#5

December 8, 2017

Kurt waited two full months before he decided it was time for an intervention.

Blaine had just stumbled through his door at ten p.m. like he had every Friday since Rose was born – bleary-eyed and disheveled, an overnight bag clutched in his hand. He'd gone to the airport straight from work, and would leave New York at four on Monday morning to be at work on time again. These had been Blaine's weekends lately. Never mind lost sleep and money spent on plane tickets. Blaine couldn't imagine not seeing his little girl for more than a week. Hell, even the week was hard on him. Kurt knew it best, having been on the receiving end of many moping phone calls from Ohio.

And so, it was time for an intervention.

“Okay, before you say no, I want you to at least consider my offer,” Kurt started as he put a cup of jasmine green tea in front of Blaine and then settled opposite him at the kitchen table.

“Okay?” Blaine said cautiously.

“You know I have a spare room. It can be yours if you want to. I mean, actually yours, not just on the weekends. This way you won't have to pay a fortune for a separate apartment while you're looking for a job here and settle in. I'm sure you must have thought about moving to the city at some point.”

Kurt was prepared. He had arguments upon arguments ready, anything he might need to try and convince Blaine to think about it. It turned out he didn't even have to use one.

Blaine sighed and looked at him wearily.

“Of course I have, I think about it all the time. It tempting and incredibly generous of you. But Kurt – when I say I want to be in Rosie's life, I mean that I want to really be there. With her visiting, maybe staying over sometimes if Quinn agrees. I'm sure you can find a better roommate, without a baby in the package deal.”

Kurt took Blaine's hand over the table – just a quick, friendly squeeze.

“I happen to be quite fond of this particular baby,” he admitted. And that was true. She'd grown on him. “And of her dad, if we're at it. My offer stands.”

Blaine moved in two weeks later, just in time for Christmas.

*

February 14, 2018

“Okay, the diapers are here, along with three changes of clothes just in case.” Quinn put the diaper bag on the sofa and returned to the hallway to extract Rose out of her puffy white snowsuit while still in the stroller. A moment later, she had the babbling, pink-cheeked little girl in her arms. “I put the pumped milk in the fridge. She will wake up for feeding at least once during the night, but there's more than enough. Remember not to warm it up in the microwave, and make sure she burps after eating. If she has trouble falling asleep, you may need to hold her for a little while. She likes it when I sing and–”

Her tone was getting more and more anxious, and Blaine interrupted her gently.

“Quinn, we've got it. I've taken care of her before, remember?”

Quinn bit her lip and hugged Rose a little tighter, rocking on the spot. “Not for the whole night. Oh god, maybe we shouldn't go.”

Blaine reached for the baby and Quinn reluctantly put her in his arms. He smiled. “We'll be fine, go. You and Rachel deserve a proper date and a night of decent sleep. It's been four months.”

Four months of learning to deal with the fact that his ex-fiancée, the mother of his child, was now his sister's girlfriend.

He hadn't taken it too well at first when they confessed, at the end of that first, week-long stay. Even though they swore there hadn't been anything between them until a few months after Quinn moved in with Rachel, even though Quinn said she'd never been in love with a woman before, hadn't even known she could be – it hurt. But seeing them together every weekend since, witnessing how happy they made each other had been melting his initial grudge little by little. And now he was finally at the point where he felt he could let it go and accept the whole bizarre situation. Hence his offer to take Rosie for the night on Valentine's Day, a peace offering of sorts.

Quinn sighed and nodded. “I know, it's just… It's the first time I'm leaving Rose for more than a few hours and it's harder than I thought,” she admitted. “Thank you for doing this. You're the best, you know that?” she added softly.

Blaine rolled his eyes. “So you say. Now go, your girlfriend is waiting.”

“Okay.” Quinn kissed his cheek and then Rose's forehead. “But if anything happens, if you have any questions at all–”

“Nothing's gonna happen, we've got it covered. But yes, I have you on speed dial and I know to call if I need to.”

“Okay. Love you. See you in the morning.” With the last hesitant glance, Quinn stepped to the door.

“I don't want to see you here earlier than noon,” Blaine called out to her before the door closed.

When they were alone, he turned to the little girl in his arms, rubbing his nose with hers. She squealed at him happily and waved her little arms. Blaine laughed, delighted.

“Hello, my little dumpling. How are you tonight?” he carried Rose to the living room where a thick blanket was already spread out on the carpet, a few simple toys scattered around. He set her down gently and lay down beside her. “You and I are going to have so much fun together! Uncle Kurt will be home soon, too, and he's bringing your new cot. Don't tell him I tattled, but he'd sewn a fluffy bunny for you today. I think he'd forgiven you for spitting the milk on his Marc Jacobs already.”

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CHAPTER ART by headbandxbowties

Intervention time

Valentine's Day (play) date