Blaine

Kurt jumps into the car, and kisses me soundly on the mouth. "I love you!" he cries, then settles back into the seat with a massive grin on his face.

Burt laughs. "You look like the cat who got the cream."

"Oh I did. I really did."

I take his hand in mine and kiss his fingers. "I can't believe you thought I wouldn't come."

"Tell me honestly, were you always going to come, or did you change your mind?"

"I changed my mind at the photoshoot. Or rather, when I saw the photos. I figured if I could get through that, I could easily do this. Besides, if I had to look at pictures of you, standing there on your own? I'd feel terrible. We're partners, right? For life. Being partners means we always support one another."

"I'll hold you to it," he says, his eyes sparkling.

The red carpet for the first viewing of Firestone is like nothing I've ever seen or heard in my lifetime. We're herded into a holding area, but fans see us arrive and the screams start.

"I'm gonna go over there and offer my autograph," Burt declares. "Tell them I fathered the great Kurt Hummel."

"It's all about selfies now, dad," Kurt says with a laugh. He seems happier than I've ever known, and it seems to radiate out of him. He keeps hold of my hand, the only real sign of any nerves, but he greets everyone warmly, and the way all the cast and crew greet him in return, tells me how much they've all enjoyed working together on the show.

Quinn arrives, her professional head well and truly on. She has a woman with a clipboard by her side, and together they inform Kurt of the evening's events. "You're last on the carpet," she says, reading the list. "And once you've done your solo spot you'll head over for photos with the rest of the cast and crew. The screening takes place at seven thirty. You have to sit with the cast; Blaine, you and Burt will be with me. After that is the party. Just a reminder, Kurt, that you're there in a professional capacity so while it's fine to keep Blaine with you, please don't drink too much or do things you shouldn't."

"Yeah, yeah. By the way, Blaine's walking the carpet with me."

I wait for her to say I can't, but she doesn't. In fact, Quinn's composure breaks completely and she grins, then hugs me hard. "I love it!"

"One more thing," Kurt says, and steers her off to one side.

I don't know what's said, but Kurt keeps one hand on Quinn's arm throughout, and she nods, concentrating hard on whatever it is he's saying. Then she wipes away a tear. I'm just about to go over, but then she hugs Kurt, kisses his cheek, and when she pulls back, she smiles and blows another kiss before she hurries away.

"Did you just fire her?"

Kurt frowns and laughs. "What? No! Why would I fire Quinn?"

"Why was she crying?"

"Hormonal, probably. Anyway. Let's go."

I don't even know where Burt goes, or where Quinn has disappeared to. I only know that we are herded along like cattle until a woman in a headset gives a dazzling smile, and ushers us out onto a red carpet.

"Aw shit, I hate these," Kurt mutters.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I've never enjoyed them at all."

"Ah, but this time, you have me."

He stops, much to the annoyance of headset woman who yells at us to keep moving, but Kurt only has eyes for me, and I, him. "I love you," he says softly, and draws me close for a lingering kiss. While not officially on the carpet in that moment, I hear the fans give a loud cheer and I know tomorrow will hold blurry, far off pictures of the kiss.

"Come on, hot stuff," I tease, "Time for me to show you off."

Kurt gives a crisp nod, takes a deep breath, and then takes my hand. The second we step in front of the press, the noise is deafening.

"Kurt, Kurt, over here!"

"This way, Kurt, give us a smile! Blaine too, that's it!"

And on and on it goes. I can see exactly why Kurt hates it; it's impossible to see, and you can't really distinguish what anyone is saying. We just stand there, with fixed grins, turning this way and that.

"Move closer to him, Blaine!"

I do as I'm told, sliding my arm about Kurt's waist. "You okay?"

"Mmhmm, I guess."

I lean a little closer so I can whisper in his ear. "You look more beautiful than I've ever seen."

Kurt turns, smiling, and it's at that point, when we're looking at each other, our foreheads almost touching, that the press goes crazy. I couldn't care less whether they like what they're getting or not; Kurt keeps his magnificent eyes fixed on me as he speaks.

"Thank you. I think it might be because I'm happier than I've ever been. Good things are coming, Blaine."

"I don't doubt it."

We're moved along, finally, but then there's a whole wall of fans and I find that even more difficult. I stand back, grateful to see Quinn again, but many of the fans call out to me to sign stuff or have a picture, and I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do.

"Kurt, get your boyfriend over!"

"Oh, he's a little shy," Kurt says with a smile. "But I'll take a picture with you if you'd like?"

He is the consummate professional; making each fan feel like he knows and cares about them personally, while still maintaining his distance.

"It's all an act, isn't it?"

"A game," Quinn agrees. "Kurt loves his job, of course, the actual acting part, but being a celebrity is a full time job. If he put himself on display all the time, he'd never have any privacy. These people? They're wonderful; supportive, kind...but he doesn't know them. His job is to make them think they know him."

"They don't, though."

"Not really. They know he's sweet, and kind, but they don't know that he eats marshmallows until he's sick, or that no one likes to speak to him until he's had coffee."

I laugh, catching onto the game. "Or that he leaves his underwear on the floor until I pick it up, or that he likes to eat that gross stinky cheese and then breathe in my face."

"He's snarky."

"Rude."

"An ass."

"A stinky cheese eating moron."

"And you love him."

"I do." I smile, watching Kurt as he moves along the fans. "Gosh, I really, really do."

"That's love, though, isn't it? Flaws and all?"

"I think so. I know I wouldn't want to share this life with anyone else."

"That's good, because I know for a fact that Kurt wouldn't either."

We watch in silence, then, and when Kurt is right at the end, I see him talking to an older lady, and then he comes rushing over. "Hey. Listen, I know you don't want to sign, but there's this little girl over there, she's only eight. She's sitting down there in her wheelchair and she really wanted to see you. Will you just come over?"

"It's your night, Kurt. I don't want to..."

"Please?"

"If you're sure."

The roar from the crowd is even louder than the press had been, and it's intimidating. I follow Kurt, who holds my hand, over to a small, dark-haired girl sitting in a wheelchair.

"Hi."

She beams, and her mom crouches down next to her. "This is Kayla."

"Hi Kayla, nice to meet you. How old are you?"

"I'm nine next week."

"Oh." Kurt moves the barrier, to the alarm of the security team, but it means we can can get down to her level, and Kurt busies himself signing her poster. "So is it tricky, being eight nearly nine? Our daughter is nearly six, and she's desperate not to be five anymore. November can't come quickly enough."

The girl giggles. "I liked being six. But I like being nearly nine better. Would you sign my poster?"

"Sure." I make my mark and hand it back.

"Would you like a picture?" Kurt asks, and her whole face lights up.

"With both of you? Yes please. I listen to your music, Blaine. I have physio for my lungs and my legs every day, and your songs help me to forget about it. Then my mom let me watch Coldwater, because even though it's PG Thirteen, I was really sick and so she let me."

"Oh you're lucky," Kurt says with a laugh. "Do you think she'll let you watch Firestone too?"

"I've told her I need to watch it first," her mom says with a smile. "But I have a feeling I'll end up giving in."

We pose for our photo, shake Kayla's hand, and then, finally, we head inside. "That was nice."

"Yeah." Kurt kisses my cheek quickly. "You were born to be a daddy, you know? You might not have ever wanted it, or thought it would happen, but you're a natural with kids."

"Boys, there's a buffet!"

"...And we've found dad," Kurt says, laughing.

As it turns out, the food is pretty good, and we all get our fill before the screening starts. It's strange to see Kurt up on the screen, but it's an incredibly special moment. I guess because he's my Kurt, I find it hard to imagine him as Trenton Walker, AKA The Firestone, but wow is he watchable.

If the reaction from the assembled audience is anything to go by after the preview of the first episode, things are about to get a whole lot busier for Kurt and the rest of the cast, not quieter.

"Is a standing ovation normal?" I ask Quinn over the noise, and she grins and shakes her head.

"That's my boy!" Burt booms, and in the front row, between his female co-star and the director, I see Kurt turn around and wave. That's the last I see of him for two hours. I'm grateful Burt is with me, since we are directed to wait at the party, and I don't like being in a room full of people I don't know.

"It's all working out, isn't it?" Burt asks. He nabs two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter and hands one to me. "You two moving, me moving..."

"You and Carole."

"Steady on. We haven't even met for coffee yet."

"Tomorrow, right?"

"Nine am." He takes a deep breath and draws himself up to his full height. "Yep."

"You nervous?"

"Don't be silly." But I see the look in his eyes.

Kurt is one of the last to arrive at the party, entering into a room that is full of industry experts mixing with actors friends and family. Burt doesn't stay too long; he has to be up early, apparently, and Kurt and I tease him long and hard about getting ready for his coffee date.

"Whatever. At least Carole and I are mature enough to say we'd like to go on a date, instead of you two morons who danced around each other for months on end. Fools."

He has a point, so we shut up after that.

We have barely a second alone; everyone who's anyone wants to come and congratulate Kurt on the show, and a few ask me about my music, too. As a result, by the time we do find that it's just us, it's getting really late and we're both tired.

"Hard work."

"Right?" Kurt agrees. "I'm exhausted."

We stand looking out at the dance floor, which now only holds a few stragglers. "Dance with me?"

He looks across and smiles, taking the hand I offer. "Sure."

I'm not sure if dancing together counts as something we shouldn't be doing. I know we're pretty conspicuous, with Kurt in his white tux jacket, and us being one of only four couples on the floor, but I also know I don't care. I hold Kurt close, my lips grazing his collar, one arm around his waist, the other holding his hand.

"The last time we danced like this, we weren't together."

"That's the only time," Kurt points out. "And I loved and hated it, all at the same time. You told me you were scared."

"I was. Gosh, I remember wanting to kiss you so desperately. Not just then, but all the time. Each time I kissed your cheek, I wanted to be bold enough to kiss your lips instead. I used to wonder what you would feel like, taste like. How it would be."

"I could kiss you forever, I think. I never tire of your mouth on mine."

I pull him a little bit closer, kissing behind his ear. "I always want this. I know I said I regretted that first time, when we ended up in my armchair together, but you know what? I don't think I can regret it, actually. I was so desperate to feel you, to know the weight of you, the press of your body against mine. I was so hopelessly in love with you, Kurt, even then."

I don't get to say another word. Kurt takes my face in his hands and kisses me. It's not a sweet, romantic little kiss; it's a full on, deep, long kiss that definitely holds the promise of more. I can't help but respond, even though somewhere, in the back of my mind, is Quinn telling us we needed to behave.

But that's hard to do when Kurt's tongue is in my mouth, when I can hear him breathing in, when I can feel his fingers digging into my back. Suddenly our groins touch, and that's when Kurt breaks the kiss and pulls back to look at me, his eyes dark.

"Home."

"Yes."

"I want you," he says, as if that's not already apparent.

"Yes."

"I mean I want you inside of me, Blaine."

I feel an immediate flare of heat in the pit of my stomach, and I kiss him one more time. "Let's go."

The house is quiet when we get home; Cooper has long since gone home and Burt is sound asleep in the guest room. Still, we creep up the stairs as silently as possible, and then, once we've locked the bedroom door, we can really begin.

I pin Kurt to the wall, kissing him hard, and we make out like that for the longest time, until my lips are tingling so much that I have no choice but to stop. We move instead to clothing, gradually undressing each other until there's nothing left, and the press of our naked bodies together makes us both sigh loudly.

"It's been so long."

"Thursday, Kurt."

"So long." He grins, his hands smoothing down over my back and then lower. "You wanna take me up against this wall?"

"No I do not. Well... I mean... I wouldn't be averse to it, but not now. Not the first time... I mean, can I even do it?"

"Yes, Blaine, you can. I have no doubt."

"Can we do it in bed, then?"

"Of course."

He scoots back on top of the covers, and I kneel on the bed between his legs. "I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't. We can go slow, right? Like we did when it was your first time."

The memory stirs that familiar heat once again, and then we're kissing, teasing, touching, biting, and then I'm leaning over to fumble in the nightstand.

"I'll get it."

"No, I can..." I stretch further, not wanting to move my body from Kurt's, but he pushes me off, grabs the lube himself, and slams the drawer shut.

"There."

"You're so impatient."

"You wouldn't have me any other way." He even takes the tube and squeezes it onto my fingers himself, then moves my hand.

"Okay, I'm getting there."

And get there we do. It's not too long before Kurt is gripping the sheets tightly, asking for more, and when I take him into my mouth, he's torn between stopping me or letting me carry on. "I can't... I mean, I'll come so quickly...but... oh god."

"Your choice, Kurt."

"Cock."

"Dirty boy," I say with a laugh, but I move between his legs anyway, and press against him. "Ready?"

"Hell yes I am."

There's a tightness and a heat that I hadn't anticipated, despite having been the recipient many times now. Kurt makes noises, low in his throat, that turn me on so much I have to stop and catch my breath, but then I'm there, totally inside of him, and I feel his hands smoothing over my ass, see the smile on his face, feel the press of his body against mine, and everything is perfect.

It is hot, intense, and slow. We make love with our eyes fixed on one another and both of us acutely aware of the other's feelings. Somehow I know when Kurt needs me closer, and we turn onto our sides, with me spooned behind him. It's hard to kiss like that, but it's more intimate, and as I feel my pleasure building, I bite lightly into his shoulder. "I'm totally gonna come inside of you," I whisper, and he groans, throwing his head back.

"Go on, Blaine. Do it."

"Kurt..."

Suddenly I'm there, and then he is too; I don't know how long he'd been holding off for, but it's very apparent that he has been, because his whole body shudders hard, and he curses several times in a row.

"Holy shit," he finally says, and then all the tension leaves his body and he lies there, wrapped in my arms, slightly trembling.

"Cold?"

"A little. Tired."

He kisses each of my fingers and then we part, cleaning up quickly before falling under the covers. "Blaine?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for tonight."

"It was my pleasure, Kurt, trust me. I couldn't be more proud, more honored that someone as wonderful as you, could choose to love someone like me."

"Oh, it's quite easy, really. You're sorta really beautiful. Inside and out."

We fall asleep, but for some reason, I wake when dawn is only just breaking; the room is slowly beginning to brighten, and I lie there, replaying the events of the night before.

"Hey beautiful."

Kurt lies on his front and I turn, mirroring his pose so we are both hugging our pillows. "Hey. You can't sleep?"

"I guess not. What time is it?"

"Five thirty."

"Really? We've only been asleep three hours. What are you thinking about?"

"How much I enjoyed last night. How much I love you."

He smiles, full of sleepiness; his hair sticking up, a shadow of stubble across his jaw, his eyes not quite fully open. "I love you too. So much. I feel fantastic."

"Really?"

"Hey!" He gives a gravelly laugh, and his foot nudges my ankle. "I might not look it, but I feel it."

"You do look it, actually. You look cute. And you look like the Kurt that only I know. The one only I get to see."

Turning onto my back, I fold my arms under my head and smile up at the ceiling. "You think we'll always be like this, you and I?"

"Dunno. You might get bored of me."

"That'll never happen."

"It might. You could wake up one morning and think 'I've had enough of Kurt. Imma dump him.'"

I laugh. "Yeah right. I'd marry you tomorrow if you asked."

"Ha! You would not!"

I turn my head to him and stick my tongue out. "You haven't asked, so how would you know?"

Kurt laughs loudly, pats my tummy, and pulls himself from the bed. I watch as he pulls pyjama pants on, to go in search of coffee no doubt, and then I close my eyes and stretch, feeling the satisfying ache of muscles that have been working hard the night before.

"Will you, then?"

I open my eyes, confused, but Kurt isn't standing by the bed, he's on the floor, on one knee, and holding a ring box.

"What?" I sit immediately, pulling the covers across my lap and rubbing a hand across my jaw. "Excuse me, what?"

"Will you uh... Will you marry me? In fact," he rushes on, before I can even squeak. "I just..."

He fumbles in the nightstand drawer and pulls out a thick envelope. "Actually, Blaine, that's not all I'm asking." His hands shake violently as he places the envelope in front of me. "I didn't go to San Francisco to work. I went to meet with lawyers, and the kid's biological family. They've already signed away all legal rights, leaving the path clear for us to adopt them. I've looked into it, and I have all the papers. No one will contest it, and it should go through easily. So I guess... I guess what I'm asking is, Blaine Anderson, will you be my husband, and will you adopt Maggie, Alice and Joshy with me?"

I do squeak, then, and the tears are falling thick and fast before I can find enough voice to give a "Yes." But when I do, when it's out there, Kurt falls on me, kissing me frantically, our tears mingling together. There are many, many questions to come, but right now, in this moment, all that matters is the overwhelming feeling of completion.

"We're getting married," Kurt whispers, his lips curving into a smile against my own. "I always wanted to marry you, you know."

"You did not."

"Well... I bought the ring right after you visited me in Vancouver, so..."

"Oh. OH. That was really soon."

"Exactly. So shut up, you know nothing. Oh. Ring!"

It's a titanium band, with three small diamonds set across the top. "One for each of them," Kurt says as he slides it into place. "Daddy."

I grin, admiring my hand before pulling him close once more. "Daddy. Yeah." I smile, kissing his lips again. "I like the sound of that."