Notes: So there you have it! The last chapter. I'm so sorry for the late update. I really did have it written but I realized that I really hated that version but at the same time I couldn't bring myself to write something else. Boring online classes finally did the trick. I am not exactly happy with this chapter, as I am not all that happy with the story overall. There are some fragments that I love but I know it could have been much better. But I wrote it, so might as well post it. Thank so much for reading and giving me this second chance!
Blaine felt like a rare zoo animal when he walked the next day into the common room for rehearsal. He had considered skipping it but decided against it in the end. All eyes were on him – to which he knew he would have to start getting used to. The boy had barely dragged himself to breakfast knowing that people would sneer, stare and whisper.
But much to his surprise and immediate relief Blaine had been quickly joined at his table by Nick, Jeff and Kurt and later by Wes. He had expected at least some questions regarding everything that had gone down the day before but once again his friends surprised him.
Nick and Jeff cracked some jokes and bickered about some insane assignment they shared and then Kurt started retelling a "minor" glee club drama that was going on at McKinley but in Blaine's opinion belonged rather in a telenovela. It was only Wes that watched his best friend worriedly but Blaine decided to ignore that for the time being.
And every once in a while Blaine's eyes would dart to his left only to land on Sebastian who was eating all on his own, seemingly lost in the homework that was in front of him as he slowly sipped his coffee.
Blaine's eyes scanned the common room in search of his ex but he was nowhere to be found, the wounds probably still too raw to put salt in them. But Kurt was there, looking around the room from one of the sofas with his satchel sitting next to him.
As soon as he spotted Blaine he smiled and grabbed the satchel away. The shorter boy gratefully took the offered seat trying to ignore all the stares. As Wes walked briskly into the room Blaine really hoped that his situation wouldn't be addressed. It was the last thing he needed.
But of course, no such luck.
"I think we need to discuss our performances going forward." Wes began, his eyes traveling over the faces of his fellow Warblers only to rest on Blaine. "With...certain new developments I think it's safe to assume that someone should take over at least some of Blaine's solos."
Blaine narrowed his eyes at his friend but didn't have it in him to fight Wes. It wasn't like performing was something that made him feel much better recently. And Wes had known about the pregnancy for the last couple of weeks and hadn't intervened up to that point only because Blaine didn't want to become Dalton's new object of gossip.
Like he was now.
Only a few Warblers were decent enough not to raise their hands when Wes asked which one of them wanted to audition for solos. Kurt was one of them. "You should try out." Blaine whispered to him with a small smile.
Kurt raised a curious eyebrow at him. "Are you sure? Doesn't it bother you that they're taking away your solos?"
Blaine shrugged. "There are other things I should focus on at the moment." Then he grabbed firmly Kurt's arm and thrust it up. "Yes, I am sure."
Seeing that gesture the rest of the undecided Warblers raised their hands as well and that way Wes decided that they would have open auditions in a couple of days.
It wasn't even like they were competing for solos during major events with crowds cheering them on. The only kind of attention they could count on was from children at the orphanage or elderly folks at the retirement home.
Blaine knew that he needed to have a serious talk with Sebastian sooner or later. But it was a discussion that he was dreading. For one, Blaine would have to tell Sebastian that, after spending more than one night thinking it over, he was right. That maybe it would be for the best if they let Francine and Louis adopt their daughter.
But there was also the other thing. The break-up was still fresh in Blaine's mind and he didn't know if them talking so soon was such a great idea. And damn, Blaine would be lying if he said that he didn't miss the other boy. Or maybe it was the familiarity of their relationship that he missed. They had been a mess for more than a few weeks but they had been together for over a year. It wasn't something that could be so easily erased.
"You do need to talk, you know." Wes said as Blaine watched him iron a few of his identical shirts.
"I am aware. Thank you." Blaine said with a roll of his eyes.
It didn't mean that he wasn't going to postpone that conversation for as long as he could though.
Kurt avoided Sebastian as much as he could which, with them not sharing any classes, wasn't all that difficult. But one fortunate day he bumped into him in the library. There was nothing stopping them from ignoring each other and going their separate ways. Kurt was about to do just that – grab a book that he needed and get out of the library as fast as he could – but he couldn't help but glance at Sebastian.
And that apparently did it. The glare Sebastian sent his way could be considered deadly. Kurt quickly looked away but it was too late. "You must be pretty fucking pleased with yourself now, huh? Finally got what you were after." Sebastian's voice was quiet but his words spiteful as he looked away from Kurt and focused on a pile of books on the table in front of him.
Maybe (probably, definitely) it would be wiser to just ignore the remark and walk away but the urge to bite back was too strong to resist. "To my understanding it was you that broke up with Blaine and not the other way around." Kurt said keeping his gaze fixed on Sebastian.
The other boy rolled his eyes. "Don't pretend that you don't know that you were at least part of the reason."
Kurt turned fully towards Sebastian not willing to let him pin all the blame on him. "And you don't blame me for your relationship problems." He approached Sebastian's table trying to keep his voice quiet but very much failing at it. "You ignored Blaine, didn't listen to him, pushed him into things he didn't want and then left him in the greatest time of need. But sure, it's all my fault."
Sebastian was quiet for a moment, his face hard and unreadable. "I had to break up with him." He said. "I wasn't about to be in a relationship with someone that was obviously in love with someone else. Even if he was in denial about it."
"Not that it is any of your concerns, but we are not together." Kurt said as calmly as he could. "I don't think he needs any more of relationship drama right now. Don't you agree?" When Sebastian didn't say anything to that, Kurt added trying to sound for once sympathetic towards the other boy. "Just talk to him, okay? Blaine would feel better if he knew that you are still both on the same page."
Sebastian didn't say anything to that either so Kurt just left hoping that he got through to the other boy and that it was the end of the drama.
Blaine was quiet surprised when less than two weeks after their break-up Sebastian knocked on his door. Seeing the two exes in the room Wes quickly excused himself (after making sure that Blaine was okay with that) leaving the two of them alone.
It was a bit bizarre to be face to face with Sebastian while not being a couple anymore. Blaine's heart skipped a beat at the prospect that maybe his ex-boyfriend wanted to get back together but he quickly chased away that thought knowing that them going their separate ways was for the better.
The conversation went better than expected. There was no yelling, no crying or throwing accusation at one another. It was as if they were actually two adults discussing the future of their child. Blaine was finally ready to admit that he wanted Francine and Louis to adopt their daughter. They both also agreed that they wanted to remain a part of her life.
"I'm sorry." Sebastian said at the end looking sadder than Blaine ever remembered him being. "I shouldn't have been so harsh with you."
Blaine shrugged. "It's fine, I guess. I wasn't fair to you either." He admitted. "But I want you to know that while we were together I never made any move at Kurt. I still haven't."
"I know, Blaine." Sebastian said. "I've thought about it and I know you wouldn't."
Blaine sighed. "But I did have feelings for him. I guess I still do."
"I know that too." Sebastian said looking sad but at peace with how things were.
"Can we...maybe...still be friends?" Blaine asked, not wanting to lose contact with Sebastian completely.
"I don't know, Blaine." Sebastian said with a shrug. "For now, it all hurts too much."
The other boy nodded his head. "I get it. It's fine."
Sebastian looked away from him, his voice becoming quiet. "And you know, I don't want you to be sulking all the time. If you want it just be with him, okay? Just don't rub it in my face."
Blaine couldn't help but smile at that. "Thanks, Seb. But I don't think I'm ready for anything new just yet."
When Sebastian left Blaine let out a long breath of relief and then smiled to himself. Maybe for once things would actually be good for him.
Being friends with Blaine again felt like gust of fresh wind on a hot summer day. Kurt felt as if great weight had been finally lifted off his shoulders and he could breath again. He learned how to be only Blaine's friend, how to support him through difficult times, be the shoulder to cry on if needed.
But he did his best no to impose his ideas and leave room for Blaine to make the choice regarding his unborn daughter. With each day he saw Blaine little by little return back to his former self. He smiled more, laughed louder and found happiness in singing once again.
And when Kurt was sure that Blaine would be alright without him, he turned to McKinley to rejoin his glee club because he knew that it was his home as much as Dalton was Blaine's. The other boy understood Kurt's decision and didn't hold any resentment. The other Warblers supported Kurt as well, promising that they would be there for him whenever the blue-eyed boy needed them.
Kurt was teary-eyed and beyond moved when they prepared a tribute for him and sang a few songs with Blaine in the lead, the choreography much less complicated to accommodate his growing stomach. Sebastian was absent during the performance, but that wasn't an unusual occurrence as he had basically quit the Warblers.
Even though they were now in two different schools Kurt kept in touch with Blaine, as well as with Jeff and Nick and occasionally the rest of the Warblers. They even invited him to one of their famous parties. A version of Kurt from a few months ago would have declined knowing that Blaine wouldn't be there but right now he knew that it would be alright even without the younger boy.
And so he went there, all the while keeping Blaine updated on all the shenanigans the Warblers got themselves into (like Jeff and Nick getting so drunk that they ended up making out with each other). Kurt even allowed himself to flirt with some guy, Trent's brother if he remembered correctly but it didn't go beyond one kiss. His heart still belonged to another but he knew that it was more than alright to let himself enjoy life and Blaine wouldn't mind.
The months went by in a blur and before Kurt realized it was time to go to New York for Nationals. He talked to Blaine whenever he could, the other boy being already heavily pregnant and staying at home for the remainder of the pregnancy with a private tutor coming to him every day. The New Directions lost and it was sad but Kurt was still happy that at least he got to see the city of his dreams.
Getting off the plane in Columbus he got a surprising text message from Blaine telling him that he had gone into labor while the other boy was up in the air. Kurt wanted to drive right to the hospital but he knew that it wasn't his place and that he should give the other boy breathing space.
Still, he kept pacing his bedroom back and forth, biting his nails and checking his cell phone every few seconds in anticipation of a text message that it was all over. And when it finally arrived Kurt received a photo of a newborn girl in the arms of a very tired-looking Blaine. Still, there was a blinding smile on his face as he looked at his daughter with adoration.
Kurt visited him a couple of days later, when Blaine was already back home and his baby girl with her new family. He was a sobbing mess when Kurt came in, claiming to regret his decision to give Belle away. "Shh, it's okay." Kurt kept saying as he rubbed Blaine's back while the other boy sobbed into his chest. "You'll be okay. You'll see. Just give it time."
In the end Blaine needed a few session with a therapist and a lot of support from his family and friends but eventually he was okay and the rest of the school year went by in a calm atmosphere. Nothing happened between them but Kurt was okay with it. He knew that Blaine still needed time to recover mentally and Kurt was willing to give it to him and wait patiently.
It was the beginning of summer and Kurt was happy that the school year was over but at the same time it didn't look like he would be spending a lot of time with Blaine. Kurt's father insisted on visiting his family and then Elizabeth's side also wanted to spend some time with him. At the same time Blaine's parents decided to take him on a vacation to Hawaii to visit his grandmother and let him enjoy some much needed rest.
Kurt knew it would do him good to escape for some time but he was also a little sad that they would keep missing each other. A few days before they were both due to leave they decided to meet for a coffee at the Lima Bean.
When the older boy entered the coffee shop Blaine was already waiting for him at a table, two steaming cups in front of him. Kurt smiled and his heart skipped a beat at the sight of the other boy. Blaine was looking much better these days. He smiled more and overall looked brighter and more happy. "Hi." Kurt said breathlessly as he sat opposite his friend and took the cup of coffee.
"Hi to yourself." Blaine said back, an easy smile forming on his face.
"How was the drive?" Kurt asked.
"It was fine." Blaine said waving his hand dismissively. "But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."
Kurt raised his eyebrows in question. "Oh, and what did you want to talk about?"
Blaine continued to smile at Kurt in a way that made him want to lean back in his chair and sigh dreamily. Then he opened his mouth and closed a few times playing with his fingers and suddenly avoiding Kurt's gaze. "Ugh, I wanted you to know that I will miss you."
Kurt's smile turned into a full-blown grin. He reached his hand across the table and covered Blaine's cold hand. Their eyes met and there wasn't anything more that needed to be said. Kurt wanted to tell Blaine how much the other boy meant to him, how much he wanted them to mean.
But as he continued to look into Blaine's open and honest eyes he realized that all the feelings they shared were out in the open even without being voiced.
It all went without saying.
"I will miss you too."