I don't have much to say this week, just enjoy!

(oh and if you have facebook, would you be a doll and vote for me in this competition? the 'stem' button is a vote. Just go to Facebook . com, and then add: /TaartenDecorerenBE/app_133900676783267?app_data=6691 thanks!)

CH 7

"Papa, I don't get it," Emma said as she sighed and laid her head on the table next to her textbook. "I need Blaine to explain it to me."

"I know, Sweetie, but Blaine had to go back to his home for a little while," Kurt explained. "Let me have a look at it."

"You're bad at math."

Kurt chuckled and shook his head fondly as Emma was dramatically looking at him from across the kitchen table. He couldn't deny that he sucked at math.

"When is Blaine coming back?"

"A few days before your surgery."

"I miss him."

"I know, Honey." Me too, he added mentally. Until Blaine left, Kurt hadn't realized how much a part of their lives he had become in the week he had stayed with them. He also hadn't realized how much he needed someone like Blaine in his life. He had done great with Emma on his own before, but everything had seemed easier, lighter, when Blaine was around. He had someone to spend his evenings with, to talk and laugh with, to share with. "Maybe we can make Blaine a drawing and I'll send it to him."

"Yes!" Emma's head shot up from the table with a wide smile. "Or maybe we can make a painting!"

"Sure," Kurt agreed. "But you need to finish your homework first, okay?"

The pout that appeared on Emma's face almost made Kurt give in. Almost. "How about we call him tonight? I bet he'll be proud to hear how you've done your math homework all by yourself."

…

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Hemsworth. I really appreciate it, especially since it was on such short notice."

"That's no problem, Dear," Mrs. Hemsworth replied. "I hope everything turned out okay?"

Blaine nodded. "Yeah, it will eventually." He had asked his neighbor, Mrs. Hemsworth, to look after his dog when he left to find Kurt, saying that it was family emergency and he really couldn't take Lady with him.

"I hope everyone is fine?"

Blaine rolled his eyes inwardly. He wasn't going to tell his life story to his nosy neighbor, even if she had been nice enough to watch his dog. "Everyone will be fine; they just… needed me there."

"Oh, well…"

"I need to go, but if there's ever anything I can do…" Blaine smiled politely before turning around and walking back to his apartment. Once inside he closed the door and put Lady on the floor. "I missed you, Girl. Have you been nice to Mrs. Hemsworth?"

Lady barked once in reply and jumped against his legs.

"Yes, I promise I'll take you next time," Blaine chuckled as he walked into his kitchen to grab some food for Lady. "You won't believe who I met there, Girl… I met my daughter." A dreamy smiled appeared on his face. "And her father, who's kinda perfect." Blaine shook his head. "He's a perfect father for her, I mean." He looked down at Lady who was staring at him with wide eyes, her head cocked to the side. "Ah, what do you care, you're just glad to get your kibbles, aren't you?" Lady barked again as he sat her tray down on the ground before she dived in.

Rolling his eyes, Blaine retreated back to the living room as he grabbed his phone out of his pocket and scrolled through the pictures he had taken the last few days. There were a whole bunch of Emma, Kurt, and even some of him with Emma and/or Kurt. His apartment already felt strangely quiet to him. And clean. Too clean. Nowhere a lost toy or doll in sight. He was pulled out of his thoughts as his phone started to vibrate. His face lighted up when he saw both Kurt's and Emma's faces smashed together on the screen.

"Hello?"

"Blaine? Hey, it's Kurt."

"Hey, Kurt."

"Did you arrive okay? You're flight went well?"

"Yeah, it was okay. I just got home like half an hour ago. I stopped at the theatre first to get my schedule for the next weeks," Blaine said, as he got comfortable on the couch.

"Okay, wait, in a minute."

Blaine chuckled as he heard Emma say something in the background. He could hear Kurt groan, and he just knew he was rolling his eyes.

"Fine, you go first. Blaine, Emma desperately wants to talk to you."

"Okay, put her on," Blaine laughed.

"Blaine?"

"Hey, Ems," Blaine said as he heard the soft voice of his daughter come through the speaker. "How are you? Not giving your old man too much trouble?"

"I finished my math homework, all by myself!" she declared proudly.

"That's great, Sweetheart. I knew you could do it."

"Oh, and Papa and I made you a painting…" she was silent for a moment, and Blaine could hear Kurt in the background. "Well, I made the painting, Papa cleaned up my mess."

Blaine chuckled. "I'm sure he did. What did you make me?"

"I drew you, and your curls!" Emma was giggling. "You have even more curls than me. It's so funny that we have the same hair."

…

Kurt swallowed heavily at that last comment Emma made. She had Blaine's hair. In fact, she was almost an exact replica of Blaine. He wondered how long it would take for her to notice all the similarities.

"I don't like it when Papa combs my hair." Emma made a face. "It hurts, even with all the products he uses."

Kurt cleared his throat to get his daughter's attention. She giggled loudly. "I think Papa wants to speak to you now. Bye Blainey. I love you."

Kurt stared at her for a few moments when she handed his phone back to him. "I… uhm, can you get ready for bed, Sweetheart?" She nodded as she wheeled away. Kurt waited a few more moments so he was sure she was in the bathroom before holding the phone against his ear again. "So,…"

"Kurt, I'm sorry," Blaine immediately said. "I swear I didn't say it first, she just blurted it out and I wasn't sure what else to say and—"

"What did you say?" Kurt cut him off.

"I… what?"

"What did you say?" Kurt repeated.

"I said I love her, too."

Kurt took a deep breath. "Did you mean it?"

"Of course," Blaine replied in a heartbeat.

"Good, that's… good."

"Yeah?" Blaine sounded insecure. "You're sure you don't mind?"

Kurt shook his head. "I can't control who she loves, Blaine. Beside, as far as I've discovered, you're a pretty great person to love." It took him a few seconds to realize what he said. "I mean, for Emma, as an adult role model, you're uhm… you're…"

Blaine chuckled. "Okay, good."

"Yeah, good."

They were silent for a few moments. Kurt was going over scenarios in his head to end the call without it becoming even more awkward when Blaine suddenly spoke. "Is it weird to say I miss you guys? It's so silent around the house here. I miss the energy that hangs around your place."

Kurt smiled. "We miss you, too."

…

Blaine's heart stopped for a moment at the 'we'. Kurt had said 'we miss you'. Not 'Emma misses you'. We. He cleared his throat. "Have you given any thought to my proposition?"

"Blaine, so scandalous. Emma is in the next room, you know."

Laughing, Blaine fell back into their easy banter that bordered on flirting. "I just can't help myself, a fine young man such as yourself."

"I would hardly call myself young. I turn 33 in a month!"

"That's barely a third of your life; I'd say that's plenty young," Blaine teased. "Of course, compared to me, you're almost ready for your retirement."

"Ah, the youth of today, always ready with a reply," Kurt said with a dramatic sigh.

Blaine was still chuckling as he repeated his earlier question. "I'm serious, Kurt. You should come to New York for a weekend. I'm scheduled to play the lead in the Sunday matinee in two weeks."

He could hear Kurt sigh at the other end. "Oh, Blaine, I'd really love to… but Emma… I can't take her to New York now. It would be too wearing for her."

"I know, I get that, but Kurt, I'm asking you to come," Blaine said, biting his lip. He really wanted to spend some time with the other man alone, to see what he was really feeling, whether it was just attraction because he was taking care of his daughter, or if it was more. "I mean, I'd love for somewhere in the future for both you and Emma to come, if she's up for it, but I… I really want to know you better, Kurt. I want us to be friends, especially if we're going to be in each other's lives. If you let me be in Emma's."

…

Kurt's breath hitched as Blaine said he wanted to get to know him better. He had corrected himself instantly, saying it was for Emma, but for a moment, Kurt had imagined it to mean something else. Something more. He needed to keep his feelings in check, because he was falling harder than he had expected.

"Kurt?"

Kurt shook his head slowly, trying to think of something to say that wouldn't make his current feelings known.

"Kurt, sorry, I didn't mean to push," Blaine said softly. "If you don't want to come that's fine."

"No, no!" Kurt hastily replied. "I want to come, I really do." But he wasn't sure if spending more time with Blaine would be good for him. Here, he had Emma as an excuse. He could hide his feelings behind the façade that he needed Blaine for Emma, that Blaine was only there for Emma, and not for him, but if he went to New York alone, he would be exposing himself to a whole new experience. "Let me think about it, okay?"

Their conversation was cut short as Emma was finished and Kurt needed to put her to bed. His mind was reeling the whole time during their nightly routine. He always braided her hair, otherwise it was a disaster the next morning, and read her a story. Emma knew all her favorites by heart, and she corrected Kurt numerous times that evening.

"Are you okay, Papa?"

"Hm? What? Yes, of course. Why do you ask?" Kurt said, distracted.

"I had to correct you five times."

"Oh." Kurt wasn't sure what to say. Emma was right. He had messed up more than once while reading her story. His mind wasn't here, it was in New York, with Blaine, and he wasn't sure what to do about it. "I was just seeing if you were paying attention."

Emma beamed up at him. "I was."

"Yes, you were," Kurt smiled as he pressed a kiss against her temple. "Now go to sleep and dream about princes and princesses."

"In far off places!"

"Yes," Kurt chuckled.

"Like New York, where Blainey is!"

Kurt's smile faded. "Yeah, Blaine."

"Are you sure you're okay, Papa?"

"I'm fine. Go to sleep, Sweetheart," Kurt said as he tried to gather his thoughts. He needed to talk to someone, his own dad, maybe. "I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

"Okay, Papa, I love you."

"I love you, too, Sweetheart." Kurt pressed a last kiss against her head as he walked out of her room and back into the living room. He grabbed his phone from the coffee table and dialed the familiar number. It was Carole who answered, and after some polite chit-chat she handed the phone over to his father.

"What's up, Son?"

"I don't know, Dad. I'm so confused," Kurt almost whispered. "I don't know what to do."

"Kurt, are you okay? Has anything happened?"

"It's Blaine."

"Oh, Kurt," Burt sighed across the line. "What happened, did he back out?"

"What? Oh, no, no! He didn't, no, he wouldn't. Of course not."

"Okay." Burt let out a breath of relief. "That's good." He paused for a moment, giving Kurt the chance to say something, but when he didn't, Burt spoke again. "Is it… do you have feelings for Blaine?"

"No!"

"Kurt…"

"Maybe… I don't know," Kurt replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

"You have," Burt stated.

Kurt swallowed audibly. "I don't know what to do, Dad."

"Well, it's simple, really. Does he have feelings for you?"

Kurt bit his lip. "I don't know. Sometimes I think he does. We… we flirt, a lot. But it's not, I don't know if that's just him, or if it's serious."

"Okay."

"I just, I don't know what I'm feeling. He's been living with us for a week, and I loved it. I loved coming home to find dinner on the table; I loved having someone to take Emma to dialyses; but I also loved our banter, and how we could talk about anything." Kurt sighed.

"You're confused," Burt said. "That's normal. You liked the domesticity, but you also like Blaine."

Kurt hummed in agreement.

"But you're not sure if you like Blaine because of the domesticity he brought, or just because of Blaine."

"I… yeah," Kurt confessed. "When he was here, I saw what I had been missing. What I never had. I really want a husband again. Is that bad?"

"Oh, Kurt, no of course not. You just have to sort out if Blaine might be that man for you, or if he's just someone that just makes you realize you want a relationship again. You haven't really been with anyone since Chandler, as far as I know."

"No, I haven't… I mean, nothing serious anyway," Kurt quickly said.

"Right, too much information, but anyway. You haven't been with anyone serious, and maybe this week with Blaine has made you see you're ready for that again."

"I… that actually makes a lot of sense." Kurt was silent for a moment, letting his father's words sink in. "I… Blaine asked me to come to New York. Alone. Without Emma. Before the surgery."

"Why?" Burt asked. "Did he say why he wanted you to come alone?"

"Well he didn't specifically ask me to come alone, he just asked me to come to New York, and when I said Emma wasn't strong enough for that he said he wanted me to come alone, to get to know each other better. He said… he said it was because of Emma, and if he was gonna be in our life we should be friends, but I don't know… it sounded maybe… I don't know." Kurt shook his head. Talking to his dad was clearing his mind in some ways, but in others it was still reeling.

"Kurt, go to New York. Sort out your feelings."

"But Emma…" Kurt protested.

"Carole and I will take care of her. You can leave Friday and come back on Sunday," Burt reasoned. "You don't even have to miss any dialyses if you book a flight for Friday evening."

Kurt bit his lip. He trusted his father and Carole, and maybe was spending a weekend alone with Blaine would help him figure a few things out.

"Kurt, Son, when was the last time you took any time for yourself? You have been taking care of Emma non-stop. Do this for you. Take some time off and sort out your feelings."

…

Blaine was getting ready for bed. He had just brushed his teeth, and gone into his bedroom. In the middle of his bed Lady had made a comfortable nest for herself. Blaine shook his head, scratched Lady behind her ear, and chuckled as she licked his palm and nuzzled it for a moment. "What do you think, Girl? How can we convince Kurt to come visit us?" he asked her, as he gently shoved her aside to get some room for himself. "I need him to meet you so he can invite you over for the summer as well." Blaine shook his head as Lady cocked her head to the side and rolled on her back, indicating she wanted belly rubs. "I think you'd get along great with Emma as well. She's a wonderful little girl. I love her, you know." He was silent for a moment. "And Kurt… he's amazing. He's beautiful, funny, and a great father." Blaine turned so he was lying on his back. He bit his lip as he stared at the ceiling. "He has excellent taste in clothes, which is to be expected, as he works for Vogue. He works for Vogue, can you believe it? He's in Lima, but he still works for Vogue. I sound like a teenage boy with a crush, don't I? Can you imagine if I'd had met Kurt in high school? If we'd been in the same glee club maybe? I bet things would have gone very differently." Blaine sighed. "But then again, there wouldn't have been Emma, and she's something I wouldn't want to miss out on. I guess everything happens for a reason, right?" He shook his head as Lady let out tiny snores. "Obviously you don't care. You're happy as long as I feed you and give you belly rubs." Blaine had just turned around again, getting comfortable, when his phone lighted up with a new message.

[My flight arrives on Friday in two weeks at JFK around 8pm, would that be okay? Can you come and pick me up? - Kurt]

Blaine resisted the urge to kick his feet in the air out of happiness.

[That's so okay. I'll be there. I'm glad you decided to come! - Blaine]

[Me, too. - Kurt]