“If Claire doesn’t sleep soundly for the next 12 hours I will be very surprised” Blaine chuckled softly as he shut his daughter’s bedroom door quietly and made his way over to Kurt who had been leaning against the opposite wall watching Blaine put her down.
“She had a big day with her Daddy” Kurt smiled as he caught Blaine’s belt loops and pulled him close. Brushing his lips against his boyfriends, Kurt snaked his arms around his waist. “I’m so glad you got to spend the day with her. You both needed it”
“Today was about you”
“The whole family benefitted from today’s activities”
“You are definitely happier after your day with Mercedes” Blaine chuckled and rested his hands on Kurt’s chest carefully. Feeling the catheter that had been inserted just under Kurt’s collar bone, Blaine moved his hand lower so not to remind his boyfriend of what tomorrow involved.
“So are you...”
“Me? Have I been in a bad mood lately?”
“You’ve been very tense and serious lately” Kurt responded honestly as he took Blaine’s hand and led them back to the couch. Slipping in behind his boyfriend, Kurt started to massage Blaine’s shoulders gently “You’ve been so focused on me and my treatment lately. It was good to see you relax for a day”
“Today was about you not me”
“You said that already” he sighed softly and made Blaine turn til they were facing one another “I know this is hard on you and Claire too and I’m sorry”
“You don’t need to apologise, it’s not your fault you got sick”
“I’m sorry all the same”
“Well don’t be” Blaine insisted and placed a soft kiss on Kurt’s cheek “It’s ok”
“It can’t be ok. You didn’t ask for this...”
“I didn’t ask for a daughter at 15 but I can’t imagine life without Claire now” he chuckled and took Kurt’s hands gently “I never thought that we would ever have to deal with something like this let alone so young and honestly? I’ve been so scared since the day you were diagnosed. I lie awake some nights because I’m afraid to sleep and dream about you lying in a hospital bed and not at home with me. When you’re resting I listen for any changes in your breathing and I busy myself with organising all your medication so I don’t think about you getting any worse” Blaine sniffed and kissed Kurt’s knuckles softly before wiping the tears from his eyes “I’m going to be here through everything because I can’t imagine my life without you in it. I love you and if I have to be scared for a few weeks or months or years, however long it takes for you to be healthy again, then so be it. I wouldn’t have it any other way”
“I love you” Kurt smiled and wiped away the tears that were now streaming down his face. Blaine had never been one to really open up about his feelings but after Kurt’s diagnosis he shut himself down a little more than usual. Kurt had hoped that he would open up but he wasn’t going to push. They were both dealing with this cancer in their own ways.
“I have no doubt in my mind that you are going to beat this and we’re going to go on to live our lives exactly as we planned them. You’re going to work on Broadway, I’m going to be there cheering you on and we’re both going to see Claire grow up into a beautiful young woman”
“You don’t know that...” Kurt sighed softly
“I don’t know that Claire will grow up to be a beautiful young woman? She has the Anderson gene, she’s going to be stunning” Blaine laughed knowing that Kurt meant something very different. His attempt at lightening the mood didn’t change Kurt’s sad expression “No, I don’t know for sure that you’re going to be perfectly healthy but I believe that you are strong enough to conquer anything that life throws at you. You survived the bullying and the taunting in high school and you will survive this”
“Blaine...”
“Please no more tears, come to bed” he insisted and stood up pulling Kurt with him “I promise I’ll even let you be the big spoon for once”
“Really?” Kurt gasped dramatically with a smile “But you never let me be the big spoon”
“I just miss falling asleep in your arms”
“I think we can arrange something” he smiled and dragged Blaine back to their bedroom. Closing the door quietly, Kurt turned to his boyfriend and pulled him close. Crashing their lips together, he immediately reached for the hem of Blaine’s shirt.
Relaxing into the intensity of Kurt’s kiss, Blaine lifted his arms letting Kurt lift his shirt over his head. Melting back into the comfort of Kurt’s arms, Blaine felt his boyfriend slow as his lips moved to Blaine’s neck. Blaine ran his hands up Kurt’s back under his shirt and massaged gently. Placing one last kiss on his chest, Kurt straightened up and looked into Blaine’s eyes.
“You tired?” Blaine chuckled knowing exactly what that look meant. Kurt nodded silently and rested his head on Blaine’s shoulder defeated “Another time”
“We haven’t had sex in three months” Kurt groaned. Still massaging Kurt’s back gently, Blaine couldn’t help but laugh softly “This isn’t funny Blaine”
“This isn’t a big deal either. I’m tired too”
“Three months Blaine”
“I honestly hadn’t noticed how long it’s been” Blaine insisted as he pulled Kurt back to look at him “Next time you are feeling as good as you did today I promise we will spend the entire day in bed”
“That could be weeks away...”
“I can wait” he smiled “It’ll just make that time together so much more special. I’d wait forever if I had to”
“Stop” Kurt sighed and hit Blaine’s chest lightly “Stop being so god damn perfect”
“Sorry” Blaine laughed and stole a quick kiss “Would it be too perfect of me to sleep without a shirt? I’ve got my own big spoon keeping me warm tonight”
“Yes it would be too perfect but there’s no way in hell I’m gonna stop you though”

Three Weeks Later

‘I would much rather be there at the hospital than sitting through these painful presentations waiting to do mine. It’s a proposal and a bunch of drawings for a building I’ll never get to build. My professor could just read it rather than make me present it in front of a class of sleeping college students –B’

‘Because one day you’re going to build the most amazing skyscrapers in New York City. Consider this practice for when you’re a big shot Architect. You’re a born performer, embrace the opportunity –K’

‘Someone’s unusually upbeat for a chemo day... –B’

‘It’s my second last treatment for this cycle. The end of the first step is near –K’

‘I wish I was there –B’

‘You’ll be there for my last treatment, that’s all I care about. You’ll be there when I find out if the last 18 weeks of chemo have worked –K’

‘Have a little faith. Call me when you’re finished. I’ll be home as soon as I can. I love you –B’

‘I love you too. Good luck with your presentation –K’

XXXXX

“What are you in for?” the young guy sitting beside Kurt asked after five minutes of silence since Kurt first sat down. The treatment room he had soon started to really hate was filled with big, comfy couch chairs with IV poles next to each. People usually kept to themselves listening to music or reading a book but sometimes you got the odd talker.
“Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, you?” Kurt smiled and looked over at him. He didn’t look much older than Kurt if at all and that’s what he hated the most. No-one deserved to get cancer but it was just so much more painful to see the horrible disease in a teenager or a child.
“Osteosarcoma. The name’s Sebastian Smythe”
“I’m Kurt Hummel. Is this your first treatment?”
“Yeah, yours?”
“This is my second last treatment of my first cycle to that makes it my 11th” Kurt sighed and played with a loose strand on his jeans with his free hand “This is the first one on my own though. I usually have my partner or my daughter with me”
“You have a kid? How old are you? How old is the kid?” Sebastian chuckled a little shocked. Kurt simply smiled and pulled his phone out of his pocket. Tapping the screen to pull up his wallpaper, Kurt showed Sebastian the photo of Blaine and Claire smiling brightly at the camera. Taken on the day of his and Blaine’s high school graduation, the father and daughter never looked so happy.
“She’s not biologically mine...”
“But she’s still yours”
“Yeah” Kurt smiled and looked at the photo “Her name is Claire, she’s nearly 4”
“She’s cute, she looks like that handsome man of yours” Sebastian chuckled and shifted in his seat so the needle in his arm wasn’t quite so uncomfortable “Don’t worry I won’t poach him. Married with a kid isn’t my type”
“We’re not married...”
“Either way he’s probably whipped so you can keep him”
“Uhm, thanks?” Kurt chuckled a little confused and a little offended. Picking up the magazine Blaine had insisted he took with him, he started flicking past the latest celebrity scandal. An hour or so later Kurt had read through the same magazine three times and he still had an hour to go.
“Well this was fun” Sebastian chuckled as the nurse came by to take out the IV now that his treatment was over. Rolling down the sleeve of his shirt, he turned to Kurt with a genuine smile “Good luck, man”
“Thanks, you too” Kurt smiled as he watched Sebastian head for the door. Just as he tipped his head back down to continue reading about Demi Moore’s latest debacle he heard Sebastian calling his name.
“I think this belongs to you” he laughed and pointed to the little girl at his feet peering around the door. Kneeling down he showed Claire where Kurt was sitting. A little scared, she walked slowly with her hands behind her back. Blaine had told her the very first time he’d brought Claire along to one of Kurt’s appointments was to be extra, super careful. She wasn’t allowed to touch anything and she had to be incredibly gentle with Papa.
“Now does this belong to you?” Sebastian smirked as he stood up and noticed Santana standing at the door. Looking her up and down, he couldn’t help but check her out.
“Sick or not...” she smirked and tapped his shoulder “I’m so far out of your league it isn’t even funny”
Kurt couldn’t help but laugh at cocky Sebastian being shot down like that by Santana. It was always good to know she’d managed to keep her Lima Heights poison tongue.
Claire walked over to Kurt’s chair and stood there quietly, too scared to get any closer. Shuffling over a little, Kurt patted the couch beside him but Claire shook her head.
“It’s ok baby girl, you won’t hurt me”
“She thinks she’ll make you sick” Santana sighed as she made her way over to Kurt’s chair. Pulling up a stool for herself, she picked up Claire and sat her down beside Kurt. The little girl was apprehensive but she had missed curling up on Kurt’s lap so she snuggled in close “I know we weren’t meant to be here for another hour but she just kept asking for you. I’m a sucker when she begs”
“I am too; don’t worry” he chuckled “Thanks for bringing her. I really don’t like doing this alone” Santana nodded a little distracted as she looked around the room. She hated hospitals even though she hadn’t had a lot of experience with them. She just hated seeing so many people sick or in pain especially when it was someone like Kurt. The young man noticed her distraction and shifted in his seat to pull twenty dollars out of his pocket “Hey S, would you mind going down to the cafeteria and getting me a bottle of water? Please? Mine’s not cold anymore”
“Sure” she smiled silently thanking him for the errand. Santana knew how uncomfortable she felt was showing clearly on her face “Do you want me to take Claire with me?”
“Nah, she’s keeping me warm” he chuckled and held Claire a little closer. If for nothing else, her body warmth was soothing the ache he had. “Get a coffee for yourself, you look like you need it”
“School’s been kicking my ass”
“Claire is fine here if you want to go for a walk or something. Clear your head maybe, relax?”
“Blaine asked me to watch Claire...”
“He also asks you to text him if anything ever seems off with me when he’s not here” Kurt smirked knowing the secret plans to keep a constant eye on him. He didn’t sleep as much as they thought he did. “Claire will be fine. Take some time for yourself”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive”
“Kurt...”
“I’ll call you when I’m done here”
“You’re sure?”
“Go!” he laughed motioning his hands as if he was shooing her from the room. Kissing his forehead quickly, Santana retreated from the room with a thankful smile. She loved Claire and loved looking after the beautiful little girl but she was not herself today. Working hard at school, she hadn’t had any time to herself lately and as much as she wanted to help out with Claire, she was grateful for the time.
Kurt pulled Claire up onto his lap and cuddled her close kissing the top of her head gently. Twirling one of her curls around his finger, he missed having this time with her. Even though she wasn’t technically his daughter, Claire was the closest thing Kurt may ever have so he was going to make the most of it.