“Are you gonna talk to me?” Blaine asked Kurt as he followed his boyfriend down the street. After leaving the hospital, the bronze haired man insisted they picked Claire up from pre-school early in the hope the whole situation would melt away with that little girl’s giggle. “Kurt?”
Kurt continued walking silently holding Claire close keeping her warm and headed into his new favourite cafe that he and Rachel had found six months ago on their first day at NYADA. Taking a seat in the back corner, the pale faced young man held his daughter on his lap and twisted one of her curls around his finger until it fell perfectly. Blaine sat down across from Kurt and let out a deep breath.
“You have to say something, Kurt”
“I knew this was gonna happen...”
“How did you know this was gonna happen? You can’t predict these sorts of things”
“It’s what my mother died of...” Kurt sighed as he held Claire closer. He’d never told Blaine exactly what his mother had passed away of over 10 years ago and now Blaine understood why his boyfriend was reacting this way. If it was anything else than it might have been different. Leaning across the table, Blaine took Kurt’s hand and squeezed it tight “You are not going to die from this”
“My Mom had Stage 2 and she passed away a year after diagnosis. I have Stage 3, it doesn’t look good”
“Don’t say that” Blaine insisted as he picked up his chair and moved it next to Kurt’s. Wrapping his arm around his boyfriend’s shoulders, Blaine hugged both Kurt and Claire close “We are going to fight this. You are going to be fine”
“I have Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Blaine” Kurt whispered before he burst into tears. Burying his face into Blaine’s shoulder he just sobbed. There was no controlling the emotion he was feeling that day and all Blaine could do was hold his boyfriend.
Claire, unsure of what was happening, snuggled closer to Kurt. She just wanted to try and make him feel better.

XXXXX

“The doctors are sure it’s cancer?” Santana asked softly as she and Blaine stood at the doorway of his and Kurt’s bedroom. Watching Kurt and Claire asleep together on the bed, both Santana and Blaine were worried.
It took Kurt a little while to calm down in the cafe and that kind of emotional outburst was tiring. Blaine took him home and insisted he at rested for the afternoon. It had been a big day. Still determined to try and make her Papa feel better, Claire curled up beside Kurt and fell asleep not long before he did.
“Positive” Blaine sighed “They did a lymph node biopsy, blood tests and a heap of scans. They are definitely sure it’s Hodgkin’s”
“Treatment options?”
“Chemotherapy starting in a couple of days”
“What is he going to do about school?”
“He’d like to stay but the doctors said this treatment is going to be intense. He’s gonna get worse before he gets any better” Blaine groaned softly as he ran his hands through his hair. He couldn’t believe this was happening. He couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that his boyfriend has cancer, something that could kill him. “I’m going to drop back to part-time study so I can be home more to look after him”
“If you ever need a hand with Claire just knock on my door, I’ll take her whenever you need some time ok?” she smiled weakly and leant into Blaine gently. Snaking his arms around her waist, he hugged her tight “If you need anything at all just ask”
“Thank you Santana”
“Any time”
Blaine held onto Santana for a little while until he heard someone stir inside his bedroom. Letting go and looking into his room, he saw that Claire had just rolled over and snuggled in closer to Kurt. He loved that Claire could just do the simplest things to make someone feel better. Unsure if it would work, Blaine liked that she was trying all the same.
“What did Burt say about all this when you told him?” Santana asked as she followed Blaine out into the kitchen. Turning on the kettle, Blaine leant against the bench while the water boiled.
“We... haven’t told him yet. Kurt doesn’t want to tell him... at all”
“Kurt has to tell him”
“I know and I said that but he doesn’t want his father to relive what he went through when Kurt’s Mom was sick. She died of the same type of cancer”
“Oh...”
“I would love to just go behind Kurt’s back and call his Dad but I can’t. He has to be the one to tell Burt about all this”
“If you haven’t told Burt and Carole then I guess you haven’t told anyone else then?”
“You were the first one” Blaine shrugged as he pulled down three mugs and dropped a teabag into each “I don’t even know how the hell I’m going to tell Claire that her Dad has cancer. She’s three years old, she shouldn’t know about all this yet”
“Then you just tell her that Papa is sick and that you and the doctors are doing everything you can to make him better” Santana sighed softly and rested her hand on Blaine’s arm “You have to sugar coat it all for her”
“I just wish there wasn’t anything to sugar coat in the first place”
“Don’t we all”

XXXXX

Blaine set the cup of tea down on the bedside table next to Kurt and kissed his forehead softly before gently sliding Claire from his arms.
“Leave her” Kurt begged softly as he felt the sudden loss of heat. Keeping his eyes closed he reached out weakly for his own personal teddy bear.
“I’m just going to put her to bed. I’ll be back to take her place ok?” he chuckled and took Claire to her bedroom and changed the sleepy three year old into her pyjamas. Pulling her pink fairy blanket up over her, he kissed her cheek. The moment right as he put Claire down was always Blaine’s favourite time of the day. His little girl always looked so peaceful like there was nothing wrong in the world.
Making his way back to his bedroom, Blaine lay down behind Kurt and gently wrapped his arms around his waist. Kurt settled back into Blaine’s chest and let out a deep breath.
“I don’t want you to drop back to part-time at school. You don’t need to do that for me”
“Who says I’m doing it for you” he smirked and kissed Kurt’s sensitive spot just below his ear “And you were meant to be asleep before”
“I dozed for a little while but I can’t really sleep” Kurt sighed and turned slowly in Blaine’s arms. Wrapping his arms around his boyfriend’s neck, the bronze haired man rested his forehead on Blaine’s “Didn’t mean to eavesdrop but I don’t want you cutting down your classes just to look after me”
“I want to...”
“But you don’t have to”
“Yes I do have to. I love you and I am going to do everything in my power to keep you by my side forever. Claire needs her Papa”
“I’m scared, Blaine” Kurt whispered softly. Tightening his arms around Kurt’s waist, Blaine kissed his temple
“I know, I am too”