Blaine let out a sigh of relief when he walked into the apartment and heard Kurt moving around in the kitchen. He walked towards the other room, unable to resist the smile breaking out on his face when he saw the other man.
"So, how was your day?" he asked, causing Kurt to jump slightly. He moved in for a quick kiss, but pulled away before they had the opportunity to melt.
"It was fine. Good even. I told Santana and Mercedes about us. Well, not that they didn't already know, but I told them how you moved in and everything." Kurt trailed off with a laugh, stopping himself before he could ramble any more. He turned back around to stir the spaghetti sauce simmering in the pot on the stove. Blaine followed, leaning against the counter lazily.
"Santana and Mercedes?" His forehead creased in concentration, trying to remember if he had ever heard the names. "Oh! They're your two friends at the magazine. The ones that came with you from Lima, right?" Kurt smiled and nodded quickly.
"That's them, alright. They actually want to meet you soon." He looked up as Blaine gave a strained chuckle.
"That's funny. My friend, Ben, actually said the same thing. Guess we already have plans for the weekend." Kurt nodded and wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck.
"Too bad. I really wanted to spend it with you. And Valerie, of course, if Cassidy would allow it." Blaine twined his arms tightly around the other man's waist, pressing insistently against him. "Was Ben the only one you told? I mean, I know you'll tell them on your own time, I'm just wondering." Blaine traced nonsensical patterns on his lower back and shook his head.
" I actually didn't get the opportunity to tell anyone. Cassidy I guess called some of her friends to 'let them know'. So, naturally, the whole studio knows. Luckily, most of them are okay with it. Congratulatory, even." Kurt twisted his fingers in the short curls at the base of Blaine's neck.
"Are you serious?" he asked quietly, angrily. Blaine nodded quickly and tried to swallow past the lump that had grown in his throat. "Are you okay about this?" he asked again after a pause. "You seem awfully cavalier about the whole ordeal," he added uncertainly.
"No. No, not really. I lost someone I assumed was one of my closest friends, all because he's scared of his wife. But it doesn't really matter," he allotted with a brilliant smile that Kurt couldn't help but return.
"And why is that?" Blaine pulled back and clasped the other man's hands in his own, twining their fingers together. Kurt ran his thumb across his fingers lightly and gave his own soft smile.
"Because I have you, and because I love you. You're really all I've ever wanted." He squeezed his hand tighter. "This is all I've ever wanted." Kurt could feel his face flush with happiness. He couldn't think of any response that would sound nearly that perfect without sounding utterly hokey, but he knew Blaine understood what he was thinking, what he was feeling.
They ate in a simple fashion, talking about the lighter happenings of their day, holding hands all the while. It was 7:00 when they finished, and they fumbled for what would happen next. They had lived for so long on short, borrowed time that they didn't know what to do now that there was nothing that could interrupt them, nothing that could tear the other from their side.
As if in vindictive response, Blaine's phone began to buzz, Cassidy's number glowing on the screen. He sighed before picking it up, wary of what would be waiting on the other side.
"Hello, Cassidy," he answered with a world-weary sigh. "What do you want now?" He hit the speaker button so Kurt wouldn't be so out of the loop.
"So good to know I'm still your favorite person," she bit out sarcastically. Blaine and Kurt looked at each other and rolled their eyes, both tired of her antics.
"Look, I'm actually calling because of a serious matter. Can you take off work tomorrow? We have to start the divorce proceedings as soon as possible."
"Thanks for the short notice. I'm sure all of the lawyers in New York are waiting by their phones at eight for last minute divorce cases." There was a pause on the other end, as if she wasn't sure what to do now that her error had been pointed out. They heard the phone drop to a table, as if she had set it down to find something. It was nice and quiet for a few moments, but then another voice came on the line.
"Okay, Blaine," Michael Anderson said rather calmly "unfortunately, it would appear that the meeting will have to be postponed due to your incompetence to actually get a lawyer. No doubt you're too busy with that…that person to do anything productive." Blaine ran his fingrs through his hair anxiously as his father spoke.
"You don't have any right to talk to me like that, or to even talk about Kurt, so why don't you just stop right there. And there's no way in hell Cassidy already has a lawyer: she's the most flighty person I know, which goes right along with her procrastination skills that would put a high-school student to shame." His dad's condescending laugh rang out from the speaker, sending a shudder down Blaine's spine.
"Didn't she tell you? I'm her lawyer." Blaine gaped, wide-eyed and open-mouthed. Just as he was about to say exactly what he thought of his father, a new voice sounded from the background.
"Are you talking to Daddy?" Valerie asked sweetly. Both Blaine and Kurt smiled at the little girl's innocent voice.
"Of course not, Valerie. I'm just arguing with someone. Go back to your mother, okay?" Blaine gripped the phone tighter, furious that his own father would lie to his daughter about who he was talking to.
"But you are! I heard you say his real name, and you only ever talk to him like that. Please let me talk to him, please? I wanna know why Momma picked me up from school today instead of him, 'cause he always gets me on Mondays." At this point, Kurt had to loosen Blaine's fingers, as the tips and knuckles had gone bone white. Michael Anderson sighed; he had no choice but to let them talk.
"Hi, Daddy," her bubbly voice chirped. The scowl instantly melted off of Blaine's face and was replaced with a huge grin.
"Hey, sweetheart. How was school?" The line fell silent, save for the crackles that were all but nonexistent when they spoke.
"Why didn't you come pick me up today? You always come to get me on Mondays. I didn't like it when Momma came. She doesn't take me to go get ice cream like you do." Her voice shook as if she was on the verge of tears. "Didn't you want to see me?"
"Of course I wanted to, sweetheart! But, for now, I can only come see you if your mom allows it. At least until we get things settled. Trust me, Kurt and I want nothing more than for you to stay here with us. Okay?" He looked over to assure that the statement was true and was met with an eager smile and nod.
"I'd rather be there, too. Momma's always either angry or sad now, and so is Grandpa. But he's mostly angry. Can't I come over tonight, please?" Kurt nodded quickly as he mouthed 'yes'.
"Of course you can. Just check with your mom, okay?" The phone was set gently back down, but they could still hear what was going on. Apparently, everyone had been congregated in the same room.
"I want to go over to Daddy's and Kurt's, Momma. Please, can't I go?" Michael didn't give her a moment to answer before he cut in.
"No. Absolutely not. And anyways, your father and Kurt," he said their names with a sneer "probably want time to themselves."
"You're lying! And anyways, I asked Momma. I knew that you'd say no, because you don't like Daddy and Kurt together. And I know that they want me over there. They told me so. So please, Momma, can't I go?" Both Blaine and Kurt had to bite their lips in order to keep from laughing at the little girl's incensed speech.
"Please come get Valerie," Cassidy asked as she picked up the phone. "She'll hate me even more if you don't."
XXXXX
Fifteen minutes later, Blaine was knocking on Cassidy's door. The door unlatched, and Valerie came bounding out, her long dark curls flying behind her. He gathered her up in his arms and held her close to his chest as he stood up. Cassidy leaned against the door frame, holding her elbows tight against her.
"I guess she can stay with you for the night, so long as you take her to school tomorrow morning, then you and I can decide who picks her up." Blaine smiled and nodded, trying not to show surprise at her geniality. "And Michael wants to have the meeting either Wednesday or Thursday, so can you get a lawyer before then," she added softly.
"Yeah, that will be fine. Thanks again, for this." She nodded and softly shut the door.
