Hey everyone! As usual, thank you so much for all of your reviews! :D And even more beautiful name ideas! Wow! I read one, and am now actually tempted to change the gender just to use it! :P But no, I think I've definitely decided the gender now…:')
For the piano song in this chapter, for some reason I had Danny Elfman's Piano Duet from Tim Burton's The Corpse Bride in my head…so to get an idea, imagine that, but longer :P
Please continue reviewing, and I'll carry one posting as much as I can-hope you enjoy! :D xxx
"Awwwh! That's adorable!"
Kurt made a beeline for a little Disney baby sleeping suit, picking it up and "awh!"ing. "Look!"
"Honestly, boy, you're more easily distracted than a goldfish!" Mercedes put down the top she'd been considering, turning to her friend. They were in one of the big department stores at the mall, on one of their shopping trips-which had already lasted two more or less unbroken hours. In the big, white-painted rooms full of clothes, furniture, lamps and household objects, they were both in their elements, arm in arm and giggling at some of the more-ahem-unique merchandise. Kurt almost felt like a teenager again…
"Sorry, Cedes," Kurt apologised, reluctantly putting the baby clothes down.
Mercedes shrugged, going back to the top she'd been looking at. Maybe it was one of his weird, yet somehow always fabulous, fashion ideas…
Kurt bit his lip. For goodness sake, be careful. Though…there was a twinge of guilt.
Surely he should tell his best friend about the baby?
But no. He couldn't-not yet. He'd been keeping it a secret so long-and definitely wasn't ready to disclose it to the world yet. As much as he loved and trusted her-he knew if he told her, the whole Glee club would know by this time tomorrow…and he certainly wasn't ready for that. And neither, probably, was Blaine. He figured he'd tell his family first…
Then again-he'd been putting that out of mind too…
Quickly, he touched the small, crackly shape in his pocket, which was the photograph of the sonogram. He hadn't put it down since the appointment yesterday…It was so crazy and surreal…He couldn't help but smile to himself. It already looked like a baby, with it's head, and little limbs, perfect, and healthy, and…oh, he just couldn't believe it. It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen-and he knew Blaine felt the same way.
But-he also knew that the time was fast approaching-he'd have to tell his father.
It was probably just his imagination-but he'd sworn Dad had given him a funny look this morning…
Determinedly, stroking the photograph briefly, he shoved all thought of that scary day out of his mind. He could at least have a little careless fun with his friend while he still could…
He wished he could tell Mercedes though, as he watched his diva friend play the rails of clothing like a musical instument. She didn't know it…but she was going to be Auntie Mercedes…
"Anyway, what time's that boyfriend of yours' picking you up?" she asked, turning her head for a second.
"In an hour," Kurt checked his watch.
"So-when are you two getting engaged, then?" Mercedes flicked him playfully, snickering. Kurt responded by pushing her rather forcefully-which just made her laugh more. "Fight it all you like, boy-but I got a feeling…" Then-her attention was suddenly claimed by an item of clothing on the other side of the room, and she dragged Kurt keenly over to inspect it.
A while later, after Kurt had deemed the former shirt hideous, and he would not let Mercedes be seen in it- "Hang on a second!" Without warning-he dashed off deeper into the store.
Mercedes continued sifting through the packed rails, looking for her size. It was normal for Kurt to disappear on a shopping trip. He'd be back in about ten minutes with a whole armful of flamboyant clothing…
So she was immensely surprised when he returned just two minutes later-with a bag of toffee popcorn.
"What?" she asked, miming major shock. "No fifty million outfits? No forcing me to try on the latest McQueen which I can no way in hell afford?"
Kurt did not respond-he was already digging into the popcorn, eating it like he hadn't eaten for days. She frowned.
"I thought you hated toffee popcorn?"
"I know-but oh God, it's been all I can think about for ages! Mmm…" Kurt looked blissful as he consumed it at a rapid, un-dainty way.
"You've quite an appetite for someone who almost cancelled this morning because they were sick," Mercedes commented, still watching him-but he barely seemed aware. Sighing, she went back to a pair of jeans which had caught her eye. Ignored for a bag of sugar-filled crap…so male…
…But so unlike Kurt.
Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him devour popcorn. As she did-her eyes narrowed. Something…something was weird. Now-obviously she wasn't going to say anything to him-he'd hit the roof-but she could have sworn…had Kurt had put on a little weight? Not that you'd notice-hardly anything at all-but a little. Maybe it was just because she spent so much time with him. Or maybe it was his clothes…But something had definitely changed. Kurt was so…so…happy. Of course Mercedes wanted her friend to be happy, after all he'd been though-but he was practically glowing…
Probably Blaine, she thought. God, sometimes she wished she had an amazing boyfriend like Blaine…
Blaine impatiently tore apart the sheet of manuscript paper he'd been working on, and sunk onto the piano, head in hands, and groaned; clashing dreadfully with the uncomfortable dischord he'd created by mashing the keys. Well. It was still a better sound than the music he'd been writing this morning…
He just couldn't concentrate. He was trying to write another song, to add to his growing repertoire of original music-but everything sounded crap. There was no flow to it-the chord sequence seemed to obvious, and the melody weak with no body or feeling. The song was one he'd started a while ago, and it was supposed to present the way a perfect, deserted beach looked at night-but now, that seemed so done. He was having trouble keeping the rhythm and pace, when his mind kept wondering-and, after a full two-hours work-he'd realised he'd been writing it down on the manuscript in the wrong key signature. Swell.
Sighing, he shoved the pile of much-corrected manuscript onto the floor, and looked back at the music stand. On it was one of his other manuscript notebooks, which had fallen open on a page, entitled: Kurt's Song.
He smiled. He'd penned it in the first few weeks of their relationship, to serenade Kurt with on a dusky summer evening-but it had turned into something much more. It was moving, intense-everything he felt for Kurt pouring out onto the keys, soaring in the air in beautiful music.
Honestly, this was the original piano score he was most proud of. But back then, it had just came to him, like a dream, the music writing itself, everything he adored about his boyfriend spilling out of his hands into the piano, like a waterfall…
Without him telling them to, his hands found the shape of the first notes. It began with a simple melody of broken, staccato notes, which slowly became smoother, and more legato and tender, as the piece built. It was fairly slow-but, if he said so himself-wonderful. He caressed the keys, feet pressing lightly on the pedals, as the chords became broken in the bass register as the piece built further, becoming faster, and his right hand took over the simple, but beautiful melody in the higher…Closing his eyes, he was absorbed…this was Kurt's song. When he played it, it was almost like he was here with him. In the intense moments in the music, he could almost feel him…As the piece sped more and more, Blaine was transported. He was flying through the music, heart glowing, as he soared to his perfect world of music and his Kurt…
When it finally ended, Blaine breathed out, slightly out of breath-but his fingers trembled.
Now. Why couldn't he write something like that again?
"Cool music, bro," came a voice from nowhere.
Blaine jumped a mile. "Cooper! Don't do that!"
Chuckling, Cooper slid into the room. He wore a check shirt and jeans with a coffee stain on one of the knees-which Blaine had noticed this morning and hadn't told him. This was most unusual-two weekends at home in just over a month! Cooper was certainly making the most of his "free food"…But it was sort of nice having him around. Made some noise, and conversation at the table, in the usually quiet house…
"Was cool music though," he said, sitting down uninvited on Blaine's bed. "What do you call it?"
Blaine shrugged, not wanting the ridicule that would follow if he disclosed the name.
"So, how's my favourite little hobbit?" he asked, putting his feet up on the bed-to Blaine's annoyance.
"He's good," he said stiffly.
"And what about his Peter Pan-look-alike, suspiciously pale boyfriend?"
Blaine snorted. "What do you mean, suspiciously pale?"
"He does look like Peter Pan,"
"Urm…a little," Blaine laughed guiltily.
"So how is he?" Cooper asked casually.
"He's…great," Blaine smiled, shuffling sheet music into the right order. Cooper sighed, cracking his knuckles and lying back, at the same time managing to crumple Blaine's sheets and knock his pillows awry.
"God, your room is tidy," he commented.
"Well, anything's tidy compared to your pigsty of an apartment," Blaine quipped.
"Well, why don't you bring all your woodland friends and help me clean it up," Cooper mocked, making a stupid face at him. Blaine responded by sharply throwing the cushion from his chair at him, which hit him neatly in the face.
"Woah!" Cooper shot to an upright position, acting like he'd just been shot. "Getting violent, are we, O Small One?"
"Come at me, bro," Blaine snickered, not bothering to look up. He waited, expecting some sort of pillow to come flying at him…
There was a pause.
…Too long…?
"Blaine…?"
All of a sudden-Cooper's voice sounded very different.
Dark. Solemn. Worried.
The same tone it had been that night after the movie, when he'd told Blaine that he thought something funny was going on between him and…
Without breathing, Blaine turned his head, wondering what on Earth had happened.
Cooper was sat up on the bed, pillow in hand…but he hadn't thrown it. He was staring at the empty place on the bed where it had previously been.
But the patch of immaculate, smooth bed sheet-wasn't quite empty.
On the very far side, half of it hanging slightly over the edge of the bed-was a small, square, black and white photograph…
Oh shit! That was his copy of the sonogram photo! He'd been lying in bed looking at it last night-he must have fallen asleep-dropped it-
"Blaine…" Cooper was deadly serious. He looked at Blaine-but there was something else behind his eyes. His tone was almost begging him to contradict him, say he's got it wrong, there's an explanation…
"…Blaine…what is this?"
Hope you enjoyed-please review! :D
SPOILER: One word: Burt.
Xxx
