"I'm nervous, are you nervous?" Kurt babbled as Blaine pulled into the little parking lot of the orphanage.

They were set to meet with their adoption agent, Karen, at a quarter to seven, and then head in for their first Meet and Greet setting to get a better feel for the process they were embarking on.

"Relax," Blaine soothed, turning the car off and leaning over to kiss Kurt's next anxious sentence from his lips. Kurt sunk into the familiarity of his lips and sighed. "We'll be fine, okay? This is probably going to be the first of a dozen of these."

"I know, I know," Kurt said, "I'm just... what if the kids hate me? What they throw those macaroni noodles at me while they're doing arts and crafts or– "

"We've been going through the adoption process for a year and a half and you're thinking about this now?" Blaine teased as a navy car pulled in next to theirs. Karen hopped out, and smiled brightly as she saw them.

"Just relax and act like you do around Cooper's kids," Blaine suggested, pecking him sweetly one more time before climbing out of the car.

"But Cooper's kids are monsters," Kurt griped as he climbed out and circled around to Blaine and Karen. "Remember when Liam tried to cut my hair and tape it to my face?"

"Well you wouldn't grow a mustache to prove to him that you could, so he decided to improvise," Blaine informed him, grinning widely, his eyes twinkling with mirth.

"Right, because that was definitely my fault," Kurt remarked as he accepted a hug from Karen.

"Of course it was," Blaine teased as they headed inside. "If you don't prove things to Liam he's going to make you."

"Ugh, thank god we're adopting," Kurt huffed, "I don't think I could handle raising a child with Anderson genes."

Karen laughed as Blaine pouted. "You two are something else, you know that?" she remarked as they signed in for the Meet and Greet and made name tags. "The other couples I've helped were always so... cautious around me, but you two are just... " She shook her head and smiled at them. "It's just refreshing to have two people so open and honest enough to tease each other in front of me."

"Yeah, well, he was supposed to be reassuring me, but– "

"Oh, shh," Blaine cut in, pressing another kiss to Kurt's lips and then nuzzling his cheek.

Kurt sighed and relented on his complaints as Karen led them down a short hall and into a little room. The opposite side was made of glass windows and a door that gave them a generous view of a playroom where a couple dozen children, all dressed in their best, were around scrambling around with their toys.

"Oh, god," Kurt breathed anxiously, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "They're so little, Blaine. What if I accidentally break one of them? Then they'll never let us adopt and I don't want to use Rachel's uterus and– "

"Hey, hey! Whoa!" Blaine chimed in, his own nerves much more relaxed with Kurt so disheveled by what was happening. "We have been preparing for this for years. Ever since you first held Sue's baby back in my senior year. Remember that?"

Kurt nodded as Blaine eased him into his arms.

"And remind me again what she calls you now?"

Kurt gave him a watery smile. "Uncle Porcelain."

"And remember that weekend we spent painting our first apartment and when we were all done you said you couldn't wait until we painted our first child's room?"

Kurt nodded again, relaxing more into Blaine's embrace. "I know, I know. But just... what if they don't like us, Blaine? What if- if they don't even want to talk to us because we're gay or– "

"We are going to find our child, Kurt," Blaine murmured. "And he or she is going to love you so much you'll want to divorce me and run away with him or her. Okay?"

Kurt hiccupped slightly as he laughed, but nodded. "You're right. I'm just getting myself all worked up– "

"It happens to most first time couples," Karen assured them. "Even a lot of second time adopts because they have their first child to think about during the process and how they'll react. You two are going to be fine in there, and just remember, nothing has to be settled or figured out today. This is just a first run through so you can ease into the situation, okay?"

They both nodded as one of the ladies who worked at the orphanage came into the room followed by another young couple.

"It's so nice to have some early birds this week," she greeted cheerfully. "We'll let you in in just a minute and feel free to sit, play, and interact with all the kids. You can stay until the session is over at lunch and then meet with your agents afterwards. Any questions?"

Blaine, Kurt, and the other couple shook their heads and the lady beamed and pushed the glass door open. A lot of little heads turned at the noise, some smiling up at the new people tentatively while others whipped back down to their toys. The fact that the women didn't announce their reason for being their surprised Blaine slightly, but then he reminded himself that these kids went through this process almost constantly. They were beyond used to this drill by now.

The other couple slowly made their way over to a little table where several girls in bright sundresses were coloring, but Blaine and Kurt hung back for a few moments, taking it all in. There were more children than Blaine had ever seen in his life, all well dressed and so tiny.

"Do you want to split up or– "

But Kurt's suggestion was cut off by a little angry voice from the far side of the room.

"No! I won't wear it!"

Blaine and Kurt turned as one to see what the commotion was and found another lady who worked at the orphanage, holding a bright dress and waving it at a small boy no older than five.

"Madeleine, stop this at once. You are a young lady and you'll wear a dress– "

"I am not!" the little child shouted stubbornly. "And don't call me that! My mommy always said I could be whoever I wanted– "

"For god's sakes," the lady said in frustration. "Honey, you are a little girl. You need to change out of these clothes and dress nicely for the people coming to meet you today."

Blaine's heart broke as the child, clad in a nice pair of khakis and an adorable little blue polo stamped his foot in frustration and started to cry.

"I am not," he insisted tearfully. "I'm a boy. Why won't any of you listen to me?"

"You are not– "

"He is if he wants to be," Kurt cut in, and Blaine was surprised to find that his husband had moved across the room towards the lady and the child. He quickly followed as the woman brushed him off and went back to trying to talk the child into the dress.

"Put the dress on, Madeleine."

"No."

But this time it was Blaine's voice refusing the command. He squatted down next to the child and eased the tearful, wide-eyed boy away from her.

"How dare you?" Kurt snapped, hands on his hips as he bared down on the woman. "Were you not listening to a thing he just told you?" he demanded, gesturing towards the little boy, clutching Blaine's jacket and still crying.

"Look, her records say that she is female and– "

"That's not the point," Kurt growled. "You have no right to tell him who he is or is not."

Blaine watched Kurt continue to berate the woman while the children around them stared. From his arms the little boy had pulled back some and turned to watch, his bright brown eyes wide with wonder. After several more heated comments the woman stalked off, dress in hand, intent on reporting Kurt to her manager.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Kurt asked gently as he turned away and dropped down in front of Blaine and the boy. "I'm so sorry she said those things to you. She's absolutely wrong, okay? You can be whoever you feel you are and don't ever let anyone tell you differently, okay?"

Eyes bright with awe and wonder, the child nodded at him and sniffled. Blaine carefully brushed a few stray tears off his cheeks and gave his shoulder a squeeze. "It'll be okay, champ," he soothed. "Not everyone is like she is."

"But all of the ladies keep telling me that I'm wrong," the little boy admitted, wiping his nose on his sleeve. "My mommy didn't though. She told me I was a boy if I said I was."

"Your mommy was a very smart lady," Kurt said kindly, brushing his hair off his forehead.

A high-pitched hiccup escaped the boy's mouth as he stuck out his hand. "M- my name's Max," he offered hesitantly.

"Kurt, and this is my husband, Blaine," Kurt replied, shaking the little offered hand. "That's a very nice polo," Kurt complimented, smoothing the collar out gently.

Max gave them a scrunchy little smile, revealing several missing teeth, and hiccupped again. "Robby gave it to me since they keep trying to make me wear d- dresses."

"You look very dashing," Blaine told him, beaming. "A regular charmer."

"Do... do you wanna play Superheroes with me?" Max asked tentatively, his one big tooth piercing his lips nervously.

"Can I be Ironman?" Blaine said excitedly. "I used to love playing with Captain America and Ironman as a kid!"

Max nodded shyly and slid one of his little hands into each of theirs. "Come on," he said, and he tugged them towards the corner were a few other boys were already in the middle of a heated battle between Batman and the Joker.