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"Do you think she's been acting different lately?"
Blaine looked up from his papers, red pen held aloft, and fixed his husband with a curious look. "Who? Jeannie?"
Kurt nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yeah."
"What do you mean, different?" Blaine asked, setting his pen down. After being together for twenty-five years, twenty of which they were legally married, Blaine knew this would be a long conversation.
Kurt shrugged. "She's been...," he searched for a word, "distant. And I know we've asked this before, and we always tell each other we're being silly, but do you think I'm a good parent?"
Blaine pat the couch next to him with a smile. As soon as Kurt was seated, Blaine wrapped his arms around him. "Kurt," he said seriously, "you are the kindest, most honest person I know. You have always done what you thought was right by Jeannie, and me. You are a great parent."
Kurt didn't seem very reassured, though he did manage a small smile at Blaine's compliments. Blaine hugged him briefly.
"I'll tell you what," he started. "She's started high school this year, she's part of the drama club. She's probably just adjusting to the new social ladder that is high school."
Kurt looked up at him hopefully. "You think so?"
Blaine nodded. "I do. I mean, really, were we any different in ninth grade?" Kurt lifted an eyebrow at him and Blaine laughed. "Ok, yeah, I can see how we were very different from her. But in general. New kid, new school, new friends, new clubs, new classes. It's all new. She'll be fine." He tilted his head and smiled. "And if she needs any help, she knows she can come to either one of us."
The front door opened before Kurt could even make a facial response and both men turned to look over the back of the couch at who had walked in. They knew who it was, obviously. Who else had a key but Jeannie?
And yep, there she was. Wearing a beautiful floral top with flowing petal sleeves and skinny jeans, a white lily hair clip keeping back her dark wavy hair, was Jeannie Elizabeth Hummel-Anderson. She blinked wide eyes at the two of them on the couch.
"Hey, honey," Kurt greeted with a smile. He couldn't help the pride he felt bubble up every time he saw this beautiful girl. She was so smart and so gifted and so talented. He just loved her so much. "How was your sleepover at Caroline's?"
Jeannie just stared at them for several long seconds. Kurt's smile wilted a little. Jeannie took a deep breath, as if bracing herself, and then walked determinedly around the room to stand in front of the couch.
"Dads," she said, voice and posture stiff. "I...I need some...advice."
"Sure thing, sweetie, what's wrong?" Blaine asked, removing his arms from around Kurt so he could move his grading out of the way.
Jeannie shifted from foot to foot. "I tried out for the school play," she told them quietly. "And...I didn't get Maria." Kurt and Blaine frowned. Before they could say anything, Jeannie kept talking. "But they asked me to sing 'Climb Every Mountain' and Mr. White was impressed with my range and so I got Mother Superior," she revealed with a shy smile. "I know it's not Maria, but I have solos and lines and I'm only a freshman so I can only progress from here, right?"
Kurt nearly jumped off the couch to hug her. "Jeannie, that's amazing!" he congratulated her.
A beaming smile broke her nervous face as she hugged her father in return. "I got really nervous when I got on the stage," she admitted into his vest. "But then I just thought about you, and all those auditions, and all the times you're on stage in front of millions of people...and I thought, if my dad can do it, then so can I. And I did."
Kurt squeezed her and spun her around in his joy. He looked down at her briefly before hugging her again. "I love you so much," he said.
Blaine smiled warmly at the sight before him. This was his family. His beautiful, talented family. Jeannie was biologically his child, but she was every bit as much Kurt's daughter as she was his. He loved seeing them together like this.
"Is that what's been bothering you?" Kurt asked. "Waiting to see if you got the part?"
Jeannie's smile faded fast and she took a step back from Kurt. She shook her head and held her left arm with her right hand. "N-no."
Blaine wanted to stand up too, embrace his daughter, but he didn't want her to feel crowded. So he stayed seated. "What's wrong?" he asked gently.
Jeannie looked between them both and bit her lip. "There's...there's this guy," she admitted, blushing.
Kurt's shoulders sagged in relief. "A guy?" he prodded.
"Yeah." She nodded. "He's...he tried out too. He didn't get the lead, but he was amazing," she told them. "He's playing Rolf."
"And you like him," Kurt said brightly.
Jeannie blushed darker. "I-" she stopped and shook her head. "How can you tell if a guy is interested in you?"
Blaine laughed quietly, under his breath. "I'm not sure we're the best people to ask."
Kurt gave Blaine an exasperated face while Jeannie looked disheartened.
"Don't listen to your father," Kurt said. "He's just never recovered from his oblivious high school years." Blaine's mouth dropped open. "He didn't notice I was interested until I came right out and told him," Kurt whispered, like it was a secret. "And even then it took him months to realize he liked me back."
Jeannie smiled. "I know," she said confidently. They'd only told her the story of their lives a million times by now. She loved hearing it every time, always asking for more details or reminding them of ones they forgot.
"I, on the other hand," Kurt said, "have an excellent radar for attractions."
"Hey," Blaine interrupted, "What about those crushes you had before me?" They'd left out the fact that Kurt had a crush on his step-brother, and simply said there was a guy Kurt used to like.
Kurt waved him off. "I knew he wasn't interested, I just didn't listen to myself. I've very bad at following my own advice, you know that."
Blaine tilted his head with a shrug, a 'yeah, I guess I do' sort of motion. Jeannie smiled.
"I love you guys," she said suddenly. Both men stopped and looked at her. She was blushing again. "I know...I don't say it often enough. But I love you, and I love everything you've done for me. Papa, you're an amazing music teacher and I wouldn't play the way I do without you. And Dad, you're famous, and you buy me all these amazing clothes...though my favorites are the ones you've made yourself," she revealed.
Kurt looked ecstatic. He hugged Jeannie tightly for a moment before releasing her. "We love you too, honey, more than the whole world."
Jeannie wrapped her right arm around Kurt and then looked at Blaine. Blaine smiled and stood up to join the group hug. His life was a series of beautiful moments like this. He wouldn't change any of it for anything in the universe.
"Now," Kurt said conspiratorially when the hug ended. "Let's talk about this boy. What's his name?"
Jeannie was blushing again, stars in her eyes, and Blaine smiled again. She had a huge crush on this boy already. He hoped the boy liked her back.
"Tyler," Jeannie murmured. "He has an amazing voice."
Kurt had a sparkle in his eyes now too. "Ah, he sounds wonderful already. Come on." He held out his hand. When Jeannie took it, Kurt immediately turned them toward the hallway that led to her bedroom. "We'll leave your father to his grading and go talk."
Just before they disappeared, Kurt turned and gave Blaine a look that said he would tell Blaine everything Jeannie said later. Blaine nodded gratefully back. He turned and placed his hands on his hips, looking at his papers. He didn't want to work right now. He wanted to be in that room with his daughter and husband. But, well, he'd said he wouldn't change any part of his life. This was one too.
He'd hear about the gossip in great length and detail from Kurt tonight anyway. Kurt was with Jeannie, and right now Blaine's students needed him more. Just for right now.