"Seriously, Fletch I really don't care" Claire sighed as she walked out of the elevator on their floor. Making her way toward their apartment door, the seventeen year old just wanted to put as much distance between her annoying little brother and herself.
"But Mr Fryer said that some of us get to compete in the Spelling Bee against all the third graders! I'm only in the second grade and I get to spell against third graders" Fletcher gasped excitedly not picking up on his sister's bad mood that afternoon.
Meeting Fletcher out the front of his Elementary School, Claire walked home with her brother every other afternoon that she didn't have a late sketch class. Usually it was a pleasant walk home full of Fletcher's happy ramblings about his day at school but today, today Claire really didn't want to hear it.
"Fletcher shutup, I don't care"
The seven year old stopped in his tracks as his sister opened their apartment door and slammed it behind her. He had never heard Claire speak like that to anyone let alone to him. Always a happy person, Claire didn't know how to snap at her brother.
"What's with her?" Santana chuckled from her doorway. Hearing her two favourite kids walking out of the elevator she came to greet them only to be me with a slammed door.
"I dunno" the young boy shrugged and trudged over to Santana who immediately enveloped him in a warm hug "I was just telling her about my Spelling Bee"
"Why don't you come inside and tell me about it over a piece of chocolate cake? Leftover from my friend's birthday last night"
"I'm not allowed dessert before dinner..."
"If you don't tell your Dads then I won't either"
"Cool" he giggled and skipped into Santana's apartment.
It wasn't rare that Fletcher spent his afternoon at 'Aunty Tanna's' apartment finishing his homework while his parents were working. Santana loved both Fletcher and Claire like her own so it was never a problem for her to hang out with one of them for a couple hours. On afternoons like this she was more than happy to entertain her favourite little boy just to give Claire some time on her own.
Sitting down with Fletcher at the dining table, she set a piece of cake in front of the seven year old before pulling out her cell. She smiled as Fletcher almost inhaled the cake he was eating and picked at her own as she sent a text through to Blaine.
'Fletcher is here at my place, your daughter is in one seriously foul mood this afternoon'
Blaine laughed softly as he read the text from his best friend. Taking a deep breath, he knew he was finally going to have to deal with the teenage attitude he'd heard so much about. Claire had been so good over the years; Blaine thought he'd missed it altogether... He wasn't that lucky.
"What's so funny?" Kurt asked as he emerged from the stage door to see his husband smiling at his phone screen.
At rehearsals for his new show all day, Kurt always loved to find Blaine there waiting for him to go home together. Blaine tried to co-ordinate his hours at the office with Kurt's at rehearsal so they could spend as much time with each other as well as their children.
Blaine showed Kurt the text from Santana and heard his husband sigh softly "I'm too tired to deal with teenage angst today"
"It's probably school; you know how Claire gets when she doesn't get the grade she hoped for"
"I would have said she gets it from me but she doesn't have my genes so she can't"
"Genes or not, she still gets it from you. She saw you mope around over grades when she was younger, it must have sunk in"
"Hey" Kurt laughed and hooked his arm around Blaine's before nudging him gently "I wasn't that bad... was I?"
"I don't want to sleep on the couch tonight so I'm going to say no"
"Good answer" he smiled and started walking with Blaine toward the Subway. Clutching him close, Kurt and Blaine kept each other warm as the late November snow started to fall.
The pair made the journey across the city to their apartment both slightly dreading Claire's bad mood. If she was anything like Blaine then she could slip into a dark place if no-one was with her. While Kurt was sick, Blaine had many nights when he wanted to just curl up and forget the world but it was Claire's little body snuggled up against him that pulled him through. Blaine just hoped this wasn't the same for Claire and it was nothing quite as serious.
"I'll go get Fletcher" Kurt chuckled as they walked along their corridor.
"Chicken..."
"Cluck" he smirked "Good luck"
Blaine sighed with a soft chuckle as he turned in the opposite direction to his husband and walked into their family's apartment. Finding Claire sitting at the kitchen bench doing what looked like her Chemistry homework, Blaine was shocked to even see her out of her bedroom.
"Hey kid, how are you?"
"Fine"
"Fine? Claire?"
Looking up from her homework, she turned to her father with a sigh. Lying was probably the easiest option at that point. She didn't want to explain to her Dad why she was in such a mood "I'm fine"
"Fine doesn't yell at her brother and slam doors Claire" Blaine chuckled softly and sat down on the bench beside his daughter "Are you sure everything's ok? School? Your friends? Cheer? Michael?"
Peering down at the books and worksheets strewn across the counter in front of her, Claire searched for any excuse for her bad mood that wasn't anything like why she was so down that afternoon. Her Dad had said the problems name but Claire wasn't ready to talk to him about a boy of all things.
"I... I got my French Mid-Term back today"
"And...?"
"I got a B minus"
"What? But you're nearly fluent..."
"I know and I'm sorry" she shrugged. Claire was upset that she hadn't got the mark she wanted on her French test but it was a hard exam and her mark was one of the best in the class. Her teacher pushed them to work hard so they would excel in their finals. What upset her most about that mark would be Kurt's reaction to it. He had been teaching her to speak French since she was 8.
"Do you know what you did wrong and how you can fix it?"
"Yes"
"Are you going to use this as an example and study harder for your final exam?"
"Yes" the seventeen year old nodded "Please don't tell Papa about this. He'd be so disappointed"
"He'll only be disappointed if you don't try your best in your final exam" Blaine insisted and rested his hand on his daughter's knee "Are you sure everything else is alright?"
"Yeah" she lied again "I'm just gonna finish my homework in my room"
Claire packed up her books and worksheets and started to head for her bedroom before Blaine stopped her. Holding out her cell phone, he picked it up once he noticed she'd left it behind "Four missed calls and eight messages from Michael..."
"He's having trouble with the art history assignment"
What was that? Four lies in one afternoon. Claire never lied to her Dad and didn't want to lie now but she had to. She couldn't face her real problems right now. She couldn't tell her Dad what was really going on.
Claire grabbed her phone and stuffed it in her pocket. She would deal with Michael later "Call me when dinner's ready?"
"Don't you have a date with Michael tonight?"
"Art history assignment is due tomorrow. I should go call him and help"
"I think your Papa wanted to order Chinese so I'll call you when it comes"
"Thanks Dad"
Claire retreated to her bedroom and closed the door behind her. Setting her books down on her bed, she looked to her phone screen as another call from Michael came through. Turning off her cell, she didn't want to see his face come up on her screen again that night.

XXXXX

Claire had been best friends with Michael since their first day of freshman year at LaGuardia Arts High School. They were both timid, shy and in all the same classes. They were both talented painters and became fast friends. Michael was a perfect gentleman around Claire and both Blaine and Kurt loved him. He was good to their daughter and treated her right so they weren't surprised when she came home one day to announce they were officially dating.
There had always been a spark between the pair but it took them over a year to realise it. Now halfway through the 11th grade, they had been dating for a year and loved each other more than anything.
At least they thought they loved each other more than anything but they were fighting. Both busy with school and Cheerleading for Claire and the band he was in with his friends for Michael; they were finding it hard to spend time together. The fighting really started when Michael started to break dates and spend his free time doing anything but be with Claire. He would rather spend time with his new drummer Sarah then his own girlfriend and it scared her. She was scared she was losing him.

XXXXX

Kurt walked back into the apartment with Fletcher not long after Claire had retreated to her bedroom. Peering around the corner to see if it was safe, Fletcher was worried he would make Claire angry again by coming back.
"She's in her room" Blaine chuckled as he noticed his son's behaviour
"Is she still mad at me?" Fletcher asked as he climbed up onto the seat Claire had vacated
"She's not angry with you buddy, just a bad day at school"
"Did something happen?" Kurt asked concerned "Is she hurt?"
"No it was just about a grade on a test, she's ok"
"Are you sure?"
"I hope so" Blaine sighed as he found the Chinese takeout menu for Kurt to look over.

XXXXX

"Why does Fletcher always get to pick the movies?" Kurt sighed as he placed a large bowl of popcorn down on the coffee table. It was family movie night even though Claire had left half an hour earlier for a date with her boyfriend, Michael.
Collapsing down on the couch beside his husband, they both watched their little boy scan the movie collection for that night's entertainment.
"Because he's 7 and he wouldn't understand or enjoy any movie either of us would pick. I promise you can pick one when he goes to bed" Blaine smiled and wrapped his arm around Kurt's shoulders.
"Toy Story?" Fletcher giggled as he picked it from the collection.
"You weren't born when that movie was released. Claire hadn't even been born when this came out"
"But I like this movie. I wish my toys talked"
"Who says they don't?" Kurt laughed and gestured for Fletcher to start the movie and join them on the couch. The little boy jumped up and snuggled in between his Dad's as the opening credits began.
Both Blaine and Kurt loved moments like this when they could spend time with their son. They both liked it better when Claire joined them but she was growing up and becoming an independent young woman. She was getting too old for movie night with Dad, Papa and her baby brother. Kurt and Blaine adored both of their children but sometimes they did regret having such a large age difference between them. Even though Claire and Fletcher were close, she would be heading off to college in 18 months time and he would still be in Elementary school.
It was like Kurt and Blaine were raising two separate children on their own rather than both together.
Just as Buzz Light-year popped out of his box and onto Andy's bed, the door to the Anderson-Hummel family's apartment opened and slammed loudly. All three men turned to see what was going on only to see a sobbing Claire rush past them and disappear into her bedroom. Slamming that door too, the apartment went silent.
"What just happened?"
"That was a short date; she's only been gone what, an hour?"
Blaine got up from the couch and made his way to his daughter's bedroom door. Something was definitely wrong and anything that involved Claire crying tore at his heart.
"Claire? Is everything ok?"
Hearing nothing but soft sobbing coming from the other side of the door, Blaine was worried.
"Can I come in?"
"No, go away" she snapped and sat with her back against the door in case Blaine tried to push it open
"Claire, come on please let me in. Talk to me" Blaine sighed softly. He hated to see her daughter cry "Did something happen with Michael?"
"I don't want to talk about it"
"Please Claire?"
"Go away!"
Blaine didn't know what to do. He had no experience in what to do when his daughter ran through the door crying like this. The last time Claire raced home in tears, she was six and she'd fallen at the playground and skinned both her knees.
"She won't talk to me" Blaine sighed as he walked back into the living room "I don't know what is wrong or what to do"
"What about Aunty Tanna? She and Claire always have 'girl talk' or something. What is 'girl talk' Papa?"
"It's something you don't need to worry about for a long time" Kurt chuckled and kissed the top of his son's head before making his way to the kitchen "Santana went home to Lima for the weekend so I guess that leaves me"
"If she won't talk to me will she talk to you?"
"This may be one time that not being biologically related to her is an advantage" he chuckled and poured a glass of water before heading past Blaine toward Claire's bedroom "If this is about Michael then she's not going to want to talk to her Dad"
"But you're her Dad too aren't you Papa?"
"The kid's got a point" Blaine shrugged but Kurt walked down the hall all the same. Knocking softly on Claire's door, he pushed it open with ease and disappeared through it. Sitting back down with Fletcher on the couch, Blaine turned the movie back on hoping Kurt could solve whatever was wrong with Claire. He wasn't paying much attention to the movie but he had to leave this in his husband's very capable hands.
"Is Claire hurt Daddy?" Fletcher asked as he curled up in his father's lap
"I think so, buddy"
"Can we help her? Make her better?"
"That's what Papa is trying to do now" Blaine sighed and rubbed his son's back gently. He just wished he could do something, anything to help Claire. His daughter usually told him everything so it was hard when she didn't want to confide in him about something important like this.
Kurt walked into Claire's bedroom to find her curled up on her bed clutching the teddy bear he'd given her for their first Christmas together. It was a very old toy but it never failed to comfort Claire when she needed it. Setting the glass of water down on her nightstand, Kurt sat down on the bed beside his daughter and rubbed her back gently.
"What happened tonight?"
"I don't want to talk about it" she sniffed as she shuffled further away from Kurt.
"It is tearing up your Dad and I seeing you like this. We just want to know you're ok"
"I'm not ok but I'm not talking to Dad. I can't...I just can't..."
"Then talk to me" Kurt insisted shuffling closer to Claire and resumed rubbing her back "Please Claire, I just want to help"
"You can't help because it's done, it's over"
"What's over? What happened?"
"Michael and I broke up" Claire sobbed as she turned back to Kurt and pulled herself into his awaiting arms. Holding her tight, he kissed her forehead as she let out all her emotion. Letting her cry, Kurt hated seeing her like this especially over a boy. Crying til she could dry no more, Claire rested her head on Kurt's chest letting his heartbeat start to calm her down.
"What did he say?"
"He said that we didn't work anymore. That he didn't love me like he used to..."
"That little punk" Kurt growled even though much more colourful language was going through his mind.
"He likes another girl"
"What?"
"I loved Michael" Claire sniffed "I still love him. He's my best friend. He's my best friend and he's probably off with Sarah just happy to be rid of me"
"Hey, don't say that" Kurt sighed and hugged Claire tighter "You're an amazing young woman and he's an idiot for ever letting you go. He will soon regret his decision, don't you worry"
"I should have guessed this was going to happen. I should have seen it coming"
"How could you have known?"
"We were drifting apart, we were fighting. I knew this was going to happen but I didn't want to accept it. I didn't want to lose him" she cried and buried her face in Kurt's shirt as a new wave of tears came over her and flowed from her red and puffy eyes. Hushing her softly, Kurt rocked Claire back and forth just like he used to when she was a baby.
"It's going to be ok, I promise. Everything will turn out ok"
"I lost him, I lost my best friend"
"It's ok, it'll all be ok"
"He was... He was my..."
"Everything" Kurt finished for her as he continued to rock her back and forth gently
"He was my first love, my first time..." Claire began before she remembered who she was talking to an immediately regretted what she'd said. Lifting her chin til their eyes met, Kurt gave her a look as if to say 'explain that one please'. Nodding gently, she rested her head back on his chest "Last month when I stayed over at his place after his birthday. We were safe, I promise! Are you mad?"
"It would be hypocritical if I was angry with you" he chuckled softly. He couldn't really be mad at her when he lost his virginity at the same age and her father was only 15. They knew that day would come with Michael and both Kurt and Blaine had an idea that it may have happened. That was when they truly appreciated having Santana so close because no doubt she would have re-told the safe sex lecture Blaine had uncomfortably given to his daughter three years previously. Claire was lucky to have Santana around for everything a mother would usually do.
Shifting on the bed so he and Claire were looking at each other once again, Kurt pushed a stray curl behind her ear with a soft sigh "You, Claire, are a young, beautiful, talented woman. You will find your soul mate one day, I promise. You have your whole life ahead of you to find that special person who will love you more than anything in this world"
"You and Dad found that person young... I thought Michael was that person for me"
"Sometimes people do find their soul mate young and yes I found mine in a coffee shop at 17 but everyone's different. My Mom and Dad married young too and they adored each other" Kurt began with a smile "And when she died, my dad never thought he'd love anyone ever again. He never thought anyone would love him like my Mom loved him"
"Until he met Grandma Carole"
"She gave him hope again and I think God or whoever was repaying my Dad for all the love and patience he had for my Mom through her cancer. Dad and Carole found each other late in life and they couldn't be happier"
Claire nodded and sniffed back another tear.
"What I'm trying to say is, there's hope for everyone. Michael is a stupid boy for ever letting you go but you will find someone that will be your other half, someone that will make you feel whole just by being there with you"
"What if I don't?"
"You will. I have every faith that you are going to find a wonderful man that will adore you, who will give you the world because his goal in life is just to make you happy"
"Really?"
"Yes" Kurt smiled and pressed a soft kiss to his daughter's forehead "Now why don't you change into your pj's and I will go make you a mug of hot cocoa? I know that always makes you feel better"
"Thank you Papa" Claire smiled and hugged him tight before crawling off his lap and letting him stand up. Making his way to the door, Kurt smiled at his daughter before opening the door and leaving her bedroom. Leaning against it once it was closed; he shut his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Is she ok?" Blaine asked softly causing Kurt to come back to reality. Stepping away from the door, he led his husband back to the kitchen "Is Claire ok?"
"She and Michael broke up tonight and she's heartbroken"
"Oh no..."
Kurt pulled down four mugs from the cupboard and started to make his Mom's famous cocoa just she used to when he was little. It was the first thing his Mom used to do when Kurt was sad was make cocoa. Somehow warm chocolate milk always made him feel a little better.
"Did she say why?"
"They've been fighting and there's another girl..."
"Are you kidding?" Blaine growled "I'm going to kill that kid, how could he..."
"Killing Michael won't help" Kurt chuckled and turned to his husband "She's just broken up with the first guy she ever loved. What she needs right now is a hug and someone to tell her that everything is going to be ok"
Once Kurt was finished with the cocoa, he set one cup down on the coffee table for Fletcher before picking up another to take to Claire.
"Can I take it to her?" Blaine asked as he held his hand out for the steaming mug "Please?"
"Ok"
Taking the mug, Blaine made his way to down the hall to Claire's bedroom. Knocking softly, he walked inside and set the cocoa down on the nightstand beside the now empty glass of water. Claire was again lying on her bed holding her teddy bear tight to her chest. Sitting down beside his daughter, Blaine ran his hand through her curls gently.
"Everything's going to be okay Claire"
"I know but it still hurts" she sniffed and curled up to her father's side
"It will for a while but the pain will go away soon" Blaine insisted softly as he held his daughter close as she moved to rest her head on his chest. Looking up, Blaine noticed Kurt standing in the doorway sipping his cocoa watching them.
Mouthing 'Thank you' to his husband, Blaine was so appreciate of Kurt and how he looked after Claire. Ever since he began dating Blaine, Kurt always felt like the 'step-father' to Claire which technically he was. He never felt like a proper father like he did with Fletcher because Claire would always be biologically Blaine's.
Tonight Kurt helped Claire through her first heart break and it was in that moment that he truly felt like her father. He was able to help her realise that no matter how much her heart hurt, it would all be ok soon.