Saturday the 17th of July 2010

Blaine arrived at Bel’s house half an hour early, due to Bella waking up far earlier than he had planned. Luckily he knew where the Mayers hid their key. He found it and unlocked the door carefully, not wanting to wake Bel if she was still asleep. He locked the door behind him, put the car seat with a sleeping Bella on the floor by the couch and sat down. He decided to play some games on his phone while he waited for Bel to wake up.

Blaine opened his eyes when he heard Bella whining. He picked her up and rocked her back to sleep. He had fallen asleep himself, so when Bella was sleeping again he put her back in the car seat and checked the time on his phone. It was more than an hour after Blaine was supposed to drop Bella off.

He picked the diaper bag and the car seat up and walked carefully toward Bel’s room. Blaine put everything down right inside the door and looked up toward Bel’s bed. He gasped.

Bel’s wardrobe was open and empty, all her posters and paintings stripped off the walls. Her bed was made, and atop it laid two envelopes.

“Bel?” Blaine breathed and walked over to the bed and looked down at the envelopes. One said “Mom & Dad” on the outside, and the other said “Blaine”. Blaine’s hands shook as he picked the envelope with his name up and pulled a note out of it.

Beloved Blaine.
If you’re reading this than you probably already know that I’m gone. I could go on forever about all the reasons I have for and against leaving. I owe you an explanation, but I don’t really have one.
I’ve been in love with you since the day I met you. I thought eventually you’d realize you actually want me too. But after everything with Bella I knew that would never happen. I know I am selfish for doing this, but seeing you like I have been has been killing me for months. I am not meant to be a mother, at least not for a very long time.
You though, you are absolutely wonderful with Bella. You have been an amazing father since the second you found out she existed. Both Bella and I will be so much better off like this. I know I’m leaving you in a horrible position, raising a daughter by yourself at only seventeen. But I am absolutely positive you will do amazingly.
I won’t come back, I’ve left Ohio forever. I am however planning on sending you letters, as well as ones for Bella. I know I have no right asking you for anything after what I’ve just done, but if you could save those letters for Bella? So she can read them when she gets older, so she will understand.
I totally understand if you burn anything I send you, though. I deserve that. I deserve to be unhappy, and I will be for a long time. But I really think this is the best for all three of us.
Please take care of our daughter, and please remember that I did this mostly for her. But the most important thing of all; don’t you EVER blame yourself for this. Ever. I will give you some space to be sad, angry and to hate me. But I will continue to send letters. My phone number doesn’t work anymore and my parents have no idea where I am going.
I will forever love you both. My daughter and my first love. I will miss you every day. And I will work every day on becoming a better person.
I know you can do this.
Love, Bel.

The letter was already wet with Blaine’s tears and his hands shook so hard he couldn’t read it again.

“She’s gone.” he breathed.

Blaine gingerly put the letter back in the envelope, put it in the diaper bag and went outside to the car. He strapped Bella in securely and locked the doors. After wiping his face dry he drove home, as slowly as he could.

“Mom! Will you take Bella for a second?” Blaine called into the kitchen and put the car seat down by the doorway.

“Sure, honey.” Anna had Bella in her arms in a flash, rocking the newly awoken baby back and forth.

Blaine ran up the stairs and closed his door behind him. He ripped the bracelet Bel had given him off his wrist and threw it at the opposite wall before crashing face first onto his bed. The pillow muffled his broken cries and angry shouts as Blaine writhed on the bed, thrashing his arms and legs violently until all the power had left him. He turned onto his side and hugged his second pillow to his chest, the tears continuing to fall but only a few whines escaping his lips.

The door creaked open and Anna stuck her head inside. “Blaine? Wasn’t Bel supposed to have Bella for the wee-“ she cut off at the sight of her only son broken down on his bed. “Blaine, honey! What’s the matter?” She opened the door further but stuck her head back into the hallway. “HERMAN! COME HERE AND TAKE YOUR GRANDDAUGHTER FOR A WHILE!”

Herman was at Anna’s side, taking Bella from her after just a minute. Anna waved him off to go downstairs and then closed the door to Blaine’s bedroom behind her.

“Baby, what happened? Why did you bring Bella back? Did you and Bel have a fight?” Anna sat down next to Blaine and put a hand on the side of his ribs. “Talk to me, honey.” she begged.

“She’s gone.” Blaine bit his lip as another sobbed threatened to escape.

“What? What do you mean gone?” Anna’s other hand was placed on her chest.

“She’s gone, mom!” Blaine cried and moved to sob into his mother’s shoulder.

“Shh. You’ll be okay, baby.” Anna cooed, brushing her fingers through Blaine’s curls and rocking him from side to side gently. “Mommy will fix it.”

Sunday the 13th of March 2011

“She just left?” Kurt was sitting cross-legged on Blaine’s bed, looking at him feeding Bella.

“Yeah.”

Kurt was quiet for a moment, thinking. “I’m sorry.”

“We’re fine, Kurt.” Blaine smiled and then looked down at his daughter. Daughter! “But thank you.”

“So you’ve been taking care of her all by yourself for eight months?”

“Well, mom helped until I started at Dalton. Then she hired a nanny to look after Bella while I’m in class and such and rented one of the empty dorm rooms for her too.”

“Wow.” Kurt had to look away from the adorable little girl. This was going to change everything. Kurt was upset. “Why didn’t you tell me? You’ve known me for half of her life!”

“I’m sorry, Kurt.” Blaine said and sat Bella down on the floor. She crawled away toward the crib and started sucking on a fin of a yellow plush-fish. “I don’t know. At first I didn’t know you so well, and it’s kind of a big deal when you’re our age so it wasn’t something I just blurted out. And later I just didn’t want you to worry about me, you had enough to worry about. And now… I just- It’s a big deal.”

“It is.” Kurt agreed and shuddered at the thought of what this was going to mean for their romance. If they started dating, Kurt would date someone with a kid. A kid, a baby! He was upset, but he also realized he had never been more in love with Blaine. “You are so brave.” he whispered, looking at Bella on the floor and feeling his eyes prickle.

“You are my best friend, Kurt.” Blaine said and put a hand on Kurt’s knee, making the brunette look at him again. “I hope this doesn’t change anything.”

“It won’t change the fact that we’re best friends, no.” Kurt said with certainty. “But I get now why you said you didn’t want to screw this up.”

They were both silent for a minute, looking at Bella sucking happily on the fish. “She’s why you’ve been in such a hurry to get back to your dorm all the time.”

Blaine nodded. “Yeah. And she was sick during Christmas break, which made it a stressful time for me.”

“I can imagine.”

Another minute of silence. “And I assume you were referring to this… situation when we fought about me dating Britt?”

“Yeah…” Blaine sighed. “I didn’t want something like this to happen to you.”

Kurt bit his lip, thinking for a second. Blaine looked happy with Bella, and he obviously loved her. But this was probably not what Blaine had planned for his life to be like at seventeen. “She’s beautiful.” he then said and smiled.

“She is.” Blaine said and a proud smile creeped onto his face. He went over to the little girl and brought her back to the bed, bouncing her on his knee while she continued to suck on the fish-fin.

“She looks just like you.” Kurt chuckled lightly. “She’s got your eyes.”

“Thanks.” Blaine ran his fingers through the girls dark curls. “Her eyes were actually a blue-green color up until recently. I’ve heard that’s common with babies.”

“She’s got your hair too.”

“She does. Poor thing.” Blaine grinned.

“And your eyebrows. Poor thing.” Kurt giggled.

“Hey!” Blaine huffed and pouted, and Kurt wanted to kiss him.

Kurt’s stomach dropped as the realization dawned on him that it wasn’t that easy anymore. That it never had been. “I have to go.”

“I’m sorry Kurt.”

Kurt stood and walked toward the door. “About what?”

“About not telling you. And about whatever it was you stormed in here to yell at me about.” the side of his lips twitched into a small smile.

“It was nothing. I’ll see you tomorrow, alright?”

“Alright.”

Monday the 14th of March 2011

Kurt was sitting with a bunch of other Warblers in the room, studying for an upcoming test when Blaine burst in through the heavy wooden doors and threw stacks of papers into the air, making them scatter everywhere.

Kurt flipped a bunch of papers off of his textbook and grinned as he watched Blaine sing and do his silly dance moves. Blaine grabbed Kurt and dragged him with him into the hallway while he continued to sing, and Kurt couldn’t help singing along a little as they skipped toward a bench where Kurt sat down. Blaine continued the song in the same silly fashion, with all their Warbler friends joining in with harmonies and equally silly dance moves. While Jeff and the other guys did some group choreography Blaine sat down close to Kurt on the bench, singing straight to his face before leaning his head on Kurt’s shoulder and making what Kurt called “puppy-eyes” at him.

Kurt sang along with the other boys while Blaine flailed his arms around on the bench before rejoining his friends in the middle of the hallway. Kurt chuckled as Blaine skipped around and spun. He even got up and did a little dance of his own.

Suddenly the singing and dancing boys had gathered around the tables and started to bang their fists on them. Kurt continued to dance around while Blaine zigzagged between all the boys before they all joined in on the dancing again.

When the song was over the Warblers scattered off in different directions but Blaine walked over to Kurt who was picking up his bag and Pavarotti’s cage.

“How did you manage to find a Burberry-esque canary cage cover?” he asked with an adorable clueless expression on his face.

“Canaries don't like cold weather. Especially Pavarotti.” Kurt chirped and stood in front of him.

“You love him, don’t you?”

“I do.” Kurt chuckled. “Do I detect a little jealousy?”

“Oh, you detect a lot of jealousy.” Blaine grinned. “Sometimes I feel like you love him more than us Warblers.” He joked and followed Kurt down the hallway.

Tuesday the 15th of March 2011

Kurt was filing his nails and whistling a tune along with Pavarotti after doing his moisturizing routine and hair when suddenly Pav stopped chirping back. He looked over at the cage where the small yellow bird lay lifeless beneath his food-dispenser. “Pavarotti?”

Kurt burst through the doors to the Warblers’ meeting room in his darkest clothes that morning when he got to school. Everyone stopped talking to look at him.

"Kurt. What's wrong?" Blaine looked concerned.

"It's Pavarotti. Pavarotti is dead. I suspect a stroke." Kurt sniffled.

"Oh my God. I'm so sorry." Blaine said, and the other Warblers were silent.

"I know it's really stupid to be upset about a bird, but... He- he inspired me. With his optimism, and his love of song. He was my friend. Now, I know that today we need to practice every song in the medley of Pink songs, but- I'd like to sing a song for Pavarotti today."

And Kurt sang a song, for Pavarotti. He was barely aware of the other guys humming along as his cheeks were streaked with tears. When the song was over he glanced at everyone in the room – stopping a fraction longer on Blaine who was looking at him strangely – and thanked them.

The Warblers were back to arguing about what songs they wanted Blaine to sing, and Kurt was barely listening. He was pulled from his thoughts of Pavarotti as Blaine spoke.

“No. I’m tired of the Warblers being all about me.”

Kurt looked curiously at him as he spoke to all the upset boys in the room. He listened closely and responded to Blaine’s comment about Pavarotti before Wes made them vote on a duet for Regionals. He of course voted for it; He wanted to audition for that solo.

“No. No auditions.” Blaine spoke up and Kurt looked at him with curiosity again. “I wanna sing the duet, with Kurt.”

Kurt’s brain short-circuited. When all the Warblers voted for him to do the duet with Blaine, he was speechless. And as Blaine grinned at him, Kurt knew. He was beyond in love with Blaine.

Kurt was sitting with all his bedazzling-stuff spread out on the table in front of him while he decorated Pavarotti’s casket, when Blaine walked into the room. “What’s that?”

“I’m decorating Pavarotti’s casket.” Kurt responded with a sigh, looking up at Blaine for a moment.

“Well, finish up. We should practice the song.”

As Blaine sat down Kurt put the glue aside and frowned, hesitating a moment before asking. “Why did you pick me to sing that song with?”

Blaine looked at him for a moment before turning his gaze away and taking a deep breath. “Kurt, there is a moment… When you say to yourself “Oh! There you are. I’ve been looking for you forever.”.” He took another deep breath and Kurt just watched him curiously.

Then Blaine grabbed his hand and Kurt’s heart stuttered. His mind was racing and he missed a bit of what Blaine said next.

“… You move me, Kurt.”

Kurt’s breathing hitched. Blaine looked bashfully at their joined hands and Kurt again had the urge to kiss him.

He leaned forward, placing one hand on the side of Blaine’s face as he pressed their lips together. Blaine breathed in through his nose when Kurt moved his head to deepen the kiss a little. As he did so, Blaine moved a hand onto the side of Kurt’s face. The tips of their tongues brushed for a second before Kurt pulled away. Blaine just looked at Kurt in awe as he sat back.

Kurt chuckled airily and hid his face in his hand for a moment. “We should- we should practice.”

“I thought we were.” Blaine said more cheekily than Kurt would have ever though he was capable of.

Both of them stood as their faces crashed together in another kiss, their arms tangling as both moved to cup each other’s cheeks. Kurt buried his fingers in the hair behind Blaine’s ears as Blaine put both his hands flat against Kurt’s shoulder blades, pressing their bodies together. Kurt had to peek his eyes open for a second as their tongues moved together, just to make sure this was real.

They were both panting when they pulled apart. Their ties were crooked and both boys’ hair was mussed.

Kurt took a step back, creating some space between them. “I’m sorry. I know you said that you didn’t want to screw this up.”

Blaine’s face fell, but he let out a huff of laughter. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.”

Kurt blushed.

“I realized when you sang for Pavarotti the other day that I’ve been in love with you since the moment we met on the staircase.”

Kurt stepped back toward Blaine, reaching his hand out for Blaine to take. He did. “Blaine Anderson, would you go on a date with me?”

“I want to, so bad. But-” Blaine bit his lip and Kurt froze, his grip on Blaine’s hand tightening. “I have Bella. I have a kid, Kurt. I know it’s a big deal for you, even though you won’t admit it.”

“It is.” Kurt admitted, lifting his chin. “But I don’t care. We can make it work.”

“Are you sure?” Blaine looked Kurt deep in the eyes.

“Absolutely.” Kurt smiled and brushed his thumb against the back of Blaine’s hand.

“Then yes. Yes, I’ll go on a date with you, Kurt Hummel.” Blaine smiled and kissed Kurt softly.

“Next Friday?” Kurt mumbled against Blaine’s lips.

“Next Friday.” Blaine responded, placing his free hand on the back of Kurt’s neck.