“Daddy, Is Papa coming home soon?” Claire asked as she crawled up onto her father’s lap on the couch. Kurt had been in hospital with a lung infection for 8 days and Blaine had been ordered to stay home by both the doctors and Santana. Going to the hospital to take Kurt some clothes and toiletries, he was updated by the doctors before heading home. Kurt slept a lot as his body recovered from yet another attack on his immune system. He never expected Blaine to stay by his bedside and even encouraged him to stay away on the rare chance he was awake during his visits. Blaine needed a couple days to recover too before Kurt started his next round of chemo.
“Tomorrow baby girl, we get to bring him home tomorrow morning” he smiled weakly and held his daughter close as some Disney movie played on the TV in front of them. Blaine wasn’t paying too much attention; his focus was on Kurt and how much he missed his boyfriend. He was sick of waking up in the middle of the night in a panic when the bed beside him was cold. He feared that those panics would turn into nightmares of Kurt’s funeral again.
“I drew him a picture at school yesterday. It’s of you, me and Papa at the park with the penguins. Can we take Papa to see the penguins one day?”
“I think he’d like that and I know he will love your picture” Blaine sniffed as he kissed the top of Claire’s head softly “I have an idea, why don’t we make your Papa some chocolate cupcakes. They’re his favourite and when he comes home we’ll have a special picnic in the living room like we used to when we lived with Grandma”
“Yeah let’s do that!” she giggled as she bounced happily on his lap “Can I stir the cupcakes?”
“Of course you can Princess”
Blaine pulled his daughter into his arms as he headed into the kitchen. Setting Claire down on the edge of the counter, he started pulling out all the ingredients they needed. He put the bowl in front of Claire and she helped her Dad put them all together. Half of it was out of the bowl and all over their clothes but cupcakes weren’t fun without a little mess.
“You and your Papa will have to make cupcakes again when he gets home, he’s a much better baker than me” Blaine chuckled as he dropped spoonfuls of their mixture into the cupcake tray “His Mom taught him to cook just like I’m sure he’ll teach you”
“Is Papa going to be sick forever?”
“No baby, he’s going to get better”
“When?” she asked and looked up at her father with her big, sad eyes. Blaine hated when she looked at him like that, it broke his heart
“I don’t know. Hopefully soon” Blaine smiled weakly and put the tray into the oven. “How about we go draw Papa a ‘Welcome Home’ sign, huh?”
“Ok”

XXXXX

“Ok close your eyes” Rachel laughed as she led Kurt to the door of his apartment. Picking him up from the hospital as per Blaine’s request, she was more than excited to help in his homecoming surprise.
“You’re making me close my eyes to walk into my own apartment?” he sighed softly. Exhausted and still hopped up on antibiotics, Kurt just wanted to melt into Blaine’s arms after a week without him.
“Yes now do it or I will be forced to blindfold you”
“Rachel...”
“Kurt...”
“Fine” he growled and closed his eyes. Letting Rachel lead him into the apartment, Kurt held out his hands so he wouldn’t run into anything. She stopped him in the living room and stepped back “Can I open my eyes yet?”
“Yes” Claire giggled and raced over to him. Being careful just like her dad had told her to be, she hugged Kurt’s leg very gently
Kurt opened his eyes to see a ‘Welcome Home’ sign hanging from the ceiling over the couch decked out in comfy blankets and pillows with the coffee table packed with their favourite foods and a pile of Disney movies. It was their perfect little family picnic.
“Well that’s my cue to go, you guys have fun” Rachel smiled simply at the way Kurt was looking at Blaine in that moment. Giving Kurt a quick kiss on the cheek, Rachel left the young family to their picnic.
Kurt bent down to Claire’s level and pulled her into a proper hug once Rachel had gone. He was too weak to pick her up but it was such a good feeling to be able to hold her. “I missed you, Princess”
“She missed you too” Blaine smiled as he made his way over to his daughter and boyfriend. Pulling Claire into his arms, Blaine stood and helped Kurt up as well “I missed you”
“It’s good to be home, I’m sick of that damn hospital. I don’t want to even think about going back in 3 days time for chemo” he sighed softly and melted into Blaine’s side. He missed this “I love the sign and the picnic set up”
“We made cupcakes too” Claire giggled and wriggled out of her father’s arms. Racing to the coffee table, she picked up the picture she drew and a cupcake. Blaine lead Kurt over to the couch and got him comfortable before lifting their three year old onto the couch next to him. “I made these for you”
Kurt admired the picture and took the cupcake before Claire dropped it on the couch. Taking a small bite, he wasn’t all that hungry but he couldn’t disappoint that little girl “Cupcakes are perfect and the picture is beautiful. Thank you baby girl, I love it all”
“Daddy, May I please go play?” she asked sweetly. Pulling her off the couch, Blaine watched her skip off to her bedroom
“May I please? That’s new” Kurt chuckled as he filled Claire’s space next to Blaine and snuggled close
“She’s getting very good with her manners”
“It’s only been a week but I feel like I’ve missed so much with her. I’m surprised she even recognises me”
“Hey, don’t say that” Blaine sighed softly “She will never forget you. You’re her Papa”
“Not a very good one...”
“You’ve been... preoccupied. I promised Claire today that you would teach her to cook just like your Mom taught you”
“Did you now?” Kurt smiled
“Are you not going to teach her cook? From those cupcakes, you’re definitely a better baker than me”
“A little dry but they’re still good. Cupcakes are an art” he laughed “Thank you for my cupcakes and my welcome home. I was annoyed when Rachel turned up at the hospital until I opened my eyes in the apartment”
“Claire insisted on a surprise. She was so excited to have you home again. The place wasn’t the same without you”
Pushing himself up higher on the couch, Kurt pressed his lips to Blaine’s softly. Blaine wrapped his arms tighter around his boyfriend as he nibbled on his bottom lip gently. They both missed this; they missed being together in each other’s arms. They both longed for the day they could get a little more carried away because Kurt wasn’t sick. They longed for the day everything went back to normal.