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“So,” Blaine said over the phone. “What time does your family do Thanksgiving dinner?”
“This is the first time with all four of us, so, it's all new. I think Carol wants us to do dinner around 6 or 7, why?”
“'Cause my mom said I could invite you here for our Thanksgiving. We usually eat between twelve and one, and then chill out for the rest of the day, so you could do both. Will you ask?” Blaine asked hopefully.
Kurt felt a lump in his throat. They'd only been going out about a week, officially, after that horrible glee-influenced break-up. But Blaine was already ready for Kurt to met his family? That sounded pretty awesome and terrifying at the same time, to Kurt.
“I'll ask. I'll call you back in a few minutes,” Kurt said, ending the cell phone call. He went and found Burt and Carol in the living room.
“Dad, Carol?” Kurt started.
“Yes?” Carol said.
“Blaine's mom invited me for Thanksgiving. Not the whole day, but they do their big meal at lunchtime, and he invited me to come over. I'd still have time for our meal here. Can I?”
“One condition,” Burt said, exchanging a look with Carol.
“Yes?” Kurt asked.
“You bring him here for our Thanksgiving meal, at supper time. Finn's inviting Rachel for dinner, apparently her family does their meal early too, so he gets the same arrangement.”
“Okay,” Kurt said, smiling, and went back to call Blaine.
*****
Kurt followed Blaine's instructions and showed up at the big house—house? It was practically a mansion—at a quarter to nine. He'd been informed that the Macy's parade was an important event in the Ferguson household. He parked his Navigator and walked up to the front door, taking a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. He waited and the door opened. A beautiful Asian woman was standing there, wearing a flowery apron, and for a moment Kurt thought he had gone to wrong the house. But the woman smiled, and Kurt recognized the same curve of Blaine's lips. And their hair was exactly the same color.
“You must be Kurt,” she said, smiling at him. “I'm Blaine's mom.”
“These are for you,” Kurt said, handing her the flowers he'd brought. He noticed she had a slight accent, but he couldn't quite place it.
“Thank you, Kurt.” She turned her head and bellowed, “Blaine! Your boyfriend's here.”
Kurt thought he heard a handful of voices go, “Ooooooooh,” from another room. Within moments, Blaine was there, welcoming him into the house and giving him a kiss.
“Remember, you keep it PG when your little cousins are in the room,” Mrs. Ferguson warned.
“Yes, Mama,” Blaine said.
“You'd better get him into the living room fast or you'll be on the floor,” Mrs. Ferguson instructed.
“Good point,” Blaine said, taking Kurt's hand and pulling him down the hall. Kurt had a memory of the day he spied on Blaine at Dalton, running down the hall hand in hand. Instead of an impromptu concert, Kurt found himself led to a large room with a huge L-shaped sofa, a giant HD-TV, and a whole bunch of people, some of whom Kurt recognized from Blaine's Facebook.
“Okay, quick introduction,” Blaine started. “That's my brother Kelly and his girlfriend Melissa, visiting from college. Those are my sisters Fiona and Martha, and Martha's boyfriend Pete. Those are my cousins: Mickey, John, Siobhan, Will, Shannon, Patrick, Sean, Jamie, Frannie, Morgan, Maggie and Katie.”
“No, you guys aren't Irish at all, not even a little bit,” Kurt said at the list of family names. Everyone laughed at that.
“Half Irish,” Blaine said, grabbing Kurt's hand and finding a free patch of floor. “On our dad's side. Which, of course, is the side of the family that's really anal about using family names. We're all named after somebody in our family line. Kelly is the third Kelly, and Fiona is the seventh Fiona Ferguson.”
“Cool. Where's your mom from?” Kurt asked.
“The Philippines,” Martha said. “She and dad met in college. With a name like Kurt Hummel, is your family German?”
“I think my dad's like, a quarter German. My mom named me Kurt because The Sound of Music was her favorite movie. Also, because my dad's name is Burt, and she thought 'Burt and Kurt' was funny.”
“You're named after the Sound of Music?” Fiona asked, giggling. Kurt noticed several of Blaine's cousins were laughing, and Blaine was bright red.
“Yes. What am I missing?” Kurt asked.
“It was Blaine's favorite movie when he was little. He watched it until the tape broke.”
“When he was five,” Patrick started, and Blaine looked like he was trying to disappear, “He asked his dad if he could join a convent, so he could go and marry Captain Von Trapp.”
“Interesting,” Kurt said, “I think I asked my parents the same thing.” He pressed his forehead to Blaine's, and Blaine stopped trying to turn himself invisible. “Christopher Plummer is, like, the perfect man.”
“Gorgeous,” Blaine agreed.
“Oh God, there's two of them,” Martha pretended to gasp in horror, and everyone laughed. Kurt felt the fear and discomfort at meeting Blaine's family dissipate. So far his mom was kinda and his siblings and cousins were cool. Nobody was teasing him for being the weird gay kid. They just accepted Kurt as Blaine's boyfriend. The only person who looked a little uncomfortable was Pete, Blaine's sister's boyfriend.
“So, who's the oldest?” Kurt asked looking between Blaine and Martha. Fiona was clearly a couple years younger.
“I”m the big brother,” Blaine said proudly.
“By twelve minutes,” Martha pointed out.
“You're twins?” Kurt asked.
“Didn't I tell you that?” Blaine asked, his brow furrowing. He was so cute when he made that confused face.
“Apparently not,” Martha said. “Anyway, I'm seventeen like Blaine, and Fiona's fifteen. We go to St. Mary's, Dalton's sister school. So, Kurt, what do your parents do for a living?”
“Well, my dad owns his own garage, where I work after school. He just remarried, and my step-mom, Carol, is a nurse.” Kurt said, while he observed his boyfriend's sister. He could see the family resemblance of course, but Martha looked more like their mother. He hadn't known or even guessed that Blaine was biracial—not that it actually mattered—but Martha looked decidedly more Asian than her twin. Genetics were really cool to think about.
“What happened to your mom?” Siobhan, who looked about ten, asked.
“She died when I was eight. She had cancer,” Kurt answered.
“Oh, I'm sorry,” Martha said, everyone echoed her sympathy.
“Thanks. I miss her a lot, but I've got my dad, and now Carol, and even a stepbrother, Finn.”
“It's starting!” Siobhan said, pointing at the TV. The parade did in fact start, and the change in Blaine's family was palpable. This was a family who really got into the parade.
Now, Kurt usually watched the parade, if only for the musical numbers, but he'd never seen people with such passion for it. They had homemade ballots which they used to rant their favorite floats, marching bands, musical numbers and celebrities. As they watched the one of the group acapella numbers, Kurt found himself glaring at the TV.
“How did that cretin make it into the Macy's parade?” he asked, glaring.
“Do you know one of them?” Martha asked.
“Yeah, the third baritenor from the left, in the red sweatshirt. That's Jesse St. James. He was the lead vocalist of Vocal Adrenaline.”
“That's the glee club from Carmel, right?” Blaine said. “He's the one who tried to sabotage you guys?”
“Yeah. Last yeah he seduced our lead vocalist, manipulated her into falling for him, and then dumped her right before Sectionals, in hope that Rachel would lose her will to perform, and we'd suck. I can't believe he's in the parade. He's such a jerk. Not only did they TP our choir room, but their entire choir surrounded Rachel in the parking lot and threw raw eggs at her. She's a vegan, and she had nightmares for days.”
“It says it's a the UCLA men's choir,” Fiona read the caption.
“Wow,” Blaine said, not having heard the full story. “It makes what your choir did understandable, even if I'm not ready to completely forgive them yet.”
“That's right,” Martha said, “Your stupid choir tried to break up you and Blaine, right? Nobody gets away with making my brother cry.”
“They meant it for the best,” Kurt said. “I mean, McKinley's pretty dog eat dog. And when you're consistently the underdog, you learn pretty quickly not to trust anyone. You never know who's hiding something behind their back to throw in your face.”
“They throw things at you?” Fiona asked, concern on her face, “What kind of things?”
“Usually slushies,” Kurt said, “But sometimes eggs, spitballs, balloons filled with urine.”
“EW!” most of them chorused.
“I think I prefer it to being thrown in the dumpster though. Or being locked in a porta-potty that gets knocked over,” Kurt continued to list common methods of bullying at McKinley.
“Are all public schools like that?” Fiona asked. She knew that at Blaine's old school, Blaine had gotten teased and mocked, but he had never been physically assaulted.
“A lot of them, I think,” Kurt said, “Carmel is. Do you guys like going to boarding school? I can't imagine not seeing my dad every day.” Kurt hadn't told Blaine yet that he had been talking about transferring to Dalton. He didn't want to leave Mercedes, but at the same time, he was terrified to stay in the same school as Dave Karofsky.
“You get used to it after a while,” Martha said. “It's kinda like sleep-away summer camp that doesn't end. We're lucky we only live about an hour away from the school, because it means we can come home on weekends. My roommate's parents live in Connecticut, so she almost never sees them.”
“That would seriously suck,” Kurt said. “I actually like working for my dad, even if I do wind up covered in grease and grime.”
“You're a greasemonkey? Really?” Kelly asked, surprised. Kurt couldn't let himself be too offended at the level of shock. He knew he came off as a prissy boy, and people were always surprised to learn he knew his way around an engine.
“Yes,” Kurt said. “My dad started teaching me when I was really small. He says that no matter what happens with school or my career, at least I'll be able to support myself.”
“That's really smart,” Patrick said. “You don't really seem the type, though.” As he said that his little sister, Maggie, poked him hard in the ribs.
“Prejudiced,” she hissed, making Kurt laugh.
“It's okay. I'm used to it. I'm kind of a walking, talking stereotype, and I know that. It part of who I am. But yeah, I actually like working on cars. Fixing a car is like solving a puzzle. It's logic.”
“The parade's back on,” Martha pointed out, and everyone shut up again. They watched the parade, silently, a while long, until one of the interviewers made a Twilight reference and Blaine made a gagging noise.
“Hey, Kurt, Twilight or Harry Potter?” Kelly asked, knowing his brother's opinion.
“I'm not largely familiar with either. I thought the Twilight film was a visual catastrophe that made me want to bash my head against a wall, though. The books are banned at McKinley. And I've never read the Harry Potter books. My friend Tina likes them, so I've seen a couple of the movies with her. They were okay. Why?”
“Blaine loves Harry Potter,” Fiona said. “We all do. Kelly always takes us to see the movies at midnight when they're summer releases.”
“You should read them,” Blaine said, “They're all about good versus evil, and rooting for the underdog.”
“I'll check them out,” Kurt said, snuggling a little closer to Blaine.
Eventually the parade ended and they turned the TV off. Siobhan started digging through the DVDs to put something on until food. Blaine stood up and pulled Kurt to his feet.
“Hey, I'll show you my room,” Blaine said.
“Okay,” Kurt agreed. He followed Blaine up the stairs and down a hall to a room. Blaine was written on the door, and Kurt thought it was kind of cute. Blaine's room was a testament to the things Blaine loved. There were posters for movies, bands and musicals on his walls. Almost every inch was covered. There were strands of twinkle lights decorating everything. Blaine had a Gryffindor bedspread, and there were little Harry Potter things everywhere. He had a poster for Hairspray the one with Zac Efron displayed prominently. There were several different instruments on one side of the room including two guitars, a glockenspiel, and a keyboard. There was a stack of graphic novels, Kurt saw the titles Young Avengers and Runaways. There were a few sports things, ribbons for swim team and an honorable mention ribbon for track. There was a TV with a PS3, and microphone stands. Kurt saw a stack of Singstar games.
“You have the Abba game?” Kurt asked, “I don't have this one. I only have the first one, and I buy various songs of the network.”
“Yeah, you wanna play until Mama calls us for lunch?”
“Sure,” Kurt said. “I think it's adorable that you call your mother Mama.”
Blaine blushed, and turned on the PS3.
“If we're going to sing, should we close the door?” Kurt asked.
“Can't,” Blaine said, shaking his head. “Boy in my room and all. If we shut the door mama barges in with her cleaver, and Dad breaks out the hunting rifles.”
“Does this happen a lot? Boys in your room?” Kurt asked, and Blaine blushed bright red.
“You're the first. The first everything, Kurt. I've never had a boyfriend before,” Blaine admitted.
“Me neither,” Kurt said. He stepped closer, and pressed his lips to Blaine's. Blaine kissed him back, breathing through his nose and then opening his mouth. Kurt's arms wrapped around Blaine, pulling him close while they kissed. Suddenly there was something poking Kurt in the thigh, and it wasn't a cellphone. He pulled away, hissing slightly as Blaine pulled at his lower lip with his teeth. Kurt knew he was pressing into Blaine's hip the same way Blaine was pressing into his thigh. It was so hot.
“I can feel your stubble on my cheek, it's nice,” Blaine said.
“Yeah, I forgot to shave this morning,” Kurt said. “You wanted be here so early. This is what a kiss should be like. I think I could kiss you forever.”
“I don't think we'd last that long,” Blaine whispered, rolling his hips to emphasize what they'd both noticed, but neither had mentioned.
“That's a very good point,” Kurt whispered back, kissing Blaine one more time before breaking apart. “Let's play some Singstar.”
“Do you want to be blue or red?” Blaine asked.
“I'll be red,” Kurt asked. “Do you have a lot of songs off the network?”
“Yeah,” Blaine said. “I have a bunch of duets, 'cause I do them with Martha. Do you object to singing the girls' parts?”
“Uh, of course not,” Kurt said. “I sing soprano anyway.”
“You do not,” Blaine said, “You sing countertenor.”
“Same thing,” Kurt said. He sighed. “Sorry, it's just, I asked my doctor why my voice hadn't changed, and he asked me how long I'd been shaving. When I said two years, he basically said something along the lines of 'If it hasn't yet, it probably won't'. And it gets really annoying when people constantly tell you you sound like a girl.”
“You are not a girl,” Blaine said fiercely. “And I like your voice. You have an awesome range, and I love listening to you sing.” Blaine grabbed Kurt and pulled him next to him again, so that Kurt could feel his erection again. “Do you feel that?” Blaine whispered in Kurt ear.
“Yes,” Kurt whispered back.
“No girl has ever done that to me. You do that to me. I'm attracted to men, Kurt, and you are definitely a man. I can definitely tell you're a man,” Blaine whispered huskily into Kurt's ear.
“Mmmm,” Kurt moaned quietly. “We need to stop this. Your family could walk in at any moment.”
“Don't care,” Blaine said. “You're so hot.” They held each other, kissing until both of them realized the likely end scenario, and broke apart.
“Let's sing,” Kurt suggested. He needed to cool off.
They did Singstar for a good half hour, singing through the duet numbers. Eventually Martha showed up and knocked on the door frame, to tell them dinner was ready.
“Wow, Kurt, you sing really well,” she said as they walked downstairs.
“Thanks,” Kurt said.
“Hey, you want to get Siobhan and the little ones from the living room? They're watching a Disney movie,” Martha asked her twin.
“'Kay,” Blaine said. “Show Kurt where the dining room is.”
Martha led Kurt off toward the dining room, stopping in the hallway to glare at him.
“You'd better not break my brother's heart. He's stupid about you. If you make him cry again, I'll beat you to death with a shovel,” Martha said. She was a good six inches shorter than him, but the threat was still scary.
“Promise, no desire to hurt him. I really, really like him,” Kurt said.
“Good. Also, sorry if Pete is weird. He's from one of those really sheltered, homophobic families. He's not homophobic, really, he's just not used to it. Told me he can hear his father in his head saying horrible things, but he doesn't want you to think he doesn't like you. He doesn't actually know you yet.”
“It's cool,” Kurt said. “I get it. As long as he doesn't try and pick a fight.”
“He won't,” Martha promised. They went to the dining room. Kurt could hear Blaine singing from the next room, and he thought his heart might stop. There was something about Blaine's singing voice that made Kurt want to melt into goo. Blaine was carrying a very young cousin, maybe six, into the living room while singing “Once Upon A Dream,” from Sleeping Beauty.
“I'd ask you your intentions toward my son,” a fair-haired man of average height said. “But I think they're pretty clear on your face.”
“It's 'cause Blaine's singing,” Fiona said. “That's how they met, you know. Kurt went to spy on the Warblers and Blaine serenaded him with a sexy song.”
Kurt felt his face grow hot, but he didn't want Blaine to stop singing. Unfortunately Blaine did stop singing.
“See, Kurt got all dazzled by Blaine's sexy voice,” Martha reasoned, “Once he realizes what a geeky doofus Blaine is, he'll disappear.”
“I have a solution for that,” Kurt said, looking at Blaine.
“What?” Blaine asked.
“Don't stop singing. Ever,” Kurt said.
“That's going to make eating and talking difficult,” Blaine said.
“Not to mention kissing,” Melissa interjected.
“Seriously Blaine. I still can't believe you dropped out like that. Had you stayed in the Warblers, there's not way New Direction would have won.”
“Is he really that good?” Martha asked, “Comparatively speaking? I mean, I know he can sing, but is he that amazing?”
“Let's put it this way,” Kurt said, slipping his hand into Blaine's. “Blaine could sing a mash-up of 99 Bottles of Beer and The Song That Never Ends and he'd still have all the girls and most of the guys in a puddle at his feet.”
As the Ferguson family and friends gather, Kurt was taken by just how huge the family really was. There were at least fifty people there, and a lot of them were staring at him. The little girl Blaine had carried in tugged at his sleeve.
“I'm Kathy.”
“Hi Kathy, I'm Kurt,” Kurt said.
“You get the best seat,” Kathy said. “You get to sit nets to Uncle Brian, and next to Blaine. Usually Martha's boyfriends or Kelly's girlfriends sit next to Uncle Brian. But nobody's met you before.”
Kurt figured out from Kathy's explanation that he was sitting next to Blaine's father. He was a little nervous, but he was determined to make it through the stress. People started taking their places, and Kurt smiled when her realized there were little name cards on the plates. He was seated between Blaine and Blaine's father, and across from Blaine's grandparents. He felt a bit overwhelmed. There were a couple dozen conversations going on throughout the massive dining room, and not all of them were in English. He was able to follow along pretty well when Blaine's aunt started speaking in French, but the Filipino went right over his head.
“So, Kurt, I hear you're in the glee club,” Mr. Ferguson said.
“Yes sir, I love it,” Kurt said.
“Are you in any other school activities?”
“Not this year,” Kurt said. “Last year I was on both the football team and the cheerleading squad. But I didn't really love either of them. I may go out for drama in the spring, I haven't decided yet.”
“That's an odd combination, football and cheerleading,” Blaine's grandmother said, “how did you manage them both?”
“I was only on the football team for a little while. I was the kicker. When football season ended I joined the Cheerios. I liked cheerleading, and we won Nationals, which was amazing, but it never made me as happy as glee club does. So I decided against trying out this year. If Coach Sylvester wants me back in the spring, I might consider it.”
“That cheerleading coach of your is certainly a character,” Blaine's grandfather said. After that, the elderly man called attention to everyone and said grace. Then every dug in.
The food was delicious. There was all the traditional holiday foods, and also a few things that Kurt hadn't expected to see at Thanksgiving dinner. Everything was wonderful, and the conversations were fascinating. People talked about everything, and talked over each other. Kurt was grilled a little more, and it was obvious that Brian Ferguson was trying to intimidate his son's boyfriend, but the Irish-American lawyer wasn't very scary. At the end of the meal, Mr. Ferguson looked Kurt in the eye.
“My son says you've been getting harassed at school, including physical abuse.”
“It's nothing too serious,” Kurt tried to shrug it off. “I just get shoved from time to time, or thrown in the dumpster. It happens to everyone.” Kurt hated having people pity him, and he didn't really like being the focus of attention he hadn't earned.
“Well, I'm a lawyer, and if you ever want to take the school to task, you let me know.”
“Yes sir,” Kurt agreed.
“I like him, Blaine, he's so polite.”
“Yeah,:” Blaine said. “We're going to go for a walk outside, okay Dad?”
“Sure. Go walk off some of that food. Especially since you're doing the whole meal again later.”
*****
“You have a really nice neighborhood,” Kurt said, as they walked together hand in hand. “I mean, my family's not hurting for money. My dad owns his own successful business, and my mom's family was kind of rich, so I've got a decent trust fund waiting for me. But your family practically makes us look destitute by comparison.”
“My great, great grandfather was a gold miner. He made a fortune in the gold rush, and was smart enough to manage it well. And most of his kids and grandkids were successful in their life pursuits, so my family definitely isn't hurting for money,” Blaine agreed. “But we're not spoiled or anything. We have to get summer jobs, and if we want cars or new computers, or other expensive things. we have to earn them.”
“How do you earn things in your family?” Kurt asked curiously.
“Good grades and doing chores and things. My dad has an elaborate points system he worked out to see how much different things are worth. We get extra points for doing unpleasant things without being asked.”
“That's a cool system,” Kurt said.
“How does it work at your place?” Blaine asked curiously. They'd only been dating about a week, and there were still a lit of things to learn about each other, that they hadn't learned yet in the month they'd known each other.
“Well, it was just the two of us for so long—eight years—we haven't settled into being a family of four yet,” Kurt said. “I mean, I've always just helped out without usually being asked. I don't like a messy house, and I'm always worried about my dad, so we've always just sort of split most of the chores, naturally. Well, when I was little I didn't do as much as I do now, of course. But now Finn lives with us, and I guess he's always done a few chores, but not as many as I have. So he moved in, and I kept doing all the chores, and Finn didn't do any of them, because I was already doing them. Carol said the whole thing was ridiculous, and has made up a chart, splitting the chores in half. It's helpful. But now Dad wants to train Finn to help in the garage,” Kurt sighed.
“And you don't like that idea,” Blaine concluded.
“It's just, I don't want to share that part of my dad. Fixing cars has always been something the two of us did together. One of the few things we both enjoy. I mean, Dad'll watch musicals and ballet and opera with me, mostly without complaint, and I'll watch sports with him, but we both know the other's not really enjoying it. And then Finn showed up and he likes watching sports and talking about them, and I felt really left out. I don't want to lose the one part of my dad that's always been mine.”
“So you're spoiled,” Blaine surmised.
“What?” Kurt asked, looking hurt.
“I didn't mean it in a bad way. You're not a brat or anything—at least not a huge brat—but you've always been an only child. Speaking as a middle child—and a twin—sharing your dad is just something you'll have to get used to. I know it sucks, but it doesn't mean your dad loves you any less. And Finn's never even had a dad before, so it must be kind of awesome for him.”
“I know, you're right,” Kurt said. “I can be a real brat sometimes, and I hate having it pointed out.”
“It's important we know our faults,” Blaine said wisely. “I can be incredibly single-minded, and I can also be insanely obsessive.”
“Me too, sometimes,” Kurt admitted. “So, are you going to tell me why I'm carrying a half a loaf of bread?”
“Thanksgiving tradition,” Blaine said, as they walked down to a small pond at the end of Blaine's street. “Feeding the ducks. If you're really calm, they'll eat pieces of bread from your hand.”
Kurt couldn't help but smile at this side of Blaine. For a guy who only moments ago had been giving him extremely sound advice on self-judgment, he was acting like a little kid around the ducks. His face lit up as the ducks swam over, and Kurt could tell that Blaine was practically vibrating with excitement as the ducks ate from his hand. After they'd thrown all their bread, Blaine started singing.
Life is like a hurricane here in Duckburg
Race cars, lasers, aeroplanes - it's a duck blur
You might solve a mystery or rewrite history
Duck Tales, Oo-oo
Tales of daring-do, bad and good luck tales, oo-oo
D-d-d-danger, watch behind you - there's a stranger out to find you
What to do? Just grab onto some Duck Tales, oo-oo!
Not pony tails or cotton tails but Duck Tales, oo-oo!
When it seems they're headed for the final curtain
Bold deduction never fails, that's for certain
The worst of messes become successes!
Duck Tales, Oo-oo
Tales of derring-do, bad and good luck tales, oo-oo
Not pony tails or cotton tails but Duck Tales, oo-oo!
“You are such a dork,” Kurt said, laughing.
“But am I your dork?” Blaine asked, making a worried face.
“Definitely my dork,” Kurt said, kissing Blaine quickly. “We should probably start driving back to Lima soon. I mean, we're closer than we would have been at Dalton, but it's still a little bit of a drive.”
“Okay. Just gotta tell my mom I'm going first.”
*****
The drive back to Lima was nice. They listened to the Wicked soundtrack, and sang along, Kurt singing the Galinda parts and Blaine singing the Elphaba parts. When they got into Lima, Kurt pulled the Navigator into a Starbucks so they could get some good coffee before going to Kurt's house. They got their coffees, then set them in the cupholder so they'd cool off. Blaine leaned over and kissed Kurt. Kurt kissed back, opening his mouth to allow Blaine's tongue inside. Blaine traced designs in Kurt's mouth. Kurt pulled away, sighing happily, and turned the car back on.
“I've been wanting to do that all afternoon,” Blaine said. “I always want to kiss you.”
“Well, we don't have to be at me dad's for at least another half hour, maybe longer,” Kurt said, pulling the car behind the dark grocery store. It was closed for the holiday, and nobody could see them from behind the store. “And, you know, the back seat is empty.”
“I like how you think,” Blaine said, and the two, thin young men slid back into the backseat of Kurt's car.
Kurt attacked Blaine's mouth with his own, pushing Blaine back on the seat, straddling him. Blaine moaned into Kurt's mouth as his left hand closed around Kurt's right, their fingers interlocking. They kissed fiercely, neither of them ever having experienced such passion before. They were both teenage boys of course, it was wonderful, exciting and new. Kurt could feel Blaine's erection pressing up against him, and blushed at how turned on and nervous it felt. He was sure Blaine could feel his erection as well. He wasn't even trying to hide it. Kurt tentatively stroked Blaine's bulge through the denim of Blaine's black jeans.
“Kurt,” Blaine said. “We should stop. I do not want to spend the whole night with your dad after messing my pants.”
“Curse you for being so rational,” Kurt panted, pulling off of Blaine. “I think I'd kiss you forever, if I could.”
“Me too,” Blaine said. “I bet our coffee's cool enough to drink now.”
They slipped back into the front seat and discovered that their coffee was cool enough. In fact, it was barely lukewarm now. They drank their now tepid lattes, and then Kurt turned the car back on, driving to his house.
*****
“Dad, this is Blaine,” Kurt introduced. “Blaine, this is my dad, and Carol. You've already met Finn and Rachel, of course.”
“It's nice to meet you, sir,” Blaine said, shaking Burt's hand. He couldn't help but swallow hard as Burt stared him down. Burt was a lot more intimidating than his own father.
“Blaine, I have something for you,” Rachel said, handing him a plastic-wrapped plate of 'I'm Sorry' cookies. “I never should have assumed that you were the same as Jesse St. James without meeting you first. I should never have pressured Kurt to break up with you. That was very wrong of me. I can get very single-minded and short-sighted, especially when I have my eye on the prize. Glee means so much to me that I sometimes allow my thirst for victory to outweigh my love of my friends, and for that I sincerely apologize.”
“Sometimes?” Kurt muttered under his breath.
“Yeah man, I'm sorry too,” Finn added. “Sam promises me you're a good guy, and I trust him, well, mostly.”
“Mostly?” Blaine asked.
“I worry about Quinn a little.”
“The cheerleader Sam's dating?” Blaine asked. “Don't worry. He won't pressure her into anything. He's really into her. I mean, quoting-Shakespeare-and-writing-sappy-love-poetry-in-Sindarin into her. You really don't have to worry about Sam. I mean, I know he's getting a bit of a head rush from his sudden popularity at McKinley, but he's a great big geek at heart, and he won't try and take advantage of her.”
“What's Sindarin?” Finn asked, confused.
“It's a dialect of Elvish,” Blaine explained. “It's the elvish from Lord of the Rings have you read them?”
“I saw the movie,” Finn said.
“Rachel, Kurt, would the two of you like to help me in the kitchen?” Carol asked. She and Burt already knew Rachel pretty well, but Burt and Finn both wanted to get to know Blaine better, and Finn was pretty useless in the kitchen.
“Sure Mrs. Hummel,” Rachel said brightly.
“Of course, Carol,” Kurt agreed. Kurt followed his stepmother and his teammate into the kitchen, where he helped Carol put the finishing touches on dinner. Rachel put the Chicago soundtrack on in the kitchen while they worked, and everything went a lot faster. Kurt and Rachel sang along, harmonizing with one another automatically while they carried dishes into the dining room. They got really into Cell Block Tango dancing around the dining room together, not realizing that their boyfriends and Burt and Carol were all watching them.
“I'm not sure which scares me more, when they're at each other's throats, or when they're getting along,” Finn said finally.
“That was awesome,” Blaine said, kissing Kurt on the cheek. “Can I help carry things?”
“Sure,” Kurt said. Blaine followed Kurt into the kitchen, and picked up a casserole dish. The CD switched to All I Care About, and without really thinking about it, Blaine picked up the Billy Flynn vocals, while Kurt and Rachel sang the female backing parts. After he set the casserole dish down on the table, he grabbed Kurt's hand and spun him in a twirl.
“Wow,” Burt said, “I didn't know we were getting dinner theater.”
“They should charge,” Carol said. “They'd make a killing.”
The kids all blushed, and finished carrying things out, before turning off the CD and sitting around the table. Once everyone was seated, Blaine and Rachel both bowed their heads automatically, waiting for a prayer, while Burt and Kurt both reached for the food out of habit.
“I have an idea,” Carol said. “How about we go around the table, and everyone says something they're thankful for. I'll start. I'm incredibly thankful to be sharing a life not only with Finn, but with Burt and Kurt. I'm very thankful for my family.”
“I'm thankful for an awesome girlfriend, and and awesome family,” Finn said.
“I'm thankful I have a boyfriend who's not afraid to be a leading man,” Rachel said, “And I'm thankful we still have glee club.”
Burt looked from his wife to his son to his son's boyfriend. Kurt was staring at Blaine, and his eyes sparkled. He looked so much like his mother Burt felt choked up for a moment. He saw so much of his first wife in Kurt.
“I'm thankful for a beautiful, loving wife, a caring stepson, and a son who makes my whole life worthwhile. But right now, I'm happy my son has found a reason to smile.”
“Dad,” Kurt said quietly, blushing. “I'm thankful to be around people who love me. And to have an awesome, talented boyfriend.”
“I'm thankful to be making new friends,” Blaine said, “And for an amazing boyfriend who's so sweet and totally awesome.”
“Alright,” Burt said, “Let's eat.”
Dinner was dished out, and Rachel enjoyed the fact that Carol had made a small tofurkey for her, and had even held out a small amount of potatoes, mashing them with margarine and soymilk instead of milk and butter. Kurt was trying to get Burt to eat the healthier foods that Carol had made for Rachel, but Burt insisted that he should be able to cheat a little on Thanksgiving, and Kurt eventually relented.
“So, Blaine, you mentioned you're in the drama club at Dalton?” Rachel asked.
“Yeah,” Blaine said. “I'm excited. We're doing The Scottish Play this year.”
“Oh, really?” Rachel said, “I love that. It's an all-male production, of course?”
“Obviously,” Blaine said. “I'm auditioning for Lady M.”
“Oh, that's my favorite role,” Rachel said. “I'd love to play her someday.”
“What play are you talking about?” Finn asked.
“Macbeth, I think,” Carol said.
“SHHHHHHH!” Rachel, Kurt and Blaine all shushed Carol.
“You can't say the name of the play out loud!” Kurt said.
“It's horrible bad luck!” Rachel agreed.
“We call it The Scottish Play>,” Blaine said. “You're only allowed to say the name when you're speaking lines within the play. The play's totally cursed. I thought everyone knew that.”
“You believe in curses?” Burt asked, an eyebrow raised. Blaine suddenly realized where Kurt learned that fabulous eyebrow-raising move.
“Well, not really. But it's theater tradition,” Blaine admitted.
“Yeah,” Kurt said. “Besides, it is true that Mac— I mean The Scottish Play has had a history of things going wrong in production.”
“Still, Lady M is a fabulous role,” Rachel said. “Break a leg,” she told Blaine.
“Thank you,” Blaine smiled back. “I've always wanted to play her. One of the great things about an all-boy's school is that we get to do the old plays traditionally.”
“Wait, you're going out for a girl's part? On purpose?” Finn asked, confused and surprised.
“Of course,” Blaine said. “I'd never get the lead role, anyway, because I'm not a senior. And like Rachel said, Lady M is an iconic part.”
“Finn, during Shakespeare's time, it was against the law for women to act,” Rachel explained. “So all the roles, including all the female parts, were played by men. Until King Charles the Second made it illegal for men to play the girls' parts on official British stages.”
“Oh, have you seen Stage Beauty?” Blaine asked Rachel.
“Oh I adore Stage Beauty” Rachel said, practically squealing.
“I totally own it,” Kurt said.
“Oh we are so watching it after dinner,” Rachel said. “Finn have you ever seen Stage Beauty?”
“I don't think so,” Finn, a 'deer caught in the headlights' expression on his face.
“Is that the one where the guy played the girl's parts in plays, but then the King made it illegal and he had to learn how to play the guy parts?” Burt asked.
“Yes,” Kurt said, pleased his father had remembered watching the movie with him.
“It's actually a decent flick, Finn, you'll probably like it,” Burt offered.
“Let's all watch it together, after dinner,” Carol suggested.
“Okay,” Rachel said brightly. “I mean, it has some mature themes in it. I think it's rated R.”
“It's not like we won't have parental supervision, Rachel,” Kurt said, pointing to Burt and Carol. “It's okay to break some rules sometimes.”
“Not the important ones,” Burt said.
“Of course not, Dad,” Kurt said, looking his dad in the eyes. “Some rules are meant to be broken, and some rules are meant to be respected. And if I can't tell which one is which, I can always ask you, right?”
“Right,” Burt said, feeling appeased for the moment.
“This is a wonderful meal, Mrs. Hummel,” Blaine said. “I'm sure I'd be able to eat more, if we hadn't already had a big meal earlier.”
“Thank you Blaine.”
They finished their meal, talking through the whole thing, before cleaning everything up, then settling in the living room to watch the movie. Kurt sat snuggled next to Blaine, Rachel on the other side of him, snuggled with Finn, and his parents snuggling on the loveseat. There was some definite awkwardness for Finn during the gay sex scene, but relaxed eventually, and wound up enjoying the movie a lot.
As Kurt cuddled with his boyfriend, watching an amazing movie with his family, he couldn't help but think that this, right now, was what he was thankful for.
*end*