Burt could hardly believe it had been six months since everything had finally settled into place. His life was still chaotic, especially since him and Carole were now raising three teenage boys, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

Everything had changed so much since this time last year. Last June he'd been estranged from Finn after the incident in Kurt's room, his son had been absolutely miserable in a million different ways he could barely understand, and his relationship with Carole had been tense and rocky. Now he was married, Kurt was far more in love and happy than Burt had ever thought it was possible for him to be, and him and Finn were quite close and sinking back into their father- son dynamic.

The fact that a lot of it had seemed to stem from what he had once thought would be the source of even more trouble was only rarely surprising to him now. Blaine had flipped his life over on its head, stomped it into dust, and then unknowingly settled down and re- built it. Without him Kurt wouldn't be the man who smiled brightly at him every morning or talked happily about every little thing going on in his life.

How much Blaine had revealed about himself since their first encounter amazed him, too. There was still the occasional lewd comment, more teasing now than irritating, but Burt was almost fond of those moments now. Seeing that old, dangerous fire in Blaine's eyes and voice for just those brief moments reminded him of how much they'd all grown and changed since September.

He stepped out into the garage where his boys were rumbling around in the built- in shed, or more correctly, where Finn and Kurt were buried to their waists in junk as they dug out all of their bicycles. Blaine was sitting on the hood of the Mustang, looking grouchy and sulky. Burt's brow crinkled as he closed the door behind himself and watched them.

Ever since Kurt had suggested they take a family biking trip every weekend once they were out of school and the weather was nice enough, Blaine had been angry and irritated. Saturday marked the first of what Kurt was hoping would be a summer full of biking trips, but Burt somehow doubted it would last. While him and Carole would still continue to do it, for the sake of his heart's health and her own health, Burt knew once summer really got going the boys would all go their separate ways every Saturday afternoon.

"Ouch, Finn! That's my head you're dropping things on!" Kurt screeched from inside the shed as a basketball bounced over the little hills of junk and landed at Blaine's feet. Blaine glared down at the orange globe and then kicked it back into the shed. A loud squeal of pain echoed out and Finn tumbled out into the garage, Kurt not far behind.

"Dude, what the hell?" Finn growled angrily, rubbing his nose from where the ball had hit him.

"Don't drop things on my boyfriend, Hudson," Blaine retorted disinterestedly. "There's only one thing allowed to be dropped on Kurt, and that's my ass on his d– "

"Whoa!" Burt hollered, stepping around to the front of the car and giving them all a very pointed look. He was well aware of that fact that Blaine and Kurt had a sex life, but he really didn't want any of the details. Ever. There were just some things he didn't want to relate to his little boy and that was one of them.

"Blaine," Kurt said sharply, glaring at the petulant boy still sitting on the car hood. "We could really use your help getting the bikes out– "

No," Blaine said flatly, glaring at his lap and ignoring Kurt's annoyed huff as Finn dragged him back into the shed.

Burt settled down on the hood next to Blaine, watching Finn and Kurt struggle and argue as they hoisted one of the bicycles up and carried it out into the driveway.

"You going to tell us what the attitude's all about?" Burt asked him.

Blaine eyed Kurt and Finn as they disappeared back into the garage and then turned his dark gaze onto Burt. "I don't ride bikes," Blaine told him.

Burt sighed, because they really didn't tell him anything, and Blaine had given him every indication in the past that he did whatever made Kurt happy. Something as simple as them all going for a bike ride causing this reaction didn't make any sense to him.

"It'll be fun, Blaine. We'll bike on that trail along the river and stop for a picnic– "

"No," Blaine cut in, sounding embarrassed and nervous. "I don't ride bikes."

The emphasis made something click in Burt's brain. Not that he didn't like to or didn't want to, but that he couldn't, as in he didn't know how. Burt's chest tightened slightly as he stared at Blaine sadly. He'd learned a lot about Blaine since September, but every week new little things kept cropping up that always shocked him in their simplicity.

"I'll teach you, if you want," Burt offered quietly as Kurt and Finn shuffled out with another bicycle and lined it up with the first one.

"I– what, no... "

"It'll be easy. You balance on that skateboard like a pro," Burt added encouragingly, getting to his feet and dusting his jeans off. "Come on, you can't miss out on the first Hudmelson bike trip."

"Hudmelson?" Blaine echoed as Burt hauled him to his feet. "That's a ridiculous combination."

"Well, Finn's still Hudson and you're still Anderson so we can't just be the Hummels," Burt explained as he followed Blaine out to the two bikes in the driveway. One was his own bike, and the second was Finn's old bike that was a bit smaller, but perfect for Blaine to learn on.

"Maybe I'll just become a Hummel when Kurt and I get married," Blaine argued and then he seemed to realize what he'd said. He ran a hand through his curls and coughed awkwardly. Burt stared at him again, hating his mind for how easily it created the image of Blaine and Kurt, hand in hand, exchanging their vows, just as they were now. He was definitely not ready for that. In a decade, maybe, but not yet.

"You kick back the kick- stand like this." Burt demonstrated the motion, and watched Blaine successfully repeat it. He took his time explaining how best to balance on the bike and took Blaine out onto the street with the smaller bicycle. It took some encouraging nods, and several sneering comments from Blaine before he managed to get Blaine on the bicycle.

They were out there until well after Kurt and Finn had hauled the rest of the bicycles out, pumped up their tires, and then stuffed everything back into the shed. Finn had disappeared into the house after that, but Kurt sat on the curb and watched Burt as he gripped the back of the bicycle seat to steady Blaine as he took off down the road again. Burt took a few running steps this time, and then let go without a word. Blaine wobbled slightly, but he kept going, cruising down the street and turning at the same spot they'd been looping around for the past few hours.

As Blaine caught sight of Burt standing off the road, flashing him a big grin and thumbs up, he grinned, too, looking thrilled at finally doing it on his own. An echoing memory flashed through Burt's mind – Kurt's bright, young face coming back from the same spot after countless falls, but finally hanging on and getting it right.

There was something much more rewarding about seeing that same smile on Blaine's face, though. There was something magnetic and lively and simple about Blaine that made Burt love the boy more every day. A simplicity that Blaine had missed out on, but that he was still going to get thanks to Kurt's determination to find the lost little boy.

He smiled and congratulated Blaine as the man pulled to a stop next to him. He'd never guessed he'd want three sons, but now that he had them, he wouldn't trade any one of them for anything in the world.

Carole pulled to a stop on the side of the gravel road. The little graveyard was almost an hour east of Westerville, in Blaine's childhood town of Conesville, but it was a trip the two of them made together every year since Blaine had become a part of their family.

As she stepped out of the car and turned to watch Blaine climb out of the driver's seat it hit her how long ago that first time had been. Six years since a surly seventeen year-old Blaine had dragged his feet across the road with a similar bouquet of pink roses and dropped down in front his mother's headstone. He'd been a bundle of nerves and snappy remarks the entire trip and had placed the flowers on her grave quickly and then run back to the car as though he was scared her ghost might tug him down and swallow him up. It had been a remarkably short stay after such a long drive, but it had been the beginning of some much needed healing for Blaine.

They set off across the gravel road and up the little embankment, twisting through the maze of gravestones until they reached the far right corner. Blaine rubbed a hand over his stubble as they stopped at her grave.

Lyra Briella de Luca Anderson

January 17, 1967 - May 12, 2000

"To love is to place our happiness in the happiness of another."
- Leibniz

Carole and him had continued to make the same trip every Mother's Day since then, and slowly Blaine had allowed her closer. She had caught a few murmured words over the years, but he'd never let her sit with him. But as Blaine set the bouquet of pink roses against the expanse of marble, his hand reached out and caught hers before she had turned away.

"You... you can stay if you want," he said quietly, dropping to one knee and resting his chin on the leg still propped up.

Surprised, Carole froze, turning back to see Blaine glance up at her almost bashfully. She nodded slowly and let him pull her back. "If you're sure," she replied, reaching down to grip his shoulder tightly as he looked back at the gravestone.

"It's nothing you don't already know," he told her. "Nothing you won't know in a few hours either... "

Intrigued, she kneeled down next to him and watched him shift the flowers slightly as he cleared his throat.

"I graduated college last week," he started, tracing a finger over the "L" in Lyra. "Bachelor's degree in music and performance, just like you."

Carole smiled as Blaine spoken. All three of her boys had graduated within the last two weeks. Finn from Ohio State, Kurt from a fashion school in New York City, and Blaine from Berklee College of Music in Boston. It wasn't Julliard like his mother had gone to, but from the moment Blaine had stepped foot on that campus he'd fallen right into place.

"A minor in English, too, if you can believe that," Blaine continued, returning his hand to his knee where his chin was resting. "Definitely helped a lot with my songwriting. The band's still doing good. We're going on tour starting in August once me and Kurt are moved into our apartment."

Blaine paused, a little smile tugging at his lips as Carole tentatively took her hand off his shoulder and eased it around his waist instead. In their everyday lives Blaine had come to accept and enjoy her embraces and loving touches, but in vulnerable moments like right now, he was still prone to shy away from anyone who wasn't Kurt.

For a long time Blaine was quiet, staring almost transfixed at the name engraved on the marble and Carole kept still and silent at his side. She'd learned so much about Lyra Anderson over the years, knew how much she'd meant to Blaine even with how young he'd been when she'd died. She would have been so proud of the young man kneeling beside her. Carole was certain of it.

"It was rough for a while since we were so far away," Blaine said suddenly. "I'm still not sure how we managed to make it work after some of the fights we had... but I'm still so in love with him, Mamma. He's all the hope and everything good in this world that I'd thought I lost when you died."

Blaine wiped his nose on his sleeve as a warm breeze blew through the rows of gravestones. Carole chided him gently, but it was only half- heartedly. She'd never admit it, but she was incredibly fond of that gesture, whether it was Blaine or Finn or Burt that did it.

Blaine laughed a little at her reprimand, squeezed her hand quickly and then dug his hand into his pocket for a moment. When he pulled it back out he was clutching something, though Carole couldn't tell was it was until he popped it open.

"I'm asking him to marry me tonight," Blaine said calmly, rubbing his thumb over the little silver band in the ring box. "I... I hope he says yes– "

"He will," Carole reassured him, feeling tears fill her eyes at Blaine's words. For years she'd suspected that someday they'd get married. There was nobody else she could picture either of them with. Ever since she'd met Blaine, it had always been the two of them together as a pair rarely one or the other by himself, at least not when they came to visit on holiday. "Oh, Blaine... "

"Ugh, don't cry," Blaine whined as she wrapped him up in a tight hug, letting her tears fall as he reluctantly returned her embrace. "He hasn't even been asked yet, god."

She tried to laugh and ended up hiccupping as she pulled away and wiped her eyes. Blaine looked away in embarrassment and snapped the little box closed, stuffing it back into his pocket and reaching out to touch his mother's gravestone once more.

"You'd like him, Mamma. I wouldn't have my life without him," Blaine said earnestly, tracing his fingers over her name again. "I... " he paused and took a shaky breath, as though whatever he was about to say was something he was terrified of– something that had been weighing on his mind for years. As though her opinion on his next words meant everything and more to him. "I think you might recognize me if you saw me now," he whispered softly. "You wouldn't have before."

"Yes, she would," Carole said with certainty. "Your smile gives you away," she added affectionately as she brushed his curls off his forehead. "She loves you just as much now as she did then, sweetheart."

"I... "Blaine nodded, and gulped, taking her hand as she stood up. Carole pulled him to his feet, dusted his shoulders off, and straightened his shirt.

"Come on," she smiled, pulling him back towards the road. "You've got a very lucky man to propose to as my Mother's Day gift."

Blaine laughed and let her pull him along. He still sounded nervous, but he squeezed her hand tightly just the same and turned back for one more glimpse of his mother's gravestone. Carole looked back, too. She hated what had happened to Blaine and his parents eighteen years ago, but in a strange way she was grateful as well. If Blaine's young life hadn't taken such a tragic turn she wouldn't be considering her soon to be son- in- law one of her closest friends now. Kurt would have spent high school miserable, may have completely lost himself after his father's heart attack.

Carole wished Blaine's own mother could have been here for her son, could have cheered at his graduation the previous week or peered through the window when Blaine pulled Kurt out back onto the porch to talk to him that night. She hoped that Lyra thought she was a good enough substitute in her place – that she was everything real and physical that Lyra could no longer be.

Blaine never thought he'd have a wedding day, especially once Kurt had started gushing over all the different things they had to prepare and set up and all the locations he had thought about for their wedding. He'd stepped aside and let Kurt take the lead for most of it, except for one thing: Blaine had wanted to have the wedding in Ohio. Without any more words from him, Kurt had immediately understood his reasoning for it and agreed to Blaine's one request.

That had been two and a half years ago. Now Blaine was almost regretting the whole thing, and not because he was getting cold feet about getting married. There wasn't a doubt in his mind about that.

With a nervous gulp, Blaine fidgeted in his dressing room while Carole finished tying Puck's tie.

"I'm the hottest ass you've ever seen, aren't I?" Puck asked him, twirling on the spot and dragging a hand through his Mohawk.

"Some nice cold lube will take care of that," Blaine commented off-handedly.

Puck glared at him and punched him in the shoulder. "Keep it up, Anderson, and you'll be out a best man."

"I'm sure Kurt wouldn't mind playing both roles," Blaine retorted as he fidgeted some more. "He's got quite a role- playing kink."

"Boys," Carole warned before Puck could continue their banter. A moment later the door creaked open and Burt stepped inside, shutting it softly behind himself.

"Arguing already?" Burt quipped. "I almost think you two should get married instead. You sound more like an old married couple than me and Carole."

"Kurt isn't the threesome type," Blaine grumbled, stepping over to the nearest mirror and adjusting his tie. Burt and Carole rolled their eyes at his comment. God, he was so nervous. And not just because of all the little what- ifs running around in his head – like what if Rachel pissed Kurt off even more and flames shot out of his eyes and the building burned down – but because he very well may be headed for the next biggest let down of his life. It'd been years since he'd encountered one of those and he wasn't sure he knew how to handle the possibility anymore.

Burt's strong, reassuring hands fell onto his shoulders and Blaine glanced up to meet Burt's eyes in the mirror. "She'll be here, kiddo."

"You don't know that," Blaine said instantly, tugging himself out of Burt's grip and pacing between the mirror and the door. "She never R.S.V., we haven't spoken in years..."

What if she never got her invitation? Or worse, what if she'd gotten it and torn it up? What if she hated him now?

Blaine found himself being spun around by the shoulders. He met Burt's eyes nervously as Burt gave him a sad look. "I don't know it, you're right. But I'd like to believe it, Blaine. The little girl I remember difdn't give up on you no matter what your grandfather told her over the years."

Blaine nodded shakily and used his sleeve to wipe the sweat off his forehead. "I won't even recognize her if she is here." The thought made his stomach twist. What kind of older brother couldn't even pick out his little sister in a crowded room?

"I think you will," said a high voice from the doorway.

Blaine spun around so fast he over balanced and stumbled into Burt. While the voice was a little deeper than that of a young child, it still set off alarm bells in his head. He glanced up as the door closed to see a beautiful young woman in a deep green dress standing there. A young woman with curly dark blonde hair, and sparkling hazel- green eyes like the ones he saw in the mirror every morning and night.

"It's the eyes that give me away," she said in exasperation, rolling her eyes as she stepped more into the room and towards him. She flashed him a nervous smile. "Hi Blaine."

Blaine swallowed thickly, his throat tightening painfully as the pressure behind his eyes increased. "L-Lily?"

"Oh, good, you remember my name," she teased. "I actually debated tattooing it to my forehead as a remind for you." The huge grin on her face shrunk slightly as he pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes. "Blaine, what... "

God, she was all grown up now and beautiful and happy and everything he'd been hoping she'd be. As he pulled his hands away and tried to control how emotional he was getting, he saw her face drop into a concerned expression.

"Fuck, sorry, I just– "Blaine cleared his throat and swallowed loudly, taking a shaky breath before talking. "I never thought I was going to see you again."

"Hey, I'm here," she soothed, hesitating for a moment before clutching his hand. "I've missed you."

He stared down at their linked hands, feeling the warmth of her skin and the strength of her grip as she brushed a few of his tears away. In the next instant she was gasping in surprise as he tugged her into his arms and embraced her. And she laughed at him – the same bubbly, giggling laugh he still dreamed about – as she wrapped her arms tightly around his chest and squeezed him, too.

Lily's cheek dropped onto his shoulder as they stood there in each other's arms, swaying slightly as they reveled in the other's presence.

"I can't believe you're as tall as me," Blaine said suddenly, and Lily laughed again, pulling back and swiping at the tears on her cheeks.

"That would be the heels," she told him, tilting her leg a bit so that he could see the three inch heel on her shoe.

For some reason they looked familiar to him, though he wasn't entirely sure why. He'd had a slight interest in fashion back in high school, but it had never really gone farther than that. Kurt was the one who–

"Are those Alexander McQueen?" he asked in amazement.

"Sure are," Lily said brightly. "I don't remember you ever being into fashion."

Blaine smiled gratefully at her attempt to brush over their separation. "Kurt works for them," Blaine told her, a small trickle of pride running through him at the amazed look on Lily's face.

"Wow! That's so cool," Lily gushed.

"Yeah, it's pretty neat," Blaine agreed. "I don't understand half of what he's saying most week days, but he's happy." He paused before his next comment. "I'm surprised Cameron would let you buy something that expensive."

"My grandparents insist on buying the best to make up for lost time," Lily answered awkwardly.

"Oh," Blaine said softly, surprised by the plural. "You don't live with... him anymore?"

"No." Blaine was glad to hear how relieved she sounded. "I moved in with them right after I got my license. Just packed up and left. They're right outside Columbus."

Lily smiled at him, and her gaze flickered nervously over his shoulder to the room's other occupants. He'd completely forgotten that they weren't alone. He turned to see Burt step forward with a warm smile and an offered hand.

"Burt Hummel," he introduced. Blaine watched the others come forward for introductions, his sister accepting a hug from Carole, and laughing at Puck's weird attempt at a handshake. None of this felt real. His sister was here and grown up after all of these years, and the people he'd come to call his family were gathered around him to celebrate his wedding day. Lily might even want to be a part of that now.

Lily moved back over to him, pulling him into another tight hug that he let himself fall into. She'd come to watch him marry the man that he loved. She didn't hate him because of it.

"I still can't believe you're here," he mumbled into her hair.

Lily pulled back and flashed him a bright smile. "And miss the perfect opportunity to invite you to my high school graduation? Please."

Blaine smiled brightly at her words, opening his mouth to ask when and where or for her phone number now or anything when Kurt barged in, looking furious.

"Thank god neither of us are brides or this would be horrible luck," he said scathingly. "Where's Finn? I'm about to murder Rachel if he doesn't come shut her up."

"He was showing my parents to their seats last I saw," Carole said, rushing forward and squeezing Kurt's shoulder reassuringly. "I'll go find him and help him get Rachel out of your hair, okay?"

Carole made a quick exit. Still looking aggravated, Kurt closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath, looking like he was attempting to meditate all of his anxiety away.

"Babe?" Blaine called hesitantly, taking Lily by the hand and leading her over.

"Blaine, unless you have fantastic news right now, then I– "

"Still as handsome as you were at sixteen," Lily remarked. "More so, really. I'm glad Blaine listened to me when I told him to keep you."

Kurt's eyes snapped open, his mouth falling slack as he looked Lily up and down. He followed the line of their linked hands, and looked at Blaine's huge grin. "She's– you– oh my god!"

Lily's hand was yanked from his grip as Kurt launched himself at the young woman.

"You're here! And beautiful! And wearing gorgeous clothes," Kurt babbled, pulling back and holding her at arm's length, eyeing her dress and shoes.

As Kurt started to ramble on about her dress, Carole poked her head back into the room. "Guys, it's almost time."

"I should get to my seat," Lily said as Kurt let her go. She straightened her dress and hugged Blaine once more. "Save me a dance, okay?"

"I– y- yeah, okay," Blaine stammered in amazement. She pecked him on the cheek and left.

"God, I'm so glad I'm not a bride," Kurt muttered, wiping at his eyes. "If I was Rachel my make-up would be ruined."

Blaine nodded dazedly as Kurt kissed him swiftly on the cheek. "I'll see you in a few minutes, husband."

Blaine grinned shyly at him, blushing slightly at the term. "You'll see even more of me later."

Kurt rolled his eyes with a fond smile and rushed off with Puck to find Carole, Rachel, and Finn to make sure they were all ready for the walk down the aisle before the grooms come in.

"I told you she'd make it," Burt said from behind him, patting him on the shoulder.

Blaine nodded mutely, feeling his throat constricting at the wave of happiness bubbling up inside of him. A heavy arm was slung around his shoulders as Burt ushered him towards the door. "I've never been prouder of you, kiddo, and that's not just because you're making my son the happiest man alive."

"I–thanks," Blaine whispered in reply, even though he couldn't bring himself to admit to what he was really thinking. I'm glad I'm finally someone to be proud of.

"Oh, no," Burt said suddenly, pulling him to a stop at the door and making him face him. "I know exactly what that frown's about. You've always been someone to be proud of, you always will be to me, and Carole, and Kurt, and your kids someday. It just took you a while to realize it."

He nodded slightly, his throat still too tight for him to say anything more. Burt's words always seemed to have that effect on him, and while he still had moments where he didn't think he was enough, or good enough, he knew Burt was right. He hoped that his own father – the man who had existed before his mother's death – had he been here, would have said the same thing. Would have shown up arm in arm with his sister to celebrate the continuation of his life with Kurt. Because their wedding and marriage wasn't a new start or a beginning, it was something more to add to everything else. A new memory of their commitment to each other to add to their enormous collection.

"Let's go find that crazy boy of yours so Carole and I can walk you two down the aisle and hand you off to each other, all right?"

"Sounds perfect," Blaine agreed, shutting the door to his dressing room behind them. The people he loved most in the world were waiting just down the hall to celebrate his and Kurt's love. Perfect didn't begin to describe how today had turned out.

Kurt had always assumed that Blaine would be the nervous one when they started looking into adoption. It had never really occurred to him that Blaine would be better prepared than he was. But Blaine had been incredible throughout the process, including their entrance interviews, answering all the difficult questions about his records and past. It had also helped that Blaine had learned to use his charm to his advantage over the years, instead of simply for over- the- top seduction. They were ready, though, as nervous as the thought of finally having a child that would depend on them for everything made him, he knew they could do this together.

He reached for Blaine's hand as Mrs. Terrence riffled through their folder on her desk one final time, making sure everything was in order and had been signed by them and herself. When she finally closed it, Kurt couldn't stop the giddy smile that crossed his face.

"Congratulations," she said with a bright smile, peering at them over the top of her glasses. "Now, I know you wished to adopt an older child. Perhaps one of our pre-schoolers or early elementary?"

"We were actually thinking a bit older than that," Kurt put in.

"Are you sure? An older child is a lot more of an adjustment for all parties. All of our older children have extensive pasts, most of which are very– "

"We know," Blaine cut in suddenly. "I've been there personally, until I eventually accepted Kurt's family's offer to live with them, but I – we," Blaine amended, giving Kurt a easy smile, "want to share our life with an older child. Be there for him or her, make them see that no matter how cruel the world's been since they arrived in it that there's still something good out there for them. I know how hopeless and lost I felt, I'll never forget it. I can relate – reach them in a way a lot of other parents probably can't."

"We both can," Kurt agreed. "I managed to get through to Blaine even after everything he did to shut himself off. We've both been through that before, and we want to make some child's life better than what they already know. Want to give them the home they've probably given up on."

Blaine nodded at his words. "I want someone I can teach an instrument to so we can jam together and just have some fun. Or take camping with Burt, and teach them about music or football or learn all about whatever they're interested in and go out and do those things."

"Someone we can take to school dances, or talk to about girls or boys or whoever he or she thinks is cute," Kurt added. "Or to see that smile on their face when they finally ask their crush out and they say yes and... I want to watch our son or daughter grown up and be as happy as we are now."

"We keep feeling like something is missing," Blaine said solemnly. "And every time we talk about it, we both picture an older kid with us. Someone we can do all of those things with. Someone who can be the rest of our family if they want to be." They were a little lose in each other's eyes when Kurt suddenly broke their gaze off with a cough, turned to Mrs. Terrence and added, "Oh, we are going on and on, aren't we? I'm sorry, you know all this already. We're just so excited."

Mrs. Terrence smiled fondly at them repeating their dreams and wishes and tugged open a drawer on her filing cabinet. After a few moments of shuffling she pulled out a huge, two inch thick folder and slid it towards them. "I think I know just the boy for you."

Much to Mrs. Terrence's surprise they both refused to look at the folder and its contents – refused to even get told his name for now. Kurt smiled encouragingly at her as she led them down into a comfortable greeting room, hoping it would reassure her of what was happening. This boy would have to learn to trust them completely one day, and they'd decided that the best way to do that was to start immediately, which meant letting him tell them things whenever he chose.

She left them to go find the boy and Kurt bounced on his feet nervously. Blaine clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth and Kurt rolled his eyes at the very old habit. He'd gotten rid of the tongue piercing years ago, but the habit still remained.

"What stupid thing are you thinking of doing?" Kurt asked to get his mind off of how nervous he was feeling. Focusing on Blaine's nerves and worries had always been easier than his own.

"Belting 'Walking on Sunshine' at the top of my lungs," Blaine answered seriously. "I can't believe we're finally here," he paused and bit his lip, his eyes catching Kurt's. "I hope he likes us. What are the odds of the first kid we meet being the one we adopt, right? He'll probably hate us or something or– "

"Hey, none of that," Kurt scolded, sliding his arms around Blaine's shoulders and dipping his head until their foreheads were touching. Blaine's eyes flickered up to his, more golden today than green, but nervous and scared. Maybe Blaine wasn't more prepared for this than he was. Maybe both of them were just as terrified of screwing this up.

Before either of them could sooth the other one, the door creaked open and Mrs. Terrence ushered a young boy, around ten or eleven, into the room.

"I'd like you to meet Kurt and Blaine Hummel," she introduced, gently nudging the boy until he stepped through the door. "They'd like to get to know you over dinner in the mess hall tonight."

Kurt's heart did a weird summersault in his throat as the boy glanced back at her and then looked over at them. His green eyes were suspicious as he looked them over, and took another few steps into the room. The shirt hanging off of him was several sizes too big and looked well worn, his hair was shaggy, curly, and dirty blonde, and he was scrawny looking. When they smiled nervously at him, his lips curled a little and he glared darkly at them. It was a look Kurt recognized well – the immediate shut out that Blaine had trained himself to do after years of being hurt and ignored. Kurt steeled himself for the worse that this boy could throw at them – tried to remember the worse Blaine had thrown at him when they were sixteen.

"Introduce yourself to them," Mrs. Terrence urged kindly. She prodded him in the shoulder a little to get his attention and shot them an apologetic look.

"Evan," the boy finally supplied. He looked down at his feet and kicked at the ground while Mrs. Terrence squeezed his shoulder encouragingly and told them that dinner would be ready in fifteen minutes.

When the door snapped shut behind her, Evan's head shot up and he pierced them with an angry stare. "She," Evan jerked his head back towards the door, "put you guys up to this."

It wasn't a question. The words broke Kurt's heart a little bit because of the conclusion the boy before them had already made about them and whether or not he'd ever be wanted.

"No," Blaine said truthful. "She wanted us to meet some of the younger kids, actually."

"Of course, she did," Evan sneered, crossing his arms and turning away from them. "And when you said 'no' she sent me in to scare you off. Simple as that."

Kurt glanced at Blaine, who was biting his lips uncertainly, and took a few steps towards the boy, taking in his tangled thick curls. "We'd like to get to know you."

"Bullshit," the boy snapped. "Nobody, and I mean nobody, comes here looking for older kids. They just want to go coo over the stupid gurgling babies and the wobbly toddlers. So why don't you shuffle off to the nursery and give this up?"

"Because I'd like someone to play soccer with, or video games, or teach an instrument to," Blaine said quietly. He took a few steps forward and squeezed Kurt's shoulder. "Kurt would love to teach an older kid all about his designers and cars and engines," he glanced over at Evan's wide eyes and slightly shocked expression. "We can't do any of that with a little kid."

"Not right away," Evan spat, but there was something Kurt couldn't name flickering in his eyes as he looked from Kurt to Blaine. "You get to do all the sappy baby book stuff. Or pre-school and all of those firsts or whatever, and then you'll get to do all of those things you want, too."

"Well, maybe me and Kurt are being a little selfish, and we don't want to wait," Blaine replied calmly. He smiled kindly at the boy, who's gaze was guarded once more. "Or maybe we're just not a fan of dirty diapers."

"Or maybe you're just lazy and don't want to do this whole thing properly," Evan countered. Kurt noticed how the anger had disappeared from his tone when he said that sentence. He could tell it wasn't the first time Evan had said those exact words, and briefly he wondered if other prospective parents had fallen for them – had second guessed themselves about not adopting a baby and missing out on so many years. Kurt also wondered how many times Evan had told himself exactly that as an excuse for when someone had backed out of adopting him, whether he thinks maybe that if he said it out loud often enough, he'd start to believe it himself.

But for him and Blaine it wasn't like that. They'd been talking about children for years now – had ruled out surrogacy because whenever they thought about a child being part of their lives the child was older. Blaine and him had looked forward to the quirky banter they might exchange with their son or daughter. The teasing and laughter or the arguments about curfew and boyfriends or girlfriends. Even helping their child with homework, though Kurt had already made the executive decision that Blaine was the math homework dad so he could keep his math skills from high school alive while Kurt had enough of that at work.

"Well, Blaine is definitely lazy," Kurt agreed. "I'll give you credit for already catching that one. Most Saturdays I have to carry him downstairs just to get him to leave our bedroom." He paused and looked over at Blaine, trying to soothe the anxious look in his eyes as much as he was trying to convince Evan to give them a chance. They'd both been prepared to have a lot of verbal abuse thrown their way, but it was still unsettling to come face to face with it. They didn't want to screw this up and scare Evan off or make him refuse to see them. "Blaine isn't very good at doing things the proper way, either," Kurt added, smiling a little.

Evan looked a little stunned at his deflection, as though most people gave up after that or realized they didn't want to deal with the surly boy standing in front of them.

"Besides, who's to say adopting a baby is the right way to adopt?" Blaine asked Evan quietly. "And what's so great about always doing the proper thing? Sounds kind of boring to me, don't you think?"

Evan eyed them warily and crossed his arms. "I guess so... "

Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand briefly and moved closer to Evan, squatting down in front of him with his forearms resting on his thighs. "Look, me and Kurt, we want a family of our own. Even if its small or loud or messy. We've been wanting a child for years. A kid we can share our lives with, and who will let us be a part of his life as well." Kurt smiled down at Blaine as his husband looked back at him before turning back to Evan, who still looked stunned, but in a better way than before. Not because his words had been turned against him or they'd out witted him, but because of how honest Blaine was being with him. How open and hopeful Blaine was to share himself with Evan and not some little baby. "That kid we've been wanting? We're kind of hoping it'll be you."

Evan's mouth opened slightly, his shock clear on his face as his eyes flickered to Kurt. "But you just– I... you just met me. You don't even know anything about me."

Kurt stepped forward and bent down next to Blaine in front of the boy. "I can already tell you're perfect for us, Evan," he said sincerely, feeling Blaine's hand slip into his. "If you give us the chance, maybe we can be perfect for you, too."

"You... you don't want to– to fix me?" Evan asked, and his tone was both hopeful and almost desperate in his need to know the truth. Kurt couldn't even imagine the possibility of what he'd just said. There was no way he'd ever want to "fix" Evan. The boy was everything he'd been dreaming of since the moment he'd stepped foot in the room. He was tough, and angry, and unafraid of speaking his mind. He had that in- your- face quality that Kurt had both loved and hated about Blaine when they'd first met eleven years ago.

"He never tried to fix me," Blaine said sincerely, nodding towards Kurt as he reached out and gave Evan's shoulder a squeeze. The boy flinched slightly, and started to jerk away, but his eyes were still wide with amazement as he look up at Blaine. "There's nothing about you that needs fixing and anyone who tells you otherwise is a damn liar."

"Blaine," Kurt scolded. "Language. You don't want Mrs. Terrence kicking us– "

But Evan grinned and a little laugh left his mouth before he could stop himself. As soon as the sound escape he clamped a hand over his mouth and his eyes instantly became guarded again.

Kurt watched Evan glance at Blaine's hand on his shoulder, down to where the two men's hands were linked, and then up to Blaine's face. There was a wonder in Evan's eyes that he hadn't seen in years, but that he'd never been able to forget from all the times he'd seen it on Blaine's face.

"We'll never try to change you, Evan," Kurt told him. "We won't ever force you to tell us anything you don't want to or that you aren't ready to tell us. When you're ready for us to know, we'll be ready to listen."

"What's the catch?" Evan asked warily, stepping away from Blaine's hand and putting several feet of distance between them.

"Unless fish is on the menu at dinner, then there isn't one," Kurt replied lightly before he could stop himself, but the boy almost seemed to appreciate the line Burt used to feed him. He eyed Evan for a moment – could see the little sparkle of possibilities and hope flickering in his eyes – as he hesitated to reveal anything else to them.

"You know," Blaine said suddenly. "I could really go for some Italian food. What do you think of seeing if Terrence will let us go to that little restaurant we passed a few blocks from here?"

"I love Italian food," Evan blurted. Kurt smiled at the admission and the horrified look on the boy's face when he'd realized what he'd just told them. Yes, he definitely reminded Kurt of Blaine, saying things he hadn't even fully thought through and accidentally letting others see who he was underneath the facade he kept up.

"Excellent," Kurt said with a smile, but Evan glared up at both of them as though he'd finally realized just how much he'd let them in during this conversation. The fact that it came so easily to Evan gave Kurt hope. He wasn't as far gone as Blaine had been, was younger and more resilient, perhaps.

Evan bit his lip as he eyed them suspiciously once more and then back pedaled towards the door. "I'll go get my coat," he grumbled awkwardly before rushing out into the hall.

"I think he likes us," Kurt whispered as Blaine slid his arms around his waist from behind and kissed him softly on the cheek.

"Evan Hummel, huh?" Blaine tested, laughing excitedly as Kurt turned around in his arms.

"It's got a nice ring to it," Kurt agreed, unable to stop a bright smile from taking over his face. Blaine's grin was just as big – wide, bright and as carefree and wonderful as Kurt could ever remember seeing it. Even happier and more real than it had been in the old photograph of him and his mother they had on their mantel.

He reached up and brushed Blaine's curls off his forehead, his mind briefly bringing forth the imagine of Blaine from all those years ago – covered in piercings, a worn leather jacket and sporting an arrogant smirk. His husband still had his moments, was still that boy in a thousand different ways, but with one major difference. He was happy and had finally opened himself up to not only Kurt and his family, but the world.

"You ready?" Blaine asked him quietly.

"I'm always ready when I'm with you," Kurt murmured, lacing his fingers through Blaine's.

Blaine shot him a saucy wink and a smirk as he leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Is that why you keep three bottles of lube in the glove box? Seems a bit excessive. Even for someone who gets it on the regular."

"No," Kurt flirted back quietly as Evan stumbled back into the room with Mrs. Terrence in tow. He'd almost forgotten about his secret purchase on the drive over. Blaine had been asleep when he'd stopped for gas and some snacks at a store, and Kurt had decided to buy a few bottles. They were running low back home, anyway. "That's for the hotel room later tonight. If you behave."

Blaine grinned, and shot him another wink as Mrs. Terrence started asking about their new dinner plans. Kurt let Blaine give her all of the information as Evan stood back and tried to pretend he wasn't actually staring at Kurt. He flashed Evan a nervous smile that the boy seemed to be fighting to return. Kurt only hoped someday that Evan would smile at him the way Blaine was right now, that between the two of them they could restore this young boy's hope in the world and give him the happiness he'd been wishing for. The same way Kurt and Blaine had found their happiness in each other and would now in Evan, too.