Chapter 10

“Papa? Why did you two leave? It's way past bed time.”

Kurt looked at Blaine after Madison asked the question. He could tell that by the look on the man's face, Blaine was seriously debating whether or not he'd be honest, and that alone was a problem. There was no way they could tell Madison the truth. For one, she was way too young to handle this. It'd be hard enough explaining a divorce to her, not to mention how he himself played into the scenario. Secondly, there was the possibility of it upsetting Madison and her telling her mother everything. Just like that, all the hard work they did to build their ‘case' would go right out the window. But Blaine looked like he couldn't do it.

Madison stared between the two of them before taking a couple steps forward. Her long, curly hair hung over her shoulders and her hazel eyes were bright in the dimly lit halls. Kurt took a step closer to her as well, smiling a little bit.

“It's actually my fault, Maddie. I wasn't feeling well after dinner last night. I think… it could be the stress around all of the exams I have to take this week getting to me.”

The little girl looked up at him and then to her father. Kurt continued, knowing that Blaine wasn't going to say anything.

“I wasn't feeling too great, so I told your dad that I was going to have one of the drivers take me to the emergency room. He told me that he'd take me himself. But I started to feel better when we got there.” Honestly, Kurt felt like a sack of shit for lying to this precious girl. She'd never wronged him. He just didn't know any other option. “So instead of making your dad stay there for hours with me, we just came back home. I'm sorry if we made you worry.”

Madison took his hand and Kurt cradled it with his own. “Are you sure you're okay now?”

Kurt nodded. “I am. I just need to get in bed and so do you, sweetie. Your dad, too. Okay?”

Madison nodded. She poked her head out to look behind Kurt at her father. It was weird how quiet he was being, but maybe he didn't feel good either. “Okay.” She gave her nanny a hug and Kurt smiled brightly as he accepted it. When she pulled away and walked over to her father, Kurt looked back at Blaine.

“Goodnight Mr. Anderson.”

Blaine nodded to him. “Get some rest Kurt.”

Madison waved goodbye as Kurt retreated. She smiled at her father when he picked her up and kissed her cheek. He hadn't shaved in a while and the stubble scratched her face. “Papa?”

Blaine started to walk towards her room. “Yes, sweetheart?”

“Can you stay with me? I had a bad dream before I woke up but I can't remember what it was. I was going to come to you and mommy after I came out the bathroom, but I saw you there with Kurt.”

What a relief it was that she didn't.

If there was ever a time to realize that he and Kurt would need to stop sneaking around, it was now. What would've happened if they got in a couple minutes later? Madison would've woken up Sarah while Blaine was getting oral sex in the car from their nanny, that's what would've happened. Blaine tried not to think about it as he closed Maddie's door behind them, but how could he not? He was just as much of an adulterer as his wife was and now his daughter was in the middle of it.

“I'll stay with you, Madison. We should get right to sleep though, okay? We've only got a couple hours before the day begins.”

Madison nodded as her father placed her in bed. He lay down beside her and pulled her close. “Goodnight, dad.”

Blaine kissed her in the hair. “Goodnight, hippo butt.”

She smiled and grabbed his hand, closing her eyes. When she did so, she noticed something very different, and it made her open them again. Her dad looked to be trying to sleep—his eyes were closed at least. But even though her dad said they should go to sleep, she had to ask.

“Papa?”

Blaine opened one eye and looked down at her. “Yes sweetheart?”

She looked down at the tan over his finger. “Where is your wedding ring?”

Blaine's heart stopped. He opened his eyes wider and looked at his hand. He forgot to put it back on. “Oh… it's in my pocket. I took it off earlier and didn't put it back on yet.”

Madison looked at him. She watched her dad sit up and dig in his pocket for it, and after a few seconds of hectic searching, he pulled it out and slid it back on.

“There we go,” Blaine said, looking down at his little girl. He forced a smile but she didn't react, only staring at his hand. Blaine lay back down and tried to close his eyes again, but he knew for a fact that Madison was going to say something else.

“Why'd you take it off?”

There it was.

Blaine looked at her now. “Why aren't you going back to sleep?”

“My friend Jade's parents aren't together anymore. She lives with her mommy.”

Blaine was silent.

“She told me that right before they stopped being together, they took their rings off. They stopped liking each other. Sometimes I see mommy not wearing hers too.”

His heart was breaking, slowly but surely. Blaine rolled over and sat up, looking down at his hand. His daughter sat up too but didn't move afterwards.

He honestly couldn't lie to his daughter. Maybe to everyone else, and to himself, but not to Madison. She didn't deserve any of this.

“Mommy and Daddy haven't been getting along too well, Madison. But I don't want you to worry about that,” he began. She sat stationary on the bed as he turned to face her, turning the lamp on and taking her hands. “I need you to listen, ok? Because whatever happens between your mom and me, we're going to continue to put you first. We love you, Madison—”

“Is it my fault?” Madison asked, interrupting him. “Is it because I told you I didn't want to do ballet and you two argued because mommy made me?”

Blaine quickly shook his head no. “God, Madison, I don't want you to think that way. Ever, alright? You aren't to blame. Sometimes…” he closed his eyes and tried not to cry. Now he really felt like a failure, letting his daughter down. “Sometimes grownups have disagreements. Sometimes they may decide that they can be happier when they aren't married or living together. I don't want you to think it is your fault if your mother and I feel that way, because like I said we love you more than anything.”

Madison was quiet. She looked down at their hands and Blaine took a deep breath as he pulled her closer.

“I don't want you to have to worry about this, Maddie.”

“Jade said when her mom took her wedding ring off that she started to see another boy.”

Blaine looked at his daughter.

“Are you happy with someone else?”

“Please, Maddie. Let's just go to sleep, ok?”

Madison pulled her hands away and rolled over in bed. Blaine felt cold as soon as she'd done it. He couldn't stop the way his eyes watered up now.

“Madison.”

She was quiet.

“I am happy with someone else. Ok? And I'm so sorry.”

His daughter turned to look at him and Blaine wiped tiredly at his eyes. He shook his head. “I-I'm sorry. It's just that I haven't felt as good as I do when I'm with… this person, in a long time. You make me happy, Maddie, and you'll always be my world. But I really want to give myself a chance to know what it's like to love someone the way that your Uncle Cooper and Aunt Carolina do. Your mom and me—we don't have that. I think the both of us deserve it though, but we can't give it to each other. And I … Madison I don't want to be the one hold her back, or to hold myself back, and to keep you in a home where you can't grow up around love.”

Madison wiped at her eyes now.

“I…” Blaine shook his head and lay down again. “I haven't even talked to your mother about this. I didn't want you to hear any of this until I'd talked to her about it. I feel like I really messed up. I'm so sorry, Madison.”

She was quiet.

Blaine was too. For a while, he considered letting her be. She was more than likely really ticked at him. She was more than likely going to tell her mother everything. This was most definitely the last thing he wanted, and when Kurt found out he'd probably want out too. This job had to be more than he bargained for. But then he felt his daughter crawl over to him and lay her head on his chest.

“Daddy?”

Blaine stared up at her pink and blue ceiling. “Yes, Princess?”

She sniffed a bit. “I want you to know that I like it when you're happy. I think you look sad and tired too much.”

Blaine smiled before it turned into a light laugh. “I try to hide my sadness around you. I'm sorry.”

She looked at him. “It isn't your fault. And guess what?”

Blaine stroked the hair out of her face. “What?”

“If Jade can do it, if she can be a big girl and live with her mommy and daddy not together, then I can too. I can especially if you are happy and mommy is happy.”

Blaine stared down at her. He thought about it every day; how he had the best little girl in the world.

“I won't tell you that it doesn't make me sad because I will miss the things we all do together, even though it isn't all the time. But I mostly care about you not being sad.”

“Thank you, baby girl. You're amazing, you know that?”

Madison smiled, and he wiped the tears off her cheek.

“So you don't hate me?” he asked.

She shook her head no. “I could never hate the best dad in the world.”

Blaine laughed. “I still am sorry about this, regardless. But can you do me a favor?”

Madison nodded.

“Don't tell anyone about our talk, ok? Not your mom, not Jade, not even Kurt. He'd probably think I shouldn't have told you anything because you're very young, but he doesn't know how strong you are.”

“I'm very strong,” Madison boasted. She smiled to her dad. “Just for the record, I like Kurt a lot too.”

Blaine raised an eyebrow at that statement. He didn't know where she was going with that. When Madison smiled and closed her eyes, Blaine decided to press on. There was no way he'd let her say something like that and then just go to sleep. “What do you mean?”

Madison smiled and turned her face to the opposite direction. Her dad couldn't see her. “I just think Kurt is an awesome nanny.”

Blaine stared at her.

She fucking knew.

“He's a good guy…” she continued, turning back to face him, apparently trying to get comfortable. “And I know he cares about me and you.”

Blaine stared up at the ceiling. Why did he even put it past her? “Yeah, he's a good guy. You do remember my favor, right?”

She nodded.

“What was it, Maddie?”

“I'm not supposed to talk about what we talked about. I know that you and mommy didn't talk about it yet.” She closed her eyes again, blinking a few times. “I'm going to keep quiet. But if you two don't stay together, even though it would make me sad, I want you both to talk to me about it. I don't want to be left out like Jade was. Her dad didn't tell her he was moving out and she said she got a phone call. I would hate that.”

Blaine looked at her and nodded. “Can I ask you a big girl question? I would like you to be as truthful with me as I am being with you right now, ok?”

She nodded. “I promise.”

Blaine made her pinky swear and then laid back, relaxing fully on The Little Mermaid pillows. “If your mommy and I were to live apart, who would you want to be with most of the time?”

Madison hummed as she thought about it. That was a hard question. She didn't want to make one of her parents upset by choosing the other. She also didn't know if she'd be ok with her mom or her dad being fine with not seeing her a lot. But, she knew that at the end of the day, her mom probably wouldn't have enough time for her. It would probably be her living with the nanny for most of the time, and who knew if Kurt would even still work for them if her dad and mom weren't together any longer?

“You don't have to answer right now if you don't want to.”

She looked at him. “I think that you would have more time for me. I mean you would spend more time with me I think. But I don't want mommy mad at me for picking you. I don't want her to think that I like you more because I really do love you both, papa.”

Blaine pulled her a bit closer and squeezed her tight. “I first want you to realize that you will definitely get to see the both of us, ok?”

She smiled and nodded.

“And that whoever you choose, it won't make the other love you any less. If you say you want to be with your mom, then I'd understand. But I would really like it if you would want to live with me.”

Madison closed her eyes.  “Maybe you can share.”

Blaine laughed softly. “I hope so, Madison. Come, let's nap.”

She smiled and let him hold her closely. “I want what's best for you, papa.”

Blaine closed his eyes as he rocked her, and started to sing softly. The girl was drifting back to sleep in no time.

“Me too, baby girl.”

…

“Alright, Mr. Anderson. I don't want you to think I'm being nosy. I'm just asking questions. I'm curious. Nothing wrong with that, right?”

Blaine sat back and smiled at his assistant. “No, there's nothing wrong with being curious, but you're definitely being nosy.”

“I just want to know what's up with Hummel?” She spooned at her ice cream and stared at him. “Every time I mention him you smile, and you text a lot more now. Are you switching teams? And for a pretty young thing? Be honest with me.”

Blaine smiled at her. “Kurt's the family nanny.”

“And you're tapping that ass.”

Blaine laughed. “Oh god. Go back to work, Ms. Lopez.”

“There's nothing to do,” she said, moving closer in the chair. “I know he was the only out kid in high school. At least until I came out towards the end of senior year. I also know that he showed up here like he was ready to bend someone over.”

“That's hardly true,” Blaine said, though the thought got him excited.

“Listen, I'm not judging you. I know you're leaving her. I just want to know the juicy details.”

From Kurt:

Maddie was very quiet on the way to school. Just wanted to let you know. I don't know if she was upset about earlier or if she isn't feeling too great, but she wouldn't say.

“That's him?” Santana stood up and smiled. “I'll leave you two to it.”

Blaine smiled at her. “Go file or something.”

“No thanks.”

Blaine laughed and picked up the phone.

To Kurt:

She's probably still worried about everything from earlier but the two of us spoke and she'll be fine, I promise. Don't worry. How are you? I'm sorry about everything again.

From Kurt:

I just want to kiss you. And I want her to be ok.

Blaine smiled. He took a quick picture of him in a duck-face pose and sent it.

To Kurt:

*Photo attached* Kiss the screen. Good luck with your finals, cutie. I'll see you later.

From Kurt:

I kissed it twice. See you later, Mr. Anderson.

…

“Mrs. Anderson, a Tim O'Brien is here to see you.”

Sarah pressed the intercom button. “Send him in.”

The woman had one hell of a busy morning. Right now her office was flooded with sample perfumes and clothing from different designers looking to have their catalogue mentioned in Elle's September issue. There was a stack of paperwork on the floor beside her desk. Dealing with Tim wouldn't be ideal in this situation because he was a piece of work himself, but they needed to handle everything going on with Kurt.

Kurt. Sarah couldn't believe him. Who did he think he was storming into her penthouse like that? Like he owned it? The worst part about it was that he looked absolutely amazing. Sarah hated to admit it even to herself. He went from being the nerdy, Peter Parker looking kid, to a high fashion runway model. She was funding this, too.

God, she wanted to take him down.

Maybe it was her fault for being sloppy and bringing Tim back to her home instead of going to his, but Tim loved the idea of screwing Sarah in Blaine's bed. He loved that it was like a big fuck you to him. She didn't know why she had to fall for the one guy that despised Blaine more than anything, but as soon as he'd gotten her alone at the dinner party Jones Day law firm threw Blaine when he made partner, she knew that she wanted a man like that. Tim saw what he wanted and he went for it. It was sexy. He was possessive. He was domineering. He was everything Blaine Anderson wasn't.

He entered the room without knocking and locked it behind him. With his trademark smirk, he looked around and took off his blazer. “You look busy.”

Sarah glanced up at him from her computer and leant back in her executive chair. “Wow. Why'd you go into the family law field? You should've been a detective, handsome.”

Tim laughed and shook his head, walking over to push some magazines off the chair and take a seat. She glared at him but he showed no reaction. “I guess I'll get straight to the point then.” He pulled out his checkbook and started to write. “What's the homo's name that I'm making this out to?”

Sarah watched him before fixing the cleavage around her designer dress. “Kurt Hummel. H-u-m-m-e-l. Five thousand dollars.”

Tim wrote it down, shaking his head all the while. “Just remember when you're bitching about how I'm not proposing to you that you're asking me to spend five grand on this little piece of shit.” He handed the check over to her and she took it, sliding the paper into her bag. “How can I afford a nice ring when I'm spending money on this idiocy?”

“You can leave now, Tim. I don't need nosy people around this office yapping.”

“I'm quite certain everyone knows that I'm fucking you,” Tim said nonchalantly. “If I didn't have to get back,” he stood up, “I'd make you scream loud enough for Blaine to hear across town. The smug bastard.”

Sarah was quiet, returning to her work. “I'm assuming he told you that he's taking vacation? Maddie will be with her uncle while I'm at work, and I'm thinking that over the weekends I can have her stay with my mom and dad in Connecticut. We need to go somewhere.”

Timothy leant against the door. “You do know how busy I'm going to be with this case, right? I'm not going to have much time for recreation. Spend some time with her.”

Sarah smiled at him. “I see her all the time. Her grandparents don't. You can spend the weekend at the condo with me. I'll let you work. I'll also give you whatever you need.”

Tim's smirk was back full-fledged. He licked his lips and opened the door, blazer thrown over his arm. “I'll call you.”

Sarah smiled and went back to her work.

…

From Blaine:

Have you thought about it yet?

Kurt smiled down at the message. He shook his head and looked out the window of the student lounge.

Truth be told, he had thought about it. A lot, actually. It'd only been several hours since Blaine first proposed that they live together but Kurt wasn't sure if any of that was a good idea. It looked good on paper, right? They were together and they already lived with one another. Kurt could admit he was crazy about Blaine and it seemed that Blaine would do anything for Kurt, too. But then there was reality.

Reality said that just because you got along well with a guy for a month and you two started messing around and talking about a future, that didn't exactly equate to a future. Reality said that in real life, people broke up after making rash decisions like moving in too soon. Reality said that there was a ten year age gap between Kurt and Blaine. How many relationships lasted like that? Would Kurt be mature enough for Blaine? What would happen ten years into the future? Would Madison have to deal with her dad ending another relationship? He didn't want to think about that but reality wouldn't let him not think about it.

Kurt did want things to be that easy. He would've loved a world where he and Blaine could be together with no consequences. But to be honest, here he was with more than many doubts in his head concerning all of this.

A few girls passed by the couch Kurt reclined on in the student lounge. They looked back at him shyly and giggled as they walked off. Kurt noticed a couple other sophomores smiling at him as well, and he coyly moved his glasses up his nose and looked back down at his books. Sebastian was taking forever to finish the Music Tech final he was taking. How hard was a music final when he'd been in the music field basically since he was four?

“Looking good, Kurt.”

Kurt looked up and saw his old dorm roommate Jesse St. James looking back at him. Kurt hated how bad he crushed on this guy once upon a time. It was so freaking pathetic. “Jesse! Thanks.” He smiled and glanced down at his outfit—it wasn't too bad. He did look as if he stepped out of an ad for Marc Jacobs and he was getting a lot of attention for it. Kurt didn't think he was one for attention, but being with Blaine, he'd probably need to get used to it. “How've you been?”

Jesse stopped staring at his thighs when Kurt sat up straight. “I've been ok. I know you're happy at your new job and all but I miss you around the dorm room.”

Kurt smiled. Sure he did. He had plenty of guys to keep him company. “I spent last weekend with Bas so I didn't come back. I didn't think you'd notice.”

Jesse shook his head at that. “Of course I did. I know Bas is great but you see him all the time. You spent your last weekend of sophomore year with Bas instead of me? Ouch.”

So people would start treating him like he existed now that he looked the way he did? Nice to know. Kurt smiled and brushed his hair back with his hand. “Maybe if you're lucky, I'll be your roommate in junior year, too.”

Jesse licked his lips; eyes wandering. “Maybe…”

Kurt smiled. “Enjoy your summer.”

“Yeah,” the older boy backed off. “You do the same. I really hope I see you in August…”

Kurt smiled once more, not saying anything.

Ok, so maybe this confidence thing wasn't so hard. He'd just successfully flirted with a guy he used to crush on rather pathetically. He fixed his glasses and ignored the way some of the other students in the lounge blatantly stared at him. Honestly, if he could do that, he could probably get Blaine to mark him everywhere in a possessive rage. He shouldn't be thinking that way but Kurt wanted what he wanted.

He smirked to himself as he fell back on the sofa again. One of the seniors turned on the TV and put the news on. They mentioned a game between the Mets and the Cincinnati Reds. Cincinnati made him think of Ohio, which made him think of his father. Thinking of Burt made Kurt realize that he'd be seeing the man in a matter of days, and that he'd show up with Blaine Anderson, and that his father had no idea what was coming his way. He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. Burt needed to know about what was going on. Telling his dad about Blaine would lessen the blow before they got there, and even if he was still upset, at least he wouldn't be blindsided.

From Blaine:

I know I shouldn't pester you about it because you said you'd let me know after we visit Ohio but I really want the answer to be yes. I'll shut up about it from here on out.

Kurt read the message a few times and smiled. Blaine never gave up. Kurt liked that about him.

After a few deep breaths, Kurt dialed his father's phone number and placed the cell to his ear. He heard ringing and then John Mellencamp played as the ring-back tone. Kurt rolled his eyes but ended up smiling. How predictable. But when he heard his dad's voice, even though it was a voice filled with excitement and joy, the smile fell from Kurt's face.

“Hey stranger! Did you book your ticket yet?”

Kurt stared at a couple people entering as he tried to calm down. His dad would probably be pissed at him after this conversation. “Hey. I-I did. We'll be there on Sunday. In the afternoon.”

Burt sounded chipper. “Great. You and Sebastian?”

Kurt shook his head no as if his father could see him. “No. Blaine and I. Mr. Anderson.”

The sound of tools clinking in the background could be heard. Kurt knew his dad was at work because of it. “Your boss? Why's he coming?”

Kurt froze up. Apparently, this lying thing wasn't as easy as Kurt thought it'd be. At least not to his father. He just didn't know if he could tell the truth.

“Kurt?”

“He uh, he lives in Ohio. Well… I mean he grew up in Ohio. He doesn't live there. He lives here. Here in New York. He's… in Westerville. I mean he grew up in Westerville. That's where he's from—”

“You're lying to me. Why is he coming, Kurt?”

Kurt was quiet. He sat up and pulled off his glasses, rubbing at his face beneath them. The background noise behind his father's voice went quiet. Kurt automatically knew that meant his father went into his office, probably for peace and quiet. Probably because he suspected something was up with his son and wanted to get to the bottom of it. “Tell me what it is,” his father said sternly.

“Ok.” Kurt cleared his throat. His palms were a bit shaky. “Recently, he and I have…”

Burt waited patiently after his son trailed off and didn't quite finish. Kurt swallowed but his mouth was dry. Someone sat across from him on the love seat and put their lunch on the table.

“I-I can't even say it. You're going to be mad at me,” Kurt mumbled into the line.

“Why would I be mad at you, Kurt?”

Kurt stood up now, walking away for a little privacy. He forced a smile at some stranger who said hello to him—probably one of Bas's friends, and stood outside the lounge. After he wandered over to the vending machine, he answered. “You'd be mad… because he and I are together.”

His father didn't answer.

“My boss… Mr. Anderson,” Kurt told him. “I-I'm… I'm sorry dad.”

Burt answered after a few seconds. “What are you sorry about?”

Kurt turned away and leant against the wall. The halls were quiet, save a professor walking by. “I'm sorry because he's married… and even though they're getting a divorce, I still feel like you'd think I'm making a huge mistake because of this.”

“Are you?”

Kurt hesitated. “I don't know.”

His dad was quiet.

“I don't think I am. I like Blaine. And he… he and his daughter like me too.”

“Wow, Kurt.”

“I'm sorry.”

Burt sighed. “When is that he's coming here?”

“We'll be there Sunday evening.”

Burt was quiet again and Kurt wondered just how much respect his father lost for him based on this five minute phone call. “Wow.”

Kurt didn't answer.

“How old is this guy?”

He looked down at his shoes because of his father's question. As if he wasn't judged enough. “His name is Blaine. He's 29.”

There wasn't an answer.

“Blaine's a great guy, dad. I swear it.”

Kurt could hear the sarcastic smile in his father's voice as he answered. “Yeah. He's a great guy, married to a woman who I'm assuming he has a daughter with while he's dating a teenaged boy.”

Kurt closed his eyes. So far, his dad was taking this exactly how he expected him to. “Well when you put it that way it does sound bad.”

“What way should I put it, Kurt?”

“I don't know, dad. I'm going to be 20 soon anyway.”

His father scoffed.

“And I can't tell you anything you'd be interested in hearing,” he answered. “All I know is that he likes me, and you're probably thinking I'm naïve and a child to believe so, but I do believe it. And I like him too.”

Burt was quiet again. Kurt had always considered his father's silence more of a negative than a positive.

“I hope that when you meet him, you'll think the opposite of whatever you're thinking now.”

“I love you, Kurt. Right now, I don't know what to make of this.” Kurt listened as his father continued. “I won't go as far as to say I hate this but, I honestly don't like the situation. I don't know what's going on but you deserve better than a married man.”

“Just give him a chance.”

Burt took a deep breath. “I guess I have to if you are.”

Kurt returned his glasses to his face and ruffled his hair anxiously. “Thank you.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too. How's everything else?” Kurt asked, eager to change the conversation.

His father seemed grateful for that. “Business is booming. I wish I had you here over the summer to lend a helping hand but I appreciate that you're doing well in New York. And I hope that you're happy.”

Kurt took a deep breath. “I am, dad.”

It was quiet, but Kurt could tell that his father was ok with things. For now at least.

Ok, probably not ok with things, but he was going to accept it until he could change it. Yeah. That sounded more accurate.

“I'm going to get back to the shop. Would you like to talk to Finn? He's here.”

Kurt straightened his shirt as he thought about it. “I'll just see him when I get home.”

Burt hummed acknowledgment. “You can call Carole or myself if you need anything, you hear?”

“Promise I will,” Kurt said. “Bye dad.”

“Goodbye.”

They hung up and Kurt let his head hit the wall. He looked across the hall at the Congratulations NYU Class of 2014 banner and took a long, necessary breath. This would prove to be an interesting homecoming.

From Blaine:

I hate it when you ignore me. I know you're ignoring me.

Kurt laughed and walked back to the lounge.

To Blaine:

I have to admit it is scary that you know just when to text me. I needed to smile. So thank you.

From Blaine:

Would you like to talk about it? Do you want to come to my office? I'm free.

Kurt chewed on his bottom lip. It was tempting. He didn't want to abandon Sebastian, though. They didn't exactly have plans, and Bas would probably tell him to get lost anyway when it came to alone time with Blaine, but he really wanted to play things smarter. He'd had way too many close calls with Blaine and others already, and Madison's had to be the scariest.

To Blaine:

Between Timothy being in the same law firm and Santana working for you, that's not the best idea.

From Blaine:

And you're going to avoid me at home tonight too because of what happened with Madison? How's that fair?

To Blaine:

It isn't but it's definitely smart.

From Blaine:

Being smart is overrated. You're overrated.

Kurt smiled and shook his head at the message. He almost jumped when he felt someone whispering in his ear, though. “Who're you texting?”

“Sebastian…” Kurt turned around slowly. “You. Almost gave me. A heart attack.”

Sebastian smiled. “So you're sexting?”

“No!”

The elder jumped over the sofa and sat next to Kurt. He smiled and rubbed at his shoulder. “I think I aced that. How was the essay?”

Kurt slid his phone away. “It was a piece of cake.”

“You ok?” Sebastian asked seriously. He noticed his friend looked a bit… off.

Kurt nodded though. “I'm fine.”

“Are you sure?”

Kurt began to laugh. “Sebastian. I'm fine. Seriously.”

His friend nodded and looked up at the TV in the student lounge. “What do you want to do?”

Kurt hummed. “Can I ask you something? Would it be smart for me to live with Blaine this early? After he's separated I mean…”

Sebastian looked at him. “I really do not know. I'd probably think long and hard about it. I'd probably give it some time.”

“Yeah.” They were both quiet and Kurt rubbed the nape of his neck. “Pizza?”

Sebastian smiled. “Pizza.” 

…

That night had gotten off to a boring start for Blaine. He got stuck working on something for the majority of the evening. His wife got home before he did—to give Kurt the check in private, he assumed—but because of it, Blaine didn't get any time alone with Madison and Kurt like he'd planned to. Instead, the two of them were having the times of their lives on the sofa, eating dessert and watching Disney Channel and chatting away like they were on a talk show.

Blaine was very happy that his daughter hadn't discussed their discussion to anyone else. He definitely wouldn't take for granted how lucky he was to have a little girl as mature as she was. Maybe that wouldn't be the case when the actual separation and divorce began, but right now she was trying and succeeding at being strong for him. That was important.

Kurt waited until he got Madison settled in bed before hopping in the shower. Blaine wanted to curse the world over the fact that he couldn't join him, but at least this taught him discipline. He'd need some being with Kurt. It was hard though.

The man finished his work and went into his bedroom. Sarah quickly ended her phone call when he walked in and smiled at him.

“Finally joining me?”

Blaine turned away from her and headed to the closet. “I'm going to go to the gym for an hour. It's been a few days. I've already got a belly.”

She rolled her eyes. “You're being ridiculous.”

He was. His body had been in shape since he was young, but that could easily change if he neglected his workout sessions. “I'll be back. Need anything while I'm out?”

Sarah smiled at him and shook her head no. “I'll be fine. Just don't keep me waiting…”

Blaine nodded and started to change into his gym clothing. She looked away, almost bored, and went back to her phone. Blaine turned away and slid his ring off and into the pocket of his shorts before heading to the door.

…

From Kurt:

Why didn't you invite me?

Blaine smirked down at the message as he worked on the elliptical. He shook his head and responded.

To Kurt:

Shouldn't you be asleep? Tests tomorrow and all…

He put the music back in his ear and resumed with his workout. He loved coming down to work out at this time of night because it was so quiet. The other residents of 1212 5th Avenue tended to work out during the morning time. They were doctors and writers and producers, parents, and they had more free time during the morning. That was fine with Blaine.

From Kurt:

I could come and keep you company. : )

Blaine grabbed his phone. It was tempting. The steam room was completely vacant. They could lock themselves in there…

But no. He didn't want to simply get off with Kurt whenever they were alone. He licked his lips and answered.

To Kurt:

I'm on my way back up in 5 minutes. Seriously, go to sleep. Sebastian and I are going to drive you crazy tomorrow so you're going to want a full 8 hours. Well, you'll need it too.

From Kurt:

Oh god. I made him promise to behave and I'm going to make you promise the same.

To Kurt:

HA!

From Kurt:

Babe. :/

Blaine smiled as he went over to the weights.

To Kurt:

If you promise me you'll dream about me tonight, I promise I'll behave tomorrow.

From Kurt:

I promise.

From Kurt:

I'm hard already.

Blaine dropped his phone on his foot and winced, jumping up and down after it hit the top of his big toe. That's what he got for buying thin Under Armour workout shoes.

The phone vibrated on the floor again.

From Kurt:

I think I'm going to turn in for the night. I'll see you tomorrow. ; )

Blaine read the message a couple times and closed his eyes. He literally hated himself right now. After a deep breath, he replied.

To Kurt:

Use the toy.

He watched his phone until a response came in.

From Kurt:

I will, Mr. Anderson.

…

“I need this divorce. ASAP.”

Wes Montgomery smiled at his new client. He sat back in the seat and tried not to laugh. “OK. Um, it's nice seeing you again too, Blaine. It's been a while.”

Blaine swallowed and nodded. “I'm sorry but I seriously need to end this. What do you have working for me based on everything I've provided?”

Wes straightened his tie and pulled out the paperwork. “Well, with you filing for sole custody, that's where things get tricky. We need to work out visitation and child support on her end, and work out if she thinks that's fair. If she doesn't, this'll go in front of a judge. That's what we're trying to avoid.”

Blaine nodded. “I've got a lot of evidence against her that I think will make her want to settle. It shouldn't be a problem.”

Wes raised an eyebrow at that. Ms. Lopez walked in and placed a coffee in front of him, and he smiled at her. “Thank you.”

She nodded. “Mr. Anderson, can I get you anything?”

He shook his head no. “Thank you. You can head off for the rest of the day if you'd like. I'll be leaving after this meeting.”

Santana smiled, surprised. “Well then. Ok.”

Wes smiled after the young lady practically floated off. He then turned to face Blaine and got serious once again. “About this evidence…”

“She's been cheating on me. For a couple years now, at least. I know she's been trying to keep it quiet.”

Wes looked sad. “I'm sorry to hear that, man.”

“It is what it is.”

“Are you with someone else too?”

Blaine looked away from his phone. Kurt had texted him. “Does that matter?”

Wes smiled. “It matters. You don't want to be in the middle of an affair as well. The judge will want Madison with whomever he or she thinks is more suitable to raise her. It'd look great if it was just her messing around.”

Blaine sat back. “Listen, Wes. I need to have my daughter. I don't feel comfortable with her being around Sarah 24/7.”

“So that's a yes…”

Blaine nodded. “I began seeing someone recently.”

Wes sighed. “Alright. I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. You're going to forget that you're involved with someone until this is over.”

“I don't think she'll let it go to a judge if I'm fair with her. I'll tell her she can stay with Tim, I don't care. I just don't want my daughter around him.”

Wes listened.

“We can work out weekends and vacation and holiday time together, right? You can be present.”

“So,” the divorce lawyer began. “You think that she'll be fine with you having Madison around whoever you're seeing now, but you can tell her that she can't let Madison around whoever she's with?”

Blaine was quiet.

“That doesn't sound very fair. But, I mean…” he flipped a few pages and then slid everything over. Blaine eagerly took it and started to read everything. “If she doesn't know you're seeing someone already then I guess it can't be that bad. But you can't be an asshole about this, Blaine. Even if you're hurt, remember that you two have a daughter together. She is bigger than any beef you have with Sarah.”

Blaine listened to him. He scanned through the divorce paper and was pleased so far. It looked a million times better than anything Timothy had ever discussed with him pertaining to him leaving Sarah. “You're right. But my thinking is that I don't want her lover saying anything to Madison about me or about who I'm with, or about Maddie herself. I wouldn't put it past him.”

Wes nodded. “I can understand that, Blaine.”

He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “So I was thinking as far as property is concerned, she can keep everything I bought her. Jewelry, the car, I don't care about it. I'm selling the penthouse, though, and I'm moving.”

Wes nodded at that, taking notes. “She can't really disagree with this. You're a nice guy for someone who's been cheated on.”

Blaine shrugged it off. “And in the case that she refuses any of this, what do I do? How soon can I get a judge?”

Wes removed his glasses and looked up at him now. “I think our first priority would be to file for temporary custody. Just in case she refuses to let Madison go. But even before that, you need to make sure you have your place ready to go. Are you already moved in?”

Blaine shook his head no. “I'll um— I'll work on that over the weekend. I don't have much time before I leave for vacation but I'll do what I can.”

Wes nodded. “So as of right now, I think you should wait until you can move out to serve her any papers or discuss separation and divorce. She could react in a way you aren't expecting and then you'd have to live with her being that way until you could have your space. Madison will be in the middle of that too.”

Blaine didn't want to hear that. He was ready to get this over with as soon as he possibly could. Besides, with all the dirt he and Kurt had against Sarah and Timothy, what was the worst she could honestly do? Dragging this on and going to court would be a waste of money she wasn't going to spend. She'd been mooching off of her husband for most everything.

“Alright,” Blaine said anyway.

…

Sebastian smiled at his best friend as they sat at the circular table of Café Grumpy. Kurt glared back at him; legs crossed beneath the table. They sat high up on stools and patiently waited for Blaine to show face.

God. Sebastian wanted more than anything to tease him. He promised to behave, so he didn't, but there were loop holes to every promise.

He'd promised to behave, and Sebastian intended to behave. He'd behave just like himself.

Hehe.

“You look very sinister and I don't like it,” Kurt said.

Sebastian picked up his coffee and slowly took a sip—his eyes locked on his bestie as he did so. Kurt glared at him and Sebastian tried his best not to laugh. Laughing would result in a mouthful of coffee squirting from his nose, and that had to be hell on earth.

When the man put his coffee mug down, he looked around the café. “I like it here. This is my first time. This is nice.”

Kurt glanced around and shrugged. “I think it's very mediocre.”

Sebastian smiled. “I would have to disagree. So what did you tell Adam? I bet he was sad.”

Kurt looked down at the menu and shrugged softly. “I don't know if he was sad. I said I had to cancel because something came up.”

Sebastian shook his head at that. “Just tell him you're seeing someone and get it over with. I know I'm partially responsible for the blind date, as is my beautiful boyfriend who I'm going to go visit after work tonight and then slowly and sweetly give him the D, but that was just a date. Don't drag it along, Kurt. Trust me; I know from my experience in dumping guys that they'd rather it happen sooner than later. I think Adam would rather you let him know now.”

Blaine snuck up behind Kurt and kissed him on the cheek. “I agree,” he whispered, smiling when Kurt went still; his back against Blaine's chest with how high the chairs were. “Miss me?”

Sebastian smiled at his best friend.

Let the fun begin.

Kurt was blushing as Blaine slid into the seat beside him. He watched Blaine unbutton his navy blue vest and reach over the table to shake hands with Sebastian. Kurt was surprised Sebastian did such a good job keeping it in his pants because his eyes were saying ‘take me now'. “Good seeing you again, Sebastian.”

“Likewise,” the boy said with a smile. “So, I guess you should order yourself something before we begin.”

Kurt looked at Blaine who looked back at Kurt. They then turned to Sebastian who smiled at each of them. “Begin?” they asked in unison.

“Yes,” Sebastian said. He pulled out cue cards from his back pocket and looked at Blaine. “I only have a few questions.”

Blaine stared at him. He then looked at Kurt and smiled.

Fuck, that fucking smile.

Kurt smiled back. “Excuse me for a moment?”

Blaine nodded. “Sure, beautiful.”

Sebastian grinned. One point for Mr. Anderson. But then Kurt started signing things at him and Sebastian lifted an eyebrow. He wasn't this good at American Sign Language. “Wait… Slow down. You know I only know letters right?”

Kurt took a deep breath and started to spell words out in ASL. Sebastian watched his hands move slowly. Blaine looked between the two of them and bit his lip into a smile. “I'll go order so you two can have a normal conversation. Can I get you anything, Kurt?”

Kurt looked away from Sebastian right after he spelled out I W-I-L-L M-U-R-D-. He smiled and shook his head no. “If you happen to go to Starbucks, I'll get a latte.”

Blaine laughed as he backed away. “Uh huh. What about you, Bas?”

He shook his head no and picked up the coffee mug. Blaine could tell by the fearful look on his face that Kurt was more than likely threatening him. “I'm fine. But… if they do happen to have brownies, I'll take a few of those.”

“You got it,” Blaine said with a smile. He walked off after winking at Kurt and the boy found himself blushing and staring at his ass when he turned around. Sebastian cleared his throat.

“Earth to Hummel.”

Kurt shook his head and then looked at his best friend, taking a deep breath. “Whatever you're up to, Bas, stop it. You promised me you'd behave—”

“Kurt. My right hand. My brother from another mother. Listen,” Sebastian said, smiling all the while. Kurt glared at him as Sebastian undid his NYU letterman jacket and put it on the back of his chair. “I am only doing this because I care about you. If you liked Adam, trust me, I'd be interrogating—I mean interviewing him as well. It's good for the both of us. We can both get to know a little bit more about this guy.”

Kurt looked over at Blaine on line and then back to his friend. At least he had someone who cared enough about him to want to embarrass him like this. It was all love. “As soon as this gets weird, I'm ending it. You got it?”

Sebastian nodded. “I got it. Relax.”

“Can I hear a few of them?”

“No.”

Kurt sighed. “Bas—”

“You'll stop me from asking them because you're too afraid. Let Big Daddy Bas handle it, ok?”

Kurt didn't answer him. He pulled out his phone instead. As of late, he'd been getting a lot more Facebook requests due to his change in style and not stuttering every time someone spoke to him. He wasn't in a rush to accept them but it was nice knowing people wanted to request him in the first place.

Blaine came back over and noticed the tension at the table. He looked at Kurt who stared down at his phone and then over to Sebastian who shrugged in response. Blaine smiled a bit and handed the brownies over. He then climbed onto the stool and placed a Café Grumpy mug in front of his boyfriend.

“It's a Caramel Macchiato. You'll like it.”

Kurt smiled down at the design in the drink's foam. “Did you ask them to draw K + B inside of a heart on my drink?”

Sebastian took a picture of it and smiled. “That's adorable. You'll want it later.”

Blaine smiled at him. “I asked them. Do you think I'm cheesy?”

Kurt rolled his eyes. “I used to think you were. Now I know you are.”

Blaine chuckled and turned to face front. He looked at Sebastian who was offering him a bite of the brownies and took a piece. “Thank you. So about these questions…” He gestured to the cards. “Let me have it.”

Sebastian nodded, swallowing and then reaching for his coffee. Blaine glanced over at Kurt who was taking a picture of his drink now and bit his lip. “I promise you'll love it. Better than that Starbucks crap.”

Kurt scoffed but then he took a sip. He was quiet and Blaine stopped staring at the way he licked froth from his lips when Sebastian cleared his throat.

“You two will have plenty time for foreplay later. I just want to formally introduce myself. And also thank you for the brownies,” he said, taking another bite. “My name is Sebastian Emmanuel Smythe and I'm Kurt's best friend. We met back in high school, I went to Dalton Academy in Ohio and he attended a rival school of mine, William McKinley High School.”

Blaine leant onto the table, curious. He smiled. “Rivals in what, might I ask? I went to Dalton Academy and we never had problems with McKinley.”

Sebastian smiled. “Really? Small world, huh?”

Blaine nodded. “It is.”

“But Dalton and McKinley rivaled in pretty much everything.” Sebastian reached for his coffee. “I don't know when it started, though.”

“I met him while I was at one of the basketball games for my school. They were playing Dalton and I was writing about it for the column,” Kurt said, shaking his head as he reminisced. “The sports column was probably the only one anyone ever read. But we hadn't spoken until his show choir beat the New Directions at Regionals.”

Blaine smiled and picked up his iced coffee. “How'd that go?”

Sebastian smirked at Kurt. “I walked up to him to tell him one of the guys on the New Directions totally had a thing for him but he wasn't trying to hear any of what I was saying.”

Kurt smiled, looking down at his macchiato. “I didn't like Chandler at all. He was too much.”

Blaine put his arm around Kurt's chair as he listened, and Sebastian realized the whole possessive thing wasn't even a conscious act by Blaine. He smiled. “Anyway, I tried to make him laugh a few times and Kurt pretty much ignored me. He didn't want to be caught fraternizing with the enemy. That made bothering him at events even more fun, and eventually when I found out that we were both going to NYU, I told him we were going to be best friends and that he had no choice but to talk to me. He gave in eventually.”

Kurt shook his head and smiled. It was true.  Someone like Sebastian wanting to hang out with him confused him beyond measure. Sebastian was popular at Dalton and hated at McKinley because of his talent. The Rachel girl Kurt shared some classes with literally hated his guts. He was involved in sports and music and was academically gifted as well. He could get pretty much any guy he wanted, Kurt was sure of it. He'd overheard Sam questioning his sexuality to Finn from his room one night because of Sebastian. Kurt could never understand why someone like him wanted to be his friend, but he quickly learned that Bas was a good guy, and social status was the last thing he cared about.

“I'm happy I didn't fight you too hard on it,” Kurt finally said. “I'm lucky to have you.”

Blaine smiled at that and looked at Sebastian.

“I feel the same, Killa K. Now,” Sebastian picked up the index cards and tried to get professional. Kurt rolled his eyes but smiled when he felt Blaine massaging his arm from where it was wrapped around him. “Before we start, tell me about yourself. Anything noteworthy.”

Blaine smiled as he thought about what to say. He could feel Kurt's eyes on him as the teen smiled, waiting probably impatiently. “I guess I'll start off simple. My name is Blaine Devon Anderson. I just turned 29 the first day of Spring. I was born and raised in Westerville, Ohio before moving further east for college where I graduated from Cornell University with honors. I was married before starting at Columbia Law School in New York City, and had a little girl the same year. That little girl's name is Madison and she is the light of my otherwise dreary life.” Blaine stopped and smiled at Sebastian. “Of course, things have changed recently, but I won't get into that yet.” He looked at Kurt who was paying attention; a smile on his lips as well.

“What else? I can play the piano, guitar, violin, and drums. I was in a rock band in high school. We sucked but it holds some of my favorite memories. I can speak four languages fluently, and I know a couple others but haven't mastered the art of conversation with them just yet.”

“Which languages are these?” Kurt asked curiously.

“Besides English, I know Spanish, French, and Italian. I can understand a little Portuguese and German.”

Sebastian looked thoroughly impressed. “I grew up in France. Say something.”

Blaine was still rubbing Kurt's shoulder and the teen practically leant into his side. “Votre ami est très spécial pour moi.”

Kurt bit his lip. This man didn't need to get any hotter.

“Il est comme mon frère. Traitez-le comme un roi et nous serons bien,” Sebastian answered.

“What are you guys saying?” Kurt asked.

“He's just making sure I treat you right, that's all.” Blaine leant in closer and kissed his cheek. “And I will.”

Sebastian smiled at the two of them and shook his head. “Be careful with the PDA.”

Blaine watched Kurt blush before looking back at Sebastian. “You're right. Now… about the questions…”

“Right.” Sebastian cleared his throat. “I'll ask these questions, some of them are of greater importance than the other, but they will be asked in no particular order.”

Blaine nodded. He'd answer whatever. What more did he have to hide? “Let's do it.”

Kurt took a deep breath.

“Great,” Bas said. “Question one. When did you know that you felt something for Kurt?”

Blaine looked over at Kurt and smiled at the teen's blushing. That'd never get old. “I think it was when I saw him reading to Madison. Maybe a couple days after we'd hired him. I remember thinking that I liked how comfortable she felt around him. But it advanced to a whole new level when I saw him get out the shower. That broke me.”

Sebastian laughed at his best friend's blushing. “I heard about that.”

Blaine bit his lip and laughed a bit, his cheeks hot. “He looked really freaking good.”

Kurt rubbed his face and laughed. “Goodness.”

“Ok. If you had to give yourself a sexual orientation, what would it be?”

Blaine smirked. “Kurtsexual.”

Kurt rolled his eyes, as did Sebastian, but he laughed. “Fair game. Next.” Sebastian turned the card. “On a scale from 1 to 10, 10 being most excited, how eager are you to bottom?”

“You don't have to answer that,” Kurt said quickly.

Blaine's eyebrows shot up but he took a deep breath and licked his lips. “I would say—”

“Blaine,” Kurt said. “Don't answer that.”

Sebastian looked at him. “Really, bro?”

“Next question,” Kurt said.

Sebastian shook his head and flipped the card, and Blaine laughed when he mumbled to himself and flipped the card again. “That one was about fellatio so I guess Kurt'll want me to skip it too.”

“You guessed right.”

Bas smiled. “Ok. Next question. Are you interested in having any more children?”

Kurt looked over at Blaine and watched as the man sipped iced coffee through his straw. He nodded his head and looked over to his boyfriend. “I'd love to, actually. I always wanted a couple boys. I think Madison needs some bodyguards.”

“Good to know,” Sebastian told him with a chuckle. “My best friend mentioned wanting a son as well once upon a time.”

Blaine smiled at Kurt and the teen smiled down at his mug. “I'm curious as to whether or not you two ever talk about me…”

“All the time,” Sebastian said. Kurt laughed.

“I'm literally about to leave…” He looked at the time and it was way too early to go and get Madison. “I can't do this.”

Blaine moved his arm away and grabbed Kurt's hand, holding it. He was plenty brave to do this in public, Kurt thought to himself. But it seemed like Blaine didn't have any intention of being ashamed of them. Was it stupid? Yes. Did Kurt mind? Not so much. “You're not leaving. I'm sure there are more questions…”

Kurt looked up at his friend. “Two more. That's it.”

Sebastian sighed. He took a bite of his brownie and picked a card. “Ok. What would be a deal breaker for you in a relationship? Based on what you've learned from your past.”

Blaine sat back and looked around the café as he thought about an answer. A deal breaker… something that would absolutely set him off… “I think I'd have to go with someone disrespecting my daughter. The moment she's in harm's way I'm not having any of it.”

Sebastian nodded and turned to Kurt. “What about for you?”

Kurt was taken aback to be asked a question. He cleared his throat and looked down at Blaine's hand in his. “I guess my answer will be a lot hypocritical but it's honest. As soon as I am cheated on, I want to leave. I don't think I want to be involved in a relationship where someone is unfaithful. Maybe that's ridiculous because of what we're doing now…”

Sebastian listened. He looked at Blaine who was quiet.

“This probably doesn't mean much because I was unfaithful to my wife but I promised you that I wouldn't be with her after the two of us decided to get together and we haven't. I'm done with her.”

“Meaning the divorce is going forward, right?” Sebastian nodded.

“Absolutely,” Blaine said. “I'm talking to her and my daughter officially this weekend, after I have a place to go secured. And just so we're all clear, I'm serious about Kurt. I know it's early but he's taught me a lot about myself since he's come into my life and I'm excited to be the Blaine I should've been along. The Blaine that people convinced me I shouldn't be.”

Kurt looked at Sebastian and smiled softly. “He's a big mush.”

Blaine shook his head no. “I'm serious.”

Sebastian sat back in his seat and smiled. “Well. I think that I've heard everything I need to. But one last thing.”

Blaine looked away from Kurt's lips as Sebastian spoke and smiled a little when his boyfriend poked him in the side. “Ask away.”

Sebastian leant forward on the table and looked across at both of them. “Do you promise to talk to Kurt whenever you're upset about something, and in turn, do you promise to listen to Kurt whenever he's upset about something? Overall, I guess I'm asking do you two promise to talk things through when you have a disagreement instead of getting pissed off and letting it get the best of you.”

Kurt looked at Blaine and Blaine was already nodding. “I do. I learned from being a dick and jumping to conclusions. I'm too old for that,” he joked, winking at Kurt.

Kurt smiled and quickly leant over to kiss him. Blaine moved in but the boy was already pulling away. Sebastian smiled at them.

“Your turn, Kurt.”

Kurt nodded, his eyes locked on Blaine's. “Definitely. K+B in a heart, right?”

Blaine smiled. “Right.”