Lights Will Guide You Home, Ch. 5/?
Media: Fic
Title: Lights Will Guide You Home
Rating: R - I've upped the rating for a slightly questionable scene in this chapter (I don't know if it deserves the rating or not), but it'll have to be R later anyway, so I'm just going to go ahead and do it now.
Spoilers (if any): this chapter is like a blast from the past - BIOTA. Lots of similar stuff going on.
Warnings (if any): drinking, party scene. (I'm totally warning for a party. Cause I'm cool like that.)
Word Count: 4566 (They just keep getting longer!!!! Ahhhh!)
Summary: 13 years from now, Blaine and Kurt have made a fabulous life for themselves, but there's something missing...
Lights Will Guide You Home
Chapter 5
Kurt and Blaine slept in the next day until noon, waking up to find a note from Burt left on the kitchen table.
Morning boys. Hope you slept good. Muffins are on the counter if you're hungry. Carole, Finn and I are all involved in a top-secret mission today - we'll be busy, so don't bother calling. Relax, have a good day, and we'll see you at 7 tonight.
-Dad
An address was written underneath the note, presumably the location of the shower, which they'd been told nothing about up till now.
Seven o'clock came faster than they'd thought possible. They were running just a little late, because Kurt had agonized over his outfit for so long, but as he'd told Blaine, it was their party, and they could be as late as they wanted. They were both relaxed, having spent all day lounging around watching movies, and were excited to see their old friends from McKinley. And they were both really interested to see what the night would bring, as most things done New Directions-style ended up pretty over-the-top.
Unbeknownst to them, Mercedes had been planning this party for months. She was the mastermind behind the whole idea, but most of the members of the New Directions had gone on to successful jobs, and they had a lot to bring to the table. The shower would be held in a huge warehouse they'd rented (the same one that the Warblers had gathered in for their foam-machine Animal performance), and true to the New Directions m.o., they'd done it up in style. Rachel, who had followed her dreams to New York where she was starring in the Broadway revival of Evita, had pulled some strings with members of the crew, and had convinced the lighting director to come with her and do lights for the party. Santana, now an interior designer, was in charge of the décor. Mercedes had put herself in charge of getting the event catered, and had enlisted Puck to line up beverages, something he was more than happy to do. (He'd promised that it would end better than the disastrous party at Rachel's house so many years ago.) Finn had created a closed Facebook group for the event, and had convinced every original New Directions member not only to attend, but to make monetary contributions as well so it wouldn't put such a strain on the shower hosts. Granted, it really wasn't just a shower - it was the first time that the New Directions had all been together since high school graduation, and they were all seeing it as an amped up and much more fun high school reunion.
Of course, Blaine and Kurt knew none of this - everyone had kept the secret so well that they honestly had no idea what to expect. They pulled up to the warehouse, and Blaine looked down at the address in his hand.
“Are you sure this is the right place?” he asked Kurt.
“Wait … isn't this where we sang Animal for those girls at Crawford?”
“Oh my God, it is. You're right. … Kurt? What do you think they've got planned?”
“I guess there's only one way to find out...” And Kurt got out of the car.
They held hands and walked through the doors, and their breath was taken away.
It was indeed the same warehouse, but they'd never have known it. It was dimly lit with dozens of globular white paper lanterns, giving the place an other-worldly ambience. The floor was covered with some sort of black material. Facing Kurt and Blaine at the front of the warehouse was a giant stage which they assumed would be used for karaoke or some other impromptu performance, complete with microphones and a spotlight. To their left, lining the wall, was a long black table housing a spread of food, the aroma of which made their mouths water. Past it, next to the stage, was a full bar stocked with every type of liquor and drink mixture Puck could think of. Directly to their right were several round tables with black tablecloths and white hydrangea centerpieces. In the center of the warehouse lay a huge dance floor. And in the far right, close to the karaoke stage, a pop of color - it was Blaine's and Kurt's gift-opening area. There were two zebra-print chairs (because, as Santana pointed out, anywhere Kurt would be sitting had to be fabulous) in the middle of two tables. The table on the left held a cake of epic proportions - it was 3-tiered, the top and bottom layers zebra-print fondant and the middle hot pink fondant with black polka dots. The table on the right was covered with gifts.
As the couple stood at the entrance to the warehouse, hands locked and mouths open, a swarm of people came running toward them. There was a flurry of bodies, a humongous group hug mob, too many congratulations and we love you's voiced at once, and Kurt remembered why he'd transferred back to McKinley from Dalton. The Glee club was like his second family, highly dysfunctional, but brimming with love.
The mob released Blaine and Kurt, and after a good solid 30 minutes of greetings and individual hugs and what are you doing now's, Mercedes and Finn walked up onto the stage.
“We're SO glad everybody could make it out tonight!” Mercedes called into the microphone. Cheers sounded from the crowd down below.
“It's so great to have everybody back together again - it's like a total blast from the past,” Finn continued. He looked at Kurt and Blaine. “I want to thank everybody for coming to support and show some love to my bro and Blaine. But it's not just them and their baby we're here for tonight. It's all of us. Remembering where we've come from, and celebrating where we all are now.” Everyone smiled at Finn's words.
“So, as part of the celebration, we've asked all the Glee clubbers to take part in a special group gift to Kurt and Blaine, so if you guys would come up to the front here...” Mercedes said, motioning for everyone to come forward.
“Oh my Gaga … they're going to sing to us, Blaine,” Kurt whispered as the Glee club, minus Kurt and Blaine of course, took their places on the stage.
The opening notes of the song began to play, and the New Directions started to sing.
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
Five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year
In daylight, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee,
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife,
In five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure a year in the life
His old Glee club sang in unison, their voices filling the large auditorium. After the first stanza, all the girls were already crying. After the second, even the guys had tears in their eyes. They broke into beautiful harmony as they sang the chorus.
How about love
How about love
How about love
Measure in love
Seasons of love
Seasons of love
Then Mercedes stepped up to sing, her big, big voice close to breaking as she sang straight to Kurt, her best friend.
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
Five hundred twenty-five thousand journeys to plan
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure the life of a woman or a man
Artie rolled up to the shortest mic in his wheelchair, singing the next phrase.
In truth that she learned or in times that he cried
In the bridges he burned or the way that she died
And then the harmony again. Scenes of high school played through all their minds, their win at Nationals, Mr. Schu's bad rapping and dancing, a performance in a mattress store, all the trips to Breadstix, slushy after slushy after slushy, those incredible Lady Gaga costumes, tying with the Warblers at sectionals, the first day that Blaine stepped foot in the choir room and how Kurt literally threw himself at his boyfriend... all the happy and not-so-happy memories came flooding back.
Its time now to sing out though the story never ends
Let's celebrate, remember a year in the life of friends
Remember the love
Remember the love
Remember the love
Measure in love
(Measure, measure your life in love)
Seasons of love
Seasons of love
The song ended, everyone wiping their eyes, and Kurt and Blaine ran toward the stage. The Glee clubbers jumped off, and more hugging ensued.
“That was amazing!” Kurt exclaimed, planting a big kiss on Mercedes' cheek. “THIS is amazing. How the hell did you guys manage to pull this off?”
She smiled. “With lots and lots of help. It's nice that everybody has connections … and the Facebook group that Finn made kept us all on the same page. Everybody pitched in.”
“We can't thank you guys enough,” Blaine told them, beaming.
“Dude, it's no big deal. We were happy to do it,” Finn said, giving him a hug. He hopped back up on stage to the mic.
“Okay, so I think the way that this is gonna go down... Everybody go get food first, and Kurt and Blaine can open their gifts, and then we can get the real party started!”
After everyone had gotten heaping plates of food, Mercedes led Blaine and Kurt over to their zebra-print places of honor. All the guests dragged chairs over to the corner to watch, and the couple started in on the mountain of gift bags and beautifully-wrapped boxes. Carole grabbed her notepad and a pen, ready to write down each gift and its giver.
“Okay, here we go...” Blaine said, picking up the first huge gift bag. He looked down at the card. “This one's from Burt and Carole.” Carole beamed at him, hopeful that her sons (because really, Blaine was as much a part of the family as Kurt was) would like the gift she'd carefully selected.
Inside were two baby carriers. The first was a pewter-y gray BabyBjorn Comfort Carrier, and the other was a Sakura Bloom silk reversible baby sling, one side a light navy and the other a stormy blue.
“I'd heard you talk about some sort of baby-wearing something before, and I mentioned it to Carole...” Burt said hesitantly. “I don't know much about all this stuff anymore...”
“And I wasn't sure which kind of carrier you boys would rather have,” Carole told them, “so I just got one of each. You can return one of them if you need to...”
“Carole, they're fantastic.”
“Dad, we love them.”
Blaine and Kurt simultaneously blurted out a statement of reassurance to each parent, and Kurt picked up the sling, touching it lightly.
“It's silk,” he said. Carole nodded. He got up and enveloped her in a warm hug. “Thank you so much,” he whispered, trying to convey his gratitude for more than just the gifts. She would never, ever be a replacement for his own mother, she'd never tried to be, but he was so thankful that he had a strong female figure in his life for such a time as this. As much as he loved Burt, his father was nervous around babies, even more so than he had been around his gay son. Carole would be a welcome source of advice once they brought their little bundle of joy home.
“Okay, next gift,” he said, stepping out of his stepmother's embrace and grabbing the next gift box. “This one's from … Mr. Schue!” Their former director and teacher smiled warmly at them.
Kurt couldn't help but laugh when he pulled out the first thing in the box. Mr. Schuester had given them several Rockabye Baby cds, which were comprised of rock songs set to baby-appropriate music. The cd in Kurt's hand was so characteristic of his director: it was the Rockabye Baby: Journey edition. Also included in their little compilation were the Rockabye versions of Kanye West, Queen, Coldplay, and the Beatles.
“Mr. Schue, really? You just can't let this Journey thing go, can you?” Kurt asked. All the former Glee kids leaned in, trying to see what he was talking about.
“It's a Rockabye Baby cd - the Journey edition,” Blaine explained. “Now our baby can go to sleep listening to the soothing sounds of 'Don't Stop Believing!'” Having transferred his last year in school, he missed out on a lot of the Journey jokes about their director, but Kurt had filled him in. Everyone laughed, and Mr. Schuester just shrugged.
“There's something else, too,” he said. It's from Emma.” (After a divorce, a wedding called-off, an elopement, another divorce, and a string of bad relationships, Mr. Schuester and Ms. Pillsbury finally gained the realization that they were meant to be together, and they got married. And all the Glee clubbers rejoiced.) Kurt pulled out a pink and brown shopping cart cover.
“She's doing better, but … well, you know how she is with germs,” Mr. Schue explained. Kurt nodded knowingly, remembering the time he was drunk at school and threw up all over her shoes.
As they opened gifts one at a time, the mountain of presents began to resemble more of a pile, and the pile dwindled down until there were no gifts left to open.
Blaine looked around the room at his generous friends. “Guys, thank you so, so much. You have no idea … I'm just speechless right now...”
“And that takes some pretty significant effort,” Kurt quipped. Blaine gave him a Look.
Puck clapped his hands together. “Okay, that's really sweet and all, and I think it's great that you guys are having a baby … but who's ready to party? We've got an open bar over here, and I don't want to be the only one using it.”
He hopped up on the stage and turned up the sound system, blasting “Empire State of Mind” from the speakers, then headed toward the bar area. Drink in hand, he headed toward the dance floor. Rachel ran over to a big black box on the ground, flicked a switch, and suddenly the globes went dark. Black and neon lights replaced them, pulsating all over the dance floor, transforming the elegant atmosphere to that of a nightclub. This was definitely better than the Rachel Berry House Party Trainwreck Extravaganza.
The party attendees followed Puck's lead, going up to the bar to get their drinks, and then headed out to the dance floor. Mike, as usual, instantly became the center of attention, popping and locking all over the floor.
Blaine was laughing, already buzzed after knocking back 2 shots at the bar. It was their party - why not live it up a little? Kurt was taking it a bit slower, sipping a martini - he decidedly did not want to get trashed in the first 30 minutes of dancing and spend the rest of the night puking his guts up.
“Take it easy there, cowboy. The last time you were drunk in the same room with Rachel Berry, you made out with her,” Kurt said, planting a kiss on Blaine's beautiful neck.
“Ha, I don't think you'll have to worry about that this time - for more reasons than one,” Blaine said, kissing him back. “Look over there.” Kurt looked in the direction he pointed, and saw Finn and Rachel in the shadows, standing very close together.
“Well, well, well … that's interesting,” Kurt said. “Remind me to milk him for details tomorrow.”
The music changed, and Puck's voice rang out over the warehouse.
“So, before we all get drunk off our asses, I'm gonna play one slow song - and I mean one - for the people who are actually in love and want to do that mushy shit. So, Kurt and Blaine - this is for you.”
They walked out to the middle of the dance floor as the lyrics began.
At last, my love has come along
My lonely days are over
And life is like a song
Oh, how far they'd come. Kurt and Blaine curled into each other, even more affectionate than normal as the alcohol began to take effect. They were so thankful that this was a safe place, away from jeers and ignorance and hate, a place they could wrap themselves up in each other and not worry about who might be looking.
Oh, yeah, at last
The skies above are blue
My heart was wrapped up in clovers
The night I looked at you
Kurt peeked up from where he was nuzzled into Blaine's cheek. He saw his dad and Carole dancing, her hands entwined around his neck, looking still so very much in love. To their left were Finn and Rachel, staring into each other's eyes, as if they'd found each other for the first time all over again. Santana and her girlfriend were slow-dancing in a corner, and Santana seemed to be pulling out her best moves for the occasion. Mercedes and her fiance were dancing next to Kurt and Blaine, and he winked at her, happy for his friend who'd finally found the man she'd been waiting so long for. He rested his check back on Blaine's, closed his eyes, and swayed to the music.
I found a dream that I could speak to
A dream that I can call my own
I found a thrill to rest my cheek to
A thrill that I have never known
Blaine finished the song with Etta James, singing softly into Kurt's ear.
Oh, yeah when you smile, you smile
Oh, and then the spell was cast
And here we are in heaven
For you are mine
At last
A kiss, and they parted. And as suddenly as it had come, the soft music was gone, replaced by the opening guitar riffs of AC/DC's “You Shook Me All Night Long.” Kurt grinned at Blaine and downed the remainder of his martini. Blaine grinned back. This was going to be a very, very fun night.
* * * * * * * *
Two hours and … well, they'd lost count of how many drinks later, the party was still in full swing. The music was loud, the bass was pumping, and almost everyone was more than a little drunk. “Carry Out” by Timbaland/Justin Timberlake was playing, and Blaine and Kurt, having lost all inhibition about an hour previously, were doing some pretty heavy grinding in the middle of the dance floor. Joining them were Mike and Tina, and Puck and his date, who looked suspiciously like a stripper. Santana and her girlfriend had started several rounds of body shots on top of one of the tables, and quite a few of the guys were gathered around, ogling at the sight of two very hot girls licking liquor off of each other. Brittany hopped off her boyfriend's lap to join in the fun and relive her bi-curious adventures for old times' sake. And Finn somehow found himself in one of the zebra chairs, Rachel straddling his lap, in the middle of an admittedly hot make-out session.
Burt looked at Carole, rolling his eyes.
“How long you think this crazy party's gonna last?” he asked his wife. They were only staying to give Finn, Kurt, and Blaine a ride home, and to make sure all the other drunk guests had a safe way to get home as well.
“No telling, honey. But they're having fun.”
Burt grunted. “Looks more like they're having sex to me.”
“Oh, tomato, tomahto. You say sex, I say fun. In fact... we should take a leaf out of Finn's book over there...” she smiled coyly at her husband.
“As long as it means that I don't have to watch our children fornicate, I'm game,” Burt said with a smile. He didn't care about the sexual orientation of his kids, and he would fight to the death for Kurt to have the same rights as Finn did, hell, he even loved Blaine like his own son. But there were just some things that a father did not want to see his children engaged in. And what Kurt and Blaine were doing on the dance floor - well, that was up there on the list.
He turned around to his wife to avoid seeing the action that Kurt was getting. Blaine was dancing all over him, his face shiny with sweat, his hips seeming to move of their own accord. He'd started out facing Kurt, their legs scissored for better accessibility, but at some point he'd turned around and was grinding his ass into Kurt's crotch. Kurt's hands had made their way around to the front of Blaine's hips, pulling him closer, grinding right back. Somewhere in the middle of the drunken lustful haze, Kurt had a sharp feeling of regret for wearing such tight jeans. He pulled Blaine into a more upright position, one hand remaining on Blaine's right hip, and the other running through his messy curls. Blaine didn't ever stop moving, even when Kurt essentially attacked his neck with a very hungry tongue.
Several more songs played, and Kurt was nearing the point where he'd have to ask Blaine to stop moving like that or they'd have a messy problem on their hands, when Brittany staggered from the table over to the stage.
“Karaoke time!!!!” she declared, nearly tipping over. “I know you guys all remember that awesome Ke$ha song...”
Oh, this I've got to see, Kurt thought. He was at Dalton during that trainwreck of a performance, and he'd always wished he'd been able to see it … well, here was his chance. He managed to pry himself off of Blaine (though not without palpable difficulty), but still stood just behind him until he could cool off a little bit. It was incredible the things that Blaine could do to him, but he didn't exactly want to flaunt it to every member of his old Glee club.
“Wooooo, karaoke!” Rachel cried, climbing clumsily off of Finn's lap. “Just promise me that you won't puke on my face this time, Brittany,” she slurred.
In spite of their former mistakes, as the Glee kids grew older, they gained both a better tolerance for alcohol and also the knowledge that mixing whatever was left in your dad's liquor cabinet plus purple Kool-Aid and crumbled-up Oreos would probably end badly.
Muscle memory was a really extraordinary thing, they realized - as soon as Brittany strutted up to the front of the stage and sang “Wake up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy,” it all came flooding back, despite the 14 years and somewhat excessive alcohol consumption. Kurt was impressed - Brittany still had some moves, and the group actually pulled the dance off surprisingly well with one minor mishap where Rachel and Finn had collided (and Kurt wasn't entirely sure if that was even an accident or not.)
“That was totally awesome!” Blaine exclaimed as they haphazardly left the stage, still hanging all over Kurt. He looked up. “Your turn. You sing something to me, baby.”
He grinned back at Blaine. “Girls, “Bad Romance,” go.” The girls climbed their way back up on the stage, and Kurt came alive as he always did when he sang Lady Gaga. Blaine was whistling and cat-calling the entire way through the song, and Kurt improv-ed his way through several rather risque movements directed straight toward him.
“God, you turn me on when you perform,” Blaine growled to him when he jumped off the stage. They exchanged a long, deep kiss punctuated by more cat-calls from their friends.
Following “Bad Romance” came a long string of drunken karaoke songs to close out the night. Mercedes stayed within her typical belt-y genre, bringing down the house with Whitney Huston's “I Will Always Love You.” After gulping down one final shot and murmuring something about courage to himself, Blaine marched up to the stage and launched into a positively filthy performance of Rod Stewart's “Do Ya Think I'm Sexy,” pelvic thrusting through the song and practically molesting the microphone. (Kurt's answer to his question: Hell yes.) Artie was next, singing a rousing rendition of Usher's “Love in this Club.” And in a moment of horrifying awkwardness, Rachel stepped up to the mic, dedicated her song to Finn, and sang her Broadway version of “You Must Love Me” from Evita. It was a beautiful song, and fit her voice perfectly, but the lyrics hit a bit too close to home for comfort, considering their history and the fact that they'd just come up for air a few minutes before. Finn turned a bit red, rubbing the back of his neck, unsure of what to do next.
Burt and Carole stepped forward, his hands placed lovingly on her shoulders, before things could turn south.
“And on that lovely note, I think it's time for this party to call it a night,” he said. While everyone was singing karaoke, he and Carole had been busy packing up Kurt's Escalade with the gifts, and gathering everything that the cleaning crew wouldn't be taking care of.
“Does everybody have a safe way home?”
“Dad, you're being patronizing, we're all adults...” Kurt whined, hanging onto Blaine's arm.
“And if any of you gets a DUI, you'll be tried as one. I'm not being patronizing, I'm being sober. Now, I'm going to ask again: does everybody have a way to get home?”
They all mumbled their answers, some calling cabs, some taking the bus, some of them riding home with the few designated drivers at the party.
They all hugged and said their goodbyes, not knowing when they would see each other next, and it was time to head home for the night.
Burt drove Finn home in the Escalade, and Carole drove Blaine and Kurt in Burt's truck. They were glued to each other, both piling in the backseat, and Carole turned the radio on to try and give them some privacy. But despite the music, she could still hear their tender kisses and soft moans as their hands traveled over one another's bodies. Once home, Blaine practically pulled Kurt up the stairs, both of them giggling like teenagers, and soundly shut the door. Carole heard the lock click as she hugged her son goodnight.
“Dude.” Finn apparently had heard it too. “Mom, did you see them tonight?”
“Yes I did, and I also saw you and Rachel, so you have nothing more to say about that. Bed, now. I don't care if you are 31 years old, I'm still your mother, and it's 3 in the morning.” She pushed him toward his bedroom door. He looked back with a smile.
“Love you, Mom.”
“I love you too honey.”
[Chapter 6]
Title: Lights Will Guide You Home
Rating: R - I've upped the rating for a slightly questionable scene in this chapter (I don't know if it deserves the rating or not), but it'll have to be R later anyway, so I'm just going to go ahead and do it now.
Spoilers (if any): this chapter is like a blast from the past - BIOTA. Lots of similar stuff going on.
Warnings (if any): drinking, party scene. (I'm totally warning for a party. Cause I'm cool like that.)
Word Count: 4566 (They just keep getting longer!!!! Ahhhh!)
Summary: 13 years from now, Blaine and Kurt have made a fabulous life for themselves, but there's something missing...
Lights Will Guide You Home
Chapter 5
Kurt and Blaine slept in the next day until noon, waking up to find a note from Burt left on the kitchen table.
Morning boys. Hope you slept good. Muffins are on the counter if you're hungry. Carole, Finn and I are all involved in a top-secret mission today - we'll be busy, so don't bother calling. Relax, have a good day, and we'll see you at 7 tonight.
-Dad
An address was written underneath the note, presumably the location of the shower, which they'd been told nothing about up till now.
Seven o'clock came faster than they'd thought possible. They were running just a little late, because Kurt had agonized over his outfit for so long, but as he'd told Blaine, it was their party, and they could be as late as they wanted. They were both relaxed, having spent all day lounging around watching movies, and were excited to see their old friends from McKinley. And they were both really interested to see what the night would bring, as most things done New Directions-style ended up pretty over-the-top.
Unbeknownst to them, Mercedes had been planning this party for months. She was the mastermind behind the whole idea, but most of the members of the New Directions had gone on to successful jobs, and they had a lot to bring to the table. The shower would be held in a huge warehouse they'd rented (the same one that the Warblers had gathered in for their foam-machine Animal performance), and true to the New Directions m.o., they'd done it up in style. Rachel, who had followed her dreams to New York where she was starring in the Broadway revival of Evita, had pulled some strings with members of the crew, and had convinced the lighting director to come with her and do lights for the party. Santana, now an interior designer, was in charge of the décor. Mercedes had put herself in charge of getting the event catered, and had enlisted Puck to line up beverages, something he was more than happy to do. (He'd promised that it would end better than the disastrous party at Rachel's house so many years ago.) Finn had created a closed Facebook group for the event, and had convinced every original New Directions member not only to attend, but to make monetary contributions as well so it wouldn't put such a strain on the shower hosts. Granted, it really wasn't just a shower - it was the first time that the New Directions had all been together since high school graduation, and they were all seeing it as an amped up and much more fun high school reunion.
Of course, Blaine and Kurt knew none of this - everyone had kept the secret so well that they honestly had no idea what to expect. They pulled up to the warehouse, and Blaine looked down at the address in his hand.
“Are you sure this is the right place?” he asked Kurt.
“Wait … isn't this where we sang Animal for those girls at Crawford?”
“Oh my God, it is. You're right. … Kurt? What do you think they've got planned?”
“I guess there's only one way to find out...” And Kurt got out of the car.
They held hands and walked through the doors, and their breath was taken away.
It was indeed the same warehouse, but they'd never have known it. It was dimly lit with dozens of globular white paper lanterns, giving the place an other-worldly ambience. The floor was covered with some sort of black material. Facing Kurt and Blaine at the front of the warehouse was a giant stage which they assumed would be used for karaoke or some other impromptu performance, complete with microphones and a spotlight. To their left, lining the wall, was a long black table housing a spread of food, the aroma of which made their mouths water. Past it, next to the stage, was a full bar stocked with every type of liquor and drink mixture Puck could think of. Directly to their right were several round tables with black tablecloths and white hydrangea centerpieces. In the center of the warehouse lay a huge dance floor. And in the far right, close to the karaoke stage, a pop of color - it was Blaine's and Kurt's gift-opening area. There were two zebra-print chairs (because, as Santana pointed out, anywhere Kurt would be sitting had to be fabulous) in the middle of two tables. The table on the left held a cake of epic proportions - it was 3-tiered, the top and bottom layers zebra-print fondant and the middle hot pink fondant with black polka dots. The table on the right was covered with gifts.
As the couple stood at the entrance to the warehouse, hands locked and mouths open, a swarm of people came running toward them. There was a flurry of bodies, a humongous group hug mob, too many congratulations and we love you's voiced at once, and Kurt remembered why he'd transferred back to McKinley from Dalton. The Glee club was like his second family, highly dysfunctional, but brimming with love.
The mob released Blaine and Kurt, and after a good solid 30 minutes of greetings and individual hugs and what are you doing now's, Mercedes and Finn walked up onto the stage.
“We're SO glad everybody could make it out tonight!” Mercedes called into the microphone. Cheers sounded from the crowd down below.
“It's so great to have everybody back together again - it's like a total blast from the past,” Finn continued. He looked at Kurt and Blaine. “I want to thank everybody for coming to support and show some love to my bro and Blaine. But it's not just them and their baby we're here for tonight. It's all of us. Remembering where we've come from, and celebrating where we all are now.” Everyone smiled at Finn's words.
“So, as part of the celebration, we've asked all the Glee clubbers to take part in a special group gift to Kurt and Blaine, so if you guys would come up to the front here...” Mercedes said, motioning for everyone to come forward.
“Oh my Gaga … they're going to sing to us, Blaine,” Kurt whispered as the Glee club, minus Kurt and Blaine of course, took their places on the stage.
The opening notes of the song began to play, and the New Directions started to sing.
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
Five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year
In daylight, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee,
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife,
In five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure a year in the life
His old Glee club sang in unison, their voices filling the large auditorium. After the first stanza, all the girls were already crying. After the second, even the guys had tears in their eyes. They broke into beautiful harmony as they sang the chorus.
How about love
How about love
How about love
Measure in love
Seasons of love
Seasons of love
Then Mercedes stepped up to sing, her big, big voice close to breaking as she sang straight to Kurt, her best friend.
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
Five hundred twenty-five thousand journeys to plan
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure the life of a woman or a man
Artie rolled up to the shortest mic in his wheelchair, singing the next phrase.
In truth that she learned or in times that he cried
In the bridges he burned or the way that she died
And then the harmony again. Scenes of high school played through all their minds, their win at Nationals, Mr. Schu's bad rapping and dancing, a performance in a mattress store, all the trips to Breadstix, slushy after slushy after slushy, those incredible Lady Gaga costumes, tying with the Warblers at sectionals, the first day that Blaine stepped foot in the choir room and how Kurt literally threw himself at his boyfriend... all the happy and not-so-happy memories came flooding back.
Its time now to sing out though the story never ends
Let's celebrate, remember a year in the life of friends
Remember the love
Remember the love
Remember the love
Measure in love
(Measure, measure your life in love)
Seasons of love
Seasons of love
The song ended, everyone wiping their eyes, and Kurt and Blaine ran toward the stage. The Glee clubbers jumped off, and more hugging ensued.
“That was amazing!” Kurt exclaimed, planting a big kiss on Mercedes' cheek. “THIS is amazing. How the hell did you guys manage to pull this off?”
She smiled. “With lots and lots of help. It's nice that everybody has connections … and the Facebook group that Finn made kept us all on the same page. Everybody pitched in.”
“We can't thank you guys enough,” Blaine told them, beaming.
“Dude, it's no big deal. We were happy to do it,” Finn said, giving him a hug. He hopped back up on stage to the mic.
“Okay, so I think the way that this is gonna go down... Everybody go get food first, and Kurt and Blaine can open their gifts, and then we can get the real party started!”
After everyone had gotten heaping plates of food, Mercedes led Blaine and Kurt over to their zebra-print places of honor. All the guests dragged chairs over to the corner to watch, and the couple started in on the mountain of gift bags and beautifully-wrapped boxes. Carole grabbed her notepad and a pen, ready to write down each gift and its giver.
“Okay, here we go...” Blaine said, picking up the first huge gift bag. He looked down at the card. “This one's from Burt and Carole.” Carole beamed at him, hopeful that her sons (because really, Blaine was as much a part of the family as Kurt was) would like the gift she'd carefully selected.
Inside were two baby carriers. The first was a pewter-y gray BabyBjorn Comfort Carrier, and the other was a Sakura Bloom silk reversible baby sling, one side a light navy and the other a stormy blue.
“I'd heard you talk about some sort of baby-wearing something before, and I mentioned it to Carole...” Burt said hesitantly. “I don't know much about all this stuff anymore...”
“And I wasn't sure which kind of carrier you boys would rather have,” Carole told them, “so I just got one of each. You can return one of them if you need to...”
“Carole, they're fantastic.”
“Dad, we love them.”
Blaine and Kurt simultaneously blurted out a statement of reassurance to each parent, and Kurt picked up the sling, touching it lightly.
“It's silk,” he said. Carole nodded. He got up and enveloped her in a warm hug. “Thank you so much,” he whispered, trying to convey his gratitude for more than just the gifts. She would never, ever be a replacement for his own mother, she'd never tried to be, but he was so thankful that he had a strong female figure in his life for such a time as this. As much as he loved Burt, his father was nervous around babies, even more so than he had been around his gay son. Carole would be a welcome source of advice once they brought their little bundle of joy home.
“Okay, next gift,” he said, stepping out of his stepmother's embrace and grabbing the next gift box. “This one's from … Mr. Schue!” Their former director and teacher smiled warmly at them.
Kurt couldn't help but laugh when he pulled out the first thing in the box. Mr. Schuester had given them several Rockabye Baby cds, which were comprised of rock songs set to baby-appropriate music. The cd in Kurt's hand was so characteristic of his director: it was the Rockabye Baby: Journey edition. Also included in their little compilation were the Rockabye versions of Kanye West, Queen, Coldplay, and the Beatles.
“Mr. Schue, really? You just can't let this Journey thing go, can you?” Kurt asked. All the former Glee kids leaned in, trying to see what he was talking about.
“It's a Rockabye Baby cd - the Journey edition,” Blaine explained. “Now our baby can go to sleep listening to the soothing sounds of 'Don't Stop Believing!'” Having transferred his last year in school, he missed out on a lot of the Journey jokes about their director, but Kurt had filled him in. Everyone laughed, and Mr. Schuester just shrugged.
“There's something else, too,” he said. It's from Emma.” (After a divorce, a wedding called-off, an elopement, another divorce, and a string of bad relationships, Mr. Schuester and Ms. Pillsbury finally gained the realization that they were meant to be together, and they got married. And all the Glee clubbers rejoiced.) Kurt pulled out a pink and brown shopping cart cover.
“She's doing better, but … well, you know how she is with germs,” Mr. Schue explained. Kurt nodded knowingly, remembering the time he was drunk at school and threw up all over her shoes.
As they opened gifts one at a time, the mountain of presents began to resemble more of a pile, and the pile dwindled down until there were no gifts left to open.
Blaine looked around the room at his generous friends. “Guys, thank you so, so much. You have no idea … I'm just speechless right now...”
“And that takes some pretty significant effort,” Kurt quipped. Blaine gave him a Look.
Puck clapped his hands together. “Okay, that's really sweet and all, and I think it's great that you guys are having a baby … but who's ready to party? We've got an open bar over here, and I don't want to be the only one using it.”
He hopped up on the stage and turned up the sound system, blasting “Empire State of Mind” from the speakers, then headed toward the bar area. Drink in hand, he headed toward the dance floor. Rachel ran over to a big black box on the ground, flicked a switch, and suddenly the globes went dark. Black and neon lights replaced them, pulsating all over the dance floor, transforming the elegant atmosphere to that of a nightclub. This was definitely better than the Rachel Berry House Party Trainwreck Extravaganza.
The party attendees followed Puck's lead, going up to the bar to get their drinks, and then headed out to the dance floor. Mike, as usual, instantly became the center of attention, popping and locking all over the floor.
Blaine was laughing, already buzzed after knocking back 2 shots at the bar. It was their party - why not live it up a little? Kurt was taking it a bit slower, sipping a martini - he decidedly did not want to get trashed in the first 30 minutes of dancing and spend the rest of the night puking his guts up.
“Take it easy there, cowboy. The last time you were drunk in the same room with Rachel Berry, you made out with her,” Kurt said, planting a kiss on Blaine's beautiful neck.
“Ha, I don't think you'll have to worry about that this time - for more reasons than one,” Blaine said, kissing him back. “Look over there.” Kurt looked in the direction he pointed, and saw Finn and Rachel in the shadows, standing very close together.
“Well, well, well … that's interesting,” Kurt said. “Remind me to milk him for details tomorrow.”
The music changed, and Puck's voice rang out over the warehouse.
“So, before we all get drunk off our asses, I'm gonna play one slow song - and I mean one - for the people who are actually in love and want to do that mushy shit. So, Kurt and Blaine - this is for you.”
They walked out to the middle of the dance floor as the lyrics began.
At last, my love has come along
My lonely days are over
And life is like a song
Oh, how far they'd come. Kurt and Blaine curled into each other, even more affectionate than normal as the alcohol began to take effect. They were so thankful that this was a safe place, away from jeers and ignorance and hate, a place they could wrap themselves up in each other and not worry about who might be looking.
Oh, yeah, at last
The skies above are blue
My heart was wrapped up in clovers
The night I looked at you
Kurt peeked up from where he was nuzzled into Blaine's cheek. He saw his dad and Carole dancing, her hands entwined around his neck, looking still so very much in love. To their left were Finn and Rachel, staring into each other's eyes, as if they'd found each other for the first time all over again. Santana and her girlfriend were slow-dancing in a corner, and Santana seemed to be pulling out her best moves for the occasion. Mercedes and her fiance were dancing next to Kurt and Blaine, and he winked at her, happy for his friend who'd finally found the man she'd been waiting so long for. He rested his check back on Blaine's, closed his eyes, and swayed to the music.
I found a dream that I could speak to
A dream that I can call my own
I found a thrill to rest my cheek to
A thrill that I have never known
Blaine finished the song with Etta James, singing softly into Kurt's ear.
Oh, yeah when you smile, you smile
Oh, and then the spell was cast
And here we are in heaven
For you are mine
At last
A kiss, and they parted. And as suddenly as it had come, the soft music was gone, replaced by the opening guitar riffs of AC/DC's “You Shook Me All Night Long.” Kurt grinned at Blaine and downed the remainder of his martini. Blaine grinned back. This was going to be a very, very fun night.
* * * * * * * *
Two hours and … well, they'd lost count of how many drinks later, the party was still in full swing. The music was loud, the bass was pumping, and almost everyone was more than a little drunk. “Carry Out” by Timbaland/Justin Timberlake was playing, and Blaine and Kurt, having lost all inhibition about an hour previously, were doing some pretty heavy grinding in the middle of the dance floor. Joining them were Mike and Tina, and Puck and his date, who looked suspiciously like a stripper. Santana and her girlfriend had started several rounds of body shots on top of one of the tables, and quite a few of the guys were gathered around, ogling at the sight of two very hot girls licking liquor off of each other. Brittany hopped off her boyfriend's lap to join in the fun and relive her bi-curious adventures for old times' sake. And Finn somehow found himself in one of the zebra chairs, Rachel straddling his lap, in the middle of an admittedly hot make-out session.
Burt looked at Carole, rolling his eyes.
“How long you think this crazy party's gonna last?” he asked his wife. They were only staying to give Finn, Kurt, and Blaine a ride home, and to make sure all the other drunk guests had a safe way to get home as well.
“No telling, honey. But they're having fun.”
Burt grunted. “Looks more like they're having sex to me.”
“Oh, tomato, tomahto. You say sex, I say fun. In fact... we should take a leaf out of Finn's book over there...” she smiled coyly at her husband.
“As long as it means that I don't have to watch our children fornicate, I'm game,” Burt said with a smile. He didn't care about the sexual orientation of his kids, and he would fight to the death for Kurt to have the same rights as Finn did, hell, he even loved Blaine like his own son. But there were just some things that a father did not want to see his children engaged in. And what Kurt and Blaine were doing on the dance floor - well, that was up there on the list.
He turned around to his wife to avoid seeing the action that Kurt was getting. Blaine was dancing all over him, his face shiny with sweat, his hips seeming to move of their own accord. He'd started out facing Kurt, their legs scissored for better accessibility, but at some point he'd turned around and was grinding his ass into Kurt's crotch. Kurt's hands had made their way around to the front of Blaine's hips, pulling him closer, grinding right back. Somewhere in the middle of the drunken lustful haze, Kurt had a sharp feeling of regret for wearing such tight jeans. He pulled Blaine into a more upright position, one hand remaining on Blaine's right hip, and the other running through his messy curls. Blaine didn't ever stop moving, even when Kurt essentially attacked his neck with a very hungry tongue.
Several more songs played, and Kurt was nearing the point where he'd have to ask Blaine to stop moving like that or they'd have a messy problem on their hands, when Brittany staggered from the table over to the stage.
“Karaoke time!!!!” she declared, nearly tipping over. “I know you guys all remember that awesome Ke$ha song...”
Oh, this I've got to see, Kurt thought. He was at Dalton during that trainwreck of a performance, and he'd always wished he'd been able to see it … well, here was his chance. He managed to pry himself off of Blaine (though not without palpable difficulty), but still stood just behind him until he could cool off a little bit. It was incredible the things that Blaine could do to him, but he didn't exactly want to flaunt it to every member of his old Glee club.
“Wooooo, karaoke!” Rachel cried, climbing clumsily off of Finn's lap. “Just promise me that you won't puke on my face this time, Brittany,” she slurred.
In spite of their former mistakes, as the Glee kids grew older, they gained both a better tolerance for alcohol and also the knowledge that mixing whatever was left in your dad's liquor cabinet plus purple Kool-Aid and crumbled-up Oreos would probably end badly.
Muscle memory was a really extraordinary thing, they realized - as soon as Brittany strutted up to the front of the stage and sang “Wake up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy,” it all came flooding back, despite the 14 years and somewhat excessive alcohol consumption. Kurt was impressed - Brittany still had some moves, and the group actually pulled the dance off surprisingly well with one minor mishap where Rachel and Finn had collided (and Kurt wasn't entirely sure if that was even an accident or not.)
“That was totally awesome!” Blaine exclaimed as they haphazardly left the stage, still hanging all over Kurt. He looked up. “Your turn. You sing something to me, baby.”
He grinned back at Blaine. “Girls, “Bad Romance,” go.” The girls climbed their way back up on the stage, and Kurt came alive as he always did when he sang Lady Gaga. Blaine was whistling and cat-calling the entire way through the song, and Kurt improv-ed his way through several rather risque movements directed straight toward him.
“God, you turn me on when you perform,” Blaine growled to him when he jumped off the stage. They exchanged a long, deep kiss punctuated by more cat-calls from their friends.
Following “Bad Romance” came a long string of drunken karaoke songs to close out the night. Mercedes stayed within her typical belt-y genre, bringing down the house with Whitney Huston's “I Will Always Love You.” After gulping down one final shot and murmuring something about courage to himself, Blaine marched up to the stage and launched into a positively filthy performance of Rod Stewart's “Do Ya Think I'm Sexy,” pelvic thrusting through the song and practically molesting the microphone. (Kurt's answer to his question: Hell yes.) Artie was next, singing a rousing rendition of Usher's “Love in this Club.” And in a moment of horrifying awkwardness, Rachel stepped up to the mic, dedicated her song to Finn, and sang her Broadway version of “You Must Love Me” from Evita. It was a beautiful song, and fit her voice perfectly, but the lyrics hit a bit too close to home for comfort, considering their history and the fact that they'd just come up for air a few minutes before. Finn turned a bit red, rubbing the back of his neck, unsure of what to do next.
Burt and Carole stepped forward, his hands placed lovingly on her shoulders, before things could turn south.
“And on that lovely note, I think it's time for this party to call it a night,” he said. While everyone was singing karaoke, he and Carole had been busy packing up Kurt's Escalade with the gifts, and gathering everything that the cleaning crew wouldn't be taking care of.
“Does everybody have a safe way home?”
“Dad, you're being patronizing, we're all adults...” Kurt whined, hanging onto Blaine's arm.
“And if any of you gets a DUI, you'll be tried as one. I'm not being patronizing, I'm being sober. Now, I'm going to ask again: does everybody have a way to get home?”
They all mumbled their answers, some calling cabs, some taking the bus, some of them riding home with the few designated drivers at the party.
They all hugged and said their goodbyes, not knowing when they would see each other next, and it was time to head home for the night.
Burt drove Finn home in the Escalade, and Carole drove Blaine and Kurt in Burt's truck. They were glued to each other, both piling in the backseat, and Carole turned the radio on to try and give them some privacy. But despite the music, she could still hear their tender kisses and soft moans as their hands traveled over one another's bodies. Once home, Blaine practically pulled Kurt up the stairs, both of them giggling like teenagers, and soundly shut the door. Carole heard the lock click as she hugged her son goodnight.
“Dude.” Finn apparently had heard it too. “Mom, did you see them tonight?”
“Yes I did, and I also saw you and Rachel, so you have nothing more to say about that. Bed, now. I don't care if you are 31 years old, I'm still your mother, and it's 3 in the morning.” She pushed him toward his bedroom door. He looked back with a smile.
“Love you, Mom.”
“I love you too honey.”
[Chapter 6]