"Squirt open up," a voice said on the other side of the door, "and make sure you have pants on."

Kurt finally opened his eyes when felt Blaine groan awake next to him, "Squirt?" Kurt questioned still groggy, "Either someone's drunkenly knocking on our door or you've got a nickname I get to tease you about."

"It's my brother," Blaine said, his voice raspy when he first woke up, Kurt liked it. Blaine rolled over and pulled himself out of bed, "Don't move. I want to get back in this bed and go right back to what we were doing."

Kurt rolled onto his back and listened as Blaine opened the hotel room door.

"Cooper, it's barely six am," Kurt heard Blaine say.

"I don't care," Cooper said his voice getting closer, louder, and Kurt knew that Blaine's brother was now inside the hotel room, "I'm getting married in six hours and I need my best man to help me get ready. And make sure I don't walk down the aisle completely drunk."

"Best man," Blaine questioned, "You never said anything about me being your best man."

"It should have been implied, Blainers," Cooper said, "You're my little brother. I expect you to return the favor one day. Speaking of matrimony, where is your boyfriend?"

"He was asleep until you came knocking on the door with Thor's hammer," Blaine said.

Kurt sat up in bed. He knew at some point this weekend he'd meet all of Blaine's family, but he'd never expected to meet Blaine's brother right after he'd woken up, his hair ruffled from sleep and before he'd had a chance to shower or change out of his pajamas. He reached over and turned the light on next to the bed, bathing the room and everyone in it with a dull orange light. Blaine had showed Kurt a picture of Cooper and his parents before they'd left New York but that hadn't prepared Kurt for seeing Cooper in person. He looked very much like Blaine; the only big difference was Cooper's blue eyes and that Blaine's hair was curly and Cooper's only had a slight wave to it where it sat on top of his head. He wore jeans and a t-shirt as he walked over to the bed and extended his hand towards Kurt who took it and smiled as Blaine introduced them.

Well at least neither of them had been naked.

"Do you mind if I steal this guy for a few hours," Cooper asked pointing his thumb in Blaine's direction, "I kind of need my baby brother right now."

"Yeah," Kurt said, "Of course. Who am I to forbid the groom his brother on his wedding day?"

"You're sure," Blaine questioned.

"Of course," Kurt said turning his eyes towards Blaine, "I'll go wake Santana up and we will occupy ourselves until the wedding."

"That's the hot lesbian, right?" Cooper asked.

Blaine rolled his eyes and shook his head, "Coop, can you give me ten minutes to change. I'll meet you out in the hall."

"Fine," Cooper said with a smile before walking towards the door, "But don't think I don't know what you're doing. You only need five minutes to get ready."

"And I need a lot longer to do what you think we're about to do so would you please get out of here?"

Cooper left the hotel room and the moment the door shut behind him, Blaine threw himself back onto the bed, burying his face into the pillow.

"You know I don't have to go with him," Blaine said looking over at Kurt, "I can stay with you and he can just assume we're having massive amounts of sex."

"He already thinks that," Kurt said going back to a laying position so that he was face to face with Blaine. They may have just been sleeping but that was their first morning waking up next to each other and it had been tainted by the arrival of Cooper Anderson, "And it's nice that your brother wants you to help him get ready. You should go spend time with him."

Blaine reached over cupping the side of Kurt's face that wasn't pressed into his pillow in his hand, rubbing his thumb along Kurt's cheek before leaning over and kissing him quickly, "You're amazing."

"I'm even more amazing when I get a chance to shower," Kurt said, "I really wasn't planning on meeting your brother looking the way I do right now."

"You," Blaine said, adding a kiss to Kurt's lips for emphasis, "Look amazing right now. I liked waking up next to you."

"Even though we were rudely awoken by your brother?"

"Even though we were rudely awoken by my brother."

They kissed again. But this time quick and as Blaine's tongue slipped between Kurt's it was far from chaste.

They kissed again. But this time the quick chaste kisses are replaced with languid sensual kisses that are far from chaste as Blaine's tongue slipped between Kurt's parted lips. Kurt suddenly regretted allowing Cooper to take Blaine away from him. Because he wanted to stay wrapped up in Blaine's arms for the rest of the day. He'd even miss the wedding if it meant that he and Blaine could stay in that bed in that hotel room, and forget that the rest of the world existed.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready," Kurt asked when he pulled away just enough so that he could feel his own breath warm as it ghosted over Blaine's skin.

"You heard Cooper," Blaine said kissing him again, "It only takes me five minutes to get ready."

Kurt had always loved weddings. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't been planning his own, updating a few details every couple of years, since he was eight. Everything from the flowers, to the centerpieces, to the outfits of every single person, including the guests, was hidden in a binder in the back of his closet, full of notes and cut outs from magazines. When that day finally arrived for him, Kurt would be ready. And then he'd surely change everything.

Cooper's wedding was going to be just as beautiful and whimsical as Kurt imagined all weddings should be. He sat next to Santana on the groom's side of the gathering that was being held outside in a beautiful garden behind an equally beautiful dining hall that had a large dance floor that Kurt hoped he'd get a chance to dance with Blaine on. It felt nice to take a little vacation with his best friend and his boyfriend. They only arrived in Los Angeles the night before; unable to come any earlier because of Kurt's work schedule. But they'd finally found a replacement for Santana and Kurt was finally able to get some real time off.

They sat in the back row of seats, hoping to avoid any questions; specifically "who are you?" from any of Blaine's family. Kurt hadn't seen Blaine since Cooper took him away. Blaine's sent multiple text messages apologizing for leaving him along but Kurt hadn't minded too much. Once he got Santana out of bed and they had breakfast, Kurt distracted himself with making Santana and himself as presentable as he could. He would meet Blaine's parents today. The parents who didn't even know Blaine was dating anyone. And after the way he'd met Cooper that morning, he needed to make sure meeting Mr. and Mrs. Anderson was a much more pleasant experience.

"So," Santana said as she took in everyone who was gathered around them, most of them seated, "My money is on you and Blainers being the ones having the dirty wedding sex."

"Really?" Kurt said humoring his best friend, knowing better than to be shocked.

"Yep. It's you two or Malibu Barbie over there," Santana said gesturing to one of the guests sitting on the bride's side, "But I think she'll just get a bunch of guys hitting on her all night and then she'll just go home, alone; which is why my money is on you."

"You're ridiculous."

"It's my psychic Mexican third eye," Santana said pointing to the space between her eyebrows on her forehead, "I always know these things."

Kurt rolled his eyes as only he could towards his best friend. But his mind flash briefly to an image of himself and Blaine hidden in the coat room. Because that's where all the dirty wedding sex happened, right?

"I totally don't get why you two aren't doing it yet," Santana said.

Kurt didn't answer her. What could he say? That he wanted to but he wasn't sure that Blaine did. That he'd told Blaine that he loved him and he'd been kissed in response. He hadn't told Santana about any of that and now definitely wasn't the time. But he was saved when everyone was asked to take a seat and the ceremony began.

Angela's dress was gorgeous and a real show stealer for everyone as she walked down the aisle. But most of Kurt's attention stayed on Blaine. From the moment Blaine walked down the aisle with the tall brunette who was the maid of honor, Kurt's eyes were focused on his boyfriend. Blaine, who looked absolutely gorgeous in anything, took his breath away in a suit that Kurt knew was not the one he'd packed for this even. He looked stunning, amazing, beautiful and a bunch of other adjectives that escaped Kurt's brain due to sheer intensity of it all.

"Hummel, you're drooling," Santana whispered nudging him with her elbow.

Kurt didn't move his eyes away from Blaine, but he blinked and closed his mouth and did his best to give the bride a bit of his attention. It was her wedding after all. But his eyes always found their way back to Blaine.

Kurt blinked and closed his mouth and did his best to give the bride a bit of his attention. It was her wedding after all, she deserved it. But his eyes always found their way back to Blaine, drawn to him like the tide to the shore.

The most awkward part about going to a wedding where you don't actually know the bride or the groom was that you don't know anyone else either. Santana and Kurt walked into the giant reception hall, finding their seats at the table in the corner, sat down and watched everyone around them say hello and make introductions. Kurt and Santana would just have to sit quickly and talk amongst themselves until Blaine arrived.

Santana had finally convinced Kurt that if they were going to just sit there, they might as well be drinking while they did it. So that was how Kurt found himself standing at the bar ordering the first of what he assumed would be many rounds of drinks, at least for Santana, when he felt a seat of arms encircle his waist and something strong and sturdy press against his back

"You know," Kurt said, "My date might not approve of random men groping me like this in public."

"You're date, huh?"

"Yes, my date. She's a gorgeous, feisty, totally inappropriate lesbian who is giving me the evil eye because I left her alone without any alcohol."

Blaine laughed, "She'll get you and her alcohol back in a few minutes."

"My date's feelings aside," Kurt said, "What are you parents going to think when they walk in here to see you pressed against some stranger."

"Let's not think about that because it won't be pretty," Blaine said taking a small step back, "But I did promise Cooper a little shock and awe so maybe I'll press you against the bar and stick my tongue down your throat."

"Blaine, seriously," Kurt said.

"Yes, seriously. And we don't have to worry about my parents just yet. Apparently my mother had some kind of wardrobe issue and she has to go back to the hotel room and change."

"And the rest of your family," Kurt asked nervously.

"No one is paying attention to us," Blaine said, "Except for Santana who I can feel staring lasers in the back of my head so we better get back to her."

His hand on the small of Kurt's back, Blaine led Kurt to their table where they were greeted by an ardently thirsty Santana.

When Blaine's parents did arrive, they were immediately swept up into a sea of relatives, congratulating them and making terrible jokes about how soon they'd be grandparents. Blaine was just grateful that they hadn't started the "you're next, Blaine" comments because that would have just been awkward for him and for Kurt. It was no secret, at least for his side of the family, that he was gay. Like his parents, most of them swept it under the proverbial rug and ignored it. But at some point tonight they'd have to acknowledge that that part of his existed. There was a very attractive man sitting next to him at the table in the corner that he'd spent the previous night sharing a bed with, who he'd woken up next to that morning and kissed while his brother waited outside much longer than ten minutes, who had told him that he loved him. If they hadn't noticed how, as Santana put it, disgustingly in love, they were by now they would know it by the end of the evening. And even though Blaine hadn't exactly figured out what to name his feelings towards Kurt, the idea of being called "disgustingly in love" didn't make Blaine feel disgusted one bit.

Blaine excused himself just before dinner to talk to his grandparents; he'd bring Kurt over to meet them later. He didn't know how they'd react and he didn't want to ruin anything about this day for Angela or Cooper. He stopped at the bar on his way back to the table for drinks for everyone and was intercepted by both of his parents, smiles on their faces.

"Blaine," his mother said, "We've been looking all over for you. You should make a toast for your brother."

"Yeah, sure," Blaine said, "Of course."

"Who're they," Blaine father asked.

Blaine looked behind him at Santana and Kurt looking at something on Santana's phone. Now was as good of a time as any. He turned back to his parents, "That is Santana. And that," Blaine said, "is Kurt. My boyfriend."

"You're what," Blaine's father asked, his voice tense.

Blaine ignored the tone of his father's voice. He was upset but he needed his parents to know about Kurt. And, honestly, Blaine wanted to show his parents how happy he was; how happy Kurt made him. Blaine turned around and called over to Kurt, asking him to join him.

"You didn't tell us you had a boyfriend," his mother said.

Kurt approached the group sheepishly, like if he came on too quickly or too strong then they might get startled and attack.

"Mom, Dad," Blaine said once Kurt stood next to him, "This is Kurt Hummel. My boyfriend."

To Blaine's horror, both of his parents were momentarily statues, unmoving with blank faces. It was a moment that felt like an eternity. It was his mother who recovered first, extending her hand to meet Kurt's. He wondered what had shocked them more. The fact that he had a boyfriend or the fact that he had the balls to bring him to the wedding. His mother plastered on a smile, but Blaine's father's face told a different story. He looked upset; angry even. As if the very notion of Blaine having a boyfriend made him so uncomfortable that he couldn't even fake politeness. Something he'd been taught to do as a child.

His father looked sick, his breathing coming in short shuttering breaths, and that made Blaine cringe. Not for himself, but for Kurt who had to watch as his father became sick at the thought of him, of them, and who they were because of who they loved.

"Honey, are you alright," Blaine's mother said looking at her husband.

Blaine wanted to scream. He could feel Kurt standing nervously beside him and his heart broke. Because he finally told his parents that he had a boyfriend. A boyfriend. That thing he told himself he didn't want or need but now that he had, he never wanted to get rid of. He finally mustered up the courage to be himself in front of his parents and his father was rejecting him. He might as well have spat in Blaine's face. He felt humiliation for himself and for Kurt who Blaine had selfishly subjected to his family. His family he would never be happy for him.

"I need to sit down," Blaine father said his voice strained as if he was fighting to keep his breathing even.

Taking him around the middle, Blaine's mother guided his father towards the table where Santana had been sitting, watching silently as everything played out.

Blaine's father sat down taking deep breaths. Blaine just watched silently. His father's face growing red as he coughed.

"He has cancer," Blaine's mother said as if someone had asked her to explain his father's behavior.

Blaine stared at his mother with wide eyes, his jaw hanging from its hinges, "W-what," he muttered, his anger largely replaced by bewilderment and the beginnings of sadness.

"Lung cancer," his mother said as if the specification of what kind of cancer his father had was explanation enough for the entire thing.

"But he's never sm0ked a cigarette in his life," a voice said. He couldn't see who was speaking but he knew that Cooper speaking behind him.

Blaine didn't turn around. He just kept watching his father huddled over trying desperately to get air into his lungs. How had this happened? How had he not known that his father had been keeping this secret? And now in front of a large room full of wedding guests, his secret was exposed, lay bare for everyone to see, to know, to comment on, and to scrutinize.

Finally, his father learned back in the chair, his face still red but he was breathing steadily now. Inhales and exhales that made the feeling return to Blaine's entire body and when it did, he felt a weight in his hand. It was soft and made of something familiar. It was without a doubt Kurt's hand in his, anchoring him, holding Blaine together without or words, but with just the touch of his hand. As long as Blaine held on to Kurt's hand he knew everything would be alright.

"I'm fine," his father said brushing Blaine's mother's hand away.

But the damage had been done. What had been a beautiful ceremony and what promised to be a reception worthy of the celebration of love, and admittedly a lot of alcohol, now held an air of sadness and the mood was nothing but somber.

Blaine hadn't been close to his father in years. Blaine had taken off to New York to get away from his parents. But there had always been that reassurance that they were out there somewhere. That despite their differences, his father was still out there, breathing; alive. And now the universe was challenging the comfort Blaine took in knowing that his parents were out there.

"Hey," Blaine heard Kurt say next to him, pulling Blaine's attention with a tug on their joined hands, "We should go."

He was gesturing towards himself and Santana but Blaine shook his head and pulled them away from the small crowd that had formed around them.

"Stay," Blaine said looking around. Not everyone seemed to think the party was over, "You can stay. Dance."

"Without you," Kurt shook his head though a smile played on his lips, "your family obviously has a lot to deal with and you don't need us hanging around."

"But, I do," Blaine said feeling vulnerable, exposed but safe admitting it to Kurt.

"And your family needs you," Kurt said, "They don't need the crazy boyfriend and his BBF hanging around."

"What will you do?"

Kurt shrugged, "Don't worry about us. We're probably just going to walk around and then go back to the hotel."

"You sure?" Blaine asked again. He thought about pleading with Kurt. He'd say anything to make Kurt stay by his side. But he was right. The introduction of him to his parents had led his father to a coughing fit. It wasn't fair to ask him to stay though the thought of losing the warmth of Kurt at his side made him shiver.

"Yeah," Kurt said leaning forward and planting a kiss on Kurt's cheek,

"Here," Blaine said reaching in his pocket pulling out his wallet, "Take—"

"No, we're okay," Kurt said putting a hand up to stop Blaine, "Let me know when you're heading back to the hotel."

"Okay," Blaine whispered and then Kurt was gone; his hand, his lips, his presence was missing. He never felt emptier.

Later that night when Blaine walked into his hotel room he expected to either find both Kurt and Santana inside or for the room to be vacant; both of them in her room instead. But he was pleasantly surprised to find Kurt, in his pajamas, sitting on the bed, alone. It was much too early for him to actually be asleep, but he turned his head away from the television as Blaine came in, a sad smile on his face.

Kurt stood up from the bed and walked over to Blaine and, without a word, wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close. It was like some of the weight that Blaine had been feeling since he'd been informed in the reception hall that his father was dying had been lifted from him. That by hold him in his arms, Kurt was taking on some of the weight so that Blaine didn't have to; so that they could share it. So that he wasn't alone.

Kurt planted a soft kiss on his jaw just below his ear and pulled back enough to look him in the eye, "I won't ask you how you are because it's kind of obvious but what happened after Santana and I came back here?"

Blaine shrugged, "This was my fault. I ruined Cooper's wedding reception because I didn't go to Greenwich to see my family for Memorial Day."

"Blaine, you're not making any sense."

"My parents wanted to tell me and Cooper together. Apparently Cooper was there that weekend but I wasn't."

"Because you were with me."

"It doesn't matter who I was with," Blaine said defeated, "The fact is that they kept it a secret because I wasn't there and now we had to find out in the middle of my brother's wedding reception."

"You shouldn't beat yourself up over this," Kurt said running the back of his fingers along Blaine's cheek.

"What else can I do," Blaine questioned as he shrugged, "It's not like it makes a difference now. It doesn't change anything."

"Are you hungry? Thirsty? Tired?" Kurt asked walking back towards the bed; but Blaine gripped his arm before he got too far, pulling Kurt toward him until their bodies collided together, Blaine holding Kurt around the waist to keep him close.

"Dancing," Blaine said as he began to sway them back and forth, "I want to be dancing."

"Dancing," Kurt repeated.

"We never got to dance tonight," Blaine said, "I wanted to dance with you."

"We don't have music," Kurt said.

"We," Blaine said walking over towards the clock radio that sat on the nightstand next to the bed, never letting go of Kurt as he did, "Have the radio. The radio plays music right?"

Blaine flipped the switch on the top of the radio and the sound of some hip hop song came fluttering through the room, "Maybe not," Blaine said quickly hitting the button to change the station, pausing for a moment to hear what was playing. There had to be something appropriate playing on one of these stations. He hit the button one more time, feeling Kurt at his side quietly watching him, and then he found it.

Blaine didn't know what the song was, but it was slow and not necessarily sad, so he straightened up and pulled Kurt against him. He was warm, strong and study but an unbelievable comfort. In that reception hall, Blaine's life turned upside down with a couple of words. But there was one thing that remained constant. Kurt. Blaine had been doing a lot of thinking; mulling his feelings over and over in his head. At some point he'd sat down and thought about all the things that Kurt was: kind, creative, talented, compassionate and then one word crossed his mind that stopped him in his tracks. Love. Blaine had stopped and let the word settle in his chest. It washed warm electricity over him, but didn't startle him. And it didn't make him want to run. He accepted it like it was one of the great truths about civilization.

The song was nearly over when Blaine leaned in, pressing his forehead against Kurt's. They swayed for a second, and then Blaine said it. It was barely a whisper, but it was loud enough for Kurt to hear it. Like it was a secret; a secret made for only Kurt to know.

"I love you," Blaine said his heart thumping wildly in his chest.

Blaine heard the hitch in Kurt's breath and felt his arms slide against him and for a moment, fear flashed through Blaine's body. Kurt was rejecting him. Maybe he changed his mind and Kurt didn't really love Blaine. But then he felt Kurt's arms continue to move until they were wrapped around his neck, holding him close, his fingertips playing with the hair at the nap of Blaine's neck.

"I love you too, Blaine," Kurt said then leaned in and set his lips against Blaine's.

Kurt's lips were soft against his, now after being together as long as they had, they were familiar. The kiss was tender; Kurt using his lips to heal the hurt that was still inside Blaine, to give Blaine the comfort he longed for. Blaine accepted that from Kurt, but when he moved his lips against Kurt's there was something more there. It wasn't about comfort. It was about showing Kurt how much he meant to him. It was about doing more than telling Kurt that he loved him, that for the first time in his life he wasn't afraid of letting someone into the part of his life that he kept everyone else away from. But as he kissed Kurt with all the months of pent up passion pouring into Kurt's open mouth and oozing from Blaine's fingers onto Kurt's skin, Blaine knew that if they did this; that thing he'd been longing for since the first night, he wouldn't run. He could be with Kurt tonight and he'd want to wake up with Kurt in the morning and do it all over again. Because while there had been many things that scared Blaine out of relationships before: vulnerability and commitment; the idea of being somewhere without Kurt, even for a minute, was infinitely more terrifying.

"Can we," Blaine questioned looking Kurt directly in his blue eyes.

"You want to?" Kurt questioned and Blaine thought it was the most insane question he'd ever be asked.

"More than anything," Blaine replied.

"Okay," Kurt said and let Blaine pull him toward the bed.

The moment wasn't how either of them had planned it. But it felt right. Because with all the wrong that was happening in Blaine's life, Kurt was the only thing that made sense. And all Blaine wanted to do was be close to Kurt, to be with Kurt. Without him, everything was dark and grey. His dad was dying and the security he'd come to rely on was slowly fading away. But Kurt was there, real and alive and he made Blaine feel like anything was possible. That despite what could happen with his dad, Kurt would be there shining the light that poured from him, guiding Blaine towards the shore. And as he basked in the afterglow it became clear. All those years he'd spent not dating and avoiding the tiniest bit of anything the resembled a relationship, he'd been waiting. He'd been waiting for Kurt to come into his life and open this part of him up so that he could feel love; and so that he could be loved in return.

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