Glee 1. Chapter 1

It was about two weeks into summer break and Blaine and Kurt were going strong as ever. They spent just about every single summer day together, and today was no exception. Today—which was Thursday—they planned to go out for a day of shopping and perhaps a movie.

Blaine dropped by earlier than expected, so Kurt was forced to invited him inside while he got ready to leave. "I have a very extensive early morning routine," he explained to his boyfriend as they retreated to his bedroom.

All he really had left to do was finish his hair and morning moisturizing routine. He sat on the loveseat in front of the mirror, watching in the reflection while Blaine went through the clothes in his closet with boredom.

"I have to admit, Kurt, you have some really strange outfits it here," he commented, stopping every so often to examine any particularly peculiar clothing article hanging on the rack. "What the heck is this?" He stopped and held out Kurt's platinum silver Lady Gaga styled suit.

"Oh, that my Gaga outfit," Kurt answered casually. "We had a Gaga themed week in Glee Club once."

Blaine nodded in understanding, but then said, "Who's 'Gaga?'"

Kurt whirled around to stare at Blaine incredulously. "What? 'Who's Gaga?' Please tell me you're joking, Blaine," he said seriously. "Lady Gaga is _only _the Goddess of Pop. The Queen of Theatricality. The mas—"

"I was kidding!" Blaine interrupted him, holding up his hands. "Of course I know who Lady Gaga is. Calm down." He smiled slightly in amusement.

Kurt sighed with relief. "Don't ever joke around about something as _serious _as Lady Gaga," he warned. "I thought we were about to have some real problems there." He turned back to the mirror.

Blaine chuckled to himself. "Really, though, who doesn't know who Lady Gaga is? I'd think it would be impossible, as long as you don't live under a rock."

"I should hope so."

Blaine hung the Gaga costume back up on the rack and strolled out of the closest to stand behind Kurt. "I don't see why you're even bothering with that," he said softly, leaning down to bring his arms around Kurt's shoulders and kissing his left temple. He whispered, "You look perfect to me."

Kurt felt his face grow hot in a blush and he smiled faintly. "Well, aren't we smooth with the words?" he teased lightly, trying to cover up his embarrassment.

Blaine laughed quietly. "I try." He tilted Kurt's head slightly sideways to kiss him again, this time on the lips. "Does it work?"

Kurt smirked slyly and kissed Blaine back, longer and more forcefully, caressing the back of his neck. When they broke apart, Kurt breathed, "What do you think?"

Blaine said nothing and simply kissed Kurt again, passionately, bringing one arm around Kurt's waist. His mouth was very warm, with the slightest taste of coffee on his lips.

It sure did beat Brittany's claim that most guys' lips tasted like either dip or burgers, that was for sure.

This particular kiss lasted pleasantly long. Kurt closed his eyes, savoring it, leaning back and drawing his arms around the back of Blaine's neck.

At the doorway suddenly came Finn's voice: "Hey, Kurt! Mom wants to know if-holy crap!" He broke off midsentence with a choking splutter.

They broke the kiss simultaneously and turned to face the door. Finn stood there, his face pale white. "Err—ah. Hah…I'll just, um…I'll just come back later…" he stammered awkwardly, backing away and disappearing from the doorway.

"Ack! Finn, hold on!" Kurt protested, sitting up. Blaine stood and moved across the room to sit at the corner of Kurt's bed. Finn reappeared at the door hesitantly, peering into the room carefully.

Blaine smiled sheepishly at Finn. "Sorry about that, Finn," he apologized innocently.

"Erm, its fine. Just…close the door next time," Finn advised, sending a look at Kurt.

"Sure, whatever," Kurt said dismissively. "Anyways, what did mom want?"

"Um…Oh, yeah. She said she's got a promotion interview today and she's wondering if you would like to help her pick out some clothes."

Kurt perked up. "Of course I would! And I've already got the perfect look in mind." He stood and bolted for the door. "I'll be back in a minute, Blaine!"

…

Once Kurt was finally all ready to go, he and Blaine stopped by the Lima Bean for their morning coffee. No doubt that Blaine had already stopped by here earlier, but hey—the boy liked coffee.

They walked hand-in-hand inside the homey little coffee shop and took their place in line. They were discussing where exactly they should stop on their window-shopping spree for today. Or, more, Kurt was deciding where to go while Blaine just agreed.

The warmth of Blaine's hand suddenly vanished from Kurt's. He glanced at Blaine in confusion when a very familiar blonde approached them.

"Ah, Jeremiah," Blaine greeted quickly.

Jeremiah smiled. "Hey, Blaine! Long time no see, huh?" he greeted. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Yeah, um. Hey," Blaine stammered. "It's good to see you again."

Kurt frowned. Oh, fantastic. It's Jeremiah. Not really a person he enjoyed seeing, that was for sure.

"Here for coffee?" Jeremiah guessed.

Why else would we be here at the Lima Bean? Kurt thought to himself. He kept his mouth shut, though.

"Oh course," Blaine said. "This place is my favorite when I'm in need of caffeine."

"Oh, cool. I just applied for a job here, actually," Jeremiah said. He crossed his fingers. "I think they liked me."

"That's awesome!" Blaine said. "Good luck! I hope you get the job," he said encouragingly.

"Thanks. I really need the money," he said. "It won't pay as much as the Gap…But it'll do."

Blaine frowned with a wince. "Err. Yeah. I'm _really _sorry about what happened earlier this year," he apologized uncomfortably, dropping his hazel eyes to the ground. "I didn't mean to make you lose your job or anything…"

Jeremiah smiled lightly. "Don't worry about it," he assured. "It wasn't really your fault… My boss was a raging homophobic jerk. The instant that he suspected I might be gay, he fired me."

"Oh," Blaine mumbled. "And he works at the Gap? That's a pretty awful job choice for someone like that."

"I know," Jeremiah agreed. "Don't worry. It's only a matter of time before _he _loses _his _job. He gets tons of complaints!" He laughed.

Blaine managed a smile. "Good."

"And you know what? I'm happy I'm out of there," Jeremiah went on. "I've finally been able to accept myself and surround myself with positive people. I'm out of the closet, and it's actually thanks to you, in a way."

Blaine's smile widened a little. "Really?" He looked very flattered.

"And not just because of your show choir, either," he said. "Seeing how open you were about your sexuality really helped me with coming to terms with my own. So…I guess I really owe you for that."

This was getting really sappy. Kurt decided to intervene. Before Blaine could respond, he interrupted, "While that's all so very fine and dandy, Blaine, I think we should really get going." He pointed to his wristwatch. "The mall closes at 9."

"Oh, yeah," Blaine said with a start. "Sorry, Jeremiah—we've got to go."

"No worries," Jeremiah said. "I've got a lot to do today, anyways. But it was nice talking to you again."

"It was nice talking with you, too," Blaine concurred.

"We should try to keep in touch," Jeremiah suggested. "Is your number still the same?"

"Yep, same as always."

"Great! I'll try to text you later, then," Jeremiah told him. "I'll see you later." He waved and exited out the front doors.

Could that have gone any worse? Kurt frowned, crossed his arms, and sent a look at Blaine.

"What?" Blaine said self-consciously.

"What was that all about?" he demanded.

Blaine furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? You and Jeremiah, that's was I mean!" he said strongly. "That little chat was a little too intimate for my liking."

"Intimate?" Blaine echoed. "I don't know what you're talking about, Kurt. We were just talking."

Okay, maybe intimate was too strong of a word. But he knew he didn't imagine the electricity in the air when the two of them were 'talking.' "Okay, then tell me; Why did you let go of my hand when you saw Jeremiah?"

"I did?" Blaine questioned. "I didn't even realize. But what does that even have to do with Jeremiah?"

Was he really that oblivious? Or was he faking it to seem sincere? Kurt sighed heavily, deciding to just be blunt with it. "Do you still have any feelings for Jeremiah?"

That seemed to click. "What? No! Of course not," Blaine said instantly. "Why would you even think that?"

"Why _wouldn't _I think that?" Kurt challenged. "All things considered, Blaine, I can't help but worry."

"There's nothing to worry about," Blaine insisted. "Jeremiah and I aren't strangers, remember? It's only natural that we'd act like friends. But that is all we are—friends. Nothing more." He turned to Kurt, taking his hands into his own, and met his blue eyes with sincerity. "Trust me. There's nobody else I want to be with except for you."

Kurt hesitated before allowing himself to relax. He could see that Blaine was being honest. "Okay," he sighed. "I believe you. And I'm sorry for snapping."

Blaine smiled. "And I'm sorry if I acted suspicious," he said evenly.

The two of them hugged it out, but the pit of apprehension was still there in Kurt's chest. He feared that this 'thing' with Jeremiah wasn't over yet. Just the opposite—it was only just beginning.


	2. Chapter 2

As usual, every Friday the Hummel-Hudson household held their weekly family dinner. It had been a tradition in Kurt's family for as long as he could remember, and only went on a short hiatus when his mother had died several years ago. Carole and Finn had adapted this tradition when they joined the family, and they hadn't missed a Friday dinner since the wedding. Typically, the chefs were Carole and/or Kurt, since they were the only ones who actually _could _cook anything successfully. Finn and Burt set the table and attempted to help any other way they could.

This week, Blaine was joining them for dinner. It wasn't the first time, and probably wouldn't be the last. Most of the family adored Blaine. Carole loved him for his polite and well-mannered demeanor and Finn got along with him well due to their shared knowledge in sports. Even Burt seemed to like him, despite their awkward history of drunkenness and sex-talks.

Once everyone was seated with a plate of food in front of them, Carole attempted to urge conversation with, "So, how was everyone's day?"

No one responded for a moment, and Kurt guessed that nobody really had anything to talk about. He knew he didn't, at least. He'd spent his Friday at home, finishing up the script for his own original Broadway musical, "Pip Pip Hooray." He wasn't ready just yet to unveil the contents of his masterpiece just yet. "Never mind about us," Kurt spoke up finally. "How did your interview go last night?"

Carole beamed. "It went very well, actually," she answered. "I think I have a good shot at this promotion." She grinned at Kurt. "And the interviewer loved the outfit choice, by the way."

"But of course," Kurt boasted proudly. "Who wouldn't? It was a perfect chic-and-formal combination, if I do say so myself."

"She complimented my look right at the beginning of the interview," Carole said. "So thank you, Kurt, for your exquisite expertise."

Kurt smiled humbly and did a short half-bow from his seat. "I'm always glad to be of assistance." He looked sideways at Blaine seated beside him, wearing a plain black t-shirt, faded jeans, and light brown shoes. "Speaking of fashion choices," he went on. "Blaine, I think you and I need to have a talk about yours."

Blaine blinked, furrowed his eyebrows, and glanced down at what he was wearing. "What's wrong with my clothes…?" he asked warily.

"The fact that they are drearily plain and boring aside…Your shoes don't match your shirt. You _never_ wear that shade of brown with black. It's one of the biggest fashion don'ts out there."

"Um…Sorry?" Blaine said. "This is my favorite pair of shoes. Plus, I haven't done the laundry yet, so this was basically all I had left to wear, unless I was going to wear a bright blue and purple sweater my grandma knitted for me for Christmas one year."

Kurt winced just imaging that fashion monstrosity. "I suppose, considering the circumstances, I can let this mismatch slide," he reasoned. "Just don't do it again!"

Blaine smiled with amusement. "Yes, sir," he agreed with a laugh. "I wouldn't want to upset the fashion police."

"At least you don't dress nearly as bad as Finn does."

Blaine glanced at Finn and then back at Kurt. "Not sure whether I should take that as a compliment or not," Blaine said teasingly.

Finn frowned at them. "Sure, gang up on the straight guy," he mumbled.

"I was only joking," Blaine assured.

"I wasn't," Kurt said. "He refuses any and all advice I have to give him. He's a fashion train wreck."

"Okay, boys, that's enough," Burt stepped in. "If Finn is comfortable the way he is, you shouldn't try to change him."

Finn pointed at Burt. "Exactly," he agreed.

How many times had he heard _that_ from his father? Though he did have a point. Kurt grunted in agreement, turning back to his plate of food.

"Oh, yeah," Blaine interjected. "I almost forgot. Thank you for inviting me over for dinner, Mrs. Hudson. Your cooking is always excellent."

Carole smiled at that. "Aw, well thank you, Blaine. We're glad to have your company," she gushed. "You're always welcome over here."

He chuckled. "So, you guys aren't sick of me just yet?"

"Not at all. You're almost like family now."

Blaine offered up a flattered smile. "That's good to know. I was afraid I was spending too much time around here—you know, overstaying my welcome."

Burt suddenly cut in. "Oh, man! I nearly forgot to tell you boys—Finn and Kurt—that we're taking a little trip this weekend."

"We are?" Kurt looked at his father. "Where to? And why did you wait until Friday night to tell us?"

"I completely forgot about it until just now," Burt explained. "We're going to Indianapolis."

"My sister—your aunt Cathy—wants to meet you and your father," Carole explained to Kurt.

"Aunt Cathy?" Finn echoed. "We haven't seen her in, like, two years."

"Yes, well, we've all been a bit busy," Carole said. "Now that things have settled down a bit, we can take some time aside to see her again."

Oh, joy. He and Finn both exchanged dismayed looks. Kurt had already heard a bit about 'Aunt Cathy' from Finn. Just about anything he'd had to say about her were complaints. She sounded like an uptight religious nut. Definitely not the kind of person a gay seventeen-year old high school student could get along with. But it would be rude to complain. Kurt sighed. "Great. Can't wait to meet her."

"That's the spirit," Burt said approvingly. "We're leaving in the morning. You two ought to get to packing your things when you're finished with dinner."

Kurt wasn't exactly hungry anymore. He got to his feet, snatching up his plate of untouched food. "C'mon Blaine," he prompted his boyfriend. "You can help me pack." Without waiting for a response, he took Blaine's plate as well and dashed to dump the leftovers in the trash bin.

Blaine raised his eyebrows. "Well, then, I guess I'm done eating, too," he said sarcastically, standing up to follow Kurt to his room.

"I expect you to keep your door open, Kurt!" Burt called after him.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "I will, dad."

Kurt got his back out of the closet and began to pack up the clothes he suspected he might need for this trip. Blaine stood back and watched with nothing else to do.

"I'm really dreading this 'trip,'" Kurt mumbled as he placed a neatly folded top in his bag. "There's a reason why my dad waited so long to tell me, and its not because he just 'forgot' about it."

"Then what was his reason?" Blaine asked curiously.

"Finn has told me about Aunt Cathy," Kurt said. "Needless to say, she's not really worthy of 'Favorite Aunt' status. Far from it. Even Finn doesn't like her!" he explained. "He generally gets along with just about anyone, too."

"Yeah, he seems like the laid-back type," Blaine said thoughtfully. "But, back to the point, what's so bad about this Aunt Cathy of yours?"

"Well, I haven't actually _met _her before. She didn't even go to the wedding," Kurt admitted. "But Finn knows her. He said she is, and I quote, 'an uptight, strict, extremely religious, scary witch.'"

Blaine winced. "Well, I can see a few obvious problems there," Blaine sympathized. "But it's not like her type in uncommon. Try visiting the southern more country-versed states."

"I think I'd rather not," Kurt said. "There's more than enough homophobia here in Ohio, thank you very much."

"True," Blaine agreed in a sigh. "But you can think of this as practice, if it helps. She won't be the last person you meet who—I'll assume—is an extremely religious homophobe. They're the kind of people you should be tolerant with, or maybe just keep quiet around."

"Keep quiet?" Kurt repeated. "What, you mean hide the fact I'm gay?" He looked at Blaine disbelievingly.

"No, not necessarily," Blaine eased. "I'm not saying to pretend to be straight or anything. You just might want to avoid the subject all together. It'll surely make your visit there a little more endurable," Blaine explained.

Kurt paused to consider it. Blaine had a good point. It wasn't like he'd be closeted. He just didn't have to say anything about his sexuality unless directly confronted about it. He nodded. "Alright. If I'm going to survive a weekend with her, I suppose it's my best option," he submitted. If he could survive McKinley High—what with all the dumpster tosses, slushy facials, and locker shoving—surely he could survive a homophobic city-dwelling aunt, right?


	3. Chapter 3

**I just wanted to thank you guys for the kind reviews you've given me so far! It means a lot to me :) **

**Here's chapter 3! **

* * *

><p>The Hummel-Hudson family arrived at Aunt Cathy's Indianapolis home after an agonizingly long and boring four hour drive. Still, it was better than actually meeting Aunt Cathy.<p>

The front door to the city home was opened by a tall, husky woman who, other than her hair color, bore very little resemblance to Carole. She ordered them all to take their shoes off before stepping inside the house. And, of course, Kurt just had to be wearing a pair of knee-high lace-up designer leather boots that took forever unlace. Everyone else simply slipped off their shoes and stepped inside without a hitch, while Kurt had to kneel down and undo the laces individually, one at a time. He did his best to keep his focus on his shoes, avoiding the unwavering icy stare that Aunt Cathy had held on him.

Eventually, Kurt got his boots off and stood up straight with an awkward, uneasy laugh. Alright, bad first impression. Not the best way to start off this visit… He edged passed Cathy to step inside to join his family, boots clutched in his arms. His outfit didn't feel complete without his them on, but he kept his mouth shut.

_Her house, her rules, I suppose…_

Cathy closed the front door and turned to greet Carole. "Well, hello there, Carole. It has certainly been a long time. Why don't we all step into the living room and chat?" she offered pleasantly.

Carole smiled in greeting. "Alright, sounds good."

"Just leave your shoes by the door."

Finn, Carole, and Burt tossed their shoes to the corner and ambled into the living room. Kurt hesitated with his boots, however. They were his favorite pair of shoes.

After a moment's hesitation, he carefully set them down beside the other shoes. What was the worst that could happen to them?

Kurt sat next to Finn on the sofa, crossing his legs. The room was very tidy and color-coordinated. An opened bible sat on a wooden pedestal, crosses adorned the walls, and the coffee table exhibited a few small angel figurines. It was very plain to see what type of person Cathy was.

There was one couch and an armchair. Carole and Burt joined their children on the couch while Cathy sat at the armchair. "So, you must be Burt," Cathy said to Kurt's father.

"I am," Burt responded stiffly. "It's good to finally meet you, Catherine."

She smiled a menacingly sweet smile. "Please, call me Cathy," she offered. "And that must be your son sitting beside you. Kurt, wasn't it?"

"Yes, ma'am," Kurt confirmed.

She seemed to stop and study him for a long moment before nodding. "Well, then, Kurt, it's good to meet you as well," she said.

"Likewise," Kurt said formally.

Finally, she smiled at Finn. "And hello, Finny! You've sure grown up a lot since last time I saw you."

Finn laughed a quiet, awkward laugh. "Yeah, well…That's what happens when you don't see someone for two years" he said obviously.

"Aw, I'm sorry I haven't stopped by much, Finny. I've been so very busy, trying to keep up with the bills and everything in this economic deficit," she explained. "I feel so guilty, missing the wedding and everything."

"Oh, don't worry about it, Cathy," Carole assured. "I understand that you had other things to do."

What, her sister's wedding wasn't important enough? Kurt wondered what could have possibly been so crucial as to miss it. Not that it was even his business in the first place.

For a while, the conversation was very general and basic, branching off subjects such as, "How are things going?" and "How's work been for you?" and "Nice weather we're having."

Kurt didn't have to contribute to the chat very much, only talking when asked a question directly. The less he spoke, the better. The atmosphere already felt tense and uncomfortable as it was.

Finally, Aunt Cathy told them they could get their things and get settled into the spare rooms. Kurt and Finn had to share a room while their parents shared the room across the hall. Finn helped Kurt with his things with a little difficulty. He dropped the bags on the floor with a grunt.

"Hey! Be careful with those," Kurt snapped.

"What the heck all did you bring?" Finn asked. "We're only going to be here for like two days."

"You can never be over-prepared," Kurt said. He'd carried one bag along with his boots and moved to place them on a bed, but halted when he noticed something else was occupying the space. "Erm…Is that…a dog?"

Finn looked to where Kurt pointed and smiled. "Hey! It's Cookie!" The dog—a huge German Shepherd—lifted her head lazily, blinking at Finn and wagging her tail. Finn dashed over to her and patted her head. "Wow, she's gotten so big since the last time I saw her."

Kurt backed away to the opposite side of the room. "Yeah, that's terrific. Now get her out of here," he ordered.

Finn looked at Kurt quizzically. "What? Why?" he asked. "Don't tell me you're _afraid_ of dogs, Kurt..." Finn smirked knowingly.

"Of course not!" Kurt defended himself. "I'm just allergic to, um…teeth and claws."

"Cookie is totally harmless!" Finn said. "Right, Cookie? You're a good girl. You wouldn't hurt a fly!" Cookie sat up, tongue lolling out of her mouth and tail waving to and fro. She hopped off the bed and Kurt scrambled back even further.

"Sure, whatever you say, j-just keep her away from me," he demanded.

"Go on, Cookie! Go say hi to Kurt!" Finn encouraged her. "I think he'd love to meet you!"

"Finn!" Kurt snapped. "That's not funny!"

Finn pushed Cookie in his direction. "Go ahead, Cookie!"

"Finn, quit it!" Kurt backed into the farthest wall, using his boots as a shield in front of him. Cookie shuffled lazily over to Kurt, ears perked. He tensed up as she sniffed at his feet, lifting her nose to his boots. Her lazy expression instantly snapped into full on carnivore and a snarl ripped from her throat. Her teeth clamped onto the laces of the boots, just inches from Kurt's hands. "AHH!" He shoved the boots at the monstrous hound and danced out of the way frantically, jumping up on top of the bed as if that would protect him.

Cookie didn't follow after him. Instead, she crouched to the ground and began to tear apart the leather of his favorite designer boots with her long sharp teeth.

"Nooo! Those are designer!" Kurt cried. He shot a glare at Finn. "Do something! Control that mutt! She's going to ruin my favorite shoes!"

Finn's eyes were wide with shock. "Ahh, well…"

"Well, what? This is your fault! Get my shoes back!"

Finn frowned to himself and drew in a deep breath. "Fine…I can do this." He started for Cookie reluctantly, reaching around her to try and snag the boots. She jerked her head around and snarled at him with snapping teeth, causing him to recoil abruptly. "Whoa!" He staggered back a few paces. "Um. Sorry Kurt, but I don't really want to become dog food as well…" he apologized in a mumble.

"Argh! You're useless!" Kurt groaned.

"What's going on in here?" Burt demanded at the doorway. "I heard someone scream."

"That—that MUTT is devouring my favorite pair of shoes!" Kurt pointed down at Cookie from atop the bed. "Do something! They're a limited edition designer brand-I can't get them anywhere anymore!"

Burt frowned, peering over at the beast. "Alright," he sighed, straightening up. "I'll see what I can do."

* * *

><p><strong>Will Burt manage to save his son's expensive knee-high lace-up desinger boots! Find out in the next chapter! (or so.) <strong>

**Ha, seriously, though, sorry for the awkward chapter end. I feel the need to switch POV's for the next chapter... Next chapter, let's find out what Blaine is up to! :)**

**And thank you for reading!**


End file.

Glee