The inevitable phone call comes two days later, at four in the morning. Kurt sits by Blaine's side as the brief conversation takes place, and then he sets his phone back on the nightstand and sighs.

"Cooper said mom was with him."

"That's good."

"Funny thing, isn't it, death? One minute you're there, the next you're not. I don't know how I'd cope if that was you."

"Me neither, but we can't live our whole lives thinking that way, can we? I don't suppose my dad thought about that when he married mom, or when they decided to have kids."

"True." Blaine is quiet and still for a moment, staring out into space. "Falling in love is quite a painful business really, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Why, you want to rethink?"

"Nah." He nudges their shoulders together and smiles. "You're okay."

"Good, because I really love having my own dressing room."

At this, Blaine smiles and gently guides him back onto the bed. "So shallow," he whispers, and then he kisses him.

They make love slowly and sweetly as the sun rises over the city. Nothing is hurried, every touch is gentle and given in love. There's no burning lust, but there is plenty of longing; their connection deeper and more profound than ever before. When they're done, they fall into a sleep so deep that neither of them hear the housekeepers arrive, or Cooper being shown into the apartment.

It is Kurt who wanders down to the kitchen in search of food, drawing up short when he sees Blaine's brother sitting at the dining table, drinking coffee.

"Oh."

"Kurt. Well, at least you've got a robe on this time."

"I'll go wake Blaine."

"How is he?"

"He's okay, I think. He feels as though he said his goodbye, made his peace, you know? How are you?"

"Much the same, really. Lucy is pretty cut up. For a lot of reasons though, not just dad dying."

"We met her."

"I know."

"Right." There seems to be nothing left to say, so Kurt hurries back down the hallway to shake Blaine awake. "Your brother is here."

"Tell him to go away. I want you all over again."

"As flattering as that is, no. Go see him."

"Then can I have you again?"

"No. Then I can have you."

Blaine is out of bed like a shot, pulling on his own robe and striding into the dining room where, like magic, coffee is now waiting for him and Kurt, along with a plate of pancakes.

"Hey."

"Hey Blaine." Cooper watches as he sits, helps himself to several pancakes, pours syrup all over them and immediately starts to eat. "Still crazy about pancakes, eh?"

"Yep."

"Remember when I tried to teach you to make them?"

"Yes, because we set the kitchen curtains on fire."

"Yeah. So..."

"I'm barred from the funeral? Your daughter isn't allowed to converse with me? Mom never wants to look at me again? What is it this time?"

"None of that, actually. The funeral will be next Wednesday. Mom had already arranged it. The wake is back at the house."

"If I come, Kurt comes too."

"Of course."

Blaine stops eating and looks up, his eyebrows raised in surprise. "And we're not sitting at the back."

"I know that. Lucy has to fly back the next day, but I wondered if we could meet for brunch before her flight? She really wants to see you some more, and Brandon is desperate to be introduced."

"What does your wife think about that?"

"Tammy is fine. More than fine, actually. She would like to know you too. And Kurt, of course."

"And you?"

"I want my kids to be happy."

Blaine smirks. "Fine."

"The will is being read on Monday. You'll need to be present."

"Didn't he just leave everything to mom?"

"Apparently not, though I don't think she'll be left short, do you?"

"I guess I'll see you then."

"Yeah." Cooper sighs and gets to his feet. "See you then." He squeezes Blaine's shoulder as he walks past him, the first sign of real physical affection Kurt has seen from him.

"You two are insane," he tells Blaine as soon as the door closes.

"How so?"

"He wants to make up, you want to make up, but both of you sit there with these barriers around you, too stubborn to let your guard fall."

"Fuck off."

"See? I'm right. You always curse at me when I'm right."

"I hate you."

"You always say that, too." He gets to his feet, kissing into his hair. "And I love you."

He heads down to the gym of his own volition; though Blaine may be twenty years older, he is in great physical shape, and there's no way Kurt is going to let his own standards slip. The treadmill tells him he's run five miles when Blaine arrives, and silently starts on the bike next to him.

"I'm not going into work today."

Blaine looks over with a frown. "I don't need you to babysit me, Kurt."

"I know that. I just figured it would be nice to spend the day together, that's all."

"If you want. Sally wants us all to meet for dinner tonight. Call the girls and ask them if you like."

"Seriously?"

"Why not?"

"Your dad just died."

"So?"

"You didn't tell Sally?"

"Why would I? Life moves on. It's sad, sure, but there's nothing I can do about it, is there?"

"Yeah, but..."

"Why are you always talking? Like, always? You're never quiet. You're running so hard, you're completely out of breath, but you're still jabbering on at me."

"Don't be a jerk!" Kurt snaps angrily. "If you're hurting then tell me. Don't be mean to try and cover up the fact that you need comfort and reassurance. If you're going to get at me just because I'm daring to talk then take it somewhere else, because I don't want to hear it."

Blaine goes back to cycling, and brooding, while Kurt patiently waits. Sure enough, after another twenty minutes, he slows down and then stops, climbing up on the treadmill behind Kurt. "I'm sorry."

"Ew! You're all sweaty!" He stops the machine and turns to face him. He doesn't look much better himself; red in the face with his wet hair plastered to his forehead, but he drapes his arms over Blaine's shoulders and kisses him. "Thank you for apologizing."

"I feel weird. Sad, but relieved, and...empty, I think. But also like I just don't want to think about it for a while. Is that normal?"

"There isn't a normal way to deal with grief," Kurt says gently. "It's a very personal thing. If you feel like going out with Sally tonight, then do it. If you want to curl up and cry, that's fine too. Just know that I am here for you, always."

"Thank you." He sighs, and buries his face into the crook of Kurt's neck. "You do talk a lot though."

"I know I do. You love it."

"It drives me insane."

"Exactly."

They might be sweaty and exhausted, but when they start kissing it's only moments before Kurt finds his training shorts around his ankles, and Blaine sinks to his knees. He doesn't even attempt to stop him. While he's always enjoyed sex, Kurt has never craved the touch of anyone in quite the same way as he does with Blaine. He holds his head tightly driving back and forth, until he releases into the warm heat of his mouth and falls back weakly against the bars of the treadmill.

"Damn." He pulls Blaine to his feet and into a dirty kiss.

"I do love you, Kurt," Blaine says when they part. "Completely."

"I know you do. I wouldn't be here if I thought you didn't. Shower?"

"Yes, but then I want you to do something for me. Call your agent."

"Tomorrow I will, I promise," Kurt says as they head upstairs. "Today belongs to you."

Blaine is restless, at a loss for what to do, how to fill the time without his mind wandering to where it does not want to go. In the end, after he finds himself unable to focus on TV or music, he suggests they take a trip to a new gallery in Greenwich Village. But that doesn't satisfy him either, and so Kurt suggests a walk.

"A walk where?"

"Just around town. It's a beautiful day. We could do the highline, a couple of parks, maybe?"

They walk for hours. Blaine steadily relaxes as Kurt points more and more things out. They stop for lunch, and then coffee, and then ice cream, covering miles and miles of Manhattan, finally taking the Staten Island Ferry just because Blaine's never been on it, and then deciding they're too tired to walk back.

It takes a lot of convincing, but in the end Kurt pulls a very reluctant and moody Blaine onto the subway, arguing that it will take too long for Roy to get to them. It's crowded with commuters, meaning Kurt needs no excuse to wrap his arms around Blaine's waist, kissing just above the collar of his shirt.

"You smell amazing."

"I smell of subway."

"No you don't. You smell good. A bit sweaty."

"Gross!"

"I like it."

Blaine finally looks him in the eye, holding his gaze for the longest time. "You can't be horny again," he says eventually. "You've had two orgasms today already."

He is not quiet, and it's obvious those closest to them have heard; one lady hides her snigger behind a magazine, two young guys laugh and look out of the window, and one man abruptly pushes through the other passengers to move to the other end of the carriage.

"I'm gonna kill you," Kurt growls, deliberately standing on his toes.

"Yeah, you are if you keep demanding sex. I'm too old. Save it for later."

Kurt has no comeback. He just laughs, holds his boyfriend that little bit tighter, and says that he hates him, before they kiss sweetly in the stuffy confines of the carriage.

Kurt knows just how much comfort Blaine gets from being by his side that day. He knows, because Blaine gets more and more witty as the day goes on and he relaxes. In between throwing out insults which he knows will make Kurt laugh, he also pulls him close, whispers how much he loves him, and kisses him as often as he can. They dress for dinner separately; Kurt is busy on the phone to his dad, so Blaine waits in the living room, surprisingly patiently.

"Sorry, sorry," Kurt says as he walks down the hallway. "Dad was worrying. You know what he's like. He asked if we wanted to fly up after the funeral for a little break? I was thinking..." He stops dead when he sees Blaine sitting there, pristine in a navy suit, wearing his glasses. "Bastard."

"I only put them on because I know it gets to you. I'm going to wear them all night."

"See? This is why I hate you." Hiding his smile, Kurt tugs on the bottom of his own jacket, twisting to see himself in the mirror. The suit is new; before meeting Blaine he owned one suit total, now he's lost count. This one is a dark green plaid and he's teamed it with a white shirt and dark grey cravat. It's bold, different, and Kurt loves it, but he's still unsure if he can carry it off. "Do I look okay?"

"You look divine." Blaine goes to him, sliding his hands to his waist. "I love it when you wear a cravat," he says, a wicked gleam in his eye. "Because when we get home tonight, I'm going to take it off, and kiss your skin underneath. And now that I've said that? You're going to sit there all night looking at me, in my glasses, waiting for that to happen."

"Why don't we just not go? I could call Anna and tell her we're both sick?"

Blaine laughs. "No you could not. Aside from the fact that she would see right through it, I want to see Sally and Roger, anyway."

But Blaine is right. Kurt stares at him for a lot of the evening, completely entranced. He keeps one hand on his thigh, under the table, moving it as high as Blaine will let him before he takes it and places it back on his knee once more.

Sally is once again joyful and invigorating company, and so is her husband, Roger. Anna and Meredith adore her too, and she talks with both of them for a long time about their respective careers and then turns her attention to Kurt and Blaine.

"Look at you two. So adorable. Blaine, I don't think I've ever seen you smile so much."

"Well, Kurt makes me incredibly happy," he says as he gazes at him, and it's said with such heartfelt sincerity that Kurt has to try and keep his tears at bay. "I was perfectly accepting of the fact that I'd always be alone, but Kurt just makes everything brighter, better."

"I'm going to ask, because I'm nosy as hell. Kurt, what do your parents make of this relationship? I mean, there's a fair gap between you, isn't there?"

"Twenty years exactly," Kurt tells her. "We have the same birthday. My dad was shocked; even more so when he met him, but then we started again, and they met properly, and now he's on board. They're more alike than either of them would care to admit, and they both care about each other more than they'd ever say, too."

"And your parents know, is that right, Blaine?"

"They know," he says evenly. "But they disapprove of everything. My brother seems to quite like Kurt, I think, but he still doesn't like the fact that I'm gay."

"So sad," Sally sighs. "If we had a son as wonderful as you, and he found happiness like you have, we'd shout it from the rooftops whatever orientation he was."

"My dad died this morning."

There is a loud crash as Roger drops his fork, and Sally's mouth hangs open. "My darling."

"It's fine. I saw him, said my goodbye. Well, I said it in my head."

"I wish you could have reconciled," Sally says sadly. "Maybe your mom will come around now?"

"I don't think so." Blaine drains the rest of his wine in one gulp, then flashes a smile. "Excuse me a moment."

"Oh dear."

"I think I'd better..." Kurt starts, but Meredith gets to her feet, kissing his cheek as she passes.

"I'll go."

"He'll be in the men's room."

"No matter."

"He might be crying."

"So? You blub all the time. I got this."

"That wasn't what I meant," Kurt tells Anna. He frowns, biting his lip. "He rarely cries in front of me. He'll have a fit if she walks in there and not me. I should..."

"No, you shouldn't," Anna says, moving across to sit next to him. "They're very alike, and her bluntness suits his manner. You're coping with all this on your own, Kurt, and sometimes you need someone to lighten the load. We love you both, so let us help. It's no matter if Blaine talks with her and not you for a moment. It's okay if you sit with us here, and tell us how you're feeling. All couples need that from time to time."

"I'm worried about him," Kurt admits. "Because I know he was hoping, as much as I was, that his dad would be awake when we visited, or that his mom would say something, but there was nothing. As for his brother, well, I think they both want to make it right, but they don't know how. Blaine shouldn't apologize, but should he just let bygones be bygones? I think there's been too many years of hurt for him to just forget all about it, but I don't think Cooper will ever outright say that he's sorry. His daughter seems super eager to know Blaine though; she's studying journalism and apparently reads all his stuff."

"He is a well respected critic," Sally agrees. "Maybe this girl is the key to him and his brother getting back on track? Start with her, and maybe if the brother sees that relationship building he'll be more inclined to be accepting."

"Maybe. I hope so, because it upsets me. For Blaine, I mean. Because I know how amazing it can be to have a brother. Even now, with Anna and Meredith, I feel like I'm as close to them as if we were siblings. Friendships can easily be as deep of a bond, but Blaine doesn't have that with anyone. When he told you he thought he'd be alone, that's exactly what he was. Completely alone."

"He's getting more sociable though," Anna points out. "He didn't want to know us at all at first, and I don't think he ever thought he'd be sitting down to dinner with five people he cares about. It was all work before, until he met you."

Blaine returns then, scowling at everyone while Meredith trots behind, grinning. "She's horrible," he groans to Kurt. "She's worse than you, and that's saying something."

"Oh get over yourself," Meredith says, smacking the back of his head as she passes. "Let's order dessert."

Sally is noticeably quieter during dessert. Noticeably to Kurt, anyhow, who mentions it to Blaine on their way home. "Do you think she was okay?"

"I expect so. But you three started talking about when Logan was dating Anna and all was lost."

"Sorry."

"No, don't be. I enjoyed listening to the stories and I expect Sally and Roger did too. It was a good evening."

"What did Meredith say to you?"

"That I should've gone in the ladies room because it was nicer."

"Anything else?"

"Lots of stuff. I might tell you one day, but for now, let's just say it was brutal, but good to have a wake up call."

"Okay. Are we going home now, or to a bar?"

"What do you want to do?"

"Home," Kurt says quickly. Grabbing his tie, he pulls Blaine close, kissing him lovingly. "I just want to be in your arms."

Both sleep deeply that night, and when Blaine's phone rings just before nine, it takes them a long time to notice. Eventually, Blaine comes to, and snatches it up.

"What?...Yeah." He nudges Kurt, who grunts, then nudges him again. "It's for you."

Bemused, Kurt sits, wondering who in the world is calling him on Blaine's phone. "Hello?"

"Kurt, it's Sally. I want to thank you for your company last night."

"Oh. Uh...you're welcome." He glances at Blaine, who shrugs, and signals that he's going to get coffee.

"I'm going to come right out with it," she carries on. "I love listening to you talk about your family. I love watching you with Blaine and I adored meeting your friends."

"Right... Um... Good."

"I've been reviewing my script, and while I still want to keep elements of the plot, I also want to make some changes, starting with making it a brother and two sisters who are separated and adopted into different families."

"Oh! Right. I mean, I've not read the script so..."

"No. I know. That's why I'm calling. I want to rewrite it, and I want you, Anna and Meredith to be the siblings. Now before you say anything, I know I've not seen the three of you act. But you are all trained, and Blaine assures me you can all sing and dance. Either way, I've seen the three of you interact, Kurt, I've seen the chemistry and the bond that can't be recreated with three actors who don't know each other. I want you as the focal point for the story. So please, if I rewrite this thing in the next couple of weeks, will you be my lead?"