Chapter Text
Kurt reached over to Adam and rubbed his stomach gently. Kurt wasn’t a huge fan of flying himself, but it hadn’t occurred to him that Adam would have a nervous travel tummy. The man zipped back and forth on the subway daily. Multiple times. Often while reading. But as they’d gone up in the air, Adam had started to look flushed and it wasn’t long before he was leaned over, rubbing the sides of his face and breathing slowly.
Kurt’s nerves about returning home, about even flying, dissipated as he rubbed Adam’s back and got the nurse to bring them some ginger ale. On the way back, Kurt was going to drug him.
“We’re almost there,” Kurt said softly.
Adam threaded his fingers through Kurt’s and squeezed slightly. “Thank you, sweetheart.”
“I wish you’d told me you get airsick.” Kurt lifted his other hand and toyed with Adam’s limp curls.
“Honestly. You had enough on your mind, Kuht. I thought with the sea-bands, it might help a bit this time.” He met Kurt’s gaze with a faltering smile.
“I would have wanted to help.”
“You needed to be thinking about you and about your father. I’m a grown man. I should be able to take care of myself?”
Kurt shook his head and gave him a peck on the lips. If Adam had just said something, Kurt could have prepared better to take care of him.
“How do you go home to visit your family?”
“Generally my mum comes to visit me. Little sis is at boarding school here now so she can visit me, and my dad in Jersey, pretty easily. So it’s not usually much of a problem.”
Kurt nodded slowly and stretched his arm over Adam’s broad shoulders and guided Adam’s head to his chest. Adam sighed and curled into him.
“Pitiful,” Adam muttered.
“Adorable.” Kurt kissed the crown of his hair.
Kurt looked up and spotted a middle-aged woman eyeing them angrily as she tried to focus her toddler’s attention away from them and on the little dvd screen they had out. His inner bitch rose, and he gave the little girl a glowing smile and a little wave. The girl bounced, along with her curls, and she waved back.
The mother pulled her away forcefully, causing her girl to let out a sharp cry.
“Aww.” Adam lifted his head. “Poor girl.”
She peeked her head out once more as her mother tried to set up the DVD player. “Are you brothers?”
“No, darling. He’s my mate from school,” Adam said. “In New York. Do you know New York?”
“Yes!”
“Lovely… oh.” Adam laid back again.
“Are you okay?”
“Feeling a little sick. Good thing I have Kurt to look after me.” Adam looked back at Kurt, who had kept a smile on his face.
“Natalie, stop. Sit down,” her mother ordered.
Natalie’s face disappeared, and then she reappeared with a stuffed gray and white bunny. “He’ll make you feel better.”
“Oh! I can’t. What if you need him to fly? Don’t you get scared?” Adam asked.
“I don’t get scared! I’m not a baby anymore.” She stretched her arm out with the bunny.
“If mum says it’s all right.”
Her mother looked at them dubiously while her daughter turned to her with big eyes and pleases.
“It’s okay,” Kurt said. “He can just hug me. I don’t mind. If you give your bunny away, you might lose him.”
Natalie looked unhappy, but pulled her bunny to her chest and nodded. “Feel better!”
“I do already, dahling.”
“I love kids,” Adam murmured, snuggling again into Kurt’s chest.
Kurt felt a bit of satisfaction as the mother looked at them again. She seemed more irritated, but also more conflicted. Kurt rested his head against Adam’s and closed his eyes. He couldn’t wait to get off this plane, even if Adam was anxious about meeting Kurt’s family.
—-
Kurt idly rubbed Adam’s back as they shuffled off the plane. He was still looking a bit pale, so Kurt encouraged him to go to the bathroom and get some cold water on his face. Kurt could collect their bags himself.
He’d only been standing by the belt for a few minutes when he heard the sound of an acoustic guitar. As he looked up, the guitar was joined by some very familiar “Ooo-ahh” harmonizations and Kurt spun from one side to the other, trying to figure out where the song was coming from.
“Forever can never be long enough for me!” a familiar bari-tenor crooned. “To feel like I’ve had long enough with you!”
One more turn and he saw Blaine’s face. His eyes wide and effusing warmth as he sang. Kurt recognized the Train song, although they had characteristically sped it up and added a stronger choral backup behind Blaine.
“Forget the world now, we won’t let them see! But there’s one thing left to do. Now that the weight has lifted, love has surely shifted my way!” Blaine danced forward as he sang, then when he reached Kurt, grew louder. “Maaar-ry me!”
“Blaine, stop,” Kurt hissed. He started to back up.
“Today and every day!” he belted with the others lending volume. “Maaar-ry me! If I ever get the nerve to say hello in this cafe.” He dropped to a knee, and pressed his palms together under his chin. “Say you will! Ohh, whoa, saaaay you wi-ill!”
Kurt continued to inch backwards until he stumbled and fell back onto the conveyor belt, which decided that moment to activate, and Kurt found himself sliding away from Blaine.
The Glee club (or at least a handful of them, including Sam with his guitar, Tina, Artie, Joe, Brittany, and some others he was vague on) immediately stopped singing, and one or two darted over to the belt where Kurt was already trying to get his bearings, despite being hindered by the tightness and lack of give of his pants. The crowd went from staring to staring and laughing, and when Blaine jumped up to come get him, but there were too many people in the way, and Kurt started crawling across the belt, just so he could get out of this on his own.
The crowd was getting larger, and then, “Easy there, son,” came a booming male voice.
Kurt looked up in time to see a man in a security uniform reaching over him. The man got him on either side of his torso, and Kurt held onto the man’s hands as he lifted him up off the belt and onto his feet.
“You all right?” the man asked, looking carefully at Kurt’s eyes.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m okay.”
Blaine pushed through the crowd. “Kurt, you scared me!”
“You should listen to your boyfriend. Getting on the belt is dangerous.”
“I was just startled,” Kurt managed, keeping a wary eye on Blaine and the other Glee ambushers. He shook his head to at least attempt focusing. “We’re not a couple.”
The officer looked back to Blaine, whose showface was now crestfallen, then to Kurt again. “Is this guy bothering you? Is that what happened?”
“No, I really was- He just caught me by surprise. I tripped backwards onto the belt,” Kurt said.
The officer looked between them again and tilted his head. He pointed to Kurt. “Stay off the belt.” Then he turned to Blaine. “This is an airport, not a club. This isn’t a place to fool around and do flashmobs or whatever it is you’re trying to do.”
Blaine nodded almost involuntarily. Kurt swallowed and waited for the officer to leave before he turned to look at the luggage on the belt.
“Kurt,” Blaine said. He stepped a little closer. “Kurt, I didn’t come here just to pick you up-”
“I know. Because Finn is picking me up.” Kurt grabbed a bag and pulled it off the belt. His cheeks must be scarlet with embarrassment by now. He could still feel people staring.
“Well… Will you?” Blaine reached his hand into his pocket.
Kurt’s eyes bulged in horror, and he touched his forearm to keep him from pulling out what was in his pocket. “Blaine.” He met his eye sternly. “I thought you understood. I’m sorry that you don’t.”
“Oh, c’mon, Kurt! Stop being such a bitch!” The shriek came from the crowd. “Blaine loves you!”
“Oh, can it, Tina!” Kurt snapped. He sighed heavily, then spoke in a tone layered with tension and censure, “Not here, Blaine. Not now. I can’t believe you did this.”
“I can’t believe you. You used to love big romantic gestures!” Blaine argued.
“Not from people I’ve told repeatedly that I want to be friends.” Kurt grabbed another bag from the belt. If he were being honest, his love for big romantic gestures, and a lot of big romantic things, had withered considerably since the break-up. They just felt empty.
Blaine reached over to take a bag, and Kurt swatted his hand.
“You need to go.”
“You’re not going to be able to get all that luggage by yourself.” Blaine spoke with a coy challenge in his voice as he leaned in closer.
“Watch me,” Kurt said simply.
“You always overpack. You just can’t stand not to have the perfect outfit right at the ready, and all those facial products…” Blaine chuckled.
“It’s none of your business what I pack and how much.”
“Why are you acting like this? You’re being really unfair to me.”
“You embarrassed me, and you put me in a really uncomfortable position,” Kurt said through his teeth. “People are still staring at me!”
“Well, maybe you should give me an answer, then,” Blaine suggested, a little bit more loudly.
“Kiss him!” Sam cheered. He started clapping his hands and a few other people started to clap and chant. Although quite a few were looking scandalized and utterly bewildered.
“Stop it!” Kurt snapped finally. He grabbed his last bag hitched two over his shoulder and began to drag the other two away from Blaine. As Blaine followed, Kurt turned to him and growled under his breath, “No, the answer is no, okay? And you know why, so stop this right now!”
Blaine stopped moving so abruptly that Kurt almost felt obligated to stop with him, but he spotted Adam coming out of the bathroom, and charged ahead.
“Dahling! Don’t try to carry all that yourself,” Adam chided. “I’m not that poorly.” He swooped in and took the bags from Kurt’s shoulder and two of the rollaways, leaving Kurt with one bag.
“You’re feeling better,” Kurt said softly.
“I’m off the bloody plane. Still a bit queasy, but much improved, I assure you.” Adam leaned over to peck Kurt’s cheek, and they headed for the pick-up area.
Kurt resisted the urge to look back. He wasn’t going to be a favorite around Lima, that was for damn sure.
—-
By the time they’d loaded up Finn’s truck and gotten inside, Kurt’s phone was blowing up with text messages. Kurt put it on silent and tucked it into his pocket, although it was still vibrating, and Adam looked at it curiously. Kurt just took his hand and smiled at him.
“I have a feeling I’ve missed something,” Adam said, lowering his voice slightly.
“I’ll give you the details later,” Kurt muttered. This time, he curled into Adam’s chest, and Adam wrapped his arm around Kurt.
Kurt distracted himself by getting Finn talking. Apparently the New Directions had just come off a rather close win at Regionals. Kurt had heard about the win, but not the specifics of the last minute shenanigans this time, so he let Finn babble on.
As they approached the house, Kurt looked up and felt his anticipation rising. He missed being home. Not in Lima. Home. With his family. It was the one thing that he couldn’t go without in New York.
When they pulled up, Adam let out a tense sigh, and Kurt patted his hand. “Don’t worry. Dad only seems scary.”
“No, dude. He can be really super scary.” Finn grinned over at Adam.
“Um. Do appreciate the honesty,” Adam said.
“But he won’t be with you, okay?” Kurt narrowed his eyes at Finn, who just laughed and opened his door.
Kurt glared after him and touched Adam’s cheek gently. He pressed his lips softly to Adam’s, willing him to take some of his strength. Tonight they would have to talk about Blaine; Kurt didn’t want Adam to find out from anyone else. But hopefully it wouldn’t ruin their night.
They each took a couple of bags and headed inside. Adam hummed to himself, scanning the outside of the house and the neighborhood as they went. Then, at the doorway, stood Burt Hummel, bunching his lips together and looking down with his first critical glance at the new man in his son’s life.
Kurt had to admit that his dad probably did look a bit scary to someone who didn’t know him. As for Kurt, he hurried up the steps and gave his father a tight hug.
He’d been a little terrified that his father’s health would start slipping while he was in New York. So far away. What if something had happen, and the last time he’d see him was over and awkward breakfast with Blaine looking on hopefully before the two of them left for the airport?
“God, I missed you. I gotta get up to New York more often,” Burt said in a low, shaky voice.
Kurt just sniffed and nodded, tucking his chin over his father’s shoulder. If his dad was getting teary, Kurt didn’t want to make him fess up to it. It seemed a long time before he let go, and Burt’s eyes went to Adam again. Adam had brought the luggage onto the porch and was standing there a little awkwardly wearing a friendly but nervous smile.
“So this is the British guy?” Burt said in a light tone.
“That’s what they call me. Well, no one calls me that, actually. I hope.” Adam laughed and shot out his hand to shake.
Burt chuckled as well, even though it was hardly funny, and gave Adam’s hand a firm shake. “C’mon in. Carole’s out, but we can settle you guys in. Freshen up a little before we go out for dinner. How was the flight?”
“Not bad,” Adam said.
“Adam got airsick,” Kurt said.
Adam pointed at Kurt. “That is unfair.”
“Do you wanna stay in?” Burt started to reach for a bag, but Adam swooped in and got all three to take inside. Burt frowned slightly and looked at Kurt.
“Always,” Kurt mouthed, rolling his eyes. Then he followed Adam in and said, “I think Adam’s Britishness will force him to come along anyway.”
“This is absolutely true,” Adam agreed, setting the bags by the sofa. “If I have to breathe into a lemon-scented handkerchief like I’m up the spout, that is what I’ll do.”
Burt chuckled again, genuinely. “A bit early in the relationship for that.”
“God, I hope so. Professor Koehler will have my guts for garters if I lose my figger before graduation.”
“He teach singing…? Dancing?” Burt motioned for Adam to have a seat on the sofa.
“Acting. He’s Dean of Dramatic Arts.” Adam lifted his right hand with an exaggerated flair.
Kurt’s heart soared, watching Adam and his father together. “I’m gonna go wash my face. I have travel-oil.” He leaned over to Adam to kiss his cheek, then whispered, “See, not scary.”
Adam’s grin was worth every anxiety this trip had caused.
When he got into the bathroom, he opened his carry-on bag and pulled out his face wash. It took only a moment to lather up, and while he let the tingling cleanser set, he pulled out his phone. The messages had stopped, but there were quite a few. Only two from Artie, so he checked that first, and it was just a two-parter.
I know you didn’t man to be rude, but today was awfully rough on Blaine. I think you should consider giving him a call. We can’t really afford to have him backing out of solos again, because he doesn’t feel emotionally up to it, not while we’re planning for Nationals. You know he’s our New Rachel!
Kurt rolled his eyes, then started scrolling through the texts from Tina. They were numerous, and varying in intensity. She would get angry:
I can’t believe you.
Ur absolutly terrible.
You dn’t deserve him, yknow. Ur just this unbelievably insensitive selfihs diva!
Then try to placate him:
I’m sorry! I’m just so upset. Blaine’s so upset. You were everything to him.
Please call him. It’s so embarrassing to be turned down in public like that. I know!
Then go completely berserk:
If you don’t say yes, Kurt Ernest Hummel, I’m going to start posting embarrassing pictures of you online!
You’ll be a meme! I swear!
Then she’d switch back to just insulting, then placating, then oddball threats once more.
Kurt sighed and deleted them all. Sam had sent a few as well, and he looked at them for a moment before setting his phone down and going to the sink to rinse off his face. He applied some moisturizer, then looked at what Sam had written.
Dude, I told Blaine this might not be such a good idea. Could you at least talk to him about it? He feels really bad right now.
And a few others along those lines. There were a few texts from numbers he didn’t even know.
While he’d been checking, a few more messages had started to trickle through. Tina again, Sam, Brittany, one from Unique (who hadn’t even been at the airport), more from the numbers he didn’t know.
Kurt ran a hand through his hair and considered blocking each and every one of them. But he was torn. Some of these people he’d considered his friends.
“Sweetheart?”
For some reason, Adam’s voice made his eyes sting with tears. He took a deep breath and pocketed his phone. “Hey! I’m almost done.”
Kurt turned quickly to check his eyes and took another breath, then turned to open the door. Adam’s brows crinkled.
“Dahling, have you been crying?” He stepped closer and touched Kurt’s shoulder.
“No! God, how…? Why do you always…!” Kurt looked down, not sure why he was so angry with Adam all of a sudden.
“Sweetie, I’m not accusing you of anything. You just look upset.”
Kurt blew air through his lips and stepped up to Adam, who bit his lower lip as he put his arm around Kurt.
“Did something happen?” Adam asked.
“Yeah, it… I wanted to talk to you about it later, but…” Kurt looked out in the hallway.
“Your father’s gone to pick up Carole. Finn went to grab a shower.”
“At least Finn wasn’t in on it.” Kurt swallowed. He met Adam’s eye, then led him up to his room, locked the door, and turned on some music.
“The level of security at the moment is making me a tad worried.” Adam sat on the edge of Kurt’s bed. “Are we under attack?”
“It feels a little like it.” Kurt sat next to him and pulled out his phone, which was again filling with messages. This time, Blaine had quite a few. He steadied himself, put the phone aside, and described what had happened at the airport to Adam, as well as the onslaught of textual harassment.
Adam’s expression grew more serious, even stern as Kurt went from the humorous surprise proposal to the messages. He rubbed Kurt’s shoulders gently, but his expression was so severe, that Kurt only grew more tense.
“I’m really sorry, Adam,” Kurt finished.
Adam’s brows unknit themselves and shot up. “Sorry? What on Earth would you be sorry for?”
“I don’t know. I have this other guy singing to me and texting me…”
“Yes, but… but you didn’t ask him to do any of those things.”
“I feel like maybe I must have led him on somehow? Since the wedding, I’ve taken his calls— not all of them but anyway— we’ve talked about regular things, day to day. Maybe he got the wrong idea?”
Adam scrunched his left eyebrow downward and pinched his lips together as he thought about that. “Even so… You said that at the wedding you did set your boundaries.”
“Not that well. I mean…” Kurt felt his cheeks flushing and guilt filling his chest. “Sleeping with him.”
While they hadn’t been a couple at that point, they had talked about the wedding. It wasn’t something that would cause a fight, but it wasn’t like anyone should enjoy hearing about their boyfriend’s sex with his ex.
“Hm.” Adam frowned harder. “Granted. But I’ve heard the other end of some of those phone calls. You’ve hammered home the ‘just friends’ message more than once. Even at times when it didn’t entirely fit into the conversation. And regardless, you don’t jump from being broken up to a public wedding proposal. That’s not quite fair to you, doing it in public like that.”
“Oh, I was pretty livid when he started did that in front of everyone. This is Ohio for goodness sake! And an airport is not a show choir room.” Kurt twisted his fingers. “You’re not mad?”
“I’d be a right prat if I were mad at you, dahling. Don’t upset yourself about that. It’s not your fault. Even if you were a little less strict about your boundaries with him, I still wouldn’t be angry. You’re doing your best. We’ve all have messy relationships.” Adam smoothed his hand over the breadth of Kurt’s back and over his shoulder, and squeezed him tightly.
Kurt’s phone buzzed loudly. He looked then shook his head.
“Tina the terrible is calling me. Do you know that she used to consider herself best friends with me and Mercedes?”
Adam lifted his chin up and sucked in his cheeks slightly. Kurt had never seen this look on his face before. He looked impish.
Adam held out his palm. “Might I, dear?”
Kurt leaned forward, craning his head to the side as a smile started to creep across his lips in interest. “You may.”
Adam picked up the call and put it on speakerphone.
“Hullo?”
“I- uh…” Tina paused for a moment.
“Hullo,” Adam said again. “Kurt’s a bit busy at the mo’. This is Adam. Could I get who’s speaking…? Oh, the phone says Tina? Is that it?”
“I um. Yes, this is Tina.”
“Right then, sweetheart. What can we do for you?”
She said nothing for a moment. “Could you get Kurt?”
“Not just now, but I can take a message. Or you could send him a text, I suppose.”
Kurt opened his mouth wide as though scandalized. Adam sounded so sweet, and so polite. Kurt could hardly stand it. Tina was clearly thrown.
“No, I… I guess I don’t have a message…” Tina’s voice got quieter. They could hear a male voice in the background. After a moment she said, “You were with him at the airport today, right?”
“That’s right. Came with for the hols. We weren’t sure the next time we’d both have off, and he wanted me to meet his father.” Adam hesitated and looked at Kurt.
Kurt rose and went to find something to write on.
“Oh, okay. So you’ll be here for the whole trip?”
“I certainly will!” he said brightly. “This is exciting for me, actually. I’ve never been to one of the landlocked states. Just New York and California.”
“Lima’s not that exciting.” Tina sounded like her old self for a moment.
“It must be, if someone like Kurt came out of here. He’s simply amazing.” Adam grinned up at Kurt. “He’s so gifted. I can hardly stand it. Everyone at school is bloody jealous of him.”
More male whispering on the other end. Kurt turned around with his paper with the message:
You are so getting laid tonight.
Adam’s eyes went wide, but like a pro, he kept his delight tempered down and none of it reached his voice. “Oh, do you have someone with you? Should I let you go?”
“Oh, no. No. I just…” More whispering. Then, in a hushed whisper, she shot to her cohorts: “I’m not saying that to him. I’ll die.”
Adam waggled his brows at Kurt. “It was sweet of you to check in on him. Kurt does get nervous flying. I imagine he’ll get used to it when he’s a superstar.”
“Yeah, I bet. But he’s glad to be home, right?”
“I dunno. He seems happy to see his family, of course. Not quite the same as being glad for the place. Not sure what’s upset him, but I’ll chat with him later and get him in good spirits.”
“Oh.”
“Well, it’s been lovely talking to you Tina. Maybe I’ll see you if Kurt decides to visit with the Glee club after all.”
Kurt quickly added to the sign and underlined: Twice.
Adam stuck his tongue out and lightly bit on it as he grinned devilishly.
“He’s not coming?” she said with a note of panic in her voice.
“I’m not sure. He said that he might go, when Finn mentioned it on the drive from the airport. I’m not entirely certain of the schedule.”
“We’ll miss him!”
“Well, we’ll see, pet. Don’t worry. I suppose it’s strange to come back when all your old friends have such different lives from you. Though I always feel welcome when I come back to Essex. I suppose my friends make an extra effort. I don’t particularly enjoy flying either. Still, I didn’t really feel like such an outcast there. I’ve heard some dreadful things about McKinley.” Adam looked up at Kurt and winked cheekily. “He’s really lucky to have such a supportive lot to make him feel like part of things. It would be awfully rough to come home and not feel like you have a place anymore.”
Kurt picked up his pen again. I’m letting you top.
Adam almost broke character, but covered his mouth and gave a thumbs up.
“Well, tell him we really miss him, and we really hope we see him there, okay? It won’t be the same without him! We’ve hardly seen him since he left,” Tina said with a bit of pleading in her voice.
“All right, dear. I certainly will. I’ve got to go. Hope to see you later?”
“Yeah, definitely.”
“Ta.” Adam ended the call and beamed up at Kurt, who swooped into straddle his lap and peppered his face with kisses.
“You are-” Kiss kiss. “-brilliant-” Kiss. “-and diabolical-” Kiss kiss. “-and we are absolutely perfect for each other.”
“I was just having a bit of a laugh at first,” Adam admitted. He rubbed Kurt’s lower back. “But I hope that helps just a little but. I suspect we had an audience on Tina’s end.”
“I suspect it was Blaine. And maybe Sam.” Kurt sighed. “I really don’t know if I want to go to the group get together.”
Adam lowered his voice and swiveled his head from side to side. “Make ‘em earn it.”
“I’m a tease like that.”
Kurt gave him a proper kiss, giving his lower lip a hungry little suck with each dip inward. Adam groaned softly and his hands tightened on Kurt’s back and sides. Kurt teased the tips of his nails in circles over the back of Adam’s neck and ghosted his tongue between Adam’s teeth and upper lip.
“Oh…” Adam breathed.
Kurt smiled wickedly and brushed his nose against Adam’s. “How long did dad say he’d be gone?”