A/N: Hello dearest readers! Hope you're all doing well.
What will happen next, you wonder. I'm right there with you.
"What?" No one could blame Kurt for being a bit taken aback. Just a few hours ago Blaine talked of his parents being a touchy subject. Only recently had Blaine made it sound like his parents were a fixture in his life only at a distance. And now, he wanted them to all have dinner together? If that's not confusing, Kurt doesn't know what is.
"They kind of just... turned up suddenly. Really, Coop is the one who brought it up. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have bothered you. I knew this would be stupid, to just drop this on you out of nowhere -"
"Blaine, shh."
Blaine's teeth audibly clacked together in his hurry to stop speaking. In any other situation, Kurt probably would have laughed. The younger man cleared his throat, following up with a quiet, "Sorry."
Kurt brushed away his apology, seeing as it was unnecessary, and carefully thought out what he would say next. "I thought you didn't really get along with your parents?"
"Well, I haven't really seen them for a few months so... I guess I just assumed they were taking a vacation or at a conference or something. I did not expect them to show up. If I had known Cooper would be in town, I would have had a better idea of it."
"How so?"
"He's their golden child," Blaine explained patiently. "They visit him all the time when he's in their vicinity."
"So you mean to say that your parents have been nearby for who knows how long and they didn't think to contact their youngest son to even say hello?" Things were not boding well for Blaine's parents if this represented their usual conduct.
"Maybe? I don't know. Kurt, please don't get upset over this. I don't want to upset you."
"You're not the one who's upsetting me, sweetheart."
"Kurt, what's going on?"
In the moment Kurt completely forgets that Rachel stands nearby, her ear pressed to the opposite side of his cell phone in an attempt to hear the conversation taking place. They have had a conversation about this multiple times, respecting others' personal space and boundaries for privacy, but apparently those words had fallen on deaf ears. Not that surprising, really.
He murmurs for Blaine to hold on a moment and pulls the phone away, covering the mouthpiece with his free hand. To chastise or not to chastise, that is the question.
"Nothing, Rach. Just go sit down on the couch. I'll tell you in a second."
"If it's nothing, then you won't mind my listening in."
"Rachel Barbara Berry, do not make me bring out your kryptonite."
Rachel gasps, her hands flying automatically to cover her mouth. "You wouldn't."
"Do you want to bet?" Kurt bluffs with a raised eyebrow.
She sighs and drops herself onto the couch, pulling out her own phone in the process. "Fine. I'll entertain myself with celebrity gossip and music trivia."
"Good." He raises the phone back to his ear. "Thank you."
"Yeah, yeah." Rachel, for her part, seems already immersed in the virtual world.
He nods in her direction then walks to the opposite end of the room, his back facing the couch. Uncovering the mouthpiece, he takes in a deep breath before returning to the talk at hand. "Sorry about that. You were saying?"
"Just forget everything I said."
"Blaine, no. I can tell this is important to you, if not anxiety-inducing. Family is important." I might know that more than anyone.
"Are you sure?"
"If you're sure, I would love to meet your parents."
Blaine breathes a sigh of relief and Kurt knows that he made the right decision in pushing the subject just that tiny bit. He may not know Blaine all that well, but he has an intrinsic sense that had he declined the dinner invitation Blaine himself would feel an overwhelming amount of guilt.
"That's great. Thanks, Kurt."
"No need to thank me. I'm just participating in the time honored tradition of meeting my boyfriend's parents," Kurt jokes.
"Right. So I'll get back to you with the details?"
"Sounds good to me."
"Awesome."
"You're nearly as bad as Finn with that word."
"Am not."
"Are too."
"I politely disagree."
"I'm sure you do."
"I guess I should let you go."
"I should technically get back to work, I suppose."
"Talk to you later then."
"Bye."
Blaine involuntarily releases an euphoric sigh after hanging up. He did it. He got through asking Kurt to dinner with minimal awkwardness. And Kurt said yes.
"Geez Blainers, you look like you just finished running a marathon. And won."
"Shut up, Coop."
"I'm just saying."
"Then don't."
Cooper pouts and turns away. "Meanie."
"Says the brother who told me that honey stunts a person's growth and that was why I'd always been so short. I stopped eating honey for months before Mom figured out what had gone on and told me the truth. Months!"
Cooper shrugged. "It's not even that tasty anyway. Plus I can't see how you're able to eat something that came out of a bee's mouth."
Blaine shakes his head."I'm not even going to argue this with you. I have better things to do," he retorts as he walks over to the coat closet beside the door.
Cooper snorts disbelievingly. "Such as?"
"I've got a date with a tailor."
"I thought Kurt is a designer?"
"He is," Blaine replies. "But I'm going to see a tailor."
"You just started dating Kurt and you're already seeing other people?!"
"Put your finger down," Blaine sighs. "And no." He buttons up his dark gray cardigan and looks at his winter coat for a moment before deciding to slip it on. The weather has been oddly cold lately.
"Then what are you talking about?" Cooper asks again as he lowers his finger and the accusations leave his voice.
"For my clothes," Blaine explains like it's the most obvious thing in the world. Because it is. What else would he see a tailor for? But Cooper seems in the dark still so Blaine patiently adds, "To have them fitted. So I can look my best for dinner with Mom and Dad." He grabs a bag out of the closet and rattles it around in front of Cooper to make his point.
"Ohhhhh," the elder replies in a drawn out breath.
Blaine rolls his eyes. "Duh."
A/N: Oh wow I am a horrible person. I swear this fic isn't being abandoned or anything. Obviously neglected, but not abandoned. I have had this bit written up for a long time and since I'm currently working on another fic (Cars And Coffee), I figured it was the least I can do, as a sort of peace offering. Please don't hate me too much.