Fic: Somewhere Only We Know (5/?)
Title: View Paradise (Chapter 5)
Chapter Rating: PG
Warning: N/A
Summary: The family responds to Blaine's surprise and Kurt feels unsure about Blaine's certainty.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the character's you recognize, I'm just playing around. There is no opyright infringement intended.
Carole was more flustered by the proposal than Kurt was. She starting crying as soon as Kurt said yes, and barely gave him time to plant a chaste kiss on Blaine's lips before she pushed her way in a grabbed both of the boys in a bear hug. Burt was sitting quietly on the sofa, unmoved from the spot where he had closely watched his son get engaged. Rachel was trying to keep from crying, leaning happily on Finn's shoulder.
"Oh, there's so much to do!" Carole exclaimed, not wanting to let the boys go. She finally relinquished her hold on them when Kurt pushed her gently away.
"There sure is!" Kurt grinned at her as Blaine gently slipped the engagement band on the younger man's hand. He, too, was trying to avoid choking up. Blaine kissed him on the cheek, slightly uncomfortable with showing too much affection in front of Kurt's father. He couldn't contain himself though.
Carole motioned for Kurt to follow her as she headed into the kitchen. As she was getting a garbage bag out of the pantry, she continued to talk to him. "You helped so much with our wedding; I want to return the favour. You just tell me whatever I can do to help you two, okay? I know it will be hard with us here in Lima, and you two in New York, but I really want to help. I knew when I married Burt I would get the chance to plan the wedding I never would have with Finn!" She was beaming at him as he nodded, taking the garbage bag from her.
Kurt's head was still reeling. After the conversation at the coffee shop, he certainly hadn't been expecting Blaine to propose any time soon. The fact that he was still interested in planning the rest of his life with Kurt was extremely moving - he knew that there could possibly be huge changes in their future and he still went through with a proposal that Kurt was sure he had planned for ages. Opening the bag, he glanced down at his hand, eyes widening upon seeing the shining ring there. That would take some getting used to, for sure.
He followed Carole back into the room, where Finn and Rachel were chatting on the love seat. "Where are Blaine and dad?" Kurt asked them, kneeling down to grab up the pile of crumpled wrapping paper.
"Your dad just grabbed Blaine and took him out of the room, didn't say anything to us at all." Rachel shrugged her shoulders and went back to talking about her musical.
Out in the hallway, Burt was staring sternly at a concerned Blaine, who was shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. "Are you mad?" Blaine asked, trying to break through the silent tension between them. When Blaine had come to live with the Hummel-Hudson family after his last Christmas at home, everyone - including Burt - had welcomed him into their home with open arms. But Burt still seemed to regard the Blaine that was Kurt's boyfriend with some sort of wariness.
"No, I'm not," Burt replied quietly, leaning his back against the wall. "When you asked me for my blessing, and I said I would be proud to have you as a son-in-law, I meant it. You fit in like the missing puzzle piece with this family. You've made Kurt a better, happier, stronger person. He knows himself better because of you - he trusts himself, and everyone around him, more. Because of you." Burt sighed and glance sideways at Blaine, who had his hands in his pockets and was watching the older man nervously. "I know that you will treat him right, because you always have. I know that you'll be there for him, because you always have."
"I'm not sure what's going on here," Blaine looked up, hoping for some kind of (possible reassuring) answer.
"When you asked me yesterday for my son's hand in marriage, I didn't expect you to propose to him today." He shrugged, turning to look Blaine straight in the eye. "I want you to understand, I love Kurt for exactly who he is. I am completely used to him being gay, I love that he feels like he can be himself. I love that he found someone who makes him feel like that. I think you're wonderful. But the idea of Kurt getting married…I honestly never gave it much thought. I figured after you asked, I would have some time to…wrap my head around it."
"I'm sorry," Blaine said honestly. "I wasn't planning on proposing right away. Something…happened. I just couldn't wait." He smiled sheepishly at Burt, but said no more.
"I'm not sure how to handle this. I feel like I should be telling you if you hurt him, I'll castrate you. Which I will. But I know Kurt would be angry in he heard me saying that to you."
"I…know." Blaine shifted again. "I would never hurt him. Never."
"Alright. Listen," Burt grasped both of Blaine's shoulders, "I'm excited to have you as part of this family. I love you. We all do." He pulled Blaine into a tight hug which the young man promptly returned. "Just do me a favour," Burt asked, pulling away from the hug, "make sure Kurt doesn't go crazy. I just know he's going to expect me to pay for this wedding."
Christmas supper had been eaten in a haze of happiness and chatter, and now, content and tired, Blaine and Kurt had gone to their room to pack their bags. Their flight home left early the next morning, and everyone wanted to have one last breakfast together before they left, so Kurt was determined to have everything ready to go. "Blaine?" Kurt asked, dropping the last of his things into his bag and zipping it shut.
"Mhm?" Blaine was pulling his sweater off.
"Are you sure you want to marry me?" Kurt's voice was quiet, almost inaudible, but Blaine heard the note of hesitation in it.
He tugged the sweater over his head quickly and dropped it on the bed. He took the few steps to close the distance between the two of them, and grabbed Kurt's hands. "I wouldn't have proposed if I didn't want to marry you, honey. What's on your mind?"
"Well, I was just thinking, you know, I just brought up this whole sex change thing. And while it's very noble and sweet of you to propose to me, regardless, I feel like you should be able to have an out. You don't have to stay with me if…if the possibility of me being a female repulses you." Kurt wasn't looking him in the eyes; couldn't will himself to risk seeing the truth there.
Blaine sighed and tugged on Kurt's hands. "Come here, come sit." He pulled him down next to him on the bed and kept holding one of his hands. "Now, I want you to listen to me. Hear what I'm saying and try to take it in. It's clear to me that I haven't made myself understood recently, and it's very important that I fix that." Kurt's heart was pounding and his head felt ridiculously heavy on his shoulders. Blaine traced small circles on the sensitive skin between the Kurt's thumb and forefinger, trying to calm his visible physical stress.
"I love you. I don't just love your body, or your singing voice, or your laugh. I love everything about you. When we went for coffee, and you told me about the fact that you might want a sex change, I knew right then that I wanted to spend every day of the rest of my life with you. Your bravery and honesty that day blew me away. The truth is that, yes, I do think it will be difficult if you're a woman. However," he said, cutting off a comment from Kurt, "It is not just you being a male that makes me love you - or turns me on. It's the sounds you make, the way you scratch my back a little too hard when you're climaxing, the way you bite your lip when you're trying to be quiet. It's all the little things that I've had all this time to see. It will take time to get used to the different geography, but you made me want to take this journey with you. I wouldn't have you any other way than the one that you're comfortable with. Do you understand me now?"
Kurt finally looked up at his fiancé, smiling through the tears on his face. "I understand you now," he whispered, leaning in for a kiss. Blaine's hand found its comfortable spot on Kurt's face, and he cupped the young man's cheek, letting Kurt's hair curl around his fingertips.
"Well, this is where we have to say goodbye," Burt handed Kurt's carry on to him, smiling sadly. "It was so nice to have you home."
"We'll miss having you around the house, boys," Carole chimed in and Finn nodded.
"We'll see each other soon again," Blaine said, adjusting his bag quickly before hugging Carole goodbye.
"I'll make sure of it," Kurt reassured her. "We have so many plans to make!"
"Bye guys," Finn hugged them quickly and they started to walk towards the security gate.
Burt came jogging up behind them. "Kurt, I just want you to know, I'm…I'm happier for you than I can say." He wrapped his son in a strong hug, kissing the crown of his head. "Love you, have a safe flight." He turned to walk away before his son could reply, so Kurt turned to Blaine, confused by his father's sudden surge of affection. Blaine shrugged his shoulders.
"Let's go home," he said as response, grasping Kurt's free hand and linking their fingers together.
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