The Party ….continued

"You are actually drooling you know" Cooper leaned against the wall that his younger brother had also propped himself against, and without looking at him handed him a beer. Blaine was focussed forward, looking at Kurt, standing at the end of the room, checking the arrangement of canapés on a platter and ever so slightly nudging the garnish with his nimble fingers.

"It's your party, why aren't you dancing or getting drunk or something" replied Blaine, ignoring the comment.

"Because it's my party ….and actually I am drunk, but I was never one for dancing on tables…you didn't answer my question "

"What question..."

"Drooling?"

"Sorry, I thought our expensive education would have equipped you with basic grammar... that wasn't a question"

"It's my birthday, be nice…and stop deflecting"

"Ok, ok, I might be just looking at Kurt a little because he's the most …..Best thing in the room to look at…" Blaine was smiling as he spoke and still looking forward.

"It's sweet, really it is…" Cooper spoke and rolled his eyes at the same time.

"But..?"

"No but at all, actually, I just kind of think you're really lucky..."

"I don't ever not think that you know…"

"I mean not just with Kurt, he's great and all that but just to have someone to love like that and who loves you back, just as much…"

Almost as if Kurt could sense he was the subject of the conversation he turned around from talking to the group of Cooper's work friends that he had now moved to and smiled back at them, gently.

" My party is full of exes … I sort of felt I should invite them, but then again may be it wasn't one of my brighter ideas, your boyfriend did warn me that it could turn out like " four weddings and a funeral"… anyway, I am a teeny wee bit envious that you have someone to gawp at " he continued.

"I am not gawping, I just like looking at him…..urgh, and I don't even want to get into this, because you are not going to stop teasing me… "Blaine replied.

"I am not teasing; I think you're just bloody lucky to have that after so long…" Cooper said wistfully.

"I sort of knew we'd last too, I know logically meeting someone so young is bound to fail, but we're the exception…but you'll meet someone Cooper" Blaine's tone softened as he spoke to his brother, "and you could have settled but you didn't so, that's good too isn't it, so many people just seem to settle for someone rather than be happy alone?" Blaine's comment was expectant. His brother found it easy attracting women but for some reason found finding love hard, really Blaine suspected it was because he just hadn't met that right person and he admired his brother for not just marrying someone for companionship or settling as so many of their friends had by the time of their mid-thirties out of a fear of never meeting anyone else.

"Sometimes, I suppose, any way this is a bit too glum for my birthday party…I think I might have thought about limiting the exes though…God, I think I could actually hear one hissing at me." Cooper laughed a little and drank a little more beer.

"Ok, as we have sort of been talking about Kurt, can I ask you to keep a secret, seriously you can't tell anyone let alone him?" Blaine had turned to face Cooper his back to the rest of the room.

"Sounds serious" For a moment Blaine looked so serious he thought that Blaine was expecting him to cross his heart.

"It's a good secret..."

"Ok promise" Said Cooper with a certain degree of mock seriousness.

"Well, I am going to ask Kurt if he would like to be married…to me that is…..I sort of want to be married to him…" Blaine said shyly smiling his voice lowering in case anyone could hear him.

Cooper sighed deeply, and smiled.

"My little brother is going to be married…ah, well good for you, what's brought this on though?"

"Well it's not definite, I mean I have to ask Kurt and he has to say yes first, but that's the general idea" Blaine nervously added. " I don't know, it just feels as though I want more, it's as this isn't enough, I sort of want him to be mine and for that to be a public thing, I don't know exactly why but I really just really love him and I just want to give him everything….I just want us to be complete… I've been thinking about it a while."

"Have you talked about it? I mean it's a pretty dead cert he'll say yes, but does he know?"

" well, yes and no, I mean we sort of both said that we couldn't see any difference to being married or not married, but I think there is to be honest, I don't think I believe that anymore, when we had no option because the law wouldn't allow us, then we had no choice so I never thought about it too much, but now we can and… it just feels like a bigger commitment and I want that for us, I suppose and if we ever wanted to adopt children then I would want us to be married, and I think as non-God fearing as Kurt is I think that he would want that too….. Do you really think he'll say yes then?"

For a while Cooper didn't answer, he sort of wondered how he and his brother had turned out so different, so similar in many ways and so different in others. Blaine had found what he wanted and knew what he wanted. Cooper just couldn't find what he wanted, and strangely Blaine was the more traditional one of the two, he saw himself as the provider and wanted Kurt and a family with him. Cooper thought it amusing that Blaine had a slight doubt that Kurt would say yes, but then he also thought his brother rather worshipped Kurt, actually it was quite mutual, when he had occasionally met Kurt on his own when Blaine was out of town, and he honestly thought Kurt was literally pining.

"Are you really seriously doubting Kurt will say yes, you told me that he used to have a photo of you in his locker when you were at school, I bet you he still carries a photo of you around….I am really glad and I am happy for you both…..you know I really really like Kurt, I always have" Cooper adopted a lighter tone.

" I know, he knows too most importantly, honestly Cooper, it means a lot to me, he's ignored by everyone else in our family…. seriously promise you won't say anything…I am going to Cincinnati for work on Tuesday and need to stay a few days so I am sneaking in a visit to his dad to ask for his permission…" Blaine had it all sorted really, but he was almost bursting to share his plans with Cooper.

" Really ? You really are the old fashioned gent then…."

" You haven't met Kurt's dad, when I first started dating Kurt I honestly thought he had a shot gun polished, loaded and waiting for me, just in case I got Kurt home late… but now he treats me like his own son, he's great really quite laid back, Kurt's the most precious thing to him and I just don't want to exclude him from this…I think Kurt would be disappointed if I didn't ask his dad, I just want things to be done properly, because that's what Kurt will want"

Blaine explained how he had telephoned Kurt's dad and asked if he could see him privately in confidence and without Kurt knowing, he explained he would be in the area for business and while he never hid things from Kurt he asked he could be excused from telling Kurt for a short while. Burt was no fool and said that it was fine and that Blaine should stay with them for the night have dinner and not travel back to Cincinnati until the next day. Burt had also told Blaine that he "shouldn't make any extravagant purchases just yet" because he had something that Kurt's mother wanted Kurt to have at the right time. So Blaine had suspected that Burt knew the purpose of Blaine's visit and agreed that they would keep it all a secret just for now at least. It was clear that neither of them wanted to keep anything from Kurt and Blaine honestly felt a little guilty when he explained that he would be away to Kurt and looked at the disappointment on Kurt's face that he would be out of town for a few days. Blaine was grinning broadly as he told Cooper the story.

"You really have grown up haven't you …" Cooper just commented fondly more than anything.

"Well, your secret's safe with me, but its conditional on you telling me as soon as he accepts, which he will Blaine…." Cooper's thoughts drifted to the reaction from their own parents but he didn't want to ruin the moment.

"Oh, what's this about lunch tomorrow, Mom and dad said that they can't make it to lunch tomorrow with you and Kurt? I pretended that I knew what they were going on about…"

"Ah, we're taking you for lunch…. I didn't think they'd come, well, they're not going to be somersaulting when I finally tell them about Kurt and me getting married…if he says yes " Blaine added still with the note of cautiousness to indicate that he wasn't taking anything for granted.

"My little brother really has grown up, taking me out to lunch and getting married…." There was nothing but warmth and kindness in Cooper's voice.

Blaine just smiled….." may be…..Kurt is just everything…" he said his voice trailing off, Cooper rolled his eyes again, and they both paused to instinctively look around the room for Kurt.

" He's talking to Nancy's date" Said Cooper.." just my luck my ex turns up with a completely hot guy for my party… although I wish him luck with her…"

" Nancy?" said Blaine quizzically.

" Yep, Nancy …I went out with her for a few months a few months ago…I said she could bring someone, actually I meant her screechy friend, but no she turns up with that guy with the wavy blonde hair and massive blue eyes…"

Blaine couldn't quite find Kurt in the room..

" You're not jealous are you?"

" Lord no, Nancy was talking about marriage after a handful of dates so I thought we were probably not on the same page….but she's nice, just a bit err…clingy, does Kurt know that guy or something as they seem to be quite chatty.."

" Don't think so .." said Blaine finally catching sight of Kurt in the room, he was laughing easily with the guy that Cooper was describing, although Blaine could only catch sight of the blond from the rear, he continued to look a little closer as the two did seem to be quite at ease with each other. They then moved to the dance area and began dancing, Kurt was dancing in a slightly over the top comical way making wild gestures to the music. Blaine finally caught sight of who he was dancing with.

" Ah, no need to be jealous, which of course you are not….that's James" he said with more than an element of surprise. " James is one of Kurt's pupils, he's actually really nice, he has an obvious crush on Kurt, which he tries miserably to hide….Kurt is as usual completely oblivious" he laughed softly.

" Oh so he's on your team" said Cooper slightly relieved. " Well aren't you going to defend your man then? " he said looking at Blaine.

" Nah, I'll let James have his moment with Kurt…" He was looking at James more intently. Kurt was slightly looking and searching around the room, until he caught Blaine's gaze and gestured for him to come over and join them dancing. Blaine just smiled and shook his head. He felt quietly contented that there was James dancing with Kurt and that would probably be the highlight of the evening for James but that he would be taking Kurt home at the end of the evening…

" Go on, dance with Kurt you haven't danced with him all evening…"

" He hasn't danced all evening… " Added Blaine, putting his beer down and casually walking forward to the dance floor. The dance area was darker than the rest of the room and there were a good number of couples and small groups dancing away while a DJ nodded along behind various sound decks lined up against more exposed brick work. " Hi James " said Blaine cheerily as he joined him and Kurt it was a friendly gesture and Kurt moved to include Blaine but not to in any way block James out so that the three of them could dance together. There was no point in talking as the music was loud enough to drown out any attempt at speech. Kurt looked back to where Blaine had come from to see Cooper leaning against the wall now on his own. He then strode purposefully away from the dance area leaving James and Blaine alone to dance, James and Blaine awkwardly smiled at each other and continued dancing, occupying the same space but at the same time dancing alone.

" Cooper…will you dance with me please" asked Kurt, with a playful begging tone in your voice as he reached Cooper.

" You are kidding me, I could start a fight out there, you already have two guys dancing with you" fighting for your attention.

" But I want you, I want to dance with you Cooper " Kurt asked pleadingly " and it's your birthday and I know that secretly you really want to dance.."

" Will it make my brother jealous do you think"

"Hmm, probably not, he's not the jealous type..….please dance with me"

" Ok, ok…does Blaine actually know a way of saying no to you, or does everyone always give in to you ?"

" Nope he never says no to me in the end…" said Kurt matter of flatly leading Cooper back to the dance floor, there was a palpable sigh of relief from Blaine and James when Cooper and Kurt returned. Rather than bringing Cooper to join in the dancing just as a group, Kurt started twirling and linking hands with Cooper, the pair were both smiling and laughing. Blaine looked across at them smiling as well, this is how he wanted things to be, his brother and his soon to be fiancé and then husband so comfortable with each other that neither cared what anyone else in the room thought or might think. James and Blaine looked at each other awkwardly the passing thought in both their minds being whether they should mirror Cooper and James' behaviour but they both at once dismissed the thought. After a short while Blaine decided that he wanted to flirt a bit and dance with his own boyfriend who was doing an irresistible shimmy. He shifted across the dance floor cutting out Cooper and moving close up to Kurt, Cooper put his hands up in mock surrender only for Nancy who he had done his best to avoid, sidle up to him and begin dancing. James had moved away to the side now, watching the scenes unfold in front of him, drinking another beer. Blaine had started twisting and twirling a Kurt and eventually was pressed against him, he began tugging him gently away from the dance floor as Kurt giggled.

It was difficult finding discreet places in an apartment which defined the very meaning of open plan, but he Blaine dragged a giggling and only mildly protesting Kurt to a corner which housed his brother's book collection. He began kissing Kurt hungrily and sloppily " let's go home….Kurt, I want to take you back home…." He sighed as he continued kissing Kurt, feeling his hands along Kurt's sides, Kurt was kissing him back tasting the slight smell or sour beer on his breath but ignoring it all the same, " We can't, we shouldn't… it's not fair to leave your brother at the end of a party alone…" Blaine continued to kiss him, now pressing Kurt harder against the books…" He won't care…" Kurt grabbed Blaine's moving hands and held them tightly drawing them to his face…" No sweetheart, he won't say he cares but it's just not nice….seriously we should stay until the other guests leave, I don't won't to leave him on his own…" Kurt moved a little to the side, stopping the kissing and looked at the honey coloured eyes in front of him, holding Blaine's hands and kissing Blaine's knuckles gently. " Hey sweet heart, come on we won't have to wait long…most people will head out soon, it's nearly 1.30 am anyway…" Blaine nodded, reluctantly…" you're so gorgeous you know…" Kurt just smiled at him warmly, dropping his hands and kissing Blaine softly again, enveloping his arms around his boyfriend…" I didn't say we had to stop this …" he whispered to Blaine..." hmm, I suppose not " Blaine continued to kiss them him back until he heard a shuffle of bodies come near them. It was Nancy and James.

" Boys" said Nancy who was almost screeching, Kurt and Blaine separated on hearing the shrill sound, still holding hands.

" We're off now. Thank you for the party, Cooper said it was all your work…" Nancy was clearly drunk now. " You're very welcome" Kurt replied.

" It's been an amazing party, Kurt…nice seeing you again Blaine" added James.

" You too" nodded Blaine politely

" See you later this week Kurt.." James smiled and tugged Nancy out with him who stumbled a little as she tripped along.

Once they were had left the room, Blaine turned to Kurt "James so has a crush on you" he said teasingly to Kurt, kissing him at the same time, he only left because you were occupied with me. Kurt didn't respond rolling his eyes to the ceiling. "You're adorable" said Blaine sloppily kissing Kurt again this time on the cheek and feeling Kurt smile.

Hope you enjoyed this...please review !