Blaine Anderson, 24, was not yet partnered. He had hoped it might happen when he attended boarding school outside of his hometown. He hoped it might happen when he attended Harvard Law School. But now he had completed his degree and returned home partner-less he was at a loss. The summer after Blaine graduated gave him time to work as a junior solicitor for an extremely notorious and brilliant Law Firm (soliciting jobs of this standard were few and far between in Ohio, the fact that Blaine’s father was the head practitioner did help somewhat). Blaine hoped that by the fall he would have earned enough to travel the world, to find his partner.

Blaine indicated as he approached the turn off, his brand new Mercedes-Benz glided smoothly round the corner and into well-kept residential street. He slowed and lifted the cover of his leather portfolio case to check the number of the address. The top sheet was a print out which read as follows:

Mr B Hummel
415 Whitman Avenue
Lima, Ohio 45802

He pulled into the drive of 415 and killed the engine. He paused for a moment, checking his reflection in the wing mirrors, slicking back his hair and adjusting his tie a little. He grabbed his laptop case and leather folder and stepped out of the car, slamming it loudly to give the residents of 451 some warning that he had arrived, it was early and he’d had some embarrassing meetings with clients still dressed (or undressed as the case had been) for bed. He delayed approaching the door for as long as reasonably possible, to give time for a hurried change of attire. He needn’t have, almost as soon as he had rang the doorbell a women in her mid 30s had opened it. ‘Hello’ he said and smiled, she stepped back away from the door to let him enter ‘you must be Mrs…?’ he trailed off as she shut the door behind him.

‘Carole, just Carole’ she said, taking his proffered hand. Blaine understood immediately, the woman looked tired and overwhelmingly sad, but there was hope in her eyes. She had lost her partner and chose to no longer use the name that they had shared.

‘I understand you and Mr Hummel have rebonded, after the loss of both your original partners, and would like to reregister’ said Blaine as he was led by Carole into the front room and sat where she indicated.

Carole nodded and said ‘Yes, that’s right’

Blaine smiled at her ‘Will Mr Hummel be home soon? I need both of you to sign the registering form before I leave’ asked Blaine.

‘I rang him as I saw you arrive,’ said Carole ‘His garage is only up the street, he should be here in a few minutes’

Blaine nodded and an awkward silence fell on the room, he couldn’t start the proceedings until both partners were present and there was little he could think up to use as small talk. Another awkward minute (which felt much longer, as awkward minutes always do) passed, he glanced around the room for inspiration, the house looked as though it had only recently been moved into, there were cardboard boxes with labels such as ‘DVDs’ and ‘photographs’. He was just about to comment on the weather, to break the silence, when a small boy, no more than 3 years old, ran full pelt into the room clutching a pink power ranger. He raced to Carole with the emergency of all small children desperate to share news ‘Carole! Power Ranger!’ He exclaimed purposefully holding out the action figure. Carole took it and the boy glanced up, noticing Blaine. ‘Kurt,’ said Carole with the slightly stern voice all mothers use when instilling manners into their child ‘Say hello to Blaine’ but Kurt wasn’t listening.

Neither was Blaine.

Before Blaine stood the most beautiful human being he had ever laid eyes on. Clear, blue eyes gazed up at him. Blaine felt a sudden surge of adoration then a burn of need: A fundamental need to protect this child, to prevent any damage to him that would cause him anguish. Blaine’s mind, fuelled by a million new chemicals, calculated a billion of increasingly unlikely risks to the small boy and how he must prevent them. He felt his focal point, the reason for existence shift entirely into Kurt, his parents and brother shifted into the background as the small boy took centre stage in Blaine’s universe. Blaine felt ecstatic, his eyes burned but he could not blink and lose sight of the child he reached out a hand to. In the back of his mind he remembered Health classes in High School, that to seal a bond partners must touch, skin to skin, but he’ done that automatically, his biology told him to reach out to the boy, to touch, Blaine no longer needed anything but that touch. He held out a hand, reaching for Kurt. Kurt did not hesitate to take it, Blaine felt a small, warm hand enter his palm and his nerves were on fire. He felt like electricity was surging through him, through him into Kurt, and he could feel Kurt’s in return, passing each other at the point that they touched. Blaine wanted to cry and laugh. In his state of euphoria he didn’t understand what this meant for him. How rare he and Kurt were, what life would be like now.

Their hands broke hold and fell. Kurt began to cry, Carole reached out for him and Blaine’s sudden exhaustion tuned quickly into a sharp surge of anger through his body. NO. MINE. He thought. He needed to make Kurt happy, Kurt was unhappy and everything was wrong. He held out his arms the same moment as Kurt ran into them, their need for each other was overwhelmingly great. Kurt needed Blaine’s comfort and care, Blaine needed to protect Kurt, to make him happy, that was the purpose of his life now. Kurt’s sobs died down as he buried himself against Blaine, comforted by the chemical signals in his brain, responding to the protection of his partner.

‘What the hell is going on?’ boomed a voice. Blaine looked up and saw a large man. The part of his brain dedicated to Kurt immediately told him that this man was a potential threat.

‘Burt’ said Carole hurriedly ‘I think we need to take Kurt and… Blaine’ to the bonding clinic.

Burt’s face contorted until his expression was unreadable ‘You and my son?’ he directed to Blaine

Blaine relaxed his grip on Kurt, although it physically pained him to do so, in response Kurt held on to him tighter. He could feel shallow breaths against his neck and a small hand fist in his hair. ‘I’m so sorry, sir’ said Blaine, his voice audibly broken, feeling sick to his very core as he became aware of what he had just done. He’d just taken away this man’s child, Kurt was now Blaine’s. Nothing could compare to how Kurt felt about Blaine. Kurt could still love his father but now his dependence rested solely on Blaine.

‘Kid’ said Burt, striding over to Blaine ‘I know’ he said simply as Blaine opened his mouth to continue apologising. ‘But if I’s meant to be, it’s meant to be’ he stroked Kurt’s back, sadly ‘I just wish he’d been all mine for a couple more years, I wish a few firsts had still been mine.’. Blaine began to cry, he sobbed shamefully, the drastic change from the euphoria he’d felt a few minutes ago left him broken. His life, while better with Kurt in it, was going to be hard.

Carole had moved towards him and was stroking his jacket-covered arm. Kurt felt Blaine’s pain and held tighter, his body telling him ‘care’ but his young mind not knowing how. Through his torment Blaine thought how strange the situation was, sat in his work clothes in a strange home with strange people comforting him just moments after admitting his undying love for their 3 year old.

Burt shook his head and looked at Carole with desperation in his eyes, ‘C’mon kid’ he said to Blaine and helped him stand. Carole tried to take Kurt into her arms but Kurt screamed and held tighter, Blaine felt a surge of anger and pain and held to Kurt tighter. ‘Sorry’ whispered Carole, anguish obvious in her eyes.

Blaine stumbled out of the living room calculating all the ways Kurt could get hurt and feeling waves of panic wash over him. Part of Blaine told him that HE could cause Kurt harm, he could hold too tight, or drop him and in his desperate state Blaine saw the apparently infinite ways Blaine could cause pain to Kurt. As he was guided out of the front door his eternal battle raged on, part of him telling him to go, to leave Kurt before he could hurt him and the other part of him, the more ancient part, causing every fibre of his being to hurt at the mere thought of having to leave the boy.

Blaine vaguely remembered getting into the back of Carole’s car, protesting the removal of Kurt from his arms until he understood that it was only so Burt could strap Kurt into the toddler seat and that would keep Kurt safe. Kurt, however, did not understand why he had to leave Blaine’s arms and it hurt. If it hurt Blaine like a bitch knowing and understanding why they could not hold each other he couldn’t imagine the pain it was causing Kurt. He held Kurt’s hand as Burt pulled out of the drive and into the street but Kurt still screamed in pure agony. It was torture for Blaine. He NEEDED to comfort Kurt, he physically needed Kurt to be happy, but he also needed Kurt to be safe and the car seat was doing that job better than he could.

Blaine was snapped out of his turmoil by Carole passing him a mobile. ‘Call your parents’ she said gently ‘tell them to meet us at the clinic, they really should be there’ He took it and she smiled at him kindly, hope flickering in her eyes again, it gave Blaine hope too, and a little strength.

He dialled his home number, it was picked up after three rings ‘Hello, Anderson residence, Lisa speaking’

‘Mom’ said Blaine desperately ‘I need you to come to the bonding clinic’

‘You need us to come to the…Blaine? What’s going on…why?’ said is mother, an edge of panic in her voice

‘Mom, please, I just need you to come’

‘Ok, we’ll be there as soon as we can Blaine’

Blaine turned to Kurt brushing the light brown hair away from the boy’s face, Kurt immediately settled, with Blaine’s comforting hands stroking his hair and gripping his hand. For the first time Blaine felt calm, Kurt was out of danger and seemed relatively content, maybe everything would be ok.