Jeff excused himself from the room after a few moments of being ignored. When Noah and Julia broke their hug, they looked into each other's eyes and kissed. It all seemed as natural as breathing to them.
"I can't stay long," Julia said, breathless. "I have to get to my dorm before curfew. Can we touch marks? I want-"
"Yes," Noah said, cutting her off. He didn't need any explanation.
Both took off their shirts to reveal their marks. Noah was so entranced by Julia's mark that he completely overlooked her lack of dress and lacy pink bra. They looked into each other's eyes and touched their marks together. There were no fireworks. There was only completeness.
Things were moving right along in the boys' life. They, or "Klaine" as the Warblers had affectionately named them, were going to sing a duet for Sectionals. and the new house, which they were already moving stuff into, was going to be ready to entertain in by Thanksgiving. Kurt had asked to host the meal this year, and everyone agreed to let him. So far, he was cooking for 12 people: Burt and Noah, the Anderson's (all four of them), and the Sterling's, which included Jeff's soulmate, Nick.
When he found out that Nick and Jeff were soulmates, Kurt was almost upset that he hadn't noticed before. Blaine told him not to be upset with himself or anyone else. He was busy. They were figuring out their own unique bond, he was changing schools, helping paint and move into a new house, and navigating his friendships with his old classmates. When he had first transferred, several of the New Directions would talk to him, but now, it was mainly just Brittany and Santana. The rest had gotten too caught up in their own lives, and Kurt was honestly okay with that. It just proved who his true friends were. He had a new life to live, too.
Kurt had also learned that Cooper had yet to find his soulmate. Cooper was okay with that right now. He wasn't in any hurry to settle down, and quite enjoyed his single and free life. Between his filming schedule and all of the interviews he had to do, he didn't really have time for a relationship. He knew that whenever Fate decided it was time, his soulmate would appear. He just needed to be patient.
Thanksgiving was going to be a very special affair in the Hummel home. It would be their first holiday in their new house, and it would double as a housewarming party. What nobody but Kurt and Burt knew was that there would be one more celebration to add into the mix.
Marisol and Jennifer, Jeff's mom, offered to bring something. Kurt asked if either of them had anything they liked to make or ate as part of their family tradition. Marisol said that she had a wonderful stuffing recipe that her family always ate, and Jennifer said that she had been told that she made the best green bean casserole anyone had ever had. Noah said that his Nana taught him how to make rolls, and Nick said that his mom made kick-ass sweet potatoes. Since his family was going to be out of town on Thanksgiving weekend visiting a sick relative across the country, Mrs. Duval said that she would make them, and all that would need to be done was put them in the oven.
Kurt was amazed at all of the help that he was being offered and readily accepted all of it. Burt said that he would smoke a turkey, so all that really left Kurt with was the ham (because it was his absolute favorite), the mashed potatoes (because they were Blaine's favorite), and the desserts. He started preparing the desserts the day he got out of school. Blaine came over to help. Kurt taught him all of his mother's recipes: pumpkin pie (which was on the back of the can because nobody could make a better pie than Libby could), pecan pie, Kentucky Derby Pie, and a fruit pie. Burt, Blaine, and Noah debated which kind of fruit pie it should be and decided, in the end, to have blueberry.
As the boys were baking, they worked on their duet for Sectionals, taking place the following weekend. They were bound and determined to beat the New Directions. Blaine started the song.
"You're the sky that I fell through
And I remember the view whenever I'm holding you
The sun hung from a string
Looking down on the world as it warms over everything
Chills run down my spine as our fingers entwine
And your sighs harmonize with mine
Unmistakably
I can still feel your heart
Beat fast when you dance with me"
They danced around the kitchen as they sang, knowing that the words they were singing were true. They could feel things others couldn't. Their bond was special, and they could feel what was in each other's hearts. Blaine continued to sing as Kurt echoed him.
"We got older and I should have known
(Do you feel alive?)
That I'd feel colder when I walk alone
(Oh, but you'll survive)
So I may as well ditch my dismay
(Bombs away... Bombs away...)"
Both boys knew that they would walk together for the rest of their lives. They knew that no matter what happened in this life, they would find each other over and over again, as long as time existed. Sometimes, their infinity bond was overwhelming, but today, it was easy to understand. They could communicate through the song. Kurt took the next verse and then they ended with the chorus like before.
"Circle me and the needle moves gracefully
Back and forth, if my heart was a compass you'd be North
Risk it all cause I'll catch you if you fall
Wherever you go, if my heart was a house you'd be home
It makes me smile because you said it best
I would clearly feel blessed if the sun rose up from the west
Flower balm perfume, all my clothes smell like you
Cause your favorite shade is navy blue"
By the end of the song, both boys were in tears. They knew that the song was so right for them. They were each other's home. Their hearts were home.
"That was really great, guys," Noah said from the doorway of the kitchen. "We have so got this competition in the bag." He pumped his fist in the air.
Kurt and Blaine agreed and shared a sweet kiss right there in the kitchen.
After Blaine went home that night, Kurt sat on his bed, thinking. Ever since Phillip had told him that the bond that he and Blaine shared was unique and special, he had done a lot of reading on the old 'infinites' myths. His mom had read him the story of Romeo and Juliet, at least a tamed down version of it, when he was a child. Now that he was older, he could understand things about the story that he couldn't when he was a kid.
He knew that, according to literature about 'infinite' soulmates, there was something couples could do to seal their bond. Kurt wasn't quite sure if it would work in other realities or dimensions or whatever there was out there. But, according to what was available here and now, if he and Blaine had sex and touched their marks together as they were climaxing, their bond would be sealed. When their bond was sealed, they would always be able to feel each other, regardless of the space between them, and it wouldn't only be the big emotions.
As it was, they could already feel each other's emotions but only the intense ones, and they had to be close to each other to feel them. If they sealed their bond, they would be able to feel everything, no matter where their soulmate was. Sealing the bond would also allow them to feel when the other's life force faded, which was another reason Kurt was having doubts. He wasn't sure he would want to feel Blaine's life ever leaving him.
Kurt felt that it could be a double-edged sword, so it was something he wanted to talk to Blaine about. "Hey, love. Are you busy? I know we spent the day together, but I wanted to talk to you about something." Kurt's phone rang a second later.
"Tell the world that we finally got it all right
I choose you
I will become yours and you will become mine
I choose you
I choose you, yeah"
"Hey," he answered.
"What's wrong?" Blaine asked in a panic.
"Nothing's wrong," Kurt answered. "How did you get that something was wrong from that message?"
"I'm not sure why that was my first thought," Blaine admitted. "I'm sorry, my love. What did you want to talk about?"
"Well…" Kurt said. "I'm not sure that there's a way to sugar-coat this, so I'm just going to ask. What do you know about sealing a soulmate bond?"
"Like in the stories and novels?" Blaine asked for clarification.
"Yeah," Kurt responded.
"Well..." Blaine thought aloud. "Just that it has to be sealed during sex and that your marks have to touch. After the bond is sealed, you can feel each other's emotions all of the time. But, Kurt, those are just stories. My dad said that no one knows that infinity bonds really do exist, remember? There's no solid proof of that."
"So were 'infinites' until your dad told us about them," Kurt retorted.
"What if I asked my dad about it?" Blaine offered. "That way, I can see if there is anything to it or if it's just something that was made up to make a story better. I would hate for us to get our hopes up and then nothing happened. Wait…" Blaine swallowed hard at the idea forming in his head." Are you wanting to do it if it is true?" Blaine was having a hard time thinking now that his mind was on having sex with Kurt.
"Easy there, love," Kurt said, feeling a spark of intense arousal through their bond. "Calm down. I just wanted to talk to you about it to see if you'd be open to the idea if it's a real thing."
Blaine calmed himself down by thinking things that disturbed him until his arousal was completely gone.
"What the hell was that?" Kurt asked, frowning at the unpleasant sensation radiating through their bond. "I didn't like that feeling at all."
"Sorry," Blaine said. "I was trying to get rid of my hard-on so I could concentrate and talk. What's always worked for me before was to think of gross things."
"Good plan," Kurt said. "I do the same thing. I always think of cockroaches and beards. By the way, you're not allowed to grow a beard; I can't stand them."
Blaine laughed. "I don't like beards either, so you don't have to worry there. Snakes always work for me, too. The way they slither and shed their skin. They're just...eww."
"Okay," Kurt said, "stop. Boners are killed. Can we get back to the other, more pleasant topic?"
"Sorry, again," Blaine said. "I guess my only fear is when we feel the negative emotions. I would love to say that I'm never going to get upset with you or anything like that, but we're human. I know it will be bound to happen. Sometimes, I just need a minute to figure out why I'm mad, and it's usually because of me." Blaine paused, and Kurt could feel his frustration through his bond. "I'm not explaining this very well. Um...we all have rules, right? Like, I have a rule that it's impolite when people talk with their mouth full of food or insult my height. Those aren't necessarily things that I go around telling people when I meet them; they're just rules that I've made up in my head. And, if you unknowingly break one of these rules, I will respond internally with anger, irritation, or annoyance. You'll feel those emotions, and I'm worried that you won't give me time to figure out which of my rules you've broken." He sighed. "Is any of this making any sense at all?"
"I think it is, actually," Kurt replied. "And, I think something that you're trying to say is that other people can't actually make you mad. It's you who reacts to what people say, and if you let them make you mad, they have that control and power over you. So, if I unintentionally do something to break one of your rules, and you get mad about it and lash out at me, you're giving me power over you. But, if you can work out which rule I've broken and communicate that with me in a calm manner, then we can learn and grow. Is that right?"
"I love you so fucking much, Kurt Hummel!" Blaine breathed. "That's exactly it. I wasn't sure if what I was saying was going to make any sense at all, and you just knew. We really are two pieces of the same puzzle, aren't we?"
"We really are," Kurt replied. "I love you, too, by the way. More than I could ever love anything else ever. So, you'll find out what your dad knows about sealing our bond, and we'll go from there?"
"That sounds good to me," Blaine said. "We have to get up early to start cooking, so I'm going to go take a shower then go to sleep. Sweet dreams, Kurt."
"Sweet dreams, Blaine," Kurt replied and hung up his phone.
The boys both went and showered and through their bond, could feel what the other was doing. "Yeah," Kurt thought, "this feeling each other's emotions thing is fucking awesome." He came moments later with Blaine's name whispered on his lips, knowing that Blaine was doing the same thing in the next house over.
The next morning, Kurt was up bright and early, preparing what he needed for their Thanksgiving feast. Everyone was supposed to be at the house around noon, and he wanted to make sure that everything he was supposed to have prepared would be the right temperature when their guests arrived.
Noah and Burt were up by 8:00, and Blaine was over at their house around 8:30 to help with whatever needed to be done. Kurt asked Blaine to set the table, thankful they had several extra place settings, while he peeled and diced the potatoes. Noah worked on his rolls while Burt checked on the turkey and helped Kurt with the ham. Both Hummel's were nervous and excited about their surprise.
Their guests started showing up around 11:30. Kurt had finished his cooking and played host along with Noah. Burt was getting the turkey out of the smoker and had started to carve it while talking to Phillip and Jeff's dad, Jonathan.
Once all of the food was ready, Kurt made the announcement that everyone should go into the kitchen to fill their plates and then find a place at the table. The teenagers wasted no time getting food. Burt was the last one to sit, and before he did, he tapped his glass with his fork to get everyone's attention.
"While you guys are eating, Kurt and I have a tradition, started by his mother, that we'd like to do with all of you," Burt said as he looked at how much his family had expanded in the last few months. "We each say something that we're thankful for. Kurt, could you start, bud? I'd like to go last this year." He winked at his son.
"I'm thankful for so much this year," Kurt said. "The beginning of this year kind of sucked for me. Then, all at once, my life was flipped upside down in the very best of ways. I was sent by my best friend on a spy mission that changed my life." He rubbed Blaine's shoulder tenderly. "So, I guess, what I'm most thankful for, sorry honey, is Noah. Thank you for sending me to spy on the competition, without which, we all wouldn't be in this room together."
"I think I'm also most thankful for Noah this year," Blaine said next. "For all of the reasons that Kurt just said."
By this time, Noah was blushing profusely, not used to so much attention. The group continued to go around the table, saying what they were most thankful for. Noah's name was brought up a few more times for the reasons already mentioned. When it got to Noah, he knew exactly what he wanted to say.
"Since my Nana died," Noah said, "life has pretty much sucked. I thought I had to put on this badboy persona to get respect. There were only two people who saw right through it, though. This year, and every year since, they basically took me in as a part of their family. So, I'm thankful for Burt and Kurt."
Noah was sitting next to Burt, so all eyes were on him. "Noah," Burt began, "you seem to be the subject of a lot of peoples thanks this year. I'm thankful for you, too. Kurt and I...we want you to be part of our family. Officially. So, Noah Aaron Puckerman, if you'd like, and it's something you can think about, we'd like to adopt you. Well, I would. Kurt can't since-"
"Yes," Noah whispered tearfully, cutting him off, and got up to hug Burt in a rare display of vulnerability, especially in front of so many people. He peeked over to Kurt and silently asked him to join the hug. "Thank you, both," Noah whispered again. "I love you guys!"
Thankfully, Blaine had told his mom what was going to happen, swearing her to secrecy, and she had captured the whole thing on video. The final paperwork was submitted to the court the next day, and right before Christmas, Noah was officially a Hummel.
Sectionals happened between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Warblers were up against the New Directions and the Hipsters. Kurt and Blaine pulled off their duet perfectly.
"Circle me and the needle moves gracefully
Back and forth, if my heart was a compass you'd be North
Risk it all cause I'll catch you if you fall
Wherever you go, if my heart was a house you'd be home
If my heart was a house, you'd be home"
As they finished the song together, an almost deafening applause erupted from the auditorium.
They ended up tying with the New Directions for first, and both teams went to Regionals. Unfortunately, the New Directions ended up beating out the Warblers there and advanced to Nationals. Who knew they were going to do original songs? That gave the boys ideas for the following year, though. Nobody was overly upset about the loss. Sure, it would have been nice to go to Nationals in New York, and for the seniors it did suck. They knew there wasn't anything they could do about it now, though, and vowed to work harder next year.
The rest of the year went smoothly for everyone. Cooper was told about the nature of Kurt and Blaine's soulbond, and he promised to never tell anyone. Hearing about it did make him more eager to meet his soulmate, though. He had never seen two people more in love than his little brother and Kurt. As Fate would have it, Cooper got his mark in the spring.
He had never told anyone that he just hadn't gotten his mark yet, but that's why he wasn't worried about not finding his soulmate yet. That summer, when he was in between filming commercials and his TV series, he decided to come back home and spend some time with his family. He went to the mall with Kurt, Blaine, and their friends to do a little shopping. While they were there, they had planned to meet up with Brittany and Santana. What they didn't know was that the girls had a tagalong.
Cooper met Quinn that day and noticed her mark on her left thumb immediately. She had a circle outline and a colored moon, whereas Cooper had a colored circle and a moon outline. They looked at each other and said, "No fucking way," at the same time. As they got to know each other while Cooper was in town, he decided that having her around would be greatly beneficial to his career. She was ruthless and would make damn sure nobody took advantage of him. Quinn, for her part, was ecstatic about the bond. She had always loved managing people and ordering them around. So, she looked into what it would take to be Cooper's manager, a prospect he was fully on board with. His current manager was lazy. Cooper spent a lot of time getting his own work, and his manager only signed him up for quick and easy projects that would have huge payouts. "Yeah," Cooper though, "Richard was definitely going to have to go."
Senior year started with a bang. The boys were all anxious to hear back from the colleges they had applied to. It was a complete coincidence that Kurt, Blaine, and their closest group of friends were all applying to colleges in New York City. And, as Fate would have it, all of them, Kurt, Blaine, Noah, Julia, Jeff, and Nick, were all accepted into their number one choice.
Their parents decided that they would ask the kids if they wanted to live in the dorms or in a house together somewhere off campus, all expenses covered by the adults. They knew that it wouldn't be cheap, but they wanted their kids not to worry about making payments on a place or dealing with loud dormmates. As predicted, the kids all wanted to live together. Their parents found an apartment with four bedrooms, one for each couple and a guest room for when one of them wanted to come visit, that was centrally located between their colleges.
The Warblers won Sectionals and Regionals (which pissed Rachel off to no end) and came in second at Nationals in Chicago. Life was fantastic!
Kurt and Blaine's relationship had progressed beautifully as well. They had even taken one of the last steps in their relationship and had sex. If there ever had been 'perfect' first time sex, theirs was it. It was intimate and emotional, exactly what they'd pictured their first time would be like.
They had talked about it at length and decided not to seal their bond just yet, knowing that someday they would. But, they wanted it to be when they were both a little more mature and not so quick to react emotionally. Because of where their marks were, they were very careful to not let them touch when they were making love. However, they decided that if it happened, it would be because Fate decided it was time.
Before Blaine, Kurt, or any of their friends or parents knew it, it was time for graduation. The event was bittersweet for all of the families. Burt was so proud of both of his boys. Kurt and Noah had adapted well to Dalton, and their senior year had been a year of positive growth for both of them. Kurt managed to keep his straight A's, and Noah kept his promise of getting A's and B's in all of his classes, an achievement he bragged about to anyone who would listen.
Phillip and Marisol were ecstatic that Blaine was elected one of the three Valedictorian's.
Jonathan and Jennifer were proud of their twins. Though they were graduating from different schools, Julia and Jeff had had to fight like hell when they came into the world at 2 months premature, and they both had made it to a day they weren't sure they ever would.
Burt had contemplated moving to New York with his boys but had very quickly decided against it. Marisol and Phillip had asked him to be part of the scholarship committee and be on the board for the foundation that supported it. He was honored and knew that this was where he needed to be.
Blaine's graduation speech talked about love and living life in the moment. He talked about learning from the past but not getting stuck in it. He talked about perseverance and hard work. In the end, though, his message was about love, finding something you love and giving it your all. But, most importantly, never having regrets.
A/N: The song used in this chapter is "If My Heart Was A House" by Owl City. Kurt's ringtone is "I Choose You" by Sara Bareilles from Chapter 4.
As far as the adoption stuff goes, there would be a little more that would have had to go into it than what I described, but for the purpose of the story, I simplified it a lot.