Because it needed to be done

"Kurt," my dad said gently, sitting down next to me on the couch. I stared straight ahead, trying to concentrate on Kat Stratford and Patrick Verona, but my mind just kept going back to "You're a failure… Not good enough… Never good enough…" and it was quite to depressing to say the least. "Kurt," he said again and the voice in my head said "You let him down". "Come on, buddy. You can't just sit here all day." He tried to tug the blanket I'd huddled myself under off, but I curled it tighter around me, not wanting to get out from inside my cocoon.

"Watch me," I mumbled, returning my gaze to the screen, though I could barely concentrate on the story I'd watched a million times.

The doorbell rang and my dad glanced at me before sighing and getting up to answer it. I watched him leave out of the corner of my eye before stuffing another overly large handful of popcorn into my mouth.

"How is he?" I heard Blaine say and I laid down and pulled the blanket over my head. I didn't want him to come in here and try to make me feel better because I knew that the voices in my head would tell me that all I did was disappoint him, too.

"Not good," my dad replied quietly, even though I was sure he knew full well that I could hear them. "He's been sitting in there, just staring at the TV and pretending he can't hear me."

"Okay," Blaine replied. "Let me try." I heard footsteps which I knew meant they were walking into the living room. The couch shifted as Blaine sat down near my head. A hand was put on my back, rubbing gently. "Kurt?" I didn't move. "Come on. Will you at least look at me?" When I didn't move again, he sighed. "Please?" Well, damn. There was no way I could say no to that voice, especially since I knew that that voice was always accompanied by a puppy dog pout.

I pulled the blanket down just far enough for Blaine to see my face. "What?"

"You need to get up."

"No."

"Baby…"

I sat up. "No, Blaine. Don't do this. Don't try and pretend like everything's going to be all right because it's not. I worked my ass off all year to get out of this place, and for what? A letter telling me that I wasn't good enough, that all my hard work meant nothing." My voice broke on the last word and Blaine opened his arms, a silent invitation. I sat up and practically launched myself into his embrace. He held me tightly against his body and I buried my face in his neck, breathing in the scent that was one hundred percent Blaine.

"It didn't mean nothing," Blaine soothed, rubbing small circles into my back.

"Really?" I choke out, lifting my head to look at him. "Because right now, I feel like the world's biggest failure. I didn't even have a backup plan. What am I supposed to do with my life now?" I buried my face in his neck again, full on sobbing now.

"Like I told you before, we'll figure something out – together. Me, you, and your dad." I lifted my head again and looked into Blaine's eyes, which were glistening with his own tears. The fact that he casually said our names (well, sort of) in conjunction with my dad, almost like we were an actual family, made my heart swell to the point of pain.

Then I remembered that my entire future had crashed and burned around me and my heart deflated.

"But… Broadway's been my dream since I was old enough to understand what Broadway was. And to have that torn away from me… I just feel like my life has no meaning anymore."

"Now don't go saying that," my dad piped up from his chair. I looked over at him, feeling bad because I had sort of forgotten that he was there. "Of course your life has meaning, Kurt. Just look around you. There are two people in this room I know for a fact need you in their lives." I smiled and curled myself into Blaine's side as he tightened his grip on my waist. "So you didn't get into NYADA. The fact that you got an audition at all was enough to make me so proud of you."

"Besides," Blaine added. "You can be a Broadway star without going to NYADA."

"Exactly. You're an amazing person, Kurt, and I am so proud to be your dad. I know I've said that a million times, but it's true. It doesn't matter if it happens this year or ten years from now, you are going to be on Broadway or whatever else you decide you want to do. This isn't the end for you – it's just a different beginning."

"Right," Blaine agreed. "And, anyway, no one pushes the Hummel men around. Right, Burt?"

My dad smiled. "I knew there was a reason I liked you, kid." There was a moment where no one said anything and Blaine pressed a kiss to the top of my head. "So, do you understand what we're trying to tell you, Kurt?"

"Yeah, thank you. I love you both so much." I turned my head and planted a sloppy kiss on the corner of Blaine's mouth, then reached out and took my dad's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. I stood up, the blanket dropping to the floor, and stretched. "Well, um… I'm really tired – crying really takes a lot out of a person, you know? So I'm just gonna go upstairs and take a nap." I hugged my dad briefly, then kissed Blaine quickly before walking out of the living room.

I stopped at the bottom of the stairs and listened to my dad and Blaine talk, a smile on my face. "Kurt's really lucky he has you, Blaine."

"Funny. I was just about to say the same thing to you." I could hear the smile in Blaine's voice.

It was silent for a minute and I wondered what they were doing, but I didn't dare look. "Go ahead," my dad said finally.

"What?"

"Go upstairs. I think Kurt needs you right now more than he needs me."

"Kurt's always going to need you, Burt."

"Thank you, Blaine. Now go." I scrambled up the stairs before anyone caught me snooping and dove into bed, pretending to be asleep when Blaine climbed into bed with me. I smiled in my false slumber when Blaine kissed the back of my neck and told me he loved me.

I might not have NYADA or New York for right now, but I had Blaine and my dad, which was more than I could have ever asked for.

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