He had seen the photographers from inside the car as they’d driven up and parked at the loading zone. He had immediately looked around to someone famous walking through the departures gate: maybe a football player or a movie star. But the flashes had started up once he and Kurt had left the car and Blaine’s mouth dropped open for a second when he realised these photographers were at the airport for them.

Well, for Kurt but they were all taking pictures of Blaine too, simply by proximity.

They hadn’t held hands while walking through the airport and Kurt hadn’t acknowledged the paparazzi more than was necessary but they had still crowded round them to take a thousand pictures as they crossed the entrance to the departures gate and walked inside.

At least the photographers hadn’t been waiting at the gate when they’d boarded the plane but Kurt had had his fair share of stares and whispers from people in the airport itself. Looking back, Blaine couldn’t remember having ever travelled on a plane with someone famous and if he had, he really hoped he hadn’t stared with eyes wide and mouth open like two fashionista girls had done when Kurt walked passed them out of Starbucks.

Blaine lifted a hand, placed his elbow on the armrest and rested his chin on his palm, staring at the oncoming ground. The prospect of meeting Kurt’s family, meeting his soul mate’s family, only really hit him as he boarded the plane. When he visited home, Blaine would take the train. It was a longer journey but cheaper and he preferred the train to flying. So when they’d taken off and the pilot had announced the destination, Blaine had felt the difference. He wasn’t going to Ohio to visit his family: he was going to visit Kurt’s.

Kurt’s step-brother was picking them up from the airport. Kurt had said that his dad couldn’t take the day off work but hadn’t wanted a driver to pick them up so had given Finn the time and specific instructions to pick them up. That would be just shy of two hours’ drive from Columbus to Lima with Kurt and one member of his family.

Blaine jumped in his seat as he felt the wheels touchdown. Feeling returned to his hand. Looking down, he saw Kurt uncurl his fingers from where he’d been gripping Blaine’s hand tightly. He hadn’t even noticed.

“G-d, that was an awful landing.” Kurt muttered under his breath. He looked at the ceiling and then at Blaine. “I never really flew anywhere before I was a teenager so I’m not the greatest fan now. It’s just the fastest way to get home.”

Blaine squeezed Kurt’s hand as he felt the drag of the airplane as it slowed down. Eventually they pulled into the gate and the doors to the plane opened. Kurt wasn’t the first one off but he was one of the first ones, Blaine following behind as soon as he could once he’d grabbed their carry-on luggage.

Kurt had warned Blaine about the photographers when they made it passed the first group in New York. He’d said that they’d probably be in Ohio too and when Blaine asked how they even knew they were flying there, he’d replied with: “I don’t want to think about how they know.”

So Blaine wasn’t completely shocked when cameras started going off again, even though he was stunned into silence and stillness for a moment. Then he remembered the white spots on his vision lasting for a good hour or so and hurriedly took the sunglasses from his pocket to put them on.

Kurt walked out through the arrivals gate like he was oblivious to the invasive actions of the paparazzi. He held his head high, his suitcases loaded onto a trolley that Blaine had offered to push, dragging their carry-on luggage behind him. Some people milling around the airport pointed and stared as he walked by: some with recognition and others with confusion. Blaine walked by his side, trying to keep his face up.

This was his life now. No matter that the press, general public and Kurt’s fans didn’t know who he was. They would eventually. Neither Kurt nor Blaine wanted to keep their relationship and, more importantly, that they were soul mates a secret forever. But whenever the truth came out, Blaine’s life would involve cameras documenting his every move. He might never be famous himself – he had no aspirations for a job that resulted in fame – but he’d be famous by proxy.

Kurt was heading straight towards someone leaning against the metal barrier between the arrivals hall and the entrance into the baggage reclaim. They were a few steps away when the man, who could only be Finn, noticed Kurt and a smile crossed his face in greeting.

Finn stood up straight and Blaine looked up and up. He only came up to this man’s shoulder: not even that if he was being honest. Finn looked like someone he would have turned and run from in high school. Kurt had said that Finn was nothing like how he looked: Kurt had described his brother as earnest, well-meaning but completely thoughtless.

“Hey!” He said brightly. “How was the trip?”

“Long enough,” Kurt said, settling his sunglasses more comfortably on his nose, “Glad I’m back though. Finn, this is Blaine,” He turned from Finn to look at Blaine and reached out to squeeze his wrist in a comforting gesture, “Blaine, my brother Finn.”

“Nice to meet you dude.” Finn stuck out a large hand for Blaine to shake. As they shook hands, Blaine was immediately happy that Finn hadn’t tried to crush his hand.

“You too.” He replied. They let go and Blaine carried on pushing the luggage as they walked out of the airport to the gate.

It took them no time at all to find the car, load the suitcases and then drop the trolley off for someone else to use. Photographers documented every step, both Finn and Blaine staring at them confusedly while Kurt ignored their presence.

“I don’t know how you last with them.” Finn commented. They’d pulled out of the airport car park and had begun the journey to Lima. Kurt had finally taken off his sunglasses and Blaine did the same, slipping them into an outside pocket of his bag. The paparazzi had stopped taking pictures when the car doors had closed: almost like that was the signal to stop.

“I actually can’t stand it.” Kurt admitted. He was sat in the front but was holding his hand behind his seat for Blaine. He was rubbing his thumb over Kurt’s knuckles. They could be affectionate here without worry of rumours or pictures documenting every movement of his thumb. Within reason, Blaine kept saying to himself. They were going to be staying with Kurt’s dad. No funny business there.

Finn and Kurt talked periodically about life in Lima as the scenery flew passed. Blaine had taken to staring out the window. Westerville was close to Columbus so it was rare that he would travel in this direction in Ohio. He couldn’t recognise anything, of course, but it was nice seeing the buildings and trees rushing passed as they sped closer and closer to Lima.

“Has Rachel said anything about me?” Finn asked. His voice sounded more nervous as he spoke. Kurt had mentioned the epic saga that was his step-brother’s relationship with his best friend. They weren’t each other’s soul mates but they acted as if they were, Kurt had said as he shook his head with the memories.

“No.” Kurt sighed, “Not for a little while.”

“How’s she doing?” Kurt must have sent a raised eyebrow, unimpressed look at his brother because Finn immediately said: “Come on dude! I may never even meet Laura; I just want to know if she’s ok?”

“She’s fine. Auditioning for musicals all over New York.”

“Oh.” Finn took his eyes off the road and stared at Kurt while he said, his eyes wide and filled with sincerity, “Maybe I could come back with you guys and visit? See her and maybe I could stay in New York.”

“Finn-”

“I could stay with you!” He said, eyes flicking to the road then back to Kurt, “Or- um-” He looked at Blaine, silently watching the exchange, “are you two in the same apartment so I can’t stay because – um – you know,”

“Finn,” Kurt pointed to the road and Finn set his eyes forward again, “Blaine and I aren’t living together. And while you’re more than welcome to come visit, you know you’d hate it there.”

Finn didn’t reply and Blaine assumed his silence as agreement. Kurt turned in his seat to look at Blaine, sending him a pleading look where Finn couldn’t see it.

Taking the hint, Blaine licked his lips and said: “Kurt told me you were on the football team in high school?” He phrased it as a question and at the mention of sports, Finn jumped into the conversation.

“You like football dude?” Blaine nodded, Finn seeing him nod in the rear view mirror. “Wow, I thought ‘cause you’re like Kurt that you wouldn’t.”

Blaine couldn’t help but laugh. Earnest, well-meaning but completely thoughtless Finn. Kurt had absolutely nailed the description of his brother. “No, I love football.”

“Did you ever play? You’re just a little dude.”

Conversation flowed after the talk about Rachel, even though Kurt barely contributed to the talk on football. Once Finn got going, he and Blaine were talking all about the last season and the Super Bowl that had been played a few weeks ago. It made Blaine’s nerves go from boiling to a small simmer and the grateful looks Kurt kept shooting Blaine showed his appreciation. Talking about Rachel with Finn was obviously a sore topic.

After what seemed like an age of rushing trees and grey tarmac, Finn pulled into a residential street and onto a driveway bordered by flowerbeds and blossoms just starting to bloom on the tree nearby. The door to the house opened and Kurt flew out of the car and into his father’s arms. Blaine exited more slowly, swallowing his nerves by slowly closing his door then Kurt’s.

This was probably the most important person he had to impress. He and Kurt were soul mates, yes, and the more he learnt about Kurt the more he was grateful that he had the chance to know him. But if Burt didn’t like him, that would put a dampener on the whole relationship right there.

Burt was smiling widely over his son’s shoulder. Blaine watched them while he lingered by the bonnet of the car, hearing the bangs of the suitcases as Finn took them out of the boot and left them on the driveway.

“I’ve missed you kid.” Blaine heard Burt say, but Kurt’s response was muffled by his father’s shirt. They pulled away, Burt clapping his hands on Kurt’s shoulders for a brief moment, and Kurt held out his hand to Blaine. He looked at his soul mate, eyes shining with happiness and smile wide on his face, and the breath caught in Blaine’s throat. Something he was getting used to when Kurt looked at him with his breath-taking eyes and a smile on his face.

“Dad,” He said, wiggling his fingers to beckon Blaine closer, “This is Blaine. Blaine Anderson,” he added for extra effect, as if saying Blaine’s full name would emphasise the fact that they were soul mates and not just boyfriends, “And Blaine, this is my father Burt Hummel.”

Blaine didn’t take Kurt’s hand in front of Burt and held out a hand for him to shake. Dalton had instilled manners into their pupils and Blaine internally thanked them for that right now.

“It’s nice to meet you sir.” He said, offering a small smile.

Burt took Blaine’s hand, shook it firmly and then grasped their hands in his other one. “None of that ‘sir’ business,” He smiled widely, “It’s Burt. You’re my son’s soul mate and all he talks about so…”

“Oh my g-d, Dad,” Kurt muttered, turning his face away from the exchange for a moment.

“He talks about you a lot too, sir, Burt.” Blaine said. He grew a little more comfortable as the breath he’d been holding was released. So far so good, he thought.

“Only good things I hope!” Burt laughed and finally let go of Blaine’s hand to clap a hand to his son’s shoulder again. “Why don’t you help Finn with the bags?” He asked Kurt and slung an arm around Blaine’s shoulder to lead him in.

“I can help.” Blaine weakly protested but Kurt waved him inside with his father.

Stepping over the threshold into the Hummels’ home, Blaine saw a house that had the overwhelming feel of a family home. His childhood home, the same house where his parents lived now, had always felt far too formal for Blaine to have such fond memories of the warmth he was hit with when Burt led him through the lobby. Family pictures in the Anderson home were professional; whether they were candid or posed they were all taken by someone who knew what they were doing with a camera. The photos everywhere in the lobby and on the mantelpiece in the living room of the Hummels’ house were filled with life.

Two pictures stood out from the rest: one with a man in army colours cradling a baby and one with a woman with Kurt’s eyes hugging a young boy who could only be Kurt as he blew out candles on a birthday cake.

A woman’s voice called out from somewhere further in the house when Blaine and Burt walked out of the lobby and passed the living room.

“Are they here?”

“Yeah mum!” Finn called out. Blaine jumped and spun around; he hadn’t heard Finn come into the house.

Carole walked out from either the dining room or the kitchen (the door swung shut too quickly for Blaine to see more than white walls) and beamed at Blaine. He felt the weight of Burt’s arm lift off his shoulder and stuck out a hand for Kurt’s step-mother.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.”

Carole ignored his hand completely. Instead she gathered him up in a hug and said “And you, Blaine. We’ve heard so much about you.” She drew away and looked him over in such a motherly fashion that any lasting nerves melted away like snow in the sun.

Another noise behind the three of them made them turn around and Carole walked in between Burt and Blaine to greet her step-son, sweeping him into a hug like she’d done with Blaine.

“I set up the guest room,” Burt said, both eyes fixed on Kurt as he spoke. Kurt all but rolled his eyes when he let go of his step-mother.

“Dad-”

“Why don’t you show Blaine around?” Carole suggested, looking from one Hummel to the other. She bustled between her husband and sons, making her way back to the room she came out of. Kurt could only agree, sending his father a look that Blaine couldn’t interpret and then took Blaine’s hand as he passed him.

They left the bags downstairs and Kurt pointed out each of the rooms they passed as they made their way along the upstairs hall. Blaine had stuck his head momentarily inside Kurt’s bedroom before they’d wandered right passed it but from a brief look, Blaine saw no difference between the bedroom here and the apartment in New York. This bedroom was far less up-to-date fashion wise but having not lived in Ohio for years, Blaine wasn’t at all surprised that Kurt spent more attention on his New York place.

“And, this is the guest room.” Kurt pushed open the last door, the room on the opposite side of the hallway to Kurt’s room. Blaine guessed Burt wasn’t too upset with that arrangement.

The guest room was smaller than Kurt’s but it still held something that spoke of his soul mate. White walls, wooden floors, a dark brown bedframe and bedding in all shades of brown and beige. It was so perfectly coordinated that when Kurt’s voice cut through Blaine’s musings, he wasn’t at all surprised by what was said.

“My dad let me decorate most of the house when we moved in.” Kurt was saying. He tugged sharply on the duvet to straighten a wrinkle and then took a seat on the bed. “It’s not as nice as my room, of course, but I spent enough time on this room to know that you won’t be sleeping somewhere that there’s no d�cor at all…”

As Kurt trailed off, Blaine took a seat on the bed next to him. He twisted his torso so he could look at Kurt directly and Kurt slid his fingers under Blaine’s, leaving his thumb on top to brush gently against Blaine’s knuckles.

“It’s perfect.” He said sincerely.

“It would be more perfect in my room.” Kurt replied, a smile gracing his lips that shone of cheekiness. “But it’s my dad.”

That was something Blaine understood completely so he nodded and looked around again. It wasn’t like this room was a box room with no room to move around. Besides, he would take a box room if it meant staying here with Kurt for the next few days.

As a response when Blaine told him that, Kurt leant forward to press his lips against Blaine’s. Blaine’s eyes immediately slip shut and a lifted a hand to cup the back of Kurt’s neck, fingers threading into the very bottom of his hair but not sliding them higher as his hairstyle would be ruined. G-d he could keep kissing Kurt forever.

A bang in the hallway made them break their kiss and Blaine moved a little further from Kurt on the bed, keeping their hands linked. Finn stuck his head round the doorframe and breathed a small sigh when he saw they weren’t preoccupied.

“You’re lucky I like you man.” He said to Kurt and he dropped Blaine’s bag onto a chair near the doorway. “Mum asked me to move the bags upstairs so here you go.”

Kurt nodded his thanks and before he turned to leave, Finn added: “Don’t take too long. Dinner’s on the table in a few minutes and I had to drive you guys from the airport so I haven’t eaten in a while.”

As in on cue, Carole’s voice called from downstairs and Finn practically bounded from the room, Kurt and Blaine following at a more dignified pace. Blaine let Kurt take the lead but he paused right before the half open door into the dining room. Kurt reached out, took hold of Blaine’s hand and almost pulled him into the room so that they entered together.

Carole had cooked chicken that evening and when Blaine took the first bite of it, he guessed that it was a recipe perfected by Kurt. Over the nights that he’d stayed in Kurt’s apartment and all the meals he’d eaten, he knew Kurt was the chef in the family.

Conversation flowed easily between the four members of the Hummel-Hudson family. Kurt asked all about how Burt’s garage was going, diving into the conversation with a passion that Blaine had seen on Kurt’s face when they’d spoken about Broadway or when Kurt was talking about his clothes. His passion stretched to cars as well? At that point in the conversation, Blaine doubted that there would be a time when his soul mate didn’t surprise him.

“Burt, Blaine likes football too.” Finn’s voice cut through Blaine’s musings. He’d been sipping the glass of lemon water while gazing unblinkingly at Kurt. At the sound of his name, Blaine shook his head and looked at the table around him. Carole was smiling down at her plate, cutting up some beans, but Burt and Finn were still arguing over something that was rumoured to be happening for the next season.

“Yeah?” Burt looked over at Blaine, who nodded, and he started to ask Blaine what he thought about the previous season and some of the rumours circling the draft pick for next season. Kurt was sat next to Carole on one side of Blaine and he could hear them muttering together, talking about something in the upcoming line Kurt was producing. Burt’s opinions on the Buckeyes’ previous season kept him, Finn and Blaine occupied in a conversation for a while, only breaking the flow for the occasional bite of the food or sip of the drink.

It was a dinner unlike any Blaine had ever been to before now. The casual manner of both Burt and Carole’s interactions with Kurt’s boyfriend astonished him. The fact that Blaine was Kurt’s soul mate didn’t change the fact that this was ultimately Kurt’s parents meeting the boyfriend. He’d been shocked but pleasantly surprised by the sheer warmth handed out in bucket loads by Kurt’s parents when they’d arrived at the Hummel-Hudson home. And here at the table, Blaine was included in the family meal like he was part of the family.

At one point in the conversation, Finn was boasting about the prowess of the football team he’d been on in school. Talk in the car had been about the NFL and college football but now that he was at home and comfortable, Finn was on a roll about some games he’d played over his high school career.

“-only won that one game in my sophomore year though. That totally sucked. Worst season ever. If it hadn’t been for Kurt we wouldn’t have even won that game. That’s a game I’ll skip right over if you-”

Blaine looked at Kurt, who was staring down at the leftover gravy on his plate and deliberately avoiding Blaine’s gaze. “You won your team a football game in high school?”

After licking his lips and delicately rearranging his knife and fork on the plate, Kurt looked up and shrugged one shoulder. “I was the kicker and scored the winning-” he paused, seeking the correct terminology “-kick.”

Blaine could only stare and marvel his soul mate. “You won your school a football game, know how to fix a car, are a famous designer and sing like a dream. Is there anything you can’t do?”

Heat immediately rose to Blaine’s cheeks when all four Hummel-Hudsons laughed. Kurt had replied with a smirk and had changed the topic of conversation once more. He turned to his Dad and filled him in on some of the information he’d been sharing with Carole, talking about his upcoming designs with a look of pure rapture on his face.

--

Dinner had finished and Blaine had jumped up immediately to help clear the table, only to be shooed out of the kitchen when he offered to help with the washing up. He and Kurt had been told to go upstairs as they’d flown today; Finn was roped into helping clear up before he loudly left the house after calling up the stairs that he’d see Kurt and Blaine soon.

Blaine was sat on top of the bed after the family had gone to bed, flicking through the contacts on his phone until he found Nick. Opening up Nick’s name, he selected to text his friend and began typing, shifting so that he was sitting against the wooden headboard behind him.

I wasn’t shot by Kurt’s dad!

He sent it, put his phone on the bed and closed his eyes. It wasn’t too late and if he knew Nick, his friend would be up anyway. As Blaine waited for a reply, he thought over the night he’d had and the family he’d been so quickly accepted into.

It wasn’t that his own family was cold or like four strangers living in the same house. But there was something about the Hummel-Hudson family that made Blaine feel warm and welcome: the same something that he knew was missing in the Anderson home. Whenever Kurt met his parents, Blaine doubted that his mother would throw his arms around Kurt in a greeting hug the way that Carole had done with him. And Burt’s insistence at calling him by his first name, comfortable talk throughout the meal and how he acted with his son in front of Blaine would never happen with Blaine and his father.

The way Kurt talked about his dad, Blaine had had an image in his mind that couldn’t have been farther from the truth. Burt Hummel looked like he would be anything but supportive of a son who was a fashion designer and had a boy’s name written on his palm. But the pride in his eyes when Kurt talked about the different fabrics that he was looking at for his new line had been clear enough to see for miles and their relationship was obvious for all to see. A small part of Blaine had wondered if Kurt was exaggerating when he talked about his father: but having witnessed the relationship between father and son first hand, Blaine was blown away.

He’d never have a relationship with his dad like that. Even if he became a respected academic, or a lawyer or a doctor like his dad had originally wanted.

Blaine’s phone beeped and he slowly opened his eyes to glance at his illuminated phone.

I’m glad. I’d hate for you to come back from Ohio in pieces. I doubt Jeff’s mum will like me very much: you’ll have to lend me your bullet-proof armour before I fly to LA.

Blaine chuckled and turned his phone landscape to reply when the door creaked open. He watched Kurt stick his head round the door, smile widely when he saw Blaine was still awake and creep inside.

Blaine reached over and threw his sweater off the bed to make room for Kurt to sit. He slid across the covers until he was perched right next to Blaine. With a smile he took Blaine’s hand in his own.

“I know we’re still in my dad’s,” he said, looking at where their hands were linked rather than at Blaine, “but I’m not staying in my room when you’re in here.” He looked up at Blaine now. “Even if my dad continues to use the wrong thread-count sheets on this bed and mine is far more comfortable.”

“But-”

“It’s fine.” Kurt insisted. “If you’re that worried, I’ll go back to my room before Dad or Carole wake up tomorrow. Now put your phone down; Nick can wait.”

Blaine laughed and did just that, locking his phone and resting it on the small side table next to him. “Do I really text Nick that often?”

“Yes.”

Blaine hopped off the bed to tug the curtains closed and turn the light off while Kurt pulled back the covers and slid underneath them, throwing one side of them open as an invitation for Blaine. He got into bed next to Kurt, pausing in the middle of getting comfortable to look Kurt dead in the eye.

“Your dad better not shoot me for this.”

Kurt laughed, light and musical as always, and replied with: “I’ve hidden his shot-gun.” Blaine’s eyes widened to the point that he was staring unblinkingly at Kurt like he’d just admitted to murder.

Kurt leaned forward and kissed him briefly. “I’m kidding.” Blaine released the breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding. “My dad doesn’t own a shot-gun.”

“Good.” Blaine finished getting into bed, fluffing up the pillow and tucking his feet into the covers. With the curtains mostly closed and the light off, he could see Kurt illuminated only by the lasting backlight from his phone and the sliver of light let into the room from the streetlamp outside Kurt’s house. Kurt was lying with one hand on top of the covers and the other curled underneath the pillow, gazing at Blaine with the same fond look that he was no doubt looking at Kurt with.

“You’re different here.” He said, out of the blue when they’d been silent for a few moments.

Kurt’s eyebrows snapped together in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“You’re more relaxed here.” Blaine wriggled closer to Kurt and then fluffed the new part of the pillow he was now lying on. “More... you.”

Kurt sighed, one side of his lips turning up in a hint of a smile. “I definitely don’t have to worry that whatever I’ll say to someone is going to end up on the front cover of a tabloid the next day.”

“It’s nice. Seeing you in your natural habitat I guess.”

“Oh my natural habitat is New York.” Kurt hurriedly assured him, looking earnest as he did so. “It’s just that I’ve got a hundred eyes watching what I do so some of the things I’d like to say, I can’t.” Blaine opened his mouth to ask for an example but Kurt pre-empted the question. “Like I’d love to tell some of those tabloid journalists that if they are going to try and claim they have a quote from me that they should actually print what I say, sarcasm included. And rather than follow me to sneak a story, ask me to my face so I can tell them no.”

Kurt had twisted onto his back, one arm still curled underneath the pillow, while he spoke. Blaine’s eyes traced over his profile in the sliver of light coming through the gap in the curtains. The curve of his nose, his soft pink lips still curved at the corners even while he spoke. Blaine was listening to what Kurt was saying but his attention was fixed solely on what lay before him.

He shuffled closer again, resting his head in the gap between Kurt’s shoulder and his jaw. He felt Kurt’s chest moving as he draw breath, felt his chuckle as he was interrupted in his talk about the paparazzi and how they just printed whatever they wanted Kurt to say rather than what he really said. Blaine slung one arm over Kurt’s chest, rubbing his thumb lightly over the silky soft pyjamas and he closed his eyes, content to listen to Kurt’s musical voice talk about anything while he drifted into sleep.

One final thought went through his mind as he settled into falling asleep to Kurt’s words. That he hoped Kurt hadn’t been joking about Burt not owning a shot-gun.

--

Burt had to work the next day, going in for a few hours on the weekend, and Kurt cooked a grilled chicken salad for him, Blaine and Carole for lunch. Blaine had insisted on cleaning up after they’d eaten, citing that both of them had cooked for him so he wasn’t going to let either of them clean up this time.

He had his hands deep in the bowl of soapy water as he scrubbed the salad dressing off a plate when his ringtone rang out shrilly from where he’d left his phone on the table. All three in the kitchen jumped and started at the phone for a second. Blaine let the plate sink to the bottom of the washing-up bowl and reached for a towel to wipe the soap off his hands as Kurt leant over to the other side of the table to fetch his phone.

“It’s Cooper.” He said, holding out the phone for Blaine. Blaine frowned: why would his brother be calling? The last time he’d spoken to Cooper had been a few weeks ago, where he’d proudly informed Blaine that he had five auditions for guest parts in TV shows lined up and he’d let him know when he was awarded a part.

Blaine looked at Kurt and Carole apologetically and then accepted the call. “Hi Coop-”

“Hi Blainey,” His brother’s voice sounded loudly through the phone, interrupting his greeting in Cooper’s usual fashion. He slipped out of the kitchen and let the door close quietly: Blaine knew his brother well and he was unlikely to get a word into this conversation, “Heather woke me up this morning with something I thought you might like to know.”

Blaine started to ask if she was pregnant – while he’d be overjoyed to be an uncle and happy for his brother, a mini-Cooper running around LA would be disastrous – but Cooper didn’t give him a moment to speak.

“She always checks some of the websites for gossip, like TMZ and E! Knowing what’s going on in the world is incredibly important just in case I get asked to comment on a scandal or something another actor has done in an audition so I get her to tell me what she’s read.”

Blaine’s tapped his fingertips against the back of the couch as he held the phone against his ear. A well placed “yes” and the occasional “hmm” would always convince Cooper that he was listening and hanging onto every word he was saying.

“I think I’ve actually impressed a few directors in the past with some of the things Heather has told me, you know. So she always goes straight to her laptop when she wakes up to check what’s going on and if there’s anything new. Today though, rather than just telling me what’s happened over breakfast, she dragged me over to the laptop to show me some photos of celebrities caught unawares by the paparazzi. And some of the photos were really interesting.”

Blaine’s expression dropped from his face, his fingers now gripping the back of the couch and his phone tightly. “Cooper-”

“Some of those photos were of that new designer who’s been selling clothes from New York over the past few years. He’s pretty famous now, you know. Famous enough to be caught at the airport.”

“Coop-” Blaine tried to interrupt again, for all the good it did.

“But it wasn’t him that Heather was overjoyed about seeing a photo of. And it wasn’t him that I was curious about either.” He heard a female chuckle from behind Cooper and Blaine knew that Heather was hanging onto every word Cooper was saying. “You want to tell me why you were caught in the same pictures as Kurt Hummel, little brother?”

“Um,” Blaine licked his lips. Now Cooper was silent, two sets of breathing being heard through the faintly crackling phone line. “No.”

“Blaine!” Copper laughed once and Blaine heard Heather laughing away. He could only imagine the look that his brother was giving his soul mate; filled with amusement that he’d caught out his brother and that Blaine was trying to deny it. “You can’t lie with the photos. I’m still looking at them on the screen right now. They haven’t caught your best side though: you should use what I told you about headshots for them to get a good photo.”

Blaine rubbed his temples with his free hand. The kitchen door swung open and Kurt stood in the doorway, a bottle of water open in his hands. He tipped his head to the side to watch the conversation.

“Coop, you can’t tell anyone.” Blaine insisted, cutting off Cooper as he talked about what he would do if he was caught by paparazzi going into the airport.

“What? Why?”

Blaine sighed. “We haven’t told anyone yet. You’re like the-” he counted the number of people in his head “-eighth person to know personally.”

The line went quiet for a moment and then Cooper’s voice sounded again, without the teasing tone it had held for most of the beginning of the conversation. “Blaine, what’s your soul mate’s name again?”

“Um,”

Cooper gasped. “Wow. Oh wow. Blaine why didn’t you tell me you found your soul mate!” Blaine heard Heather’s loud gasp and then joyous laugh through the phone. “And a designer too! He’s probably been helping you dress right? What’s he like? I need to meet him: I need to make sure he’s good enough for my little brother.”

“Coop, of course he is.” Blaine looked up and caught Kurt’s very blue eyes. “He’s perfect.”

“If you got on the plane with him, where are you now?”

“With his family,” Blaine broke his gaze with Kurt, who had smiled broadly at the compliment, and rolled his eyes up to the ceiling. He knew what would come next: “in Ohio.”

A second gasp came from LA and now his brother’s voice was filled with excitement. “You’re in Ohio? He’s from Ohio too? You really are soul mates. Like I knew I’d find Heather here in LA. This is just the place for me so of course fate knew that too.” Cooper paused and Blaine held up three fingers, lowering one down every second his brother was silent. Right after he dropped the last finger, Cooper spoke again.

“Mum and Dad will meet him first though. Of course you’ll see them while you’re back in Ohio.” Blaine started to reply that he hadn’t actually told their parents that he was back in his home state but Cooper was still talking. “I can’t believe I’m not going to meet my baby brother’s soul mate before our parents do. And I can’t get there soon: I’ve got an audition next week. It’s for a brand new show, top secret so I can’t tell you much about it. The part’s a regular though and I know I’ve got it in the bag.”

“It’s fine: we’re leaving in a few days anyway. After your audition you can come to New York and meet Kurt then.”

“I can’t believe I wasn’t the first person you rang when you found him though.”

“We’re keeping it a secret, Coop.” Blaine tapped his fingers against the couch again. He really wanted Cooper to hear that and remember it. His brother wasn’t one to betray a secret but he did like to name drop when he had legitimate links to people. “For as long as we can.”

“Ok.” The sincerity in Cooper’s voice made Blaine relax. “I know how important personal lives are to celebrities. But Blainey, if you every have trouble with the press then ring me. I know I haven’t exactly had an entourage of paparazzi but I can talk to someone who does: get them to help give you tips on what to do on camera.”

“Thanks Coop.”

“And tell Kurt he’d better be good to you.”

Blaine laughed. “I will.”

They said their goodbyes, Blaine wishing Cooper luck on his audition and telling him that Heather needed to keep her brother-in-law’s soul mate a secret too. With a last splurge of excitement that both of them had found their soul mates and a final promise to keep Blaine’s secret, Cooper bid his brother farewell and hung up the phone before Blaine could echo the goodbye.

Blaine lowered his phone slowly and then rubbed his temple again.

“So that was your brother?” Kurt’s voice was laced with amusement and when Blaine looked up, he saw mirth-filled eyes fixed on him. Blaine shook his head and rolled his eyes. That was the fire-cracker that was Cooper alright.

And pictures of him and Kurt going into the airport only yesterday had made into onto the internet and were a new source of gossip all the way across the country.