Chapter Two: The Role You Were Born to Play

Blaine pressed his face against the cool porcelain of the toilet, sending up a silent prayer that the nausea would soon pass. He jumped when Kurt entered the room with a glass of ginger ale and a wet washcloth. He pressed the cloth to Blaine's forehead and extended the glass for him to take.

“Thank you,” Blaine said with a small smile of gratitude. He sipped on the ginger ale. The last thing he wanted was to drink too much too fast and vomit again.

“How are you feeling?” Kurt asked.

“I'm feeling that morning sickness is a really misleading name for something that lasts all day,” Blaine moaned.

“Come on, on your feet,” Kurt said. He pulled Blaine off of the floor and into the living room.

Blaine was thankful Burt and Carole had both already left for work when he and Kurt had woken that morning. They had yet to tell them about the baby and Blaine did not want to worry about sharing the news while he was busy puking. Their time was almost up, however, and Burt would be home any minute.

“Do we have to tell them?” Blaine asked. “Maybe they won't notice.”

“If they don't notice your head down the toilet every five minutes they'll definitely notice in seven months when there's an infant screaming at the top of its lungs,” Kurt said unsympathetically. Blaine gave him a look. “What? Like our child will be anything but loud.”

Blaine smiled. “I love hearing you say that.”

“Well, it is ours. I told you, we're in this together. Nothing will change that,” Kurt promised. He pressed his lips to Blaine's lightly.

“Nothing will change what?” Burt Hummel asked as he walked into the house. He hung his jacket up on the coat hanger and collapsed into his armchair.

“Long day?” Kurt asked knowingly.

“Very,” Burt answered. “Now what were you two talking about?”

Kurt exchanged a glance with Blaine.

“Dad, Blaine and I have something to tell you,” Kurt began.

“I'm home!” Carole's voice rang out through the kitchen.

A wave of nausea hit Blaine like a freight train. He sprinted to the bathroom with Kurt on his heels.

“What's going on?” Carole asked, stunned as the boys ran past her as she entered the living room.

“I'm not sure,” Burt said with a frown.

Carole moved to hang her coat up next to Burt's, leaving Burt to check on the boys. He knocked on the closed bathroom door.

“Boys, what's going on in there?” Burt asked. “You know how I feel about closed doors.”

The door opened.

“About that,” Kurt said, supporting Blaine with one arm. “That's not going to be a problem anymore.”

“What do you mean that's not going to be a problem?” Burt frowned.

“Blaine's pregnant,” Kurt said bluntly. This was not how he had envisioned his father finding out but there was hardly a great moment with Blaine vomiting so frequently.

“What?” Burt exclaimed.

“Kurt, please, I need to sit down,” Blaine murmured.

Having overheard the exchanged, Carole moved into action. She gently pushed Burt aside and helped Kurt guide Blaine to the couch. Blaine sank into the cushions, pressing his face against the fabric of the couch. Kurt moved Blaine's head to rest in his lap, carding his hand through his loose curls.

“We didn't mean for this to happen, Dad,” Kurt said once Burt and Carole both sat down.

“Of course you didn't,” Burt agreed gruffly. “You're still kids yourself. How are you going to raise one?”

“We don't expect it to be easy,” Kurt answered. His hand dropped to rest on Blaine's flat abdomen. “But we love each other and we love this baby. We're going to make it work, somehow.”

Burt sighed unhappily. He exchanged a quick look with Carole before nodding.

“I don't like this. I had hoped I wouldn't have to worry about this with you after the whole Finn/Quinn debacle but I guess you learned nothing from your stepbrother.”

“Dad, that's not fair.”

“That being said,” Burt continued as if Kurt had not interrupted, “Carole and I will help you in whatever way we can. Blaine, you've been family for a while now. This only makes it more . . . permanent.”

“I'm so sorry, Mr. Hummel,” Blaine said as tears flooded his eyes. “I'm so sorry.”

Burt's countenance softened instantly. “Don't be sorry, Blaine. Worse things have happened. And how many times do I have to tell you to call me Burt?”

Blaine laughed through his tears. Kurt pulled on him until his face was buried in Kurt's neck. Blaine couldn't seem to stop his tears from flowing. Kurt rocked him as he eventually cried himself to sleep. Carole and Burt watched the couple with sad smiles on their faces. With Blaine asleep, Kurt slipped out from under him. He placed a pillow under Blaine's head and tucked a blanket over him.

“Carole, do you mind watching him for me? I need to run to the store for a few things,” Kurt said as he tugged on his peacoat.

“Of course, sweetheart. Whatever you need,” Carole said. She pulled Kurt into a loving embrace. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Kurt replied. He kissed her cheek before grabbing his keys and heading out the door.

K/B

Kurt stood in front of the diapers, momentarily distracted at all the different options. There were so many different brands, each advertising a different reason for use. Kurt had never even changed a diaper before. He could count the number of times he had been around kids on one hand. Before he could ponder over this any longer a familiar voice rang out behind him.

“I knew it!” Sam cried. “Quinn told me how horrible she felt all the time when she was pregnant and I noticed Blaine has been acting really weird lately and oh my God you're having a baby!”

“You can't tell anyone!” Kurt exclaimed, horrified that he had been seen.

“Why not? This is great!” Sam declared, clapping Kurt on the back. “You're going to be a father!”

“Blaine isn't ready to tell anyone yet,” Kurt said. “We've barely had time to get used to the idea ourselves.”

“Well you better get used to it soon,” Sam said.

“Just, please, don't tell anyone,” Kurt pleaded.

“Fine, I won't. I promise. But can I come visit Blaine?”

Kurt sighed, shaking his head unhappily. “Okay, but you can't stay long. He's been sick all day.”

“Just for a minute, I promise,” Sam agreed.

Kurt turned back to the shelves, grabbed a bottle of prenatal vitamins and threw them into the basket that already contained ginger ale and saltine crackers. Maybe a visit from a friend would help cheer Blaine up.

K/B

Kurt was surprised to find the living room empty when he returned to the Hudmel house with Sam in tow. He continued on to the kitchen where he found Carole making dinner.

“Where is Blaine?” Kurt asked as he put the ginger ale in the refrigerator.

“He woke up a little while ago and went up to your room to rest,” Carole answered. She smiled when she saw Sam. “Hello, Sam. Will you be staying for dinner?”

“No, ma'am,” he answered. “I just came by to see Blaine.”

Carole nodded. “You're welcome to stay if you change your mind.”

“Thanks, Carole,” Kurt said with a smile. He led Sam up to his old bedroom. Leaving Sam in the hallway, Kurt entered the room to ensure Blaine was decent. “How are you feeling, love?”

“A little better,” Blaine answered, propping himself up against Kurt's pillows.

“Well enough for a visitor?” Kurt asked. He opened the door to reveal Sam.

“Hey, buddy!” Sam greeted with a grin.

“Sam, what're you doing here?” Blaine asked in surprise.

“We ran into each other at the grocery store . . . in the baby aisle,” Kurt said, waiting for his words to sink in.

“In the baby aisle,” Blaine repeated. “Oh God, you know.”

“Don't worry, dude,” Sam said, perching on the end of the bed. “I won't tell anyone. I had already figured it out before I ran into Kurt. He only confirmed it.”

“How?” he asked. If Sam had figured out the truth it would only be a matter of time before the others did too.

“I'm kind of your best friend, dude,” Sam reminded him. “You've been sick going on two weeks now. You've been crying all the time, and not in the normal I-miss-Kurt way either. It wasn't hard to put two and two together.”

“Has anyone else noticed?” Kurt asked. He opened the box of saltine crackers he bought at the store and offered a few to Blaine who took them gratefully.

“No, I think I'm the only one,” Sam answered. He reached over and took a cracker out of Blaine's hand. Blaine shot him a look, moving his hand out of reach so Sam couldn't steal more.

“Everyone's going to think I did this on purpose to make you come home,” Blaine said dismally in between bites of cracker.

“It doesn't matter what other people think,” Kurt said.

At the same time, Sam said, “Screw other people.”

“What matters is what we know,” Kurt stressed, “which is that we love each other. And we're going to be the best fathers that we can to this baby.”

“Hell yeah, you are!” Sam enthused. “And if anyone says anything, you know I've got your back.”

“Thanks, man,” Blaine said.

Sam offered his fist to bump and Blaine obliged. Kurt watched the pair with a smile. At least if he couldn't be around to watch Blaine while he was at McKinley, Sam would be there.

K/B

Kurt left for New York on Sunday evening and Blaine returned to his empty house. His parents were in Chicago for business and he did not expect them home for another week. Blaine was lonely with Kurt in New York but he did his best not to show it. He had been the one to talk Kurt into going to New York in the first place, and now he had talked him into staying there. Blaine would not let Kurt throw away his internship at Vogue because of his mistake. But that left Blaine without the father of his child as he endured morning sickness.

On Monday, Blaine attended glee practice like normal. He did his best to keep up with the movements but he was completely exhausted and when a wave of nausea hit him he couldn't fight it down. Blaine ran out of the room, one hand clapped over his mouth. He barely made it to the boy's bathroom in time to vomit. Blaine had not been there for long before he heard the door open and close again.

“Blaine, are you okay?” Sam asked. He stood in the open door of the stall Blaine occupied.

“I'm fine,” Blaine said unconvincingly. He pushed himself to his feet and went to the sink to rinse his mouth out.

“Don't take this the wrong way, dude, but are you sure you should be participating in glee?” Sam questioned as Blaine dried his hands.

“My doctor said it was okay. Besides, Quinn competed until her eighth month when she was pregnant,” Blaine pointed out.

“Yeah but pregnancies are already higher risk with men,” Sam reminded him.

“I know,” Blaine said. “But this is my senior year. I want to enjoy it.”

“Just promise me you won't overdo it,” Sam requested.

“I promise.”

The bell interrupted them. Blaine and Sam returned to the choir room to grab their books before heading back out into the hallway. Sam stopped him by the bulletin board where the sign-up sheet for Grease auditions was posted.

“Can't we just decree whatever parts we want?” Sam asked as he signed his name at the bottom of the list. “We're president and vice president.”

“It doesn't work that way, Sam,” Blaine said. “Besides, I'm not doing the musical this year.”

“What do you mean you're not doing the musical? You love musicals,” Sam said.

Blaine looked around quickly before whispering, “I'm pregnant, Sam. I can't sleep; I can barely keep anything in my stomach. I don't even gel on weekends I'm so tired.”

“You're serious then?” Sam asked uncertainly.

“Sam, I have enough things going on without adding the musical on top of it. I ruined Kurt's life. We were supposed to be together in New York next year. We were going to retire in Providencetown, buy a lighthouse, and start an artists' colony. And now we're having a baby instead.”

Tears filled Blaine's eyes as the guilt overwhelmed him. Sam turned to face him with a frown.

“Dude, I get it. . . . Well, except for the lighthouse. But you're not the first couple to become parents as teenagers. You'll get through this,” Sam promised. He clapped Blaine on the shoulder and headed off towards their next class.

Somehow, Blaine found himself in the auditorium after school. Finn had managed to talk him into at least auditioning for the musical. (“There's no harm in just auditioning.”) All of his thoughts were of Kurt as he poured his heart into “Hopelessly Devoted to You.” Finn and Artie applauded when he finished the song but Blaine didn't feel he deserved it.

“I think I speak for both of us when I say you are the Danny Zucko of our dreams,” Artie said.

“Yeah, you were awesome,” Finn agreed.

“I can't,” Blaine said, shaking his head. “I'm sorry for wasting your time. But I can't be your Danny.”

“Is there any part you could play?” Finn asked.

“I don't know. Maybe Teen Angel, but probably not.”

Blaine shrugged helplessly before exiting stage right.

K/B

The rest of the week passed in a blur of restless nights and constant nausea. His hormones were raging and he cried at the drop of a hat. Thankfully, most people contributed this to Kurt's recent move to New York.

Friday was winding down and Blaine assembled with the rest of the club as Finn posted the cast list for Grease. He was glad to see Finn had really listened to him and he was given the small part of Teen Angel. Blaine wouldn't have much stage time and he would not be required to spend hours on end practicing and memorizing lines.

“Do you want to get a celebratory coffee?” Tina asked him.

“I can't,” Blaine said immediately. Caffeine was bad for the baby.

“Why not?”

Blaine couldn't think of an answer. He wasn't ready for Tina or the rest of New Directions to know. Thankfully, Sam came to his aid.

“We already have plans,” Sam supplied.

“Oh, okay, maybe next time then,” Tina said. She left them with a smile.

Blaine thanked Sam before making his leave. He was ready to collapse in his bed and not move for the entire weekend if he could get away with it. He was surprised to see his parents were already home when he arrived. Blaine dropped his things off in his room. He was about to call Kurt when he heard his father's voice.

“Blaine, will you come down here please?”

Blaine sighed unhappily. Nothing good ever came from his father calling him into a room. Donal Anderson expected the best of his sons and it seemed nothing Blaine did was ever good enough. Knowing it would only make things worse to put it off, Blaine descended the stairs and entered the living room. His mother was nowhere to be found but his father was sitting in his usual armchair before the fireplace.

“What, pray tell, are these?” Donal asked. He held up two familiar objects.

“That's a pregnancy test and a sonogram,” Blaine said weakly.

“I know what they are, Blaine, I'm simply asking why they were found in your bedroom,” Donal said.

“Why were you in my room?” Blaine demanded.

“This is my house,” Donal said sternly. “I can go into whichever room I please. Now answer the question.”

“Those are mine,” Blaine admitted, lowering his eyes. “I'm pregnant.”

Donal nodded. He seemed to think to himself for a moment before he said in a strangely calm voice, “Get out.”

“What?”

“Get out of my house. Pack your belongings and leave,” Donal repeated.

“But, Dad-”

“This is not up for discussion. I expect you to be gone before your mother arrives.”

With that Donal pushed himself to his feet and strode out of the room, leaving a stunned Blaine in his wake.