Chapter 15

Kurt looked out over the majestic East River from the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge, and smiled at his groom-to-be.  They were taking a very special and adventurous pre-wedding procession across one of the most famous bridges in the country, just the two of them.  They were wearing their best suits, each with a white rose on his lapel to signify the occasion, and a simple gold band ensconced in the inside pocket for his intended. Blaine smiled back, but was leaning a little heavily against his side.  

“Are you okay?” Kurt fussed, kissing Blaine on the top of his head.  

“Well, I'm a little tired, I guess. The pre-honeymoon at the hotel wore me out this weekend.” Blaine turned his mischievous face upwards and winked coyly.

Kurt blushed with tingling pleasure at the memories of the last three nights at the Brooklyn Marriott, gazing down into Blaines warm, sparkling eyes. He hooked an arm around Blaines shoulders and drew him close, tenderly kissing his soft, parted lips as they walked.

After a moment he pulled back, and returned to the topic Blaine was trying to change. “I know I really wanted this, Blaine, but … if you're upset about your mother and our friends not being here … we don't have to go through with it if you're not happy.  I want you to be happy on our wedding day.”

“I am happy, Kurt! So happy!" Blaine protested, kissing him firmly on the lips.  “I … I just have one of those headaches coming on again, and you know I don't like to take anything for them because of the baby.  If we go slow I'll be fine.”

“This is a busy day we have planned,” Kurt said regretfully.  “This long walk and then the wedding and then the NYADA tour.  Listen, if you get tired at any point, you tell me and we'll stop to rest, or if you need it, we'll get a cab back to the hotel.”

“Okay,” Blaine agreed softly, and they started off at a leisurely pace across the rest of the bridge. Kurt reflected that soon, their lives would change forever. It wouldnt be like this, just the two of them, very often once their little girl arrived. He focused on the moment, trying to be totally present in it. He looked at the sunlight twinkling on the surface of the East River, felt the warm breezes that couldnt ruffle either of their product-laden hairstyles. He beamed back at the indulgent smiles and congratulations offered by the other pedestrians as they passed the happy young couple.  Blaines hand felt so right in his, like it was made for him to hold. It was their wedding day and they were deeply in love.

He had never been so happy...or so terrified.

~ * ~

“8:30 sharp,” Kurt said.  “We should be first in line.”  They rounded the corner to the municipal wedding chapel and the City Clerks office and stopped, stunned, at the line of couples already waiting.  

“I hope they get to us on time,” Blaine worried.  “Looks like we have to take a number,” he said.  Kurt approached the ticket machine and pulled a ticket.  “Number ten,” he said.  “Let's find couple number nine and see if one of them will be our witness.”

As Kurt turned around, distracted, he collided with the shirt front of a very tall man. Spluttering an apology,  he looked up.  A familiar, kind face gazed down at him.

“Finn!?!"

Rachel, pretty in a simple white cotton summer dress and carrying a bouquet of white daisies wrapped in white eyelet ribbon, poked her head around Finns elbow and gasped.  The four of them stared, open-mouthed, at one another.

After a shocked moment, Rachel planted her hands on her hips and stomped her small high heeled foot on the marble tiled floor in indignation. “Kurt!  You're getting married without telling me, your best friend?!?” She shouted, poking him in the chest with her bouquet. Kurt swatted it away.

“Well, what are you doing here?” Kurt demanded. "And what do you have on? Why didn't you call me to go shopping for your gown?  And ..." he glared at Finn and Rachel in turn. "Did you consider what your dads and and Carole going to say?  How could you just elope like this?” He ignored Blaines quizzical look; their situation was totally different from Finn and Rachels. Totally.

Rachel sighed and slipped her arm through Finns, raising her eyes to beam at him. "Well... we were here for the NYADA tour and we just figured, we're engaged, we have college to pay for, why waste a lot of money on a big wedding? So we got the license Friday and I bought this dress, and here we are."

Finn met Kurts eyes, and the unspoken concern passed silently between them.  Finn ran a hand through his hair and explained it to Rachel.  “But we can't all elope, or Burt and Mom will kill all of us when we all show up back there married and they find out they'll never see either of our weddings. Two of us have to put it off and get married with our parents there."

“So... you guys don't get married, then,” Kurt suggested.  He held up the ticket he'd just pulled.  “We were here first.”

“But we were engaged first!” Rachel objected, yanking a number eleven from the machine.  “And we're older.  Were high school graduates and Blaine is still in high school and barely eighteen!”

“Yeah, but we're expecting a baby in four months!  And we can't get married in Ohio, like you could if you wanted to!  This is our last chance before Blaine will be on travel restrictions!” Kurt stormed.  “Why do you two have to ruin everything!  It's bad enough we all lost our virginities the same night, now we're getting married the same day?  It's ... its tacky and ridiculous!”

“I think it's amazing,” Blaine interrupted. They all turned to him.  “We're the Four Musketeers, and you two are brothers.  We can witness each other's weddings.  There's no reason we can't all get married today.”  

"Hey! We could do a double wedding," Finn started, but Kurt glared a warning.

“Now serving number 10,” a voice sounded over the loudspeaker.  

“Were not having a double wedding, and Blaine and I are getting married first,” Kurt declared.

“By the way, I lost my virginity first, for the record, not the same night as the three of you guys,” Finn whispered to Kurt, going  still and frightened as Rachel overheard and glared at him.  “Not a good time to bring that up,” he mumbled, and Rachel nodded coldly.

“Come on,” Blaine coaxed.  “Rachel and Finn, will you be our guests and witnesses? Please?”  

Finn and Rachel looked at each other and smiled.  Rachel took out her camera and they all proceeded to the municipal wedding chapel for their weddings.

~ * ~

Half an hour later, they all emerged from the City Clerk's Office, marriage certificates in hand.  

“So, Mrs. Hudson,” Kurt asked.  “How about sharing a cab to NYADA?”

“Sounds great, Mr. Anderson,” Rachel shot back.  “We'll be the most overdressed college tour-takers ever.”

“Theres no such thing as being overdressed.”  Kurt admired the wedding ring on his hand and carefully rolled the certificate before placing it in his inside jacket pocket. He took Blaines hand and raised it to his lips. "Husbands," he whispered, and Blaine glowed with pride and joy back at him.

They all piled into a cab and Blaine settled next to him, laying his head on Kurt's shoulder with a contented sigh. Kurt stroked his cheek with his knuckle, and leaned close to whisper, “Are you sure you're up for this?  I can take you back to the hotel if you need to rest.”

Blaine kept his eyes shut, but whispered back, “No, I don't want you to miss the tour.  And I want to see your school.  I'm so proud of you.”  

“If you're sure,” Kurt said doubtfully.  Blaine's face looked taut and a little grayish, and he had sat down to rest during Rachel and Finn's wedding ceremony. Kurt glanced at Blaines hands.  They were trembling.  “Blaine, I want to take you back to the hotel,” he burst out.

“Gosh, Kurt, calm down!  There's plenty of time for honeymoon sex,” Rachel scolded.  “This is our first time seeing NYADA, where we'll launch our fabulous Broadway careers!”

Kurt felt his stomach tighten.  He still didn't know how he could leave Blaine behind, carrying his child, and live the carefree glamorous life of a New York drama school student.  He was here because he was humoring Blaine, who was determined that Kurt should have his NYADA dream.  But … how could he go through with enrolling?  Rachel didn't understand.  Finn would be in New York, and they weren't expecting a baby.  

They pulled up to the corner and Kurt leaned out, his heart leaping strangely when he saw the NYADA logo on the front door of the building.  Rachel squeezed his hand and squealed beside him, and he remembered … how excited they had been when they read about NYADA, about Carmen Tibideaux and all the famous and talented instructors, the amazing courses that would be available here.  And when they planned to live in Manhattan, near the heart of the theater district.  He felt that pull again as he and Blaine emerged from the cab with Rachel and Finn and surveyed the school for the first time.

Maybe it could work.  Maybe he could do it; he could come home and visit Blaine often, especially when it was time for the baby to come.  Blaine wanted him to.  In the long run, maybe getting a college education at a great school like this was important.  

He grew more and more tempted and impressed as they made the rounds at the school with the other incoming freshmen, guided by the regal Carmen Tibideaux herself.  They looked in on a dance class with Cassandra July, a famous Broadway train wreck and legend.  They watched part of a stage combat class, followed by a mime seminar.  They ended in the performance hall, with its high, acoustic ceilings.  Kurt imagined what his voice would sound like echoing in here.

“Oh, Kurt, this place is amazing,” Blaine breathed.  “Maybe someday I can try to come here too.”

“That would be great,” Kurt agreed, picturing it.  The two of them living together in the married housing available near the school, raising their baby girl together, studying their craft together.   Then becoming big stars someday.  It could work, couldn't it?  

Resplendent in a purple turban, Carmen clapped her hands.  “Ladies, gentlemen, that's the end of our tour.  I welcome each and every one of you to our NYADA community. Feel free to continue to explore on your own if you wish.  And I'll see you in September.”

As they turned to go, Carmen called out, “Just a moment, Mr. Hummel.”

Kurt stopped, and looking curiously at Rachel, approached Carmen.  “Yes, Madam Tibideaux?”

Ms. Tibideaux fixed him with a stare, and her gravelly voice was stern.  “I understand you haven't submitted your physical examination to the admissions office yet.  The deadline was last week.”

“Oh … I've been so busy this summer, it must have slipped my mind.  I'll take care of it first thing when I get home.”  

“I'm afraid not, Mr. Hummel.  We need to be assured that our students are physically and mentally fit to withstand the rigors of our traditional program.  If you're not, then we need to cut you now and extend an invitation to another student.  A physician is at the health office to conduct examinations on anyone who hasn't turned in their paperwork.  First floor, room 106.  Take care of it today, Mr. Hummel.”

“Geeze, ableist much?” Kurt muttered under his breath as Carmen swept away.  Blaine appeared at his side.

“What did she want, Kurt?”  Blaine asked, his eyes huge and concerned.

“Oh, she wants me to see the school doctor and get a medical clearance today.  She can stick it,” Kurt said irritably.  “I'm tired and hungry.  Let's check out the NYADA cafe.”

“Absolutely not ! Youre going to take care of this, Kurt.  It's close to four, the doctor might not still be here if we take time to eat!” Blaine protested.  “You're not going to starve, we had lunch three hours ago and you had a granola bar and a yogurt since then!”

“That was my early-afternoon and mid-afternoon snacks … it's time for my late afternoon snack,” Kurt whined.  Blaine grabbed his hand and started dragging him toward the stairs.

“Hold on, guys,” Rachel called.  “We'll come wait with Blaine and then all of us can go get dinner someplace. A mini wedding reception for all of us, yay!" she squeaked.

“Great,” Kurt said glumly.  The perfect honeymoon, turning his head and coughing and then having dinner with Rachel and Finn.  “Let's get this over with.”

~ * ~

In the health office, Kurt dutifully produced a urine sample, then endured a blood draw and a rectal examination.  Dr. Carter asked an interminable list of questions, and Kurt wearily answered them all.  No, he wasn't a smoker.  No, he didn't do drugs or drink. When the questions turned to whether he'd had a recent gain or loss of weight, he blushed.

“Well, this isn't my usual weight,” he acknowledged.  “I've gained about twenty pounds in the last five months.”

“Looks like you're putting most of it on in the midsection,” Dr. Carter commented. “You'll want to watch that.  Abdominal fat is the most dangerous to your health.  Well, lie down for me, please,” he directed, patting the exam table.

“Hey, you already got to third base and you didn't even buy me dinner,” Kurt joked, his chuckle trailing off at the doctor's annoyed look.  He hauled himself up on the table and laid on his back.

“Let's check your internal organs,” Dr. Carter said, feeling Kurt's abdomen.  Ticklish, Kurt fought the urge to giggle.  “Relax, Kurt.  You're tensing up.” As he pressed into Kurts belly, Dr. Carter's expression changed slightly.  “That's … hm. Seems to be some organomegaly … the liver?”  He looked concerned and kept palpating more deeply, then turned in astonishment and stared at Kurt.  He reached for his stethoscope.

“What's the matter?  What did you feel?” Kurt asked, as Dr. Carter applied the stethoscope to his belly.  

“The swelling … it moved,” Dr. Carter said.  “Couldn't you feel it?”

“I - - I - - ,” Kurt whispered, his mouth going dry.  “I don't know.”  No. Please dont say it. Its not true, its not.

“I just don't understand,” Dr. Carter said, looking completely confused and placing the stethoscope back around his neck, feeling again over Kurt's belly with the palms of his hands. With the skin and flesh pulled back taut, an unmistakable outline of a small bump tracing along the inside of his abdomen and fluttering back was visible between the doctors hands.  

Dr. Carter stared, transfixed.  “I would swear that  - that you - - you were - - “

“Pregnant,” Kurt supplied dully.  “I'm pregnant.  Aren't I?”