This fic actually focuses on Blaine friendship with Burt and Elizabeth. Really AU.

There's not Klaine interaction per se.

Also, Blangst.

.

I own nothing.

Burt and Elizabeth were the real deal. Everybody knew it.

Even with the concept of soulmates existing since hundreds of year – with the first confirmed soulmate couple data all the way back to the 1800s- the logic behind it is still a little diffused between the lines. There are couples that even thought have each other's names on their skin, were total opposites, making the relationship completely impossible to prosper. Other unions reached an unhealthy level of love and jealousy, ending with more tragic resolutions. Sometimes, soulmates didn't have a sexual connection to complete a successful loving pairing because of sexual orientation and gender identity, but decided to stay together as companions and form a strong friendship to fill the empty space on the bed at night and having someone to get home to.

Then, there were pairings like Burt and Elizabeth, who find each other's arms at a sweet age and never let go. Raw and unfiltered love.

The only sure thing everyone knows is that the day your soulmate is born, their name will appear across the skin over your chest, right above your heart. That means that people would either born with a name already written on their body, indicating the person's soulmate is alive, or would have to wait days, weeks, months or even years to know who their soulmate was.

Blaine was one of those. He didn't have a name. He probably never will. Even at 13 years old, he knew that he was the weird one. No one he knew had to wait more than a few years to have a name on their chest. At first it was depressing, with puberty right around the corner and hormones in the air, the only talk between teenagers was soulmates and love and sex and Blaine was jealous he couldn't be part of that. And fuck if he didn't wanted to.

The day of his fourteenth birthday, Blaine had to listen his best friend Burt talking about finding Elizabeth, with so much love and happiness in his voice that made impossible for Blaine to do anything else but smile sadly and congratulate him. He knew that he will never have that in his life, but at least he could live vicariously through his best friend relationship.

Blaine and Burt were friends since he have memory. Their families lived next to each other and would have barbecues and holidays together as the kids grew up. It was nice to have someone his age to talk and confide when his brother Cooper couldn't be bother to listen his younger brother, being ten years older and with big dreams of stardom and bright lights.

Then Elizabeth came along and the duet became a trio. It was a natural transition, Lizzie being so friendly and loving, accepting Blaine as a package deal that came with Burt, no questions asked. Blaine love her for that. He didn't know if he could deal with no having a soulmate or a best friend.

Blaine never knew what real love was until he saw Burt and Elizabeth together. Sure, his parents share kisses and hugs in front of him, but they never looked like much, never felt like much. Even as Blaine wasn't the one being kissed or hugged he could feel the love radiating from the couple. To be honest, it made him happy to know that the universe didn't fuck that up as it did with Blaine's lack of mark.

Their little group didn't help with Blaine's reputation. If anything made it worse. Now, he wasn't only a freak because he didn't have a soulmate, he also was the continuously sad third wheel of the most in love couple of school. But neither of the three cared about that. Burt even broke a few noses of the ones that were stupid enough to say something about Blaine in front of him. And in exchange Blaine swore to himself he would do anything in his power to protect their love from the ugliness of the world.

So when they were 15, and Elizabeth came crying to his house one Tuesday afternoon after school Blaine knew it was time to be a man of his word.

Burt was working on his father's garage and Lizzie couldn't reach him yet, so Blaine was the first one to take her hand while they wait for the little white stick to show something. Blaine bit his lip, loss of words. When he came out the year prior, he assumed that he was safe of possible pregnancy scares. But life was a funny thing.

"Just a few more minutes" he said as Elizabeth looked at the bathroom door for what the tenth time in a minute.

"We fucked up Bee" she whispered. New tears shinning through her eyelashes.

"No, Lizzie, you did not" Blaine reassured her and hugged her with one arm. "Everything will be okay" he said softly, hoping he was right.

And then the second blue line appeared, and Blaine felt it was mocking them. Clear, bright and obviously there. Elizabeth sobbed against his shoulder and Blaine sighed and hold her tighter.

He also hold her when she told Burt about it, and when the three of them told her parents. Because there was no way that he wasn't going to stand right next to them. Because maybe the universe didn't choose someone for him to have in his life, but they chose to have him and for that he was eternally grateful.

And then he hold her when her parents kicked her out.

And he definitely hold extra hard that night when she cried in the middle of his living room, with a duffle bag on her shoulder as his parents made the bed on Cooper's old room for her.

"Everything will be okay" he repeated to her.

.

Elizabeth's pregnancy wasn't easy.

Burt took as many shifts at the garage as possible without having to drop out of high school so he wasn't around as much. And his parents, while they accepted Elizabeth and let her stay at their house, didn't exactly helped them with doctor appointments or baby stuff.

So Blaine became Lizzie's right hand. Making her breakfast before school, driving her to the doctor and calming her down when the anxiety and doubts settle in late at night.

"What if we can't do this?" she whispered one night, looking at him with big eyes. They were sitting on the couch with a mountain of blankets over their shoulders, the movie on the tv long forgotten. "I won't forgive myself if he have a bad life" she said while caressing gently at her stomach.

Blaine took her hands and squeezed them. "This baby will be the luckiest little guy on the whole world, I know it" he smiled easily. "How do you know is a he? Isn't a little early yet?"

Elizabeth sighed and smiled shyly at him. "I always thought maternal instinct was just a saying. But I feel it in my heart, Bee. It's a boy" and her eyes looked so honest and pure of love, Blaine couldn't help but agree with her.

"And you worry about not being the best mother in the world" he teased her. He smiled at her belly and softly said. "Hey, little guy"

"Kurt" Elizabeth interrupted him, cheeks tinted with pink under the yellowish glow of the tv. "I like the name Kurt, it's what I call him in my head".

"Well, Kurt is it then" Blaine agreed and returned his gaze to the belly. "I'm Blaine. We are really excited to meet you. I can't wait to teach you how to play the guitar"

Elizabeth looked at him with a soft smile. "You know, Kurt will be really lucky to have you in his life as well Bee. You are special"

It was Blaine's turn to blush. People always called him all types of names. Weird, freak, and sissy after coming out. But it was the first time someone said something to him with nothing but love and respect. Like he was worthy of it.

In that moment, it felt like the universe didn't fucked up and Blaine's life was just the way it's supposed to be.

.

One night Burt came to his house with a case of beer after Elizabeth was already sleep.

They sat on the porch quietly and Blaine looked at the stars.

Burt broke the silence first. "We couldn't possibly do this without you Blaine" he said, removing the baseball cap of his head.

"That's not true" Blaine chuckled and took a sip of his beer.

They really shouldn't be drinking, but if life thought they were old enough for a baby, they were old enough for a beer.

"No, it is" Burt replied strongly. "My Lizzie… she needs someone like you by her side. I love her with my entire heart but you… You understand people. You give your all, expecting nothing in return, and that…" he said thoughtfully. "That's really special man" he finished.

Blaine almost chocked on his beer. His throat burned and he didn't know if it was the liquid or the unshed tears on the back of his eyes.

Special.

There is that word again.

It's almost as he could believe that it was true. That he is truly special.

He didn't said anything. He clinked the neck of his beer with Burt's and kept staring at the stars.

.

His skin itched everywhere. On his arms, his chest, down his neck. The spring warm days were fully settle in and Blaine knew he made a mistake that morning when he chose to wear a vest over his shirt. Now he couldn't stop scratch himself like he had chicken pot. He was considering asking for a bathroom pass to go and change when a familiar face appeared on the window of the classroom door.

Burt looked right at him and mouthed. "It's time"

Blaine was up and out of the door in a second. His was so getting detention later. But he couldn't care less. His friends needed him.

When they got to the hospital Elizabeth was already laying down on one of the beds. She had hair sticking all over her face with sweat, her cheeks were red and her eyes only half open, a soft smile on her face.

To Blaine, she never looked more beautiful.

With a kiss on her forehead and a quick hug to Burt, Blaine let the couple alone and went to the waiting room of the maternity ward.

.

He couldn't stop passing. The last time he saw his friends was hours ago and the anxiety only made his skin to itch even more. His vest was draped over one of the chairs on the waiting room and he rolled his sleeves at the elbow, the first few buttons of the shirt opened.

He felt like he was on fire.

Elizabeth's room was only a few feet from the waiting room so Blaine could hear everything. Lizzie's shouts, Burt's praises and loving words and the doctor's orders to push.

It was beautiful and unnerving all at the same time. On a way, Blaine felt like he was an intruder, hearing such a private moment like this, but on the other hand, he felt so connected to it that he couldn't possibly not be there.

And then, life decided to fuck him up one more time.

Two things happened at the exact moment.

A piercing cry echoed across the waiting room, announcing Kurt's birth.

Burning pain flashed across his chest.

His heart stopped. This couldn't be happening.

With heavy feet he walked to the nearest mirror. With a gulp and trembling hands he popped two more buttons. The fabric slide down his shoulder.

On his chest, right over his heart, three little black words.

Kurt E. Hummel

"Blaine"

Blaine turned around and looked at Burt. His friend was at the door of the waiting room. Happiness, confusion, love, fear. All written over his face. His eyes went straight to the mark on Blaine's chest.

The itch has stopped. But so has his life.

And right now he did feel special, but in all the wrong ways.

Blaine simply whispered. "I'm sorry"