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Artie and Ms. Pillsbury pass out the family and friends tickets on Monday, instructing the cast that their four free tickets can be used on either night by anyone who they choose to give the tickets to.
Rachel immediately volunteers to donate her extra ticket to Mr. Schue for opening night — her other three are going to her dads and then Finn, who will be attending Saturday’s performance since the Ohio State recruiter is going to be visiting the football team on Friday night.
Blaine thumbs through the four tickets in the envelope in his hands, seriously considering quietly returning them to Ms.
Pillsbury tomorrow. The Warblers have already bought their tickets, and he highly doubts that his dad will even bother to make up an excuse for why he can’t attend the show this weekend. He’ll save one ticket for his mom, and the other three can be given to people who need it.
He knows Mike is in a similar situation — they kind of bonded over it during rehearsals. The only difference is that Mike’s dad doesn’t support his career choices, while his dad doesn’t support him... at all. Because of a part of him that he can’t — and doesn’t want to —change.
That’s not to be reductive towards Mike’s pain; in fact, Blaine thinks, he probably understands how Mike feels right now more than anyone in the show. It’s incredibly difficult to lose the love and support of a parent, no matter the reason behind it.
“I’m going to text Mercedes and tell her that her ticket is on me,” Kurt remarks, breaking Blaine from his reverie.
He glances up quickly at his boyfriend, who’s barely even giving his own tickets a second thought as he waves them around casually as he gesticulates. “Dad and Carole can only come on opening night, and I figured I’d save my last ticket in case anything happens to the one Rachel’s saving for Finn,” Kurt rolls his eyes fondly. “You never know with them. Better to be safe than sorry.”
Blaine forces a little laugh. “Yeah, definitely.”
Kurt’s eyebrows immediately furrow in concern. “Are you okay? Is something wrong?”
“Well, I was just thinking about how to discreetly return three of my tickets because I’m not going to use them anyway,” Blaine says bitterly, then sighs. “I’m just being overdramatic.”
“No, you’re not,” Kurt rests a hand gently on Blaine’s arm. “I’m sorry, honey. You have a right to be upset about that.”
“It’s fine,” Blaine brushes it off. “Do you think my mom could sit with your parents on opening night? She doesn’t really know anyone else here.”
“Of course,” Kurt agrees, looping his arm through Blaine’s and guiding him back to where they keep their bags during rehearsal. “My dad and Carole do have to leave right after the show, though. They’re leaving to get to Toledo and stay overnight before a campaign event on Saturday.”
“That’s okay,” Blaine shrugs. “My mom probably won’t stay long afterwards anyway.”
******
Dinner is nearly silent — business as usual — until Blaine finally gathers the courage to speak and braces for upfront rejection from his dad. It’s been years of this, so it really shouldn’t affect him as much as it does, but it still hurts.
“Mom, Dad,” Blaine begins, and his mom has the decency to smile and put down her fork. His dad barely stops eating. “As you know, this weekend is the set of performances of West Side Story, and each cast member was given four free tickets to give their families,” he explains. “There’s three showings — Friday and Saturday night and then a Sunday matinee.”
“We’re flying out for San Antonio Thursday night,” his dad responds. “We won’t be home until late Sunday evening.”
“We?” Blaine repeats, looking to his mom, not even trying to hide his hurt. He’s not surprised that his dad has a business trip, but it’s very rare that his mom goes along with him — and of all weekends.
“I’m so sorry, sweetie,” his mom apologizes, and she does at least sound genuine. “You’ve been talking about this show for months, and I totally forgot that it was the weekend of the Executives Gala! I have to be with your father this weekend.”
Blaine curls his nails into palm of his hand to keep the tears from falling. There’s no way he’s going to cry over this in front of his father. “It’s okay, I understand.”
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” his mom echoes, but then returns to her food without another pitying glance.
Blaine gets up from the table and clears his plate immediately.
******
Wednesday night, Blaine gets so lost in the alcohol and the addicting presence of his boyfriend and the raging teenage hormones that he totally ruins his relationship with the one person he loves most in the whole world.
Even though he attempts to walk away dramatically, Kurt’s still a kind enough person to pull up next to him in the parking lot and force him into his car so that he’s not walking home drunk in the dark. They don’t talk much that night or the next day, aside from Blaine’s texts apologies that he at least wants Kurt to see.
In the whirlwind of final dress rehearsals and then opening night preparations, they never truly have time to reconcile in private, but Kurt does at least give him a good luck hug five minutes before the show, and Blaine can tell he’s being genuine when he smiles and rubs his back. It soothes him just enough to perform with more ease than he has since the incident.
After the show, as all of the cast heads into the audience to greet their friends and family, Blaine hangs back and gives his congratulations to his castmates as pass by him on their way offstage. He knows the Warblers want to see him, but with Sebastian being with them after the events of earlier this week... he’s delaying even briefly stopping by and saying thanks for coming. While debating between hiding back in the makeshift dressing rooms and sending his Warbler friends a thank you text or facing the beast himself, he feels a familiar hand on his arm turn his around.
“Hey, where are you going?” Kurt asks, as if he doesn’t know why Blaine’s still backstage. “My parents want to say hi to you too, you know.”
“Oh,” Blaine gapes at his beautiful, talented, and forgiving boyfriend. “Okay.”
Carole greets them both with hugs and kisses on the cheeks. “Oh, you boys were so good! Broadway’s future is in very capable hands.”
Blaine blushes under the attention, but thanks her nonetheless. When he turns to Burt, who’s been patiently waiting his turn to greet them, he’s met with a bouquet of flowers being held out to him.
“You did great, kid,” Burt praises, grinning. “We’re so proud.”
Kurt’s smiling softly beside his dad, holding an identical bouquet, and Blaine could just break down and cry right here in the middle of the McKinley High auditorium. And Carole would hold him and comfort him while Burt reassured him that he’s allowed to cry and feel the hurt — and Kurt — he’d kiss his tears away and make him feel loved even when he doesn’t deserve it —
Blaine clears his throat and accepts the hug that Burt offers. He can’t remember the last time he hugged his dad.
“Thanks,” he manages. “That means a lot.”
Burt and Carole don’t have to say anything for him to know that they understand how much it means to him. He’s sure they know, even beyond what he knows Kurt told them.
“Well, sorry to bolt out of here,” Burt apologizes. “But we have to hit the road to Toledo so we’re not falling asleep at the wheel.”
“Oh, let me get a picture of you two quick,” Carole remarks, and Kurt obligingly wraps an arm around Blaine’s waist and leans in close, and it feels so odd to be so casually close to him with so much unresolved between them.
Carole gives them both hugs again before they leave, and he and Kurt get pulled back into the fray of their cast mates as they congregate backstage and reassert plans for the cast party at Breadstix.
Blaine tells them he’ll catch up with them later, and really, he just needs a little time alone to process all of the emotions he hasn’t been able to really feel all day for fear of them interfering with his performance.
But Kurt finds him, of course he does. A large part of Blaine wanted him to find him.
They reconcile, and Blaine’s sincere apology seems to land genuinely with Kurt. When Kurt suggests going back to his empty house, Blaine allows himself to throw away any last doubts about his character or his relationship. He messed up, but Kurt loves him — still loves him — and he’s learned from his mistake.
After the week he’s had, spending the night with Kurt makes it all worth it. Getting to wake up next to him after a new sense of both welcome vulnerability and unwavering security soothes any residual ache Blaine could possibly have. He feels seen, cared for, supported, and above all, loved.