Chapter 24

Two weeks before Blaines due date, he was unable to put the inevitable off any longer and Doctor Harrison, with a firm look and a no-nonsense tone, finally ordered him off his feet. His small frame and tendency to ignore warnings to take it easy had put him in a high risk area, and shed implored him to be better safe than sorry.

Hed already started his maternity leave two weeks prior, but his nesting habits had started kicking in overtime, and though the nursery was all set, Blaines obsessive cleaning of the rest of the apartment had meant that the space had almost reached Kurt levels of cleanliness and perfection. They knew it had to stop.

Blaine on bed rest turned out to be less stressful than Kurt thought it was going to be. Hed expected fits of boredom and anxiety over the impending birth, but at this stage of his pregnancy Blaine was just tired.

He was uncomfortable a lot of the time and the stress his body was under this close to his due date kept Blaine constantly exhausted. Their lives had entered an anticipatory state where Blaine would spend his days sleeping, reading, and doing other activities that did not require him to move very much. When Kurt got back from work, they spent their nights cuddled on the couch watching movies and talking, before Blaine inevitably fell asleep against him.

Kurt supposed he should feel strange about the turn that their relationship had taken lately; Kurts role in Blaines life was growing with every day, and Kurt knew that they had moved faster than theyd specifically stated they would when they started their relationship. Blaine had been clear on the fact that he was going to be putting his child first, and Kurt admired him for it. But at the same time, the closer that Blaine got to his due date the more anxious Kurt got about his role in their life.

When the baby came, what was going to happen to the careful routine that theyd been living in? Kurt supposed hed have to spend more time at his own apartment, a novelty at this point. Blaine would have less time to spend just hanging out with him, and from then on, simply going out to dinner would involve scheduling, babysitters, and, Kurt was positive, separation anxiety.

It was going to be so hard.

But worth it, Kurt thought, looking over at his boyfriend sprawled under a blanket on the couch, his eyes drooping as he stared at the television.

It was now only three days until Blaines due date, and the air around the apartment felt frozen in a state of expectancy. Blaines family had arrived a few days earlier in preparation for the birth, and Kurt could see that though Blaine was glad they were here, and that Kurt had gotten the opportunity to meet his parents, it was tiring for him to have them around. Luckily, they were spending a large portion of their time making their way around the city doing touristy things that Blaine was definitely not up for at this stage of his pregnancy.

It seemed as though the more of Blaines drive was sapped from him, the more frenetic energy Kurt seemed to take on in his place. At every small grunt or sharp movement from Blaine, Kurts attention was immediately drawn to him, looking for a sign of pain or anxiety, only to realize it was simply Oliver giving a hard kick, or a muscle spasm.

Blaine, of course, had figured out what Kurt was doing by this stage, and had started giving him raised eyebrows at his twitchy actions.

Still, time was running out. He had to make the most of this while he still could.

Kurt dropped down on the floor next to where Blaine had lost the battle against his drooping eyelids, and was dosing with his head tilting back against the couch cushions.

"Come on, honey," he whispered, pressing a small kiss to Blaines cheek. "Time to get you into bed."

Blaine jolted awake at once, his head snapping up and his gaze landing on Kurt. "Huh? No, no, Im not sleepy," he said in a whine, stretching his arms away from his body, then wrapping them firmly around Kurts neck to keep him in place. "I havent seen you the whole day, I wanna talk to you."

Kurt smiled, and pressed a kiss to Blaines sleep-soft lips. "Well talk in bed. Come on, love."

He took both of Blaines hands in his and pulled him to his feet, keeping a hold on him while Blaine adjusted his weight and got his balance.

They went through their evening routines in sleepy silence, and by the time Kurt finally slipped into bed next to Blaine after his lengthy skin regiment, hed expected to find Blaine already passed out for the night. Blaine, however, was very much awake, lying on his side to face Kurt, his head cushioned on his bicep.

"Youre beautiful," Blaine whispered, and Kurt felt himself blushing at the sincerity in Blaines tone. He felt the need to turn away from Blaines adoring gaze, but fought the urge. He shuffled in closer to Blaine instead, wrapping his arms around Blaine to bring him closer.

"Youre sappy."

"Yeah," Blaine agreed with a smile. "I love that I can be sappy with you."

"Itll be my burden to bear," Kurt teased. "But I love that youre sappy with me, too." He paused, then added, "Im really going to miss this, you know."

"My sappiness?" Blaine asked. "Im pretty sure that I couldnt stop being sappy if I tried, Kurt."

Kurt laughed, but persisted. "No, I mean us, together like this. When Olivers here I guess we wont be able to have nights like this anymore."

"I know," Blaine said, his tone a mixture of excitement and terror. "I guess these are the last of the full eight hour nights, huh? Its nothing but getting up at all hours of the night for me from here on in. Quick, you need to memorize what my face looks like without dark circles for posterity."

Kurt gave Blaines arm a playful smack, before saying in a slightly more serious voice, "Im really going to miss this."

"Hey," Blaine said, and his tone was matching Kurts now. He pulled back slightly, obviously trying to read Kurts face, and whatever he found there must have concerned him, because his eyebrows drew together and he lifted his hand to push Kurts hair back from his forehead. "Things are going to change, Kurt, but it wont change the way I feel about you. You know that, right?"

"I know," Kurt said, quickly.

"Then what is it?" Blaine asked, and the note of worry that Kurt heard beneath the soft tone made the words come to his lips without conscious thought.

"Im worried about what my place is going to be when the baby comes," Kurt confessed. "I just dont want to feel like Im intruding on something thats yours."

"Thats what youre worried about?" Blaine asked. "Being too involved?"

Kurt couldnt say he hadnt wondered about that too, but he shook his head. "Not necessarily. I just... I want to know what my place is going to be in your new life. It kind of feels like youre starting this new journey, and I dont really know how Im going to fit into it."

Blaine sighed, and when his eyes met Kurts again, they looked nervous. "We should probably have talked about this a lot sooner," he said. "Things are obviously going to be very different with Oliver here, but I dont want you to feel obligated to do more than you feel comfortable with Oliver. You still have your own place, and hes my responsibility. But I dont want you to feel like youre walking on eggshells around us either. I want you to be in our lives, but only how youre comfortable."

 "Youd be okay with me still being around?" Kurt asked, feeling hope lift his heart. "Like, still spending the night here some days, and being able to come over after work?"

"Kurt, I love you, of course I want you around. I just want to make sure that you know that its not always going to be easy, and you definitely wont have my undivided attention all the time. I wasnt kidding when I mentioned the sleepless nights. Itll be living with a newborn."

"I know," Kurt said at once. "I understand."

"I just dont want you to feel pressured to fit into a role you arent ready for." Dad. The word went unsaid, but Kurt could feel it in the air. "Why dont we take it a day at a time?" Blaine asked, with a smile. "We can work out our parameters as we go, as long as we agree to talk about what bothers us."

After Blaine fell asleep some time later, Kurt allowed himself to think of the still unclear boundaries of their relationship, skirting the line between too soon and not enough. As his mind began to drift closer to sleep, for the first time he allowed himself to consciously paint a picture of a family in an unknown time, when he wasnt so afraid to admit what he really wanted.