Blaine and Jesse St. James are standing in the Grand Ballroom of the Wyndham Hotel with the hotel’s manager. Blaine looks around the room mildly uncomfortable with the expanse. The hotel manager placed her hand on Blaine’s shoulder.

“The Sapphire Ballroom has been booked this Sunday for the Cohen-Chang wedding. But Dr. Cohen-Change indicated that you were a close friend, and he is more than willing to push back his own event for the Memorial of your father.”

“Great. Put it on his credit card,” Jesse said curtly, walking from the room. Blaine follows for a few steps, turning back around to look at the room.

“What if no one shows up?” It’s more of an after-thought than anything.

Hours later, the “Celebration Committee” is all huddled around Aunt Mallory’s kitchen table. The sound of loud children, led by Beth, can be heard in the next room.

“Ok, so we’ve got the songs all picked out but no one to sing them, the audio equipment has been rented, Noah’s got the easels and he’s picking up the pictures, we got blown up from Kinko’s, tomorrow. How are we doing on balloons?” Jesse St. James looks over to Paul Karofsky. Jesse was in full control of this meeting much to Blaine’s chagrin.

“I ordered a bunch from Party City.” Paul cleared his throat looking over at Blaine. “The casket came in from Columbus. It’s beautiful.”

Blaine nods. There is an uncomfortable pause. Jesse speaks up. “Look, I’m getting asked all the time. Why isn’t he going to be buried in Lima?”

Before Blaine can answer Beth begins to shriek from the other room. “Damn it, Puckerman, can’t you do something about that kid?” Jesse’s voice is inappropriately loud. Puck rolls his eyes and exits the room.

“Blaine, I think what Jesse means to say is –“ Paul begins quietly.

“Oh, I know what he means to say! And I get that you all have different versions of my father. But this is my family’s last record of what he said he wanted. End of subject. That’s the way it’s going to be. “

The sound of Beth’s wailing begins to escalate again. Blaine remembers the gift from Kurt.

“Puck, I’ve got something –“

Blaine exits the room, pulling the video from his backpack. Stepping into the living room, he quickly loads the tape into the VCR, pausing to look over at Beth. “Hey, Beth? This is for you!” He presses play, and walks over to the other side of the room where Puck is standing.

The picture is black for a moment. A red ball with a face painted on it rolls into the center of the screen. “Hello boys and girls! I’m Dodgy the Dodge Ball.” The children watch enraptured as the black background fades to that of high school gym. “I live in this gym. And today I’m going to blow it up!”

The children gasp.
“Will you help me build a new gym later?”

Blaine chuckles as he notices Puck nods along with the children.

“If I blow up this gym, will you promise to be good and mind your Mommy and Daddy?”

The children nod more vigorously.

“Good. Now let’s blow it up.”

Blaine can’t help but smile as he sees Beth look over at her father with adoration before returning her attention to the video. He pats Puck lightly on the shoulder as he exits the room headed back into the kitchen. He stops just shy of the kitchen door overhearing Jesse and Paul’s conversation.

He hears Paul’s voice. “I can see Thom now, so proud, wearing that blue suit. Can’t you?”

The rest of the conversation disappears as Blaine looks at the picture of his father hanging on the wall in the foyer. He locks eyes with his father’s portrait. Suddenly knowing what must be done. Blaine grabs his keys from a side table and flies out the door.

Moments later Blaine is in his rental car speeding down an Ohio freeway on his cell phone. “Yes, my name is Blaine Anderson… I need to stop a cremation.” His voice is panicked. He presses the screen of his voice a few times returning it to his ear. “It’s Blaine Anderson again… Is anybody there?”

Several miles, and several more phone calls, later traffic has come to a dead stand still due to road construction. Blaine is leaning out of the driver’s side window speaking to the foreman. “I have to stop a cremation in Tiffin. You have to let me through.” He is desperate. The foreman just shakes his head sadly, walking away. Blaine is defeated.

An hour later, Blaine’s car screeches to a halt in front of the crematory. He knows it’s past closing time, but he still has hope. He throws the car into park, leaving it running, and bounds up to the door. Trying the handle, it’s locked. He bangs loudly. “STOP THE CREMATION!” The young worker from the day before appears. She motions for Blaine to hold on for a minute before disappearing into an adjacent door. She returns quickly, giving Blaine an apologetic shrug. Once the door is opened, Blaine now understands the meaning of the shrug. In her hands is the purple urn, now bearing the remains on his father.

The drive back to Lima was a blur. Blaine could feel tears pricking his eyes. In the lobby of the hotel, a peaceful melancholy has settled on to the world around him. The front desk clerk, Becky, looks up from her typing, eyes falling on the purple urn. She smiles sadly at him. Blaine just shrugs indifferently at her and she returns to her typing.

Blaine turns towards the elevators and then he sees him. Kurt. He is standing on the outskirts of the Cohen-Chang-Chang wedding. They make eye contact immediately, only breaking it when Kurt’s eyes drift downward to the infamous purple urn. Blaine slides down the wall, tears welling in his eyes.

Kurt is next to him in a flash. “Oh, baby…” is all he says as he wraps his arms protectively around Blaine, rocking him gently. Blaine allows himself to cry for a few more minutes into Kurt’s shoulder before pulling back a little.

“I – I’m sorry.”

Kurt sits down next to him, one arm draped over Blaine’s shoulder. “No need to be sorry.”

Blaine hiccups and swallows hard. “Is Nick h-here?”

“No, he got called to an audition in Georgia. He’ll be there for a while.”

“Oh…”

“No big deal, I did great on the internship interview, so I’m not dwelling on Nick’s absence.” There is an edge to Kurt’s voice as he says the word. Blaine knows there’s more this than Kurt is telling him, but decides not to push.

“The interview… I completely forgot. I’m so sorry, I didn’t return your calls or texts.”

“It’s fine. I’m hard to forget, but even harder to remember.”

“Oh, Kurt…” Blaine wraps him into a hug, squeezing the taller man tightly. “You’re far too hard on yourself.”

“Don’t fall for it. I am actually quite confident in myself.” Kurt squeezes Blaine one more time before pulling back, turning his body to face Blaine fully. “Look, I’m just going to say – right now – what I hope we’re both thinking. And… And I’m just gonna let the chips fall where they may… And I’m probably just embarrassing myself by assuming but…”

“Kurt, you’re rambling,” the shorter man chided playfully.

Kurt’s cheeks turned a delightful pink. “Oh, right… Um…”

Blaine laughed a little, reaching up to cup Kurt’s cheek; his thumb caressed the man’s cheekbone carelessly. “Look, how about we grab a bite to eat and then we’ll talk?”

“No.”
Blaine’s heart dropped into his feet.

“I need to get this out now or I’ll never do it.”

The curly-haired man nodded carefully, not sure if this conversation would end with him in tears again.

“Blaine Anderson… I think… I mean, it’s possible… That I’m falling for you.”

Blaine’s jaw dropped, his heart fluttered, waves upon waves of emotion flooded over him all at once. He had no grasp on the English language. He could only stare at Kurt in disbelief.

Kurt sighed regretfully before continuing. “Oh… I guess you don’t feel the sa—“

He didn’t have time to finish before Blaine’s lips were on his, hard and desperate. The kiss lasted at least two minutes before both men pulled away panting heavily. Blaine rested his chin on his hand, smiling dreamily at Kurt.

“I love you.”

Now it was Kurt’s turn to be shocked. He took a moment to gaze into Blaine’s eyes, never once seeing regret in them before he opened his mouth to reply.

“I love you too.”