Hi!

First of all: Hi OP, welcome here :) if you feel more comfortable to reply on the GKM, feel free to do so, don't feel obligated to review here (but you can, do whatever you feel comfortable with). I'm so glad you're still enjoying this! Thanks so much.

Secondly, I'm tentatively putting the number of 15 on this story. That means, I'm guessing it'll be around 15 chapters. It can be one more, it can be one less. We'll see.

Thirdly, ENJOY!

CH 6

"Hey," Kurt said, smiling as Blaine shuffled into the kitchen. "Did you sleep well?"

Blaine hummed as he sat down, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and suppressing a yawn. He was about to respond to Kurt's question when he actually saw the man standing in front of him. "You're…" Blaine shook his head to clear his mind. Kurt was dressed in low-fitting sweatpants with a plain white t-shirt that didn't leave much to the imagination. He blinked a few times before finishing his sentence. "… not dressed."

"Oh." Kurt frowned. "Sorry, does this bother you? We have lazy Sundays every now and then. Emma sleeps in and we have brunch in front of the TV in our pajamas. She does her homework in the afternoon; we get take-out for the evening and play a board-game or something."

Blaine swallowed. "No, it doesn't bother me; I'm just not used to see so dressed down. It's…" Hot. "…fine."

"Okay." Kurt smiled shyly. It was weird to be like this with Blaine. He usually hid himself behind his clothes, but somehow he felt safe with Blaine. "Feel free to stay in your pajamas all day as well. I'm making waffles."

"Can I help?"

"Sure, you can peel and cut the fruit if you like. It's waffles with whipped cream and a fruit salad."

"Sounds delicious."

"I'm always trying to combine the junk food with something healthy," Kurt said. They worked together in silence for a while. It felt so normal, almost too normal. As if they did it every Sunday, they worked around each other perfectly, so Kurt broke the silence. "Are you okay?"

"Uhm, yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Blaine frowned as he chopped the apple into small pieces.

"I don't know… you broke up with your boyfriend because you came here…" Kurt trailed off.

"Oh." Right, Andreas. "It's fine. Like I said, it wasn't that serious. It's probably for the best; it wasn't going anywhere anyway." At least now he didn't need to find guilty for looking at Kurt. After all, Kurt was gorgeous and right there. "It's easier like this."

Kurt hummed. Blaine didn't seem to be too bothered by the break-up, which made Kurt wonder if this happened often. Maybe Blaine didn't do relationships; maybe he just dated casually.

"Don't feel guilty, okay?" Blaine said. "It wasn't going anywhere. I guess I'm still waiting for the right guy."

Kurt hummed. "Yeah, me too."

"Can I… What happened with Chandler?"

Kurt froze.

"I'm sorry; it's none of my business."

"No, it isn't," Kurt snapped. He shook his head. "Sorry, that was harsh. I just…"

"You don't want to talk about it; that's okay." Blaine shrugged. He did wonder what had happened for Kurt to react like that. As far as he'd gathered the divorce had been years ago. The awkward silence that fell between them was broken as Blaine's phone began to ring. He frowned as he saw it was his mom, but answered it anyway. "Hey, Mom."

Kurt's eyes widened when he realized who was on the line.

"I'm at Kurt's. Where else would I be?"

Kurt bit his lip as he glanced at the living room, contemplating whether he should give Blaine some space.

"Why would I go back to New York, Mom? You know why I came here. I wouldn't just go back." Blaine sighed as he looked at Kurt and gestured for him to stay. Nothing he was about to say would make any difference, and there was no reason Kurt shouldn't hear it. "Kurt isn't forcing me to do anything, and Emma is my responsibility. I don't care that I gave her up; I made her. I was responsible enough to find a proper family for her when I couldn't take care of her. I need to help her now as well." Blaine sighed and scratched his head. "Look, Mom, I… I love her, okay? She's an amazing little girl, and if I can help her, I will."

Kurt smiled at this. He knew Blaine really cared for Emma, and he was grateful for that.

"Another thing, I can't believe you kept those letters from me. They were addresses to me. I asked for them. I thought they didn't care anymore." Blaine shook his head. He still couldn't believe his mom did that. It had really upset him. "You know what, Mom; I don't want to talk about it." With that he ended the call, walking out of the kitchen and into the living room to rummage through his backpack. He sat down with his black leather binder filled with letters and pulled the newest one out.

January 2020

Hey, Blaine

I've taken Emma to her bi-annual check-up. They're doing some tests on her kidneys since she's had problems with them when she was younger. Let's talk about something more important though, her eighth birthday!

I've been doing research on Boundless Playgrounds. They're playgrounds specially designed for children with special needs. As it turns out, there's one close to Westerville, which is a 2 hour drive from where we live, so I decided to take her there for her birthday party. It was a big production since two of her best friends are in wheelchairs as well; she knows them from the sports camp she went to during the summer. The rest are girls from her school. You can't imagine a car drive with eight loud six-, seven- and eight-year-olds. Let me tell you a secret. Aspirin. Lots and lots of aspirin.

She loved the playground, especially the swing. She's never been able to swing before, and her face was just priceless. She loved it. She said it felt like flying when she closed her eyes.

It was really cold, so we couldn't stay very long, but I had made reservations at a nearby diner for afterwards. They were exhausted on the drive back, so that was a lot quieter, thankfully.

Love, Kurt and Emma

Blaine looked at the photos that were attached to the letter. Emma was bundled up with a thick scarf and jacket but she looked so happy. There were several pictures, and Blaine had to swallow the lump forming in his throat. How could his mother not understand this? He felt Kurt sit down next to him and put a hand on his arm.

"Hey."

Blaine shook his head. "I… how could I not be here? She needs me. Why doesn't my mom understand that?"

"I think…" Kurt was searching his words. "Your mom never saw Emma; i-that makes a difference. I don't really think she realizes you have a daughter."

Blaine closed his eyes and leaned into Kurt's touch. "I saw her for maybe two minutes after she was born. They took her away immediately for surgery, but I never forgot that image. I wish they would have let me see her afterwards."

"You could have, if you had asked. I would have let you," Kurt said, he turned his upper body so he could pull Blaine in a comforting hug.

Blaine shook his head. "I couldn't. I… I didn't want to give her away. My mind knew it was the smart thing to do, but my heart… it broke in those two minutes I saw her. If I had seen her again, I would have never let her go, but I couldn't take care of her. In my mind I knew I couldn't, but I wanted to. My mom and Rachel arranged everything for the adoption. I only signed the papers at the end. I just couldn't do it. I'm sorry. I wish I could have."

"It's okay." Kurt pulled back slightly and his heart broke a little at the sight of the man crying in his arms. "Maybe we should see this as an opportunity," he said softly. "I always try to see the best in difficult situations. This is a bad thing for Emma, but maybe it's a second chance for you, a chance to get to know your daughter."

A loud sob escaped from Blaine's mouth.

"Blaine." Kurt was lost. He tightened his grip on the man, softly stroking up and down his back in hopes of calming him down.

"I just… You called her my daughter, but she's not. She's yours."

"She is," Kurt agreed. "But you're her father as well. You've had her in your heart all these years. I'm not gonna keep her from you. You can be in her life as much as you want."

Blaine nodded against Kurt's shoulder. "Sorry I'm ruining your shirt."

Kurt laughed. "I guess it's good it's just a sleeping shirt. I might not forgive you otherwise."

"Papa?" A tentative voice interrupted the two men.

"Hey, Sweetheart." Kurt disentangled himself from Blaine. "Come here."

Emma wheeled closer to them, her posture reserved. She cocked her head and looked at Blaine with a confused look. "Why is Blaine crying?"

"Blaine's a little upset; he's had a bit of a fight with his mom," Kurt explained. "You know what helps when someone's upset?"

"I always like it when you hold me close," Emma said.

"That does feel good, doesn't it?" Kurt smiled. "Do you think you could give Blaine a nice long hug while I finish our brunch?"

Emma nodded and held out her arms so Kurt could help her sit on the couch. As she was seated, she wrapped her small arms around Blaine's torso, and he had to suppress another sob as he pulled her close to his chest. He shot Kurt a grateful smile and buried his head in Emma's head of wild curls.

…

The week passed by quickly. It was already Friday, and Kurt was sitting at home, trying to work on one of his articles while Blaine had taken Emma to dialyses. It was weird for Kurt to stay at home while Emma was at the hospital. He wasn't used to someone else taking her. In the six years he lived in Lima, he had maybe missed three hospital visits, and it had always been his parents who had taken Emma in that case.

Blaine had insisted he could do it so Kurt could finish his article in silence, and Kurt had agreed reluctantly. It was a strange feeling to share responsibility for Emma. Even with Chandler, he was usually the one to take care of Emma. He had to admit it felt nice, to have someone with whom to share the load, but he didn't wanted to get too used to it. Blaine was only here for a few weeks at the most. He wasn't Kurt's husband, or even boyfriend. His stomach fluttered at that thought. If he was honest with himself, this was what he had wanted all along: someone who took care of Emma with him, someone who loved her, and Kurt, and took care of both of them every now and then. Last night, Kurt had picked Emma up from school after he dropped by the office, and he had come home to find Blaine cooking dinner for the three of them. The table was set, and the home was filled with the wonderful smell of something Italian.

He was shaken from his thoughts abruptly when his phone started ringing. He recognized the number of the hospital and his heart started racing. He picked it up with sweaty hands, hoping nothing was wrong with Emma.

"Hello, this is Kurt Hummel."

"Kurt, hi, this is Dr. Jane."

Kurt's heart started beating even faster at this. "Dr. Jane, hi."

"So, I'm calling you about the transplant. I've got very good news for you."

"Oh?" Maybe… Blaine's test should be in now, the test that would approve him a donor or not, but he shouldn't get his hopes up. So that's what he told himself. Don't get your hopes up. Do not get your hopes up!

"Blaine has been approved as a viable donor."

Kurt let out a yelp and clamped his hand before his mouth instantly. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm just, oh, my God, really?"

"Really." Dr. Jane chuckled. "Now we need for him to come in for some more tests. It looks good so far. The blood tests show he's free from disease, but we need to make sure his kidneys are 100% functional."

"Oh, my God," Kurt kept repeating. "It's happening; it's really happening."

"I'm happy for you, Kurt. Do you think Blaine can come in tomorrow morning?"

"I think so," Kurt said.

"Good, around 10 would be perfect. If anything changes let me know. I would recommend that you join us, so I can give you some more information regarding the procedure."

"Okay, I'll—we'll be there." They said their goodbyes and Kurt ended the call. He was still shocked. Blaine was a viable donor. Blaine could give a kidney to Emma. Blaine could help her!

He heard the front door open and saw Blaine coming inside. He was carrying Emma bridal style and went to the living room to put her on the couch so she could rest. "Kurt?" Blaine sounded worried, and Kurt realized he must look like a mess. He was pretty sure his face was blotchy, his eyes puffy and red. "Are you okay?"

"I'm perfect," Kurt said, as he got up and practically jumped into Blaine's arms. He pressed the man close and buried his face in Blaine's neck. "The doctor just called. You can be a donor."

"Are you serious?" Blaine pulled back so he could look Kurt in the eye. "Really?"

Kurt nodded fervently. "We have to go to the hospital tomorrow for some more tests, but you're a viable donor. You're approved."

"Oh, my God!" Blaine laughed as he pulled Kurt back into the hug and picked him up to spin him around. "That's great. I can't believe it."

"Blaine," Kurt squealed when Blaine put him back down. "I can't believe you just did that. That's so cheesy."

"Ah, you love it; admit it." Blaine smiled radiantly as he looked over at the couch were Emma had already fallen asleep. "It's gonna be okay, Kurt. She's gonna be fine."

Kurt nodded and pulled Blaine into another hug, lingering a little longer than necessary, but he couldn't help it. He was happy. His daughter was gonna be okay. Their daughter was gonna be okay.

…

"Hey, Dad," Kurt kissed his dad on the cheek as he stepped into the house. "Carole!" He hugged his step-mom.

"Grandpa, Grandma!" Emma wheeled in and was immediately engulfed in a bear hug from Burt.

"This is Blaine," Kurt said by a way of introduction. "The friend I told you I was bringing."

"Right, friend," Burt replied, eying Blaine suspiciously.

"Uhm, hello Sir; it's nice to meet you." Blaine extended his hand nervously.

"Oh, please, it's Burt and Carole." Carole nudged her husband and engulfed Blaine in a hug. "Any friend of Kurt's is a friend of ours."

"It's not often Kurt brings a friend home for us to meet," Burt said.

"Well Blaine's a very good friend," Kurt replied, as he rolled his eyes. "Besides, he really wanted to see the swing you have in your backyard."

"Yes!" Emma yelled, oblivious to all the awkwardness surrounding the adults. "Can we go play on the swing? Can we Granddaddy? Can we?"

"We can have lunch first," Burt said. "Grandma made us sandwiches. Afterwards we'll go play on the swing."

"Chicken barbeque sandwiches?"

"Yes," Carole laughed as she led them to the kitchen. "And some cucumber for your papa."

Kurt shot her a grateful glance as he motioned to Blaine to follow them to the kitchen. Blaine, who still felt nervous, stuck close to Kurt as he tried to take in his surroundings. The house wasn't as adapted as Kurt's was, but he could see they had kept Emma in mind with layout of the space. There were big areas left where she could easily maneuver her chair, and the kitchen table had a space reserved especially for her.

"So, how do the two of you know each other?" Burt asked as they all sat around the table.

"Dad." Kurt glared at his father, shooting a pointed glance at Emma.

Burt huffed, earning him a slap at the arm from Carole, who took over the conversation. "How's work, Kurt?"

"Great! Isabelle called me last week to do an article about the new and upcoming designers, so I'm focusing on that now I've finished my article for the Lima's News."

"Isn't it great how they still want you as a writer, even though you haven't worked for them for years, only the freelance stuff like this."

"I always liked Isabelle; she was my fairy godmother when I first moved to New York," Kurt said. "I owe her so much."

"Wait a minute." Blaine grabbed Kurt's upper arm. "You mean Isabelle Wright, from Vogue?" He looked at Kurt with jaw slack and eyes wide. "You know Isabelle Wright, from Vogue."

"Yes, I started as her assistant when I first went to New York."

"The Isabelle Wright, who is expected to take Anna Wintour's place as editor?"

"Oh, well, she asked me not to tell anyone about it yet." Kurt frowned. "I don't want to fuel any rumors…"

Blaine fell back against his chair. "You know Isabelle Wright. Isabelle Wright."

"Who's Isabelle?" Emma looked in confusion at all the adults around her.

"She's my boss from New York. You know, the one I write articles for every now and then," Kurt explained, as he softly patted Blaine's arm.

"Oh, the one with the pretty blonde curls?"

"Yeah."

"I like her," Emma said. "She's pretty. Like a real Barbie."

Kurt chuckled. "I guess. I think Blaine's going into shock though."

Emma's eyes widened. "He's gonna be okay, right?"

"I'm fine," Blaine said, softly. "I'm just… impressed."

"It's nothing, really." Kurt shook his head. "I'm sure you know a bunch of famous Broadway stars."

"Yes, but… Isabelle Wright. You have to introduce me to her someday, promise me!" Blaine insisted.

"Okay," Kurt was chuckling. "I will. I didn't know you were such a big Vogue fan."

Blaine stared at Kurt with an overcome look on his face. "It's Vogue, Kurt. It's like… It's Vogue!"

"Yes," Kurt smiled proudly as he replied. "It's Vogue."

"Can we stop talking about Vogue now?" Emma said, her words followed by a heavy sigh. "I wanna go play!"

"Oh, yes," Blaine agreed, suddenly remembering why they were here. "I want to see the swing."

"Okay, let's go show Blaine the swing," Kurt said, smiling brightly.

..

"So, are you gonna tell me who this Blaine guy really is?" Burt prompted as he sat down on the porch next to Kurt, who was looking fondly at Blaine and Emma playing with her swing. "I see how you're looking at him, you know."

"It's not what you might think, Dad," Kurt answered. "Blaine's… he's Emma's biological father."

"What?" Burt sputtered as he almost choked. "Emma's father?"

Kurt hummed.

"How did he find you?" Burt asked, shocked. He was silent for a moment when realization dawned upon him. "You found him, didn't you?"

"When Emma was born he wrote to me, asking me to keep him up to date how she was doing."

"You were in touch with him all these years?" Burt asked, surprised.

"No, no," Kurt shook his head. "I wrote him letters and sent him pictures every couple of months or so. I… it was just me, I never put a return address on the envelope, so he couldn't contact me."

"But now you did."

"I had to, Dad. I needed to find someone to help her."

"I don't blame you, Son," Burt said, as he put a hand on Kurt's shoulder. "How are you coping?"

"I'm fine." Kurt shrugged.

"Kurt…"

"I don't know, okay. I… it's weird." Kurt shrugged."It's… I like him, I actually like him. He's… we're friends. He's a nice guy; he's fun to hang around with. He's been staying with us for a week now, and he's so good with her. He even took her to dialyses yesterday."

"You let him take her?" Burt asked, surprised.

"He asked… and I said he could. He's good with her."

Burt nodded, looking at the pair of them, playing at the swing. "I see it. Does she know?"

"No, not yet."

"But you're planning on telling her," Burt said.

"I… yes." Kurt sighed. "It's weird, seeing Emma with Blaine. They look alike, and they have a similar demeanor. He's her father; he's giving her his kidney, Dad. I can't keep him away after that. It wouldn't be fair."

"To Emma or to you?" Burt asked pointedly, before getting up and walking over to his granddaughter. Kurt pondered his father's question. If he was being completely honest with himself, he did feel something for Blaine, but he wasn't sure what it was. Friendship was definitely part of it, but there were some other feelings as well. The only problem was that Kurt wasn't sure if it was because he saw what he'd been missing all those years, a second father for Emma, or if it was more than that.

…

"See, it's not that hard," Blaine explained gently, as Emma sighed in exasperation.

"You explain it better than my teacher." Her eyes lit up. "Hey, maybe you could be my teacher, so I don't have to go to school anymore, and we can play with the swing in grandpa's yard all day, like today!"

"Hmm, how about… no," Kurt said, as he rolled his eyes. "You have to go to school, so you can graduate and get a degree."

"What if I don't want to?" Emma asked, crossing her arms in protest. "I can go sing on Broadway, like Blaine does."

Blaine laughed as he shook his head fondly. "You know I studied three years at NYADA to become a Broadway actor. You can't just get up there and sing. It's not that easy."

Emma frowned. "Do they have math at NADA?"

"NYADA," Blaine corrected her. "No, they don't."

"Then I want to go there," Emma announced, unwavering.

Kurt chuckled. "Whatever you want, little girl, but you need to know math to graduate first, so get practicing."

Emma sighed dramatically as she turned back to her worksheet. Blaine pressed a kiss against her head, laughing silently before he joined Kurt in the kitchen. "What'cha doing?"

Kurt shrugged. "Just keeping busy. Trying to figure out what I can make for dinner with what's left in the fridge." He faltered for a moment before turning to Blaine. "You know, I auditioned for NYADA."

"Oh?" Blaine looked up, surprised.

Kurt hummed in response. "I didn't get in."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Did you try again?"

Kurt shook his head in denial. "No, I figured I wasn't good enough the first time, so why bother being a second choice?"

Blaine shrugged. "I can't imagine going anywhere else. I did get in on my first try, but Rachel choked at her audition. She auditioned again and could start the second semester, though."

"Oh." Kurt swallowed as he tried to appear disinterested. "So you both went to NYADA; you must have been tight."

Blaine laughed. "Maybe, back then. We rented an apartment together. I still live there actually, but she moved out once she got her big break-out role."

"What is she—" Kurt stopped himself. "You know, I don't want to know."

"I'm sorry." Blaine made a face. "I didn't want to make you uncomfortable."

"No, no it's okay," Kurt said. "I mean, we're friends, right? You should be able to talk about your friends to friends."

Blaine smiled. "We're friends?"

"Yes, of course," Kurt answered, confused. "Did I ever give you the impression we weren't? I'm sorry if that's the case."

"No, no, it's not," Blaine quickly answered. "It's just, it's a weird situation. Glad to know you don't just keep me around for my organs."

"Well, that's part of the attraction," Kurt teased, winking at Blaine. "But I do genuinely enjoy your company. We share a lot of interests, from Broadway to certain fashion trends, with a whole lot of tv-shows and sarcastic humor in the middle, and not to mention Vogue!"

"Yeah, Vogue," Blaine smiled to himself. "You know, since we're friends, I think you should come visit me in New York sometime."

"Oh?"

Blaine hummed. "You can watch me perform on Broadway."

Kurt slightly cocked his head and his features softened. He did really like Blaine. A lot. If the circumstances were different he might even like him in a different way. He could easily see it. "Yeah, that'd be great."

Blaine nodded as he leaned back on the couch. "I have to go back, you know."

"I know," Kurt said.

"The operation isn't for five more weeks. I need to get back to work, and get my stuff."

Kurt nodded. The doctor had scheduled Emma's surgery for the summer so she wouldn't need to miss any school. He knew Blaine couldn't stay with them the whole time, even though Kurt wanted it. Blaine had responsibilities. He had a job and an apartment he needed to take care of.

"After the operation, I want you to stay with us until you've recovered completely," Kurt said.

"I… that's not necessary, you know."

"I know, but I want to, Blaine. We're friends, right? And you're doing this huge thing for me. I want to take care of you. Please, stay with us over the summer. Emma will be delighted." And it wouldn't hurt for Kurt to have some time to figure out his own feelings in the mean time.

Blaine smiled at the mention of Emma. His daughter. He was afraid to say it to Kurt, but he loved her as his own. He would do anything to keep the little girl in his life from now on, together with her father. "Yeah, sure, I'll stay for the summer"