Chapter 15 New York
oOoOo
Blaine was going back to New York. The one place he never thought he would go again. The place he had once been happier than he had ever been in his life. Blaine had been with Kurt, he was going to NYADA, he was engaged to the love of his life, they were living together, and where a family of their own. But one night it had ended, the happiness New York had once filled him with had been taken away, now he didn't know what he would find, how he would feel when he went back.
"No, sweetheart, I'll meet you there. I need to take Sere to mom. She said she would watch her for a few days since I don't know what I will be facing at the apartment," Blaine said, pulling Kurt into his arms.
If he was honest, yes, Kurt could go with him to his mom's so he could drop Sere off and then the both of them could go from there to New York together, but the last time Blaine flew to New York he had been with Kurt, and that whole experience hadn't ended well.
It had been right after his graduation, and even though Blaine knows he shouldn't think about it, he remembers how Kurt had been acting odd even then. All the warning signs had been there, but Blaine had either not recognized them, or had just ignored them. He had noticed something off after April commented on teen marriage. Sue Sylvester had finally won, and the glee club at McKinley was shutting down for good. All the old glee club members had come back to say their goodbyes, including April Rhodes. She had been talking to Kurt and Blaine and made an off the wall comment about how most teen marriages ended in divorce. After that, Kurt didn't seem like himself for a while but seemed to bounce back, at least until they were on the plane. Kurt had been quiet most of the flight, he had just seemed off, but by the time they landed, he seemed to be back to normal, all seemed right in their world again.
Something about getting back on a plane with Kurt right now scared him. He didn't want to jinx something that had just started again. Blaine knew it was something he had to work through if he and Kurt were ever going to work, but right now, he just thought it would be easier for Kurt to head home, and then Blaine would meet him there in the morning. His original plan had been going to New York today, but decided to go tomorrow, so he could talk to his parents and let them know about him and Kurt reconnecting. Once they were done in New York, Blaine wanted to go to Lima and talk to Burt, if Kurt was ok with that. He wanted their families to know what was going on with them before the public found out.
"I don't mind going to Westerville with you, Blaine, and then we can just fly out together," Kurt said, looking at him, not really understanding, not wanting to leave him so soon after getting back together. Kurt didn't know what, but something felt wrong with Blaine, and he didn't like it.
"I know you don't mind, but I need to talk to dad and check on the adoption situation anyway. I'll spend the night there, I'll call you when I land in the morning, and then we can go from there," Blaine said, placing a soft kiss on the sweetest lips he had ever seen. He was going to miss him.
"Are you ok, Blaine?" Kurt asked, looking at him, but what he really wanted to ask was, were they ok, not liking this feeling at all. Kurt finally understood how Blaine had felt all those times he had done this to him. Kurt felt like Blaine was somehow pulling away from him, and he hated it, he hated this.
"I'm fine, Kurt, I promise. I just want to get her settled with mom and talk to dad for a few minutes. I'll be back with you first thing in the morning," Blaine said, looking down into the eyes of the person that had made him the happiest man in the world and the person that had also torn him apart more than he ever thought possible. He loved having Kurt back in his life, loved being able to hold him again, but was still a little scared. That was something he was going to have to work through.
"Ok, if you are sure," Kurt said, trying his best not to break down.
"Come on, sweetheart. Everything is going to be fine. I promise," Blaine said, kissing him again, pulling him close, not wanting to let him go, but knowing that he needed to. He needed some time to think. He had rushed into relationships before, and he didn't want to rush this one. This one meant too much to him. This one was too important. This time it had to be done right.
They had spent a really good night together. After the people from St Jude had come and picked everything up, they had gone out and ate dinner at one of Blaine's favorite restaurants, and then had come back to his apartment. After he had bathed Sere and put her to bed, they had spent the night cuddled up on the couch watching their favorite movies until neither one of them could hold their eyes open any longer. Blaine was back in his happy place. After the movie had gone off, after checking on Sere one more time, Blaine went back into the living room and pulled out the couches hide-a-bed, and they had snuggled up together all night, Kurt back where he was always supposed to be, back in Blaine's arms.
When Blaine had woken up the next morning, something had just felt off, what he didn't know. He gently pulled away from Kurt, a smile on his face, happier than he had been in a long time, but then the doubts had started flooding in. He sat on the side of the bed, thinking. He knew he had made the right decision letting Kurt back into his life, back into his heart, he needed Them, Blaine needed it to breathe, but he also knew he needed to get his head on straight. The thought of flying into New York with Kurt again, for some reason, had scared him, and until he figured out why he needed to do it alone.
"I'm going to go pack for Sere and me, and then we can go to the airport together," Blaine said, giving Kurt another kiss and then pulled away walking into his bedroom to get his carry-on. He quickly packed enough clothes for himself for a few days and then goes into the baby's room and packs for her.
"Hello, my sweet baby girl, are you ready to go see Nana and Pops?" Blaine asked, picking her up out of her crib, placing kisses all over her face until she giggled. If nothing else in his world was right, this at least was perfect. Blaine changed her clothes, picked up their bags, and headed back into the living room. While he had been gone, Kurt had put the bed away and had straightened up. This made Blaine smile.
"I'm going to get her a bottle and feed her, and then we can head out," Blaine said, walking up to Kurt placing a kiss on his cheek.
"Do you want me to hold her while you make her a bottle?" Kurt asks quietly, looking at Blaine, wondering what he would say. At one time in Blaine's life, Kurt had been his center. Now Blaine's world revolved around Sere, and Kurt needs to figure out where he fits into it now. If he had any hope of being part of Blaine's world again, he needs to get to know Sere. Kurt knew Blaine might one day decide to walk away from him, but he would never walk away from her.
"Are you sure?" Blaine asks with his heart jumping in his chest, Kurt had never asked to hold her before, had never really had any interaction with her.
"I'm positive," Kurt said with a grin, reaching out as Blaine gently passes Sere to him. Kurt wonders if she'll cry, being held by a stranger, but she just looked up at him and giggled. He could do nothing but laugh before walking with her to the couch. Sitting down, looking down into the face that looked so much like Blaine's, Kurt was lost. In that instant, that little girl stole his heart, and he never wanted it back. He suddenly realized why Blaine had done what he did. For that little girl, Kurt suddenly knew he would happily try to give her the world.
Kurt raises her up so that she was snuggled better in his arms and started singing to her softly. Blaine had to listen closely to hear what song he had chosen.
Pretty, pretty please
Don't you ever, ever feel
Like you're less than
Less than perfect
Blaine could do nothing but smile, standing there watching as the two most important people in his world connected. Watching as Kurt sang that song to his daughter, the song that had always been their song, and watching as Sere looks at Kurt grinning, had Blaine's heart swelling until it felt like it was going to explode.
With a smile on his face, Blaine walks into the kitchen and heats a bottle for Sere and then carries it into the living room to Kurt. "Do you want to feed her?" Blaine asks softly, holding his breath, waiting for a response. Sere would always come first in his life, and if she and Kurt couldn't connect, Blaine knew they really didn't have a chance.
"Yes, I would," Kurt said with a big grin spreading across his face.
Blaine hands Kurt the bottle and then sits on the couch beside him, placing his arm across Kurt's shoulder. Blaine watches and listens to Kurt as he feeds Sere, softly whispering to her words that Blaine can't make out, smiling down at her the whole time. Blaine watches as a connection forms between them, and in that instant, he knew they were going to be ok. His family was finally whole. After Sere finished her bottle, they head to the airport. Kurt, to fly back to New York and Blaine on to Ohio. Blaine walks with Kurt as far as the security check-in and then pulls him into his arms, gently kissing him, missing him already.
"I'll call you when my plane lands in the morning, and we can figure out what to do then," Blaine says and then places a kiss on Kurt's cheek.
"Will you call me later?" Kurt asks, not looking at Blaine. For some reason, this feels like a goodbye to Kurt, and he didn't like the feeling at all.
"Of course I will, " Blaine says, putting his finger under Kurt's chin and gently pushes up so that Kurt has to look at him. "Kurt, is everything ok?" Blaine asks, looking at him, now worried.
"I don't know, but for some reason, I feel like I am losing you again," Kurt answered, finally voicing his concerns. He was scared to death that Blaine was going to decide that they wouldn't work after all. They hadn't reconnected like they had in the past. Last night they had shared kisses and cuddles and nothing else. Kurt had expected more, had longed for more.
Blaine brought both of his hands up to frame Kurt's face. "Kurt, you're not losing me. I can't live my life without you in it again. I just got you back. Am I worried about us? If I'm honest, yes. If things go bad between us again, this time, it's not just you and me that could potentially get hurt. Now I have a little girl to worry about. But Kurt, I feel like we have this. If I didn't, I wouldn't have gotten back with you. But I was thinking this morning that I have a habit of jumping into things too quickly, like our engagement. Do I regret asking you to marry me, no, but I think it would have been better to have waited a little longer. We had been back together all of three days when I asked you, after being separated for almost six months. We should have taken our time, and that was my fault."
"I jumped into a marriage, that other than bringing me Sere, was the worst mistake of my life. We are too important, Kurt, to rush. We need to get to know each other again. Do I know I love you? Yes. Do I know that I'll love you for the rest of my life? Yes. But do I know what tomorrow is going to bring us? No, and that scares me a little. I want to rebuild us, Kurt. Rebuild our relationship, not just jump into it, but take our time. We are so worth it," Blaine said before leaning in and kissing Kurt one more time.
Kurt stood there, looking at Blaine. He understood, he really did, but it was still scary to think about. What if Blaine decided that it was too much trouble? Was that something Kurt could live with? All he knew was that he had no choice but to try. A life without Blaine wasn't an option. If the first breakup hadn't taught him that, then the last one had.
Once Kurt walked through security and out of Blaine's sight, he turned and headed to his own gate, missing Kurt already. When Blaine's plane lands in Ohio, he gets a cab to his parent's house, when it pulls up outside, he looks up and sees his mom walking out the front door with a smile on her face, he smiles back, glad to be back home. He pays the driver and unbuckles Sere's car seat and walks towards her. She hugs him and then walks with him inside.
"Dinner is ready. Come on, we'll eat, and then we can talk," Pam said, reaching out and taking the car seat from Blaine and sitting it on the couch before unbuckling Sere and picking her up. The three of them walk into the dining room to join his dad, his mom talking to the baby the whole time. His dad stands up, hugs him, and they eat dinner, talking, enjoying their time together, once they finish eating, they all head into the den.
"Ok, I have something I want to talk to you about. As you know, Kurt and I started talking again right after Bryce died. He's been there for me when I needed someone to talk to, and I realized that I still love him, that I never stopped loving him. I've missed him being in my life so much. He was my best friend and still is. He was always the one person I could talk to about anything, the one person who completely understood me, and to be honest, I've just felt lost without him. We're working on us again, to see if we can finally get it right. I needed you both to know that we've gotten back together. This is something that's very important to me, and I just hope you can support me, well us in this," Blaine finished, looking at his parents. They had always supported him, and he hopes they will on this. He needs them as much as he needs Kurt.
"Blaine, do you think that's a good idea after everything that's happened, everything he's put you through?" his mom asked, looking at him worried "I don't want to see you get hurt again.
"Mom, we both messed up, we both made mistakes in our relationship. I think we needed the time apart to show us how much we do love and need each other," Blaine answered her
"Son, are you sure you aren't jumping into this because you just lost Bryce? I know what he turned out to be, what he put you through, but you cared enough about him to marry him. Are you sure you're over him enough to think about getting into another relationship, or is Kurt just a rebound?" Michael asks him, looking worried.
"No, dad, Kurt could never be a rebound. Kurt has always been it for me, that never changed. To be honest, Bryce was my rebound from Kurt. I just felt so lost without him. Kurt was my anchor dad, and without him, I just felt like I was floating. Bryce helped with that. He was someone I could talk to, spend time with. Yes, I did start to care about him, he was my friend. I know how shitty this is going to make me sound, but, I only married him because of Sere. I never loved Bryce, but until I found out everything, how he felt about Sere and me, I thought we could make our marriage work. I fell so in love with Sere. I wanted to be her father. I knew right away, Bryce was in over his head with her. I could be there to help him, and I could adopt her," Blaine answered his father. He knew how bad it all sounded, but he knows that if things had been different with Bryce, he would have stayed with him. Would he have always missed and loved Kurt? Yes. But Blaine still felt that if things could have been different, he and Bryce could have had a happy life together.
"I never got over Kurt. Yes, I was mad, and I was hurt, but once I got over that, I knew I still loved him. I know I shouldn't have married Bryce, he probably would have let me adopt Sere anyway, but I honestly thought we would be ok. The more often he was gone, though, the more time I was left alone with just the baby, I began realizing what I was missing. I was miserable. When he was home, we fought all the time. I knew that wasn't a healthy environment to raise Sere in, but I had made a commitment to Bryce. I wanted to stick with it, and I tried, but the longer we were together, the harder it got. By the time he died, I was over it. I was tired of the fighting. The day Bryce left for Morroco, I spoke with a lawyer and filed for divorce. Bryce was going to be served when he got home. I was done, I had finally had enough," Blaine said, looking at his parents, finally telling them.
"Why didn't you say something, Blaine?" his mom looked at him with a sad expression on her face, hating that he had gone through that alone.
"I felt like a failure, mom. I couldn't even hold my marriage together for six months. I hated the idea of having to tell you, but I knew after that first month what a mistake I had made. I started off having some feelings for him, but by the end, to be honest, I hated him," Blaine said, shaking his head softly.
"And you don't think getting back with Kurt will be a mistake?" Michael asked, standing up pacing in front of him, "He broke up with you twice, son. He hurt you twice, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive him for that."
Crap, they were going to make him tell them everything. He looked at them, knowing it was finally time to tell them something he had hoped he would never have to tell.
"Kurt had a good reason for the first break up," Blaine said, not able to look at them. He stood up and walked over to the window, and looked out for a minute, trying to brace himself for the story, he had to tell them, and for their disappointment in him when they heard everything he had to say.
With a deep breath, Blaine turns to face them. "When Kurt first went to New York, he got really busy with school and Vogue. I took it that he was pulling away from me. I was so used to seeing him and talking to him every day, and all of a sudden, it was like he didn't have time for me anymore, that he didn't want me. I was wrong. He just hadn't figured out how to juggle everything yet, school, work, new friends, and this exciting new life he had. I started feeling like I was holding him back. Why would he want to waste time on someone who was still in high school when he could have anyone he wanted. Instead of me going to New York and making him talk to me, I cheated on him," Blaine said, looking first at his mom and then his dad.
"You What?" Pam and Michael asked at the same time, looking at him, shocked.
"Yes, I'm the reason for the first break up. Kurt had every reason to break up with me. I broke not only his trust, but worse, I broke his heart. Remember, back in high school, when I told you I needed to go to New York, I needed to talk to Kurt? That's what that was about. I had never lied to him before, and to me, keeping quiet about what I had done would have been the same as lying to him. So yes, he had every right to break up with me, and I was honestly surprised when he agreed to take me back."
"As for the second break up, that was a combination of things. When Kurt came back to Lima when we were closing out glee, one of the old members had commented on how that's what the world needed, another teen marriage that would end in divorce. I didn't think any more about it. I knew Kurt was it for me. I would never need anyone else but him. What I didn't realize was that Kurt was having doubts of his own. He didn't know if we were ready. He got nervous, and instead of talking to me, because he was worried I would get mad at him, he just kept going along with everything and holding everything in. He didn't know how to tell me that maybe we should wait. I just kept planning everything, not realizing he was feeling trapped. We weren't communicating, he still hadn't figured out how to tell me he wanted to postpone the wedding, so instead, he ended us. He said he regretted it right after he had done it, that he waited at home for me that night so we could talk it out, but I didn't go home. I stayed at a motel. I didn't answer his calls or texts. I couldn't talk to him then, I was just so angry and hurt. I waited until he was at school the next day, and I went in and packed everything up and came home."
"We've both hurt each other, and both made mistakes, but I know in my heart that he is it for me, and has been since I was sixteen years old. I can't see my life without him in it, and to be honest, I don't ever want to have to again," Blaine said with everything he had, never meaning anything more.
Pam and Michael look at each other for a few minutes quiet and then looked at Blaine "If that is how you feel we will support you," Pam said walking over and hugging him
"Thank you, that means a lot. He's really important to me," Blaine says softly, feeling so much love for his parents, not realizing until that moment just how much their support meant to him.
"Then he is important to us," Michael said, pulling him into a hug, and then the three of them sat back down.
"Have you heard anything more from the Mitchell's or their lawyer?" Blaine asked his dad feeling nervous.
"Not about Sere. The only thing I've heard from the lawyer was that the Mitchells wanted me to convince you to sign their house over to them. I advised their lawyer, that number one, the house was legally yours, and number two, you wouldn't be changing your mind. I told him your decision on the house had been made and that I supported that decision, especially after the way they acted at the reading of the will. He did say that the Mitchells were trying to get everything packed up," Michael said with a smile. He had never taken an instant dislike to someone like he had the Mitchell's.
"Good deal, after checking out the apartment in New York, I need to go talk to Burt Hummel. I want me and Kurt to be the ones to tell him and Carol that we are back together. I don't want them reading about it in the tabloids. I guess after that, I can fly back to California and check on the Mitchells and see how close they are to getting moved out. I still can't believe Bryce left that house to me and not his parents. Once I check that out, I need to fly back to London and go through Shey's stuff and clean the apartment out. I guess I need to put it on the market. I don't see me needing it. Do you think the solicitor we used to create our prenup would be able to help with selling it?" Blaine asked
"No, son, I don't. Why don't I reach out to Shey's lawyer? I still have his contact information. I can ask him. He'll probably know more about it anyway," Michael answered.
"Ok, that'll work, I need to get it taken care of and then the apartment in Paris. I have no idea what to do with it. Do I sell it sight unseen, or do I go there and check it out first?" Blaine said, running his hands through his hair.
"Why don't you make that decision, based on the one in New York. See what kind of shape it is in and then go from there. What are you going to do with Sere while you are gone?" Pam asked, looking down at the baby in her arms, with a soft smile on her face.
"I figured I would take her with me, why?" Blaine asks, looking at her.
"Well… with all the packing and everything it might be hard to keep up with her, you are going to be busy," Pam said with a smile on her face.
"Mom, do you want to watch Sere while I am gone?" Blaine asked, laughing.
"Well, I could do that if you would like me to," She said, giving Blaine an innocent grin, letting him know that was exactly what she was wanting
"That would be perfect if you didn't mind, I'd need to go home and get her some more clothes. I only packed for a few days," Blaine said, looking at her.
"Wwweeellll, I might have assumed that that was what you would want to do, and I may or may not have gone shopping for her some clothes and diapers and toys, and also I might have turned your brother's old room into a nursery," Pam said grinning at him.
"What is Cooper going to do when he comes home?" Blaine asked her, laughing.
"Oh, he can always stay in the den downstairs, " she said, having it all figured out.
"Mom, you are a nut, and he is going to kill you," Blaine said, shaking his head, but unable to keep the smile off of his face. She had made sure that Sere always had a place in her home, and that meant so much to Blaine that she loved his little girl that much.
"Well, baby girl, let's go see what nana has done, shall we?" Blaine said, taking the baby from her "Thanks mom… for everything," kissing her on the cheek.
He walked upstairs and opened the door of the room that had once been Cooper's. It had been repainted a shell pink. The crib, rocking chair, and changing table that had been set up originally in his room had been moved into what was now Sere's room. He noticed that a matching dresser had been added, and it was full of little girl clothes in various sizes. Stuff that would fit her now, and stuff she would grow into, his mom had thought of everything, even had the room filled with various stuffed animals and toys. She had been planning on watching the baby while he was gone. He just didn't know if he would be able to be away from her that long.
He figured between New York, London, and Paris, he would probably need two weeks, and the way Sere was changing almost daily, he didn't know if he would want to be gone that long, miss that much. He sat down in the chair with her and started rocking, holding her close.
"Do you promise daddy, not to grow up too much while I am gone?" Blaine asked, placing a small kiss on top of her little head, leaving her for a few days was one thing, but a few weeks would kill him, but he needed to do what was going to be best for her as well. She would be on airplane after airplane, having to sit in her car seat while he tried to get everything taken care of.
He knows leaving her here with his mom was the best option, just not the one he was really happy with. Here she would be able to be comfortable, and he knew that if she were with him, he would want to spend time paying attention to her instead of what he needed to get done. He also didn't know what kind of situation he was going to find with either place except Shey's. He knew he only had one real option. That didn't mean he had to like it, though.
Still holding Sere, Blaine pulls out his phone and calls Kurt, needing to talk to him, needing to reconnect.
oOoOo
Blaine missed Kurt that night, they had only spent one night together, but it was something he knew he could get used to again, wanted to get used to again. Just holding Kurt in his arms all night. The next morning, Blaine dressed with care, wanting to look his best when he saw Kurt again. He dressed in a black button-down shirt, a pair of black skinny jeans, and his favorite doc martens. Spraying a little of his favorite, cologne on and he was ready to go. He had been wearing the same scent since his junior year in high school. Kurt had bought him that brand for his birthday that year. He remembered Kurt had said he loved the way it smelled on Blaine, and he had been wearing it ever since. Blaine grabbed his suitcase, making sure he had repacked everything and then made his way down to the kitchen to say goodbye.
"Thanks for watching her for me, if I knew what was going on with the apartment, I would take her with me," Blaine said hugging her, before reaching out for Sere and pulling her into his arms.
"You don't have to thank me, Blaine. I love having her here, plus I think you are right. You don't know what kind of condition the apartment is in since the lawyer said that Bryce had bought it as an investment. He wasn't even sure if Bryce had ever been there. It might just be an empty apartment that will need work. It's better to leave her here where you know she'll be comfortable, and I promise I will take good care of her." Pam said, looking at Blaine. She was so proud of the man he had become, what a good dad he was.
"I know you will, mom. I never had a doubt. But you're wrong in one thing. I do need to thank you for watching her for me. It means a lot to me to know that I can leave her and know she's going to be taken care of," Blaine says, leaning in and kissing his mom on the cheek and then looks down at Sere.
"So my baby girl, are you going to be good for daddy?" Blaine said, holding Sere close, missing her already. "Don't do anything extraordinary while I'm gone, and can't be here to see it ok? Promise me." Blaine whispers, holding Sere just a little tighter for a few more minutes until he hears the honking of the cab he had called. "Love you, " he says, kissing her little cheek and then passes her to Pam again. He picks up his suitcase, turns around, looks at his mom and Sere one more time, he says goodbye and is walking toward the door, his heart is already hurting, and he hasn't even left yet.
When his plane touches down at LaGuardia, he slowly makes his way to the door. He had told Kurt when he talked to him last night that he would meet him at his loft in Bushwick instead of at the airport, not really sure what he would face there. The first newsstand he passes sends chills down his spine because there, on the front page of almost every newspaper, was a picture of him and Kurt kissing at the airport yesterday.
"Shit," Blaine says, looking at the headlines.
Has Blaine Anderson already found a new love?
Was he able to get over golden boy Bryce Mitchell so quickly?
Who is the new mystery man, and was he already in the picture before Bryce's sudden death?
Check out Blaine's new cutie, who is this mystery man?
What has he done with poor Sere while he is seducing this new man? And on and on, picture after picture.
Blaine stands there looking at the different headlines, running his hands through his hair. He had never wanted to bring Kurt into this shit storm. Blaine slips on his sunglasses and tries to get out of the airport unnoticed, but the minute he saw flashes going off, he knew that wasn't happening. He finally makes it through the crowd and to a cab, he quickly gives the driver Kurt's address and then sits back, wondering how Kurt was going to handle this.
When Blaine gets to Kurt's apartment, he takes the freight elevator to Kurt's floor, walks to the door, and knocks, wondering what he was going to find inside. Blaine had been in a really good mood. He was seeing Kurt again, he had really missed him. During his time at his parent's house, Blaine had figured a lot of stuff out. He knew in his heart he was ready to proceed. Yes, he still wanted to take things slow, but he wanted them to move forward with their relationship if that was what Kurt wanted to do as well.
Now he wondered if Kurt was going to find it too much, was being with him going to be too hard. There was nothing like living in a fishbowl. Blaine had hoped that after the funeral, he would soon fade out of the public eye, he guesses he had been wrong in that.
When Kurt opens the door, Blaine reaches out and pulls him into his arms, holding him close, whispering, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," over and over in his ear.
Kurt quickly pulls away so that he could look at Blaine, wondering what he is talking about, what has he done to be sorry for? Kurt suddenly has flashbacks of the last time Blaine had said those same words. "What are you sorry for, Blaine?" Kurt asks with a stiff voice, waiting to hear the worst.
"I'm sorry I got you into this, Kurt, and I'll understand if you want to back off," Blaine said, hoping he doesn't but would completely understand if he did.
"Ok, Blaine, I'm still lost. Once again, what are you saying you're sorry for? What's going on?" Kurt said, feeling nervous. Blaine had sounded fine when they talked on the phone last night.
"You haven't seen the paper yet this morning?" Blaine asks, looking at Kurt. When he still lived here, Kurt had had the paper delivered every morning. He loved looking at the style and leisure section.
"No, why?" Kurt asks, looking at Blaine even more confused.
"Someone got a picture of me kissing you at the airport yesterday and apparently thought that was front-page newsworthy. It's on the front page of every newspaper known to man. Kurt, your dad's going to see that, and I wanted us to be the ones to tell him," Blaine said, walking over to what he had always thought of as his window.
Kurt walks over to his laptop and brought up his home page, and yup, there was a picture that clearly shows Blaine kissing someone. Kurt's face hadn't been visible in the picture taken, but anyone who knew Kurt and Blaine would know it was them.
Kurt looks at Blaine with a soft smile on his face, walking over to him and waiting for him to turn around to face him. "Don't worry about it, Blaine. They'll soon move on to the next big story. This isn't anything to worry about. This isn't your fault." Kurt said, wrapping his arms around Blaine's neck, leaning in to kiss him.
"You're not mad?" Blaine asks, finally able to breathe again.
"What do I have to be mad about? I was kissing you as much as you were kissing me. This isn't your fault Blaine," Kurt says before hugging Blaine a little closer.
"I wish we had had time to tell Burt and Carol we were back together first. I hate that they're going to find out this way," Blaine says, pulling Kurt into his arms, laying his head on Kurt's shoulder. Burt had always been like a second father, and he had once told Blaine that he thought of him as a second son.
Kurt just smiles at him sheepishly, "Oh, I already told them, and dad expects us for Friday Dinner," Kurt said with a big grin on his face.
"You told him?" Blaine asks, laughing, pulling Kurt a little closer to him.
"Well, you were telling your parent's sooo, I told mine," Kurt said, kissing Blaine again.
"Have I told you yet, how very much I love you?" Blaine asks, feeling like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
"Hmm, maybe," Kurt says, kissing Blaine on his neck, right where he knew Blaine was the most sensitive. "But it never hurts to hear it again" Kurt managed to get out before Blaine's lips were on his, kissing him until he can no longer breathe and no longer cares. It had been so long, and he was so turned on.
Blaine slowly pulls back a little, having trouble controlling his breathing. "Slow, we're taking this slow," Blaine said before pulling Kurt back into his arms and kissing him again. Holding him closer, needing him so very badly, feeling just how much Kurt needed him. He leans his forehead against Kurt's, trying to catch his breath, and trying to get himself back under control. When he can finally think again, he steps slightly away
"Do you want to go with me to see what kind of fresh hell I am going to have to deal with today?" Blaine asks, softly running his hand up and down Kurt's cheek, never taking his eyes off of him.
Kurt breathes deeply before exhaling slowly, "Yeah, let's go see what we can find."
Blaine looks at him for a minute and then places a soft kiss on his lips, reaching out to take his hand and guide him outside. They manage to get a cab almost immediately without having to call one first. Blaine gives the driver the address where they are going and sits back in the seat, holding Kurt's hand, running his thumb over Kurt's knuckles. Still wanting him so bad, if they hadn't left when they did, Blaine knew he would have acted on those feelings, but he knew they weren't there yet. They needed to talk.
The driver pulled up in front of a very nice 16 story building in an influential part of New York. It wasn't what Blaine had expected at all. Blaine had his key to the apartment that Mr. Garrison had given him before he left the day of Bryce's funeral. He had been given a set of keys for each apartment and one for the house in California. Because he had never been there, Blaine went to the reception desk, told them who he was, and showed them his id. He was then pointed to an elevator slightly to the right of the others. The apartment was on the 16th floor and what Blaine hadn't known until he stepped in that elevator, was that it was the penthouse apartment. On the key chain with the apartment key was one for the elevator as well. When he inserted and turned the key, it started moving up.
When the elevator slowed, and the door opened, he was standing in one of the most beautiful spaces he had ever seen. The main wall when you walked into the apartment was floor to ceiling glass. The walls were painted a light sand color with white chair railing. The hardwood floors were a beautiful honey-gold color.
The furniture had been placed to highlight the beautiful view and over on the left side of the living room, was something that took Blaine's breath away, a shiny black grand piano. It fit so perfectly in front of those windows. Blaine could just imagine sitting there at night, playing while looking out those windows, and seeing the lights of New York outside. He imagined walking out the door in the middle of the wall and sitting on the balcony looking down.
He walked down the hall, noticing all the beautiful framed prints hanging on the walls. He opened the first door on the left and found a small room that had been set up as an office. A new computer still unopened in the box was sitting on the desk, furniture with tags still on them was placed nicely around the room.
Blaine opens the next door on the left and finds a decent-sized guest bathroom, a stack of fluffy towels and washrags sitting on the vanity. The next door, he opens on the left had been set up as a guest room, once again the furniture all still had their tags on them, the mattress was still wrapped in the plastic that it had been sold in. Walking further into the room, Blaine notices that on the bed, still in their packaging was a set of sheets, a comforter set, and a pair of big fluffy pillows. Even though the room looked like it had been decorated by a professional, nothing had been unwrapped and set up. Blaine shakes his head in confusion before moving on.
The next door he came to was on the right side of the hall, and it was huge. This one room was the size of the other two bedrooms combined. It had an ensuite bathroom, with a massive walk-in shower that had a rain showerheads, and multiple shower jets located on the walls. The tile placed in it was a beautiful light coral color, with the bathroom walls painted a slightly darker shade of the same color.
The outside wall of the bedroom was once again as the living room, floor to ceiling glass with a door that opened onto a balcony. The windows were covered with sheer white curtains. The bed was a mahogany-colored sleigh bed with a fluffy white rug under it. Once again, just like every other room in the house, the mattress was still wrapped in the plastic, all the furniture still had their tags hanging on them, the bedding still in its packaging sitting on the bed. He opened the closet in the bedroom and found a massive walk-in that was as big as Sere's room at home.
Just like in the living room, the walls were a light sand color with the white chair railing. Above the bed was a print of a lighthouse. When Blaine looked at it closer, he found that it was a Thomas Kincaid. It was absolutely beautiful, and the colors in the print tied the colors of the bathroom and the bedroom together.
Walking back down the hall to the room off to the right side of the living room, Blaine finds that it had been set up as a home theater center. There were four recliners on different height platforms on either side of the room so that the people sitting in the back recliners would be able to see over the ones in the front, and still be able to see the screen. On the center wall, a projection screen and a surround sound system had been set up. In the corner of the right-hand wall was an old fashioned popcorn and soda vending machine. Old movie posters that had been framed and lined every available space on the wall. Whoever had set this room up had thought of everything.
Blaine reached out for Kurt's hand as they walk out of the theater room, and into the last room of the house, they hadn't seen yet. The kitchen. On the countertops were boxes of kitchen supplies, pots, pans, baking sheets, dishes, and silverware. Nothing had been put away, which to Blaine seemed strange until he found a bill on the bar between the living room and the kitchen. The name on the bill was from a decorating firm here in New York. The bill was dated the day before Bryce had been killed. There was a breakdown of everything he had seen in the apartment. Everything had been placed and put in new.
Blaine pulls his phone out of his pocket and dials the number on the bill. The phone rang only twice.
"This is Cindy with Decorating You. How may I help you?" a sweet voice asks. Blaine looks at the bill in his hand and saw the note at the bottom saying, "I hope you like everything we did" and was signed by someone named Cindy.
"Hi Cindy, this is Blaine Anderson. Are you the one who did Bryce Mitchell's apartment for him?" Blaine asks.
"Yes, sir, I am, " she said very quietly.
"Did you get paid for your work yet?" Blaine asks.
"No, sir, we had just completed the job the day before we got notified of his passing. He was a really sweet man. I got to work with him personally. We spent a lot of time on the phone talking about what he wanted every room to look like, down to the color on the walls. He picked out everything in that apartment himself. It was funny that everything went perfectly, even though he never once stepped foot in the place. Mr. Anderson, I want to offer you my condolences. I'm so very sorry for your loss, " Blaine heard the sadness in her voice.
"Thank you. I really appreciate that, and also the time you spent on the apartment for him. I have a question though, why does everything still have the tags on them, and why is everything in the kitchen is still in boxes?" Blaine questions.
"That is the way Mr. Mitchell said he wanted us to leave it. He said he had always wanted to live in a home with new stuff, where he got to take all the tags off. Where he pulled the plastic off of the mattresses, he wanted to be the first person to run the washer and dryer. He wanted to be the one to unpack the kitchen and put everything where he wanted it," She continued sadly.
"Ok, I understand," Blaine said, meaning it more than he ever thought he would. He remembers when he moved into his first apartment in California, how excited he had been because he got to set everything up the way he wanted it. No longer living in somebody else's space, having things set up the way someone else wanted it, not the way he would have liked it. Kurt's apartment and the fight they had had crossing his mind.
"Thank you so much, Cindy. One more question, when did he hire you to do this?" Blaine asked, just wanting to know.
"He hired us almost a month to the day before he died. Mr. Mitchell told us to take our time, that he wouldn't need the apartment for at least a month. He said that was when his next film was scheduled to start shooting here in New York. I asked him why he was bothering to fix up a New York apartment when he was based out of California. He said that he already owned the apartment, that his real estate agent had bought it for him about a year ago. He went on to say that he hated living out of a suitcase in a motel, he might as well put the apartment to good use. The sad part is, he never even got to see just how beautiful the place was, even before we decorated it," she says with a sigh.
"Thank you for everything you did for him, Cindy. I know he would have loved it. You guys did a wonderful job," Blaine said, meaning it. Looking around the apartment, Blaine realized he and Bryce had more in common than he would have thought. The way the apartment was decorated was along the same lines as what he would have done, except the guest room would have been set up for Sere, and the office would have become an office, guest room combination. "I'll get you a check in the mail in the morning. Thank you for all your hard work," Blaine said before disconnecting the call.
After talking with Cindy, it hits Blaine, that Bryce had never been here. There were no bad memories associated with this apartment, and Blaine loved the place. He had already been thinking about moving, and New York was a lot closer to his parents and Kurt, of course. It could be a win-win. Walking around, Blaine can seem himself living here. The sad part about the apartment was that it showed Blaine that Bryce really had intended to leave Sere behind. When Blaine had read in Bryce's journal about how he was going to divorce him and that Blaine could just keep Sere, he had doubted Bryce really meant it. Now, looking around the apartment, all his doubts were gone. There hadn't been a single thing set up for Sere. She didn't even have a room. That thought made him sad that Bryce could have so easily walked away from her.
"How long can I have you for? I know you said that you had two weeks, do you think that could be extended at all?" Blaine questioned.
"Well, Isabelle did comment on me getting you to do an interview," Kurt said, looking at him.
Before Blaine could say anything else, his phone started ringing, Blaine pulled it out of his pocket and smiled when he saw who it was. "Hey, Dad, what's up?"
"Blaine, have you seen the newspapers yet this morning?" Michael asked
"Yeah, it was one of the first things I saw when I landed in New York, why what's up?" Blaine asked, now starting to feel nervous.
"I heard from the Mitchell's lawyer this morning. They are going to fight for custody. They say because of your lifestyle, you aren't fit to raise their granddaughter," Michael said, and Blaine could hear the anger in his father's voice.
"WHAT, you've got to be fucking kidding me right now," Blaine said so beyond mad
"I wish I was. The Mitchell's filed suit this morning. They want access to all the money that was left to Sere through Shey. They're asking for her adoption to be negated," His dad continued.
Blaine went and sat down on the couch, his head in his hands, "How is that even possible?" Blaine asked just above a whisper.
"Son, they were having you followed from the day you married Bryce. They said in the papers they filed that they thought you were cheating on him," Michael said in disbelief.
"Dad, I swear to you that I never did. I never did that," Blaine said, so in shock, he could barely think.
"Blaine I talked to one of the reporters that were following you. The one that actually got the picture of you kissing I'm assuming Kurt. She was paid $10000.00 for that picture, they plan on using it as proof," Michael continued
"Dad, they'll be able to trace it, they'll have to see I haven't been back in New York once since Kurt and I broke up," Blaine responded, not believing this was happening.
"I know, son, but yesterday when you were at the airport kissing Kurt, you were on your way here, not New York," Michael said.
"Shit, now what?" Blaine asked, feeling like he was going to break down. Thankful that Kurt had come and sat down beside him, pulling him into his side.
"We file a countersuit, and we take them for everything they have," Michael answered, and Blaine could tell just how angry his father was.
"I don't need their money, dad, and even if I did, they don't have anything anyway," Blaine responded
"That is where you are wrong, Blaine. I have been working with Bryce's lawyer. He had some information for us, " Michael said, and Blaine could almost hear the smile in his voice.
"Ok, dad, is that even legal? Attorney-client privilege and all that?" Blaine asked, confused about how Bryce's lawyer could help them.
"Yes, it is legal, right after the two of you got married, Bryce asked Mr. Garrison to look through his finances, old contracts signed on his behalf by the Mitchell's when he was too young to do so himself. I don't know if he thought something was up, or just knew his parents. He also told Mr. Garrison that if he ever came across something that didn't look right, that if Bryce wasn't available, then he was to call me as your lawyer. Mr. Garrison got it in writing, and Bryce never rescinded it." Michael continued.
"Ooookkk, so what did he find, and how will it help us?" Blaine asked, starting to get a little interested.
"Well, it would seem that a lot of the movies and shows that Bryce was in when he was younger, had a contract signed that earned him royalties every time the movie or TV show aired. From what I understood that at the time Bryce was in such high demand, the studios would have signed anything to keep Bryce working for them. According to Mr. Garrison, the studios have been paying those royalty checks, not to Bryce, but to his parents. The minute Bryce turned eighteen, the checks were supposed to be sent to him. Because his parents never updated the banking information, and Bryce didn't know to do so, the Mitchells have been pulling in thousands of dollars every time one is re-aired," Michael continued.
"Ok, what do we need to do?" Blaine asked, now getting pissed again.
"I got some paperwork together this morning as soon as I heard from Mitchell's lawyer. I just wanted to talk to you before I filed them in the morning. I say we sue them for defamation of character, slander, and conspiracy to commit fraud. In that journal, in Bryce's own handwriting, it says that he asked his dad before marrying you if it was legal, and Mr. Mitchell told Bryce yes. Bryce and his parents conspired to defraud you. We have proof, they have nothing," Michael said, and Blaine could hear the happiness in his dad's voice.
"Dad, some of the things in that journal are very, VERY personal. You don't think I'll have to show the whole thing do you?" Blaine asked, hoping that no one but him would ever see some of the things written in there. Blaine was embarrassed just thinking about it.
"No son, we just need a copy of the page where Bryce talks about what he and his dad discussed, and that should be good enough. If we're lucky, they'll settle out of court, and we won't even need that. But… even if they settle, we're still going to make them turn over any monies they have earned off of the royalties since you and Bryce signed your wills. That money should have gone to Bryce, and therefore to you, or Sere anyway," Michael said.
"Dad, what would you think about me doing an interview to tell my side of things?" Blaine had a sudden thought, two birds, one stone. Isabelle wanted an interview, and Blaine wanted Kurt for longer than two weeks, Win, win, and all of that.
"I don't see that being a bad thing, who were you thinking of doing it with?" Michael asked.
"Vogue and Isabelle Wright. That way I can control the commentary and tell my side of the story to people I know personally. People I know I can trust," Blaine answered, looking at Kurt, leaning over, placing a soft kiss on Kurt's forehead.
"Go for it, son. Tell them as much or as little as you want. After all, we have the proof on our side, and they have nothing. Also, the results came back on the paternity test today. They prove I was Shey's dad. If you don't mind, though, save that part for court if we end up there. I swear son they won't know what hit them," His dad said, laughing before hanging up.
"So, Isabelle wants an interview with me, why don't you set it up, and I have a favor I want to ask you," Blaine said with a big smile, he was going to give Vogue the only exclusive interview he would ever give. He was going to tell everything. If the Mitchell's were going to play, then he would play as well, only he played with bigger guns.
A/N: The song mentioned in this chapter was Perfect by Pink.
