Disclaimer: I have no affiliation to Glee or its characters. This is fiction pure and simple.

FutureEIC, Gleeville, LokiFirefox, Caticia1, AgainstAllOds, OneCoolBroad, Dosqueen67, JJ, Nurscutiz, Lourdes and Miss Elenath. Thank you soooo much all your reviews meant so much to me.

Fairyrose – Thank you. It didn't end quite like you wanted hope you aren't disappointed.

Waiting for Forever

Year Ten: Aluminum

Part One

"Oh look. Breadstix!" Blaine touched the windowpane twisting in his seat until the longstanding establishment fell behind them. "How is it still standing? It's been up at least 30 years." Settling back in, he glanced at his companion who was still quiet, eyes focused on the road with brutal intensity. "Thirty long years, so many memories made in that place." He continued keeping up the idle chatter, fingers drumming absently on his lap. "Remember my victory party? The Wolverine debate?" His prompt went unanswered "Sam?" His boyfriend merely grunted nose damn near bumping the steering wheel. Well, he'd finally gone non-verbal; Blaine expected sign language to start up any second.

Since they left New York, Sam had been getting quieter and quieter, much to Blaine's surprise since it was on his insistence that they'd come back to the Midwest. It wasn't his first choice, not by a long shot. Since moving away after graduation, he'd been so completely seduced by the glamour and grime of the big city that he'd had never looked back, never once had he missed his hometown. There was nothing left for him here. After ten long years, New York was their home.

"We could have dinner there later for old times sake?" Sam made a non-committal sound. What was a 'Yes' or 'No'? The only characteristic it held for sure was disinterest.

Getting a little antsy in the face of his fellow passenger's continued silence, he muttered under his breath, "This is not Paris." Blaine knew he was being a little bitchy but dammit he'd made plans. Romantic anniversary plans. In the city of freaking love. Their ten-year anniversary was a big deal. They'd made it. Ten years together and he loved Sam even more now than he had before and he was so ridiculously over-the-top proud of him. Sentiment, he'd planned on sharing after he dragged him across the ocean, plonked him on top of the Eiffel Tower and thrust a glass of Champagne in his hand so they could toast the next ten years. With all that in mind, he'd been going nuts planning them the perfect vacation when Sam came home one day and insisted he be the one to take care of it. And here they were in fucking Ohio…not that he resented the change…too much. Every day they spent together was a miracle. Yadda Yadda! But - Paris! His heart wept.

"This is the first year we can afford to toss caution to the wind and go wherever we want." He continued in the same vein. Sam was finally done with college and he'd gotten promoted to Program Coordinator at work. They didn't have to keep such a close eye on their finances anymore; sure they still had the odd loan and credit card debt but after months of late nights and hard work he wanted to celebrate.

"This will be better than Paris. I promise." Sam replied absently as they rolled to a stop at a red light.

Blaine glanced over incredulous. "Are those words?" He teased. "Strung together to form a whole sentence?"

Slipping his hand round his nape, Sam dragged him over kissing him thoroughly. His ability to get him to shut up was unparalleled.

Appeased by his undivided attention, Blaine ignored his smug look and relaxed. "Eyes on the road." He instructed. Staring out the window at the changing landscape the rest of the way to his parents' house. Oddly familiar, it awakened nothing in him. As cheesy as it sounded, he no longer belonged in this place; his life was wherever Sam was. The beautiful life they'd built together.

They pulled up, Sam whipping out a key and punching in the security codes he'd gotten off Cooper, Blaine wondering how long he'd been planning on coming home. Leaving him to get their stuff he strolled up the stairs, fingertips dancing over the finely polished staircase, Blaine wandered into his old room in his childhood home. It appeared frozen in time. A mausoleum to his younger self, everything still so perfectly preserved that he expected a younger version of him to barge in stressing out about Kurt and Sectionals. Snatching a snow globe off a shelf, he sent flakes flying over the Empire State building with a twist of his wrist watching as they slowly floated to the bottom. The faintest whiff of teenage longing still hang in the air from so many years ago, the desire for a future both terrifying and unformed. All his heart had beaten for; New York. NYADA. Broadway. The mad scrabble to fulfill a powerful dream, find his place in this world and then - there'd been Sam. He'd changed everything. With a final shake, Blaine placed the glass orb back on the shelf. That might have been a pivotal time in his life but he'd never trade who he was now for who he'd been then. Every single experience shaped him into the man he was now, with a life he loved, with the man he loved beyond all comprehension. Smiling faintly, he dropped onto the bed and leaned back on his elbows. God, how he'd changed. They – they had changed.

Soft curses drifted up from where Sam was bringing up their luggage until he barged through the door with a very disgruntled, "Dude."

"I was on my way."

"Right." Skeptical, Sam dropped the last of their bags to the floor and sank to the bed next to him, fists clutching the bedspread. Blaine studied his posture; kind of stiff, edging into twitchy territory. Something was going on with him but he couldn't put his finger on it. Rather than coming right out and asking, he rubbed his hand down his back, rested his head on his shoulder. Breathed.

If the past year had taught him anything, it was this, let Sam deal with his demons however he saw fit, step in when he needed him. It was hard to let him be sad or watch him struggle or to accept that Ava's death had left a blot on their lives, irrevocably changing them both but it was what it was. Sam was quieter, more introspective, he still had nightmares sometimes and he still woke up to paint after them but in a lot of ways he was stronger, shouldered responsibility easier. Instead of running scared like he had before, Blaine adapted around him, gave him space and silence when he needed it. He attempted to bridge the gap between their worlds, spent more time with his do-gooder friends in their futile endeavors to save the planet and every one in it. He'd even tagged along to his grief support group. A huge mistake as it turned out because it had been brutal, sad and hard and so painful. That one-hour had stretched into a thousand and Blaine left the session flogged raw by other people's fears and their pain. He wondered how Sam could bear it. Dogged by the endless broken weeping, all he wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep for a week. When the next session rolled around, he was torn when Sam asked him not to go.

"But - I want to be there for you." He insisted blocking out the hallelujah chorus in his head.

"You are." Sam said simply. "Honey, you are my one good thing. Knowing you're here waiting for me helps me get through it. Besides," He turned, palm resting on the doorjamb. "I think you did enough helping Rhys at the coastal cleanup."

Blaine had stepped in at the last second to fill in with the small environmental activist group when Sam was stuck at work and he'd given way more than enough. "Those loafers were priceless."

When Sam burst out laughing, it was like the sun coming out. "I know." He lingered eyes soft, lips quirked. "I love you."

As long as it got him to smile like that, the suede sacrifice was worth it. "I love you too."

It might have been that day or any of the many that followed that provided little revelations into Sam's character, testaments to how much he had grown and while Blaine had always loved being the dominant partner and making all the major decisions, it was time he let go of the reins and let Sam take care of them for a while. It had led to some interesting places in their relationship, decision to come to Ohio notwithstanding.

"Come on." Sam instructed with a slight tug taking to the floor in one easy move. Cross-legged, he gestured for Blaine to join him.

Copying his stance, Blaine sat in front of him. "What are we doing?"

"I – uh" Sam started before drifting off into an incomprehensible mumble. He squeezed his eyes tight, cleared his throat, and started again in a low rasp. "I know this isn't your fantasy setting and maybe we should have gone to Paris like you wanted but it made sense to me for us to come back to the beginning… where we started…" Blaine could practically feel the tension running through him from their connected hands. "I made you so many promises that day and I was scared sometimes that I'd break them and we wouldn't end up here together. I am still this guy," He indicated the t-shirt, worn jeans and the flannel shirt. "And yet I've changed so much and it's all because of you." Sam frowned like he was disappointed in himself. "Did that make sense?"

"Yes. It did." Blaine reassured, his love's face blurry through his tears. "After ten years Sammy, I understand you perfectly." He desperately hoped this was all leading where he thought it was leading. Not really listening to Sam anymore, he watched his body language at the same time trying to talk himself down, just in case. It wasn't a big deal as long as they were still together…they loved each other…they didn't have to get mar-

The second the small ring box popped into sight, equal parts relief and blinding happiness poured out of him. "Yes." Who'd he been kidding with that spiel? He wanted to marry him, had been thinking about this moment for years.

All the tension leached out of Sam and he threw him a shaky smirk, "Can I actually ask you first?"

Sniffing, Blaine nodded.

"Will you…"

"Yes." Reverence filled his voice. He never needed the perfect words. He just wanted him. Forever.

"Blaine." His boyfriend – scratch that – fiancé exasperated.

"Sam."

"I've been practicing this speech for hours." He blew out a breath smiled, a hint of tears in there somewhere. "Do you even want to see the ring?"

Blaine didn't care about the ring although in the back of his mind the reassuring Tiffany blue had registered. He surged to his knees, cupping his face in his hands, thumbs tracking over his face, captivated by the subtle changes, firmness in his jaw, determination in his eyes. His lips… his kiss…still perfect. "I want everything with you." He vowed sliding onto his lap; indulging in slow sweet kisses and sweeter 'I love you's.

Later, he raised the platinum band, examining the inscription. The simply engraved 'Yours' catching his eye, stealing his breath. It was beautiful. Timeless.

Boneless under him, Sam watched him. "Do you like it?"

"I love it. Sammy, it could have been a Cracker Jack ring and I would still love it." Blaine stared down at him all long limbed every little bit precious. "I love you." He murmured leaning over. The kiss was long and lazy, and when it ended,

he chuckled, "Now that you've put a ring on it…is it a good time to tell you that I don't get your impressions?"

Sam froze for a fraction of a second, and then he lunged threatening to get him a decoder ring, Blaine ended up on his back keeping his hand well out of reach. The ring was never coming off. A particularly enthusiastic scrabble sent a lamp crashing to the floor. It almost – almost – drowned out the knocking at the door.

Blaine sat up damn near cracking his head open on Sam's chin. "Who is that?"

"Shit!" Sam rushed getting to his feet. "We'll be right there." He yelled over the insistent tapping. "I lost track of time."

"Time?" Blaine swallowed a yawn. A quick glance out the window showed night was falling. He didn't care, he was happy on this carpet. Whoever it was Sam could take care if it. "Time for what? We don't have to be anywhere, right?"

"Your parents are here."

"What?" Blaine shrieked – he would later maintain that it was a manly shriek. "You invited them?"

"Yes…" Sam paused one leg poised as he scrabbled into a different set of clothing. "…and my parents…and a couple of other people." He darted into the bathroom after imparting that awful news. "It was supposed to be a surprise." He excused when he came back standing over him. "Why aren't you moving?"

The events of the past few months coalesced and revealed their true purpose.

"This is why you've been so nice to them all year." Blaine oozed suspicion.

It had started with a lot of questions, Sam's inquiring about his parents' travel plans, specifically, if their flights were landing or taking off anywhere on the Eastern Seaboard.

Blaine preoccupied with his latest argument with Artie had outlined the bare bones of his parents' plans he'd gleaned from conversations with his mom. Then he asked, "Why do you want to know?"

"I want to meet them." Sam replied, bottom falling from his world.

Despite Blaine's many excuses the day came around. He'd been a nervous, sweaty wreck leaning over the bathroom sink, attempting to disguise the terror in his eyes.

Sam pushed inside probably wondering if he'd drowned himself in the tub. After a long look at the kohl in his hand he inquired, "Guyliner?" low and gentle like he expected Blaine to fly apart. "I've only seen you wear makeup on stage. What's going on?"

"This is what he expects." Blaine wrenched out as the flimsy pencil snapped in half. "Gay equals girl. Sissy."

"You know that's not true. Honey, you are the strongest person I know."

"Then why do we have to do this? I have nothing to prove to him."

"Because they are not just your family now. They are ours. Just because things were fucked up in the past, doesn't mean we give up on them. We forgive and we start again."

"I hate all this mature crap you learn in therapy." Blaine grumbled.

Sam stood behind him slung his arms round his waist as he'd done so many times before. "Lose the war paint." He coaxed. "You don't need it. You're not alone anymore. I will be with you every step of the way, if it gets weird tonight then we bail. At least we'll have tried."

Blaine was still a little wobbly; the ground wouldn't stop moving under him. Even shaken, he could tell Sam wanted this. It felt like he was building up to something. Expanding his family, securing grandparents for the brood of rugrats he was planning on having (separate freakout). This was important to Sam. He could do it. "I trust you." He murmured.

"Every step of the way." Sam promised tightening his grip. "I won't let go."

The night had been a disaster just not the way Blaine expected. No insults were uttered or gauntlets thrown just long patches of disturbing silence. Sam and his mom's attempts to fill in the gaps in conversation did little to disguise the fact that he and his dad did not speak. The dinner after that one was the same, the brunch they had months later was easier. With each subsequent meeting they worked up to half way decent – thank god for sports - civil conversation.

Blaine guessed it was better than nothing because they were here at his engagement. He didn't dare to hope for more than his father's presence, a couple of years ago he would have bet his life this would never happen.

Looking up at Sam now, Blaine found himself mirroring the same words from that night. "I trust you." He did, with his heart, with their life, with everything.

Sam smiled and held out his hand. "I won't let go."

This chapter got really long so I decided to split it into two. This part focuses on the two of them; the next includes the rest of their friends.