"Blaine?" Kurt called into their shared apartment in New York. He put his suitcase down by the front door and hung his jacket on the wall. "You home, honey?"

Kurt searched the living room and kitchen for his husband, but he was nowhere to be found. On the kitchen table however, lay an opened envelope and a single piece of paper. Kurt leaned forward and read the handwritten text on the page.

Dear Blaine.
I know the date for your father's prison release is approaching, and I really hope you aren't obsessing about it. You, Kurt and Benji are completely safe. The restraining order is still in place both for you and Kurt, as is the additional one for Benjamin and his school. You are safe, you understand?
And if you are obsessing (which I know you are, and I completely understand that) then TALK TO KURT. Okay? Benji needs both his dads.
Lorily says hi, and that she's flying over in June when her college lets out for the summer.
We both love you all. And we miss you incredibly much.
Love, auntie Sarah.

"I forgot. Fuck!" Kurt hissed and ran toward their bedroom. "Blaine! Where are you?"

The bedroom was empty, but their wardrobe was slightly ajar.

"BLAINE!" Kurt shouted and ran toward the bathroom, his heart pounding and flashes of bloody tiles crossing his mind.

He entered their bathroom and found Blaine sitting in the bathtub, his forehead against his bent knees and his left arm stretched out over the edge, his hand in a tight fist.

"Blaine, honey." Kurt breathed and kneeled by the bathtub.

Blaine had obviously scratched his arm, since it was red and a little swollen. No crimson lines however, only the old white ones that had healed a long time ago.

"Talk to me." Kurt said and closed his trembling hands around Blaine's fist, making it loosen.

Blaine kept his forehead against his knees, not acknowledging Kurt's presence except a low whine. "It's today, Kurt." he whispered into the fabric of his old sweatpants.

"I know, babe. But I completely forgot until I saw Sarah's letter." Kurt smoothed one of his thumbs along the back of Blaine's hand. "Are you okay?"

"No." Blaine replied instantly. "Get that scalpel away from me. Fast."

"What?" Kurt jerked and his eyes flew around the room, stopping on the scalpel and Blaine's bloodstained old pencil case on the floor beside the tub. "You kept those?" he shrieked and grabbed them. Kurt was completely still for a second before running into the kitchen and throwing the items in the trash.

Blaine was in the exact same position when he returned to the bathroom with tears in his eyes. "You hid those from me for almost fifteen years?"

"Yes." Blaine mumbled. "Sorry."

Kurt walked up to the bathroom and stepped inside, sitting down facing Blaine. "Babe, look at me."

Blaine lifted his head to lean his chin against his right knee.

"Good." Kurt said. "Now, please talk to me. Please?"

"When you fell asleep that night I went into the bathroom and got them." Kurt didn't need to ask what day Blaine was talking about. "I don't know why, but I saved them." Blaine looked at Kurt's feet.

"Blaine, look at me." Blaine lifted his gaze to Kurt's wet eyes, so Kurt continued. "We have been safe for fourteen years. We ARE safe." He gently grabbed Blaine's arm that was still dangling over the edge of the tub and pulled it closer to himself. He placed a feather soft kiss to the thickest scar on Blaine's wrist.

"It's evening." Blaine said dejectedly. "He should be out by now."

"Come with me." Kurt stood and stepped out of the bathtub, reaching his arm out for Blaine. Blaine grabbed his hand and let him help him step out. He led Blaine into the bedroom and motioned for him to lie down on the bed. Blaine sat down on the edge and Kurt crawled onto the bed, kneeling behind him. He leaned forward and hugged Blaine from behind, kissing the side of his head. "He will never come close to us. Ever. We are safe. Benji is safe." Kurt leaned back again and started massaging Blaine's shoulders through his thin t-shirt. "Now will you please say something?"

"Remember what he said during the trial?"

"Just as vividly as you do."

"Remember when we saw my mother at the store in Columbus?"

"Where are you going with this?"

"I don't know. It just all came back to me."

Kurt pulled on Blaine's shoulders and laid down on the bed, waiting for Blaine to join him. He did, nestling in under Kurt's arm, resting his head on his chest. Kurt ran his fingers through Blaine's cropped-short curls and leaned his cheek against his forehead. "Do you remember when we graduated?"

"Yes."

"And when your dad went to jail? When we moved to New York? When you got your job? Our wedding? When we found a surrogate? When we first saw Benji's curly little head with those huge blue eyes and you said he looked like an actual mix of the two of us? Benji's first steps? The first time he said "daddy"?"

Kurt felt Blaine smile against his chest.

"Of course I do." Blaine said and looked up at him.

"And all those times when I found you in the bathroom ready to slice your arm open, but you never did?"

"Because you stopped me." Blaine mumbled.

"No. More than once you said you had sat there for hours, and you still didn't do it. You are too strong. And all the times you told me "Kurt, my arm is itching. Will you hold me and talk for a while?"? That was you, Blaine, being strong." Kurt kissed Blaine's pointy eyebrow and smiled.

Blaine craned his neck and kissed Kurt slowly. "We're safe." he mumbled between kisses.

"Daddies!" came a yell from the front door before it slammed shut.

Kurt and Blaine heard small footsteps pad through the apartment and then their son stuck his head into the room.

"There you are, daddy. I made you something." Benji walked up to the bed and picked something out of his blue backpack before climbing onto the bed and sitting down on Blaine's stomach.

"I told Benji last week that he should make you something at daycare because you would probably be sad today." Kurt said as he remembered. "What did you make, honey?"

The curly-headed boy held out a colorful bracelet toward Blaine. "There you go daddy. Cu- cor- courage." he smiled so wide his dimples were clearly visible.

Blaine turned the see-through cord with rainbow beads and black letter-beads over in his hand. "Thank you so much, Benji. Will you help me put it on?"

"Sure." the five-year old chirped and helped Blaine put it around his left wrist. "Daddy, did you get a sunburn?"

"No, baby. I just itched my arm, that's why it's red." Blaine explained.

Their son leaned forward and kissed Blaine's arm a few times. "Better?"

Blaine chuckled. "A lot." He inched away from Kurt, just far enough for Benji to fit between them. "Now come here and cuddle with me and Papa. We'll all take a nap before dinner."

"Yay!" Benji exclaimed and snuggled down between them.

Blaine moved his arm over Benji and rested his hand on Kurt's side. Kurt wrapped his arm tight around their son and nuzzled his nose into the boy's dark hair. Blaine kissed the tip of Benji's freckled little nose and sighed blissfully.