The days pass achingly slowly. The fall of night breaks Kurt's heart, as he lies in bed with the salt of his tears slicking his cheeks, thinking of Blaine refusing to leave his world behind and be his for the rest of their lives, but the rise of the sun heals him, when he thinks of Blaine earnestly confessing that he loves him, eyes honest and soul open, and knows deep within himself that Blaine won't leave what they have behind. Love is everything to Kurt, it's always been worth more than money, and if he needs to pay extortionate amounts to release Blaine from his contract, marry him and raise a family, he'll do whatever it takes.

Worried for him, during the second week of waiting Quinn orders him to go and see his parents, forcing from the house and locking the door behind him, promising she won't be letting him back in until Finn texts her to tell her Kurt dropped by the house. Rolling his eyes, Kurt wraps his coat more securely around himself against the early spring chill and walks through the misted streets to the house he left nine years ago, seeing Finn's car in the driveway and knowing he's visiting for a while to introduce their parents to their first grandchild.

"Anybody home?!" he calls when he steps into the house, and he hears a shout before he's being hoisted up by Finn's strong arms, a large hand ruffling his hair affectionately before Finn sets him back down, grinning broadly at him.

"I missed you, little brother," Finn says, eyes bright and almost bouncing where he stands, as if he's six years old, not twenty-seven with a wife and a newborn baby. "You want to meet your niece? She's a keeper, looks just like her gorgeous mom."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Hudson," comes Louisa's familiar voice, and Kurt laughs as he embraces his sister-in-law, kissing her cheek and giving her outfit an approving nod. "It's great to see you, Kurt. We wanted to come earlier, but newborns are not as easy as people try to tell you. Remember that, it'll help you a lot in later life."

Kurt thinks of how soon he'll be heeding this advice, but pushes it down to let the couple guide him into the kitchen, where Carole's cooing over a baby girl barely visible in her cocoon of blankets and Burt stands up the moment he sees Kurt, striding across the room in four long steps to hug him, enveloping him entirely and making Kurt feel like a child again, clinging to his father when all hope seems lost.

"Meet your niece," Finn says, beaming with pride as he lifts his daughter carefully into his arms. "Kurt Hummel, we want you to meet Bryony Anne Hudson, two months old and the greatest thing in the world after the rest of your guys in this room."

As Finn sets the baby into Kurt's arms, nodding as they naturally form into a cradle, a moment flashes across Kurt's mind, suspended in time. One day, holding his own child like this, with Blaine at his side, exhausted from labour but proud, eyes shining, hand resting lightly on their baby's head and a smile only for Kurt on his lips.

"Kid, are you okay?" Burt asks, and Kurt blinks back to reality and realises he's crying, tears slipping down his cheeks and dripping onto Bryony's blanket, leaving dark spots on the pale pink. "Come on, talk to me."

"In private," Kurt says softly, and Burt just nods, waiting for Kurt to pass Bryony back to her father before following him out into the hallway and shutting the door on the chatter and celebration in the kitchen, his father looking at him with expectant eyes as Kurt tugs awkwardly at the fabric of his own shirt before he says, "I'm going to be a father, Dad."

Burt's jaw drops, his eyes wide, and Kurt tentatively continues, "I decided I wasn't going to keep waiting around for someone to have a family with and I can afford to raise a child alone, so I went to the carrier centre. But the carrier I chose, he's...he's amazing. I didn't want the impersonal side of the process, so we got to know each other before we had sex, we went out on dates and talked and he's so wonderful, he makes me so happy. But I made a mistake, Dad. I fell in love with him, and I want to buy out his contract so we can be together but he doesn't want me to because of the cost and I'm so scared I'll lose him."

With a sigh, Burt squeezes Kurt's shoulder gently and says, "Kiddo, if you want to be with him, you do anything you want to do within the law to get him. Is he pregnant or not?" Kurt nods, and Burt smiles slowly. "Another grandchild for Carole and I. Kurt, I'm proud of you for stepping up to this, and I know I haven't seen you this happy since Brandon. Good luck." Kurt hugs his father tightly before he shouts his goodbyes and leaves the house, swinging his coat over his shoulders and walking purposefully towards the centre.

Kurt knocks lightly on the door to Blaine's room, clutching the single red rose to his chest and waiting for Blaine to appear in the doorway, grey sweats too long and pooling around his feet, red shirt clinging to the beginnings of a baby bump. "Hi," he says softly, to Blaine's eyes lighting up and a helpless smile brightening his being. "I thought it over."

"I did too," Blaine says, ushering him in and closing the door with a soft snap, taking his hand as they sit down together on the bed, Kurt's foot pressed against Blaine's calf, always touching. "I thought about it and I know I'll do anything and go through anything to be with you. I think you are the love of my life, Kurt. My one and only. If you still want to pay that much money to get me out of here and into your arms, then I'm not going to try and stop you."

"Oh thank God," Kurt breathes out, throwing his arms around Blaine and pulling him as close as he can, fingers tangling into the curls at the back of his head, Blaine's chin tucked over his shoulder, face pressed into the crook of his neck, simply breathing him in. "I don't know what I would've done if you'd said no."

"I love you," Blaine whispers against his cheek, clutching at the loose fabric of his shirt, tucking his face even more securely into the crook of Kurt's neck.

"I love you too," Kurt replies simply, softly, stroking Blaine's hair before his hands move down his back, cradling him as close as he can, closing his eyes to memorise the feel of the beginnings of his bump pressed against his own stomach. "More than anything."