My Baby's Got a Secret

Disclaimer: I'm not RIB, so I don't own Glee or any of the characters. This fic will dive into MPREG, so I'll be using my go-to MPREG explanation like I did in When We're Older aka the Reddin gene. The gene is based on the Reddin character from the 1994 movie Junior. You should really watch it if you like mpreg. It's a good movie, I promise (I also don't have any rights to it either!) The idea behind this fic belongs to the lovely likesboyswholikeboys. The plot is all hers and she graciously allowed me to write my take on her awesome plot, so all my thanks go to her!

"My dad's appointment is on Thursday."

"Are you nervous?" Blaine dropped the soiled diaper into the bin next to the changing table, his nose scrunched up from the smell. His son was only a few days old, so he was still a newbie when it came to parenting, but one thing he was sure he'd never get used to was the problematic dirty diaper. His child was so tiny, yet so smelly, and Blaine couldn't help but gag whenever he changed the little guy. "Gee whiz, Jace, you're stinky!" He cooed at the newborn, carefully wiping his son's bottom as Kurt handed over a clean diaper.

"Am I nervous? I dunno. I guess." Kurt answered, smiling down at the baby when Jace began to cry. He waited until Blaine finished dressing him before he scooped the infant up in his arms and began pacing the room, humming softly as his son began to quiet down. Within moments, Jace was quiet, falling asleep to the beat of Kurt's heart, and Kurt glanced over at Blaine, not surprised to find his ex watching him. "What do you think will happen?"

"With your dad? Umm, I think everything's going to be fine honestly. Burt's a strong guy. He's a fighter. He fought his heart issues and he came out fine. I'm sure he'll be okay this time."

Blaine's words did little to soothe Kurt's frayed nerves, but the older boy nodded anyway and kept pacing, rubbing his hand up and down Jace's back. The baby whimpered, nuzzling his tiny head against Kurt's chest, and Kurt tucked his chin down, leaning his face against the soft dark blonde hair that capped Jace's head. "Dad said he wanted to see Jace grow up."

"And that's a pretty good reason to fight and stay healthy. Your dad will be fine."

"I hope you're right."

Blaine waited until Kurt was several feet away from him before he whispered quietly, "I hope so too."

::::::::::

The rest of the week flew by in a flurry of visits and by the time Thursday came, Blaine was exhausted. Kurt stopped by several times throughout the week, visiting with Jace and spending some time with the Andersons, but despite his constant presence at Blaine's side, neither boy really talked to each other about anything other than the baby. No discussions about what happened after Blaine came home or about their break-up and why Blaine kept things secret came up whatsoever. Kurt came over, spent time with Jace, and that was that. Blaine was just there and while it ached something fierce in his heart, he knew that Kurt had a lot on his mind with everything going on.

Plus, he was still communicating with Adam as well.

Several times during Kurt's visits, he'd pause and begin typing on his phone, his face contorted into something bitter until he finished messaging whoever it was. Afterwards, he'd go back to singing to Jace or talking to Marisol, but minutes later, he'd be right back on his phone again. The whole thing annoyed the hell out of Blaine, but he didn't say a word, not about to get into it again over his ex's new boyfriend. If Kurt was moving on, good for him. Blaine wasn't going to hold him back... no matter how much it hurt to watch him go.

"Blaine?"

The teen looked up, blinking sleepily at his mother as the woman took a seat at the table across from him, her arms full with Jace. The baby was happily sucking away at a bottle, blinking up at his grandmother as she switched between cooing at him and questioning why her son was half-asleep at the dining room table.

"Honey, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Blaine yawned, leaning his cheek against the palm of his hand. His elbow rested on the table, his arm doing its best to hold his head up; occasionally, Blaine would lull forward, much too sleepy to try and eat his cereal. Shaking his head, he lifted his gaze and stared over at his mother and his son, smiling a little when Jace grunted. "He's hungry."

"He's a good eater. Reminds me of Cooper."

"Oh my god. Don't say that. He acted like Cooper in the womb. The last thing I need to hear is how he acts like Coop outside of it."

Marisol laughed brightly, shaking her head in amusement. "How'd he act like your brother when you were pregnant? Enlighten me. It's early and I need a pick-me-up."

"Well, for one thing, he kept jabbing me with his fist. I swear to god, he was doing that annoying pointing thing Coop does. You know, when he acts. It was all the time too. I'd be in the shower - boom, jab in the side. Making breakfast - bam, I'mma poke out your belly button. It was dramatic."

His mom chuckled once more, "Are you sure you aren't the one being dramatic?"

"Well, if I am, then that's one thing he got from me considering he didn't inherit anything else." Rolling his eyes, Blaine stood up from the table, breath hissing through his teeth as a sharp pain ran up his spine. He would be incredibly glad once he healed up fully too. "What time do you have to work?"

"I've gotta be there in an hour. I thought I'd go ahead and feed my little munchkin first before I got ready. Your dad left before you got up, so it'll be just you and Jace today until one of us gets home."

Blaine nodded to show his mom he heard her before he stepped into the kitchen and dumped the bowl of barely eaten, mushy cereal into the garbage disposal. He ran it for a second before he rinsed his dishes and stuck them in the dishwasher, leaning against the counter once he had a moment to catch his breath. It was a little over a week since he gave birth and he was still exhausted from it all. Two days after he came home, his dad flew in from Canada (where he had been on a business trip) and came back to a brand new baby in their household. The man was shocked to say the least, but he was quickly sucked in by Jace's adorable little face and before Blaine knew it, his dad was making baby talk and silly faces at his grandchild - something Blaine never thought he'd see.

Soon, Cooper would join the fray after he finished filming whatever commercial he was doing at that moment. The eldest Anderson brother had seen plenty pictures of Jace and he was terribly excited to meet his nephew, so he was planning on taking a few weeks vacation to Ohio to see the fam. Blaine, even though he'd never admit it, was glad his big brother was coming in because he wanted to see his bro. It had been a year since the two of them saw each other face to face and now Blaine was a dad and so many things had changed, so some quality brother-bonding time was way overdue.

"Blaine?" His mother's voice snapped him from his thoughts and the boy looked up, blinking stupidly at the older woman when she held out his son. "I should really get a shower before time flies by. Do you mind burping him?"

"Do I mind burping him? Are you forgetting whose son he is?" Blaine teased, smirking at his mom when she glared at him but passed Jace over anyway. Quickly, she kissed both boys on the forehead and then ran out of the room, her footsteps pounding on the staircase as she made her way to the master bathroom. Once she was gone, Blaine propped Jace up on his shoulder and began patting the little one's back, rhythmically tapping his hand below the baby's shoulder blades before Jace let out a pretty impressive belch. "Nice one," Blaine teased, kissing his son's light hair. "Are you sleepy, Jay-Jay? Wanna take a nap? Daddy's about ready to pass out and he thinks we should take a nap!"

Blaine carried the baby into the living room and sat down on the couch, adjusting Jace so that he could rest on his daddy's chest while Blaine laid back against the fluffy arm of the sofa. Once they were situated, Blaine waited until Jace dozed off before he too fell asleep, slipping away for a few hours until the sound of the doorbell ringing jolted him from his slumber.

The doorbell wasn't the only thing making noise - his phone was ringing too.

Kurt.

"I'm coming!" Blaine hollered, standing up as well as he could with a baby in his arms. He and Jace went to the front door, unlocking and opening it to find Kurt, Burt, and Carole standing on his doorstep. "Oh, hey."

"Can we come in?" Burt asked, a blinding smile on his face. Just the expression made Blaine's heart skip a beat (something good must've happened, he thought) and he let them in, stepping back while the Hummel family entered the foyer. Immediately, he offered Jace over to Burt and as soon as his son was nestled in his Grandpa Hummel's arms, Blaine was wrapped up in a hug of his own.

Kurt was hugging him.

A surprised gasp slipped from his lips, zapping Kurt from whatever mindset he'd been in when he went to hug Blaine, and as fast as it happened, the hug ended and Kurt stepped back. "Sorry."

"You don't have to apologize," Blaine whispered, his cheeks flushing with color. Carole was watching the two boys curiously, but then she turned her attention back on her husband and grandchild. "So," Blaine questioned, smoothing down his sleep wrinkled t-shirt. "What's going on?"

"Don't play coy, Anderson. You know why we're here," Burt joked, smirking at his son's ex. Jace was tucked in his strong arms, staring up at his grandparents with a dumbfounded look (one that reminded everyone of the confused looks Kurt tended to give) and when Burt saw his grandson staring at him like that, he barked out a laugh. "Life is good, Blaine. Life's wonderful."

"Did everything come back okay? Are you in remission?"

"No more cancer. I'm gonna be fine."

Cheering, Blaine clapped his hands together. A heavy weight lifted from his shoulders and he looked over at Kurt, smiling genuinely when he and his ex locked eyes. They stared at each other for several moments, light, bright blue gazing into sleepy, warm honey. A strange look passed through Kurt's eyes and Blaine felt like saying something about it, but a noise jerked him from his thoughts.

And just like that, the moment was ruined.

"Oh, that's Adam," Kurt mumbled, digging his phone out of his bag. "He probably wants to know how your appointment went. I'm gonna take this outside." Without waiting for anyone's response, Kurt flung open the front door and disappeared into the cold, wintry daylight. A gust of cool air blew past the family and Burt spun around, shielding Jace from whatever arctic breeze flew past them. Once Kurt was outside and the door was securely shut, Burt turned back to Blaine, a sympathetic look on his face.

"Blaine-"

"Were you guys planning on staying a while? I could make some tea." He knew he was deflecting, but he couldn't stand the looks on Burt and Carole's faces. He knew they were watching him like that because of the whole Adam thing and while he was hurt that Kurt stepped out on them to talk to his new boyfriend, he knew he didn't have a say in anything Kurt did anymore. The only thing he'd go after Kurt for when it came to this Adam guy would be if, in the future (if Kurt and Adam were still together), Adam was a shitty guy or something. Blaine would never allow Jace to be around someone he didn't trust, but so far, he didn't know this new guy in Kurt's life, so he couldn't judge.

Even though he wanted to so badly.

Still caught up in thinking about that Adam fellow, Blaine completely missed Carole saying something to him, but when her hand fell onto his forearm, he looked up and found himself staring into concerned eyes.

"Yeah? Sorry. I zoned out a bit."

"I said we were going to go out for lunch... to celebrate the good news, that is. We were hoping to be able to take Jace with us and you're more than welcome to come too, if you'd like. You're family, Blaine, and we'd like you to be there."

A knot welled up in Blaine's throat. He looked back down at Carole's hand and opened his mouth, poised to answer when a sharp laugh came from outside.

Kurt was laughing... laughing at something that Adam guy said. It had been months since Blaine heard him laugh like that. Sure, he giggled over things Jace did, but laughing like that... nope, he hadn't heard it in forever. But... there it was, brought on by some new guy who obviously made Kurt happier than he'd been in months. A sour feeling swirled in Blaine's stomach and he smiled, his expression full of remorse. "I... really haven't been feeling too hot lately. My body kinda aches and everything, so I think I'll sit this one out. But, you can take Jace out if you want. I can get him all bundled up and you guys can go spend the day with him while I catch up on my sleep."

"Oh, we couldn't just take him without you, Blaine." Carole admonished, trying her hardest to persuade the young teen beside her to go. However, it was to no avail. Ignoring her pleas, Blaine turned and went into the living room, waiting for the Hummels to follow him in.

"Jace's carseat and everything's in here. I can get him dressed and you all can go out and celebrate."

"Blaine, we'd like it if you came with us." Burt stated, stepping up beside the boy. Blaine shook his head negatively, pulling out a diaper bag full of folded clothes to distract himself.

"You can pick out an outfit, if you want. I'll go get his carseat ready." Busying himself with the seat, Blaine robotically fixed up everything Jace would need for a day out with his grandparents. Outside, Kurt was laughing about something else, and each crackle of his voice made Blaine's heart shatter just a little more. It only took him a few minutes to gather up everything Jace needed, but when Kurt came in from the snowy outdoors, Burt was tucking a bundled up Jace into his carseat and Carole had a full diaper bag propped up on her shoulder.

"You guys are ready? Already?" Kurt asked, sliding his phone back into his messenger bag. He stepped further into the room, pausing for a second to talk to Jace, before he glanced up at Blaine. "Are you coming with us?"

"Nah. You guys should spend some quality family time with him."

A round of protests from Burt and Carole (you're family too) came, but Blaine shrugged them off, biding the family goodbye, ignoring the pang in his chest when they finally relented and walked out the door with Jace, heading to Carole's minivan without incident. Watching them leave made every fiber of Blaine's being hurt and he stepped back from the window once they were all inside the vehicle, one fist pressed against the seam of his lips as he fought the urge to break down and cry over how bad he felt that he disappointed two people he really cared for... and over how broken-hearted he was to know that Kurt met someone that made him laugh like that again.

::::::::::

"Dad?"

"Hmm?"

Kurt brushed his thumb over the silky smooth skin of Jace's tiny hand, marvelling over how strong his little boy was as the baby squeezed his wee fingers around his father's long index finger. Jace was half-asleep, lulled to slumber by the wave of the road; they were a few minutes away from Blaine's house, on their way to a diner for lunch, but all Kurt could think about was how Blaine shoved them out of the house. It was so strange. It was like he was dying for them to leave, to get out as soon as possible, and it sort of made him sad that Blaine didn't want to tag along.

"Did Blaine say why he didn't want to come?"

"Not really. He said he was tired mostly. That's all."

Neither Carole nor Burt mentioned how Blaine's face fell when he heard Kurt's phone ringing, nor did they bring up how rushed Blaine became when he heard his ex outside laughing. For the rest of the car trip, they talked about the news they got from the doctor earlier, not once mentioning Blaine, and while they sat in the front seat chatting, Kurt split his focus between his son and the mass amount of texts that were swarming in from Rachel about something she told him earlier.

From Rachel: I can't believe you laughed at me! It wasn't funny!

From Rachel: Also, CALL YOUR BOYFRIEND BACK! I appreciate you ending your conversation with Adam to take my call, but don't forget to call him back! Okay? Good. Love you! Give kisses to Jace from his Auntie Rachel. And tell Blaine I said hello!

::::::::::

At the beginning of the month of April, Blaine was sure he'd finally gotten the hang of double tasking (aka doing things like changing diapers while studying for an important test.) Jace was edging closer to being a month old and while Blaine couldn't believe time flew by that fast, he knew that the exhaustion that clouded over him daily proved that he'd spent weeks learning how to be a single dad. Sure, he had help from his parents, Cooper, and even Kurt's parents, but most of the time, he was functioning on his own.

That also meant that school got pushed to the back burner... unfortunately.

Graduation was to be during the first week of June and while Blaine was fine academically, he knew he'd have to go back to McKinley sooner or later to catch up on the things he'd missed. Thankfully, he was able to go on homebound for the last few weeks; a county-appointed tutor came in for a few hours everyday to help him stay on track with his studies, but while he was glad that the woman was helping him stay on target for graduation, he couldn't help but feel like it was all a waste of time.

Having Jace opened his eyes up to tons of things. Being a teen dad made him realize that college really wouldn't be happening for him - not right now. Unlike Kurt, who was back in New York and working his ass off at NYADA, Blaine wouldn't have the luxury of going to school after he graduated from McKinley. Jace needed him; he was still so young and wouldn't be very old when the fall semester started, so whenever Blaine got any letters from any of the colleges he applied to, he shoved them to the side, not about to look at the future he couldn't have.

Quit throwing yourself a pity party, his mind scolded and he rolled his eyes, carefully buttoning up Jace's cardigan as he waited for Kurt to log onto Skype. It was an every-other-day thing they did now and then. Before Kurt left for New York a few weeks back, he went a little stir crazy and bought Jace a ton of clothes, asking Blaine to dress their son up for their Skype dates so that he could see how cute Jace was in them and see how much their son had grown. At first, Blaine wanted to fight about the whole Skype thing - because it worked out so well for them back in the day. But, so far, Kurt had kept his promises and made sure that he logged onto Skype at their designated times... and every time, he looked so excited to see Jace all dressed up in one of the outfits he'd bought him.

The outfit Jace would be wearing tonight was a cute litte cardigan that was navy blue; it was buttoned-up over a white shirt and he had on a pair of bright fire-engine red pants. Overall, the outfit was very Blaine-esque and it made Blaine wonder why in the world Kurt bought it.

He loved it nonetheless.

In the process of slipping Jace's tiny socks on his feet, Blaine's laptop signaled an incoming Skype call from Kurt (and god, he was a lot earlier than Blaine expected him to be!) Swinging around, Blaine accepted the call before he turned back to finish dressing Jace, too busy to call a greeting over his shoulder.

Kurt spoke first, "Blaine? What are you doing?"

"Dressing your son. He's having fun making sure daddy can't get his socks on!" Jace kicked his foot out and then yanked it back, kicking again as Blaine went to slide the sock on his foot. "C'mon Jay-Jay, let me put your sock on!"

"Oh my god, this is more amusing than I thought it'd be!" Wait, what?

Blaine glanced up at the new voice, craning his neck around to find Santana peering into the camera lens, her grin wide and bright as she caught his gaze.

"Surprised to see me?"

"Long time, no see, Santana."

"Thought I'd catch a look at the spawn before I headed off to work." She jerked her head to the side, as if the action would make it easier to see Jace where he was blocked by Blaine's body. "Umm, can you move? I'd like to see the kid."

"Yeah, yeah. Give me a second." Snatching Jace's foot with a cheer of happiness, Blaine slid the sock on the offending limb and picked his son up, crossing the bedroom to sit at the computer with Jace nestled in his arms. The baby closed his eyes instantly, much too tired to bother entertaining anyone and Kurt laughed, muttering something to Santana about how his child didn't like her either.

"Whatever," the dark-haired girl mumbled. "He'll learn to love me eventually. Everybody loves me. How can they not?"

Kurt went to argue with her and the two began bickering, leaving Blaine to watch them curiously. He could see that Santana was on her way to work at the Starlight Diner; she was in her red uniform. Kurt, on the other hand, looked much too dressed up to be having a Skype meeting with Blaine and their son. Most of the time, he'd wear his exercise clothes or things he'd worn to dance class earlier that night. This night, however, he was dressed in an outfit that Blaine could only describe as sinful.

And the sight of it made him incredibly nervous.

Because why would Kurt be dressed like that for a Skype conversation?

"I can see the wheels turning in your head, Anderson. Lady Hummel here has a date tonight. Isn't that right, Eve?"

Blaine frowned. Eve?

Sensing his discomfort, Santana continued, "Adam and his apples will be here soon. In fact, shouldn't you be getting ready? Let me have some time with the kid... and Jace, I guess." She was teasing them, Blaine knew she was, but he couldn't help but glance over at Kurt. A guilty look fell over his ex and Blaine's heart broke.

"You have a date?"

"I- yeah, it's nothing special."

"Nothing special." A squeal of laughter slipped from Santana's lips and she rolled her eyes, smacking Kurt in the shoulder. "Anderson, would you consider dinner and a Broadway show to be nothing special? It wouldn't surprise me if Doctor Who expects a little somethin'-somethin' after tonight's date." The girl continued to ramble on, knowing damn well that she was making the whole situation uncomfortable for both guys, but that didn't stop her. She was Santana Lopez after all. "You could at least get a little bit more kinky. You two are about as vanilla as you and Bowties McGee were back in the day."

Oh god, Kurt's had sex with him. Bile rose in Blaine's throat and he looked away, directing his attention to the wall as an onslaught of bitter tears filled his eyes. He didn't know why he was getting upset. Kurt had to have been having sex with Adam; they'd been dating for months now and that's what couples in love did, right? Oh my god. Blaine's mind raced... what if Kurt was in love with Adam? He shook his head and looked back at the screen, a little bit pleased to see that Kurt was just as put out as he was over Santana's words, but still... she wouldn't have said it if it weren't true... and it hurt like a bitch.

"Santana, shut up. Now." Kurt warned. His growling tone just made their friend grin wider and she turned back to the camera, waving at Blaine and offering him a quick goodbye before she stood up and made her way out of Kurt's room, calling over her shoulder that she was heading off to work. Once she was gone, Kurt immediately went to corral the damage. However, it was already done. "Blaine, I don't know why she said that. I just- she's being a bitch. She got mad because I walked in on her and Dani the other day and-"

"It doesn't matter," Blaine said softly, looking down at Jace, who was now sleeping in his arms. "If you and Adam are having sex, it doesn't matter to me. It's not my life. We're not together anymore. You can do what you want."

"I just... I don't want you to be mad-"

Blaine steeled himself. The wrenching ache in his body buzzed from the tips of his toes to the top of his head and while he wanted to bust out of his skin, he remained calm, breathing in and out slowly. Jace was there, resting peacefully in his arms and he didn't want to wake the baby, so he spoke softly, "You really shouldn't be late for your date. I'll let you go."

"But Adam's not gonna-"

"G'night Kurt. I'll talk to you later."

Before Kurt had the chance to say anything more, Blaine disconnected the call, closing his laptop before he wandered over to his bed and laid down. He curled his hands around Jace's tiny body and shut his eyes, ignoring the wetness that leaked from his eyelashes as he ran a hand up and down his son's back. Beside him, his phone buzzed; Kurt was calling, but he ignored it, sniffling back his tears when the hum finally stopped and he was left with just the sound of his muffled cries and Jace's quiet breathing.

::::::::::

The next few Skype dates between the disjointed family were tense and pretty quiet. Kurt spent a lot of time babbling nonsense at Jace while Blaine brushed up on his homework and after two weeks of dealing with strained silence, Kurt spoke up, still disgruntled over everything that was going on between him and his ex.

"Why are you acting like this?"

Blaine looked up from his English book, narrowing his eyes at the screen when he took in Kurt's annoyed expression. Jace was sucking on a pacifier, content to just stare at the weird shapes that hung above his car seat. "I'm not getting into this right now, Kurt. I'm not even sure what you're talking about."

"I'm talking about you, Blaine. You never talk to me anymore. You just log on and stick Jace in his car seat and that's it. We don't even talk. You never tell me how he's doing or anything!"

"We talk."

"But not like before. I don't-"

"Kurt, please. I'm tired and-"

"I'm tired too! I've been working and going to school and trying to keep my internship and-"

"Going out on dates and starting a band."

Kurt glared, his eyes turning into slits onscreen. If looks could kill, Blaine would be dead and buried by now. "Don't you even start with me, Blaine. You don't know what I deal with."

"And you don't know what I deal with! Do you know how hard it is to be a single father? To have to do all of this on my own?!"

"Oh please! You've got help. Your parents are there and my parents are helping you too! Plus you've got the New Directions and-"

"It's not the same! You don't even understand!"

Kurt scoffed and rolled his eyes, the action slowed due to a blip in the connection. "You get to spend every single day with Jace! How do you think I feel up here? I wish I could be there seeing all the things you do. I miss everything!" There was a noise offscreen and then Kurt looked up, his eyes widening. Within seconds, another voice filled the call and Blaine leaned closer to the screen curiously, wondering who in the world interrupted their argument.

And then he saw him. Him.

Adam.

"Am I interrupting something?" The guy asked and even though Blaine could only see his silhouette onscreen, he could tell the guy was very tall, probably taller than Kurt even. His voice was smooth, punctuated with a beautiful British accent... and then the man leaned down, peering into the webcam. He was blonde from what Blaine could tell; most of his hair was hidden beneath a forest green beanie, but tufts of blonde hair stuck out from all over. He was tanned, muscular, and he wasn't that bad looking either... and he was also making Blaine's blood boil.

"Oh hello." The gentleman greeted and then he turned to Kurt, smiling wide. "Is that Jace? He really is handsome. What a cutie."

Kurt muttered a quiet thanks and Blaine's vision flared red. He wasn't sure what this Adam guy was doing but he showed up out of nowhere and then started talking about Jace. Sure, he wasn't really doing anything to be mean, but he popped up and burst into a fight, one that Blaine was just getting started on. Now, Blaine's fight instincts were dragging more towards flight and he wanted to reach over and disconnect the call. However, his ex's new boyfriend had other plans.

"You must be Blaine? It's nice to meet you. I'm Adam." The blonde gave a little wave and then glanced back at Jace. "You have a beautiful son. Kurt's told me a lot about him."

"Thank you," was all Blaine could respond with because as soon as he opened his mouth, it was like his tongue turned into a mound of sand. Everything felt dry and cluttered and he was sure he'd stumble over his own words if he spoke any longer. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Adam take a seat next to Kurt on the bed and then there were two sets of eyes on him. Kurt looked mortified, his eyes darting back and forth between his current flame and his ex, and Adam sat there with his hands in his lap, gaze on Blaine as if he were studying a complicated math formula.

The three men sat in silence, the only noise around them being the light tinkle of music coming from the toy Blaine had sitting on the desk to distract Jace. As the object began to play yet another lullaby, Jace started to fuss and Blaine reached into the car seat to take him out, cradling the infant against his chest as he began to whine. "What's wrong Jay-Jay? Are you hungry?"

He continued to coo at his son, ignoring Kurt and Adam, and stood up from his seat, disappearing off-camera for a moment while he went to grab Jace's bottle from earlier. Checking to make sure it was still fresh (despite it being less than an hour old), he gently pressed the nipple against Jace's lips and sighed once the baby took it, suckling within seconds. Blaine was so lost in watching Jace eat that he almost missed Adam say something to Kurt. The Brit's voice was quiet, but it was loud enough for Blaine to hear and when he caught onto what his ex's new guy was saying, his stomach fell to the bottom of his feet.

"I thought we were supposed to go to my place tonight? You never texted me back."

Kurt hissed something in response, trying to cover up what Adam said. It was like he was trying to keep Blaine from hearing what they were talking about, but it was to no avail. Turning, Blaine faced the screen and leaned down to look at the couple in front of him. "If you guys have a date, I can let you go. I've got a lot of stuff to do anyway."

"Oh, you don't have to go." Adam protested, but Blaine shook his head.

"It's okay. I don't want to ruin your evening. Jace and I are gonna go. I've got a paper due tomorrow and my homebound instructor's coming in the morning to give me a few tests. I should... umm, probably study or something? Have a good night."

"It was nice to meet you," Adam said just as Blaine was about to shut down the call.

He didn't respond back.

::::::::::

By the time May rolled around, Blaine was back in school.

When he came back, everyone in the whole place knew he just had a baby. There were comments thrown at him in the hallway; people called him names, asked him who his baby's dad was, and some people even made cracks at him about Kurt just because they knew it'd hurt him. Day after day, Blaine brushed the remarks off of his shoulders and pushed through the pain, ignoring what he could even though each hateful comment put another chink in his armor.

Other than school, the whole deal with Kurt hurt him more than anything. Kurt tried to get him to talk more during their Skype conversations, but after what happened with Adam, Blaine wasn't in the mood. Most of the time, he'd take Jace over to the Hummel's house and he'd let Burt and Carole skype with Kurt while he caught up on various things - homework, sleep, and the like.

God, sleep was still a precious thing to him even though he barely got to do it as much as he used to. Jace liked to wake up in the middle of the night and just scream and scream and scream until Blaine rocked him back to sleep. Then, by the time Jace was out like a light, Blaine was wide awake, so he'd be up all night reading or scrapbooking.

When it came down to it, fatherhood was tough. He loved Jace to death and he would never regret having him, but he was so tired anymore. Exhaustion was just another part of him; it was like having a badge on that read: Hi, I'm Blaine Anderson. I'm an exhausted teen dad.

"So," Kurt commented, two weeks into May. Jace was now two months old, growing like the little weed he was, and Blaine had the baby in his arms, seconds away from dozing off as he turned his body so Kurt could see their son resting against him. "I was wondering if you didn't care if maybe... umm, if my dad brought Jace up with him during my birthday?"

"You mean: do I mind relinquishing my child to your parents so they can take him up to New York so he can see you? Am I right?"

"Oh my god, are we really going to do this right now?"

"I don't know, Kurt. Are we?" The past few weeks of bitter anger licked all over Blaine's exhausted body and he knew he was picking a fight that he'd never win, but he was just so fucking tired. Jace was finally asleep after a rough day of having fevered tantrums and while Blaine hated that his child wasn't feeling well, he just wanted some rest too. However, he had to talk to Kurt when the last thing he wanted to do was deal with his ex, especially after Kurt had just gotten home from a date.

"Jesus Christ, Blaine! I just want to see my son. Is that a problem?"

"Why can't you come home and see him? What's so important about him being in New York?"

"Everybody wants to meet him! I don't see what the issue is!"

"Everybody meaning people who could come back to Lima and see him or everybody meaning your new boyfriend?"

"Oh for fuck's sake!"

"You know what, Kurt?! If you want Adam to meet Jace, bring him here! I don't see why you can't drag your ass home and why I have to inconvenience myself to make sure you're happy! When was the last time you did anything for me?"

"I've done-"

"Calling me hours after you said you'd be on Skype and then expecting me to log on and answer your call isn't doing shit for me, Kurt." The annoyance he felt from earlier came rearing its ugly head again. Usually his calls with Kurt happened around 7 or 8 pm, but that night in particular (which, surprisingly enough, wasn't the first night that this happened), Kurt came home late from a date and ended up calling him close to 11 pm. It was enough to piss Blaine off, especially since Jace was tuckered out and they were both on the verge of sleep, but Kurt just needed to see them - no wait, see Jace. He never wanted to see Blaine.

Sighing, Kurt shook his head. "I just wanted to-"

"Do you know how freaking tired we are, Kurt? Jace had to get shots today, so I had to leave school early and take him to his pediatrician. And then he got the shots and he cried for hours until he fell asleep and then I had to change him, so he cried some more because his little legs are killing him from where they stuck him twice for those injections! And then I finally got him to calm down and I thought that you would just call in the morning because you were definitely too busy to call us tonight, but instead you call so freaking late and I can't- I just-" His voice broke and he shook his head, rocking Jace a little bit in his arms when the baby began to fuss. "I can't do this."

"Blaine, I didn't-"

"You never know. You don't understand." Shoulders sagging, Blaine leaned back in his chair and hugged Jace a little closer. "If you want him on your birthday, fine. I'll see what I can do. Just make sure he gets back before my graduation, okay?"

"Blaine-"

"I need to go."

Cradling Jace with one hand, Blaine reached forward and disconnected the call, the dam in his eyes finally breaking once the call was over. Jace immediately woke up, somehow sensing his dad's sadness and he began to wail, feverish and tired from the shots he received earlier that day. Helplessly, Blaine tried his best to soothe the crying baby, but nothing seemed to work, especially since he was just as broken down as the infant was. Sobbing, Blaine dragged himself down the hall to his parents' room and stumbled inside, crawling onto the bed to hand Jace to his mom. Marisol stared at him in shock before she passed Jace off to her husband.

"Oh honey, what's wrong?"

"I can't do this, mom. What was I thinking?"

The woman chewed on her lip and tugged him close, hugging her youngest child against her chest as he cried. Nicholas shot her a look over Blaine's head and she shrugged, stroking her son's curly hair as she watched her husband pace the room with their cranky grandson.

It was heartbreaking for them to see their loved ones suffering and while they did the best they could, neither was sure of what to do.

If there was anything they could do.

::::::::::

A few days later, Blaine came home from his doctor with a prescription for anti-depressants.

Knowing her son was having a rough time, Marisol spoke to Carole and Burt about taking Jace to New York. The family shot the offer down however, claiming that Kurt decided to not have anyone up for his birthday since he was coming home for a few weeks in June anyway and when Marisol broke the news to her son, all Blaine could do was cry.

He ruined Kurt's birthday. He deprived Jace from a moment of seeing his other dad... and he felt terrible.

For a while, Blaine tried to get in contact with Kurt to apologize but Kurt didn't answer his phone. He wouldn't log onto Skype nor would he reply to any texts. So, as a way to keep him in touch with Jace, Blaine began snapping pictures of everything, sending them along to Kurt with little captions about what Jace was doing that day. He wasn't sure if Kurt was mad at him or plotting something or if he just decided that he couldn't do it anymore and maybe he ran off with Adam, but no matter what, Blaine would keep him in the loop, so the texting would have to do.

As for the pills he'd been given, Blaine took them like he was supposed to, but he wasn't feeling the results (though the doctor did tell him that he'd not feel any different for a few weeks.) Still, he wished he felt better because there were days when Jace would cry and cry and cry and all Blaine could do was stare at him, feeling like the world's worst parent.

"Am I a bad person?"

Nicholas glanced up at his son, brows furrowed, confused. "What?"

"I keep on ruining everything. I'm just a... big fuck-up, I guess."

"Don't ever call yourself that, okay? You are not that. You're a smart kid who happens to have a lot on his plate."

Blaine sighed, climbing onto the sofa and curling into a ball. His head rested on the arm of the couch, dark hair spilling onto the slick tan exterior. The way he was laying made him look so much younger than he really was; the only give away of his age were the dark circles that rounded his reddened amber eyes. "I keep on messing up. I lost Kurt. I lied about Jace. I keep losing friends. I-"

"Losing friends? What do you mean?" The elder Anderson asked, his forehead crinkling. He adjusted his grandson on his shoulder and turned more towards Blaine, sinking lower in the recliner when Jace whined from the movement. "Shh, buddy, I've got you." He patted Jace's back and continued, "Blaine, what do you mean that you've lost friends? I don't understand."

"Do you... do you know the last time any of the class of 2012 talked to me?" He paused to wait for an answer from his dad but all he got was a long stare. "I haven't heard from any of them since Kurt and I broke up. It was like... after they graduated, everyone exchanged numbers and everything and we all texted each other. Then Kurt and I broke up and the next thing I know, nobody wants to talk to me anymore. I heard from Mike and that was it. No one else... and like, yeah I get it, I broke Kurt's heart and they were his friends first. But I thought after Jace was born, they'd-" He trailed off, shaking his head. "Then there's the new kids. I left before I truly got to know them, so they don't really talk to me either. I basically have Sam, Tina, and Artie and that's it."

"What about the Warblers?"

"What about them? I got a slushy in my eye and that's it. They came back to get me to transfer back for Sectionals for my voice. They never wanted me. I don't hear from them either."

Nicholas nodded, a sad look overtaking his face as he watched his younger child cuddle lower into the sofa. "I'm sorry, son. I just- if those people were really your friends, they would treat you better."

"I just wish I had someone to talk to."

"You have me and your mom. Hell, you could probably talk to Cooper too. Or the Hummels."

"Yeah, I guess." The conversation after that dwindled, so Blaine uncoiled himself and stood up, running his hand over his stomach as he walked towards the kitchen. The sour feeling in his gut never stopped spinning, not after the fight with Kurt, and he was sure he'd get an ulcer sooner or later (if he didn't already have one.) Sighing, he crept into the kitchen and got himself a glass of ice water, chugging the drink quickly before he dropped his cup in the sink and began the trek back upstairs to bed. From the living room, he could hear his dad cooing at Jace and he sighed, wishing he didn't feel so terrible so he could play with his son too.

Halfway up the stairs, the pocket of his sweatpants began to vibrate incessantly, his hip twinging with each buzz of the phone he had hidden there. A quick glance at the screen made his stomach flip and he turned back around on the steps, eyes glancing at the front door where he could see a silhouette through the curtains of the foyer windows. Heart in his throat, he answered the call, breathing out a quiet hello.

The person on the other side made a noise as if they weren't expecting their call to be answered. "Blaine? Can you let me in? I'm outside your house."

"Okay."

Turning, he padded down the steps, swallowing down the bile in his throat as he unlocked the door and swung it open. Kurt was standing there on his porch, phone in one hand, a bag in the other. The exes looked at each other, eyes taking in the other's appearance and Kurt bit his lip when he saw how zonked Blaine looked. Unruly sleep-mussed dark hair, circles under his eyes... Blaine looked thinner than the last time Kurt saw him (and he wasn't counting how Blaine looked after the birth either; that was a testament to how much his ex had changed - he was smaller than he ever looked.)

Kurt, on the other hand, looked pretty put out as well, though he didn't looked as drained as Blaine did. His hair was still immaculate and he looked healthy, but he also looked a little upset, like there was something plaguing him.

"What are you doing here?"

"NYADA's out for the semester and I wanted to see Jace. I, uh... also wanted to talk to you. Can I come in?"

Blaine blinked owlishly, nodding all the while. "Yeah, yeah. Okay. Come in."

Kurt followed him inside and shed his boots in the designated area that Marisol demanded everyone to leave their shoes. Once he was out of them, he followed Blaine to the living room, smiling wide when he saw Nicholas sitting in the recliner with Jace in his lap.

"Oh my god, he's so big."

"Yeah, he's growing like crazy. Dad, do you mind?"

Nicholas shook his head, "No, not at all. Hello Kurt. How are you?" As Kurt made small talk with his dad, Blaine ran his fingers through his hair to make himself more presentable. He caught his dad looking at him for a moment before the older man smiled genuinely at him, leaving the room to give Kurt, Blaine, and Jace (whose chubby face was now being kissed all over by his other dad) some privacy.

"You said you wanted to talk?"

Kurt pulled away from Jace for a second and stared at Blaine, his gaze unreadable. He nodded. "Yeah, can we sit?"

"Sure."

They both took seats on opposite sides of the room - that was more of Blaine's happening than Kurt's. Kurt sat on the couch and Blaine immediately went to take his dad's empty chair, tucking himself into it as he watched Kurt babble at Jace for a few minutes. It was weird to have Kurt there in the flesh, watching him care for their son after the tense last few weeks. Yawning, Blaine crossed his arms over his chest and waited for Kurt to talk, not really sure what the other boy wanted to discuss anyway.

"So, umm..." Kurt started, brushing his fingers over Jace's darkening hair. "I want to talk."

"You said that already. About what?"

"I want to talk... well, umm, about us."

And with that, Blaine's heart felt like it completely stopped in his chest.

A/N: What do you think Kurt wants to talk about when it comes to them? Lots of drama in this chapter, am I right? I hope you all liked it. If there's something you want to see or something you think will happen in the next few chapters (which will mostly likely be the last - like two more, I think) then let me know! Thanks for reading and for your previous reviews!