Chapter Text
“Daddy! Daddy! Wake up!”
Kurt groaned and rolled onto his side as he felt the bed jump up and down with the sudden arrival of his little six-year-old daughter. “Daddy, it’s time to get up!”
“In a minute, Juliette…”
But the little girl wasn’t having it. She jumped harder and pulled on his covers. “But you promised we’d go see Grandpa and Grandma today!”
His eyes blinked open, his vision blurry as he tried to focus on the red illumination of his clock. 7:03 am. On a Saturday. Of course his daughter would be up this early with the energy of a tornado. There was no going back to sleep. When his daughter was up, that meant he was too. “Alright, Jules, I’m up,” he groaned, rolling back onto his back and spotting the little girl in question.
Juliette beamed as she saw her father’s face staring at her. “No you’re not, silly!” she giggled as she poked him, “you’re still laying down.”
“Baby steps,” he groaned, sitting up and capturing her arms to draw her in for a hug and a kiss on top of her curly, chestnut hair, “now go brush your teeth. Daddy will be downstairs in a minute to make breakfast.”
Juliette nodded before pulling herself out of Kurt’s arms and disappeared in a flash down the hall to the bathroom. Kurt yawned and stretched his arms over his head, feeling his back pop all down his spine. Despite being thirty, his body felt older, but then again, being a single father did that to a person. Not that Kurt had ever planned on being a single father, but then Owen happened.
Owen had seemed like such a perfect gentleman - the perfect guy. The perfect husband. The man that Kurt would have happily spent the rest of his life with. Had planned to. And then it was like his whole world imploded. It started with a charming smile, then a flattering comment and a whirlwind of romance to sweep you off your feet and then they decide you’re not what they want anymore and then you’re left picking up the pieces afterwards. At least Juliette wasn’t old enough to remember what happened.
By the time he got to the top of the stairs he was now much more awake and able to take each step gracefully. Once in the kitchen, he started a pot of coffee for himself. He would need the caffeine fix to get him going before the Tasmanian Devil wore him out before they got to his father’s house. Speaking of, the little tornado was hustling down the stairs and running into the kitchen. “Pancakes! Pancakes!”
“I’m working on them, sweetheart,” he said, giving his little girl a smile. Juliette Eliza Hummel was the spitting image of Kurt. Her curls were a darker chestnut with just a hint of caramel mixed in the strands and her eyes were that seafoam color, something he was so happy that she inherited as his father often reminded him that they were his mother’s eyes as well. The only thing separating them was the color of their skin - Kurt a more pale complexion and Juliette having inherited a more bronze color from one Rachel Berry, Kurt’s best friend and surrogate for when Kurt and Owen decided to have a child. As Juliette got older, the diva side of her was still a toss up between Rachel and him, both insisting that it was the other. “You’re the one raising her, Kurt,” Rachel reminded him, “so obviously she’s going to mimic you.”
“I’m not the one who is a Broadway star, though,” he reminded her.
After failing to get into NYADA, Kurt did move to New York, but had attended NYU instead. He majored in Theatre and Music and, for his senior thesis, he moved back to Lima to lead productions at McKinley High. With support from Finn, who was the football coach and current director of the Glee Club and now Principle Will Schuester, Kurt was not only able to complete his thesis to graduate but also found his true passion - teaching.
That was also when he met Owen.
It was the beginning of the new year and Kurt was visiting Columbus to talk to Ohio State about getting a teaching certificate after he finished his thesis. While on campus, he had run into Owen Monaghan, a senior at Ohio State as well. Owen had been sitting in the quad when Kurt came up to him and asked him where the admissions office was. “Well, I’d be happy to show you, but you’d have to give me your number first,” Owen had said with a devilish grin.
“I typically don’t give my phone number out to men I don’t even know.”
“Well how am I supposed to get to know you if I have no way of contacting you?”
Their first date had been the following weekend. A few months later, they were officially dating. The day of Kurt’s graduation from NYU, Owen had proposed and by Christmas, they were married. It was a whirlwind romance for the ages. Their first year of marriage seemed perfect. Kurt was getting his teaching certificate while working as a director for the Glee Club at McKinley. Owen was a real estate agent for a big firm in the greater Columbus area. On their one year anniversary, Kurt wanted to start a family. Owen agreed, seemingly very excited about having a baby, so long as Kurt was the biological father. When Rachel heard, she volunteered to be the surrogate and a year later, Juliette was brought into this world.
That’s when everything changed.
The first hint that Kurt got that something was wrong was when Owen was showing up home late. “Sorry, beautiful, I was running late with a client and my phone died.”
The first few times it happened, he didn’t think anything of it. But then it started happening more and more frequently. It was practically every other day that he was running late. Then he had work trips once a month, but Kurt was busy with Juliette, Glee Club and doing his final few classes for his certificate.
On one of the few occasions when they were home together was when Owen had received that fateful text. Owen had been in the shower and Kurt happened to look over at his phone when it lit up, only to see the message, “Hey, sexy, you on your way yet?”
Kurt’s heart dropped. Who the hell was this and why was he calling Owen sexy? Kurt glanced at the shower and immediately locked the phone when the shower turned off. Kurt didn’t tell him that he saw the text message, just that he was going to take Juliette to the park.
Instead, he dropped Juliette off with his dad and asked Finn to come with him as he used the ‘Find my Phone’ app on Owen’s phone to guide him. His location took him to a nice house in the new developments in Northern Lima. Owen’s car was parked outside and there were lights on in the living room. “Kurt, I don’t….” Finn had said, but Kurt didn’t hear him.
One moment, Kurt was sitting in the car, the next he was storming up to the house. The curtains were drawn but there was a crack. Enough for Kurt to see in, and enough for him to wish he hadn’t. The image of Owen sitting there as another guy was going down on him would forever be burned into his brain. Kurt beat his fist on the door after a moment, screaming, “Open this fucking door, Owen! I know you’re in there!!”
There was muffled cursing and the sound of zippers and clothes. Finn was out of the car by now and standing at the edge of the sidewalk, unsure of what was happening but seeing Kurt’s body language the way it was, he knew something was wrong. The door opened a few short minutes later and as soon as Owen’s face came into view, Kurt slapped him. He couldn’t remember everything he screamed and yelled about but he remembered taking off his wedding ring and chucking it at his face. “I never, ever, want to see your face again.”
Finn drove Kurt home and helped him to throw all of Owen’s clothes into trash bags and toss them on the sidewalk for Owen to pick up. All the pictures with Owen were promptly hidden in boxes and ones that contained Juliette were put separately - Kurt wasn’t sure what to do with them just yet. That night, the Hummel-Hudson household was full again. After Carole put Juliette down for bed, Kurt told them what he saw. Burt was already on the phone with a lawyer buddy of his and by the end of the month, divorce papers were drafted and served to Owen. Almost a year later, he was officially divorced with sole custody of Juliette.
Married, divorced and a single father all before he was twenty-seven. Not exactly how Kurt imagined how his life would turn out.
Kurt was thankful, though, for the support he had. He didn’t know if he could make it as far as he had without the people around him. It was Burt and Carole who stepped in to help with their granddaughter, whether it was watching her for a couple of hours so Kurt could get errands done or babysit her while Kurt was at work. And it wasn’t just Juliette they took care of. There were days when Kurt would come home to an already cooked dinner or a freshly restocked pantry. Other days Carole would just show up and announce she was taking her granddaughter for the day so Kurt could have time to himself. Family time increased ten fold in those first couple of years so both Burt and Carole could make sure that Kurt had the support he desperately needed during this heartbreaking transition.
Finn and Will helped out as well. With his powers as the principle, Will was able to convince the board to fast-track Kurt’s hiring process even though he didn’t have his teaching certificate yet. He made sure to work with Kurt, too, always making sure he never felt guilty if he needed to take time off because Juliette was sick or something came up. Finn, more often than not, would substitute for Kurt’s classes and both he and Will would cover Glee Club duties if Kurt had to leave early. It was probably unfair since he was so new but being a father himself, Will knew how difficult it was to balance a toddler and work, and he had Emma to help.
Thankfully after a year Kurt was able to find a good balance of work and parenting. It also helped that Brittany and Santana had moved back to Lima in that time after having traveled the world together. He didn’t even have to ask. Santana and Brittany became the best fun aunties Juliette could ever ask for. They were more than happy to take her for the day. Brittany was a dance instructor for kids so she had her days free. When Juliette was four, Brittany and Santana opened their own dance studio. Juliette, of course, was enrolled free of charge, giving Kurt another free couple of hours to take care of things that needed to be done.
Kurt knew there was no way he could have made it this far without any of them.
Juliette didn’t know about Owen, nor did she ever need to know she had another Daddy. In Kurt’s eyes, she had plenty of family to make up for it. And if it were up to Kurt, she would never know about Owen.
Still, even with all of the support in his and Juliette’s life, Kurt still felt like there was a missing piece to this family. He knew what it was - someone to share this with. While he didn’t mind being a single dad, he was missing having someone to share all of this with. Someone to help raise Juliette as she became a beautiful young lady. Someone to share in all the fond memories that were reserved for parents and children. Someone to hold at night after they were tired from parenting for the day, and perhaps share more intimate moments.
After Owen, Kurt had avoided dating. He spent the first year recovering and adjusting to be a single dad. It was only after a few months had he realized that he had basically been a single father since Juliette was born, and he wondered if Owen’s excitement about them having a baby was him being excited that Kurt would have something else to distract him so he could sleep around. After that, Kurt just couldn’t bring himself to meet anyone. Juliette came first and he didn’t want to introduce her to someone that may or may not be sticking around. Not to mention most guys his age weren’t exactly thrilled about dating someone with a toddler. Santana had insisted that he needed to go have fun and get laid but Kurt didn’t see the appeal in mindless sex with a stranger. He wanted that connection, but he wasn’t seemingly active in going about trying to find it. Not at the risk of breaking his heart all over again.
Breakfast was done and cleaned up. Kurt got himself showered and changed after he helped Juliette get dressed for the day. It was getting towards the end of Summer, which meant that school was starting soon. These were the last free days Kurt had before Juliette started kindergarten and Kurt was teaching again. So today they were going to go school shopping with Burt and Carole. If Juliette was anything like Kurt, and most everyone said she was, they were going to need the whole day and probably tomorrow.
So far, he wasn’t wrong. Burt was already carting around four bags of clothes for Juliette while Juliette was dragging Kurt along to the next store. The sparkle in her eyes was something he would never get tired of seeing. His phone started to go off in his pocket with the familiar, yet rarely heard ringtone of Bad Romance that belonged to the one and only, Tina-Cohen Chang. “Slow down, honey,” he told Juliette as he wrangled her in and held onto her hand tightly as he brought the phone up to his ears, “Do my eyes deceive me or am I getting a phone call from one, Miss Tina Cohen-Chang?”
“Yes, you are!! Please tell me that you have no plans this weekend.”
“You might have to be a bit more specific,” he said, pulling his daughter over to Carole for her to take her hand so he could talk on the phone. Tina conversations were normally either really fast or very drawn out and he had a feeling this would be the latter.
“As in being free to come to Columbus with Santana, Brittany and Finn to see me and get backstage passes to a Neon Riot concert!”
Neon Riot was the rock band that Tina was the publicist for. After high school, Tina had gone off to Brown and after meeting some people and showing off her abilities of creating the perfect image, she was taken on by a PR firm. Now she was the publicist for the highly sought out, biggest band in music. Kurt hadn’t really listened to them, nor did he really care. It wasn’t his style of music and nowadays, he stuck mostly to child-friendly songs. “Tina, as fun as that sounds, I can’t just disappear for a weekend. I have Juliette.”
“Oh come on, Kurt! You HAVE to! Everyone else is going to be there and honestly, I miss my Glee fam. It’ll be like a little mini-reunion! It won’t be the same without you!”
As much as Kurt wanted to go have fun with his friends for a weekend, he knew that he couldn’t. It was hard to just up and leave when you had a six-year-old to take care of. He turned and saw Juliette who was talking Carole’s ear off about the toys in the window of a store. As much hard work as it was to be a single parent, he wouldn’t trade Juliette for anything. She was his little star in the sky. “I don’t know, Tina. It’s really last minute and school is right around the corner…”
“School starts in two weeks.”
“I’d feel bad about asking my dad to watch her so last minute…”
“This is Burt Hummel you’re talking about. He’d probably say yes before you even finished asking.”
“A weekend is such a long time.”
“Now you’re just making excuses. Come ON, Kurt! It’s one weekend! I haven’t seen you since Juliette’s fifth birthday! Please?”
Kurt groaned, taking another look at Juliette. As much as he didn’t really have a good reason to say no, he still just wasn’t sure. The prospect of going to go have fun, even if it was a concert for a band he didn’t really know, with his friends was enticing, but that overly cautious part of his brain was telling him to say no. Even if he didn’t really know why he was so hesitant to not go in the first place. “Can I at least think about it?”
“Think fast. We get into Columbus tomorrow and Saturday is the show. I want to be able to spend my one night off this weekend with you guys.”
“Okay, I’ll let you know.”
“You better! Now give my niece a big hug from her Auntie Tina!”
“I will. Love you, Tina.”
“Love you too, Kurt.”
Kurt hung up the phone and sighed as he walked up to his parents. “Don’t tell me we’re about to go in and buy her another stuffed animal,” he teased, trying to keep his tone light.
“You know, with how persuasive your little girl can be, we might,” Burt answered before immediately spotting something in his son’s body language, “What’s wrong, kid?”
“Oh, nothing,” he said, waving his hand as if it was nothing, which really, it wasn’t, “Tina’s band is doing a show in Columbus this weekend and she wants all of us Lima kids to go out and see them. I don’t think I’m gonna go.”
“Why not?”
“I’m a father, Dad. I can’t just disappear for a weekend. I have Juliette I have to think about.”
“Kurt,” Burt said, grabbing his son’s shoulder and giving it a squeeze, “you should go have fun. It’s just one weekend. You take care of her 24/7 as it is already. You’re allowed to have some you time too.”
“But Juliette….”
“Can come stay the weekend with Carole and me. It’s not the first time we’ve taken care of a little one, you know.”
“It would be the first time you’d have her overnight, though.”
“Kurt.”
Kurt’s shoulders slumped a bit as he watched Carole with Juliette just a bit longer. It wasn’t that he didn’t think Juliette wouldn’t be fine with her grandparents. On the contrary, he knew she would absolutely love it. They were certain to spoil her rotten, play every manner of dress up and fairy princess party and even bake all the cookies she could want. It was just that Kurt hated the idea of being away from Juliette. She was his whole world now. He hadn’t been apart from her for more than a day. Maybe that was all the more reason why he needed to go have fun with his friends. Get away for a weekend and just be himself. When was the last time he just let loose and had fun? It had to have been back before Owen….maybe Rachel’s opening night at Funny Girl?
His phone went off with a series of texts, all from Santana.
Santana - Tina just told me you may not come and sent me to talk you into it.
Santana - Listen, Lady Lips, don’t makes me drag your skinny jean-wearing ass out this weekend. You knows I will drag you by your Elf ears from your house if you don’t come.
Santana - Burt and Carole will take care of your mini diva so I KNOW you can’t use that excuse.
Santana - And if you don’t come, Brittany will be very sad because her favorite magical unicorn isn’t with us and I cannot deny her happiness so you ARE coming.
Santana - We’re going to go out, party, have a good time and you can find some guy to take you to pound town because we ALL know you haven’t gotten any in years and honestly, that’s just sad and pathetic. So pack your bags. I’m picking up you and Frankenstein tomorrow from your parent’s house.
Santana - And I swear to God, Hummel, if you try not to show up, I will tie you up and put you in the trunk of my car.
Leave it to Tina to sick Santana on him. “You sure you’ll be okay watching Juliette for the weekend?” Kurt asked his dad.
Burt smiled and nodded. “It will be our pleasure, kid. You go have fun. You deserve it.”
Kurt gave his dad a hug before texting Santana back.
Kurt - Put away the ropes and duct tape. I’m coming.
Chapter 2
Notes:
Oh my gosh, you guys! I'm completely blown away with the reception for this fic!! Thank you to everyone who commented and left kudos. I'm glad so many of you are already enjoying this and it's only the first chapter! You all are seriously the best.
Once again, huge shot out to JButler for beta'ing this for me, inspiring me to keep going and keeping me on track with this. You should see some of the conversations we have about this fic LOL they're hilarious.
Without further adieu, chapter 2
(Hey, that rhymed 😂)
Chapter Text
“Okay, so I packed Juliette’s overnight bag with ten sets of extra clothes, in case of emergencies. And she is my daughter so she's picky about what she wears. And I also put in Stubby. Trust me, she will not go to sleep without him,” Kurt rattled off as he dropped the suitcase of stuff he had brought onto the bed in his old room. Which, for this weekend, was going to be Juliette’s room. Burt was standing in the doorway, his arms crossed and his head shaking, although he didn’t interrupt Kurt at all. “She knows she’s supposed to be in by eight every night. We’re practicing for school nights. She might try to tell you otherwise. I think Santana has been teaching her how to hustle. No junk food after seven…”
“Kurt,” Burt finally spoke up, laughing as his son froze. He knew if he didn't stop Kurt now he was just going to continue rattling off every little thing. “Relax, we’ve got this. Juliette is going to be taken care of here.”
“I know,” Kurt sighed, sitting down on the edge of the bed and pulling out the yellow stuffed bunny, affectionately named Stubby, due to one of his arms being shorter than the other. Kurt studied the rabbit as Burt came and sat next to him, “I’m just worried. It’s the first time I’ve really left her for more than a few hours.”
“It’s hard, isn’t it?” Burt asked, nudging Kurt, “and terrifying.”
Kurt huffed a hollow chuckle and nodded. After studying his son, Burt recalled something. “You know,” he said, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, “I remember the first time your mom and I left you for a few days. You were maybe two or three and it was our wedding anniversary. We were just going to Chicago so it wasn’t like we were going far, but I was a wreck.”
“Really?” Kurt asked, tilting his head.
“You bet I was! Your mom actually had to grab my hand and pull me from your Grandma’s house, I was so worried. Not that I didn’t think you’d be okay, but because I didn’t like being away from you and not watching you. I just didn’t want to miss a single moment. But your mom told me something pretty profound as we drove away. She said, “Burt, he’s not going to grow up in the next few days. He’ll still be our little boy when we get back, and we still have the rest of our lives to watch him grow.” And she was right. Besides, this, right here? This is nothing compared to when she turns eighteen and you have to drop her off at the airport because she’s moving to a whole different state to go to school. Believe me, that’s hard.”
Kurt chuckled under his breath. “She really said that?”
“She did. Your mother was a bucket of wisdom. You definitely got her smarts.”
The two of them smiled sadly, like they always did when they thought about Elizabeth. Kurt knew, deep down, his mother would have loved Juliette. “What I’m saying, Kurt,” Burt spoke up as he squeezed his shoulders to give him a little shake, “is that there is nothing that is going to happen in the next couple of days that you’re going to miss. She’ll still be your little girl when she gets back. So don’t worry about what’s happening here. If anything comes up, you’ll be the first to know, okay?”
He knew his dad was right. Kurt leaned into his father’s side and rested his head on his shoulder. “Okay, thanks Dad.”
“You are very welcome. Now, Santana is going to be here any minute so why don’t you go downstairs and say goodbye to your little girl.”
Kurt nodded and gave his dad a quick side hug before getting up and heading downstairs. Juliette was in the kitchen with Carole, setting up the little plastic plates and tea cups. “Daddy, Daddy, look! Grandma and I are going to have tea!”
“I can see that,” Kurt smiled as he stepped in and sat down with her.
“Are you going to be joining us?”
“Not this time, Jules,” he said, dragging his chair closer to her, “Daddy is going away this weekend with Uncle Finn and Aunties Tana and Brittany.”
“Away?”
Kurt nodded, trying not to feel guilty. “Can I come?”
“Oh, I wish you could, sweet pea, but we’re going to some adult places and doing adult things, so you’re going to stay here with Grandma and Grandpa and have a super sleepover.”
“Is that why you brought all my stuff?”
Once again, Kurt nodded. “You’ll be a good girl from Grandma and Grandpa, right?”
Juliette’s curls bounced as she nodded very enthusiastically. “I will, Daddy, promise.”
Kurt was so glad that Juliette was taking this well. Honestly, she was taking the news of him going away for a few days a lot better than he was. That actually helped him feel a little less guilty about it. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Carole smirking at him. Obviously she knew what he was feeling as well. “I’ll call you every night before you go to bed, okay?” Kurt promised.
“Okay!”
With a chuckle, Kurt opened his arms and snatched Juliette in them before pulling her close for a tight hug. “I love you so much, Julie Bear.”
“Daddy, you’re squishing me!!”
Kurt laughed and squeezed her just a little tighter. Her giggles were infectious. She squirmed in his arms until finally, he let her go. “Have lots of fun with Grandma and Grandpa. And remember what to do if Grandpa doesn’t eat all of his vegetables.”
“Remind him that veggies are good for him and help him be healthy!”
“That’s right! You’re so smart.”
He kissed the top of her head as Burt came into the kitchen. “Hey now, that’s not fair. I’m supposed to team up with your daughter against you, not you two team up against Grandpa!”
“Sorry, Dad, I’m her favorite,” he teased just as the front door opened and Finn came in. As soon as Juliette saw her uncle, her eyes lit up. “Uncle Finn!” she yelled, jumping out of her chair and racing down the hall.
The Hudson-Hummels watched as Finn knelt down and caught Juliette before standing and holding her close as she hugged him. “Hey there, JuJu Bean,” Finn greeted as he put a series of kisses on her cheek.
As Juliette giggled and held on tighter, Burt leaned into Kurt and said, “I think actually Finn might be her favorite.”
Kurt playfully nudged Burt as he stood up and went over to greet his brother. “Hey, man, I’m so glad you decided to come with,” Finn greeted, holding Juliette on his hip so he could side hug Kurt.
“Well, someone has to keep you guys out of trouble,” Kurt replied just as he heard a honking coming from outside. “Sounds like our ride is here.”
Finn squeezed Juliette before Kurt took her and gave her another big hug. “I’m going to miss you, sweetie.”
“I’ll miss you too, Daddy,” Juliette mumbled into his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around his neck. This was his happy place. Him and his daughter. If Santana wouldn’t literally kill him for backing out at the last minute, he would have told Finn he couldn’t go, but also the look Burt and Carole were giving him said to go. He put a soft kiss to Juliette’s cheek before setting her down to grab his bag. “Have fun, be safe and if there’s an emergency….”
“We got this handled, Kurt. You go have fun!” Carole insisted.
Before Kurt could say anything else, Finn grabbed his arm and drug him out of their parents’ house. The last glimpse Kurt got of his daughter was Carole pulling her into the kitchen to start their tea party and vaguely hearing something about Burt needing some tiara before he joined them. Outside, Santana was sitting in the driver’s seat and Brittany was running towards him, very reminiscent of how Juliette ran to Finn and enveloped Kurt in a bone-crushing hug. “You came!”
Kurt laughed and hugged her back. “I did. You can thank Santana for basically threatening my safety.”
“I didn’t threaten your safety,” Santana called through the open window.
“You said you would tie me up and throw me in the trunk.”
“Yeah, you would have been safe in the trunk, surrounded by all of the bags of soft clothes and the bag of sexy panties Britt and I have for our alone time.”
Finn’s face blushed bright red and Kurt just shook his head. Soon, their bags were thrown in the trunk as well and with Finn and Kurt now piled in the back of the BMW, the four of them started the road trip to Columbus.
During the one and a half hour drive, the ride was filled with music, car karaoke, stories about their different students and plans for the upcoming school year. “I’m telling you, Kurt, you should do a Taylor Swift lesson!” Brittany suggested excitedly.
Kurt kind of hummed and nodded, stowing it away for later. His mind was elsewhere. Not back home in Lima with his daughter, but recalling his last trip to Columbus. The handsome stranger he met on the quad with blue eyes, as deep as sapphires. The same ones who looked guilty and heartbroken when Kurt had last looked into them. “Oh no, you stop it right now,” Santana’s voice cut through the car.
It was like he was jolted alert and he spun, noticing all three sets of eyes on him. Santana’s, while only being reflected in the rearview mirror, were the deadliest of the three. “Huh?”
“Don’t play dumb with us, Hummel, we all know that look. You’re thinking about him again,” Santana stated.
“I’m not….”
Brittany was leaning through the middle divider to grab his hand and squeeze. “You had that sad look in your eyes. This isn’t a sad trip. This is a happy trip!”
Kurt looked at Finn with pleading eyes but Finn just shrugged. Of course he knew what the girls were talking about - he had to deal with the aftermath more than both of them. “Alright, maybe I was, but can you blame me? We met in Columbus.”
“And now, you’re going to meet some hot, single guy who is going to fuck the memory of Owen out of you,” Santana added.
Finn coughed, choking from surprise and Kurt’s face turned bright red as he glared right back at Santana. “What? It’s true! We’re all going out with Tina tonight to a club and I am going to find you a hot guy to reignite that feral cat inside you. Let’s face it, Porcelain, you need to get laid. You’re so uptight and tense and nothing cures that better than being buried into the mattress under someone….”
Kurt just groaned and leaned forward, burying his face in his hands. This was not Santana’s first time trying to get him hooked up with someone and he doubted it would be the last. “Awww, Kurt,” Brittany sighed, squeezing his knee, “Santana, you’re embarrassing him.”
“What? I’m just stating facts. We’re adults now. No need to be a blushing virgin anymore. We all know you used to…”
“Hey Britt,” Finn interrupted, desperate to change the subject for both his and Kurt’s sakes, “didn’t you say that you were going to start up a new class at the studio?”
Thankfully, that conversation took them the rest of the way into Columbus and all the way up to their hotel. Which, when they pulled up, Kurt had to double check with Santana and make sure they were at the right hotel because this was one of the fanciest hotels in Columbus. A valet came up and opened the doors closest to the hotel and helped them with their bags before taking off to park. “What the hell are we doing here? None of us can afford this,” Kurt muttered.
“That’s because you aren’t paying for it!”
All of their eyes turned, hearing the voice before Tina ran at them, arms waving and excited squealing echoing off the walls. She hugged Santana and Britt first before hugging Finn and Kurt. “I’m so glad you guys could make it! It’s been FOR-ever! How are you guys? Wait, don’t answer that. I want to hear everything over dinner.”
She reached into her bag and pulled out three keys. “I would love to stick around and hang but the guys have an interview and God knows Sebastian and Elliott are going to need some supervision. But I already got you guys checked into your rooms. I figured Finn and Kurt, you two would want your own rooms in case you guys wanted to bring someone back for the night.”
Tina gave them a wink, making both of them blush. “You guys get settled and relax. Meet down here at five, okay? I'll be here in the limo to pick you up and take us to dinner and then we’re going partying tonight!”
“Dinner where, exactly?” Santana asked.
“Don’t worry about it. This whole trip is on me,” Tina explained, “all you have to do is look amazing tonight and let me take care of the rest. Now I really gotta go but I'm so glad you're here! Oh, I’m so excited! Tonight is going to be AWESOME!”
She gave them each another hug before dashing off as fast as she came. The four of them stood flabbergasted as they looked at their room keys. “Guess we’ll see you guys in a few hours. Santana and I are going to use our time wisely,” Brittany said, waggling her eyebrows before they disappeared off to their room.
Finn and Kurt both went to their own rooms as well, Finn mentioning something about wanting to watch some football game downstairs and Kurt figuring he could Facetime with Juliette and see how things were going at home. The call was exactly what Kurt needed after the long drive. Juliette had told him about the tea party and how Grandpa said that Daddy used to have tea parties when he was her age and he even pulled out the tea set Kurt had used for them. She also said how they were going to watch Tangled later and then Grandma was gonna bake cookies with her for when he got home and Grandpa was going to take her to the shop before they went to the zoo. “I miss you, Daddy!” Juliette bid, smiling her big, toothy grin.
“I miss you too, sweetie,” he promised, “I’ll see you the day after tomorrow and we’ll talk tonight.”
“Okay, bye Daddy!”
Once they hung up, Kurt had exactly ten minutes to get ready for this dinner and club they were going to. He hadn’t really packed anything clubby, considering he hadn’t been to one in years and didn’t really own anything like that, so he put on a nice button down and a vest to match his black skinny jeans. There was a knock on his door, followed by Santana’s voice. “Open up, Hummel, I need to approve your wardrobe choice for tonight.”
Kurt groaned before he opened the door for Santana. He was pretty sure he could already hear the criticism. "I’m fully capable of dressing…” but he paused as she pushed past him and strode into the room as if she owned the place. “...myself…why yes, Santana, please come in."
Santana turned on her heel and eyed him with pure disapproval. “Obviously not. Please tell me you’re not wearing that tonight.”
"Well, I didn't expect to be going to a nightclub,” he replied as he walked past her to go fix his hair, “But please, if you think you can dress me better, you can choose from one of those shirts on the bed.”
It didn’t take long for Santana to eye those shirts and make another face. "Those shirts are sad. They look like teacher shirts, not "I want to get laid” shirts."
"I am a teacher and I don't want to get laid."
Santana's eyes quirked and she crossed her arms. "What do you mean you don't want to get laid? Everyone wants to get laid.”
"When have I ever just wanted to get laid?” he shot back, his own brow furrowing.
"Well, you should,” she said, “You haven't had any in how many years?"
Kurt sighed. "I'm not driven by my dick, Tana,” he grumbled as he started to put the shirts back onto the hangers, “and when did you become so obsessed with my sex life?”
“You mean your lack thereof?” she corrected.
“You know what I mean,” he shot back, “I’m not interested in meaningless sex. I want someone to love, not fuck."
"Yes, but how are you going to find that if you insist on looking like an uptight stick in the mud? Which is exactly what your clothes are screaming."
Kurt glared at her. "If someone wants more than to fuck me, then I think we'll find my clothes are the least of their concerns!"
As soon as those words slipped out of his mouth, he knew he fucked up. The sudden change in Santana’s posture set off warning bells in his head. She pointed to him and then the bed. "You. Sit. Now.”
Kurt didn’t hesitate to sit down on the bed. “You better starts explaining what's got this stick up your ass now before I can no longer reign in Auntie Snixx."
"Nothing is wrong with me,” he sighed, trying to play it off as nothing, "Just pick a shirt and I'll leave the top few unbuttoned and roll the sleeves up to my elbow. It'll be fine."
"Uh uh," she said, "you forget that I have a bullshit detector specifically calibrated for you. I can tell when you're being evasive so what is it? What's this "big concern" that's got you so fussy?"
Kurt watched her for a moment. She wasn't wrong. She could always tell when he was lying. "I'm fine. I'm just..." He glanced down at the shirts, "Do you remember when all I cared about was fashion?"
"How could I forget? I was forced to look at your weird ass outfits for three years."
Kurt rolled his eyes, deciding to just be honest. "I think that Owen stole all my enthusiasm for making myself feel good. Like he stole all my self esteem when he broke my heart."
Santana took a breath before she sat down next to Kurt. "Alright, you listen to Auntie Tana and you listen well. Owen was a grade A prick. The fact you wouldn't let me go punch his teeth in after everything still boggles my mind.”
“Because I didn't want you arrested for assault, you know he would have pressed charges."
“He’s a bitch. He’d be too afraid of me getting him again from behind bars to do that. But that’s besides the point.” Santana shifted closer to him, letting her knee casually bump against his, “Seeing him still make you feel like you're worth nothing is absolutely aggravating. You’re not nothing. You’re Kurt Hummel and, if you tell anyone I said this, I will deny it, but you are a hot piece of ass and you deserve someone that makes you feel loved and wanted. Like you’re the only person in the world. No, maybe you won’t find him tonight and maybe you don’t want to bang Random Background Twink, but you can at least get a bit of an ego boost from guys hitting on you, buying you drinks and asking for your phone number."
Kurt caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. "I just... I don't know, Tan. Maybe I should just not go. Nothing good could come out of going to a club and definitely not any guy that I might meet there. I have to think about Jules."
Santana stood up and dragged him to his feet so they were both standing in front of the mirror. “Porcelain, you know I love your little angel, but you need to forget about her right now because tonight is about you . You never do anything for yourself anymore! You work yourself too hard. Between taking care of Julie and teaching, you're grinding yourself down to the bone. You've got yourself convinced that your lot in life is to be a dad and only a dad. But you're forgetting about you . You haven’t stopped for one moment to actually take care of yourself. You deserve to let go and have fun, Kurt. Sing, dance, flirt a little, have some drinks. Just turn off for a couple nights without feeling guilty that you’re having fun. Taking time for yourself doesn’t make you a bad father. Just let go and see what the night brings."
Kurt watched for a moment. Perhaps Santana had a point. Maybe he did need to get out of his comfort zone and just let loose. To a point - he still had to be somewhat responsible. “Alright, fine.”
Santana smiled almost evilly. That wasn’t unsettling at all. “Excellent. Now, to make every guy hard the second they see you…maybe if we showed off your arms…”
“No ripping my shirts just to make them sexier."
"Ugh, fine," she groaned dramatically, "but no layers. That means no scarves and no vests."
“But I like my vest…”
“No. Vest.”
Santana and Kurt were about twenty minutes late, as Santana had pulled all of the shirts out that Kurt had brought and debated on how she was going to make Kurt look appealing. She ended up getting him to agree to wear the red button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the top two buttons undone (“Three buttons, Hummel!” “Two. I’m already dreading whatever you want to do with my hair so this is the most you’re getting out of me.”) Thankfully Santana hadn’t done anything too crazy with his hair, just messed it up a bit so it was style but not uptight styled.
Santana was pleased with herself.
Kurt still wished he had kept the vest on.
Dinner ended up being at some fancy Italian place with a whole five course meal prepared and brought. It was probably the best food Kurt had ever eaten in his life. By the time the tiramisu had come out, he hoped that one day he could afford to bring Juliette to a place like this. Although, with his salary at McKinley, he knew that would never happen. Everyone spoke at dinner, catching up with Tina and telling her their updates while listening to all the wild stories Tina had about people she met and the weird going-ons of the one and only, Neon Riot. Kurt was half paying attention. Not that he didn’t care about what they were all talking about but he couldn’t stop checking his phone, just to make sure that he hadn’t missed a call or text from his dad. However, when Tina asked about Juliette, he went into full proud dad mode and told Tina everything. He even had pictures to flaunt and despite the fact that Finn, Santana and Brittany had all either seen the photos, been in the photos or were there when the photos were taken, they still marveled at them like it was the first time.
Dinner eventually came to an end and once they made a group call to Juliette to wish her goodnight, they were taken to Axis Nightclub. The music was pumping out from the building, vibrating through the cement and up their joints as Tina led them to the front of the line and brought them inside. The inside was insane. The place was lined with bars and in the center was a dance floor and a DJ on an elevated stage. Upper balconies were littered with people, watching the floor below and chatting with friends. Tina led them all to a VIP lounge area. It was a communal VIP lounge, it seemed, with several parties sitting around large booths and a separate bar for the members of the lounge to order their drinks. Their table already had champagne and after Tina poured them all a glass, she toasted, “To the best friends and family a girl could ever ask for! Now let’s PARTY!”
It wasn’t long into the night that Santana and Brittany had gone out onto the dance floor. Finn and Tina were talking away. Kurt overheard mentions of Mike and Puck and the other members of New Directions. While he followed along, he felt like he was intruding on their conversation and, instead, told them that he was going up to the bar. Kurt had nursed his glass of champagne so he figured he would just order something light like a vodka cranberry. The last thing he wanted to do was get plastered and, considering he couldn’t remember the last time he drank, he wasn’t sure what his limit would be. He sat at the bar, nursing his new drink and chatted with a few guys, some who were absolutely sent by Santana, but they all seemed interested in just going back to a hotel for the night so he excused himself from the conversation. Eventually he couldn’t take anymore and went outside into the smoking area - Kurt didn’t smoke but it was outside, cooler and a lot less loud. He could handle the smoke just for some peace.
Thankfully, when Kurt got outside, there was an empty picnic bench for him to sit at. He could still feel the beating of the bass inside as it shook the bench frame, but despite that thumping and the smell of different brands of cigarettes, Kurt enjoyed the peace. Everyone was talking at half volume with their groups around him, paying him no mind so he reached into his pocket to pull out his phone. Juliette was already in bed asleep, but still, he felt the urge to text his dad and make sure everything was okay.
“Do you mind if I sit here?”
Kurt looked up and, for a moment, he froze. Before him stood a man, early thirties and gorgeous . His black curls were styled to look tamed yet free. His defined torso was hugged with a black v-neck and matching blazer and those blue jeans were sinfully delicious. Although what Kurt was most drawn to were the eyes. Golden bronze, warm like honey. Thankfully he managed to snap himself out of admiring this man fast enough to not be awkwardly staring to nod. “Not at all.”
“Thanks.”
Kurt scooted over a little, just to give him some extra room to sit. Kurt was focused back on his phone while occasionally glancing over at the stranger out of the corner of his eye. “You don’t smoke?”
His head popped up and he looked to the man next to him. “No,” he said, shaking his head, “no, I don’t. Just wanted to get some fresh air - well, as fresh as cigarette smoke can allow.”
It was then that Kurt noticed the stranger wasn’t smoking either. “You don’t either, it seems.”
He shook his head but chuckled. “No, I do not. I guess great minds think alike.”
Kurt laughed under his breath. “Great minds, right. Although I don’t know how great of an idea it is to come out here with this many smokers. The air out here probably has enough cigarette smoke to give everyone out here second-hand nicotine fixes.”
The stranger laughed. “You know, you might be right. Not exactly the greatest place for a breath of fresh air, huh?”
“Probably not, no.”
Kurt suddenly felt the stranger studying him so he turned. There was something in his face as he looked at him. Was it a surprise? If Kurt didn’t know any better, he would think so. It was like he was waiting for Kurt to say or do something. He became somewhat self conscious and started touching his face. “Is there something wrong?”
“What?....Oh, no, not at all,” he said, shaking his head, “Nothing’s wrong. In fact, you look very not-wrong at all.”
Kurt snorted, his lips curling into a smirk. “Not-wrong?” he asked.
The face the other man made was so adorable. The way his face scrunched up in embarrassment was just so stinking cute. “You know, that sounded a lot better in my head than it did coming out. I meant to say you look great. Which, as I say now, sounds like a total line and I don’t mean to seem like I’m trying to pick you up….not that I don’t find you attractive because I do, but….”
He groaned and buried his face in his hands. Kurt, on the other hand, was fighting off laughter. “Are you always so eloquent?”
“No, normally I’m much more put together,” he laughed as he turned to fully face Kurt, “here, let me try again. Hi, my name is Blaine and I’m not normally a hot mess.”
Kurt smirked and took his hand to shake. “I’m Kurt, and don’t worry, I’m friends with some of the hottest messes known to mankind. They would make you look like an upstanding member of society.”
Blaine hummed his approval before withdrawing his hand. “So hot messes seem to gravitate towards you, then, huh?”
“More like I end up gravitating towards them.”
“And are any of these hot messes with you tonight?”
There was something kind of hopeful in his eyes. Was it hopeful that he was or wasn’t? Kurt wasn’t sure. “They are, but they’re inside enjoying themselves. What about you? Are you here with anyone?”
There was a blink of disappointment from Kurt’s answer. Or maybe Kurt was just mistaking it as disappointment from his own answer as he replied, “No, I came stag. Just wanted to relax and unwind.”
“So you chose a club?”
“Yeah, not my most brilliant of ideas,” Blaine muttered, smirking at the end. The way he smirked made Kurt’s face blush a bit and he laughed. He didn’t know why he felt so calm or at ease with Blaine, but he did. Maybe because Blaine didn’t know who he was and was just treating him like every other guy. Not that he didn’t like his friends, but he knew they tended to tiptoe around certain subjects. Or, in Santana’s case, call him out on his bullshit.
“You know, now that you mention it, maybe I should rethink my plans for the evening.”
Kurt noticed how Blaine was looking at a group of people that were staring. That was odd. “I’m thinking about maybe hitting up a piano lounge down the street. It’s a bit more relaxed. Would you….want to join me?”
He had to admit, he was a bit surprised, both by the sudden question and his reluctance to say no. His mouth opened and closed as he thought of what he wanted to say. “It’s okay if you don’t and, honestly, it’s not a line to try and get you to come back to my place or anything. Just, you seem nice and perhaps as uncomfortable here as I am. And I would like a chance to maybe get to know you a bit better without so much cancer in the air. But if you need to get back to your friends, I totally…”
“Sure.”
Blaine stopped talking and now, it was his turn to look stunned. Once again, Kurt couldn’t help but admire how adorable he looked. So he laughed and repeated, “Yes, I would like to come with you. You’re right, I’m not exactly feeling the vibe of a club tonight.”
The way Blaine’s eyes lit up made Kurt’s heart skip a little bit, although he quickly ignored it. The last time it did that, he wound up marrying a cheater. “Great,” Blaine smiled, standing up and holding out his hand for Kurt to take. “Shall we?”
Chapter 3
Notes:
New week, new chapter! Thank you again for all the comments and kudos! You guys are amazing!!
BIG thank you to JButler for all of your help with this!!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The Velvet Key seemed almost out of place in a city like Columbus. Upon entry, Kurt could have sworn he had stepped foot inside one of those cocktail lounges in New York. Not the overly pricey ones where all the snobs went but ritzy enough that the business people of the city went to drink and relax after a long day at the office. Despite it being a Friday, Kurt and Blaine were able to find a table off in the corner of the lounge, away from most of the people. Blaine had gone to the bar to get them some drinks so Kurt took that opportunity to text the group chat.
Kurt - Hey guys, don’t freak out. I’ve headed out for the night. Catch up with you all tomorrow?
Finn - Where did you go?
Kurt - Just went to a piano lounge. It’s called the Velvet Key.
Santana - Oh come on, Hummel, I was just about to send another hot guy your way
Santana - Wait, did you go to this piano bar alone or with someone?
Kurt knew that he couldn’t very well lie, although he knew what the reaction was going to be.
Kurt - No, I’m with a guy. His name is Blaine.
Brittany - AWWW, KURT! I’m so happy for you!
Finn - That’s awesome, Kurt!
Santana - Get some, Hummel!
Kurt - OMG, guys, I’m not doing anything
Kurt - We just wanted somewhere more relaxing and less loud
Santana - Yeah, to talk and get to know each other before you bang
Santana - Stay in denial all you want
Santana - Hickeys or it didn’t happen
Finn - Ignore her, Kurt. Have fun. Be safe. Let us know if you need an escape or something
Kurt - Will do. See you tomorrow
Kurt managed to put his phone away just as Blaine arrived back with wine for them both. “I hope you like Sangiovese. It’s my favorite.”
“Love it, actually,” Kurt said, taking a sip of the wine before putting the glass back down.
“Texting your friends?”
Kurt nodded as he leaned forward on the table. “Yeah, just letting them know where I was before they started freaking out and looking for me. Told them I would see them tomorrow.”
“Probably a smart thing to do.” Blaine took a drink from his glass before swirling the liquid inside. “So, Kurt, are you originally from Columbus?”
Kurt was mid-drink when Blaine asked so he swallowed the liquid and set the glass aside. “Lima, actually. It’s about an hour and a half away from here. What about you? Where are you from?”
“Well, Westerville, originally,” Blaine began, “but then my parents moved to LA when I was eight. Now I’m in Manhattan.”
“Really?" Kurt asked, almost dreamily, "I always wanted to live in Manhattan. At least, when I was a kid. I ended up living in Bushwick for a few years when I was in college.”
"Bushwick isn't so bad" Blaine grinned, "I used to go to Maria Hernandez Park when I wanted a quiet walk. I would get my lunch and eat it by the bird mosaic."
"No way, really?" Kurt asked as he leaned forward a bit, "I used to live a few blocks from that park!"
"What a small world," Blaine chuckled as he swirled his wine around his glass, “I still go there every now and again. It’s so peaceful, especially compared to Central Park."
"Is Nero's Coffee Shop still right there on the corner?"
"Yeah, their drip coffee is the best in the city!."
"Oh my God," Kurt laughed, "I used to get their nonfat mochas every morning on my way to school. And every morning there would be this homeless guy laying outside. He'd see me and ask, 'You bring me my peach cobbler, Nancy?' and I'd always tell him not this time but I'd get him a scone to make up for it."
Blaine laughed and nodded. "You mean Patches? I always got him a hot chocolate. He seemed so nice. Used to tell me about his daughter. l don’t know if she ever existed but it sure felt like he was trying to set me up."
"Awww Patches! I hope he's doing okay. I'm glad someone was taking care of him after I left." Kurt chuckled and shook his head. "I can't believe we used to go to the same coffee shop. If I had stayed in New York, we might have run into each other."
Blaine grinned. "Well, you definitely would have caught my attention."
Kurt felt a blush color fill his cheeks which he quickly hid behind his glass when he took a sip of his wine. "So what brought you to New York?"
Blaine shrugged. "Work. I was studying Music theory and Composition at UCLA, but then in my junior year I entered this song writing contest. Just for fun, really. I didn't expect to win it, but the prize was too good to pass up. It was a job at Warbler Productions, writing songs for other artists and, don't get me wrong, I love it, but…” Blaine sighed as he shrugged, “I just want to sing my own stuff, I guess."
"Oh wow," Kurt muttered, " Warbler Productions ? They produce a lot of really famous people." He would know - Tina worked there. "Did you write anything I might know?"
"Maybe..." Blaine hummed a song under his breath playfully. Kurt furrowed his brow as his mind came up blank. "I feel like I should know that song," he admitted, feeling slightly embarrassed that he couldn't quite place the tune. How out of touch was he?
Blaine just waved away the comment about the song. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not that important. I'm more interested in you."
Kurt laughed nervously as he picked up his glass. "Oh, I promise I am not all that interesting."
"Let me be the judge of that," Blaine said as he leaned in and sang playfully, " tell me more, tell me more, like does he have a car... "
Kurt chuckled, looking down at the wine that was swirling around his glass. "I do have a car, yes, albeit a very cheap one so it's nothing to brag about. At least the muffler is fully attached."
Noticing the questioning gaze from Blaine, he waved it off. "Long story. But seriously, my life is not as exciting as winning a song writing contest. I grew up in Lima, moved out to New York for college. Originally I wanted to get into NYADA but I didn't make the cut so I went to NYU instead. It was my dream to be a big Broadway star so I majored in Theatre and Music but I had this big senior project to apply dramatic arts to the real world so I went home to student direct the my old high school’s Glee Club. But then it was like....I don't know, everything kind of changed after that."
Blaine watched as if Kurt was telling him the most interesting story ever. "What changed?"
Kurt shrugged as he thought back to that pivotal moment in his life. "It occurred to me when I was teaching those kids these numbers and rehearsing with them that I was making a difference for them, much like how my teacher made a difference for me. It was fulfilling for me in a way that starring on Broadway ever would. So after I graduated, I went to Ohio State, got my teaching certificate and now I’m the Drama teacher and Glee Club director at my old school and I haven't really looked back."
He looked up and chuckled nervously. "I know, it sounds crazy. Giving up dreams of stardom for teaching in my hometown of Ohio. My younger self would hate me so much right now."
Blaine was smiling by the time Kurt finished his story. "I don't think it's crazy if you genuinely love it. And, if you retake your certificate, you can teach anywhere, right?"
"I mean, yeah.... But I don't know where I'd want to go. I've kind of built a whole life in Lima. I've got my family, friends and moving with a kid is hard..."
It came out before he realized it and when he did, he turned white. It wasn’t that Kurt was ashamed of being a dad but he had learned from first-hand experience that conversations with attractive guys tended to stutter or come to a grinding halt the second they found out Kurt had a child. Blaine's eyes widened in shock but before Kurt could panic, he smiled softly, even as the color drained from Kurt’s face. "Are you hiding a child from me, Kurt? That's unfair! Tell me everything. Even better, I want pictures!"
He nudged Kurt with his shoulder. "Tell me, tell me, tell me!" He prodded, hoping for a laugh.
Blaine's excitement about hearing about his daughter was relieving. It pushed all the nerves he had aside as he laughed and reached for his phone. "Okay, okay," he said, opening his phone to pull up a picture of Kurt and Juliette that was taken over the summer when they were at the park. "This is my daughter, Juliette," he said as he showed him the picture.
Blaine grinned and took the phone. "She's beautiful, oh my god!" He gushed, "She has your eyes! Oh man, she's going to have all the boys and girls after her when she's older, you know. You better buy yourself a good shotgun."
"Don't remind me," he laughed, "thankfully she's only six so I've got plenty of time before I need to worry about that. Although I wouldn't need a shotgun. I can just sick Auntie Tana on any kid who tries to hurt her."
"Oh, but time flies when you're having fun, Kurt," Blaine teased before he bit his lip, "Can I ask what happened to her other parent?"
"Which one are you referring to?" he asked, but the second he heard it, he realized how that made him sound and his face immediately turned red. "I don't mean it that way! Oh God, I'm not like that at all. I just meant..." he paused to take a breath, seeing as how he hadn't taken one yet since he started his spiel, "you know what, I'll just explain both. Her bio-mom is my best friend. She was our surrogate. You...I don't know how into Broadway you are, but her bio-mom is Rachel Berry. As for my partner, he and I...well, we've been divorced almost six years now."
Yeah, that made him sound like a winner.
Blaine's eyes widened. "Oh, I’m so sorry,” Blaine muttered.
“Don’t be,” Kurt replied with a half-shrug, “it was for the best.”
Kurt was worried that perhaps their conversation had been ruined by him mentioning his relationship status but before Kurt could offer Blaine an out, Blaine spoke up. “You know, I saw Rachel live in Cabaret . She was amazing. How did you get her to be your surrogate?"
Thankful for the reprieve, Kurt felt the tension in his shoulders relax. "She's been my best friend since high school," he explained, "so when my ex and I decided we wanted a baby, I told her and she practically forced me to choose her to be the surrogate. She can be very demanding."
Blaine laughed. "That doesn't surprise me. I have a friend like that out in LA. Superstar voice, diva attitude but the nicest person in the world. We keep trying to collaborate but our schedules never seem to line up."
"Funny, so do I," he laughed, "Crap, that reminds me, I should really reach out and check on her. It's been a minute...ugh, Mercedes is going to kill me. I was supposed to send her photos from Juliette’s recital last month."
Blaine stared at him and raised an eyebrow before he pulled up a picture on his phone. "Not this Mercedes?"
Kurt's jaw dropped when he saw the picture. "Oh my God, yes! That Mercedes! When did you meet her?"
"She was in my classes at UCLA," Blaine laughed, "just how many famous people do you know? There must be something in the water in Lima."
"Uh, well....I also know Artie Abrams. You know, the guy who directed Giants of New York ? Other than that, I'm afraid that is the extent of my famous friend pool."
Blaine just laughed. "Definitely something in the water. I might need to go and bathe in the lake for luck."
"You might not want to. There's probably more bugs than luck in that lake."
Blaine laughed as he nudged Kurt with his foot under the table. "Well, now you have to give me all of Mercedes' secrets," Blaine announced as he leaned in, "I need ammunition to make her come to New York and collaborate with me."
“And suffer her wrath?" he asked with a laugh, "No, thank you! I value my life.”
He waited for his chuckles to subside. "So I know the music industry is pretty secretive but can I ask what you're wanting to collaborate with her on?"
"I have this song. It would be perfect for her voice but we just can't find the time. Does she like Juliette?” Blaine paused and shook his head, “that's a stupid question, of course she does. How can anyone not like that cutie pie of yours? When was the last time she saw her? Maybe I can bribe her with Juliette cuddles."
Kurt laughed whole-heartedly. "She last saw her on Juliette's fourth birthday so she is overdue for Juliette snuggle time. But she's been busy with her albums so I can't really fault her for that."
An idea seemed to pop into Blaine’s head before he grabbed his phone and held it up questioningly. "Are you okay with a selfie?"
Kurt almost immediately grew a little self conscious. Oh God, did he look good enough for a photo? Maybe he should go into the bathroom and make sure he didn't look a complete and total mess. Maybe redo one of the buttons on his shirt?
"Oh, sure," he said, flattening his palms against his jeans to try and smooth any wrinkles before he leaned in and smiled at the camera while trying not to appear flustered by how close Blaine was now or the fact that he smelled like vanilla and raspberries and how Kurt wanted to capture that scent forever. Thankfully Blaine snapped the picture rather quickly before admiring it and showing it to Kurt. "We look good.”
Kurt had to admit that they absolutely did. There was just something about the photo of the two of them that looked right. They looked so relaxed, as if they did this a thousand times. Like it was normal for them, even. “Now,” Blaine hummed, “What can I say to wind up Mercedes?"
He cleared his throat. "Maybe something like 'you'll never believe who I ran into tonight' or something like that?"
Blaine smiled at Kurt and then attached the photo to a WhatsApp message to Mercedes.
Blaine - Found a teenage dream in Columbus. I believe you know him?
"Oh, you're in for it now," Kurt laughed once he saw the message, "Teenage Dream, huh? Katy Perry fan, I'm guessing?"
Blaine grinned. "We have an inside joke about the song," he explained as he blushed a little, "So, how protective of you is she?"
Before Kurt could answer there was a ding and a message to Blaine from Mercedes.
Mercedes - WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY BOY KURT?!
Blaine's eyes widened then he laughed. "I guess I have my answer,” he replied as he held the phone up for Kurt to read before he leaned in slightly and started typing.
Blaine - Found him in a bar in Columbus. Scheduling cuddles with his baby girl for later this week .
"I'm so going to hear an earful later from her, I can already tell," Blaine laughed just as another text came in.
Mercedes - Uh, HOW?! Aren't you leaving Ohio Sunday?!
Blaine - I can make an exception for two beautiful people.
Mercedes - You are so lucky that I'm about to fly out to Madrid tomorrow otherwise I'd be on my way to Columbus tonight. We WILL talk later about this!
"She loves you,” Blaine laughed as he sent a gif of SpongeBob hiding under his blanket, “It's sweet how protective she is."
Kurt almost added that she wasn't the only one but he felt it was better to keep that to himself. "What can I say? I guess I'm just that loveable."
"I believe it,” he replied winked before taking a sip of his drink, "now enough trying to distract me with your beautiful baby girl and the mutual friend that's about to murder me. I want to know what makes you tick, Kurt, so…” Blaine trailed off as he leaned in a little.
Kurt laughed nervously. There really wasn’t much for him to tell Blaine that he hadn’t already said. He didn’t have any outrageous stories or little secrets - outside of Owen, of course, but he really didn't want to bring up that sob story with Blaine. Not when this night was going oh so well. "I'm afraid I don’t really have much else to tell you. I'm kind of an open book. An ordinary, average, run of the mill book - if you don't include the whole being a single divorced dad thing."
Blaine’s smile fell into one of sympathy more than playfulness. "If you don't want to tell me you don't have to,” he said very gently, “but for what it’s worth, your ex clearly didn't have eyes or a sense of humor or a personality if he let someone like you become an ex-husband."
"Wow, Santana, I didn't know you were this good at disguises," he joked, although it was more humorous for him. Blaine watched with a small frown, prompting Kurt to explain. "Sorry, it's just funny because that's what one of my other best friends likes to say, albeit she is a lot more blunt about it. That whole story is just...it's long and complicated and depressing and honestly, with how good this night has been, I'd really rather not ruin it by bringing him up."
He smiled as his eyes were caught in the orbs of Blaine's amber ones. "But thank you. That's really...sweet. But enough about me. Let's talk about you. Writing music and working with people like Mercedes. What's that like?"
Blaine sat up a little straighter and he shifted in his seat, almost as if he was uncomfortable with the question. "Long days, even longer nights sometimes. And not all of it is glamorous but performing, writing songs…I enjoy it. But I will say that sleeping on a bus does things to your spine it should never have done to it."
"You perform too?" Kurt asked, completely in awe.
If Kurt wasn’t mistaken he almost thought Blaine had flinched as if he had let slip something he wasn’t supposed to. If he had, he didn’t say so and just simply shrugged. "Here and there. Mostly I do studio work, though."
"Still, that must be quite the adventure. Going around, performing, writing. Have you written for anyone pretty big?"
Blaine smiled and hummed the same song from earlier, and then sang a few lines quietly, " Whenever you're down and suffering. I promise that I'll be your only friend… "
Kurt really listened and tried to place the song, but he was drawing a huge blank. "I have no idea who that is."
Blaine beamed. Almost like he was glad by Kurt’s lack of music knowledge. "Oh my God, this is amazing. What music do you listen to?"
"Well, right now my Spotify most played list consists of a bunch of Disney songs," he rattled off, "or Broadway hits. A lot of hits from the 2000s because honestly, that was some of the best music. Oh and the occasional request for songs for Glee Club from my students, although I typically listen to those only a handful of times so I can get an idea of performance and choreography. I'll tell you, some of the music these kids listen to nowadays is interesting....and I just sounded like my dad when I said that...now I feel old."
Blaine laughed vibrantly. "Okay, so the new Disney film that just came out, about the Goblin?" Blaine arched a questioning eyebrow.
“Yes, I know it well.”
"Well, I wrote the song they sing in the bar."
"No way, really?" He asked, "So I have you to thank for my daughter demanding that that song gets played at least once a day."
"Sorry," Blaine mumbled sheepishly, "please don't hate me?"
"I can forgive you," he chuckled with a smirk, "it's definitely better than this one song my students used to play on repeat last year. It was some new hit... Beating Pulse or something like that."
Blaine frowned for a moment. "Can you sing it?"
"Oh, umm...." Kurt hummed, trying to think of the lyrics, " Hearts pounding, blood rushing, it's just electric, this feeling ....something, something, Body's igniting when I'm next to you. ..Something like that."
Blaine grinned. "You mean Down Bad by Neon Riot?"
"Yeah, that song," he said, "although the name leaves something to be desired. The whole song, really. It's like they took what could have been a very sweet serenade about how a person could make someone feel alive again, twisted some of the lyrics and turned it into this sexy, over-the-top dance number. The song isn't about sex and it's so damn aggravating!"
Blaine laughed under his breath as he glanced down at his glass. "Well, I heard it was meant to be an acoustic guitar song but the producers got their hands on it."
"Oh yeah? Where did you hear that?" Kurt asked with a cheeky grin before he sipped on his wine.
"Well, I do work for the same production company that produced the song,” Blaine replied as he waggled his eyebrows playfully.
Kurt paused as he thought about it and a blush crept up his face. "Right, silly me, I keep forgetting I'm having a drink with a famous songwriter in Columbus," he joked.
Blaine shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, I don't know about famous . Honestly, I'd rather just be Blaine"
Kurt smiled softly. "I don’t blame you. I kind of like this Blaine guy."
The fact that Kurt made Blaine’s face color with the same hint of red that Blaine had gotten from him a few times already made him smile. "Well, I'm glad," Blaine murmured, "I heard he kinda likes you too."
There was a ringing of a phone, shaking them both. When Kurt realized it wasn’t his, he looked at Blaine who was scrambling to pull his phone out. One look at the caller ID had him groaning and throwing his head back. “Shit, I have to go.”
“You do?” Kurt asked, slightly disappointed.
Blaine was getting out of his chair and fixing his blazer. “Yeah, that was my boss. They need me for some impromptu meeting for tomorrow.”
Kurt stood up from his chair, although he wasn’t sure why. Did he hug him? Shake his hand? Thankfully Blaine seemed to answer that for him as he hugged him, albeit briefly. “It was really, really nice to meet you, Kurt. You made tonight so much better than I thought it would be. Maybe we can get together again sometime?”
Now, Kurt had to admit, the idea of seeing Blaine again was very appealing. So he smiled and nodded. “I would like that.”
“Me too…you have a goodnight, Kurt.”
Kurt didn’t move except to turn to watch as Blaine hurried out of the lounge and down the street. It wasn’t until Kurt was calling an Uber did he realize one important thing.
He hadn’t gotten Blaine’s number.
Santana was going to kill him.
“Wait a second…”
Why did Santana have to be so loud so early in the morning?
That next morning, Finn, Brittany and Santana had met up with Kurt for breakfast at some diner close to the mall so they could go shopping for that night. Well, so the girls could go shopping for the concert. Kurt figured if he would buy anything it would be a souvenir for Juliette and Finn was tagging along because he didn’t want to hang around his hotel room the whole day. But now that they were sitting with their plates of food, they had interrogated him about where he had gone. Now, Santana was letting him have it. “So you mean to tell me that not only did you ditch us for some guy to go to a lounge with no intention of sleeping with him…”
“Can you keep your voice down?”
“But then you didn’t even think to get his phone number so you could call him again, considering he asked if you two could, and I’m using quotations loosely here, “meet up again” in the future. As in he totally wants to get into those pants of yours and you just blew it.”
Kurt buried his face in his hands as Finn rubbed his back. “Come on, Santana, give Kurt a break,” he said, “a lot happened last night. I’m sure he didn’t do it on purpose.”
“That’s what makes it worse! He’s so out of practice that he forgot to ask for a guy’s number when he says he wants to meet up again. Face it, Gelfling, you may be smart, but you can be dumb as hell.”
Kurt finally picked up his head to glare in her direction. “Are you done?”
“Please! I’m only just getting started. You want to know what I think?”
“Not really.”
“I think that you need some good dick to pound into you and push all the blood…”
“Santana!” Finn cut her off, rubbing Kurt’s back as Kurt just groaned and buried his head further into his arms. “We get it. Just lay off him, alright?”
Santana looked ready to continue on but Brittany spoke up before her wife could continue. “You said that he was friends with Mercedes, right?” Brittany offered, reaching across and putting a hand on Kurt’s arm rather sweetly, “Have you called her and asked for his number?”
“I tried,” he said with a sigh, “but none of my messages are going through. She’s on her way to Madrid today so she’s probably still flying.”
“Maybe she can help when she lands?”
“What’s the point?” Kurt asked, “even if Mercedes did give me his number, he goes back to New York tomorrow! Seeing him again would have only been able to work for today while he’s still in the state. After today….”
He couldn’t even bring himself to finish that sentence. All he could do was groan and hang his head low. Brittany pouted and reached across the table. “I’m sorry, Kurt. But hey, we’re in Columbus for another day. Maybe you’ll accidentally run into him again.”
Kurt could tell Santana wanted to say something, but given that it was Brittany suggesting it, she was biting her tongue. Although Kurt was very much under the same impression that Santana was - there was no way that was going to happen. When was he ever that lucky?
Well, maybe it was for the best. Blaine lived in New York. He was probably only in Ohio for a weekend and soon, he’d be back in the Big Apple and Kurt would just be a distant memory. Better to think practically and not wishfully. But he didn’t say that out loud, especially with the look Brittany was giving him. So instead, he smiled and squeezed her hands. “Maybe.”
Kurt chose to ignore Santana’s eyeroll.
With breakfast out of the way, they spent the rest of the day shopping. Brittany and Santana both got fun outfits for the show that night. Finn found a copy of the new video game he had been dying to try and Kurt now had two bags for Juliette - one of clothes that he knew she’d love one with a couple new pairs of shoes to replace the ones she was currently outgrowing. Throughout the day, Kurt got text messages from Burt of them with Juliette at the tire shop and then at the zoo. It warmed his heart to see that his little girl was having fun, even if he wasn’t there. He made sure to call before they headed out for the concert, wishing Juliette a good night and thanking his parents again before the limo appeared at the hotel to take them to the venue.
The Forum was packed with diehard fans of Neon Riot. Kurt couldn’t help but notice the angry glares that they got from people as they showed off their exclusive passes that Tina had left for them. She was busy with the band but ensured that they would be taken care of. And boy, were they. They were in the VIP section, right smack dab in the middle on an elevated platform with their own bar. Other VIP members were there, but they were chatting about their favorite members and about which songs they hoped Neon Riot played. A few of them rocked t-shirts with the band’s faces on them. Kurt nearly did a double take, almost sure he thought he saw Blaine’s face on one of them, but the girls disappeared and he couldn’t spot them or the shirt anywhere else.
He chalked it up to wishful thinking as he chatted with his friends.
The lights dimmed and the first band came out. They were good. Not something Kurt would go out of his way to listen to but they were still fun. A good warm up for the headliners. After an hour and another round of drinks, the lights went out and screams could be heard across the venue. A chord was strung and one by one, the band members came out. It started with the background instruments, taking their places and then, the stage floor opened for four slots. One by one the members of Neon Riot came up, the first being, what Kurt would call, the literal definition of flashy rockstar. The screen behind him showed his face and the name Elliott Gilbert. The second was a taller, meerkat looking guy, definitely lankier than the other. The name Sebastian Smythe appeared. The girls’ screams grew in volume as a very hot, surfer looking blonde came out with the thickest lips he had ever seen on a guy. Sam Evans, obviously, although the screen behind him didn’t need to tell him that - one of the girls near him was adamant that she wanted to have his babies. But when the final band member emerged, Kurt stood stock still. His fingers clenched around the beer bottle he held as the familiar black curls, broad shouldered man came out. The screen showed his face and then the name.
Blaine Anderson.
Brittany, Santana and Finn all noticed how Kurt’s posture changed and the shock on his face. “What? What is it?” Finn asked.
It was like Kurt’s voice couldn’t work, even as Blaine grabbed the microphone and said, “HELLOOOOO COLUMBUS!!!”
“That’s him,” he finally squeaked out.
Brittany seemed to catch on fast as her smile widened and she bounced up and down excitedly. Santana took a moment as she looked between Kurt and Blaine, her mouth hanging open and pointing as she tried to connect the dots. It was Finn who finally asked the million dollar question, “That’s who?”
“That’s...that's Blaine.”
Notes:
The song he references is In Your Hands by Halle Bailey
Chapter 4
Summary:
And here we go!! Thank you for all the love and support! I'm glad y'all are enjoying this as much a I enjoy writing it. Your feedback really keeps me going :)
And big thanks to JButler for beta'ing and helping me out!!! Could not have made it this far without you <3
Chapter Text
For the entirety of the concert, Kurt stood dumbfounded. How had he not realized? Surely he had seen enough pictures of Neon Riot on his kids' phones at school, or on the covers of magazines they carried around. They even gossiped over him! There was no way! There just couldn't be any way that the guy he had met last night, the guy that sat across from him at that piano lounge, who had made him laugh in a way no one else had. Who made him blush and smile and feel normal for the first time in a long time, could be Blaine Anderson .
Brittany, who was overjoyed by this sudden change of events, was dancing along to the music and managed to pull Santana out of her own shock to dance with her. Finn was standing next to Kurt along the railing of the platform they were on, his foot tapping to the beat and his head bobbing along. Kurt could tell Finn was still surprised by this but was moving from surprise to amusement. Especially as he nudged Kurt. “He’s got a killer set of pipes on him.”
That was an understatement. While all of the singers were amazing in their own respects, it was Blaine that Kurt was focused on. Perhaps it was just because he was still wrapping his head around the fact that this was the same guy who demanded pictures and raved about how adorable Juliette was not even 24 hours ago. But damn, could Blaine sing. Unable to really form any words, he just nodded, his eyes glued to the stage as a piano was raised onto the stage and Blaine sat behind it to play one of the slower songs while the other guys disappeared for a water break.
The rest of the concert went by in a blur. The encore had everyone on their feet and as the guitar extended the final riff, Blaine held up his hand and shouted into the microphone, “Thank you, Columbus! You’ve been a wonderful audience! We’re Neon Riot, wishing you good night!”
The lights faded and the black shadows moved off the stage before the venue lights came on and quiet background music came on to signify that the show was over. “Awww, Kurt!” Brittany smiled, bounding over to him and giving him a big hug, “your boyfriend was incredible!”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” Kurt muttered, although he hugged her back, “we just were talking last night. That’s it.”
“Oh come on, Kurt,” Santana pressed as she crossed her arms, “he may not be your boyfriend, but you so totally want him. You were literally watching him the whole night.”
“I was watching him because I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact I spent hours talking to him without knowing who he is!” Kurt’s face blanched and he groaned. “Oh my God, this is humiliating. I shit on their stupid single last year and said how horrible it was and how it didn’t make sense!”
Brittany was rubbing his shoulders as Santana laughed. “This gets better and better.”
“Hey guys!” Tina’s voice called to them as she ascended the stairs to the platform, “How did you like the sho-whoa, what’s wrong with Kurt?”
Kurt was still very much burying his face in his hands while Brittany and Finn consoled him. Santana, though, was smiling her devilish grin and pointed to him. “Oh, Hummel is fine, except for the fact that he’s totally head over heels for one of your band guys after they met at the club last night. Apparently that’s who Kurt snuck off with last night and now he’s wishing he had let him into his pants last night.”
“What?!”
Oh, how some things never changed. “Yeah, and now he’s embarrassed as shit because he didn’t know who he was talking to and said straight to his face their band is terrible.”
“I didn’t say that!” Kurt butt in, looking at Santana, “I just said that dumb song made more sense as a slow love song than what it became.”
“To-may-to, to-mah-to.”
This could not get any worse.
“Wait….” Tina butt in, looking at Kurt. He noticed the second recognition flashed in her eyes as they grew wide. “YOU’RE the guy Blaine hasn’t been able to shut up all day about?!”
Kurt groaned and buried his face back in his hands. “Oh, you have to tell me what he’s been saying about him,” Santana smiled. She was obviously enjoying this.
“You really don’t.”
“Oh, come on, Kurt,” Finn reassured, rubbing his shoulders and pulling his brother into his side, “this is a good thing! Obviously you left an impression on him if he’s been talking about you! Hey, Tina, Kurt totally forgot to get Blaine’s number last night. You think you could help him out?”
Kurt wanted to disappear.
“I can do you one better. I was actually coming over to see if you guys wanted to go backstage and meet the band!”
Scratch that, Kurt wanted a hole to appear under his feet and swallow him whole.
“I think that’s the best idea you've ever had,” Santana grinned, “I would love to meet the guy who turned Put-Together-Hummel over there into Bashful Idiot Number 3.”
Kurt shook his head. “Nope. Nope, I am not going back there. You guys can go ahead. I am going to go back to the hotel.”
Before he could attempt to run off, he was flanked on either side by Finn and Brittany. “Come on, Kurt, please?” Brittany asked, “It will be fun and then you can say hi to him again and maybe he’ll ask you on a date! Tina said he was talking about you so I’m sure he’d want to see you.”
“Yeah, dude, and we’ll be right here with you too. Besides, if you don’t go, you won’t be able to stop Santana from thoroughly embarrassing you.”
The look on Santana’s face said she was definitely going to suggest something to Blaine. Kurt’s eyes bounced from face to face as realization dawned on him that he wasn’t getting out of this. His shoulders sagged and he sighed. “Alright, I’ll go.”
“Dude, how are we in Ohio?” Sam asked as he emerged from the bathroom with a fresh shirt on and a towel around his shoulders, “That crowd was insane!”
“Yeah, that was a killer crowd,” Elliott agreed, finishing wiping the stage makeup off of his face, “They definitely didn’t disappoint. I thought Tacoma was loud.”
"Not as loud as I'm going to get you tonight,” Sebastian threw back at Elliott with a cheeky grin stretched across his face.
"Oh, Bast, I promise you that if anyone is screaming, it's going to be you.”
“Blaine?” Sam interrupted.
All eyes were now turned and looking at Blaine who was sitting on the couch in the green room, staring at his phone. Sebastian, who had been helping himself to the minibar, stood up and smirked his smarmy grin. “He’s thinking about him again, guys.”
While Sam and Elliott both had sympathetic faces, Sebastian was clearly amused. He crossed the room, opening his beer as he plopped down on the couch right next to Blaine. “You still beating yourself up for not getting hotty’s phone number last night?”
Blaine sighed heavily, finally pulling his gaze away from the selfie he had gotten of himself and Kurt. “How could I be so stupid? I asked him if we could get together sometime and then I bolted out of there. Without having a way of contacting him! I don’t even know his last name!”
“Well…no,” Sebastian shrugged, “But you said he’s friends with Mercedes, right? So why don’t you call her up and get his number?”
“You think I haven’t tried?” he asked, turning to face Sebastian, “I’ve been calling and messaging her nonstop! She hasn’t replied to ANY of my messages!”
“What about your brother?” Elliott threw out there, “you have his name, you know he’s a teacher and a single dad in Lima. Something tells me that there’s not many guys who fit that description in that town.”
“I am NOT asking my brother to track a guy down for me.”
“Well, if you don’t, I will,” Sebastian said, and Blaine knew he would too, “if it gets you to stop moping around about some rando, then I will. Of course, you could always find some other way of getting him off your mind.”
The waggle in Sebastian’s eyebrows disgusted him and he rolled his eyes. “I’m not you, Basti.”
“Thank God, because I don’t think I could handle two of him. One is already bad enough,” Elliott chimed in.
“Hey! You love me!"
“Yeah, and one of you is enough. Any more and I might explode."
“In lust?"
“Absolutely not."
Although Blaine did laugh at them as they continued their flirty banter, he was still hollow on the inside. The memory of the last night with Kurt was still fresh in his mind. Those impossible green-blue eyes that shifted colors through the night. That smile and laugh that made him feel better about making a fool in front of him, if only to just hear that tune again. The softness of his hands when Blaine reached out and touched them. But most importantly, the way he felt when they were just talking. There was something about this Kurt that just made him feel normal. Alive. Seen. Kurt didn’t know who he was. He didn’t want to talk to him just because he was a member of Neon Riot. He just wanted to talk to him because he was himself. If Blaine hadn’t gotten that text from their manager that they needed to have a meeting, he would have spent the whole night at that lounge with Kurt, just talking. He wouldn’t have rushed out like a fool, promising to see him again and then forgetting to get his number. God, what must he think of me?
There was a knock on the green room door, followed by Tina’s voice calling out, “You guys better be decent!”
“Well, as decent as Sebastian and Elliott can manage when they're in the same room together,” Sam called back, earning a throw pillow being chucked in his direction from the men themselves.
The door opened and Tina came in, followed by a group of people. “Guys, there’s some people I want you to meet. These are my friends I was telling you about - the ones that went to school with me.”
Blaine couldn’t help but notice the mischievous twinkle in Tina’s eyes. He looked behind her to the group, noticing the two women, a larger man and...well, somebody else but the fourth person seemed to be hiding. Probably nervous. There was always one of them whenever they did these meet-and-greets. “This is Brittany, her wife Santana, Finn and….”
But when Finn pulled the other guy out, Blaine felt like the world stopped. “And this is Kurt.”
So THAT was the twinkle in Tina’s eyes. Blaine wasn’t sure if he wanted to kiss Tina right now or hide. He ignored the looks his other band mates were giving him, although it was hard to ignore the ever-smug face on Sebastian as he saw how Blaine was quite literally standing with his jaw on the floor. But still, he paid them no mind as he looked at Kurt, who was standing awkwardly, one arm across his chest and gripping his other bicep. He was curled in on himself, ever bashful with red filling his porcelain skin. But those eyes were on Blaine and he smiled awkwardly as he waved. “Yeah…we, uh…we’ve met.”
Blaine wasn’t sure how long they all stood there. It was probably only a couple of moments but he was sure time had frozen. It had to have been long enough for Sam to say, “Why don’t we give these two a minute. You guys want to check out our tour bus?”
The whole room emptied. Sebastian was the last to leave, making sure to come up to Blaine and whisper in his ear, “there’s a box of condoms in my bag.”
That only served to turn Blaine’s face red as Sebastian walked out, not without checking out Kurt and making a humming noise before closing the door behind him, earning himself a smack upside the head from Elliott. Now, it was just the two of them. Neither of them had moved from where they stood. Blaine rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “So….what did you think of the show?” he asked nervously.
Kurt laughed almost hysterically, the shock sitting in his stomach like had eaten a bad sushi roll. "How was the show ," He almost whispered to himself as looked at Blaine almost incredulously, "That's all you have to say?"
Blaine felt his face flush with heat. He wasn't sure if Kurt laughing was a good thing or not. "Not really," he muttered, feeling incredibly bashful and guilty as he stood there in front of Kurt, "I....I didn't mean to hide this from you. Not intentionally, at least. I mean...yeah, maybe I did a little bit but we were just having a good time and I thought if I said something I might have ruined things...I'm sorry."
Kurt watched him for a moment. "I should feel so stupid. I mean…you gave me so many clues and I just…”
He paused, stumbling with words and fidgeting as he thought of what to say next. “You were the first person who had even looked at me since my ex left. You were the first person I wanted to look at me...was that just acting too?"
"No!" Blaine replied quickly, "God, no! Last night was maybe the best night I've had in a really, really long time. It was the first chance I actually just got to be myself. Fuck…”
He sighed as he ran his fingers through the loose curls on the top of his head. He felt like such an ass now. “I'm just…I’m so used to people freaking out when they find out I'm part of Neon Riot and then everything kind of revolves around that. I don’t really get a chance to be just myself. I know that sounds bad, like I was using you to escape or something but I really wasn’t. I was having a really great time last night and if I hadn’t had to run, I would have probably wanted to spend the entire night with you...talking and getting to know you more, not sex...unless you wanted to, I mean...last night..."
He was babbling, he could tell. How was it he was a songwriter for a living but when he was around Kurt, it was like he forgot how to string together a basic sentence? "I really liked getting to know you last night, Kurt and I beat myself up so badly for forgetting to get your number. But, I….I understand if you want nothing to do with me after tonight.”
Kurt fought back the smile at Blaine's babbling, like the words were fighting over each other to reach him first. There was something oddly endearing, watching Blaine stumble like this. After a beat, he finally threw Blaine a lifeline. "You let me be myself too, you know? I was worried that... I mean...I have to think about my daughter,” he offered gently, “I'm a dad first and a human second and for the first time in a while, I was just Kurt and it felt really good, even if it was only for a couple of hours. I don't want to lose that."
There was a glimmer of hope that maybe things weren't totally ruined by this. "So....you're not mad at me?" he asked, just wanting to clarify and make sure he wasn't misreading the situation.
Kurt sighed as he shook his head. "Embarrassed more than anything. I mean, you have herds of screaming fans and I'm just.. me... And I had NO idea who you were!"
Blaine chuckled before he walked over to the mini bar and pulled out a couple of beers for the both of them. "Hey, don't disparage yourself like that. I like you," he said as he held out the beer for him, "and I like that you aren't a fan. I get real thoughts and opinions from you."
Kurt laughed softly and accepted the beer. "And but what if I told you I hated all your music?"
"Then I would say I think I could find a way to change your mind."
Kurt raised an eyebrow and took a pull from the beer to hide his flush at the subtle flirt. "Oh?" He asked, "I don’t know. I think you’ll find that I'm not easy to convince."
"Then I have my work cut out for me," he replied, "but I think this is going to be a challenge I look forward to topping."
Kurt coughed and glanced away quickly, trying to ignore the way his heart started racing and how his palms got sweaty. "When do you leave?" He asks quietly, wanting to steer the topic away from that.
Completely oblivious to what had caused that reaction, Blaine sighed before he took a sip of his own beer. "Tomorrow...or today....however you look at it. We'll go back to the hotel to get some rest then hit the road."
Kurt smiled. "So is this the part where I ask for your number?"
Blaine laughed. "Probably a good idea before I forget to get yours again. For some reason, all common sense goes out the window whenever you're around," he replied before pulling out his phone and handing it to Kurt.
Kurt hummed a laugh as he took it. He tapped his number in and saved it under Kurt Hummel and then, with a smirk added, “not a fan” in parenthesis next to his name. “Here you go,” he said, handing it back to Blaine.
Seeing the added comment made Blaine laugh as he typed a quick text to Kurt and hit send. He even took a silly selfie and added it. "And now you have mine. You’ll have to send me a picture for me to use.”
Blaine blushed when he heard his words out loud. “I mean, a selfie….like a friendly selfie. Not something like that, God no! That’s….I promise, I’m actually really good with words.”
Kurt raised an eyebrow before he laughed and scrolled through his phone before he settled on a picture of him covered in flour that Juliette had taken after a baking session. "To remind you of the normal," he grinned as he pressed send.
There was something so melodic about Kurt's laugh that made Blaine want to record it and use it as his ringtone. Not that he was going to say that and sound like a complete creeper. "I will treasure it forever," he teased before he slid his phone back. "So when do you go back to Lima?"
"Tomorrow," Kurt replied, "I have a Meet and Greet with Juliette’s teacher Monday and then I have to spend time lesson planning. One of my kids is determined to make me cave and let them sing About Damn Time by Lizzo at their next competition and I'm not ready for that battle.”
"Well I'm sure it's a lot better than them trying to get you to do Down Bad ," Blaine teased.
“Infinitely,” Kurt replied, “What about you? What's next for you?"
"Well, we're off to Memphis next, then Nashville, Atlanta and Orlando, which will be our last stop before we head back to New York. Hopefully this stretch of road won’t be as bad as the last time. We made a pit stop at this gas station and Sam got these burritos. Let’s just say even with the AC on, we had to open the windows.”
Kurt laughed and shook his head. "Eww, that's gross! But I suppose that will teach you to never buy roadside tacos!"
"Hey, I tried to warn him, but he was adamant that it was all part of the touring experience! I prefer actual food that hasn't been sitting out for hours."
There was a mischievous glint to Kurt’s eyes when he grinned. "Then I won't tell you all about the organic, homemade, chocolate cookies I have in my hotel room…or the oven, roasted salmon, I have to cook for dinner at home tomorrow."
"Ugh, stop," he groaned, feeling his stomach rumble, "that sounds incredible right now and that's completely unfair of you to throw in my face when I'll probably be enjoying Taco Bell or something."
Kurt just laughed. "Listen, Jules would live on the cheese quesadillas if I let her. But between her and my dad, it's a battle to get greens into anyone."
"Well, that's because greens are gross," Blaine teased, "it's all about bacon cheeseburgers and chicken wings."
Kurt glared. "Well you'll be no help, I see. The only way I can get Jules to eat broccoli is by calling it a tiny tree or smothering it in cheese."
Blaine grinned like a fool. "Well, if it means I get to spend another day with you, then I will be the epitome of a good role model for Juliette."
"Wow, you must really enjoy my company if you're willing to suffer through my raw broccoli salad."
"Like I said, last night was the best night I've had in a really, really long time," he smiled, "I really didn't want it to end."
Kurt blushed and took a hesitant, slow step forward before ending up in front of Blaine. "Me too," he murmured.
There was a sudden, rapid beating in Blaine's chest. Kurt was close - in kissing distance and he could feel himself getting drawn in. He wanted to...but then his phone started to go off. He groaned and pulled it out, seeing a message from Tina. "Shit," he groaned, "the bus is loaded and ready to go back to the hotel. I should probably...." he trailed off, waving his phone as if the answer was obvious.
Kurt nodded and stepped back, biting his lip before shaking his head and thinking, fuck it. "Travel safe?" He asked before he wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck and hoped for the best.
Blaine was grinning like a fool as he promptly hugged Kurt back. "Yeah, you too," he said. He held on a bit longer before he pulled away. "Hey, Kurt? If, by some chance, I happen to be back in Ohio….would it be okay to call you?”
Kurt bit his lip as he nodded. "I'd be disappointed if you didn't." He murmured quietly
"Well, I can't disappoint you, now, can I?" he said with a grin on his face, "which means if you're ever in New York, you will need to call me too. We can go get coffee at Nero's and have lunch by the mural."
Kurt laughed in disbelief as he reluctantly pulled himself from Blaine's arms. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so safe. "I think you'll be in Ohio long before I can afford New York with a small child."
Blaine laughed as he let go. "I guess we'll see, won't we?" he grinned. He really didn't want to go but his phone kept going off as his friends started to join Tina in hounding him to hurry up. He reached up and put a hand on Kurt's shoulder. "I'm really glad I met you, Kurt," he said before he walked down the hall.
Before he disappeared around the corner, though, he looked back and saw Kurt standing there, watching him. He gave him a smile and a wave before heading out to the bus. Despite this possibly being the last time they saw each other, Blaine felt like this was just the beginning of something between them.
Chapter 5
Summary:
Hey y'all!! Sorry for the delay. I was spending time with my mom in Vegas for a celebration and just got back last night. I meant to get this out before then but work has been hectic as all hell. But now I'm back to my regularly scheduled posting so don't you worry.
Thank you to all the comments and kudos and, of course, thank you to my wonderful beta, JButler!!
Chapter Text
When the gang had returned from Columbus a few weeks ago, apparently everyone had picked up on how he seemed a bit happier. Whether it was a good thing or a bad thing, so did his daughter. So at dinner with the family, he told his parents all about Blaine. “You should have seen it, Burt,” Finn added after swallowing the large scoop of mashed potatoes, “When we went backstage to meet them, they were like bashful teenagers.”
“We were not!”
“Oh yeah, you were! You were totally red in the face and embarrassed and Blaine just stood there, unable to take his eyes off you. I thought for a second he wasn’t even breathing…”
“Does he like my Daddy?” Juliette asked.
“Oh, he most certainly does, JuJu Bean.”
“Oh my God, you’re the worst brother ever.”
“Love you too, little bro.”
Juliette was giggling like a fiend the entire night and up until bedtime. He was tucking her into bed when she asked, “So do you have a boyfriend now, Daddy?’
“No, sweetie,” he muttered, running his fingers through her curls, “we’re just friends.”
“Why aren’t you boyfriends?”
“Well, he’s a very busy guy and he lives very far away. So it wouldn’t make sense for us to be boyfriends when he lives in another state.”
“But do you want to be his boyfriend?”
How was it that little kids were so smart? “I don’t know, Julie Bear.”
He wasn’t lying. Kurt had promised himself that as Juliette got older that he would always be honest with her. He didn’t want to hide things from her, afraid that he would not tell her something important and have it catch her off guard later in life. His dad has always been honest with him and he was going to keep that tradition with his own daughter. Well, almost everything. He was still waiting for the right time to tell her about her other Dad. “But you do like him, right?”
“I do.”
“Then I think you do want to be his boyfriend!”
Oh, if it were only that simple. He chuckled before leaning over and kissing her forehead. “It’s time for bed.”
“No, it’s not! You have to sing me my song!”
“Ugh, you’re right,” Kurt replied, very dramatically as he scooted her over so he could curl up with her in his arms. His fingers kept running through her hair and he began to sing.
"It's a little bit funny, this feelin' inside. I'm not one of those who can easily hide. I don't have much money, but boy, if I did, I'd buy a big house where we both could live…And you can tell everybody, this is your song. It may be quite simple, but now that it's done. I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words, how wonderful life is while you're in the world…”
Kurt looked down and smiled as he saw that Juliette was passed out. He leaned down and kissed her forehead before extracting himself and tucking her in before heading to bed where his phone waited with a text from Blaine.
Blaine - Just hit Nashville.
Blaine - The guys say hi
Blaine - I don’t think this trip will be nearly as fun as Columbus was.
That had started a series of texts between the two. Their conversations weren’t anything really all that special. Some bad jokes here, venting about dumb people there, a lot of crazy antics that Blaine’s friends got up to and were trying to rope him into. Somehow the other guys had gotten his number as well and started sending him texts about how smitten Blaine was, which would then be followed by a text from Blaine about how he shouldn’t listen to them because they’re just shit stirrers.
Deep down, Kurt hoped that what the guys were telling him were true.
Blaine - SOS
Blaine - I need your help
Kurt - Do I even want to know?
Blaine - C’mon, please!
Kurt - Alright, what’s wrong?
Blaine - I need you to convince Elliott and Sebastian that bow ties are, in fact, stylish
“Daddy, why are you smiling at your phone?”
Kurt looked away from his phone and down to his little girl. It was the first day of school and he was standing in line outside of the building to walk her into her classroom. Her backpack, a pink one with unicorns and rainbows, courtesy of her Aunties Tana and Britt, sat atop the blue sweater Kurt had brought her back from Columbus. “One of my friends is just being silly.”
“Is it your friend from far away?”
“Yes, sweetie, it is my friend.”
“Can you tell him I said hi?”
Kurt hummed his approval as he started to text Blaine back.
Kurt - Bow ties are only fashionable in certain instances and they have to be paired with the right outfit.
Kurt - So I would need actual context.
Kurt - Also, Juliette says hi.
Blaine - Hi Juliette!
Blaine - Also, you’re just supposed to agree with me.
Blaine - Today is Juliette’s first day of school, right?
Kurt - Yeah, we’re at the drop off right now.
Kurt - Look, if you want me to agree, you will need to send me more information. You can’t just claim outright that all bow ties are cool.
“What did he say, Daddy?” Juliette asked, tugging on his arm.
Kurt’s smile warmed as he looked down at his daughter. “He says hi Juliette.”
“Ask him when he’s going to come visit!”
“Julie Bear, I already told you, he’s very busy and lives far away. I don’t think he would know when he would be able to come visit.”
Kurt knew that was the truth but he couldn’t help but be disappointed by his own answer. Yeah, it had only been a few weeks but Kurt had to admit, he missed how nice it was to just sit and talk with Blaine. The texting was a good substitute, but there was something about just being in his presence and watching him get flustered and trip over his words that he enjoyed. Not to mention he felt like he could drown in those amber eyes for all of eternity. Not that he would admit that. There was no chance in hell that anything could happen between them. Blaine was a famous singer who lived in New York and toured. Kurt was a drama teacher in Lima with a daughter. Those two lifestyles just didn’t work.
Juliette’s pout was one of epic proportions. Obviously she didn’t like his answer. “Please?”
Kurt sighed. “I’ll ask him, but I can’t make any promises.”
The bell rang and the doors opened. Kurt could feel his phone vibrating but he could check it after he walked Juliette inside. Juliette’s excitement about his conversation with Blaine was quickly replaced with excitement about going to class and meeting her new classmates. As soon as they got to the classroom, he knelt down and gave her a big hug. “I love you, Julie Bear.”
“I love you too, Daddy!”
He squeezed her once more and put a kiss on her forehead before letting her go inside. It wasn’t even two seconds later she was introducing herself to the kid sitting next to her. His daughter, the social butterfly. As soon as he left, he opened his phone and saw that he had been added to a group chat.
Sam - Okay, tell us the truth, Kurt. Bowties? Cool or uncool?
Blaine - I already told you what he said!
Sebastian - Yeah, but you won’t show us what he said and we’re inclined to not believe you.
Blaine - Rude
Kurt laughed as he quickly typed out his response.
Kurt - I already told him that it depends on the context and the outfit. I can’t just say all bowties are cool.
Blaine - See?!
Elliott - Alright, well, here’s the context.
Elliott - We’re going out tonight and Blaine here wants to wear an outfit that makes him look like a college professor.
Elliott - Bow ties are not cool for going to bars!
Kurt - I’m inclined to agree with them, Blaine.
Blaine - Oh come on! James Bond wears bowties!
Sebastian - James Bond also wears them with tuxes and is a secret agent.
Sebastian - You are not.
Kurt - To be fair, if anyone can pull off a bow tie of the four of you, it’s Blaine
There was a pause in the conversation, which was probably a good thing - Kurt had to drive to McKinley, after all. The drive wasn’t long, but there wasn’t a single text coming through. Crap, had he said something and made it weird? From the second he got out of his car, he was checking his phone every few seconds. It was when he got to his classroom that the first text came through and he blushed.
Sebastian - Good job, I don’t think I’ve seen Blaine turn this color before.
Elliott - He’s got it bad for you.
Blaine - OMG GUYS STOP
Sam - What? It’s true! We’ve never seen you this much of a bumbling mess before.
Blaine - I hate all of you.
Kurt honestly didn’t know what to say. He was sitting at his desk, staring at the constant back and forth between the guys as they kept raking him over the coals. Were they just saying that to embarrass Blaine? Thankfully he had the great excuse of class starting as the first bell rang and his first period started piling into the classroom. He sent a quick text.
Kurt - Gotta go, class is about to start. Talk to you guys later.
“Mr. Hummel, you’re really red,” one of his students commented as she took her seat, “are you okay?”
“Yeah, just texting some friends,” he said as he stood up and wrote MUSICALS on the board, “Alright, class, welcome back. We’re going to start the school off with musicals….”
His phone didn’t go off again the rest of the day, giving him the ability to focus on classes and his students as well as prepare for auditions for the Glee Club. Kurt figured he’d give the sign up sheet a week to get enough names and start auditions next week. Unlike his time at McKinley, he didn’t have to worry about not having enough kids. It was refreshing - he didn’t think he could handle having to recruit kids just to get twelve members on top of teaching. How Mr. Schue did it was still beyond him. Now he just had the problem of deciding which kids to keep and who just didn’t make the cut.
Once school was done he headed over to the elementary school and picked up Juliette. As soon as she saw him, her eyes lit up and she ran right up to him. Kurt had to catch her as she jumped at him. “Whoa, easy there, sweetie,” he laughed as he hugged her.
“I had so much fun today!”
“Oh really?” he asked, taking her hand and leading her to the car.
As it turned out, she did. A few of her friends were in her class and she made new friends as well. Juliette filled the entire car ride back with stories about her teacher and her fellow classmates. Apparently there was a boy in her class that just moved here from Virginia and was really shy so she took his hand and became his first friend. Then there was storytime and Miss Henderson read Junnie B. Jones. “Miss Henderson said we’re going to do arts and crafts tomorrow and asked what we wanted to do. I asked if we could make bracelets and she said maybe.”
“Bracelets, huh?” Kurt asked, pulling up to their driveway, “what kind of bracelets?”
“Yarn ones with beads! I want to make them for my class and I want to make one special for you and your friend.”
“Oh? Which friend?”
“Your far away friend.”
Kurt chuckled as he opened the door for her to go inside. “That’s very sweet of you. Do you have any homework?”
Juliette shook her head. “Can I go color?”
“After you put away your bag and change out of your school clothes.”
Juliette grabbed her bag and carried it upstairs to her room as Kurt walked into the kitchen to make her an afternoon snack while he got started with dinner. He turned on his normal playlist but after the first few songs, he suddenly got an urge to listen to something else. So, he pulled up Spotify and pulled up the Neon Riot page. It took him a minute to find the song that Blaine had played on the piano at the concert but as soon as he heard it, he smiled. He could just see Blaine as he listened. Blaine behind the piano with the spotlight on him. His lips barely touching the microphone as he sang the slow, gentle tune to the lyrics he wrote. He imagined the whole arena empty except the two of them, Blaine playing the piano and Kurt standing on the other side watching him.
Kurt’s phone vibrated, pulling him out of his fantasy. When he picked up his phone, he saw a text from Mercedes.
Mercedes - Just got back to the states.
Mercedes - We need to talk.
Oh, Kurt knew he was in for it.
Kurt - Give me two minutes. Just starting up dinner.
He paused his music and put his earpiece in before calling her. Mercedes picked up on the first ring. “ Alright, spill.”
“Why hello, Cedes, it’s good to hear from you. How have you been?” Kurt replied a little teasingly.
"Don't give me that, Kurt Hummel,” she scolded, “ You’ve been holding out on me for far too long. I need details, now spill!"
"Holding out on you about what?” Kurt asked, pretending like he had no idea what Mercedes was talking about, although he had a pretty good inkling as to what she was referring to, “I know I'm a little late on Juliette school photos and Glee Club updates..."
"And as much as I want to hear all about my god-princess, you know that’s not what I mean. I’m talking about the details of what happened between you and Blaine Anderson."
Kurt heaved a sigh as he started to slide the chopped vegetables into the saucepan. “There's not much to say. We met when he was in Columbus, we talked, it was nice. Nothing spectacular or exciting outside of a conversation and me thoroughly embarrassing myself by not knowing who he was."
"Seriously, Kurt, I can't believe you didn't know who he was. Tina has pictures of him in her living room!"
"Do you know when the last time I was in Tina's living room was? It was my baby shower."
"He's also an extra in the background of my album cover."
"Don't take this the wrong way," he muttered, "but I haven't even looked at your album. I have it on my shelf but I listen to it on Spotify."
"Kurt... " Mercedes chuckled in what Kurt knew was disbelief and amusement, "Come on! His face is everywhere! I know you're not that oblivious."
"Maybe I am," he replied nonchalantly, "I don't exactly listen to current music. Outside of you, of course. If it's not kid-friendly or work related, I don't exactly pay attention."
Mercedes sighed quite heavily and Kurt could tell that she was rolling her eyes. "Well, either way, you still need to tell me everything. And I’m not talking about the bare bones. Tell me everything, like when we were in high school!”
Kurt turned down the stove to bring the sauce to a simmer before turning around and leaning against the counter, "Alright, fine. Tina dragged us out to a club and I went outside to get some air. He came up to me, he sat down and we talked a little before we went off to a piano bar, had some drinks and talked even more. He was sweet and charming, fawned over pictures of Juliette...it was maybe one of the best conversations I've had with someone new in a long time."
He hadn't realized how light his tone had gotten or how his smile had grown the more he talked. Kurt could already imagine the evil glint in Mercedes’ eyes. She was bound to hear it in his voice. "Then he had to leave and we forgot to exchange numbers but then we went to the concert and there he was. Tina took us backstage, we talked a bit more, got each other's numbers and now we just text. Now you're all caught up."
"Well, I know that’s a lie,” she replied with that amused tone she used, “It's a good thing I got the full down-low from Blaine since you're over here giving me the cliff-notes!"
Kurt rolled his eyes as Mercedes cackled. “If you already heard the story from him, why are you asking me?”
“Because I wanted to see what you had to say!”
“I’m sure it was pretty much the exact same thing I told you.”
"See, that’s where you’re wrong, Kurt,” she replied and Kurt was pretty sure he could see the smile she had on her face, “ We talked for three hours yesterday and of that time, two and a half were about you. The boy is obsessed with you."
Kurt laughed in disbelief. "Yeah, okay. Whatever you say, Mercedes."
"It’s true! Trust me, I counted."
Kurt leaned against the counter as he chewed his lip. "Well, what did he say?"
"The better question is what didn't he say! He told me everything but through the eyes of a lovesick puppy. He told me all about your eyes and how amazing you are..."
"Oh my God, no he didn't."
"He absolutely did. In fact, I think you're his favourite person."
"I seriously doubt that, especially when he has friends as fabulous as you."
"You’re damn right, I’m fabulous, but I can tell you one thing - he’s never talked about me the way he talked about you yesterday. He's one of my best friends. We tell each other pretty much everything, but it wasn’t always like that. It took us a couple of years to get to that point. You, though? I’m pretty sure he'd quite happily hand you his heart made of glass and not care if you dropped it."
Kurt nervously shifted and tapped his fingers on the counter behind him. "You really think he likes me?"
“Of course he does! How could he not?”
Before he could answer, he felt his phone vibrate next to his ear. He pulled his phone away and smiled when he saw that it was a text from Blaine. "Hey, Mercedes, I gotta go. Your BFF is texting me," he said, glad to have an excuse to avoid answering her question.
"Oh, don't you DARE hang up this phone, Kurt Hummel! Tell me what he said!"
Kurt glanced at the text and smiled.
Blaine - How was your day?
"He asked how my day was."
"Tell him you spent it catching up with me and then tell me what he says."
"You're terrible," he muttered before pulling his phone away and replying.
Kurt - It was good.
Kurt - just catching up with Mercedes
Kurt - she says hi
Blaine - oh no, what is she saying?
"He's a little nervous about what you’re saying. What did you say to him?"
"I may have threatened him a little bit. You’re my boy, Kurt and he needs to know that I look out for my people. So I’m glad he’s nervous. I want him to be a little afraid of me when it comes to you. But, Kurt…" Mercedes paused and when she spoke again, her voice sounded somewhat hesitant, "Try not to break his heart too."
"You don't have to worry about that, Mercedes," he promised, "I would never do something like that."
"I know you wouldn’t, but you have to understand that…” she paused and took a breath, “ let’s just say that there are other ways to break someone's heart. Especially when you live the life of a celebrity. They don’t tell you when you’re younger but being a celebrity is hard. For you and the people around you. So before you agree to anything with him, make sure you’re ready for that and ready to handle it. Okay?"
Kurt smiled softly even though she couldn't see it. "If it gets there, I will. Promise."
"Good. You better keep me updated as things happen."
"Yes, ma'am. Can I go text him now before he starts freaking out that I haven't responded?" He asked playfully.
"You may. I expect a full report before bed."
“I’ll make sure Blaine gives you one.”
“Kurt!”
“Kidding! Love you!”
“Love you too,” she replied with a laugh before she hung up. Kurt chuckled and shook his head as he replied to Blaine.
Kurt - Don’t worry, it was all good.
Kurt - She was just trying to interrogate me about what happened in Columbus.
Blaine - Of course she did. I already told her everything.
Blaine - Between her and the guys, they’ve enjoyed pestering me about every little detail.
Blaine - I figured if I gave them enough that they would avoid bugging you
Blaine - Speaking of the guys, I’m sorry about them earlier
Blaine - They’re a little chaotic
Blaine - Anyway, you never answered my question. How was your day?
How was your day? It was so docile. So simple, and yet, to Kurt, it felt like everything. How was your day? Blaine actually wanted to know how his day was. He was in New York, probably busy with recording and writing, definitely getting ready to go out with the guys, but had the time to stop and ask him how his day was. Owen didn’t even ask him how his day was when they were married.
Kurt - It’s okay. They’re your friends.
Kurt - They seem like the kind of guys who enjoy embarrassing one another.
Kurt - My day was good. I have a lot of good students and I’m very excited to get started planning on the fall production.
Kurt - Next week is Glee Club auditions.
Kurt - How was your day? Besides dealing with three overgrown teenagers?
Blaine - God, they really are overgrown teenagers.
Blaine - They’re the worst, but I wouldn’t trade them for anything.
Blaine - Today was good. Just started workshopping some songs for the next album.
Blaine - Tell me more about this fall production.
Kurt - Honestly, that’s about the extent of it, I’m afraid.
Kurt - I still have a few weeks before I have to choose a production.
Kurt - I know I want to do a musical, but I’m not sure which one. There are so many good ones!
Blaine - Well, which one is your favorite?
Kurt - See, that’s like asking if I have a favorite student.
Kurt - I really don’t have a favorite.
Kurt - There’s just so many!
Kurt - Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Moulin Rouge
Kurt - I would love to do Moulin Rouge, but I don’t know if that would get cleared.
Kurt - Although we did do Rocky Horror Picture Show my junior year
Kurt - Kinda. We didn’t actually perform it.
Blaine - WAIT, YOU WERE IN ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW?!
Blaine - Please say you were Brad
Kurt - No, Riff Raff. My brother, Finn, was Brad.
Kurt - Like I said, we didn’t actually end up performing it
Kurt - I guess I could see if Principle Schue would okay Moulin Rouge
Blaine - You should.
Blaine - What’s the worst thing that can happen? He says no?
Blaine - When would the Fall production be?
Kurt - I think I will.
Kurt - Typically our Fall productions are in mid-November.
Kurt - It always gets a little chaotic at that time because Sectionals are around that time too
Blaine - Well, you should let me know when your opening night is.
Blaine - Maybe I can make some time to come see it.
Kurt reread that last text a few times. Did Blaine just say he’d come out to Ohio?
Kurt - You don’t have to. I’m sure you’ll be plenty busy and it’s right around the holidays.
Blaine - No, I would like to
Blaine - I want any excuse to spend more time with you.
Kurt’s fingers hovered over his keyboard. What did he say? That he would really like to see Blaine again? How honored he felt that Blaine would make the trip just to see him put on a high school production? Ask why Blaine would do that for someone he barely even knew? Blaine replied, though, before he could think of an answer.
Blaine - Unless you don’t want me to.
Kurt - No, I do
Kurt - Want you to come out, I mean.
Kurt - Juliette actually asked when you were going to come visit.
Kurt - I would definitely like for you to come out and visit.
Blaine - Great!
Blaine - I’ll make sure I’m not doing anything in November except flying out there.
Blaine - Gotta go, we’re getting ready to head out
Blaine - Sans bowtie, in case you were wondering.
Kurt - Have fun
Kurt - Try not to chat up any other random guys that are more interesting than me.
Kurt was putting his phone away when it vibrated one more time. He checked it before he set it down and felt his face burning red.
Blaine - There are no guys more interesting than you.
Chapter 6
Notes:
New week, new chapter! The response to this story has been incredible. Sincerely, thank you. Fans like you are the reason I keep writing. I'm just so glad y'all are here, reading and enjoying it.
Of course, big shout out to JButler for beta'ing and yelling at me for overthinking things. I need it.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Blaine - Guess who is going to be in Ohio next week.
The second Kurt got that text message, his heart started beating faster. Blaine and Kurt had been texting pretty regularly - they would exchange good mornings, Blaine always making sure Kurt told Juliette he said hello, occasional texting during Kurt’s lunch if Kurt didn’t have too much going on and then in the evening when Kurt was making dinner. Despite how often they texted, Kurt was pretty adamant that the two of them were just friends. Mercedes’ warning was still ringing in his ears. He didn’t want to jump into something that he wasn’t ready for. Not just to protect himself and Juliette but to protect Blaine too.
“Dude, you’re blushing,” Finn commented as he sat down across from Kurt’s desk in his office in the choir room. It was their lunch break but Kurt and Finn were working together to come up with an idea for the homecoming game halftime show.
Kurt dropped his phone on his desk, startled by Finn’s arrival, even though he was already expecting him. “I’m not blushing.”
“Yeah, you are. Is it your boyfriend again?”
“He’s not my boyfri-hey, that’s my phone!”
Before Kurt could reach for his phone and yank it away, Finn had it in his hand and was scrolling through his text message conversation with Blaine. “Wow, you guys text like, all the time.”
“Give that back!”
Kurt lunged forward, trying to get his phone from Finn but Finn scooted his chair back and held it out of Kurt’s reach. “Hey, he’s going to be in Ohio! That’s great! Are you going to see him?”
Having enough of it, Kurt had gotten up and rounded his desk to snatch his phone from his brother’s hand. “Firstly, how would you feel if I went through your phone conversations with Rachel? Secondly, I don’t know where in Ohio he’s going to be. He could be going to Cincinnati, for all I know.”
“Kurt, he told you he was going to be in Ohio, which means he’s probably going to be close! If he is, you should totally see him!”
“With what time? You know that Fall is the busiest semester for me. I have sectionals to prepare for, the fall production and Juliette's dance classes and recitals. There's no way I could go anywhere and do anything unless it was local and I don't think Blaine would want to come to a place like Lima.”
"I bet he would because you're here.”
The cheeky grin on Finn’s face made him roll his eyes and chuck his bag of chips at him. "You're ridiculous.”
"But you love me.”
"Begrudgingly,” Kurt muttered under his breath as he looked at the text. He had been trying to think of what to say back but every text felt just wrong. Why couldn't Blaine explain more in his text? Finn noticed the knitted brow furrow on Kurt. "Just text him back.”
"I've been trying to but I don't know what to say.”
“Yes you do," Finn said encouragingly “you're just overthinking it. Come on, you got this. Or, if you're really struggling, I can always text him for you."
“Absolutely not," Kurt said before he made a groaning noise. This shouldn’t be so hard. Maybe Finn was right - he was overthinking it. It didn’t have to be anything crazy. All he had to do was answer the question. So with a breath, he picked up his phone and typed up a text.
Kurt - I'm guessing it's you. What brings you to Ohio?
He made sure to hit send before he talked himself out of it. He was about to put his phone down when Blaine’s reply came almost instantaneously.
Blaine - My parents just moved back to Westerville so I'm helping them unpack.
Kurt - Wow, that's great!
Blaine - So I know it's a couple hours away but maybe we can find some time to meet up while I'm nearby.
Blaine - if you wanted to.
Kurt's face flushed and he smirked. Blaine wanted to meet up. He was trying hard not to read into it. “What did he say?" Finn asked, noticing the look on Kurt's face.
"He's going to be in Westerville to help his parents unpack. He asked if I wanted to meet up.”
"See? I told you,” Finn replied rather smugly, “You're going to go see him, right?”
Kurt sighed and shrugged. "I mean, I want to but I already told you, I can't. I have so much going on here. I can't just run off for a day to Westerville.”
“Yeah, you can. I can watch Juliette for you and Sectionals and the play won't suffer because you took a day off."
Finn was right but Kurt was having a hard time accepting it. He knew he would feel guilty taking a day off when he had so many responsibilities. “I don't know…”
"Kurt,” Finn interrupted, giving Kurt a stern look, "you have a guy who is clearly interested in you. For once, do something for yourself instead of everyone else. You've earned this. And you know Burt would tell you the exact same thing I would.”
Finn was right. He could literally hear his dad's voice in his head. Kurt looked at his phone and sighed.
Kurt - I might be able to work you in…I just don't know if I can make it to Westerville. I have a lot of stuff going on here.
Blaine - Then I guess I'll just have to come see you.
Blaine - I'm guessing the weekend works best for you, right?
Kurt - Really?
Kurt - I mean, yeah, weekend works best but aren't you supposed to be helping your parents unpack?
Kurt - Westerville is a couple hour drive
Blaine - I'm sure they'll manage just fine without me for a day.
Blaine - Text me what time and the address and I'll be there 😁
I’ll be there. Blaine was actually willing to go out of his way to come see Kurt when he was in Ohio. This was a sign, right? The corners of his lips were pulled into a smile and he could feel how warm and flushed his face was as he kept reading the text over and over. Finn, who could only see Kurt’s face, was literally vibrating with anticipation. “So, what did he say?”
“He said he wants to come see me. He’ll come up on the weekend and wants me to text him the address and time.”
“Dude, that’s awesome!” Clearly Finn was just as excited about this as Kurt felt. “You just let me know when to pick up Juliette. JuJu Bean and I will have a great Uncle-Niece day together while you go have fun with your boyfriend .”
Kurt smiled and nodded, staring at his phone all while Finn got up. It wasn’t until Finn was already out of his door when Kurt realized what he said and immediately yelled, “He’s not my boyfriend!”
I t was Friday and Kurt finally understood why people said ‘thank God it’s Friday’ on days like today. After coordinating with Finn on when he would pick up Juliette so Kurt could spend the whole day with Blaine. He still wasn't quite sure what he would do, though. There really wasn't much in Lima to do. Maybe the old bridge? No, that was too personal. Or maybe they could go to the Cone Zone and then walk around the mall? That was probably a horrible idea - people would recognize Blaine and a trip to the mall could turn into a swarm of fans wanting autographs and pictures.
Okay, this was ridiculous. Kurt was overthinking this. They didn’t have to do anything. If Blaine was moving boxes and unpacking, maybe he would just want a quiet evening relaxing. Kurt could make lunch and they could just relax and talk at his house. And if Blaine wanted to do something, well, Kurt could try to come up with something or see what Blaine would be interested in. That, of course, was all tomorrow's problems. For now, he needed to get through today. There was Glee Club rehearsal and then Friday Night family dinners. Blaine could wait until tomorrow.
“Excuse me? Could you, perhaps, help me out for a second?”
Kurt froze. His eyes grew wide. There was no way, right? He slowly spun around but as his eyes landed on the owner of the voice, he had to blink just to make sure he wasn’t mistaken. “Blaine?”
Blaine smirked and shrugged while holding his hands out in a showy fashion. “Surprise!”
It still wasn’t registering that Blaine was here, standing in front of him. He was dressed very casually - well, as casually as a famous rockstar could. Perfectly styled curls, a black long sleeve under a grey and white pinstripe blazer and light wash jeans with….were those loafers? His mouth opened and closed a few times as his brain caught up with the visual that was right in front of his face. “Oh my God….you’re here! Wait, what are you doing here? I thought you were coming to Lima tomorrow?”
Blaine beamed. "I got in early. Thought I could surprise you!"
"Consider me surprised," he stuttered, smiling, "how did you know where I would be?"
"Ooh, I have my ways, Kurt Hummel," he smiled as he lowered his arms. However, there was a flash of nervousness across his face. "This is okay, right?"
"No...I mean, yes," he corrected, giving Blaine a warm smile, "It's okay. I'm just surprised. In a good way! It's really good to see you."
Blaine looked uncertain. "You definitely look shocked."
He stepped forward and carefully offered Kurt a hug, which Kurt took rather quickly. The second his arms were wrapped around him, he could feel his muscles relax. It seemed Blaine really was worried. "How are you?" Blaine asked.
"I'm good," Kurt replied, "I spent most of my day excited that I was going to see you tomorrow. What about you?"
"Even better now I can see you again," Blaine replied with a grin. They held onto the hug tightly for a minute before Blaine stood back. "Tina mentioned you liked to come here to work on stuff instead of your office.”
“Tina would be correct.”
“I’m glad she was,” he smiled before nodding at him, “So, what are you working on?"
"Oh, um," Kurt laughed nervously, "I'm trying to come up with a number for sectionals. Nationals are actually supposed to be in New York this year so I want to make sure we get there with the best routines possible. Which probably means I'm overthinking it." He chewed on his lip for a second. "Do you want to have coffee and give me your thoughts?"
"Of course. Walk me through what you got so far,” Blaine said as he turned to the barista and ordered his coffee.
Kurt put in his order and paid for both of them. "Well, I have these two superstars that I think would kill with a cover of Shallow and it would be a great opening number but I then need a group number. Something grandiose but as moving and emotional as Shallow but I'm not sure what."
Blaine nodded along. "Have you got a good mix of voices?"
"Incredible! Lily is a powerhouse and Nick has such a huge range. And Rebecca has so much passion and energy.... They're Nationals winning, I just know it."
"So what songs have you been considering for a group number?"
"I was thinking Don't Stop Me Now but I don't know if that would be too wild after Shallow ."
Watching Kurt, Blaine couldn't help but smile. It was good to see him in his element. "Have you considered something from modern Broadway? You Will Be Found from Dear Evan Hansen ?"
"I did but then I got worried they would be too thematic that they wouldn't be easily distinguishable and it would seem like we're a one trick pony... And now you see how much I overthink things."
Blaine chuckled. "Just a little bit, yeah. Is there a theme for this year's show choir?"
"Inspiration," he said, drawing it out and wiggling his fingers to add to the showiness of it. "I know, helpful, right?"
The showiness of Kurt’s answer got another chuckle out of Blaine and Kurt couldn’t help but feel quite proud that he could make him laugh so easily. "They don't have to make them so difficult to interpret,” he replied sarcastically, “well, Neon Riot has a couple of songs along that vein that are less… enthusiastic than the ear worm that you kinda know."
When Blaine gave him a look, he felt his face color. "They're B side too, so it wouldn't necessarily be a popular grab amongst the show choir community."
Kurt chuckled as his fingers tapped the sides of his coffee cup. "You're trying to convert me, aren't you?"
"Would I do that?" Blaine asked cheekily.
"I don't know, would you?" He laughed before taking a drink.
Blaine shrugged as he picked up his coffee. "What about Born This Way ? Or Fight Song by Rachel Platten?"
Kurt sighed wistfully. "I do love Born This Way . We did it as a project my junior year."
When Blaine grinned that devilish smirk, Kurt felt a wave of curiosity. "I might have Googled the New Directions whilst I was away... Your Likes Boys t-shirt was very inspiring."
"Oh my God," he laughed, his face turning red, "I didn't even know that was on the Internet."
"YouTube knows all," Blaine grinned. "It was on the McKinley High School account."
"Of course it was. And I'm sure Tina had no problem helping you find it," he teased, "did you do show choir in high school?"
Blaine shook his head. "Not show choir, no. My school in LA didn't have one and the teacher was a little swamped so I did what I could. Choir, open mic nights, talent shows," Blaine shrugged as he listed off his extracurriculars, "I just loved music so I did everything I could to participate in it."
"Oh wow," Kurt muttered, "I'm surprised. I would have thought of all the places, schools in LA would have show choirs."
"I was surprised," Blaine said, "But then again, I don't think I know of any California show choirs apart from Throat Explosion, and they were some elite school in the Valley."
"Maybe the others weren't just that good," he shrugged, "but I bet your high school was a lot different than any school here in Ohio."
Blaine shrugged. "I mean, to some extent. Tina kind of told me what your high school was like and it was pretty similar. It probably wasn't as consistent but I got bullied because my parents had less money than most. I wasn't considered an elite, even if I went to school with kids of parents who worked in LA and Hollywood. I'm unclear if getting jumped my freshman year on my way home was because I was gay or because my peers perceived me as lower class but bullying is bullying. I don't really think the reason matters."
"Oh wow," Kurt muttered, reaching across the table and putting a hand over Blaine's, "I'm sorry to hear that. I always thought schools in places like LA were more tolerant."
Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand. "They are, for the most part. Especially in the last few years when gay marriage was legalized federally, but there are assholes everywhere."
When Blaine looked up, he smiled softly. "You don't need to apologize for them."
"Yeah, well, I doubt those assholes apologized to you so someone should," Kurt replied with a shrug.
"Actually, one of them did," Blaine replied with a quirky smirk, "It was at graduation. He said he felt pressured to fit in with the other guys because their dads were all best friends in school and wanted them to be friends together. He said it took him a real long time to realize he could just be honest with his dad and his dad would drop it. Apparently when he told his dad, his dad said that he ' didn't realize his friends had raised twot waffles .' His words."
Kurt choked on a surprise laugh. “That’s so colorful.”
Blaine laughed lightly and nodded. "But pretty accurate. Anyway, turns out we had a lot in common and he plays bass guitar for me every now and then. Outside of that, he works on movie soundtracks, mostly with Warner Brothers."
"Well, at least one of them did," he said, "high school pressure is kind of a funny thing. We think if we don't fit in there it's the end of the world and end up doing things we end up not being proud of. Or hiding who we are."
Blaine nodded slowly at the comment. "We do," Blaine continued to play with Kurt's fingers tenderly. "But I think it also makes us stronger, more able to deal with the no's in life because of what happens to us in high school. I tried to channel it to make me stronger emotionally."
Kurt smiled. "Me too. Well, kind of. I use it to be the kind of teacher I wish I had back when I was in high school."
Blaine grinned. "Are you the favorite teacher?"
He chuckled and shook his head. "Not with everyone. The hockey kids still give me shit. I think the football kids would too if their coach wasn't my brother. But I'm used to the jocks not being my number one fan."
Blaine laughed "Do you have jocks in the choir?"
"Two. Both football players. Just continuing the long tradition of mixing football with show choir. It isn't always pretty but it works. You should have seen the rivalry back when I was in high school. It was almost like World War Three between Glee and football."
Blaine grinned and bit his lip. "Tina mentioned..." He trailed off. Then teasingly raised his left hand and murmured, “ if you like it then you should put a ring on it… ”
Kurt’s face blanched. "She did not!" He groaned, "Oh God, I'm going to kill her! What else did she tell you?"
Blaine laughed at Kurt's shock. "Just that you joined the football team and scored the winning field goal for the only game the football team won that year...using Beyonce."
"Well, it was either that or come out to my Dad. Not that it mattered. I ended up coming out to him after that game. Then I became the only out kid in my school. Did Tina mention that?"
Blaine winced and shook his head. "No, she didn’t mention that. Were you really the only one? That must have been so isolating..."
"Yep," he replied with a nod, "gay and in show choir. I couldn't get any lower on the totem pole. Junior year was the worst. There was this guy who made it his life's mission to make my life a living hell. Turns out, he was also gay but hated himself for it so much that he took it out on me. He wound up getting expelled when he…” Kurt paused and shivered as he thought back to that day with Karofsky. It was years ago but it still haunted him every now and again. “Well, let’s just say it escalated. After that, Finn and the rest of the guys in Glee worked extra hard to make me feel more included. It was nice. It didn't stop the bullying but it got less intense after that."
Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand. "That's rough and incredibly fucked up, but I'm glad that the school did something about him.”
With a quick glance, Blaine noticed the clock on the wall. “Speaking of school, what time do you have to be back?"
Kurt looked at his watch and sighed. "Shit, I have to go pick up Juliette from school soon. Then I got Glee Club rehearsal and then family dinner."
“Family dinner?”
“Yeah, it’s a tradition. Every Friday, Juliette and I meet up with my dad, step-mom and Finn and we have family dinner. It’s nothing special but it keeps us close.”
"I don’t know, sounds pretty special to me,” Blaine replied with a smile, “anything I can do to help?"
"Make more time in the day?" He laughed, "No, I think I can handle everything. Unfortunately I'm used to having a thousand things to do." He chewed on his lip for a second, "unless.... I don't know, you can say no if you want..."
Blaine quirked an eyebrow. "I'm learning there's very little you'll be able to ask me that will result in a no and I'm not sure if that's good or bad."
"I'll try not to abuse that," he said, "I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to join us for our family dinner?"
The smile that spread across Blaine’s face gave Kurt the answer before he even spoke. "That sounds lovely."
Kurt brightened up. "Great! It's at seven at my house. I'll text you the address."
"Sounds good,” Blaine replied as they both stood up and disposed of their empty coffee cups.
"Wonderful,” Kurt said with a smile. He paused for a moment before adding, “I'm really glad you're here. You made my Friday even better."
Blaine smiled. "And you make all my days brighter. I can't wait for later."
With their hands free, they stepped towards each other and hugged. "Do you want me to bring anything?" Blaine asked.
"Oh no, you don't have to bring anything. You're my guest."
"Well, in my family, the guest always brings something. So I guess I'll just have to surprise you."
"You mean more than you already have by showing up here a day early?"
Blaine just grinned and squeezed Kurt's tighter. "That's my plan."
Kurt's face was burning a little bit. "You like surprising people, don't you?"
"Just you," Blaine whispered before he gave Kurt a final squeeze and let go, “I’ll see you tonight.”
Blaine gave him a wave before he left the Lima Bean. It took Kurt a few minutes to wrap his head around the fact that he had just invited Blaine Anderson to family dinner before he remembered that he was supposed to be going to pick up his daughter. That spurned him to finally run to his car.
Tonight was going to be one of the most interesting family dinners he had ever had.
Notes:
Up next - Blaine meets the family!!! More importantly, Blaine meets Juliette!! Buckle up!
Chapter 7
Summary:
FAMILY DINNER!!
Notes:
And here we are - Juliette gets to meet Blaine for the first time!! Thank you, once again, for all the feedback and support. You readers are incredible. I value each and every one of you.
And, of course, thanks to JButler for putting up with me and beta'ing this so that this story is perfect for y'all. Lots of love!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Sam - Dude, I can’t believe you’re going to have dinner with his family!!
Sam - That’s insane!!
Sebastian - Well, so is Blaine. He’s head over heels for this guy who is average looking at best
Elliott - He’s not average looking. He’s sweet. I can see why Blaine likes him
Blaine - Guys, you are not helping!
Blaine - I need to know what to wear!!
Sebastian - Wear your fuck me jeans
Blaine - First off, I don’t have fuck me jeans
Blaine - Second, need I remind you that I’m having dinner with his PARENTS, BROTHER and DAUGHTER
Sebastian - Is that supposed to convince me that you don’t want to fuck him?
Blaine groaned as he threw his phone down on the bed of his hotel. Why did he think that telling the guys about this was a good idea? Of course they were going to give him crap instead of being helpful and of course Sebastian would think he was only looking for a quick screw. Maybe it was crazy that he had planned an impromptu trip to Ohio to have an excuse to see Kurt and yes, maybe it was crazy that he was going to have dinner with his whole family after only knowing him for a few months, but Blaine couldn't exactly explain what it was about Kurt that drew Blaine in but there was just something .
That night spent with Kurt had been one of the greatest nights he could recall in recent memory. Talking to Kurt was so natural, like breathing, and Blaine didn't want the night to end. Then his manager called an emergency meeting and he had to leave before getting Kurt’s number. By the time he realized that, it was too late and Blaine mentally berated himself for being such an idiot. He thought that would be the end of it until Tina brought her friends back to meet them and there he was. Like the world had brought him back for a second chance. Blaine wasn't going to let that go to waste.
Their single, Glitter Rock Vampire started playing from his phone. Blaine let out an audible groan as he answered the call. “El, unless you're calling to help me out, I really don't want to talk. I've got about an hour before I'm supposed to be over at Kurt's and this is not something I am going to be late to."
“Easy, tiger, I'm calling to help you out. I, for one, think this is great. So, turn on your camera and let me see what your options are."
Blaine smiled in relief as he turned on his camera. Elliott's smiling face greeted him, along with a wave. “ Wow, you look nervous. "
“I thought you were calling to help me."
“Oh, I am. That's why I'm mentioning it because if I can see it, Kurt definitely will. You have nothing to be nervous about. "
“Really? I have nothing to be nervous about?” Blaine asked with a disbelieving laugh as he opened up the closet of his hotel room, “I’m meeting his family ! I think I have everything to be nervous about it.”
“I think you’re freaking out over nothing. You’ve already met his brother and, by the way, if we ever need a drummer, he’s the first on our list. The guy can play drums like no other. ”
Blaine laughed, picking up a shirt before promptly hanging it back up when Elliott adamantly told him no. “Alright, I’ve met one of his family members. There’s still his parents.”
“Who, as far as they’re aware, just think you are some friend. I doubt that you’ll be getting the ‘what are your intentions with our son’ sort of talk tonight unless you stare too long and dopey-faced at him the whole night. ”
“Which is very possible.”
“And even if you do, how can they not love you? Out of all of us, you’re the most pleasant guy for a ‘meet the folks’ kind of dinner. They’ll love you .”
“You’re forgetting his daughter.”
There was a beat of silence as Blaine stared very knowingly at Elliott’s picture on the phone. He could see the cogs working in Elliott’s brain as he tried to come up with something reassuring to say. “See? Even you can’t spin that. His daughter is the most important person in his life. If she doesn’t like me…”
“Why do you think she won’t like you? ”
Blaine sighed as he leaned against the closet wall and ran his fingers through his curls. That reminded him - he needed to do something about his hair. “I’ve never really been around kids before. Especially young ones. What if she thinks I’m scary or I say something completely inappropriate or I’m too boring?”
The laughter that erupted from his speakers caused Blaine to turn and glare at his friend. “Really?”
“Sorry, B, but I mean, come on! You? Boring? Those two do not go in the same sentence. You’re overthinking this completely and stressing yourself out. Relax. It’ll help you with this. The more uptight and stressed you are, the worse you’re going to make this be for yourself. Just go there, be yourself and everything will work out the way it’s meant to. ”
“But what if they don’t like who I am?”
“Does Kurt like you? ”
Blaine’s face burned with sheepishness. “I mean, I certainly hope so.”
“The answer is yes, he does. Otherwise he would have told you to get lost after you sent him those Dad jokes. ”
“He’s a dad! Of course he’s going to find them funny!”
“The point is, Blaine, that he does like you. He invited you over for dinner with his family. A guy doesn’t invite someone over for something like that if he isn’t remotely interested. ”
Elliott was right, as per usual. Sometimes Blaine hated how right Elliott was, but at this point, he was actually glad that Elliott’s logic was helpful. He smiled and nodded at the camera. “Thank you, El.”
“You’re welcome, B. Now, enough freaking out about dinner and let’s get you dressed. That way, in case you do totally embarrass yourself, you’ll look amazing doing it. ”
Kurt was glad that Finn could come over a bit earlier to help him get ready for dinner. Juliette was very excited to meet Kurt’s new friend and thus, was a big ball of energy. Finn was able to occupy her time as Kurt finished tidying up the house - well, as good as it was going to get with a six year old - and get dinner going and in the oven. Everything was coming out on time and, with it being fifteen minutes before seven, Kurt was doing a final check on the roasting chicken before joining Finn and Juliette in the living room. From the moment Finn had arrived, he had heard them singing Disney tunes to her sing-along movie that she loved. Apparently Finn had just finished singing Friend Like Me , leaving Juliette in giggles as Finn posed like the genie. “You two having fun?” he asked as he admired the scene he walked in on.
“We are, aren’t we JuJu Bean,” Finn smiled as he picked her up and held her on his hip.
“Uncle Finn is a very silly dancer.”
“Oh, you have no idea,” Kurt laughed, “how about you go upstairs and get ready for dinner?”
“But Daddy, I want you to sing with us.”
“Yeah, little bro, sing with us."
Kurt laughed at the very excited, expectant faces of his brother and daughter. His little girl really did have them wrapped around her fingers. “Alright, one song then you go wash up."
Juliette squealed in delight as Kurt picked the song. As the music started, he took her from Finn and started to recite the intro. “Ma chère Mademoiselle, it is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure that we welcome you tonight. And now, we invite you to relax, let us pull up a chair as the dining room proudly presents: Your dinner.”
Kurt sat Juliette on the couch as Finn started up. “Be our guest, be our guest. Put our service to the test! Tie your napkin 'round your neck, cherie, and we provide the rest."
Then Kurt took back over. “Soup de jour, hot hors d’oeuvres, why we only live to serve. Try the grey stuff, it's delicious! Don't believe me? Ask the dishes! ”
As if choreographed, Finn and Kurt started to dance around the living room, much to the delight of Juliette, all while Kurt continued to sing. "They can sing, they can dance. After all, Miss, this is France, and a dinner here is never second best. Go on, unfold your menu, take a glance and then you'll be our guest. Oui, our guest, be our guest!”
Finn and Kurt continued to sing together, dancing around and making Juliette laugh until Finn heard a knock at the door. Kurt, who was in the middle of Lumiere’s slow part, hadn't noticed so Finn went to pull open the door. He figured, with it still being early, that it would be their parents but when he opened the door, he was pleasantly surprised to see it was Blaine. "Hey, man, good to see you!”
"You too. I hope I'm not too early.”
"No, not at all. We're just entertaining the little one. Come on in!”
Finn stepped aside to let Blaine in before calling out, "Kurt, we got a guest!"
Which seemed to time perfectly with the song as Kurt, who was now carrying Juliette around, arrived while singing, “It's a guest, it's a guest! Sakes a- Blaine!"
Kurt stopped, his face turning a light shade of pink as he spotted their guest. “Hey," Blaine greeted, amusement evident on his face.
"Hi,” Kurt greeted back, taking a moment to appreciate how nice Blaine looked, although now he wished he had changed. Here Blaine was in a nice pair of black jeans and a button down blue shirt while Kurt was still rocking his jeans and a green Henley. It was Juliette that broke his trance as she announced, "Daddy, that's not how the song goes!"
The three men chuckled in unison as Kurt approached Blaine, keeping his little girl balanced in his hip. “You're right, it's not, but we do have a guest. This is my far away friend I was telling you about. Why don't you say hi to Mr. Blaine?"
Juliette turned her head to see this new friend. Her eyes lit up as she greeted very enthusiastically, “Hi, Mr. Blaine!"
“Hi, Juliette. It's very nice to meet you. I got you something," Blaine said as he reached into the bag he had been carrying and pulled out a flower crown made of daisies. Juliette’s eyes lit up as she reached forward to take it from him. “I love it!”
Kurt chuckled as Juliette put it on her head. “What do we say?”
“Thank you, Mr. Blaine!”
“You’re very welcome, Juliette.”
Once the crown was on her head, she turned and asked Blaine, “Uncle Finn says you like Daddy more than a friend. Is that true?"
Finn covered his mouth with his palm to stop the laughter from coming as both Blaine and Kurt turned red. Thankfully, Kurt swooped in to save Blaine from answering. “Grandma and Grandpa should be here soon so why don't you go wash up for dinner?"
He gave her a kiss on the cheek and set her down so she could run upstairs. Finn, who was still chuckling under his breath, excused himself, saying he was going to make sure Juliette didn't need any help. Kurt knew she didn't and that Finn was just making an excuse to give Kurt and Blaine a moment together but he didn't say as much. He just waited for them to both be upstairs before laughing nervously. "Sorry about that. I've learned the hard way that six year olds have no filter.”
"It's okay. She's very adorable."
Kurt smirked as his embarrassment started to fade. “Why don't I show you around?"
“That would be great…oh, also, I brought this.”
Blaine held up the gift bag that he had pulled the flower crown out of. "It's just a bottle of wine."
“That's very sweet of you. Even though I told you that you didn’t need to bring anything," Kurt said, pulling out the bottle and admiring it for a moment. Damn, this was an expensive bottle! “Wow! This is nice! I'll open it up to let it breathe so we can enjoy it later."
Kurt led Blaine around the downstairs of the house, giving him a brief tour after he poured the wine into a decanter. When they got to his office space, Kurt noticed how Blaine's eyes lingered on the upright piano. “I know, it's not the fanciest, but it works for when I need to test some arrangements for Glee Club.”
"You write the arrangements?”
"Sometimes. When we're doing mashups or adjusting a song for the genre. I am in no way a composer - typically I try it out then I give it to our band director at school who then fixes it so it actually works."
“That's still pretty impressive, Kurt. Not a lot of people can alter arrangements like that."
Kurt felt his face burn a bit at the praise. “Well, you say that without hearing anything that I've worked on, so don't be too impressed just yet.”
“Well, I would love to hear whatever you're working on."
The doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of Burt and Carole. "Maybe another time.”
“I’ll hold you to that.”
They left the office and headed down the hall, just in time to see Finn opening the door for their parents. He gave them each a hug right before Juliette launched herself onto Burt. “Grandpa, guess what? Daddy's far away friend is here!”
“Is he?” Burt asked, spotting his son with the stranger right behind him.
“Yep, he sure is,” Kurt replied, moving and giving his dad a hug so he could whisper in his ear, “be nice.”
“When am I not?” Burt asked, just for Kurt to hear before he approached Blaine with his hand outstretched, “We’ve heard a lot about you, son.”
“Good things, I hope, Mr. Hummel,” Blaine replied nervously as he shook his hand.
“Burt, please. No one calls me Mr. Hummel. Not even my customers. This is my wife, Carole.”
Carole, ever the blusher, stepped forward and shook his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Blaine. As soon as Kurt told us you were coming to dinner, we were very excited to meet you.”
Kurt groaned and shook his head, feeling a twinge of embarrassment from his parents. “You make it sound like I talk about him all the time.”
“That’s because you always are,” Burt pointed out as he put a hand on Blaine’s shoulder. Kurt glanced nervously at Blaine, noticing how Blaine’s eyes sparked with some nervousness at the touch by his father. “I, for one, can’t wait to hear more about you over dinner.”
“I want to sit next to Mr. Blaine!” Juliette announced, running forward and taking Blaine’s hand. Kurt had to admit that the panic on Blaine's face was almost as priceless as the hurt look on Finn's. “What about me, JuJu Bean?" He asked in shock.
"I sit next to you all the time.”
"That's because I'm your favorite uncle!”
Kurt chuckled as he looked at Blaine. Blaine seemed a little nervous but, at the same time, very enthusiastic. "I would love to sit next to you, Juliette. Why don't you show me where we're going to sit?”
Juliette nodded and pulled Blaine by the hand into the dining room, talking a thousand words per minute the entire way. It made Kurt chuckle as his dad clapped a hand to his shoulder. “Seems like Juliette likes him already."
“Seems so, huh?"
Kurt bypassed the dining room and went to grab the dishes and bring them out to the table. Juliette was chatting with Blaine, telling him all about school, dance classes and her stuffed animals. Finn helped Kurt with the food while Burt and Carole sat down at the table. Burt gave Kurt a look as he sat down the roasted chicken and vegetables. “Really, kid? No mashed potatoes?”
“You’re lucky I put any potatoes in the roasted vegetables, Dad.”
Blaine looked slightly confused so Carole helped him out. “Burt had a heart attack almost fifteen years ago. Ever since, Kurt has been on at his dad about eating healthy.”
“Almost fifteen years, being the key part of that statement,” Burt added, “and I haven’t had one since, so I think it’s safe to say I can expand my diet a little bit.”
“OR,” Kurt butt in as he started carving the chicken, “you haven’t had one in almost fifteen years because you’ve been eating healthier. Ever think about that, Dad?”
Finn and Juliette were laughing behind their hands. Blaine, too, appeared amused by the little playful squabble between father and son. It was clear that these two loved each other very, very much. “You have a little girl you need to be watching out for, not your old man.”
“I am very good at multitasking. You also complain a lot more than a six year old about your vegetables.”
“Down, boys,” Carole interrupted before their very light-hearted argument kept going. Both Kurt and Burt shared the obvious Hummel grin as Kurt finally sat down on the other side of Juliette. He caught Blaine’s eyes out of the corner of his and couldn’t help but notice how Blaine seemed to be staring at him. Almost as if he was admiring him. “This looks very delicious, Kurt,” Blaine complimented, immediately turning Kurt’s face a light shade of pink.
“Kurt’s always been quite the cook,” Burt added as he scooped some vegetables onto his plate, “he and his mom used to cook together all the time. He would make paper chef hats for him and Lizzy….”
“Oh my God, Dad!” Kurt groaned, quickly covering his face with his hands. Although this didn’t deter Burt from continuing the story.
“Without fail, I would walk into our kitchen and see them in these chef hats having a grand old time while making dinner. It was one of the highlights of my evening after work. Coming home, hearing them. And then Kurt would change into his little bow tie and black jacket…”
Kurt made a groaning noise, pressing his face even more firmly against his palms. “...and he’d grab a towel to drape over his arm. He’d come out with our plates and serve us, telling us what it was he and his mom made and to bon appetit.”
Finn reached over and squeezed Kurt’s shoulder as Blaine laughed under his breath. “That’s adorable.”
“I thought so too. After Lizzy passed, I was useless in the kitchen so Kurt took over cooking duties for the two of us. I felt bad because, I mean, he was a kid and no eight year old should be looking out for their own parents, but he loved it. I think it helped him feel connected to her, you know?”
Kurt finally pulled his face from his hands, catching a glimpse at Blaine who was now looking at Kurt with a somber looking smile. Blaine knew that Carole and Finn were his stepmother and stepbrother but he hadn’t gotten around to telling him about what happened to his mom. “I did teach him a few different recipes. His souffles still need some work.”
“I think they’re getting better.”
Kurt made a noncommittal sound in his throat, hoping that would alleviate the mood at the table. “So, Blaine, tell us about yourself,” Carole cut in, quickly changing the subject.
At that point, the conversation seemed to flow a bit easier. Blaine told them all about himself, most of which Kurt had heard already when they were having coffee together. He told them about high school, LA, the competition and the eventual formation of Neon Riot. Burt and Carole asked a lot of questions, Burt asking a lot about UCLA and sports after Blaine admitted that he was a Buckeyes fan and Carole asking about his music. Juliette would ask a lot of questions too, like what his favorite color was, where his favorite place to visit was and whether he liked to dance. Kurt, on the other hand, spent the majority of the dinner watching Blaine interacting with his family, especially Juliette. He had to admit that Blaine was really good with her. He would engage her with conversation, perhaps embellishing a little bit to make the answer more interesting for her, but as long as Juliette was having fun, Kurt didn’t mind. When the conversation shifted to asking Finn how football practices were going, Blaine would encourage Juliette to eat her vegetables or talk with her quietly. The topic shifted to how the garage was going, at that point Blaine and Burt talked about cars. Apparently Blaine had always wanted a 1969 Plymouth Road Runner and the conversation took off from there about different classic cars. Then when Burt commented on how Kurt used to help him out at the auto shop, Blaine looked at Kurt with surprise. “Yes, I know a thing or two about cars,” Kurt clarified.
“He’s being modest. He was one of my best mechanics when he was fourteen.”
“I was not the best. You were just biased.”
“Don’t let him fool you,” Burt said, pointing his fork at Kurt, “this kid could do a full clutch replacement by himself in half the time it took some of my other guys.”
“I had smaller hands!”
Blaine laughed. “Come on, Kurt, you shouldn’t sell yourself short. That’s pretty impressive. My dad and I tried to replace the clutch on his Firebird when I was eleven and I remember it being an absolute pain in the a-ah, butt.”
Everyone chuckled as Blaine caught himself before he dropped a tame bad word around Juliette. He was glad that the distraction was on that and not how Kurt was now burning from Blaine’s praise of his mechanic skills. Well, maybe not completely as he saw Carole eyeing him from across the table. By this time, dinner was done and conversation over dessert - a strawberries and cream cheesecake Kurt had made - shifted to Kurt about how Glee Club and the fall production was coming along. “We have auditions coming up next week. I wanted to do Moulin Rouge but then, when I was looking at the parts, I realized there weren’t many roles for it and I didn’t want to exclude a lot of the seniors that I know will be trying out so we’re doing Into the Woods instead. I’m pretty excited about it.”
“I’ve always loved that musical,” Blaine said, “Stephen Sondheim is a lyrical genius.”
“Who’s Steven Sondheim?” Finn asked.
“Only one of the greatest composers in musical theater,” Kurt replied, “he basically reinvented American musical theater. He did Sweeney Todd, Assassins, Company… ”
“Wait, isn’t Company that one musical you did that song from for NYU?” Finn asked.
“Yes, Being Alive .”
“Wait, you sang Being Alive? ” Blaine asked.
Kurt took a drink of the dessert wine he had uncorked for the cheesecake before answering. “Yeah, it was for a class. It was ‘20th Century Drama’ and we had a Sondheim project. A lot of people did Sweeney Todd mostly because it had more popularity from the Johnny Depp movie but I did Being Alive . It’s one of my favorites, actually.”
“Man, I would have loved to have seen that.”
“You can,” Finn piped in, giving Kurt a very shit-eating-sibling grin, “it’s on YouTube. Our buddy, Artie, was going to school to be a film director and recorded it for one of his classes. All you have to do is type in ‘Kurt Hummel Being Alive NYU’ into the search box and it’s the first one to pop up.”
Apparently his dad and his brother were trying to see who could embarrass Kurt more in front of Blaine. “I’ll have to check that out.”
While Finn was smiling rather victoriously at Kurt, Kurt was casting icy daggers right back at him. Sometimes family was the absolute worst.
Dinner eventually came to a close. Burt and Carole bid their goodbyes, giving everyone, including Blaine, a hug. “Make sure Kurt lets us know when you’re next in town,” Carole told him.
“You’re welcome to our family dinners anytime, kid,” Burt added before they left. Finn stuck around a bit longer, boxing himself up some leftovers before he headed out as well. “So, do you need help cleaning up?” Blaine asked once it was just the two of them and Juliette.
“No, I got this handled.” There was no way Kurt was going to ask one of his guests to stick around and help him do the dishes. Even if he did kind of want to have an excuse for Blaine to hang out just a little bit longer. “You can head back if you’re tired. I know family dinners can be kind of draining.”
“That wasn’t draining. You should have dinner with my family. That is draining.”
The two of them stood there awkwardly, both unsure of what to do next. Kurt wanted to ask if Blaine wanted to stick around a bit longer but he also knew Blaine had driven a couple hours to get here so he didn’t want to make him feel bad for declining if he did want to go rest up. Blaine, on the other hand, wanted to see if he could stay but given that Kurt had cooked a family dinner and had Juliette, didn’t want to seem like he was imposing. Thankfully, it was Juliette who broke the silence. “Daddy, can Mr. Blaine stay? I want to show him my room and the bracelets I made in class!”
Both Blaine and Kurt chuckled. It seemed the six year old girl clued in on what they were both thinking. Kurt looked at Blaine and shrugged. “You’re more than welcome to stay if you want, but I understand if you want to get back. It’s pretty late and I know you had a long drive today.”
“I don’t mind staying a little bit longer. If it’s alright with you, of course.”
Kurt smiled and nodded. “It’s very alright with me.”
“YAY!” Juliette took Blaine’s hand and started to pull him up the stairs, babbling on and on about all her different stuffed animals she couldn’t wait to introduce to him. Kurt watched and laughed, waiting for them to disappear before he went into the kitchen to finish cleaning up.
It didn’t take long, considering he had cleaned as he cooked, so once everything was put in the dishwasher and the counters cleaned once more, he headed upstairs to Juliette’s room. Her door was wide open and he could hear Juliette’s voice from down the hall. Kurt approached and paused in the doorway. What he saw made his heart flutter a bit. Blaine was sitting on the floor in the middle of the room, holding a plastic tea cup very properly as Juliette picked up her stuffed unicorn. “This is Stabby. My Auntie Britt got this for me when I was three! Auntie Britt said that my Daddy is a unicorn, which also makes me a unicorn and that Stabby needed other unicorns to be with because he was lonely.”
“Your dad is a unicorn?”
“Mmhm!”
“How did he become a unicorn?”
“Well, Auntie Britt said that when Daddy was in high school, he was different from everyone else and it made him unique. He was sparkly and kind and did a lot of good deeds and when a horse does a good deed, it becomes a unicorn.”
Either Blaine sensed that Kurt was in the doorway or Kurt’s breathy chuckle caught his attention as he turned and spotted him. Kurt waved at him but didn’t move. Instead he put his finger to his mouth to tell him silently not to mention that he was here. “Wow, that’s amazing,” Blaine said in awe, turning back to Juliette, “does he have magical powers like a unicorn?”
Juliette nodded as she put Stabby back. “He makes people happy and he sings and when I get boo-boos, he kisses them and they get better!”
“Wow! Your dad is really special, huh?”
“He’s the bestest.”
“He really is the bestest dad.”
“Do you like my Daddy?”
Kurt’s face flushed and he stood up a bit straighter. He was getting ready to intervene when Blaine answered, “I do like him.”
“Do you want to be his boyfriend?”
Blaine’s face was now red. He knew Kurt was standing right there. “Does he want a boyfriend?” Blaine asked.
Juliette nodded. “I think he does. He’s kind of lonely.”
Kurt felt his heart drop a little and he could see that Blaine had a similar reaction. “Why do you say that? He has you and your Uncle Finn and your Grandma and Grandpa.”
“Yeah, but he doesn’t have another unicorn. Auntie Britt has Auntie Tana and Uncle Finn has Auntie Rachel. Daddy is just Daddy. I can tell when we’re with Auntie Britt and Auntie Tana. He looks sad sometimes when they’re sitting on the couch together or holding hands. Or when he picks me up from school and he sees the other mommies and daddies or when we’re watching movies and the princess and the prince kiss.”
It was clear that Blaine didn’t know what to say and honestly, neither did Kurt. How had his six year old daughter picked up on this? Figuring that Blaine needed some saving (and Kurt wanted to distract from his daughter’s revelations about his lack of personal life), he cleared his throat and stepped into the room. “Julie Bear, why don’t you start getting ready for bed?”
“But I haven’t shown him my bracelets yet!”
“How about you show them to me tomorrow?” Blaine offered as he stood up and turned to Kurt, “that is, if you still wanted to hang out tomorrow and you’re not completely tired of me yet.”
“Honestly, I was thinking maybe I scared you off with family dinner,” Kurt replied with a nervous chuckle.
“Not at all. So I’ll see you tomorrow?”
Kurt nodded. “Text me where you’re staying and I’ll come pick you up after I drop this one off with her grandparents.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Juliette, sensing the goodbye, ran up and wrapped her arms around Blaine’s legs. “Bye, Mr. Blaine!”
Blaine, who was nearly knocked over by the six year old, laughed and reached down to hug her as well. “Bye, Juliette.”
When she let go, Kurt walked Blaine to the door. Neither of them said anything about what Juliette had mentioned about Kurt. Instead, they just hugged and wished each other a goodnight. It wasn’t until Kurt was tucking Juliette into bed that he found himself wondering what Blaine’s answer would have been.
And silently, he hoped the answer would have been yes.
Notes:
Up next - lunch date in Lima and more Blaine and Juliette bonding.
Chapter 8
Summary:
Kurt and Blaine have lunch and it's totally not a date.
Notes:
Hello my beautiful readers! I am at a work conference this week, hence the late update. Y'all are so incredible. Your love and support is amazing. I know I say that every chapter but I just want y'all to know how much I sincerely appreciate it. It really does keep me going. I'm already planning out what my next story will be after this one. I think y'all will like it.
As always, big thanks to JButler for being such an amazing friend and beta for this story. I would not have gotten this far without you!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The next morning, Kurt tried to not dwell on what he had overheard Juliette ask Blaine the night before by getting dressed and ready for the day ahead. He was going to pick up Blaine around 11, take him out to lunch, perhaps show him around his school and then take Juliette home for dinner before Blaine had to get back to Westerville. Breakfast was no problem, as was getting both himself and Juliette dressed for the day. However, in the back of his head, he kept thinking about what Juliette had said to Blaine last night. Do you want to be Daddy’s boyfriend?
The question had been on his mind from the moment he laid down in bed and into the morning. Blaine hadn’t exactly said ‘no' when Juliette asked, although hearing how his daughter basically described him as a lonely man to a guy that Kurt was undeniably attracted to was mortifying enough to distract him from that fact before. Now, in the cold light of day he wondered - was Blaine interested?
No, of course not. They were friends. And even if he was, how would that work? Even better question - could they even work? Blaine lived in New York and toured around the country - hell, around the world, while Kurt was living in Ohio with his daughter. Their lives just weren’t compatible. They wouldn’t be able to last. Long distance relationships just never worked. It wouldn’t be fair to anyone, especially Juliette. She needed someone who could be around, not in and out of her life. Maybe it was for the best that he didn't know what the answer was.
Even if it was driving him absolutely crazy not knowing.
“Julie Bear,” Kurt said as he turned onto his dad’s street, “why did you ask Blaine if he wanted to be my boyfriend?”
“Mr. Blaine said he liked you!”
Of course it was that simple for a child. He probably thought the same thing at her age. “Mr. Blaine and I like each other as friends.”
“No, he likes you more than a friend. That’s what Uncle Finn said.”
Of course Finn would say that. He reminded himself to have a word with his brother later. “Sweetie, Mr. Blaine lives in New York, remember?”
Juliette nodded as she made a humming noise. “Even if he wanted to be my boyfriend, he would still be in New York.
“Then he could come see us here or we could go see him there. Right?”
“Juliette,” he sighed as he brought the car to a stop outside of his father’s house. He could see the confusion on his daughter’s face as his shoulders fell. God, she really was clued in on his behavior way too well. “Grown up relationships are hard, even when the two people who are in it are together. It wouldn’t be fair to Mr. Blaine to be a boyfriend who lives in a completely different state. Even if we both wanted to be each other’s boyfriends, it just wouldn’t work. So I think it’s better if we both just stay friends.”
“But he really likes you!”
He smirked as he reached over and adjusted one of her ringlets that was coming loose from her hair clip. “And I really like him too, but it’s just not that simple.”
“But…”
“No more buts, little lady,” he interrupted. He knew his daughter was stubborn enough to keep going until Kurt conceded - definitely a trait she picked up from him, “time to go see Grandma and Grandpa.”
The noise his daughter made was very unlady-like but at least it signaled that she knew he was done with this conversation. At least, for now. She was his daughter, after all, and even if she wasn’t actually raised by her, she still had some Rachel Berry genes. God help him. Thankfully Carole seemed to distract her with an offer for baking cookies which freed Kurt up to drive over to the hotel and pick up Blaine. Blaine had told him to text him when he got there, however, when Kurt pulled up, he noticed that Blaine was already sitting outside with his pink sunglasses on. Now either Blaine was just too excited to wait for Kurt to show up or, and the more likely scenario, he got bored waiting in his room so he figured he’d wait outside and get some fresh air. Kurt parked close and strolled on up to Blaine. “Excuse me? I’m here to pick up some rockstar for lunch. You wouldn’t happen to know anyone like that, would you?” he greeted with an incredibly campy smirk.
Blaine looked up and even with his sunglasses on, Kurt could tell that he was clearly tickled by Kurt’s greeting. “Well, I certainly hope you’re not here to pick up any other rock stars that may be here,” he laughed as he approached him.
“Nah, Lima isn’t exactly the place to just happen upon a celebrity.”
“Oh good, otherwise I might get jealous.”
The two shared an awkward but amused laugh between them. Juliette’s question and subsequent conversation this morning was still playing in the background of his head but he chose to ignore it, lest he turn today into an awkward one between them. “So, I know it’s nothing fancy, but I was thinking of Breadstix for lunch. It’s mediocre Italian food but it’s a Lima staple.”
“Sounds good to me. I am completely at your mercy.”
“I’ll go easy on you, then,” he mused before waving at Blaine to follow him to his car. They got in and as Kurt started the vehicle, he completely forgot that he had been playing Neon Riot songs from his Spotify on the drive over. So when the radio turned on and Blaine’s voice singing Chasing Midnight , Kurt’s face immediately turned red and he reached to turn off the radio. “I, uh…” he laughed nervously as he started fiddling with his phone to find a different playlist, “I have a totally logical explanation for that.”
Blaine was clearly trying to appear nonchalant, although the pinching of his lips to stifle any laughs gave away just how amusing he found the whole thing. “Here I thought you weren’t a fan.”
“I’m not.”
As Blaine raised his eyebrows questioningly, Kurt heaved a sigh. “Alright, I kind of started listening to your music after the concert. I was embarrassed by the fact I seemingly shit on your work so I started listening. You guys are really good and the lyrics….you weren’t kidding when you said you were normally good at words.”
Blaine chuckled as Kurt started to drive off. “Yeah, well, with at least writing them down. Apparently when I open my mouth around certain people, I come off like a blithering fool.”
“Happens to the best of us.”
There was a beat of silence as Blaine’s lips curled into a smirk. “So, can I ask which is your favorite or does that make me sound like a conceited asshole?”
The question certainly caught Kurt off guard but he took a moment to think so he could answer honestly. “Honestly, I think so far my favorite is Shattered Illusions. It’s raw and deep and the lyrics just convey everything without needing the music, really. Especially that bit, Your words were promises, whispered in the dark, But like a dying ember, they lost their spark, I thought we'd be unbreakable, thought we'd be true, But now I see the lies and the things you didn't do …”
Kurt stopped himself from giving too much away. That would be opening up the Owen can of worms. The one he wasn’t sure he was quite ready to get into just yet. “Can I ask what inspired it?” he asked, deciding to avoid leaving an opening.
Thankfully Blaine didn’t seem to notice the change. Either that or he didn’t comment on it. “Yeah, I actually wrote it about an ex-boyfriend of mine. He was my first real boyfriend, actually.”
“Really?” Kurt asked.
Blaine nodded. “His name was Eli. We met in college right before I won the songwriting competition. It was an instant connection. Almost instantly, we became the typical boring couple. We saw movies, had dinner, got an apartment, fought over what color curtains to get…I thought he was the one, you know? But then Neon Riot took off and he started to pull away, although I didn’t realize it at the time.”
Blaine took a breath as if he was trying to steady himself. “In the end, he left. I came home to an empty apartment with a note saying that he couldn’t handle it and that this wasn’t the life he wanted. I could have understood where he was coming from if it was so sudden but when everything happened, I talked with him about it. I asked what he thought about me going to write for the label, I asked if he thought it would be a good idea to make my own EPs and send them out. I even asked what he thought about me joining Neon Riot and every time he said I should go for it and seemed supportive. I had no idea he was so unhappy.”
Suddenly, Mercedes’ warning made a whole lot more sense. Make sure you’re ready for that and ready to handle it. Blaine had already gone through it once with this Eli guy. It seemed like they had a thread in common. “Blaine, I’m so sorry…”
“It’s okay,” Blaine smiled softly, “I’m over it now. Although it took me a while to bounce back from that. Well, kind of. If I’m being honest, I haven’t really dated anyone since then. I know how hard this life is, especially for someone who isn’t fully in it. But I think I was just afraid of finding someone I thought was the one again and then being blindsided.”
He paused for a moment before making a nervous chuckling noise. “Sorry, that was probably more information than you expected.”
“It’s fine. You don’t have to apologize,” Kurt said, giving Blaine a reassuring smile, “for what it’s worth, I’m sorry that happened to you. I, uh…I kind of know what it’s like to be blindsided in a relationship.”
Blaine looked over. “Do you mean your ex?”
Kurt swallowed the lump in his throat as he nodded.
“What happened?” Blaine asked.
Kurt took a deep breath. He felt like since Blaine had shared his own ex-boyfriend story that it almost didn’t seem fair for Kurt to keep this from him, but even still, talking about Owen was just so hard for him. Even with people who already knew. “He just wasn’t who I thought he was.”
He glanced over at Blaine out of the corner of his eye, noticing how Blaine stared at him. Almost as if he were waiting for Kurt to elaborate. He heaved a sigh and his shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry,” he apologized, “I know you shared your own story, but…it’s just really hard for me to talk about him. With anyone. He kind of did a number on me.”
There was a pause as Kurt waited for Blaine to say something. Although what he said made Kurt do a double take. “Was he abusive?”
“What? No! No, God no,” he rushed out, “thankfully not. No, it’s just…”
Once again, Kurt breathed out. How did he phrase this without needing to explain? “It’s complicated. I try to avoid talking about him with anyone, especially around Juliette. She doesn’t know about him. Well, not fully. As far as Juliette knows, I dated someone before she was born and then we split up. She has no idea he’s her other dad. I know I need to tell her at some point but I don’t want to do it while she’s so young.”
By this time, Kurt had pulled into the Breadstix parking lot. As he put the car into park, he turned to finally gauge Blaine’s reaction. He was almost sure he saw disappointment. “I know you want to know. I just don’t think I’m ready to talk about that part of my life yet. Is that okay?”
“What?” Blaine asked, seeming surprised that Kurt asked that question, “Kurt, of course it’s okay. If you’re not comfortable, you’re not comfortable. I don’t want to put you into a position where you think you have to tell me something. I’m just nosy because I don’t know how any guy could do anything that would hurt you. You’re kind of amazing.”
It was like a swarm of butterflies invaded his stomach and were desperately trying to escape. He hadn’t felt like this since…well, since his first few dates with Owen. Get it together, Hummel! “You don’t have to lie to make me feel better.”
“No lies, whatsoever,” Blaine promised, “any guy would be lucky to have you. And Juliette. Your little girl is one of a kind.”
“That she is,” he laughed, glad for the tangent that he could follow, “I’m sorry about last night and her putting you on the spot like that.”
“Oh, don’t be. Like you said, she has no filter.”
“None whatsoever.”
Kurt smiled and reached over to grab Blaine’s hand that was still resting on his bicep. “Thank you, for not totally freaking out about the fact that my love life is a mess.”
“It’s no problem. And thank you for not freaking out about my lack of one as well.”
Fuck, Kurt could tell that Blaine was someone he could easily fall for. It was getting really, really hard to ignore the common sense in the background of his mind. “Well, we can certainly be tragic, loveless messes together.”
They finally got out of the car and started towards the restaurant. Kurt couldn’t help but feel like they were almost living the story of When Harry Met Sally… Two friends, chance encounters, possible unrequited feelings that could just mess everything up if acted upon. Only in the movie, Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan got together in the end. As much as Kurt would like to think that could happen, he wasn’t quite sure their situation would allow for it to happen.
Lunch went by without too much chaos. They talked about nothing and everything at the same time. Blaine would tell Kurt all the different funny stories with him and the guys from the band and Kurt would tell him the not-as-exciting-but-equally-fun moments with him and his own little group of friends here in Lima. He was sure if Santana was nearby that she would kill him for telling Blaine about the strawberry incident but it was worth her potential wrath to see the look on Blaine’s face and hear that laughter that was just music to his ears. Helen, the waitress, came out with a cheesecake for Kurt. “Oh, I didn’t order this,” he said, surprised that it was there.
“That’s because I did,” Blaine said before handing Helen his card to pay, “Finn mentioned last night that cheesecake was your favorite dessert and, seeing as how you treated me to a fabulous dinner last night, I wanted to treat you today.”
Those damn butterflies started right back up and he could feel how warm his face was. “Did you ask Finn or did he just so happen to mention it?”
“I might have asked,” Blaine offered with a shrug, “I learned so much about you last night and so far, I have to say, I’m kind of amazed by you. I…”
Blaine stopped and Kurt felt himself on the edge of his seat. He what? Oh God, what was Blaine going to say next? “I want to get to know you, Kurt. I want to know everything about this incredible guy that I met by mere chance at a table at a club in Columbus.”
Could Kurt blush anymore than he already had right now? Apparently so because his face felt like it was burning . “I’m not all that exciting, Mr. I-Got-To-Party-With-Elton-John.”
“I would beg to differ.”
Helen came back with the paid for check and Blaine handed her a very generous tip. How was this man real life? Seriously. It almost felt like Blaine was too good to be true. Kurt picked up his spoon to get himself a piece of the cheesecake. “Well, you’ll have to come back when our fall production is performing.”
“I’m already planning on it.”
Kurt smiled as he took a bite, only to hear his phone ring with a text message from Carole. “Sorry, I just need to make sure everything is okay,” he said, picking up his phone.
Of course, when he saw the message, he couldn’t help but laugh. “Apparently Juliette is already wondering when we’ll be picking her up. I guess she is very excited to spend some more time with you.”
Whatever worry had appeared on Blaine’s face disappeared when Kurt read the message. “Is that your way of saying we’re picking her up after you’re done with your cheesecake?”
“If you’re okay with it,” Kurt offered, “I was going to show you around McKinley but then I realized that there’s not much there to see when the kids are gone. I’ll show you when you’re back for the production. Maybe you could show my Glee Club a trick or two.”
“Oh, now that sounds like fun. I wouldn’t want to miss a chance to see you in your element.”
Never had Kurt wished for November to come so much faster. He finished his cheesecake and texted Carole to let her know they’d be by soon to pick up the little hellion before they left the parking lot. In a few short hours, Kurt and Blaine had picked up Juliette from Burt and Carole’s and, after an idea by Juliette and further backed up by Blaine, they had made a trip to the Cone Zone for ice cream before heading home. The second they arrived at home, Juliette was tugging Blaine up the stairs back to her room, but Kurt quickly put a stop to it. “Julie Bear, why don’t you bring down your projects to show him down here.”
“But I want to have a tea party!”
“Well, then, we can have a tea party downstairs.”
Juliette didn’t seem all too thrilled by this but she was glad to at least be getting a tea party so she ran upstairs. As soon as she was out of earshot, Kurt whispered to Blaine, “If I let her have it upstairs, we’d both be in tiaras and feather boas. At least this way we have a chance to lessen the amount of glitter that ends up in our clothes.”
Kurt, unfortunately, should have known better than to underestimate his daughter. By the time the three of them were seated around the coffee table, Kurt had a white and pink boa and a white tea party hat while Blaine had a purple tiara, pink boa and multiple friendship bracelets that Juliette had apparently made for him in class. “Would you like some more tea, Mr. Blaine?” Juliette asked, holding up her plastic tea pot.
“I would love some more, thank you.” Blaine had made sure to hold out the plastic tea cup set instead of the real cup that Kurt had brought him. For the most part, Juliette talked, telling Blaine all about what their stuffed animal guests had been up to. Blaine, bless him, played along, gasping at the scandalous gossip that Lord Rabbit was holding Lady Strawberry’s hand behind Purplina’s back and awed when Juliette announced that Figgy Bear was going to marry Marshmallow in the Spring. “Am I invited to the wedding?” Blaine asked hopefully.
“I’ll have to talk to Figgy Bear, but I don’t see why not.”
“Well, tell him I would be honored to be there. Perhaps I could sing for them?”
“Only if you sing with Daddy. He already promised to sing for them.”
“If it’s okay with Figgy Bear and Marshmallow, he can sing with me,” Kurt replied before taking a sip of his real tea.
For the most part, Kurt was happy to just sit back and watch Blaine interact with Juliette. Juliette seemed completely enamored with Blaine. His daughter was absolutely a social butterfly and hadn’t met a person she didn’t like, but with Blaine, she was definitely more animated. And Blaine, bless him, was engaging her as well. A lot of adults were sometimes unsure of how to be around Juliette, afraid to say or do the wrong thing, but Blaine was a natural. It certainly made it harder and harder to remind himself that their lives were more suited towards friends than anything else.
But the more he sat there and watched Blaine with his daughter, the more he envisioned what life would be like if they became more. He started picturing Blaine and him watching Juliette at one of her dance recitals. Coming home and Blaine playing piano with Juliette. Winning Nationals and Blaine waiting backstage with Juliette to congratulate him. Blaine taking Kurt and Juliette on a vacation to Paris…Juliette walking down the aisle as their flower girl at their wedding.
Kurt immediately snapped himself out of those thoughts just in time to hear Juliette say she was hungry. Time had flown by and now it was dinner. With it being way too late to cook anything, Kurt suggested pizza and a movie. Yeah, sure, Blaine and he had just had Italian for lunch but pizza was never a bad idea. Except maybe when you weren’t feeling good. Juliette insisted that they watched Tangled so once the pizza arrived, they got their plates, sat themselves on the couch and started up the movie. It wasn’t even halfway through the movie that Juliette started to fall asleep in Kurt’s lap. “Guess we should put this one to bed,” Kurt whispered to Blaine.
“Do you need a hand?”
Although Kurt really didn’t need a hand, having put her to bed by himself every night for the past six years, he nodded as he scooped her up and carried her upstairs. Blaine clicked off the movie and walked in front of Kurt so he could open the door and pull back the blankets for Kurt to lay her down. He was starting to pick up some things when he heard Juliette mutter sleepily, “Daddy, will you sing me my song?”
Kurt leaned in and kissed her forehead as he tucked her in. “Alright, but then you’re going straight to sleep.”
Blaine was pretty sure that she would be asleep before that - he could see Juliette fighting to keep her eyes open. But then Kurt started to sing and Blaine’s attention was raptly pulled towards Kurt. He recognized the lyrics to Your Song, which made all the more sense why Juliette called it “my song” but Blaine wasn't focused on the lyrics - he was entranced by the ethereal voice that was Kurt’s singing. Never, ever, in a million years had Blaine ever heard anyone as angelic as Kurt in that moment. His tone was serene, his pitch perfect. It was like everything in the room had faded away and it was just him and Kurt. At that moment, Blaine knew everything had changed. He had an inkling since the moment they met, but standing here now, listening to him sing, it was like his world had suddenly become brighter. “ I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind, that I put down in words how wonderful life is now that you're in the world, " Kurt sang to close out the song.
Blaine had to agree, but in this case, it was about Kurt for him. His attention snapped when Kurt stood and placed another kiss to the top of Juliette's head before he turned to Blaine and silently ushered him down the stairs. It wasn’t until they were downstairs that either one of them spoke. “She was so tuckered out. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her fall asleep so fast. Must have been all the excitement from today.”
Blaine laughed nervously, looking up the stairs before back at Kurt. “I think your singing helped,” Blaine commented, “you have an incredible voice.”
Thankfully, the faded lamps hid the color in Kurt’s cheeks. “It’s not as good as it once was. I’m very out of practice.”
“I don’t think so. Having met Elton himself, he would have been impressed.”
“Okay, now I know you’re lying,” Kurt laughed as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.
But Blaine shook his head. “Honest to God’s truth, right there. I was blown away. Really.”
Silence engulfed them as both men realized they weren’t sure what to do next. They both knew what they would like to do, but fear held them back. “So…when do you go back to New York?” Kurt asked to fill the void.
“Tomorrow morning. It’s back to the studio for some recording sessions.”
“Sounds like fun.”
“Yeah, well, these past couple of days have been more fun than any recording session I’ve had in a long time. Don’t tell Elliott I said that - it’ll hurt his feelings.”
Blaine couldn’t help it - he wanted to hear Kurt’s laugh at least one more time before he headed back to New York. Just to commit it to memory, if anything else. “I’ll make sure not to mention it. So….I guess this is goodbye until November, huh?”
“Yeah.”
Suddenly both of their feet became quite interesting. Every fiber of Blaine’s being wanted him to move in closer and steal a kiss so he knew what Kurt’s lips felt like, but his brain kept stopping him. Damn it, Blaine, stop being such a coward! “I should probably get going. Got to get up early to make it to the airport.”
Kurt nodded before looking up at Blaine. “It was great to see you. I know Lima was kind of out of the way for you but I really enjoyed spending some more time with you.”
“It wasn’t too bad. Besides, I’d drive across the entirety of the country just to spend a few hours with you.”
This was the perfect chance, right? All he had to do was step forward, grab his shoulders and press his lips to Kurt’s. It didn’t have to be a big, passionate kiss. Just a soft one, enough to make their lips tingle from the memory. He took a breath and stepped forward, his arms raised and sliding around Kurt….
But he chickened out at the last minute and opted for a tight hug. They stood there, hugging one another for a few minutes before they inevitably had to pull away. “Until next time,” Blaine said with a sad smile.
“Until next time.”
Kurt watched as Blaine walked down the steps towards the street, pulling out his phone to call for a cab, no doubt. He waited and waited, wondering if Blaine would turn back to look at him but as Blaine started down the dark street, Kurt gave up and closed the door.
If he had waited a few more seconds, he would have seen Blaine looking back with hope in his own eyes.
Notes:
Up next: Blaine and Kurt try to handle being apart after two incredible days together.
Chapter 9
Summary:
Let's see how our boys are doing now that they're states apart!
Notes:
Just a short(ish) one today. But don't worry, the next ones are LONG!!! I hope you enjoy this little bridge.
Of course, thank you to JButler for everything!! Especially keeping me on track when I rewrote this chapter easily ten times.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
New York
Three weeks. Three weeks, four days and fourteen hours had passed since Blaine had last seen Kurt. Not that Blaine had been counting. Sure, they texted almost every day, but it just wasn’t the same. Those two days they had spent together were maybe the two best days Blaine had had in the past year. It was the most he had felt like he could be himself without being judged. He could just be Blaine around Kurt. Not to mention Kurt had to have been the most perfect person in the world. His kindness, his maturity, his passion. A pair of glasz eyes that seemed to change colors depending on the time of day or his mood. Perfectly unmarred skin and GOD, his voice! His entire flight back to New York had consisted of him finding that video on YouTube of Kurt singing Being Alive , followed by him doing a deep dive to find any and all videos of him singing. There were performances from his days at NYU, both projects and productions of musicals on the stage. Then he found older videos from his time in high school - ones that hadn’t been found on the McKinley High School YouTube page. Him at pep rallies as a cheerleader (which did not help quell any fantasies he had in his head), old projects the Glee Club worked on together, even his audition for NYADA which, if Blaine was being honest, he could not understand how he didn’t get in with that performance. Each time he heard Kurt sing, it was mesmerizing. If he could just have an album of Kurt singing for his phone, he would be content to never hear another song again.
Kurt haunted his waking moments and his dreams. He was a song he just couldn’t get out of his head - and lord knew he tried. He had found a melody on the piano that seemed to match this man in his head, even if he had no idea what the song was. All he had was that tune and that was all he would have for at least another month. Yes, three weeks had gone by but Blaine still had easily another four before he could go back and see him. For now, he had to be content with text conversations about Juliette’s Halloween costume and updates on the musical’s progress.
The guys and him were all in the recording studio, going over ideas for new songs for their next album. Recording wasn’t going to start until after the holidays but they wanted to get a head start on the writing process so they didn’t have to rush towards the end. Of course, that was mostly Sebastian’s fault - he was the one that accidentally deleted his lyrics for Changing Waves.
"Blaine.... Blaine... Earth to Blaine... Are you even listening to us?!" Sam joked as he waved a hand in front of Blaine's face.
Blaine's elbow slid off the piano onto the keys as he jumped when Sam suddenly came into view. "What? Oh, yeah...yeah, I'm listening."
"Uh-huh, sure you were," Sam grinned as he straddled one of the other piano benches and watched Blaine for a moment. "Thinking of a certain blue-eyed teacher?"
"No," Blaine muttered, which only made Sebastian laugh from across the room. "Yeah, right, and I'm Napoleon. Elliott is the King of Atlantis and Sam is the President."
Blaine glared at Sebastian before groaning. Sometimes he hated how well his friends knew him. "Okay, fine, yes, I was, but I can’t help it! I just can't get him out of my head."
Sam paused for a moment, watching him. He'd seen Blaine like boys before, but he'd never seen him like this - mooning over someone like he was. He leaned forward to catch Blaine's eyes. "He's gotten under your skin, hasn't he?"
Blaine chewed on his inner lip, not confirming or denying anything, although his lack of response was answer enough. Sebastian, ever the idiot, sang from across the room, "Oh Mr. Blue Eyes, you're under my skin. Please Mr. Blue Eyes, can't you see what you've done to me... "
"Shouldn't you be working on rewriting your song?" Elliott said as he threw a towel at Sebastian's head.
Blaine shook his head and let out a low groan. "He really has, Sam. He's just so incredible and smart and talented....and gorgeous! And he has the cutest little girl ever. You should see him with her - he's like the world's greatest dad. Kurt's just...." Blaine sighed before burying his face in his hands. He didn't know how to put it any other way - Kurt was just Kurt.
Sam chuckled and leaned forward to ruffle Blaine's hair. "Awww, Blainey-bee is falling in lurvee," he grinned, "you know that this is meant to be a good thing, right?"
"How is this a good thing?" Blaine asked as he sat back up, "Our lives are so not compatible! He's a single dad in Ohio and when we're not here in New York, we're somewhere else in the world. That's not fair to them. Kurt needs someone who isn't always busy. Juliette needs someone who will always be there for her growing up.”
Blaine groaned again as he pressed his face into his palms. “I found the most perfect guy in the whole world and I can't be the guy he needs."
Sam’s head tilted as he looked at his friend. "But how do you know what he needs? Has he told you? I mean, let's be real, a little tweaking and he can teach anywhere in the US, right? So why can't he teach here?"
"I mean....no," Blaine muttered, "but I can't ask him to move out here for me. He's got his own friends and his family. Lima is his home. I can't ask him to move out here for me."
Sam sighed. "But you could give him a choice. Especially if you actually just try and see where you go. I'm just giving you some scenarios, here, but it seems to me that if you like him this much, it's worth a try.”
"Maybe, but I don't know if he even feels the same way."
"Soo...woo him a little. Use that Anderson charm for something for yourself for once - not for your little legion of fan girls."
Blaine tapped his fingers against his thigh. "Is it bad I don't want to woo him? I want him to like me for me, not because I charmed him with something outrageous like a full symphony in the park."
"Wow," Elliott hummed, "he really does have it bad, huh? Honestly, though, I don't think you have anything to worry about. With how often he texts you, I think he's definitely interested.”
Elliott paused for a moment and then sat up straighter. “Why don't you fly him out here for a weekend or something? I'm sure Tina could help you out."
“I don’t know…” Blaine hummed.
“Why in the world not?” Sam asked.
Blaine sighed as he looked between the two of them. "I mean, you don't think that would be too much? He's got his daughter and his Glee Club and the fall production."
"And?” Elliott asked before finally sitting down opposite Blaine, “a break from all that would be good and he can show Juliette the city. I'm sure she'd love to see where her daddy went to college. There's the zoo and we can do one of those cheesy outros on one of our songs where you can hear us messing around in the studio and she and Kurt can be on it."
Blaine stumbled over words for a minute as he tried to come up with some reason why it couldn't work. It just couldn't, right? Kurt was a teacher, a father and absolutely perfect in every way. He wouldn't be able to drop everything to just get on a plane to come see the mess that was Blaine Anderson, right? Sebastian audibly groaned. "That's it, I'm messaging Tina and telling her to get your boyfriend and his minion plane tickets," Sebastian said, grabbing his phone to text her.
"Can't you wait until I at least ask him first?" Blaine asked.
"Are you going to ask him?" Elliott asked.
Blaine groaned again as he looked to Sam for help. But Sam just smiled. "Do it... Do it... Do it," Sam started to slowly chant as he slapped his thighs, only to get faster when Elliott joined in.
So much for help from Sam. Blaine groaned and picked up his phone. "Alright! Alright! I'll text him and ask him. You guys are the worst, you know that?"
“You love us,” Sam smirked, “look, you’re psyching yourself out for no reason. You need to stop overthinking everything and answer this one question - do you think he’s the one?”
Blaine was drafting his text message when he stopped. Was Kurt the one? It was such a simple question and yet, his heart and mind were saying two different things. “I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do. Don’t overthink it. Do you think he’s the one?”
With a sigh, Blaine nodded. “I think so.”
“Then do it, dude. Otherwise, you’ll hate yourself for not trying.”
Sam was right. With a more determined nod, Blaine typed out his message and hit send. Now all he had to do was wait for Kurt to reply.
Hopefully he didn’t have to wait long…
Lima
Blaine - Hey, so, what are your thoughts about coming out to NY with Juliette for a weekend?
Blaine - if you’re not too busy, of course
Blaine - You wouldn’t have to worry about flights or hotels or anything, I promise
Kurt had gotten the text during rehearsal but hadn't checked it. Not until the kids were taking ten. But that had been a fair bit ago and now, as the students were wrapping up to head home or wait for their parents to pick them up, Kurt was just sitting in the auditorium, staring at the text. What the hell did he say? On the one hand, he really wanted to, but practically, he didn’t think he could. Even if he brought Juliette, there was still work and the production and what if his Dad needed him for something and he was states away? An impromptu trip to New York, even on the dime of someone else, was just not possible. Right?
The entrance to the auditorium opened and he heard an excited, “DADDY!”
Kurt turned and smiled as he saw Juliette racing towards him, arms outstretched and ready to attack him with a hug. “Hey, sweetheart,” he smiled, catching her and holding her close, “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be with Auntie Britt?”
“Right here!” Brittany greeted with an excited smile and wave once she appeared through the doors, “Juliette was helping me pick out decorations for the Halloween party this weekend! We got done a little early and she was so excited to come see you. Julie, why don’t you show your Daddy what you got?”
Juliette beamed with pride as she turned around and showed Kurt the fairy wings she had yet to take off since leaving the store. “Look, Daddy, I’m a fairy!!”
"A very mischievous fairy. I noticed they're the same wings I told you no to last weekend and I'm sure you failed to tell Auntie Britt that, didn't you?"
His little girl was all giggles as he stood and held out a twenty to Brittany. He never wanted his friends to be guilted into buying toys for his daughter, even if they insisted that they didn’t mind spoiling her. He booped Juliette on the nose as he held out the money for Brittany to take, his phone still in hand. "You don't have to pay me, Kurt," she said with a smile, "it was my pleasure to help her get her fairy wings. She’s earned them, after all.”
Brittany pushed his hand back towards him when she noticed the text conversation. “Are you texting Blaine?” she asked excitedly.
Kurt shook his head. “What? No!” he answered defensively.
However, Brittany wasn’t buying it. There was a knowing gaze in her look and immediately, he deflated. "What am I doing, Britt? I should be so focused on my job, on Juliette, my family and making my life here and yet," he sighed as he bit his lip, “I shouldn't be texting him."
"What's wrong with texting him?" she asked, sitting down in one of the auditorium seats, "you really like him and he seems to like you back. That's what Finn said, at least. Where's the harm in texting him?"
"The harm is what this could lead to. I have to think about Jules, about myself...if I text him, I risk falling for him and... I can't do that. I can't get hurt again."
"You know, falling doesn't always hurt, right?" Brittany said with a smile, "especially when it's on something soft and fluffy. Like love."
"Like a pillow fort?" Juliette asked, her eyes glistening at the prospect of building a pillow fort in the near future.
"Exactly like a pillow fort," Brittany agreed, "Julie Wooly, can you give your Daddy and me a second? You can go play on the stage and spread your magical fairy dust all over, okay?"
"Okay, Auntie Britt!" Juliette quickly ran to the stage and started to run around as fast as she could. When Juliette reached the stage and was safely out of earshot, Brittany asked, "Is this about what happened with Owen?"
Kurt watched Juliette run around on the stage, singing at the top of her lungs and shrugged. “I think so. He broke my heart pretty spectacularly."
"If you think so, then it's probably not the reason," she pointed out, "So why is texting a guy who totally likes you such a bad idea? Especially when you like him back?"
Kurt groaned. “Okay, fine, he's definitely the reason."
"But Blaine isn't Owen. Blaine is Blaine. Owen is a loser who broke your heart and is no longer in your life. He took away your happiness once so why are you going to let him take away your chance at it now?"
Kurt sniffled. "Who's going to want someone with a small child, Britt? Not everyone wants or even likes kids. I have to protect her as much as my own heart."
Once again, Brittany didn’t look to be buying it. "You know, Juliette told me about him today. She said she asked him and he said he liked you. She also said he played tea party and helped her go to bed and asked to sing at Mr. Figgy Bear's wedding. Does that sound like a guy who doesn't like kids or someone with a kid?" She asked, although she already knew the answer.
Kurt groaned. “No, it doesn’t, and that’s the problem. He’s perfect. In fact, he couldn't be any more perfect, Britt. I'm worried that if I let him in and I fall for him...he has such an insane job and I know we'll always come second to it."
"Are you sure about that?"
"How can I not be?" Kurt asked, "he's got an army of fans, a contract that's legally binding to produce music, no strings attached and, maybe I am generalizing, but so many men with no strings attached throwing themselves at his feet. What could I even offer him? I'm just me."
There was a long pause as Kurt fell down into his chair behind his little table. Every worry had come out all at once and hearing it out loud didn’t help make him feel any better. He was just nowhere in Blaine’s league. It would be just his luck. But it was Brittany who broke through his little pity party. "And yet, he's texting you," she said, "he flew out to Ohio to see you. What did he text you, anyway?"
Kurt groaned. "He wants me and Juliette to go to New York for the weekend to visit."
The smile on Brittany’s face grew brighter as she shrugged. "Kind of sounds to me like he's wanting to spend time with you. Obviously he thinks you're pretty amazing."
"But I'm not," Kurt faltered, "he can do so much better than a single, divorced dad."
"You're amazing because you are her dad," Brittany said as she nodded to the stage where Juliette was dancing around, pretending to be Elsa singing Let it Go . "You raised her on your own after your ex-husband cheated on you. You make her the happiest little girl I've ever seen. Any guy would be lucky to have you. Both of you."
A smile tugged at the corners of Kurt’s lips as Juliette twirled around. But his smile remained soft and sad. "He'd be so easy to let in Britt. What do you think?"
"I say go for it," she said, as if it were obvious, "he seems really sweet and he's wanting you to come see him with Juliette. A guy who isn't interested wouldn't be doing that, Kurt. And if you're worried about him hurting you, I can always sick Santana on him....but don't be afraid to jump at a chance for a happy ending just because you might fall. That's why it's called a leap of faith."
"I want to," Kurt murmured, "I just... When I found out Owen had been cheating on me, it made me feel like I wasn't good enough for anyone. That I wasn’t attractive or clever or smart…that I wasn’t worthy of being loved. It's hard to break that once it’s settled in."
"Well, you're not going to break that by playing it safe. If Santana had played it safe, her and I wouldn't be together. Stepping out into the unknown can be scary, but it can be totally worth it. And who knows? Maybe Blaine will be the one to break this negative view you have of yourself. But you won't know unless you try, right?"
Kurt laughed but sounded wet and clogged with tears, even to his own ears. "When did you get so smart, Britt?"
Brittany sat up straighter and smiled. "I've always been smart! It just started showing after Santana undid the evil witch's curse with true love's kiss."
Kurt laughed again as he looked down at his phone. Taking a breath, he typed out his reply.
Kurt - I think we can manage that.
Before he could psych himself out, he hit send. "I guess now we'll see what he says,” he said with a shrug.
"Yay! My unicorn is going on a trip to New York!" she said, lunging forward and giving him a big hug. "I'm so happy for you!"
Kurt grunted but hugged her back. "Thanks for giving me some courage."
“Any time. You two have fun, okay? Take lots of pictures!”
“I will.” Brittany gave him one more squeeze before she let go and headed out of the building. Once she was gone, Kurt took a deep breath and looked over at the stage. It was just then that he got a text back from Blaine.
Blaine - Great! I’ll have Tina get everything taken care of.
Blaine - I can’t wait to see you.
Kurt smiled before he typed up his reply.
Kurt - I can’t wait to see you too.
“Hey Julie Bear,” he called out with a smile, turning to spot his little girl, “what would you think about going on a little adventure next weekend?”
“What kind of adventure, Daddy?” she asked, running back towards him from the stage.
“Well,” Kurt hummed as he put his phone away and held out his hand for her to take, “a new adventure. We’d go in a plane to a big city that your Daddy used to live in and we’d see a lot of cool things and visit with Mr. Blaine. Does that sound like fun?”
Juliette’s eyes lit up like stars. “We’re going to see Mr. Blaine?!”
Kurt laughed and nodded. “Yes we are.”
Kurt couldn’t tell who was more excited - Juliette or himself.
Notes:
UP NEXT: New York, New York! With a special guest appearance.
Chapter 10
Summary:
Kurt arrives in New York!!
Notes:
About a third of the way through this story!! Not going to lie, this was only supposed to be like 15 chapters but then it took on a life of it's own. But hey, good news for you guys because that means y'all get so much more! To include, very possibly, a sequel! I just got take some more irons out of the fire I have because, as JButler will attest to, I have several upcoming stories that I plan on working on as well.
As always, thank you for all the love and support for this story as well as JButler for beta'ing this for me! I appreciate you so damn much!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Santana has added Tina, Finn and Brittany to the chat
Santana - Tina, I need you to add the boys from the Gay Riot
Santana - Minus the one Kurt is pining after
Finn - Oh, is that why you didn’t add Kurt?
Santana - Yes, so don’t go adding him either!
Tina - On it!
Tina has added Sam, Elliott and Sebastian
Sam - OMG is this an intervention?
Tina - No
Tina - Well, maybe
Tina - If you count getting Blaine and Kurt to stop tip-toeing around one another and admit they totally have feelings for each other, then yes, this an intervention
Elliott - I’m so in
Sebastian has renamed the chat “Blaine Topping the Hummel Chart”
Elliott - Really?
Sebastian - What? The guy is in serious need of getting laid and if I have to hear one more time about how Kurt’s ass is the epitome of art, I might strangle him with a guitar chord
Finn - Can we not talk about some guy checking out my brother’s ass?
Santana - Why not? It’s no different than all those times you talk to Britt and me about some girl’s ass you saw.
Finn - But they’re not your sister
Sebastian - Hummel’s ass is mid. Mine is much better.
Sam - Pretty sure Blaine isn’t interested in your ass
Elliott - He knows that ass belongs to me
Sebastian - Oh, babe, you know I like it when you get all possessive
Santana - Alright, I’m grossed out
Santana - If we’re gonna talk about anyone getting laid, it’s the Curly Hobbit and Twinkie the Elf
Finn - Preferably without detail
Brittany - Aww, Finn, we just want Kurt to have someone to love!
Finn - I want that too
Santana - and that’s exactly why you’re here
Santana - Kurt is flying out tomorrow to see Blaine, right?
Tina - Yes! I have his flight itinerary already done! He lands at 10 tomorrow morning and Blaine is going to pick him up
Santana - Great! Now, Kurt is an idiot
Brittany - Be nice to my unicorn!
Sam - Unicorn?
Finn - It’s a whole thing - don’t ask
Santana - Alright, fine, I’ll be nice about your unicorn
Santana - Gelfling is romantically challenged
Elliott - How do you mean?
Santana - Not my place to tell
Santana - So here’s what's abouts to go down
Santana - You three gay amigos and Hagatha Christie need to make sure those two have the most fucking romantic trip ever.
Sam - I’m straight
Santana - Whatever, Trouty Mouth
Santana - NOTHING can go wrong!
Santana - and if your fourth musketeer does something to hurt him, then I willst ends him
Sebastian - Is that supposed to be threatening?
Finn - Trust me, dude, you do not want to cross Santana
Santana - You’re damn right
Santana - Are we clear?
Elliott - Don’t worry, we’ll make sure that they have a very romantic trip
Elliott - Blaine really wants this with Kurt, even if he has a hard time admitting it
Elliott - Whatever we can do to get him to stop moping around like a sad puppy.
Santana - Perfect! I expect progress reports
Sebastian - Don’t worry, the second Blaine and Kurt disappear to do the horizontal tango, we’ll let you know
Sebastian - Or vertical if they can’t make it to the bed.
Finn - Can we please stop?
Brittany - It’s just dancing, Finn!
Sebastian - She’s kidding, right?
Sebastian - Please tell me she’s kidding.
Santana - I’ll explain later, Britt
Santana - Remember! ROMANTIC AS FUCK!
Sebastian - 👍
Elliott - We’re on it
Sam - You can count on us!
Finn - Alright! Operation Klaine is on!
Santana - Klaine?
Finn - Yeah! It’s their couple's name! We gotta keep the tradition going
Brittany - Aww, I love that!
Tina - So much better than Furt.
Sam - Furt?
Tina - I’ll explain later.
Tina - We’ll keep you updated!!
“Juliette! Slow down!”
The second they were off the plane, Juliette was running down the walkway, following the horde of people that had also gotten off the plane with them. He had told Juliette on the way to the airport that morning that she was supposed to stay close and, for the most part, she had, but during their flight, he could tell his daughter was getting excited. Not just because this was her first time on a plane, but because they were going to see Blaine. While it was probably bad of him to admit it, he was glad she was so excited - it allowed him to focus his energy on watching her instead of thinking about what was going to happen once they landed. He had no idea what was in store for them when they landed and how this weekend was going to go, but he couldn’t deny that he was excited.
Maybe not as excited as Juliette. “Hurry up, Daddy!” she called out as she ran towards the escalators.
Kurt apologized as he bumped into a couple with his bag. “Juliette Eliza!” he scolded, finally catching her and grabbing her arm carefully yet firmly, “What did I tell you about staying close?”
“But Daddy, Mr. Blaine…”
“Is not going anywhere,” he interrupted as he knelt down and turned her to face him, “I know you’re excited but this is a big city and it’s very easy to get lost. You have to stay with me at all times, do you understand?”
Juliette pouted as she looked down at her feet. “Yes…Sorry, Daddy”
“Good,” he muttered, kissing the top of her head before standing up and taking her hand, “Come on, Julie Bear.”
With her now safely in tow, he guided her down the escalator and to the baggage claim terminal. The bags from their flight were already on the carousel but he wasn’t looking at that. Instead, he was looking at Blaine, who was standing nearby with a ridiculously oversized stuffed pink unicorn tucked under his arm while he texted away on his phone. “Mr. Blaine!”
Blaine suddenly looked up and his face instantly brightened when he saw Kurt and Juliette. Kurt let go of Juliette’s hand so she could run over - there was no containing her now. Juliette barreled towards Blaine, who knelt down and dropped the unicorn so he could scoop Juliette up in his arms. “Hello, my little Jewel,” he greeted as he picked her up and squeezed her tight.
Kurt casually joined them, gripping the strap of his duffel bag a bit tighter on his shoulders. “Mr. Blaine, we flew in a plane!"
“You did?" He asked enthusiastically, as if he really didn't know, “That's amazing! Did you have fun?"
“Mhmm! I got to watch Tinkerbell and the nice ladies gave me cookies and juice! Oh! And I got to go into the front of the plane where the pilots control the plane!"
“Wow! It sounds like you had quite the trip!”
“That she did,” Kurt piped in as he stepped closer. He was still eyeballing the giant stuffed animal but, more than that, he was happy to see Blaine. When Blaine focused on him, Kurt was sure he saw something flash across his face, although he wasn’t sure what it was. Relief? Joy? Caring? Whatever it was, Blaine seemed brighter for it. “Hey,” he greeted.
Kurt laughed. “Hey, yourself.”
“How was your flight?”
“Smooth. Maybe not as exciting as it was for Juliette. You know you didn’t have to get us First Class. Coach would have been fine.”
Blaine chuckled and shook his head. “Oh, no, there was no way I was going to pack you in a tiny, cramped space. You were flying out to see me so I had to make sure you were comfortable.”
Kurt could feel his face warm from the care Blaine had. He wasn’t trying to flaunt his money - he was using it to take care of him and his daughter. Please don’t let this end badly . “Well, we were certainly comfortable,” he smiled, looking at the unicorn one more time, “Okay, I have to ask - what is with the giant unicorn?”
“Well, I couldn’t very well show up to the airport to pick up two of my most favorite people without gifts!” he announced, grabbing the plushie and holding it to Juliette, “This is for you. You told me unicorns don’t like to be alone and when I saw her, I knew just the right family to put her with.”
Juliette’s eyes lit up and she squealed in delight as she took the unicorn and hugged it tight, although it was awkward because the thing was almost as big as she was. “Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!” she giggled as she twirled with it.
“Uh…Blaine?” Kurt asked, raising an eyebrow, “how in the world am I supposed to bring that back with me to Lima?”
The second he saw red in Blaine’s cheeks, Kurt knew that Blaine hadn’t thought that far ahead. It was actually adorable. Blaine chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I guess I probably should have thought about that,” he said sheepishly, “I’ll get him a big carrier and make sure he gets checked for you.”
Kurt rolled his eyes but laughed. How could he fault Blaine for something so precious for his little girl? “So, what’s the plan?” Kurt asked as they walked towards the carousel so he could grab the suitcase he had packed.
“Well, I have a car waiting for us outside,” Blaine began to explain, it’s going to drop us off at the zoo before meeting up with Tina who is going to get you checked in. Then I have an interview this evening with the guys so you have the evening to relax, although if I heard Tina right, she might have told your friend, Rachel, about you coming to New York.”
“Auntie Rachel!” Juliette repeated, clearly very excited about seeing her birth mother.
“Oh, I’m glad Tina mentioned it,” Kurt chuckled as he grabbed the suitcase from the conveyor belt, “I totally forgot and Rachel would kill me if I didn’t see her while I was in town.”
“Tina is good like that. But tomorrow, the guys and I are doing some recording and I thought maybe you two would want a tour of our studio and to hang out? Unless…you wanted to do something else…”
The way Blaine’s face pleaded silently was adorable. “That sounds like fun,” Kurt replied very quickly, “I wouldn’t mind watching you in your element for a bit. Will it be okay to have a six year old there?”
“Of course! Actually, the guys are excited about it. It’s not every day they get to hang out with the coolest six year old in the world.”
Kurt raised an eyebrow at him but Juliette giggled. “Did you hear that, Daddy? I’m the coolest!”
“You sure are, sweetheart,” he smiled as he took her hand, “can we stop and get coffee before we go to the zoo, though? The coffee at the airport didn’t do it for me and the stuff on the plane barely passes for it.”
“Whatever you want.”
They shared a smile as Juliette took both Blaine and Kurt’s hands so they could walk her out to the car. Kurt felt a little awkward when a guy in a suit took his suitcase for him but the guy was nice and assured him it was fine. Apparently he could tell Kurt wasn’t used to it. Blaine held the door open for them both and they slid into the back of the town car, which Juliette found fascinating. “Look, Daddy! There are two backseats in here!” she announced.
“I can see that,” he laughed, sitting down and noticing how Blaine was now seated next to him. He faced his daughter to hide his blush as he said, “Juliette, sit down and buckle in.”
“Andrew, could you take us to Nero’s in Bushwick?”
Kurt was surprised by this request. “Bushwick? But that’s not at all on the way to the zoo.”
“Maybe not,” Blaine replied with a shrug and a smile, “but I vaguely remember saying that the next time you were in New York we would go, so I’m pretty sure I have to fulfill that promise.”
The fact that Blaine had remembered that conversation warmed his heart and made his stomach jump for joy. Oh, he was in so much trouble.
During the drive, Blaine played tour guide as he pointed out all the landmarks and stuff for Juliette. Her eyes were wide and she ooh’d and ahh’d at everything. Kurt, enjoying the pure wonder on his little girl’s face, just sat back and smiled. While seeing his daughter be excited about the city was grand to watch, Kurt found himself much more enamored by how Blaine was with Juliette. Blaine had been very attentive with her back when they had dinner with his parents, but he could have easily chalked it up to Blaine just being polite. Now, though, he had a hard time believing that with how Blaine talked to her. How he rolled down the window and moved her into his lap so she could see the sites better. How he answered every question to the best of his knowledge. This wasn’t a guy who was humoring a little girl just because he was expected to - he was actually enjoying it. Kurt knew what love for a child was. He saw it every time his friends and family were with her. He saw it in the pictures he had of the two of them. The face Blaine had when he was with Juliette was just as bright as anyone else's. And Juliette clearly loved Blaine. By the time they got to Nero's, Juliette had dropped the ‘Mr.’ title and simply called Blaine by his name. She rarely did that with adults she didn’t feel comfortable with. “Blaine, can I have a cake pop?” she asked as they walked into the coffee shop.
“I don’t know, you’ll have to ask your dad.”
“Daddy, can I please have a cake pop?”
Kurt eyed the pout his little girl was giving him. He was about to open his mouth to answer but then he spotted Blaine and he paused. It seemed Blaine sensed that Kurt was about to say no because he was giving Kurt an equally pathetic pout. “Oh, not you too,” Kurt groaned as he looked between them. What, was he the only adult? He groaned and shook his head. “Yes, Juliette, you can have a cake pop.”
With coffee and cake pop in hand, they headed over to the bird mural in the park. It was pretty peaceful - a beautiful blue sky, birds singing and Juliette’s joyful laughter as she sang her way around the bird memorial, even making up names for each bird. Kurt snapped a couple of photos to send to his dad as he sat perched on the bench beside Blaine. They drank their coffees and talked quietly as she played and it was only when Kurt went to toss their cups into a nearby trash can that he heard it.
“Oh my GOD! You’re BLAINE ANDERSON!”
Kurt stopped Juliette from running over to Blaine as he passed her, catching her arm as Blaine smiled at the two teenage girls before him. “Hey there,” Blaine responded, a professional but genuine smile on his lips, “How are you?”
“We’re good. Sorry, we just didn’t expect to see you here .”
Blaine grinned “Well, it’s a beautiful spot!”
One of the girls clutched her phone to her chest, eyes wide. “We saw your last performance in Columbus. You were amazing. Like—seriously, we still talk about it.”
“That means a lot,” Blaine said warmly. “Thank you for coming to the show.”
The other girl nudged her friend. “Can we get a picture? If it’s not too much trouble?”
“Of course,” Blaine said, already standing and stepping closer. He glanced toward Kurt with a small smile, who gave a nod and stayed back with Juliette.
Neither of the girls noticed the exchange, quickly setting up their phones and letting Blaine pose in the middle of them, beaming as one of them snapped a selfie. Afterward, one pulled a small notebook from her bag. “Would you mind signing this? I know it’s silly, but—”
“It’s not silly at all,” Blaine said, taking the pen and scribbling a quick note with his signature. “Thanks for saying hi. And being so polite about it.”
The girls thanked him again, practically floating away as they walked off, still giggling.
Juliette, who had been watching with a puzzled expression, tugged on Kurt’s sleeve. “Why do they want his picture?”
Kurt crouched beside her. “Because Blaine sings and performs on big stages. Some people really admire that and want to remember meeting him.”
“Oh,” she said, clearly still thinking it over.
Blaine returned to them, brushing a bit of glitter off his sleeve from one of the girls’ jackets. “Well, that was sweet. But sorry it interrupted our coffee morning.”
Kurt raised an eyebrow, amused. “How often does that happen?”
Blaine chuckled, sipping the last of his coffee. “More than you’d think. Less than you’d expect.” Blaine replied nonchalantly, as if it was a common thing, “but it’s not too bad. At least, small interactions like that. Now when the hordes show up, that’s when it can be overwhelming.”
They shared a laugh as they climbed into the car. “Guess that’s the price of being famous, huh?” Kurt asked.
Blaine shrugged. “Unfortunately. People sometimes forget that we’re just people who want to live our lives as well.”
“You’re famous?” Juliette asked, her eyes growing wide.
Blaine smiled and shrugged. “Only a little.”
Kurt chuckled and shook his head. “No wonder you were so relieved when I didn’t recognize you.”
The smile that appeared on Blaine’s face melted Kurt on the inside. “More than you know.”
Once they got to the zoo, Andrew told them he’d be back after dropping off Kurt and Juliette’s stuff at the hotel, leaving the three of them to get their tickets and head inside.
The zoo was all abuzz with families. Blaine was quite happy to see how packed the zoo was. With there being so many people and the focus on the animals, it was less likely Blaine would be recognized here like he was at the park. He could blend in here. Just another face in a crowd. Juliette had grabbed his hand as Kurt was looking at the map and studying it. Almost as if he were committing it to memory. Blaine couldn’t help but find the scrunching of his face and the way he chewed on his lower lip adorable. “So it looks like if we go left, it’ll take us to the African plains area. Or if we go right we’ll go to the animals of Asia.”
“I want to see the lions!” Juliette announced.
“African plains it is,” Blaine decreed as he veered them off to the left. Juliette led the charge, pulling them towards each and every exhibit. At least at first. With how crowded it was, Juliette was having a hard time seeing over the tops of everyone so Blaine crouched down and scooped her up so she was sitting on his shoulders. “Look, Daddy, I’m taller than you!”
Blaine heard that musical laughter as he spotted Kurt’s smile. “That you are, Julie Bear,” he smiled, patting her back as he stepped in closer to Blaine, “Let me know when you need help putting her down.”
“Putting her down? Who said I was going to do that?” he asked playfully.
“You mean to tell me you’re planning on carrying her all around the zoo?” Kurt asked with a skeptical glance.
But Blaine just smiled as they walked from exhibit to exhibit. Although, to Kurt’s credit, Blaine did end up putting her down after a while. But he was almost glad for it. He got to watch Juliette tug on Kurt’s hand so they could get close to the exhibits. He saw Kurt be the perfect, doting father for his young daughter. How he paid attention to every little thing she said and did, making up stories for her about the animals and showering her with love and affection. Kurt gave Juliette every ounce of love Blaine had wished his own father had shown him. All with the most brilliant smile on his face. Occasionally Kurt would turn and give that smile to him and every time he did, Blaine felt his heart swoon. How had he managed over a month without seeing Kurt?
As they got to the penguin exhibit the zoo keeper announced they were about to do a penguin encounter. “Oh, Daddy, Daddy, can we go?” she asked, pulling on Kurt’s hand.
“Oh honey, I don’t think we can,” he said, “I think you have to have a special appointment for that.”
As soon as Blaine saw the pout on Juliette’s face, he walked up to the zoo keeper. “Excuse me,” he said, not at all missing the way the keeper’s face lit up the second he recognized Blaine, “you wouldn’t happen to have room for maybe a few tag-alongs, do you?”
“Y-you’re…you’re…”
Blaine nodded. “Yes, but shh, we don’t want to cause a stampede. Extra room?”
“For a member of Neon Riot? You bet!”
Blaine pulled out his wallet and pulled out more than enough to cover the admission before waving at Kurt and Juliette. “They got some space!”
As smooth as Blaine thought he was, he could tell that Kurt knew what he had done. “You know how unfair that is, right?” he asked, his one eyebrow arched.
“Maybe, but why not use my powers to give your little girl an experience she’ll never forget?”
Kurt chuckled as he pulled Juliette into the enclosure. Blaine hung back, not wanting any more attention drawn to him. He was pretty sure if he appeared behind a glass wall with a bunch of penguins and people watching that he would become more recognized and that would cause some issues with the rest of their zoo trip. As Kurt was pulled close by Juliette, Blaine pulled out his phone to take pictures. He held it up and watched as Juliette got close to a penguin and started to pet it on the head. She was all smiles and giggles with each stroke. “Daddy, I’m petting a penguin!”
Blaine was definitely going to invest in the biggest stuffed penguin he could find in the gift shop, even if it would be overpriced. Kurt was knelt down behind her, melting with each laugh and smile his daughter had. He had looked over his shoulder at Blaine and mouthed a silent ‘thank you’ but Blaine almost missed it. In that moment, with the lights of the penguin enclosure illuminating him perfectly, Blaine felt something deep inside him. He grew warmer, like every nerve was firing on all cylinders. The world seemed more vibrant and his heart beat faster. But even with the cacophony of sounds, it was like Blaine could only focus on Kurt. It was at that moment that Blaine finally realized something.
Sam was right - Blaine was in love and he was willing to do anything to keep Kurt in his life for good.
"I still can't believe that I had to hear from TINA that you were going to be in New York!" Rachel announced as she fell down onto the couch next to Kurt once dinner was over, "were you really going to come to New York and not tell me?!"
Kurt chuckled, hoping she wouldn't notice the blush he felt coloring his cheeks. "You know I have a memory like a sieve lately. Between teaching plans and single parenting, I'm lucky I remember to put on matching socks in the morning."
"And oh, what a tragedy it would be if Kurt Hummel didn't have matching socks," she teased, "you would just have to die from embarrassment!"
"You know me so well," he retorted, watching Juliette color in her picture intently.
"Of course I do," she smiled as she patted his leg, "so, tell me everything. How is McKinley? How are Finn and your parents? It feels like forever since I've last seen you!"
"It hasn’t been forever. You were just out for Juliette’s birthday in June.”
“Yeah, and that was almost five months ago. That’s forever.”
Kurt chuckled as he shrugged. “Well, McKinley is McKinley. Thank God Finn is the coach now otherwise the jocks would be up to their usual tricks. My dad's doing good, Carole is amazing as ever and if my dad would stop sneaking hot wings, we'd be perfect."
"That sounds like Burt. And how are you?"
"I'm fine," Kurt smiled. "I'm good."
Rachel raised her eyebrow at him. "Really? That's all you're going to give me?!"
"I don't have time for anything gossip worthy," Kurt groaned. "I'm too tired for gossip worthy drama."
"So you're not going to tell me all about how you met one of the front men of Neon Riot?"
Kurt’s face felt like it was burning as he chuckled nervously. "There’s not much to tell. Tina got us all tickets when they were in Columbus, Santana coerced me to go and that included a night on the town the night before. I met Blaine at a club without a clue who he is and that was that. I found out the next day at the concert."
Rachel looked properly scandalized. “Oh come on, there has to be more than that!”
Before Kurt could assure her there wasn’t, Juliette stood up and held up her picture. "Daddy look! I drew me and you and Blaine with the peng-wings!"
Rachel leaned over to see the drawing and smiled. "It's beautiful, Julie!” She said before noticing something and looked at Kurt with a knowing smile, “Why are Daddy and Blaine holding hands?”
"Because Blaine looks at Daddy like Auntie Tana looks at Auntie Britt! And they always hold hands!"
"Does he?" She asked, clearly excited, "what else does Blaine do?"
"He came to see us in Lima and we had ice cream and he played tea party with me. Then he got us tickets to come see him and we went to the zoo and he got me in to see the peng-wings even though we didn't have a special ticket and he got me my unicorn! It's bigger than me!"
As Juliette rattled off all of Blaine's outings with them, Kurt found himself sinking in his seat. He could feel his face burning. When he saw how Rachel’s face only grew brighter, he knew what she was about to say before she even said it. "Oh my God, he's totally into you!"
“Rachel, no,” Kurt said with a shake of his head, “don't even go there!"
"Hey Juliette," Rachel smiled wickedly as she turned to the little girl, "what does Uncle Finn and Aunties Tana and Britt say about Blaine?"
Kurt turned to his daughter. "You remember who puts food on your plate, missy. I can put all the cabbage and peas I want."
"Oh that's just mean," Rachel scolded as she leaned down and kissed the top of Juliette’s head, "you don't have to tell me, sweetie. I'll just text them and ask them myself."
Juliette giggled as Rachel reached for her phone to text their friends.
Kurt groaned. "Why must you torment me so?”
"Because I'm your best friend and it's in my job description,” she pointed out as she started to text, “and the fact that you are avoiding this topic means you totally like him too!"
"Don't be ridiculous, Rachel Berry, I can't like him... Not like how you're implying, anyway."
"Why not?"
Kurt breathed out and watched her for a moment. "Because it's not just my heart at risk."
Rachel could tell from the look Kurt was giving her that this was a bit more serious. She nodded before looking at Juliette. "Julie, sweetie, why don't you go into the kitchen and color another picture for me?"
“Okay, Auntie Rach,” Juliette said and nodded before she grabbed her stuff and ran into the kitchen. When she was gone, Rachel focused back on Kurt. "You're worried about Juliette, aren't you?"
"Of course I am. She already adores him. And I know he loves her, but he’s either always here or on the road. She’s not going to understand why Blaine can’t be here for birthdays or for holidays all the time."
"Won't she?” Rachel asked, giving Kurt a very knowing look, “Kurt, Juliette is a smart kid. If she can pick up that he likes you, then I think she understands a lot more than you give her credit for. Besides, you’re forgetting the most important question.”
Rachel reached over and squeezed his hand. "Do you like him?"
Kurt groaned as he slouched down in his seat and rested his head against the back of the couch. "I'd be so stupid to. He could do so much better.”
"What do you mean he could do better? You, Kurt, are a catch! I mean, look at you!" She said as she nudged him gently.
Kurt chuckled before he sighed. “Of course I like him. He's so sweet with Jules, he's cute and funny and..." He swallowed hard. "He just... It's stupid."
Rachel studied him for a moment. "What's stupid?"
Kurt shook his head. "Long distance is hard under normal circumstances. It'd be even harder with a child."
"And yet, he's flown out to see you already and he flew you both out to see him. Seems to me like he's willing to try and make it work."
Rachel had a point, but he sighed. "But for how long?"
"I think that's something you'll need to talk to him about," she replied with a shrug, "I know we're not madly in love but we still manage to have a friendship with distance and I still have a relationship with Juliette. It's about the effort you put into it. And from what I'm seeing, he's putting in quite the effort. Guys don't fly guys and their daughters out for a weekend if they're not remotely interested in making things work."
"I know," Kurt groaned. "I do know. I just... I worry that I'll want too much or push too hard... I think I pushed Owen and that's why..." He stopped and sniffed hard for a moment.
"Oh, honey, no," she cooed as she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him, "what Owen did wasn't your fault. You did not do anything wrong."
"So why does it feel like it's my fault?"
"Because you see the good in everyone. Because he never gave you a reason and it's easy to just blame yourself. But Kurt, you were not to blame."
Kurt rubbed his eyes. "Either way, I'm allowed to be concerned."
"Well of course you are. You're her dad and you want to protect her. No one is going to fault you for that. Especially not Blaine who seems to care for her a whole lot. I mean, really? A unicorn that's bigger than her? You don't get a kid that unless you love them."
His mind was racing and he slid his hands down his face. "I don't know what to do. I do really like him and I want to see where this goes, but how do I manage that when we’re so far apart?"
"Maybe you should figure that out with him," she offered, "that way you guys can work out a plan together."
"How?” Kurt asked, “I can’t just walk up and be like we need to come up with a plan on how to be in a relationship over a long distance."
Rachel laughed. "No! Just be open and honest about everything. Ask him where he sees this going and tell him your concerns and your worries."
Kurt's eyes bulged. "I can't do that Rachel! He has millions of followers! And what if this is all in my head again!"
Rachel blinked at him a couple times. "Kurt, I say this with all the love I have for you - you're being an idiot. There is NO WAY this guy isn't into you! Just talk to him. Or I'll have Mercedes talk to him."
"That might be worse,” he sighed, “I'm just not that confident, I guess."
"I don't believe that for a second," Rachel said encouragingly.
Kurt bit his lip. "We'll see, I guess."
"For what it's worth, I'm rooting for you. I don't think I've ever seen you this flustered over someone. You weren't even this way with Owen!"
Kurt blushed and looked away. "He is way out of my league, that's why. I mean, have you seen him?"
"I have! He's cute. I can see why you like him. And he's very lucky a hottie like you is interested in him."
Kurt blushed. "Anyway, tell me about your love life."
"I don't have one. Hence why I'm bugging you about yours…” Rachel bit her lip as she tapped her fingers together, “Does Finn ever talk about me?"
"Do you really want to go down that road?"
"I'm just asking if he talks about me."
Kurt raised an eyebrow, watching her skeptically. "Have you spoken to him recently?"
"We talked last weekend before he was meeting with you and Juliette for trick or treating."
Kurt raised an eyebrow. "Tell me more?"
"He asked if I was going to go out there for the holidays. He told me what you were planning for sectionals and the fall play. And he might have mentioned Linda was moving soon. I guess she got an offer for a promotion in Cleveland."
"So that's your sudden interest? You gonna visit Lima soon then?*
"Maybe. You still haven't answered my question."
Kurt laughed. “For the record, yes, he does talk about you. And he’s still dopey-eyed when he does.”
Rachel squealed in delight and clapped her hands together. Kurt just rolled his eyes and looked at the time. Blaine was going into her interview. “I guess I can try to talk to him tomorrow. It’s not like I can do anything while he's in an interview."
"Then you know what we should do?" She asked as she grabbed the remote, "musical sing along!"
Kurt laughed and turned to the kitchen. "Jules, are you ready to show Auntie Rachel how good you are at Let It Go ?"
Notes:
Next Up - Juliette meets Neon Riot!!
Chapter 11
Summary:
Juliette meets Neon Riot!!
Notes:
I would like to apologize profusely for the delay in posting this. Work has been chaotic on the best of days so I haven't really had a moment to sit down and post stuff. In happy news, I'm working on chapter 21 of this so there's still so much more to post!!!
As always, thank you for all the love and support for this story and to JButler for being my beta on this. Couldn't have gotten this far without you!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Santana - Are they there yet?
Elliott - Not yet, but they should be here soon.
Santana - Define soon.
Elliott - Soon. They should be here any minute now.
Elliott - It depends on how good NY traffic is
Santana - You better keep me posted and your boy better not screw this up
Elliott - I will and we won't let him screw anything up
Santana - we'll see
Elliott didn't reply to Santana after that. He learned very shortly after Santana got a hold of all of their numbers that there was no point in arguing with her. She would keep going until she had the final word. Better to just let her win early and save himself the headache. He took a deep breath and looked up, ready to talk to Sebastian, although he stopped mid sentence as his brow furrowed. Sebastian was standing at the door to the recording suite, pressing his face against the glass to peer down the hall. “Bas, what the hell are you doing?"
“I'm waiting to see Blaine come in with Kurt so I can see just how far gone he really is. I need new ammo to torment him with."
“You know he'll be able to see you, right?"
“So?" Sebastian asked, turning around and noticing the look on Elliott's face. Whatever clever quip he was about to shoot back died on his tongue. “I know that look,” he muttered as he moved to sit down on the couch next beside Elliott, “What's wrong?”
“I'm fine,” he smiled and turned to Sebastian. “I was just informing Santana that Blaine and Kurt would be here soon. And, well, you’ve seen how Santana can be.”
“Right, Klaine,” Sebastian muttered as he pulled a face, “I'm still not entirely sold on that portmanteau.”
Elliott grinned. “Oh, big words. Are you showing off?”
“I don't need to show off in front of you.”
Elliott quirked an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that? You know I'm always game for a little showing off.”
“Yeah,” Sebastian leaned in so his lips were hovering just over Elliott's, “but it's not the type of showing off I can do with polite company incoming imminently.”
“Ooh, alliteration as well.”
“Shut up,” Sebastian closed the gap and pressed his lips to Elliott's. The kiss lasted a few seconds before Sebastian felt a tug on his jeans. He pulled away and turned to see that the door had opened and there was a little girl with chestnut hair in braided pigtails standing in front of him. “Uh, hi,” he said nervously.
"My name is Juliette! What's your name?”
Elliott chuckled at the cute face Sebastian was making. "I'm Sebastian.”
It was like her face lit up. "Do you know Ariel?”
Elliott started laughing, as did Blaine from the doorway. Kurt, who was right behind Blaine, shot Sebastian an apologetic look as he stepped further in. "Sweetie, he's not that Sebastian,” he muttered as he pulled her away, “I'm sorry. Sometimes she has no filter."
“I mean, she’s not wrong,” Elliott smirked, “Seb can be kind of crabby before he gets his morning coffee.”
Everyone chuckled, save for Sebastian who playfully hit Elliott on the shoulder. Elliott rolled his eyes before walking towards Kurt. “It’s good to see you again, Kurt. Blaine here hasn't shut up and you or this beautiful baby girl of yours!”
Blaine flushed. “Why did I pick you to be my friend?”
“Because I can sing high notes even your dulcet tones swoon at.”
“No, I leave the swooning to Sebastian thank you,” Blaine sighed before he turned to Kurt's “I guess proper introductions are in order this time,” he said, recalling that Kurt had only really met them in passing, “this is Elliott and his boyfriend Sebastian - don't ask me how their relationship works, I'm still trying to figure that one out for myself.”
“It might be better if you don’t,” Elliott chuckled before taking Kurt’s hand and giving it a shake.
“Where’s Sam?” Blaine asked, looking around.
“Oh, he went to get some snacks,” Elliott explained, “we didn’t know how long today’s session was going to run.”
As if on cue, Sam came stumbling in with bags upon bags of stuff slung over his arms. “Sorry I’m late. I wasn’t sure what all to get or if there were any food allergies I should be aware of so I got a lot of different stuff."
Sam put down the bags and Kurt felt a sort of blush appear on his face. "You didn't have to do that," replied softly.
"Don't worry about it. Sam loves food almost as much as he a-loves Mercedes Jones, but we're not meant to talk about that," Sebastian grinned
"Sebastian!" Sam growled, hitting him on the arm. Kurt, meanwhile, chuckled, although it was Juliette who was giggling. "You love Auntie Cedes?"
Sam's face went white. "No! I mean....she's pretty, but I don't....”
The more he rambled, the more red Sam’s face got and everyone choked on the laughs they were doing a horrible job at suppressing. Except for Juliette, who’s giggles only grew. “Oh god, please don't tell her,” Sam pleaded when he realized it was too late.
Juliette beamed up at Sam. "It'll cost you!"
"Juliette," Kurt hissed, although the rest of the adults (minus Sam) seemed to be snickering. Poor Sam hummed loudly, the wheels of his mind turning as he rustled through his bag of goodies and found a unicorn marshmallow pop. "Will that do?"
Juliette's eyes lit up instantly. "Yep," she grinned as she took the pop from him and turned back to her father, "I can keep a secret, right Daddy?"
Sebastian and Elliott were humming a taunting love song, which only served to make Sam blush furiously. Kurt pulled Juliette back and helped her break into her marshmallow pop. "Yes, you are a very good secret keeper," he replied as he handed her the pop back.
“You know, Sam,” Blaine began, “if you really want, I bet between Kurt and I, we could set something up for you…”
“Absolutely not,” Sam interrupted, “You know that I get all weird and nervous around people I like.”
“So what does that say about the fact you’ve never been nervous around us?” Sebastian asked.
“Who said anything about liking you?”
Elliott laughed quite jovially. “You walked into that one, Seb.”
Juliette, who was happily chewing on her new treat, turned and eyed the drum set. She made an excited noise as she pointed to it. "Look, Daddy, they have a drum set like Uncle Finn! Can I go play with it?"
There was no doubt this was a much more expensive drum set than the one that Finn had at his house - in fact, Finn would quite literally be drooling if he saw the thing. Kurt could only imagine how much it would cost to replace something if Juliette damaged it in any way with her enthusiasm. He could quite literally imagine her swinging her legs and ripping the bass drum. "Oh, honey, I don't think..."
"Of course," Sebastian interrupted, waving at her to follow him, which she did with a skip in her step. Kurt was stunned as he watched Sebastian sit down behind the set and put Juliette in his lap. Anxiety wormed its way through him as more and more images of something getting damaged played in his mind. "Remember, Juliette, careful!" he called to her, distress evident in his tone.
"Don't worry," Sam reassured as he grabbed a bag of chips and opened them, "So long as she keeps my secret, I'll cover her behind if she causes mayhem. And anyway, it's a drum set - it's pretty unbreakable."
Kurt chuckled nervously. While Sam seemed genuine, he still couldn’t help but worry. Perhaps it was his Dad instincts. He looked at Blaine and asked, "Are you sure this is okay? Won't your manager or someone get upset that there's a kid playing with your instruments....or here in general?"
Blaine smiled as he put his hand on Kurt’s elbow. "It’ll be fine. Besides, I wouldn't have invited you if I hadn't cleared it first.”
“That and Tina vouched for you. Believe me when I say that the studio manager is terrified of her,” Sam added.
“More like in love with her. He’ll literally do anything for her,” Elliott stated.
“That’s because he already knows if he tries to tell her no, he’s going to lose.”
“Hey, for some guys, that’s a huge turn on!”
There was a loud mess of percussion and everyone glanced over to see Juliette and Sebastian both smacking every snare and cymbal with a set of drumsticks each. Juliette's laughter could barely be heard over the noise but it was clearly written on her face. "I can't tell who's having more fun - Juliette or Sebastian," Sam commented, “what do you think, Ell?”
But Elliott didn’t reply. Glancing over, Sam nudged him with his elbow. “Hello? Earth to Elliott Gilbert?”
Elliott jolted out of his day dream of watching Sebastian with a child and rolled his eyes at Sam. "What?"
"A little distracted there, El?" Sam asked with a smile on his face.
Elliott glanced and made sure Juliette was distracted before giving Sam the finger. Sam stuck out his tongue right back as Elliott approached Kurt. “She's energetic, that’s for sure. You must have your hands full."
"God, you have no idea," he chuckled under his breath, "every single gray hair I find is absolutely her fault. But I wouldn't trade her for anything in the whole world. She keeps me going, even when I'm too tired to move."
Elliott’s smile was soft and warm. "She looks just like you. I can see why she has Blaine wrapped around her finger already."
“She does not!”
“Dude, you told us that it only took one look from her to get you to pull the Neon Riot card to get her into the penguin exhibit,” Sam pointed out.
“You should have seen her face! You wouldn’t be able to say no to it!”
"And she loves him," Kurt chuckled, "you should have seen the two of them when he came to Lima. She saved Blaine her favorite tiara to wear for tea parties. Only her favorite people get to wear it."
Both Elliott and Sam’s face lit up. "Please tell me you have pictures. We need new blackmail material!"
"But of course," Kurt replied before Blaine could protest. He pulled out his phone and opened his photos app to scroll through all of the photos until he found the one with Juliette and Blaine sitting side by side with Blaine in his tiara and feather boa and handed it to the two men. "Enjoy."
Sam was leaning over Elliott's shoulder to get a glimpse of the pictures and laughing. "Dude, you look adorable!"
Blaine groaned. "I don't need any more nicknames. Between you three, I have plenty. Adorable doesn't need to be added to the list!"
"Wait, what are the other nicknames?" Kurt asked with a glint in his eye.
Elliott opened his mouth to answer but Blaine put a finger to his lips. "Absolutely not."
"Oh come on," Kurt pleaded, "you got plenty of embarrassing stories about me from my family. I think it's only fair that I get some of yours."
"Embarrassing stories, I'm sure these guys can do in abundance," Blaine groaned, "But I draw the line at nicknames. I need to keep some face around Jewel.”
As if on cue, Juliette giggled and yelled from across the room, "Blainey Days!"
Sebastian was smirking rather proudly behind her as he kept her balanced on his lap. Blaine groaned but couldn't help the laugh that slipped out of him. “Blainey Days?” Kurt asked, finding the nickname both weird and endearing at the same time.
“Tina came up with it,” Blaine explained, “don’t ask how - none of us really know other than she had a few too many glasses of wine.”
“I mean, that’s not even the worst one,” Elliott began, “Sebastian could have told her Bu-”
“Don’t you dare finish that statement,” Blaine cut off rather quickly.
Sam and Elliott laughed as Blaine stared quite sternly at the two of them. "You're all mean to me."
"Nah, buddy, we love you," Sam said, patting Blaine on the shoulder before clapping his hands together, "alright, who's ready to make some music? I had this totally killer guitar riff and I need your guys' input on what we should do with it."
Kurt smiled as he motioned at Juliette. "Come on, Jules, let's let these guys do some work."
"But Daddy, Sebastian said he'd let me play the si-lo-tone!"
"Xylophone," Sebastian corrected sweetly, "and actually, Kurt, we were kind of hoping you'd let us do some cute outros with her. If it's okay with you, of course."
Kurt looked over at Blaine a little nervously. "Outros?"
"It's just as the song fades out,” Blaine explained, “We sometimes keep the recorder going so the recording captures us messing around in the studio. The fans seem to like it."
Kurt seemed a bit apprehensive about it. “I don’t know…” he muttered.
"We won't name her or anything like that,” Blaine added, “It would just be her voice or her playing the instruments."
"Oh," Kurt hummed, still a little unsure, but upon seeing Juliette enjoying hitting the cymbal over and over again with Sebastian, he knew his little girl would very much enjoy herself, "Yeah, that's fine. So long as she's protected."
"Totally, dude," Sam added before slapping Elliott on the back, "quit your gawking and grab your guitar. You're drooling and it's embarrassing."
Elliott sighed, shaking his head as he walked towards his guitar while muttering under his breath, “If I had ovaries, they would have exploded by now.”
He was unaware that Kurt had heard him until he heard Kurt chuckle. Meanwhile, Kurt sat down gracefully on the couch off to the side as he motioned to Juliette to join him. "Come here, Jules,” he instructed, “Let’s let them work. They’ll let you know when you’re needed."
Juliette nodded as she jumped down from Sebastian's lap and ran towards her father. Kurt patted at the space next to him so she jumped up and sat next to him. For the next couple of hours, Kurt watched fondly as Blaine and the guys worked. It was clear that Blaine was in his element. While everyone contributed, it was Blaine that finely tuned everything - from notes and pitches to lyrics. Everything needed to pass the Blaine test, it seemed. It was mesmerizing. Kurt couldn’t take his eyes off of him. Blaine noticed as he caught Kurt staring more than once. The smile they would share when he did turned his face pink and his heart to skip a beat.
The guys did a few recordings before beckoning Juliette over. When she wasn’t banging on the xylophone with Sebastian she was sitting in Blaine’s laugh, giggling as he sang to her. The sight alone was enough to make Kurt weak in the knees. He was so perfect with her, which filled him with joy and reminded him of how complicated this could get. It was Rachel’s words the night before, though, that put that part of his mind at ease. Watching Blaine now, he knew without a doubt that Blaine would do whatever he could to try and be there for her.
Kurt just had to take that leap.
As they came to a break, Elliott popped the cap off his water bottle and sat down near Kurt. "So Kurt, Blaine tells us you're pretty musically gifted."
"Oh, nothing like you guys,” he replied with a nervous laugh, “But I can carry a tune and play piano."
"That's not how Blaine puts it," Sebastian replied with a grin, "He won't stop going on and on about your voice. What was it that he said? Something about it being the most angelic sound in the world?"
Kurt flushed and turned to Blaine. "You did not?"
"I hate you guys so much," Blaine groaned as he buried his very, very red face in his hands.
"Oh yeah," Sebastian added with a very satisfied smirk on his face, "he keeps pulling up this YouTube video of you singing I'm Still Here from NYU. I think it's saved under his prof-OW!" he yelped when Blaine threw a full water bottle at him.
Kurt chuckled as he leaned forward. "Ignore him - tell me more about his internet search history. What other stalking has he been up to?”
"He's on a mission to find any and all videos he can of you doing performances," Sam added, "I think he found every competition you did in high school, in college....”
Sam looked over and noticed how Blaine was looking at him with a gaze that begged him to stop talking while also threatening bodily harm. “What?” Sam asked incredulously, “It's true! Don't give me that look!"
"He also really loves that cheer solo you did in high school," Sebastian threw out with a devilish grin on his face.
Kurt laughed, hoping his face wasn't as red as it felt. "I might regret asking but which one? 4 Minutes or the fifteen minute Celine Dion medley in French?"
"Wait, there's more than one?" Blaine asked, immediately realizing he said that out loud and quickly hid his face behind the top of the piano.
Elliott laughed under his breath. "The Celine Dion one, although I think he's going to find the 4 Minutes one at his next bathroom break."
Kurt laughed sweetly before walking over to the piano to find Blaine staring intently at the sheet of music in front of him. "You know you don’t have to go searching through the YouTube archives? You could just ask to see it."
Blaine looked up, spotting the sweet, playful smile on Kurt’s face. He swallowed awkwardly before asking, "Do you have the video?"
Kurt nodded as he put his hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "I'll send you a link."
Sebastian clapped his hands together. “Alright, boys, back to work! What should we work on next? I’m thinking Velvet Revolver…”
"Actually,” Blaine chuckled as he looked over at Sebastian, “There is something I want to work on…with Kurt."
The room stopped for a minute as Kurt felt his stomach flip. Blaine was looking at him now, smiling sheepishly. “M-me?” Kurt stuttered as he pointed to himself.
Blaine just nodded. Kurt felt his eyes bulge a bit more. "Blaine... Don't get me wrong, I can sing and I'm flattered but I'm not album worthy."
"Neither is Sebastian and yet, we keep him around," Sam teased just before Sebastian smacked him upside the back of his head.
"Don't sell yourself short, Kurt. You have an incredible voice,” Blaine replied earnestly, “And there's a song that I really want to do that you would be perfect for. There's no guarantee that it'll even be on the album, but I would love to get the chance to sing with you. So will you do this song with me…Please?"
Kurt bit his lip and looked at the rest of the band. "I mean... I don't want to impose?"
"Oh trust us, you'd be doing us a favor," Elliott said.
"Come on, Jaybird," Sebastian smiled as he took Juliette's hand without waiting for Kurt’s reply, "we're going to watch your Dad and Blaine shoot heart eyes at each other as they sing."
The guys and Juliette walked out into the booth to give Kurt and Blaine the room. Kurt instantly felt self-conscious but he tried his best to appear not so easily flustered about all of this. So he stepped closer as Blaine reached for the sheet music and handed it to him. "Here. I highlighted your parts."
Kurt accepted the sheet music and gave them a once over. When he read the lyrics, his brows furrowed. "I feel like I recognize these but at the same time, I don't."
"Because you kind of know it but don't like the current version of it."
Kurt glanced back at him. " Down Bad ?"
Blaine nodded with a cheeky grin on his face. "This was the original version before the producers got it and wanted the lyrics changed to make it more sexy," he explained as he started to play the melody, "I thought you might like to hear how it was supposed to sound."
Kurt watched Blaine for a moment before sitting next to him. "Why do I feel like this is going to make me emotional?"
"If you do, you can cry into my shoulder. I won't mind,” Blaine teased, "You want to hear it first?"
Blaine waited for Kurt to nod before he began playing the song. The lyrics were vastly different from the song that haunted Kurt on the radio. The same with the tune. He could pick out pieces from what he had heard, but hearing how the song was originally supposed to go, Kurt realized why Blaine had won that song-writing competition. The lyrics were hypnotizing, fitting along with the melodies of the chords as Blaine played. This was how the song was supposed to go and it almost made Kurt pissed. Why the hell had the producers torn this song to shreds when it was so much better than the end product?
With the final flourish of keys, he finally looked up at Kurt. "So, what do you think?"
Kurt smiled, hoping his eyes didn't look as wet as they felt. "It's beautiful."
"Did I redeem the song for you, now that you heard the original version? You won't hurt my feelings if you like the other one better."
Kurt chuckled and shook his head. "Definitely like this one better."
"Oh good, because I was totally lying. It would have absolutely killed me," he chuckled, "Need a warm up?"
“Absolutely,” Kurt replied, “You wouldn’t happen to know how to play Blackbird, would you?”
“I don’t know,” Blaine teased as he started to play the chords. Kurt just rolled his eyes and counted the measures until it was time for him to jump in.
As the two men sat very close together on the piano bench, playing and singing, the three men and child were all in the recording room, listening and watching them. Elliott lifted his phone and took a picture before sending it off to Santana. "They're totally into each other, aren't they?" Sam asked.
"Oh yeah. He's so in love with Blaine," Sebastian grinned, "they should just kiss already."
Juliette grinned and blew a kiss to Sebastian. "Just like you love Mr. Elliott!"
"You know it, Jaybird."
Elliott groaned in frustration. Sebastian with Juliette was killing him. Thankfully, he was distracted from what Sebastian’s current behavior was doing to him when he heard his phone go off. He quickly pulled it out and read the reply. "Santana approves, although she's mad they're not making out."
Juliette pulled a face. "Does Blaine have cooties? Because Daddy doesn't need cooties. He needs the special cuddles Auntie Tana gives Auntie Britt. She calls them lady cuddles."
Sebastian was about to make a crude comment, but then he remembered that this was a child and held his tongue. "Blaine needs special cuddles too,” Sam added, “Do you think your Daddy would like Blaine cuddles?"
Juliette put a finger on her chin. "Do Blaine cuddles make you not sad anymore?"
"Oh, absolutely," Sam replied.
"Then yes, Daddy would like Blaine cuddles, please. I don't want Daddy to be sad any more."
Each one of them felt their hearts hurt just a little bit more. "Your Daddy is really sad, huh?" Sam asked as he knelt down in front of Juliette.
"Auntie Tana says that Daddy is lonely because his ex boyfriend is a cheating scumbag and should be hung by his thumbs."
Sebastian choked on his spit as he laughed. Elliott and Sam exchanged a glance, both horrified by the verbiage from the six year old but also amused. "Well," Elliott mumbled after he regained his composure, not that Sebastian was helping, "we want to help make your Daddy happy. Do you know what kind of food your Daddy likes?"
Juliette scrunched her nose. "He likes the rice balls and noodles and really likes the milk biscuit cake and he eats the food that comes in boxes with sticks."
The three men looked at each other in confusion, trying to decipher what the hell this six year old just told them. "Boxes with sticks?" Sam asked softly.
"I think she means Chinese food," Sebastian whispered out of the corner of his mouth.
Elliott nodded as he looked back at Juliette. "Well, Juliette, how do you feel about hanging out with us tonight so Daddy and Blaine can go have a nice dinner together?"
Juliette's eyes lit up. "Can we watch Frozen and get people chicken?"
"People chicken?" Sam asked. That image in his head surely wasn't what she meant, right?
"Daddy won't let Grandpa eat people chicken, so it's a secret."
Sam immediately pulled out his phone to look up what in the world people chicken could be. "You know what, you can have whatever you want," Sebastian answered.
"KFC!" Sam announced almost proudly as the search result came up on his phone. Elliott just chuckled and rolled his eyes while he grabbed his own phone. "I'm going to message Tina and see if she can get a reservation for those two lovebirds in there at that sushi place Blaine likes. With any luck, those two will be “cuddling” by the end of the night."
Sebastian hummed as he stepped forward and snuck a kiss from Elliott. "I love when you get all Cupid."
"And I might have a new kink for you," Elliott whispered, "But we need to discuss that away from prying child ears."
"What's a kink?" Juliette asked.
Sam and Sebastian laughed as Elliott’s face turned red. "Ears of a dog, I swear to God," Elliott groaned, “don't worry about it, sweetie. It's an adult word."
Juliette watched him for a moment and sighed. "Daddy says that about Auntie Tana sometimes. She uses lots of adult words."
"Oh, I'm sure he does," Sebastian chuckled, "but just out of curiosity, what does she say?"
"Sebastian, no," Elliott warned.
"What? I'm not teaching her adult words!"
Juliette giggled. "Are you two going to wear white and have a party one day?"
Sebastian and Elliott's mouths were agape as they floundered for an answer. Thankfully, it was Sam who saved them. "They sure do act like they're going to, don't they?"
Elliott looked for something to distract from the awkward question and pointed to Kurt and Blaine. "We should go tell them what the plan is tonight."
Juliette just looked pleased with herself as Elliott rushed out of the sound booth. When he was gone, Sebastian leaned in and whispered in Juliette’s ear. “You know, Jaybird, we might just.”
Notes:
Up next: Blaine and Kurt go on a very romantic date
Chapter 12
Summary:
It's date night for Kurt and Blaine. Whatever shall happen!!
Notes:
Not much to say other than I really appreciate every single one of you and I hope you enjoy this chapter!! I think y'all will be in for a treat.
And, of course, thank you to JButler for betaing!!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Kurt Hummel was going on a date.
More importantly, Kurt Hummel was going on a date and had nothing to wear.
Back in his younger days, Kurt prided himself on always having an outfit for any occasion wherever he went, but after he became a father, that ability quickly morphed into always making sure his daughter had an outfit for any occasion. Which was now why he was standing in front of his bed, looking at the shirt options he had brought and realizing that he had absolutely nothing suitable for a dinner date with Blaine Anderson .
He had sent a text message to the group chat with pictures of the shirts he had for help and he almost regretted it after the messages started coming in.
Santana - Wear the one that you like the least.
Santana - That way, when Blaine tears it off of you later, you won’t be too mad about it.
Kurt - I’m not sleeping with him. This is just dinner.
Santana - Dinner DATE
Finn - Do you know where you’re going?
Kurt - Some sushi place in Manhattan.
Kurt - Which means fancy and none of these are fancy.
Brittany - The blue one looks nice!
Finn - What about the green one?
Santana - I’m telling you, just wear the one that you don’t mind getting ripped.
Kurt groaned and tossed his phone to the side. The blue shirt was lovely but it was definitely a lot more casual than sushi in Manhattan. The green one was nicer but it was plain and boring and he had brought nothing to accessorize anything up. This was going to be a disaster. After another length of time of debating, he glanced at the clock and sighed heavily. Blaine was going to pick him up in about twenty minutes and he still hadn’t even gotten to his hair. This was a sign - he needed to cancel. He was just about to grab his phone when he heard a knock on the door of his hotel room. Oh no, Blaine was early. “I’ll be there in a second,” he lied, scrambling to grab a shirt.
“Knowing you, you don’t have a second to waste.”
Kurt’s brow furrowed as he walked over to the door and pulled it open, revealing Rachel with a garment bag over her shoulder. “Sorry I’m late. Traffic was a nightmare.”
“Rach? What are you doing here?”
Rachel walked in and held out the bag for him. “Tina texted me and told me about your date with Blaine tonight…”
“It’s not a date. It’s just dinner.”
“Yeah, whatever. Dinner at Hiro’s is not just dinner,” she added with a grin, “I messaged Finn as soon as Tina told me and he said that you were already freaking out so I caught a cab, went to the closest high-end store I could find and viola!”
Kurt eyed the bag before opening it and gasping when he saw what was inside. “Rachel, you didn’t,” he said, pulling out the Alexander McQueen blue and white button up shirt, black blazer and pants.
Rachel was quite proud of herself as she watched Kurt examine the pieces. “Oh, I very much did. You’re welcome.”
“How did you know my size?”
“I have my secrets.”
“You had Santana break into my house, didn’t you?”
Rachel’s silence was approval enough. After setting the garments down, he walked over to Rachel and enveloped her in a big, tight hug. “Thank you.”
“Anything for my bestie. Now go get ready. Don’t want to make you late for your date.”
As fast as she appeared, Rachel left, not before Kurt called out and said, “It’s not a date!”
Kurt managed to get dressed and his hair styled just in the knick of time. He was still running his fingers through his coif to get it just right when he heard the knock on his door. “Two seconds,” he called back, continuing to style his hair as he moved towards the door.
The second it opened, Kurt was stunned. He knew it was Blaine because who else would it be, but the sight of him took his breath away. He was dressed up - not award-show dressed up – but the black on black outfit and red accent pocket square screamed proper. In his hands he twirled a fake metal rose, painted to look like a real one. The only reason he knew it was metal was the glint of silver on the inside of the petals. While Kurt was stunned speechless, it appeared that Blaine was as well the second his eyes laid on him. “Wow,” Blaine blurted out, finally breaking the silence, “Kurt you look….wow.”
Kurt’s face turned almost as red as the rose. “Such a poet,” he teased.
“Hey, I told you, when it comes to you, I forget how to speak. Although I’m pretty sure it’s just because there are no words that can accurately describe you.”
Okay, scratch that, Kurt was definitely as red as the rose. “You look incredible,” Kurt finally said, hoping to distract from his blush and give Blaine one of his own.
It worked, but Blaine recovered rather quickly and held out the rose. “I got this for you. I was worried that if I gave you real ones you wouldn’t be able to take them home with you so I wanted to make sure you had something that would survive the trip.”
“Blaine, you didn’t have to,” Kurt muttered as he took it and twirled it around.
“Perhaps not, but I wanted to.”
As much as the warning bells started ringing in his head, Kurt ignored them. Instead he put the rose down on the little counter by the door and picked up his phone and wallet. “Okay, I’m ready.”
“Great,” Blaine smiled, holding out his arm. Kurt knew what he was doing and couldn’t stop himself from smiling as he looped his arm through his as they walked to the elevator. “So is there anything I should be aware of since I’m going to have dinner with one of the front men of Neon Riot in the big city?”
“Hopefully nothing,” Blaine laughed nervously, “Hiro’s is one of my favorite sushi places and typically the staff are really good about security. I’m just kind of hoping that I’m able to sneak around under the radar tonight.”
And for the most part, they had. A black car had been waiting for them at the entrance of the hotel to take them to the restaurant and the hostess had even guided them to a table that was towards the back and away from the windows. They sat down and picked up the menus, although Kurt felt slightly overwhelmed by the options. There were so many rolls and entrees that he didn’t know where to start. Blaine must have noticed the shock in Kurt’s face because he asked, “You alright?”
“Yeah, I’m good,” he replied as he flipped through the menu, “there’s just…a lot.”
Blaine chuckled. “Yeah, they have a good variety. That’s why it’s one of my favorite places. I want to make it my goal to try everything on this menu at least once, but that might still be a long time still.”
“Oh, I can imagine,” Kurt muttered with humor in his tone as he kept flipping through the menu, “I don’t even know what to order. Everything looks really good.”
“Well, we can always just order a bunch of stuff and share?”
Kurt looked up from his menu. “Are you sure?”
“About sharing a bunch of sushi with you and enjoying your company? Yes, I’m very sure.”
They shared a chuckle as Kurt put down his menu. “Alright, but you’re choosing the rolls. I don’t even know what half of them are.”
“Fair enough.”
Their waiter came over to take their drink orders and Blaine put in their first round. Once the waiter was gone, Blaine asked, “So, have you had a good trip?”
“I am,” Kurt replied, his tone light, “Juliette seems to be having the time of her life. She got to see Rachel again and she got to spend time with you and your friends. Oh, and the zoo. I think you made her whole world by getting us into that penguin exhibit. I’ve always wanted to do that for her but the Columbus Zoo doesn’t have much in the way of guest interactions and I could never afford them. So thank you, even if you cheated a little bit.”
“Absolutely worth it to see that smile on her face,” Blaine chuckled, “and I’m glad Juliette is enjoying herself, but as much as I love Juliette, I recall asking if you were having a good trip.”
“When you become a Dad, your joy comes from seeing your kids having fun,” Kurt replied, feigning seriousness before letting it crumble, “but yes, I am having a great trip. It’s been great to spend time with you and see you in your world. Even if it was only for a day and turned upside down by a six year old playing the xylophone.”
“Hey, that was maybe one of the best recording sessions we’ve had in a long time. Those outros with her are amazing. I personally like the one where she’s showing Sebastian her incredible cymbal skills.”
“I actually thought that poor cymbal was going to fly off the stand.”
“Crazier things have happened.”
And oh, how right Blaine was. The fact that they were sitting there, together, having dinner was still baffling to Kurt. He was so far outside of Blaine’s orbit that he still didn’t understand how their paths had crossed. It was like lightning in a bottle. Once their drinks and first roll arrived, Blaine asked, “So how is the musical coming along?”
Kurt was mid-drink so he made a humming noise before swallowing so he could answer. “Good. The kids are really excited. We start dress rehearsals when I get back and next week is Hell week.”
“Hell week?”
“Final week before the opening show,” Kurt explained, “that’s what my kids call it because my perfectionist tendencies start to really shine and I start stressing about every little detail. Between the production and Sectionals, I’m a mess.”
“Oh yeah, when are your Sectionals this year?”
“The Friday after Thanksgiving,” Kurt replied, “so I get to spend most of Thanksgiving break worrying about that while making dinner and preparing for Black Friday.”
“Okay, I have to ask,” Blaine said as he leaned in over the table, “how does one prepare for Black Friday?”
Kurt laughed nervously. “Oh, I don’t think you want to hear that answer.”
“I think I really, really do.”
Kurt felt his face grow slightly red in embarrassment. “I don’t know if I can tell you without painting myself out to be some crazy person.”
But Blaine wasn’t deterred. Instead, he propped his elbows up, intertwined his fingers and rested his chin on them while watching Kurt with an excited grin. It was downright adorable. There was no way he could say no. “Alright, fine, but try not to judge me too much.”
He tried to avoid going into too much detail about how he scouted the sales and planned the most efficient route, but when he found himself explaining in great detail the timely schedule he had, he knew there was no way in Hell he sounded like a sane person. To Blaine’s credit, he never once appeared horrified or put off by Kurt’s detailed plan. In fact, he just kept watching Kurt with an endearing expression. “So, yeah, that’s how. Feel free to tell me how incredibly insane it is. I know Santana never hesitates to remind me just how anally retentive it sounds.”
Blaine laughed and it didn’t at all sound fake or forced. “No, I don’t think it sounds insane. It’s very thorough and I’m impressed, but mostly, I think it’s adorable. I think you’re adorable.”
Kurt felt like his face could light up the dimly lit restaurant so he quickly hid it behind his glass as he took a drink. Quickly feeling the need to divert the topic, he asked, “So do you have any fun traditions for Thanksgiving?”
Blaine shrugged. “Not so much. It depends on how busy we are here and what my family are up to. Typically I’m stuck here for the holidays, so the guys and I get together and order Chinese and watch Christmas movies. Sometimes my family comes out to surprise me, but this year my folks are meeting up with my brother and his girlfriend for a cruise around the Caribbean.”
“Your brother?” Kurt asked with a tilt of his head.
Blaine chuckled nervously. “I keep forgetting I haven’t told you about him. I have an older brother, Cooper. And by older I mean about twelve years older. We weren’t exactly close growing up. He was the literal definition of cool, where I was the weird nerdy kid playing with lightsabers and action figures.”
“I bet you were a really cute kid.”
“Remind me to hide my kid pictures from you.”
The two of them laughed as their third round of sushi had come out. “So are you two close now?” Kurt asked.
Blaine shrugged. “A little bit, but not by much. He’s still back in LA. He wanted to be a big movie star and he got a few roles in commercials and TV shows, but then he switched gears after he met Allyson. She’s mellowed him out a lot, which I appreciate. Cooper can be kind of draining. I know he means well, but there’s only so many times I can be called kid brother by him without feeling the urge to remind him I’m an adult now.”
“Big brothers are the worst, huh?"
“They are,” Blaine laughed, “so then I take it Finn is yours?”
“In every sense of the word,” Kurt replied, “the big lug is older than me by a month and he’s taller, although I think even if I was older, he’d still treat me like his little brother. He’s always been that way, though. Ever since high school. He was the quarterback so he wanted to protect his team and his family, and it made him a little overprotective. High school didn’t help, with everything I went through with Karofsky and especially after Owen…”
The second he said his ex’s name, he sighed. Yeah, way to bring the conversation down , he thought to himself as he took a bite of sushi.
Blaine hesitated before he reached out his hand and took Kurt's in his. "You don't have to tell me you know."
The second Blaine’s hand touched his, Kurt felt that electric touch he hadn’t felt in forever. The one that made your heart skip a beat, that made you catch your breath. That cliche moment in movies where a touch took their breath away, but in this instance, it was like Kurt breathed fresh air for the first time in years. He inhaled deeply as his eyes met Blaine's. "I know. He just…he really screwed me up. Which is stupid because I haven't seen him in years."
Blaine’s fingers ran over the back of Kurt’s knuckles. “What did he do?”
Kurt took a deep breath. “He cheated on me. Shortly after Juliette was born."
Blaine's brow furrowed and he tightened his grip on Kurt’s hand. "That bastard. I don't know how anyone could cheat on you . Especially with that little gem around.”
Kurt chuckled hollowly as he looked down at his plate. He didn’t know either and he had his theories. Each more self-deprecating than the last. “You do know that it's his loss right?" Blaine continued, pulling on Kurt’s hand to get him to look back up.
When he did, Kurt felt his face blush and he smiled softly. "That's what everyone keeps telling me. I just don't know why he did. I keep thinking back to everything, trying to figure out what it was that drove him to do it."
"Doesn't matter," Blaine said. "What matters is that I hope you know that I am not him. I could never do anything like that."
"Oh I know you're not him. You're maybe the most caring person I've ever met. Juliette knows it too - she doesn't take that fast to people as fast as she has with you."
"I'm glad... I just..." Blaine watched Kurt for a moment. "I will never understand someone who could do something like that to anyone, especially to you. But, if him being an idiot means I got to meet you..." he shrugged and smiled, leaving the rest unsaid.
Kurt smiled right back as he squeezed his hand. They sat like that for a moment before Blaine took a breath. "For the sake of clarity, you know that I like you, right? Like I want to take you on more days and nights like today?"
It was like Kurt’s heart did a flip as he chewed on the inside of his lip and nodded. "I had hoped, although I don't understand why. I'm not anyone special."
Blaine squeezed his hand tightly and entwined their fingers. "I don't want special. I just want you."
Kurt was pretty sure his cheeks were burning. “I like you too,” he replied before laughing a little under his breath, "Man, I'm so glad Santana threatened bodily harm to get me to go to Columbus."
Blaine joined in with the laugh as his whole face beamed. "Me too. We'll go at your pace. I don't want to rush you and I know we need to go slow until I earn your trust and Juliette gets used to me being around."
"I appreciate that." His tone was soft but his smile was bright. "You're still coming out for the musical, right?"
"Wild horses couldn't keep me away," Blaine replied with a smile. "What show did you want me to come to?”
"Whichever one you can make. I don't know what your schedule is going to be like around that time."
"What days is it running? Tuesday to Sunday?"
"Wednesday through Sunday with two shows on Saturday and a matinee on Sunday."
Blaine hummed as he mulled it over for a second. "Why don't I come for Friday night and then I can help out over the weekend?"
It was hard to contain the excitement on Kurt’s face by his answer. "I'd really like that. Pretty sure Juliette will too," he said before his teeth sank into his lip again, "do you think maybe you would be able to stick around for Thanksgiving? Or is that going to cause some issues?"
Blaine smiled. "I'd be honored."
Kurt's smile grew. He almost couldn’t wait. "A whole week with you. Sounds almost too good to be true."
"The things we could do with a week,” Blaine said with a devilish grin that made something inside Kurt stir.
"Like?" Kurt asked, very intrigued by what he was thinking.
Blaine just shrugged, keeping that grin firmly on his face. "I can't give you all my secrets, Hummel."
Kurt laughed. “Alright, fine, but I can't be too spontaneous. I do have a job and a six year old," he pointed out.
"And you have friends and family that offer to help me surprise you all the time. Especially Santana.” Blaine paused as he shivered. “She's scary."
"God, you have no idea,” Kurt groaned but he laughed as well, “but she's secretly a softie, deep down. She just had a funny way of showing it."
"Yes well, her voice note threatening my existence if I so much as look at your wrong was enlightening."
"She did not!" Kurt laughed in shock and embarrassment. "Can I hear it?"
Blaine laughed and pulled out his phone to play Kurt the voice note. "I'm sure Sebastian gave her my number."
Kurt took the phone and hit play on the voice note. Santana’s voice appeared and his eyes widened. "Listen here, Curly, and listen well - if you so much as look at my boy in any way that makes him uncomfortable, you're gonna learn the hard way that no one messes with a member of Auntie Snixx's family and gets aways with it. Porcelain is very special and needs to be wined, dined, spoiled and taken care of so you better do that. Trust me, you do not want to know how we do it in Lima Heights.”
"Oh God," Kurt groaned as he buried his face, "I'm so sorry about her."
Blaine shrugged as he put his phone away. “It's sweet. She clearly adores you and this is just how she shows it "
Kurt shook his head as he looked back up at Blaine. "She's still mad I didn't let her go and punch Owen in the face."
Blaine grinned. "If we ever see him, I can't promise I won't go temporarily blind if she is with us."
"Remind me never to leave you alone with her."
Blaine laughed and blinked innocently. "Moi? *
Kurt chuckled. "Oui, toi. Tes yeux innocents ne me trompent pas."
Blaine felt his breath catch in his throat and his eyes seemed to darken. "No, absolutely not. You can't look like you do and speak fluent French, Kurt! That's not fair!"
"What? Why not?!"
"Because you're hot enough without the French!"
Kurt was trying not to let the fact that Blaine thought he was hot affect him. "I can not speak French around you?"
"I didn't say I wanted that... Maybe just not in public.”
Kurt blushed at the implications. "I'll keep that in mind.”
Blaine offered a smirk. "Maghihiganti ako ."
"I have no idea what you said but I feel like I should be nervous," Kurt muttered, clearly impressed and amazed by Blaine, "what was that?”
Blaine chuckled. "Filipino Tagalog, my grandparents moved from there in the 50s and had my mom. She's been teaching me and my brother since we were kids.”
"That's sweet," Kurt smiled, "how hard is it to learn?”
Blaine shrugged. "It's hard to tell. I've been brought up around it, so I might not be the best person to answer it. We can test it on you, though, and see how long it takes you to learn?”
"That sounds like fun," he admitted, "and gives me even more reasons to spend time with you.”
Blaine laughed. "You don't need a reason to spend time with me outside of just liking being around me.”
"Oh yeah,” Kurt laughed, "I forget I don't need to come up with excuses to have a social life. Not that I really had a social life to begin with.”
“Really?” Blaine asked.
Kurt nodded and chuckled nervously. “Yeah…that night we met at the club was the first night I had gone out with friends since Owen and we split up….almost six years ago.”
“Kurt!”
They both laughed, Blaine more in disbelief and Kurt in awkward embarrassment. “I wish I was kidding, but I’m not. I was a single dad and heartbroken. It was so much easier to just dive into adulting than it was to go out drinking at bars or dancing at clubs. Believe me, I’ve heard the ‘you need to let loose and have fun’ speech from everyone, including my dad. Do you know how embarrassing it is to be told, as an adult by your adult father, to go back out there and maybe meet someone?”
Blaine just breathed out disbelief as he shook his head. “I can only imagine, but I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact you haven’t enjoyed a night out in six years!”
“Well, now it’s been three months.”
Blaine shook his head. “No, that night doesn’t count. You admitted to me that wasn’t your kind of scene and as nice as our conversation was at the piano bar, that is not how you break a six year long drought of not having fun.”
Kurt noticed how Blaine glanced at his watch as if an idea occurred to him. With a pleased smile, Blaine was reaching into his jacket and pulling out his wallet. He pulled out probably more than enough cash to cover their food and tip. “Blaine, what are you doing?”
“Paying so we can get out of here,” he explained as he stood up, “we’re going to find some fun.”
Kurt sat there flabbergasted at first until Blaine held his hand out. “Shall we?" He asked with that smile that made Kurt’s insides melt.
Once Kurt took Blaine’s arm, Blaine started to lead them out of the restaurant. “Where are we going?” Kurt asked.
“To have some fun.”
“Well, I figured that much out,” Kurt laughed as Blaine hailed them a taxi, “but where? ”
“That is a surprise,” Blaine replied with a mischievous glint in his eyes and opened the door for Kurt. They piled in and no matter how much pressing Kurt tried to do, Blaine refused to tell Kurt where it was they were going. Not that he even got an answer when Blaine told the driver the location or when the taxi came to a stop at the pier. Blaine, of course, paid the man before they got out and then proceeded to take his hand. “Come on or we’ll miss it.”
“Miss what?”
But Blaine didn’t answer. He just pulled Kurt down the sidewalk towards a line of people along the railing. As they got closer, that’s when Kurt noticed the yacht, lit up with lights and music pounding from it. “What is this?”
“Every night, there’s a cocktail cruise that goes around the Statue of Liberty. There’s food, drinks, music and some card games. They typically have a boat that runs every half an hour.”
Kurt was stunned. Getting their tickets and boarding was all a blur until the yacht started to pull away from the dock. Blaine brought Kurt to the bar on the top deck. “What do you want to drink?” he asked.
“Oh, uh…just a glass of red wine.”
It only took Blaine maybe a minute or two to wave down the bartender and get them both of red wine to sip. As they walked away, Kurt asked, “So is this typically what you do for fun?
“Depends on the mood I’m in,” Blaine replied after taking a sip of his wine, “and how drained I am after dealing with Sebastian all day. I love the guy, but he can be….”
“A little much?”
“I was going to say incredibly childish, but yeah, that’s a nice way of putting it.”
They laughed as Kurt leaned against the railing and watched the Statue of Liberty getting closer and closer. “I can’t remember the last time I did something like this.”
“I think you told me the last time you went out was about six years ago.”
“Well, that too,” Kurt laughed as he bumped into Blaine, “I mean this. Did something nice. I mean, Owen and I never had enough money to do anything special like this. Maybe college? Rachel and I used to treat ourselves to dinner at nice-ish restaurants once a month with the tips we got from the diner. We’d get dressed up, go to a nice restaurant and pretend that we were somebody.”
Kurt chuckled at the memory. “Rachel used to say we were just practicing for when we were famous Broadway stars.”
“Man, I wish I could have met you then,” Blaine breathed as he looked back over at Kurt, “you wouldn’t have had to pretend you were somebody.”
Kurt chuckled and ducked his head to hide his blush. “You think you’re so smooth, don’t you?” he replied, diverting the conversation just a bit.
“Oh, I know I’m smooth,” Blaine replied, turning so he was now fully facing Kurt as he leaned against the railing.
“Is that so?”
Blaine nodded as he reached over and put a hand to the small of Kurt’s back. “It is, and I can prove it to you.”
Kurt waited with baited breath. Blaine was leaning in and Kurt froze. Was he going in for a kiss? But Blaine’s free hand reached around and grabbed the wine glass from him to sit it down on the table next to them before taking Kurt’s hand. “Let me show you.”
His breath never left him as Blaine pulled him towards the open deck space reserved for dancing. Blaine pulled Kurt in close, resting one hand on Kurt’s waist as the other held his hand. Instinctively, Kurt held onto his shoulder and let Blaine lead as the song shifted to one of Neon Riot’s slower songs, which only made Kurt laugh. “There’s no way that’s a coincidence.”
They both looked to the DJ stage and saw the DJ give them a nod. “Not at all,” Blaine replied with a shake of his head, “at least he chose this song and not your absolute favorite.”
“If he had, I would have ran screaming from this dance floor.”
“I don’t think so,” Blaine replied as he let go to spin Kurt out and bring him back in, “you haven’t seen my ballroom dance skills yet.”
And Blaine definitely had skills. He led so masterfully. He almost wanted to see if Blaine would be willing to give Finn some dance lessons, if only for the fun of watching Finn. But he was having entirely too much fun as they glided across the room, up until the last bit of the song when Blaine dipped Kurt. It was like time stopped at that moment. Everything seemed to fade around them, leaving the two of them in their own little world. Kurt was lost in the amber hue of Blaine’s eyes, noticing how the Christmas lights seemed to reflect off of them so perfectly it was like staring into a golden sea of stars. His heart fluttered, his stomach swooped and before he was almost sure their faces were getting closer and closer…
In fact, they were. Lips touched and suddenly, Kurt felt warmth flood him. It thawed every piece of him that had been frozen after he found Owen with another man and filled all the holes that had been left from the divorce. He felt invigorated, renewed, but most importantly, he felt happy. It was electric and perfect. He hadn't even realized that at some point Blaine had pulled them up to standing straight - he had been too lost in the taste and feel of Blaine on his lips. As their kiss came to a natural end, they pulled back, but only enough so they could breathe. Their foreheads rested against each other and their noses brushed as their eyes met. They shared a smile and started to lean back in, suddenly needing more…
“OH MY GOD, IT’S BLAINE ANDERSON!”
Kurt and Blaine both turned their heads and noticed a group of girls staring at them, fanning their faces and bouncing up and down on the balls of their feet. Their faces burned as they stood back up and let go just as the gaggle came over and started asking for pictures and autographs. Kurt stood back, letting Blaine interact with the fans, except for the couple of times a girl would hand him her phone and ask to take a picture. After a while, the security team for the boat (Kurt had no idea that they had one, but it made sense if there was booze on the boat) ushered them away and helped Blaine and Kurt to a VIP lounge.
The rest of the boat ride remained fairly uneventful. They had a couple more drinks, danced a few more times, but for the most part they just sat and talked. Kurt noticed how Blaine seemed to be a bit more touchy-feely - grabbing and holding Kurt’s hand whenever he could, resting a hand on his arm or shoulder, even just sitting closer and closer. They made plans for Thanksgiving, about their upcoming weeks and even talked about potential plans for Christmas. The only thing they didn't talk about was the kiss and honestly, Kurt was okay with that. Nothing needed to be said. It was romantic and perfect. It had said enough, even if Kurt still wasn't quite sure what it meant. But that could wait for another time. He didn't want to focus on the future. He just wanted to live in the now.
Eventually they arrived at Elliott and Sebastian’s place to pick up Juliette before Kurt took her to the hotel for the night. “I had a really great time tonight,” Kurt said as they walked down the hall towards the apartment.
“I did too,” Blaine said, “it was…”
“Perfect.”
They stopped just outside of Sebastian’s door as Blaine nodded in agreement. “It was. Well, except for the swarm of fans…I’m sorry again about that.”
“Don’t be. It’s not your fault.”
They stood there, staring at one another. They knew they needed to knock, but they both knew what this moment was for the night. Blaine chewed his lip before huffing a hollow laugh. “Can I be honest for a second?”
“Of course.”
“I really, really want to kiss you again.”
Kurt's breath caught in his throat. A smile crept across his face as his heart beat faster and faster. “Well, what's stopping you?”
“Because I'm pretty sure Elliott is watching us through the peephole,” Blaine muttered.
There was a thump and the door shook. The door opened a second later with Elliott on the other side, smiling like a fool. “Don’t let me interrupt you love birds.”
“A little too late for that,” Blaine said as they both chuckled nervously. Kurt cleared his throat to greet Blaine’s friend. “How was Juliette?”
“An angel,” he explained, waving at them to follow him in, “your daughter is incredible. We watched a few movies and she even managed to convince Seb to dance with her to Beauty and the Beast. ”
“Please tell me you have a video,” Blaine smiled.
“Of course.” Elliott guided them to the living room and paused, turning and holding a finger to his lips. They furrowed their brows before peaking around and nearly awwing at the scene that was in front of them.
Sebastian was sitting on the couch, fast asleep but still holding Juliette who was snuggled into his side, sleeping as well. “She loves Sebastian,” Elliott whispered.
“You’re getting baby fever, aren’t you?” Blaine teased.
Elliott just hit Blaine’s shoulder. That seemed to be answer enough. Kurt moved carefully, extracting the little girl and holding her close to him so she would latch onto him as she slept. Blaine made sure to walk Kurt out to the car that waited to take him to his hotel. “So I guess I’ll see you in a couple weeks?” Blaine said softly.
“Can’t wait,” Kurt smiled, leaning in and giving Blaine a soft peck, “Goodnight, Blaine.”
Unbeknownst to them, a guy with a camera was watching from across the way and didn’t leave until both Kurt and Blaine were gone.
Notes:
Translations:
Oui, toi. Tes yeux innocents ne me trompent pas. - Yes, you. Your innocent eyes don't deceive me.
Maghihiganti ako. - I'll take my revengeUp next: Kurt returns to Lima and gets ready for the opening of the Fall production!!
Chapter 13
Summary:
Kurt returns to Lima
Notes:
As always, thank you for the love and support for this fic and to JButler, my amazing, incredible beta!! I value you all so much <3
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Kurt was having a weird morning.
It started when Kurt dropped off Juliette at school. It wasn’t abnormal for people to look his way and give him a friendly hello - most everyone were people he grew up with, but today, people were staring at him as if they were in shock to see him. Even Juliette’s teacher seemed to stumble over herself when Kurt came into her classroom and gave her a hug and kiss goodbye. It didn’t end there, either. At the Lima Bean, the barista was so stunned when Kurt put in his usual order that he nearly fell over the person behind him when he turned to grab the muffin. He was confused, especially when he started walking down the hallways and students watched him with the same perplexed looks he had been getting all day. Finally, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
Kurt - Okay, can some explain what in the hell is going on?
Finn - What do you mean?
Kurt - People have been staring at me like I’m some sort of alien creature.
Kurt - And I have no idea why!
Santana - That’s a bold face lie.
Santana - You totally know.
Kurt - No, I don’t?
Kurt - Santana…
Kurt had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as he saw the three dots flashing by Santana’s name. But she wasn’t sending a message - she was sending pictures. Screenshots from X, Instagram and celebrity news sites. His stomach dropped as he read the captions.
neonriotfangurl: OMG YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE WHO I SAW THIS WEEKEND! #NEONRIOT #BLAINEANDERSON WAS ON THE COCKTAIL CRUISE WITH A DATE !
evanssriot: Okay, hold the phone, who the hell is this guy locking lips with #blaineanderson?!
sebelliott4eva: #NeonRiot lead man seen with hot POA in NYC? We need to find out who it is! #blaineanderson #mysteryguy
@riotqueen93: who is this gorgeous man with Blaine and why do I already ship it 😭😭😭 #mysteryguy #blaineanderson #neonriot
@blainerswife: NOT ME refreshing every site trying to find out who mystery guy is 😭 #blaineanderson #mysteryguy
entertainmenttoday: Is love in the air for Neon Riot’s golden boy? Paparazzi caught Blaine Anderson of Neon Riot on a cocktail cruise around the Statue of Liberty this weekend with a mystery man — complete with drinks, dancing and even a kiss! Fans are already scrambling to figure out who the lucky guy is, but the singer’s team has declined to comment at this time.
Santana - BTW you’re trending on X.
“No, no, no…” he groaned, opening up the social media platform and scrolling. Sure enough, there were pictures all over of him and Blaine. At the park, the zoo, dinner, the cruise - the kiss. They were everywhere. Thankfully, none featured Juliette - his face, he could handle but he didn’t want his little girl being out there for the world to see. Santana’s name appeared once more with a series of texts.
Santana - Congratulations, Lady Lips, you took over the internet faster than Rachel and no one even knows your name.
Santana - I’m so proud of you.
Kurt - I hate you
He muted his phone, knowing full well that all of his friends were bound to ask what was going on in those photos and just not having the bandwidth to deal with them. He would talk to Blaine about it later. He stepped into his classroom and just as he was about to put his bag down, one of his students, Carly, came up to him. “Mr. Hummel?”
“Yes, Carly?”
“Is it true you’re dating Blaine Anderson of Neon Riot?”
Kurt groaned as he dropped his bag on his desk. It was going to be a long day.
Every class that morning, his students would ask him about what happened. It was all they wanted to talk about. No matter how many times he said he wasn’t going to talk about the pictures of him and Blaine or New York or anything related to it, they would always ask. One of his Glee Club members, Nick, even asked, “So since you’re dating one of the members, does that mean we can finally do a Neon Riot week?”
Kurt didn’t even humor the notion. When lunch time came, Kurt made the mistake of looking at his phone. There were dozens of texts from friends asking about the pictures. Even Puck texted him to ask what the deal was. It took some scrolling before he found a text from Blaine.
Blaine - I just saw the posts.
Blaine - I’m so sorry.
Blaine - Tina is working to try and keep anything else from popping up and I made it clear that I don’t want anything released until we talk.
Blaine - Are you okay?
That made Kurt smile a little. He opened up the thread and typed a reply back.
Kurt - I’m okay.
Kurt - I’m shocked, but I guess it was bound to happen
Kurt - I’m just glad there’s no pictures of Juliette
Blaine - Tina is making sure of that
Blaine - She’s kind of scary good at this
Blaine - Are you sure you’re okay?
Blaine - No one is harassing you, are they?
Kurt - Not unless you count my students
Suddenly, Finn sat down opposite him with that goofy look on his face. “Hey, lover boy,” he greeted.
Kurt - And my brother
Blaine - Godspeed
Blaine - Call me later when you’re free?
Kurt - Will do
“Is that him?” Finn asked.
“For your information, yes, it was him,” Kurt said, putting his phone away to grab his fork.
Finn grinned and unwrapped his sandwich, which Kurt could see had mayo dripping down the sides. "Tell me everything, little brother.”
Ignoring Finn's request, Kurt reached for the paper towels. "Seriously, did you drown your sandwich in mayo?" he asked as he slid it towards Finn, "you and Dad, I swear. You're both like two grown up children who refuse to eat well. Do you even have anything green in that sandwich?"
"There's cucumber and red onions so you can take a breath and stop changing the subject,” Finn smiled as he nudged Kurt, “what is or isn’t on my sandwich does not even compare to the photos. So spill."
Kurt turned his focus to his salad, trying to hide his blush and his smirk. "It was just a kiss," he shrugged before remembering there were two separate photos, "Okay, two kisses. It's not that big of a deal. We kissed. It was nice. End of story."
"Oh no, you’re not getting off the hook that easily,” Finn laughed as he took a huge bite of his sandwich, mayo squirting in every direction, "you need to tell me everything."
"Seriously, you make more of a mess than my six year old," he muttered, wiping some of the mayo off the table. After it was cleaned and he threw the paper towel away, he ran his hand down his face. He knew his brother was persistent and he couldn't avoid it forever. "Alright, fine, but not a word about this to anyone. Not Dad, not Carole and ESPECIALLY not Santana. It's already bad enough it's plastered over social media and in every class the kids are asking if I'm dating Blaine."
Finn eyed Kurt with a playful grin. "Are you?"
"No....yes?" Kurt groaned as he hung his head. "I don't know."
"Oh, I think you do,” Finn chuckled as he sat his sandwich down.
"No, I really don't," Kurt sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck, "I mean, yeah, we had a nice time. He took us to the zoo and got us into one of those wildlife encounters so Juliette could pet a penguin, and he took us to their recording studio and asked me to record a song with him…”
“Wait, you recorded a song with him?” Finn asked, his smirk only growing in size.
“Yes, he did, but don’t get too excited. I doubt anyone will ever hear it.”
“What song was it?”
“Do you really want to hear about the song or do you want to hear about our date?”
Finn mimed zipping his lips closed and Kurt rolled his eyes. “Anyway, then we went on this date and it was so sweet and romantic, Finn. We went to dinner and we talked . Then he said he liked me and wanted to see me more and yes, before you ask, I told him I liked him too. Then we went on that cocktail cruise and we kissed and the kiss was just so..."
His voice trailed off as he sighed, remembering how good it felt. His face even blushed and he smiled faintly at the memory but it was brief as he shrugged, "But what does it all mean? Are we dating? Are we just seeing each other? Is this even anything? Where is it going? What if it’s nothing and I'm reading into things again?" Kurt groaned and buried his face in his hands.
"But what if you're not?" Finn asked, "I mean if he didn't like you, he wouldn't have kissed you. He told you he liked you and he wanted to see you again, so I suppose...and this is just a thought....you could maybe, oh I don’t know…ask him?"
"Oh, gee, why haven't I thought of that," Kurt muttered dryly, making sure his eyes matched his tone, "I can't just ask him. He said he wants to take this at my pace but I don't even know what that pace is. I don't even know if I have a pace!"
"Of course you do - Glacial."
As immature as it was, Kurt picked up a carrot from his salad and flung it at Finn. "You're not helping."
The carrot caught in Finn’s hair and he laughed as he picked it out and tossed it back. "Alright, fine, answer me this - do you want to be dating him?"
Kurt heaved a heavy sigh. That was the million dollar question, wasn’t it? He thought about it for a moment before finally replying. "I think so," he replied thoughtfully before meeting Finn’s eyes, "is that crazy? I mean, he's a famous rockstar and I'm a high school teacher. He's got this rich, crazy life. I'm not anyone special, but when I'm around him, it's like...."
He paused, thinking of how to phrase it, "it's like competition, but instead of there being a whole choir on stage, it's just me and he's the only one in the audience. If that makes sense."
"He makes you feel seen."
Kurt nodded. "And special, as cliche as it sounds. In a way that I don't ever remember feeling when I was with Owen."
Finn nodded along with him, his sandwich long forgotten. "Like you're the person he has been looking for his whole life."
"Yeah, something like that,” Kurt muttered before his brow furrowed, “Wait, what makes you say that? Did you talk to him or something?"
"No,” Finn laughed, “just...maybe now you get it...why I can't move on from Rachel."
Kurt sighed as he offered his brother a sympathetic smile. "I don't know how you do it."
"It's hard. But...I just know she's my person. And, when the universe thinks it's right, our paths will align again. But for now I just...make do."
"What a pair we make," Kurt muttered with a hollow chuckle, "Rachel mentioned maybe coming out for Thanksgiving. Did she say if she was going to be able to make it out yet or not?"
Finn nodded with a hopeful smile. "She thinks so. The play goes dark Wednesday and she was going to ask her understudy to take the Tuesday show as well."
"Well, hopefully she does so she can distract you. Blaine's going to be here for that whole week."
Finn's eyes lit up. "Oooh, that's exciting! I'll have to tell Burt. That way we can plan out our conversation with Blaine."
Kurt groaned rather loudly. Of course Burt and Finn would want to have “the talk” with Blaine. "There's no dissuading you from doing that, is there?"
"Absolutely not,” Finn replied rather proudly, “he needs to know how far up his ass my foot will go if he pulls any stupid stunts like Owen did."
As much as Kurt wanted to try and talk Finn out of it, he knew that one, this came from a place of love, and two, there was absolutely no stopping him from going full protective big brother. Kurt just took a breath and looked up at Finn pleadingly. "Just don't scare him so much that he runs away, okay? I really like him."
"Oh see, now that's even more interesting,” Finn said as he leaned forward with a smile, “It took me weeks to get out of you how you felt about Owen, but you're giving this information up for free. He’s really gotten under your skin, hasn’t he?”
"Don't make me fling salad dressing at you."
"Go for it. I have spare clothes in my office. I'm not afraid of your fat free Italian dressing."
"You're insufferable," he groaned lightheartedly. Kurt noticed the clock just as the bell rang. "Looks like lunch is over. You swear you're not going to tell anyone about this, right?"
"I promise,” Finn said as he stood, but he paused once he was up with a grin that made Kurt’s insides turn, “but it might be too late for Mom and Burt. They want the details on everything. Good thing we got a family dinner tonight!"
With that, he rushed out the door, hoping to dodge Kurt's ire. “Finn Hudson!” Kurt yelled, throwing his plastic fork at his retreating form and being annoyed that he missed. At least for now. He’d get him at dinner tonight.
Before he knew it, it was opening night of the musical. Kurt had been able to distract himself by diving headfirst into preparing for this night that he hadn't really noticed anything else. The internet was still going crazy over who the mystery guy in Blaine’s life was and after a good conversation between Blaine and him, Tina had posted an official message stating that no one was going to comment on who it was in the photo as Blaine wishes to keep his personal life personal. It didn’t stop people from walking up to him and asking if it was him in the photos, although Kurt didn’t answer the question. Someone was bound to say something on a forum, he knew that, but he wasn’t about to hurry that along. Besides, he had more important things to worry about. Like tonight and Sectionals in a few weeks.
And Blaine was going to be there in a few days.
That alone made the long days worth it. There were times he would go to bed exhausted but instead of dreading the next day, he was able to spin it. One day closer to Blaine getting here. He was excited. He had the guest room set up and ready, his house was spotless and he had even gotten extra toiletries for the guest bathroom just in case Blaine needed something. Maybe it was a little over the top but Kurt wanted to be ready, just in case. He was getting ready when he heard the doorbell ring. He knew Finn was coming over to pick up Juliette so he could watch her tonight so he wasn’t all that surprised. “Julie Bear, can you get the door for Daddy?” he called as he fixed the scarf around his neck.
He could hear Juliette run towards the door and the door open. Kurt was expecting an excited screech when she saw her uncle, but then he heard Juliette yell, “BLAINE! Daddy, Blaine’s here!”
Kurt froze for a second. That couldn’t be right, could it? He glanced down at his watch and, sure enough, it was Wednesday. There was no way. Abandoning the need to make sure he looked his best, Kurt darted down the stairs and paused on them when he saw that Juliette was right - there was Blaine with a large suitcase, a bag and a bouquet of yellow and orange roses. “Surprise!” Blaine announced.
“Blaine?” Kurt asked, finishing his descent down the stairs to meet him, “What are you doing here? I thought you were coming in on Friday!”
“What can I say? I like surprising you,” he grinned as he stepped in, “also I realized I didn’t want to wait another couple of days to see you so…here I am. Is that okay?”
Kurt blinked and smiled quite largely. “It’s more than okay.”
Blaine’s smile only grew as he held out the flowers. “These are for you. I know people usually give them to the directors after the show, but I wanted to make sure I was the first.”
“Oh, Blaine,” Kurt sighed, taking them and inhaling them deeply, “they’re beautiful. I love them.”
Kurt waved at Blaine to come in as he took the flowers into the kitchen to find a vase. “How did you get here?”
“Well, I went to the airport, then I got on a plane…”
“I meant here to my house,” Kurt cut off with a laugh.
Blaine chuckled as he sat his bag and suitcases by the staircase. “Finn picked me up, actually. When I found out I could make it here today, I messaged him and he agreed to pick me up from the airport and everything.”
“I’m sure he did,” Kurt mumbled as he filled the vase, “He didn’t give you a stern talking to, did he?”
“No…but he did say that he and I would have to have a word at Thanksgiving.”
“Of course he did," Kurt griped before something registered in his head, “where is Finn?"
“Oh, he told me to tell you he'd be right back. Something about promising Juliette nuggies?”
"Nuggies!" Juliette exclaimed rather excitedly, making both adults chuckle. “Of course he did. Juliette, go finish getting ready."
Juliette nodded but before she ran off she hugged Blaine’s legs. “I missed you, Blaine."
Blaine visibly melted as he reached down and hugged her back. “I missed you too, Jewel."
Juliette gave him one more squeeze before she ran up the stairs to go get her jacket and shoes. When she was up the stairs, Blaine smiled at Kurt. "I missed you too, by the way.”
Now it was Kurt’s turn to melt, if only a little. He wasn’t sure he could melt anymore than he already had. “I missed you too,” he replied after he set the flowers on the kitchen counter, “you want some help bringing up your things?”
“If you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.”
Kurt took the suitcase and was surprised when he lifted it. “Okay, I know I have no room to talk because I tend to overpack but do you think you got enough for a week?” Kurt teased.
Blaine chuckled and, if Kurt wasn’t mistaken, it almost sounded mischievous. “Actually, that’s the other part of the surprise.”
There was a pause as Blaine waited for Kurt’s head to tilt. “I’m actually free until New Years, so I was kind of hoping that I could maybe stick around until then?”
Kurt froze as shock washed over him. Blaine was available until the New Year. Blaine wanted to stay with Kurt over the holidays. Blaine was going to be here for a whole month! His lack of response and his shock must have created a panic in Blaine as he started to ramble. “It’s okay if that’s too much. Saying it out loud, I realize how incredibly presumptuous it is of me to think you’d be okay having a house guest over the holidays but…”
But Kurt quickly interrupted Blaine by pressing a finger to his lips. The shock dissolved into a genuine smile. “You have no idea how happy it would make me to have you here over the holidays,” he said, finally dropping his finger and replacing it with his own lips for a soft kiss. Only when he pulled away did he grab Blaine’s hand to squeeze it reassuringly, “and I’m sure Juliette is going to be overjoyed that you’ll be here for the holidays.”
After helping to get Blaine’s stuff into the guest room, the two of them waited for Finn to come back and pick up Juliette with a bag full of chicken nuggets for her to munch on. Once they were gone, Kurt turned to Blaine. “I need to head to the school to get ready for the kids to arrive. You’re more than welcome to make yourself at home if you’re tired from your flight.”
But Blaine shook his head. “I came out here to spend time with you and that is precisely what I am going to do,” he said as he held onto Kurt’s hand, “consider me your right hand for this. Whatever you need, I will make sure it’s taken care of.”
“And what if I need you to slap some sense into me because I’m freaking out?”
“Well, I won’t slap you…unless you’re into that.”
The way Kurt’s face turned red almost instantly at Blaine’s insinuation made Blaine laugh. “Kidding!” he stated as he playfully nudged Kurt, “if you need me to, I’ll come up with something a little less violent to calm you down.”
“You are horrible, Blaine Anderson.”
They chuckled as they left the house and got into Kurt’s car. The drive to the school was never a long one and, much to Kurt’s relief, there weren’t any students there yet. He wasn’t quite ready for his kids to see him with Blaine just yet. He knew as soon as they did that he wasn’t going to keep them at bay and if Kurt was being honest, he wanted to be selfish and keep Blaine all to himself. At least for the time being. Once Kurt parked, Kurt led them to the building where he unlocked the entrance to the auditorium. “My students should start showing up in about twenty or so minutes,” Kurt explained as he closed the door behind Blaine and made sure it was unlocked, “I can give you a quick tour if you want. Be warned - it’s your run of the mill Midwest high school so not really all that exciting.”
Blaine chuckled as he held out an arm for Kurt to take. “I would love a tour.”
The tour was just as exciting as Kurt’s warning, although Blaine seemed to be enjoying himself. Kurt showed him all the different class rooms, the gym and locker room, Finn’s office, his own office before the final stop. “And this is the choir room.”
Blaine instantly could tell that music was the heart of this room. Despite it being a choir room, he knew it was a safe space for the students. The pride flags, the unity posters, the bookshelf spilling out with sheet music in every language conceivable. Every instrument was lovingly seated in its own place. The kids had obviously stuck up posters of their favorite bands and a Neon Riot Poster had proudly been placed in the collection. "I knew you were a good teacher, but I think this just brought home to me that you would have been the kind of teacher that gave me hope in school."
Kurt chuckled as heat covered his face. "Well, I certainly try. This room was like my sanctuary when I was a student here. I'm just trying to recreate it with a bit more Hummel flair to it. Will never really was one for decorations."
He pulled his hand out of his pocket and pointed to one of the Neon Riot posters. "The kids just put that up this week after social media blew up about our New York trip. Finn apparently let them in before school one day. Sometimes it really sucks when your brother works at the same place as you."
Blaine chuckled. "It's sweet of them."
"It would be cute if their evil plan wasn't to watch me blush every time I see it. They get a kick out of it and I know they see it because they laugh."
"Aww, why would a poster make you blush, Mr. Hummel? It's hardly our best work."
"I think you know why,” he threw back with a knowing grin before pointing to him, “and don't tell my students that. They'll delve deep into the internet and then next thing I know, you'll appear shirtless on one of these walls."
Blaine grinned and reached for Kurt's hand, pulling him a little closer. "I can send you far better pictures than the internet will ever have," he muttered darkly.
Kurt was pretty sure his entire face was bright red. At least, it certainly felt like it was on fire. "You, Mr. Anderson, are horrible," he muttered, although it was clear that he thought the complete opposite of that.
Blaine winked. "You don't really believe that."
"You're right - I don't."
"OH MY GOD, MR. HUMMEL!"
Kurt groaned as he turned towards the door and saw the Rachel Berry of his Glee Club, Lily Burg. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung open in disbelief as she stood in the doorway of the choir room. "Lily, hey," he said, glancing at the clock, "You're....fifteen minutes early."
Lily didn't say anything - her eyes were glued to Blaine. "Uh...Blaine, this is one of my students, Lily. Lily, this is..."
"You're....you're....you're Blaine Anderson!"
"That I am..." Blaine offered a smile. "How are you, Lily?
"Blaine Anderson just said my name."
Kurt chuckled and shook his head. He let go of Blaine's hand and walked over to his student. "Lily, why don't you go to the auditorium and wait for the rest of the cast? We’ll meet you there in a bit, okay?"
Lily blinked a couple times before nodding and walking off in a trance-like state. Kurt waited until she was gone before turning back to Blaine. "Well, I was going to save showing you off for after the performance but, by my guess, Lily is going to text everyone to get here because you're here and they're going to be swarming the school any minute. Which means we probably have about ten minutes?" He chuckled nervously as he walked back to Blaine. "I am going to apologize in advance. They've been talking nonstop about you since they saw the photos."
Blaine grinned. "Lead me to the gallows, then."
"In a minute," Kurt said, "there's one more thing I want to show you in here."
After taking Blaine's hand, he pulled him over to the whiteboard where Into the Woods was written on it in Kurt's handwriting. "Every week, I write the lesson for the week up here so the kids know what we're going over. But I have a little secret that they haven't figured out yet behind this whiteboard."
With a grin, he pushed the whiteboard to reveal the hidden one behind it where the picture of Blaine holding Juliette on his shoulders to pet the giraffe was taped. "It was one of my favorite photos from the trip. And it's kind of like having you here in Ohio, even when you aren't."
Blaine felt his heart trip all over itself as he stared at the picture. Yep, he was done for. "You're adorable," Blaine blushed before he closed the gap between them and their lips met once again.
There was something both thrilling and magical about how Blaine’s lips felt against his. But also slightly terrifying, but only because of how much he loved it. It was like it was solidifying this thing between them. Making it real. It made him want to jump in headfirst and show that he was all in but that wary voice in the back of his head reminded him what happened the last time he had done that. It left him heartbroken. Blaine wasn’t Owen, he knew that, but he still couldn’t help but feel cautious about all of this. Thankfully, they had a month to figure this out - whatever this was. Once they pulled apart, Blaine smiled and grabbed Kurt’s hand. "C'mon Mr. Hummel, show me your teacher side."
Blaine gave Kurt's hand a tug to pull him towards the door and started singing as they walked. "You came through. When the journey was rough, it took you. It took two of us. It takes care. It takes patience and fear and despair. To change, though you swear. To change. Who can tell if you do? It takes two.."
Kurt laughed as he held on tightly to Blaine's hand to lead him towards the auditorium. "Very good," Kurt replied as he squeezed his hand, "although a bit too playful. It should be that perfect blend of playful but adoring. Like your being adorable to make them smile but sincere enough that the smile is more genuine and they're gazing back at you with all the love they have for you."
Blaine smiled and pulled Kurt to a stop in the doorway, bracing himself against the frame and leaning in close and locking eyes with him. "Oooh my love,” Blaine sang, putting on a more serious but soft face, “my darling…I hunger for your touch..."
It was like his knees suddenly went weak. Kurt’s entire face was flushed and he felt his heart beating so rapidly he was almost sure Blaine could see how it was trying to jump out of his chest. His breath caught in his throat as his eyes locked onto Blaine's. "Y-yeah....that was....."
Blaine grinned as he leaned in a bit closer. "You'll find me very capable of rising to the challenge."
"I will keep that in mind," he replied, laughing nervously at the implications of what that later might be. As if he needed a reminder of where he was, he heard two of his students who were obviously spying on them.
"Hubba hubba!"
"Get some, Mr. H!"
Kurt quickly looked over and glared at the two football players. "Dennis! Aaron! Stage! Now!"
The boys laughed as they disappeared, although Kurt could hear them all the way and called to the rest of the students that were there. Kurt turned to apologize to Blaine about the immaturity levels of some of his students when he saw the almost mischievous look in Blaine’s eyes as he stared at Kurt and the corner of his lips quirked into an amused grin. “Are you okay?” Kurt asked.
“Yeah, I’m great,” Blaine replied, as his smile grew, “just a little distracted.”
“By me yelling at my two class clowns?”
“Maybe,” Blaine quipped before squeezing his hand, “C'mon hon, your students await."
There was no way Kurt could not react to the fact that Blaine had called him hon. He smiled warmly as he pulled him towards the stage. There was a crowd of kids already sitting in a circle, huddled close as they laughed and gossiped. This time, Kurt didn't have to guess just what they were talking about. He let go of Blaine's hand to step in front and clap his hands together to get their attention. "Alright, as all of you have probably heard by now, we have a special guest for tonight's performance. So, without further adieu, everyone, meet Blaine Anderson."
He stepped to the side so they could see him and relished the look of shock and awe on his student's faces when they saw him. Well, except for Dennis and Aaron who were in the back, laughing into their fists.
Blaine waved and took in each of the kids' faces. "Hi, guys. Kurt here has told me you guys are pretty amazing."
The students just blinked as they worked through their shock. "Holy shit," Kurt's student, Rebecca, muttered as she stared at Blaine.
"Can we get a picture?" Rebecca's friend, Amanda, asked as she reached for her phone.
"Maybe later," Kurt said as he pointed to the piano, "first, warm ups."
"Uh, Mr. Hummel, how do you expect us to do warm ups when you literally have BLAINE ANDERSON right here?" Rebecca's boyfriend, Nick, asked.
"Like how I expect you to perform if he were anyone else. Besides, now is your chance to show him how amazing you all sound. So, warm ups."
As they filed around the piano, Kurt walked up to Blaine and said quietly, "feel free to jump in if you have any notes."
Blaine nodded. "Go easy on them" he said to Kurt with a small smile, "I think they're in shock."
"Can you blame them?" he laughed before turning and taking a seat at the piano. He started them with basic tuning before starting their scales. "Excuse me, Mr. Hummel?" Lily asked as she raised her hand.
"Yes, Lily?"
"Can we finish our warm up with Blaine Anderson? No offense, but this might be our one time to sing a Neon Riot song with one of their members."
Kurt chuckled as he looked over at Blaine. "Yeah, sure, but not Down Bad ."
"Is it because you have it down bad for him?" Dennis chuckled, making Aaron laugh next to him.
Kurt didn't reply and just stood up so Blaine could take the bench. "They're all yours."
Blaine grinned and sat down and started plucking at the keys, before dropping down to middle C and looking up. "Scales first. Then maybe I'll play you some Neon Riot stuff to sing and show Mr. Hummel here how good our music really is."
Kurt rolled his eyes as the kids ooh'ed at the challenge. "You really need to talk him into letting us do a Neon Riot week. He's been crazy strict about not doing any of your music," Rebecca explained.
Blaine grinned. "That might because not all of our music is... show choir appropriate"
"I'll say," Kurt muttered under his breath.
"So are you two dating?" Amanda asked as she leaned on the piano and stared dreamily at him.
"That's not scales," Blaine sang going up and down as he quirked an eyebrow
"We can multitask," Lily followed, the loudest of the bunch during her scales.
"Less talking, more singing," Kurt chided.
"Come on, he won't tell us anything," Nick said, "Please? We'll totally do the scales but we've been dying to know what’s going on between you two."
"That's because it’s none of your business," Kurt said very gently, "But I’ll tell you what - if you get through the scales, and the show, I MIGHT tell you."
"No he won't," Aaron whispered to Dennis. After a warning glare from Kurt, the students finally did their scales. "You're right, Kurt, your kids sound phenomenal," Blaine said as his fingers flourished across the keys.
Obviously the kids were ecstatic to get such high praise from Blaine as they started jumping up and down. "Oh, Mr. H, can we do Breaking Even?" Lily asked.
Kurt winced and looked at Blaine. "Is it show choir appropriate?"
"Sam actually wrote that one, so yes," Blaine laughed as he started to play the opening chords, "Alright kids, from the top!"
Kurt watched as they sang and he saw the spark in some of their eyes and made a note to get some of the more Neon Riot show choir appropriate songs from Blaine and surprise the kids with a set list they'd really enjoy. Maybe they could do one for regionals. "Amazing all of you!” He clapped once the song ended, getting their attention, “now, you've got an hour to get in costume and get hair and make up. If it's okay with Mr. Anderson, if you line up and get your phone ready, I'll take your picture with him before you go into the changing rooms.."
"It's alright by me," Blaine answered as he stood from the piano.
The kids all cheered in victory before Rebecca handed Kurt her phone. They all crowded around Blaine and Kurt had to step back to get them all in the photo. "Alright, on the count of three, say Neon Riot. One....two...."
The room exploded as the kids said Neon Riot and Kurt took their pictures. Kurt ushered them away when they tried to linger and waited until they were gone before turning to Blaine. "Okay, that could have gone way worse."
Blaine grinned. "They're good kids"
"They are," Kurt agreed as he looked back towards the stage. "I should probably head backstage and make sure everyone is ready for places. I can have Finn tell you where he's at with Juliette so you can meet up with them for the show?"
“Sure. You want me to save you a seat?”
Kurt shook his head. “I normally watch from stage left just to make sure everything goes smoothly.”
“Makes sense,” Blaine nodded before he stepped closer, “see you after the show?”
Kurt smiled and nodded. “I will see you after the show.”
Blaine leaned in and kissed his cheek. “Break a leg.”
Blaine’s kiss left his skin warm and red as Kurt watched him walk down the steps of the stage. It was only Dennis and Aaron whistling behind him that broke the spell Blaine had cast on him as he turned and shooed them backstage.
Teenagers.
Notes:
Up next: Thanksgiving!!!
Chapter 14
Summary:
Thanksgiving Time at the Hummel household.
Notes:
We're just about halfway done with this story! Thank you, once again, for all the comments and kudos. They really make my day when I see a new one. You all are incredible.
And big, big shout out to JButler!! Your beta'ing of this and cheerleading made this all possible.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
There was no denying it - Kurt was head over heels in love with Blaine Anderson.
While he had known deep down, Kurt had been able to dismiss it as infatuation or remnants of time spent with Blaine, but the longer Blaine was around, the harder it was for Kurt to deny it. It was now well over a week since Blaine had arrived and every day Blaine had been there was somehow better than the last.
Every morning, Blaine woke up before Kurt and made breakfast. Some days were just scrambled eggs and toast, others were chocolate chip pancakes. On the days where Kurt had to take Juliette to school, Blaine would help get Juliette ready while Kurt got himself sorted for the day ahead. He felt bad leaving Blaine alone in his home but Blaine insisted he was fine and it gave him the chance to work on some songs he’d been trying to piece together. By the time Kurt and Juliette got home, Blaine would have dinner made.
“You really don’t have to go to all this trouble,” Kurt had said on the third day, “you’re supposed to be on vacation. I feel bad you’re doing so much work.”
“I don’t mind,” Blaine replied, “Besides, you take care of Juliette every day on your own. Let someone take care of the both of you for once.”
His heart melted at dinner. It was all so domestic. Like he had a boyfriend all over again. The future he had dreamed of with Owen - someone to help him with the day-to-day adult things. Kurt knew he missed it before he met Blaine, but the longer Blaine was around, the more he realized just how much he missed having someone to help. To sit and talk with at the end of the day and to just unwind. What he also realized was just how absolutely right it felt that it was Blaine he was sharing this with. Handsome, incredible, caring, beautiful Blaine. Somehow he seemed to know what Kurt needed and worked hard to make it a reality. It was almost like he had always been there. Even stranger was Kurt couldn’t even remember that last time he had felt that in sync with Owen. It was almost like Blaine was that perfect missing puzzle piece.
Which only made it harder to think about how this was only for another month.
Kurt managed to push that aside as he focused on the task for today - Thanksgiving. This was the one time Kurt was up earlier than Blaine as he had plenty of cooking preparations to make. Vegetables to cut, turkey to prepare, fruit to dice - Kurt would be lucky if he left the kitchen. He put on a pot of coffee before turning on some music on low and grabbing everything he was going to need for the day. First thing was first - breakfast.
He was humming to the music and swaying his hips to the beat as he whisked the batter together and startled when he heard a voice from the doorway.
“What’s cooking, good-looking?”
Kurt nearly jumped out of his skin as he turned to find Blaine leaning against the entryway frame, in his pajamas and his curl all messy. Despite the fact that Blaine had nearly given him a heart attack, Kurt thought he looked good . “Blaine!” He gasped, “You scared me!”
“Aww,” Blaine grinned as he kept up behind Kurt and rested his chin on his shoulder. “I'm sorry.”
Kurt leaned back into him and hummed thoughtfully. “You're lucky, you're cute,” he sighed with a smile, “I’m making breakfast, but in the meantime, would you want some coffee?*
“Would love some."
As Kurt grabbed him a mug and poured him a cup, he handed it to Blaine with a small smile. “I love the curls.”
Blaine's fingers brushed against his skin as he took the mug from Kurt, sending a pulse of electricity up Kurt’s arm. "Thanks,” Blaine groaned, “Medusa comes out to play in the morning.”
He signed as he leaned in and kissed Kurt's cheek. “Anything I can do to help?" Blaine asked before taking a sip of his coffee.
"Oh, no,” Kurt immediately said with a shake of his head, “you have already done so much since you’ve gotten here. The only thing I need you to do is enjoy yourself.”
“I don’t mind helping out.”
“I know you don’t mind, but I got this. You just sit there looking dashing as ever. At least until Juliette gets up, in which case you might want to prepare yourself to be entertaining her until everyone else comes over.”
“And when is that?”
Kurt looked over his shoulder at the oven clock. “Dad and Carole will probably be here in a couple of hours. Dad likes to get here to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with Juliette before the games start. Finn said he should be here around ten - something about needing to do something before he comes over and then Santana and Brittany should be here around noon. It’s going to be a very full house. Feel free to disappear if it gets to be a little overwhelming.”
Blaine shook his head. “I handle venues of adoring fans and crowded parties. I think I can handle a Thanksgiving dinner with your friends and family.”
“Right,” Kurt chuckled nervously, “well, if you wanted to shower and get changed, now is the chance before Juliette wakes up.”
“Are you saying I smell bad, Hummel?”
The way Blaine said that, with almost a flirtatious tone, had Kurt’s face burning. “No, I’m not saying that. But you might want to take this opportunity to get your curls in order. They look really tuggable.”
For a six year old! For a six year old! His brain screamed to add to that statement but his vocal chords seemed uncooperative. Blaine’s face lit up and he grinned so wickedly Kurt was sure his knees were shaking. “Well, we can’t have that, can we?” he replied before finishing his cup of coffee and putting it down right beside Kurt, “I’ll be right back.”
Once Blaine had left, Kurt finally took a breath. There was no denying the chemistry that hung in the air whenever they were in the same room. The longer Blaine was there, the more apparent it became. When Kurt used to feel a rush when he saw Blaine, he used to be able to chalk it up to it being that he hadn’t seen Blaine in a while. But Blaine had been here for over a week and every time he entered the room, Kurt felt it. He felt his heart swoon whenever he caught Blaine playing with Juliette and melted every time he had helped put her to bed.
He was screwed.
By the time Blaine came back downstairs, not only was he dressed very snazzy in red jeans and a black button up, but he was holding the hand of a very awake and very dressed Juliette. “Daddy!” Juliette greeted, letting go of Blaine’s hand to run up to Kurt.
He knelt down and gave her a hug. “Good morning, Julie Bear.”
“Juliette was awake and asked for help getting ready,” Blaine said as he moved to grab another cup of coffee, “I hope that’s okay.”
His heart swelled. Did Blaine know how much this meant to him? How every time he went out of his way to take care of the most important person in the world to Kurt he was overcome with emotion. “Of course it’s okay,” Kurt replied, looking up and giving Blaine a smile, “although, now I feel incredibly underdressed. You two look very fancy.”
“It’s Thanksgiving!” Juliette said, as if it were obvious as to why they were dressed up.
“Yes it is,” Kurt laughed, “breakfast should be ready soon. I just have to pop the bake into the oven.”
“Here, I can do that,” Blaine said, stepping over to grab the casserole dish before Kurt could, “You go upstairs and get ready before your parents show up.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course. I got this.”
Kurt smiled and nodded. “Okay, let me go put a movie on for Juliette…”
“No, you’re going upstairs to get ready,” Blaine interrupted, grabbing Kurt’s shoulders and guiding him towards the stairs, “I will keep an eye on Juliette and breakfast. So go shower, relax and know that everything is being taken care of down here.”
As soon as Blaine gently urged Kurt up the stairs, Kurt smiled and turned around. “Okay, okay. The bake should only take about thirty or so minutes. Just until the top is brown. Then pull it out and let it sit…”
“Kurt,” Blaine said, giving him a very knowing look, “I got this. Go.”
Kurt huffed a breath before nodding. “Thank you,” he said softly before heading upstairs to his room. Even though Blaine said that he had everything under control, Kurt still made sure to be quick with his shower and getting changed. Not because he didn’t think Blaine didn’t have everything under control but because he felt bad letting Blaine do anything else for him after everything he had done over the week. He couldn’t wait for the winter break when he didn’t have to go to work. Not just because then he could take care of the little things Blaine had been helping with but because he could then spend some quality time with Blaine. With Juliette. Perhaps have the conversation he knew he wanted to have but was afraid to bring up. The one he knew they needed to have before Blaine went back to New York.
After fixing the collar of his shirt so it sat smoothly, he heard giggling coming from downstairs. It wasn’t an uncommon sound - the house had been filled with it lately, especially since Blaine came to town. Not wanting to interrupt, Kurt crept downstairs and leaned against the entrance to the living room. Peter Pan was playing on the TV. The movie had obviously just started a little bit ago because it was Peter flying through London with the Darlings. But Kurt was more focused on Juliette, who was on Blaine’s back, clinging to him like a koala as Blaine ran around the room, his arms spread out to his sides like a plane. “Faster, Blaine!”
“But if I go faster, we might pass the second star on the right! Don’t you want to go to Neverland?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then hold on tight, because it’s straight on until morning!”
Blaine made a whooshing sound and Juliette giggled louder as he ran around the living room. As silly as it was to see a grown man running around with a six year old on his back, it was so touching and sweet that Kurt felt happy tears sting the corner of his eyes. He lost count of the number of times he had imagined this exact scenario - him walking in on his husband playing with Juliette. After Juliette was born, he always pictured Owen. Then after Owen it was some imaginary man and since he had come back from New York, that imaginary man had resembled Blaine. Now, here it was, come to life and he couldn’t help but feel like this was how his life was supposed to be. How perfect this moment was. How happy he was.
How in love with Blaine he really was.
Blaine turned and finally caught Kurt staring. “Look, Jules, we’ve made it to Neverland! It’s Peter Pan!”
“That’s not Peter Pan, Blaine! That’s Daddy!”
When Juliette started squirming, Blaine put her down so she could run over to Kurt. “Daddy, I’m hungry.”
“Well, let’s go get some breakfast, then,” he said, kissing the top of her head, “go sit down at the table and I’ll bring you some, okay?”
Juliette nodded, her braids bouncing as she bounded into the dining room. Kurt watched her for a moment before he felt Blaine’s hand on the small of his back. “I pulled the bake out a little bit ago. It smells delicious.”
“Would you like some as well?”
“Of course.”
Kurt smiled and kissed his cheek as well. He felt rather proud when he pulled away and saw the tinge of red in his cheeks. “I’ll bring you some too. Thank you for watching her.”
“It was my pleasure.”
Blaine joined Juliette at the dining room table and the three of them had a breakfast meal full of smiles, laughter and happiness. Just as Blaine started to gather up the dishes to start cleaning up, the front door was unlocked and in came Burt and Carole, right on time. “Where’s our granddaughter?” Burt called out as he came in.
“Grandpa! Grandma!” Juliette cried out happily as she ran towards the hallway to give Burt and Carole hugs.
Just like every year, Burt and Juliette sat and watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, although this time, Juliette insisted Blaine join them so she could sit and tell him all the different characters of the different floats. Carole joined Kurt in the kitchen to help with dinner. Right before the first football game came on, Finn arrived, bringing along his surprise - Rachel. Apparently Rachel had booked her plane tickets shortly after Finn told her how Blaine was going to be around for the holidays. After giving Juliette a hug, her eyes landed on Blaine and she smiled an evil smirk that told Kurt everything he needed to know. “So, you must be Blaine,” she greeted, walking over to hold out her hand, “I’m Rachel Berry, Kurt’s best friend.”
“I know, I’m a big fan,” he said warmly when he shook her hand, “I saw you in Cabaret . You were incredible.”
That was the perfect way to win her over, Kurt knew. She was beaming as she looked at Kurt. “I like him. You should keep him.”
“Oh my God, Rachel,” he groaned.
“Don’t worry, I intend to,” Blaine replied, shooting Kurt a smile that only made him flush. Sometimes he hated just how good Blaine was at making him do that.
Rachel quickly monopolized Blaine’s time. They talked all about music and different Broadway shows. Kurt couldn’t really follow - he was busy making sure dinner was getting squared away. At some point, Finn and Rachel disappeared, which Kurt wasn’t all that surprised by. Those two had a habit of slinking off to spend some quality time together whenever they were around each other again. Kurt would bet safe money that by the time Rachel went back to New York that they had gotten together, if only for a few days.
With their disappearance, the living room was now just Juliette, Blaine and Burt. Carole had headed back to her and Burt’s home to see if they had extra ingredients for dinner, leaving Kurt to start working on the pies. As he chopped up the apples, he occasionally glanced up to the living room, catching glimpses of Blaine and Juliette. He couldn’t help but watch them. Each time he saw them, joy swelled through him. This time when he looked up, Juliette was sitting in Blaine’s lap, one of her books open as she pointed to all the different characters.
“You’re staring again, kid.”
Kurt turned his head and saw his dad leaning against the counter with a cold beer in his hand. He felt a flush of embarrassment and quickly looked away, focusing on the ingredients for the pie. “Just keeping an eye on Juliette. That’s all.”
"Uh-huh,” Burt hummed, clearly in disbelief, “and it has absolutely nothing to do with the man who is treating your little girl like she hung the stars?"
Kurt glanced up just in time to see Blaine dancing with Juliette to whatever halftime show was on the TV. Their eyes locked and the smile Blaine gave him caused his face to burn and he smiled back. "Juliette and him are having fun. It's sweet."
Burt raised an eyebrow. "I ain't seen you like this since you made me sit through that sparkly vampire film and the werewolf dude appeared on screen half naked."
"Oh my God," he groaned under his breath, "I was a teenager and that was completely different."
"Maybe, but it's still the same look. Wonder...want...wishful..."
Kurt scoffed, shaking his head. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not…” but when he saw Burt’s eyes, giving him that knowing look that told him he wasn’t believing a word he was saying, he sighed and his shoulders slumped, “is it that obvious?”
"Only because I know you so well," Burt grinned quite proudly, "It's him that's obvious"
"What do you mean?"
Burt nodded towards the living room. “He looks at you the same way."
The corners of Kurt's lips curled into a smile. "I really like him, Dad," he admitted as he looked away from the pie filling, "is that crazy?"
"Why would it be crazy?” Burt asked, “He's damn lucky you do like him, if you ask me."
"I don't know," he sighed, "maybe because there's no way this is going to be easy. He lives hundreds of miles away. Eventually he'll go back to New York and then who knows when the next time I'll see him will be."
Burt nodded thoughtfully. "Well, if you want my opinion," he said as he moved closer to Kurt and rested a hand on his shoulder, "anyone who looks at you the way he does is worth a go. The worst that can happen is you end up exactly where you are now."
"Alone, wanting to be with a guy who is way out of my league?"
"No,” Burt drew out as a smirk curled across his face, “a single father with a dad who couldn't be prouder of him, even if he tried."
Kurt smiled and wiped his hands clean before bringing his dad in for a hug. "Thanks Dad," he muttered into his ear. He held him for a minute before pulling away just a little, his brow furrowing ever so slightly. "You're not going to have “the talk” with him, are you?"
"Of course I am," Burt replied very matter of factly, “but I'll be gentle."
Burt winked but Kurt groaned. "Dad, please don't. I'm not a kid in need of protection."
"Hey, it's a right of passage," Burt shrugged, “and if I had threatened Owen maybe he'd have kept it in his pants."
"Okay, well I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Finn - be nice. I really like him."
"Good, and if he likes you too he'll understand," Burt grinned as he reached over Kurt and stole an apple slice. Kurt went to scold him, but it was an apple. He could have tried to grab something worse. "Go sit down,” he scolded in amusement, “the cranberry baked Brie will be out in a minute."
"Proper brie?" Burt looked like a kid in a candy store.
"Yes, proper Brie," he laughed before pointing at him with his spatula, "in moderation."
"Yes boss," Burt saluted before he stole a cookie off a plate. Before Kurt could remand him, he darted back into the living room. Kurt just rolled his eyes as he went back to cooking.
By the time the baked brie had come out, the final guests had arrived. The second Brittany and Santana had arrived through the door, Juliette was on them in an instant. The house was alive in a way Kurt couldn’t remember it ever being before. This wasn’t the first time he had so many people over at his home for a holiday but there was something about this time that was different from the rest. Not for some reason. He knew what the reason was. This time around, no one was treading carefully around him. He wasn’t getting the sympathetic glances from everyone that reminded him he was alone. The familiar statements that were meant to be reassuring but felt more hollow than anything else. The empty feeling as he forced smiles, pretending to be happy. This year, he was happy.
And he had Blaine to thank for that.
After dinner, Kurt and Carole were in the kitchen doing the dishes while Juliette went to spend some time with her aunties. That left Blaine in the living room with Burt and Finn as they watched the Browns play the Ravens. It wasn’t going well, but Blaine wasn’t really that focused on the game. With where he was sitting, he could occasionally get a good glimpse of Kurt at the sink. As much as he wanted to spend time with Kurt during the day, he had been pulled in every direction by Kurt’s guests. It also didn’t help that the few times he had gone into the kitchen and offered to help that Kurt had threatened minor bodily harm if he didn’t leave the kitchen. “Blaine Anderson, so help me, if you ask me if I need help one more time, I will get Finn to come in here and carry you back into the living room,” he had threatened rather playfully.
For now, he would enjoy watching him and waiting for him to finish with cooking duties. Or whenever everyone left for the night - whichever came first. “Oh come on!” Burt griped at the TV as the Ravens got another first down, “you would think the defense would figure out how to stop Lamar after all these seasons.”
“All they have to do is stop the run,” Blaine added, “Jackson is not that accurate at the pass game. You cut off his ability to run and force him to throw, you’ve even the playing field,” Blaine threw out before taking a sip of his beer.
“Dude, that’s so cool that you know football,” Finn smiled.
“My dad is a huge Browns fan,” Blaine explained, “we never missed a game, even when we moved to LA.”
“And what about you?” Burt asked.
“Oh, if I had to choose a team, then it would be the Browns, but with how much we travel, we typically just watch whatever we can when we can.”
“You do a lot of travelling, huh?” Burt questioned and, based on the look he was giving him, Blaine was pretty sure he knew where this was going.
Blaine took a breath as he put his beer down on the coaster. “We do, but we won’t be anytime soon. We’re going to be pretty stable as we work on our next album.”
Burt nodded before making eye contact with Finn. It was like an unspoken conversation, although Blaine was pretty sure he knew what they were saying. After they shared a nod, Burt started to stand. “Let’s head out back and get out of Kurt and Carole’s way as they finish cleaning up.”
Blaine and Finn stood to follow. Before he did, though, Blaine glanced into the kitchen. Kurt was scrubbing one of the casserole dishes and there was something mesmerizing, from the focused look on Kurt’s face to the way one of the strands of his hair started to fall down against his forehead. Kurt must have felt eyes on him as he turned, finding Blaine staring. It was like the second Kurt’s eyes found him, he brightened and smiled. Kurt’s smile was always beautiful but lately, it seemed every time he did there was something more to it. Something softer, more personal. It made his heart beat just a bit faster each time he saw it. He gave him a wave before following Burt and Finn outside.
Burt and Finn were sitting on the Adirondack chairs by the above ground fire pit. Finn was fiddling with the nobs to get the flames just right before sitting back with his beer. “Take a seat, kid,” Burt said, pointing to the empty chair across from them.
Blaine swallowed the lump in his throat before he fell down into the chair. He had a feeling this was going to come - Kurt had warned him it might happen and the looks both Burt and Finn had been giving him all night said as much. While he knew it was coming, he still felt nervous. This was Kurt’s father and brother - they were bound to be overprotective, especially given what happened to Kurt with his ex-husband. "So," Burt began, leaning forward to rest his forearms on his knees as he focused on Blaine, "I take it you know why Finn and I brought you out here."
Blaine bit his lip but nodded. " I could hazard a guess."
"Kurt said he told you about Owen," Finn said, "so you know why we're concerned."
"Well, not concerned," Burt quickly added, "you seem like a good person, Blaine. I thought that when you came out the first time and I still do now. We see the way you are with him and with Juliette. Honestly, we can't remember the last time we saw Kurt this happy. But we would be remiss if we didn't make sure what your intentions are with him. We didn't get a chance to really get to know Owen before they were married and you know how that turned out. So, where do you see things going between yourself and my son?"
Blaine took a swig of his drink and sat back in his seat. "Well, I like Kurt. I think Juliette is amazing. The two of them make me feel happier than I’ve felt in a long time, but I also know that things are complicated. What Owen did to Kurt...it’s not something that you can just forget easily. He’s still healing and I know the distance isn't going to be easy. But... " Blaine's eyes tracked Kurt through the kitchen window and he smiled softly, "He's so worth it. They both are. And I’ll do anything to make sure that he doesn’t get hurt like that again, Mr. Hummel."
"Kid, how many more times do I got to remind you to call me Burt?"
Finn tried to stifle a laugh. Burt shot him a warning glare and Finn quickly took a sip of his beer. Blaine quickly suppressed his own laughter. “Anyway,” Burt said, leaning forward in his chair, “I’m glad you care about them. Kurt’s been hurt enough times before, and I’m not saying this to scare you or threaten you. I’m saying this because I see the way you stare at him. And that’s how I know that you don't just like my son."
"Not to mention that date you took him on in New York," Finn added, "you should have seen Kurt when he told us all about it. He's totally into you."
"And I know my son. I'm sure you've noticed by now, but when Kurt loves someone, he loves them with his whole being. He puts everyone's happiness over his own. Owen took advantage of that. It left him guarded...until you came along. Which is why I need to ask you - can you be the man he needs to remind him that he's worthy of getting that kind of love in return? Can you give him that kind of love that he will give you if you two take that next step?"
Blaine took another swig. "I want to be. I want to make him as happy as I can. But I know it's not going to be easy. I know we're going to hurt each other. But I'll do my best to never hurt him on purpose. But I'm not naive enough to think we'll never hurt each other."
"As long as you don't do it on purpose," Finn said, raising a bottle in the air as if toasting before taking a swig.
Burt, however, just smirked and nodded. "I don't doubt you want to. As long as your intentions are to bring him and his little girl happiness. That's all I ask. As long as you do that, then we're good."
"That's all I want, " Blaine said, his eyes drifting back to the kitchen where he could see Kurt dancing with Juliette, "I want to make him as happy as he makes me."
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that too much," Burt said, noticing what Blaine was watching and pointed at him with his beer, "I haven't seen my son smile like that in a long, long time."
Blaine blushed and looked down picking at the drink label. "Yeah.”
"So when are you going to tell him?" Finn asked.
"He knows I like him. I promised to take it at his pace."
"Telling him you like him is different than telling him you have feelings for him," Finn replied, "Kurt needs to know that. He’d probably kill me if he found I told you this but he’s worried he’s reading into things. Kurt is really bad about overthinking. He totally has feelings for you dude, but he still thinks you're out of his league."
"Finn's right. If you're going to wait for Kurt to make the next move, you might be waiting a while. He needs to know there's something at the bottom if he's going to make that jump."
Blaine nodded as he took in what they were saying. “He has nothing to worry about. I really care about him and will do anything to make this work.”
“Glad to hear it,” Burt said as he stood, “I think it's time for dessert, boys. I can see Carole grabbing plates."
“Hell yeah, pie!" Finn announced excitedly as he shot out of his seat, “you coming, Blaine? Kurt makes the best apple pie."
“Yeah,” Blaine said, standing up before pausing, “Actually, Finn, could I ask you something?”
Finn turned and nodded. “Shoot.”
“I have an idea, but I'll need your help with it. You think you might be able to help me out?”
Finn smiled. “Hell yeah. What did you have in mind?”
Notes:
Up next: Sectionals becomes a lot more than a competition....
Chapter 15
Summary:
Sectionals is sure to be pretty memorable
Notes:
I won't keep you long so you can enjoy this chapter. Just a big thank you to all the support from you, dear readers, and to my amazing beta, JButler, of course!!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The Day Before Sectionals
The school bell rang as Aaron closed his locker and started heading towards the Choir Room. Apparently Mr. Hummel had called a last minute Glee Club meeting. At least, that’s what Coach Hudson had told him today at PE. It wasn’t all that shocking. Mr. Hummel was normally extra on edge the week of competition, although Aaron and the rest of the Glee Club had figured that he wouldn’t be so stressed since the Blaine Anderson was hanging around him. That was still unbelievable. Their teacher was dating a famous rockstar! Mr. Hummel could deny it all he wanted and say that they were just friends but Aaron saw the heart eyes they gave each other whenever Blaine had come to the play or to visit their class. He saw how close they were and how Blaine Anderson was always touching him. They were totally into each other. Even Coach Hudson said so.
Just as Aaron was about to turn down the hallway to the choir room, he stopped as he saw Mr. Hummel walking in the opposite direction. It was more of a light jog, if he was being honest, towards the exit while looking down at his phone. Before Aaron could even call out to him, Mr. Hummel was out the door. He stood there in the hallway, confused before heading to the choir room. Maybe he told someone where he was going?
Almost everyone was in the choir room when Aaron got there. “Hey Nick,” he called out, strutting up to his friend, “where did Mr. Hummel go?”
Nick’s confusion was just as clear as his. “What do you mean?”
“I just saw him rush out to the parking lot.”
“He what?” Lily asked, appearing quite shocked by this bit of news, “but he called this meeting!”
“Maybe he had an emergency?” Carly said from the back of the room, “Or he’s going to get something? Like pizza?”
“Did Coach Hudson say anything?” Dennis asked, looking at everyone in the room. One by one, they each shook their heads. But before they could continue speculating, Coach Hudson came into the choir room. “Good, you guys are here.”
“Coach, where’s Mr. Hummel?” Aaron asked, “I totally just saw him rush out of the building.”
“He’s got to handle something with his daughter.”
“Is Juliette okay?” Lily asked.
“Yeah, she’s fine.”
Coach Hudson looked rather nonchalant about everything but the members of the New Directions were completely lost. “So, if his daughter is fine, why isn’t he at Glee rehearsal?" one of the other members, Mariah, asked, “you said he called this meeting.”
“Actually, I called this meeting,” he replied, “Kurt doesn’t know anything about this. You see, we need your help with something for him.”
“We?” Carly asked, “Who’s we?”
“Well, more like me,” said a very familiar voice from behind Coach Hudson. The kids didn’t need the coach to step aside to know that it was Blaine Anderson. It didn't matter that this wasn't the first time they were meeting him or that he had visited them at least three times that week as a special guest to help with their routine. This was Blaine Anderson of Neon Riot. They were going to forever freak out in his presence. The room exploded with excited chatter and squeals. “OhmygodBlaineAndersonneedsourhelp," Neon Riot’s number one fan, Lindsey, managed to say all in one breath.
"Do you need help writing a song?”
"A music video?”
"Vocals for your album?”
"OH MY GOD ARE WE GOING TO NEW YORK?!”
"Guys!” Finn yelled over the noise, getting them all to stop for a minute, "Let Blaine speak.”
Blaine chuckled and held out his hand for Finn to shake. "Thanks, man, I appreciate it.”
Once they did, Blaine clapped his hands together and stepped onto the room a bit more. "Okay, so as most of you have noticed, Kurt and I have become rather…close.”
"If by close you mean you totally want to mack on each other, then yeah,” Dennis added, getting a chuckle out of Aaron.
"Hey, knock it off or you'll be doing drop drills all practice," Finn warned.
That instantly shut up the problem twins and let Blaine continue. Blaine was blushing and smiling as he nodded. “Well, I wouldn't phrase it quite like that, but yes, I have feelings for him. And he knows that I like him but, as I've been told by people close to him, he doesn't quite know to what extent those feelings are. So, I had an idea for a grand gesture so he knows that this is more for me, but I'm going to need your guys’ help."
The girls all swooned as the guys muttered something about this being awesome. “What is it?" Carly asked.
"Well, I wrote him a song that I think pretty much sums up what I want to say but I need some back up. You guys think you’d be up for something like that?”
Lindsey looked like she was about to faint and if it wasn’t for Jax sitting next to her, she might have fallen right out of her chair. “You mean we get to sing a Blaine Anderson original song? Rebecca gasped, “Count us in!"
“But what about Sectionals tomorrow?” Lily asked.
“Chill, Lils,” her best friend, Max, said, “if Mr. H thought we needed an extra rehearsal for tomorrow, he would have actually called a meeting. We got this.”
“Alright then,” Blaine smiled as he walked over to the piano and pulled out some sheet music, “let’s get to work.”
Sectionals
Kurt couldn’t have been any prouder of his kids, even if he tried. They were phenomenal on that stage. He knew that they had worked their butts off to perfect everything and they were driven to go to Nationals this year, but this was the first time he had really, really seen it. He was proud to be their teacher and their director. Of course, even as proud as he was, he still felt all of the nerves as he stood with his class on the stage for the announcement of the winner. He knew how nervous his kids were. It had been about a decade since he had been in their shoes but he could still remember how this moment felt. He remembered always looking at Will, noticing how calm and composed he looked and wondering how he did it when he was gripping Rachel and Mercedes’ hands in death grips. Now he was the one trying to appear calm, cool and collected, despite his heart hammering in his chest.
As the envelopes were brought out onto the stage, Kurt glanced out into the audience. Burt and Carole were sitting on the edge of their seats, Finn and Rachel beside them with their hands clasped much like they had been when they were on this stage. Brittany and Santana were sitting in front of them, with Santana trying not to look as nervous even though he knew she was clinging to Brittany's hand while she was bouncing in her seat. Their nerves were infectious, but then he saw Blaine with Juliette in his lap and he felt a sense of calm sweep over him. Juliette must have been watching Kurt because her smile lit up as soon as Kurt looked at her and she started waving frantically. Blaine took notice and smiled before mouthing, “You got this."
He was very biased but he took the reassurance as the first envelope opened. "In third place…..Aural Intensity!”
There was polite applause as Aural Intensity took their trophy and ran off the stage. Kurt held his breath. This was it. "And your winner for this year's Sectionals…. from McKinley High, the New Directions!"
Kurt wasn’t sure what had been louder - his kids cheering behind him, the crowd roaring in applause or his own sigh of relief when they were announced as the winners. He barely even remembered taking the trophy as it was handed to him or shaking the hands of the other show choir director. In fact, most of everything on the stage was a blur. He did remember trying to look out to the audience to see his family but his kids were crowding him and getting him to celebrate with them. Really the next thing he remembered was being led down the hall towards the choir room. “Come on, Mr. H, we gotta go put our new trophy up!” Vincent said as Dennis and Aaron held it high over their heads.
“You guys go ahead,” Kurt said, pointing back towards the auditorium, “I should go save Blaine from Juliette…”
“But we need to do a Sectionals debrief,” Lily insisted.
“Yeah, and you need to unlock the trophy case for us,” Rebecca added.
“We can do the debrief on Monday and the trophy will be fine until tomorrow. I’ll just stop by in the morning…”
“Seriously, Mr. H, it’s the weekend,” Nick said with a roll of his eyes, “You surely have better things to do on the weekend then stop by the school. You’re already here all the time already.”
He was about to correct him when he noticed something as they got closer to the choir room. His kids were crowding around the already open door with incredibly happy smiles on their faces. If he didn’t know any better, he would just think they were happy from winning. Fortunately, he did know them. “Alright, what’s going on?” he asked, very suspiciously.
“You’ll see,” Lily smiled before Aaron and Dennis nudged him through the door.
The room was dim, which he wasn’t surprised by, considering it was after school hours, but what was surprising were the amount of flameless candles in lanterns scattered around the room and stringed lights hanging from the rafters. All of his family were already inside, including Santana and Brittany, who all had equally excited smiles on their faces as they and the kids formed a path to the front row center seat. “Daddy!” Juliette announced, running from her grandparents and straight towards Kurt.
He knelt down and scooped her up. “Do you know what this is, sweetheart?” He asked as he held her.
"Mmhmm, but I can't tell you. It's a surprise.”
Kurt chuckled and looked at his family and friends. “I take it you all knew about this as well.”
“Sure did,” Santana replied, almost proudly, “don’t look so freaked out, Twinkleshine. You’re gonna enjoy this.”
Rachel walked over and put a hand between his shoulders. "But…you're going to want to sit down ”
His eyes traveled from person to person, noticing how they were all standing and waiting for something. "Sit, Daddy,” Juliette giggled.
With a nervous chuckle, Kurt took a seat on the chair that was obviously meant for him. He went to hold his daughter but she jumped off his lap and ran over to Finn who instantly picked her up. “He’s ready!” Juliette yelled towards Kurt’s office.
That must have been the cue for something. Lily made her way over to the piano and sat down while Dennis and Aaron went to pick up the guitars sitting in their stands. Everyone else, Kurt included, turned towards Kurt's office and watched as Blaine came out. Somehow, between when Kurt saw him in the auditorium to now, he had changed. Well, not somehow - he was pretty sure when his kids were crowding him and celebrating on the stage with him that it was them distracting him so Blaine could sneak off. Blaine had looked very elegant before, but he had changed out of the very simple, casual suit and into a gold and black tuxedo. “What in the world…” he breathed with a nervous but very excited laugh.
Blaine offered a smile as he moved to sit on a stool near the piano, “I’m sure, you’re wondering what on earth is going on and why I needed a snazzy suit to congratulate you on such an amazing achievement,” he began, wringing his hands almost nervously.
“Why are you nervous?” Kurt breathed and Blaine caught his eyes.
“Just…listen to me for a minute. I need to get this out or I feel like I’ll combust.”
The room filled with soft laughter, including Kurt and Blaine. Once it subsided, Kurt pinched his lips together and nodded. Blaine took a breath. “That night we met in Columbus, I remember thinking to myself that it had been a long, long time since anyone had been able to make me feel the way you did. Like it didn’t matter about the press or the songs or the guitar. You didn’t care about Neon Riot - you cared about Blaine Anderson, and even then, the Anderson wasn’t necessary. You just…you cared about me. Blaine. And for the first time in years, I felt comfortable in my skin.”
Blaine shrugged as he looked at the kids. “They won’t tell you this in any class, but fame comes with a price - that even being in a room full of adoring fans, managers, media…it doesn’t matter if there’s thousands of them. You’ll still feel like the loneliest person in the world.”
He turned back to Kurt. “But you… you didn’t know me. You just saw me. All my faults, my flaws and, I hope, my charming good looks..”
“Trust me, he did,” Santana blurted out, earning another round of laughter from everyone in the room and a slight elbow from Brittany. Kurt’s face was burning and even though he tried to glare at Santana for her outburst, he knew that what she said was true. Blaine seemed slightly flustered so he cleared his throat to continue. “But then you told me about you. About your school, your amazing baby girl and the family that have had your back since before you could walk. About the friends that you found in music and how they inspire you every day, even when they’re driving you up the wall or taking a far too vast interest in…”
Blaine suddenly stopped talking and looked over at Juliette. “Uh…certain matters,” he replied tactfully and Kurt felt his face burn even more. “So, I wanted to do something for you, because not only have you shown me, in the few months we’ve known each other, that being me is okay. In fact, “just Blaine” seems to be your favorite version of me. And thanks to some encouragement from certain people close to you, I have something I want to tell you, but, if I’m being honest, I’m much better at singing about my feelings. So I asked these guys to help me out because I needed some back up. So, Kurt Hummel, this one if all for you…”
Kurt knew that his eyes were already starting to well up from Blaine’s long-winded speech, and for the most part, he had been able to keep them at bay, but then when Blaine nodded at Lily, Dennis and Aaron and soft music started to play, he knew almost instantly that he was going to be a mess by the end of this. The kids all started to sing soft melodies, following the notes of the piano and guitar. Blaine seemed to be counting the bars in his head but his eyes never left Kurt’s. His face beamed with a smile before he started to sing.
I see the way you hesitate, in the pause behind your smile
You’ve been walking on the edge like you're scared to stay awhile
You talk like love’s a gamble, like it's better not to play
But I’d risk the fall a thousand times just to hear you say you might stay
So take a chance on me — if you can
Let me be the one who shows you how it feels to stand
With someone who’s not leaving, not pretending, not afraid
Just a heart wide open, learning together as we make our way
You don’t have to jump, just lean and see
What it might mean
So will you take that chance with me
Kurt could feel himself trembling. Blaine had written him a song. Blaine Anderson had written a song just for him, asking Kurt to be with him. His lower lip curled under his teeth as he tried to literally bite back the happy tears that were on his face. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see that Rachel had come up behind him and was smiling down at him. He had to grab her hand to steady himself - he needed something real to hold onto to make sure this was real.
The music grew and his kids’ harmonies followed the swell in music. Blaine had forgone his stool and was standing, walking towards him and reaching out towards him.
Let me show you how love’s supposed to feel
To show you that love can be soft when it’s real
I won’t ask for forever, just for a start
for the chance to love you the way that you are
Blaine was walking closer and closer and Kurt felt like his heart beat faster with each step. A happy tear fell down his face but he couldn’t bring himself to wipe it away.
So take a chance on me — no pressure, no race
I’ll meet you in the quiet, go at your pace
I’m not going anywhere — take your time, it’s okay
Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be here to stay.
You don’t have to be go it alone, it can be you and me
And honestly, that’s all I need
So please take a chance on me
Blaine took Kurt’s hand and pulled him up so they were standing face to face. Everyone had come closer, watching with the most loving faces they had. The music slowly started to die and the kids melodies turned into hums. Blaine stared into Kurt’s eyes, a hopeful look on his face as he sang the outro softly.
I know you’re afraid, but please
Won’t you take a chance on me?
Lily finished it off with a flourish before the room grew silent. All eyes were on them, everyone waiting with baited breath. “I-I…” Kurt stammered, glancing around at everyone’s eager faces before focusing back on Blaine, “I don’t know what to say…”
“You don’t have to say anything,” Blaine promised, “I just wanted you to know that, if I’m lucky enoug-HMPH!”
Blaine’s words turned into a grunt of surprise as Kurt pulled Blaine in and mashed his lips to his. There were cheers, hollers and some hooting from Dennis and Aaron but Kurt didn’t care. He didn’t care that he was in front of his students who were bound to bug him about it later or that Santana was going to annoy him about this until the end of time. He had been honest - he didn’t know what to say but he knew what he wanted and how he felt and the only way he thought he could say it was by acting. Kurt hadn’t realized that he was gripping Blaine’s lapel tightly until they pulled away and he saw his fingers wrinkling the fabric. He laughed nervously, letting go but only to slide his hands down and try to smooth it out. “So, I’ll take that as a yes?” Blaine asked, his voice a little shaky as he was recovering from the shock of the kiss.
Chewing on the inside of his lip, he looked at the group around them. “Can you all give us a minute?”
“Absolutely,” Carole spoke up, effectively cutting off Santana and the students before they could dissent. Burt and Carole ushered everyone out. “But I want to stay,” Juliette pouted as Finn carried her out.
“I know, JuJu Bean, but your Daddy and Blaine need some privacy,” he explained, “how about we go to the cafeteria and see if we can break into the ice cream?”
Juliette’s cheers were the last sound before Burt closed the door and stood in front of it, blocking anyone from looking in the window. Once Kurt was sure they were alone, he pulled Blaine by the hand to come sit down with him on the risers. “That was beautiful, Blaine,” Kurt smiled as he stroked Blaine’s knuckles with his thumb.
“I’m glad you think so.”
Kurt chuckled as he looked at the front of the room. It was funny how the room looked so different from this point of view. He was in this room almost every day as a teacher but sitting back on the risers, it transported him back to when he was a teenager, sitting among his closest friends. The room almost seemed bigger from here. “You know, I spent three years in this room, sitting right about here and then the past decade standing up there and not once did I ever have someone sing to me like you just did,” he admitted, looking back at Blaine, “I had always wished it, as silly as it sounds, but even my imagination couldn’t have made it as magical as you just did.”
Blaine smiled as he brought Kurt’s hand up to kiss the back of it. Kurt just smiled as he used his free hand to wipe away the last trace of tears. After breathing in, he asked, “I know this is going to sound silly, but….did you mean it?”
“Every word,” Blaine promised, knowing what Kurt was asking and why he was asking, “especially when I said I’ll wait. I know this is big for you. I’m not expecting you to give me anything back just because I sang it.”
Kurt laughed under his breath. “How is it you know just what to say?”
“Well, I’m not sure. I’m just telling you the truth.”
Blaine reached forward and caught Kurt’s chin delicately to tilt his face up to look at him. “I just wanted you to know how I feel,” he continued, “about you. About us. About where I hope we can go. Someone mentioned you tend to overthink things…”
“And by someone, do you mean Finn?”
“More or less,” Blaine chuckled, glad he could get Kurt to smile too. He let go and Kurt immediately caught his hand and held it in both of his, almost pulling him towards him. He was nervous. So, so very nervous and he felt like he needed to hold Blaine tightly just to make sure that this was real and not some evil trick conjured in his head. He knew what he wanted to say but his words caught in his throat as his brain realized the gravity of what he was going to say. Fuck, why was this so terrifying? You know why, he thought to himself. Finally, he took a breath.
“I want this,” he pushed out and he could feel his heart racing, “I really do. I kind of knew that when I was in New York, but since you’ve gotten here, I’ve realized it more and more. I know this is crazy. Insane, really. I’ve spent a lot of my time trying to convince myself that this is not real because the idea of it being real is terrifying. Not because I don’t want it to be - I want it to be real. But…”
Kurt paused, feeling like he needed to take a breath. “...I’m scared. I’ve been down this road before. I know what this is opening me up to…what it's opening up for Juliette and I have to think about her as well as myself.”
“I know. You don't have to explain why you're scared. I get it. Honestly, I'm scared too. I haven't had a real relationship since Eli. Everything after felt superficial until I met you. With you, everything has felt real. It's like I've been living in this world of make believe and then you came along and showed me what life is supposed to be. It's how I know I'm ready to try again. With you. I get you might not be ready to, and that's okay. I'm not going anywhere. I'll spend however long it takes to give you the courage to jump. The same courage you've given me.”
Kurt blinked back a few happy tears. Blaine certainly had a way with words. “And if it takes forever?"
“Then that's how long I'll wait," he promised without hesitation, “I know you're worth it."
At that moment, Kurt knew his answer. "Okay.”
Blaine blinked once, then twice. “Okay as in…?"
Kurt's smile grew. "Okay as in I'm ready to jump.”
Now it was Blaine's turn to smile wildly. Any nerves vanished as he leaned in and kissed him hard. Kurt hummed happily, pressing his hand to Blaine’s face as they sealed this moment with a kiss. "You won't regret it,” Blaine promised, letting their lips graze one another's as he spoke.
"I won't,” Kurt breathed, "there's things I want to talk about…about us and how this will work with everything, but not right now."
“Why not?"
“Because I'm pretty sure Dennis and Aaron are currently in the vents trying to break into my office.”
They both turned and looked at Kurt's office where they saw the ceiling vent shake before falling open, followed by two teenage boys falling unceremoniously on the ground. They both laughed before Blaine squeezed his arm. “Go do your teacher thing."
Kurt smirked. “You're just saying that because you like my teacher thing.”
"What can I say? You're hot when you get all serious."
Kurt was bright red as he stood up. "Two seconds and then we'll head home."
"No rush. I'm not going anywhere.”
Notes:
Up next: Kurt & Blaine help Juliette get the house ready for Christmas and tell her the news!
Chapter 16
Summary:
Kurt and Blaine discuss what this means and make a plan
Notes:
As always, huge shout out to JButler for beta'ing this story and helping me out so much!! And a big shout out to all of you, my readers, for continuing on with this story and giving it so much love and positive feedback. Much love!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
A Kurt wasn’t sure how long he laid staring at the ceiling as he went over what had just happened. He was getting into a relationship with Blaine Anderson . He was getting into a relationship with a famous rockstar . The thought was both exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. It was going to be complicated - not just with the distance, but everything in between as well. Blaine was such a public figure that the interest in their love life would be intense. Kurt knew that at some point, that meant he was going to be in the public eye too. Mercedes had warned him months ago and her warning was echoing clear in his head. Before you agree to anything with him, make sure you’re ready for being in the public eye, and that you’re ready to handle it.
He knew he needed to talk to Blaine about everything - how long distance would work, how public they needed to be, how they could protect Juliette… He was nervous for many reasons, but he couldn’t deny that when he was with Blaine, those nerves seemed to disappear. If that wasn’t a sign that he should give this a try, he wasn’t sure what was.
With all these thoughts tossing around in his head, Kurt wasn’t surprised to find that it was nearing one am and he still hadn’t been able to close his eyes. He wasn’t sure if it was his overthinking that was keeping him up or the fact that he missed Blaine. Which was ridiculous because he was quite literally down the hall in the guest room. Just a few steps away and yet it felt like he was all the way back in New York. Several more minutes passed without him being able to close his eyes or find a comfortable spot so he gave up. Maybe some warm milk would help. After wrapping himself up in his robe and slipping on his slippers, he crept downstairs as quietly as he could so as to not wake anyone else in the home. When he got downstairs and stepped into the kitchen, he realized he was already a little late to the party.
Blaine was sitting at the little breakfast nook, a glass of water sitting in front of him as he scrolled through his phone. He must have heard Kurt as he looked up just as Kurt appeared. “Hey,” he breathed, a little smile appearing on his face, “I didn’t wake you up, did I?”
“No, no, I couldn’t sleep,” Kurt replied, keeping his voice low, “I was going to make some warm milk. You want some?”
Blaine tilted his head. “Warm milk?” he asked.
Kurt nodded as he moved to the fridge to grab the carton. “Yeah, it’s an old recipe my mom used to make when I had trouble sleeping as a kid. It’s delicious...”
“Alright, sounds good.”
Kurt made sure to grab two mugs and after mixing together the ingredients, he handed one to Blaine and sat across from him. He waited anxiously as Blaine took a sip. Much to his delight, Blaine hummed with satisfaction. “Okay, wow, that is good.”
“Juliette loves it,” Kurt smiled before he took a sip of his own mug. They sat in silence for a minute, just enjoying their beverages. Occasionally Kurt would glance up to Blaine and when their eyes met, he smiled and quickly took a drink to hide his blush. Although he wasn’t sure why. Blaine put down his mug and chuckled under his breath. “You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, I’m just…” Kurt paused as he shrugged, “I guess I’m still trying to wrap my head around all of this.”
Blaine smiled tenderly as he reached over and intertwined their fingers. “Making it hard to sleep?”
“Something like that,” Kurt replied with a nod, “is that why you’re up?”
“More or less,” Blaine said with a shrug, “You’re not having second thoughts are you?”
"No!” Kurt answered quickly, "No, absolutely not. I meant what I said about wanting to do this. I guess I'm just…a little nervous.”
Blaine chuckled, clearly relieved. "I'd be worried if you weren't,” he said, pausing so he could watch Kurt warmly, "You want to tell me what you're nervous about?”
“Well, I was going to have this talk tomorrow," Kurt chuckled as he looked down at his warm cup of milk. But then he glanced up and saw Blaine's warm honey orbs watching and waiting and he couldn't help but feel safe. “There’s a bit that I'm worried about, if I'm being honest, but mostly because I want this to work."
Blaine smiled as he reached across the table and intertwined their fingers. “I do too."
Kurt smiled as he gave his hand a squeeze. “I guess I'm just unsure of what comes next. We're from two completely different worlds and I know that being with you comes with some extra things… ” He paused as he tried to figure out how to word this without sounding like a total asshole, “...I guess I’m just wondering what to expect now that I’m dating a famous rockstar.”
Blaine chuckled as he tightened his fingers around Kurt’s. “Well, it all depends on you,” he said, making sure Kurt was looking into his eyes, “I meant what I said before - we go at your pace, Kurt. We don’t have to do anything that makes you uncomfortable.”
“I appreciate that,” Kurt smiled as he ran his thumb along his knuckle, “but a relationship is a give and take between two people. I don’t want you to feel insecure. Especially after what happened with your ex.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Blaine said with a shake of his head, “I want to make this as easy and comfortable for you as possible, okay? If you’re good, then I’m good. All I ask is that you talk to me if things get too much for you. I want to make this work. Especially for you.”
Blaine paused for a moment. “You said you had some concerns?””
“Okay, well, I think the first concern I have is about the media following you around and how that’s going to affect us. I mean, I kind of got a taste when those pictures leaked from our trip to New York, but thankfully I managed to keep my kids from posting anything about it being me or about you being here. Do I need to come out publicly or something?”
“Not if you don’t want to. I don’t need a boyfriend to show off to the press and I don’t need the media to know every little aspect of my life. I’m more than happy having a boyfriend who is away from everything.”
“Are you sure?” Kurt asked as he scooched his chair closer to Blaine, “It’s not that I’m ashamed to be with you or anything. I just have Juliette to think about. She’s my priority and I don’t want her name or face out there for the world to see.”
“You don’t have to explain, Kurt. Juliette is special to me, too, and I want to protect her as much as you do. When you’re ready to be known, we can talk to Tina and my lawyer to figure out the logistics and control how that happens. And when that happens, we’ll make sure that it includes Juliette’s privacy.”
Kurt smiled softly. “I really appreciate that.”
“Of course. So what else are you worried about?”
“The distance,” Kurt answered honestly, “Honestly, I’ve been dreading when you go back to New York because I don’t know when the next time we’ll be able to see each other is. I guess I’m just worried that at some point, random weekends won’t be enough. And Juliette loves you. Explaining why you’re not here all the time to a six year old is going to be rough but I also don’t want you to feel bad because you can’t make visits out here or we can’t come see you.”
Blaine shifted, walking around the kitchen nook to stand behind Kurt. The second his arms wrapped around him, Kurt reached up and held onto them tightly. "It scares me too. But I think we can try to come up with a schedule. We’re not on tour right now and with it just being studio work, it’s easier for me to come visit you. I want this to work, so it's on me to make time for you. And, if you want, I can always fly you and Jewel out to see me in New York. You don’t have to worry about traveling, okay?”
Kurt smiled and squeezed his arms tighter. “Thank you. I’m sorry if I’m a little high-maintenanced.”
“You’re not,” Blaine promised with a laugh, “I went Black Friday shopping with you, remember? Now that was high maintenance.”
They both chuckled softly as Kurt playfully swatted at him. “You know what I mean. I just don’t want to make things hard for you because I’m so…”
But Kurt didn’t finish that sentence. Although it seemed he didn’t need to. “I appreciate you telling me your concerns, Kurt. And if it helps, I’m worried too. I'm worried that the pressure might be too much for you. That I might be too much for you. But all I can think of is that if we don't at least try that I'm gonna regret it for the rest of my life."
"I promise to communicate with you if things get a little too much," he promised as he remembered Blaine's story of his ex and Mercedes' warning, "I don't know everything about your world but I know I'm not worried about it being too much for me. Don’t forget, at one point, I thought I would be on Broadway, and whilst that’s not really on par with what you do, it comes with its own fame…but now I'd like to think I can be a reminder of what's normal. Someone you can be just Blaine with."
"I like the sound of that,” Blaine whispered as he turned and kissed Kurt’s cheek, “If anything changes, just let me know, okay? I'm good but I'm not a mind reader."
"Only if you promise to do the same," he said as he leaned into him, "I don't know if you've noticed but I tend to overthink everything..."
“No, really? I hadn’t noticed,” Blaine teased as he held Kurt closer. They closed their eyes and just took in the moment. The feeling of their arms wrapped around one another. Kurt turned so he could catch Blaine’s lips with a soft kiss. “So we’re really doing this,” he breathed against his lips.
“I certainly hope so,” Blaine replied softly, snagging another quick kiss. Kurt hummed against his lips as he pressed a hand against the side of Blaine’s face to hold him close. As their lips gently pulled apart, Kurt chuckled softly. “We’re going to have to figure out how to explain this to Juliette.”
“I’m sure you’ll come up with something,” Blaine murmured.
“Oh no, we’re doing this together. This is our relationship, Anderson.”
“Are you sure? I mean, I don’t want to mess it up…”
Kurt tilted his head and smiled knowingly. “Blaine Anderson, don’t tell me you’re nervous telling a six year old that you’re seeing her dad.”
“So what if I am?”
“You sing in front of millions of adoring fans!”
“Yes, but that is completely different,” Blaine laughed nervously, “This is Juliette. She’s your daughter. The most important person in your life. I don’t want to disappoint her.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that,” Kurt assured him as he grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze, “she adores you. We’ll just make sure that she understands that although you’re not around all the time that doesn't mean you don’t care about us.”
Blaine smiled as he brought his hand up to his lips and kissed the back of it. “I don’t think I could care about you both more, even if I tried.”
Kurt was glad for the dim lighting in the kitchen as it hid the rush of color that filled his cheeks. Blaine yawned as he stood up. “I think that warm milk is finally kicking in. I’m going to head to bed.”
Before he could pull away, Kurt held his hand a bit tighter. “Wait,” he said, standing up and pulling on Blaine to turn him back towards him. “What’s up?”
A swell of nerves filled him. “Did you…want to go up to my room?”
Blaine looked surprised but his lips curled into a grin. “Are you sure? I don’t expect anything yet, you know.”
"Just sleeping," he chuckled, his face turning red as he realized what he had just implied, "maybe cuddles if I'm feeling adventurous."
Blaine leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Kurt's forehead. "That sounds perfect. Can I be the big spoon?"
Kurt chuckled and nodded. “Sounds good to me.”
The way Blaine cheered quietly filled Kurt with so much joy that by the time they had curled up together in his bed and he fell asleep in Blaine’s arms with all the worries he had about this working fell away.
Juliette had come to wake them early in the morning. Blaine would have regretted going to bed so late if he hadn’t woken up with Kurt still very much in his arms. Although it didn’t last long as Juliette crawled into the bed and started to shake them both. “Daddy, Blaine, it’s time to wake up!”
Kurt groaned as he buried his face into Blaine's chest. “Five more minutes, Julie Bear."
“No, Daddy. It's Christmas!"
“Christmas?" Blaine asked, looking down at Kurt.
“She means Christmas break," he clarified as he slowly peeled himself off of Blaine, “but in her world, that means it's Christmas."
Blaine hummed thoughtfully as they both sat up. "I'll go make breakfast,” Kurt smiled, seemingly resigned to his fate of never getting to sleep in.
Juliette cheered and as she climbed off the bed to run downstairs, Kurt groaned as he stretched. “I miss when I was able to sleep in,” Kurt yawned as he felt his back pop.
"Why don't I take care of coffee and breakfast?" Blaine asked before kissing the side of Kurt’s face.
"It's okay, I got it."
"Kurt,” Blaine said softly but sternly, "it's alright. I got this. You go back to sleep for a little bit. I'll make breakfast and coffee."
Kurt hummed thoughtfully before nodding. “I'll be down in five minutes," he muttered before laying back down.
"You better not,” Blaine replied as he tucked Kurt into bed and kissed his forehead. With Kurt drifting back to sleep, Blaine slipped downstairs where he saw Juliette at the breakfast nook. "Where's Daddy?” She asked.
“He's going back to sleep," Blaine explained, "he was extra tired so it's just us for breakfast right now."
Juliette nodded as she accepted this answer. “Can we have orange juice and chocolate chip pancakes?”
"Of course! What are pancakes without chocolate chips?"
After Blaine got Juliette a cup of orange juice and started to make a pot of coffee, he grabbed what he needed for the pancakes. It was only when he grabbed a bowl did Juliette ask, “Did you have a nightmare?”
This made Blaine pause before he turned to look at the little girl. “No, I didn’t….why do you ask?”
“Because you were sleeping with Daddy,” she said as if it was obvious, “normally when I have bad dreams, I go cuddle with Daddy and he makes the bad dreams go away.”
Of course that would be the logic a six year old came up with after finding Blaine sleeping in the same bed as Kurt. It would have been adorable if Blaine didn’t feel awkward. He had no idea how to explain that he was sleeping with Kurt because they were starting a relationship, especially without her dad down here to help. He wasn’t sure if Kurt would appreciate him being the one to tell Juliette, considering she was his child. “Oh really?”
Juliette nodded after she took a drink of her orange juice. “Yep! He’s amazing. He will hug me and sing to me so I go back to sleep. Then the bad dreams go away.”
“Your dad is pretty magical like that,” Blaine laughed under his breath.
“So if you didn’t have a bad dream, why were you hugging Daddy in his bed?”
“Because…” Blaine pondered, wondering what he could come up with that wasn’t exactly a lie but wasn’t the whole truth, “well….you know I really like your Daddy, and last night after I sang him his song, we both had a hard time sleeping so he made me some warm milk and it made me super tired so I couldn’t make it to my bed.”
Blaine wasn’t sure if that was going to work - Juliette was an incredibly smart kid. But she seemed to buy it and she nodded. “I like when Daddy makes me warm milk. He says my angel grandma used to make it for him when he was my age.”
He smiled as he started to make the pancakes. “She did?” he asked, pretending like Kurt hadn’t mentioned it last night.
It served as the perfect segway into a distracting conversation that pulled her focus away from the fact that she had seen her dad in bed with someone else. With pancakes made and breakfast cleaned up so Kurt didn’t have to do that when he woke up, Blaine put on a movie for Juliette to distract her from going to wake up Kurt. With her attention now focused on Polar Express, Blaine used that opportunity to text the guys the latest development between him and Kurt.
Blaine - So, I have some news
Sebastian - You're pregnant?👀
Elliott - That would be a whole other level of news, dear. That might constitute a medical miracle
Sam - And this is one of those conversations where I have to remember to insert the sarcasm.
Sebastian - Did someone say insert
Elliott - 🤦♂️
Blaine - Uh....no
Blaine - Really? Your first thought was I was pregnant?!
Sebastian - What else am I supposed to think when you say "I have news"
Sebastian - Especially when you've been shacked up with Hummel for a month
Blaine - I don't know! Something that is actually in the realm of possibility!
Sebastian - Look, for all I know, you and your boyfriend decided to give Jaybird a little brother or sister and are adopting a baby together. That's possible!
Elliott - You just want another minion to adore because you miss Juliette
Sebastian - Don't out me like that!
Elliott - Oh honey, you're already out
Sam - Don't mind me
Sam - Watching with popcorn
Sebastian - I'll show you out Ell
Sam - Stop sexting on main
Sebastian - Don't act like you don't enjoy the show, Evans 😉
Sam - I'm not even responding to that.
Sam - So, dude, what's the news?
Blaine - Kurt and I are officially together
Sebastian - Were you not before?
Sam - I second that question
Elliott - And me...
Blaine - What? No!
Blaine - Wait, you thought we were already together?
Elliott - I mean... You did kiss him in public, on a romantic cocktail cruise and it ended up on the news
Sam - And you bought his little superstar a unicorn which is total step-dad energy
Sebastian - And you look at him sometimes like you want to push him down on the nearest flat surface and have him beg you not to be polite
Blaine - I do not!
Elliott - You absolutely do
Sam - Seconded
Sebastian - Liar liar pants on fire
Blaine - Remind me why I'm friends with you lot?
Elliott - Because you love us
Sam - Because you'd be lost without us
Sebastian - 🤷 Stockholm syndrome?
Blaine - Mmhm
Blaine - No, we were not officially dating. We just admitted that we liked each other and I didn't want to freak him out
Blaine - But I wrote him a song and sang it to him last night and we talked and we're officially going to try and make this work
Blaine chuckled as they each came back with a Gif. Elliott had sent a heart eyes gif, Sam sent a celebration gif and Sebastian had sent someone gagging. It was all very them.
Sebastian - But you know we've all got your back right?
Sebastian - All three off you
Sebastian - Anyone so much as looks at Jaybirds hair wrong and I will pull their intestines out through their nostrils
Sam - Dude...
Elliott - Huh…Protective Sebastian might be a new kink
Blaine - That's kind of terrifying, Bas
Blaine - But yeah, I know you guys do
Blaine - We're keeping it on the down low for the time being
Blaine - Kurt doesn't want to be known yet and I don't blame him and he absolutely does not want Juliette's name or face out there. Period.
Blaine - Not that I think you guys will say anything
Sebastian - Obviously. Did you speak to Cooper about an NDA? If it helps Kurt we could all sign one for him to
Elliott - As long as we get Jaybirds babysitting rights. You don't understand all the blackmail I get on Seb when he's around her...
Sam - You holding out on us Gilbert?
Sebastian - Don't you dare, Ell!
Moments later, a video came through from Elliott of Sebastian singing Under the Sea with Juliette.
Sebastian - YOU SAID YOU DELETED THAT!
Blaine - I'm saving this
Blaine - But no, I haven't talked to Coop yet. I'm a little nervous about telling him that I'm DATING someone. You know how he can be
Elliott - He loves you. He'll be thrilled and I reckon he will adore Jaybird
Sebastian - 😤 I found her first
Elliott - There, there dear
Sam - Aww is Seb jealous that Jaybird might like Cooper more
Sebastian - NO
Elliott - Yes
Blaine - Him loving me is exactly why I'm worried about telling him. You know he can be. What if he scares Kurt off?
Blaine - I really want to make this work.
Sam - You're totally in love with him, aren't you?
Blaine was starting to type but he kept deleting what he was saying. He knew what the answer was - absolutely and 1000% yes, but how did he tell them that without sounding crazy. This was the very beginning of their relationship and he didn’t want to freak Kurt out. Before he could finally send something, Sebastian sent a voice note, “ Kurt and Blaine, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G…”
Elliott - Sebastian... noo
Sebastian - First comes love, then comes marriage...
Sam - And then comes adoption/surrogacy or some other way of having a baby I don't know about
Blaine - Okay, yes, I do, but I can't tell him that! It's still really early!
Sam - He loves you too
Elliott - What Sam said
Sebastian- I concur
Blaine - I sure hope so
Sebastian- It's sickening.
Elliott - He does. I'm calling it now.
Sam - 👍 deffo.
Sam - You know who will know for sure?
Sam has added Tina to the chat
Sam - Tina, we need your advice for Blaine
Sam - See above
Tina - Ooooh okay. Well. I am with these three. He is head over feet for you
Sam - See?!
Blaine - Still, I'm going to wait for him to say anything first.
Blaine - Like I said, I don't want to ruin this
Tina - Awww, Blainey Days 🥰
Sebastian - How many love songs have you written? One for every strand of hair and both eyes?
Blaine - Just the one
Elliott - When do we get to hear it?
Blaine - I'll see if one of Kurt's friends filmed it
Tina - I'm texting Brittany now!
Elliott - Well, for what it’s worth, we’re really happy for you two
Sebastian - Ditto
Blaine - Thanks guys
Blaine heard the gentle thuds of footsteps down the staircase, signaling that Kurt was finally awake and coming to join them. It was the perfect excuse to run from the guys’ shenanigans before they got more worse than they already had.
Blaine - I should probably run
Blaine - We’re going to start decorating for Christmas today
Sam - Have fun!
Elliott - Send pics!
Sebastian - Give Jaybird a hug from me
Tina - Congrats, Blaine! I’m rooting for you guys!
Blaine - Don’t cause any trouble without me
Sebastian - Too late 😈
Notes:
Up next: Kurt, Blaine and Juliette get ready for the holidays
Chapter 17
Summary:
Cute Klaine Christmas Fluff
Notes:
Sorry for the delay in posting. I have some new job duties from a promotion so I've been busy getting squared away with that. I promise I'm not disappearing!
The support and feedback has been incredible for this. Thank you all for the comments and kudos and bookmarks. Seeing the love makes me smile.
Also huge shout out to JButler for keeping me on track and betaing this for me!! I am so grateful for you!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Once Kurt was awake and had coffee in his system, the plan was made. With today being the first day of Christmas, as so declared by Juliette herself, it was decided that she would show Blaine all of the Christmas decorations they had and start setting up the living room for the tree that they were going to go get that night after they went to see Santa.
His daughter was very adamant that they do this today and there was no changing her mind. Julietter was sometimes too stubborn for her own good.
As Blaine opened the boxes in the living room while an animated Juliette chatted about all the different decorations they had, Kurt went about making a quick lunch for them. He was just pulling out the fruit to cut up when his phone went off with a text in the group chat.
Santana - Alright, Daddy-O, we've given you and Blaine plenty of time to get all the pent up sexual frustration out of your system, but I'm done waiting. So jump off rockstar's dick and tell us what happened last night
Kurt shook his head. Leave it to Santana to be so crude.
Kurt - Well good morning to you too, Santana
Kurt - And for the record, Blaine and I did not have sex last night
Santana - BORING. What DID you do?
Kurt - Well, we talked and....
Kurt - We agreed to try the whole relationship thing
Finn - Dude that's AWESOME!
Santana- Thank fuck you at least agreed to SOMETHING
Brittany - Yay! We’re so happy for you, Kurt!
Kurt - Thanks guys
Brittany - Does that mean you’re going to be famous too?
Kurt - Not anytime soon
Kurt - We're keeping it between ourselves and friends and family for now
Kurt - Mainly so that the press doesn't start swarming Lima and to protect Juliette
Santana - Oh, he better protect my little Jet
Finn - That’s smart. Have you told Mom and Burt?
Kurt - Not yet. It all kind of happened at like 3 this morning.
Kurt - And don't worry, Satan, he wants to protect her as much as I do
Santana - Good, because if he doesn’t, I’m going toaha;daa
Kurt tilted his head as Santana’s reply. Thankfully, the explanation came quickly.
Brittany - I took Santana’s phone away until she agrees to be nice. This is good news.
Kurt chuckled. Oh he loved Brittany. He could already imagine Santana glaring at her wife. That laughter slowly subsided as Brittany asked the question he was sure they were all wondering.
Brittany - So what happens now? Is he going to move here? Are you moving to NY?
Kurt - No, I'm staying here. He's going to come visit when he can.
Kurt - Not entirely sure how this is going to work but we'll figure it out
Finn - I’m sure you will. And if you ever need to commiserate about missing him, you have us.
Finn - Have you told JuJu Bean yet?
Kurt - Not yet.
Kurt - Still trying to figure out how to explain it to her.
Kurt - Any ideas on how to tell your child you're dating someone who won't always be around?
Finn - I’m sure you’ll figure it out
Santana - Does she need to know yet?
Kurt - I don't like hiding things from her
Santana - Oh, so she knows about Owen then, does she?
Kurt groaned and rolled his eyes.
Kurt - Okay, I don't like hiding MOST things from her
Finn - Maybe just focus on finding a rhythm first. Once you have a routine it might be easier to explain.
Brittany - She loves Blaine. She might not understand it but she'll love him the same.
With a smile, Kurt opened up his camera and pointed it towards the living room. Juliette was pulling out glass hollow Christmas trees that Kurt would always fill with red and green M&Ms while explaining to Blaine what they were used for. Blaine was smiling and nodding as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. Kurt quickly snapped the picture and added it to the group chat before hitting send.
Kurt - She really does.
Finn - You better use that as your new phone background.
Brittany - Awww, it looks like a Christmas card!
Santana - Okay, yeah, even I have to admit that that's cute. But still, I feel like I need to have THE talk with him.
Finn - Burt and I already did that.
Santana - No, you did the family talk. This is the Auntie Snixx talk.
Kurt - Please don't.
Finn - I think Burt and I caused enough chaos.
Santana - Uh uh. Curls McGee needs to know that if he screws this up that it don't matter how far away he is, Auntie Snixx will come out to play and destroy every bone in his body.
Kurt - He's already scared of you enough.
Kurt - You and Mercedes.
Santana - Good, he needs to be more scared! I still have a lot of pent up rage you WON'T let me take out on that no good, two time cock-sucking piece of shit.
Kurt - Maybe because I'd like my daughter to know you and not have to visit you in prison before she's in her teens.
Santana - Who said anything about getting caught?
Finn -😁🤔
Kurt rolled his eyes as he looked at the time. Oh good, he had a reason to end this conversation.
Kurt - Well, on that note, I gotta go.
Kurt - I need to focus on finishing up lunch before we go see Santa today.
Brittany - Don’t forget to tell Santa what you want for Christmas!
Santana - He doesn’t need to tell Santa, unless it’s Blaine dressed as naughty Santa.
Kurt - I’m leaving now.
Kurt already knew that Santana was going to start sending him extra naughty pictures of guys dressed in sexy Santa outfits so he quickly muted Santana and the group chat, in case she decided it would be fun to make Finn uncomfortable.
After a healthy lunch, the three of them got changed and headed on down to the mall. Juliette had taken a little longer than Kurt had anticipated, citing that she needed to look extra special because she had an extra special request from Santa. Kurt was slightly worried about what this request would be - hopefully it wasn’t anything too expensive . Normally he would have a pretty good idea as to what Juliette wanted for Christmas by this time - she would go on and on about all the different things she wanted and show him her list to Santa at least five times. But Juliette was apparently taking her sweet, sweet time writing her letter to Santa. Thankfully Kurt remembered a few things Juliette had said she wanted a while ago and had them hid in the organizer on the top shelf of his closet. Perhaps, with any luck, Blaine would be willing to occupy Juliette’s time so he could go get whatever Juliette told Santa and maybe something for Blaine as well. What was he going to get a rockstar? He had no idea, but Kurt was quite good at gifts. He was confident he could figure something out.
Juliette looked incredibly adorable. She had certainly dressed up, wearing a sparkly red and black dress, black tights and black shoes with a matching red headband. She was bouncing with each step, holding on to both of Kurt’s and Blaine’s hands as they walked on either side of her. “So what are you going to ask for Santa, sweetheart?” Kurt asked as they spotted the North Pole set up in the Lima Mall.
“I can’t tell you that, Daddy,” she said, as if it was obvious, “if I tell you before I tell Santa then he can’t make it happen!”
“Yeah, Kurt,” Blaine chided playfully, “she has to tell Santa first.”
Kurt rolled his eyes as they got in line but the smile remained on his face. The line moved slowly and as they got closer and closer, Kurt noticed how Juliette started to bounce a little bit more. Kurt knew his daughter very well. “Are you nervous, Julie Bear?” he asked as he looked down at her.
Juliette hummed and nodded. “Why are you nervous?” he asked.
“Because I really want Santa to make this come true,” she said earnestly.
Kurt smiled softly before he knelt down so he was eye level with her. “I’m sure whatever it is, Santa will work extra hard to make sure you get it. Especially if it’s that important to you.”
Juliette smiled before she hugged Kurt tightly. Kurt squeezed her back and looked up to spot Blaine watching them fondly. It only served to make his smile grow a bit bigger. This Christmas was already turning out to be a pretty memorable one already, but anyway to make it even more special for his little girl, he would try his best.
Eventually they came to the front of the line and the lady elf brought Juliette up to meet Santa. Kurt and Blaine moved off to the side to wait for Juliette. “So what do you think she’s going to ask for?” Blaine asked.
“I don’t know,” Kurt replied, “but I’m really hoping it’s not a pony. She said that last year and the closest I could get was a pony ride.”
“Well, if she does…”
“No,” Kurt quickly cut him off, “you are not getting my child a pony.”
Blaine laughed as they watched the elf help Juliette climb into Santa’s lap. “Ho, ho, ho! And what is your name?” Santa asked with a jolly tone.
“Juliette Hummel, Mr. Santa, sir!”
“And what would you like for Christmas, Juliette?”
Juliette looked over at Kurt and Blaine. They both smiled and waved while Kurt nodded at her to go ahead and tell him. Juliette just smiled as she turned back to Santa. “I want my Daddy and Blaine to be boyfriends.”
It was like all the surrounding noise came to a sudden stop and Kurt could only hear his heart beating erratically. He could feel his face completely blanch as Juliette looked back over, seemingly very proud and Santa’s eyes seemed to follow. With an awkward smile and wave from Kurt, Santa cleared his throat. Either he was just as shocked by Juliette’s wish or was trying not to laugh. Blaine wasn’t so subtle as he was very clearly shaking with laughter that he was doing a pretty good job at muffling behind his hand. “And is that your Daddy and Blaine over there?”
“Mmhmm!” she hummed happily, “they really like each other. They’ve even kissed and Blaine was sleeping in Daddy’s bed with Daddy last night. I think they both want to be boyfriends but Auntie Tana says that relationships make my Daddy nervous. So do you think you can help him not be so scared and they can be together and live happily ever after?”
Blaine made a very unbecoming noise next to him and Kurt quickly elbowed him before he lost complete control. Kurt was pretty sure that his face was completely red, especially as Santa seemed to study the two of them. Santa grinned and gave them a wink before focusing back on Juliette. “Well, I have a very good feeling that I might be able to do something about that. Once I get back to the North Pole, I will have a word with your Daddy and Blaine.”
Juliette seemed quite content with that answer as she beamed. “Thank you, Santa!”
The photographer came over and snapped their photo before Juliette jumped down and ran towards Kurt and Blaine. Blaine was trying to hide how hilarious he found the whole thing while Kurt was trying to appear very nonchalant about the fact his six year old daughter had asked Santa to hook him up with Blaine. “Are you okay, Daddy?” Juliette asked innocently.
“Y-yeah, I am, sweetie,” he said as he took her hand and quickly guided them away from Santa. He was pretty sure he could feel Santa’s eyes boring into his back when they did. “Julie Bear, why did you tell Santa that’s what you wanted for Christmas?”
“Because it is,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders, “and I thought that since you get scared about having a boyfriend that Santa’s magic would help!”
Kurt glanced over at Blaine, who had managed to push down his amusement and was now staring at him fondly. Well, at least this was something he could give Juliette for Christmas. Although now he had a time-table to figure out how to explain to Juliette that he and Blaine were together. “I guess we should be waiting for a video conference with Santa,” Blaine grinned.
“Oh my God,” Kurt mumbled, both in disbelief and amusement.
“Can we go get hot chocolate and the Christmas tree now?” Juliette asked.
Kurt chuckled and nodded. Christmas shopping could wait. At least, for now. “Yes, we can go get hot chocolate and our Christmas tree.”
Juliette led the way but not before Blaine slipped his hand into Kurt’s and held it tight. “I guess telling her became just a little bit easier, huh?” Blaine muttered softly so that Juliette didn’t overhear them.
Kurt chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, I guess it did.”
“But for the record - it had nothing to do with Christmas magic.”
“Oh really?” Kurt asked, curious as to where Blaine was going with this.
Blaine nodded and hummed happily. “Nope, it was all you.”
Kurt smiled as he squeezed Blaine’s hand a bit tighter. “You know, I’m starting to notice how you do actually have a way with words.”
“Told you. Next stop, turning you into a Neon Riot fan.”
“You should probably quit while you’re ahead.”
Blaine grinned mischievously. “We’ll see about that.”
By the time they made it to the christmas tree farm, it had started to get dark. Their first stop had been to the hot chocolate stand. Three cups of hot chocolate with extra whipped cream later, the three of them were winding their way through the maze of trees. Juliette was in the lead, jumping from one tree to the next to render her judgement. So far, six had been completely rejected, three were contenders and one was looking rather promising. As she bounded up to another tree to do her inspection, Kurt and Blaine hung back. “She’s very picky about what Christmas tree, isn’t she?” Blaine remarked.
“Very,” Kurt replied with a nod, “a couple years ago, we were out here for an hour because she couldn’t find the right tree.”
“An hour?”
When Kurt nodded, they chuckled, especially as Juliette shook her head and moved on to the next. “Of course, with you here, she might take extra longer. I know my daughter and she is going to want to make extra sure that this Christmas is going to be perfect.”
“Well, don’t I feel special.”
“You should.” Kurt breathed out heavily as he came to a stop. “She’s really going to miss you when you go back to New York.”
“I’m going to miss her, too. And you.”
Kurt smiled as he stepped in closer to Blaine and grabbed his hand, thumb stroking over the back of his knuckles as he glanced back over at his daughter. “It’s a good thing she didn’t ask for you to stay.”
When he glanced back, he noticed how Blaine’s brow had raised questioningly. It was only then that he realized how what he said sounded. “Not that I’m saying I don’t want you to,” he quickly added, feeling his face growing hot in embarrassment, “I would love it if you could stay. But I know you can’t. I just meant that if she had asked Santa for you to stay, I don’t know how Santa would have made that happen.”
Blaine chuckled softly. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a small booth with a crate of greenery and trinkets. He broke away for a second and returned triumphantly, holding a sprig of mistletoe above Kurt’s head. “Well, Santa can’t grant every wish,” he said with a grin, “but I think Santa can grant my wish.”
Kurt looked up and rolled his eyes with amusement. “You are ridiculous.”
“And charming.”
“That’s debatable.”
“You can pretend all you want, Hummel, but I know the truth.”
Kurt hummed a laugh before he leaned in and kissed him. It was gentle and soft, but he let his lips linger for a moment longer. “You know, you didn’t have to use mistletoe to get me to kiss you,” he breathed, letting his lips barely graze against Blaine’s as he spoke.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
They chuckled together and were about to kiss when Juliette announced that the tree she was looking at wasn't pretty enough and ran towards the next one. “She really is on the hunt for the perfect tree, huh?" Blaine laughed.
“And she won't stop until she finds it." Kurt breathed out through his nose as his shoulders slumped. The weight of everything, while happy, was settling in and he could feel his nerves starting to fray. Blaine noticed his tension and grabbed his hand, delicately threading their fingers together. “Hey," he breathed softly as he gently tugged on his hand, “what's wrong?"
Kurt pushed the breath out of his lungs as his eyes locked onto Blaine. “Nothing’s wrong. Actually, everything is great. Almost too great. I just…I'm afraid that this is all some incredible dream that I'm eventually going to wake up from."
“Well, I can promise you that you're not dreaming. And if you are, I am too and I really want to know how our dreams combined.”
Kurt breathed a laugh as he shook his head. "I know I'm not dreaming. With the number of pinches I've asked from Brittany, I know this is all real. I guess I'm just having a hard time processing it.”
He turned his head to check on Juliette and smiled as he saw how she was testing the sturdiness of a tree's branch. "I think I'm just so used to being on my own. It's just been me and her for the past six years…it's like I don't remember what it's like to be with someone else. I remember some things when I was with Owen, but they're all kind of shadowed by what he did. I guess I'm just afraid that I'm going to mess this up."
“Kurt," Blaine muttered as he pulled Kurt’s focus back to him, "I'm not going anywhere.”
Kurt raised his brow and gave Blaine a very knowing look. “Okay, outside of going back to New York to work on the next album, but you know what I mean."
“I do," Kurt said, looking back at Juliette as she tapped her lips with her finger, "it's her I'm worried about. When you leave in a few weeks, she's going to ask why and I'm not entirely sure what I'm supposed to tell her.”
Blaine watched Juliette with her and he smiled warmly. “I don't want to hurt her."
“I know you don't. Neither do I."
They stood there, watching her as she started to circle the tree. “I think we should tell her tonight,” Kurt said very determinedly.
When Kurt felt Blaine’s eyes back on him, he elaborated. "She's smart and she's perceptive. She's going to figure out something is going on, if she hasn't already. And I think if we explain to her now that even though you're leaving, you still care about us and that it will help prepare her for when you do leave. Maybe we can figure out a way to make it easy on her, too. And us."
Kurt finally looked back at Blaine and blushed as he saw how Blaine was admiring him. “What?" He asked nervously.
“Nothing. You just…" Blaine's voice trailed off as he pulled Kurt in close, “you are the most incredible person I've ever met.”
Kurt's face turned a rosy shade of pink. “I'm glad you think so."
“Oh, I know so."
Before Kurt could reply, Juliette had run back to them. “I found it!" She announced very proudly, “I found the perfect Christmas tree!"
They both turned to her as she ran back to the tree and tugged on the label. “That one?" Kurt asked as they got closer, “are you sure, sweetheart?”
"Extra sure! She even said she wanted to come home with us.”
"The tree is a girl?" Kurt asked.
Juliette nodded and Blaine just chuckled. "Well, you can't argue with that."
“No you can't," Kurt chuckled as he examined the tree, “well, let's get her home so we can accessorize her."
“Can we also make cookies and watch Rudolph?" Juliette asked hopefully.
Kurt and Blaine exchanged a look before Kurt nodded. “Of course. But then Blaine and I have something really important to tell you."
“What is it?”
"You'll see,” Kurt smiled as he kissed the top of her head, "first thing's first - we need to get Miss Tree home.”
"Her name is Pinetta!” Juliette corrected.
"Yeah, Kurt, her name is Pinetta,” Blaine teased.
Kurt rolled his eyes playfully as Blaine scooped Juliette onto his back and gave her a piggyback ride to the counter so they could get help loading up Pinetta.
Already this Christmas was shaping up to be the most memorable Christmas ever.
Pinetta was decorated in all of her glory with twinkling light and handmade ornaments in front of the living room window. Rudolph was playing in the background and the scent of freshly baked cookies wafted through the home. Kurt, Blaine and Juliette were snuggled on the couch with Juliette sandwiched between them and her eyes glued to the screen while she munched down on her third cookie. Kurt and Blaine had spent the majority of the movie sneaking glances at one another for no other reason than just because they could. And every time they caught the other, they would smile and breathe out in amusement before going back to pretending to pay attention. When the movie came to an end, Kurt and Blaine looked to one another one more time and nodded. It was time. “Hey, Julie Bear,” Kurt said softly, looking down at his daughter, “remember earlier when Blaine and I said we had something important to tell you?”
Juliette nodded as she looked up at her father. “What is it?” she asked.
Kurt glanced at Blaine who smiled encouragingly at him and nodded. “So, you know that Blaine and I have been spending a lot of time together and how we kissed last night.”
“Mmhmm,” she hummed with a bright smile, “I saw it! It was magical, like when Rapunzel kissed Flynn Rider.”
Blaine chuckled behind her, as did Kurt. “Well, Blaine and I talked last night after you went to bed and we realized how much we care about each other, so we’ve decided that we’re going to be boyfriends.”
Juliette’s face immediately lit up and her jaw dropped. She spun so she was facing Blaine. “Really?!”
“Really, really,” Blaine replied with a smile, “looks like your Christmas wish came true, Jewel.”
Juleitte’s excitement was palpable as she jumped up and tackled Blaine in a hug. “Auntie Britt was right! She said that if I asked Santa that he would make it happen!”
“That she was,” Kurt smiled, so happy to see the excitement on his little girl’s face. “So I take it you’re okay with this, then.”
“Mmhmm!” she hummed happily as she loosened her hug on Blaine. “So does that mean you’re staying now?”
The room grew heavy. They knew this question was coming, but even so, they both didn’t want to take away that big smile that was stretched across her face. Juliette sensed the shift and turned her head so she could look at her dad. “Daddy?”
Before Kurt could utter a word, Blaine spoke up. “As much as I want to, I can’t,” he replied, pulling Juliette’s focus back to him, “I still have to go back to New York for work.”
“But how can you be boyfriends then? Daddy said that it’s hard to be boyfriends when you live so far away,” she said, her voice softening from the joy it held before.
Carefully, Kurt pulled Juliette towards him and onto his lap he could hold her. “It is going to be hard, but that’s what happens when you become an adult,” he said, “adult relationships are complicated, but Blaine and I realized that we like each other too much to let distance get in the way of that. So, for now, we’re going to find a way to make this work. But that doesn’t mean we won’t see him again.”
“Your Daddy is right,” Blaine added, scooting in closer so he could put a hand on Kurt’s shoulder, “I’m going to try and come back to see you as much as I can.”
“But I don’t want you to go,” Juliette muttered, her eyes wide and her lower lip trembling.
“Oh, sweetheart,” Kurt murmured as he drew her in close and held her tight, “no one wants to go anywhere. But he’s not going back yet. He’s still going to be here through Christmas and New Years.”
“And I’m only ever a phone call away,” Blaine promised, “I’ll call every night and we can video chat on the weekends when I’m not here.”
Juliette sniffled and wiped her eyes with the back of her arm. “You promise to call every night?”
“Cross my heart,” Blaine said, doing just that with his finger, “I’ll make sure to call and wish you a good night every bedtime.”
“And you’ll still have me,” Kurt promised as he hugged her close, “we can make silly videos to send to Blaine and draw pictures so he knows how much we miss him.”
Kurt gently rocked Juliette back and forth in his lap as he rubbed her back. Juliette was clinging to his shirt and pressing herself against his chest as her little mind worked to piece this all together. “I don’t like this,” she muttered sadly.
Kurt sighed and kissed the top of her head. “I know, sweetie. I know this is hard and scary, but it’s not forever, okay? Blaine will be back and, when he is, it’ll just be that much more special.”
They sat there in silence for a moment as they let Juliette process this. Kurt’s eyes looked up to Blaine’s face and he could see just how much this was affecting Blaine. Neither of them wanted to make this hard for her, but that was why Kurt knew that he could trust Blaine with Juliette. He loved her just as much as Kurt did. After a beat, Juliette turned her attention to Blaine. “Promise not to forget us?”
Blaine’s eyes filled with tears as he nodded. “Never, ever.”
Kurt felt the overwhelming love he had tightened his chest. To see his little girl bond with someone he was steadily falling in love with like this made the whole long distance relationship a lot less scary. Juliette let go of Kurt so she could fully hug Blaine. “I love you, Blaine,” she muttered into his shoulder.
Blaine’s smile grew bright as he squeezed her. “I love you too, Jewel.”
They stayed like that for a moment before Juliette pulled away and let out a big yawn. “Looks like someone is ready for bed,” Kurt chuckled.
“No I’m not,” she mumbled, eyes already drooping, “I’m not even tired.”
Kurt and Blaine chuckled as Blaine picked her up. “Come on, Jewel, let’s get you into bed. And then tomorrow, we can make chocolate chip pancakes.”
Juliette clung to him and she nodded very tiredly as Blaine carried her up the stairs. Kurt was not far behind. By the time they deposited her in her bed, Juliette was out like a light. They were careful to leave her room without waking her before they headed back downstairs to clean up and put the remaining cookies away before they headed to bed themselves. As Kurt pulled out the cookie tins, he said softly, “I think that went rather well.”
Blaine nodded as he put the kettle on to boil to make them both tea. "Yeah?"
Kurt nodded with a faint smile on his face. "I think so. You were really good with her."
Blaine stepped up behind Kurt, his arms wrapping around his waist. "I hope so... I want to be."
"You are. You shouldn't worry." Kurt put the cookie down and spun so he could face him and drape his arms around his shoulders, "You might officially be her favorite adult now."
"Oh, I'm honored," Blaine murmured, leaning in and pressing a kiss to Kurt's lips and pulling him closer. Kurt smiled against his lips. Blaine still tasted like a mix of hot chocolate and sugar cookies. He breathed out slowly through his nose as he rested his forehead against Blaine’s. "I appreciate you thinking about how to help her with this. It makes facing this a whole lot easier."
"I'm glad I could help. Sometimes I feel a little out of my depth. But then I watch you. You make it look so easy."
"Well, that's because I've had six years of practice of being a dad,” Kurt chuckled, “you, though, you're a natural."
Blaine grinned and pulled Kurt a little closer, swaying him to a silent song before he pressed another barely there kiss to Kurt's lips. "I'm glad I'm coming across as confident. I'd hate for her to see me as a weakling and strike. She has your eyes, so I know I'm already done for."
Kurt breathed out a chuckle. "Unfortunately she already has the perfect pout down. Santana has been teaching her how to hustle. You should see the things she gets Brittany and Finn to get her when I'm not around."
Blaine smiled. "I'll try to keep that in mind."
Kurt matched his smile and stole his own kiss. "I'm feeling a lot better about this."
"I'm glad,” Blaine smiled, “So, does that mean I can kiss you properly now?"
"Are you saying you haven't been kissing me properly?" Kurt asked with a tilt of his head.
"Oh Kurt Hummel…the things I could do to you…"
Kurt felt his cheeks burn with the insinuation behind Blaine's words. "Are you always this smooth?"
"Not really. I'm more the trip over my feet in front of someone I like but pretend it's a dance move, smooth," Blaine replied with a smirk, "but I've got a few tricks in my back pocket."
Kurt chuckled before he nudged Blaine's nose with his own. "Yeah? And what are those?"
Blaine’s smirk grew more mischievous before he leaned down a little and gripped Kurt's thighs. Kurt quietly gasped in shock as Blaine picked him up and carried him the two steps to sit him on the edge of the counter while also being careful not to send any of the cookies tumbling off. Before Kurt could get a word in, Blaine leaned in and pressed his lips to Kurt's. It was deep from the start, his tongue gently grazing Kurt's lips asking for permission before sliding in. The kiss left Kurt breathless. He couldn't remember the last time he had ever felt like this with a kiss. Not even when he was with Owen. His fingers were dug into Blaine's collar, wrinkling the fabric but he was too afraid to let go. He needed the closeness. He had almost muttered those three words that would unleash everything but that worry that was always there held them back. It was too soon. Too early. He was already unraveling, slowly but surely. His body screamed for more but his brain stuttered for a moment. "Wait, wait," he breathed, pulling back but keeping Blaine close as he smiled, "need air...."
Blaine chuckled a little as he reached up and pushed a stray strand of Kurt’s hair back as it fell onto his forehead. "One day, I'm just going to send Jewel off for babysitting and I'm going to spend the entire day kissing you breathless, just so I can see you this flustered."
Kurt laughed softly as he tried to smooth out the wrinkles in Blaine’s collar that he had put there. "You know, if you tell Santana that, she'll take her for a whole month."
There was a mischievous glint in Blaine’s eyes and he leaned in. “Well, in that case…”
Kurt closed his eyes and took a breath, waiting for the feel of Blaine diving back in for another kiss when there was a knock on the door. They both glanced at the door, furrowing their brows before focusing back on each other. “You think Santana heard us talking about her?” Blaine asked, slightly nervous.
“I really hope not,” Kurt muttered just before there was another insistent knock on his door. With a groan, Kurt moved to get off the counter. “I should probably see who that is…”
But before he could slide all the way off, Blaine put his hands on Kurt’s thighs and held him there. “Just leave it,” he insisted as he nudged in closer, “it’s late. Whoever it is can come back tomorrow.”
“What if they…” but Kurt’s words were cut off as Blaine latched his lips onto Kurt’s for another hot, heavy kiss. Whatever thought he was about to have was quickly wiped away and all Kurt could focus on was the taste of Blaine on his lips or the feel of his tongue as it explored his mouth. Kurt pulled Blaine closer, needing to feel him pressed up against him as much as possible. He was so lost in the kiss that he didn’t notice the three guys who appeared in the kitchen window until they knocked on the glass. Kurt and Blaine jumped as they looked over and spotted Sebastian's smug face in the window.
“Guess who just came to town!”
Notes:
Up next: It's a Neon Riot Christmas!
Chapter 18
Summary:
Just some fluffy Christmas shenanigans with Neon Riot
Notes:
Hello everyone!!! Here is the next wonderful chapter of Chords. Thank you again for all the love and support. I appreciate all of you so much!
And, of course, big shout out to JButler for beta'ing and keeping me on track!!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Having three rock stars appear in his kitchen window at ten o’clock at night was not on his bingo card. And yet, there they were, gawking at them in a pretty compromising position. Sebastian looked rather proud of himself, Elliott appearing sheepish and apologetic and Sam looking awkward as hell. Blaine stepped back, giving Kurt room to jump off the counter as he stalked over to the window and yanked it open. “What the hell are you guys doing here?!” Blaine hissed loudly, mindful of the fact that there was a sleeping six year old upstairs.
“Just checking in on our two new favorite lovebirds,” Sebastian smiled as he leaned over to see Kurt and give him a wave. Kurt quickly turned and hid his face behind his hand, knowing just how red his face was. Elliott took that moment to smack Sebastian gently upside the head.
“I'm sorry about him," Elliott said, “we tried to get him to stay back at the hotel but he grabbed the car keys after Santana gave him Kurt's address."
“Yeah, Elliott and I were worried he was going to try and break in so we came along to make sure he didn't do that," Sam added.
Blaine groaned and rolled his eyes. “We will talk about this later,” he hissed, giving a pointed look at Sebastian, “You guys need to leave before Jewel wakes up. She’ll never go back to sleep if she knows you're here."
As Sebastian opened his mouth, Elliott covered it with his hand. “Of course. We'll do breakfast!" he said for them before Sam helped to lead Sebastian back to the car.
As soon as they were gone and Blaine heard the faint engine rumble disappear, he closed the window and spun to Kurt. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea they were coming.”
Kurt finally turned back around with pinched lips and shrugged. "It's alright. Like you said, you didn't know they were coming."
Blaine chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. “They're idiots. But them showing up unannounced means you're officially one of us.”
“Is that a good thing?"
“That’s yet to be determined."
They laughed softly together, filling the awkward tension in the room. Kurt nervously wrung his hands together as he nodded towards the stairs. “We should probably go to bed. Something tells me that tomorrow is going to be a long one, what with our new guests.”
Blaine nodded in agreement and the two of them wordlessly climbed the stairs and headed into Kurt’s room. They changed and got into bed, however they didn’t go to sleep right away. A sweet, goodnight kiss soon led to them making out much like they had downstairs. Their tongues explored one another, tasting every inch and committing it to memory. Only when their lips were swollen and their lungs screamed for oxygen did they stop and wish each other a goodnight, although Blaine ended up staying awake just a little longer to take in the sight of Kurt peacefully asleep and curled against his side. Blaine could definitely get used to this.
The morning came quite quickly and, much like the morning before, included a very excited Juliette bounding into the room to bring them to attention that it was, in fact, morning and that Blaine had promised chocolate chip pancakes. “Good morning, Daddy! Good morning, Blaine!” she greeted cheerfully as she jumped into the bed.
Kurt groaned and tried to pull the blankets up to cover his face. Blaine yawned and leaned up on his elbows. “Morning, Jewel.”
“I want pancakes.”
“Five minutes, Juliette,” Kurt grumbled as he tried to yank the blankets up around him. However, his daughter was having none of it and climbed further up to pull the blankets down. “No, Daddy, you have to get up! Blaine promised chocolate chip pancakes.”
Blaine yawned once again before smiling at the little girl who was kneeling in the empty space between them with her arms crossed with a very powerful pout. He could see what Kurt meant by the pout. He was pretty sure he couldn’t say no to that face. Blaine managed a sleepy chuckle before he leaned in and captured Juliette in his arms to pull her down. “You’re relentless, aren’t you?”
Juliette giggled as she squirmed in his arms so she could hug him back. “Mmhm! Daddy says it all the time.”
“He also says it’s exhausting,” Kurt added, his eyes still closed but a smirk on his face.
“And you wouldn’t trade her for anything,” Blaine pointed out as he slowly let go of Juliette so she could snuggle between the two of them. The second she did, Kurt reached out and pulled her in close. “Of course not,” he mumbled before kissing the top of her head.
As Kurt held his daughter close and Juliette giggled, Blaine turned towards them, watching them fondly and tracing Kurt’s arm with his finger. Blaine had seen many wonderful things during his touring and traveling, but this right here might have been the most perfect sight to behold. He couldn’t help but feel just how perfect this felt. The three of them together in a perfect little family. He could feel those three little words all but bubbling up in his throat, but when he opened his mouth to utter them, they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Kurt groaned again as he pulled Juliette in closer. “No, not yet…” he grumbled.
There was another, more insistent knock. “Maybe if we just ignore them, they’ll go away,” Blaine offered quietly.
“Who?” Juliette asked.
But before either of them could answer, they heard the unmistakable sound of the door opening and footsteps entering, followed by Sebastian’s very loud, very chipper voice greeting, “Good morning, lovers!”
Kurt and Blaine sat up in unison, now wide awake. “No….” Kurt muttered.
But Juliette’s face lit up as she recognized the voice. “Sebastian!” she cheered excitedly, jumping off the bed and immediately heading down the stairs.
Kurt and Blaine stayed back, looking at each other in shock. “How did they get in?” Blaine asked.
Kurt got up and grabbed his hoodie. “They better not have broken in,” he grumbled.
Blaine grabbed his own hoodie as well and followed Kurt down the stairs. Juliette was hugging Sebastian quite tightly while Elliott stepped through the door. “You know, Bas, we could have waited until they were awake.”
“Oh please, they’re awake now.”
Juliette spotted Elliott and her eyes lit up. “Elliott!” she cheered, quickly detaching herself from Sebastian and launching herself at Elliott.
Elliott caught her and laughed as he picked her up to hug her. Sebastian looked rather offended that she had launched herself at Elliott and his shoulders even slumped. “Why was she more enthusiastic to see you?”
“Don’t be jealous. I’m sure you’ll whisk her away in no time.”
Sam came in behind them with grocery bags in his arms. “Make way! I’m pretty sure this bag is ripping,” he announced as he moved into the kitchen.
Kurt and Blaine came down the stairs, although Kurt came to a stop on the second to last step and had his arms crossed as he stared down Sebastian. “How did you get in?” he asked.
Sebastian looked rather smug as he held up a key for all to see. “Early Christmas present,” he said, “Made a stop by Santana’s workshop this morning to fetch it. Guess I was an extra good boy this year.”
Kurt groaned rather loudly as he walked up and snatched it out of his hands. “You’re not keeping that. I gave it to Santana for emergencies only.”
“This was an emergency,” Sebastian explained, “I needed to grace this house with my presence.”
“We tried to tell him it was a bad idea,” Elliott added, “but he wouldn’t listen to us.”
“Well, yeah, because if I had, this wouldn’t be nearly as fun.”
Clearly Sebastian had a completely different idea of fun from the rest of them. “Are you going to have chocolate chip pancakes with us?” Juliette asked, focusing her question on Elliott.
“Of course. We wouldn’t miss that for the world.”
Juliette let out a happy squeal as she hugged Elliott tighter. When Kurt noticed how Sebastian’s jaw clenched, he couldn’t help but be amused. “Apparently karma works in mysterious ways,” he muttered so only Blaine could hear him.
Sam poked his head out of the kitchen. “Do you need help with anything, Kurt?”
“No, I got this,” Kurt replied as he moved into the kitchen, “at least ONE of you has manners.”
“Here, Sam,” Blaine spoke up, “why don’t you help me clear some space so we all have some place to eat.”
Sam lit up and followed Blaine while Juliette hung onto Elliott. Kurt glanced over and smiled as he noticed how Juliette was whispering something in Elliott’s ear and Sebastian was skulking nearby. “Why don’t you go upstairs and get dressed, Jules,” Kurt told his daughter as he pulled out the ingredients for the pancakes.
“Okay.”
Elliott let her down but before she ran upstairs, she hugged Sebastian. “Will you watch The Little Mermaid with me later?”
That seemed to win him over. “Of course, Jaybird,” he said as he hugged her back.
Once Juliette had gone upstairs, the grown ups went about getting breakfast ready. Kurt was focused on the pancakes while Blaine and Sam made a sitting area for them to all eat around the coffee table in the living room, considering Kurt’s tiny four person table was definitely not big enough for everyone. Elliott was cutting up fruit at Kurt’s request and Sebastian, who wanted to prove that he was “helping,” had put himself in charge of filling everyone’s mugs with coffee. At least it gave him something to occupy his attention. “So,” Kurt began as he pulled the pancakes off the griddle and into the casserole dish, “you three decided to just take a spontaneous trip to Ohio for Christmas?”
“Four, actually,” Sam corrected, “Tina came along with us, but she has some events to set up for us when we get back so she’s back at the hotel.”
“And I wouldn’t call it spontaneous,” Sebastian added as he refilled his own coffee mug, “I spent almost an entire hour packing.”
“You dumped your entire closet into the suitcase,” Elliott pointed out.
Sebastian shrugged. “I like to travel prepared.”
Elliott rolled his eyes but joined in the light chuckles through the room. “After Blaine texted us the news, we decided to come out and spend the holidays with you three…well, Sebastian decided to. It was his idea. But it sounded like fun,” Sam explained.
“Of course it was Sebastian’s idea,” Blaine sighed as he eyed the taller man. Sebastian just shrugged and appeared nonchalant about the whole thing. “What? I’m invested.”
“So you’re sticking around through Christmas,” Kurt clarified.
“That’s the plan. But don’t worry, we can make sure to give you two plenty of alone time. All you have to do is ask. And we will respect that, right Seb? ”
Elliott had pointed all of this at his boyfriend who looked rather offended - as if he wasn’t the one that had shown up in the middle of the night to watch them make out in the kitchen through his window or barge in unannounced almost an hour ago. Before he could counter, Juliette had reappeared, completely dressed and her face was bright. “You’re staying for Christmas?” she asked, excitement growing with every word.
"Yes, my little Jaybird," Sebastian grinned, sweeping her off her feet and standing her gently on a chair so that she was almost his height, "Which means we can do all the fun Christmas things your daddy won't let you do because, as Uncle Bastian, that is my right!"
"Can we make glitter snowflakes and put them in the window?" She asked hopefully.
“If that is what you want to do, then it shall be done.”
Juliette cheered excitedly, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Not wanting her to fall, Sebastian made sure to hold the chair steady. Kurt rolled his eyes as he brought Juliette’s plate over. “After breakfast,” he said as he sat the plate down for her, “you know the rules about glitter, Juliette. No making a mess.”
"I never make a mess, Daddy. Grandpa says I'm a perfectly behaved child."
Kurt made a noncommittal noise as he looked at the rest of the group. "Breakfast is ready. Help yourselves while I get Juliette settled."
All the guys started to file into the kitchen with Blaine helping to show them where the plates and utensils were. "I'm sitting here, Daddy," Juliette announced as she pointed at the chair she stood on. "And Bassy will help me with my pancakes, right?"
Just like Santana had shown her, she fluttered her eyelids at Sebastian. God, this girl was going to have every guy wrapped around her finger when she was older. He was not ready for that. "You know it," Sebastian winked back, "I'll make sure she eats every bite so you can enjoy breakfast with your boo."
"Oh my God," Kurt muttered under his breath as his face turned red. He had a bad feeling about leaving Sebastian and Juliette together but it wasn't like they wouldn't all be in the same room together. So he followed the other guys into the kitchen as they all loaded up their plates. "So what were you guys wanting to do today? Besides breaking into Kurt's home," Blaine asked as Kurt joined them.
"Not much. We thought we'd distract Juliette so you two could get some shopping done or wrap presents. Or you know," Elliott lowered his voice and waggled an eyebrow suggestively, "explore your new found relationship"
Both Blaine and Kurt's faces turned pink at his insinuation. "Well, I'm sure Jules will enjoy spending time with you guys. She’s missed you all," Kurt laughed.
Blaine chuckled with him before he leaned in so only Elliott could hear, "You didn't happen to overhear something I might have mentioned last night, did you?"
"No," Elliott shook his head. "Doesn't mean we don't appreciate that it might be difficult to get alone time with an inquisitive child running around."
"You have no idea," Blaine laughed as he turned and gave Kurt a flirty smile.
Kurt smiled as he turned to put some pancakes on his plate. "Actually, I would really appreciate that," Kurt said, “I still have some shopping I need to get done."
"Me too," Blaine replied, "although I could really use some help."
"We can totally watch over her today if you guys need to go shopping," Sam offered.
"I appreciate that," Kurt said before eyeing Blaine, "but part of my shopping involves that one."
"What do you mean by that one?" Blaine asked, feigning offense, " that one just happens to be your boyfriend, good sir."
Kurt couldn't help the smile on his face when Blaine called himself Kurt's boyfriend. Hearing it sounded so official and not at all frightening. "Besides, my shopping involves your present, too," Blaine added softly before giving Kurt a sweet peck on the cheek.
"Awwww," Sebastian cooked as he cut Juliette's pancakes into snowflakes. "You're sickening."
"Uh-huh," Blaine grinned. "I have to put up with you and Elliott on a daily basis. You can handle one cheek kiss."
"And the total make out sesh last night," Sam added as he stuffed his face, "even if you were the only one who wanted to see that."
"Just needed to see it for myself,” Sebastian said with a shrug before he grabbed his own plate of food to join Juliette.
"Well, Sam, why don't you pick up Tina and take Blaine out shopping and I'll go with Kurt here," Elliott offered.
Kurt looked nervously over at Elliott. "Why do I get the feeling I should be concerned?"
Elliott just smiled as he clapped Kurt on the shoulder. “Well, you shouldn’t. I just want to get to know the guy who has totally ensnared Blaine’s heart.”
“You mean the talk.”
“Oh no, I’ll leave that to Blaine’s brother.”
Kurt’s face turned white. Elliott just laughed as he took another bite of his food. After breakfast, Kurt and Blaine got around for the day while the guys watched over Juliette. By the time Kurt was ready, Blaine and Sam were on their way out to get a head start. “You ready to go?” Elliott asked as Kurt entered the kitchen.
“I just need to finish cleaning up the kitchen first,” he said, glancing around and noticing the quiet in the air, “where’s Sebastian and Juliette?”
“Upstairs doing arts and crafts,” Elliott replied as he put the remaining pancakes in some tupperware Blaine had pulled out, “I don’t know who was more excited - Bas or Juliette.”
“I’m sure they just feed off one another.”
As Kurt collected the dishes to rinse off, Elliott slid up next to him. “We saw the video of the song Blaine sang to you. It was quite beautiful.”
Kurt felt his face warm as he thought about the other night. "It really was. I loved it.”
Elliott grinned quite mischievously. "And here I thought you didn't like Neon Riots music."
"I don’t like most Neon Riot music," Kurt corrected, "Not all of it is terrible. But, I still despise Down Bad with a burning passion."
“Oh really?” Elliott asked before he started to sing, “ Hearts pounding, blood rushing, it's just electric, this feeling…”
Kurt groaned and threw a kitchen towel at his face. "Don't make me kick you out of my house for bad taste in music."
Elliott caught the towel and laughed. "Oh come on, you loved it when you sang it with Blaine.”
“That was the good version, though, not the abomination you guys released on the radio.”
“Have you at least seen the music video?"
"Nope, I refuse to watch the music video. No, thank you."
Kurt didn’t notice the evil glint in Elliott’s eyes when he smirked at him. "Even if I told you Blaine was shirtless in it?"
Kurt hesitated for a moment too long before shaking his head. "Nope. Not interested."
“Yeah, I don’t believe that for a second,” Elliott teased as he clapped Kurt on the shoulder, “come on, let's go shopping and you can tell me in great detail all the things you want Blaine to do to you."
"Not going to happen," Kurt replied before looking up at the sound of Juliette giggling wildly, followed by Sebastian announcing quite dramatically, “I am the Glitter King! Bow before my sparkle!”
"Are we sure it's a good idea to leave Sebastian alone with her?" he asked
"That depends - did you put away anything breakable?"
There was another loud laugh from Juliette that meant either she was enjoying herself or about to cause chaos. "Maybe we should wait for Sam and Blaine to get back..."
"They'll be fine. Besides, what's the worst that could happen?
Kurt made a small noise in his throat before he glanced up the stairs again. A lot, was the answer, but then again, he wasn’t sure when the next time he would be able to go get some shopping done before Christmas came. He sighed before nodding. "Alright, I'll go get my coat. Can you make sure they're okay upstairs?*
"Sure," Elliott replied before heading up the stairs and poking his head into Juliette’s room. "Jaybird, I'm taking your dad out. Come say goodbye,” he said before noticing Sebastian with a lopsided, homemade crown covered in glitter. “You’ll keep her out of trouble, Glitter King?”
“Of course,” Sebastian replied as he held one hand up and the other over his heart. “Scout’s honor.”
“You weren’t a boy scout.”
“Much to the disappointment of my father, yes. But I would look amazing in their uniform.”
Elliott laughed and rolled his eyes as Juliette ran past him and down the stairs. She met Kurt right as he reappeared and gave him a big hug. "You behave yourself, right, Julie Bear?" Kurt asked as he hugged her tight.
"I will, Daddy, I promise."
Kurt squeezed her one more time before letting go so she could give Elliott, who had joined them back downstairs, a hug before running back to her room to join Sebastian. Kurt grabbed his keys and led Elliott towards his car. "So any ideas on what Blaine would want for Christmas?" He asked as he opened up the car for them.
"Well, normally we buy each other sheet music and instrument parts to replace broken bits but I think we can find something a little more special. Though, to be honest, he would probably be quite happy for just some alone time with you."
"I know, but I want to get him something special. Something that he can take back to New York and think of us.” Kurt laughed gently and shook his head as he drove towards the mall, “It's funny, normally I'm amazing at Christmas shopping but I can't, for the life of me, think of the perfect gift for him."
"Maybe we can find a nice frame and get a photo of the three of you?"
"You really think that's special enough?"
"Absolutely, he's a simple guy really," Elliott replied with a shrug, "He just wants to be allowed to give all his love to someone and have them return it without condition."
"Well, he doesn't have to worry about that," Kurt admitted sheepishly.
Elliott beamed. "Good. Now, to the task at hand. Tell me a little bit about you, Kurt."
Kurt laughed nervously. “Well, I’m assuming Blaine’s already told you quite a bit about me."
"He has. He talks about you a lot, but mostly just to describe, in great detail, the color of your eyes. But he has mentioned other stuff."
"I'm sure he doesn't go on about the color of my eyes," he laughed, "if I've learned anything from you guys is that you enjoy embarrassing one another as much as you can."
"No, he definitely gave us at least a thirty-minute TED talk about them when you first met."
"I don't think anyone can talk for thirty minutes about the color of someone's eyes."
"I think you're forgetting that Blaine writes songs for a living. This is the same guy who wrote an entire song a few years ago about a cat that he saw in a shelter."
Kurt did a double take as he looked over at Elliott. "Wait, really?"
"Oh yeah. Fans think it's about Eli but I can assure that it’s not."
“What song?” Kurt asked, genuinely curious.
" Midnight Blues .”
"Remind me to ask him about that song," Kurt chuckled, "so, what else do you want to know?"
"Are you ready for the long distance?"
Kurt’s shoulders slumped. "Honestly? I'm dreading it," he admitted, "having him here for the past month has been the greatest thing possible and I'm not ready to have him go back. Not yet."
"Well, if it’s any consolation, I know for a fact that Blaine is dreading it too. But he’ll make sure he calls every night. Not that he’s going to be allowed to forget - Sebastian will need his goodnight talk from Jaybird.”
The two of them shared a little laugh as Kurt pulled into the parking lot at the mall. “I know he will,” Kurt replied with a soft smile, “I just hate that it has to be like this.”
Elliott nodded in agreement before sighing through his nose. “Just so you know, because I know Blaine won't say it - he loves this job but...if it meant he got you and that little girl of yours, he would give it all up."
Kurt was about to refute that but when he looked over and saw the smile on Elliott’s face, he knew that Elliott wasn’t just saying it to make him feel better. It made his chest fill, but he shook his head. "I would never ask him to do that," Kurt replied softly, "he loves music. He loves you guys. We'll...I don't know how, but we'll figure it out. At least...I hope we do. I..." His voice caught in his throat as he caught what he was about to confess. "I really care about him, Elliott. More than I thought I would. I want him to be happy."
Elliott smiled and rested a hand on Kurt's shoulder. "That's all I ask."
Kurt smiled back at him before turning off the car. “Are you ready to do some shopping?”
“As if you need to ask.”
Kurt and Elliott spent four hours at the mall, jumping from store to store to pick up gifts. Kurt managed to finish all of his Christmas shopping, including finding the perfect frame for the perfect picture he knew was sitting on his phone. They ran into Tina, who informed them politely that they needed to head in a different direction because Blaine and Sam were nearby and she was not about to let them spoil Blaine’s gifts. Somehow they made it back before Blaine, Sam and Tina, but that worked in Kurt’s favor. He could get inside, print the photo and wrap it all before Blaine got back.
At least, that was the plan, until Kurt and Elliott stepped into the house and they noticed how quiet it was upstairs. Kurt’s dad instincts kicked in automatically. “We’re back,” Kurt called, testing his theory.
When he didn’t hear an excited squeal or the quick footsteps of his daughter running towards him, he knew something was wrong. He was about to call out again when he heard hushed whispers. Kurt and Elliott dropped their bags before heading up the stairs. The whispering grew louder and louder until, eventually, they could finally make out what was being said. “As much as I like glitter, I forget how much like herpes it is,” Sebastian muttered.
“What’s herpes?” Juliette asked.
There was a moment of silence before Sebastian groaned. “I shouldn’t have said that. Do me a favor and don’t tell your dad I said that around you.”
“Too late,” Kurt grumbled, standing in the doorway with his arms crossed. However, before he could even begin to remind Sebastian he needed to be cautious about what he said around his daughter, his ire was directed elsewhere as he saw the room. “Oh my God…”
There was glitter everywhere . In the carpet, on Juliette’s bed, all over her clothes and stuffed animals and even flying through the air as her ceiling fan spun its blades. Sebastian even seemed to be adorned with it as he stood up when they appeared in the doorway. “What in the world happened in here?” Elliott asked for Kurt.
“Magic,” Sebastian replied.
Juliette stood nearby, appearing very sheepish and guilty. “It was an accident,” she said apologetically.
“A beautiful accident,” Sebastian corrected before grinning wildly, “I regret absolutely nothing.”
Elliott was snickering behind Kurt as he heaved a heavy sigh. He could feel a headache coming on as he pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “This is going to take forever to clean.”
“Good luck with that,” Sebastian said, planting a glitter-covered hand on Kurt’s shoulder and leaving some of its sparkly residue on his shoulder, “Glitter lives here now.”
Unfortunately, Kurt knew that Sebastian was right.
Notes:
Up next: Christmas Even party with EVERYONE full of fun and love
Chapter 19
Summary:
Christmas comes with a few surprises
Notes:
I know y'all have been waiting so I won't keep you long. Thank you for the love, kudos and comments and thank you to JButler for beta'ing this!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
It was Christmas Eve and the Hummel house was buzzing with activity. Like every year, Kurt was hosting a Christmas party for all of his friends so he was busy getting the house cleaned and the food prepared. This year was much less stressful, though, considering he had five very eager adults to help him out.
Well…four - Sebastian had volunteered for Juliette duty and the second he had stepped through that front door in the morning, he had whisked Juliette up to her room for “Top Secret Glitter Business.” Which, of course, did nothing to help ease Kurt’s worry. But Tina had assured him that she would continuously check on the two of them as she helped so at least he had one adult actually supervising. Elliott and Sam were busy rearranging furniture in the living room to make room for everyone and Blaine was helping Kurt in the kitchen. And by helping, Blaine was distracting Kurt by pulling him in for dancing to whatever Christmas song was playing, sneaking bites of food and doing everything in his power to get Kurt to pay attention to him. Which, right now, meant spinning Kurt the second he put the pizza dough in the oven and kissing him. “You know, if you keep distracting me,” Kurt said between kisses, “the food is either going to end up burnt or never finished.”
“I’m not distracting you,” Blaine smiled with that devilish charm that made Kurt weak in the knees, “I am helping you by keeping you relaxed. You’re too stressed.”
“I am not stressed.”
Blaine just gave him a look, as if to say he wasn’t buying it. Kurt’s shoulders slumped a bit and he breathed out heavily. “Is it that obvious?”
“Just a little,” Blaine replied softly before kissing his cheek, “but, if I’m being honest, it was Tina who pointed it out. Although now that she has, I can see it. Do you know that when you get stressed, you scrunch your nose and you hyperfocus on a task? It’s actually kind of adorable.”
“Oh good, my stress is adorable,” Kurt joked, although it sounded flat.
Blaine shifted his hands down to rest on the small of his back and gently dug his thumbs in to massage tiny circles. “So what’s got you stressed, handsome?”
Kurt let out a long, hot breath as he stepped in closer. “It’s not stress,” he admitted as his forehead rested against Blaine’s, “I’m just trying not to think about the fact that you leave in a week.”
Blaine smiled, though it was tinged with a little sadness. "It's a week away. Let's try to put it to the back of our minds for the holidays.”
“I've been trying to," he replied as he pulled Blaine in closer, "this month you've been here has spoiled me. I just don't know when the next time we'll be able to be like this again. What if we don't see each other again until the summer? Or next Christmas?"
"You think I could stay away from you and your little girl for that long?"
"I really hope not," he breathed with a hollow chuckle.
"With these blue eyes of yours, I don't stand a chance," Blaine smiled as he pulled Kurt in close and kissed his forehead. Kurt's eyes closed and he breathed out through his nose. Those three words nearly escaped from his mouth but he couldn't bring himself to utter them. Not yet. “I just wish I knew when the next time I’ll get to see you is.”
“Well, let’s fix that,” Blaine hummed thoughtfully, “As much as I want to say I can come out in January, I know that we’re going to be busy working on the new album. Maybe February…”
"Do you think you could sneak out here for Valentine's Day?" Kurt asked hopefully, "I would like to say I could try to go out there, but Regionals are the following month and, with any hope, Nationals is a few months later so I don't know how much I will be able to go see you in New York."
"Well, Ell and Seb like to spend Valentine's day in bed and Sam tends to find a date so I don't see it being an issue. Maybe I can make a week of it if we schedule it right."
"I would really like that."
“Me too. You said Nationals are in New York this year, right?”
Kurt nodded. “So then you really need to win Sectionals. Then I’ll come see you guys perform and sneak you away until you have to come back. What about school? When does that end for you guys?”
Kurt had to think about that for a second. “June. Right before Juliette’s birthday.”
“Well, I can't miss Miss Jewel’s birthday. You only turn seven once, you know."
“So I've heard," Kurt chuckled.
Blaine laughed with him before kissing his forehead. “How are you feeling?"
“A little better, although I'm still wishing you didn't have to leave.”
"Aww, " Blaine cooed playfully, "One would think you're going to miss me."
"I thought that was pretty clear," Kurt chuckled as he swayed them from side to side, "and I know you're going to miss us."
"Undoubtedly," Blaine murmured, "Sleeping beside you has ruined me for tour buses and cold hotel beds."
"Well, I would apologize, but I'm not sorry," Kurt breathed, nudging Blaine's nose with his and capturing his lips for a long, slow kiss. He pulled Blaine in as close as he could, losing himself to the moment and the taste of him on his lips. So much so that he forgot where they were and who was in the other room. "Alright guys, we - HELLO!" Tina yelled, skidding to a halt when she saw the two making out.
Blaine groaned and pulled back to look at Tina as Kurt hid his flushed face against Blaine’s shoulder. "I just want five minutes to kiss him stupid!"
"Well do it when we aren't in the other room!" she replied, as if she was the offended party in all of this.
Kurt rolled his eyes as he looked over at Tina. "Was there something you needed?"
"Yeah, help - the living room is almost done but Sam and Elliott are arguing about where to put the snacks table. Also, the kids upstairs have been suspiciously quiet for the past ten minutes so I'm going to go check on them so I suggest one of you go deal with Sam and Elliott. I'm only one person, you know."
Kurt grinned. "Sorry T," He apologized before he turned to Blaine. "Help me with Mickey and Goofy out there?"
"I swear, we can't leave them alone for five minutes," Blaine muttered before sneaking one quick kiss from him, "I will kiss you stupid by the end of tonight, Hummel."
"I'll hold you to it."
After another kiss, they headed over into the living room. Kurt stood in the entrance with his hands on his hips when they spotted the two men passionately talking over each other. "Seriously? We can't leave you two to decide where to put the table?”
"What?" Sam asked in confusion, "Ell over here thinks that the table is in the way if we put it by the kitchen."
"That's because it is! People are going to have to maneuver around it to go to the bathroom. That's why we should put it behind the couch."
"And then have it get knocked over when Sebastian inevitably chases Jules around the living room? No, dude! You forget I have a little brother and sister."
"They're teenagers now!"
"Alright, settle down, you two," Kurt groaned, stopping them by walking over to the table, "Let’s do this - Blaine and I will move the table and you two can get the stuff to set up on the table. I trust that you two can handle putting on a table cloth and setting out the plasticware, right?"
There it was - that teacher voice of Kurt’s that had Blaine burning from the inside out. Blaine swallowed the lump that immediately formed and wordlessly followed Kurt over to the table. He could not let the guys know just how much that particular tone of Kurt's voice affected him. "I would do as he says,” Blaine muttered, trying to keep his voice steady.
However, Elliott and Sam immediately noticed the shift in Blaine and their smiles grew. Sam started to elbow Elliott in the side. "You see that, Ell?" he sang.
"Oh yeah. He's totally a teacher's pet."
Blaine flushed before turning back to Kurt and stepping around to the opposite side of the table. "Where do you normally put it?"
"Over where Elliott seems to think it will be in the way," Kurt replied in amusement.
"See!" Sam exclaimed excitedly before Elliott ribbed him with an elbow. Kurt looked over his shoulder at them and said very sternly, "aren't you two supposed to be doing something?"
They both straightened up and saluted. "Yes, Mr. Hummel," they said in unison before winking at Blaine and going on to their task.
Blaine chuckled as he helped Kurt maneuver the table into position. "What's next, Mr. Hummel?"
"Help me frost the cookies?"
"I can do that."
After they moved the table to the wall, Kurt and Blaine re-entered the kitchen. Blaine went about getting the frosting and candy for the cookies while Kurt took the dough out of the oven to let it cool. Kurt had managed to frost and decorate about six cookies when he noticed that Blaine was still working on his third - and by working, Kurt meant that Blaine had a half-frosted cookie in front of him but was leaning against the counter and staring at Kurt with a smile on his face. “What? Did I get some frosting on my face?” Kurt asked, reaching up to just check that there wasn’t any.
“No,” Blaine laughed as he shook his head, “I’m just admiring, that’s all.”
Kurt smiled as he picked back up his cookie. “Am I going to have to leave to keep from distracting you?”
“Don’t you dare.”
“I’m not sure…” Kurt sang playfully as he put his finished cookie down and took a few steps towards the living room, “I should probably check on Sam and Elliott to make sure they’re not squabbling about how to decorate the table…”
Before he could take another step, however, Blaine reached out and grabbed Kurt’s arm gently and tugged him back. “They’re fine,” Blaine insisted as he pulled Kurt in close and trapped him between himself and the counter, “I need you in here.”
“Not if you’re decorating cookies, you don’t,” Kurt replied playfully back.
“Sure I do,” Blaine replied as he picked up the frosting blade he was using that still had some frosting on it and smeared some of it on Kurt’s cheek, “See? How am I supposed to decorate when what I’m decorating isn’t here?”
“I am not a cookie.”
“Then why do I suddenly want to lick the frosting off you instead?”
“Probably because you’re a menace with zero self-control and a frosting kink you’re not ready to unpack in front of the Christmas tree?” Kurt suggested with a quirk of his eyebrow.
But Blaine just shook his head. “No, you see, I’m very ready to unpack it - preferably with you, under the tree, wrapped in nothing but tinsel.”
“Blaine!” Kurt gasped, turning bright red and glancing over Blaine’s shoulder to the living room, just to make sure no one had heard what Blaine said, “The guys are in the next room.”
“And it’s why I’m going to just have to settle on licking the frosting off of you now.”
Blaine made a move to wipe more frosting on Kurt’s face. “Blaine Anderson, don’t you dare.”
And there was that teacher voice Blaine loved. “That voice doesn’t work on me. At least, not in the way you’re hoping,” Blaine grinned as his eyes darkened.
As he tried to wipe more on Kurt’s face, Kurt dodged with a laugh, although Blaine managed to get some on the side of his neck. Before Kurt could retaliate, Blaine moved in, licking the frosting off of Kurt’s neck long and slow. What was sure to be a playful gasp of shock turned into a more sensual one. Kurt’s hands that had been grabbing Blaine’s shoulders to push him away had gone lax, coming to just rest on them instead. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and all coherent thought left him, especially when it seemed that Blaine had recognized the shift and moved away from just licking his tongue to kissing and mouthing at the tender spot on Kurt’s neck. “Blaine…” Kurt breathed, his head tilting to one side as Blaine stepped in closer.
Before anything more could happen, though, they both heard the sound of little footsteps descending the stairs, followed by Juliette’s voice calling out, “Daddy!”
Blaine and Kurt immediately tensed up and Blaine jumped back, giving Kurt space as he turned his back to the entry and grabbed a cookie to look busy as Kurt wiped his hands down his shirt as if trying to calm down every part of him. Juliette appeared seconds later with Sebastian right behind her. Kurt tried not to look at Sebastian and focus on his little girl. “Yes, Julie Bear?” he asked, clearing his throat to try and keep his voice level.
“When are Uncle Finn and Auntie Tan and Auntie Britt going to be here?”
“Soon,” he said, nodding quickly.
“Can they come sooner?”
“You know what - why don’t you go ask Auntie Tina and see if she can call them and see when they’ll be here?”
“Okay!”
Without another word, Juliette ran back towards the living room as she called for Tina. Kurt’s eyes followed her until he noticed Sebastian leaning against the frame with a proud smile on his face. “What?” Kurt asked, hating how red his face was.
“Nothing,” he said, pushing off the wall, “nice hickey.”
Kurt quickly reached into his pocket and grabbed his phone to pull up the camera as Sebastian went to join the others. Blaine looked over just in time to see that, in fact, he had left a bit of a mark on Kurt’s neck and Kurt had just discovered it too. “Blaine!” Kurt hissed, looking at Blaine sharply.
All Blaine did was smile sheepishly and shrug. “Sorry?”
After an hour, in which Blaine swindled the guys and Tina to help finish frosting the sugar cookies so Kurt could go upstairs and clean up - and by clean up, it was mostly Kurt applying as much concealer to his neck as possible - Finn, Santana and Brittany all arrived to get the Christmas party started. Food was eaten, drinks were enjoyed and Christmas songs were playing softly in the background. The house was full with life and chatter and, for a moment, Kurt excused himself to get some more eggnog from the kitchen, although not really. It was an excuse, actually, for him to stand back and admire everything from afar. It was nice to have such a big gathering like this. While his Christmas party was a yearly tradition, it had always been just Kurt and Jules with Finn, Brittany and Santana. They had fun in their own way with their small group, but it always seemed to be missing just a bit of something. And now, standing there and watching Blaine dancing with Juliette in the living room to Jingle Bell Rock, Kurt knew what it was.
The music turned down for a second before Sebastian clapped his hands. “Alright, everyone, it’s time for caroling!”
“Oh no,” Santana protested rather quickly, “no one told me anything about caroling and I’m not abouts to go door-to-door to sing the same three songs over and over again.”
“Relax, Satan,” Sebastian chuckled, “we’re just caroling for each other. It’s a Smythe family tradition.”
“Since when?” Elliott asked.
“Excuse you, it’s always been a thing. It’s not my fault that my brother gets more enjoyment by badgering you than actually partaking in family traditions.”
Elliott laughed as he placed a kiss on Sebastian’s face. “Alright, Seb, what’s this tradition?”
“It’s simple - everyone has to sing their favorite Christmas Carol. And by everyone, I mean everyone.”
“And what if we don’t want to?” Santana asked, crossing her arms.
“You don’t want to know. So, who wants to get us started?”
“I will!” Juliette exclaimed excitedly. Kurt laughed as he joined the gang back in the living room.
One by one, the gang went around the room singing their favorite songs. After Juliette had sang Rudolph, the Red-Nose Reindeer, Brittany had convinced Santana to sing Silent Night with her. Finn followed with Santa Claus is Coming to Town and Sam and Tina did Last Christmas. “Alright Blainey Days, it’s your turn!” Tina announced excitedly.
Kurt clapped excitedly as Blaine stood up. “Well, my song is technically a duet,” he said, turning and holding a hand out to Kurt, “what do you say? You want to sing one with me?”
“Depends - it’s not a Neon Riot one, is it?” Kurt asked playfully.
“It’s not.”
Kurt eyed him skeptically before taking his hand and letting Blaine pull him to his feet. Blaine searched for the instrumental and when the familiar beginning notes of Baby, It’s Cold Outside began to play, Kurt smiled, especially at the way Blaine was dancing towards him. Needless to say, Kurt and Blaine had fun doing a flirty rendition of the song, earning some hoots and hollers from Santana once it ended. “Alright, Ell, it’s your turn,” Blaine announced.
“Actually,” Sebastian interrupted, standing up and moving to the TV, “it’s mine.”
Everyone cocked their heads to the side in confusion, except for Juliette who was basically bouncing where she sat. “Yay, Uncle Sebastian!” she cheered as she clapped.
Blaine leaned over and whispered in Kurt’s ear. “I think he’s up to something.”
“God, I hope not,” Kurt muttered, already imagining something in the form of another glitter bomb exploding around them.
After a few clicks, All I Want for Christmas started and Sebastian turned to Elliott. “I don't want a lot for Christmas. There is just one thing I need ,” Sebastian sang, a huge smile on his face, “I don't care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree. I just want you for my own. More than you could ever know. Make my wish come true. All I want for Christmas is you…”
As soon as the song picked up, Juliette got up and started dancing. Now this wasn’t one of Kurt’s favorites and honestly, the only time he had ever enjoyed it was when Mercedes sang it, but he had to admit that Sebastian was pretty much owning this song. Everyone was dancing in their seats, mouthing the lyrics like they had with every other song that had been sang. Brittany had pulled Santana up to dance with her and Blaine wrapped his arm around Kurt’s shoulders to pull him in close to his side as they admired Sebastian picking up Juliette and giving her a twirl. But as the song started coming to an end, Sebastian was moving closer and closer to Elliott with a smile wide on his face. “Oh, I just want you for my own…more than you could ever know… ”
Everyone was slack jawed when Sebastian got down onto one knee right in front of Elliott and pulled a ring box out of his pants pocket. “Make my wish come true…Oh, baby, all I want for Christmas is you…”
The rest of the song was forgotten and Juliette quickly turned down the music, letting the fading moments of the song die off. Elliott was covering his mouth with his hands as he looked down at Sebastian.
“Ell,” Sebastian began, his voice oddly calm, “I think it’s safe to say that growing up, I never, in a million years, believed I would ever be in, what some would call, a healthy relationship. Let’s face it, I’m not what people call relationship material. I’m an ass…”
“Language!” Juliette interrupted.
“Sorry, Jaybird,” he apologized before looking back at Elliott, “I’m a jerk. I open my mouth without thinking, I’m crude as all hel-heck and my ego is the only thing that’s bigger than my shoe size…but then there you were. In all your amazing glory. You were the only guy who wasn’t swayed by my incredible charm. In fact, you were the only guy that made me fall flat on my face when I tried. Which, looking back on it now, I think is when I knew you were it for me. You’re stupidly handsome, incredibly talented and downright infuriating to the point that I wonder why in the world I want to be with you. But I know why, and I know how cliche this sounds and the fact I’m going to say it makes me cringe, but…you complete me, Elliott. You keep me honest. You know all my tells. In fact, I think you might know me better than myself. But most of all, you love all of me. My faults, my flaws - which are few and far between - and everything that comes with my crazy. I don’t know how I got so lucky that you’re mine, so I think it’s about time we make this official.”
Sebastian opened the ring box to reveal the gold and black band, intricate and unmistakably him. “So, Elliott… Will you marry me?”
Everyone was literally on pins and needles, waiting for Elliott to answer. After a few moments, Elliott’s hands dropped and his eyes found Sebastian’s pleading ones. “Seb…” he started, finally finding his voice, “Did you really just propose to me with one of the most aggravating Christmas songs ever created?”
Sebastian nodded as he smiled. “Of course.”
Elliott laughed and shook his head. “What in the world am I going to do with you?”
“Well, hopefully say yes and marry my ass.”
There was a pause before Elliott nodded. “Of course I will.”
Juliette was the first to cheer, even jumping up and down and twirling in a circle. Everyone was quick to follow as Sebastian and Elliott stood up to kiss before Sebastian slipped the ring onto Elliott’s finger. The room erupted with noise, mostly from Sam who was hooting and hollering while punching the air with his fist. “It’s about damn time,” Blaine muttered, sliding his arm around Kurt’s waist and pulling him in close to his side, “Sam and I have been waiting for years for one of them to finally propose.”
“Aw, you guys!” Tina cheered as she ran up to them and enveloped them both in a hug, “this is amazing! Oh my God, the fans are going to lose their minds! We should talk engagement announcements. I'm thinking a Winter photoshoot when we get back to New York…”
“Tina, stop,” Sam chuckled as he pulled Tina away, “we’re on vacation. Let them celebrate being engaged before you try to get the world involved.”
“Well, there’s only one way to celebrate that,” Santana said as she stood up, “where’s your tequila, Lady Lips?”
“...I don’t have tequila.”
“Sure you do. It’s in the Snixx Stash I have here.”
“You have a stash of alcohol at my house?!” Kurt asked, knowing he shouldn’t really be surprised but still being surprised all the same.
“Of course I do. I have one at everyone’s houses…oh, that’s right, I remember where I hid it.”
Kurt stood with his mouth hanging open as Santana made a beeline towards his office. Juliette skipped over to Sebastian and Elliott and tugged on Sebastian’s hand. “Does this mean I get to be the flower girl?” she asked with her big, pouty eyes.
“Of course, Jaybird,” Sebastian replied, “I couldn’t marry this guy without you.”
Juliette cheered as she turned back to Kurt. “You hear that, Daddy? I get to be their flower girl!”
“I did,” Kurt smiled as Santana came back with a bottle of tequila Kurt did not recognize and a stack of red solo cups. She handed everyone a cup and poured them each a generous amount of tequila while giving Juliette a cup of apple juice. “A toast to the happy couple!” Sam led, holding his cup up.
There was a round of hear hears before they all threw back their tequila. Everyone groaned and grimaced, except for Santana. “What the hell is this?” Finn asked as he looked into the cup.
“Tequila, obviously.”
“Did you add paint thinner to it?”
“Suck it up and drink, Finessa.”
Everyone chuckled as they finished their glasses. Santana was about to try and top everyone off but thankfully Brittany announced that it was time for champagne and presents. Sebastian and Elliott stayed in the middle of the room, holding one another and staring longingly into each other’s eyes while stealing occasional kisses. They were adorable. Totally in love and Blaine loved that for them. He had always been jealous of the kind of love they had, except for right now. His eyes turned to look at Kurt who was helping Brittany sort through the presents. For the first time, he felt like had something akin to what Sebastian and Elliott shared. And while they were only really starting out and so very, very far away from that step, Blaine knew for sure that Kurt was it for him. Hopefully one day, it would be him singing some horrendous song to Kurt and asking that same question.
Until then, Blaine had something else he wanted to give Kurt. He walked up behind Kurt and grabbed the small present he had in the tree branches before kissing the side of Kurt’s face. “Can I steal you for a second?” he asked softly.
“Yeah, sure,” Kurt smiled, letting Blaine pull him away from the fray and into Kurt’s office space. It didn’t take Kurt long to spot the little wrapped box in Blaine’s other hand. “What do you have there?” Kurt asked, genuinely curious.
When Blaine turned back to Kurt, he held it out for him. “Your gift.”
Kurt tilted his head. “You know Christmas is technically tomorrow, right?”
“I know…but I wanted to give this to you earlier before the party started but other things sort of happened.”
“And by other things, you mean you left a hickey on my neck.”
“In my defense, I didn’t mean to do that. I just got a little carried away.”
Kurt hummed and nodded, not fully buying it. Blaine just laughed as he held it out for him. “Come on, open it.”
Kurt just eyed him curiously before he took the box and tore off the wrapping paper. It was a small, wooden box - very antique looking. Once he dropped the torn off wrapping paper, he opened the box and let out an audible gasp. Inside was dark blue velvet with a brooch on it. Not just any brooch - it was a gold and silver songbird, dazzled with diamonds and a ruby for the eye. “Blaine…it’s beautiful…”
“You like it?”
Kurt smiled and nodded before looking back at Blaine. “I love it. How did you know I love brooches?”
“I had some inside help.”
Kurt laughed as he admired the brooch. It was antique looking and looked incredibly valuable. “This is nice…this is too nice…” he muttered, quickly thinking about the picture frame he had wrapped under the tree and shaking his head, “Shit, my present for you is terrible compared to this.”
“No it’s not,” Blaine insisted as he grabbed Kurt’s arms and held him, “you already gave me the best present.”
Kurt’s brow furrowed a bit as he tried to figure out what Blaine meant by that. Had he already seen what Kurt had gotten him? Impossible! “What gift?” he asked.
“You and Juliette,” Blaine replied with a smile, “having you two in my life is the best gift I could have ever asked for.”
Kurt’s heart soared and his smile brightened. It was the most beautiful, romantic thing he had ever heard. He closed the box and leaned in to kiss him slow and deep. Once again, those three words were almost uttered but while he couldn’t quite bring himself to say them out loud, he tried to convey it with the kiss they shared. “Merry Christmas, Blaine Anderson,” Kurt muttered against his lips.
“Merry Christmas, Kurt Hummel.”
Notes:
Up Next: Kurt and Blaine spend Blaine's last night in Lima together...
Chapter 20
Summary:
Kurt and Blaine spend their last night together
Notes:
I would like to apologize for not posting this sooner. Work has been chaotic for the past couple of weeks so I haven't really had the time to post this. So to all my readers and followers of this story, I am sorry. Hopefully this makes up for the wait.
Of course, big shout out to JButler for beta'ing this story and making sure it's good enough to post for all of you!
And finally, just a warning that this chapter is NSFW 😏 So enjoy!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
A few days after Christmas, Tina, Sam, Elliott and Sebastian started their drive back to New York. Every day after they left was spent doing something - park trips, family dinners, helping Kurt take down the Christmas decorations from his classroom and choir room and small dates when Santana and Brittany wanted to take Juliette for a girls’ day. They were so filled with activities that, much to Kurt’s dismay, made the time go by so fast. He could have sworn that Christmas was yesterday and yet, here they were on New Years Eve.
Kurt had been dreading this day. Normally, the start of a new year was exciting to Kurt. The beginning of a new year, fresh with new experiences and plans. However, this year’s new experiences weighed heavily on Kurt’s mind. On the one hand, he was going to be in a relationship for the first time in six years. He still couldn’t believe it, especially considering that he was going to be in a relationship with a famous musician from one of the most popular bands on the radio. Still, he felt like one of the luckiest guys in the world. Blaine could easily have any guy he wanted, and yet, here he was with Kurt and his daughter. Every second Kurt had spent with Blaine had him smiling and laughing. It was almost like they were on a honeymoon this past month, albeit surrounded by friends and family, but even on Kurt’s own honeymoon with Owen, he had never been this happy. Even his dad and Juliette had noticed.
But then there was the problem - Blaine wasn’t going to be here come tomorrow. And that was what the new year was bringing that Kurt dreaded. Blaine flew out tomorrow afternoon to go back to New York. Now of course they already had plans on how to handle the distance - mandatory video calls every night, a planned trip for Blaine to come out on Valentine’s Day and whatever they could do before Nationals in May - but that didn’t mean that Kurt was thrilled about going back to it just being him and Juliette. Juliette was already quite sad with the fact that Blaine had to go back to New York instead of staying here and Kurt knew that once Blaine got on that plane that he would have to work extra hard to make this easier for her - even going so far as to dealing with his own emotions about the distance on his own so Juliette didn’t see just how much this was hurting him as well.
Even though Santana had invited Blaine and Kurt to some big New Years Eve party in Columbus, Kurt had passed. “Blaine has to leave tomorrow and we just kind of want a quiet night to ourselves,” he had said.
“You mean you two want to be alone to get one final screw in before it’s back to your vibrator in your bedside dresser.”
“No! What? I don’t….” Kurt’s face turned a bright shade of pink.
“Right, I forget - you’re the epitome of class. Maybe you should get a vibrator. I bet you I could find an online store that will make an exact replica of Blaine’s schlong to send you…”
“Okay, I’m leaving now.”
After dropping Juliette off at Burt and Carole’s for the night, Kurt and Blaine went to the grocery store to get snacks and champagne for their own, private New Years Eve celebration. It wasn’t anything fancy - they had a charcuterie board, trail mix, chocolate covered strawberries and champagne on the coffee table while they curled up on the couch in the living room under one blanket and watched the ball drop in New York City before switching to the Chicago countdown at the Navy Pier. The two of them were tangled together, Kurt tucked under Blaine’s arm and holding it across him as he stared at the TV while Blaine held Kurt close and scrolled through his phone. “Looks like Seb and Ell finally made their announcement,” Blaine said, holding out his phone for Kurt to see.
Sebastian’s Instagram post was first. It was a picture of Elliott’s hand with the ring on his finger as it rested on Sebastian’s shoulder.
@sebsmythe: He said yes. 😎💍 I’d make some smug joke about being the luckiest man alive, but the truth is—I really am. 2026’s coming in hot. Happy New Year, lovers. 🖤 #EngagedAF #HePutUpWithMe #SorryNotSorry #NewYearNewFiancé
When Kurt laughed, Blaine scrolled to Elliott’s post. Elliott’s picture was much sweeter - it was Elliott and Sebastian kissing at some New Years Eve party, holding champagne flutes with Elliott’s ring on display.
@starchildelliott: I was not prepared. Not for the speech. Not for the ring. Not for the absolute chaos that followed. But most of all, I was not prepared for how right this feels.
Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. 💍✨💫 #engaged #sebelliott #2026alreadywinning #foundmyheartinatroublemaker
“How many times do you think Tina had to proofread their posts before she let them actually post them?” Kurt asked as Blaine pulled his phone away.
“Elliott, probably once. Sebastian? At least five - eight if he was trying to include any innuendos.”
They both chuckled softly as Blaine put his phone down and held Kurt a bit tighter. Kurt rested his head on Blaine’s shoulder, holding onto Blaine’s arms like a lifeline, afraid that if Blaine let go that he would disappear. “I can’t wait to see what they come up with for their wedding,” Blaine said gently as his thumb stroked the skin of Kurt’s arm.
“Do you have any thoughts on what they might do?” Kurt asked.
“I have a few. Sebastian is going to try and make it the most glamorous, over the top spectacle because it’s Sebastian, Elliott will reign him in a bit and then Tina is probably going to take on the role of wedding planner to avoid Sebastian from demanding that he’s driven in on a horse-drawn carriage.”
Kurt snorted at the image. He could almost see it. “Well, if Tina needs help with wedding planning stuff, I’d be more than happy to help. I’ve planned three weddings and each one went off without a hitch.”
“Three?”
Kurt hummed and nodded. “My Dad and Carole’s when I was in high school, Brittany and Santana’s my first year of college and I was even in a different state for that, and then my own. You can say I’m a bit of an expert.”
“I’ll let Tina know,” Blaine replied as he squeezed Kurt a bit tighter, “What was yours like?”
The question seemed to have left Blaine’s mouth before he could stop it because he immediately followed it up with, “You don’t have to answer that. I don’t even know why I asked it…”
But Kurt just chuckled and shook his head. “It’s okay…I don’t mind talking about it. You already know what happened and you’re still here.”
Blaine nodded as he kissed the top of Kurt’s head. “And I’m not going anywhere.”
Except back to New York tomorrow, Kurt thought but he didn’t vocalize it. Instead he burrowed in more into Blaine’s side. “So, what was your wedding like?” Blaine asked.
“It was small,” Kurt replied after taking a breath, “We had only been engaged for a few months so I didn’t have long to do much. It was just family and close friends in his parent’s backyard. Nothing too big or spectacular. But we weren’t really wanting anything big. We were just excited to get married.”
“That sounds very sweet.”
“It was….my ten year old self would have been very disappointed.”
They both chuckled in their throats as the announcer started talking about one of the various parties going on at the pier. At the bottom of the screen was a timer, clicking down the seconds to midnight. To the two men on the couch, it felt like a countdown to the moment they both dreaded the most. Blaine smiled sadly as he pulled Kurt a bit tighter to him. "So what did your ten year old self want?" he asked, wanting to avoid thinking about how the clock was literally ticking down the last few moments they would get together.
Kurt pondered the answer for a moment. However, when he remembered the scrapbook he had made, his cheeks reddened. "Oh God...promise not to laugh?"
Blaine grinned. "Ohhhh will I regret that promise?"
"Hopefully not."
Blaine smiled. "I promise now, tell me these wild fantasies of your young self."
Kurt chewed on the inside of his cheek before letting out a deep, deep sigh. "I wanted a whole fairytale wedding. Literally. It would have been at Neuschwanstein Castle, rows upon rows of vases with assortments of roses, a big red carpet, someone playing the wedding march on a grand organ and a ridiculous amount of stand floor candelabras with candles. A carriage would have brought us up the hill to the front steps of the castle and inside would have been the ceremony and when we left, they would have released doves."
Kurt was chewing his lip as he tried to gauge Blaine's reaction. Blaine was clearly smiling, but Kurt was almost sure that he was straining to hold back his laughter. "You promised not to laugh,” Kurt reminded him.
“I’m not going to laugh. I promise,” Blaine said with a sweet tone, “I actually think that is really sweet, and definitely inspired by all the Disney films I'm sure you watched..." Blaine leaned over and kissed Kurt on the nose. "So, what does your dream wedding look like now?"
"Honestly, I have no idea," he breathed out, "I haven't really given it a whole lot of thought. I just kind of assumed that I was going to be single for the rest of my life."
Blaine looked thoughtful. "I get that, but, someone would have snapped you up. You're beautiful."
Kurt chuckled lightly before bringing the back of Blaine's hand to his lips and giving it a gentle kiss. "You also forget I come with a daughter and, unlike you, most guys are not looking to get into a relationship with someone who already has a child."
"Well," Blaine smiled. "I'm not the only man in the world that wouldn't have minded... Anyone that walked away from you and that little girl would be crazy."
"You know you're incredibly good for my ego, right?" Kurt asked playfully.
"I speak only the truth."
They both laughed as Kurt turned so he was better facing Blaine. “What about you? What does your dream wedding look like?”
One with you, Blaine thought to himself but he didn't say it. They were taking things slow. At Kurt's pace. The last thing he wanted was to freak Kurt out and ruin this. "Well,” he hummed out, "I've always loved the idea of getting married on a rooftop, under the stars.”
There was something about Kurt's smile that melted Blaine. "That's very romantic.”
"What can I say? I'm a romantic at heart.”
"I believe that.”
Their eyes locked for a moment, everything fading out around them. Blaine moved before he even knew it and pressed a hard kiss to Kurt's lips.
The softest surprised noise jumped from Kurt as they kissed. He was surprised, but the longer they kissed, the more of the weight of tomorrow weighed on him. Because after tomorrow, Blaine would be gone until February. He made another gentle noise as he pulled away, if only barely. "It's not midnight yet..."
"Are you going to turn into a pumpkin?"
"No?"
"Do you want me to stop kissing you?*
Kurt brought his hand up to frame the side of Blaine's face and trace the outline of his cheekbone with his thumb. "I don't ever want that," he muttered softly as he stared drowned in Blaine's honey eyes.
Blaine leaned in and this time, he didn't hold back. He'd been threatening to kiss Kurt breathless for most of the holidays, and now was his chance. It was almost like he was giving Kurt every single kiss he couldn't or wouldn't be able to give him after tomorrow until the next time they saw each other.
Despite the fact that their lips and faces were quite literally attached, Kurt still felt like there was too much space between them. That was the last thing he wanted. There was going to be too much space between them after tomorrow - he didn't want any now. That's how he ended up in Blaine's lap, legs now straddling either side of him. Blaine’s arms pulled Kurt in closer, seating him properly in his lap and holding him tightly. He pulled back, just enough to look into Kurt's eyes and cup his cheek. "What are you doing to me?" He breathed almost reverently.
"I could ask the same about you," Kurt breathed, "I never thought I could feel like this again."
“Feel like what?”
Kurt’s lips curled into a smile as he slid his hands up to frame Blaine’s face. “Happy.”
Blaine smiled tenderly before leaning in and capturing Kurt's lips in another kiss. This one was hard, yet tender. His arms snaked around Kurt’s waist, securing him before rolling them so Kurt was pinned beneath him on the couch. There was one thing he was certain of, it was he wanted to start the new year off the same way he intended to finish it - kissing Kurt Hummel.
Their lips moved together, tongues dancing to the unsung song playing between them. At least, until Kurt shifted and felt something digging into his back. "Ow, wait, wait," he laughed, keeping his lips as close to Blaine's as he leaned up and reached behind him.
After feeling around, he laughed as he pulled out an Olaf action figure that most definitely came with the Ice Palace set Sebastian had gifted Juliette for Christmas. "Damn Olaf."
Blaine chuckled a little as he eyed the toy. “I was wondering where that little guy went.”
They both laughed as Kurt dropped the figurine to the ground. Their lips were still millimeters apart but Blaine was leaning in, trying to close the gap as his eyes searched Kurt’s. "You good?*
Kurt brought his free hand up to cup the side of Blaine's face. "You're here - of course I'm good."
"I'm not moving too fast for you, am I?"
With a chuckle, Kurt shook his head. "Just kiss me, Anderson," Kurt said with that teacher's tone of voice.
Blaine groaned "That's not fair, Hummel,” he murmured as he leaned in, “You can't be both this hot and have that voice. I'll never survive"
With a wicked grin, Kurt replied, "Ne meurs pas, s'il vous plaît."
Blaine groaned again. "Il fatto che tu sappia parlare francese e che tu abbia l'aspetto giusto è completamente ingiusto, Kurt Hummel... come puoi pretendere che io non ti rapisca!?"
Kurt blinked a few times as he stared, completely flabbergasted, at Blaine. "Okay one, I have no idea what you just said, and two, I didn't know you could speak Italian."
Blaine grinned a little wickedly. "Sì, ora vediamo come ti piace, tesoro."
Now it was Kurt’s turn to make a groaning noise. "I still have no idea what you're saying."
“I’ll tell you later,” Blaine promised before pressing his lips hard against Kurt’s once again.
In the background, the TV anchor started to countdown the seconds to midnight, but Kurt and Blaine were tuning it out as they focused on each other. The kiss grew more intense, more heated. Blaine’s tongue probed Kurt’s mouth, asking for entrance in which Kurt happily allowed. The second he did, Blaine plunged in, needing to taste every inch of him as he was committing it to memory. His hips involuntarily rolled down into Kurt’s but the guttural, needy groan that Kurt returned had Blaine repeating it over and over. The cheers, applause and fireworks exploding on the TV announced the New Year, but the two men making out on the couch could care less. Their lips only stopped moving together when they felt the need to breathe, but their lips stayed close enough to brush against each other and their gazes locked. Words weren’t needed. The second they saw the dark looks in each other’s eyes, they knew exactly what the other was thinking.
The trip to the bedroom was rushed and clumsy. They tried to keep making out as they climbed the stairs, but even Kurt’s grace couldn’t handle that so Blaine just pulled Kurt up as fast as he could. They stumbled down the hall, pushing one another up against the wall as they devoured the other. Hands were undoing the buttons of the other’s shirts until there was a trail of tops leading down to Kurt's bedroom. Once inside, Blaine had Kurt pressed up against the wall, his mouth attacking Kurt’s. Their bodies were attached at the hip, pressed so hard that they could feel how hard the other was in their jeans. Blaine moved his lips down Kurt’s neck and when Kurt leaned his head to the side, Blaine took it as permission to find that spot on Kurt’s neck that got him to make that sound that went straight to his dick. He found it with ease and the gasp he got from Kurt was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. Blaine was excited to see what other sounds he could get Kurt to make that night.
Kurt’s hands were fumbling with the fastening of Blaine’s pants but Blaine had other ideas. He grabbed Kurt’s wrists and gently pinned them against the wall on either side of Kurt’s head. “Patience,” he muttered against his lips, “I want to take my time with you.”
Kurt groaned and Blaine just smirked against his skin before he gently bit down on the soft flesh of Kurt’s shoulder. Blaine spent a few more minutes kissing and sucking along Kurt’s neck before letting go of Kurt’s wrists to grab his hands and pull him towards the bed. They fell onto it together, Blaine back on top of Kurt and slotting himself between Kurt’s legs. As Blaine leaned in and kissed Kurt senseless, he undid the front of Kurt’s jeans and pulled them down, with the help of Kurt as he lifted his hips to make it easier. Well, as easy as it could be with skinny jeans. They both laughed against each other’s lips as Blaine fought to pull them off. “Damn your skinny jeans,” Blaine laughed.
“You love them.”
“I do, but not when I’m trying to undress you.”
Eventually he was able to yank them off and toss them aside before he undid his own, leaving them both in their boxers. Not that Blaine was planning on leaving them on for long. He hooked his thumbs in the waistline when Kurt grabbed his wrists. “Wait,” he breathed.
Blaine froze as he pulled away. “Is something wrong?” he asked, trying not to show the internal panic that he had pushed Kurt too far.
Thankfully, Kurt explained rather quickly. “I don’t exactly have…supplies,” he admitted sheepishly, “I kind of haven’t really needed…that.”
The blush on Kurt’s cheeks was adorable, but Blaine’s own blush crossed his face. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing I have some.”
Kurt tilted his head and it made Blaine chuckle. “Sebastian. He got me stuff as a Christmas present. For once, I’m glad he’s a crude bastard.”
They laughed again before Kurt kissed him. “Do me a favor - don’t tell Sebastian you used them?”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
They kissed again until Kurt was relaxed under him before Blaine got up. “Wait here,” he whispered, giving him one more kiss before running over to his backpack and pulling out the box of condoms and bottle of lube Sebastian had gifted him.
He tossed them onto the bed before climbing on top of Kurt again. Kurt met him immediately, kissing him hard and pulling him down. Blaine didn’t spend long on Kurt’s lips, though, as he kissed down his neck and his chest. He told Kurt he was going to take his time with him and that was what Blaine intended to do - even if his boxers were becoming painfully tight on him. Before he left, he wanted his lips to know every inch of Kurt. Find every spot that unraveled Kurt bit by bit. The more he kissed and licked, the more he found, like the inside of Kurt’s wrist when his lips grazed the skin. Or the spot on Kurt’s right hip, right above the waistline of his boxers when he sucked. Blaine made sure to spend extra time there as he peeled off the final layer of Kurt’s clothes and tossed the clothing away with the rest of Kurt’s clothes.
Blaine wrapped his fingers around Kurt’s erection and began to stroke as he kissed down Kurt’s thighs. His pumps were slow and deliberate while he also finally unpeeled his own final layer. Seeing Kurt grab at the blanket beneath him and groan with each pass of Blaine’s hand was such a sight to behold. Watching Kurt become unraveled before him was the sexiest thing he had ever seen. So with Kurt distracted, Blaine grabbed the bottle of lube with his free hand and popped the cap. He let go of Kurt to squeeze some of the cold liquid on his fingers before he leaned up to catch Kurt’s lips with another kiss. “Let me know if it gets too much.”
Blaine waited for Kurt’s nod before he slid his hand down until the tip of his finger found the ring of muscles. He traced it carefully before slowly pushing his finger in. Kurt’s hips rolled up and he groaned into the kiss. Blaine grabbed the pillow above Kurt’s head and slid it under Kurt’s lower back to help angle him before he pushed his finger in a bit more. Blaine made sure to go slow, waiting for Kurt’s body to tell him he could keep going. When Kurt seemed to relax, he moved his finger in and out, slowly easing him open. Kurt’s groans only grew until he moaned, “More.”
Another finger was added and Blaine did the same - waited for Kurt’s body to respond before doing anything more. When Kurt got even louder, Blaine curled his finger and pushed in until Kurt gasped loudly and bucked his hips a bit more. Blaine couldn’t help the smile on his face - that was the spot he was looking for. Blaine played with it a bit more, enjoying the way Kurt turned to putty under him. Something told Blaine that if he kept going, he could get Kurt to orgasm just from this but he didn’t want this to end. Not yet. So he added a third finger to do the final prep work while he grabbed the box and pulled out a condom.
After he opened it with his teeth, he used the one hand not currently occupied to roll the condom down his own dick. With Kurt now properly prepped, Blaine kissed up his body until his lips were back on Kurt’s while he lined himself up. Kurt’s legs were wrapped around Blaine’s hips by now, trying their darndest to pull him closer. The tip of Blaine grazed against Kurt’s waiting body until he kissed him hard and slid on in.
Kurt wrapping around him like this may be the best feeling Blaine had ever felt. He had to stop when he bottomed out inside of him - it was going to be embarrassing if he didn’t last more than a minute and with how Kurt was gripping him now, he was pretty sure that could happen. So he gave them both a minute before daring to move. When he did, he made sure to go slow for both of their sakes. But even he couldn’t keep it slow for long. This may have been the best sex Blaine had ever had. Even though it was literally their first time together, they were completely in sync. They moved together like it was a rehearsed tango. Their moans harmonized together with each thrust. It was perfect and beautiful.
Blaine could tell Kurt was getting close. With the way Kurt was clenching around him and pulling him in, he was so close. He reached down and began to stroke Kurt, wanting to make him come before he exploded. He kept up his pace and matched it with his strokes until Kurt cried out Blaine’s name as he finally came undone. It may have been one of the sexiest things Blaine had ever seen so it was no surprise that he was falling over the edge a few strokes later. He stilled his hips, waiting until his high came down before leaning down and kissing Kurt one more time. “Happy New Year, Kurt,” Blaine whispered against his lips.
“Happy New Year, Blaine.”
The warmth of the morning sun on Kurt’s face gently roused him. He groaned in protest, trying to hide his face against Blaine’s chest. Blaine wrapped his arms tighter around Kurt and pulled him in, shushing him softly before kissing the top of his messy head. There was comfort to be found in Blaine’s arms, at least until Kurt remembered this would be the last morning he would wake up with him until February at the earliest. His arms tightened around Blaine’s chest as he curled into him more. “What time is it?” Kurt asked softly.
Blaine turned his head to spot the clock on Kurt’s bedside. “A little after nine.”
Kurt pushed the breath out his lungs and held on tighter to Blaine. “I don’t want you to go.”
Blaine’s arms pulled Kurt closer, or at least tried to. “I don’t either.”
They just laid there in silence, soaking in the presence of the other while they still could. Kurt knew they would need to get up and face the day, but he wasn’t ready for that. Not yet. He wanted to freeze time and make this last forever. Unfortunately for him, it was not possible. “We should get up,” Kurt sighed, trying to keep his voice from breaking but failing quite miserably.
He moved to sit up, but Blaine pulled him back. “Hey,” he muttered, cupping Kurt’s face and turning him so he could see Kurt’s crystal eyes, “be with me.”
Kurt’s brow furrowed. “I am.”
“No, I mean,” Blaine replied, tracing Kurt’s cheekbone with his thumb, “be with me right now. In this moment. I’m still right here.”
A small smile crept on Kurt’s face as he leaned in and kissed Blaine long and slow. “I'm here with you."
After another twenty or so minutes of making out, the two peeled themselves out of bed and dressed for the day. Kurt tried his best to stay here in the moment with Blaine, but as much as he tried, the ticking clock kept going. He couldn't even bring himself to watch Blaine as he packed his suitcases and when he helped to load them into his car, he felt like he was about to throw up. But he tried. He laughed and smiled when they made coffee, he swayed in Blaine’s arms when he pulled him in for an impromptu dance after their morning shower. And he kissed with the utmost enthusiasm when Blaine trapped him against the counter in the kitchen. It was a kiss that reminded Kurt of the night before, spending hours exploring one another. A kiss that had Kurt debating whether or not they could go for a round four before they had to leave, despite the slight pain in his backside. But a glance of the oven clock out of the corner of his eye told him that there certainly wasn’t time for any of it and he made a small whining noise against Blaine’s lips, although that seemed to spurn Blaine to keep going. “We need to…” Kurt breathed before his lips were caught again by Blaine’s.
The way Blaine tugged on Kurt’s lower lip with his teeth had Kurt’s knees weak. It had him wanting to forget anything and everything else they needed to do and let Blaine take him right here, but sensibility won out. So when Blaine started moving his lips down his jaw, he grabbed Blaine’s arms firmly. “We need to go pick up Jules.”
“We’ve got plenty of time,” Blaine breathed as he started to lick down his neck.
Kurt’s eyes rolled and he made another small, whining noise. “Blaine,” he breathed, fighting for control before it was gone forever, “it’s five minutes to noon.”
That got Blaine to stop with a defeated sound. Where his lips had just been was now his forehead. They both took a second to just breathe and regain their composure, which was probably good considering that Kurt’s jeans had been starting to get just a little tighter than he wanted. “Next time,” Blaine muttered before delicately kissing the side of his neck, “I don’t care if it makes us late - I’m not stopping.”
Kurt just smiled. “Deal.”
A few minutes later, they were in the car on the way to Burt and Carole’s to pick up Juliette. They had barely taken three steps into the driveway before the front door was opened and Juliette came running out and straight to Blaine. “You’re still here!” she yelled excitedly, launching herself at him.
Blaine had been ready and caught her in his arms. “Of course I am. I’m not going to leave without saying goodbye to you.”
Burt and Carole both came out to give their own goodbyes to Blaine as well. Carole gave him a big hug after Kurt took Juliette from Blaine and then Burt gave Blaine a firm handshake. “Don’t be a stranger.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t be.”
Kurt, Blaine and Juliette piled back into the car to begin their long drive to Columbus. With each passing mile, the mood grew more quiet. Kurt’s fingers were clutching the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. It had taken Blaine prying the closest hand to him away and holding it in his on the center console to get him to finally ease his grip. “What are you going to do when you go back home?” Juliette asked, her voice a little quieter than her normal, chipper self.
“Well,” Blaine started, turning in his seat so he could look back at Juliette, “I have to go talk to some reporters and go on some talk shows to discuss Sebastian and Elliott’s engagement and the new album we’re working on. Then we’re going to be in the recording studio again to finish up the album so it can come out in a few months.”
“So you’re going to be busy?”
The sad look in Juliette’s eyes broke Blaine’s heart but he smiled reassuringly and shook his head. “Not too busy to video call you every night. And I’ll be back for a week for Valentine’s Day.”
“Will you be here for my birthday?”
Blaine quickly looked over at Kurt who mouthed, “June 10th.”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Blaine replied, nodding at Juliette.
That seemed to brighten her up. Blaine could see it in the way her eyes glowed. “Did you hear that, Daddy? He'll be here for my birthday!"
“I did, sweetheart," Kurt smiled back.
“What about Daddy's birthday? Will you be here for that?"
Before Blaine could sheepishly ask when that was (he probably should know when his boyfriend's birthday was), Kurt swooped in and saved the day. "I might actually be in New York for my birthday. Remember, Jules, I told you Nationals is on my birthday this year.”
“And, in the unlikely case your team doesn't make it to Nationals, I'll treat you to a very romantic weekend.”
The waggle in Blaine’s eyebrows turned Kurt’s face bright red and he quickly focused on the road to avoid Juliette from seeing how her dad was blushing.
The rest of the car ride, Juliette and Blaine talked animatedly. Kurt kept his primary focus on the road but made sure he was enjoying this moment with Blaine and Juliette. It was a nice distraction from the fact that they were literally on the way to drop Blaine off at the airport and wouldn’t see him for a little over a month. Although the closer they got to Columbus, the more that reality started to set in. Especially when they pulled up to the airport parking garage and helped Blaine get his luggage out. Kurt grabbed the suitcase for Blaine so he could hold onto his bag with one hand and Juliette’s hand with the other.
Time moved too quickly after that. Blaine got himself checked in in record time and there was no line to get through security. Before Blaine joined the queue, he turned and knelt down to give Juliette a big hug. “Do you really have to go?” Juliette asked sadly as she hugged him tightly.
“I do, Jewel, but I’ll see you soon.”
“You promise?”
Blaine pulled away and held up his pinky. “I pinky promise.”
Juliette sniffed and wiped her eyes with her sleeve before wrapping her pinky with his. “You’ll look out for your dad for me, right?”
“I will.”
Juliette let go of his pinky and gave him one more big hug. They stayed like that for a minute before Blaine extracted herself from his arms and stood up. Kurt was doing his best to try and be okay but his smile was strained. Blaine and Kurt stared at each other for a beat before they hugged each other tightly. “You’ll let me know as soon as you land?” Kurt asked.
“The second I hit the ground.”
They pulled apart, but only barely so their foreheads could rest against one another. “This isn’t goodbye,” Blaine breathed, making sure he could see into Kurt’s eyes.
“Good,” Kurt replied, “because I’m never saying goodbye to you.”
They nudged their noses together before kissing one last time. It was, by no means, an intense, passionate kiss, but it said everything they both wanted to say but were too afraid to finally admit. “I’ll see you soon,” Blaine promised softly as he pulled away.
“You better."
With a sad smile, Blaine pulled away and disappeared through security. Juliette and Kurt stood there, holding hands until Blaine was completely gone from view. As much as Kurt wanted to cry, he knew he had to be strong for Juliette. He could already hear her sniffles. “Come on, Julie Bear, let's go home," he muttered as he pulled her back to the car.
February couldn't come fast enough.
Notes:
Translations:
Ne meurs pas, s'il vous plaît. - Don't die, please
Il fatto che tu sappia parlare francese e che tu abbia l'aspetto giusto è completamente ingiusto, Kurt Hummel... come puoi pretendere che io non ti rapisca!? - You being able to speak French, and look like you do is completely unfair Kurt Hummel..how do you expect me not to ravish you!?
Sì, ora vediamo come ti piace, tesoro. - Yes, now let's see how you like it, treasure.Up next:
Kurt and Blaine deal with being apart.
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