This is such a sweet episode for Klaine! Also, so funny in terms of the way Blaine is just in full blown I LOVE YOU KURT mode and Kurt is still devoted to JUST FRIENDS. He is in such denial. Or maybe not. I kinda think he's fighting his instinct to trust Blaine because he's nervous to open up and set himself up for the possibility of being hurt again. That's the last hurdle. Anyway, here goes...
(I do not own Glee or any of the characters, dialogue, or songs from the show. It's all just for fun!)
KURT
Rachel had her Funny Girl callback on Monday morning.
"Okay," Kurt said as he hugged her goodbye in the apartment that morning and prepared to rush out the door so he could catch his train to the city, "I've got class all day and I've got to work until really late since I'll be gone the rest of the week, so I need you to text me and tell me what happened as soon as it's over or I may keel over and die of anticipation before I make it home tonight."
"I will," Rachel promised, smiling broadly as they stepped out of the hug but held onto each other's forearms.
"Just remember," Kurt encouraged her, "they wanted to see you again because you stood out. They like you."
Rachel nodded. "I'm ready. I've been preparing for this day my whole life."
"I love you, Rachel," Kurt hugged her once more.
"Love you, Kurt," Rachel smiled as Kurt stepped away and grabbed his bag off the table. "Have a great day!" she shouted after him as he ran out the door.
BLAINE
That afternoon, Mr. Schu was smiling as he walked through the door into the choir room for glee practice.
"Alright, guys, I just got some wonderful..." he wrote Wonder-ful on the whiteboard, "... news from Rachel! She's got a second callback for Funny Girl!"
"What?" Blaine exclaimed happily as the rest of the group voiced their approval. Blaine had known about Rachel's callback that morning, but he hadn't heard from Kurt whether or not it had been successful so the news was a surprise.
"And that's not our only good news," Mr. Schu explained as he walked back to the center of the room. "Brittany is at MIT touring the campus because she's got her early acceptance."
"That can't be true," Kitty voiced everyone's doubt.
"And," Mr. Schu added, ignoring Kitty and the confusion everyone felt about Brittany's college plans, "I re-proposed to Emma. She re-accepted, and we're getting married after Regionals."
Blaine suddenly felt a little short of breath. Kurt was flying back to Ohio the following morning, and then Blaine had to decide if he wanted to propose.
Tina raised her hand. "I've got some good news, too," she declared. "I'm waitlisted at the Columbus College of Veterinary Medicine. It's a fallback if I don't pursue acting."
"Bless her heart," Unique approved.
"Tina," Mr. Schu exclaimed, "that's not just good news, it's wonderful!" he motioned behind him at the whiteboard. "And that's what this week is all about. We're taking a lesson from one of the greatest musical artists of all time. Despite facing a ton of obstacles, he's a living example of embracing, no, celebrating joy and optimism. And he's collected twenty five Grammys along the way. So," Mr. Schu teased, "don't you worry 'bout a thing. Because, whether you're ebony or ivory, you are the sunshine of my life! And, next week at Regionals, we will be jammin' on higher ground!"
The group started to get excited as they realized who Mr. Schu was talking about.
"It's a Stevie Wonder week!"
KURT
In the late afternoon – hours later than expected – Rachel finally sent Kurt a text message.
I want to tell you about it when you get home.
Kurt had so much anticipation built up inside his body that he wanted to throw his phone across the room.
I'm not going to be home until at least midnight, he reminded her. Tell me now.
I'll wait up, Rachel disagreed.
Kurt called her twenty minutes later when he got out of his final class of the day and started the walk to Vogue dot com.
"It was perfect!" Rachel squealed in lieu of a greeting.
"See, was that so hard?" Kurt scolded. "My hair is going to go prematurely gray dealing with your need to make everything as dramatic as possible."
"Oh my god," Rachel ignored the jab, "there were, like, ten of us there and I think they said there were four more who already sang for them twice..."
"And?" Kurt pressed, although her assessment that the callback had been perfect suggested that she was still in the running.
"It's between me and two other girls!" Rachel shouted.
"You're the top three?" Kurt exclaimed. "Rachel! Who are the other two?"
"I don't know," Rachel admitted. "There are rumors, but the producers didn't say. I'm trying not to think about it."
"So...?" Kurt wondered if she just had to wait.
"I have another callback next week!" Rachel understood his question.
"This is insane," Kurt approved. "What was it like today?"
"Well," Rachel explained, "as you know, they wanted all of us to do something from Funny Girl this time."
"And you did Don't Rain On My Parade," Kurt recalled.
"Much better than last time," Rachel laughed, and Kurt remembered the agony of Rachel choking during her NYADA audition.
"I'm so glad," he said.
"Not as glad as I am," Rachel teased. "But, anyway, after the callback next week... I think it'll just be waiting game."
"You're gonna get it," Kurt said confidently.
"Thanks," she said happily.
She asked about Kurt's day, and he told her about his day spent in class and wandering all over campus making sure each of his professors remembered that he would be gone for the rest of the week. They had all been surprisingly okay with the four day leave to fly to Ohio and help his father through his appointment.
"So, I'm free of class for two weeks!" Kurt realized as he reached the building that housed Vogue dot com.
"Oh my god, I forgot that spring break was next week!" Rachel exclaimed happily. "I'm going to sleep all day, every day. Are you going to stay in Ohio?"
"Probably," Kurt acknowledged, "at least for part of the week. It's Regionals, you know, so... and Mercedes is going to be home!"
"Aww!" Rachel whined. "Say hi to her for me!"
"I'm not leaving until tomorrow morning," Kurt laughed. "I'll collect all your messages before I go."
"Okay," Rachel agreed.
"I'm at work," Kurt told her as he pushed the door open and stepped into the lobby, "so... see you tonight?"
"If I'm not asleep," Rachel clarified.
"See you tomorrow, then," Kurt teased. "Congratulations on your callback today!"
"Thanks, Kurt!" Rachel said. "Bye!"
"Bye," Kurt echoed.
As Kurt anticipated, he worked until almost midnight. When he finished his final task for the day, he straightened his desk – he might not be back for two weeks – and walked down the hall to say goodbye to Isabelle.
"Oh, try to have fun if you can, okay?" Isabelle hugged him. "And, of course, good luck with your dad's appointment."
"Thanks," Kurt nodded. "We're cautiously optimistic."
"Well," Isabelle said, "that's all you can do. Hang on to that hope. Shoot me an email and let me know, will you? I don't think I can stand waiting two weeks to know if you're really relaxing on your time off."
"I will," Kurt agreed. "Thank you so much. For everything."
KURT
As Kurt packed early the next morning, he felt incredibly apprehensive.
There were only two possible outcomes of the appointment. Either his father's treatment had been a success, or it hadn't. Either he still had cancer, or he was cancer-free.
Kurt knew the stress was getting to him. He always got a little crazy and hyper-organized when anxiety piled up inside him and, over the course of the previous few days, it had started to get ridiculous. His room looked as if it had been professionally cleaned. He tapped his nose three times at specific intervals throughout the day for good luck. He had started wearing light blue socks to channel the metaphor of a clear sky.
Rachel didn't think he was crazy. After catching him tapping his nose at fourteen minutes after nine one morning, Kurt had admitted his steadily increasing need to do everything in a very particular way, and Rachel had nodded and announced that it was perfectly normal. "It's just your way of trying to control your anxiety," she had said, kissing the top of his head as he sat at the kitchen table and stared down into his cereal bowl.
It made Kurt feel better to know that she didn't think he was losing his mind, but nothing short of a clean bill of health for his father was going to put Kurt's mind at ease.
He forced himself not to think about what it would mean if the doctor didn't have any good news for them.
His flight to Ohio was uneventful, but Kurt was met with a surprise when he wandered out of the terminal in Ohio and found Finn waiting for him.
"Finn!" Kurt wasn't sure whether he should be excited to see his step-brother or worried about why his father hadn't come. "Is Dad okay?"
"Yeah, yeah," Finn nodded immediately. "He had some stuff to do at the shop today – he's trying to keep his mind off the appointment, if you ask me – so he asked me if I could come get you since I don't have class for another hour and a half."
Kurt relaxed.
"Okay," he said as Finn motioned for Kurt to follow him to the car.
"So, uh, do you want to go home or...?" Finn wondered.
"Let's go home so I can dump my stuff off and change," Kurt decided. "And then I think I'm going to head to McKinley to see everyone."
It was, as Blaine had told him multiple times over the course of the past two weeks, incredibly strange to walk through a metal detector to gain access to the school. But the feeling was quickly forgotten as Kurt entered the building where the choir room was located just in time to catch Blaine, Mr. Schu, Marley, and Jake laughing together in the hallway.
At first, Blaine didn't see him, so Kurt paused and watched as the small group dispersed. Blaine walked the few steps to his locker and opened it, and Kurt tried to decipher his feelings as he watched Blaine grab a few sheets of paper out of his locker and study them briefly before putting them in his bag.
It felt weird to see him. But not as weird as it had before.
Suddenly, someone tapped him on the back and he turned to find Mercedes standing beside him.
BLAINE
As Blaine closed his locker, Kurt's bright yellow shirt and the sound of Kurt's laughter as he greeted Mercedes and Mike caught his attention at the same time. He stared down the hallway as Kurt hugged their friends and then turned looked at Blaine.
Blaine felt a rush of nervous, delighted warmth in his chest as Kurt smiled at him.
Mercedes whispered something in Kurt's ear, and Kurt rolled his eyes and left her and Mike behind as he walked toward Blaine. For a moment, Blaine felt frozen – what should he do? – but Kurt looked so open and relaxed and happy that Blaine quickly recovered and moved to close the gap between them as quickly as possible.
"Hi!" Blaine breathed happily as Kurt crushed him in a hug.
He was definitely going to propose.
"It's so good to see you," Kurt said, his voice muffled as he buried his face in Blaine's shoulder.
Blaine couldn't control the huge smile on his face as they stepped apart and he studied Kurt's body language. And his body. He was opening his mouth to compliment Kurt on his appearance when Kitty leaned out into the hallway from the choir room and called, "Blaine!"
"Oh!" Blaine remembered, digging into his bag for the sheet music he had just retrieved from his locker and shooting an apologetic glance at Kurt. "I'm on piano today... you coming?"
"No," Kurt teased, "I just stopped by for that hug and now I'm leaving. Yes, I'm coming. Let me get Mike and Mercedes."
Blaine turned and hurried into the choir room so they could start the day's rehearsal, and Kurt, Mike, and Mercedes skipped into the room together as Kitty began her Stevie Wonder song.
"Oh, hey! Oh yeah, baby. Like a fool I went and stayed too long. Now I'm wondering if your love's still strong. Oh, baby, here I am. Signed, sealed, delivered. I'm yours."
Kitty, Ryder, and Jake danced around the room as Kitty sang and Blaine jammed on the piano, and everyone cheered loudly when the song ended.
"Seemed like the perfect Stevie song to celebrate Artie getting his acceptance letter into film school," Kitty commented as Blaine stood up from the piano bench and hurried across the room to sit in front of Kurt.
"That's incredible!" Blaine cheered as the group applauded Artie's accomplishment. But, instead of accepting the congratulations, Artie shied away from the attention. Blaine wasn't sure why, but he didn't have time to think about it because Mercedes spoke up.
"Well, you know, that may have been the perfect song," Mercedes agreed, "but that performance was just one package that I'm not signing for. I mean, honestly, it was good. But you guys have got to be great for Regionals."
"Yeah, clearly we should be taking our advice from somebody who came crawling back to Ohio after apparently having her L.A. dreams shattered," Kitty criticized. "Did you learn your new lyrics yet?"
She put a finger in her ear and dramatically sang "Do you want fries with that?"
"Oh," Mercedes said, "well, maybe if you put some of that sass in your performance your teacher wouldn't have begged me to come here and be your new vocal coach."
"Mercedes is one of the strongest vocalists in McKinley glee club history," Mr. Schu spoke up to stop the argument from escalating.
"So get on point, Kitty," Kurt added. "Your little theory about Mercedes' shattered dreams, like most of the garbage that comes out of your mouth, is wrong, alright? Mercedes is back because she has a new album coming out all about home, and she's come back to film a video for it."
"Wow!" Sam approved. "Mercedes, that's awesome!"
"And Mr. Schu asked me to help choreograph for Regionals," Mike explained his role.
"I love you, Mike," Tina said immediately. "I love all my exes. But this isn't wonderful news, it's shocking. Now we need some guy to help us dance? Hashtag: glee hates girls."
She turned toward Kurt.
"And what are you here to lecture us about, Kurt?" she accused. "Our horrible taste in clothing?"
"My dad has cancer," Kurt reminded her.
Tina turned silently back to face the front of the room.
"Thanks, Tina," Blaine scolded.
Mercedes broke up the tension by declaring that it was time to get started with rehearsal, and Blaine glanced at Kurt.
"Don't just sit there," Kurt teased, waving his hand toward the front of the room, "you're here to be taught by the very best."
Blaine laughed and obeyed, and the rest of rehearsal flew by with Mercedes, Mike, and Kurt around.
As everyone gathered their things and started leaving the choir room to go home, Blaine pulled Kurt, Mercedes, and Mike aside and suggested that they grab coffee together at the Lima Bean.
KURT
When they reached the coffee shop, Kurt and Blaine volunteered to order the drinks while Mike and Mercedes found a table.
Kurt felt comfortable standing in line with Blaine. It reminded him of when things had been simpler between them. They chatted about Kurt's flight that morning and about Rachel's Funny Girl callback and, just before they ordered, Blaine was thrilled when his phone alerted him to an article about all the ways the legalization of gay marriage was going to positively impact New York's economy.
"All this marriage equality news is so exciting!" Blaine said as their coffee arrived. "New York!"
"I know," Kurt agreed as he accepted his, Mercedes', and Mike's drinks from the barista in a drink tray, "it's going to be insane. Isabelle's already consulting on, like, seven different gay weddings."
Blaine barely took his eyes off the article on his phone as he grabbed a handful of sugar packets and a few stirring sticks and plopped them onto the tray Kurt was holding.
"It's historic," Blaine said eagerly, his eyes full of wonder as he turned his attention to Kurt, "and, soon, I'm going to be in New York to see it!"
Blaine grabbed his drink from the barista, and they both turned to walk to the table where Mike and Mercedes were waiting.
"By the way," Blaine said as they walked, "you look cute today."
Blaine nudged his arm. "And I mean, like, dirty cute."
Kurt paused as Blaine walked away and tried to control the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth as butterflies churned in his stomach. After a few seconds, he felt in control enough to follow Blaine to the table, and he sat down across from Blaine as Mercedes talked about her upcoming album.
"The album is called 'Hell to the No', based off of the soon-to-be hit single," she explained.
"Love it!" Kurt approved.
BLAINE
Mercedes started talking to Mike about the music video for her single, but Blaine was suddenly distracted by Kurt. He had grabbed all of the sugar packets from the tray and was trying to arrange them into orderly piles on the table.
"You are so L.A. right now, it's breathless," Kurt commented, clearly listening as he worked.
"Mike knows what I'm talking about, right?" Mercedes asked.
"Oh, I totally know what you mean!" Mike agreed before turning to Blaine and shaking his head no.
Blaine laughed.
"Don't worry," Mike said to Mercedes, "I'm all over it. With what I've learned at The Joffrey, I've got new moves so hot you're gonna want to say hell to the yes!"
As Mike spoke, Kurt continued to arrange the sugar packets, and Blaine watched him but did not call attention to the action.
They all groaned at Mike's play on the name of Mercedes' song.
"I'm so glad you guys are back here just before Regionals," Blaine confessed. "We really need you around."
"You're gonna nail it!" Mike reassured him. "No sweat!"
"Alright," Mercedes said, glancing between Kurt and Blaine, "so what's going on between you two? Because it was pretty boy-on-boy heavy at the wedding."
"We're not together," Blaine said immediately, trying not to panic. "Um," he glanced at Kurt, "but it's cool!"
"Why did I hear that Tina did something to you called the Vapo...?" Mike wondered.
"Okay, is that really important right now?" Kurt suddenly snapped. The last of his small piles of sugar packets fell over as he spoke, and he looked distraught as he motioned around and added, "This doesn't matter!"
"Kurt," Mercedes said, grabbing one of his hands, "your dad is going to be fine. Everything is going to be okay. We're here. Trust."
Blaine reached across the table and grabbed Kurt's other hand.
"Wow," Kurt said, glancing up at each of them, "Blaine's right. Thank god you guys are here because we both need you right now."
Blaine reached across the table with his other arm and squeezed Kurt's hand with both of his. Kurt finally made lasting eye contact with him, and Blaine saw a storm of uncertainty in Kurt's eyes. He squeezed Kurt's hand again and offered a little, toothless smile, trying to reassure him that everything would be okay.
"Thanks," Kurt whispered.
"So," Blaine decided to change the subject, "how's Rachel?"
"Oh my god, I cannot believe that girl," Mercedes said. "Two callbacks already? She's making us all look bad," she teased.
Kurt relaxed a little, and Blaine pulled one of his hands back but continued to hold Kurt's hand on top of the table with the other. Kurt didn't seem to mind.
"Rachel's amazing," Kurt explained. "She's really re-discovered her confidence since she broke up with Brody."
"So, was he a drug dealer or a hooker?" Mike asked. "I never really got the full story."
"Hooker," Kurt rolled his eyes. "And yes, Rachel got tested for pretty much every STD there is and, thank god, she's fine."
They spent the next hour talking about their lives (they each lived in a different city, so there were plenty of stories to tell). Blaine eventually released Kurt's hand, but only because Mercedes kept glancing over at their hands on the table and he could tell it was making Kurt uncomfortable. Eventually, when they had all finished their coffee and the conversation fell into a natural lull, they decided to head out.
"Well," Mercedes said, hugging Blaine and then Kurt just outside the doors of the Lima Bean, "see you guys tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah," Kurt smiled.
Mercedes shot Mike a meaningful glance and the two of them quickly walked away.
Kurt turned to Blaine and rolled his eyes to let him know that yes, he had noticed.
"Tomorrow's the big day," he said softly.
"It's going to be good news," Blaine reassured him.
"I hope so," Kurt said. "Thanks for taking him to all those little appointments, by the way."
"I told you I'd take care of him when you couldn't be here," Blaine replied seriously.
Kurt nodded and blinked rapidly as tears filled his eyes. Blaine started to step forward to hug him, but Kurt stepped back and put his arms out to stop Blaine from coming any closer.
"I don't..." Kurt struggled with his words, but Blaine could tell from the look on his face that he didn't want to have a meltdown in the middle of the Lima Bean parking lot.
"Okay," Blaine said softly, taking a step back. "It's okay, Kurt."
Kurt took a deep breath.
"See you tomorrow?" he suggested.
Blaine wanted to hug him so badly, but he nodded, instead. "Take an Ambien tonight, okay?" he suggested, knowing that Kurt wasn't going to sleep at all.
Kurt surprised him by breathing out a short laugh as he turned to walk away. "Maybe," he agreed. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," Blaine smiled. "See you tomorrow."
KURT
When Kurt woke up the next day and remembered that his father's appointment was only hours away, he was so anxious that he couldn't eat breakfast.
Fortunately, Blaine texted him as he was stirring his cereal around and around and around in his bowl.
We're going to have an informal glee rehearsal during lunch, Blaine explained. Want to come? I promise, it'll be over before you have to go to the appointment.
What Kurt wanted to do was curl up on the couch and cry, but he decided to go for it. He had to hold himself together for his father's sake.
Sure! he replied.
Today's going to be a good day, Kurt, Blaine texted him back. See you in a few hours!
Kurt straightened the kitchen and vacuumed the living room and made himself a sandwich that he knew he wasn't going to eat to pass the time until he drove to McKinley to hang out with his friends. They all sang and danced together on the stage as Mercedes, Blaine, and Marley led them in a rendition of Superstition, and it was a welcome distraction for Kurt.
Until the song ended and Kurt felt the weight of his father's upcoming appointment settling back onto his shoulders. He glanced at his phone. He had to leave in thirty minutes to meet his father and Carole at the hospital.
"Hey," Blaine walked up to him from behind and clasped his hands on Kurt's shoulders. The familiar feel of Blaine's weight hanging on his shoulders pushed Kurt over the edge, and he yanked out of Blaine's grip and walked quickly, but calmly, out of the auditorium.
"Kurt?" Blaine followed him.
There were students everywhere – it was lunchtime – so Kurt kept walking until he found an empty classroom. As he locked the door behind him and Blaine, Kurt decided that he had to let his emotions out or he was going to have a meltdown in the middle of the hospital, in front of his father. He turned to face Blaine and burst into tears.
Blaine beckoned with his hands, and Kurt stepped into Blaine's arms let Blaine rub his back and tell him it was okay, that it was good to let it out.
"Oh god," he moaned as he finally started to calm down. "What time is it? I'm going to be late!"
The little jolt of panic that accompanied that possibility chased away the last of his tears, and he pulled out of Blaine's arms to twist around and look at the clock on the wall. He still had five minutes until he had to leave.
"I should go," he said. He really, really didn't want to be late. Blaine studied his face, still concerned, and Kurt guessed, "My eyes are all red and puffy, aren't they?"
"Your eyes are beautiful," Blaine said, a spark of amusement springing to life in his eyes.
"Oh, please," Kurt tried to look annoyed, but he could feel himself blushing and he knew he probably just looked flustered.
Blaine grabbed one of Kurt's hands and squeezed it.
"It's going to be okay, Kurt," he said confidently.
"I guess I'm about to find out if that's true or not," Kurt sighed, squeezing Blaine's hand in return. "I'll let you know."
"Okay," Blaine agreed. He released Kurt's hand.
"I love you," Kurt said, feeling overly sentimental about everything as he prepared to go and find out if his father was going to live or die.
"I love you so much, Kurt," Blaine replied softly. "Give your dad and Carole my love, too."
"I will," Kurt agreed.
He grabbed Blaine and squeezed him in a hug once more before he turned and hurried away.
KURT
Kurt arrived at the hospital three minutes ahead of schedule, but he quickly realized that he shouldn't have worried about being late. He sat with his father and Carole in the waiting room for thirty minutes before a nurse finally came and asked them to follow her to the doctor's private office. Burt wasn't getting any tests done – just results – so there was no need to visit an examination room. Kurt was glad.
Once they were in the large office, Burt and Carole sat down on a couch against the wall across from the room's large desk and Kurt paced.
None of them said much. Burt asked Kurt how everyone at McKinley was doing, and Kurt answered in as few words as possible because he didn't trust himself to talk much without crying. Carole told them she had talked to Finn, and he sent his love, which reminded Kurt to tell them that Blaine sent his love, too.
And then they waited.
"How long have we been waiting?" Kurt asked after what felt like at least an hour. Where was the doctor? What if the news was so bad that he didn't want to come tell them?
"I dunno," Carole shrugged, "like, fifteen minutes?"
"After a half hour in the waiting room?" Kurt whined.
Carole gave him a look that said "drop it", and Kurt's gaze fell on his father's shirt.
"Please tell me that is not a dark blue t-shirt under your flannel, alright?" Kurt scolded. "I asked you not to wear dark colors, okay? Dark blue is close to black, and we all know what black means!"
"I don't think my wardrobe is going to have any impact on what the results are," Burt said skeptically.
"But you don't know for sure, okay?" Kurt said, feeling the panic starting to spill out of him. He couldn't stop talking. "I asked you to do one thing!"
"I am barely keeping it together, Kurt!" his father shouted.
Burt never shouted. Kurt felt faint.
"Can you just knock it off, please?" Burt said sternly, "And sit down!"
As Kurt sank into a chair next to his father, the doctor entered the room and Kurt turned to look at him, trying to decide if he looked optimistic or not.
"Hey, Doc," Burt greeted him. "What's the good word?"
"You know," the doctor said as he walked to sit down at his desk, "I'm going to skip the clichés about my golf game and get right to it."
Kurt hung on his every word, desperate to know.
"As you know," the doctor said to Burt, "we were mildly aggressive with your treatment, considering you were still in stage one. We used implant radiation therapy."
"And he completely changed his diet," Kurt added, as if that might change what the doctor had to say.
"Well," the doctor acknowledged Kurt's comment, "whatever you were doing, it worked."
Kurt had never felt such a surge of hope in his entire life.
"Tumor's gone," the doctor said plainly. "Your PSA levels are back to normal and you have the prostate of a twenty year old according to your Gleason scores."
"Okay," Carole said in disbelief, "wait, so... so you're saying he's cured?"
"We prefer 'in remission'," the doctor clarified, "but, in layman's terms, yeah."
Burt and Carole turned to look at each other and quickly wrapped their arms around each other for a hug.
"Looks like I picked the right shirt, huh buddy?" Burt exclaimed as he twisted away from Carole to high five Kurt.
Kurt and Burt both jumped to their feet. "Come on, man!" Burt cried as he grabbed his son and hugged him. Then, Kurt hugged Carole as Burt thanked the doctor, and suddenly they were alone in the room again. Kurt sank onto the couch beside Carole and felt as if his entire body had turned to mush from an overdose of relief.
"I just... I wasn't ready to leave you guys yet," Burt said tearfully, walking over to sit beside Kurt. "Things aren't finished, right? So much to do! You," he motioned at Kurt, "getting married. And grandbabies. Having old people sex with Carole!"
Kurt tried to scoff unhappily at the mental image, but he couldn't do much other than laughing and crying in his state of delighted shock.
"I'm just so happy I'm not going to miss it," Burt said. He stood up and Kurt and Carole stood up, too.
Burt wrapped his arms around both of them.
"I love you guys," he said, squeezing them tightly. "I love you guys! I don't have cancer."
BLAINE
Blaine knew the time of Burt's appointment, so when the time came and went and there was no news from Kurt, he started to worry.
Then, the school day ended with no word from Kurt and Blaine didn't know what to do. He was standing at his locker, contemplating the possibility of calling or texting Kurt, even if it meant interrupting whatever was going on, when someone suddenly walked up beside him, grabbed him, and planted a warm, wet kiss on his cheek.
"My dad doesn't have cancer," Kurt whispered in his ear.
This time, Blaine was the one who cried. It wasn't quite the sobbing meltdown Kurt had experienced earlier in the day, but it was enough that Blaine had to wipe tears off his cheeks multiple times as Kurt told him about the appointment.
"I'm so happy," Blaine motioned to his tear-filled eyes as Kurt finished the story.
Kurt hugged him, squeezing him as tightly as he could.
"Thank you," Kurt said. "Thank you, thank you."
"I love you," Blaine closed his eyes and let himself feel safe in Kurt's embrace.
As they stepped apart, there was a fire in Kurt's eyes that brought a smile to Blaine's face and dried up the last of his tears.
"Let's go tell New Directions," Kurt suggested, bouncing a little on the balls of his feet. "And then I have a song to sing."
Everyone was predictably happy to learn that Burt's appointment had gone so well. Kurt hugged everyone, even Kitty and the other sophomores he didn't know, and the room was full of energy.
Eventually, Kurt walked over to Mr. Schu and asked him something and Mr. Schu nodded so Kurt skipped to the center of the room.
"So," Kurt said as the group settled down to hear what he had to say, "my dad doesn't have cancer."
Everyone applauded.
"And, because I can," Kurt teased, "I want to sing a song for him. So, I have invited him to join us in..." he glanced at the clock on the wall, "ten minutes."
Burt was late.
"He'll be here any minute, I'm sure," Kurt said, fidgeting as he stood in front of the group.
As if on cue, Burt walked through the door, and everyone cheered for him.
"Dad!" Kurt said happily. He hurried over and guided Burt toward a chair in the front row.
"Hey, hey everybody. Good to see ya," Burt waved at the group. "Schu, good to see you, buddy." He hugged Mr. Schu. "How're you doing?"
Then he turned to Blaine, who was sitting in the chair behind the empty one reserved for Burt.
"What's up, Blaine," he reached out and shook Blaine's hand, and Blaine smiled as Burt settled into his seat and Kurt spoke again.
"Well," Kurt said, "it's probably not a surprise why I asked you to come here today."
"I'm guessing it has something to do with a song?" Burt teased.
"Yes," Kurt agreed, "but not just any song. You see, the last time I dedicated a song to you in this room, you were in the hospital. But, today, we are celebrating life's most treasured and wonderful gift. A second chance."
Blaine dropped his head and wondered if, maybe, now that Kurt's mind was free of the weight of his father's illness, Blaine might be the next one he turned to with the offer of a second chance.
"See," Kurt continued, "when I was little, you used to sing this song to me in the car all the time and it always put a smile on my face. So, today, it's my turn to sing and your turn to smile."
"I'm already there, kiddo," Burt said, motioning for Kurt to go ahead.
Kitty, Tina, and Marley climbed out of their chairs to dance with, and around, Kurt as he sang the song.
"You are the sunshine of my life. That's why I'll always be around. You are the apple of my eye. Forever you'll stay in my heart."
Blaine danced along from his seat, watching both the performance and Burt's body language as Kurt sang and danced, and he realized that they really were going to be okay. Burt didn't have cancer.
He stood up and applauded as Kurt finished the song and Burt wrapped his son in a tight hug.
"Let's hear it for Burt Hummel!" Mr. Schu announced.
Burt laughed and released Kurt so he could bow dramatically to the group, and then he and Kurt said goodbye so they could get home to Carole and Finn (who had come home from college for the night to celebrate with his family).
That night, Blaine didn't sleep much.
He needed to talk to Burt about asking Kurt to marry him.
Blaine wasn't interested in permission – he was going to propose to Kurt, no matter what – but he did want Burt's blessing. He knew it would mean a lot to Kurt to know that Burt had been on board before the actual proposal, and Blaine liked the traditional aspect of the whole thing. It made sense to him to talk to Kurt's current family about the possibility of marrying Kurt and starting a new family.
And now, with Burt's health issues gone, Blaine felt like the timing was right. He just had to find a way to approach Burt without Kurt around.
KURT
The next few days seemed to fly by for Kurt.
In addition to texting her all the time, he talked to Rachel on the phone multiple times. The first time, he called to tell her about his father's appointment and to ask her to make sure Santana wasn't secretly sleeping in his bed. The second time, Rachel called him to tell him that she and Cassandra July had worked things out and that the once cruel dance instructor was now betting on Rachel to win the role in Funny Girl. The third time, Kurt called Rachel to try to convince her to come back to Ohio after her second callback the following week so they could spend spring break together with their friends, but she resisted. Kurt let her change the subject, but made a mental note to try to convince her again later.
He spent time with his family. He helped his father pick out two new suits for work. He visited Finn's dorm – and said hello to Puck – and went with Carole to see a movie that Burt refused to attend.
And he spent time with Blaine, but not exactly in the way he had imagined before he came back to Ohio. They were always with their friends, not alone. In many ways, Kurt was fine with it because Mercedes and Mike were only in town for a short time, too, so it made sense for them all to hang out together. But part of him wanted to sit down with Blaine and just talk.
He decided to wait. He was still going to be in Ohio for another week. There would be plenty of time to talk in the coming days.
BLAINE
Late in the week, Mercedes announced to the group that she had split from her record label and was now going to promote her album herself. She gave each member of New Directions a copy and then sang Higher Ground to show the world that she was moving onward and upward.
Blaine danced along, but he was preoccupied. He had called Burt the night before – when he knew Kurt was out with Carole – and had asked Burt to meet him in the auditorium after glee practice.
Blaine managed to slip away, unnoticed, as Kurt and Mercedes chatted by the piano at the end of rehearsal. He hurried to his locker and retrieved a little red box before rushing to the auditorium to wait for Kurt's father. He sat down on a stool that was already on the stage, trying to calm his nerves. Burt wasn't supposed to arrive for at least ten minutes.
He mulled the small box, twirling it around in his hands, as he waited.
Something about just walking up to Burt and blurting out that he wanted to marry Kurt hadn't felt right when he imagined how he was going to broach the subject with Burt. He knew that the question would be a surprise, and he didn't want to just blindside Burt with the question without some context.
So, he had gone online and ordered a small rainbow pin. Something to give to Burt to get the topic of gay marriage started.
"Anderson?" Burt's voice snapped Blaine out of his thoughts, and Blaine looked up to see Burt walking toward him across the stage. "You wanted to see me? You're not going to sing to me too, are you?"
"I just wanted to give you this," Blaine explained as he stood up, holding out the small box.
Burt took it from him and opened it, revealing the rainbow pin inside.
"I thought maybe you could wear it at work," Blaine explained, "to show your support for gay marriage."
"That's really sweet of you," Burt approved. "Gay rights has been my top issue. You know, it makes me wildly unpopular with my distinguished colleagues... they're on the wrong side of history, so screw 'em!"
"I am so glad that you feel that way," Blaine admitted as Burt walked over to a full-length mirror so he could put the pin on his shirt. Blaine followed him. "Because, assuming that we legally, can..." he watched Burt in the mirror, "um, I wanted to formally ask for your permission to ask Kurt to marry me."
Burt's gaze flew from where it had been locked on the pin to meet Blaine's eyes in the mirror.
"You kidding or are you nuts?" Burt asked.
Blaine had anticipated a less-than-delighted reaction, so it didn't rattle him.
"Kurt is my soul mate," Blaine said steadily. "I know that I've hurt him badly, but I also know that, if I want to get him back, I have to do something bold."
Burt turned away from the mirror to face Blaine.
"Blaine," he said, "it means a lot to me that that you love Kurt. And you've been like family to me."
"So," Blaine smiled, cautiously optimistic, "you're saying that you're... okay with me asking for his hand."
"Oh, of course not," Burt said immediately with a shake of his head. He seemed amused. "No, you're still kids. Did you learn anything from Finn and Rachel?"
Blaine felt defensiveness clawing its way into his mind. "They are completely different," Blaine argued.
Burt shrugged as if to suggest that he didn't totally agree.
"Completely different," Blaine reiterated. "I don't think that you understand how it feels to finally be able to legally get married!"
"And you don't really get what it is to be married," Burt chastised gently. "Straight, gay, whatever... it's not the same as living together."
Blaine was rapidly losing patience with the whole situation. Why didn't anyone understand?
"Blaine, listen," Burt said kindly, "let's sit down for a second."
He walked over to grab a stool that was sitting near the mirror and carried it over to where Blaine's stool was waiting for him. "Seriously, come here."
"Look," Burt said as they sat down across from each other, "I can't tell you why, but something happens when you exchange vows. It's a big deal."
Blaine nodded. Of course it was a big deal.
"It's why getting divorced is so much harder than breaking up," Burt added.
Blaine dropped his head, battling his frustration. He never wanted to break up with Kurt again. That was the point.
"It's just a really big difference," Burt explained, "between marrying a person and marrying... an idea."
Blaine knew what he meant. But Blaine wasn't in love with an idea. Blaine was in love with Kurt. And Kurt loved him back, for now, but what if things changed and they never got a second chance?
"What if he meets someone else?" Blaine challenged.
"You think you two were meant to be?" Burt answered the question with one of his own.
"Yes," Blaine answered immediately.
"Do you think you two have a true love?" Burt questioned.
"Yes!" Blaine said vehemently.
"Then stop worrying," Burt suggested calmly.
Blaine stared at Burt and wished that he could let go of his worry as easily as Burt made it sound.
"I've gotta go," Burt said after a brief silence. "Thanks for the pin," he motioned at the little rainbow on his shirt.
"Sure," Blaine mumbled.
"Hey," Burt said as he stood up and walked over to clasp a hand on Blaine's shoulder, "it's gonna be okay."
Blaine didn't understand how Burt could be so calm about the whole situation. This was the most important thing in Blaine's life. He rolled his eyes as Burt started to walk away.
"How do you know that, though?" Blaine had to ask before Burt was out of earshot.
Burt turned back to face him. "When two people love each other like you two do," Burt said, "everything works out."
Blaine watched him leave before twisting around on his stool to stare out at the sea of empty chairs in the auditorium as tears of frustration stung in his eyes.
Why did everyone always want to make love so complicated?
Plus, Blaine thought, getting engaged didn't mean they had to get married right away. They could be engaged for a few years if they wanted to. Or they could get married the next week.
It wasn't up to anyone else to decide for them.
Blaine stood up and grabbed his bag, ready to go home.
He was going to propose to Kurt, with or without Burt's – or anyone else's – blessing. They were soul mates, and that was what mattered above all else.
Kurt would understand.
KURT
That night, Kurt was curled up on the couch with a mug of hot chocolate and a magazine when his father arrived home.
"Hey, Dad," Kurt smiled at his father as he walked through the doorway.
"Hey," Burt replied absentmindedly, flipping through the small pile of mail in his hands. He turned to walk into the next room, but paused just before he disappeared from sight.
"Can we talk for a second?" Burt asked, setting the mail down on the nearest flat surface so he could wander into the room toward Kurt.
Kurt was immediately suspicious. "Sure," he agreed cautiously.
Burt grinned. "Chill, Kurt, everything's fine. I just want to pick your brain and, maybe, offer my very best fatherly advice."
"If this is about you getting a cat, the answer is still no," Kurt informed him. "I don't care if you keep my bedroom door closed; hair will find its way in there."
In lieu of a verbal response, Burt shook his head in amusement and handed Kurt a small red box. Kurt flipped the lid open and found a little rainbow pin resting inside.
"Uh," Kurt tried to think of a way to gently let his father know that he wasn't really into rainbows.
"It's not for you," Burt seemed to understand. "Blaine gave it to me this afternoon."
"Blaine?" Kurt repeated, surprised.
"He thought I could wear it as a symbol of my support for gay marriage," Burt explained as he sat down on the couch beside Kurt.
Kurt snorted out a short laugh. "Yeah, he's pretty excited at the moment about... well, about everything, really. His NYADA audition is coming up and I think the reality that he could be moving to New York soon is really getting to him."
"Sounds familiar," Burt nudged Kurt with his shoulder.
"Yeah," Kurt allowed. He closed the small box and handed it back to Burt.
"Look, Kurt," Burt said, his tone more serious, "what's the deal with you and Blaine?"
Kurt felt his face heating up as Burt looked at him. He didn't know how to answer the question. He wasn't sure what he and Blaine were. Or what he wanted them to be. And he knew that everyone was wondering. Hoping, maybe. Curious about Kurt's relationship with Blaine five months after their sudden separation. Kurt had even overheard Kitty asking Artie about them. "Are they a thing or are they just knocking boots whenever Kurt's in town?"
"I don't know" Kurt shrugged, avoiding Burt's eyes.
"He asked me about you," Burt offered.
"What?" Kurt made eye contact with his father again.
"Not about you, like the spying kind of asking," Burt clarified. "It was more of a... he loves you a lot, Kurt. And, okay, I know I said that I wasn't here to suggest any specific course of action, but I think you need to talk to him. About the two of you."
"What did he say?" Kurt asked.
"You know I'm not going to give you a play-by-play of a private conversation," Burt scolded. "But, you know, here's the thing, just overall. Blaine's a good kid, Kurt. He's got an incredible tendency to overstep boundaries and he is so damn eager sometimes... he's different. In a good way, like you. But, behind all that optimism and confidence, he is also a tenderhearted soul and – don't look at me like that, I'm serious!"
"I'm not getting back together with him because it's hurting his feelings that we're not together anymore," Kurt argued.
"Nobody's asking you to," Burt replied immediately. "But the fact of the matter is that Blaine loves you, probably more than a healthy amount. And I know you've been really preoccupied with me and my health since you've been home, and I am grateful for that, but now it's time for you to get on with your life. You can't even tell me what the deal is with you and Blaine... is that fair to either of you?"
"Oh my god, what did he say to you?" Kurt pressed.
"You never know what tomorrow might bring, Kurt," Burt dodged the question as he stood up, "Good or bad. Talk to him."
"Dad," Kurt whined.
"Kurt," Burt returned, and before Kurt could press him for more details he had scooped up the mail and was gone.
KURT
As New Directions prepared to move from the choir room to the auditorium for glee rehearsal at the end of the week, Blaine touched Kurt's arm briefly as he walked by and asked Kurt to follow him. Kurt followed Blaine down the hallway and Blaine kept glancing back at him as they walked. Kurt could tell that he was anxious about whatever was about to happen. Near the end of the hallway, Blaine finally stopped and turned to face Kurt.
"What's up?" Kurt asked.
"This is going to take a lot of courage," Blaine said, his face and voice full of apprehension, "considering our, um, complicated history and all the emotions involved, so..."
Kurt's heart pounded as he watched Blaine struggle with his words. Was Blaine about to ask him out?
"Um, I– I'm just... gonna say it," Blaine said, studying Kurt's face as he spoke.
"Go ahead," Kurt teased, trying not to get too excited. "You get kinda cute when you get nervous."
Blaine made a soft noise that suggested that he appreciated the compliment, and his expression softened. "I... wanted to ask you if..."
Kurt silently encouraged him, surprised at how nervous Blaine was, and waited for the question he had known was coming since he had arrived in Lima earlier in the week.
"... well, will you..."
Kurt saw in Blaine's eyes the moment he changed his mind. "... maybe stick around for Regionals?"
"Oh!" Kurt tried not to let his disappointment show as his mind scrambled to move away from possibilities of a dinner date with Blaine that evening. "Oh, yeah, of course! Yeah, Mercedes and I already talked about it. We want to stick around and root you guys on at the competition, yeah."
Blaine smiled.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Kurt added, hanging onto the possibility that Blaine had more to say.
"Great," Blaine nodded.
"You had to know I would've said yes," Kurt pushed the issue one final time, looping his arm through Blaine's so they could walk to the auditorium together. "Right?"
"I know," Blaine acknowledged quietly, and Kurt knew the moment had passed. Maybe it was for the best, he thought. Regionals was a week away and Blaine needed to focus.
His mind betrayed his logic by reminding him that they had gotten together for the first time just before Regionals two years earlier. Maybe he just wanted to put off the decision because he wasn't sure yet.
"What a wonderful, wonderful week," Kurt said happily as they walked together down the hallway.
Blaine sighed and relaxed.
"With you in it," Blaine said, "a wonderful life."
I love that last sentence (that's basically the way the episode ends), so I had to end it there! I tend to think of this episode and the following episode (the season finale!) as two halves of the same episode, anyway, since it's just a continuation of Kurt's time in Ohio, so all of the stuff that's going on here (except Burt's cancer because it's gone, yay!) will continue in the next chapter...
Up next... 4x22: All Or Nothing!