Fic: First impressions count
Title: First impressions count
Pairing/Characters: Mike/Kurt, Burt Hummel, Finn, special appearance by Carole Hudson
Rating: PG-13 for language and implied sexual situations
Summary: Fill for prompt #2 at kurtmike : 5 Times Mike failed to impress Burt Hummel, and the one time he didn’t.
Warning: expect unlikely coincidences so, in true Glee fashion, suspend your disbelief for a minute.
Mike was used to people liking him: Glee club, the football players (with the odd exception, of course), even the Cheerios had nothing against him, specially since he was now dating Kurt Hummel, their promising new Head Cheerio who had just single-handedly won Sue Sylvester nationals twice. The only person that seemed to actually dislike him (if not actively hate him) seemed to be Kurt’s dad.
Granted, their first meeting was not exactly the best “meet the parents” scenario. Mike had been making out with Kurt in the latter’s bedroom (taking advantage of one of those precious moments where Finn was over at Rachel’s) when Burt Hummel just happened to walk in on them, Mike’s hand directly on his boyfriend’s ass, whose legs were wrapped around the dancer’s hips; how Kurt managed to jump out of the bed from that position, Mike would never know.
Determined to make a good impression, Mike sheepishly grinned as he lifted himself, silently thanking dumb luck that Mr. Hummel hadn’t walked in two minutes later, when clothes would have surely been discarded and the two Glee boys would have been found in a much more compromising position (if that was even possible).
“Mr. Hummel, I guess?” Mike managed to say while extending a hand, which the senior Hummel eyed for a second and decided to ignore. “Hi, I’m Mike Chang, Kurt’s boyfriend.”
The mechanic only stared at Mike for two second before blurting out. “First of all, that hand was just down my son’s pants; I’m seriously not shaking it.” Mike was a bit shaken by the older man’s words but didn’t let it show until he added. “And second, the proper thing to do would have been to wait for Kurt to introduce you instead of walking right up to me while he’s on the floor; seriously kid, put that hand down.”
Mike did as told, slightly shell-shocked while his boyfriend’s dad shot Kurt a look while telling him not to do anything stupid (while the small countertenor only managed to nod furiously) and, after giving the taller boy a warning glare, went up the stairs, determined to get as far away from the scene as fast as possible, while muttering to himself something that sounded oddly like “First the ditzy blonde, now a dumbass Asian; who’s next, Finn?”
“Sorry about that.” Kurt managed to stutter, slowly picking himself up and back into the bed. His face burning bright red, he turned to look at Mike. “Want to…try again?” The smaller singer asked but his face seemed unfortunately more ashamed than flirty. When he received no answer from a still dumbfounded Mike (who had thankfully sat down on the bed), Kurt ended up wrapping his arms around his boyfriend’s neck to whisper in his ear. “We can do this some other time; guess my dad kinda ruined the mood, and I can probably bully Finn into going to Rachel’s more often.”
“Thank you.” Mike smiled softly at his boyfriend, brushing his hand against Kurt’s arm for a second before the smaller boy let him go. He turned around to see those beautiful bright eyes, the way Kurt looked at him, smiled in a way that made his face light up and become as beautiful as a full moon; and in that instant, Mike knew it. He was going to make Burt Hummel like him or die trying.
***
Of course, that was easier said than done. Mike only had a very vague idea on how to impress the elder Hummel. After asking Matt (and being very thankful for straight friends), his first option was dinner with the whole Hummel household; traditional, and a good way to show himself as a responsible young man Burt Hummel would approve of.
That…didn’t go quite as planned. Getting himself invited was easy enough; when Mike told Kurt he wanted to get to know his family, the singer gave him a knowing smile (damn his boyfriend’s people-reading skills) and said he’d work something out as long as Mike promised to help with dinner; so far, so good.
The bad part was the conversation at the table. It had started out ok, Mike had kept the topics centered around football, Glee competitions and cars (which he actually knew nothing about, but Kurt helped him pretend he did); then Finn let on that Mike had made out with Brittany (though, in his defense, it was before Glee Club…and so had Kurt), which led to Mike admitting he was bisexual (which Kurt already knew, Finn didn’t) which then led to Mr. Hummel questioning him about past relationships, and Finn about if he liked girls better that boys, which had Mike stuttering like an idiot while trying to come up with an answer that wouldn’t get his ass kicked. Thankfully, Mrs. Hudson saved him from further embarrassment by asking for his help with the dishes, effectively putting an end to the conversation.
“Don’t worry about it,” she had said while handing him another dish to dry. “You seem like a nice boy, Burt won’t be a problem.”
“You really think so?” Mike asked, trying to hide the hopeful tone in his voice. “Mr. Hummel doesn’t seem to like me very much.”
“Give him time,” Finn’s mom replied with a knowing tone. “Burt’s just overprotective of Kurt, and you’re pretty much the only boy he’s brought home.” She managed to giggle a little after seeing Mike’s surprised face. “Burt’s actually a big softie once you get to know him.”
She then turned to look at Mike, hands on her hips. “Football season’s staring soon, right?”
Mike nodded as he finished with the last of the dishes, not sure why she was bringing that up.
“We’ll go to your first match,” she proposed with a smirk on her face. “Do fine and it could win you some points with Burt.”
Mike stared dumbfounded for the third time in as many days (and twice in the same day, what was it with the Hummel-Hudson household, anyways?) and barely managed to thank her before Kurt came in, offering to walk him to his car, away from the ever-watchful eyes of the two other men in the house.
“Sorry about dad and Finn, they tend to get a little too protective.” Kurt had apologized as he wrapped his arms around Mike’s neck. “Hope they weren’t too rough on you; good thing Carole managed to save your back.”
“Mrs. Hudson is surprisingly nice; she even gave me an idea on how to impress your dad” Mike said with a smile, slightly surprised when the smaller boy frowned.
“Why is it so important? I mean, I want my dad to like you, too, but isn’t this a bit much?” Kurt countered, showing his concern. “I love you, and my dad will understand that with time.”
“I know, but I’m sure this will work out.” Mike confessed, probably happier than he should; though since he had an armful of adorable countertenor, probably not. “They’re going to our first match of the season; I’m definitely going to win him over that way.”
Mike saw his boyfriend’s face turn slowly into a scowl, but he couldn’t understand why. Kurt just let him go and turned back inside the house. “Well, hope it all goes well, Mr. I-can’t-stand-people-not-liking-me.” And with that, he closed the door behind him without even a goodnight kiss, leaving the dancer stunned for the third time that night.
***
Of course, it had seemed like a good idea at the time, because Mike didn’t remember how much their team sucked; he had more chance of impressing a slug, and that was only because he was the fastest guy on the team.
Only one minute to go and they were tied, this was so much like when Kurt had joined but, this time, there would be no Single Ladies dance to help them win (or their own determination, as Coach Tanaka insisted on calling it), so he had to beg Finn to pass him the ball; he would have to run pretty much half the court, but Mike knew he could do it; he had to, Burt Hummel was up there, the man he needed to win over; but he hadn’t seen Kurt at all, which worried him a little. So when he caught the ball, he sprinted as fast as his legs could carry him…
Only to trip on his own two feet after advancing, fittingly, two feet. And he could feel it, the stares of his teammates as the other team grabbed the ball and scored their final point, feel Mrs. Hudson’s look of concern and, more importantly, he could feel Burt Hummel’s glare of disappointment.
The worst part came in the locker rooms; everyone had gone home and Mike was about to do the same when he heard Finn’s voice behind him.
“Are you an idiot?!” Finn had practically yelled at him and, for a second, Mike thought he might turn into scary-punch-you-in-the-face Finn.
“I know I ruined our shot, I’m sorry.” He said, trying to play it cool.
“I’m not talking about the game!” Finn replied. That was surprising. “My mom just told me; don’t you remember the Brittany…thing?” fiasco might be a closer word, but he wasn’t sure if Finn knew what it meant.
“Yeah,” Mike recalled. “Kurt was trying to be closer to his dad, so he started dating Brittany so he…” the dancer stopped, realization suddenly hitting him.
“So he’d be more like the son Burt’s always wanted.” Finn finished for him, damn his emotional savvy. “He got jealous when his dad and I started bonding over… well, guess what?”
“Football…” Mike was mentally kicking himself, that’s why Kurt had returned to his bitchy-ice-queen mode. Even if he didn’t fear Mike becoming Burt’s ideal son, it was still a sore spot, and he had just picked at it.
Mike turned to look at the other football player. “I swear, if I had know, I’d never had tried it.” Finn was still looking at him as if he was an idiot, and he felt like one, too.
“Look, I love Kurt; I really do. I’d never do something to hurt him if I knew better.” Mike was pleading, as if telling all this to Finn would somehow fix everything. “You know me; I wouldn’t hurt anyone on purpose.”
“I believe you,” Finn said with a sigh. “But it’s not me you need to apologize to.”
***
So, after half an hour of apologies, Kurt had finally dropped the bitch face. He couldn’t stay angry at Mike, especially when the other boy was really just trying to get in his father’s good graces for some reason; that, and his boyfriend can pull off an awkwardly adorable pout. So, the singer lets him apologize on his knees a few more minutes before pulling him up for a “don’t screw up again” kiss.
They ended up, once again, in Kurt’s bed; arms around each other in a comforting embrace, saying nothing while they enjoy the other’s company.
“I’m sorry,” Mike said for the thirtieth time in the last two hours (not that Kurt was counting). “I really want your father to accept me; I want to be with you without fearing for my life.” He half-lied, Mike had another motive, but Kurt wasn’t going to ask, Mike would tell him when he learned not to be so stubborn.
Mike tugged his boyfriend closer to him, the small countertenor’s head resting against the dancer’s chest. “Why don’t you just talk to him?” Kurt suggests. “Just, let him know you’re not an ass, or whatever.”
But Kurt is seriously hoping Mike doesn’t answer, since Finn is on a date with Rachel and his dad is off with Carole to see a movie. He just really wants Mike to kiss him and do unspeakable things with his body because dear Gaga Mike’s wearing the shirt Kurt gave him, and he smells good and they haven’t made out in two weeks.
But Mike is absently looking at some far-off point in the distance, contemplating the idea in an almost religious way possible. “You know? Maybe I should.”
So much for sex…
***
Managing to be alone with Burt Hummel was the tricky part, but Finn (who had suddenly become more supportive, probably thanks to Mike’s little speech in the changing room) agreed to invite Mike some day to watch basketball and conveniently disappear for a few minutes.
So when the first commercial break came, Finn had risen from his seat hastily on the excuse of getting some snacks which he had conveniently forgotten before the game. Mike took the small window of opportunity to be honest with his boyfriend’s dad.
“You don’t like me,” he wasn’t going to pretend it was a question; he needed to get to the point before commercials ended and Mr. Hummel’s attention went elsewhere. “You probably even hate me, but I love your son. And I want to be with him and I know it’ll be much easier if I know you approve.”
But Mr. Hummel wasn’t even looking at him, his gaze seemed fixed on the TV while replying. “Look, kid, it’s not that I don’t like you; Finn and Carole speak well of you, and I know Kurt likes you, even when he doesn’t like talking about it with me.” Then he turned to look at him, his gaze hardening. “The thing is: I don’t trust you; all I know is that you’re a football player and I’ve had enough disappointments when Finn moved in to trust you won’t do anything stupid. Plus, you’re awfully stubborn and a little dumb.”
Burt let his words sink for a second and, for a second, he looked like he might add something else but instead he got up from his seat. “And where’s Finn? I want a beer.”
And with that he left Mike alone, who was beginning to realize that a few things the mechanic had said hit a little close to home…
***
Mike was still dwelling on Mr. Hummel’s words the next day when he caught sight of Kurt in full Cheerios uniform…who was apparently running away…from the whole hockey team…
Mike ran as fast as his legs could carry him, trying to catch up with Kurt and save him because he somehow didn’t think that the hockey team wanted to have tea and crumpets with his boyfriend, not when they were being led by that idiot of Dave Karofsky.
He managed to reach Kurt just when they were reaching the dead-end near the stairs to the auditorium (was Kurt trying to get reinforcements in the Glee Club?). He skidded to a halt next to his boyfriend and yelled at the incoming jocks to stop. Oddly enough, they seemed to listen, but his good luck seemed to end when Karofsky opened his mouth. “We said we were going to bring some of our friends, too, Chang; now, where’s the rest of the freak hive?”
“Are you serious?” Mike practically yelled again, one arm protectively in front of Kurt. “Maybe last year I’d believe you but you’re seriously going to beat up a Cheerio? And not any Cheerio, but the head guy who won Sue Sylvester nationals two years in a row?” He let the words hang in the air, hoping some sense will fall on jocks because, goddamn it, they’re a shitload. He catches Kurt whispering to him, “Mike, don’t do anything stupid, they’re much more than you and I can handle and my dad will be here any minute, anyway.”
Some members of the team seem to consider the threat of being turned to the Cheerios coach frightening enough and start backing away, most are not that impressed and actually start getting closer, then it was Azimio who spoke up. “Well, some of these guys are graduating this year, and we figured this would be the last chance they got to pummel some Hummel.” Silently praying for someone, anyone, of Glee Club to realize something’s wrong and arrive with help like in a bad western movie, Mike changed his stance to what he thought was kung-fu (he had just seen a few movies and realized he could pull off some of those moves dancing).
“What is going on in here?!” A very familiar, and very welcome, megaphone sounded behind the jocks. A (very pissed off) Sue Sylvester was glaring daggers at everyone in the hockey team. “I should suspend you mouth-breathers for even thinking about making a scene in school, don’t you idiots know that’s my job?!” She was screaming, megaphone by her side, while walking up to Karofsy. “And you, I said that if I ever found you threatening one of my Cheerios again I would suspend you, from the highest pole I could find in this school.” That was the first time Mike had seen the color drain from the jock’s face. “Chang!” She turned her attention to the couple. “Get Hummel back to his house, practice is over and I want him singing and twirling tomorrow!” Mike took his boyfriend’s hand and promptly disappeared from the scene, not noticing the watchful gaze of a certain mechanic who had just come to pick up his son.
***
“You know, I said you were a little dumb.” Burt Hummel started; he had called Mike after that day’s incident for another one-on-one talk. “I take it back, you’re a full-blown idiot! What were you trying to accomplish? Calling one of the teachers would have been more effective, it’s how I found that Sylvester woman!”
“Sir, I…I was just trying to protect Kurt, I just…I couldn’t let anything happen to him” Mike answered, turning to see his boyfriend’s father in the eye. “You may think it’s stupid but I would never let anything happen to him; if I’d gone to fetch coach Sylvester myself they could have caught up with Kurt, and I’d never be able to forgive myself if something happened to him and I could have stopped it, even by giving him a chance to run away.”
Burt actually seemed surprised, like he’d misjudged the guy for too long. “Is that really how you feel about my son?” He asked; Mike nodded his expression completely defiant, he was now standing up to the man he’d been trying to impress for so long. “Tell me something, kid; why were you even trying to impress me?”
Mike sighed and withdrew something from his backpack. It was a little black box which he showed to a now stunned Burt Hummel.
***
“Kurt! Come up here!” The young countertenor heard his dad call and almost flew up the stairs; he was infinitely worried about what had happened and managed to hear his dad yelling at Mike, but couldn’t make out what he was saying.
He arrived at the kitchen to find the most startling scene he could ever imagine; there stood his father, happily joking with the smaller boy’s boyfriend about something or other, his arm around Mike’s shoulder like they the were best friends ever.
“Did I just step into the Twilight Zone or something?” He ventured to ask, hoping none of them turned to be aliens in disguise or something.
His dad laughed and just said to him. “Mike here has something to ask you.” While pushing to dancer so he’d be face to face with Kurt.
Mike took something out of his pocket and sweet Beyoncé he just kneeled down in front of him. “Mike, I just need to remind you that we’re not even seniors! And as far as I know, it’s not even possible for any of us to be pregnant so you better give me a very good reason for why the hell are you doing this.”
“I love you.” Mike said simply, opening the box to reveal a simple ring, it didn’t look expensive, didn’t even had a diamond but he guessed it was all Mike could have gotten on an almost non-existent budget. “And we don’t have to do this straight away.” He caught himself for a second. “Or…gay away or whatever; I just want to be with you, good times and bad so, Kurt Hummel, would you marry me, in like 3 or 4 years when we’re in college or seeking greatness in Broadway or working on your dad’s garage or whatever life throws at us?”
The way Mike had said it tugged at something inside of Kurt; he really wanted this but didn’t want to make a decision so early. Then he looked at his dad; he was smiling…
“His folks are okay with this, too.” His dad said, being thoroughly amused by the whole exchange. “Mike’s even going to be working with us starting this summer.”
“I got some conditions…” Kurt replied after what felt like an eternity. “We don’t tell anyone until after we graduate, you do not pressure me to get kids or whatever until we both agree to it, and I want all our friends at the wedding which I will be planning.”
“Deal,” Mike agreed with a mischievous smile. “And you get to do the Single Ladies dance in our honeymoon and, believe me; I know just how I want to see you do it.”
“And that’s where I stop you.” His dad’s voice sounded behind Mike. “I really don’t want to hear about that.”
But Kurt really couldn’t stop smiling, he had the man he wanted, an open future to do whatever he chose and full support behind it. Suck it, Rachel Berry.