When We're Older
Disclaimer: I'm not RIB, so I don't own Glee or any of the characters. If I did, I'd be rich and probably not writing fanfiction! Also, the Reddin gene I mention in this story is based on the Reddin character from the 1994 movie Junior. You should really watch it if you like mpreg. It's a good movie, I promise (I also don't have any rights to it either!) I also don't really own anything.
"Mr. Hummel, call for you on line one."
Kurt shooed his intern away and pressed the blinking button on his office phone, settling back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest while he listened for whoever had called him to say something. "Hello? Is anyone there?" He finally asked after several seconds of unnerving silence.
"Hey Kurt, it's Carole."
"Oh, hey Carole. What's going on?"
"Kurt! Don't tell me you already forgot!"
Kurt's brows furrowed. He sat up in his chair and shoved aside his uneaten lunch, staring down at his desk calendar. It was December 22nd – just a few days until Christmas. Oh shit. "Crap. Carole, I completely forgot about your flight coming in tonight. Shit, I'm sorry."
"It's alright, sweetheart. Your dad just wanted me to call you and say that our flight is running late; we've been grounded for the last hour because of the snow, but we should be up and flying soon."
"Do you still need a ride?"
Carole laughed, "Well, unless Finn and Rachel are still in the city and haven't left with Hiram and Leroy for that cruise... umm-"
"No, no, I'll be there. Just give me a little bit. I'm swamped here, but I'll try my best to get out on time to meet you guys at the airport."
"Fantastic. I'll see you later, okay? Love you."
"Love you too. Send my dad my love as well."
With parting words, Kurt hung up the call and slunk down in his chair, running a hand through his hair. He knew his dad was still upset with him; the two of them still talked every other day, but Burt seemed distant in some aspects. He still asked about Blaine, still tutted when Kurt said that Blaine was still in Rhode Island, and before they hung up each time, Burt would say, Just call him, bud, and talk it out. But Kurt couldn't, so he didn't.
He hadn't spoken to Blaine since the second he flew out of Providence... but there wasn't a second that went by that he didn't miss his husband.
Actually, just sitting there in his office, staring at the blankness of the white-washed walls, Kurt couldn't help but wonder exactly what his husband was doing at that very moment.
::::::::::
"Why are we stopping here?"
"Because, baby bro, we've only got a couple of days until Christmas and if you didn't notice, my apartment is looking pretty lame right now in the holiday cheer department. Sooooo, we're gonna get a clearance tree! Yay!"
Blaine rolled his eyes at his older brother and shifted his weight in his seat, one hand viciously rubbing at his right hipbone, "We don't need a tree, Coop."
"Yeah, we do! It's just not Christmas without a tree."
"It doesn't feel like Christmas to me," Blaine muttered as he settled back down. His pelvic area was killing him and listening to Cooper talk about the upcoming holiday only made him nauseous when he thought about it; because this was going to be the first year in forever that Blaine wasn't going to be spending the holiday with Kurt. They went from spending every Christmas since their later high school years until last year together and now they were going to be apart. Just the thought made Blaine's heart ache, so he just shoved it aside. "I don't want a tree, Coop. Can't we just go home please?"
Cooper's smile drooped, but he nodded and pulled the car out of the lot, easing it out into the roadway as he darted his gaze from the road to his little brother. "I didn't mean to upset you, B. I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault. You've got nothing to be sorry about. I just- I just don't feel well today."
"It's okay. I understand," Cooper said softly, reaching a hand over the center console to pat his brother's thigh. "Let's head home."
::::::::::
"And then she dropped the whole portfolio on the floor! It was horrible; I thought Isabelle was going to kill her, but she just laughed it off and that was that."
Kurt practically kicked the door to his apartment open, holding it with his foot while his parents slipped inside, dragging their luggage behind them. He waited until they were completely in the apartment before he bumped the door shut with his hip and walked into the kitchen to drop off his bags of Chinese take-out. Jennyanydots came running from the living room, rubbing her head against Kurt's ankle as he dumped out the take-out on the table. "We can eat in here or in the den if you guys want. Your choice."
Carole slipped into the room cautiously, smiling when Jenny-cat came nuzzling up to her. "Wherever your father wants to eat is fine with me, Kurt."
"Okay then. Dad? Do you want to eat in here or in the living room?"
Silence.
"Dad?"
More silence.
Rolling his eyes, Kurt told Carole to help herself before he exited the kitchen and went looking for his father. As he walked, he wrung his hands nervously, peering from room to room to see if his dad was hiding out or just dropping off his things in the guest room. However, he found himself freezing to a halt when he noticed his dad standing right in the doorway of his and Blaine's bedroom. "Dad?"
"I talked to Cooper a few hours ago."
"Oh?"
"I want him and Blaine here for Christmas."
"Dad, I don't think-"
Burt raised a hand, shushing his son effectively as he stared into the bedroom. One side of the bed was made and barely touched and by just looking at it, Burt knew that side was the part of the mattress his son-in-law usually frequented. "I'm not getting any younger, Kurt. You know that and I know that. This body is old; I'm old. And I'd just like this Christmas to not be dramatic, you know? Plus, I know you and Blaine aren't doing well right now, but I'd like to see him too while Carole and I are here. I miss him."
"I know you do."
"And you miss him too."
"I-"
Burt smiled sadly, "For what it's worth, Cooper said that Blaine misses you like crazy. I know you two aren't on the same terms about this pregnancy, but you two are still married and you love each other. Maybe you can spend a night or two together as a family before you decide what you're going to do about this."
"Dad-"
"Just think about it, okay, bud? Blaine's gonna be here in two days and he'll be here for a few more at the most. That's all. Just enough time for us to see him and spend time with the both of you."
Kurt worried his lower lip between his teeth. He wasn't sure how he felt about Blaine coming home; the thought was terrifying to him. The last few words between the two of them hadn't been pleasant and for the last few weeks, Kurt felt like his heart had been ripped out of his chest and left behind in Rhode Island. He hated being alone in the apartment; he hated coming home to an empty home and not hearing Blaine singing in the kitchen or waking up in the morning to Blaine tucked up against him, breathing slow against his chest. It was so awkward not having his husband around after more than a decade of living together and now, just hearing his father say that Blaine was on his way home, made Kurt's heart ache.
Because no matter what, everything had changed between them. Things were said, feelings were hurt, and Kurt didn't know if they'd be able to come back from that.
And he especially didn't know if Blaine would be able to even face him after the way he acted just weeks ago.
::::::::::
"I don't want to go."
"Oh c'mon, Blaine! We're just going to go for a few days and then we'll be right back here and you can mope around and whatever you want to do, I promise!"
Blaine crossed his arms over his chest and stormed out of the living room, his brother hot on his heels. "I can't believe you planned all of this without asking me what I thought about it! You know what happened between me and Kurt, so why do you want us to be together on Christmas?"
"Burt is the one who wants to see you, B. He called and he-"
"So only Burt wants to see me?"
"Well, yeah... and Carole, too. I mean-"
Blaine blinked, his hazel eyes growing watery as he ran his palm over his stomach. "Kurt didn't say anything?"
"...no? I don't think- oh no, Blaine, I didn't-"
"We shouldn't go," Blaine whispered, his voice strained. Cooper knew the man was struggling not to cry, but he was failing terribly. "I just want to stay home."
"If you don't want to go, then we won't... just- just think about it, okay? Burt and Carole really want to see you. And maybe we can bring along the pictures of wittle baby chip to show them?"
"Please don't call my baby chip, okay?"
Cooper smiled, fake-punching Blaine in the arm as his little brother shoved past him to head into the bedroom. He watched as the man fled into the bathroom, then he turned away to head back into the living room, hoping that he was able to plant a seed of thought in Blaine's head about heading to New York to see his in-laws. Plus, if they were able to go back to NYC, maybe Cooper could do some matchmaking and bring his brother and Kurt back together again.
Because, in Coop's opinion, who could resist a picture of an ultrasound?
::::::::::
Carole shut the door to the oven and leaned forward, adding more time to the oven timer so that the Christmas turkey would have another hour to cook. Satisfied, she went back to work stirring the pot of green beans on the stovetop before she turned towards her stepson. Kurt was busy kneading dough to form into dinner rolls, his hands covered in flour (as was the table) as he pounded away into the dough with his fists. Realizing that he was being watched, he directed his gaze up to her and smiled weakly.
"Turkey almost done?"
"In about an hour, sweetheart." She watched as he slammed his fist back into the dough, "You okay over there, Kurt?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just trying to get this bread mixed."
"Well, I'm sure the recipe didn't call for you to beat the dough into submission."
Kurt stopped his motions, staring down at the flattened mass in front of him. "I- I wasn't even paying attention. Sorry, I- these rolls are probably ruined."
Carole smiled sadly, carefully leading Kurt to the side as she took his place in front of the kitchen island and began to piece the beaten down dough back together again. "I'm sure we can fix it, honey. Hand me a little more flour, would you?"
Kurt wiped his hands on a paper towel before he slid the full container of flour to his stepmom and then turned his attention to the clock on the wall. It was almost seven in the evening and according to his dad, Cooper and Blaine were on their way soon. He leaned back against the wall and settled his hands low on his hips, watching as Carole went about fixing the damaged rolls. As he watched, his chest tightened and he felt his eyes water against his will. Blaine was coming home. Blaine would be there soon.
"Kurt, are you okay?"
Carole had stopped fooling with the bread dough and was now wiping her hands on a dish towel. She quickly dropped the rag and rushed to gather Kurt into her arms, cooing at him when he collapsed against her and began to cry.
"Bl-Blaine's coming home. I just- I haven't seen him since we- I-"
"I know," Carole murmured, brushing her fingers along Kurt's scalp. "I know, sweetie. You're scared and this is a rough time for the both of you, but it'll be okay. You'll be okay, I promise."
"But he- he hates me. Dad hates me and-"
"No! No, Kurt. Your dad could never hate you. He's upset, yes, but he loves you so much and he'll always stand beside you, no matter what."
"But I can't make myself love this b-baby. I can't."
"That's okay. Some people aren't fit to be parents."
Kurt cried out, tightening his grip around his stepmom as he sobbed. He hated hearing her say that, that he wasn't fit to be a parent, but that's exactly what it looked like. He didn't want this baby, he wasn't ready to set aside his life or his time for someone he just didn't feel connected to. But he also felt incredibly selfish. Because not only was he shoving aside his feelings for this unborn child, but he was also shoving aside Blaine as well. Sniffling, he pulled away from Carole and began wiping at his eyes and nose, disgusted at the breakdown he just had on his stepmom's shoulder. "Sorry, I didn't mean to ruin your c-clothes."
"It's alright," Carole soothed, pushing a stray lock of Kurt's brown hair back into place. She eyed him up and down for a few minutes before she shooed him away. "Why don't you go blow your nose and wash your face, hun? I'll take care of the rolls."
"Thank you."
Giving Carole one last hug, Kurt trudged his way down to his room, past his sad-eyed father as he stepped into the hallway and almost bumped into the older man.
"You okay, bud?"
"I'll be fine," he muttered, continuing on his way to the master bathroom, his heart racing in his chest as he walked. Burt looked as nervous as he was that Blaine was on his way back and as confident as Carole was that Burt would always stand by his son, Kurt wondered if maybe tonight would be the night that the tables would turn.
::::::::::
"I can't believe we're doing this."
"Well, it's only for a few nights and then if you want, we can leave. Just be cordial to Burt and Carole and that's that. You don't even have to say a word to Kurt if you don't want to."
Blaine sighed, tucking his hands deep into his coat pockets. He walked slightly behind Cooper as his brother lugged their bags to the front door of the apartment. "That's the problem, Coop. I don't have any problem seeing Carole or Burt... it's just that I'm- I'm scared to see Kurt."
Cooper paused, turning his head slightly to stare at Blaine. "Oh, well then that's a different story now, isn't it?"
"You're not supposed to be afraid of seeing your husband... but I am and I feel awful."
"He hurt you-"
"I know, but- but I've hurt him too."
"Yeah, a long time ago, but you two made up since then and I know how much that took out of the both of you to make up back then. We're talking about now though. We're talking about the fact that your husband flipped out on you after finding out that you're having his baby, Blaine."
"I know-"
"So your feelings right now are totally justified... and if you need a break or you need some air, just let me know and we can head out. Whatever you want to do."
Blaine nodded, keeping his eyes on his feet as he walked to the door. Deep down, he wanted to argue with his brother, yell at Coop about how he didn't have a choice in the matter over coming to New York for Christmas. But, he had also done some thinking about the whole thing and determined that it would be in his best interests to see his in-laws and to even show them the first pictures of the baby. No matter what, he knew he would be scared to death over seeing Kurt because of what had happened between them, but he also knew that not speaking to two of the people he loved the most would only hurt him more in the long run. Huffing, he shrugged his shoulders and then straightened them, picking up the pace with Cooper.
"I'm scared, Coop." He whispered, stopping behind his brother as the older man sat the packages on the ground and went to knock on the door.
"I know. But I'm here, B. Just breathe."
With a final knock, Cooper stepped back and grabbed Blaine's hand, watching with careful eyes as the door opened.
"Cooper! Hello! Come on in! Oh, Blaine, sweetheart, come here and give me a hug!"
Carole clapped her hands together and stepped back, patting Cooper on his back as he carried in their luggage and some Christmas presents into the apartment. Blaine snuck in behind him, his head tucked low as he shyly stepped into the house. It shouldn't have been that way; it was also his apartment, but just entering the place made him feel like an outcast. It just didn't feel like home to him anymore. The smells of Christmas dinner filled the air and instead of the usual scent of fresh laundry, the house was covered with the scents of cinnamon and pine – everything smelled so foreign. Before he left, things were different and now, almost a whole month had passed (fuck, he had left just after Thanksgiving and now it was Christmas and where did the time go?) and just knowing this, it felt strange to Blaine. His stomach flip-flopped when he realized just how long it had been since he had been home.
Frowning at her son-in-law's silence, Carole reached forward and calmly took Blaine into her arms, smiling when the man melted into her embrace. "Hello sweetie. I've missed you."
"I missed you too, mom," Blaine murmured as he snuggled into her embrace. Carole pulled away and ran her hands along the lines of Blaine's face tenderly, beaming when her eyes dropped to the waist of Blaine's peacoat.
"Why don't we get you out of this heavy coat and you can come help me in the kitchen? I'm making your favorite: candied yams!"
Blaine blushed, "Mmm. Can't wait." He shrugged out of his coat and allowed Carole to take it and hang it up. While she did so, he wrapped his arms around his waist and listened to the sounds of his brother chatting it up with Burt in the other room. "Where's Jenny-cat?"
"Oh, I imagine she's around here somewhere," Carole said, her gaze still falling to Blaine's covered up waist. "Honey, can I see?"
"See what? Oh." He slowly let his arms fall to his sides, his face turning red to the tips of his ears at the feeling of being exposed. When Carole was finally able to take a look at his slightly swollen belly, she squealed in delight.
"Oh my goodness, look at you!" She placed her hands on his elbows and turned Blaine to the side to get a better look, a giggle of happiness squeaking from her throat. "Oh, this is amazing. I can't even believe this! Oh, Blaine, honey, you look amazing." She stared at his belly for a little longer before she looked up at Blaine, her eyes bright with wonder. "Do you mind if... if I touch you? I just want to feel."
Blaine laughed, "I don't think you can feel anything right now, Carole, but sure." He took his mother-in-law's hand into his own and guided it to his stomach, shuddering when her palm curled against him.
"Oh Blaine," she breathed, her eyes watering instantly. "Oh wow. I'm going to be a grandma. I can't believe it."
"Believe what?" A voice asked from the doorway to the living room. Both Carole and Blaine looked up; Burt was standing there, his eyes locked onto where Carole's hand was resting on Blaine's belly. "Wow," he said softly, his voice alight with emotion. Blaine's heart thudded in his chest when he caught the proud look on his father-in-law's eyes.
"Hi dad."
"Hey kiddo. Can I-"
"Sure." Blaine took Burt's hand and set it next to Carole's, watching in amazement as the two of them marveled at his stomach. "It's weird, isn't it? It kinda just popped up the other day. I didn't even notice it, but Coop did and he had a cow."
"You're damn right I did," Cooper added from his spot in the room. He smirked at his brother when Blaine stuck his tongue out at him, but as soon as Blaine turned back to his in-laws, Cooper felt some of the tension melt from his shoulders. Maybe this trip won't be so bad after all.
But of course, Kurt chose that prime moment to step out of the master bedroom.
A/N: Sorry for the delay everybody. I got home later than expected and ended up experiencing some serious computer issues. But, all is well for now, so here's the newest chapter. I hope it's not too awful. Let me know what you thought!
