Fic: Sweet Music Man (13/?)
Media: Fic
Title: Sweet Music Man
Author: Elizabeth (ilovehummel)
Rating: R
Warnings: none
Spoilers: Everything up to 2x18
Pairings: Klaine, Burt/Blaine friendship
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.
In this chapter: Blaine makes a choice, Burt has a word with Blaine, Kurt and Blaine sing a duet.
A/N: I love love the end of this chapter. The song is You and Me by Lifehouse
Previous Chapter
Blaine was shocked at the familiar faces. He didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t call them Mom and Dad. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson just seemed awkward. He didn’t want to talk to them at all. He just stared at them, gripping the door so hard his knuckles were turning white. Finally, his mother spoke.
“Oh sweetie, it’s so nice to see you again.” Carla Anderson stepped towards him, but he took a step back.
“What are you doing here?” Blaine croaked, his voice getting caught in his throat.
“We’ve come to bring you home,” Carla said. “I’ve missed you so much, and I couldn’t stand letting you live your life without us being a part of it.”
“I don’t want you in my life,” Blaine snapped. He refused to look at his father, who remained silent and stoic.
“Don’t be silly, son.” Carla stepped back, folding her hands in front of her and looking at him with adoring, oblivious eyes. “It took us forever to find you.”
“Did you ever think that maybe I didn’t want to be found?” Blaine said, his voice low and hurt, letting his parents know he didn’t want to see them. He moved to slam the door shut, but his father stepped forward and stopped the door with the palm of his hand. Blaine stiffened, still trying to close the door. His father was a much larger man, having not passes his size onto his son.
“Blaine? Who is it?” Kurt’s voice was close, and Blaine turned around to see Kurt navigating through the house to come see what was keeping his boyfriend.
“Kurt, go back into the dining room,” Blaine snapped. Kurt didn’t listen - he never did in times like this - and wheeled himself up to the door.
“You’re living with him?” Jack Anderson questioned, sounding disgusted. Kurt’s eyes widened when he recognized Blaine’s parents. He slowly inched his wheelchair away from the doorway.
“Yes I am, because you kicked me out and he loves me,” Blaine answered. He reached back and grasped Kurt’s hand, tugging him forward.
“Son, we had to come back,” Carla said. She was deliriously sweet sounding and it made Blaine sick, like he was going to throw up all the delicious food that Carole had cooked. Carole, who was more than a mother to him than Carla had ever been.
“You may be…homosexual…but you are still an Anderson and we cannot have you throwing away this family’s legacy for…for…for some boy in a wheelchair!” Jack raised his voice and stepped closer to the door. Blaine threw open the door and let go of Kurt’s hand.
“Dad!” Kurt shouted, trying to turn around in the small space he had.
“Do not talk about him like that.” Blaine practically snarled as he balled his hands into fists. Jack was about to respond when Burt and Finn came running through to the door, responding to Kurt’s distressed cry.
“What’s going on?” Burt asked, first looking to see if Kurt was alright, then turning his gaze to Blaine, and then Blaine’s parents. “Who the hell are you?”
“Blaine’s parents!” Kurt said, letting Finn help him get away from the conflict about to happen.
Burt suddenly turned very, very scary looking. Like, if that intimidating look had ever been placed on Blaine, Blaine was sure he would crap himself. This was worse than when Burt had been angry at him for leaving Kurt and coming back.
“Get off my property,” Burt said coldly. He put his hand on Blaine’s shoulder and pushed him back into the house, stepping out on the porch. “Blaine, go inside and stay with Kurt.”
Blaine didn’t listen.
“We’ve just come for our son,” Carla said, not fazed by Burt’s intimidation. It was clear by the look on her face that in her mind, she looked down on Burt for his flannel shirt and Hummel Tires and Lube cap.
“Blaine lives with us now. He’s eighteen. You have no place to tell him what to do,” Burt said, stepping in front Blaine.
“Now just a minute.” Jack Anderson looked as though he was going to challenge Burt. “Just let me tell my son what I came to tell him, and then he can make his choice. He can stay with you, putting himself in a position where he won’t be afford a place to live when he’s done with school let alone afford a good college. Or, he can come home with us and finish up his studies at Dalton, move on to a good Ivy League school, become a successful lawyer, and make something of himself.”
Burt looked behind at Blaine, who for a second actually listened to his father. For a second, Blaine thought about the life he was depriving himself of. It was a life free of worries, full of financial security, and maybe when he was done with all that he could bring Kurt back into his life and they could get married. Maybe, if he did this, he could have the best of both worlds. If it hadn’t been for the accident, it would’ve happened that way.
“Go on then,” Blaine said. “Tell me what you came to tell me.”
“Blaine, son, your mother and I…we came to tell you that we both love you and miss you. I…I wanted to apologize for what I did. For what I said. I shouldn’t have hit you like I did and I regret doing that every day. Things just aren’t the same with you around and it would really mean a lot to us…to me if you would come home.” Jack managed to sound sincere. Burt could see right through it, but Blaine almost looked swayed by his father’s words.
“You’ll accept who I am if I do?” Blaine asked, seeing joy spread over his mother’s face as he considered it.
“Yes,” Jack said, gritting his teeth as he did so.
Blaine was silent for a moment, staring at his parents, wondering what would happen if he went with them. If they would keep their word. If his life really could be better. Blaine glanced up at Burt to see what he thought of it, sure that Burt would look relieved to not have to have Blaine to worry about on top of his wheelchair bound son and less than intelligent stepson.
But Burt did not look relieved. He wasn’t even angry. He looked hurt. He was hurt that Blaine would consider leaving him and Kurt and the family they had all built together in the last few months just because two people that couldn’t truly love him gave him the promise of a better life.
“The choice is yours, Blaine,” Burt said solemnly.
“What choice?”
Blaine turned around, surprised that Kurt was there, looking up at him with sparkling blue eyes, looking on the verge of tears. Blaine’s eyebrows drew together as he glanced from Kurt to Burt to his parents.
“Well come on then, Blaine. Pack your things so we can take you home,” Jack said, motioning for Blaine to come with them, sensing that Blaine had considered for just a moment coming with them.
“Wait a minute.” Blaine held up a hand.
“Please don’t leave me again,” Kurt cried out suddenly. “I-if you leave…then I’ll…I’ll kill myself! If you leave. I will! In front of everyone.”
“Kurt, please, I…” Blaine abandoned the door and stepped towards Kurt, who was frantically backing away, running his wheelchair into the wall.
“Just go! You never cared about me, did you? It was all a lie. Everything was a lie!” Kurt sobbed freely as he buried his face in his hands, his body shaking.
Blaine turned away from Kurt to face his parents. He gave them one last look, letting them think he was going to do it when really, his heart was desperately trying to pull him towards Kurt.
“I think…” Blaine cringed when Kurt let out one particularly pained sob. He eyed Burt out of the corner of his eye, who just stood and watched as his son fell apart right there. Finally, Blaine met the eyes of his father and straightened up. “I think you can go to hell. Now I’d appreciate it if you left. Immediately.”
He slammed the door shut right in their faces.
In an instant he was on his knees in front of Kurt, trying to pry his hands away from his face.
“Kurt, please, look at me. Kurt! You have to look at me, please,” Blaine pleaded, clutching at Kurt’s hands. Kurt sobbed loudly, loud enough to catch the attention of the family, who gathered and were all staring at the spectacle before them.
“You were going to leave…leave me…again…I love you and you were going to leave me!” Kurt sobbed as he tried to pulled his hands out of Blaine’s but Blaine’s grip was too tight.
“Look at me, Kurt, please. Look me in the eye,” Blaine said seriously. It took Kurt a moment, but he finally raised his head enough that his blue eyes met Blaine’s golden ones. It was all Blaine could do not to cry at the pain in Kurt’s expression. He saw pain, betrayal, and a hint of desperation in Kurt’s expression.
“You promised you wouldn’t,” Kurt whimpered. “Blaine, I need you.”
“I know, Kurt. Please, you have to believe me. I was not going to leave you. I just thought for a second maybe things could go back to the way they were, before the accident. But then I knew I couldn’t be away from you. I’ve had a taste of the good life, Kurt. Seeing you every single day. I can’t give that up. I love you so much.” Blaine’s hands moved to cup either side of Kurt’s jaw. Kurt’s cries turned silent as his shoulders shook. “Please believe me.”
“I do,” Kurt said. “I love you too.”
“I gave you that ring for a reason,” Blaine said. “I will always love you. Always.”
Kurt nodded and grasped Blaine’s hands, squeezing them tightly. After a few moments, he realized they were being watched. He visibly shrunk under everyone’s pained, sympathetic gaze.
“I want to go upstairs,” Kurt said. Blaine nodded and stood. As he made a move to lift Kurt into his arms, Burt put a hand on his shoulder.
“Kurt, is it ok if Finn takes you to your room? I want to talk to Blaine for a minute.” Burt looked at his son, who nodded feebly and waited for Finn to come help him. Burt motioned for Blaine to follow him, and he offered the family a small smile to show that everything was going to be all right. They went out the back door and onto the porch.
It was chillingly silent for a long minute before Burt spoke.
“Thank you,” Burt said. Blaine was almost shocked to hear it.
“F-for what?”
“For not going with them. For choosing this life full of challenges instead of taking the easy way out. For making me proud to have you as a part of this family,” Burt told him. They sat down in two of the patio chairs.
“There wasn’t a choice to be made. Kurt is my life. I couldn’t leave him again,” Blaine said. “But I won’t deny that there was a moment where I let myself believe I could still be with him even if I went with them.”
“You’re a good guy, Blaine,” Burt said. He let out a long sigh and leaned his arms on his thighs, looking over at Blaine. “Kurt wanted to tell you himself, so just act surprised when he does, but I thought you should know he’s going back to school on Monday.”
Blaine’s eyes widened as he jerked his head up, looking at Burt in disbelief.
“He what?”
“He passed all the tests the doctor gave him, so we took him down to that school last week and got him enrolled again. He’s just taking easy classes. Regular English and Government and some special tutoring to help him make up credits he lost last year. No advanced French or anything like that. If he works hard, he’ll be able to graduate right alongside you and Finn,” Burt explained.
“That’s great!” Blaine said, grinning. Kurt was coming back to school, which meant they could eat lunch together and be in glee club together and he could Kurt to his classes just like he’d done when they’d been at Dalton together.
“He was adamant about being in that damn glee club, but he’s going to have to miss rehearsals twice a week to do his physical therapy. He wants to walk by graduation.” Burt shook his head in disbelief at the strength and determination of his son.
“A day doesn’t go by where I’m not amazed by him,” Blaine admitted quietly. Another silent moment passed before Blaine declared he should go up and be with Kurt. Burt agreed and before they both headed inside, the older man pulled Blaine into a tight embrace. He held Blaine tighter than Blaine’s own father had ever dared.
Blaine decided it felt nice to be a part of a family so willing to love, and he would be foolish to ever give it up.
. ~ . ~ .
Kurt was lying on his bed watching Meet the Fockers on his laptop when Blaine got upstairs. Rachel was beside him, her head leaning against his shoulder, watching the movie with him. They both smiled up at Blaine as he quietly entered. Kurt motioned for him to come join them. He crawled across the mattress and settled beside Kurt, taking his boyfriend’s soft hand in his.
He leaned close to Kurt, his lips brushing Kurt’s ear as he whispered, “I love you.”
Kurt smiled and squeezed his hand, not breaking his gaze from the laptop screen. The three of them stayed there like that until the movie was over and Rachel had to go home. Kurt and Blaine didn’t leave the room for the rest of the night, not even to say goodbye when all of their family went home.
. ~ . ~ .
November 28, 2011
1:25 PM
The New Directions were discussing their latest assignment - songs about outer space because really, Mr. Schue was running out of ideas - when the door to the choir room opened to admit Kurt being pushed by Blaine. This time, Kurt entered not as a guest but a student.
It was his first day back.
He was greeted with cheers and hugs and kisses on the cheek from his friends before he demanded that everyone take their seats while he sang the song he had prepared. Blaine had helped him prepare for it all weekend, and at first Kurt had been devastated when he opened his mouth and the sound that came out was awful. With a lot of rehearsal, forty-seven refilled water bottles, and twenty-eight hurried trips to the bathroom, Kurt got his voice back in decent enough shape and was ready to dazzle his fellow glee clubbers.
“Since my voice isn’t perfect yet, I’m singing this song as a duet with Blaine,” Kurt announced, moving his wheelchair to the center of the room. He glanced at all of his friends, his eyes lingering on Artie’s sympathetic smile. He nodded towards Blaine, who was adjusting the guitar strap around his neck. Blaine began to play the intro and Kurt sang first.
“What day is it? And in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive
I can’t keep up and I can’t back down
I’ve been losing so much time”
Kurt and Blaine looked into each other’s eyes, smiling as love flowed between them. Together they began to sing.
“Cause it’s you and me and all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And it’s you and me and all other people
And I don’t know why, I can’t keep my eyes off of you”
Blaine strummed the guitar a few times and looked away from Kurt, closing his eyes as he sang the next part.
“One of the things that I want to say just aren’t coming out right
I’m tripping on words
You’ve got my head spinning
I don’t know where to go from here”
Smiling and looking out at their friends, they sang the chorus together again.
“Cause it’s you and me and all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And it’s you and me and all other people
And I don’t know why, I can’t keep my eyes off of you”
Then looking back at each other, they joined into the next verse. Kurt sang the first two lines,
“There’s something about you now
I can’t quite figure it out”
And Blaine cut in with the next lines,
“Everything he does is beautiful
Everything he does is right”
Joining together again, their love and passion for music mingling together as they finished the rest of the song.
“Cause It’s you and me and all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And it’s you and me and all other people
And I don’t know why, I can’t keep my eyes off of you
And me and all other people with nothing to do
Nothing to prove
And it’s you and me and all other people
And I don’t know why, I can’t keep my eyes off of you”
“What day is it?
And in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive.”
As they ended the song, everyone broke out in cheers, jumping to their feet and applauding them. A few of the girls even had tears in their eyes, declaring that the whole performance was just beautiful.
They swarmed forward to embrace Kurt, and Blaine was surprised to be included in the group hug.
Through all of their friends, Kurt and Blaine’s eyes met and they smiled. At that moment the two of them simultaneously decided that it was impossible to love someone more than they loved each other.
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