“Blaine did you pack the...” Kurt began as he carried more flat packed boxes into his boyfriend’s bedroom only to find him staring at a pile of crib pieces on the floor “Are you planning on reconstructing that crib? Does Claire have a sibling you didn’t tell me about?” he chuckled and sat the boxes down by the door. Resting his head on Blaine’s shoulder, Kurt snaked his arms around the shorter boy’s waist “I thought you would have thrown this away when you moved Claire into Emily’s old room”
“I never had the heart to so I packed it into the closet” Blaine sighed and leant back into Kurt gently. They had spent all day packing up both Blaine and Claire’s belongings ready for their big drive out to New York two days later. Graduating high school only the week before, both were ready to go far, far away from Lima, Ohio.
Accepted into The New York Academy of Dramatic Arts, Kurt was going to live his Broadway dream while Blaine was following his own aspiration to study Architecture at Columbia. They had their whole futures almost mapped out from the second they arrived in New York to their West Village Apartment and possible schools for Claire to attend in 2 years time. Kurt and Blaine were like an old married couple before they were even old or married.
“I guess I couldn’t let go of the fact that she was growing up”
“And now?”
“Now I have to grow up” he sighed and turned in Kurt’s arms. Brushing away the hair on his face, Blaine pressed a soft kiss on Kurt’s nose “Would you believe I’m actually going to miss this place? Claire took her first steps right by the door and she said her first word while sitting on my desk chair”
“This bedroom holds a lot of firsts, our first time together...” Kurt smiled and pulled Blaine as close as possible, settling his hands in Blaine’s back pockets
“The first time Claire called you Papa...”
“The first time Claire fell asleep in my arms...”
“The first time you fell asleep in my arms” Blaine chuckled and crashed his lips against Kurt’s without warning. Nibbling on his boyfriend’s bottom lip, Blaine ran his hands through Kurt’s soft auburn hair as he deepened the kiss. If the pieces of Claire’s old crib wasn’t in their path to the bed, Blaine would have happily taken their heated make out session that one step further.
“Ahem” Santana coughed from the door of Blaine’s bedroom as she watched her two favourite gays pull apart slowly. Crossing her arms and leaning on the door frame, she smirked as they straightened out their clothes “Hate to break up the fun but everyone is waiting downstairs for you guys”
“Waiting for us? Why?”
“You’ll see” she smirked and grabbed Blaine’s hand as she started pulling him from the room. Kurt followed closely behind as they made their downstairs and saw the entire Glee Club standing in Blaine’s living room with party hats and balloons.
“What’s this?”
“Considering you two will be leaving us in a couple days we thought we would surprise you guys with a farewell party because let’s face it, even Puck’s gonna miss you guys” Quinn laughed as she pulled Kurt further into the room where he was quickly enveloped in a group hug with the girls.
“Claire?” Blaine quietly asked Santana as Puck and Finn commandeered the stereo and turned on their party playlist.
“Next door with my Mom until Burt and Carole pick her up. They’re taking her to the park for a picnic for her birthday because they won’t see her” she smiled and linked arms with her best friend “There is a small pile of presents for her in the study because Mercedes, Quinn, Rachel and I are all bummed we’re missing her birthday too”
“Rachel is moving to New York a month after Claire’s birthday, can’t she wait? And you’re moving into the apartment across the hall three weeks after that. You will see Claire every day...”
“No kid likes a late birthday present...”
“I don’t remember what boxes have her birthday presents in them so she’s bound to get some late this year” Blaine laughed and nudged Santana gently
“Well her favourite Aunty Tanna will just have to spoil her again when I get there, sound fair?” she smirked and turned to Blaine “but today is for you and Kurt. No more baby talk ok?”
“Got it” he smiled and held his hand out to the Latina “Dance with me”

XXXXX

“I’d say we were relieving Carole and my Dad from babysitting duties but they look like they’re having too much fun” Kurt smiled as he spotted them by the lake. Carole and Claire had little tea cups in their hands while Burt fake fed a cookie to the teddy bear Kurt’s Mom had made. Kurt loved seeing how involved his Dad now was with Claire and Blaine after a little bit of a rough start. Of course Burt wasn’t completely sold on the idea of his son getting so involved in that little girl’s life to the extent that she started to call him Papa, but after seeing how much Kurt adored Claire, he couldn’t argue any longer.
Burt needed some convincing when it came to Kurt moving to New York at the end of his Senior year with his boyfriend and daughter because the thought of his son growing up so fast unnerved him. Kurt had always been mature beyond his years but this was becoming a family with a man he’d only known for a year and a half. Burt could see how much Blaine and Kurt adored each other and how they just complimented each other. It wasn’t long until he knew that this was the right move for his son even if it meant him being across the country in New York City.
“We’ve been spotted” Blaine chuckled as he saw Burt waving them over. Making the journey toward them, Blaine squeezed his boyfriend’s hand happily. Their going away party had been perfect apart from all the sad goodbye tears and now just seeing Kurt’s parents with Claire made Blaine’s heart swell. He couldn’t have asked for anything better.
“Daddy, Papa look!” Claire giggled as she picked up the Cinderella doll Carole and Burt had bought for her birthday and showed it to both Blaine and Kurt.
“It’s beautiful Princess” Blaine smiled as he sat down beside Claire and pulled her onto his lap. The almost three year old babbled on about the doll and her afternoon with Grandpa Burt and Grandma Carole while Kurt sat down between his Dad and Step Mom.
“We bought her some clothes as well but she was more excited about the doll” Carole smiled and offered Kurt the last cupcake.
Taking it with a smile, he swiped his finger across the frosting “You really shouldn’t have bought her all this. You spoil her”
“Like you should be talking, kid” Burt laughed and nudged his son gently “That little girl will want for nothing for the rest of her life”
“I just treat Claire how I was treated growing up so I think you’re the one to blame here Gramps”
“Alright, fair enough” he chuckled and pulled Kurt into a one armed hug “We’re really going to miss you kids when you go”
“We have already promised Claire that we will call every night so she can say goodnight to her grandparents” Blaine piped up now that Claire had finished her big story. Catching most of the words she was trying to say, Blaine got a pretty good idea of the afternoon she’d had with Kurt’s parents. They drank apple juice out of tea cups, ate cupcakes and fed the ducks. The little girl even got her Grandpa Burt to play tea party.
“And I have already set up Skype on the computer in the den so we can see each other”
“You have this all planned out don’t ya, Kurt?”
“Of course” he smiled “We’re going to miss you both just as much as you’ll miss us”
“Doubt it” Carole laughed “You boys will be having too much fun”

XXXXX

“This is the last of it” Kurt chuckled as he loaded the last box marked ‘Scarves’ into the truck.
“You need a whole box just for your scarves?” Blaine laughed as he sat on the back of the truck with an exhausted sigh. They weren’t even on the road to New York yet and he was tired. Kurt and Claire combined had a lot of stuff. Kurt sat up beside Blaine and rested his hand on his boyfriend’s knee.
“Are you ready for this?”
“Ready to spend the rest of my life with the man I love and adore looking after our little girl together? Of course I am”
Kurt leant into Blaine’s side as he felt a warm arm snake around his shoulder. He could definitely get used to this feeling of sheer bliss.
“Aw, they’re so going to miss us. You can just see how sad they are” Finn laughed as he walked out of the Hummel-Hudson house carrying Claire. Like Burt, Finn needed some convincing on the whole ‘Kurt as a Dad’ concept. He too saw how comfortable his brother was with this little girl and soon became cuddly Uncle Finn.
“You’re coming with us” Kurt sighed as he jumped off the truck and pulled a weary Claire into his arms.
Finn didn’t need to offer to help move his brother to New York because Rachel had done it for him. Narrowly missing out on an apartment down the street from Kurt and Blaine’s, the brunette was desperate to head back to the city to find the perfect place for her and Finn.
“And you kids should head off soon if you want to miss the traffic” Burt sniffed. Holding tight to Carole’s hand, the usually strong man had clearly been crying. The pair followed a bouncing Rachel out to the truck after what must have been an emotional farewell with Claire.
Taking Claire, Blaine left Kurt and his Dad to say one last goodbye. The trio had said their goodbyes to Andrew, Emily, Jane and Michael earlier that morning so all that were left were Kurt’s parents. Burt pulled his son into a rough hug as he sniffed back tears.
“I’m gonna miss you kid”
“I’m going to miss you too Dad” Kurt sobbed softly as he held on tighter to his father
“Your Mom would have been so proud if she could see you now”
“I hope so”
Wishing his Mom had been there to see him grow up and then meet both Blaine and Claire, Kurt missed her the most today. No doubt she would have been an even bigger blubbering mess than Burt; she would have been crying proud and happy tears.
Kurt reluctantly pulled away from his Dad after a good five minutes. As much as he wanted to go, Kurt couldn’t bear to leave his Dad. After everything they had been through together, it was tough to walk away and start his own life.
“Be safe, kid”
“We’ll call as soon as we stop in Pittsburgh for the night” Finn piped up hoping it would make Burt feel a little better. He knew his Mom was going to be the same when he left for good in July, always worrying. The Hummel-Hudson home was going to be very quiet with both boys gone but Burt and Carole were happy Kurt and Finn would be together in the same city.
“I love you, Dad” Kurt smiled and wiped his eyes with his handkerchief
“I love you too, Kurt”
“We’ll call all the time and visit; we’re only an 11 hour drive away”
“Keep us a bed at Christmastime, Carole and I have already started saving for a New York holiday”
“Sounds perfect” Kurt smiled as he kissed his Dad’s cheek for the last time before moving onto his Stepmom. Hugging her tight, he kissed her cheek as well “Look after him for me?”
“Of course”
“Thank you Carole”
“Yes, thank you for everything” Blaine smiled as he came up behind Kurt. Strapping Claire into her car seat, he too wanted to say one last goodbye to two amazingly supportive people. He had Burt and Carole to thank for a lot of things especially over the last year. They had become like a second set of parents to him.
Blaine said goodbye to Carole and Burt before making his way back to the car. Knowing Kurt would be emotional, Blaine offered to take the first driving shift for their five hour drive to Pittsburgh. There was no way they would handle an eleven hour drive with Claire so Pittsburgh was as close to halfway as they could get.
Resting his hand on Kurt’s knee in comfort, Blaine turned on the engine. The curly haired boy wasn’t sure how many tears would be shed as they drove out of Lima but he was prepared for anything. Pulling out of the driveway, all three waved until Burt, Carole and Kurt’s home was lost around the corner.
“I’m not turning back” Blaine chuckled softly and took his boyfriend’s hand and kissed it softly “We’re doing this”
“I know, it’s just hard”
“I know”
The pair was quiet for almost half an hour before Claire’s fussing in the backseat broke the silence. Turning and rubbing her foot gently, Kurt started singing along to the radio to calm her down. Blaine smiled at his boyfriend and daughter’s interaction and it was then that he knew their new life had finally begun.

XXXXX

“I think we lost Finn, Rachel and all out belongings somewhere around Mansfield” Blaine laughed as he pulled Claire from her car seat. Finally arriving in Pittsburgh, the young family were miles ahead of their friends and all of their possessions. Stopping in the centre of this busy little city, they weren’t far from the hotel they would stay at that night.
“I’m starving, let’s find somewhere to eat while we wait” Kurt smiled and quickly pulled Claire’s unruly curls up into a band and kissed her forehead softly “I think this one needs ice-cream”
Claire’s face instantly brightened at the mention of ice-cream as Kurt and Blaine made their way down the street looking for a cafe. Finally finding a small cafe just off the main street, they walked in and sat down at the last free table. Ordering coffees, sandwiches and a scoop of ice-cream for Claire, the two boys sat back as the waitress walk away to fill their order.
“I was thinking we could just unload everything when we get to the apartment tomorrow and leave the unpacking til the next morning” Blaine suggested as he took Kurt’s hand over the table and rubbed his thumb against his boyfriend’s palm “If it’s going to be anything like today, we’ll be asleep before we even get the mattress up the stairs”
“We need to at least get the mattresses up there, Claire and I are not sleeping on the floor”
“I can’t have my Princess sleeping on the floor now can I?”
“Yes, Princess Claire must be comfortable”
“I wasn’t talking about Claire...”
“Oh really?” Kurt chuckled and kicked Blaine gently under the table “I think I might just be too tired to even cuddle you tonight or tomorrow night if you keep this up mister” he smirked and tugged Blaine’s shirt and brought him closer. Intending to kiss him softly on the lips, Kurt couldn’t help but notice the scowling woman sitting beside them and opted for a quick peck on the forehead instead “That woman beside us is shooting daggers through her eyes”
Blaine turned his head slightly and saw the woman Kurt was talking about and her expression was harsh and full of hate. She looked like she was ready to growl at them.
“You shall not lie with a male as those who lie with a female; it is an abomination” she hissed and stood up angrily.
“Leviticus... 18? 19?” Kurt sighed as he sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. He’d heard every possible hateful bible passage about homosexuality that he almost knew them by book. As an atheist, it was quite an achievement to know that many bible passages.
“For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions: for their women exchanged the natural use for that which is against nature. And in the same way also the men abandoned the natural use of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty for their error” she continued as she stuffed her book into her handbag and shoved her chair under the table roughly.
“Romans”
“Galatians 3, There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” Blaine sighed as he held his daughter closer on his lap. Growing up in a Christian family, he too knew a passage or two out of the Bible. The woman shook her head once more and stormed from the cafe without another word.
“What just happened?” Kurt chuckled
“We’re not quite out of Kansas just yet Toto” Blaine shrugged and quickly looked around before taking Kurt’s hand gently “New York is going to be different...”
The waitress brought their order to their table and not another word was spoken about the previous incident. Blaine wanted nothing more than for him and Kurt to be accepted for who they were without the fear of someone spitting bible passages at them. New York was where they could finally settle and be whoever they wanted to be.