Somehow, they had made it through the movie without falling asleep, but by the time it was over, Blaine was on the verge of passing out. Kurt steered him to his bedroom, both barely managing to strip to their underwear before falling asleep.

When the alarm went off, Kurt woke with a displeased groan, feeling slightly disoriented. He wasn't used to waking up in a bed that wasn't his, but as soon as he peeked one of his eyes open, he saw the outline of Blaine's body next to his. It was still too dark outside, and Kurt felt sleep trying to pull him back, but Blaine was stretching towards the nightstand to turn the alarm off, and the way the muscles in his shoulders shifted made Kurt aware that he had been definitely affected after spending the night next to such an attractive guy.

He reached for Blaine, caressing his back softly, and earning a happy sigh and a pleased smile.

“Morning,” Blaine murmured, voice rough. He placed a quick kiss on Kurt's collarbone. “Go back to sleep. I'll wake you before I leave. It's still too early.”

Kurt didn't give Blaine enough time to move away, and put his hand on the back of Blaine's neck, bringing him in for a proper kiss. It was a sleep-sour kiss, but neither cared, as they got lost in it. They were warm and loose, sweet and pliant at this early hour, and they easily fell into each other, forgetting the outside world.

Blaine, however, pulled away with a little whine after a couple of minutes. “God, I wish I didn't have to go to work…”

Kurt let his lips travel down Blaine's jaw, following the column of his neck, ghosting tender little kisses over the scar he had found there on the first night together, and only now understood what it meant. “When do you have to leave?”

“I have to be at the gym in an hour,” Blaine replied as his eyes slipped shut.

“Then we still have a bit of time,” Kurt whispered, and pushed Blaine gently until he was lying on his back. He looked up at Kurt curiously, and then his gaze darkened when Kurt straddled him.

“Kurt,” he practically growled. “You're going to be the death of me.”

Kurt smiled lazily. “You can't expect me to simply let you go. I slept next to a gorgeous half-naked man all night and I'm only human, after all…”

Blaine ran his hands down Kurt's chest, watching him intently. “I think I know exactly what you mean.” He put his hands on Kurt's back and pulled him down to lie on top of him, their chests touching in the most delicious way. “Kurt. You're the most beautiful man I have ever seen in my life.”

Kurt felt so good and so warm at those words that he almost purred. He kissed Blaine again, this time purposefully, licking into his mouth as soon as Blaine parted his lips with a gasp. He could feel Blaine's hard cock dangerously close to his own – he only needed to shift a few inches in order to feel it in all its glory.

Blaine went back to running his hands down Kurt's back, slowly, feeling every knot in his spine, tracing every dip, until he reached his ass. He touched the cotton-covered cheeks, sliding his fingers between them to graze the cleft, causing Kurt to shiver in pleasure.

He caught Blaine's earlobe between his teeth and tugged lightly, making the other man gasp again. “Take my underwear off,” he said.

Blaine's whole body seemed to vibrate with his groan, as he slipped his hands into the back of Kurt's boxers, grabbing a handful of his ass, before he began to slide the offending item down and off. He went immediately back to touching Kurt, teasing him with his fingers, not getting anywhere near close to where Kurt really wanted him.

“Now yours,” Kurt said, and Blaine hurried to comply, as Kurt didn't stop kissing his neck, his shoulders, and every inch of that deliciously taut skin at his disposal.

Once they were both naked, their cocks brush against each other and they both moaned, moving to get them aligned just right. Kurt felt hot all over. He wished they didn't have to go to work. He wished they could stay in this room forever, touching everywhere until it was too much, over and over again.

He began to thrust against Blaine, loving how the head of his cock caught on the ridge of Blaine's, how their pre-come was beginning to leak between their bodies. “Oh god. If I had more time, I would ride you into the mattress right now.”

Blaine threw his head back and used his grip on Kurt's ass to thrust against him harder. “Let's quit our jobs and do that.”

Kurt laughed roughly as he picked up pace. He knew they truly didn't have much time, and he was so desperate to come already. Blaine planted his feet on the bed to urgently meet each thrust halfway, before changing his mind and wrapping his legs around Kurt's waist to bring them closer.

Kurt couldn't breathe. His whole body was being overtaken with nothing but the biggest pleasure. Breathing didn't seem important when there were others things to do – like nip at Blaine's collarbone and focus on the wet glide of Blaine's cock against his stomach. He pressed his mouth to Blaine's, but the kiss was short-lived, as they settled for simply panting against each other's lips.

“F-fuck, Kurt,” Blaine moaned brokenly. “Harder!”

Kurt thrust against him as hard as he could, his eyes falling shut and his hair sticking to his forehead with sweat. It only took one little teasing touch of Blaine's fingers to his hole to make Kurt shake as his orgasm struck. It was so sudden and powerful that he would have sworn his heat stopped for a full minute, and he simply kept moving against Blaine out of instinct, feeling the wet splash of their come mixing together when Blaine followed, announcing his own climax with a loud moan.

They held each other through it, chests heaving. They were sweaty and gross, but neither wanted to move, not really.

Blaine kissed Kurt's neck, following the path down to the curve of his shoulder. “How are you so perfect?”

Kurt hummed happily, but couldn't come up with an appropriate answer for that. He caught Blaine's lips in his and kissed him languidly. “I'm sorry if I made you late for work…”

Blaine laughed, rolling his eyes. “Oh yeah, you look very sorry right now,” he teased. “And believe me, I don't mind one bit.”

Kurt gave him a pat on the side of his (very muscled, very yummy) butt as he let himself fall onto the mattress again. “Well, I'm glad. But you still need to go to work. Come on, up you go!”

Blaine whined in protest but got out of bed anyway. But then he grabbed Kurt's hand and pulled him up as well, guiding him into the bathroom to take a shower together.

They were both a little late that morning, but neither cared that much.

*

Before leaving for Ohio, Kurt met Tanya for lunch. She walked into the little restaurant they had decided to meet up, looking around for Kurt, who immediately waved her over to his table. She smiled brightly at him, and Kurt couldn't help thinking that she was glowing, more and more beautiful every time he saw her. Pregnancy looked good on her.

“Hi Kurt!” She said happily, giving him a quick hug. “I'm sorry if you've been waiting for long. I was already on my way here and had to go back to my place to pee. This kid thinks my bladder is a toy.”

Kurt laughed as he pulled out the chair for her. “Don't worry. I haven't been here long,” he assured her, taking his own seat. “How are you?”

“Good, good,” she said, trying to find a comfortable position. “My feet are swollen and I pee like an elephant, but I'm good.”

“Well, if it makes you feel better, you look beautiful,” Kurt told her sweetly, earning a huge smile from her.

“I'm already giving you this child, Hummel. You don't have to be such a kiss-ass,” she said, narrowing her eyes at him teasingly.

Kurt laughed again and waved for the waiter to come take their order. “Oh no, my dear. I'm just stating a fact.”

They chatted amicably as they ate, and Kurt couldn't help looking down at her belly every now and then. He was more and more excited about the baby every day, and he kept wondering what his child was going to look like, and all the things he could teach him or her. He imagined holidays at his dad's house, as Carole and Burt doted on their little grandchild, and how his nephews would have a new cousin to play with. It was always a reason to smile, even during the hardest, busiest days.

He hadn't told Blaine about the baby and he wasn't a hundred percent sure why, at this point. He liked Blaine, he really did, but being a dad was different than being a strings-attached guy who had a baby on the way and whose life would never be simple again. He was busy now with work, but what about when the baby came? And how could he be sure that Blaine would still be around a few months from now? They were having fun, the sex was fantastic, and they just clicked so well… but neither of them had made a step towards labeling what they had, so Kurt was sure this was nowhere near serious. And did he even want to be serious with someone now? Blaine was lovely, and amazing, and sexy, and he could take Kurt's breath away just looking at him, but…

Oh, life had a way of getting complicated at the worst possible times.

“So, you're going to Ohio for a few days?” Tanya asked, as she dipped a French fry on ketchup.

“Yes, I am,” Kurt nodded. “That's why I wanted to see you before I left,” he added, and a little nervous edge slipped into his voice. He fished his notepad out of his bag and ripped a piece of paper out of it. “I want you to have my dad's house phone number. And his cell phone. And this is my stepmom's cell, just in case you can't reach me anywhere… and maybe I should give you my brother's number, too…”

Tanya placed her hand on top of his, stopping his frantic scribbling. “Hey, Kurt. It's okay. Why are you freaking out right now?”

“I… I just want to make sure you have a way to contact me while I'm away,” he explained carefully. He didn't know why, but he was avoiding her gaze.

“Are you sure that's all there is to it?” Tanya asked, frowning. When Kurt remained silent for a moment, trying to find something to say, she leaned over the table towards him. “Kurt… are you afraid I'm going to change my mind while you're away?”

Kurt's sharp intake of breath must have given him away, because she squeezed his hand even tighter. “I'm just… I'm sorry. I know I'm being stupid, but…”

“Stand up,” she ordered firmly, and he looked at her in shock. “I mean it, stand up, dummy.”

Kurt did, and so did she. She went towards him and hugged him tightly, and Kurt wrapped his arms around her. She was almost the same size as Rachel, and she felt so familiar in his arms.

“I'm not changing my mind, no matter what,” she muttered softly. “I chose you, Kurt. Just because you're not in town a few days, it doesn't mean I'll find a different family for the baby.”

“I'm sorry,” he said again, a little mortified. She pulled away to glance at him. “I guess I'm used to things never working out the way I want them to…”

“Well, this one will,” Tanya said firmly, and grabbed his hand. She pressed it against her belly. “That baby in there is yours, Kurt Hummel. No one is going to take it away from you. Not even me. I promise.”

Kurt felt his eyes filling with tears and hugged her again, his hand still pressed to her belly. The baby chose that particular moment to move, and Kurt gasped. “It's moving!”

“It must have recognized daddy,” she said sweetly, and this time, Kurt didn't really bother stopping the tears.

*

Regardless of how desperate he had been to get away when he was still a teenager, there was something comforting about returning to Ohio. Kurt recognized every street, every corner, every house. He could always rely on coming back to Lima and finding it unchanged, as if it was frozen in time. And he could always rely on his father being right there, ready to wrap him in a hug and make him feel home.

When he arrived at his father's house late on Sunday afternoon, he went up to his old bedroom and left his bag on his bed. He looked around and felt sixteen again – except that sixteen-year-old Kurt Hummel hadn't been as strong and as happy as he was now.

He was hanging his clothes in the closet when he turned to find his father leaning against the doorway.

“What do you say I call Finn and his gang to come over and we'll start the barbeque?” Burt said, with a gentle smile, his arms crossed over his chest casually. “It would be nice to have the whole family under one roof again.”

Kurt smiled softly at him. “That sounds amazing, Dad. I can't wait to see everyone.”

“You look great, kiddo,” Burt commented. “Happier. It looks good on you.”

Kurt chuckled lightly and shrugged his shoulders. “Well, I've had some pretty good reasons to be happy lately.”

“I know,” Burt nodded, smile growing bigger. “How's the baby?”

“Growing fast, but still taking way too long to get here, in my opinion,” Kurt said, unable to hide the happiness bubbling inside of him at the mention of the baby. “I actually wanted to show you something,” he added, turning back to his bag and searching through it. When he found what he was looking for, he extended it to Burt. “I thought you might like to see your grandchild.”

Burt took the sonogram images with shaking hands and looked at the pictures as his eyes filled with tears. “Oh Kurt. He's beautiful. Or she's beautiful. Whatever it is… just… god, I can't believe you're going to be a dad.” He wiped his tears roughly with his sleeve. “I still remember when you were just a little boy, when you scraped your knees learning how to ride a bike or danced around the kitchen with your mom. And now… you're a grown man, with a baby on the way…” He put his hand on Kurt's shoulder and squeezed. “I'm so proud of you, kiddo. So damn proud.”

Kurt rolled his eyes when the tears appeared in his eyes as well. “Oh, here comes the tear-fest,” he muttered. “Thank you, Dad. It means a lot to me that you're proud of what I've done with my life…”

“I've always been proud,” Burt retorted, pulling him into a hug. “You have always made me proud, Kurt. There's not a single day in the past thirty years that I haven't been grateful that you're my son.”

Kurt tightened his grip around his father and closed his eyes. He hoped he could be at least half the father Burt Hummel was. If he managed that, his kid would be happy, healthy and lucky.

“Let's go find Carole. She's gonna want to see this,” Burt said when he pulled away, eyes immediately falling to the sonograms again.

Yeah. Kurt was definitely glad to be home.

*

The Lima Bean had been of Kurt's favorite spots when he was in high school. He had spent long afternoons there after class, sometimes with friends, sometimes by himself. Every time he came back to Ohio to visit his family, he made sure to stop for a cup of coffee and remember old times. When Kurt had been a teenager, there hadn't been many things that made him happy, but all the memories he had at the coffee shop had been good ones, and he treasured that.

He and Tina met there on Monday to start going over the details for the wedding. She wanted a beautiful wedding, and though it may have been extravagant by Ohio standards, Kurt had planned a fair share of crazy weddings back in New York.

“Have you guys thought about the venue?” Kurt asked after taking a sip of coffee, all business. They had chatted and gossiped for the first twenty minutes they had been there, but now they actually needed to get down to work. Kurt couldn't stay in Ohio forever.

“Well, there's a country inn, a couple hours from here that Mike and his parents used to visit in the summers when he was a boy. We might look into booking it there, if it's big enough to hold all our guests,” Tina explained, with an excited grin that hadn't left her face since they had entered the coffee shop.

“That sounds perfect. Maybe we can drive there sometime this week and check it out?” Kurt proposed, writing it down in his planner.

“Whenever you want,” Tina replied. “He gave me the address, so maybe I can pick you up tomorrow morning and we can drive there? I'll call today and ask if we can stop by.”

“Yes, that would be amazing. Have you decided on colors?” Kurt asked, breaking off a bit of his cookie and popping it into his mouth.

“I was thinking red and pink, since it's Valentine's Day…” Tina must have seen Kurt's involuntary grimace, because she paused. “You hate that we want to get married on Valentine's Day, don't you?”

Kurt smiled at her apologetically and reached for her hand to give it a squeeze. “It's your wedding, not mine. I wouldn't have a Valentine's Day wedding, but if it's what makes you and Mike happy, then I'm not going to stop you.”

“Do you have a better idea for the colors?”

“I think we can make pink and red work,” Kurt replied reassuringly. “I'll find a way to make it very original and subtle.”

“You're the best,” Tina smiled again. “I can't believe I'm going to have a Hummel wedding. Your name was in at least three wedding magazines I bought in the last week.”

Kurt rolled his eyes to hide how flattered he was. “I work hard and I'm proud of what I do, but shush. You're making me blush.”

Tina laughed. “When I told my dad that you're the best in the business and that you agreed to plan our wedding, he said that he wanted me to have everything I have ever dreamed of. So name your price and my dad will take care of…”

“Oh, no, no,” Kurt interrupted, eyes going wide and raising his hands. “I'm not charging you, Tina. I'm doing this because I'm your friend.”

“What? Kurt, you're insanely busy. You can't do it for free!”

“Yes, I can,” Kurt retorted firmly. “Plus, I'll be taking time off for a few months before and after your wedding, so it's not like you'll be taking me away from other projects…”

Tina seemed shocked. “You're taking time off? You never do that!”

“Well, my baby is due sometime in December, so I want to be home and be a dad for a few months to get used to it,” Kurt answered, and he watched as Tina's mouth fell open in shock, and then she had to muffle a scream with her hands.

“A baby?! Kurt Hummel, why didn't you tell me you're going to be a dad!?” She squealed, making a few people turn to look at them.

Kurt couldn't hide the happy grin that slipped on his lips. “I assumed Rachel had told you already. I can't believe she actually managed to keep her mouth shut about something. Plus, we're talking about your wedding and your engagement. This is your time to shine!”

“Still! Oh my god, I can't believe you're going to be a dad!” Tina began bouncing on her chair. “Tell me all about it, please!”

Kurt gladly told Tina the whole story about the adoption agency and how Tanya had chosen him to adopt her baby. He told her about how excited and scared he was in equal proportions, and how he planned to be home with his baby for a while as he got used to his new role.

“Does that mean I'll be meeting the baby when you come for the wedding?” Tina asked happily. “I can't wait to spoil him or her rotten!”

“Yes, I'm definitely coming with the baby. Traveling with a two month old is going to be quite an experience, I'm sure,” Kurt said.

“Have you picked a name yet?” She wanted to know.

“No, not yet,” Kurt shook his head. “I've been brainstorming but nothing feels right. Now… we can talk more about the baby later, but I want us to get back to work. How do you feel about the entertainment for the wedding?”

They went back to planning for a while. After about an hour, Tina got up and went to the counter to get them refills, and Kurt's phone began to vibrate on the table with a message from Blaine.

From Blaine:

I bet Ohio is a wonderful place right now, because New York feels awfully empty without you…

Kurt bit his lip and smiled down at the screen.

To Blaine:

You're so cheesy that I can't decide if I want to kiss you or slap you.

Blaine's response arrived not thirty seconds later.

From Blaine:

I really, really like the first option.

Kurt must have stared at the message and grinned like a lunatic for a little too long, because Tina was suddenly taking back her seat and tilting her head at him in curiosity.

“Why are you looking at your phone like that?” She asked suspiciously. Her eyes narrowed. “Kurt Hummel, are you seeing someone and you didn't tell me?”

Kurt typed a message for Blaine quickly before turning his attention back to Tina.

To Blaine:

You know, I think I really, really like it too.

“You have to be the only future bride I have ever worked with who wants to shove the spotlight onto someone else,” Kurt said sighing. “Now is your time to be self-centered, Tina. Embrace it.”

“I'm asking this because of the wedding,” she replied innocently. “I want to know if you'll have a plus one…”

“Yes, I will. My plus-one will be a tiny baby who will hopefully sleep through most of the evening.” Kurt said, arching an eyebrow. “Now can we focus on your wedding, please?”

Tina hesitated. She probably realized it wasn't a good idea to get on the wedding planner's bad side, so she relented.

Kurt turned back to the list he had been working on, but his eyes often returned to the now dark screen. It didn't light up again with a new message, but he still couldn't stop smiling.

*

Blaine Anderson was screwed.

The sky seemed pale and dull, because he had seen the blue of Kurt's eyes and nothing could compare to it anymore. The softness of the grass in Central Park felt rough and strange to the touch, because he had run his fingers through Kurt's perfect chestnut hair. The chirping of the birds in the early morning seemed completely out of tune, because Kurt's voice was the most amazing sound he had ever listened to. His food tasted bland, because he now knew what Kurt tasted like when they were kissing. When he touched himself, the pleasure that coursed through his body was muted, because Kurt's hands on him had pushed him to experience the kind of passion and release he had never felt before.

Blaine Anderson was screwed because he was falling madly in love with Kurt Hummel.

Life had given him plenty of reasons to be bitter since he was still a kid. But suddenly, Blaine was happy. Or at least he knew he was close to being happy again. It felt foreign and insane, but just seeing his phone light up with a text from Kurt made his heart race. He couldn't stop thinking about him, and spent most of his time wishing he could be with Kurt. He had no idea if Kurt felt the same, but god, he wanted Kurt to feel the same. He wanted to have someone to love. He wanted someone to love him, no matter how flawed he was.

He landed a good right hook on the punching back and shifted his feet. He had been training a lot harder since Kurt had gone to Ohio. He felt like Kurt didn't really approve his career choice, but Blaine was hoping to change his mind. Maybe he could show him how good he was. For some strange reason, Blaine wanted Kurt to be proud of him. He couldn't remember when he had ever needed someone's approval so badly.

Kurt made him feel like he mattered, like there was more to him than just bitterness and muscles. After moving to New York, Blaine had somehow forgotten that he was more than just a boxer. He needed more than just the firm punching bag against his fists and the ring's ropes around him like a protection he had never thought he would crave. He wanted someone to share his life with, someone who knew how to calm him when his nerves and his anger got the better off him; someone who would put his arms around him and kiss his forehead and just wait until the storm was over. Someone he could kiss, and take out on dates, and buy flowers for. Someone he could build something meaningful with.

And lately every time that someone made an appearance in his dreams, it had Kurt's face.

Maybe Blaine didn't need to keep fighting even when he wasn't in the ring. Maybe he could finally relax and give happiness a second chance. Maybe Kurt would look at him and realize he had been searching for Blaine all his life, too.

Maybe Blaine could be exactly what Kurt wanted, just like Kurt seemed to be everything Blaine had ever dreamed of.

*

Kurt was actually sad when he had to leave Ohio. He had spent a lovely time with his family, especially his nephews, whom he rarely got to see. Burt had almost convinced him to stay for at least another day, but he knew he couldn't postpone everything he had to do back in New York any longer. He was only one week away from one of his weddings, and the bride had been calling him almost non-stop for the past two days, worried that something would go wrong.

He texted Blaine before boarding the plane and told him he hoped they could meet at some point that weekend for dinner. They had exchanged texts back and forth during the entirety of Kurt's stay in Lima, and Kurt had come to adore the giddy expectation that he felt every time his phone vibrated with a new message.

Once in New York, Kurt felt the peace he had gained back in Lima melt. He immediately checked his emails and began answering them while he waited for his bag. It was relatively early, so he could always stop by his office and get some stuff done…

But every thought about work evaporated from his mind when he looked up from his phone and found Blaine standing a few feet away from him, holding a small bouquet of yellow roses.

“Blaine?” He asked, surprised. “What are you doing here?”

Blaine actually blushed and looked down at the flowers. “I wasn't lying when I said I missed you. I hope it's okay I came?”

Kurt smiled brightly and grabbed Blaine by the forearms, pulling him closer and planting a quick, noisy kiss on his lips. “You silly. Of course it's okay. What a wonderful surprise!” He looked down at the flowers. “You're going to spoil me, aren't you?”

Blaine shrugged with one shoulder, but smiled back happily. “I thought this could be our thing. Flowers. I like buying them for you.”

“Our thing,” Kurt repeated, feeling completely bewildered. “I really like the sound of that.”

Blaine kissed him right there and then, surrounded by the wandering airport crowd, without a care in the world. Kurt kissed back in earnest, not sure what the hell he was doing, but enjoying every second of it anyway.

*