I do not own Glee.

Chapter 3:

"For the third time Cedes, no," Kurt snapped as he pulled his blanket to his chin. He had been in bed all day because of exhaustion. Stronger medications had been given to him which made him a bit light headed and made standing up quite a task. "He doesn't need to know and it's not like he has the right to know."

Mercedes scowled at him. Seriously, his best friend could be really a pain in the ass if she wanted to be. "You are really planning to keep it a secret from him? C'mon Kurtie, he's going to be your husband and it's not like he's not going to notice."

Kurt bit the inside of his cheek to keep from screaming. He and his father had agreed that they don't have to divulge any complicated issues with the Puckermans. And it included his condition.

"I don't want anybody to take pity on me especially him," Kurt said as he let out a huge tiring breath. "I don't want them to think that I am using my situation to get sympathy. You know it Cedes so just quit insisting that I should tell him." He turned his back away from Mercedes as he squeezed his eyes shut. This was the reason why he didn't allow new people to come into his life. He didn't want to deal with the explanations, followed by pity then when they couldn't take it anymore, they just leave.

He felt Mercedes sat beside him and touched his shoulder. "I'm sorry Kurt. I was just excited with the whole idea of you getting tied down."

Kurt, despite of their drama, managed a smile.

"I tried to talk to dad if he could just let this deal go but he said that there's no turning back." Truth was, when his dad got an idea in his head, there was no stopping him especially when it included Kurt's happiness. When his dad told him that he just wanted him to be happy, Kurt really had a hard time understanding him.

"Kurt, son, this is your chance of happiness." His dad told him over dinner. It was a mouth-watering dinner of filet mignon and mushroom ravioli prepared by their resident chef but Kurt couldn't force himself to eat. He just turned his food around his plate and pretended he enjoyed it.

"You made it sound like happiness can be bought," Kurt said dryly but his dad was oblivious with his sentiments. As soon as the words came out of his mouth, the sooner he remembered when Puck said that his dad bought Puck for him. He swallowed a bitter lump in his throat. "Puck told me you bought him for me," he said bluntly. Sugar-coated words were not welcomed in this conversation.

His dad looked up from his steak and stared at him, his mouth formed a thin line. "He didn't mean it."

Kurt couldn't help it and laughed bitterly. "Dad, please. How did you become an expert on someone's feelings?"

"Kurt, we are through this right? The deal has been settled and everything is in order. On Friday, you and Noah will sign the agreement. No fancy wedding like what you requested," his dad said sternly as he resumed his eating. Kurt dreaded Friday because Friday would be his wedding day. Well it was not the traditional wedding. No fancy entourage, fancy clothes and whatever they have on weddings. It was just like a contract signing. He didn't need a wedding and all those till death do us part thing because heck, he barely even knew his soon to be husband.

"Dad, I don't want to do it," he said firmly. His dad looked at him with wide eyes. "I just realized I can't do this."

"You know the consequences Kurt."

'God, dad is really serious with the blackmailing.' Kurt thought weakly.

"Tell me, why are you doing this?"

"I already told you Kurt, I wanted you to be happy."

"And Noah Puckerman can make me happy?" Kurt asked sarcastically. The thought itself was laughable. "Or do you really think if I fall in love with him or he falls in love with me that I'd be more willing to live?"

His dad looked like the wind was knocked out of him. Kurt knew he touched a nerve but he continued. "And what if we happen to fall in love with each other but I still have to go? Do you think I can bare that dad? Knowing that I have to leave the ones I love?"

"I'm not giving up Kurt and so should you. You are only eighteen Kurt, you have a long way to go." Kurt felt his dad's voice wavered like he was about to cry. "It is just for two years Kurt, just give it a try."

Two years. That was just the time span he allowed for the deal. Two years would be enough to find some happiness with someone if he was lucky enough. He now understood why his dad forced him to get married. It was because his dad believed that no matter how much pain the world had brought him, he was still entitled to some bliss. He just had to swallow the guilt eating his insides whenever he thought that someone would get hurt if he continued with the deal. Like Quinn. He barely knew the girl but he was sure that she was probably praying for his early death.

Maybe fate had brought him and Puck together. Maybe everything that was happening right now had a reason. He just couldn't think of any right now. Was God sending him a message that he should try to fight some more? For his dad, for Mercedes, for himself, or maybe someday, for Puck. Maybe God had another plans for him. Well, he never admitted it to anyone, not even with his dad or Mercedes, that he wanted to be really strong for them, that he wanted to have a family someday, have a house by the river, dye his graying hair, and be a grandparent. He never told them these because he was just giving them and himself false hopes. Fresh tears started to form behind his eyelids and he angrily wiped it away. How could life be so unfair to him? When he wanted to be straight, he became gay. When he wanted to be healthy, he became sick. Very sick.

"Kurt, baby boy. Your nose is bleeding," Mercedes suddenly said and he automatically brought his hand to his nose. When he looked at his hand covered with his own blood, he felt suddenly dizzy. "Kurt, since when did this start? It has not happened before." Mercedes voice sounded so far away.

"It happened last week. It was just a rare occurrence," he answered automatically as he reached out for a tissue at his bedside table. He gingerly wiped his nose. He felt Mercedes' gaze on him.

"Now I understand why two years Kurt," Mercedes said with a heavy disappointment in her voice. As much as possible, they tried to keep away from that conversation which included, two and years in a sentence.

He was seventeen when he started having dizzy spells and they thought it was just because of the stress in school. Then he started to feel pain on his backside and abdominal portion. Those were just on a varying occurrence. There was also a time when he couldn't feel anything with his hands and sometimes his feet got numb too. When he finally got the courage to check with the doctors, they found out that he got some rare kind of blood disorder which affected his body in a way that was unpredictable. Only one out of ten thousand people suffered from this kind of disease and only two out of five hundred people survived.

Two years. Because the doctor told him that he was lucky enough if he reached his twentieth birthday.