Proud

GLEE

Burt sat in the living room, a rerun of the Deadliest Catch on the television, volume low and reading over the newspaper absently.

"I'm going out, Burt!" called Finn from the front of the house.

"Be back by midnight, Finn!" Burt called back, looking over the Funnies.

"But it's summer!"

"Doesn't matter, kid."

He heard Finn grumbling, but said he would be back and opened and closed the from door.

Burt was reading through Garfield when the doorbell rang. He figured that Finn forgot his keys again, he usually does that. "Kurt! I think Finn forgot his keys again! Get the door?"

He heard Kurt's footsteps coming down the stairs quickly. "You're in the room," he muttered. "You get it."

"Sorry, son, my heart. I've gotta rest."

"Oh, now you listen."

Burt chuckled and moved on to Zits.

"Oh! Blaine," Kurt said after he opened the door. "Oh my god, we didn't have a date or something - because if so, I completely forgot and I look awful -"

"No, we didn't."

Burt crinkled his paper down and looked over at the front door. Blaine's voice sounded tired and…defeated. Like when Kurt would come home after school back when he was at McKinley the first time and Burt would ask him about how the day had gone. He would say, "fine" but his voice told Burt all he needed to know.

"Oh. Was…was it your dad again?" asked Kurt, taking a step closer to Blaine - Burt could just barely see the front door from his spot in the living room - and putting a hand on his cheek.

"Yeah." Blaine's voice broke.

"Oh, Blaine…" Kurt pulled him inside the house and shut the door behind him. "Go into the living room and sit for a minute. I'll make us some tea, ok?" Kurt appeared in the living room with Blaine, pulling him by his hand. Blaine's face was red and splotchy. He'd been crying.

"Dad. I hope it's ok…"

"Of course, kid. Go get that tea - maybe a cup for me, too?"

"Okay." Kurt leaned over to where Blaine had just sat down on the couch and kissed his cheek. Then he walked slowly over to the kitchen, looking back at Blaine once.

"Wanna talk about it, kid?" asked Burt, folding up his newspaper and throwing it on the coffee table. Blaine shrugged and looked down at his lap. "You know, I'm kinda an expert when it comes to dads…I'm sure I could help, until you talk to Kurt, that is."

Blaine expelled a deep breath and looked at Burt with tired eyes. "My dad doesn't like me talking about Kurt. You know…when I say he's my boyfriend. I think he still thinks I'm going through a phase or something. He just…gets so upset." Blaine reached up and brings his hand through his hair, messing it up.

"Sorry, kid," said Burt. "Sorry that he's not supportive. What happened this time, exactly?"

"I wanted Kurt to come over to meet my parents, you know, officially," said Blaine, his voice small. "I've been here for dinner plenty of times and I love it. You, Finn, Carole - I want my family to be like that to Kurt, even though I know it wouldn't happen in a million years. It was stupid of me to even ask. My mom isn't as bad as my dad…but she's still hesitant about the whole boyfriend thing." Blaine rubbed his eyes with his hands and sighed. "He yelled. I yelled. Then I came here."

"Well, you know you're always welcomed here," said Burt gruffly. He didn't know how a parent could be like that to their kid - flesh and blood - just because of who they were dating.

Blaine nodded once and slumped down on the couch. "I just wish he were proud of me, just once. Proud of my grades, or singing, or the person I love."

Burt was sure that Blaine didn't even realize he had just admitted that he loved his son in front of him. He just stared down at the coffee table without blinking. That made Burt think that maybe…he and Kurt had already told each other.

Burt was proud of Kurt, because he loved him. So if Kurt loved Blaine, he was proud of him, too. (Even though he would be ready to kill Blaine if he did anything to hurt his kid).

"I'd be proud," said Burt suddenly.

"Of what?" asked Blaine hollowly.

"If you were my son."

Blaine instantly straightened up, looking at Burt with wide eyes. "What?" he asked, his voice breaking again.

"You'd have to be crazy not to be proud of you. You're a good kid and you're good to Kurt. I'm proud of you, son, just…remember that. And I'm sure your dad is proud of you, too. He just can't see it through his ignorance right now. Give it some time."

"Thanks, Burt," said Blaine softly.

"No problem."

"Here is your tea, dad," said Kurt, walking into the room with a tray of three steaming mugs. Kurt handed Burt the biggest mug with a messy "#1 Dad" on the side.

"Thanks," he said, grabbing it and setting it on the table in front of him.

"Blaine and I are going to go upstairs and talk," said Kurt, handing Blaine's mug to him and then picking up his own.

"Door open," said Burt.

Kurt rolled his eyes and grabbed Blaine's hand. "Of course, dad."

Burt watched as Blaine and his son walked out of the room, already whispering to each other. About thirty minutes later, he got up to check on them - make sure the door was open and all that. Usually he had to check every ten minutes with Finn, but he trusted Kurt a little more.

Burt walked up to Kurt's door - open, thankfully, but only halfway. He looked in, just to make sure. The two were on the bed, which made Burt's skin itch a little bit, but he pushed that away. Blaine was curled around Kurt, his head resting on his chest and Kurt's arms were wrapped around Blaine almost protectively.

Even though he knew that Kurt would kill him for spying on him with his boyfriend, Burt stood there for a few minutes, smiling despite the fact that his overprotective father senses were going a little haywire. He liked seeing Kurt happy like this - Kurt hadn't been happy for a long time before Blaine, not really.

Really, they were just laying there, not saying anything. Or doing anything, which Burt liked just fine. But just as Burt was about to leave, Blaine moved his head slightly, kissing Kurt's chest absently. "I love you," he said and Burt believed it, his voice was full of such…care. "So much," he added.

"Mmm," sighed Kurt. "I love you, Blaine. Just remember that."

"Always," replied Blaine.

Burt was brought back to almost ten years ago.

Elisabeth was dying. His Lizzie, so frail and sick in her bed. On the last night she was alive, Burt had taken her hand and cried. Burt didn't know why at the time. He guessed he could sense that she was leaving him soon.

"Hey," Lizzie had said, her voice weak, but firm in resolution. "I love you, Burt. Just remember that."

"Always," Burt had said, nodding and then leaning over to kiss her softly - and for the last time.

Burt looked at Kurt and Blaine, seeing himself and his beautiful, beautiful wife.

Burt was sure that they would be just fine, always.

FIN