Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, nor do I own the song Bird of Summer, by A Fine Frenzy.

Chapter Eight

"So, you don't like Jeremiah?"

They were curled up together on Kurt's bed, Blaine's arms wrapped around Kurt's body, and Kurt's arms around Blaine's waist. Blaine planted a few soft kisses on Kurt's forehead and inhaled deeply, as if he was trying to memorize what Kurt smelled like.

"No, I do not like Jeremiah like that. I used to have a crush on him, last year, but that was before I met you, and when I was sort of desperate for a relationship."

Kurt frowned. "Why were you desperate for one?"

Blaine kisses his forehead again. "Do you remember when I told you about Sadie Hawkins?"

Kurt's frown deepened. "Yes, and I'm still very, very mad at your other school. And the boys who beat you up."

Blaine smiled down at him. "Yes, I can see that you have your 'angry face' on right now. It's very cute."

"It's not supposed to be cute, no matter how many times you say that it is."

Blaine laughed. "Well, after I transferred to Dalton, I thought that if I got a boyfriend, someone who liked me that much, then I'd sort of be proving them wrong, no matter how stupid it seems."

Kurt shrugged. "It... makes sense...?"

Blaine kissed him, yet again, like he couldn't stop kissing him now that he could. "It did then, now it just seems really stupid. Anyway, I'd met him at the mall complex he works at when I'd applied for a summer job there. I thought he was cute, but he wasn't out yet, and it just wasn't going to work out. At all. Now we're just friends; I mean, I'm more like his mentor now that he's out, which is weird, seeing that he's older than me."

Kurt was still confused. "But... I totally thought that... I mean, when he was at your house that day you wanted to tell me something, I thought-"

"He was there to take Katie and James to the park so that we'd have the house to ourselves."

"Oh..."

Oh.

"So... Well, now I just feel stupid."

Blaine turned a bit so that he was able to actually see Kurt more. "No, no, it's okay. You've had to deal with so much stress lately that it's completely understandable how you'd jump to that conclusion." He paused. "No matter how ridiculous it is," he joked, and before Kurt could respond, Blaine leaned down and planted a few quick kisses on his lips.

Kurt pouted. "No fair. You're cheating."

Blaine snickered. "Because kissing you is totally cheating."

"It is, because I'm enjoying it too much."

"I am as well."

Kurt leaned up and kissed him softly until he had to pull away to get air. "What was your reason for calling me over that day?"

Blaine's grip around him tightened. "I was going to confess to you. Jeremiah was also there to make sure that I had enough courage to go through it. He was the first person I told that I was in love with you."

And the 'oh' moments just kept on coming. "What about Wes and David?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure that they knew I was in love with you before I was actually in love with you, and they're the reason that Jeremiah contacted me and said, 'you're in love with someone, do tell', and then forced me to tell him all about you. In great detail."

"And so, that day at the park?"

"That food stand? They have some of the best ice cream, so I left to get you some, but ran into Jeremiah along the way. He was asking me about how things were going with you. I'm surprised that he didn't recognize that you were you."

Kurt smiled and snuggled into Blaine's chest. "I am feeling very relieved now that this has been resolved." He paused, then frowned. "I wish that I'd just asked you about it now. I mean, we've always been really honest with each other, so I don't know why I wasn't honest about all of my questions."

Blaine let his head lean on the top of Kurt's head. "I wasn't that honest with you either, so you don't have to apologize. I totally understand. I'm just glad that it all worked out in the end," he said breathlessly, squeezing Kurt quickly, then letting go as Kurt giggled.

"I'm glad too, more than glad, actually."

Blaine kissed his forehead, yet again, then trailed a few kisses down his head to his lips. He gave him five quick and repetitive kisses, the hummed happily. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to kiss you and hold you like this."

Kurt giggled. "Oh, I think I do," he said, breathing out heavily.

Blaine pulled back a bit. "You okay? I'm not making it hard for you to breathe, am I?"

Kurt shook his head, then frowned as a thought dawned on him. "Blaine?"

"Hm?"

"...Are-are you sure that you want to...um...be in a relationship with me?"

Blaine stared at him. "Wh-what do you mean?"

Kurt shifted so that he was looking more at the ceiling than at Blaine. "I mean I'm dying-"

"Kurt, don't say that!"

He turned back to Blaine. "But, it's true. I mean, there's a chance that I could get a heart, but... I don't want to get my hopes up to high only for them to crash down when that beeper never goes off."

Blaine inhaled, then slid down slightly so that his head was level with Kurt's neck. He placed a few kisses there, then exhaled hard. "I know that, I do, but – forgive me for being selfish, but I want you to live forever. I want you to outlive me, and I most certainly want all of that to happen with us together, but – Kurt, don't give up just yet, please. I will be here for you, until that beeper goes off, or until you're being laid into the ground, okay?"

Kurt hummed. "I'm not giving up, Blaine. I was ready to, but-" He cut himself off, then ran a hand through Blaine's curls, loving the feeling of them. "But, I guess in that way, you saved me. I met you, and suddenly I had more of a reason to keep on living. I had a friend in you, first, and then I fell in love. Everything just started becoming better after that, so – Thank you. Thank you, for everything."

Blaine smiled, and pressed a couple of kisses on Kurt's neck. "I love you," he muttered, listening to Kurt breathe.

Kurt sighed. "We're going to have a problem with you kissing random parts of my body, huh?"

Blaine responded by sucking on the small scar Kurt had on his neck, and Kurt forgot that he was even complaining about the kisses, because oh god.

[*]*[*]

"I don't understand why I'm here... And why the hell are you carrying me, Finn? I can walk!"

He flailed wildly in Finn's arms, but then he got dizzy and stopped. He saw Finn smirking out of the corner of his eyes and he frowned. "You suck."

Finn laughed. "Dude, just relax for a second, we'll be there soon."

Kurt glared at him. "One, do not call me dude. Two, I'm dizzy, and therefore I'm relaxed, and three: We're headed towards the choir room. I think I know what's going to happen. Just make sure that they don't yell 'surprise' to loud. I think that might be the thing that makes my heart finally stop beating."

Finn's grip on him tightened. "Don't make jokes like that, dude."

"I'll stop making jokes like that once you stop calling me dude."

"Deal, deal."

When they reached the choir room, Finn kicked the door with one foot, and it swung open a few moments later. "Try to act surprised," Finn whispered in his ear, and then they walked in.

It was pitch black inside, and Kurt unconsciously curled further into Finn. He let out a small, "um..." and then the lights clicked on.

"SURPRISE!"

Kurt let his eyes snap open to see the entirety of New Directions, and among them Blaine (his boyfriend, god how he'd never get tired of thinking and saying that), Wes and David, the three of them in their uniforms, and quite a few more boys in uniforms as well. Kurt figured that they were the rest of the Warblers.

Finn placed him on the ground, and a second later he found himself being hugged by everyone in the room. "Hi, guys," he said weakly, not really knowing what to say.

Rachel was the closest one to him. She motioned for everyone to move away from him, then clasped her hands together. "Kurt Hummel," she said in a loud voice. "While our time together has been rather short, I just have to say, speaking for all of New Directions, that it has been an honor to get to know you. You've kind of made Glee club a little brighter, and..." She shuffled her feet for a few seconds. "And you saved us from wearing, as everyone else puts it, 'horrible, horrible, awful, disgrace to fashion, and tacky outfits."

"You left out 'just plain stupid," Santana called from behind Puck.

Rachel turned around to glare at her. Then she turned back to Kurt. "And just plain stupid. So, thank you, Kurt."

She leaned forward and hugged him again. "You smell amazing, did I ever tell you that?" She whispered.

He laughed. "No, you haven't, but thank you."

She squeezed him, then stepped back. When she did, David, Wes, and a black haired boy Kurt didn't know where in her place. The black haired boy stepped forward and held out his hand. Kurt took it. "So, we've never met, but I'm Thad. I'm on the Senior council along with Wes and David for the Warblers. I just want to say thank you."

Kurt furrowed his eyebrows. "Why are you thanking me?"

Thad smiled and shrugged. "You inadvertently loosened the Warblers up by befriending Blaine, David and Wes. I think that that's what helped us tie with New Directions. So, again, thank you."

Kurt smiled at him. "Well, I guess if you're giving the credit to me then I'll have to take it."

Thad smirked. "I knew that I'd like you." He moved back, and David and Wes stepped forward before hugging him.

"We're here for you if you need us," David said.

"I don't really know you that well, Kurt, but Blaine is happier than he's ever been, so thank you."

Kurt sniffed. "Guys, you're giving me so much love. I don't know what to do with it. I'm overcome."

They laughed and moved away, and the next thing he knew Blaine had pulled him into a tight hug. "But really, Kurt, thank you."

Kurt hugged him back, his face pressed into the side of Blaine's neck. "Thank you as well," he said, pressing a small kiss to the place where Blaine's neck met his uniform shirt.

"I love you," he heard Blaine whisper.

"I love you too."

He felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder and reluctantly pulled away from the hug to see Puck smiling down at him. "Come and sit down on your thrown, your highness."

Kurt raised an eyebrow and a second later Puck sighed. "I don't know how you do that! I feel guilty for calling you that suddenly."

"It's a secret I'm taking to my grave, Noah."

Puck sighed again. "Well, go sit down on that middle seat, okay?"

Kurt did as he was told, and by the time he looked back up New Directions and the Warblers had lined themselves up.

"Kurt," Rachel said loudly. "We have worked together with our competition in order to orchestrate this song for you. We hope that you enjoy it." She stepped back, and the group began singing.

It was a capella, but Kurt immediately recognized it as one of the songs he'd told Blaine was his favorite.

You came with the season, as the first swallow sang
A brown headed stranger, with a five-letter name

doopdodododododoo

Blaine was singing lead, with New Directions and the Warblers singing the background music. He started out first looking at everyone around him, but then he locked gazes with Kurt

We planted our kisses where the wild berries grow my feet sprouted wings and I flew all the way home

doopdodododododoo

My cheeks red like fire engines racing straight to the heat of your skin and I know our days are numbered, early bird of the summer, you'll fly south just as the fall begins

The leaves changed their colors and the schoolyards were filled
my coat with the patches barely keeps out the chill

doopdododododoo

You sent me a postcard from a town out of state, I wish it were warmer and I hope you're the same

doopdoodododododoo

The fields where we wandered were golden
now only muddy my boots and I know I should recover, you're a bird of the summer, I was wrong to try and capture you.

They began moving towards him, each step slow, as if afraid that he would be like the bird in the song and fly away from them.

Flight
Flight

I met someone walking at the park by the lake

He don't fly like we did but he don't fly away,

doopdoodododododoo

Gone is the pale hand of winter
here is the first flush of may

and soon I will discover whether birds of the summer fly in circles or just fly away.

By the time the song had finished, they were gathered around his chair, all of them holding hands, Blaine and Finn holding each of Kurt's. Kurt sniffed, trying to hold back the tears that wanted to fall. Instead he turned to Blaine and said, "Did you pick this song out?"

Blaine smiled back at him. "Yes," he said happily.

Kurt sighed. "I figured," he muttered, but smiled back up at Blaine. "Thank you. All of you."

They stayed like that for a while, until there was a knock on the door and Mr. Shue walked in, holding ten boxes of pizza. "Are we ready for the party to begin?"

Kurt looked up to Finn for a second, before turning his eyes back to the pizza. "Party?"

Finn looked proud. "Yeah, we wanted to have a party with you. You know, give you one, because you'd told me that you've never been to a party..."

Kurt stood up and hugged his soon-to-be brother. "Thank you, Finn, really."

Finn hugged him back uncomfortably. "Thank Blaine. He's the one who arranged the entire thing and got permission from your dad. He even called your doctor to make sure that doing this would be okay."

Kurt pulled away from the hug to look around Finn at Blaine, who was helping Mr. Shue set up the pizza and the paper plates.

"You have a really good boyfriend, boo." He heard Mercedes say.

Kurt didn't look away form Blaine, a huge smile growing on his face. "I do, don't I?"

"How are you feeling, boo?"

Kurt smiled, then accepted the piece of pizza that Quinn handed to him. "Tired, but in spirit? Really, really happy. I'm incredibly happy."

Mercedes pulled him into a soft hug. "I'm glad that you are, baby." She nodded her head at Blaine. "He's quite the catch."

Blaine chose that moment to saunter up behind Kurt and wrap his arms around Kurt's shoulders. "Are you feeling tired at all?"

Kurt shrugged and took a bite of his pizza. "Not any more than I usually am."

Blaine let go of his body and walked away, grabbed a chair and dragged it over closer to Kurt. He sat down with his legs facing Kurt, then bent down with his elbows on his thighs and his head in his hands. "Go on, eat."

Kurt blinked. "I'm feeling very self conscious right now..."

Blaine laughed, but straightened up and crossed his legs. "How long do you want to stay? I can take you home whenever you feel like you need to."

Kurt sighed, then moved over so he was closer to Blaine and rested his head on his shoulders. "I can wait for a while," he said softly, watching as Puck took a slice of pizza from Finn's hand. Finn let out a loud "hey!" and began to chase Puck around the room. "I want to enjoy this."

He was able to last for three hours after the pizza had all been eaten and eight rounds of Apples to Apples had been played, along with six rounds of Pit. After round three of Pit, Kurt found himself unable to yell out anymore and let his head fall onto Blaine's shoulder and allowed his eyes to close. He was unsure of how long he slept, but he came back into consciousness to the feel of someone running their fingers through his hair.

"...he's really pale now..."

It was Brittany's voice that he heard first and he was going to open his eyes to let then know that he was awake when he heard Finn reply. "He is. I share a room with him now, and... He-he sleeps a lot, because he doesn't have a lot of energy."

Blaine was next to speak. "Was it hard to get him here?"

"Yeah, he slept in until three this afternoon, and he didn't have much energy today, but when I said I had to take him out of the house for a while he perked right up," Finn said.

Someone moved closer to him, and he felt a kiss being planted on his head. "I think that he should eat more carrots. I've heard that people who eat lots and lots of carrots turn orange, so maybe his skin will look like normal people skin after!"

"Oh, Britt," he heard Santana whisper. "It's not that simple, sweetie."

"How come?"

"His heart is starting to not work, so he's getting really tired and he's not sleeping well; that's why he has those dark circles underneath his eyes. Do you see them?"

"Yeah, I see them... But isn't there some way for his heart to start working again? I like his heart. It's sweet, just like Kurt is."

There was silence for a while, and then Kurt felt another kiss on his head. "That's what we're all hoping for, Britt," he heard Quinn say softly, and he could feel her fingers join the other ones running through his hair. "I know that he doesn't believe in a god or religion, but we're all praying for him. It's going to take some sort of miracle for him to get a heart. I looked it up and..." She drew off. "I'm being negative. I'm sorry. I believe," and she took a deep breath. "I believe that he'll survive this. I do."

"We all do, Quinn," Rachel breathed out.

There was more silence and then Puck let out a strangled sound. "It's not fair," he said fairly loud. Kurt felt the person who was holding him (Kurt was positive that it was Blaine) tighten the grip he had on him. "He's a cool dude, but this shit is happening to him! It's not fair, dude. It's just not."

He felt hot breath on his neck, and then felt Blaine plant a kiss on the skin by his jaw. "I know it's not, I know..."

Kurt tuned them out and let himself fall back asleep. They're right, he thought.

It wasn't.

Three weeks, four days later...

Dr. Walker didn't normally get hopeful or excited over someone's death. She preferred to remain professional when told that said dead person was a donor, because she'd learned that getting one's hopes up in the medical business would only lead to heartbreak and sadness. But this time... She couldn't help but hope.

"How old?"

"Twenty one," the nurse told her. "Motorcycle accident. He hit his head on a fire hydrant; died instantly, with no damage to any major organs. Blood type is A positive."

Dr. Walker froze. "The heart... Is the heart still available for a transplant?"

The nurse nodded, and Dr. Walker hurried over to her desk and pulled out a file. "This boy is the next on the list to get this heart. He needs notification that there is one."

The nurse took the file and nodded, then began headed off to let the boy know. Along the way, she glanced down and allowed a smile to appear on her face at the name that was on the top of the file.

Hummel, K, E.

Author's notes: Hee hee hee. Cliff hangers. But it's a happy one! See? I can be nice! And I'm going to be SUPER NICE, and possibly update on Saturday. Whoo for fast updates!

...

I need to stay away from sugar. It's not good for me. It makes me hyper.

BUT I LOVE SUGAR.

...Okay, I'll stop scaring you guys. Well, there's only two more chapters left! Let me know what you thought!

Love, UO