Fic: Sweet Music Man (7/?)

[ilovehummel]

Media: Fic
Title: Sweet Music Man
Author: Elizabeth (taylarellolove/ilovehummel)
Rating: T
Warnings: None
Spoilers: Everything up to 2x18
Pairings: Klaine, Burt/Blaine

Summary: A series of unfortunate and life changing circumstances cause Burt and Blaine to form an unlikely friendship based on their unconditional love for Kurt. Meanwhile Kurt and Blaine find strength in each other to move on and find their happily ever after together.

A/N: So I changed the summary at little ^^^. There will be a lot more Burt/Blaine scenes to come, but it will also be heavy on the Klaine. Also, this is by far my favorite chapter of this story thus far. I cranked it out in about two hours, so excuse any typos. I'm tired and sick. Also thanks to everyone who has read and commented on this story. This chapter will hopefully make up for the tears. Also thanks to purajo for the idea of the Artie/Klaine scene. It was shorter than I planned...but I had to put it in there. Anyway...onto the story!

Previous chapter


August 21, 2011

11:14 AM

By the time Kurt was well enough to come home, his memory was only slightly better. He was able to remember parts of conversations from the day before, and he had retained knowledge of the accident. The doctors explained that he was forming long term memories now and he was on the slow path to a full recovery. Everyone just had to be annoyingly patient with him as he forgot what they were talking about mid-conversation.

His memory, though, was not the only thing they had to be patient with. Kurt knew how to use a wheelchair thanks to Mr. Schue’s lesson on how hard things were for Artie, but he was hesitant now that he actually needed it.

It had been Finn’s idea to throw Kurt a welcome home party, which Burt, Carole, and Blaine only agreed to because they knew Finn wanted to do something that made him feel important. Now with Kurt coming home, they knew Finn wouldn’t be getting much attention and they felt slightly guilty for it. Except that Kurt needed them more right now, so they didn’t let the guilt consume them.

When Carole’s car pulled up in front of the Hudson-Hummel house that day, there were cars everywhere. All of New Directions was waiting inside quite impatiently to welcome a slightly overwhelmed Kurt back home. Carole pulled up right in front of the garage and turned around to smile at Kurt, who sat beside Blaine, clutching his hand tightly.

“Are you ready, Kurt?” Carole asked. She sent a quick glance towards Burt, who climbed out and went to the trunk to pull out and unfold Kurt’s wheelchair. He didn’t reply, instead leaning closer to Blaine.

The door opened and Kurt stared at the wheelchair like it was a monster about to eat him. Blaine extracted himself from Kurt’s grasp and got out of the car, going around to the open door to help Kurt into the chair.

Blaine unbuckled Kurt’s seatbelt and tucked his arm under Kurt’s knees. Carefully, slowly, he pulled Kurt out of the car and got him sitting in the chair. He insisted on being the one to help Kurt because he needed Kurt to trust him. Not that Kurt didn’t, he just wanted Kurt to know if he ever needed help, Blaine would be there.

Burt rolled Kurt’s chair toward the house, into the garage. He’d built a ramp from the back porch but he hadn’t gotten to building one in the front yet. Carole and Blaine followed, almost startled by the cry of “welcome home Kurt!” that filled the house as soon as they entered. Kurt offered them all a smile and a round of “thank you guys”, but Blaine could tell he wasn’t excited about his friends seeing him weak and vulnerable in his wheelchair.

“Hey y’all, Kurt’s my bro now,” Artie announced, wheeling over to Kurt and holding his gloved hand for a high five. Kurt raised an eyebrow and weakly offered him a high five back. His arms were tired, despite the physical therapy he’d been doing for the last three weeks.

“Look, Kurt, we made you all kinds of gross organic snacks that you like,” Finn announced proudly. Kurt smiled at his stepbrother, but it was half-hearted.

“You look amazing, boo,” Mercedes hugged him tightly. Before they left the hospital, Kurt insisted on doing what he could with his still frustratingly short hair. No matter what though, it would be a long time before Kurt would back to the boy they all knew and loved.

Kurt wheeled himself over to the folding table that was set up in the living room, covered in plates of foods that didn’t quite look like the pictures in the recipe books. Everyone was silent as he leaned forward, taking a paper plate and reaching across the table, trying to reach a plate of what looked like organic spring rolls. He let out a small whimper as his fingers couldn’t quite grasp one of the snacks. Instinctively, Blaine stepped forward and took Kurt’s plate, about to fill it with food.

“Stop!” Kurt snapped. He grabbed the plate back and glared up at his boyfriend. “I don’t need your help. I can get it myself!”

Blaine looked shocked at Kurt’s outburst, then retreated and watched Kurt struggle for another minute, frustration becoming evident. The room was silent, then he finally leaned back in the chair. Refusing to look up at Blaine, he quietly asked him to just move the plate a little closer to the edge. Blaine did, and Kurt put a couple of the snacks on his plate, setting it in his lap and wheeling himself over to be next to Mercedes.

Someone cleared their throat - it sounded like Puck - and Rachel suggested that someone turn on some music in the silence. Blaine turned on the soundtrack for Wicked, knowing how much Kurt loved it, and watched from a distance as his boyfriend attempted to have a conversation with Mercedes and Tina.

The members of New Directions spread themselves out in the house: Finn, Puck, Sam, and Artie set up Finn’s Xbox and started up a Call of Duty tournament while Mercedes, Quinn, Brittany, and Santana filled Kurt in on the latest fashion trends that he’d been missing out on. Rachel discussed new musicals on Broadway with Blaine. Mike and Tina were…well…some place. Probably attached to each other’s faces.

After an hour, Burt asked Blaine to help him outside with the grill. He was going to barbeque up some hotdogs and burgers for everyone. Blaine got the meats from the kitchen and met Burt outside. It was just the two of them outside and it was quiet, unlike inside.

“I think Kurt’s gonna be all right,” Burt said as he laid a few hamburger patties on the grill. For a moment, only the sizzle of the meat juices cooking could be heard, then Blaine spoke up.

“I don’t know,” Blaine said. “When he wakes up tomorrow morning, he won’t even remember this.”

Burt shrugged. “He wouldn’t let you help him. That sounds a lot like the Kurt I know.”

“I know. I’m glad he’s still strong, but this isn’t going to be easy for him. The doctor said he’s gonna need physical and mental therapy. He won’t be able to go back to school. He won’t be able to graduate on time and go to college. They said there’s hope, but without him working for it, he’ll never walk again. Who knows if he’ll ever sing again? And he can’t go shopping as well now. I’m just…I just hate that I have to be the one to explain all these things to him. I know that you could explain it just as easily, but I don’t want him to ever think I would hide something from him.” Blaine realized he was rambling a bit and looked up at the older man, who eyed him with a look of pity.

“This is a lot for someone your age to take on,” Burt said. He looked back down at the burgers sizzling over the charcoals. “I think that maybe you should take some time to relax. You’ve been working almost full time at the shop and helping Kurt. Take a little time for yourself.”

“I can’t,” Blaine sighed, sitting down on the edge of one of the patio chairs. He rested his elbows on his knees and watched an ant scurrying across the patio.

“I don’t see why,” Burt said. “Carole and Finn and I are just as capable of helping Kurt as you are.”

“But you’re family. You have to be here. Kurt needs to see that I chose him,” Blaine insisted.

“He does see that,” Burt said. “Hell, the other morning he asked me to tell you to not see him until you got at least eight hours of sleep and a decent not fast food meal.”

Blaine let out a long, frustrated sigh. He hadn’t slept more than four or five hours a night since Kurt woke up and he’d been living on fast food tacos and whatever Carole left him in the fridge for dinner. It wasn’t healthy, but he was far less concerned with his own health and focused solely on Kurt’s.

“What am I gonna do?” Blaine asked. “I have to be responsible for myself now and Kurt needs me and it feels like there is so much pressure on the decisions I make now that I can’t even tell which is the right one anymore.”

“Hey,” Burt said softly. He turned away from the grill for a moment and moved closer to Blaine. Stiffly, he sat down in the chair beside Blaine’s. “You won’t be of any use to Kurt if you don’t take care of yourself.”

“What is there to take care of?” Blaine shrugged. “The only part of me that matters is Kurt.”

“That’s not true,” Burt said. “You are your own person. You can identify yourself by your love for Kurt, but he’s not the only thing about you that’s worth knowing. Why does Kurt love you?”

Blaine shrugged one shoulder and shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. “I don’t know. I guess he likes that we both like music and Project Runway and baking those weird organic cupcakes. He said before he likes that he can have an intellectual conversation with me and he likes that I understand him.”

“So you’re smart, talented, you’re a good lookin’ guy who’s got his shit together. I think those are reasons right there that you’re an amazing person. Those are reasons why you matter, Blaine. You’ve got to take some time for yourself or you’ll never be able to be what Kurt needs you to be,” Burt told him.

Blaine smiled softly and turned to look at Burt.

“Thanks,” Blaine said. “I needed to hear that.”

“Anytime,” Burt said. He stood and went back to the grill and flipped burgers silently for five minutes. “Hey, you like football, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” Blaine said, perking up. “I’m a huge Buckeyes fan.”

“Great. My buddy got me two tickets to their first game in a couple weeks. You and me, kiddo, we’ll go. Just the two of us.” Burt flashed a smile over his shoulder, seeing Blaine’s wide eyed smile.

“Really? But what about Finn? I mean, he’s your stepson. You should take him,” Blaine said, his smile not lasting long.

“No arguments,” Burt said. “We’re going to that game and you’re going to have a damn good time.”

Blaine looked like he wanted to argue, but instead he just accepted that Burt wanted to do this with him, do this for him, and thanked him gratefully.

“No problem,” Burt said. “Now get inside and tell everyone burgers are ready.”

Blaine jumped up and headed back into the house. He announced to everyone that the hamburgers were ready if anyone wanted them, and he was surprised when everyone hurried as fast as they could outside. Everyone except Kurt and Artie.

“Kurt, I was wondering if I could talk to you for a second,” Artie said. Kurt turned his chair enough to look at Artie, his face emotionless. Blaine hung behind, wondering if he was welcome in this conversation or not. Kurt glanced over his shoulder and motioned for Blaine to come over. He grasped Blaine’s hand as Blaine pulled over the chair Quinn had previously occupied.

“Sorry,” Kurt said, motioning towards Blaine. “It’s not like I can hold hands while I walk with him anymore so I gotta take it when I can get it.”

Blaine’s heart ached, but Artie looked like he understood.

“I know the last thing you want it pity right now, but if there’s anyone who knows how you feel it’s me. I’m really sorry this had to happy to you, Kurt. I just…it shouldn’t have happened to someone like you,” Artie said. “And if you ever need anyone to give you tips on how to rule the chair, I’m just a phone call away.”

“Thanks,” Kurt said, smiling. Even he knew that he wouldn’t remember this conversation the next day, but it still meant a lot that Artie - who usually didn’t really talk to him all that much - would offer his friendship. “I might have to take you up on that one of these days. This house isn’t exactly wheelchair friendly.”

Artie nodded and just as he was about to head outside, Sam came back in with an extra hamburger for him.

“Hey, dudes, you better hurry up before they’re all gone,” Sam said, looking at Kurt and Blaine. Blaine chuckled and asked Kurt it would be ok if he pushed him, not wanting to assume Kurt needed his help.

“Yeah,” Kurt said. “But only if you kiss me first.”

Blaine’s heart pounded in his chest. He hadn’t kissed Kurt properly in months. He leaned forward hesitantly, meeting Kurt halfway. The kiss was dry and chaste, but it made Blaine’s whole body heat up as an explosion of fireworks that rivaled that of their first kiss reminded him of how much he loved the boy in front of him. Wheelchair or not, fashionable clothes or not, short-term memories or not, Blaine Anderson loved Kurt Hummel and it was going to take a whole lot more than a car accident to keep them apart.

. ~ . ~ .

That night, Burt pushed the coffee table away from the couch and unfolded the queen sized mattress. Kurt watched with a mournful expression as Blaine helped his father adjust the sheets on the bed and lay some blankets over it.

“I don’t know how long you’ll have to stay down here, Kurt, but if you need anything, I want you to let us know,” Burt said. Kurt blushed slightly and looked away. He realized quickly he needed help with a lot of things he hadn’t thought he would. Even just going to the bathroom required assistance.

“I just want to take a bath and go to bed,” Kurt announced. Easier said than done. After another ten minutes of arguing between Burt, Carole, and Blaine, Kurt interrupted and said the only person he felt comfortable with helping him get naked and get clean would be Blaine.

Blaine, of course, had been shocked by this. Sure, he’d help the nurses with Kurt when he was comatose, but even then he felt like he was violating Kurt’s privacy. But the next thing either of them knew, they were alone in the downstairs bathroom. Blaine filled the bathtub up with warm water and made sure all of Kurt’s favorite shampoo products were within reach, then with much struggling, he helped Kurt out of his clothes and into the tub.

“However embarrassing this is for you,” Kurt said as Blaine sat on the other side of the half closed shower curtain, trying to avoid thinking about Kurt naked, “it’s ten times as embarrassing for me.”

“I’m sorry,” Blaine said, unable to resist a small chuckle.

He closed his eyes and listen to the small splashes of water that came with Kurt’s movement in the bathtub. After a moment, Kurt began to hum and slow melody that seemed oddly familiar. Blaine listened as Kurt repeated the melody over and over before he finally realized that it was the song that he wrote for Kurt that he had played him in the hospital.

“I have this damn song stuck in my head,” Kurt announced. “And I have no idea where I heard it.”

Blaine smiled to himself and said, “Maybe you heard it on the radio or something.”

Maybe someday, when Kurt’s memory was better, he’d play him the song again.

. ~ . ~ .

When Kurt was dry and wearing a pair of green pajamas, Blaine helped him into bed and leaned over to give him a soft, quick good night kiss. He asked Kurt if he needed anything else, and Kurt quietly asked if he would lay with him.

“I don’t know, Kurt. Your dad might not like it,” Blaine said hesitantly. Kurt’s beautiful blue eyes just blinked at him and Blaine knew he couldn’t refuse him. He turned off the lights and slipped into the bed beside Kurt. After a moment of awkward situating, Kurt’s back was pressed against Blaine’s chest as Blaine draped an arm around Kurt’s middle.

“Blaine?”

“Yeah?”

“There’s one thing I’ll never forget.”

“What’s that?”

“I love you.”

It took Blaine a moment to answer as he tried not to let his eyes fill with tears.

“I love you too, Kurt.”

After that it was quiet. Blaine waited for the stead rise and fall of Kurt’s breathing that signaled he was asleep. Blaine pressed a soft kiss to the nape of Kurt’s neck, then slowly and carefully climbed out from under the covers and headed upstairs.

. ~ . ~ .

September 3, 2011

5:45 PM

“I played here in my senior year when we made it to state,” Burt said as he and Blaine climbed stairs with armfuls of drinks and snacks.

“My father promised to take me to a game, but he got too busy with work,” Blaine said. “This is so great.”

“Did Kurt ever tell you about the time he tried to impress me by being on the football team?” Burt asked as they found their seats and settled down. Blaine raised an eyebrow as he was about to pop a piece of popcorn into his mouth.

“No, I believe he failed to mention that,” Blaine said.

Burt told him the story, starting with catching Kurt dancing to Beyoncé in “that ridicules spandex lookin’ thing” - an image that made Blaine smile as he imagined baby faced Kurt from almost two years before - and ending with that being what made Kurt come out to him.

“Sometimes I’m jealous of Kurt because of that,” Blaine said. “My dad wasn’t nearly as supportive of my…lifestyle…as you are of Kurt’s.”

Burt gave him a look as if to say it shouldn’t matter what his sexuality was, and Blaine offered him a small smile. He looked down at the field, waiting for the game to start. It was silent and awkward between the two of them until Burt set his own popcorn down and turned as much as he could in the stadium seat.

“You never did tell me what happened that made you leave home,” Burt said. Blaine stayed staring straight ahead, so Burt added, “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I just want you to know that I’m here for you.”

Blaine took a few more bites of popcorn, then washed it down with a long drink of his Pepsi. Setting the food down, he finally decided to speak.

“My father basically told me that if I didn’t buckle down and get a girlfriend and graduate Dalton at the top of my class, then he would disown me,” Blaine shrugged. “He was tired of my ‘teenage experimentation’ and he was one of those people who think that being gay is a choice. As if I would choose to listen to his crap all the time. Anyway, he said no son of his would be a fag and he hit me and kicked me out.”

Burt looked angry, like he couldn’t understand how someone could do that to their kid. Especially when their kid was as nice and respectful and smart as Blaine was. Blaine’s father gave him up because of who he was, something Burt could never imagine doing to Kurt or even Finn.

“His loss,” Burt said. “He lost a son and I gained one.”

Blaine smiled and he was surprised at this strange feeling inside of him. It was a feeling of being loved.

. ~ . ~ .

September 7, 2011

7:10 AM

“Come on, Finn, wake up! You’ll be late for school if you don’t get out of bed in the next thirty seconds!” Carole’s voice could be heard from upstairs as she pounded on Finn’s bedroom door. Kurt and Blaine shared amused chuckles as they sat on the couch with plates of bacon, eggs, and toast on their laps.

“I approve of your wardrobe choices for your first day of school,” Kurt said, eyeing Blaine’s maroon polo, black jacket, and jeans. “It’s casual and laid back. And it makes your butt look good.”

Blaine blushed and laughed as he took a bite of toast.

“You would like it. The jacket is yours,” Blaine said. Kurt smiled and bumped his shoulder against Blaine’s. Then suddenly, Kurt’s mood vanished and he pushed his plate of breakfast away. “Hey, what is it?” Blaine asked softly.

“It’s not fair,” Kurt said. “I want to go back. I want to be in glee club and help you guys win Nationals this year. I want to learn and go to school. Why can’t I go?”

Blaine sighed, his appetite suddenly disappearing as well.

“You can’t go to school, Kurt, because you just asked me this same question half an hour ago and you can’t even remember that I answered it,” Blaine replied. Kurt looked hurt, scared, confused, and angry all at once.

“I…oh.” Kurt hung his head, trying not to cry. “What if…what if I get my memory back? Can I go then?”

“I don’t know,” Blaine said. “Maybe. But you missed two months of class last year. Last I heard was that you aren’t even enrolled in McKinley anymore.”

“But I don’t wanna be a dropout, Blaine. I’m better than that,” Kurt insisted.

“I know that, Kurt, but look at it this way. You can’t pass a French test if you can’t even remember what you ate for breakfast let alone what you’ve been learning for the past week,” Blaine said. He didn’t mean to sound so harsh, but this was the same explanation he’d given Kurt earlier that morning.

“Oh,” Kurt said. “Well in that case it seems silly of me to even want to try.”

“Don’t think of it that way, please. Believe me, I didn’t want to go. I wanted to spend all day with you, but Mercedes and Rachel and your dad, they all made me realized I could provide a better life for us if I finished school. That’s all I want, Kurt, is to have a good life with you,” Blaine said.

“There’s a lot I can’t do, isn’t there?” Kurt asked.

“I don’t know about what you can’t do, but I do know what you can do. I know you can be an amazing boyfriend. I know you can cook some amazing meals, even if you can’t see the counter that well. I know that you can still sing in that beautiful voice of yours,” Blaine replied. He leaned forward and kissed Kurt’s cheek. Kurt turned his head so Blaine’s lips landed on his. They just rested there for a while, just pressing their lips together.

When they finally pulled away, Blaine looked down at his half eaten plate of breakfast. “I’ve got to go to work at the shop until eleven thirty, then I’ve got Government, English, and Glee. I’ll be home right after that, I promise, just in time for us to watch Ellen together.”

Kurt offered him a small smile, then gave his hand a quick squeeze before he had to leave.

As hard as it was for Blaine to leave Kurt for most of the day, he knew it would be worth it in the end. Besides, he had his phone. If Kurt needed anything, he could just call or text and Blaine would be there for him.

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