updated, but I've been so busy with everything else. I'm going back to Uni, so I've been organising that, and in amongst work, and the family gatherings/birthdays and almost weddings, I've just had no time to sit and write, and I hate myself for it. But at last, here it is, chapter fifteen. Thanks to those of you still with me, and once again, my apologies for taking so long. Please enjoy. Read and Review. JusticeIsn'tEasy0083. D.
Chapter Fifteen: That's Why We Have Each Other
They've only been back for an hour, and already, driving through the streets of Lima, Kurt feels as though he's still missing something. He's had the feeling ever since he got on the plane this morning. Blaine just watches his boyfriend, who is leaning his head on his hand, against the window. Nick and Jeff are singing in the front, to the radio, but Kurt doesn't hear the song, or his friends. When the pull into the drive of the Hudmel house, Burt and Carole are standing on the front porch, and it's the first time Kurt has perked up since they left Boulder. He gets out of the car, and is standing in front of his father. Burt just watches his son, as he slowly walks towards him, and when he's close enough to touch, Burt just yanks him into a hug, tells him that he loves him, missed him, and never wants him to leave like that again. Carole is hugging him too, muttering nonsense in his ear that makes him laugh, and then Nick, Jeff and Blaine are joining in, and they look weird, the six of them in one hug ball on the front porch, but Kurt doesn't let go of his dad, just curls into him, and listens as Carole and the boys head inside to help with lunch. Burt and Kurt follow shortly after, talking softly, and Blaine leaves them be, because he knows that they have lots to talk about. The house is pretty much silent, except for Carole cooking in the kitchen, and Nick trying to follow what she's saying, but failing miserably. He can't cook to save his life… but then again, that's what Jeff is for. Blaine just laughs, and then sighs when he pulls his phone out of his pocket, to see the fifty missed calls from David… Fifty? New York must have killed him… Blaine thought, dialing his number and rolling his eyes when he heard David's 'Finally you answer…' on the other end. He moves into the hallway and listens to what the former council member has to say, and now he understands the conversation Nick was having with Wes the other day.
When they're all sitting around the dining table, eating lunch, the boys tell Burt and Carole what happened. Kurt just eats in silence, but can feeling them look over at him every now and then. He admires the way that Nick makes him sound like he's this massive hero or something. That kind of puts a new light on the horrible situation, especially when Carole gasps in shock, and covers her mouth with her hand when Nick tells her what Elizabeth said about not regretting anything. Burt clenches his cutlery until his knuckles are white, and makes Kurt promise that he's not going to get lost in this, that he's not going to become a white wash of emotions and go back to the person he was before all of this. The countertenor just looks at him, and Burt can see so much in his son's eyes, that he has to look away. Blaine grips his hand under the table, and Kurt smiles a little, which makes Nick change the subject, and talk about what they did whilst on their trip, and pulls out his phone to give a slideshow of the pictures he snapped along the way. Blaine chuckles when he blushes at a picture that Jeff obviously took when he wasn't looking. For a time, they're just laughing about everything, and then Kurt tells his father that he called Finn, and his brother is coming back to Lima to their farewell party and to see Schuester, and he's bringing someone they all have to meet. Carole winks at Burt, who just smirks, and Kurt knows that his parents are hiding something… but he knows all about it. Finn talks to him, because duh, they're brothers. He's missed calls from Mercedes, Rachel and David, but he doesn't really care at the moment because he just went back over his previous thought… his parents. Blaine is in the middle of telling Burt about their plans for the house, when Kurt's head jumps up so fast, he thought his boyfriend might get whiplash.
'Is everything okay?' he asked, and Kurt just grinned at him, a genuine smile that Blaine hasn't seen in a while
'He's fine, probably just had an image of you doing whatever you're doing to him under the table,' Nick replied, winking and Burt choked on his mouthful of drink, grunting when Kurt kicked him under the table, but the smirk was present
'Shut up Nick, you don't know what you're talking about,' Blaine said, blushing
'The entire time, my family has been right here in front of me. I never needed anything or anyone else. I have you, and Carole, Finn, Blaine and Nick and Jeff. Hell, the Warbler and New Directions as well… also in some strange way Schuester and Sue. For the first time in a long time, I can finally let everything go… I can move on,' Kurt said out loud, and if it were a noble prize speech, Blaine would've clapped, instead he settled for pressing a soft kiss to Kurt's cheek, and smiling
Alisha is kind of nervous. They've only been hanging out for a couple of weeks, but like Finn, she is already so far enamoured by him, that she can't seem to let him go. She is excited to meet his family, something that usually doesn't happen this early in a relationship. But she's prepared. They haven't had a chance to talk about what they're calling one another. At the moment, she just refers to him as her 'One' but that's sappy and not something to say to his family. When they land in Ohio, her hands start shaking, but Finn takes one as they walk out the gate towards the bag collection, and she takes a deep breathe. She wants to make this work, she hasn't felt this way about anyone ever. Her previous boyfriend was just something out of a highschool novel. But Finn… they're in college, and they have so much in common, and she doesn't care if it's too soon, or they've only been together two weeks, or what people think, she's falling for him hard, and she can sense that Finn is too, because he still is careful when he kisses her, pushes her hair behind her ears, caresses her face softly, and kisses her delicately, and she wants so badly to press back harder, to really kiss him, but that's for later when they decide what is actually going to happen. Finn has made it clear that they're not having sex until they are completely comfortable, because this isn't just a fling. It's a serious thing. Alisha beamed when he told her that… as if he couldn't get any more romantic… she thought. They made their way over to the car rental desk, and when they had the keys in their hand, Alisha followed Finn outside, smiling. Finn talks the whole way to Lima, tells stories about the New Directions, and his brother. She immediately knows that she and Kurt will get along well, and she really wants to meet Blaine. She's never really had gay friends, so this will be awesome. Not that it's the only reason she's going to like or hang out with them. Kurt already sounds like an amazing person, just by his personality. She's thrilled that Finn his opening up this part of his life to her.
When Finn pulled into his parent's driveway, he started to panic a little. What if they don't like her? He asked himself, and then realised that it's useless to worry, because Alisha is perfect, and if they don't like her, then too bad, because he's not letting her go. Kurt is the one who answers the door, and Finn pulls him into a hug before the former countertenor can even mutter a 'hey brother'. Alisha just watches as Finn jibes with Kurt a little, following them inside, and meeting up in the lounge area, where everyone is still sitting and chatting. Finn introduces Alisha to them, pushing her forward, and she waves awkwardly, but immediately comforts when Burt and Carole both stand and welcome her to their family. She smiles and hugs Carole, and Burt (awkwardly), then she grins brightly when Kurt appears in front of her, and before he can introduce himself, she's hugging him tightly, saying that she's heard all about him, and she already adores him. When she spots Blaine, she runs over to him, and does the same thing, then grins at Finn, who just shrugs when Kurt looks at him, gaping. They break into easy conversation with Alisha, and it's just the way Finn imagined it. Kurt sends his brother a nod, saying that he did good, and curls up closer to Blaine, who is playing a game of cards with Nick. Jeff is debating the differences between living in Massachusetts and living anywhere else with Burt, and Carole has silently decided that she's going to start planning her son's wedding. Finn closes his eyes, and thanks whoever made this happen, because he's actually really happy. Even from where he's sitting, Kurt can see that his brother is happier than ever. It's completely different than when he was with Rachel, because she's not screaming at him every five seconds, or throwing a tantrum. This is going to be a ride, when she does find out that he's moved on. There might even be another tantrum…. Kurt thought to himself, chuckling as Blaine lost to Nick again.
FLASHBACK
The Warbler Road Trip of 2014
Of course, it had been Wes' idea. He wanted one last hoorah before they graduate. But this was one of the dumbest ideas Wes has ever had, and Blaine can begin to understand why they is a petition to kick him off the council going around. A week long road trip? Is he kidding? There are thirty boys, all crammed into a bus barely big enough to fit seven. Wes mustn't have been thinking when he organised this thing, because that isn't going to end well. David and Thad are standing by the entrance to Dalton, ticking names off a list. Both look up when Kurt only places one bag down by all the others, and smiles at them, before heading towards where Blaine is trying (and failing miserably) to talk Wes out of driving the bus. They have a driver, that's what the driver is for, even though the head council member wants to be the one to drive, so they can go at their own pace. Just like this idea being stupid, Wes driving…. Is like putting a camel in the driver's seat and telling it to navigate its way to wherever they're going. Speaking of, he has no idea where they're even heading, and he doesn't want to, because this whole thing is a waste of a week of their lives. A week they could be spending doing other things, like spending time with their families, or studying to pre-college classes, or organising other things that are more important. Blaine helps to load the bags into the bus, and then turns to find Kurt putting headphones in his ears, rolling his eyes, and trying to escape whatever the twins are talking about, moving to the back of the bus. He chuckles, sarcastically salutes Wes, then gets on the bus, and heads towards where Kurt is seated, begging with his eyes for Blaine to get rid of the twins. Elijah and Emmanuel leave the two on the back seat, and head to the middle where a few of the others are starting an "I Spy" contest… because you know, they're five… Apparently, they're going to spend the week driving around Ohio.
It's exactly like the plan that Kurt has in his head. When he goes to locate his mother, he'll probably do something like this, drive and stop in places. But he doesn't know where she lives, so the hunt will be the exciting part. It's also going to be the daunting part, because he hasn't seen her in so long, so they won't have much to say to one another. Kurt tunes everything else out, and focuses on the book he's reading, and the music coming from his iPod. He can't blame his boyfriend for getting pulled into whatever game the Warblers are playing, because Blaine is hyperactive. He can't be still for too long. Nick and Jeff are watching Blaine and Wes as they come to a stale mate in the game of I Spy, with Blaine having the upper hand. Wes demands that he be given adequate time to answer the question, but it takes him all of three hours to give up. Just as they're pulling into a hotel in Cleveland, Wes figures out what Blaine was talking about. He spends the rest of the night debating the rules, that Blaine's clue wasn't adequate enough to be guessed. Kurt had gone back to the room about thirty minutes before the argument broke out, so when Blaine got there, he was surprised to find his boyfriend was still awake, wearing his glasses and reading. Blaine never knew that Kurt wore glasses, until he walked into his and Nick's dorm room one night, and saw the countertenor wearing them. They hadn't helped, only adding to the feelings that Blaine was hiding away at the time, and Kurt is aware of what his wearing glasses does to his boyfriend, which is why, every now and then, he'll just put them on for no reason. But tonight, he's actually wearing them for a purpose. Blaine gets changed into sleepwear, and climbs into bed beside Kurt, snuggling up to him, and listening to his breathing, head resting on his chest. Kurt read for another couple of minutes, then made to sleep, removing his glasses, and putting them down with his book, curling up to Blaine.
The next morning, at six, Wes wakes them all up room by room, and announces that they need to be back on the bus in thirty minutes, because they're going to Niagara Falls. Blaine looks at him like he's an idiot, but smiles when he slams the door in Wes' face. Surprisingly, they all managed to be back on the bus by six thirty, and on the road by six forty five. It's a three hour drive, plus tolls, and traffic, so they have three hours to kill along the way. David suggested another intense game of I Spy, and someone else suggested they should practice one of their songs for graduation. Another thought it would be a good idea to study, and Nick told everyone they should sleep, seeing as they were woken up at an ungodlike hour by a maniac who thought this would be a good idea. Traveling across country in a stupid bus that sounds like it's about to break down any moment, with nothing but whatever food they find wherever they stop, and thirty Warblers, who all have different ideas of what constitutes "fun". Through all the commotion, Blaine notices that Kurt doesn't take his eyes off the book he's reading. He hasn't even asked what it is that his boyfriend is reading, and when he does, Kurt looks up at him, guilty expression on his face, and raises the book so Blaine can see the title. It's the Barbri Legal Handbook. Blaine just chuckles, and kisses Kurt's cheek. Of course, Kurt would already be studying his pre-law classes. He's going to Harvard. That's no joking matter. Whether or not he gets in… well Blaine knows that he will. Kurt senses that Blaine wishes he'd brought one of his books, and then grunts when he feels Kurt drop a rather heavy binder in his lap. Blaine just smirks at him, and opens the first page of their "Yearbook" proofs, gathering a band of Warblers, looking at all the pictures, and what people have written about one another. They manage to locate the page dedicated to Wes, and all the stupid things he's done. They love him, because of all those things though, that's why they dedicated an entire three pages to him. So Kurt and Blaine are occupied, whilst Wes is basically talking to himself, and by the time they get to Niagara Falls, everyone is kind of excited, and pumped. Wes can do that, pump them up when they need to be.
They spend the day at the falls, taking pictures and laughing and having a good time. Wes just watches his friends from where he's seated at lunch, all laughing and happy, and silently congratulates himself for knowing that this was going to be a kick-ass trip. When it begins to get dark, and cold, Wes piles them back on the bus, stating that he's booked accommodation in Buffalo, and they're going to be there a couple of days, so they can explore and just make the most of being together for the last three months of their highschool lives. It only takes twenty minutes to get to their hotel, and another twenty for them to be checked into the penthouse suite, which is big enough for all of them. They notice that Wes brought their game station from Dalton, and a couple of board games, and music. Kurt is put in charge of karaoke, and Blaine knows that is the worst possible position for put his boyfriend in, because it gives Kurt power… sometimes it goes to his head, and he makes people sing songs that are terrible, on purpose, just because he can. But when he grins wickedly, and winks at Blaine, the tenor can't help but wink back, and then watch as he makes David sing a Katy Perry number they hadn't attempted at Dalton, but the Cheerio's did once at McKinley. Wes is next, and he's forced to sing a Spice Girls song with three other Warblers, but manages to make it a little less sucky. Then, when Blaine raises his hand, and challenges Kurt to a song by Sia, the Head Warbler shouts something about it "being on". Of course, Kurt kicks his boyfriend's arse to hell and back, but they part with "the promise of meeting again".
'Okay, next time we're doing Katy Perry' Blaine said, as he and Kurt made their way to the room they had dibs on
'Nope, you don't get a say Blaine. I am in control tonight,' Kurt whispered, smirking
'Oh really?' Blaine asked, pressing Kurt against the bedroom door…
Finn and Kurt are sitting in the middle of the countertenor's half empty bedroom. They're packing things up, preparing to move it to their house in Massachusetts, which is going to be hard enough, without the constant reminder that they're going to be on opposite sides of the country. Kurt had promised himself, and basically begged Finn, not to get emotional about it, because then he'd never be able to handle the whole thing, and he's having a hard enough time saying goodbye to his father and Carole. Blaine has had to talk him back into moving a few times, and he's even thought about running away from this whole thing, just going somewhere that no one would think to look, back to the last place he felt everything fall away. The knowledge that they're graduating in two weeks, is still weighing heavily on him, and then they're moving to Massachusetts, where he and Nick will be taking some Freshmen Prep classes. They're whole lives are about to begin. That's what their teachers keep saying to them, that's what his father keeps telling him. But he's been through more in his life this year, than most people. Hasn't his life already begun? To top it off, he's got like, six years of Law School ahead of him, and he doesn't even know if he'll still want to be on that path next year, let alone for the next six. Finn begins talking about the first time he and Kurt met one another at school, and for a while he gets lost in the memories, almost forgetting that this whole time, his boyfriend has been absent from helping to box and move things. An hour later, both Burt and Blaine enter Kurt's room, standing beside one another, looking awkward. Kurt just raises an eyebrow at them, and then asks what's going on. Finn puts his foot in his mouth by saying that even if they're having sex, they're being safe, and Burt looks between Kurt and Blaine, then back at Finn, who is trying to make himself invisible from Kurt's glare, and Blaine's gaping.
They're all silent for a moment, and then Blaine tells the room that he has something he needs to say, and that he doesn't want anyone to interrupt until he's done. Nick and Jeff arrive moments later, Carole behind them, and suddenly Kurt's room isn't a big as it seems with everything packed into boxes. Burt is watching his son's boyfriend, having a feeling that he already knows what Blaine is going to ask him, and already knowing his answer. But he knows that Kurt doesn't have any idea, and he cherishes the chance that he's going to see the genuine reaction to the news that Blaine is to share with them. Obviously, Nick knows, because he's smirking at Blaine, but moves to stand beside Kurt, almost in a protective stance like Finn, but their height difference is astonishing. His mind isn't on what's happening in his room, Kurt is so far away from this moment. He hears snippets of Blaine's conversation, and he nods at points so that his boyfriend thinks he's listening to what he's saying, but he's mastered the art of being in two minds at once, it's a gift he likes to keep hidden, but it's worked well for him for years. It's kind of a mini freak-out again, he's worried that they're going to have a fight, and then a falling out, and Kurt doesn't think he'll be able to handle that, because he's lost enough people he loves, he doesn't need to lose anymore. Nick is watching him, a smirk on his face, and he frowns. Obviously, something is going on, but he's still in the middle of his silent freak-out. Burt and Carole ask Blaine a couple of questions, and he begins to respond, and then Nick and Jeff chime in, with Finn asking something stupid to top it off, and then, before he can comprehend what's going on, Blaine is taking his hands, turning to face Burt, and Carole's excitement is enough to break Kurt out of his stupor. He sees Nick gaping, and then hears a voice in his head telling him that this could change everything. Finn pats his shoulder reassuringly.
'Mr and Mrs Hummel, I would like you permission to make a promise of marriage to Kurt,' Blaine said, and that's when the countertenor flew back to earth, the blood rushing to his ears at what he'd just heard
'Blaine, you've had my blessing since you first stepped foot in this house,' Burt replied, pulling the tenor into a hug, then he turns to Kurt, and kneels in front of him, pulling out a simple silver band
'Kurt, this isn't a proposal, it's a promise that one day, I will propose to you. One day, when we've finished college, and have steady work. I want to marry you. Will you accept this promise ring?' Blaine asked
'Yes you idiot,' Kurt replied, letting Blaine put the ring on his finger, and then pulling him to his feet to kiss him, hearing the cheers from the people around them
It comes a few days later, on the day that Rachel returns to Ohio, with a message that Schuester wants to meet them at McKinley, because he has some news. Blaine accompanies Kurt, because they were wish Alisha, Mercedes and Finn when he got the message, and because Blaine wants the opportunity to see Kurt's former highschool. Alisha is excited to finally meet all the New Directions, and just as they pull into the school car park, Finn begins freaking out about Rachel and what is going to happen. Kurt assured him that Rachel won't be a problem, because she has her eye on someone else, and it isn't Finn and his new girlfriend. He's about to ask Kurt how he knows that, but then Alisha and Mercedes appear beside him, and they cut their conversation short, heading towards the choir room. When they get there, Emma is flipping through the McKinley year book, and smiles when they enter, handing them a copy, and telling them to turn to page sixty. It's surprising that Sue allowed the Glee Club to have so many pages in the book (they got six), let alone put Kurt on the list of alumni to graduate in abstention from McKinley, even though he's graduating from Dalton. Rachel and Alisha are talking in the corner, whilst Finn and Puckerman are chatting with Mike about something, and Tina and the girls are chatting with Blaine about his "proposal" and Kurt's ring. The countertenor is just sitting in his usual seat, smiling to himself, remembering back to all the time he'd been in this room, thinking that the most important thing was beating Rachel for solos, and hiding away his feelings, because he was afraid of letting people too close. He watches Blaine, and wonders what would've happened if Blaine had of come here, instead of him going to Dalton, he couldn't imagine that it would've been much different, just without Wes bugging them twenty-four seven. At three, Schuester arrives, and excitedly greets each of his former students. He has an announcement that he wants to share with them in person, and he wants to share it with them in the auditorium… one last time.
Blaine remarks that the last time he was in the McKinley auditorium, it was when the Warblers lost to them at Regional's. Rachel makes a point of jokingly making fun of him for it, then takes a seat in the front row, in between Kurt, and Mercedes, who are dodging questions from Brittany and Santana about why they've been so out of the loop lately. Kurt hasn't told them about going to see his mother. He doesn't think it necessary to drag it all out into the open again. He's got the closure he needed, now he's moving forward with his life. Mr Schuester takes the stage, Emma beside him. They're surprised when Sue arrives, jiving at them like normal, and then telling Will to "make it quick because she can't stand his Brillo head for much longer" but there is a small smile on her face, and Blaine swore that she winked, but Kurt scoffs at him, and Puck practically tells him he's an idiot if he thinks that Sue has ever smiled. It's been a longstanding bet between the New Directions and some other people at McKinley, that the first person to see Sue smile, gets the money they have put away in their little bets pool. So far, no one has won, but Puck is now determined to get Sue to smile, he won't let a Warbler take it from him, which is what he says after Blaine's statement, chuckling along with the others. After a song and dance number, involving the Schuster's, and forcing Sue to join in, then Rachel commanding the stage for a New Directions performance to blow others out of the water (she lets Kurt and Blaine join in), they finally manage to settle down long enough to listen to what their former Glee Teacher has to tell them.
'I, like you, am leaving McKinley at the end of the school year. I have been offered a teaching fellowship… in London,' Schuester said, and everyone's mouths dropped open
'Mr Schuester, you're going to London?' Rachel asked, still reeling from the news
'Yes, we leave two weeks after graduation,' Emma replies
'Congratulations Mr Schuester. You deserve it,' Kurt says, and then everyone cheers and hugs are shared, and everyone in the room gets to see Sue smile that day…
June 26th – Two Days before Graduation (Dalton)
Burt and Carole had "gone out of town" for "work" leaving the house empty, and Finn's mind to connect the dots. He's letting them throw a party. Whilst Kurt thinks this is a stupid idea, because he's pretty sure they're having a party at Mercedes' house tomorrow night, he agrees, but asks his father and Carole if tonight can just be a celebration between them, and Nick and Jeff. So that's why they're all gathered around the kitchen table, playing Monopoly, and listening to Alisha and Finn schooling one another on who is better at the game, and who is going to get what when the other wins or loses. To be honest, Nick notes, they sound kind of like Kurt and Blaine did in their honeymoon faze, only the Klaine honeymoon hasn't ended yet, they're still waiting for that shoe to drop apparently. Blaine just pokes his tongue out at the other boy, who returns the gesture, leaving Jeff and Kurt to rolls their eyes at their respective boyfriends, before laughing at Burt's lack of knowledge of Monopoly. It's just after Kurt buys Park Place, that there is a knock on the door, and he's shouting to Finn not to steal any of his money whilst he answers the door. What he's not expecting, is to see Elizabeth standing on the other side of the door…..
TO BE CONTINUED
A/N: Elizabeth showing up at the Hudmel house, brings out sides of everyone that they thought had been buried away. Finn finally meets the woman who abandoned his brother. David realises that he can't stand in the way of anyone's happiness, and tells Wes that he should do what he thinks is right. He's surprised at the choice his best-friend makes. Graduation Day for Dalton Academy arrives, and surprisingly, Elizabeth is present. Burt makes Kurt promise, that he's not going to get attached to her being here, to make sure that he knows she's just going to leave again. Blaine picks up the pieces when she does so, just like thirteen years ago. Rachel and Wes make an announcement. McKinley Graduation. Nick, Jeff, Kurt and Blaine leave for Massachusetts. Flashbacks include: Flashbacks include: Kurt meets Wes, David and the rest of the Warblers, a fight between Kurt and his father when he's ten, threatens to tear them apart, Kurt has a dream, in which he and Blaine are at McKinley with Nick and Jeff. Read and Review. Enjoy. JusticeIsn'tEasy0083. D.