It took another ten minutes for Blaine to be satisfied with how he looked. It was strange being so nervous to meet up with another man. The musician never had this sort of problem, but with Kurt it was different. He was worried he would disappoint him and he had already screwed up a bit on their first night. �Still, another part of him remembered that the first time he had met Kurt he was completely drenched and driving his poor excuse of a car, yet Kurt had still fallen for his charm and kissed him breathless afterwards. With that thought in mind, he walked out the bathroom feeling a bit less nervous.

“You ready?” Jeff asked from his spot on the still unmade bed.

“What are you still doing here?” Blaine narrowed his eyes at his friend.

“Well, I want to meet the guy, so I figured I’d stay and see what he looks like.” Jeff stood up and walked to his friend. He started fixing the collar on Blaine’s shirt, ignoring the glare Blaine had sent in his direction. “You know, I need to do the ‘friend approval test’ and all that.”

“No way,” Blaine protested, freeing himself from his friend’s grasp. “You are not staying until he arrives. In fact, you are leaving right now.” He pushed his friend out of the room as he said this and walked him down the stairs.

They had nearly reached the front door when the bell rang.

“Shit!” Blaine muttered under his breath.

He walked to the window and saw a black cab parked in the street. The cab’s rear door on the far side was open and Kurt was out, walking a bit backward to look up at the windows of Blaine’s loft. He smiled when he saw Blaine peering through the curtains.

“Alright.” Blaine walked to his friend and sat him on a chair. “You’re staying here and when I’m gone, you’ll use your spare key and lock up after you leave, understood?”

Jeff nodded. He had no intention of doing what Blaine told him though. He would not miss a chance to see what Kurt looked like. But he knew that if he pretended, Blaine would leave and not think twice about him disobeying.

Blaine checked his pockets for his phone, wallet and keys, and then he grabbed his jacket and walked out.

Jeff waited to hear the sound of the main door of the building closing before leaping off the chair and going to the window. He pushed the curtains apart just enough so he could see the two men greeting each other on the sidewalk.

�

“Hi,” Kurt smiled, as Blaine descended the steps and walked to him.

“Hey, sorry for making you wait outside,” Blaine apologized and then leant to peck Kurt’s cheek softly.

“It’s alright,” Kurt replied, his cheeks flushing a little under the touch of Blaine’s lips. “I’m sorry for being a bit later than what I’d said.”

“It’s fine, don’t worry. We should get going though.”

At that moment, Kurt caught sight of someone spying on them rather unsubtly. The blonde man hid when he saw Kurt looking in his direction.

“Is there someone in your loft?” Kurt asked, his voice suddenly tense.

Blaine frowned in confusion, then turned to where Kurt was looking and groaned.

“It’s just Jeff, a friend of mine,” he explained. His mind was already making up different ways he could get back at Jeff for not listening to him.

“Oh, I thought…” Kurt did not finish his sentence and laughed, feeling a surge of relief. “Well, you can tell your friend that his spying skills suck.”

“I’ll be sure to do that.” The musician glared upward as he heard the sound of the widow opening above them.

“Hello there!” Jeff nearly shouted, his tone far too overjoyed.

“Hi!” Kurt answered him with a wave and a smile.

“So, you must be Kurt then.”

“I must be.” Kurt turned to Blaine who was still glowering in Jeff’s direction. “Tell you what,” Kurt said to the blonde man, “come down and we can be introduced properly.”

“Kurt, what about our reservation at the restaurant?” Blaine asked, hoping to convince Kurt to just go. He really wasn’t sure that Kurt and Jeff meeting was a good idea.

“I had an event at that restaurant once, they can’t refuse me,” Kurt replied in a confident tone.

“Fine.” Blaine resigned himself.

It only took a minute for Jeff to meet them on the sidewalk. Blaine had spoken to the cab driver and told him to cut the engine for now.

“It’s great to meet you, Kurt. Blaine has told me a lot about you.” Jeff shook Kurt’s hand with a huge grin, ignoring Blaine’s glare toward him.

“Oh, really? What has he told you then?” Kurt asked, curious to know.

“Oh, well,” Jeff stammered, he was not sure how much Kurt would appreciate it that Blaine had told him how good Kurt was in bed. Nope, definitely not a good idea, better talk about something else, he thought to himself. And mentioning Blaine’s aversion for children was also out of the question. “Blaine told me about the way you both met. Man, that’s movie material.”

Kurt laughed at that. It was true, material for a very cheesy and clich� movie.

�“Still, it can’t beat how romantic my meeting with Nick was,” Jeff added. “That’s my boyfriend, in case you were wondering,” he explained and then continued, “We were…”

“Jeff, we really don’t have time for that story,” Blaine interrupted him. “Not even for the abridged version,” he added when he saw Jeff about to protest.

“He’s right,” the blonde man said apologetically to Kurt, “I’ve already kept you two too long.”

“It’s alright. It was nice meeting you Jeff,” Kurt said. “And I really would love to hear that story some other time.”

“Absolutely,” Jeff answered with a grin. “Enjoy your evening.” He waved them off as they climbed in the cab.

“I hope you didn’t forget to lock the door when you left,” Blaine quickly said to his friend just before Kurt pushed him into the seat and closed the door behind him.

Jeff ran back to Blaine’s loft after they pulled away to check if the door was locked. It wasn’t. Blaine will never know, he thought to himself as he used the spare key to lock up. He then called Nick and proceeded to tell him everything about his meeting with Kurt.

�

The restaurant was crowded when they arrived but fortunately, Kurt had managed to reserve a more private area for their date. The food was delicious and Blaine wasn’t sure he could consider eating anything else for the rest of his life. Kurt laughed softly when the musician made that statement aloud.

“I’m serious Kurt, this is the best food I’ve ever had in my entire life.”

“I’m happy you like it then.” Kurt smiled fondly at the other man.

For a moment, Blaine lost his train of thought and stared; overcome by how bright and sparkling Kurt’s eyes were. It reminded him of that moment under the rain when their gazes had met for the first time.

“Is everything alright?” Kurt asked after a minute of silence. He frowned, and added, “Is there something on my face?” He started touching his forehead and the top of his nose, looking for a smear of sauce or anything else that was causing Blaine to stare in that direction.

“No, you don’t,” Blaine said his voice soft and quiet. “Your eyes… they’re just…”, he struggled to find a word that could describe them but failed. Instead he came up with, “They’re really beautiful, Kurt.”

Kurt blushed and Blaine decided that it was a look that suited the other man.

“We should talk,” Kurt cleared his throat, breaking the tension after another silent pause. At Blaine’s slightly panicked look, he quickly added, “I mean, we’re on a date and usually people talk about themselves. And I barely know anything about you, Blaine, so please tell me about yourself.”

“There is not much to tell,” Blaine started, “I’m single, 26, I’ve got a part time job in the entertainment industry and I’m also working on a project for a show with my best friend. I’m American, moved to Paris around 6 years ago because I got bored in New York and wanted to see the rest of the world. My mother was born in France so I thought I would start here. Then, I made some great new friends, found a job and fell in love with Montmartre. So I stayed longer than what I had initially planned. I did spend half a year in Florence, and three months in Germany, to visit family on my mother’s side. But, I can’t say I’ve travelled around the world yet.”

“I haven’t had the chance to travel much,” Kurt said, regret clear in his tone. “I only had my year of internship in London while I was still in University. Other than that, I’ve been to Italy with my father, stepmother and stepbrother during high school. I was supposed to go to New York with a friend last year but my dad had another heart attack, the first one happened just after our trip to Italy, and this time he didn’t make it. There was so much to do with the funeral, the forms to fill in, I just couldn’t leave…” Kurt’s voice broke a little. He took a sip of water and tried to talk again, but a lump had formed in his throat so he chose to remain silent for a moment.

Blaine did not know what to say. He thought of taking Kurt’s hand in his and squeezing it for comfort but he was not sure he was ready for such a gesture yet. He still didn’t know where they were going with this date.

“I’m really sorry, Kurt,” he tried to sound comforting, “I lost my father when I was seventeen. Things had been tough with him the year before but for a few months before his death, we had almost felt like a family again. It happened right before one of his concerts, while sitting in the audience with my mother and older brother, waiting for the show to start.”

“That’s horrible,” Kurt said, reaching for Blaine’s hand.

The musician found himself not rejecting Kurt’s comfort but actually craving more of his touch.

“My relationship with my father was complicated. He was accepting but also really demanding. Cooper, my brother, did not choose the path that my dad wanted for him. My father then turned all his expectations on me. He pushed me and more than once we fought about it. I just wanted him to support me in whatever choice I’d make for my career but he was really stubborn and insisted that I follow in his footsteps. I never admitted to him that I would have chosen music even if he had not forced it on me.”

“I was lucky with my father. Having lost my mother so young, for a long time it was just him and me, you know,” Kurt explained. “It was really difficult at first and some nights, I feared that he would leave me because he did not know how to take care of me. But he did a better job than any other parent I know. He always supported me, no matter my decisions or who I loved.”

“He sounds like a wonderful man.” Blaine squeezed Kurt hand gently.

“He was,” Kurt replied, his eyes shiny with unshed tears. “I’m sorry,” he apologized, reaching for a tissue in his pocket.

“It’s alright.”

“He was my rock,” Kurt spoke again, after wiping his tears. “When he died, I was so scared that I would lose myself. If it weren’t for Simon, Sammy and even Clara, I don’t know how I would have dealt with the loss. It also made me understand how my father must have felt when he lost my mother. To know that these precious lives depend on me, that they needed me, pushed me to fight and stay strong for them.”

Blaine averted his eyes from Kurt’s gaze and focused on the dessert menu. He felt suddenly uneasy and wrong to be here with Kurt. Their fingers were now laced together and all he wanted was to run. This had been a bad idea.

“We should talk about something else,” Kurt broke the awkward silence that had installed between them and removed his hand from Blaine’s. He had felt the mood shifting abruptly after what he had said about the children. “Tell me more about this show of yours.”

��������������� The rest of the date went well. The atmosphere had definitely changed but Blaine still had a good time with Kurt and he didn’t refuse when the other man suggested that they’d go to Kurt’s place.

When they were in the taxi, Kurt called someone in French to tell them that he was on his way home. Blaine didn’t catch everything that Kurt said but he guessed that the other person must be a baby sitter.

“Je serais l� dans cinq minutes, si Clara est encore debout, alors elle peut les surveiller. ”� There was a pause while the other person was talking. “Oui, merci encore, bonne nuit.” Kurt hung up and leaned on Blaine’s side for the rest of the drive. The musician, who was feeling a bit sleepy after the copious meal they’d had, did not shy away from Kurt’s closeness. In fact, he found himself welcoming it, reveling in the warmth and comfort of the other man’s body.�

When they arrived at Kurt’s door, they could hear noises coming from inside the apartment. Kurt unlocked the door and gestured for Blaine to follow him inside. He then walked at a fast pace towards the end of the corridor, where the other voices seemed to come from.

“Mais tu n’es pas encore au lit toi?”

Blaine joined Kurt in Clara’s bedroom. On the bed, Sammy was looking up at Kurt, a book opened on his lap. Clara was pacing on the other side of the room, with her phone clutched to her ear. Kurt was trying to get her attention to ask why Sammy was not in bed yet, but she seemed too engrossed in her conversation. Kurt sighed and then walked to his son.

“Tu devrai �tre au lit toi.” He bopped him gently on the nose. He noticed then, that there were tear tracks on the little boy’s cheeks and he was also rubbing his stomach with his left hand. Kurt removed the book from Sammy’s lap and then took him in his arms and carried him over to Blaine. He handed the little boy to the musician who was too dumbstruck to react or protest.

“Can you please get him in my room and look after him while I solve whatever Clara’s problem is, please?” Kurt asked Blaine who just nodded in response, too afraid to startle the little boy in his arms. “Thank you, I won’t be long.”

Blaine carried Sammy to the room and then laid him on the bed, or tried to do just that. It was a bit difficult when the hand of the little boy was clutching at his shirt with such a firm grip. For a moment, Blaine had no idea what he should do. The boy had fallen asleep in his arms on the way to the room. He did not want to wake him. Fortunately, Sammy’s fingers opened and released the fabric allowing Blaine to free himself and lay the little boy above the covers.� As he did, Sammy made a slight cough noise in his sleep. Blaine stared, frozen in place, too afraid to move. Then the little boy opened his eyes and they widened in surprise and maybe shock when they landed on Blaine. The musician held his breath waiting in fear for the child’s next move. Suddenly, Sammy bolted up right and threw himself at Blaine, arms outstretched toward his neck. Blaine wanted to scream. He was terrified; he knew he was being ridiculous but he couldn’t help it. He heard the boy wretch then he felt something wet seep through his shirt. He pushed the little boy away from him, nearly throwing him. Sammy landed on his back on the bed and turned his head toward Blaine, who was now kneeling next to the bed, his eyes at the same level as Sammy’s.

It was at that moment Kurt walked in on them. He tried to suppress his laughter when he saw what position Blaine was in and how he was looking at his little boy like he was some kind of predator.

Then, Sammy started to cry and Kurt went to him and took him into the bathroom. Right before leaving the room, he handed a clean shirt to Blaine and told him that he’d be right back.

�

��������������� While Kurt was taking care of his son, Blaine sat on the bed, shirtless, the soiled shirt on the floor and the clean one still in his hands. He was still in the same position ten minutes later when Kurt came back in the room.

“Blaine?” Kurt sat next him and put his hand on the man’s shoulder. He winced at how tense Blaine seemed to be under his touch. “Blaine, talk to me please,” Kurt pleaded and forced the musician to meet his gaze, holding Blaine’s chin in hand. Blaine averted his gaze and remained silent.

After a few minutes, Blaine yawned and muttered about going home. He swore under his breath when he remembered that he didn’t have his car. He let Kurt guide him under the covers and hold him for a while.

Blaine was the one to break the long silence.

“I don’t like kids, Kurt,” he admitted, his back turned to the other man. He felt Kurt tense behind him. “I’ve never liked them. I’m not really sure why. Or actually, I am. For one, they’re very noisy.” He turned on his back, ignoring Kurt’s protest at the change of position. He could feel the other man’s intense gaze on him as he continued, “There’s bodily fluid, and that’s disgusting.” To make his point, he pointed to his dirty shirt on the floor. “They’re little dictators who will manipulate you in their every whim, they cry each time they don’t get what they want, they even cry when they get what they want because it isn’t enough.” Blaine was on a roll, and he kept on talking. “They’re also so fragile and it’s fucking scary to have to look after them. To know that if you screw up, the consequences can be more severe than just a bad hangover. Oh, and it kills love for couples. All the married couples I know who have kids have either had affairs or simply left their spouse. My little cousin is the worst. She’s a real spoiled brat and she’s so annoying, you have no idea Kurt, she’s just ugh…”

Kurt laughed softly next to him. He didn’t really like what Blaine was saying but it wasn’t overly worrisome. This was a speech that most people made before having kids, and yeah, while it was true that sometimes children could be a real pain, it wasn’t all of the time. One day, Blaine would get that they’re just people with qualities and faults like any adult. He did not say anything though. He could tell that Blaine was not done with his speech on how much he disliked children.

“They stop you from living,” Blaine continued, “Once you have to take care of a kid, you can’t enjoy life anymore. It’s like everything is about the stupid kid and it sucks all enjoyment from you.”

“Maybe,” Kurt finally said. “But let me tell you about the good things that they can bring to your life.”

He laid his chin on Blaine’s chest and looked him in the eye. “I agree with you when you say they’re a responsibility, and yeah, that’s true and scary. You have no idea how many times I freaked out before adopting Simon, how scared I was that I would screw up before Sammy was even born. But they’re also wonderful, Blaine. There’s something absolutely incredible about the fact that someone needs you this much. What you can have with a child is unique; you’ll never feel this way about a boyfriend, friend, husband, or parent. It’s just something strong but also fragile. As you said, you can screw up so easily. But let me tell you that when you don’t, when you give it your all, then what they give you in return is worth all the time spent worrying, annoyed or angry at them. When children give you their love, it’s such a precious gift. I hope that someday your opinion on them will change and that you’ll get to experience this kind of love. “

“It sounds wonderful, Kurt, but it isn’t what I want for me. Not ever.” Blaine’s tone had a sense of finality and Kurt did not say anything else after that.

As they repositioned themselves with Kurt spooning Blaine, the young father thought about what Blaine had said. He was afraid that he cared so much for the musician already. Noah had warned him to be careful but he hadn’t listened. He wanted this too badly and feared that, after tonight, he had pushed Blaine too far and he would lose him. He tried not to think about it too much and instead tightened his hold on the other man who was already fast asleep.�