Blaine's always loved bow ties. Ever since he was a little boy. He fell in love with them going to his grandfathers every afternoon. He loved his grandfather more than anyone in the world. He liked his mom. And his dad was fine. But his grandfather was his favorite adult, always had been. His grandfather got him. He understood all of Blaine's idiosyncrasies. Like peeling apart the Oreos. Or the way he always folded his napkin. When his mom made fun of him for it, his grandfather would chastise her and follow Blaine's lead. There were lots of things that they did in the afternoons. Walks. Hide and seek. Reading. Bike rides. Gardening. Blaine's favorite thing, was at the end of the day, after they'd had their long grown-up talks, Blaine could pick out the bow tie his grandpa was gonna wear the next day. No matter which one it was, his grandpa would hold it to the light and say, "Now Blaine, I do believe this one is just right." They did that everyday from the time Blaine was two. And for his thirteenth birthday, Blaine's grandpa started Blaine's bow tie collection. Blaine was ecstatic. So excited.

Until the boys at school found out. They called him names. Shoved him. Vandalized his locker. Blaine came to his grandpa's one day after school. Furious. And hurt. And bleeding. Blaine's grandpa held him until he'd calmed down enough to explain. He told him about getting called a fag and gay and homo. Getting shoved around. Blaine vehemently refused when his grandfather suggested be just stop wearing them. He asked why, and Blaine quietly confessed, "Grandpa....I think I'm.... I think I might be... I'm...I'm gay." Blaine expected him to pull back. To yell. To hit him. To do anything except pull him closer and whisper, "I know. I'm not gonna tell anyone though." They continued on as they always had. Blaine started wearing more bow ties. His grandpa started teaching him to box. Before long Blaine stopped coming home black and blue. Everything it seemed, was getting better. Then, two years after Blaine confessed that he was gay (but still hadn't told his parents) his grandpa was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. They checked him into a nursing facility, and Blaine started stopping by every afternoon. Blaine still talked to him, but his grandpa only rarely remembered him. The week after the Sadie Hawkins dance, his grandpa was lucid enough for Blaine to tell him. When Blaine joined the Warblers, his grandfather was lucid enough to listen to him practice. And he was lucid two days in a row and Blaine was able to tell him about meeting Kurt.

The week after Blaine told his grandpa about Kurt, he got worse.

Much worse, very quickly. He went from having at least one lucid day every few weeks, to none for several months. He became belligerent, started having tantrums with his nurses. Started refusing to wear pants. After the pants it was the shirts. Eventually he was wearing a hospital gown, and then he started to refuse the bow ties. The bow ties that he had worn every day for seventy-some years. Blaine comes to visit one day, and he boxes up every last bow tie. Vowing to make it his mission to wear a bow tie everyday from then on, to try to take the place of his grandfather.

On a day where he was neither particularly lucid, nor demented beyond reach, Blaine tells his grandpa that he and Kurt are dating. He smiles and hugs Blaine, says he's happy for him, wants to meet this 'Kurt', but Blaine knows that all his grandpa sees is some boy sitting in his living room, not his grandson, about whom he used to care so much. Blaine never really gets around to bringing Kurt by, months pass between lucid episodes now, and Blaine just can't bear to have him not remember Kurt. Blaine still stops by every afternoon, and feels immensely guilty when he lies to Kurt about it. He says his dad needs his help at home, Or that he has to work, or something, anything but the truth.

Six months after they start dating, and seven months since his last lucid episode, Blaine gets a call in the middle of his math class. He excuses himself and answers the phone, "Hello?" A motherly voice answers, "Hi, I'm looking for a Blaine Anderson?" Blaine smiles to himself, "Speaking." The woman on the other end is very bright, "Hi Honey, I'm from the nursing home, we're calling to inform you that your grandfather is requesting your presence. He told me to tell you that he'd 'Wear your hide out with one of these bow ties' if you weren't here soon." Blaine laughs, "Tell him that I said good luck with that, I'll be there in about half an hour." Blaine hangs up and starts heading towards his car when he passes Kurt's home economics class.

It takes Blaine seconds to think of an alibi, he ducks in the classroom and speaks quietly to Mrs. Givens, "Mrs. Givens, I'm terribly sorry to interrupt, but Mr. Schue sent me here requesting Kurt's presence. I think it's something about his dad, he's been in the hospital." Mrs. Givens nods sympathetically at Blaine's mock sorrow, and waves Kurt over, "Kurt dear, you've been dismissed." Kurt gives a quizzical look to Blaine, who only shakes his head and leads him out the door.

Before they round the next corner, Kurt grabs Blaine by the sleeve, "What are you doing?" Blaine smiles shyly, "You know how you're asking me why I wear bow ties?" Kurt nods and straightens the one that Blaine's wearing. Blaine starts heading towards the door, "I'm going to show you why." Kurt looks confused, but follows Blaine out to his car and gets in obediently. They drive for ten minutes when curiosity gets the better of Kurt, "Where are we going?" Blaine smiles and turns on the radio, "You'll see." Kurt turns the radio down, "Can you please just told me?" Blaine shakes his head. Kurt pouts, "Why not?"

Blaine pulls into the parking lot of Shady Brooks Old Folks home and says, "Because we're here." Kurt raises his eyebrows, "Why are we at a geriatrics center?" Blaine points to the sign, "Read the fine print, it's a geriatrics center for people with Alzheimer's." Blaine grabs Kurt's hand and drags him toward the door, "Who do we know with Alzheimer's?" Blaine shakes his head, and signs the In/Out form at the front desk as a small woman points them down the hall, "You don't know them, but I want you to."

Blaine opens a small white door with the number 308 hung on it. He steps in and an old man, with a blue shirt and red suspenders immediately wraps Blaine up in a huge hug, "Blaine-y. I was wondering when you were gonna get here. Speaking of which, have you seen my bow ties? They seem to have moved." Blaine laughs and produces one from his back pocket, "Yeah, sorry, they said you couldn't have those anymore. I don't think they were a fan of you tying the door shut." The old man rolls his eyes and mutters something about being 'uptight'. The old man turns to Kurt, "Who is this Blaine? You must be Kurt." Kurt smiles nervously as the man wraps his arms around him and pulls Kurt in for a hug. When the man pulls back, Kurt extends his hand, "I'm Kurt Hummel, and I'm sorry but, who are you?" The old man laughs and looks to Blaine, "Getting ashamed of old grandpa are we there Blainers?" Blaine blushes and shakes his head, "No, I was just...waiting for the right time." Blaine's grandpa returns Kurt's hand shake, "Well Kurt, it's nice to meet you finally, I'm Blaine's grand-pappy. You can just call me Charlie though." Kurt grins, "It's good to meet you Charlie."

Charlie smacks a hand to his forehead, "Where are my manners? Gosh, if Irene were here she would have my head nailed to that wall. Would you boys like anything to drink? Blaine, I know you'll want apple juice." Blaine nods and Kurt looks at him, Blaine shrugs, "What? It's delicious." Kurt rolls his eyes and Charlie asks, "What about you Kurt, what would you like?" Kurt bites his lip, "I'll take apple juice too I guess." Charlies goes to a small refrigerator in his tiny nursing home room and pulls out three juice boxes, passing one to each of the boys and keeping one for himself. They all take big pulls, Kurt grinning at the taste, "Mmmm." Blaine laughs at him and Kurt shrugs, "What?! I haven't had one of these since I was like eight and my mom....well after my dad kept trying to buy them so we could do afternoon tea...but it was never the same." Blaine nods, and Charlie tries to alleviate the tension, "So Kurt, have you gotten to hear any stories of Blaine's childhood yet?" Blaine looks at his toes as Kurt says, "Why no, I don't believe I have."

Several hours later, after sharing dinner with Charlie, Kurt and Blaine finally leave. Charlie hugs them both, and smiles as they walk out hand in hand. When they make it to Blaine's car, Kurt corners him, "Why didn't you tell me?" Blaine looks at his Sperry's, "He's hardly ever lucid anymore, hasn't been since we started dating...and when you met him, I wanted you to meet him, not some demented guy who walks around half naked. And I knew if I even mentioned it to you, you wouldn't rest till I brought you here." Kurt grabs both of Blaine's hands and brings them around his neck, and kisses him, "I'm glad I got to meet him." Blaine avoids Kurt's eyes, "I hope so, I want you to be." Kurt touches his forehead to Blaine's, "When are we coming back?" Blaine looks up incredulously, "We?" Kurt laughs and nips his nose, "Of course we." Blaine laughs delightedly, "I hope tomorrow." Kurt kisses him deeply, "Tomorrow it is. And the day after that. And the day after that. And the day after that."