It was the middle of the night, like it always was, when Blaine slipped out of bed and headed for the kitchen. He'd done that so many times that it was a habit now. Even though he was exhausted, eyes barely open, his feet knew exactly where to take him. Before he knew it, he was standing in front of the fridge, grabbing out a jug of milk and setting it on the counter before reaching for a cup.
It was the middle of the night, like it always was, when Kurt rolled over in bed, searching for the warm, solid body of his husband. He wasn't there, just like he wasn't so many times before. As was his habit, he rolled himself out of bed, padding to the kitchen where he knew Blaine would be. As he went, his eyes adjusted slowly, revealing that the light was on in the kitchen, just as he'd known it would be. His husband was just sitting down at the table with a glass of milk and a cookie when Kurt emerged. "You okay?" he asked, his voice low and rough with sleep.
"Yeah…" Blaine answered him softly. "Just woke up and couldn't go back to sleep."
"You wanna talk about it?"
Blaine shrugged. "I dunno. Is there anything to say that we haven't talked about before?"
"Maybe. Maybe not. It doesn't really matter. If you want to talk, I'm here for you." Kurt closed the few feet between himself and the table and slid out a chair, taking a seat. "What's the matter?" The question was more of an order than a question. Blaine needed that sometimes, and Kurt could sense, with the emotions coming through their soulbond, that now was one of those times.
There was a sigh, then, "I don't know. Well, okay… I guess that's not true. I was just thinking about my past, how disappointing my family was, how upsetting everything was. Until I met you, of course."
Kurt smiled, batting his eyelashes. "Of course." That earned him a chuckle.
"I didn't really know what I was missing out on before," Blaine admitted, "before I had you. It's like I woke up when you came around, and now… Everything's routine. A pattern. Just like the two of us sitting down out here tonight, me with a cookie and milk and you over there with your arms crossed. We do this all the time, and I thought… I thought I'd be bored of it, but I'm not."
Eyebrows turning down into a frown, Kurt asked, "What do you mean? It's the middle of the night. I-I need you to explain better. Sorry. Sleepy brain."
"Before you, my life was chaos. Nothing was predictable. Everything was horrible because I had no one to depend on. After you, everything settled into a routine, and I thought I'd be bored because I'd had so much variety in my life before. I don't hate it like I thought I would, though. I love it, love that I know what to expect from you, that I can depend on you, that no matter what happens during my day, you'll be home with a hug and a kiss for me, a shoulder to cry on if I need it. It's perfect, and sometimes, I feel guilty because my younger self resented the idea of ever having this… The day your name showed up on my chest, I… Kurt, I can't explain the horrible things I—"
"Stop." Kurt's voice was serious, but there was a softness in his eyes. "Don't beat yourself up about what you did in the past, before you had the information you needed to know that life could be different and that you could enjoy it. You could only operate with the information you had at the time. Do you still feel that way now? Do you still hate my name on your chest?"
"No."
"Then it's okay because things have changed. You're not the boy I rescued from under the bleachers, Blaine. You're a new man, one who loves unconditionally, who has given me his whole heart, who is my rock in everything. I love you so much."
"I love you, too," Blaine replied, smile on his face. "I'm still amazed that you can do that."
"Do what?"
"Know exactly what to say, what I need to hear."
"I know you well," Kurt admitted. "Now, come on. Drink those last swallows of milk, and let's go back to bed. It's late, and we both have work tomorrow."
"Yes, sir," Blaine whispered, obediently raising the glass to his lips and finishing his milk. He set his dirty cup in the sink and took Kurt's proffered hand, following him back to bed.
When they were snuggled up under the covers, Kurt's head on Blaine's chest, Kurt said, "You know, I love the routine of being with you, too. Even our midnight talks."
"Me, too," Blaine said. "They're comforting somehow."
"They're routine. They're our routine. And there's nothing I love more."
"Good night," Blaine answered with a yawn, pulling Kurt a bit closer and snuggling deeper into his pillow.
Kurt leaned over, kissing his bare chest, right over his husband's soulmark. "Good night, my love. I'll see you bright and early."