Chapter 26: Warbler Family
KurtsWife: OMG OMG OMG! HE'S SO BEAUTIFUL! KURT BABY I LOVE YOU!
Bitchesbelikewhoa: Holy shiz! Klaine came out! Is this real life?!
LezBionicEm: Oh dear Lord! They're so pretty! How are they so damn pretty?
KurtsWife: I CAN'T BREATHE! I'M DYING! OMG!
Niff5Eva: ... ... ...no but...how are they cuter than Niff? Like I don't understand.
Number1Warblerfan: Aw Klaine came out on New Year's! They're so cute!
BeckyJackson: I know that gayface! It's *Cheerio_Porcelain! He goes to my school!
StonerBrett: Yo! His Royal Highness is Blaine Anderson's soulmate? Awesome!
Cheerio_Sandbags: That's right bitches. My boy *Cheerio_Porcelain is *WarblerBlaine's soulmate. Bow down suckas!
KurtsWife: OMG I found his old account! He has all these pictures and he's a cheerleader and the captain and I just... (falls off cliff into oblivion)
KurtsWife: I'm crying. The tears. They're real.
Britney was sitting in her living room mentally planning her sister's and her friend's demise when it happened. She felt her phone vibrate in her hand and with a tired sigh looked at her screen. She expected it to be Marley or Ryder, maybe even Jake to wish her a happy New Year. Excitement coursed through her when she saw it was a direct message from K. She didn't show her excitement though, not wanting Kitty or Bree to know her secret. They would surely ruin her friendship with K, even if it would never be more than a twitter friendship. Biting back a grin, she went into her messages.
HisLuckyCharm
Hey BrittyBrat. Happy New Year! I know it's been a while since we've spoken, I'm sorry about that. It's been crazy lately. I just wanted to let you know that Blaine and I will be announcing me tonight so be prepared for the riot. ;)
Britney stared at the message with wide eyes, unable to believe it. Moments later, Blaine tweeted a picture of them and her heart stopped. Blaine's soulmate was Kurt Hummel, the Kurt Hummel, McKinley High's most popular student. She'd seen him strut down the halls with the Unholy Trinity countless times. His name constantly fell out of her sister's mouth and not once was any of it good. He was royalty. Could it be true that the devil spawn Kitty always spoke of was the same sweet K that she had been talking to for months? How was any of this possible?
"Oh my God," Britney said with a shaky breath. "I think I'm going to be sick."
Kitty scoffed as she turned towards her sister while Bree rolled her eyes. "I let you have one beer and you're sick? You're such a lightweight. I don't know why I bother with you."
"Careful Britt Britt," Bree mocked. "You don't want us to tell your mommy and daddy the reason you're sick is because you snuck off to drink, do you?"
Britney paid them no attention, her mind reeling as Kurt and Blaine tweeted another picture. She placed her hand over her racing heart. This couldn't be happening.
"What the hell are you being so dramatic for?" Kitty drawled as she snatched the phone out of Britney's hand. She laughed condescendingly. "KlainesArmy? Seriously? That's your twitter handle? How much lamer can you..." Kitty trailed off, her jaw dropping when she saw the tweets. "Bree, oh my God."
"What? What is it?" Bree quickly went to her side as Kitty showed her the picture. Bree's hand flew to her mouth. "Is that..."
Kitty nodded slowly. "His Royal Highness's soulmate is Blaine fucking Anderson!"
"We have to call Santana!" Bree shouted. Kitty tossed Britney her phone and ran after Bree towards her bedroom. Britney quickly retrieved it and inhaled sharply when she saw that Perez had posted his article. She clicked on the link with no hesitation.
The Definition of True Love Lies within Them
Romeo and Juliet. Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka. Noah Calhoun and Allie Hamilton. Snow White and Prince Charming. Whether fictional or real, these are all names of truly epic romances that have made us all yearn for that one person who holds our heart and soul. Amongst that list, if not the most epic of them all, are Blaine Anderson and Kurt Hummel.
Their story began one fateful day in 2001 where they unknowingly met in a hospital waiting room. Fourteen year old Blaine was being released after a two day stay due to an attack on him by fellow peers for going to The Sadie Hawkins dance with another boy. Seven year old Kurt was waiting for his mother to be released after a week of treatment for she was terminally ill with Leukemia. Blaine was broken, unwilling to accept that he was meant for greatness while Kurt was optimistic, holding on to hope that his mother would soon heal. Their encounter was brief but it saved Blaine's spirit and gave him the hope he needed to keep going.
"I was in a really dark place at the time," Blaine told me. "I was so young and had already been taught the lesson that the world can be very brutal. But then this little boy comes up to me and tells me not to be afraid, not to let the bad people get me down, and I was so moved by his courage that I promised myself I wouldn't give in, no matter what life threw at me. I will never forget that moment."
Fast forward four years and life had once again thrown a curveball, only this time, Blaine wasn't the only one who needed saving.
"My mom had died when I was 9 and it completely broke me," Kurt told me. "I lost my faith. I lost my spirit. I was living day to day wishing more than anything that I could make the pain in my heart stop. When I was 11, my dad took me to Goodale Park in hopes that the town's events would cheer me up but it didn't really work. I never really smiled anymore, I never laughed. After a long day of failed attempts at making me happy, we finally decided to leave. That's when I saw Blaine performing. I remember feeling so at peace simply because of his voice and for the first time since my mom passed, I felt truly happy. I knew the moment he sang to me that he was special, one of a kind. I promised him I'd be his biggest fan when he finally made it and I hold true to that today. Not to underestimate the adoration of his other fans, but I am and will always be his number one fan."
Blaine was struggling greatly at that time and once again it was Kurt's encouraging words that gave them the courage to hold on, to believe in himself. Had it not been for Kurt, Blaine might have given up and The Warblers would be nothing more than their Alma Mater's pride.
We all know Blaine as the swoon worthy soulful man with the honest heart. We see him as a man who is calm and collected, a man who is reserved. He's kind and quiet, and despite his honest nature, often keeps to himself. But we have yet to truly see Blaine as a soulmate, as someone who would do anything for their beloved. I had the pleasure of witnessing pieces of Blaine and Kurt's relationship and was admittedly shocked to see the usually soft spoken Blaine being so openly affectionate.
I assumed that Blaine would be the type to keep their tenderness behind closed doors. I was so very wrong. Just like when he takes the stage, Blaine is incredibly passionate towards Kurt. He teases him mercilessly just to see the blush creep up Kurt's cheeks. He looks at Kurt like he holds the answers to the universe and he treats him like a prince. There was even a moment right before The Warblers got ready to take the stage where I was privileged enough to see a kiss shared between them and the sparks that flew were enough to light up the entire planet. These two are truly something to marvel at and I cannot wait to see what these two have in store for the world.
Perez Hill
Britney shook her head in disbelief and tweeted a single tweet before calling Marley. She needed her best friend. She couldn't handle this.
KlainesArmy: What. Is. Happening?!
Kurt hummed softly with satisfaction. Blaine's lips were gently nipping at his neck and Kurt could only melt further into the mattress. "Blaine, we should get online."
Blaine shook his head. "Not leaving this bed," he muttered.
"Blaine," Kurt giggled and pushed Blaine away slightly. "We have to get online. We have to see the madness."
Blaine pouted and huffed. "Why? Britney and your friends can handle the fans."
"Because it's our duty," Kurt reminded him gently. "We can't just leave the fans to run rampant. Besides, my friends are handling the people I know, which leaves the rest of the fans to Britney. We cannot let a fifteen year old girl deal with all the crazy. We don't even have to be on very long, just for a few minutes to see how everything is going thus far."
"Fine," Blaine said with a sigh though there was a smirk on his lips. He reached over the bed to grab the laptop and iPad. "But if we're getting online then we're giving them another riot."
"I'm pretty sure we gave them enough of a riot last night, Blaine," Kurt chuckled as he sat up.
"And now we're going to make them riot even more," Blaine winked. He handed Kurt the iPad and sat up, leaning his back on the headboard. He placed the laptop on his knees and opened his picture file. "Let's see what picture I can tweet," he muttered more to himself. Kurt looked through the pictures with him, smiling softly at them. Blaine had them chronologically organized so it was like seeing their relationship from the beginning. It was beautiful. "How about this one?" Blaine suggested, pointing to the picture Santana had taken of them cuddled together on the bus.
Kurt nodded his approval. "That one's good," he said as he sat back.
Kurt and Blaine signed into their twitter accounts and were suddenly shocked. Kurt's jaw dropped when he saw that his follower count had gone up by several million and Blaine whistled at the number of direct messages he had in his inbox.
"We certainly started quite the uproar," Kurt said with caution. "I hope my family is ok."
"I'm sure they're fine," Blaine said though he too wondered how they were handling everything. "We'll call them as soon as we're done."
Kurt breathed deeply. "Alright. You ready?"
Blaine glanced over and smiled. "Let's do it," he said with a nod. He wrote out his first tweet but then paused. "Should I mention her or is that a bad idea?"
Kurt scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Are you kidding? She'll love the attention. Do it."
WarblerBlaine: This is one of my favorite pictures of all time. Thank you *Cheerio_Sandbags for documenting such an amazing moment. [picture]
KurtHummel: *WarblerBlaine *Cheerio_Sandbags She is pretty fabulous.
KurtsWife: *KurtHummel KURT BABY I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! YOU'RE SO BEAUTIFUL! MY LIFE IS COMPLETE!
PamLansburry: *WarblerBlaine *KurtHummel You guys are so cute. I can't with you.
RandleBrittney: *WarblerBlaine *KurtHummel THERE IS JUST SO MUCH PERFECTION! I CAN'T!
ToniGDivine: *WarblerBlaine *KurtHummel You're such a beautiful couple! I wish you all the happiness!
Cheerio_Sandbags: *KurtHummel *WarblerBlaine You bet your porcelain ass I'm fabulous.
"Britney hasn't tweeted since last night," Kurt noticed. "I hope she's ok."
"I'm sure she's just trying to process," Blaine assured him gently. "Perez's article is out too," he said and clicked the link. Together they read their story and by the end, neither could contain their wide grins.
Kurt glanced at Blaine with a slight blush. "I forget most times that he's more than just a gossip columnist but an actual writer. His article on us is really good."
Blaine matched his smile and set the iPad aside. He then grabbed the laptop, closed it, and set it on the floor. "Yes, it is," he agreed, pulling Kurt towards him. "Now, let's see if we can light the world with our unadulterated passion," he said wiggling his eyebrows.
Kurt chuckled and swung his leg over Blaine's lap. "Gladly," he purred and attached their lips in a searing kiss.
As the end of their vacation drew closer, their days became less about having sex and more about cuddling. They would spend hours wrapped in each other's arms simply talking or watching a movie. After they caused another riot on Twitter, they stayed away from social media and allowed themselves their final moments of peace. But sooner than they'd hoped, it was the end of the week and time to head home.
"I'm going to miss it out here," Kurt said as he zipped up his luggage. Blaine smiled sadly. "Me too."
"I was thinking we could come back for our anniversary or something," Kurt suggested. "This place was really wonderful."
Blaine wrapped his around Kurt's waist and brought them close together. "Actually, I was thinking this could be our winter vacation spot. We can come back every New Year. We could even bring our families."
Kurt smiled brightly. "And one day, our kids."
Blaine nodded and leaned in. "And one day our kids," he repeated, leaving a peck on Kurt's nose. "Come on. We don't want to miss our flight."
Kurt sighed and turned to grab his bag, noticing his uncuffed wrist. "Uh, Blaine," he smirked and showing Blaine.
"Oh shit!" Blaine went into his luggage and pulled their cuffs out. "I got so used to not wearing it that I totally forgot."
"Me too," Kurt chuckled, watching Blaine as he opened the box.
He sucked in his lower lip as Blaine grabbed hold of his hand. Blaine looked up at Kurt through his lashes, a gentle smile in place, and clipped Kurt's black leather cuff. Kurt reached for Blaine's cuff and clipped it on, their hands intertwining between them.
"I love you," Kurt said, leaning his forehead on Blaine's.
Blaine inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. "I love you," he replied. He pressed his lips on Kurt's forehead and left a gentle kiss that held all of his promises. "Let's go." Kurt smiled at him, grabbed his bag, and together they left the privacy of the cabin.
Later that evening, Blaine and Kurt walked out of LAX hand in hand. They were met by hundreds of photographers and reporters who were desperate to see the newly announced couple. They could've taken the private jet had they wanted, but they chose not to. It was time the public saw them in all their glory. They smiled as the camera's flashed all around them and quickly got into the car that was waiting for them. By the time they made it to the Anderson household where more paparazzi were surely waiting, the entire world would know they were bonded.
Once the driver was safely away from the airport, both young men pulled out their cellphones and turned them on. Kurt's inbox was mostly filled with messages from either Santana or Finn griping about the other, one from his father, and several from his Cheerios freaking out, including Sue. He had been dreading her message, thinking that she would chew him out for not telling her. But instead the message was joyful and congratulatory. Kurt scoffed in surprise. He blamed Sue's recently happy nature on her pregnancy.
Blaine's inbox was full of fellow celebrities sending their congratulations and most importantly, one frantic message from David.
"Change of plans," Blaine said to the driver. "Take us to UCLA Medical Hospital."
"What? Why?" Kurt exclaimed, an excited grin gracing his face. "Did Katherine have the baby?"
"She went into labor last night," Blaine answered, his eyes on his phone. He reached Eric's contact number and dialed. "I don't know if she's had the baby yet though."
Kurt clapped giddily. "Oh my God! Yay!"
"Eric, hey," Blaine greeted anxiously. "Yeah, we're in the car on our way to the hospital now. How's Kat? Is she ok? Did she have the baby?" Blaine paused to listen to Eric, Kurt watching him eagerly. Blaine sighed with relief. "Great. We'll be there in about twenty minutes. Bye."
"Well?"
Blaine grinned from ear to ear. "Katherine had a beautiful healthy baby girl this morning. She was 9 pounds and 6 ounces."
"That's a big baby for her tiny body," Kurt laughed. "And the delivery went well?"
"It went perfectly," Blaine said. "Man, I can't wait to hold our niece."
"Our niece?" Kurt questioned. "Don't you mean your niece?"
Blaine draped his arm over Kurt's shoulder and smiled. "No, I mean our niece. You're going to be her Uncle Kurt. David said so himself." Kurt looked down with a slight blush. He truly was part of The Warbler family.
Blaine and Kurt rushed into the hospital, multiple gasps of surprise filling the hallways as they quickly made their way to Katherine's room. They didn't slow down until they reached her hallway which was heavily guarded. They greeted the bodyguards and headed to her room, knocking quietly before entering in case Katherine or the baby was asleep.
"There they are!" David said loudly, rushing to the door to greet them. "It's about damn time!"
Blaine chuckled and hugged David. "Here we are trying to be quiet and you're acting a fool."
"He's been acting a fool since last night," a tired Katherine said from the bed.
David waved his hand dismissively and reached out for Kurt. "Get over here, Hummel. Welcome to the family, officially."
Kurt smiled and hugged David. "Thanks. Congratulations Daddy Warbler." David beamed with pride. "Thank you. It feels good to finally have her." "Uh, excuse me, I'm the one who actually had her," Katherine cut in.
"Details," David shrugged.
Kurt and Blaine took turns leaning over Katherine's bed to hug her. "Where is the baby?" Kurt wondered.
"And where's everyone else?" Blaine asked. "I thought they'd be here."
"The doctor is finishing up some routine tests and everyone else went out to grab dinner," David told them. "They should be back soon."
"And Elena? Do we get to see her today?" Blaine wondered.
"You get to see her right now," said the nurse with a smile as she rolled Elena back in. "She's ready to go Mom and Dad. Healthy as can be."
David turned a smug grin on Katherine. "I told you that eating all the fruit was good for you."
Katherine raised an unimpressed brow. "Guess what, David? I ate nothing but taquitos, Tostinos pizza, and Burger King onion rings when you were gone."
David gasped dramatically. "How could you?"
"It was delicious, that's how. And I ain't about to apologize for it," Katherine smiled with victory.
David shook his head. "Unbelievable," he muttered, walking over to Elena. He picked her up and turned to Blaine. "You want to hold her?"
"Yes," Blaine answered instantly. He took a seat and held out his arm so that David could lay her down. He smiled at the sleeping baby, his heart melting. "She's beautiful," he breathed, his thumb gently rubbing her cheek.
David walked to Katherine's side and held her hand. "Just like her mama."
Kurt pursed his lips, tears filling his eyes. Watching Blaine hold Elena made his heart skip several beats. One day, it would be their baby that Blaine was holding.
"I need to take a picture," Kurt blurted out and quickly pulled his phone out. Blaine looked up with a soft smile as Kurt took the picture.
"Kurt, do you want to hold her?" Blaine asked.
"Oh no, I couldn't," Kurt shook his head.
"Go ahead, Kurt," Katherine encouraged.
"Yeah, man," David smiled. "She's gotta know her Uncle Kurt too."
Kurt smiled and nodded, taking a seat next to Blaine. He held his breath as Blaine placed Elena in his arms, exhaling slowly when Blaine pulled his arms away. "She really is just so beautiful," he said in a hushed tone. David and Katherine smiled proudly.
Blaine rested his chin on Kurt's shoulder and kissed his cheek. "You look amazing with a baby in your arms," he whispered.
Kurt glanced at him, a blush on his cheeks. "So do you."
"The newly bonded are here!" Jeff's voice broke the moment. "Freaking finally."
"How was the trip, guys?" Nick asked, walking in after Jeff. "It was perfect," they both replied.
"Obviously," David drawled. "Just look at them! They're practically drooling over my baby!"
"It can't be as bad as Wes," Vanessa signed with a smirk. "He didn't want to give her up."
"This is true," Katherine nodded. "I almost felt like warning the nurses that you might try to steal her," she teased.
The room laughed and Wes rolled his eyes, though really, he knew they were right. From the moment Vanessa told him she was ready to start a family it was all he could think about. The tour couldn't be over quick enough.
"Where's Eric?" Blaine wondered.
"Dealing with the mob outside," Jeff smirked. "Apparently a certain newly bonded couple caused an uproar when they got here."
"Oops?" Blaine laughed. "It's not like we stopped to talk to anyone."
"No but a single tweet from a fan in the lobby was all it took," Eric's voice sounded from the door. "How was your trip?"
"Perfect," everyone but Kurt and Blaine answered, all making sickeningly sweet faces. Blaine stuck his tongue out while Kurt blushed under their gaze.
"Glad to hear to it," Eric smiled. "We should all head out though. The circus outside isn't going to settle down until we do and Katherine needs her rest."
"Oh! Before you go," David hurried to the door and called a nurse over. He handed her his phone and walked over to Katherine's bed. "Let's take a group picture first."
Kurt stood up and handed Katherine the baby while everyone crowded around her and David. They posed for the nurse to take a picture and began saying their goodbyes. David shut the door behind them and walked back to his wife, a proud smile on his lips. "Best day ever?"
Katherine smiled down at Elena. "Best day ever."
The Cheerios gathered together in the gymnasium, their hushed voices frantic. They all knew why they had been summoned. But despite the proof, they still couldn't believe that their captain's soulmate was Blaine Anderson. His Royal Highness already had the perfect life. He was Cheerios Captain, he was the most popular guy in school, and whether he was hated or adored, everyone worshipped the ground he walked on. How was it that he was lucky enough to have someone like Blaine Anderson as his soulmate? They couldn't understand but they all felt the same thing. Envy.
"Enough with the jabbering," Sue's voice rang out loud and firm. The Cheerios turned to their coach, Santana, Quinn, and Brittany as they walked into the gymnasium. "We're going to make this quick. I have a roast in the oven that I am not going to let burn because of you," Sue turned to Santana and gave her a nod. "Take it away, Sandbags."
Santana strutted to the front of the group with a smug grin with Quinn and Brittany by her side. She was going to enjoy this. "As you all may know now, Porcelain is Blaine Anderson's soulmate," the murmurs erupted instantly. Hearing Santana acknowledge it made it all that more real. Quinn raised her hand in the air and the talking stopped immediately. "Now," Santana continued, crossing her arms over her chest and starting to pace in front of the Cheerios. "I'm sure you're all wondering what that means for you. Well I'm here to tell you that it don't mean shit for you. Just because he's our captain does not mean that any of you have any kind of right to Blaine. Q, Britt, and I are his Unholy Trinity so we get special privileges."
"Obviously," Quinn drawled.
"And Sue made him who he is today, so she too will get all the perks."
"Not that I need them," Sue said. "My unborn baby's father is famous after all."
"But you?" Santana pointed her finger at the Cheerios. "You ain't gettin' squat unless Hummel says so and you're going to have to earn it."
"Exactly what kind of perks are we talking here?" Kitty asked with irritation.
"You'll just have to wait and see, won't you?" Santana snapped.
"If she even gets any perks," Quinn scoffed.
"Q's right," Brittany shrugged. "You're not very nice to Kurt and you're always trying to get him to fall from the pyramid. I don't think you deserve any privileges."
"You heard it here first, Kitty," Santana smirked. "And that goes for you too, Bree."
"Now," Quinn stepped forward and Santana stepped back next to Brittany. "The real reason you're all here is not for us to brag about the fact that we've known for months."
"Or the fact that we've met him," Santana said.
"Or the fact that we'll get to hang out with him when Kurt brings him home," Brittany smiled with excitement.
"We called you here because this changes everything," Quinn continued. "Once school starts and Hummel walks through those doors, everybody is going to want a piece of him and it is our job to protect him. He will have bodyguards provided by Blaine at first but he wants to be able to have a normal senior year. This is where we come in."
"If you see him in the hallway, drop everything you're doing and follow behind him," Santana instructed, coming up next to Quinn with Brittany. "We cannot allow the peasants of this school to get anywhere near His Royal Highness. From the moment he walks through that door, consider him your shepherd and you are his sheep."
"There are a lot of people at this school who would love to take advantage of the fact that Kurt's going to be in the public eye," Brittany said seriously. "Just because JBI is gone does not mean that his weasels won't try something. If you see or hear any of them trying to get ahold of the paparazzi, stop it immediately."
"And do not for a second leave him alone unless he tells you to," Quinn warned. "The Warblers' fans, more specifically Blaine's, are crazy. The last thing we want is for him to get kidnapped or hurt because of them."
"Are we clear?" Santana asked them.
"Yes," the Cheerios answered simultaneously.
"Good. Any questions?"
"Just one," Kitty spoke up.
Santana rolled her eyes. "What?"
"What are you going to do about her?" Kitty asked with a smug grin and pointed to the bleachers.
Santana turned and finally noticed Kitty's nerdy freshman sister sitting there. "Your sister? What about her?"
"Well you just said to keep the crazies away from Porcelain," Kitty drawled. "She's the number one crazy. She's the one behind the KlainesArmy account on twitter."
"If anyone is going to kidnap His Royal Highness, it's her," Bree said with distaste.
Britney scowled at her sister and Bree but said nothing. The Unholy Trinity glanced at each other with raised brows. "Come here," Quinn called her over. Britney gulped and walked toward Quinn, her heart racing. "You run KlainesArmy?"
"Y-yes," Britney squeaked.
"Prove it," Santana demanded. Without hesitation, Britney pulled her phone out, logged into Twitter, and showed them. Santana smiled, put her arm around Britney's shoulders and turned her to the front. "For those of you who don't know, this is Britney, Kitty's prettier and nicer sister. She's under Cheerios protection now."
"What?!" Kitty screeched. "But she's crazy! She's a damn stalker!"
"Am not!" Britney argued.
Santana shushed Britney softly. "It's ok honey. Don't listen to her. She's a bitter bitch," Kitty sent Santana daggers but said nothing. "Here's the deal. This girl right here, she's the captain of the social media Klaine ship and Kurt adores her. They've spoken many times before and if you think for a second he's not going to welcome her with open arms then you are a moron. She is under our protection now because Kurt would want nothing less. If we hear that any of you are trying to give her shit," she directed at Kitty and Bree, "there will be a price to pay. Got it?"
"Yes," the Cheerios responded. "Yeah, yeah, got it," Kitty muttered.
"Good," Santana said way too sweetly. "Now get the hell outta here. I'm tired of looking at your sad depressing faces."
Santana turned to Quinn and Brittany and gave them a nod to walk off. She then pulled Britney aside to speak with her privately. "How long have you known that it was Kurt?" she asked.
"I found out like, a minute before they announced him I swear!" Britney said quickly.
"Relax," Santana laughed. "I believe you," Britney let out a sigh of relief. "Does he know who you are yet?"
Britney shook her head frantically. "N-no. I was g-going to tell him b-but I panicked. I don't want him to hate me like he does Kitty."
"He doesn't hate Kitty," Santana assured her. "He doesn't hate anybody. He's too good for that. He just likes to screw with her because it's funny," Britney offered a nervous smile but said nothing. "Look, I can tell him for you if you want."
"Would you?" Britney asked with wide eyes.
"Sure," Santana shrugged. "It might be better that he hears it from me anyway."
"Ok," Britney said a bit shakily. "T-thank you, for being so cool about it and stuff."
"No problem, Freshie," Santana smirked. "Anything to see that vein in Kitty's forehead pulse."
Hunter smiled at the pictures Wes sent him of David's baby late that Friday night. He was truly happy for his brother. Out of all the boys in their class, David was the one that always shared his desire to be a father. David would undoubtedly spoil his daughter and yet make her work for the things that mattered. He was going to be a great father.
Hunter couldn't help but notice Blaine and Kurt in one of the pictures. They looked so incredibly happy and Hunter knew it was more than them being happy for David and Katherine. It was because they were bonded and out in the open. Kurt seemed to be taking the media attention rather well and Hunter wondered how he would take to the sudden attention when Sebastian inevitably announced him. The thought admittedly made him smile a little but not because he wanted anything to do with Sebastian's fame; but because the idea of Sebastian being proud enough of him to tell the world was beautiful.
It wasn't until New Year's Eve that Hunter started to believe that it was possible.
It all began with Blaine's email. He read it and reread it, trying his hardest to hold on to his usual anger he felt towards Blaine, but to no avail. Maybe it was because of the talk he had with Wes or maybe it was because he was tired of being angry. But no matter what, he couldn't find it in him to be upset that Blaine emailed him about Sebastian. If anything, he was grateful. He constantly worried about his soulmate and knowing that Sebastian was at least trying to open up gave him a little bit of hope. And that spark of hope was apparently all Hunter needed to let go of the past. Yes, he still hurt. Yes, there was a part of him that still felt betrayed. But he was no longer blaming Sebastian and Blaine for their choices. He was no longer blaming Sebastian for their fallout. For once, Hunter accepted that he too was to blame.
He sat in his living room watching the countdown with a beer in hand, his heart not nearly as heavy as it normally was. Before the clock struck twelve, Hunter made himself a promise to try harder, to listen better. He swore that he would take life on as it came and that he would give Sebastian the chance he deserved. At midnight, he took a sip of his beer and whispered into the night, "Happy New Years, Sebastian. I'll wait for you," and that was when his phone rang.
"Hello?" Hunter answered unsurely.
"Hey Hunter," a groggy Sebastian greeted. "Happy New Year."
Hunter's jaw dropped, unable to believe it. "Happy New Year," he replied. "What um, what are you doing up so early? Isn't it like five in the morning over there?"
Sebastian yawned and Hunter couldn't help but find it endearing. "Yeah it is. I woke up and couldn't fall back to sleep so I thought I'd call you," Hunter couldn't contain his grin if he tried. "It sounds quiet over there. You didn't go anywhere?"
"No," Hunter answered immediately. "I don't really have anywhere to go."
Sebastian was quiet for a moment and Hunter wondered if he had fallen asleep. But then he spoke and the tone in his voice made Hunter's heart race in a way it hadn't in years. "Maybe next year you'll have somewhere special to go."
"Yeah," Hunter whispered. "Maybe."
"I should go," Sebastian said. "I have a few hours before I need to be on set
and a tired actor is never good."
"Right, yeah. Ok," Hunter breathed. "Thank you for calling."
"Of course," Sebastian spoke softly.
"Do you think that maybe I...I could call you sometime?" Hunter knew it was a bold move but he was desperate to talk to Sebastian more.
"I don't know if that's a good idea," Sebastian said gruffly and Hunter wondered if Sebastian was crying. "But you can text me, if you want."
"Ok, yeah," Hunter said entirely too enthusiastically. "I can do that." "Alright. I'll talk to you later. Bye Hunter."
Hunter had been elated and that small spark of hope grew. He had yet to text Sebastian but the fact that he could meant the world to him. Maybe, just maybe, they weren't lost after all.
