A/N So sorry this has taken so long! Please forgive me :)

I don't own Glee or the characters

Chapter Twenty

Blaine had been so excited to come back to New York that he hadn't fully thought out what he would do in his spare time. Sitting in the living room of the Bushwick apartment all alone was not what he would call fun. Santana was at work, wherever it was she worked now, a diner as far as he could figure out. Rachel was busy with all her Funny Girl stuff and NYADA, as was Kurt. Blaine was bored. He had very little to do. He was only going to see his new physiotherapist twice a week for an hour, his therapist once a week and Carmen another couple of hours for his tutorials. Kurt had been right. He was going insane as he watched everyone around him doing something as he just sat at home twiddling his thumbs. He had briefly thought about getting a job at the diner with Santana, but he didn't really like the food industry. He didn't think he would make a very good waiter, he would get too frustrated with the customers who were being fussy. Plus Santana always came home smelling a little like burgers. Blaine really did not want that. Even if you could sing at the place when people asked. He didn't tell Santana any of this of course, he didn't want to be mauled to death by one of her Lima Heights bitch glares or be told extremely rude things in Spanish of which he understood more than any of his friends realised.

He had taken to going for long walks in the city. He would take the subway into Manhattan and walk around the parks, Washington Square or Central Park, sometimes taking picnics with him, other times finding somewhere close by to eat. He started people watching, coming up with increasingly more vivid and wild back stories for these people. He was beginning to get tired of this too though. There was only so much his imagination could do. So when he saw the adverts for an animal shelter fund-raiser one weekend in which you could adopt a new pet Blaine jumped at the chance. Anything to get his mind off his dreary life at the moment. A pet might be just what he needed.

Going home to the apartment that day, excited for the first time in the couple of weeks he had been living back in New York he bounded in to find both Kurt and Rachel already home for the day.

"Hey Blaine, have a good day? Physio or therapist?" Kurt asked whilst he made himself a cup of tea in the kitchen. Sidling up to the lean boy and winding his arms around his stomach, Blaine leant his head onto Kurt's back and sighed contentedly.

"Neither. Just walking round the city. There's a fund-raiser for animals in Central Park at the weekend that I thought we could go to? They're trying to adopt as many animals as possible." Blaine asked Kurt hope in his eyes.

"Oh honey, I'm sorry. I said I would help Isabelle out on Saturday. She needs to get the next issue out and she's run out of fresh ideas. Maybe we could have lunch instead?" Blaine's heart sank but he nodded understandingly. The Vogue internship meant a lot to Kurt and Blaine wasn't going to be the one to stand in his way. Kurt loved fashion and that was one of the things that Blaine admired about him. His passion for fashion.

"...Ok. You pick the restaurant." Blaine told his boyfriend quietly, disentangling himself and going to sit in the living room, trying to keep his feelings hidden. Kurt had made prior engagements after all, he couldn't expect him to just drop everything, that wouldn't be fair. He was just going to have to get used to the fact that Kurt had a busy life and Blaine would get to see him as often as he would probably like to. He needed to be mature about this.

Kurt, seeing that Blaine's face had dropped came over to the couch, having made a tea for his guy too. He placed it down on the table and cupped Blaine's knee with his free hand. "Honey, I'm sorry. I know you're finding it hard all of us rushing around doing things whilst you're stuck with nothing to do. I wish I could make things easier for you. Why don't I give you a tour of Vogue on Saturday? It might be fun." Kurt presented his idea to Blaine, hoping to get his mind off of not having a whole lot to do. He had been hesitant at suggesting that Blaine get himself a job, purely so he would have something to do, because Blaine hadn't seemed all that enthused with that idea. Kurt knew he could only help so much, after that Blaine was going to have to figure it out himself. He wasn't going to put his life on hold for anyone, even his wondrous boyfriend.

"It's ok Kurt, I'll see you for lunch then maybe go round the fund-raiser myself." He smiled one of his fake, cheery smiles and Kurt began to feel guilty. They hadn't spent much time together since Blaine had gotten back with them and he had been the one to push this whole marriage thing in the first place, but here they were passing each other like two ships in the night.

"Tell you what, why don't we go and see a movie tonight, just the two of us?" When a set of golden eyes lit up beside him, with a huge smile enveloping Blaine's face, Kurt knew he had said exactly the right thing. "I will even let you pick." He kissed his gorgeous guy on the cheek and watched as Blaine bounced around to get himself ready, all the while looking back and grinning broadly at Kurt. He chuckled to himself, Blaine was so easy to please sometimes, just like a puppy dog.

Kurt gesticulated wildly with his fork in his hand as he told Blaine the tale of what had occurred that morning in Vogue. "...and then he suggested, get this, faux fur panties? Who in their right mind would wear faux fur panties?" He looked across to his boyfriend to garner a response from the boy, who looking like he was daydreaming as he sat with his head in his right hand and looking over at Kurt with his puppy dog affectionate eyes. "Blaine?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah." Kurt placed his fork down on his plate to fold his arms across his chest and raised his eyebrow at Blaine, trying hard to keep a straight face when all he wanted to do was giggle at Blaine's sweetness. "That wasn't the right response, was it?" Blaine winced slightly and Kurt finally gave in and laughed aloud.

"It's ok hon, it's kinda cute when you look at me like I'm the only person in the world." Blaine blushed but batted his eyelids in a way that always sent shivers down Kurt's spine. He swore he was going to give the dark haired boy a treat later on, purely just for being himself.

"Sorry... I love you?" Blaine smiled his one hundred watt smile, his eyes begging forgiveness and Kurt laughed harder. He saw Blaine look briefly at his watch, his face falling slightly when he saw the time. "You should probably be getting back to work. Do you want me to get that for you in a doggy bag?" He pointed to Kurt's half finished salad and the chestnut haired boy nodded in response. No point in it getting wasted.

He reached out to look at Blaine's watch. He wasn't wearing one that day, none of his watches went with his outfit but since there were clocks all over the offices he wasn't worried about not knowing what the time was. He grimaced when he saw the time. He should really have gotten back to the office about ten minutes ago. "Do you mind if I cut and run? It's later than I thought." Blaine shook his head and so Kurt got up, kissing Blaine's temple. "Don't adopt anything Blaine!" Picking his bag up, he rushed out back towards Vogue.

Blaine was walking in between the rows and rows of homeless pets, his heart going out to the lonely looking dogs, and proud cats but when he got to the cage where the kittens were he stopped short. There they were, a group of kittens that had been abandoned throughout the city. Looking down at the cute little balls of fluff, one in particular caught his eye. A tiny silver tabby cat with white socks for paws was mewling up at him with golden eyes not unlike his own. He fell hard for the big, innocent eyes and soft miaows, so much so that he couldn't help but pick up the little fella.

"Hey there, aren't you beautiful, hmm?" Scratching his neck he heard a soft purring coming out from the kitten, which moved it's head back to lick his hand in thanks. "Oh jeez..." Blaine couldn't help but look down at the pretty, little kitten and feel his heart strings get pulled. He was going to have to get the kitten, no matter what anyone else said. It was way too cute for it's own good. He went across to talk to one of the people who worked at the animal centre so that he could adopt him.

"Guess we had better come up with a name for you then, hadn't we little man?" He told the kitten who mewled an affirmative response.

Santana had had a long day. Rachel had decided that to expand her experiences and become a more well rounded person she needed to get a job. So she had gotten a job at the diner where Santana now worked. It was more than enough to spend time with Rachel at home, but at work too? It was getting old fast, and Rachel just wouldn't shut the hell up. Ever. It was all, yap, yap, yap. Funny Girl this and Funny Girl that. Leaving work and Rachel had been the best part of today. So when she got home to the smell of lasagne in the oven and a waiting, curly haired guy with what appeared to be the worlds cutest kitten on top of him, playing with it and giggling at the cats antics, Santana couldn't help but smile. Blaine was such a sweetie, cooking for them all. She was so glad he was home. He was the only sane one in the apartment.

"Hey BB, who's this?" Santana came up to stroke the petite, silver fluff ball on Blaine's stomach. Smiling up at her he picked up the kitten and placed it into her lap where she started stroking the purring the tabby cat.

"This is Pietro. Say hello Pietro." Santana raised her eyebrow at the name. She had no idea what possessed Blaine to call the cat that but she knew better then to ask.

"I don't want to know why you've called him that, do I?" She questioned him and all Blaine did was smile in response. He stood and stretched, leaving the two of them to get to know one another as he wandered over to the kitchen to get the dinner ready. "Well, itty-bitty one if you want someone awesome to look after you, just find me. I'll take real good care of you, you gorgeous little thing you."

Kurt was salivating from the smell as he pulled the door to the apartment open. "Wow, what is that amazing smell?" Stopping short he took in the scene in front of him. There was Santana and Blaine playing with a tiny kitten and laughing at it as it ran around after the length of string they were dangling in front of it. "Um, what's that? What did I say to you Blaine?"

"This is Pietro. Say hello Pietro!" Blaine called out in his cutesy voice, cuddling the kitten up to him and ignoring Kurt's small glare at the fact that he had bought an animal home with him, even though Kurt had told him not to.

"Tell me you didn't adopt a kitten Blaine." Kurt replied deadpan. He had had enough to deal with today, he really didn't need a new pet too. "And what's with the name? It's not really a cat name, is it?" He dumped his bag on the single seat and rubbed his face tiredly. He couldn't deny that the small, golden eyes looking up at him from the miaowing cat didn't melt him a little. Alright, a lot. He was very, very precious.

"Um... Well Pietro Maximoff is Quicksilver and this little guys kinda fast so..." Blaine teetered out when he saw the blank looks on his friends faces, looking slightly abashed as he scratched the back of his head and chuckled nervously.

"Oh dear Lord Blaine. That isn't one of those comic book heroes?" Kurt inquired, exasperated. He had no idea why Blaine liked those silly stories, but each to their own he guessed. But naming your cat after one of them?

"...Maybe." Blaine sheepishly replied chewing his lower lip.

Santana's head moved from one boy to the other as she felt the slight tension escalate in the room. Personally she thought all those superheroes were complete nonsense, but Blaine was her bestie out here and she would stick by him no matter what. Plus she had heard cats called far worse names. "Well, I like it, and Pietro too. And you love us too, don't you Pietro? Yes you do!" She played with the cat, who tried to cling to her finger with his minuscule claws, hoping that that had put Kurt in his place. It was Blaine's cat after all, he could call it whatever he wanted.

Kurt sighed, not wanting to fight at all. It looked like Pietro was going to be part of the family and if that's what it took to put a beautiful smile on Blaine's face who was he to say no. Even if he thought that the cat's name was weird. "Fine, we'll keep the damn cat, but you're feeding it."

"Yay! Thank you!" Kurt couldn't help a big grin erupt on his face as the smaller boy leapt into his arms, hugging him tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"I suppose he is kinda cute, like his owner..." Kurt kissed Blaine chastely on his lips, smiling down at the cheerful boy in his arms. It looked like there was another addition to the apartment.

Four days later Blaine had decided to go into the city to buy some more cat food since Pietro was loving the stuff that he had bought him on Saturday and supplies of it were now getting dangerously low. Whilst in the pet store he couldn't resist the cute little basket for his new little fella to sleep in and a cuddly mouse for him to snuggle at night. He knew he was spoiling the cat a lot but he couldn't help it. He was very cute and he had fallen for him hook, line and sinker. Walking back to the tube station he walked through some of the streets he hadn't had a chance to explore as of yet. On the corner of one such streets he spotted a comic book store tucked away, it's green painted outer walls dull and peeling. Shrugging Blaine decided he would have a quick look inside, what would be the harm in that?

Browsing, he jumped when he heard a voice behind him. "Hi. Looking for anything in particular?" A man who looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties with a mousy brown, curly mop of hair on his head, a green lantern T shirt on that stretched over his ample stomach and black rimmed glasses looked on politely at Blaine, who looked to be his only customer besides the two geeky looking teens that were clearly skiving school to play some sort of board game.

"Oh no, just browsing." Picking up an X-men graphic novel he briefly wondered whether Kurt would bother to read it so he would know who Quicksilver actually was. Probably not, but he thought he would buy it anyway, just in case. After all he managed to get him to watch the Avengers movie so why not read one graphic novel? Going up to the counter he spotted a sign on the front of the tills saying that they were hiring. Wow, this would be an awesome job! I'd get to read comics all day. Sam would be so jealous!

Placing his items on the desk he pointed to the sign in front of the till. "You're hiring?" He questioned the man behind it.

A surprised looking face appeared on the man as though it was a shock that anyone was asking, let alone someone that looked like Blaine. "Yeah, you interested?" Blaine shrugged. He didn't want it if it was full time, since he couldn't due to his prior commitments, but if it was part time and the hours were ok he was seriously thinking it might be a good idea. He was getting very antsy at home, even with the addition of Pietro. Getting his own job might put him at ease a little. Especially if it was a job with very little lifting involved and a chance to read to his inner geeks delight.

"Maybe, what sort of hours is it?"

"Well, it's only part time and I can work around your schedule if you're a student." The guy seemed to practically jump onto Blaine's 'maybe' like Pietro pounced on a ball of wool. This shop owner was clearly desperate. "My last employee went home because of family troubles and I haven't found anyone since."

"Really? That would be amazing!" Blaine smiled brightly at the man, who chuckled nervously and adjusted his glasses. His normal customers were obviously not at all like Blaine. That was probably a good thing though from what he saw...

"Great. You're the only person whose been vaguely interested and I've had this up for weeks. Could you come in tomorrow and I'll give you a trial run for the day? Ten in the morning sound good to you?"

"Sure, that'd be great!" Blaine handed the money he owed over and the store owner cashed it up. When Blaine left he had a skip in his step. He had managed to get himself a job with very little effort at all and one he thought he would very much enjoy.

Kurt was sitting on his and Blaine's shared bed, the comic that Blaine had given him open and on his lap, staring astounded at his boyfriend. "You've got a job at a comic book store? Seriously Blaine?" He waved the comic he had dutifully started reading for Blaine's benefit at the boy and gave him a quizzical look. Did Blaine really like these things that much?

"What's wrong with comic books?" Blaine asked, his face falling, his golden puppy dog eyes getting larger as he heard Kurt's slightly derisive tone. Kurt shook his head and sighed deeply.

"Nothing. If that's what yo want to do, by all means go ahead. I love you even if you are a big dork."

"Aww, I love you too." Blaine leant over, grabbing the as yet mostly unread comic, dumping it on the ground and kissed him deeply and sensuously. Kurt twisted under Blaine, flicking the light out and leant up to kiss Blaine once again.