A/N: OMG! You guys are just so amazing! Thank you for all the reviews, alerts and favourites and I am incredibly flattered with all the positive responses. I have a major announcement at the end of this chapter so read on.
Thank you MrsDarrenCriss3, JGgirl, 08trekker, Rori Potter, ZazaisObsessed, angelalexandra, Ika Criss-Colfer Abdullah, KlaineLover79, cmwebb67, xWishingDust, rockonsunshine73, FlawlessKlaine, Klaine forever and ever 3, hanz and le american for reviewing! I had to laugh when someone PM'd me and called me the "King of Cliffhangers"!
This chapter is dedicated to KlaineLover79 and by the way, I'm incredibly touched that you actually want to work with me! Well thank you for that and you should PM if you have any idea haha. That's awfully sweet of you =D
Chapter 26:: Missing Puzzle Piece
"What the hell are you doing here?" Cooper Anderson growled, his rage had only just begun as his horrified eyes settled on the one woman who made Blaine's life miserable.
"I'm your mother, Cooper. I came to see you and Blaine—" the tall woman tried to brush off Coop's evident mad tone since she knew that she 100% deserved that but the older son stood up from his seat and he shook his head defiantly.
"Leave," he pointed a determined finger towards the elevator but Katherine Anderson only sighed in return. "Now."
While he was already fuming to the maximum on the inside, Cooper somehow felt so proud of himself at that moment. He was finally taking matters in his own hands since he wasn't always able to defend Blaine when their parents frowned upon his sexuality and now that he was much older, Cooper would do anything to protect his dear brother.
"Now now, darling let's just talk about this—" Katherine attempted a negotiation tactic but Coop wasn't having that.
"There is nothing to discuss," the blue-eyed man told her. "Mother."
Katherine winced at her older son's biting tone. She had never seen him so angry and livid in her life and she chose to not defend herself, knowing that this was all her fault in the first place. Looking back to when Cooper and Blaine were still in high school, Katherine harboured so much guilt in her heart when she couldn't defend Blaine when the latter had finally come out of the closet. Her then-husband, Matthew Anderson was actually the homophobic one in the family. He was the Bible-obsessed one who immediately lost all respect for Blaine when he came out.
In complete honesty, Katherine was supportive of Blaine's sexuality but she was deathly afraid of how Matthew would react had she just went out to welcome Blaine in open arms.
Which was why she would just stand to the side whenever Matthew yelled at Blaine. Something that she regretted for the rest of her life.
Coupled with his mass alcohol consumption and erratic behaviour, Matthew was famously known for coming home drunk many nights and he quickly sparked arguments with his wife all the time. When Cooper graduated with a law degree from Harvard, the elder had just a lot of money to provide a roof for Blaine and himself and so he took Blaine with him to New York.
Away from their father, away from the homophobia and away from Ohio. For good.
Katherine was heartbroken when her husband didn't give a damn about their departures that she filed for a divorce. Five years go. And ever since then, she's remained single and she moved out to live in Brooklyn.
And when she just so happened to be watching the Grammy Awards on her TV a few hours ago, she almost had a heart attack when she saw Blaine jump in front of Kurt Hummel.
And now here she was, desperate to make it up to her two beloved sons for not standing up for them back in the day when she should have.
"I just want to make things right," she muttered, her eyes cast down to her high heels. Cooper's poisonous glare was just too much to bear.
"And it took you five whole years to finally try to make things right," Coop hissed at her, at an utter disbelief that of all days, his mother would choose today to reconcile with them.
No way am I letting her get near Blaine. Especially since he just found Kurt in his life.
"Please, I was wrong to not defend you guys when your father didn't like it when Blaine told us that he was..." she trailed off, pausing to try to get rid of the image of Matthew's face out of her mind.
"He was what?" Coop's jaw tightened, his defensive-older-brother persona kicking in. "He's gay, Mom. And you never accepted him—"
"I wanted to but your father threatened to hurt me if I ever accepted Blaine for he was!" She cried out, her eyes bugging out when she realized that that piece of information was not supposed to be heard by anyone at all.
Cooper felt his heart skip a beat. "Dad threatened you?" his voice now low and concerned, directly contrasting from his former enraged tone.
"Yeah," she breathed, nodding her head lightly as she swallowed.
"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Cooper asked, his heart pained for his mom. His dear old mom who brought him and Blaine to this world. The one woman who raised him and fed him and grew up with him. How could Dad do that to her?
"I was afraid that you'd never want to speak to me again," she admitted under her breath. "I'm the worst mom on Earth..."
"No, you're not." Coop stepped forward to pull his mom into a tight bear hug. "You actually still loved Blaine for who he was and that shows how much of a good mom you really are."
Katherine sighed into the hug. Oh how long had she dreamed of this to happen. To be caught in a tight hug by her elder son. And she could only hope that both her sons can forgive her.
"I should've stood up for you guys," she wiped a lone tear from her cheek, unable to hold her emotions together. "And I left your father."
Coop gaped at her, "You did?"
"Right after you and Blaine left us. I filed for divorce and I never saw your father again. Too much memories that it hurt," she confessed wholeheartedly.
"Squirt really needed you to tell him that you love him back then," Cooper felt his heart ache at the image of a depressed Blaine. "He was so hurt when you and Dad rejected him that I had to be there to pick up the pieces."
"I still love you two," Katherine declared. "No matter what, I'm your mother and it's my duty to love you guys unconditionally. Gosh, I screwed up big time." She hesitated before asking, "Can you forgive me?"
Cooper sighed, "I'll get there. Just not now, Blaine's still in his coma and I'm scared that I'm gonna lose him."
"I understand," Katherine nodded. They need more time. "Can I see him? I haven't seen my dear little boy in five years..."
The blue-eyed man had to let out a little gasp there, at an utter loss that her mom and Blaine had zero contact after all this time. "He's in there," he pointed at the room with Blaine's name tag on it. "Kurt's still inside by the way."
Katherine looked at him, bewildered. "Wait, Kurt? As in the Kurt Hummel."
"Yup," Cooper smiled at his mother.
"Oh lord, how do I look?" Katherine was about to fish out her makeup kit from her purse when Cooper pressed a gentle hand over his mother's, stopping her and causing her to look up at him in confusion.
"You look beautiful," he complimented her, causing the 42-year old woman to manage a blush. "Come on, I'll walk you."
Katherine nodded and followed his son to the room, her heart thumping so fast she thought her chest was about to just burst. She was about to meet Blaine. The son whom she has never seen in five years and she took a deep breath.
Calm down, Kath. She told herself. It's going to be fine. Deep breaths, there you go.
Meanwhile...
Blaine frowned when he heard the clanking of heels enter the room and looking up from his position on the bed, he almost died there and then when he saw her.
As if on reflex, flashes of images of his parents not accepting on that night when he came out flooded into his brain and he winced when he remembered those heart-stabbing words his father used to say back then.
You're not my son anymore. You're nothing. And no one will ever accept you because you're worthless.
From his seat beside the bed, Kurt could sense the tension in Blaine's body as he felt his boyfriend suddenly tremble and when he followed Blaine's gaze, his eyes fell upon perhaps one of the most elegantly-dressed women of the night. Kurt frowned when Cooper, who had been walking beside his mother, made a get-up-and-come-with-me hand gesture.
Standing up in confusion, Kurt refused to let go of Blaine's hand and he stood by his hospitalized boyfriend. "Um, not to be rude, but who are you?"
The question made the woman's eyebrows arch, "Oh! I'm Katherine Anderson, Blaine and Cooper's mother."
Kurt paled. He perfectly knew well how Blaine had described his parents. Particularly his father. And he knew that he had to leave the family house in Ohio with Cooper to New York after being rejected for his sexuality.
Immediately, Kurt's defensive attitude flared up and he squeezed Blaine's hand.
"Oh my God," Blaine breathed in awe. Here she was. After five whole years, she was standing right in front of his bed. Just a few feet away. He frowned when he noticed that Cooper wasn't intervening or telling his mom to leave. "What's going on here?"
"I've been meaning to talk to you, sweetie." Katherine cautiously proceeded, hoping to not enrage her younger son whilst feeling her heart wrench at how injured Blaine looked there before her. "It's really important."
"Kurt, can you come outside with me?" Cooper held out a hand to beckon the singer and Kurt, feeling extremely awkward as the only non-Anderson in the room, quickly looked down at his lover and he bit his lip.
"I think you two could use some privacy," Kurt whispered, exhaling deeply when Blaine showcased his poor kicked puppy dog eyes. "Just trust me, okay?"
Kurt was basically only doing this because of how he and David Karofsky have turned out too. After years of negligence and ignoring, the two men finally met up and after a long talk, Kurt forgave him for all the horrible things he used to do back at McKinley. David had said that he was extremely troubled and confused with his sexuality and he was just jealous of how Kurt could prance around in school and show to the world that he was gay. David couldn't do that. He was in the football team, he was a jock and he was surrounded by greatly homophobic assholes. It'd be social suicide had he came out then.
Which was why the countertenor was hoping that Blaine could do the same with his mother. A chance at reconciliation and a chance at rebonding as a family.
But deep down, Kurt knew that he would have to tell Blaine about his and David's newly-found friendship since Kurt had previously told him of all the horrific things David had done to him back in high school. And the look of rage on Blaine's face when he confessed about his high school experience told Kurt that it would be a challenge to convince his boyfriend that David was okay now.
Better tell him that David's got a husband now too, Kurt mused inside.
"I'll be outside, honey." Kurt reassured him, squeezing his lover's hand as tight as he could. But just as he was about to join Cooper outside, Blaine weakly pulled Kurt's hand up to his lips to kiss his knuckles, mentally reducing the singer into the world of blush.
"I love you," Blaine remarked, his eyes staring straight at Kurt's and the singer smiled.
"Love you too," he returned his affections before finally letting go.
Katherine watched in awe at the brief kiss, inadvertently bringing back memories of her when she was a teenager during a time when the Internet hadn't existed and the Cold War was just a distant memory. She remembered how much of a hopeless romantic Matthew used to be when they were dating and she sighed. When did things go wrong?
"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Anderson." Kurt extended a dapper hand which Katherine eagerly shook. I'm shaking hands with Kurt. Freaking. Hummel!
"Pleasure to meet you too, Mr Hummel." She all but swooned and Cooper rolled his eyes.
As Kurt blew an air kiss to Blaine before being literally pulled out of the room by Cooper, Blaine couldn't resist but chuckle at how his older brother was acting like a five year old. And then the smile died down when he realized that he was all alone in his room now. Completely helpless and vulnerable. And in the same room as his mother. Something that hasn't occurred in half a decade.
Is there a Guinness World Record for this? Blaine randomly thought.
"Hello, son." Victoria began, her voice shaky as her nerves got the better of her.
"Hi," Blaine strained to say the next word. "Mom."
Katherine shifted towards her son, exhaling deeply at his broken state. "I came to apologize. For not being the mom you deserve to have when you came out."
Blaine gulped, "I—"
"Look, let me just put it all out in the open, okay?" Kath insisted. When Blaine gave a slight nod, she took it as a yes. "Um, I don't know where to begin..."
The bodyguard creased an acute triangular eyebrow, "How about when I came out and you not accepting me with open arms?"
The venomous bite on Blaine's tone made Katherine look down in shame, "I deserve that. And I—"
"I needed my mom!" Blaine suddenly exploded, his hands now balled into hard, untamed fists. "I needed you and you pushed me away. How could you? I thought that you would still love me but I guess you didn't—"
"I did love you—no, I still love you. I never stopped loving you as my son, sweetie." She cut in, trying her best to stay grounded and not break down in tears. She had to do this. She'd been waiting five years to do this and she wasn't about to run off. This was between her and her son. "You need to know that I still love you even though you came out and told me that you were—"
"What, a faggot?" Blaine cursed at her, tears now filling up his hazel eyes. God, he hated that word. And he hated it even more when his father used it against him. "I don't believe you."
"Please, I'm trying to make things right now." Katherine knelt down so that her head was level with Blaine's lying state. "I know that what I did was wrong and unfair but your father—"
"Wow, putting the blame on Dad, huh? Really smooth," Blaine looked away, the sight of her begging mother was too much for him.
"Son—"
"I'M NOT YOUR SON!" Blaine screeched. He had finally reached his boiling point and come to think of it, this was actually the first time he could actually tell his mother his true feelings. With his dad beside her all the time back then, Blaine couldn't just lash out to her. And now that he could, there was no stopping now. "And you have no right to barge into my life out of nowhere because you're no longer a part of my life."
Katherine trembled after Blaine's yell. She had never seen Blaine this angry before and it was all her fault. "I couldn't do it." She shook her head as more tears escaped. "Your father threatened me and he said that he would hurt me if I ever accepted you."
Suddenly, the passion and rage in Blaine's heart dissipated and he stared at his mother in shock. "Dad threatened to hurt you?"
This is going to be a very long talk, Katherine inwardly remarked before taking the time to explain everything. And as she poured her heart out to her beloved son, she couldn't help but be so glad when Blaine started to nod in understanding.
"Wow," Blaine said, fidgeting with his own hands as he soaked it all in. Dad was willing to hurt Mom because of my sexuality? What an asshole!
"I know," Katherine tried a faint smile; at least her son wasn't screeching at her to leave. That's a huge step forward, right? "And I should have fought for you and Coop because I'm your mother. That's what mothers do: we love you as our children unconditionally, no matter what."
The bodyguard attempted to resist but he had to shed a small tear there. Just a few minutes ago, he hated his mom with a burning, fiery passion but now, after Katherine's dark revelation, he was filled with sympathy and guilt.
"Why?"
The breathy, soft whisper was just barely loud enough for his mother to hear beside him and Katherine frowned. "What?"
"Why didn't you tell me and Coop?" Blaine elaborated. "We could have done something about it..."
"I was just a coward. I was too afraid to go against your father because as you know, he was so..." She paused to find the right word. "I don't know. Ever since you and Coop entered our lives, your father suddenly changed into a completely different person. He wasn't the same man who took my breath away and swept me off my feet back in the day. I've always had a feeling that he never wanted children."
Blaine exhaled, "I'm so sorry, Mom. You must have felt so lonely when me and Coop left Ohio for New York right after Coop's graduation from college."
Katherine looked up in surprise. "You called me Mom."
Blaine ducked with a smile. "Now that you've told me everything, I realize now that you've always been."
The brunette woman's lower lip quivered in response, her emotions suddenly taking over and oh how long had she been waiting for this day. To be with her two sons. Together. As a family.
"Can you forgive me?" she bit her lip. Cooper said that he needed more time to 100% welcome her back into his arms and so, it was evident that Blaine would need more time as well.
Blaine hesitated.
Should I just throw all the hate away and forgive her after all these years?
"I forgive you," he looked straight into his mother's eyes and Katherine gasped.
"Really?" she breathed, stunned nonetheless.
"I just want my mom back," Blaine tearfully confessed and he and his mother enveloped each other into a tight, bone-crushing hug. They let out a choked laughter in unison, not believing that this was happening and once they pulled back, Katherine sighed in content.
"I love you, son."
"I love you too, mom."
Two months later...
Two months. Ever since that fateful night, lots of things have changed in both of Kurt and Blaine's lives. Blaine and Cooper were finally able to sympathize with their mother and they forgave her. Katherine had been so happy when her two children pulled her into a tight family hug. Something that she so desperately missed after all this time. Now living in Brooklyn by herself, Katherine was so proud that Blaine and Cooper have still remained close and all three Andersons tried to meet up every once in a while to catch up.
The thing is that Cooper had to fly back to Los Angeles after his two-week off-work break expired and he was quick to return to his workplace at the law firm he was in. He did feel bad for leaving Blaine and his mom behind but all three pledged to make regular Skype calls every once in a while and henceforth, the family of three grew closer than ever before.
Kurt and Blaine tried their best to avoid the tabloids and press that were still going on and on about what Blaine did that night to the point that Rachel had to step up again to tell the reporters outside Kurt's mansion that he was in no mood for an interview whatsoever.
Blaine had been so touched when all his Warbler friends came down to visit him in the hospital too and he watched in awe from his bed—with Kurt by his side—as his dear old friends performed an a cappella rendition of the classic Beatles song I Want to Hold Your Hand. All the Warblers had to gasp altogether when Blaine finally came out to tell them that he and Kurt were dating although Nick, Jeff, Wes and David already knew it. Blaine was scheduled to be released three weeks after the night he was shot but when he returned to Kurt's mansion to be with him, the doctors had warned that he was still too weak to perform certain everyday tasks.
And one of those tasks included sex.
Kurt was frustrated to no end that he and Blaine couldn't make proper love anytime soon and so he busied himself by helping Blaine move all his furniture and belongings from his old house and into the singer's mansion—with the help of Katherine, the Warblers, some of the New Directions and even Cooper when he'd flown in for a surprise visit. After a week of strenuous furniture transporting, Blaine had officially moved in with Kurt and now, both lovers shared the same bedroom together, both ecstatic that this was really happening.
They could finally be together now. No more obstacles to stop them from being apart anymore.
And both Kurt and Blaine really cherished that.
In the end, Wes, David and Cooper (who now still lives in his dear LA apartment) had moved out from the mansion. Finn also returned from the hospital, much to Rachel's delight but unlike Finn, Blaine had to use a wheelchair for the next month. His gunshot wounds had just merely missed his spinal cord—something that both made Kurt and Blaine sigh in relief—but the swelling was still prevalent and so, Blaine was advised to utilize a wheelchair. In response, Kurt had an elevator installed in the mansion so that Blaine was able to go upstairs where their bedroom was and deep inside, Kurt was already planning on luring Blaine into the elevator and then jumping on him and having hot, bare sex in it once Blaine was stronger.
At first, Kurt was obliged whenever Blaine had to ask for help in many everyday things such as to reach up for something in a kitchen cabinet or to help lay him in bed since he still couldn't walk (and whenever he wanted to, he could actually walk but he was explicitly told to use a cane to help him travel from one place to another). Now this frustrated Blaine. Furthermore, Kurt was already seeing this as a game as he would deny giving him what he desired and Blaine couldn't really chase after him with his wheelchair in the end.
"Kurt?"
The soft voice immediately made Kurt's heart leap, "What is it, baby?"
The two lovers were now in the study room, a bespectacled Kurt lounging on the loveseat with Nicholas Sparks' The Notebook in his hands while the former bodyguard was just a few feet away from him, setting the GQ magazine aside on the table. He wheeled himself forward so that he could stare at his boyfriend's deep blue eyes properly and Kurt perked up with a concerned expression.
"I was just thinking..." the hazel-eyed man began, clearing his throat as the nerves got the better of him. "Since I resigned from my career as a bodyguard, I've been looking around for other jobs and I came across something that really interested me."
Kurt arched an eyebrow, "What is it?"
"You know that I was the lead singer of the Warblers back at Dalton, right?"
Lead singer. Dalton. What is he implying? "Yeah, those dark blue blazers you and your friends wore were pretty memorable." He mused and Blaine chuckled.
"Well, I just had a random thought when I came across this job offer and I... I—"
"Blaine, you can tell me anything, okay?" Kurt set his glasses on a side table and he reached to place a gentle hand on Blaine's, their interlocked fingers resting on the wheelchair-bound man's lap. He could sense the nervousness in Blaine's tone and he was just wondering why he was having a hard time telling him what he wanted to say.
"I know," Blaine looked down and he sighed. "I want to be the new director of the elementary school's show choir."
Kurt's mouth dropped. He wasn't shocked at what Blaine had just said; he was shocked as his brain automatically generated mental images of Blaine being around little children and teaching them the basics about music reading.
Blaine? A teacher? Oh my Gaga, somebody give me CPR cuz I think that's the cutest thing I've ever imagined!
"You think it's a bad idea, don't you?" Blaine cocked his head, his shoulders sagging at the frozen expression on his lover's astonished face. "I knew it, how could a bodyguard who shoots stalkers and criminals be around kids and be a teacher—"
"Blaine, I think that's a great idea!" Kurt grinned.
"You-you really think so?" The former bodyguard looked up, his heart beating so fast that he could have a heart attack any second now.
"Yeah," Kurt nodded eagerly. "You always told me that before you became a bodyguard, you've always wanted to be a music teacher. Do you remember that? Well, now you can live that dream, sweetie! You can help educate the future generation!"
Blaine had to laugh at Kurt's overexcited tone and he smiled at him. "Well, I'm still healing and the doctors said that I can walk in a week or so. The job interview's next week too and it may be coincidence but I think it's fate!"
Kurt broke down into hysterical laughter. "You should go for it, Blaine. You're always so passionate about music and oh," he moaned. "Imagine you being surrounded by little children? So freaking adorable!"
Blaine ducked with a massive blush, "I'm glad that you're supporting me with this."
"I'll always support you, pumpkin." Kurt purred, rubbing his thumb on the back of Blaine's hand. "Unless you decide to be a terrorist, then that's when I, as your boyfriend, have to draw the line."
Blaine laughed, "Everything's just so perfect now. I get to live with you and I'm getting out of this stupid wheelchair next week. I might even get this job and ugh, if only I can walk now, I'd be carrying you in my arms bridal-style and I'd make love to you in bed all day."
Kurt bit his lip, "Not to sound stupid but I have to admit, you look so cute in a wheelchair!"
Blaine gave him a bewildered look, "Seriously? I can't even walk or climb up the stairs. I have to use the elevator to go upstairs and it just sucks that I can't do anything around here—"
"Just one more week," Kurt told him, content that his boyfriend was getting better and stronger everyday. "Then, I'll make proper love to you. I want to thank you for everything you've done for me and even for us. You're everything to me, Lonely Boy."
Blaine could only smile in return, his heart going insane at the old nickname Kurt had given to him early on in their then-non-existent relationship.
Two weeks later...
"I got the job!" Blaine walked into the living room, his face now on the verge of getting split into half by his extremely wide grin. "You're looking at the new music teacher of Sunset Valley Elementary Schoo—"
"Blaine, I'm so happy for you!" The singer bolted from his position on the sofa, the television encore of Shrek 2 now long forgotten. He ran up to Blaine and pulled him into a long, passionate kiss, causing both men to moan helplessly into the sudden display of affection. "I knew you'd get the job! I love you so much!"
"Mmm, I love you too." Blaine breathed in content. "I start on Monday."
"Wait a second, you said teacher, not director." Kurt pulled back from the kiss. "Did you—"
"Turns out that one of the school's Music Theory teachers had just retired and when they saw me, they just decided to give me the job. So, I won't be the glee club's director for now but still..."
"I'm so proud of you, baby!" Kurt all but squealed and he pulled him into a tight bear hug. "I'm taking you out for dinner."
Blaine's heart jumped. This was just what he needed. Spending the night out in the Big Apple with the love of his life and he couldn't wait to tell more about his new job to Kurt over dinner.
"I made a reservation at Pavarotti Italiano for just the two of us tonight and I'm driving," Kurt told him, already on his feet to grab his pea coat and Tommy Hilfiger scarf.
"Whoa whoa, wait a minute!" Blaine stopped the hurried singer in his tracks. "That's Nick and Jeff's restaurant!"
"So? As much as I know that you find those two lovebirds annoying as hell, that was where we had our first date, remember?" Kurt exclaimed, already buttoning his coat on and Blaine sighed.
"Of course, I remember." He smiled when memories of their first date flashed into his mind. And it also happened to be the same night when he and Kurt made love for the first time. "When should we be there?"
"In half an hour," Kurt informed him. "Which means that we need to go now."
"Alright, I'll meet you in the car." Blaine told him and after a slight nod, Kurt left to exit the front lobby and the moment the countertenor left the living room, Santana, Rachel, Brittany and Finn sprang out from the corner with excited grins.
"Are you gonna ask him tonight?" Rachel questioned, her bright wide sunshine smile partially annoying Santana's eyes beside her.
"Yes, I've been waiting for this night for months now and I'm going to do it." Blaine responded nonchalantly. "I'm going to ask him to marry me."
"BLAINEY!" Brittany squealed and she ran up to the almost-deaf man and enveloped him in an oxygen-deprived hug. "He's so gonna say yes!"
"Yeah, dude. You two deserve to be happy together and I think that you and Kurt are perfect for each other." Finn stepped forward with his arm snaked around Rachel's waist. "When you and Kurt get married, like me, Rach, Santana and Brit, you'll be so happy that you get to spend the rest of your life with your soulmate."
Rachel looked up at her husband, a stray tear forming as she remembered the day she and Finn got married. "Good luck, Blaine." She focused her attention on Blaine again and she smiled, "After everything you and Kurt have been through together, it's time for you to take that next step with him."
"Thanks, you guys." Blaine's cheeks were burning red now. "I'm just so nervous—"
"Listen to me, bowtie whore." Santana cut in, her sudden nickname for Blaine made the man peer down at his own purple bowtie self-consciously and everyone else's eyebrows in the room shoot up through the roof. "It's going to be okay. Kurt can never say no to you. I'm sure that he really loves you that he's willing to spend the rest of his life with you too. You two love each other so much that it makes me sick."
Blaine rolled his eyes. Classic Satan right there. "Alright, I better go now. Kurt's probably freezing out in the cold now and I think that it'd be rude to make him suffer when I want to propose to him on the same night."
Rachel chuckled, "Go, Blaine." She stepped forward to pull him into a touching hug. "You deserve to be loved and Kurt's waiting for you."
"Okay," Blaine nodded as he pulled back. "I'll see you guys then."
As his friends waved him off, the nerves were rapidly building up inside Blaine as he stepped out into the dark winter night, his face spreading into a small smile as minute snowflakes rained everywhere around him. He looked down and he saw his boyfriend, leaning against his Audi with his arms crossed, waiting patiently for him.
"Sorry, I took so long." Blaine apologized as he neared his lover.
Kurt had to take a moment to take a deep breath when his blue eyes rested on the angel before him. He loved how the snowflakes were gently falling on Blaine's tan olive cheeks, how the dark night helped emphasize the man's lips and he definitely loved it when Blaine placed a hand on his cheek before pulling him in for a gentle kiss under the snow.
"It's okay. Besides, it's pretty nice out here in the snow." Kurt waved him off, glad that his thick scarf was preventing the snow from entering his coat.
Blaine held out a hand, still as dapper as he was. "Shall we?"
And Kurt took it, "We shall."
...
"KURT! BLAINE! You're here!" Nick gasped with wide eyes as he watched the two lovers enter his restaurant, finding it rather cute of them as they busily shrugged off the snow that had been building up on their winter coats.
"Nick, why do you act like we're coming here out of nowhere? I made a reservation remember?" Kurt deadpanned, making Blaine chuckle beside him.
"Ignoring that," Nick held up a finger in defiance before looking down to confirm their reservation. "Come follow me this way," the man professionally said as he led them back to their private dining room—the same room Kurt and Blaine had been in the last time they were here. On their first date.
"So, Blaine. I see that you're out of your wheelchair now. How're you feeling?"
The brunette couldn't help but feel concerned for his best friend as Kurt and Blaine took off their coats and settled themselves down onto their comfortable leather seats.
"I'm better now, Nick. Thanks for asking," Blaine replied before rolling his eyes when Nick took out and set a match up in order to light up the two candles at the centre of their table.
"Nah-ah ah, now that I know that you two are officially dating, having cheesy, romantic lit-up candles is okay." Nick defended himself when Blaine gave him an are-you-freaking-kidding-me-right-now look.
"Nick—" Blaine warned.
"It's fine, Blaine." Kurt cut in. "Where's Jeff, by the way?" he looked up at Nick who was smirking at Blaine and the former bodyguard was surprised that Kurt took Nick's side for once.
"Oh he's coming in right about..." he peered at his Rolex wristwatch, mentally counting 1, 2, 3 and now. "Now."
As if on cue, a blonde man appeared, dressed in the same waiter attire as Nick and he wrapped an affectionate arm around his husband's waist before pulling him in to plant a gentle kiss on his neck, causing the waiter to blush profusely.
"Hey, guys!" Jeff smiled warmly at Kurt and Blaine before him; he had already suspected that something was going on between these two lovebirds when they had apparently come into his restaurant for their first date all those months ago and he practically commended himself for having such an awesome gaydar.
Unlike his constantly overexcited husband in his arms, Jeff was known by his peers to be the more reserved and well-mannered one in the marriage. Jeff was always there to keep Nick grounded and he had to hold him in his arms when the Warblers had lost in Regionals to the New Directions in their junior and senior years and that was when he and Nick actually started dating. Jeff could still remember that night when an emotional and weeping Nick trembled in his arms and while he was struggling to comfort the brunette beside him, Jeff accidentally blurted out that he has feelings for him.
And the way Nick's bright eyes slowly looked up to stare at him in astonishment was probably the most memorable highlight of Jeff's days at Dalton.
The blonde and the brunette instantly became an item, much to Wes and David's delight and Sebastian's annoyance then and Jeff remembered how he had pluck up enough courage to finally ask Nick out on a date.
Five years later and now they are madly in love, happily married and the proud owners of a very successful Italian restaurant in the Big Apple. It had always been Nick's dream to open his own restaurant in the city and leave Ohio altogether and Jeff was more than eager to follow his husband's dream too.
In secret, Blaine had always been jealous of Nick and Jeff's relationship and eventual marriage since their Dalton days because he had always felt so alone. Sebastian had, for a while, wanted to pursue him but the dapper Warbler kindly rejected his advances. He perfectly knew well of Sebastian's reputation as a student who easily got the attention of countless of other blinded-by-his-looks guys at Dalton and Blaine didn't want a man like Sebastian.
Then he met Kurt.
"How's it going, Jeffy?" Blaine smiled, smirking on the inside as Jeff had told all the Warblers a million times that he hated that nickname.
"It's Jeff, not Jeffy!" The blonde's eyes narrowed and for a moment, the former bodyguard was frightened.
"And you all call me the bipolar one in our marriage," Nick muttered in his breath and Kurt laughed. It would've been so much fun had I been in Dalton with these guys.
"Anyway, Jeffy," Blaine smirked when the waiter looked like he was about to pounce on him and hurt him right there and then. "To answer your question, everything's great. I got a new job as a music teacher at this elementary school down in Brooklyn—"
"Teacher?!" Nick's jaw dropped the ground. "That's so cool! You've always wanted to teach little kids."
"That's amazing, Blainers."Jeff supplied, raising an eyebrow with a smirk as Blaine scowled at the nickname. "I'm sure you'll be great there."
"Yeah and he starts on Monday actually. I still think it's so adorable that he's gonna be surrounded by little kids," Kurt tried to lighten up the atmosphere as Blaine was mentally challenging Jeff into a fight there. Nick, oblivious to the tension around him, finally cleared his throat to start anew, his professional tone apparent with his upright posture.
"What would you guys want to drink tonight?" he asked.
"We'll have some red wine," Blaine replied and once Nick and Jeff—who lifted his index and middle finger to do the I'm-watching-you gesture—left to get what they desired, the countertenor frowned at him.
"I thought you don't drink," Kurt voiced his confusion. "You know, after that time when you got drunk and lost your V-card to a one-night stand..." The singer had descended into a fit of laughter by the end, still finding the story funny as ever and Blaine exhaled.
"I just thought that we should just celebrate with wine for once," he exclaimed breezily. "Since everything's getting better now..."
"Okay," Kurt nodded. "By the way, I'm sorry about the paparazzi out there. They can't just seem to leave us alone." He inwardly groaned, glad that he and Blaine had quickly sprinted into the restaurant amid camera flashes and screaming journalists just now.
"S'okay," Blaine insisted, reaching out to take Kurt's hands in his over the table. "As long as you're with me, I don't care. I want you. And you alone, Kurt."
Kurt looked away with a blush, "How do you always know how to reduce me into a blushing mess?"
Blaine erupted into a modest bout of laughter, "You're so cute when you blush."
A welcoming silence filled their private dining room then. The two men simply stared straight at each other's eyes, glad that everything's getting better as each day passed by.
"I'm so glad that we made it out alive together," Blaine mused. "Even Sebastian can't come between us. Nothing can keep me apart from you, sweetie."
"Me too, love." Kurt smiled and Blaine chuckled lightly.
...
"Gaga, this lasagne is divine." Kurt moaned, his eyes closed with an exasperated sigh and Blaine was struggling to stop himself from lunging at Kurt and to practically do him right there. Kurt's moans were like heaven to Blaine's ears and they went straight down to his groin. His desire to make love with Kurt was already going out of control over the past few months ever since he got shot since the doctors explicitly instructed them that having sex would only worsen Blaine's condition. But now that he could walk, Blaine was using all of his weapons to fight against his lust to fuck Kurt until he couldn't anymore.
"I know, the food here is beyond amazing..." Blaine tried to level with his desire for Kurt and he sipped at his red wine with a sigh.
"So, how's everything going with you and your mom?" Kurt changed subject all of a sudden and Blaine looked at him, mentally thanking his boyfriend for making him think about something other than the image of pinning Kurt down onto their bed in his mind.
"Oh, we're much better now. My mom's also supporting me with my new job. I guess she was happy that I don't have a career where I shoot people and end up in a hospital anymore," he chuckled and Kurt laughed.
"That's great to hear," the countertenor's reply punctuated with a final forkful of his Italian dinner and Blaine smiled.
"By the way, she told me to not say this to you but um... she is such a huge fan of your music."
Kurt gaped at him, "Seriously? That's so sweet yet awkward at the same time."
Blaine couldn't stop the round of laughter that was threatening to burst out from that statement.
"I'm getting very nervous as the days go by..."
Kurt looked at him, bewildered. "Why?"
"Do you really think that I'm gonna be great with kids?" Blaine questioned. "I mean I shot a man and killed him. I don't think that parents would want their children being taught by a man who used to do those kinds of things—"
"Blaine, sweetie. You're gonna be great there. You're a different man now. You can't move on with your life if you hold on to the past," he assured him.
"You're right," Blaine looked at him. "I love you."
"I know," Kurt mused.
...
Blaine had it all worked out. He had secretly gone to an array of jewellery stores in the city—telling Kurt that he was visiting Wes—and he had been searching for the perfect engagement ring. It had grown increasingly frustrating as he couldn't quite find the one to the point that he almost had to call Rachel and Santana for help. He was bad at this. Kurt was the one who loved shopping after all.
Getting shot, twice I might add, really gave Blaine a different perspective on life. Not that he was recommending to anyone that you should get shot to fully appreciate life but Blaine knew that he could have died. He could have left this world and he could have left Kurt all alone. He grimaced at the idea of a sad, depressed and lonely Kurt and so, Blaine was willing to do everything right this time.
It was only when Blaine stepped into a small, privately-owned jewellery shop that he finally found the perfect ring for Kurt. It was perfectly elegant, magnificent and it was just so Kurt. He had told his mother and Cooper that he wanted to marry Kurt and he was happy when they supported him, with Cooper pushing him on to propose ASAP.
Afterwards, Blaine finally was able to ask Rachel, Santana, Finn and Brittany to help him set everything up—which was followed by a load of squealing and screaming for joy. He had the rings and he had the perfect place where he would propose.
Which was why Blaine was a huge bubble of nerves right now as Kurt pulled up into the mansion.
"Finally home," Kurt hummed as he set the car keys on a small table by the front door.
This is it, Blaine. Man up! It's going to be okay.
"Kurt, do you mind walking with me in the gardens?" Blaine queried, his heart beating so fast that he could have a heart attack at any moment now.
Kurt arched an eyebrow, "O-okay."
Blaine held up a hand for Kurt take and once they walked with linked arms to the back gardens, Kurt gasped at the scene before him.
The pathway that led to the fountain at the centre of the gardens was lined up with dozens of individual candles and the bright flames helped romanticize the atmosphere out in the cold, dark night. The singer immediately turned to his boyfriend in shock and Blaine simply smiled in return.
"What is all this?" Kurt choked out.
"Just walk with me, okay?" Blaine whispered, tightening his hold on Kurt's warm hands and he led the two of them down the pathway with Kurt admiring every single candle as they travelled down to the centre of the greenery. Once they were by the fountain, Kurt's eyes widened at the image before him; there were several vases of red roses by the fountain and on the bright glistening waters, there were many rose petals floating endlessly and silently into the soft current.
"Blaine?" Kurt stared at his lover with a stunned expression. "Wh-what—"
"Shhh," Blaine placed a gentle finger on Kurt's lips and the singer automatically got the message. "I want you to not talk now because I need to ask you something."
Kurt felt his body shut down as the former bodyguard bit his lip with pleading eyes and the singer nodded in reply.
And at that moment, Blaine slowly knelt onto the hard ground on one knee and Kurt pressed a hand against his chest in shock, using all of his strength to hold back a heart-wrenching sob that was threatening to escape his quivering lips.
"Kurt Elizabeth Hummel," Blaine began, his emotions getting the best of him as his voice cracked. "When I first met you, I knew that I was only here to protect you from your enemies. But as the days went on, I started to have feelings for you. These deep, genuine feelings in my heart and I tried so hard to fight them but I couldn't." He paused to take a deep breath before continuing on.
"You were so afraid and desperate back then that it literally broke my heart. I will never know why there are people out there who wanted to hurt you but what I do know is that I can't stop thinking about you, Kurt."
The singer felt his heart warm at that and he attempted a grateful smile, tears now subtly trickling down his cheeks.
"You're the one, sweetie. And I'm willing to do anything to make sure that you're safe with me. I will always protect you as my own and I will always be there to hold you in my arms, to be there when you're alone and to make sure that you're okay. I may not be your bodyguard anymore but I want to be your husband."
Husband. The word alone was enough to break Kurt's walls down and the singer felt his knees grow weak.
"I love you so much and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Blaine declared from the bottom of his heart. "You're everything to me and I promise to protect you with all my heart and strength. I'll fight for you until my dying breath and I'll always take care of you."
This cannot be happening. Kurt's mind short-circuited at Blaine's moving words, well aware that they weren't just said as part of a rehearsed monologue, that there was something more genuine and deeper and profound behind them.
Blaine reached into his pocket and pulled out a velvet box in his hands before looking up to stare at his lover's deep blue eyes with a teary smile. "Kurt, will you marry me?"
The whole world stopped.
Kurt took in a shaky breath and he nodded fervently. "Yes," he breathed. "YES! Yes yes yes, I'll marry you!"
Blaine beamed at those words and he stood up to his feet before smashing his lips against Kurt's, effectively claiming his mouth and he lost himself into the kiss as Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck to draw his lover closer. The kiss was an intoxicating combination of love, passion and worship; Kurt's soft lips were pressed against Blaine's and Blaine cupped a strong hand over Kurt's jaw, reducing the singer into a moaning and melting mess.
They continued like that for over a minute, simply kissing passionately and moaning desperately as they gradually moved closer and closer. It amazed Kurt that a man who was just a few inches shorter than him could make him feel this way and Blaine's tongue was plundering Kurt's mouth, with Kurt finally pulling away as his lungs cried out for oxygen.
With swollen lips and puffy eyes, Kurt smiled. "It's perfect." He watched as Blaine took his hand to slip the engagement ring into his finger and he bit his lip, unable to tame his bursting emotions.
"We're getting married," Blaine grinned at him.
"We're getting married," Kurt echoed in reply as he looked at his boyfriend—no, fiancé—with a hopeful smile.
They exchanged a loving stare, both pairs of eyes being stunned by the beauty of the other and Kurt brought up a hand up to cup Blaine's cheek, "You'll always be the love of my life, Blaine. Not Chandler, you. And only you..."
Blaine tearfully smiled, "You're my missing puzzle piece, Kurt. You complete me."
Lips met in a searing kiss.
A/N: Phew, longest chapter again. Hope you liked this cuz Klaine's getting married and smutty smut scenes are going to make a return soon lol! I love reading all your thoughts on this story and I'm so blessed to have such a faithful audience hehe. Reviews will make me feel so joyful as I finish the last 2012 week of school!
Oh about that big announcement I mentioned, I have 3 things to say. 1) There's only about 1 or 2 chapters left until this story's officially over. *sobs* 2) There might be an epilogue afterwards (tell me if you really want one!) and 3) I am going to start on my third story very soon and of course, it's a Klaine one again. I'll be posting Ch.1 of that story at the end of this story and I hope that you'll stick around to read it too! I'd hate to lose many of my fellow followers as I change stories so please please please consider reading it as well.