“Blaine?” Kurt called out stifling a yawn as he walked out of his bedroom. He’d had a pretty good night so Blaine didn’t bother waking him early that morning. The more Kurt could sleep, the happier they both were. Kurt’s moods could get pretty dark sometimes. Trudging his way straight to the kitchen for a glass of water and his medication, Kurt didn’t notice the company sitting on their couch.
“Good morning Kurt” Carole smiled as she saw her step son in a pair of Blaine’s old sweat pants and a white tee. Paired with the bald head and lack of fat on his body, this was almost an unrecognisable Kurt. This was far from the Kurt she knew but either way it was the Kurt they all loved.
“Carole, Dad? What are you guys doing here?” he gasped and saw his father and step-mother smiling back at him. Making his way over to the couch, he pulled them both into gentle hugs. Lingering in his father’s arms, Kurt had missed Burt so much. Pulling away from his son, Burt sniffed back his tears. This was the first time he’d seen Kurt face to face since he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s and it was hard to see him looking so thin and weak. Burt couldn’t help but think of his late wife as he looked at Kurt.
Spotting Blaine on the opposite couch with Claire on his lap, Kurt glared at his boyfriend “Why didn’t you tell me they were coming?”
“I did tell you...”
“Did you?”
“No” Blaine laughed “Sue me for wanting to surprise you, again”
“Again?” Burt chuckled curiously
“Kurt’s homecoming from the hospital after his lung infection a few weeks ago, Claire made cupcakes” the dark haired teenager smiled and looked to Kurt before turned to Claire “Claire Bear, why don’t you get the pictures you drew at school off the refrigerator to show Grandma Carole and Grandpa Burt? I bet they’d love to see the one you did for Papa”
“Ok” the three year old giggled and jumped off her father’s lap. Racing to the kitchen, she pulled off all her pictures and brought them back to the living room. She jumped on the couch between Carole and Burt and started to tell them everything about her artwork.
Blaine got up off the couch and took Kurt’s hand, leading him back to their bedroom.
“Are you angry I didn’t tell you?” Blaine asked softly as he found Kurt’s jeans in the closet. Handing them to his boyfriend, he helped Kurt out of his t-shirt. Still weak and fragile from the first round of the new chemo treatment, Kurt let Blaine help him change.
“A little but I’ve missed my Dad so much I’ll over look it this time”
“Sorry”
“It’s ok” Kurt smiled and pressed a soft kiss to his boyfriend’s lips “What is it with you and surprises, huh?”
“You’d had a bad couple weeks after the first round of the new chemo and I thought seeing them might cheer you up” Blaine smiled still holding Kurt’s hips gently “Plus I thought now would be a good time for them to come with Claire’s birthday on Tuesday. They missed it last year”
“Claire’s birthday is that soon? I forgot about it...”
“Hey, it’s ok. I’m sure she will remind you constantly over the next five days”
“How is it possible that our little girl is turning four? She’s not old enough to be four”
“I ask myself that same question every day. She’s not a baby anymore” Blaine sighed as he pulled Kurt’s button up shirt over his shoulders hiding the catheter under his collarbone. As he started to button it, Kurt stopped him
“You have raised a beautiful little girl Blaine, you should be very proud”
“We raised a beautiful little girl” he smiled and kissed Kurt’s cheek softly “I have another surprise for you but you’ll have to wait”
“Why do I have to wait? Tell me now” Kurt giggled excitedly. Changing into his jeans, Kurt was almost dancing with anticipation “What is my other surprise?”
“Parents first, surprise later”
“Please?”
“No” Blaine laughed and handed Kurt his belt “I’m sure Carole and your Dad can only put up with Claire’s blabbering for so long before they get bored. We better get out there”
“You’re seriously not going to tell me?” Kurt pouted and tried to give his boyfriend his best puppy dog eyes “Please?”
Blaine shook his head with a smile as he pushed Kurt back out to the living room without another word of his surprise. Kurt’s surprise was something Blaine had been planning since they moved to New York but he’d only just managed to make it happen.
Walking out to the living room, Blaine and Kurt found Claire sitting at the coffee table with her colouring books and pencils all over the place. Burt watched on with a smile as Carole helped Claire pick the perfect colour for Cinderella’s dress.
“You boys alright?” Burt asked as he saw them come in.
“All good” Kurt smiled and sat down on the couch beside his Dad. Resting his hand on his knee, Kurt silently told his Dad that he was doing ok. Noticing Blaine disappear to the kitchen, Carole left Claire to keep colouring and joined her future son-in-law.
“How are you doing?”
“I’m fine” he smiled and found all the medications Kurt needed to take that morning. Knowing them off by heart, he didn’t have to look on the bottles to know which ones he needed. He put them all in a small cup beside a glass of water ready to give Kurt once he’d made some scrambled eggs.
“You’ve lost some weight...”
“Have I?”
“Blaine...” she sighed softly and made Blaine turn to her once he’d put the bread in the toaster
“I’m fine, really” Blaine insisted “Life is just a little busy at the moment. I have an exam in class tomorrow and Claire’s birthday is coming up...”
“Have you studied for this exam?”
“Yes Mom” he laughed “You know how in all the parenting books they say you should sleep when your baby sleeps? When Kurt sleeps I study. I want to be there when he needs me”

XXXXX

“How ya feelin’ kid?” Burt asked his son after a few moments of silence “You doing alright?”
“Yeah, I’m ok” Kurt smiled weakly “I had a good night. I don’t feel 100% today but I’m ok”
“Your Mom used to drink herbal tea when she was having an alright day, seemed to help keep her calm but that might have just been you rubbing her hand” the older Hummel chuckled “Do you remember that? Curling up on the couch beside her and rubbing your thumb across the back of her hand. You would sit there and do it til either you or your Mom was asleep”
“I remember that. She used to tell me I was rubbing a little bit of my happiness into her”
“She did say that” Burt smiled weakly and looked down at his hands that were clasped in his lap. Taking a deep breath, he reached over and took one of Kurt’s thin, boney hands in his own. Knowing the temperature of his hands was because of the chemo, Burt still rubbed his hand gently to warm it up.
“Seeing me like this reminds you of Mom before she died doesn’t it?” Kurt asked softly. He could tell his Dad saw a little bit of his Mom in him from the second he saw him.
“Yeah, a little but do you know what the difference between you both?”
Kurt shook his head
“Your Mom was strong and she fought but you’re going to fight harder. You’re going to beat this. Do you hear me, kid?”
“I hear ya”

XXXXX

“I was thinking...” Kurt chuckled as walked over to the window seat where Blaine was sitting. Carole had Claire drawing a special picture so she encouraged him to get some study done. They’d had a nice and quiet day with Kurt and his Dad spending a lot of it talking about treatments and recovery. Carole was enjoying the time with her granddaughter leaving Blaine the time to finish what he needed to for his geometry exam.
“That’s never good” Blaine laughed and looked up from his notes. Setting his book down, Blaine pulled his boyfriend onto his lap with a smile “What were you thinking?”
“You know that great Italian place down on West 13th Street? I was thinking we could take Dad and Carole down there for dinner”
“You feel alright to go out for dinner?”
“I had a good day, I’m feeling up for it” Kurt smiled and ran his hands through Blaine’s hair gently. Pressing his lips to his boyfriend’s softly, he melted into Blaine’s lap “Plus I have a huge craving for lasagne”
“Out for dinner it is” Blaine chuckled and kept his arms wrapped around Kurt’s waist “What time should I book a table? How long will you need to get ready? A couple hours like normal?”
“Hey” he laughed hitting Blaine’s arm “I won’t take very long without any hair to style perfectly”
“But it’ll take you forever to pick out the right scarf or hat...”
“I have a secret love for that grey slouch beanie thing of yours”
“So you stole it” Blaine laughed and kissed Kurt’s shoulder before pushing him to stand up. Getting up himself, he tidied his books “You find my hat and I will get Claire changed. I’m never going to get the marker stains out of her shirt”
“Ask Carole for her trick of stain removal and what do you think about me inviting Rachel and Finn? Make it a family thing”
“Sounds perfect”

XXXXX

“If you feel sick or you want to go home just tell me ok?” Blaine whispered to Kurt as the waiters set down everyone’s drink orders. They were listening to Rachel go on and on about her classes at NYADA but neither Kurt nor Blaine were really listening.
“If Rachel doesn’t shut up about trying to beat Lauren Rafter then I will fake anything painful to go home” he chuckled nudging Blaine gently. He loved Rachel and loved hearing about how well she was doing at school but it hurt at the same time. He just wished he was there at NYADA with her living his dream rather than in and out of hospital.
“I still can’t believe there’s someone who is better than Rachel. What is this world coming to?”
“Is everyone ready to order?” the waitress smiled as she came up to the table and essentially cut off Rachel’s rant about Lauren. Everyone at the table was thankful for that. Taking everyone’s orders, the waitress circled the table finishing with Kurt and writing down his request for lasagne and Claire’s order of spaghetti. If that kid could eat spaghetti every day then she would.
Blaine pulled Claire onto his lap as he looked around at the family gathered at the table. There was no better time than now to reveal his big surprise to Kurt.
“I have uh... I have an announcement I’d like to share with you all, especially you Kurt”