Sebastian who had a leg up on the ledge of his window and was peering down at the street huffed. “Well, find a way.”

As far as brothers went, Steve had always felt like he’d been cheated. He loved his brother, of course, but Sebastian was the oldest and he was their father’s favorite; the golden child. Everyone said parents didn’t have favorites, but Steve had always known that in his case his father did and it wasn’t him. He could remember telling his mother sometimes and having her refute it.

“They just have more in common, Stevie,” she had told him.

That was partly true, Steve knew, but at the same time when he’d tried to adapt those same interests his father had barely paid him any attention. For years he’d tried to get the attention of his father and it wasn’t until very recently that he’d actually accomplished it and it all had to do with the Hummels. He was getting tired of the entire affair.

“What were you even doing there?” Steve asked, and it was not the first time, “the plan was going along well and you just…why should Kurt trust me now?”

Sebastian pulled his leg back from the window sill and he walked towards Steve, “It doesn’t matter.”

“Well, I’ve texted him. I called a few times and he’s only texted me back. I showed you. He’s busy dealing with his family.”

Sebastian nudged his brother over and sat down next to him. “Tell me, then, why he was seen with Anderson exiting Anderson’s building last week. He’s not spending all his time at his father’s bedside and even if he were you’re supposed to be his boyfriend.”

“But I’m also your brother,” Steve replied, “and you were the last person Burt Hummel spoke to before his heart attack and that does not make me look good. We’re not here to send that man into an early grave.”

Steve had never meant for things to go this far. Yes, there had been a plan set in motion, and most of it had been his before his father asked Sebastian to help because of course Steve couldn’t get anything done on his own. Things would have probably been going better without Sebastian’s involvement, in his opinion. The plan had been rather simple: Get Kurt to his side, tear him away from his family somehow even if it meant getting Kurt to fall for him and then when Kurt was well and wooed, Sebastian had to test him and he’d done so. Kurt came back to him. Everything had been going well.

The problem was that Sebastian was impatient. Two more months, he knew, and they would have had him and with Kurt, Kurt’s shares of the company. He had about a third of them and with all the strategic buying that Sebastian was doing of other shares they would have held the controlling amount.

Sebastian had gotten bored. He’d gotten bored and he’d become interested in Blaine Anderson.

Steve should have seen it coming when he insisted that they try and get him to become their spy.

“He’s only working for them because of the money,” he’d insisted at first.

And then later when it was obvious that it wasn’t the case, “he’s only there because he dated Kurt.”

And then he’d gone and crashed Blaine’s birthday party and gotten into some sort of shouting match with Burt Hummel leading to a heart attack and suddenly Steve no longer had the same kind of hold on Kurt that he’d had before. There were excuses flying everywhere when Kurt answered, and most of the time he didn’t answer at all.

“They’re friends, Seb,” Steve said, “and Blaine is practically part of that family, as you found out, I’m not surprised.”

Sebastian grunted.

Things were definitely not going their way, but Steve was used to being the disappointment. Unlike Sebastian, Steve hadn’t gotten in their father’s alma mater – Yale – not that’s he’d wanted to go there. He also hadn’t majored in business or become a lawyer as his father had wanted him to – he’d gone to Columbia and studied anthropology instead.

“Look,” he said, “I’ll keep trying, but at this point does it even matter? Maybe we ought to back off a bit.”

“No,” Sebastian said.
He leaped up off of the couch, then, “No,” he repeated, “there might still be something. Anderson has a fianc�, a fianc� who must not be happy he’s hanging out with Kurt again. What if one of us went to see him? He’s at that gallery right? And they were fighting about Kurt, you told me so.”

Steve knew that there was nothing he could say to stop Sebastian. He just shrugged.

“Alright, yes! Yes. I’ll go and…” he trailed off and walked towards the other side of the room.

Steve followed his brother with his eyes. It wasn’t going to end well. He had half a mind to call his father and tell him that the entire thing was a mess, but it’d be admitting to yet another mistake.

- - -

“And then if you can believe, she just ran past me in nothing but her tiny pink shirt holding her clean diaper over her head.”

Kurt would never get enough of Blaine’s stories about Mia. They were seated in Blaine’s kitchen and Mia had just been put to bed. Kurt had been over for dinner that night and Mia hadn’t even blinked at his presence, happy to drag him into her room to play with her. Kurt who hadn’t really seen Blaine’s daughter since before that fateful kiss over two months before, had been glad to go along with it.

“She sounds like she was a handful,” he said.

“Was?” Blaine asked and shook his head, “you’re still somewhat new to her but she can be a regular little monster. I used to joke that with two gay dads and a budding love for musicals that she might be the next Rachel Berry.”

Kurt couldn’t help but laugh. “If there is at least one thing I’ll do to stop that is to give her good fashion sense.”

Blaine reached for his hand and their fingers intertwined almost mechanically. “I love that you’re so interested in her,” he said, “I know you and kids was…”

“What about me and kids?” Kurt asked. He tilted his head towards Blaine.

“Well, you don’t want any of your own,” Blaine said and gulped, “you didn’t want the domestic life.”

Kurt shook his head. “Oh, Blaine,” he said, “honey, I don’t want you to think of this in terms from before.”

Blaine furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?” he asked. His voice was low and Kurt could hear the insecurity in it.

“I mean that we’re starting fresh and we’ve both changed. Back then, I was young and na�ve and the farthest I could think of the future was to becoming a designer or deciding to try acting and singing again. But in all of that I knew you’d be with me. Marriage, kids, all of that wasn’t part of any of that then. Maybe in the abstract, but I just didn’t want to be tied down I guess.”

“And now…”

“Now I see the point of that. I see how amazing it could be to become a parent, to get married and have someone to support you that way in everything. I wasn’t ready for that, then, and I didn’t think you were either. But clearly you were and a part of me wishes that I had been, because that beautiful girl sleeping in her bed right now would have been ours.”

They hadn’t brought up the past often enough to really discuss it and Kurt hated that this was the way it was finally coming up, but Blaine had to know how he’d been feeling then. They needed to get this out in the open.

Blaine was staring at him and Kurt didn’t know what the expression on his face meant. So, he continued.

“I felt like you were pushing for your ideal future, Blaine, for what you’d been dreaming of and for me those were the things I knew would come someday, not then, and I couldn’t just go along with it when it went against everything I was feeling. You don’t know how many times I wish I had explained everything better. I didn’t want to marry you, but that didn’t mean I didn’t want you, you know?”

Blaine stared at him for a long moment. “So kids, marriage, you want that now?” he asked.

Kurt nodded. “Yeah, I kinda do and Mia’s like a package deal with you anyway and I love her already. But I want it. I want to be your husband someday and I want a little boy or a little girl to call ours.”

Blaine looked like he wanted to say something for a moment, but he shook his head. Instead he smiled, “then we’re on the same page. I still want that with you.”

Kurt leaned over and cupping Blaine’s face with his free hand, joined their lips in a gentle kiss. He loved being able to do that, to just kiss Blaine whenever he felt like it.

“You taste delicious,” Blaine said when Kurt pulled back.

Kurt kissed the corner of his mouth, “that is the ice cream you forced me to eat.”

“Yummy vanilla,” Blaine muttered back and pressed another kiss to Kurt’s lips.

He was finding out that it was easy to be with Blaine. It was far too easy to fall back into being with him, but then he’d thought that when they’d started becoming friends again too. Amie said that it was because they belonged together.

“You do,” she’d insisted, “you and Blaine are meant to be. Everyone knows as much.”

“It’s getting late,” Kurt said after a while, “I should get going. Dad’s getting out of the hospital tomorrow morning and I should be there.”

After a few weeks, his dad was finally deemed fit to leave the hospital as long as he went in for regular check-ups over the next few months and continued on a healthy diet. Carole had gone as far as to hire a nutritionist and Kurt was taking full advantage of it. He still wasn’t allowed to go back to work and the doctor had instructed Kurt and Carole to keep him off his feet for the next few weeks at least until he regained full strength.

“That’s right,” Blaine said, “he’ll sure be happy to get out of there.”

They all knew Burt was tired of the hospital. Burt had ranted and raved at anyone that would listen about how he was fine and didn’t need to have the constant care of doctors or all those machines connected to him.

“Yeah, and he’s going to be a pain at home, but better that he be happy there. You should come to dinner tomorrow. I think Carole wants a whole family dinner. Amie’s parents are coming, if you can believe that.”

Kurt had stood up and he was taking the bowls from ice cream earlier and then the cups of coffee they’d both left dry to the sink. It had been a fun night.

After playing with Mia and then getting her to stand so he could get her measurements all while answering her million questions, Kurt had made dinner for the three of them. They’d ended the night by watching Aladdin before Mia was put to bed. Kurt had stayed to clean up the kitchen when Blaine pulled out a carton of ice cream and scooped it out onto two bowls before Kurt could protest. Overall it was probably one of the best nights he’d ever had and it didn’t involve alcohol or dark clubs.

“It’s a family dinner, and anyway, I have Mia tomorrow night as well.”

Kurt filled the bowls with water and then turned around. “You are family and Mia is more than welcome to come. Shelby and Mike will be there, she won’t be alone. My dad might insist on it.”

He turned back to the dishes and began to wash them.

“You don’t have to,” Blaine said and stood up. He walked around the table to where Kurt was standing and came up behind him.

It was all eerily similar to that dream he’d had a long time ago, but somehow different. He wrapped his arms around Kurt and pulled him hard against him. Kurt’s hands fell to Blaine’s arms, his hands running over them gently. He leaned back and Blaine nuzzled his neck, dropping kisses up to his jaw and then continuing to his ear. He ran his tongue over the shell of it and Kurt shuddered in his arms.

“Blaine,” he sighed.

Blaine nipped at Kurt’s ear gently and Kurt pulled away to turn in the circle of his arms, his arms coming to rest on Blaine’s shoulders. One hand tangled in Blaine’s curls. He pulled at the hair gently and leaned slightly down to meet Blaine’s lips.

This time their kisses were a bit more desperate, they weren’t gentle as earlier, but hungry for more. Blaine’s hands pulled Kurt closer and Kurt kissed and licked Blaine’s lips open and with practiced ease.

“I could do this forever,” Blaine said when they pulled away, breathlessly.

“Hmm, me too.”

Kurt pressed their cheeks together and he hummed a few notes. “you’re distracting, you know, I was doing your dishes.”

“Don’t have to.”

“I have to get going then,” Kurt said, “eight hours of sleep is necessary.”

“Stay here.”

He was tempted. He was more than just tempted, but Kurt wasn’t ready to step into that can of worms. So far they were doing alright with the unlabeled slow relationship that they were slowly building on and Kurt wanted to keep it that way.

“Probably not a good idea,” Kurt said, “for so many reasons.”

Sex couldn’t be a part of their relationship yet. For so long, Kurt had used sex as a way to connect to other men and to show himself that he was trying and there was no one out there that he was interested in and he couldn’t just jump into that with Blaine. And then there was the awkwardness of the bedroom. A large part of him feared stepping in the room where Blaine and Nick had slept, and where Blaine and Nick had been intimate.

Slowly Blaine had begun to fill the empty spots. He was moving his furniture around, throwing certain things away and removing others for storage. It was good for him, but Kurt knew that Nick’s presence was very much in the apartment still and he didn’t want their budding relationship getting mixed in with that again.

“I should go,” he said, “and please come to dinner.”

“Yeah, I think I will,” Blaine said and pulled Kurt into him.

They hugged for a while, until Kurt pulled out of the embrace. They kissed at the door again and then Kurt walked to the elevator.

- - -

Nick drew and painted more in the week following his move than he ever had. He had barely unpacked before he was filling his new living room and kitchen with his art supplies. All of his frustration and pain was poured into the paintings and after they were done and dry he left them leaning against any wall space he could find.

His friend had managed to help him with getting useful pieces of furniture and he’d spent more money than he had wanted on things for the kitchen, but he’d rationalized it by telling himself that it’d be cheaper to cook for himself in the long run than to get take out.

Half his things remained in boxes unless they were really necessary and Blaine had insisted on buying him a new bedroom set.

“Home warming present,” he’d said and then told Nick to just let the men from the furniture store set it up.

Nick also threw himself into work. He painted and drew there, but kept those out of the public. A part of him knew that selling his art would be a good idea, but he also didn’t want to face the possible rejection. He remembered Amie Hummel buying the drawing of Blaine and wondered for a moment where it could have ended up.

“Hey, you, someone just walked in, wanna take care of them? I was just heading out.”

Nick nodded and he got up from behind the desk and went to look for the possible customer.

The man he found was incredibly attractive and familiar. He was tall, thin, and he had a charming smile. He was dressed impeccably in a business suit.

“Hello,” he greeted, “can I help you with anything?”

“Oh, I’m just looking,” he said, “art is always a great investment and you have a good collection here. I was thinking of getting something for my brother. He might appreciate something beautiful for once.”

Nick almost faltered when the man eyed him from head to toe and hummed appreciatively.

“I’d ask you out, but I hear you’re engaged,” the man continued.

Nick opened his mouth to protest but the other man spoke before he could.

“It’s a shame really, especially when he’s cheating on you.”

Nick knew something was up immediately. The man was familiar, but Nick couldn’t place why. It had something to do with Blaine for sure.

“Who are you?” He asked.

He had been looking at one of Nick’s favorites pieces of art, a set of three canvases with an ant in each, but he turned to look at him then.

“Sebastian,” he said and extended his arm, “Smythe.”

The name he recognized. This man meant nothing good and somehow he thought that telling him about Blaine and Kurt would serve some further purpose. For a moment he considered telling the man the truth – that he and Blaine were broken up and to leave him alone because he wanted nothing to do with the Hummels and their enemies.

“Thank you for the information,” he said instead, “Mr. Smythe, was it?”

“Yes,” Sebastian said.

Nick remembered him then. He was the man that had gone to talk to Burt Hummel and caused his heart attack.

“But I trust Blaine and I know he’s not cheating on me. If you’re going to buy anything come find me, otherwise, please leave.”

Sebastian left soon after and as soon as he was gone, Nick dialed Blaine’s number.

Blaine picked up after a couple of rings.

“Hey, Nick, what’s up? Do you want to talk to Mia?”

“No, Blaine, Sebastian Smythe was just at the gallery. He wanted to tell me that you were cheating on me. Obviously that isn’t true, but I didn’t tell him we were broken up or anything. I just thought you should know.”

Blaine was quiet for a moment. “But why would that matter?” he asked, “unless…unless he thinks you can get me away from Kurt…”

Nick didn’t want to know more than he already did. He wanted to try and get over Blaine and keep seeing his daughter as often as he could. He wanted to move on from Blaine and the Hummels and put all of that behind him. He didn’t need to get involved in whatever was going on between the Hummels and the Smythes. It was stupid though to think that he could. Everything told him as much and what he was contemplating would put him right back in their world.

“Be careful, Blaine, he didn’t seem very stable. Anyway, I have to go. See you on Saturday.”

“Thank you. See you then,” Blaine said, still sounded a bit absentminded.

He dropped his phone on the desk and sighed. He didn’t want a part in this in any way. He wanted, more or less, to live in peace from all Hummel related things. But he knew deep down that it wasn’t going to be possible. Mia made that impossible, and for Mia he would do anything.