Artie rolled his eyes as he watched Blaine work. He should have been out in the kitchen, but there was something fascinating about this. Blaine just couldn’t stop himself from charming everyone. He would always blame it on the food, just insist that baked goods brought out the best in people, reminded them of their childhood, let them suffocate their sorrows in carbohydrates, but Artie knew they were all here for Blaine (okay, it was at least 70% Blaine - Artie had his fair share of groupies). Today was a little different, though. He was still his usual lovely self with the customers, reducing adult straight men to giggling children, making elderly women feel like princesses, but when he wasn’t talking to anyone he was quiet. Normally he would keep chatting but today he was stocking the shelves and cleaning the kitchen and icing the buns with an air of melancholy Artie didn’t think was possible.

“And there’s sixty-six change. Have a swell day, you two!”

Artie waited for the teenage girls to walk out, blushing, before wheeling up to the customer side of the counter.

“Talk to me.”

“What? Artie, I’m busy.”

Artie glanced around pointedly at the empty store.

“Fully stocked. No customers. You’re fine. Talk, boy.”

“There’s nothing to talk about. Kitty’s better. Zach’s fine. I’m fine. Everything’s great.”

“And Kurt?”

“Kurt hates me. It’s over. It doesn’t matter.”

“Blaine, I’ve never seen such a happy person look so sad. Baking and misery aren’t a good mix. You’ll get tears in the bread.”

“That’s against health and safety codes- oh. You’re kidding. Ha.”

Artie made a face at Blaine.

“Man, you need to snap out of this. You want me to take you out- to a club or whatever? I’ll take you to a gay bar. It’ll be fun. You need to get laid or something.”

“Artie! I don’t want to talk about it, okay? And I’m not going to that seedy fleapit in West Lima.” He took a deep breath, annoyed with himself for snapping at the mere mention of sex. “Although it’s really nice of you to offer.”

“Any time, boss. Blaine, I’m- sorry. If that was out of line.”

Blaine looked at his hands and wiped the spotless counter to keep them busy.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“You really like him, don’t you?”

“Yeah. I really do.”

“We could close early if you want? Go talk about it somewhere else?”

“No. I just- want to work. Keep busy.”

Artie nodded.

“You got it.”

He was about to wheel himself out to the kitchen when the bell over the door rang.

“Is that- Artie Abrams?” a voice called out. He spun himself around.

“No. Way. Mike Chang, you beautiful human specimen, get over here!”

As they hugged and laughed and started talking, Blaine froze. He knew that name. Fuck fuck fuck.

“Blaine, this is an old friend of mine, Mike; Mike, this is my boss, Blaine.”

Blaine stood completely still at the counter, hoping against hope that this guy (who was at least a foot taller than him and looked incredibly muscular) wasn’t here to beat him to death. He tried to smile and was surprised to find a much more relaxed grin sent back to him.

“Hey,” Mike said, sticking his hand out, “Nice to finally meet you.”

“Oh. Oh, okay. Yeah. Hi.”

“Wait,” Artie interrupted, “finally? Are we famous for our amazing banana bread or something?”

“Not exactly…” Mike said, letting out a short awkward laugh, “I’ve just heard a lot about Blaine. I’m kind of dating his ex-wife.”

“Well. Shit. This must be really awkward for both of you.”

“No, not really. I mean, it’s not for me. I hope you don’t mind me coming in; I’ve just heard so much about you from Zach and Quinn, so I figured I should probably meet you in person. Is that… okay?”

Blaine had no idea how to casually bring up what had happened the week before, so he just nodded.

“Mm-hmm. Yup. Hi.”

“Man, it smells amazing in here. I guess I don’t get a friends’ discount yet, huh?”

“Um. I guess I could-”

“Woah, Blaine, I’m kidding. I promise to pay full retail price for any and all confectionery I purchase here. Could I get one of those big cookies? The white chocolate one?”

Blaine tried to cough past the lump in his throat, but it didn’t work. Maybe Mike knew about him and Quinn. Maybe he was lulling him into a false sense of security by being nice now so he could snap him in half later. Maybe she just hadn’t told him yet.

“Tell you what, there’s a fresh batch out the back;” Artie decided to chime in, “let me go get you one of those instead.”

He shot away, grinning at Blaine when realisation dawned on him that he would be left alone with Mike.

“You okay? Hope I’m not messing up your stock rotation-”

“Huh? No, I’m just- you’re nice. You’re being nice to me.”

“I like to think I’m nice to everyone.”

“Oh.” Blaine swallowed. “Okay. Good.”

“Blaine, I know. About you and Quinn. Last week.”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, you have no idea how sorry I am, if I could take it back-”

“I know. It’s okay.”

“What? You’re not angry with me?”

“Well, I was at first, but- we’ve talked about it. A lot. She was scared and freaking out and- I get it. I’ve seen people in emergencies, when their kids are in danger- you’re not in your right mind when that stuff happens. It messes with your head.”

“Oh. Well. Yeah. Thanks.”

“For what?”

“I don’t know. For understanding? For not hitting me?”

“Hey, it’s cool. I mean, she told me you’ve got a boyfriend, so I doubt this is gonna be a regular occurrence.”

“Well, I don’t anymore-” No Blaine, he might be nice, but it’s still weird to talk to your ex-wife’s new boyfriend about your romance problems, “but I’m still gay. It still won’t happen again.”

Mike grinned. It was almost unnerving how nice this guy was. That big smile just made Blaine want to hang out with him and talk about life. He gave Quinn a high five in his head.

“I figured. So, how long have you had this place?”

“Well, I actually worked here when I was in high school-” He stopped when someone else walked into the shop. She almost knocked a stack of loaves of bread off of a table with her bump as she turned dramatically away from Blaine. “Brittany?”

“I’m not talking to you. But you didn’t notice me not talking to you all week, so I thought I’d come and not talk to you here.”

She turned her back on him to look intensely at a shelf of muffins. Mike raised an eyebrow at Blaine.

“Friend of yours?”

“Friend of my- of Kurt’s. Brittany-”

“You could have been our friend too, Blaine. We all really liked you. Why did you do that to him?”

“I’m sorry, look, I-”

“No, you look- oh. Um. Ah!”

She winced, gripping her stomach and grabbing onto the edge of a table.

“Brittany? Are you-”

“Maybe. This – ow – this doesn’t mean I’m not still mad at you. But-” she sucked in a breath, “but I might need to go to hospital.” Blaine and Mike rushed over to her immediately, each taking an arm and trying to keep her calm – most likely for their own benefit rather than hers.

“Okay, uh, Mike, there’s a chair in the kitchen, could you get it?”

“Sure,” Mike disappeared, leaving Blaine with Britt.

“Listen, Brittany, you’re going to be fine. Both of you. I’ll just call an ambulance, and-”

“No.”

“What?”

“No time. Trust me, I’m really fast at this. You need to drive me. Oh, God, he’s early, Blaine – only a couple of weeks, but still, I-”

“Hey, it’s okay,” they both shook their head at Mike when he brought the chair out, “no problem. We’ll do whatever you need.”

“Santana. You need to call her. I need her. Oh…” she groaned, her face screwing up and her breathing getting faster. “Blaine, please call her?” He nodded and reached for his phone, but she shook her head. “She’s not talking to you either. Use mine.”

He and Mike ushered her out to the car, calling for Artie to watch the store, while he dialled Santana’s number.

“Santana. It’s Brittany. She’s gone into labour. I’m taking her to the hospital, okay, I’ll call you when we get there and keep you updated, and, uh, we’ll see you later. She’ll be fine. I promise.”

“Brittany,” Mike added, “my name’s Mike. I’m a doctor. You’re going to be fine. Let’s get you to the hospital so you can have this baby, okay?”

She nodded, instantly soothed by the calm voices around her and the firm hands supporting her. Blaine unlocked his car so he could drive, but she took his hand.

“No, Blaine- can you- I want you with me.”

“But Mike’s done this before-” Mike nodded to try and reassure her.

“I know, but- I want you.”

He looked at Mike, who smiled and produced his own keys.

They both kept her talking in the backseat of Mike’s car, about anything and everything to keep her distracted, but nothing worked – and not just because she was still trying to ignore Blaine. Every time they tried to talk about something else, she asked where Santana was.

“Call her again, Blaine. I- I can’t do this without her, okay, I just can’t, I,” she yelled a mixture of obscenities at him, “I need her, Blaine-”

“I know you do, we’re trying to get her, she’ll be there okay? I swear she’ll be there.”

“I’m still not talking to you, okay – not officially.”

“I know, Brittany, I know. It’s fine.”

She screamed and grabbed his hand. He bit back a scream of his own as she crushed his fingers. He didn’t risk asking her if it was labour or revenge.

They arrived at the hospital and Mike spouted some technical stuff at the first nurse he saw. Blaine understood ‘labour’ but that was about it. Apparently Brittany was just as lost, because she looked at him and kept holding his hand as she was lifted into a wheelchair and rushed inside.

“Can you take it from here?”

“Yeah, yeah, we’ll be fine. Thanks, Mike.”

“Wish her good luck for me.”

Blaine nodded, and Mike drove away.

*

Kurt got a panicky phone call.

“Kurt, she’s- you have to take me to the hospital. Brittany’s, the baby, it’s time, and my car won’t start and fuck fuck Kurt I have to be there-”

“Fine. Santana, it’s fine. I’ll be there in ten, okay?”

They’d barely been in the car for two minutes and he could already feel a bruise developing on his arm.

“Can’t you go any faster?”

“Not unless you want to collide with that truck. We’ll get there.”

“You don’t understand, Kurt! You don’t know how fast it was last time. Of course I took thirty hours, but she was in and out in two. Go faster!”

“Hey, hey-” he said, grabbing the hand that was hitting him. “Breathe. You won’t be able to look after them if we die in a horrific accident. Now just keep directing me and I promise we’ll get there.”

“Okay. Next right. Sorry.”

“Don’t worry.”

“How are you, anyway?”

“You don’t have to-”

“No, I want to know. It’ll distract me. Yeah, just straight on here- have you spoken to Blaine?”

“Not since Monday. I saw Kitty yesterday, though.”

“Oh. She still an asshole?”

“Santana. She’s not- she’s had it rough lately.”

“Right, sure. How come you saw her, anyway?”

“Oh. She- she texted me from Blaine’s phone and met up with me to ask me to take him back.”

“Shouldn’t she have been at school?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. Still not seeing how she’s not an asshole.”

“It’s difficult. She and Blaine were going through some stuff.”

“Oh, please. Blaine’s, like, the nicest guy in the- I mean. He’s awful. That bastard. Sorry, I can’t remember if we hate him or not.”

“We don’t.”

“Oh. So are you two-”

“You can go back to hitting me now.”

*

It was a blur. Brittany was actually pretty good at not screaming – she knew how much energy childbirth took and wasn’t about to use it all up wailing – but Blaine hadn’t been in this position in a long time, and he’d never seen it all go this quickly before. He blinked and they were in a white room, Britt in a hospital gown, her hand still clamped onto his, with a woman between her legs doing something that looked really uncomfortable. Blaine stroked Brittany’s hair, not caring that her forehead was drenched with sweat, and kept whispering encouragements to her.

“Just keep breathing… soon you’ll have a brand new baby in your arms-”

“No, no, it can’t be soon, she’s still not here. She needs to be here, Blaine, I’m scared-”

“Well, Mrs Lopez, I’m afraid we don’t have time to wait.” The midwife bobbed up and peeled her gloves off. “It’s time to go into the delivery room. If you want your friend to come too, he can.”

She glanced up at Blaine, blinking tears out of her eyes.

“Would you?”

“Of course. Anything. It doesn’t matter if she doesn’t get here, okay? You’ve got this baby’s whole life together. One day won’t make a difference.”

She sniffed and nodded, lacing her fingers together with his.

“Very well then,” the doctor announced, “let’s get this show on the road!”

A couple more people in scrubs appeared as if from nowhere and kicked the brakes off on Brittany’s bed. Blaine almost got shoved aside, but he didn’t let go of Brittany’s hand. As they got out of the room, they ran almost head first into Kurt and Santana, holding hands and panting. Santana ran to Brittany’s side, kissing her hair and taking her hand. Blaine tried to stand back, but Brittany was still holding onto him.

“God, honey, I’m so sorry, my phone died and I didn’t have any gas but Kurt brought me and I’m here now, okay, I’m not going anywhere, I’ve got you.” She kissed her quickly, first her lips then her hand, and looked up at Blaine and Kurt, having to stand awkwardly side-by-side in the narrow corridor. “I- thanks, Blaine. Really.”

Blaine smiled and nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets. He felt like he wasn’t allowed to talk in front of Kurt. Brittany took a moment between sharp, controlled breaths to smile at Blaine.

“Will you stay? Please?”

“Oh, I-” he glanced anxiously at Kurt, “I don’t know if I should-”

“Of course you should, Blaine,” Kurt assured him, “it’s fine.”

“Okay,” he tried to say, but it came out as a strained whisper, “I’ll stay. Sure.”

There was a moment of silence and the midwife looked on, baffled.

“If we’re all quite finished here, we’ve got a baby to deliver. Let’s roll.”

Brittany squeezed Blaine’s hand and smiled at him one more time before letting go and being wheeled away for delivery. Kurt and Blaine watched as they disappeared around a corner.

“So. Looks like you were kind of a hero today.”

“No. Right place at the right time.”

“Blaine, don’t. She was lucky to have you there.”

They shuffled over to take a seat, assuming someone would find them when everything was over.

“No Mai?”

“She’s at Rachel and Finn’s. Asking after you, no doubt.”

“Sorry.”

Kurt shrugged.

“Not your fault she likes you. You’re pretty likeable.” Blaine smiled at him for a second before looking back down at his lap. “God, I hate to think of the state of your car right now.”

“Oh. We didn’t come in my car. Mike drove.”

“Mike?”

“Quinn’s… boyfriend. I guess. He just- came into the store today.”

“Jesus. That can’t have been fun.”

“He’s actually a pretty cool guy.”

“And does he know what happened? Last week?”

“Yep.”

“And he was okay with it? How come?”

“No idea. I thought he was going to hit me. He should’ve hit me.”

“Huh.” He paused. “Blaine, will you promise not to get mad at anyone if I tell you something?”

“Who would I get mad at?”

“Promise first.”

“Fine. I promise.”

“I saw Kitty yesterday.”

“Oh. Why would that make me mad?”

“Because she stole your phone and pretended she was you and arranged to meet me.”

“She what? I didn’t even realise it was gone! Oh God, I’m gonna-” Kurt looked at him pointedly. “I’m gonna… not get mad at all. And bake her a cake. Okay?”

“Yes. She did it for you. For us. Trying to fix stuff.”

“Oh. And?”

“I don’t know. I think… I think there are always too many people involved. Santana – she told me what she told you, and I’m going to kill her for it - then Quinn, now Kitty… A relationship between two men shouldn’t have this many women interfering.”

The word ‘relationship’ made Blaine’s spine tingle.

“Good point. But you know it’ll never be just us. There will always be our kids and our friends and my ex. Not that I plan on ever sleeping with her again, but-”

“I know you were scared. I think- I think I understand. One time, I was scared of being alone forever and I would up adopting a baby. My meltdown didn’t even get me laid.”

Blaine snorted.

“If it’s any consolation, it was terrible. I mean- I’m usually better, but I was drunk, and-”

“-And she’s a woman.”

“Exactly. It’s not like I wanted to do it, Kurt. You know that, right? I just-”

“I know. God, it’s all so dramatic.” he took a breath and leaned his head on Blaine’s shoulder, “I’m exhausted. I just. I want this. Us.” He leaned in further and reached down to lock his fingers with Blaine’s on top of the armrest between them. Blaine had to squeeze his eyes shut to stop them stinging. He pressed his lips to Kurt’s hair, feeling a tremble in his chest, before resting his cheek on top of Kurt’s head. “No more hospitals. No more hiding anything from kids, or friends, or exes. We’ve both had enough drama, Blaine. I just want you and me and the kids. Even Kitty.”

“Still? After- everything?”

Blaine felt Kurt nodding against his shoulder.

“I- I hope you never feel that scared again, but I want to be the one that makes you feel better. Like you did for me. That’s what got me about you and Quinn. I know it wasn’t about sex, but you- you went to her when you needed someone. I thought- you could need me, but-”

Blaine pulled away so he could look at Kurt properly, tightening his grip on his hand.

“I do. Kurt, I know I’ve only known you a couple of months, but I- I can’t imagine- I don’t know what I would have done without you lately. You’re the kindest person I’ve ever met, and you’re funny and you’re smart and, well, you’re stunning, and- I do need you. I-”

Kurt looked up at him, blushing slightly.

“Yeah?”

“I love you.” It was so soon, and there was so much at stake, but Blaine knew he needed to say it. He needed to say it because it was all he’d been thinking about all week. His voice cracked but he cleared his throat and carried on. “I’m just - really, stupidly in love with you. I thought I had to go back, for my family, but it’s not what I want. I want to go forward with you. I want- I want you to be my family.”

“Blaine-”

“I know it’s all really messy and I keep screwing everything up, but I want to try to be better. For them and for you. None of it seems so scary if you’re there. I guess I have a lot of growing to do, but- I’d love you to be there. Growing with me.”

Kurt’s blinking sped up and he swallowed hard.

“Blaine, I-”

“Kurt-”

And Kurt kissed him. It was brief but firm; they spent longer just hanging afterwards, smiling at each other an inch apart.

“You’re not screwing everything up. Not this. Not Kitty. Definitely not today,” he nodded down the corridor, “you’re doing fine – great, actually, momentary lapse in judgement aside. You can do this.”

Blaine tilted his head forward, eyes still locked with Kurt’s.

“You mean you-” you love me back you love me back you love me back- “You want-”

Kurt kissed him again, for longer this time.

“Yeah. I do.” Blaine opened his mouth to answer, to thank him for the second chance, to promise never to do anything stupid again, but Kurt shook his head. “It’s okay. Let’s just –be for a minute, okay?” Blaine nodded and wrapped his arm around Kurt, kissing his hair again and pulling him close, linking their fingers together on his knee. They woke up almost an hour later, still huddled together on two plastic hospital chairs, when a nurse gave them a nudge.

“Would you two like to meet someone?”

They stifled yawns and stretched as they got up and followed her in the opposite direction of the delivery room. They both realised Brittany and Santana must have gone right past them to get to her room and held back a grin, still holding hands as they walked into a small room where two very sleepy, very emotional women were waiting for them, one in bed cradling a blue bundle and one sitting by her, a tiny hand curled around her little finger.

“He’s beautiful,” Kurt whispered, sitting on the end of Brittany’s bed. “How are you two feeling?”

They smiled at each other.

“We’re great,” said Santana, “thank you both. I don’t know what we would’ve- if it hadn’t been- I-”

She sniffed and wiped her eye with the back of her hand. It was the first time Blaine had seen her with smudged make up.

“Kurt,” Brittany said in an attempt at hushed tones, “are we allowed to stop hating Blaine now?”

Blaine, standing next to him, looked at him expectantly, as if he still wasn’t sure. Kurt smiled and took his hand, pulling him to stand between his legs.

“Yes. Definitely.”

“Then would you like to hold him?”

If they hadn’t already fixed things, the sight of Blaine holding the baby would’ve done the trick. Kurt glanced around, at his friends, at his Blaine, and he knew this was what he wanted too. This was his family.

They took turns holding him before saying their goodbyes and congratulations and, yes, crying a little, and Kurt drove them both home. They collected Kitty and Zach from Quinn’s. Quinn actually seemed relieved to see Kurt, to see that he was giving Blaine another chance, and they nodded respectfully at each other, knowing they would be in each other’s lives for the foreseeable future. They picked Mai up from Rachel’s (she’d had a play date with Henry anyway), and the five of them went back to Blaine’s. They made cupcakes, even though it was already dark. Blaine left extra batter in the bowl so the kids – “Dad, I’m seventeen. But yes please.” – could lick it out in the living room while they got dinner. Kurt made sandwiches; Blaine sliced five apples and poured five glasses of orange juice. They piled food onto a tray, squeezing past each other with an ease that felt practised, knowing when the other would turn and what they were about to reach for and exchanging brief kisses between every movement: to the space between Kurt’s shoulder blades, to the shell of Blaine’s ear, and after passing the juice carton to Blaine, to the back of Kurt’s wrist when Blaine took his hand. It felt like a dance. There were no deep insights into feelings or actions. No declarations of devotion. They barely said a word, other than ‘Good luck getting Mai to eat that’ and a cheeky ‘Challenge accepted’. They smiled at each other in comfortable quiet.

When they brought everything through to the living room, there were rugs laid out on the floor and a DVD ready to watch – Tangled, which Kitty had found out was Mai’s favourite and she knew Zach secretly loved even if it was ‘girly and stupid’ – and they all sat on the floor: Kitty and Zach whispering inside jokes to each other, and Kurt and Blaine with Mai tucked between them.

“I don’t like apples.”

“But you haven’t tried them the way I do them.”

“How?”

“The way I slice them makes them taste better. Trust me. I’ve been perfecting this method for years.”

Mai glanced at Kitty and Zach, who nodded very seriously. She bit into a slice with a furrowed brow and nodded in approval.

“Okay. Thanks, Blaine.”

She settled into Kurt’s side again, snuggling under his arm as she took another bite. Kurt stared at Blaine, mouth open, while Blaine crossed his legs in triumph with a huge grin on his face.

“But-”

“Watch the movie, Kurt.”

“Yeah, Daddy, watch the movie,” Mai said, her eyes wide as she stared at the lanterns on the screen. Kurt’s face stayed frozen in shock and Blaine snorted. He reached behind Kurt to lay a hand on his waist, pulling both him and Mai a little closer. By the time the film was over, Mai had curled up in Kurt’s lap and he was rocking her absent-mindedly, leaning on Blaine, a smile teasing his lips. Zach was clinging to Kitty’s arm, misty-eyed as the movie ended.

Kitty caught Blaine’s eye. She nodded at Kurt and Mai and he glanced at them and smiled. He looked up at Kitty again and mouthed ‘thank you’, not for speaking to Kurt the day before or for promising to behave better, but for wanting him to be happy. She smiled back.

*

It was Friday; another Friday in the routine they had fallen into so naturally. Kitty and Zach were at Quinn’s. Mai had already gone to bed, and Kurt and Blaine were on the sofa; Kurt sitting up, one foot folded up underneath him, Blaine tucked into his side with his head on Kurt’s chest and Kurt’s fingers playing with his hair. His arms were in their usual place, wrapped cosily around Kurt’s waist. It had been a long week, and they were unwinding, talking and breathing each other in.

Blaine lifted his head up to look at Kurt, then leaned forward and kissed him. It was firm and steady and sure. When they parted, Kurt looked at him, eyebrows raised in question. Blaine nodded and kissed him again. Kurt reached down to take his hand, kissing him back and pulling him closer, and Blaine stopped only so he could stand up, pulling on Kurt’s hand until he was standing too. Kurt was about to ask if he was sure, if this was okay, but Blaine smiled, easy and calm, and kissed him again. He gestured to the door and let Kurt lead him to the bedroom, squeezing his hand and kissing him every other step.