Chapter 13

Sick in his stomach and heart hammering in his chest, Kurt watched the two men talk, painfully aware that Blaine, despite doing his best, would not be able to protect him for much longer. The brief hope he felt when Blaine showed up in the warehouse had vanished quickly, replaced by resignation and fear as he realized that there wasn't really a chance for this scenario to have a happy ending. He could only pray Blaine wouldn't break character after Smythe shot him and he would manage to get out of the warehouse alive. You're assuming he feels the same way about you as you feel about him and your death is going to mean something to him, a quiet, annoying voice in his head interrupted his train of thought and Kurt's breath stuttered as he realized that the voice was right. The fact that Kurt was foolish enough to put his walls down and let himself fall in love didn't mean the same thing happened to Blaine. For all he knew, their… relationship or whatever it was might have been just a casual way for Blaine to pass time and have fun until he was free, nothing more. And the more Kurt thought about it, the more he realized that probably that was exactly what it was for Blaine.

Then why is he here, trying so hard to save you?, the voice in his head whispered again, but Kurt dismissed it, almost not hearing it, too distracted by what was happening in front of him.

“Still so fucking noble.” Smythe rolled his eyes. “But actually, you have a point, I don't have time for that. The feds are probably already looking for him all over the city.” He said, raising the gun and Kurt once again found himself staring at the barrel, the feeling all too familiar in the last twenty minutes or so. This time however, it was probably the last time and Kurt didn't dare to look at Blaine, afraid what it might do to him, so he just looked at Smythe who was smirking with determination in his eyes and Kurt knew he had only a few more seconds to live.

God, Blaine, I love you, Kurt thought, regret washing over him that he never got a chance to say it out loud. Even though Blaine didn't feel the same way about him, Kurt wished that Blaine had known, but he couldn't tell him right now, not without blowing his cover. So when he saw Smythe aim and his finger twitch on the trigger, he braced himself for the shot and pain, hoping Smythe was a decent shooter and it would all end as quickly as possible.

But then, suddenly, there was a body in front of him just as the sound of the gunshot echoed in the warehouse.

“NO!” Kurt screamed when he realized what just happened, watching in terror as Blaine stood still for a fraction of a second before crumbling to the ground. Surging forward, Kurt fell down on his knees by Blaine's side, his heart dropping when he saw blood soaking through Blaine's t-shirt. “No, no, no, Blaine…” He said pleadingly, putting his hands on Blaine's abdomen and applying pressure on the wound, eliciting a groan of pain from Blaine. Feeling the warmth of Blaine's blood on his hands, Kurt swallowed down and ignored the burning in his eyes as he noticed Blaine blinking slowly and clearly fighting to stay awake. “No, stay with me, Blaine, please, stay with me…”

Around them, there were already agents inside the warehouse and Kurt could see out of the corner of his eye how Santana kept her gun pointed at Smythe, but he didn't care about that at all in that moment. He didn't care that everyone was probably staring at them, all that mattered was the man lying in front of him, bleeding out on the ground after taking a bullet that wasn't meant for him. “Blaine, please…” He sobbed out, realizing that tears were rolling down his cheeks, for the first time in over five years and the realization only made him cry harder as he pressed the wound harder, trying to stop the bleeding. In the distance he could hear Mike yell at someone to open the gate to the warehouse to let the ambulance in, but all he could focus on was Blaine who was looking at him with unfocused eyes, his breathing harsh and ragged as he struggled stay conscious. To stay alive.

Suddenly, Kurt saw Blaine lift his hand and it seemed like he was reaching for Kurt's face, so the agent instinctively moved closer and he couldn't stop another sob leaving his throat when Blaine's fingers weakly brushed against his cheek, catching the tears and wiping them away. “Blaine…” Kurt whimpered, fresh tears falling down and his heart breaking in pieces as he leaned into the touch until Blaine's hand was suddenly gone, his arm limply dropping down by his side. “No, Blaine, no.” Kurt's eyes widened in fear as he saw Blaine's eyes close, the panic rising in his voice. “Blaine, stay with me, please, don't leave me, Blaine…” Kurt kept begging as Blaine blinked slowly a few times before closing his eyes and not opening them again. “Blaine, Blaine, come on, Blaine!” Kurt didn't even try to keep the tears at bay, openly crying and he was suddenly startled when someone else dropped down on their knees next to him – a paramedic. In his attempts to keep Blaine awake, he must have missed the ambulance driving into the warehouse because it was standing right next to them, another paramedic getting out to help the one already leaning over Blaine.

Even though all of his instincts kept screaming at him to stay by Blaine's side and not leave him, he knew he had to let the paramedics do their jobs, so he scrambled away to give them space. Keeping his eyes trained on Blaine, Kurt stood up slowly, sniffling and wobbling a little, as he straightened himself for the first time in quite a while. Wiping the tears away, he watched with a heavy heart as the paramedics worked when suddenly, there was a light tap on his shoulder and he turned his head abruptly, letting out a breath when he saw it was Mike. His best friend was looking at him with concern and a million of questions in his eyes, but Kurt knew that Mike knew him well enough not to ask them in that moment.

“What…” Kurt started, hating how tired and weak his voice sounded, so he cleared his throat.  “What is it, Mike?”

“We were just wondering if after everything you would like to do the honors.” Mike said quietly, gesturing at Smythe and showing Kurt a pair of handcuffs. That was it, the moment he had been waiting for since he started working on this case, the moment he had been dreaming about for years. Arresting Smythe and bringing him in. And yet, as his eyes flickered between the cuffs and Blaine who was already on the gurney and about to be put in the ambulance, Kurt knew that there was only one possible choice he could and wanted to make in that very moment.

“You and Santana do it.” Kurt said, turning his gaze back to Mike. “Take him back to the Bureau, lock him up. No one talks to him before I do.” Not waiting for Mike's reply, Kurt took a few steps in the direction of the ambulance before stopping and turning to glance at his friend again. “Just… don't be gentle with him.” Seeing Mike nod with a shade of a smile on his face, Kurt jogged up to the ambulance.

“I'm coming with him.” He said to the paramedics just as they were wheeling Blaine into the ambulance.

“Agent…” The female paramedic started, raising her hands in a calming gesture, which turned out to have the exact opposite effect on Kurt.

“I. Am. Coming. With. Him.” Kurt said quietly, his voice firm as he gave her his best glare and after a few seconds she nodded, probably realizing there was no point in arguing with him. Stepping into the ambulance, Kurt's heart clenched painfully when he looked at Blaine, unconscious, covered with blood and Kurt had to try very hard to stop the new tears from rolling down his cheeks. The paramedic rushed in after him and after the doors were shut, the ambulance started moving, quickly driving out of the warehouse as they started speeding through the streets of New York in the direction of the hospital.

Sitting by Blaine's side, Kurt watched the paramedic check Blaine's vitals, feeling completely helpless and wishing he could do more than just stare and watch the life slowly leave the body of the man he loved more than he had ever loved anyone. “How is he?” He asked even though he dreaded what the answer might be.

“It's impossible to tell how much damage the bullet did and where it got stuck.” The paramedic replied, her voice calm and steady, but there was something in her eyes that made Kurt's heart drop. “I did my best to stop the bleeding and stabilize him, but… he may not have much time.” She finished, looking at Kurt with a serious but worried expression on her face and Kurt clenched his fists, hating how useless he felt in that moment. Taking a deep breath, he realized that all he could do was pray they would get to the hospital as soon as possible and that they wouldn't be too late.

Because after everything that he had been through in his life, Kurt didn't think he would be able to survive another loss.

Kurt was sitting on the uncomfortable chair, staring at the wall in front of him, but not really seeing it. His mind kept taking him back to the moment when they arrived at the hospital, the doctors and nurses waiting for them when they got out of the car, immediately rushing Blaine into the building, Kurt following right behind. He ran with them as long as he could through the various corridors until they reached the door where a nurse put a gentle hand on his shoulder and with an apologetic look on her face she told him that he could not go in there, that he had to stay and wait, and that they would update him on Blaine's condition. Even though he wanted nothing more than to just barge right in there, thankfully there was a small part of him that remained rational, so he just nodded, unable to speak any words and with one last smile, the nurse disappeared behind the door, leaving Kurt alone in the hall. He wasn't sure how long he was standing there, just staring at the closed door, but suddenly, a female voice sounded behind him.

“Excuse me, agent Hummel?” With a start, Kurt turned around and saw a young nurse, dressed in scrubs, with her blond hair tied in a ponytail. “My name's Marley and I'm supposed to take you somewhere where you can wait until the surgery is finished.” She said with a kind smile and the confusion and lack of understanding on Kurt's face must have been apparent because she quickly rushed to explain. “Usually we have people wait in the waiting area, but I was told to take you somewhere more private considering you've been through a lot today and… well.” She finished with a sheepish expression on her face, gesturing at him and it wasn't until then that he glanced down, realizing his hands were still covered in Blaine's blood and so was his white shirt. No wonder they didn't want him being around other people, he looked like he had just exited a slaughterhouse.

Sighing, Kurt nodded and followed Marley as she led him through the corridors until they reached a small room, with a few chairs and a table in it. “There's a bathroom here if you want to clean up.” Marley gestured at the door opposite to the room.

“Thank you.” Kurt said quietly, looking at Marley and hoping his voice sounded at least a bit grateful and not as hollow as it seemed to him.

“Of course.” Marley replied kindly before frowning with concern. “That cut on your head looks pretty deep, you should really have it checked out in case it needs stitches.”

In the haze of Blaine getting shot and rushing to the hospital, Kurt completely forgot that he had received two blows to his head earlier that day, but now that Marley reminded him, he realized he could still feel a throbbing pain in the back of his skull. Despite that, he shook his head. “I'm fine. I'm sure it's nothing.”

“I understand you have a lot on your mind right now, agent Hummel.” Marley softly said. “But let me at least clean it up and make sure it doesn't get infected?”

Knowing she was only trying to help and that she actually had a point, Kurt sighed in defeat and nodded. While the nurse walked out to get the necessary supplies, Kurt headed to the bathroom. He was about to wash the blood of his hands, but when he stood over the sink and glanced down at them, he froze, the memories of Blaine lying on the ground flashing in his mind. Releasing a stuttering breath, Kurt closed his eyes and clenched his hands in fists to stop them from shaking. Forcing himself to push the images away, Kurt opened his eyes and turned on the water, shoving his hands under the spray and furiously rubbing them, trying to get rid of the blood. Blaine's blood. Eventually, he succeeded and he let out a sigh of relief, ignoring the bloodstains on his shirt and not looking anywhere near them since there really was nothing he could do about them for now. After taking another minute to collect himself, Kurt went back to the small room, finding Marley already waiting for him. Sitting down on one of the chairs, he let her examine the wound, wincing and hissing quietly when she started disinfecting it.

“Sorry.” Marley apologized with a small smile. “But thankfully, the cut isn't as deep as I thought, there's no need for stitches.” Finishing cleaning up, she stood up. “All done.”

“Thank you.” Kurt said with a thin, tired smile and Marley warmly smiled back, making Kurt briefly wonder where she was getting that light and kindness from. Gathering up the used gauze, she smiled again before walking out of the room.

And that was how Kurt found himself sitting on that damn chair, staring at the wall and left alone with his thoughts, his jacket and tie hanging forgotten on the back of the chair next to him. He hated hospitals, he had nothing but awful memories associated with them. After his parents' accident, he was the one that had to come and identify their bodies and it was the worst day of Kurt's life; even after all this time, thinking about it still made him sick. Then, two years ago, Santana was shot during an undercover assignment and Kurt, with Mike, spent a few horrible hours waiting while she was in surgery, not knowing until the very end if she would pull through. And now this.

Running his fingers through his hair, Kurt couldn't help but think about Blaine, his mind stubbornly taking him back to that fateful warehouse. Remembering Blaine taking that quick step forward in the last possible second, putting himself as a shield between Kurt and the bullet, Kurt felt guilt heavying him down, settling deep in his stomach and making him sick as he realized that he was the one to blame for everything. If he had been more careful, if he had noticed someone was following him, if he had been faster in that back alley, none of this would have happened. But most importantly, none of it should have happened to Blaine. It was Kurt who had been targeted by Smythe, not Blaine. The bullet was meant for him, not Blaine. His life was the one that was supposed to end in that warehouse, not Blaine's. But everything went in a completely different direction the moment Blaine stepped in front of him for reasons only known to him, saving Kurt's life at the expense of risking his own.

All because Kurt let Sebastian Smythe catch him off guard. And now Blaine was in surgery and it was all Kurt's fault.

He was fighting for his life and it was Kurt's fault.

Blaine was going to die and it would be Kurt's fault and no one else's.

Realizing there was a tear rolling down his cheek, Kurt wiped it away hastily and squeezed his eyes shut, taking a deep breath, desperate not to break down again, but it only made his eyes burn more. Leaning his elbows on his knees, Kurt sniffled and buried his head in his hands, giving in and letting the tears fall freely, no longer able to fight them.

Silent sobs were shaking his body and he clenched his hands in his hair, tugging painfully, so angry and terrified at the same time – angry at Smythe, at himself, and so scared of losing Blaine that he couldn't breathe, his heart racing wildly in his chest and clenching at the thought of never seeing Blaine again. Never hearing his voice again, never seeing him smile again. Never having his arms wrapped around him and making him feel safer than he had ever felt in such a long time. Never running his fingers through Blaine's curls and kissing him sleepily in the morning, smiling against his lips when Blaine's arms always pulled him closer.

Kurt was well aware that he would lose all of that anyway after the case was done and Blaine would leave, free to go wherever he wanted. But losing Blaine that way, no matter how painful it would be, was something that Kurt could live with. It would break his heart, but at least Blaine would be okay. But losing Blaine today, in that hospital… Kurt didn't think he would be able to recover and carry on after that.

Kurt didn't know how much time he spent sitting like that, sobs wrecking through his body as he cried his eyes out, it might have as well been minutes or hours – time felt like a foreign concept at the moment. Eventually, he managed to calm down a bit, at least enough to be able to catch his breath, tears subsiding probably because there were none left to be spilled out. He kept sitting in the same position, leaned forward, with his head in his hands and he was so lost in his thoughts and focused on breathing in and out that he almost missed the quiet shuffling sound coming from the direction of the door. Almost, because he was still a FBI agent with years of experience and training, so sounds like that, even if he was exhausted and distracted, didn't tend to escape his attention.

Lifting his head, he saw Santana and Mike standing in the doorway, watching him worriedly and he knew how he must have looked: red, puffy eyes and tears stricken face, blood stained shirt and hair sticking in every direction after all the tugging he put it through; he was a mess.

“Can we come in?” Santana asked quietly and Kurt had only seen her this uncertain and subdued once in his life – after his parents died.

“You don't usually ask for permission.” Kurt replied, his voice hoarse from crying, and Santana gave him the faintest smile before stepping into the room and sitting down on the chair next to Kurt. Mike followed right behind her and took a seat on Kurt's other side, reaching into his jacket pockets.

“Your phone and badge.” He said, handing the items to Kurt and Kurt stared at them for a few seconds before taking them for Mike. “Santana has your gun in her bag.”

“I didn't even realize they were gone.” Kurt murmured quietly, talking mostly to himself, pocketing his phone and badge before he took the gun from Santana's hands and put it in the holster, and he almost smiled when he felt the comforting weight on his hip.

“Any news?” Santana asked and Kurt opened his mouth to reply, but the words were caught in his throat, so he only shook his head, and he wasn't aware that his hands started shaking again until Santana reached to grab his hand and squeeze it tightly. “Kurt, what happened? We entered the warehouse when we heard the gunshot, but by then Blaine was already on the ground.”

“We were listening to what was happening inside through the bug.” Mike added. “But nothing indicated that Smythe was going to shoot Blaine.”

“That's because he wasn't.” Kurt sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “Smythe was going to shoot me, not Blaine. But he stepped in front of me milliseconds before Smythe fired the gun.” Kurt said quietly, managing to stop his voice from cracking, but he wasn't so successful with his heart which seemed to crack for the umpteenth time that day.

“He took a bullet for you?” Santana said in awe and when Kurt nodded miserably, his eyes shining with new tears, that was all she needed to confirm the suspicions she had had since she saw Kurt by Blaine's side in the warehouse. Seeing a tear roll down his cheek, she reached to wipe it away with a soft smile. “How long has this been going on?”

“I have no idea what you're talking about.” Kurt replied so weakly that he didn't sound convincing even to himself, and he kept his gaze on the wall in front of them, refusing to look at either of his friends.

“Kurt, you don't cry, you haven't for years.” Mike said, putting his hand gently on Kurt's shoulder. “And yet, look at you right now.” When Kurt hung his head, sighing in defeat, Mike smiled knowingly. “Besides, I've had my suspicions for a while.”

“What?” Kurt and Santana spoke in unison, looking at Mike in shock. “And you didn't tell me?!” Santana added incredulously.

“It wasn't my secret to tell.” Mike shrugged, but the smile on his face softened when Kurt looked at him worriedly. “Don't worry, it was just the little things, nothing too obvious.” He reassured, squeezing Kurt's shoulder comfortingly. “You managed to fool Santana, so I guarantee you no one suspects a thing.” He smirked and Santana scoffed, but said nothing even though Kurt was sure she had a retort ready at the tip of her tongue. She probably decided to hold off because of the gravity of the situation and for that Kurt was grateful because as much as he appreciated being distracted by the lighthearted banter, he was still terrified and worried about Blaine, and Blaine was the only thing he wanted to be focused on. Releasing a stuttering breath, Kurt briefly closed his eyes, swallowing down in hopes of reducing the pain he had been feeling in his chest, in his heart to be precise, since the moment Blaine fell on the ground in front of him.

Almost instantly, Mike moved his hand from Kurt's shoulder to wrap his arm around him and Santana's grip on his hand tightened as she moved closer, resting her head on his shoulder. They sat like that in silence, not moving, only the sound of their breathing audible in the room, and suddenly Kurt was glad that he had them by his side and wasn't there all alone.

“He's going to be okay.” Santana said quietly after a few minutes and there wasn't anything Kurt wanted more than to believe her words.

“How do you know?” He asked instead, his voice equally quiet, as if speaking any louder might draw bad fortune's attention to them.

“Blaine's tough.” Mike was the one to answer, his voice firm and sure as he rubbed Kurt's shoulder comfortingly. “He can do it.”

“Besides, you've already reached the quota of shitty things happening to you.” Santana added and Kurt couldn't help but scoff at how true it was – the universe had tried to bring him down so many times and yet there he was, still fighting back and still pushing forward. “You won't lose him.”

Not yet anyway, Kurt couldn't help but think bitterly, but he quickly pushed that thought away. He would much rather have Blaine leave, but be alive than have him die after sacrificing his life for his.

Kurt wasn't sure how long they were sitting like that, each of them staring at some random point somewhere on the wall. They weren't saying anything, they just sat in silence because, truth to be told, there were no words left to say – all they could do was wait. Despite knowing that, Kurt felt as if he was slowly going insane with every passing minute, worried out of his mind and desperately trying to focus on something else than Blaine's bloodied body, but it was easier said than done. Not for the first time since he had arrived at the hospital, it proved to be quite difficult to get his mind to cooperate with him and Kurt couldn't stop his brain from flashing him random memories of Blaine that made him want to scream and curl up on the floor and cry at the same time. Breathing in deeply a few times, Kurt was about to stand up and do… something, he wasn't sure what, but he had a feeling it would involve breaking something, when a woman wearing scrubs appeared in the doorway.

“I'm Doctor Wade. You're here for Blaine Anderson?” She asked, stepping into the room, and the three agents stood up, Kurt clutching to Santana like a lifeline, probably crushing her hand, but she didn't let it show. Reaching in his pocket, he took out his badge.

“Special Agent Kurt Hummel.” Kurt flashed the badge to the woman, somehow managing to keep his voice steady. “I'm his supervising agent. These are my colleagues, agents Lopez and Chang.” He gestured at Mike and Santana who showed their badges as well.

“I see.” The doctor nodded. “Well, thankfully, your shooter either has a bad aim or his hand twitched when he fired the gun because the bullet entered on the right side of his abdomen. Had Mr. Anderson been shot straight ahead, we probably would have been having a completely different conversation right now.”

“So, what you're saying is…” Kurt started in a weak voice, trailing off and swallowing down, not daring to get his hopes up.

“The bullet lodged between his ribs, striking a few vessels on its way, but we managed to stop the bleeding and remove the bullet.” The doctor said and Kurt held his breath, ignoring the burning in his lungs. “He's going to make a full recovery.”

“Oh, god.” Kurt breathed out, feeling his knees give out and he probably would have dropped back on the chair if it wasn't for Mike's arm around his waist holding him up. Closing his eyes, he tried to calm down his racing heart, repeating Blaine is going to be okay, Blaine is going to be okay in his head, the relief spreading through his body as he let the doctor's words sink in. Breathing a little easier, he finally let go of Santana's hand and straightened up, flashing a small smile to Mike who removed his arm from his waist.

“When Mr. Anderson was brought in, we had to remove his anklet monitor before the surgery.” Doctor Wade said and Kurt's attention snapped back to her. “So I'm guessing you'll want to cuff him to the bed?”

“No.” Kurt started shaking his head even before the doctor finished speaking. “There's no need, Blaine's not going to run. And I assure you, he's not dangerous.” Seeing the woman look at him hesitantly, Kurt took a step closer to her. “Doctor, I'm giving you my word. I would trust this man with- with my life.” Kurt said, his voice stuttering a bit because Blaine already did save his life. “He's not a threat to anyone, I swear.”

“Alright.” The doctor nodded. “There's one more thing. I know you're the FBI, but is there any family we should contact?”

Once again, Kurt shook his head. “No. He doesn't have any.” Any that would care about him, he finished bitterly in his head, not wanting to reveal to everyone how Blaine's parents kicked him out as soon as he turned eighteen. “Now, can I see him?”

“He's being moved from the OR as we speak.” The doctor replied. “I'll send a nurse to get you when he's settled.”

“Okay, thank you.” Kurt said with a grateful nod, plopping down on the chair when Doctor Wade left the room, tension leaving his body. Rubbing his eyes, he leaned back, feeling tired again all of a sudden, but he didn't care – all that mattered was that Blaine was alive.

“Told you he would be fine.” Santana said with a smile, standing next to Kurt and looking down at him. “What's the plan now?”

Sighing, Kurt stood up. “I need you two to do me favor. I'm going to stay here as long as I can, maybe if I show my badge around they'll let me stay after visiting hours...”

“That's my boy.” Santana interrupted with a smirk and Kurt rolled his eyes fondly.

“… but I need you to go to my place and feed my cat. And maybe bring me some clothes because while I'm not as much into fashion as I was in high school, bloody shirt is definitely not my style.” Kurt finished with a small grin.

“You don't want one of us to stay with you?” Mike asked and Kurt shook his head.

“I'll be fine.” He replied and smiled when both Mike and Santana stepped closer to wrap their arms around him in a tight hug. “I'll text you if I know anything.” He said when they parted and after Santana kissed his cheek, they headed out, leaving Kurt alone, once again. However, this time he didn't mind as much. He was still worried and couldn't wait to see Blaine, but at least there wasn't panic spreading through his body and he was finally able to breathe normally. There was still guilt buzzing unpleasantly inside of him, but it was something to be addressed later when he could ask Blaine what the hell he was thinking when he jumped in front of him, so he pushed it far away and tried to think about something else as he walked around the room, impatiently waiting for someone to take him to Blaine.

“Agent Hummel?” A voice sounded from the doorway a while later, and when Kurt turned around, he saw Marley smiling at him. “I'm here to take you to Mr. Anderson's room.”

Grabbing his jacket and tie, which were hanging on a chair, Kurt let Marley lead him through various hallways, aware that the bloodied shirt he was wearing was attracting looks from some of the people that were passing by. Not paying them any mind, he followed Marley until they reached a room with a closed door.

“Here it is.” Marley said with a smile. “Oh, and I've been told to inform you that visiting hours don't apply to you, you can stay here as long as you want.” Looking at her in surprise, Kurt was speechless for a moment; he didn't think it would be that easy to make the hospital bend the rules for him.

“Wow, that's… Thank you.” Kurt said sincerely and Marley grinned.

“Actually, it's because of your boss who made a call, so you should probably thank him.” She said teasingly before seeing another nurse waving at her. “I have to go, but I'm really glad your friend is okay, agent Hummel.” She added with a big smile and after she walked away, Kurt took a deep breath and opened the door to the room.

Stepping inside, his heart fell when he saw Blaine lying in bed, asleep, and Kurt had never seen him look so vulnerable. The machines that he was attached to were working quietly beside the bed and after closing the door, Kurt cautiously stepped closer before realizing that there was no way he could wake Blaine up – he was still under anesthetic, so he probably wouldn't be awake for a while. Grabbing one of the chairs, he shuffled it closer to the bed and sat down, unable to tear his gaze away from Blaine. He seemed so much younger like this, in a hospital bed, looking almost peaceful if you ignored the circumstances that put him in that bed in the first place. Seeing him like this made Kurt's heart clench and he blinked a few times, trying to stop the fresh tears from flowing. Leaning closer, he grabbed Blaine's hand.

“I'm going to kick your ass when you wake up.” He whispered, sniffling and rubbing circles on Blaine's hand with a thumb. “For putting your life at risk like that.”

Reluctantly, Kurt let go of Blaine's hand in case someone walked into the room and leaned back on the chair, stifling a yawn. It wasn't even that late, but being kidnapped, Blaine being shot and then worrying about him dying during the surgery kind of took a toll on Kurt and he could feel the exhaustion in his bones, but even though the thought of his own bed was really tempting, there was no way he was going to leave. Remembering he saw a coffee machine somewhere on the way to Blaine's room, he stepped outside and looked around, breathing in relief when he saw it in the end of the corridor.

He was on his way back to Blaine's room when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. Unlocking the screen, he saw a text from Santana telling him she was back with his clothes, so he sent her the number of Blaine's room. Sipping his coffee, he leaned against the wall next to the door to wait for her and after a few minutes, he saw her walking in his direction. Waving to get her attention, Kurt smiled tiredly when she was close enough, noticing the slight bags under her eyes.

“I told Mike to go home to Tina.” She said in lieu of greeting, handing him a black duffel bag. “Do you want me to stay with you?”

“No, go home. Get some rest.” Kurt replied, wrapping his arm around her. “Thanks, San.” He whispered in her ear and she squeezed his arm in response.

“If you need anything, you call me. Got it?” Santana ordered with an arched eyebrow and Kurt couldn't help but chuckle.

“And I thought I was the boss here.” He grinned. “But yes ma'am.”

After she left, Kurt got back into the room and sat the bag on the chair. Opening it, he smiled when he saw how many things were inside – his friends knew him well enough to know that he probably wasn't going to come home that night. Figuring it would be easier to stay awake if he wasn't dressed too comfortably, he decided to stay in his suit pants and only change the bloodied shirt for a clean one. Unbuttoning the shirt, he took it off and paused, staring at the blood stains on the shirt for a few seconds, his breath stuttering, before crumpling it and tossing into the bag; it was ruined anyway.

“Mmm, so this is what heaven looks like.” A quiet, raspy voice suddenly sounded behind Kurt. Startled, he quickly spun around, gasping when he saw Blaine looking at him with a sleepy smirk.

“Blaine.” Kurt breathed out, rushing to Blaine's side and leaning over him, relief spreading through his body at the sight of those hazel eyes.

“I was sure I'd end up in hell, but I'm not gonna complain…” Blaine murmured, his eyes slowly raking over Kurt's chest and that was when Kurt remembered that he was completely shirtless. Stepping back to grab the clean shirt, he quickly put it on, buttoning it up and ignoring Blaine's whine of protest.

“You're not dead, you idiot.” Kurt said, sitting on the chair close to the bed, the corners of his lips quirking up in a smile when Blaine tilted his head, looking like a confused puppy for a second before realization started dawning on him and he blinked a few times, trying to clear his mind that was most likely fuzzy after the anesthesia; Kurt knew the feeling, he had been there once or twice. Realizing that he should probably let someone know that Blaine was awake, Kurt pressed the button next to the bed that was supposed to get one of the nurses to come by.

“Sebastian?” Blaine asked in a croaked voice, his eyes so much clearer, which was a sign that everything was coming back to him.

“We got him, Blaine.” Kurt smiled, internally fighting the urge to grab Blaine's hand. “He's locked up at the Bureau, waiting to be interrogated.”

“Good for him.” Blaine muttered. “You know what, gorgeous…” He started, arching his eyebrow, and there he was, the Blaine that Kurt knew, and his heart ached at the familiarity. “Since I'm not dead after all, I think I deserve a welcome back to the living kiss.”

Snorting, Kurt shook his head in amusement, but stood up and leaned over Blaine, cupping his face in his hands, and closed the distance between their lips, kissing him slowly and with everything he had in him. As their lips slid together, a thought crossed Kurt's mind that he wouldn't mind doing this forever, but eventually air became a necessity, so he pulled away, resting his forehead against Blaine's. Breathing a little harsher, they looked into each other's eyes, Kurt rubbing Blaine's cheek with his thumb when there was a sudden noise behind Kurt's back and he instantly jumped away, looking with wide eyes at Marley who was standing at the door.

“I wasn't- we're not- I…” Kurt stuttered out, the words catching in his throat, but Marley only grinned in response.

“I saw nothing.” She said with a shrug, her eyes smiling and Kurt briefly closed his eyes, feeling his heart beat wildly in his chest. “I'll get doctor Wade since you're awake, Mr. Anderson.” Marley said and disappeared back out into the hallway. However, the doctor must have been nearby because the two women were back barely a few minutes later, doctor Wade immediately walking up to Blaine. After checking his stitches, she asked him a few questions, and by the end, Kurt could see Blaine's gaze get more unfocused as he clearly fought to stay awake.

“I'll let you get some rest now.” Doctor Wade said, most likely noticing what Kurt saw and with one last smile, she left the room. Seeing Blaine slowly drift away, Kurt got up from the chair and was about to step outside to call Mike and Santana with an update when suddenly Blaine grabbed his wrist.

“Stay?” Blaine mumbled sleepily, opening his eyes to look at Kurt and his heart melted.

“Yes, of course.” He replied, sitting back down, Blaine's hand falling back onto the mattress after letting go of Kurt's wrist. The call could wait. “I'll stay.” Kurt whispered, watching Blaine's breathing even out and the features of his face relax as he finally fell asleep. “I'll stay.”

Forever, if you let me.