Chapter Nine

“Thanks again for the help,” Blaine said with a smile. It was spring at last, and Kurt couldn’t help but feel better, sheerly by the changes occurring in nature. The air was fresh, the weather beautiful, and the young man was feeling himself be warmed from the outside. He couldn’t help but feel slightly optimistic.

He grinned at Blaine. “Honestly, did you think that I’d pass up the chance to attend a princess tea party?” he asked teasingly, and Blaine laughed in response. “I swear, I’ve been dreaming of this day.”

Blaine smiled softly as he finished mixing lemonade in a large pitcher, and Kurt piled cookies onto a plate, placing them on the same tray as tiny cut sandwiches and some cheese and crackers. Kurt turned back to Blaine with a smile as well. “Ready to go feed the princesses?” he asked, and Blaine chuckled.

“As I’ll ever be,” he said in response. “I’m glad Aiden could come, by the way. Otherwise all the girls would be fighting over me to be the prince.”

Kurt laughed. “Passing that job off to my son?” he asked with a raised eyebrow, picking up the tray and leading the way to the back door. “He’s four, Blaine.”

“He can handle it, I’m sure,” Blaine responded with a grin, and Kurt laughed again, pushing open the door with his hip “Beside that, I’m sure he’ll look back on this very fondly when he’s old enough.”

Kurt shook his head, still smiling. “All right girls, who’s ready to eat?” he asked the dozen or so five-year-old girls, all decked out in princess dresses and tiaras, running around in the grass.

“Ooh! Me!” one of them shouted in response, and they all joined in, hurrying to the table that Kurt and Blaine had set up with a pink tablecloth and tea cups and plates. They each ran to their seats, where their names had been written on place cards, and Ella had approved of the arrangement before everyone had arrived. Ella was at the head of the table, the most important seat to celebrate her birthday, and Aiden was happily sitting to her right, swinging his legs because his feet couldn’t quite reach the ground.

Kurt moved to Ella first, letting her take her pick of the treats, putting them on her plate, letting her uncle pour lemonade into her tea cup. They made their way around the table until everyone had their food and drinks, and the two men made their way back to the small patio table.

Kurt grinned as he picked up one of the finger sandwiches, looking to Blaine. “They seem to be having fun,” he commented, and Blaine nodded.

“I miss being that young,” he said. “Things were a lot simpler.” Kurt hummed in agreement, unable to suppress a smile at the thought of his own childhood memories. He picked up his glass, drinking some of the lemonade that Blaine had prepared.

“Ella,” one of the girls said suddenly, and Kurt glanced over at the table for just a moment before turning his attention back to the man in front of him. “D’you think ‘s’okay for two princes to love each other?”

At those words, both Kurt and Blaine stilled, making silent eye contact for a moment as they both waited for the response.

“Of course it is,” Ella told her, and Kurt watched as Blaine relaxed slightly.

“I had two daddies,” Aiden piped up.

“Yeah,” said Ella quickly. “And just look at my Uncle Blaine. He loves Aiden’s daddy now and that’s not bad at all.”

Kurt licked his lips, feeling the heat in his cheeks rise. He glanced at Blaine, who had covered his face with his hands. Suddenly, the other man pushed himself up from his seat, walking back into the house, and Kurt followed after him as quickly as he could.

“Blaine,” Kurt called out softly, the screen door slamming shut behind him. He glanced in the kitchen before walking up the stairs, hearing the creak of bedsprings from Blaine’s bedroom. He took a deep breath, following the sound. He saw the other man sitting on his bed, his face buried in his hands, a few of his curls poking out between his fingers. Kurt gently took a seat beside him.

“She didn’t need to say that,” Blaine muttered, not even looking up to Kurt.

“Blaine, she’s just turning six,” Kurt said gently. “She doesn’t get what she’s saying.”

Blaine sighed and let out a grumbled response of, “I know...”

“Besides that, she didn’t think you were listening,” the brunette went on. “To her, she was just answering a question for her friend.”

“I’m mortified,” Blaine said into his hands.

“A bunch of five- and six-year-old girls aren’t going to think of you any differently, Blaine,” Kurt said gently. “And I definitely don’t.”

Blaine sighed heavily, dropping his hands to his lap. “You’re supposed to not even have to think about it or consider it,” he said. “Can we just write it off as something that belongs on an old episode of Kids Say the Darndest Things with Bill Cosby and it doesn’t have any truth to it?” he asked.

Kurt licked his lips, looking down at his hands, hesitating. “Is it true?” he found himself asking.

Blaine smiled a little wryly, getting to his feet. “Doesn’t really matter, does it?” he asked. “Not now.”

“How was the party?” Burt asked, spooning potatoes onto his plate before passing the bowl to Kurt. The younger man smiled.

“Good,” he said. “I think it went over well, anyway. Ella was thrilled.”

“What did you think of it, A?” Carole asked in turn, looking at her grandson with a smile.

The toddler, however, pouted. “Bad.”

“Bad?” Kurt asked, furrowing his brow. “You seemed like you were having fun.”

“No,” Aiden insisted, awkwardly holding his fork and stabbing at the food on his plate. “It was bad.”

“Why do you say that, sweetheart?” Carole inquired, frowning slightly. “What made it so bad?”

“Katie and Ella ruined everything,” he said frustratedly, dropping his fork on the table.

“Hey,” Kurt said sternly, putting his hand on his son’s arm. “Aiden, what happened?”

“No!” Aiden responded, and Kurt withdrew his hand, frowning.

“Tell us, sweetheart,” Carole prompted.

“Katie asked Ella if it was okay for two princes to love each other,” the toddler said, his cheeks red, and his eyes welling up with tears. “Ella said yes, and then she said that her uncle loved my daddy. I don’t want Daddy to replace Dada. But he’s gonna and he doesn’t care!”

There was silence around the table until Aiden burst into tears, running off in the direction of his bedroom.

“Kurt...” Burt started, and Kurt turned to him, the color in his cheeks rising.

“It’s not like that!” he snapped. “I don’t even—I would never—you know I would never—”

“You don’t need to explain that to me, son,” Burt cut across. “Go an’ tell that to your kid.”

Kurt nodded, quickly picking himself up out of his seat, slowly ascending the stairs. He took a deep breath, letting himself into Finn’s old bedroom.

“Aiden?” he addressed the toddler softly, but the little boy didn’t turn to look at him, sitting on the bed and staring at the opposite wall. Kurt sighed, sitting beside him. “You’re wrong, you know. I would never try to replace your father.”

“But you are!” Aiden shouted.

“I’m not,” Kurt insisted. “Your father was, and still is, so important to me. He was my world.” He sighed. “You know, your grandmother, she isn’t really my mother,” he said softly to him.

Aiden swiped at his eyes. “She isn’t?”

Kurt shook his head. “And Uncle Finn isn’t really my brother,” he said. “I love them like they’re my family, though. You see, Finn’s dad died when he was a baby, and my mom died when I was little, too. Then, Grandma and Grandpa found each other. With a bit of help from me.” He sighed. “No one could ever replace my mother, though, and I knew that, and my dad knew that, too; And your father was one-of-a-kind. I could never replace him, even if I wanted to.”

Aiden sniffled slightly. “You’re not gonna replace Dada?” he asked.

“Never,” Kurt replied firmly, and he took Aiden in his arms. “I would never want to.”

“Will you get happy again with Ella’s uncle?” Aiden asked, still sniffling.

Kurt licked his lips, pausing slightly. “I don’t know,” he said softly. “I think I’m still too sad sometimes about your father.”

“I want you happy again,” his son responded.

“I will be,” Kurt assured him. “I want you happy, too.”

Aiden nodded and sniffed. “I really miss Dada.”

Kurt closed his eyes tightly, pressing a kiss into his son’s hair, holding him a little more closely. “I know,” he told him. “I do, too.”