This is the sequel to Turning Tables. This took too long to write! You need to read that one before this or else this one won't make much sense. Also, yeah, this is horribly long and probably goes off tangent a lot. Sorry guys.
Blaine is prepared for secrecy. It takes Kurt a while to warm up to their new relationship and even longer to go public with it. But he waits. Blaine waits. Because Kurt has waited so long. It isn't fair if he just wants to hurry up and hold hands with Kurt at the coffee shop.
When the romance finally develops, Blaine realizes just how much he has been missing. His courses at Stanford are nearly finished and in two months, summer comes. He transfers to Columbia University to put an end to the long distance in between them. Kurt is taking a break from Broadway after a few movie and television pilot offers are given to him. He declines them all and focuses more on writing scripts in the lavish penthouse that Kurt and Blaine have bought, Kurt with the money he's raked in from show business and Blaine with the money he had inherited on his 18th birthday from his grandparents.
A year rolls around and the couple is now 26, living together and spending every ounce of time they can together. When Blaine studies at night for his Master's degree, Kurt joins him, snuggling up in the bed and getting a secondhand graduate's degree in EE. "I thought you'd go for media," Kurt says one night.
"I thought about it," Blaine replies. "But your voice was so much better than mine, I couldn't bear criticism." Kurt gives his boyfriend a light punch in the arm before leaning close again and effectively falling asleep. Half an hour later, Blaine sets aside the book and turns off the light, holding Kurt in his arms as he drifts off as well.
The second year of their relationship marks the end of the honeymoon period. They start getting into more fights. Sometimes it's about silly things like clothes and food. Other times it's about hanging out with other people. More often than not, Blaine gets angry that Kurt is always out of town. "It's my job, Blaine!" Kurt shouts one time. "Why the hell are you so fed up about it? It took you eight years to realize you loved me."
Both of them freeze. Kurt's mind is racing. He did it. He pulled the card. And now he is going to pay for it. Horrified, he runs from the bedroom and locks himself in his study. Blaine follows him, knocking softly on the locked door. Five minutes pass and nothing happens so Blaine digs out one of those tiny screwdrivers from a cabinet and manages to unlock the door.
Kurt is on the floor, hugging his knees. Blaine approaches him and kneels down, wrapping his arms around Kurt's delicate frame. "I'm sorry; I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry," Kurt apologies over and over again. His words become a mantra of regret. "I don't want to lose you."
Blaine hushes him gently and they rock back in forth on the floor, with Blaine pressing kisses every so often into Kurt's loose hair. "It's okay. I've got you. Everything's going to be fine." Suddenly they're awake and light is streaming through the blinds. It's perfect, because they're holding each other so tightly in sleep.
After the monumental fight, the arguing decreases. They find ways to settle their differences and in time the relationship is steadier than ever. Now, they are taking things slow, because they're both afraid that if it goes to fast it won't last and that prospect terrifies them both.
The first round of high school reunions are coming back soon so the two opt to travel back to Ohio early, surprising Burt and Carole. Finn is to fly in later with Rachel. A few weeks pass in the old home and Blaine summons up the courage to finally introduce Kurt properly to his own parents. Although Blaine's dad doesn't exactly look at Kurt with friendly eyes, nothing drastic breaks out.
Soon, the two are strolling into Dalton. "Haha!" David cries upon seeing them hand in hand. "Dalton alumni's power couple!" Those there who were part of the Warblers cheer and shout. A few other alumni clap.
Students and staff are laughing like old friends again when, suddenly, Kurt feels a blindfold being forced over his eyes. Kurt fights the pair of hands expertly tying the piece of cloth around his eyes. "Blaine!" Kurt protests, trying to pull away. "Wes! David! Tell him!" he pleads.
"Shhhh honey," Blaine whispers, kissing Kurt's temple. The action sends pleasant shivers down Kurt's spine. "Just trust me."
Slowly, Blaine leads Kurt be the hand, taking him down the winding hallways of Dalton Academy. Soon the conversations in the cafeteria die away. Halfway through, Kurt decides that Blaine is trying too hard at this romance they've established after the older man sweeps Kurt up bridal style and proceeds to carry him. After a while, Blaine sets Kurt down. They stand together for a few moments as Kurt regains his balances. He reaches out and feels railing. Stairs. They're near a set of stairs.
"We there yet?" Kurt asks, groping for his boyfriend.
Blaine ignores the question and asks his own as he gently tucks a loose piece of hair hanging onto Kurt's forehead. "Do you know what I'm thinking about?" he asks softly.
"The color of my eyes," Kurt informs.
Blaine chuckles and moves his hand to stroke Kurt's cheek. "You know me so well," he smiles and gives Kurt a gentle and chaste kiss on the lips. He hand is still cupping Kurt's cheek, drawing circles into the skin. Kurt leans into the touch. "How can I love you so much and have hurt you so badly?" Blaine laments, the words ghosting across Kurt's lips. "How could I never have seen it?"
Kurt reaches out to hold Blaine's free hand. "You're here now," Kurt responds, giving Blaine's hand a squeeze. Kurt is rewarded with another gentle kiss. "So just where are we?"
"See for yourself." With that, Blaine begins to undo the knot of Kurt's blindfold. As the cloth comes away, Kurt struggles to regain his balance again. Suddenly, he's on a step and leaning a bit, not realizing how little flat ground he is standing around. However, Blaine reaches out to steady him. The two of them are standing on the same stair.
Kurt quickly glances around as Blaine moves down the staircase to stand in a rather nostalgic position. Then his eyes reach Blaine again. "This is how we first met, Kurt. This is our place, somewhere only we know." Then Kurt gasps as Blaine drops down on one knee. The younger man watches as the other pulls out a small box from his jacket pocket. "Kurt, words cannot even begin to describe what I feel for you. I think, I know, I've always loved you and I know it took me a while to realize it. We had our bumps in the road, but I feel horrible about what I put you through. And you might forgive me Kurt, but I don't forgive myself. We're both adults, but you're still my teenage dream." Kurt smiles at the allusion to their high school days.
Blaine continues. "Remember that night we had our biggest fight? And you ran to the study. You wouldn't let me in. When you finally did, we just sat there on the floor, rocking back and forth. We fell asleep right there on the carpet, legs tangled, hands clasped. Right before I fell asleep I knew. I knew that whatever doubts I had were effectively erased. I knew I wanted you. Not just the romance, but you. Every part of you, every laugh, cry and smile. And someday Kurt, I promise that someday you will get back everything you gave me. I'll spend the rest of my life doing that for you. So Kurt Hummel, will you marry me?"
Silence fills the hall as tears streamed silently down Kurt's face. The man is nodding profusely. "Yes, yes, yes," he cries as Blaine gets up and ascends the few steps, slipping the engagement ring onto Kurt's left hand.
Blaine kisses him again. "I guess you're the one at the altar now," he smiles into the kiss.
Kurt hums in agreement. "I love you."
"I love you too."
And then it's like someone has linked their hearts together, because at the moment they both feel it. The both feel the aching in their chest, the aching that comes with knowing your love and wanting this so much that you don't know what's going on. Your head starts to get a bit foggy and all you can see is the perfect one in front of you. And it hurts, because it's everything you've wanted for so long. Now, you finally have it.
The couple kisses for a few more moments before Kurt pulls away and gasps, "What about the press? And family? I've got to plan everything and-"
Blaine grins. "We have plenty of time for that." He leans in to peck Kurt playfully on the nose. "Come on. Back to the cafeteria. I've got to show off my lovely fiancée to all my friends."
"Me too," Kurt responds as he takes Blaine's hand and shifts his weight onto him. "I think I like the word fiancée better than boyfriend."
"Pretty soon you'll love the word husband even more."
"You should carry me in bridal style," Kurt suggests and without warning, Blaine sweeps Kurt up again. As the two rejoin the Dalton alumni, they are laughing and giggling. The fluorescent lights sparkle off Kurt's engagement ring. For the rest of the reunion, Kurt's hand never leaves Blaine's.
They tell Kurt's family first. Carole and Rachel are ecstatic and Finn looks happy, if not slightly worried for his brother. Burt keeps a poker face and it's no mystery when Blaine and Kurt's father disappear to after a family dinner. Kurt sits in the kitchen with Finn, Rachel and Carole, slamming his head against the dining room table.
Luckily, the McKinley High 10-year reunion is only a few days after Dalton's. Blaine accompanies and when they approach the corner filled with the old glee club members, Tina squeals, pulling at Quinn's sleeve and almost fainting into Mike's arms. The conversation is quickly shifts from embarrassing Glee numbers to Kurt's engagement.
The press is harder to handle with the news of the engagement. After successfully hiding the engagement for one month –on Blaine's insistence that they see how long it took the public to notice- the tabloids explode with paparazzi photos of Kurt and his ring. To make the revelation official, Blaine takes Kurt out on a purposefully showy date. Kurt doesn't admit it, but he enjoys this game they are playing with the hungry cameras.
Their wedding is perfectly. Kurt remembers every detail of décor from Blaine's first wedding with Adam. Any flowers that were there are not present at this wedding. Everything is completely different. This is their wedding, not some other copyright chapel wedding. The atmosphere is peaceful, despite the cameras waiting outside.
The weeks before the ceremony, Blaine nags Kurt into revealing all the details. "No," Kurt responds firmly. "You've seen the church already. Everything else is a surprise."
"The flowers, the music, the invitations?"
"Blaine, you know who is coming. You've seen the flowers." Blaine notes that Kurt doesn't mention the music, but brushes it aside in an effort to appease Kurt with his silence. He nearly laughs when the first notes of Katy Perry start playing.
But the most perfect moment is when they are staring into each other's eyes at the altar. The voice of the priest drones on in the background as the two men get completely lost in each other. They don't even realize that they're supposed to say their vows now. Tears well in their eyes as they both say "I do" and the kiss that follows afterwards is a hallmark of a new chapter and adventure.
Four months later Blaine can't find the Band-aids in the house. It's nothing really. He accidently cut himself shaving that morning while Kurt was out doing a publicity talk Central Park. The lack of bandages prompts Blaine to grab some gauze and medical tape, making a make-shift bandage. He makes a run to the nearby convenience store to stock up on Band-aids.
When he gets back home and removes the gauze, the blood is still welled up on his chin. No scab has formed underneath. Shrugging and throwing away the gauze, Blaine applies a skin-toned Band-aid on and goes about his work.
That evening, the small cut is all but forgotten as Blaine and Kurt find themselves engrossed with each other on their bed. Blaine fists Kurt's shirt as the younger man presses himself down on Blaine. A sharp pain spikes through Blaine's head and he immediately feels dizzy and slightly nauseous. He gives out a hiss –not a gasp, a hiss- and Kurt immediately pulls away.
"What's wrong?" Kurt asks worriedly, searching through Blaine's half-lidded eyes.
"Headache," Blaine groans as he massages his temples.
For the first time, Kurt eyes the camouflaged bandage. "What happened?" his lips hover over the nylon.
"Oh that? Shaving. Forgot about it." With that, Blaine reaches up to remove the Band-aid, only the feel something wet slither down his cheek.
"It's still bleeding," Kurt remarks dumbly, reaching over to the nightstand for a tissue. He dabs at the trail of blood.
"Still?" Blaine asks, now feeling incredibly guilty that his problems have interrupted their make-out session that would have probably led to sex. Kurt nods in response to Blaine's trite question and dabs at the cut.
"It hasn't scabbed over either. Is that normal?"
"Don't worry about it," Blaine calls as Kurt scurries to grab another Band-aid. Too late.
The small shaving incident is soon forgotten. A couple of weeks later, the couple wake up to a beautiful, work-free Saturday morning. The sunlight streams through the blinds and the trees outside cast shadows, making the dappled rays of sun dance across Blaine and Kurt's bare skin.
As Blaine turns over, he winces at the contact of suspicious bruises against the soft mattress. He ponders their presence for a moment, as the couple didn't really get up to much last night, but Kurt wakes up and all thoughts about the state of his skin flee his mind.
It keeps happening though –cuts that won't clot, bruises that don't heal. Finally, Kurt drags Blaine to a state-of-the-art clinic. The nurses draw blood and run some other basic tests. A few days later the call comes, asking for Blaine to come down to the clinic again. Kurt cancels his meeting with a few Broadway agents to accompany his husband.
The doctor introduces himself as Dr. Sinclair of the oncology department. Both men's hearts a skip a beat at the mention of that field. "We ran a few tests on your blood Blaine," Dr. Sinclair begins as he slips a file across to Blaine and Kurt. "Your white blood cell count is too high while your platelet count is too low. That explains the persistent bruising and lack of scabbing on wounds. It's a good thing that you haven't gotten in any big accidents."
"Good thing?" Kurt repeats, voice borderline hysterical. "He's sick and you call the fact that he isn't bleeding excessively a good thing?" Blaine places his hand on Kurt's, urging him silently to calm down. Dr. Sinclair takes the anger with a poker face.
"Just tell us what it is," Blaine says, dreading the answer.
"Leukemia."
The word tears them down. Blaine checks into the hospital and receives chemotherapy. He knows he looks horrific after treatment starts, but Kurt never says anything. He just takes Blaine's hands in those god-awful scrubs and sings whatever Blaine requests. It is just as hard for Kurt as it is for Blaine.
It seems like forever until Dr. Sinclair arrives again with the results of Blaine's latest blood test. Just a few more days of recovery and Blaine is ready to be discharged. Periodical check-ups and medications are a must, but it's a small price to for life.
On a September afternoon, one year later, there is another call. Kurt answers it as Blaine is in the shower and in an instant his hand is in a vice-like death grip on the phone. The next morning they both arrive at the clinic and the one dreaded word is spoken.
Relapse.
Blaine is the one that breaks down after the meeting. He clings to Kurt like his life depends on it, like he will be healed if he clutches hard enough. Even worse, they can't find anyone who can donate bone marrow. No one matches, not even New Directions who've all flown in to get tested, not even the Warblers who heard it from Wes after Blaine called.
Then one day Dr. Sinclair calls them in. He hands them a file. "We've found a match. He asks to remain anonymous."
Kurt and Blaine say yes before Dr. Sinclair can even finish his sentence.
So Blaine receives the bone marrow transplant. Each time Kurt or anyone else visits, they must don scrubs that are –as Kurt claims- "a crime to fashion hospital wear" and get sanitized before they can enter.
"In order to increase the acceptance rate, we have to weaken you immune system," Dr. Sinclair explains. "If not, your body would be smart enough to recognize the foreign cells and strong enough to attack. It would just give off more troubles." Blaine looks so fragile and weak; Kurt just wants to bend down and kiss him, but he knows he can't. It's a risk of giving Blaine a disease. Even something as simple as a cold could prove fatal.
Fortunately, after a few harsh words that landed Kurt on the television headlines, the press backs off Blaine's illness. So what if Kurt is taking a break in show business? He's got enough fame to last him a lifetime. He has enough money to last any children he and Blaine decide to have.
Kurt spends most of his time in the hospital, hiding away from the stray camera of a lingering fan. Most of the times he has his phone out in the cafeteria or sometimes he is writing and doing small business on his laptop. One afternoon, a man slides down in front of him. Kurt pays no attention. After all the years in high school, Kurt has learned it's better to ignore than to engage in some pointless, unproductive activity.
"Kurt right? Blaine talked about you."
At the words, Kurt's head whipped up and he was face to face with the last person he would ever expect to see.
"It's Adam."
Kurt swallows. "Yeah. I remember." The words come out more scathingly than intended.
"I'm not here to win him back or anything, so you don't have to worry."
Kurt starts to ignore the man and glances back at his laptop. "I've got better things on my mind."
Adam narrows his eyes. "Can you give me five minutes?"
"Can you give me eight years?" Kurt still doesn't look up.
"I could see it you know. Every time he turned on the TV and saw your face, he looked so proud. He never looked at me like that." The last seven words caught his attention and Kurt reluctantly tore himself away from the MacBook Pro screen. Adam gave a nonchalant shoulder shrug. "And then, well, he started to look guilty. After a while he couldn't even switch onto the news channels in fear of seeing you in some interview. I asked him about it once and he just looked at me like I was crazy." Adam paused and Kurt stared on expectantly. "I'm not trying to justify cheating on him, but I guess I was afraid I would lose him because I saw how much you meant to him –even when he didn't- so I ran to someone else."
Suddenly it clicks for Kurt. "You're the anonymous donor." It's not an accusation or a realization statement. It's just a simple sentence said without the emotion of a Broadway star. The years have humbled Kurt. Adam simply nods. "Um, thanks," Kurt mutters, not sure of what to say.
"I'm not a bad person Kurt. I did some bad things, but I'm not evil."
"I never said that," Kurt countered quickly.
"But you thought it," Adam pointed out. When Kurt remained silent, he continued. "Guess this is karma or something," he laughed bitterly. "Now I know how you felt." He studied his hands before getting up. "I should go. I have an appointment to keep."
Kurt stared ahead, shell-shocked, before realizing Adam was no longer in front of him. "Wait," he called, turning around to see the disappearing man. Adam turned around as well. "Thank you for loving Blaine."
Adam nods. "Tell him I'm sorry." With that, Adam walked out of Kurt and Blaine's lives forever.
Kurt eases into telling Blaine about his meeting with Adam slowly a few visits later. He doesn't necessarily want to get Blaine worked up right after his transplant. Throughout the recollection, Blaine has this far off look in his eyes. When Kurt finally finishes, Blaine remains silent for a few moments.
"That's just you Kurt," the older boy sighs. "Always so forgiving."
"So you don't?" Kurt sounds more disappointed than relieved, another thing Blaine notices.
"It's not that. It's just you Kurt. You and you and forgiving and… God, these meds are messing with my head."
Kurt lets out a laugh. Blaine can't help but feel elated about the expression on Kurt's face. "I wish I could kiss you right now," Kurt pouts.
"So why don't you?" There's a glint in Blaine's eyes, much like the time back in junior year right after Kurt's transfer where Kurt proposed a prank on Finn just because it was raining and they were bored.
"Don't you dare Blaine. I am not getting you sick. Just a few more weeks. Then you're all mine."
"You're so hot when you're possessive babe," leers Blaine.
Kurt rolls his eyes. "Okay, now you can be positive about the meds. Get some rest Blaine. I'll be right here."
Blaine is eventually discharged. After keeping up with routine medications and check-ups to the clinic for an additional three years, there is no sign of the cancer returning. The doctor tells the two that another two years and Blaine is successfully in remission, virtually free of the cancer.
During that time Kurt writes his autobiography. Sure he is only in his thirties, but there must be something in his life that would inspire others and possibly save them as well. Blaine helps co-write, especially in the parts during the last years of high-school and the first years of their twenties.
Surprisingly, Kurt never gets mad at Blaine once while penning Kurt's tragic early love life. The kisses Blaine peppers along Kurt's neck and the tight hold on his waist remind Kurt that it's all over. That he has learned to forgive, that Blaine promised in his wedding proposal to make it all up to him.
When Kurt finishes the first manuscript, Blaine surprises him. "Do you want kids?" Kurt nearly drops his coffee. "Sorry," Blaine immediately apologizes. "I just thought maybe you'd like it. You were always talking about-"
"No, of course!" Kurt hastily interjects. "You just surprised me. That's all."
Blaine breaks out into a wide grin. "We can adopt or get Rachel to be a surrogate mother or something."
A memory flashes in Kurt's mind. "Vaguely Eurasian children," he mutters. Blaine raises his eyebrow and then recalls sentence he had watched Kurt type out one evening. A slight wince makes itself visible on Blaine's features.
"Oh. Remind me to never get that wasted again."
"Duly noted love," Kurt smiles.
Eventually they opt to adopt. She's a beautiful girl from Greece. Anthea. That is her name. Anthea, but they call her Annie as she runs around the house. Her English starts with an accent, but eventually it disappears under a layer of New York glamour.
All these days together seem so magical for the Ohio pair, but the best of them so far is their ten year anniversary. Anthea's back in the house where Finn and Rachel have come to visit for a while. Blaine and Kurt have rented out a hotel room for the night and as of the moment, they are enjoying a lavish dinner in one of New York's finest restaurants filled with champagne and soft kisses.
They aren't as young as they used to be, nearly in their forties. Somehow, for this one night, it feels like their first time. Blaine scoots on the chair for Kurt to sit in, before pushing it back towards the table. They tease each other across the table, clink their glasses of champagne and feed each other small bites of their orders. They collapse onto the hotel bed, clinging to each other, exchanging soft but passionate kisses.
And when they hold each other, all is right in the world.
Lady Antebellum! When I first heard this single when it came out, I fell in love with it. Now imagining this being a competition number featuring a duet between Kurt and Blaine. Yeah, me too. :]
Also, I'm not an expert on cancer or leukemia for that matter. It's just that back when I read a lot of realistic fiction novels, I was big on books by Lurlene McDaniel. She wrote a whole series about a girl with leukemia. That's where most of my knowledge comes from.
Also, did anyone notice the incorporation of Teenage Dream, SOWK and Candles in the wedding proposal? :D