Hello�!

So I was a bit evil and left you hanging with a little cliffhanger in the last chapter. Don’t worry, you won’t have to wait too long to find out what happened next :)

Huge thank you to my Beta who remains a great help and is also a source of inspiration and motivation! � the wonderful http://just-another-pipedreamer.tumblr.com/.

Also, thank you for your great comments and I was happy to see that most of you liked Paolo in the previous chapter. I really enjoy writing scenes with him and you can be sure that he will be back later on ;)

Okay, enough of my babbling, I hope you’ll enjoy reading this new chapter ^^

Cynthia x

Clara climbed off her friend’s car and thanked Mme. Marie for the ride. She watched the car leave her street and then turned on her iPod while she climbed up the stairs to the apartment. She got her keys out and turned them in the lock when she realized that the door was already unlocked. Kurt and Dad must be back from grocery shopping earlier, she thought to herself. She opened the door and took off her shoes. She swayed softly to the rhythm of Rihanna’s latest hit, on her way to the kitchen where three bags of groceries were on the table. She frowned; usually Kurt would always unload everything before doing something else.

She turned the music off and called, “Kurt, are you back already?”

She made her way down the corridor when she heard a little whimpering sound coming from the bathroom. She froze, not sure what to do. Last time she had heard that kind of sound was when she had walked in on Kurt and her dad. She did not want to experience that ever again…

Kurt seemed to be talking to someone. She recognized his soothing tone and wondered whom he was trying to comfort. Curiosity got the better of her and she finally decided to check what was going on.

She let out a little sigh of relief when she saw that Kurt was fully clothed and so was the other man who she had never seen before.

“What’s going on?” she asked, making her presence known to the two men sitting on the damp floor.

Kurt raised his head and met her questioning gaze. A movement on his side indicated that Blaine had also noticed they had an intruder.

“Hey, Clara,” Kurt started, his voice coming out a little squeaky and high-pitched. �“Erm, this is a friend…” he trailed off uncertainly.

“My name’s Blaine,” the musician added helpfully. “I just gave Kurt a lift and helped him with groceries.”

Blaine’s head was pounding and he felt like burying his head back in the crook of Kurt’s neck but for some reason, he doubted that it would be a good idea at the moment.

“Is everything alright?” Clara asked, noticing the lump that had begun to form on Blaine’s forehead.

“Yes, sweetheart, don’t worry,” Kurt reassured her with a soft smile then he turned to Blaine and helped him get back on his feet.

Blaine felt suddenly a little dizzy and clutched at Kurt’s shirt with force. The other man noticed and asked, “Are you sure you’re okay?” His tone was worried. “Maybe we should get you to the hospital to check for a concussion.”

Blaine shook his head firmly at that; he hated hospitals.

“No, it’s fine.” He tried to sound convincing but the look in Kurt’s eye told him that he was not fooling him. “I’ve had a concussion before and trust me it doesn’t feel like that at the moment.” He hoped that this explanation would suffice for Kurt.

“Do you feel sick?” Kurt asked him, not wanting to let this go. “Is your vision blurry?” he pressed on, moving his hands in front of Blaine’s eyes. “How many fingers can you see?”

Blaine felt warmth spread in his chest at Kurt’s seemingly genuine concern. He answered with a little smile, “Three, I don’t see them blurry at all, stop worrying.”

“Ok,” Kurt conceded, “but you’re not going anywhere and you have to lie down a little, understood?”

Blaine was about to protest but he decided against it when he met Kurt’s determined gaze.

“Do you need any help?” Clara asked, startling both men who had forgotten that she was still standing there.

Kurt turned to her and told her that she could prepare a bowl of cold water and a washcloth to bring to the living room. She nodded and went back to the kitchen.

�**

Kurt helped Blaine to the living room. The musician tried not to lean too heavily on the other man, not wanting to alert Kurt. He was convinced that he did not have a concussion but that did not exclude the slight dizziness he felt at the moment and he could barely stand on his two feet. At the frown Kurt gave him when he settled Blaine on the couch, he knew that Kurt was still thinking about going to the hospital.

“I can ask my friend Tina to check on me if that would put your worry to rest.” Kurt looked at him, confused. “I mean, she’s a doctor so I can go see her later today or tomorrow morning.”

“That would be wise of you,” Kurt said, trying not to let Blaine hear his relieved sigh.

Both men remained silent after that, staring at each other, their thoughts filled with questions and possibilities. Blaine was about to say something but the moment broke when Clara walked in the room. Kurt took that as an opportunity to get up and take the bowl and washcloth from her hands.. He laid them down on the small coffee table and brought a chair near Blaine. Avoiding the musician’s gaze, he took the cloth and wringed it out a little so that he would not have water dripping everywhere. Then, he placed it gently on Blaine’s forehead. The other man sighed at the soothing sensation. He let his eyelids close and a relaxed smile appeared on his face.

**

**

Clara, who was still in the doorway, looked at them both, her head tilted to one side. She was less and less convinced that Blaine was just a friend to Kurt. She knew that look on the young man’s face. She had seen it before, when her dad was still dating Kurt. But this was more, she realized, Kurt’s concern was so clear on his features. It reminded her of times when the boys were ill or hurt. Kurt had worn that worried expression when her dad had left a year ago. This was more than just concern for a friend, this was Kurt being caring and loving. �

The teenage girl kept observing them. Once again, both men seemed to have forgotten she was there. Her gaze flicked to Blaine’s face, content and relaxed. When his eyes fluttered open, she knew that she was right. Blaine clearly cared for Kurt if the way his gaze lingered on Kurt’s face was any indication. She also noticed that Blaine was tracing little patterns on the back of Kurt’s hand, which was holding the cloth in place.

She decided to leave them alone, feeling as if she was intruding.

**

**

Kurt barely noticed Clara leaving the room, his attention fully on Blaine. His skin was tingling under the soft caress of Blaine’s fingers. Kurt wondered if Blaine was even aware of what he was doing. Kurt wanted to say something but he felt reluctant to break the calm between them. It was not the first time that Blaine made him feel this serene, sharing something so simple and yet intimate. Kurt knew how dangerous that train of thought was. He had to be careful; he recalled his conversation with Noah. But Kurt wanted. He wanted this so much that he could not bring himself to ask Blaine to stop. He couldn’t remove his hand either, though the cloth was now lukewarm and Kurt should get it cool again.

At that moment, the doorbell rang and Kurt heard Clara rush down the corridor to open the door. Carole’s voice echoed in the hallway outside the apartment. Kurt reluctantly removed his hand from underneath Blaine’s who let out an adorable noise of protest. Kurt plunged the cloth in the cool water, wrung it and then placed it back on the musician’s forehead. Kurt then stood up and strode outside the living room to go greet his stepmother.

**

**

“Hello Kurt, how are you?” the woman asked him after releasing him from a hug. “You seem a little tired,” she added when she got a closer look at the man she considered her second son. Kurt had no time to answer though because Sammy rushed to his feet and attempted to climb up and get in his father’s arms.

“Papa! Papa!” The little boy tried to get Kurt’s attention.

“Viens-l� toi.” Kurt scooped to pick him up and hugged him tight, the head of the little boy finding its favorite place in the crook of Kurt’s neck. “Tu m’as manqu�,” Kurt whispered in the soft curls that tickled his shin.

“Toi aussi” Sammy replied, his words a bit muffled by Kurt’s skin.

“And did you miss me?” Simon had appeared next to his father, looking up teasingly.

“Of course I missed you, too,” Kurt answered him with a smile and ruffling the soft hair of his older son.

Clara helped Carole bring all of the boys’ toys and Sammy’s supply bag to the kitchen. Both boys followed their grandmother, saying that they would get their toys to their room.

Kurt walked to the living room to check on Blaine. The man was still lying on the couch with his eyes closed. Kurt wanted to sit back next to him but Clara and Carole called to him and he joined them in the kitchen.

**�

**

Blaine had kept his eyes shut when he sensed Kurt coming back. He hoped that whoever that woman was, she would not come in the living room. He cursed himself for his clumsiness because now he was stuck here and, from the sound of it, all of Kurt’s kids were in the apartment and it was only a matter of time before they’d find Blaine, leading to a number of questions that he was sure neither Kurt nor himself were ready to answer. Blaine tried to relax and ignore the fear starting to creep up at the thought.

**

Kurt and Carole chatted animatedly while Clara, Simon, and Sammy were playing in the boy’s room. Carole told Kurt that she was invited to Finn’s place to meet his new girlfriend. She did not sound too enthused at the idea which made Kurt laugh. He wished her luck as he walked her back to the door. He called the boys and Clara so they could say goodbye to their grandmother. Once she left, all three returned to their previous occupations leaving Kurt alone in the corridor pondering what to do about Blaine. There was no way he would allow the other man to drive back home in his state but he also knew that Blaine was unlikely to accept staying for dinner.

He was pulled out his thoughts when an unfamiliar ringtone was heard from the living room. He walked to the sound and saw Blaine struggling to get his phone out off his pocket. Kurt took pity of him and helped him reach for it.

“Hello?” Blaine answered, his voice slightly weak. The musician frowned at nothing in particular as the other person on the line seemed to be yelling at him.

After a minute of this, Kurt had enough and grabbed Blaine’s phone from his hand with a plan to tell whoever was scolding Blaine to stop.

“… seriously Blaine, sometimes I wonder if you’re serious about this! We need the paint now so you better bring your sweet ass over here before…”

“Hello, this is Kurt,” he interrupted the yelling man on the other end, “I am a friend of Blaine’s and right now he can’t talk to you.” Kurt’s tone became louder but the other man was not finished apparently.

“Look, I have no idea who you are but I’m Blaine’s best friend and right now he needs to come deliver all the paint he was supposed to buy this afternoon…”

“Would you just listen for one second,” Kurt started to get annoyed, “Blaine can’t come right now, he is no state to drive and if you really want your paint then you should come get it because I won’t let Blaine drive for another couple of hours.”

“Hello?” A different, calmer voice could be heard and Kurt hoped that this man would not be as stubborn as the first one.

“Kurt, I probably should go…” Blaine started saying but one look at Kurt’s determined face was enough to shut him up.

“My name’s Mike,” the other man on the phone said, “I was the one who asked Blaine to get the paint but from what Sebastian understood, he can’t bring it at the moment. The thing is, we really need it right now so could you please give me your address so I can come get it?”

“Sure, no problem,” Kurt answered and then gave Mike the directions to get to his place. “My name is Hummel, just ring the bell so you can come up get the keys to the car.”

“Thank you Kurt. �I’ll be there in ten minutes, tops. Oh, and I’m sorry about Sebastian,” he added before hanging up.

Kurt gave the phone back to Blaine who thanked him for handling this so smoothly.

“Sebastian’s an ass,” Kurt said after a few seconds of silence.

Blaine laughed, “He can be sometimes, yeah. But he’s my best friend. It’s the show, it’s driving him mad.”

“Whatever you say.” Kurt thought it best not to protest. After all, he did not know Sebastian but he had a weird feeling that the other man knew who he was. His tone had turned even more unpleasant when Kurt said his name.

“At least Mike seems like a decent man,” Kurt said to Blaine with a smile.

“Yeah, he’s the best guy I know. Such a shame he is straight and attached to the hip to my other good friend, Tina,” Blaine admitted with a laugh. “Those abs,” he added, his gaze meeting Kurt’s.

Kurt let out a small chuckle.

**

**

Mike arrived only eight minutes later. Kurt buzzed him inside and he led Blaine’s friend to the living room.

“Oh man, what happened to you?” he asked, teasingly pointing at the lump on the musician’s forehead. “You look like you fought something hard and lost the battle.”

“Shut up!” Blaine replied playfully then explained how he had engaged in a losing battle with the sink in Kurt’s bathroom and how it had not played fair with a surprise attack of ripping off the wall.

“Ouch,” Mike said, unable to stop laughing at his friend’s misfortune.

They stayed like that, joking back and forth, before Kurt cleared his throat and Blaine reached in his pockets for the keys to his mother’s car.

“The paint is in the trunk. I hope I bought enough, but if not I can go back on Monday if you need me to,” Blaine said to his friend.

“No, it’s fine, I doubt my parents have another visit planned so soon and Tina’s are still on a cruise in Greece. I can go if I need more.”

“Okay,” Blaine answered.

“Don’t you want me to drive you home?” Mike asked him.

“Erm…” Blaine looked in Kurt’s direction. The other man was leaning on the wall opposite him.

“Unless you had planned to stay?” Mike noticed the two men exchanging looks and smiled to himself. Oh Blaine, my friend, you’ve got it bad…

“It’s just that I need to drive the car back to my mom so I’d better stay until I’m fit to drive again.” Blaine did not dare meet his friend’s gaze, knowing full well that if he did, Mike would know it was just an excuse to stay at Kurt’s.

Wait until I tell this to Tina! Mike thought to himself.

“Alright, then maybe Kurt can walk down with me to the car so he can get the keys back to you.”

“Sure,” Blaine replied with a thankful nod.

Mike clapped his friend on the shoulder and then followed Kurt outside.

**

**

After Mike’s departure, Blaine allowed himself a short nap. It was useless to fight it now. He still felt dizzy and sleep would do him good.

When Kurt was back, he saw that Blaine was fast asleep. He walked slowly to him and laid the car keys on the table near the musician. Then Kurt turned back and closed the door quietly behind him.

**�

**

Two hours later, Blaine woke up feeling slightly disoriented. He looked around him and remembered where he was. So much for staying away, he thought to himself when he realized that he was still at Kurt’s.

Blaine slowly sat up, glad he no longer felt dizzy. He pocketed the car keys and made his way out the living room. In the corridor, he could hear the boys playing in their room. There was also a popular song playing in the background. As Blaine walked in the direction of the kitchen, he stopped in his tracks.

�

Yeah, you got that something
I think you'll understand
When I say that something
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand

�

Blaine walked closer to the closed door leading to the kitchen. He strained his ear, unwilling to miss one second of Kurt singing.

And when I touch you I feel happy, inside
It's such a feeling that my love
I can't hide
I can't hide
I can't hide

Yeah, you got that something
I think you'll understand
When I feel that something
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your ha-a-a-a-a-a-and

�

When the song came to an end, Blaine immediately missed the pure and clear sound of Kurt’s voice. He had goose bumps all over his body. His breath had caught in his chest when Kurt had sung the last note. Blaine loved the Beatles’ version of the song but Kurt’s felt so raw and strong. He was sure that had the other man known someone was listening to him, his voice would have sounded different, more guarded.

�

Blaine was about to knock on the door softly when it suddenly opened leaving the two men facing each other. Kurt let out a little squeaky sound and stumbled into Blaine who caught him before he fell.

�

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” Blaine said, as he removed his hand from Kurt’s waist and took a step backwards. “I was just going to say goodbye and thank you but then I heard you and…”

�

Kurt was now avoiding his gaze, a blush creeping up from his neck to his cheeks.

�

“You heard that?” his voice was small and this confirmed what Blaine had been thinking about Kurt only singing for himself and not an audience.

�

“Yeah, I’m sorry… I just…” Blaine stammered, also avoiding Kurt’s gaze. “You sound amazing,” he let out with a breath.

�

“Thanks.” Kurt did not look up but Blaine could see a small smile forming on his lips.

�

Blaine was suddenly taken by the urge to kiss him but decided against it.

“I should go,” he said instead.

�

At that, Kurt finally looked up. Disappointment flashed in his eyes.

“I thought…” he trailed off nervously. “It’s just…I made dinner while you were sleeping and I thought that you would join us?” he finished with a hopeful tone.

�

“Kurt…” Blaine started but Kurt did not let him finish.

�

“I’ve made too much for just the children and me. Consider it a way to say thank you your help this afternoon.” Kurt’s eyes met Blaine’s who felt his resolve weakening.

�

Blaine hesitated for another long minute before sighing in defeat, but he could not help the little smile tugging at his lips when Kurt grabbed him by the hand and led him inside the kitchen.

**�

�

Blaine felt so at ease while helping Kurt set the table but it did not last. A few minutes later, Kurt called the children to the kitchen and suddenly Blaine wanted to leave.

�

Unfortunately for him, Kurt was blocking his way to the door and then the three children arrived and sat at the table. Kurt went to Sammy to help him sit properly and Blaine saw it as an opportunity to take the coward’s way out. But then, he met Clara’s gaze and it was like she knew his intention; she just shook her head and pointed to the empty chair next to her.

�

Blaine had no time for an escape when Kurt was done with Sammy and handed Blaine one of the plates to put on the table. Then they both sat, facing each other. Kurt smiled encouragingly at him and Blaine felt a little less scared.

�

At first, dinner was awkward. No one was talking and Blaine and Sammy kept exchanging glares over their plates.� The food was delicious though, and at least the musician could compliment Kurt on it.

�

When their plates were nearly empty, the atmosphere changed, the tension already fading away by the middle of the meal.

�

Clara told everyone about her day at her friend’s and how great it was that it was finally holidays. Then Kurt asked the boys how things had been with Grandma Carole and both of them started to talk about the little cakes they had baked all afternoon. Well, Simon had helped and Sammy had mostly eaten everything in sight. They laughed when Simon told them about Sammy eating the chocolate and how as a result there was not enough left for the last batch of cookies so they had to mix white chocolate to have the right amount for the recipe.

�

Simon seemed to be fascinated by Blaine, asking many questions about why he was there, and if his forehead hurt really bad like the last time he had knocked his own head on the wall. He also wanted to know if Blaine had a talent because Simon was in a phase during which he was looking for special talent in ordinary people. Kurt blamed the program La France a incroyable talent; his son loved to watch the show every Tuesday when it was on TV.

�

Kurt wanted to tell his son not to bother Blaine but to his astonishment, the musician played along and showed them all a little magic trick that his dad had taught him and his older brother when they were still young.� Blaine took his empty glass and put it at the edge of the table. Then he leaned forward and pretended to sneeze and a few coins fell in the glass. ��Kurt laughed at how wide Simon’s eyes had gotten.

�

“Wow! Can you teach me that?” he asked excitedly, bringing his own empty glass closer.

�

“Well, it’s a family secret but maybe I can make an exception.” He winked at the boy who grinned widely.

�

Kurt looked on at the exchange and felt hope fill his heart.

�

But things were going too well and Kurt should have expected that it wouldn’t last.

�

Sammy, who had been glaring at Blaine throughout dinner, pushed his plate away from him, spilling his still full glass, emptying all its content on the table and some of it landed on Clara and Blaine’s lap.

�

“Toi t’es m�chant!” Sammy said, looking in Blaine’s direction.

�

The musician did not know how to react. He excused himself and followed Clara to the bathroom to clean his pants.

�

Kurt watched him leave the room, wanting to say something but not finding the words. But he had no time to think about it because Sammy and Simon started playing with the water on the table, making an even bigger mess. Kurt scolded them both and demanded that they go to their room. Sammy started crying, repeating “C’est un m�chant” over and over again until Kurt had enough and asked Clara to look after the two boys while he cleaned the table and did the dishes.

He was so engrossed with scrubbing the table that he did not notice Blaine coming back from the bathroom. He kept muttering about bad luck under his breath and how things had gone so well before it all went to hell.

�

“Do you need help?” Blaine finally asked, as Kurt was rinsing the plates and loading them in the dishwasher.

�

Kurt turned to him, startled. How long has he been here? he asked himself.

�

“With the dishes, I mean,” Blaine said.

�

“It’s okay, I can manage, thank you,” Kurt answered, turning his back to him and focusing on what he was doing.

�

“Okay…” Blaine trailed off, unsure what to do. “I probably should… go then.”

�

“I’m really sorry,” Kurt turned back to him. “I don’t know what came over Sammy for saying such a thing to you but I feel horrible and I’ll teach him that you’re not a bad man,” Kurt babbled, walking around the table and scrubbing the cloth that was already clean.

�

“Kurt, it’s okay,” Blaine started saying but the other man ignored him and scrubbed even harder. The musician walked to him and took the sponge out of his hand. “Kurt, stop,” he said gently, laying the sponge out of Kurt’s reach. “You don’t need to apologize. It’s not your fault.”

�

“Doesn’t change the fact that I feel bad about it,” Kurt muttered under his breath, not meeting Blaine’s gaze.

�

“Look, Kurt, you know that I don’t like kids so I can’t expect them to like me in return.” Blaine’s tone was light, nothing like that night when he had confessed to Kurt his opinions on children. “I mean, maybe, little Sammy just remembered how I treated him that night you asked me to look after him. I was terrible.”

�

That got a laugh from Kurt. He lifted his head and met Blaine’s playful gaze. The sight of it filled him hope. Maybe they could do this.�

�

“Sammy has an amazing visual memory,” Kurt finally said, “it’s possible that he remembered you fearing him like he was some kind of fierce predator.” Kurt chuckled as he recalled that night. Blaine had looked ridiculous.

�

Blaine attempted to glare at Kurt but his laugh broke out of him and then they were both laughing, their breath coming up short.

�

“He’ll get over it,” Kurt finally said when they both calmed down.

�

Blaine smiled and nodded.

�

“How are you feeling by the way?” Kurt asked Blaine as he took a step closer to the musician. He trailed his fingers softly above the lump on Blaine’s forehead. Blaine’s eyes fluttered close at the gentle caress. He winced a little when Kurt unintentionally pressed a little too hard.

�

“Sorry,” Kurt whispered, his breath hot on Blaine’s cheekbone.

�

“It’s okay,” Blaine answered.

�

The musician opened his eyes and realized how close their faces were. If he moved just a little towards Kurt, their lips would brush together. Kurt seemed to have come to the same realization and his eyes drifted to Blaine’s mouth. He licked his lips and all of Blaine’s resolve turned to dust.

�

Their lips met softly at first, both men not wanting to rush it. This kiss felt so different from their previous ones. The first time had been filled with want mixed with passion. The second time, lust had taken over and kisses had not been enough. But this was different.

�

Blaine brought his hand to Kurt’s jaw, his fingers caressing over the faint stubble there. Kurt’s hands had moved to Blaine’s slim waist, his fingers gripping at the fabric and pulling Blaine’s shirt out of his pants. �Blaine’s tongue traced Kurt’s bottom lip, adding a little pressure to get him to open his mouth. Kurt let out a little whine as he did so, his tongue meeting Blaine’s halfway.

�

Blaine felt a little shiver because Kurt’s fingers were still wet from the sponge and they had found their way underneath his shirt. ��Kurt’s heart was beating fast and his head was spinning. He did not want to ever stop kissing Blaine.

�

It ended too soon. Both of them were out of breath and Blaine could feel Kurt’s heartbeat through his fingers on Kurt’s neck. �Kurt looked him in the eye; searching for answers Blaine couldn’t give him yet.

�

“What are we doing?” Kurt asked, resting his forehead against Blaine’s temple, mindful of not putting any pressure on his lump. He breathed deep, his arms tightening their grip on Blaine’s waist, not wanting to let go.

�

“I…” Blaine did not know. He wanted to tell Kurt that they should get back to kissing each other but he knew that he could not do that. He took both of Kurt’s hand in his and brought them to his mouth. He kissed the tip of Kurt’s fingers and then lowered his hands again but he did not let go.

“I don’t know, Kurt,” he replied honestly.

�

“Where does that leave us?” Kurt needed to know. He felt so vulnerable and prayed that Blaine would not break his heart, because that’s exactly what would happen if he left again. Kurt had fallen for the musician and he knew that getting over his feelings would be unbelievably hard.

�

“Give me time?” Blaine asked, meeting Kurt’s gaze meaningfully. “I can’t make any promises right now.”

�

Kurt tried not to feel too much hope. He could not allow himself to do that, not yet.

It took another minute for Kurt to give his answer, his hands still held tightly in Blaine’s, their noses bumping together as Blaine waited. Then, almost imperceptibly, Kurt nodded slowly, leaning closer to capture Blaine’s lips in a tender kiss, hoping that Blaine could sense what Kurt was feeling for him.

�

As their lips parted, Blaine murmured, “I’ll call you.”

He let go of Kurt’s hands and walked out the kitchen.

**

**�

After Blaine closed the door to Kurt’s apartment, he leaned his head on the cool wood, closing his eyes. It was clear now that whatever was between Kurt and him, he could no longer ignore it. He needed to talk to someone and he knew just the right person.

�

�**

�**

To be continued