Kurt woke up slowly the next morning. He was first aware of the warmth pressed all along his front, then the way his legs were intertwined with another pair of hairier legs, and finally the curls tickling his nose.

Waking up with Blaine in his arms again was like waking up in paradise.

He was safe, soft, and familiar against Kurt. With a deep breath, Kurt got comfortable, molding himself even closer to Blaine's back, and wished he could stay right there all day. Blaine had one of his hands trapped between both of his, holding it tightly like he was afraid to let go. They were still naked, and Kurt could feel his very interested body reacting to the heat of Blaine's skin. But for now… he was contented just like this. Sex could wait.

He closed his eyes, ready to let sleep take him again, when Blaine shifted slightly, sighing in that wonderful way that meant he was coming out of a very satisfying sleep. He lazily lifted Kurt's hand and pressed a kiss against his knuckles before he looked over his shoulder.

“Hey,” he murmured, smiling in a way that made his nose all scrunchy. It was too adorable.

“Good morning,” Kurt replied, kissing the curve of his shoulder because it was the part of Blaine closest to him. “How are you feeling? Does anything hurt?”

Blaine's toe poked his calf under the blankets. “I feel amazing. Did you sleep well?”

“Like a baby,” Kurt said, and just like that, a heavy feeling settled in his stomach. Right. The baby. He had to talk to Blaine.

“Thank you for coming to the fight last night,” Blaine said before Kurt could even open his mouth again. “It meant a lot to me to see you there…”

“I was happy to be there,” Kurt smiled, just as Blaine shifted in his arms so they could be face to face. “I… I meant what I said last week, Blaine. I have really missed you.”

“I've missed you, too,” Blaine grinned bashfully. There was a shadow of stubble darkening his face, and Kurt wanted to feel it against his lips. “But… you stayed.”

It was a question even though Blaine hadn't phrased it as one. He was looking for affirmation, for reassurance, and Kurt was ready to give it to him. Yes, Kurt was there to stay. What he was scared of was that Blaine would be the one to walk away as soon as he heard the truth.

“I'm here,” Kurt whispered, and Blaine captured his mouth in a sleepy kiss as soon as those words were out there. Like that was all he needed.

Kurt allowed a short interlude of delightful kisses, Blaine's hands caressing his back in a rhythm only he could hear. Kurt trailed his mouth down Blaine's jaw, loving the scratchy sensation of his stubble, down to his neck, where he found a sensitive spot.  

He hauled himself together before they got carried away, particularly considering the way Blaine was slowly rocking his hips against him.

“How about some coffee?” Kurt asked, thinking that was a good enough excuse to get out of bed and find a setting for their conversation that wasn't so… distracting.

Blaine caught Kurt's earlobe between his teeth and tugged playfully. “You want coffee now?”

“I want to be more awake for whatever it is you have in mind right now,” Kurt said, placing his hands on Blaine's shoulders and pushing a little to create some space between them. “Please?”

Blaine rolled his eyes, but complied. “Fine. You know I can't resist you when you pout like that.”

It shouldn't have been so easy, should it? They had been apart for a little over a month. Kurt had made him believe they weren't right for each other, that Blaine wasn't right for him. And yet… here they were, back into each other's arms, and the only thing Kurt felt right now wasn't awkwardness. It was the most overwhelming kind of peace he had ever experienced.

Was this what it felt like to be exactly where he was supposed to be?

Maybe, just maybe, Blaine wouldn't run for the hills as soon as he heard the word baby. Maybe he cared about Kurt enough to stay. Maybe Kurt had read this whole situation wrong and he would end up getting the happily ever after the universe had neglected him for so long.

Maybe Blaine was the final puzzle piece he needed for the most perfect picture he had ever imagined.

They found their underwear in the piles of clothes they had made the night before, and put them on while sharing flirty smiles. Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand and dragged him to the kitchen, only letting go when he reached into the cupboard to find the coffee.

“Do you want me to make some breakfast?” Kurt suggested, already walking towards Blaine's fridge to see what he could find. “I can make you an omelet if you want.”

“I would love one,” Blaine said. “I love it when you cook for me.”

“It's the least I can do, isn't it?” Kurt murmured, pausing on his way to the stove to plant a sweet kiss on Blaine's cheek. He tried to keep his nerves at bay while he put the pan on the stove and started cracking eggs into a bowl. No matter what, he was telling Blaine today.

Blaine prepared Kurt's coffee just like he knew he liked it, and popped two slices of bread into the toaster. By the time Kurt was done with the omelets, Blaine had set the breakfast bar and was pouring orange juice into two glasses.

“Bon appétit,” Kurt said with a wink, and took a sip of coffee. He hummed in approval as the hot liquid ran over his tongue.

Blaine reached for Kurt's hand and gave it a short squeeze. “Thank you.”

Kurt smiled warmly at him. “It's just omelets, silly. It's not a big deal.”

Blaine's eyes were almost golden, they were so intense. “I'm not talking about breakfast.”

The words, though simple, took Kurt's breath away. “Oh.”

Blaine smiled at him before he grabbed his fork, ready to dig in. the atmosphere began to dissipate, becoming lighter again.

Kurt took a deep breath and put his coffee cup down. “So. There's something I actually need to…”

The sound of a phone ringing interrupted Kurt's confession. He recognized the ringtone as his own and huffed in annoyance. Why was it so difficult to find an opportunity to tell the truth?

“Excuse me,” he muttered, and walked into the bedroom to fish his cell phone out of the pocket of his jeans. He quickly accepted the call before it went to voicemail. “Hello?”

It only took a few words before Kurt was putting his clothes on frantically, resisting the temptation to just throw the phone against the wall and hide under Blaine's blankets.

“What? Are you kidding me right now? The wedding is this Friday. How am I supposed to…?” He paused and rubbed his temple. It was too early on a Sunday to be so stressed. “Fine. I'll be there in an hour. I just need to… I'll figure it out.”

Kurt ended the call and allowed himself a second to breathe. He felt like punching someone. Maybe he would need to ask Blaine to teach him how to box.

Blaine looked at him knowingly as soon as he stepped into the kitchen, completely dressed. “You have to go.”

“Yes,” Kurt almost whined. “I'm sorry. There's a crisis at work. The caterer that was supposed to work at the wedding on Friday has to fly to fucking California for a funeral, and he won't be able to make it back in time. And it's a family company, so they are going to be closed for the week. It's just… god. It's a nightmare. How am I going to find a new caterer and get them to make food for three hundred people in less than five days?”

Blaine stood up, wrapped his arms around Kurt and kissed the tip of his nose. “You're amazing. I'm sure you'll figure it out in the end.” He produced a travel mug. “I figured you would need to run, so I poured you some coffee to go.”

“You're an angel,” Kurt groaned, and pulled him into a kiss. “I hate to go like this, but… I have a feeling this is going to be a terrible week. Can I call you? I'll let you know if I'm free enough to have dinner or… I don't know. I just really want to see you.”

“Of course. Whenever you're free, just call me,” Blaine nodded, and he was far too good and understanding. Kurt wanted to punch himself in the face.

Kurt kissed him again. It took a lot of effort to walk out the door. He was tempted to just drag Blaine back to bed and let the wedding and whole wide world fix itself.

Blaine walked him out, and just as Kurt was about to climb down the stairs, he looked over his shoulder. Blaine was leaning against the door, watching him go with an adoring smile on his face, a lot happier than he had been a week ago. He blew him a kiss, and Kurt pretended to catch it.

He wanted to remember that silly, beautiful smile on Blaine's face for the rest of his days. He felt like he was going to need it.

*

There was only one word Kurt could use to describe that week: hell. He barely had time to stop and grab a bite to eat, so seeing Blaine again and sit him down to tell him about the baby was impossible. They managed to talk on the phone a couple of times, but Kurt couldn't help falling asleep halfway through their conversation, too exhausted to keep his eyes open any longer. Blaine assured him he didn't mind, and Kurt had to admit that there was nothing nicer than falling asleep with Blaine's soft voice in his ear.

Well, except for falling asleep in his arms, of course.

By the time Friday rolled around, Kurt was tense and desperate for some time off. Unfortunately, he still had one more wedding that weekend, so relaxing would have to wait. He had miraculously found a solution for the catering catastrophe, though compromises had needed to be made. The happy couple wasn't very happy at all about it, but with so many other things to stress about, Kurt got them to accept to have a more modest dining option.

He was doing his final round at the venue to make sure everything was where it was supposed to be when his cell phone rang. He accepted the call distractedly.

“Hummel Weddings, this is Kurt speaking.”

“Hi Kurt!” Rachel's voice was way too bright for his current mood. “How are you? Are you okay? Why did you miss our weekly bar hangout?”

“Sorry, Rach. It's been… well, one of those weeks,” Kurt sighed tiredly. “I promise to make it up to you and the girls soon.”

“It's okay. We were just worried when you texted us to say you couldn't make it but didn't give us a reason why,” Rachel replied kindly. “We know you've been in sort of a funk since the whole thing with Blaine, so…”

“Uh, yeah, about that…” Kurt bit his lip hesitantly. He gestured to one of his workers so she would move a centerpiece a few inches to the right so it would look right. “I'm pretty sure I'm seeing Blaine again?”

There were a few seconds of silence. Then Rachel cleared her throat. “Is that a question or are you telling me you and Blaine are back together?”

“It's not a question,” Kurt said. “But things are pretty delicate between us, so I wouldn't say we're back together yet.”

“I see. Well, if that's what makes you happy, I'm glad you two are working things out,” Rachel muttered diplomatically, and just by her tone of voice, Kurt knew the punch was coming. “I assume Blaine is perfectly okay with the baby, then? I mean, you wouldn't lead him on again after practically breaking the poor guy's heart into a million pieces only to keep lying to him, right?”

Kurt closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He took a deep breath. “You know, Rach, I have my hands full here, so I'll have to call you back!”

“Kurt Hummel!” She squeaked indignantly. “Why are you being such an idiot?”

“I'm not. I promise I'll tell him this time. I just haven't had time to sit with him and tell him, and I didn't want to do it over the phone. But I'm done hiding things from him, Rachel,” Kurt said vehemently. “I'm going to have time on Monday, so I was thinking of inviting him over for dinner and talk to him then.”

“Okay… but don't chicken out this time!” Rachel muttered, a threat evident in her voice. “I love you, Kurt, but you're impossible sometimes.”

“The feeling is mutual, Rach,” Kurt said tiredly. “I really have to go now. I'll call you as soon as I have enough time to breathe.”

They said goodbye and Kurt allowed himself a few seconds to get back into the right mind set he needed for the day, before he turned around and marched into the kitchen to make sure tonight's dinner wasn't going to be even more of a disaster.

*

Blaine straightened the blue cellophane paper wrapping the bouquet of flowers before he knocked on the door. He felt excited and hopeful in a way he hadn't felt in a long, long time. Kurt wouldn't have come back to him if he didn't care about Blaine. The way things had ended the first time probably had an explanation, and judging from Kurt's voice when he called Blaine to invite him over for dinner, he was getting that explanation tonight.

The door opened to reveal Kurt in a comfy-looking grey sweater that made his eyes pop and a pair of jeans with strategically placed rips. He looked so beautiful and so casual that Blaine wanted to burrow into his arms and never ever move again.

“Hi!” Kurt said with a smile as soon as he saw Blaine standing there. “Come on in!”

“Hi, Kurt,” Blaine muttered as he stepped into the apartment. He extended the bouquet of gorgeous chrysanthemums in a range of autumn colors that went from dark red to yellow. “These are for you.”

Kurt accepted the flowers with a pleased smile and a slight blush on his cheeks. “You didn't have to. Thank you so much. These are lovely.”

“I wanted to,” Blaine murmured. He wanted to say that it was their thing, after all, but it felt a little presumptuous. “How are you? You sounded so exhausted on the phone when you called yesterday.”

Kurt walked to the kitchen to find a vase for the flowers, and Blaine followed, removing his coat. There was a big bag of Thai take-out on the counter and the deliciously spicy smell of the food was already permeating the apartment.

“Definitely exhausted. I needed a day off,” Kurt said as he arranged the flowers in a glass vase carefully. “I hope you're in the mood for Thai food. I didn't have the energy to cook tonight.”

“Of course. I'm always in the mood for Thai,” Blaine assured him with an easy smile. He wanted to kiss him, but he wasn't sure if he should make the first move.

He helped Kurt carry the take-out containers to the living room, and they spread the little white boxes on the coffee table, before sitting on the floor, with their backs pressed against the couch and a silly reality show playing in the background. Kurt opened a bottle of white wine, sighing in contentment at the first sip.

“So, you survived the weekend of hell,” Blaine commented with a quick nudge to Kurt's shoulder. “Do you get to relax a little now or will this week be super busy, too?”

“No, luckily my next wedding is in two weeks, so there's still some time to breathe and rest from all the insanity,” Kurt replied, grinning as if he couldn't think of anything better than that. “How are you?”

“I'm good,” Blaine said, peeking into one of the boxes to see what was inside. He grabbed a little bit of Pad Thai with his chopsticks and popped it into his mouth. “I kept my training light last week, as usual after a fight. But I'm not nearly as bruised as I've been after other fights, so I'm going back to my usual routine this week.”

“You look really good,” Kurt said, as his blue eyes examined his face thoroughly. “It doesn't compare at all to the first time I saw you fight.”

They absently switched boxes, and Blaine picked a shrimp. “This fight was quicker and a lot less brutal.”

“True. You won so quickly I practically had no time to freak out,” Kurt said with a smile.

“Well, I had a pretty good incentive,” Blaine shrugged. “I just wanted to get off that ring so I could see you.”

It was the right thing to say, if the way Kurt's body seemed to loosen next to his was any indication. He lowered his food and leaned in slightly, just enough to place a sweet kiss on Blaine's lips.

Blaine felt like he could jump onto the coffee table and dance.

They talked about their weeks, and then commented the season finale of one of the reality shows they loved to hate-watch, that they had finally managed to catch up on. As they ate, they moved closer and closer together, until Blaine could feel the heat of Kurt's body pressed all along his side, and the way his muscles shifted every time he reached for his glass of wine.

Blaine insisted on clearing up the table once they were done, and wouldn't allow Kurt to help him. “Just sit there, pick a movie or something for us to watch if you want, and relax. It is your day off, after all.”

Kurt needed very little convincing. He got comfortable on the couch with the remote and started to change the channels. By the time Blaine joined him again, he had found a rerun of Friends. Blaine sat next to him, already smiling as he remembered what the episode was about, but Kurt immediately turned the television off and sat up, shifting so he could face him.

The serious expression on Kurt's face worried Blaine a little. “Is anything wrong?”

“No, of course not,” Kurt said, reaching for his hand. “I just thought we could talk?”

“Sure,” Blaine mirrored his position, giving Kurt his full attention. Their knees knocked together on the couch. “What did you want to talk about?”

Kurt looked down at their intertwined hands. “Well, first… I need to apologize for the way I handled things when we… when we broke up. I let you believe there was something wrong with you and that I didn't want to be with you, and that was just awful. It wasn't true. There's nothing wrong with you, Blaine, and I care about you so much…”

Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand sadly. “You don't have to…”

“Yes, I do,” Kurt interrupted firmly. “I have to apologize. I have to tell you how amazing you are. You're not fucked up, in any way. We all have things to deal with. It doesn't make you any less wonderful than you are, Blaine.”

Blaine felt a little foolish as his cheeks reddened. He lifted Kurt's hand and pressed a tiny kiss to his knuckles, unsure what to say. He didn't think he was wonderful, not really, but there had to be something good about him if Kurt saw them, if Kurt believed them.

“Thank you,” he finally mumbled, because it meant so much to him that Kurt was saying this.

“No need to thank me,” Kurt said warmly. Then he cleared his throat and he focused again on their tangled hands. “And since we're having this conversation, there's something I really want to tell you. Blaine, I… I…”

Blaine held his breath. He wondered if Kurt was trying to say what he thought he was trying to say. Blaine's whole body vibrated in anticipation, and he forced himself to wait and let Kurt say it. He wanted Kurt to be the first one to say it. The right response was sitting comfortable in the tip of Blaine's tongue, ready to come out: I love you too.

Kurt paused, and Blaine decided to give him a little push, to show him it was okay to say it, that he wouldn't be rejected.

“It's okay, Kurt. You can tell me anything,” he said, leaning in a bit closer so he could look Kurt in the eyes.

Kurt nodded, and he seemed more determined. “Blaine, I…”

There was a knock on the door. Blaine felt like punching a wall. They had been so close. But the look of annoyance in Kurt's face couldn't be compared to what he was feeling.

“Who the hell is it now?” He exclaimed, irritated, as he stood up and walked to the door.

Blaine shifted a bit on the couch so he could see, and found a smiling Rachel standing in the hallway when Kurt finally opened the door. She pushed her stroller into the apartment without even saying anything, and Kurt just stared at her with his mouth hanging open.

“Hello boys!” She said happily. “I'm glad to find you here, Kurt. Something came up and I need someone to babysit Lilah. She loves her uncle Kurt so much that you were my first option! And I know how much you love babies, so I thought you wouldn't mind at all!”

Kurt looked like he was ready to murder her. Blaine walked towards him and touched his arm lightly.

“Rachel,” Kurt muttered between clenched teeth. “I know what you're doing.”

“I have no idea what you're talking about, Kurt. I simply needed a favor from a dear, dear friend who really likes babies,” Rachel replied innocently.

Blaine looked between them in confusion. “Is everything okay?” He asked.

“Of course it is!” She said before Kurt could even open his mouth. “I hope you don't mind that I interrupted your date night, Blaine. But Lilah won't bother you at all. She's a sweetheart.” She pushed the stroller a little more into the apartment and gave her baby bag to Blaine, who accepted it out of sheer confusion. “Okay! Thanks for doing this, guys! You're amazing! I'll be back later!”

And she was gone as quickly as she had arrived.

Blaine looked down into the stroller. Lilah was wide awake – she was a precious little girl with big eyes exactly like her mother's – and stared back at him for a moment, before her lower lip began to wobble, and then she began to cry.

“Shit,” Kurt said under his breath, and reached into the stroller to grab her. “It's okay, sweetie. It's okay. I'm sorry your mother is a psycho and just dropped you here.”

“Uhm,” Blaine glanced at the bag in his hand and back at the crying baby. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. “Is Rachel always like this?”

“You mean difficult and exasperating?” Kurt asked, and he was clearly in a bad mood. “Yes.”

Kurt took the baby towards the couch. Blaine bit his lip and tried not to be disappointed that their special moment had been interrupted, but it wasn't easy. He shifted from foot to foot awkwardly, not sure what to do now.

“Can you check if there's a bottle in her bag? Maybe she's hungry,” Kurt said distractedly, as he shushed Lilah hoping to calm her.

Blaine opened the bag and peeked inside. “Uh, yes, there's a bottle, but there's no milk in it.”

Kurt smiled and rolled his eyes at him. “Of course not, silly. There should be some formula in there too to prepare it.”

“Yup, here it is,” Blaine said. He watched as Kurt kept trying to get the little girl to stop crying. “Do you, uh, do you want me to make it?”

“Would you mind? Thank you,” Kurt said, looking up at him with grateful eyes.

Blaine walked into the kitchen, studying the box of formula and trying to figure out how the hell to prepare it. He grabbed the kettle and filled it with water, putting it to boil. As soon as it was ready, he measured the amount of formula he was supposed to use and poured it into the bottle, immediately pouring the water afterwards. He mixed it carefully, brow furrowed in concentration, and then took it back to Kurt.

Kurt smiled up at him. Lilah was still crying, but a lot more quietly. “Thanks, honey,” Kurt muttered, accepting the bottle. He bared one of his wrists and let a few drops of formula fall onto his skin. “Ow, holy fuck!” He exclaimed, and that made Lilah cry harder again.

“What? What happened?” Blaine asked, alarmed.

“It's too hot! Did you let it boil too long?” Kurt said.

“I… I don't know,” Blaine answered. “I'm sorry.”

“It's fine,” Kurt sighed. He gestured towards the bag again. “Her favorite doll should be in there. That should distract her while the bottle cools down a little.”

Blaine found a pretty blue-haired soft doll in the bag. He held it in front of Lilah and tried to smile. “Hey, little girl. Look. Look who I've got here!”

Lilah reached for the doll, only to throw it back to Blaine's face.

Blaine couldn't help the little pang of disappointment that travelled through him. “She hates me, wow. I'm a lot more awful with children than I thought I was.”

“She's just in a mood. Her mother abandoned her with us and she's hungry. She'll be fine,” Kurt replied, picking up the doll again. This time, Lilah accepted it.

“I should probably just go home,” Blaine said, uncomfortable.

Kurt's eyes widened a little. “But… I thought you'd want to stay the night.”

“Yeah, but I feel like I'm just in the way now,” Blaine tried to smile so Kurt wouldn't see just how out of place he felt. “You can take care of Lilah and I'll see you later this week? Maybe on Wednesday?”

“I really wanted to spend some time with you. There was actually something, uhm, quite important I wanted to tell you,” Kurt looked away sheepishly, and Blaine's heart melted a little. “Here, why don't you grab Lilah, so I can go to the kitchen and remake the formula? That way she'll go to sleep soon and we can keep talking about…”

But as soon as Kurt made the move to pass Lilah into Blaine's arm, the little girl held on tightly to her uncle and wailed. Blaine took a step back, a little horrified at her reaction.

“Oh, Lilah, come on…” Kurt said, now a little exasperated.

“I'll just go,” Blaine said, and immediately walked towards the door. “I'll call you tomorrow, okay?”

“Blaine, please,” Kurt murmured, sadly.

“I'm sorry. I'm no help, and you're clearly a lot better at handling babies than I am. I've never… they kind of freak me out, to be honest,” Blaine muttered, as he put on his coat. “I'll call you tomorrow. Thanks for dinner, Kurt.”

Blaine fled from the apartment as quickly as he could, feeling frustrated and disappointed at how the night had ended after going so well. He knew he should have stayed and helped Kurt, but he had never felt so useless in his life as when that tiny little version of Rachel Berry threw a doll at his face.

If Blaine had turned around before letting the door close behind him on his way out, he would have seen the brokenhearted look on Kurt's face as he walked away.

*