Chapter Forty

It was amazing how time seemed to move so simultaneously fast and slow from the moment that Blaine awoke. Kurt was desperately impatient for the moment that Blaine could return home, but he still found time disappearing quickly, feeling as though only minutes had passed when suddenly it was the end of visiting hours and he'd have to take Ella and Aiden home, where time would crawl again once they'd been put to bed, and Kurt was on his own.

They'd been lucky. Rachel had make quick work of calling everyone in her massive network to see if anyone would be a match for a kidney donation. Less than a week into the search, a donor had been found. The hospital jumped right into preparations for the transplant, performing tests and evaluations over the following month, and even as the doctor ran through a list of things they ought to be aware of, and the things that could possibly go wrong, Kurt didn't have the same sense of dread as anything that had occurred before Blaine had woken again. And, of course, with Blaine's optimism, he couldn't help but be assured that things would work out absolutely fine.

Of course, he pointedly neglected telling Blaine that he'd pretended that they were married in order to see him, and he was thankful that none of the nurses mentioned anything in passing. That was all something he'd just mention later; it was a topic he wanted to push off as a whole. It wasn't out of fear this time, but because if they were to decide to take that step, he didn't want it to be tainted by the way things were at the moment.

However, the situation changed rapidly. Before he knew it, the surgery was over and, with the exception of a few follow-up appointments they'd scheduled, Blaine was returning home for good—just in time for Thanksgiving. Kurt had made everyone promise that they wouldn't make a big fuss over Blaine's presence—especially Rachel. Luckily the dinner at his parents' house went smoothly, and it was an overall enjoyable affair, one that made it seem as though things were at last returning to normal.

They weren't perfect, yet, but they were getting there. Kurt allowed himself to briefly pretend, as he watched Blaine sleeping softly on his parents' couch, the glow of the television illuminating his face, Aiden and Ella curled into his sides and also asleep, that it was normal. He pushed away all thoughts of what had happened recently, ignored that Blaine would probably still be awake if he wasn't still making his slow recovery. Instead he looked at what had become his family and he smiled, taking a moment to be thankful that he'd found Blaine again after everything that had happened.

He glanced to his side as Carole quietly joined him.

"How has he been doing?" she asked him softly.

"Good," he assured her. "A lot better." He smiled. "I just don't want to wake him yet."

"You're more than welcome to stay here," she offered. "We can put Ella in the guestroom and Aiden back in Finn's old room."

Kurt nodded thoughtfully. "If you don't mind, that would be great," he said. "It's just so nice to see him sleeping so soundly. Usually he's dozing on and off..."

Carole nodded. "Let's get the kids up, then," she said with a gentle smile.

Kurt and Carole gently took Aiden and Ella up, carrying them up the stairs and into the empty bedrooms, tucking them in as they slept on fairly soundly. After bidding each other goodnight, Carole went to her and Burt's room, and Kurt made his way back downstairs before settling himself in his father's armchair. He was sure that Blaine would wake up shortly, and then they'd head up to bed.

It felt like only seconds later Kurt was being shaken gently awake, the room dark except for the dim lights of the still-glimmering Christmas tree. He blinked groggily up at Blaine, who was smiling sleeping down at him.

Kurt felt his lips twitch into a smile in response. "Hey," he said softly. "Didn't want to wake you."

"Mm," Blaine hummed in response. "Must have dozed off. The kids are asleep?"

Kurt nodded. "Ella's in the guest bedroom and Aiden is in Finn's old room." He shifted in the armchair so he was sitting upright. "Did you want to go up?"

Blaine smiled crookedly at this. "You can't be very comfortable," he stated.

Kurt shrugged. "If you want to stay, then I will, too."

Blaine rolled his eyes affectionately, offering Kurt his hand. "Come on, let's head up," he said.

Kurt took his hand and listed himself up. The two men slowly made their way upstairs, stripping themselves down to their underclothes before climbing into bed, curling into each other. Kurt leaned into the gentle touch as Blaine pushed his hair away and kissed his forehead softly.

"I love you," the man murmured quietly and Kurt couldn't help but smile in response.

"Love you, too," he replied, watching as Blaine's eyes fluttered closed again, the contentment evident on his face.

Kurt pressed his ear against Blaine's chest, listening to the hypnotic rhythms of his heart and lungs working, reveling in the comfort they offered him. At last his heartbeat slowed and his breathing evened and Kurt realized that the other man was already asleep again.

Kurt let out a slow breath, closing his eyes and letting the warmth of Blaine's arms seep through his t-shirt. Slowly, he let the sensation and his own contentment lull him to sleep as well.

Kurt was the first one awake in the morning. He carefully extricated himself from Blaine and crept into the shower, ensuring he wouldn't wake anyone else. After dressing, he made his way downstairs to put on a pot of coffee and start on some breakfast.

It wasn't long before Burt made his way downstairs as well, helping himself to a mug of coffee and settling himself in a chair.

"What's on the menu for this morning, then?" he asked his son teasingly.

Kurt grinned at this. "You'll be pleased," he remarked. "I'm making a casserole that has bacon in it." He slid the glass pan into the oven, then sat himself across from his father.

"Let me guess," Burt sighed. "Only egg whites, though, right?"

Kurt chuckled. "You know all of my tricks," he said. "It's lucky that the kids haven't figured it out yet."

"Yeah, well, you used me for practice," Burt allowed. "You know how to hide it better, now. Bet they don't even know the difference, do they?"

"Not a bit," Kurt smiled. "Besides, egg whites are are really good for kidney health."

"Ahh." Burt nodded. "And are kidney-friendly foods also kid-friendly?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I do my best with it," Kurt responded. "A number of them are surprisingly easy. I'm just thankful I was able to find an old Alton Brown episode on turnips, that was incredibly helpful."

Burt chuckled at this. "I've gotta tell ya, kid. Sometimes I'm amazed you became so interested in healthy living, even when you were younger. I know I didn't really make it easy."

"You certainly didn't," Kurt teased. "But I hope that I taught you that 'healthy' isn't synonymous with 'disgusting'."

"Yeah, but 'bad for you' and 'delicious' definitely is," he commented back, stretching out his legs beneath the table. Kurt sighed, rolling his eyes fondly. "How have things been going since Blaine came home, anyway? I know it was a topic not to be discussed last night."

"Good," Kurt told him immediately. "Really great. I can see how he's improving. And I know he's happy he doesn't have to go in for dialysis all the time."

Burt hummed in response. "And how are things between the two of you going?"

"Good," Kurt repeated.

"I'm really glad you didn't lose him, kid."

"Me too," Kurt responded quietly. "Really glad..." He trailed off, looking down at his own cup of coffee, sitting on the table. He looked back up at his dad hesitantly, and Burt raised his eyebrow.

"What's on your mind?"

Kurt let out a low breath. "I've been thinking," he said slowly, quietly.

"About?" Burt prompted.

"Blaine."

"And?" he pressed on again.

"And... taking the next step," Kurt said awkwardly, eyes flickering back downward. "Of marriage, I mean."

Burt looked his son over for a moment, watching as he fidgeted and his eyes bore into his mug of coffee. "And what have these thoughts involved?" he prodded, voice suddenly more gentle in its questioning.

Kurt sighed again. "He... he asked me to marry him," he said, looking up at his father. "Back in July."

"And you said 'no'."

Kurt nodded. "I wasn't ready."

"Understandable," Burt said, shifting himself in his seat so he was sitting up straight, leaning forward on the table slightly. "And I'm sure he understood, too." Kurt nodded again. "But I did notice you said 'wasn't'," he said, and Kurt's eyes fell to his coffee and the hands clutching his mug again. "So I guess that's no longer the case."

Kurt looked at his father with uncertainty. "Is that wrong?" he asked.

Burt sighed. "Does it feel wrong?" he asked.

"No."

"Then it's not wrong," he said, and Kurt looked at him a little skeptically. "Kurt, I know that you were in love with Alex. And I know that you struggled with even entertaining the thought of moving on from him. But moving on doesn't mean you've forgotten," he said pointedly. "You were the one who reminded me of that, and you reminded Finn, too."

"But that was... different," Kurt argued.

"Why?" Burt asked. "Because it took longer for Carole and me to find each other?" He shook his head. "Everyone's different, and every case is different. With you and Blaine it was a matter of being able to find each other a second time, and I think that's definitely an important factor."

Kurt nodded. He smiled reluctantly. "I feel like I have no right to feel nervous about it," he reasoned, "considering he already asked me."

"Please," Burt said, rolling his eyes. "You think I wasn't nervous when I asked your mom, or Carole? And I knew both of 'em would say yes."

Kurt's lips quirked up into a smile. "Guess it's only natural, then."

"Damn right," he said. "I think I'd be more concerned if you weren't nervous." He sighed, draining the last of his coffee. "Am I the first one to hear about this, then?"

"Sort of," Kurt said. "I'd mentioned Blaine's proposal to Finn while Blaine was still in the hospital," he admitted. "He helped me realize I regretted turning him down and all that."

Burt hummed in response. "So Rachel knows?" he asked, and Kurt nodded. "So everyone knows in your little circle."

Kurt frowned. "No," he argued, and Burt's eyebrows raised a little comically. "Well, they haven't mentioned it."

Burt shook his head, patting Kurt's shoulder as he made his way to the sink to rinse his mug. "Believe me, kid," he said kindly. "You know I love her, but if she knows, so does everybody else."

Kurt sighed exasperatedly. "Yeah, well... as long as he's the last one to know, I think I'll take it."

As grew slowly colder along with December, Kurt discovered just how right his father was.

"Have you figured out how you're going to do it?" Tina hissed over lunch one day, their kids playing in the backyard despite the chilly weather, wrapped up in their coats and scarves. Kurt rolled his eyes.

"I'm taking my time," he assured her, instantly knowing what she was talking about, despite having never told her.

"Kurt..."

"Maybe we've just decided to elope," he said, and she laughed.

"Yeah, right," she responded.

"Fine," he sniffed good-naturedly. "I've been coming up with a few ideas," he admitted. "I'm just... not satisfied with them."

It wasn't too much later that Tina went to the bathroom and Mike slipped into the room, handing Kurt a small flyer.

"The CSO," he explained, when Kurt raised an eyebrow. "They're doing a special show just after Christmas."

Kurt's lips quirked up into a slight smile. "Thanks," he said.

Mike shrugged slightly. "Figured it might be of some use to you," he replied, smiling in turn.

"Dinner at the Refectory, followed by a wonderful performance by the CSO," Blaine said, smiling as he and Kurt walked hand in hand on the edge of Franklin Park. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to woo me, Mr. Hummel."

Kurt felt his cheeks heat up slightly, but hoped that between the darkness and the cold, Blaine wouldn't notice. "Don't be silly," he responded playfully, though he could feel his heart rate speed up a little, and suddenly the small silver band in the tiny square box in his pocket felt infinitely heavier.

They walked for a little, snow starting to fall and dusting the ground of the park. At last, Kurt took in a deep breath, his free hand in his pocket.

"Do you remember our first Christmas together?" he asked.

Blaine chuckled. "I made you a ring out of gum wrappers," he said, and Kurt smiled.

"I still have it," he admitted.

"I assumed you would have thrown it out," Blaine responded.

Kurt shook his head. "I still wore it, even after we broke up," he said. "I wore it until it started falling apart, and then I decided I'd keep it safe."

Blaine laughed and shook his head. "Looking back, it doesn't seem as sweet and perfect as it did at the time," he sighed.

"I still think it was perfect," Kurt said smiling, and Blaine leaned in to capture his lips in a slow, gentle kiss.

"And I still think that you're perfectly imperfect," he responded, still holding the man close to him.

"I love you," Kurt said, his hands grasping Blaine's biceps. "I've been thinking a lot, lately."

"Uh-oh," Blaine said teasingly. "Thinking?"

Kurt rolled his eyes and plowed on. "I was so afraid I'd lose you that I didn't want to completely have you," he said. "And I think that that was foolish as well as a bit selfish. But I've realized that I can't imagine spending another moment without you." He let his hands trail down so that they were both holding Blaine's. "I love you," he repeated, and he dropped his hands, leaving Blaine to look at the ring that was left in his open palm, "and I would love it if you would marry me."

Blaine's eyes widened, flickering from the band to Kurt's eyes, mouth open slightly. Kurt could see the questions in Blaine's features, asking 'really?' and 'are you sure?' and Kurt simply smiled a little wider in response, hoping that would be enough of an answer.

At last a tiny breath of a laugh escaped Blaine's still parted lips and he broke into a ridiculous grin. "Yes," he said quietly. "Yes, of course, Kurt."

Kurt let out a sigh of relief, taking the ring from Blaine and sliding it onto his cold finger. Their lips quickly found each other's once again, kissing sweetly and passionately. At last they pulled apart and rested their foreheads together, just letting the happiness of the moment sink in, both fully aware of how thankful they were to find each other again after so long.