Kurt hums as he puts his toothbrush back in the little cup by the sink, quickly fishing his phone out of his pocket when he feels it vibrating.

He's having a good day. A great one, actually. It isn't raining, for once, and Rachel and Santana are both out of the loft for a few hours, which means he is alone and its quiet and it's just a good day.

Kurt grins when he sees his dad's face lit up on the screen, and he quickly presses the green button before the call ends.

"Dad, hi," Kurt says, grin still plastered on his face as he bounces on his toes a little. There's silence on the other end of the line for a few moments, causing Kurt to pause and look at the wall in confusion. "Um, are you there?"

"Yeah, yeah, bud, I'm here." His voice sounds tired and strained, like it does when he's had a long day, or when he's worried about his health, or when he's worrying about Kurt, and just like that, Kurt's good mood vanishes.

"What's wrong?" He asks, his voice slipping a few octaves, because he can feel that something is wrong.

"You – you should turn on the news, bud."

Kurt swallows the lump in his throat as he rummages around in the couch cushions, searching for the remote, quickly flipping to the news station and sitting down gingerly on the couch.

"Another school shooting occurred in Lima, Ohio at McKinley today around 1 P.M. Details about injuries are currently withheld, but sources say . . ."

Kurt mutes the TV, and he can feel his eyes watering, the lump in his throat returns, and the only thing coursing through Kurt's head is Blaine, and god, what if Blaine was shot, what if he's dead, what if he dies and never knows that Kurt still loves him and what if he never gets the chance to tell Blaine that he's ready, that they're okay and that he still loves him and that he wants him and wants to spend forever with him and, fuck, what if Blaine is dead –

"Kurt, are you still there?"

His dad's voice snaps Kurt out of his panic, and with a whoosh of breath, Kurt tries to calm his breathing. "Is – are they – is everyone okay?"

"I don't know anything more than you do, kid," Kurt hears Burt exhale. "Finn was here, and the only other connection I have is Blaine –"

Kurt feels his heart clench, and he knows that his dad realizes that he shouldn't have mentioned Blaine.

"Kid, I'm sure he's fine," Burt says slowly after a few moments.

"You don't know that," Kurt whispers into the phone, already moving to his bedroom and starting to pack a duffle bag. Somewhere between hearing Blaine's name and now, Kurt decided that he needed to go to Lima. "You just said you didn't know anything."

"I know, Kurt, but you can't jump to conclusions –"

"I'm going to book the next flight," Kurt interrupts him, and he can feel the tears streaking down his cheeks now. "I – I need to – he has to be alright, Dad, he can't be – what if he –"

"Kurt, alright, calm down." Burt pauses, and Kurt hears him take another deep breath. He knows that his dad is worried about Blaine, too, he can tell by the slight pitch in his own voice, and that really does nothing to help Kurt with his own panic. "Don't jump to any conclusions until you're here, okay? Get on your plane and I'll try and contact someone over at the school, and I'll pick you up at the airport."

"Okay," Kurt whispers, pulling his iPad out and quickly searching for the next plane to Ohio. "I'll text you what time my flight lands."

He hangs up a few seconds later, quickly texts Rachel and Santana what happened, because even if they aren't as involved in McKinley as he is, they still would want to know if something like this happened, and, god, he can't believe this happened at McKinley, in the middle of Ohio of all places.

Kurt all but runs out of the apartment building, and by the time he's seated on the plane, he feels an eerie sense of calm wash over him. It's almost numb, the feeling. He doesn't know what to think, he tries to remember what his dad said, about how he shouldn't panic until they know everything for sure, but he's going to be cut off from any contact for a few hours and what if something happens in those few hours, what if his dad finds out that Blaine was shot, or that Blaine died, and Kurt won't know, he won't find out until he lands and he'll walk off the plane and sees his dad's distraught face and then – then he'll know, and it will be horrible, and –

Kurt takes a shuddery breath and fishes his headphones out of his bag. So much for not letting your mind jump to conclusions, Hummel, he thinks.

And to think that this started out as a good day, when it now has potential to be one of the worst days of his life.

By the time his plane lands, Kurt pushes his way through the other passengers, his heart thrumming as he runs off of the terminal and frantically searches for his dad. When he sees him waving his hand at Kurt, he rushes over, his eyes wide and searching even before he can hug him.

"Did you hear anything? Is everyone okay? Is –"

"I haven't been able to contact the school," Burt says, interrupting Kurt's stream of questions. "And – and Blaine's not answering his phone."

Kurt feels his heart clench again, and he lets out a small whimper as Burt wraps a strong arm around his shoulders.

"Come on," he murmurs, leading Kurt out of the airport. "We'll wait for any news at home. Finn went to see if – if Blaine was at his house, so we'll have some news soon."

Kurt bites his lip and nods. He's silent the rest of the ride home, just staring at his phone, willing it to ring and tell him that Blaine called, or that he sent Kurt a text, something, anything that would tell him that Blaine is okay and that he hasn't lost his chance, that he hasn't been completely stupid and wasted all this time, even though he has, god, he's wasted so much time, and now it might be too late, he may not have another chance and this could be it, he and Blaine could really, truly be over, Blaine may not even be alive right now and Kurt doesn't know –

And, just like that, Kurt's phone vibrates once in his hand. He opens the message quicker than he ever has before, reading the message from Finn several times before he fully comprehends what it says.

Come 2 Blaine's house

"Dad," Kurt breathes, and he feels his eyes watering. This is something, this is good, because if Finn's telling him to go to Blaine's house, then Blaine is probably there, which means he's fine and, god, Kurt wants to cry again. "Finn says to go to Blaine's house."

Kurt sees his father deflate, all the pent up tension he'd been holding washing out of him at Kurt's words. Kurt sometimes forgets that Burt loves Blaine almost like he's his own son.

Blaine's house isn't far from the airport, and by the time they get there, Kurt's whole body is shaking, and all he can think is Blaine Blaine Blaine please please please be okay Blaine please.

Burt stops the car, and Kurt opens his door and sprints to the house in mere seconds. His whole body is thrumming as he knocks on the front door, and then it's opening and Finn is standing there, tall and hulking and looking so, so tired. Kurt doesn't know what to make of that, Finn never looks worn out, and oh god, what if that's bad, what if Kurt's here because everyone's mourning with Blaine's parents, what if –

"Come on," Finn says, his voice soft and quieter than Kurt's ever heard it. "They're in the living room."

Kurt has no idea who the 'they' Finn is referring to are, but he follows anyway.

And then, as soon as they round the corner into the living room, Kurt stops, and the dam he's been trying so hard to hold in for the past few hours finally bursts.

Sam and Tina are sitting on the couch, their faces tired and tear stained as they glance up at Kurt. They looked shocked for a moment, but then realization crosses over their features as they glance back down to the lump of another person between them.

Blaine.

Blaine is curled up under a pile of blankets, his head on a pillow in Tina's lap as she gently strokes his hair. Sam is sitting at the other end by Blaine's feet, his eyes staring at the coffee table in front of them. He looks up and meets Kurt's eye, and then he's standing up, patting Blaine's legs gently and motioning to Tina with his head, signaling for her to follow him into the kitchen.

Tina stands up, and a small whimper sounds from within Blaine's lump of blankets. Kurt's heart clenches again, and he feels the tears start streaking down his cheeks even quicker now, because Blaine is there, and he's obviously not okay, but he's alive and he's breathing.

"Shh," Tina whispers, stroking Blaine's hair one more time as she walks over to Kurt. "I'll be right in the kitchen, honey."

Blaine makes another little noise, but he doesn't move. Tina walks up to Kurt, and he gives her a short hug before she follows Sam into the kitchen.

"He was the first one the shooter tried to aim at," she whispers to Kurt as she pulls away from him. "He's a little shaken up, but otherwise, he's fine. Everyone else is fine, too, since I know you'll ask once you're sure he's okay."

Kurt lets out a soft laugh, which must be louder than Kurt originally thought, because Blaine's head pops up out of his blanket cocoon. His eyes are red rimmed, and it looks like he already washed the gel out of his hair, because his curls are sticking up everywhere. He looks so, so young, so vulnerable, and Kurt wants to cry even harder. How could anyone hurt Blaine, his Blaine, his precious, innocent Blaine who wants nothing more than for everyone to love him?

"Kurt," Blaine breathes, his eyes welling up with tears again. "You – I – why are you –"

Kurt rushes to sit next to Blaine, pulling him into his arms and rubbing his hands all over his face, his arms, his chest, making sure he's all there and that he's whole and safe. He whimpers against Blaine's shoulder and holds him close, so close to his own body, never wanting to let him go.

He plants soft kisses to every inch of Blaine's face, his tears mingling with Blaine's on his cheek.

"Why –" Blaine sniffs again and tries to pull away from Kurt, but Kurt just clings to him harder. "Kurt, I'm fine, I'm –"

"I thought you were dead," Kurt whispers. "I thought you were dead and that I'd never get to – that I'd never get the chance to tell you that . . ." Kurt trails off and takes a deep breath.

Blaine either doesn't notice his unfinished sentence, or he chooses to ignore it. "Hey," he whispers as he strokes the tears out of Kurt's eyes. "I'm fine, angel. See? Not even a scratch."

"I love you," Kurt all but squeaks. "I – I'm sorry I wasted so much time, I'm sorry, Blaine, I didn't know that – "

Kurt is cut off by Blaine's soft lips on his, the kiss wet salty from their combined tears.

Kurt whimpers a little when they pull apart, tugging Blaine further into his arms and holding him even closer.

"Please don't tell me I'm too late," Kurt whispers as Blaine's hands smooth up and down his back. "I don't think my emotions could handle that right now."

Blaine laughs and pulls his head back, ducking a little to catch Kurt's eyes. "Kurt," he murmurs, his voice almost cooing over his name, "I've been waiting for this since the wedding, remember?" He whispers. "Nothing's changed since then."

Kurt sniffs once and then resumes kissing all over Blaine's face, whispering "I'm sorry" and "I love you" and "I'm so glad you're okay" against his skin.

"Don't ever scare me like this again," Kurt whispers as Blaine leans in to capture his lips again.

"I promise," Blaine murmurs, rubbing the soft hairs at the back of Kurt's neck. "Never again."

After their lips are swollen from kissing, Kurt eventually pulls away. "My dad was just as worried as I was," he says, the load he'd been carrying since the phone call finally lifting from his shoulders. "You should go and see him."

Blaine nods and plants another kiss to Kurt's lips. He tries to stand up, but Kurt decided a few seconds ago that he wasn't going to let Blaine go anytime soon in the near future.

"Okay," Blaine laughs as he maneuvers Kurt behind him, where Kurt instantly leeches onto him and wraps his arms around Blaine's waist. "I'll take the awkwardness this position will cause in front of your dad just this once, given the circumstances."

Kurt laughs and kisses the skin on the back of Kurt's neck, fully intending on being Blaine's own personal koala until he has to return to New York.