It's the Superbowl episode! I still can't believe they put 'Bills, Bills, Bills' in this episode... it's so random! But I LOVE it. Sassy Blaine at his best. ;) But that's just the beginning... there was plenty of room for elaboration about what happened to Kurt and Blaine in this episode!
(I do not own Glee or any of the characters, dialogue, or songs from the show. It's all just for fun!)
KURT
Kurt studied his music sheet, mentally reminding himself that he did, in fact, know this song. He was still adjusting to the vocal style of the Warblers, but with every number they practiced he felt more confident. As the song began, he turned to watch as two of the Warblers opened the large double doors and Blaine sauntered in, straightening his tie. Kurt's heart fluttered as it always did when he saw Blaine.
At first we started out real cool
Taking me places I ain't never been
But now you're getting comfortable
Ain't doing those things you did no more
You're slowly making me pay for things
Your money should be handling
And now you ask to use my car
Blaine jumped onto the arm of the couch where Kurt was sitting, and Kurt laughed up at him. Blaine strolled down the length of the couch and stepped off without skipping a beat.
Drive it all day and don't fill up the tank
And you have the audacity
To even come and step to me
Ask to hold some money from me
Until you get your check next week
You trifling, good-for-nothing type of brother
Silly me
Why haven't I found another
Blaine leaned against the couch to interact with Kurt as he sang, and Kurt danced along from his seat. He relished the flirty moment with Blaine – the young man flirted with everyone and everything when he performed, but when Blaine focused on Kurt, he allowed himself to feel that Blaine had eyes only for him.
A baller
When times get hard I need someone to help me out
Instead of a scrub like you who don't know what a man's about
Can you pay my bills?
Can you pay my telephone bills?
Do you pay my automo' bills?
If you did then maybe we could chill
I don't think you do
So you and me are through
As Kurt had learned more about the Warblers, he had come to understand that they were not actually as uptight as he had assumed at his first Warblers meeting. They really did just want to work together as seamlessly as possible to create the best performance. They didn't tolerate any of the drama that Kurt had been used to as a member of New Directions, but when they rehearsed in a casual setting like this, most of the boys were willing to dance and have a good time. Kurt was starting to enjoy their company and their energy.
You trifling, good-for-nothing type of brother
Silly me
Why haven't I found another
A baller
When times get hard I need someone to help me out
Instead of a scrub like you who don't know what a man's about
Kurt got up to sit on the edge of the couch as a few of the Warblers' decided to show off their athleticism. He didn't want to be a stationary target for any missteps. He rolled his eyes internally as Blaine rushed over to jump on one of the coffee tables. All of this was an accident waiting to happen, but he was enjoying it.
Can you pay my bills?
Can you pay my telephone bills?
Do you pay my automo' bills?
If you did then maybe we could chill
I don't think you do
So you and me are through
You trifling, good-for-nothing type of brother
Blaine jumped down from the coffee table, and more of the boys started to flip and dance in the middle of the room. Kurt thought of Mike and Brittany.
Silly me
Why haven't I found another
You trifling, good-for-nothing type of brother
Oh silly me
Why haven't I found another
Can you pay my bills?
Can you pay my telephone bills?
Do you pay my automo' bills?
If you did then maybe we could chill
I don't think you do
So you and me are through
Can you pay my bills?
Can you pay my telephone bills?
Do you pay my automo' bills?
If you did then maybe we could chill
I don't think you do
So you and me are through
"Guys," Blaine said as the song ended, "I'd say we're ready for Regionals!" He laughed excitedly, and the other Warblers agreed. After the traditional group congratulations, everyone moved to gather their bags and started to leave the room.
"Hey," Blaine stepped over to Kurt, who was still perched on the end of the couch. "How was that?"
Kurt smiled broadly at the dark-haired boy. "That was probably the most fun I've had doing a number here... but for Regionals?" Kurt scrunched his face. "I think that might be a little too gay, even for us."
Blaine's eyes widened briefly, and then he stepped past Kurt and collapsed onto the couch laughing. Kurt couldn't stop himself from laughing too. By the time they managed to regain some composure, everyone else had departed.
"Oh my god," Blaine stretched out on the couch, breathing heavily.
"You know it's true, though," Kurt gasped through his giggles. "The judges would take one look at all the sass you just exhibited and come to the conclusion that we're all gay."
"Well," Blaine said, his eyes sparkling, "let them think what they will. I love that song."
Kurt rolled his eyes. He bent down to pick up something metal from where it had fallen on the ground.
"What's with the pocket watch?" he asked.
BLAINE
Blaine sat up and Kurt dropped the watch into his palm.
"It was my grandfather's," Blaine said, flipping the cover open to look at the timepiece inside. "My dad's father. He was amazing." Blaine sighed and ran his thumb across the smooth glass covering the clock.
Kurt moved to sit beside him. "He gave it to you?"
"Yeah," Blaine answered, and he was surprised when he felt tears in his eyes. He blinked them away before Kurt noticed.
"It's beautiful," Kurt said, holding out his hand. "May I?"
Blaine gave it to him.
"I was fourteen," Blaine explained quietly, not sure if Kurt wanted to hear the story. "It was near the end of my freshman year." Kurt was looking closely at the pattern of the engraving on the outside of the watch as Blaine spoke, but he remained silent. So, Blaine continued. "I had struggled a lot with my sexuality. Went on a few dates with girls. Tried to pretend it wasn't happening. But I knew."
Kurt closed the pocket watch and looked up at Blaine with a gentle smile, encouraging him to continue. Blaine felt warm with gratitude at the seriousness he saw in Kurt's eyes.
"I just woke up one day and decided that I wasn't going to spend my life hiding part of me. So I put on my favorite outfit – I guess you would've been proud of me," he winked at Kurt, "and I marched downstairs and told my parents over breakfast." Blaine sighed. "They... I don't know, I think they just weren't sure how to feel. My mom cried." He avoided Kurt's eyes.
"And your grandfather...?" Kurt furrowed his brow slightly, trying to make the connection.
"I went to school, and I told everyone. I was overly eager, I guess." Blaine saw the corners of Kurt's mouth twitch upward. "Some people cared, some people didn't. But overall it wasn't a particularly fun day."
Blaine shifted and loosened his tie. "I was surprised when my grandfather was there to pick me up from school. He and my grandmother lived in Indiana – my grandmother still does. I guess my dad must have called him, and he made the drive while I was at school."
"We went to a park near my school. And we talked." Blaine felt the tears returning, and his voice cracked slightly. He paused to compose himself.
"And he didn't care." Kurt concluded.
Blaine nodded and blinked a few times to keep the tears back. "He told me that I was still the same Blaine, and that as long as I found love with someone who would love me for me, nothing else mattered." He smiled sadly as he took the pocket watch back from Kurt. "He told me to remember every time I looked at this. That every time I opened it I should remember to be open to love."
He couldn't tell if the extra moisture in Kurt's eyes was fresh or left over from their laughter a few minutes before.
Blaine shrugged. "He died about a year later."
He was surprised when Kurt reached out and rubbed his arm briefly. "Thanks for telling me," Kurt said sincerely.
Blaine let out a long breath and fell back onto the couch. "Wow," he said quietly. "I've never told anyone that story before."
"Are you okay?" Kurt asked.
Blaine nodded. "It was nice to talk about it." He flipped the watch open one more time. "But wait, aren't we supposed to meet Mercedes and... what's her name?"
"Rachel," Kurt supplied. "Right. Do you want to go?"
"Oh yeah," Blaine stood up. "I'm fine. Let's go hear about things significantly less serious!"
Kurt laughed. "Just a warning... Rachel takes everything seriously." He turned to lead the way out into the parking lot, and Blaine smiled as he saw that Kurt had the scarf Blaine had given him for Christmas in his hands.
KURT
"Hi!" Kurt skipped over to hug Rachel and Mercedes, who were waiting for the boys outside the Lima Bean. He held onto them tightly for a moment before letting go and turning around to face Blaine.
"Blaine," he said, "this is Rachel. Rachel, this is Blaine. And you both know Mercedes."
"Nice to meet you," Blaine reached out and shook Rachel's hand. Kurt narrowed his eyes as Rachel was silent. Her eyes lingered on Blaine's face, and Kurt cleared his throat.
"Well then," he said cheerfully, opening the door so they could all go inside. "Shall we?"
They ordered and waited in comfortable silence for their drinks. When the drinks were ready, Kurt reached out to grab his and Blaine's.
"Medium drip?" Kurt said, holding out the coffee cup for Blaine.
"That would be me, thank you very much," Blaine said, taking his coffee.
"Now, I don't want to sound cocky or anything," Blaine said to the girls as he moved to sit down, "but you guys better be pulling out all the stops for Regionals because the number we just rehearsed is so off-the-hook, it's dangerous."
"Seriously, people should wear protective headgear when they're watching it," Kurt quipped, thinking about Blaine jumping all over the furniture and the other Warblers' acrobatics during practice.
Rachel and Mercedes exchanged a distraught look.
"Guys, we're kidding," Kurt stated the obvious.
"Yeah, well it's just hard to laugh right now with everything going on at McKinley," Rachel said dramatically. Kurt resisted the urge to give Blaine an "I told you so" glance.
Mercedes seemed to agree. "I mean, look at us. The stars of two rival show choirs sitting down to coffee... our school is so messed up we can't even keep our own football team together."
"It's so sad, you guys," Rachel elaborated, "Coach Bieste and Mr. Schu were so close at getting everyone at the school together."
Kurt knew the story from his frequent chats with Mercedes (and Blaine knew the story because Kurt had told him in the car on the way), but he was confused that he had not heard anything from Finn over the weekend. Usually they talked about glee club at least once when Kurt was home. Sometimes Kurt would sit in Finn's room while his stepbrother played video games and catch up on what he was missing at McKinley.
"Why hasn't Finn told me anything about this?" Kurt voiced his internal dialogue. "I mean, we live together. I bring him a glass of warm milk every night just in hopes that we'll have a little lady chat."
Everyone turned to look at him. Blaine furrowed his brow. "Warm milk, really?"
"It's delicious," Kurt confirmed.
"Finn's too proud to complain," Rachel said, "He feels like he has to be strong for everyone. But I know it's just killing him inside." She shook her head and focused on Blaine across the table. "I hope he realizes that, you know, if he and I were still together I could make him feel a lot better, you know?"
"Let it go, Rachel," Kurt chided. Blaine looked from Kurt to Rachel with a sympathetic scrunch of his face.
"I just wish that there was a way we could help, that's all." Rachel said.
BLAINE
"Yeah, and the worst part is how bummed the guys are," Mercedes added. "They already suffered enough abuse just being in Glee. I really think winning the game could have eased some of the pressure. At least for a little while."
"Wait, so the whole team quit?" Blaine asked, trying to remember what Kurt had told him in the car.
"Everybody not in glee," Mercedes confirmed, "I mean, you can't play football with five guys. And one of them is in a wheelchair."
"Yeah, Coach Bieste put up a sign-up sheet for people to join. I think they'll take anyone at this point," Rachel added.
"Well, the good news is you actually only need four more guys," Blaine offered. "High school regulations actually let you play a couple guys short if you want to."
Rachel exchanged an excited glance with Mercedes, and Blaine continued. "If they find a way to make it work, you can bet that we'll definitely be there to cheer 'em on!" He motioned at himself and Kurt.
"Oh, totally," Kurt agreed. "Blaine and I love football. Well, Blaine loves football. I love scarves."
Blaine laughed quietly at Kurt's assessment of their interests.
"So what about you guys?" Mercedes asked. "How's life in Westerville?"
Blaine smiled. "Mostly just prepping for Regionals. Nothing as exciting as what you've got going on."
"It's true," Kurt said, "we lead a dignified yet tragically undramatic existence."
"Your vocals at Sectionals were commendable," Rachel said seriously, "but I hope you know that we plan to win. I fully intend on having a solo, and possibly a duet with Finn, and the judges will be unable to resist our raw talent and chemistry."
Blaine smiled into his coffee as Kurt raised an eyebrow.
"Rachel," Mercedes chided gently, "we are here to have a pleasant chat with our friends."
Rachel sighed dramatically. "I just want to win so badly," she said.
"That makes two of us," Kurt said competitively.
Blaine and Mercedes shared a glance across the table, and Blaine had to excuse himself to the restroom to keep from laughing at the expense of his friend. By the time he returned to the table, the discussion had shifted into safer territory, and the rest of the visit was dominated by topics not relating to school or glee club.
KURT
"So this guy... he's just a friend, right?" Burt asked, looking directly at Kurt.
"Dad! For the thousandth time, yes!" Kurt scolded. "And his name is Blaine."
"Just making sure," Burt shrugged, and Kurt rolled his eyes.
"Speaking of Blaine," Carole said happily, putting on her coat, "I think I just saw his headlights turning into the driveway."
Moments later, they heard the sound of a car door slamming, and they all remained silent until there was a knock on the front door.
"I'll get it," Burt said gruffly, but Kurt hurried in front of him with a little squeak. "No, I've got it!" he cried as he rushed down the hallway to grab the doorknob.
"Hey," Blaine smiled when Kurt opened the door. Kurt felt like he was having a heat stroke as Blaine stepped into the house. He was relieved when he turned to see that Carole had made it to the hallway before his father.
"I'm Carole, honey," she said warmly, reaching out to shake Blaine's hand. "We're so happy to finally meet you!" Blaine smiled, and Kurt felt a surge of relief that there was no awkwardness between them. He peered nervously over Carole's shoulder as Blaine spoke up.
"Thank you for having me along," Blaine said sincerely.
"Well," Burt said, finally coming in to the hallway, "as much as Kurt talks about you, I think it's gonna be nice to have a face to put with all the words."
Kurt smashed his face into one of his hands with a groan, but Blaine just smiled and stepped forward to shake Burt's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."
To Kurt's surprise, Burt didn't say anything else or ask Blaine any questions. He just twirled the car keys around on his finger. "Ready?" he asked the other three.
"Yes!" Kurt squeaked, and he made a point to get between Blaine, who was first out the door, and his father.
The ride to McKinley was mostly quiet, but comfortably so. It wasn't until they parked and got out of the car that Burt spoke again.
"You boys want anything?" he motioned to the concession stand.
"Coffee?" Kurt suggested to Blaine, who smiled.
"Yes, coffee would be wonderful, thank you," Blaine said to Burt.
"Me too," Kurt said. "Thanks, dad."
"Don't sweat it," Burt said. "We'll bring it up; you two go on ahead."
Kurt didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed the sleeve of Blaine's coat and pulled him off in the direction of the grandstand.
"They're lovely," Blaine said with a laugh, "why are you so nervous?"
"My dad's still kinda... he might think..." Kurt stammered. He took a deep breath as they climbed the bleachers to find a good seat. "I just want them to like you as much as I do," he finally managed.
Blaine smiled brightly. "Well, I like them, so that's a start, right?"
"Just let me stand between you and them, okay?" Kurt said desperately.
As they sat down, Blaine turned to look at Kurt. "Are you nervous being here?" he asked.
"A little," Kurt admitted. Karofsky was on the football team. "But I'm looking forward to watching everyone perform."
"Be honest," Blaine teased, nudging Kurt's shoulder with his own, "you're even a little excited to watch the football game."
"Let's not get carried away," Kurt said skeptically.
"Hey boys," Carole said, carrying a cup of coffee in each hand. "Here you go..." she doled out the drinks. Burt was behind her, and they all settled in to watch the game.
BLAINE
"So," Blaine said to Kurt, "who'd they manage to find to sign up?"
Kurt shrugged. "I have no idea. Mercedes just said they had worked it out."
They were silent for a moment as the players started to appear on the field to prepare for the game. Blaine was startled when Kurt let out a squeal of surprise, clasping one hand over his mouth to keep from making more noise and pointing wildly with the other.
Blaine laughed at the sight of the four girls marching onto the field in full football gear. "I guess that's our answer," he said brightly to Kurt, who was completely speechless.
"Hey Kurt," Burt leaned over to shout at his son. "Brings back memories, huh?"
Kurt flailed an arm in his father's direction and said nothing.
"Memories?" Blaine asked.
"Nothing!" Kurt sang out. Blaine narrowed his eyes.
"Just, you know, McKinley school pride and all that," Kurt elaborated breathlessly. "Oh, look! They're starting."
The game began, and as the time ticked by, Blaine found himself torn between watching the game and watching Kurt. Despite his assurance that he did not enjoy the sport, Kurt was animated and focused intently on the field. Blaine smiled to himself as he watched Kurt jump up and down during a particularly intense play.
"I daresay you're enjoying yourself," he teased as New Directions and the football team were setting up for the halftime show.
Kurt adjusted his scarf and tried to stifle a smile. "Maybe."
As they danced along to the halftime show, Blaine thought about the dynamic of New Directions. He had not been part of the glee club at his first high school, mostly because he had allowed himself to do the school musical and, until the end of his first year when he had decided to come out, he hadn't wanted to draw questions about his sexuality. He wondered what it was like to be part of a glee club like New Directions.
He and Kurt laughed together at the end of the number. "That was incredible!" Kurt sighed. There was pride in his eyes.
KURT
"I'll just be a minute!" Kurt called into the house as he shut the door to have a moment alone with Blaine on the front porch after the game.
"Verdict on the sport of football?" Blaine queried.
"Acceptable," Kurt answered.
"Thanks a lot for bringing me along," Blaine said quietly.
"You had a good time?" Kurt asked hopefully.
"Are you kidding?" Blaine smiled, "I always have fun with you. And it was great to meet your dad and Carole."
Kurt wanted to jump up and down, but instead he just nodded in agreement.
"So I'll see you on Monday?" Blaine asked, half as a question and half as a statement of fact. He reached out to adjust Kurt's scarf, and Kurt hoped that Blaine would think his flushed cheeks were from the cold wind.
Blaine meets the parents! It wasn't too bad for him, right? :) I think Blaine and Carole are going to get along famously.
I know there's a lot of speculation that Blaine's father is a horrible guy who basically hates Blaine for being gay, but I don't know. Blaine and his father don't have a close relationship – he says as much – but I haven't gotten the impression so far (as of the end of season 2) that Mr. Anderson is actually vindictive. He just struggles with Blaine being gay, as many parents do for various reasons. And I see Blaine as being very tenderhearted, which is why I had him get a little bit teary while he was talking about his grandfather's acceptance. I didn't want him bawling his eyes out – he generally guards his emotions more than Kurt (who cries on the show quite a bit!) – but I thought it would be appropriate for the situation for him to be a little bit emotional. And I hope it also expresses that he's getting more and more comfortable with Kurt.
And now we know where the pocket watch came from! :)
Tomorrow... Silly Love Songs! Thanks so much for reading, everyone! LOVE.