Blaine sat on Kurt's bed, resting his chin on Kurt's shoulder watching him finish his chemistry homework. Every once in a while he would kiss Kurt's shoulder. Gently, barely more than a brush of his lips.
He took a deep breath and said, "Kurt? I need to do something and I need your help."Kurt had previously been tapping absentmindedly at his notebook with his pencil while he worked out a problem. When Blaine spoke, the tapping stopped. Kurt could hear apprehension in his boyfriend's voice. Kurt put his book aside and grasped Blaine's hand, turning to face the other boy. Blaine's head was bent, his gaze fixed in their locked hands between them.
"Blaine? Sweetheart, what's wrong?" Blaine took one more shaky breath in and raised his head.
"Kurt, I have to tell you something and I just need you to just listen. Please, just listen?" Kurt saw such emotion in Blaine's eyes that he just pursed his lips and nodded, squeezing Blaine's hand reassuringly.
"You know I don't have the best relationship with my parents, it's not bad, just not like yours. You also know about my sister Piper and my cousin Kailiya. "Kurt, six months before we met my little brother died. He was 14, and had a virtually undetectable heart disorder. It killed him. We didn't know until after. The disorder killed him most likely because he was active. He played baseball. He loved baseball."
Blaine was crying now, no sobbing Kurt thought. He was sobbing, bent double, holding himself as if he could somehow hold everything he felt inside. Kurt shushed him gently, bending low to look Blaine in the eyes. They were squeezed tightly shut and his face was wet with tears. Kurt rubbed Blaine's arms, trying to coax his arms away from where they clenched his middle. Kurt kept murmuring softly to him, eventually abandoning Blaine's clenched arms and pulling Blaine into his lap instead. Kurt ran his fingers through Blaine's hair, trying desperately to steady him. Blaine began to clutch at Kurt's arm, still sobbing and gasping for air. Kurt remembered his mother comforting him after a nightmare, rocking him and singing softly. She aways reminded him to breathe, whispering three words into his ear like a prayer. Breathe, baby. Breathe. So Kurt did just that, he rocked Blaine and whispered those three words into his ear, his forehead against the side of Blaine's face. He continued for what felt like an eternity, until Blaine calmed, his eyes closed and his breathing steady once more. Kurt thought that Blaine might be sleeping. Kurt didn't dare move, worried he might disturb Blaine if he was actually sleeping.
"Kurt?" Blaine's voice eventually broke the silence of the bedroom.
"I'm right here, B" Kurt soothed, using a hand to wipe Blaine's tear-stained cheeks.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-I'm sorry" Blaine said hurriedly. He sat up on his knees again and stared down at his hands.
"Shh, don't you dare apologize for this. Not ever, you understand? Hey, look at me. Blaine Warbler, look at me" Kurt grabbed Blaine's chin forcing him to look at him. "You do not get to apologize for having feelings and expressing them, especially around me" Kurt said.
Blaine nodded once, and cleared his throat.
"Close your eyes and hold out your hand?" Blaine said, his voice rough from crying and barely more than a whisper.
Kurt closed his eyes, and heard Blaine's shirt rustling and some strange jingling before Blaine slowly closed Kurt's fingers over a small piece of metal. It was warm on one side and cold on the other, as if it had been pressed against someone's body. He opened his eyes. His hand was closed around a necklace. He held it by the chain to get a better look.
"Blaine, I don't-" Kurt started.
"Read it, it's a dog-tag, you know like they have in the army" Blaine said.
Kurt read the inscription. On one side there was some sort of print, under which read, Logan Michael. Underneath it, a birthdate had been carved. Kurt flipped it gently over. The back read, Home-runs in Heaven, with a date from early last year written underneath.
Kurt simply watched Blaine, unsure of what to say. "Piper calls it a thumbie" Blaine took Kurt's thumb and pressed it to the raised print.
"This is Logan's thumbprint" He was smiling sadly now. "We all have different ones. Piper's is shaped like a silver teardrop. Mom's necklace matches Piper's and Kailya's except its bigger and made out of gold. Dad has the same as mine except his is also gold. Cooper has a ring of Logan's that he got at a tournament. Sometimes it scares me that my thumb is bigger then his will ever be" Blaine said. "I'm sorry I never told you."
"It's okay, I understand why you didn't, but I'm glad you told me now. It was like that when I lost my mom. I didn't talk about her for a long time."
"You see Kurt, my mom called me the other day to tell me they are on business where my grandparents house used to be"
Kurt nodded. He knew that Blaine's father had inherited his parent's old house and that his father's business often took them near there.
"They took the girls with them and I figured since I haven't seen them in a while, I could go stay for a few days. I haven't been back all that much since Logan, you know, and I would feel much better if you could come with me. "I've been just staying at Dalton. It's just a few days. If you're worried about your dad, I cleared it with him yesterday" Blaine said.
"Wow, Blaine sweetheart I would love to go, but are you sure you want me to come?" he asked.
"Yes, Kurt, of course I'm sure! Piper and Kailya would love you, and my parents come back from meetings late at night and leave in the early morning" Blaine said.
Kurt say so much hope in his boyfriend's eyes where he had previously seen such sadness that he couldn't refuse Blaine's offer.
"All right, I would love to come with you, when were you planning on leaving?" Kurt asked.
Blaine's smile took up his whole face. He attempted to lean over and kiss Kurt but was smiling too much to actually put his lips together. Blaine just held Kurt's face in his hand and touched their foreheads together. Blaine's huge smile made Kurt smile.
"Honey, when are leaving?"
"Oh right yeah, tonight?"
"Tonight? Blaine Warbler, I am coming with you to meet your sibling and cousin and you give me a few hours notice?! You know I need time to pack" Kurt said and playfully hit Blaine's arm.
"Yes I know, that's why we are leaving after dinner, I'll come to get you around eight" Blaine climbed from the bed and gathered his jacket. "Oh, it's a five hour drive, so wear something comfy" he said as he left the room.