Authors Note: Well i still suck at updating - what's new. I cannot believe how long it's been, like I'm genuinely so sorry! You might even have to go read Chapter 11 just to remind yourselves of everything! Like i told you all before, I had my a level exams (which I get my results for on Thursday actually) and I just didn't write anything during that time - I didn't do anything other than work it was so stressful. I didn't officially leave College until the end of June and I've literally been writing this since around the start of July. It took me a while to find my feet again with this so the first couple of weeks were pretty hard getting back into writing this but as soon as I did, well let's just say I'm so happy to be writing again!:)
Again, as always, a huge thank you to everyone who alerted, reviewed, favourited etc - you guys are what keep this story going. Again, I'll be answering reviews at the bottom:)
This chapter is literally the longest I have EVER wrote and I did consider splitting it into 2 but I thought seeing as I've made you guys wait nearly 3 months, I'd leave it as it was so 27 pages and 14, 943 words later, here it is - I really hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee
Chapter 12
Dinner that night was filled with enthusiastic chatter as the main topic of conversation, as expected centred around the recent news of Caroles pregnancy. The happy parents-to-be beamed with happiness as they listened to Finn excitedly proclaim that whether his new sibling be a boy or a girl, it was his own personal aim to show them why they should support the same football team like their older brother. Blaine smiled and laughed too, easily fitting into the conversation. Kurt answered animatedly when asked a question which varied from how he felt about gaining a sibling to trivial matters such as which colours he was initially thinking of for the babies room but judging by the way Kurt idly danced his fork around the plate as he monotonously twirled and untwirled the same strands of spaghetti on his plate, Blaine could tell that something wasn't quite right.
They were the last ones to head upstairs to bed. After the big day that they had had, Burt and Carole had already settled in for the night and Rachel was just bursting to hear the full story from Finn and so Blaine and Kurt were not too shocked to hear Finn's wasted attempts to calm Rachel down over the phone as they passed his room, explaining to her that if his sibling wanted to learn to sing, that would be their choice. As the two boys settled into bed that night, Kurt comfortably lying slightly atop of Blaines chest as he used it as a pillow, his hand resting on top too rather then making use of the actual pillows on the bed, Blaine couldn't rid the burning question in his head as he happily wrapped his arm around his boyfriend. He contemplated not even asking as he knew from experience that when Kurt was ready to open up, he would talk about whatever he was feeling however he also knew from experience that when something was painful for Kurt, he tended to bottle up the emotions he was feeling, hidden and kept a secret from the rest of the world.
"Can I ask you something?" Blaine asked suddenly. He didn't want Kurt to bottle anything that he was feeling. Anything that was Kurts problem was Blaines problem too.
"You know you can ask me anything babe" Kurt replied as he nestled himself impossibly deeper into Blaines chest.
"Yeah I know" Blaine whispered.
"Then what is it?" Kurt asked. The room was suddenly silent. Kurt shuffled so he could angle his head to face Blaine who seemed to just be staring into nothing. "Blaine?" Kurt prompted
"Are you..." Blaine sighed, unsure of how to word the question he so desperately wanted to ask. "You're happy about the baby, right?" he asked gently. He felt Kurt's body slightly stiffen under his arm.
"Of - of course I am" Kurt proclaimed after a short but much too long period of silence. "It's my baby brother or sister - why wouldn't I be happy?" To anyone else, the answer might have been convincing enough for a line to be drawn and to have the subject be left at that. But not to Blaine. He wasn't convinced.
"Are you sure?" he gently pressed as he rubbed soft circles into Kurts upper arm, sometimes moving to his back. "Because, I don't know, you just - you seem a bit distant" he pondered aloud. Blaine felt that he was on the right path as he felt it was no coincidence that Kurt had stopped rubbing his thumb against the fabric of Blaines shirt where his hand rested. "I mean, you haven't said much all day unless someone directly asked you a question and when Carole was talking about the two of you going shopping for clothes for both her and the baby, well you didn't seem as enthusiastic as I know Kurt Hummel would normally be at an opportunity for fashion. You didn't say much at dinner either - you barely ate anything too." Blaine paused for a while, still rubbing comforting patterns into Kurts arm. He didn't want Kurt to think he was accusing him of anything. He just wanted to help. "Baby it's just, whatever is bothering you, it's bothering me too - your problems are my problems too. We share everything Kurt and-" he sighed gently before continuing, "Just - I just want to make you feel better. Tell me whenever you're ready, but only if you want to. I just want you to know that I'll always be waiting." He could've sworn he heard Kurt sniffle in the silence of the room but he didn't say anything.
"I'm scared" Kurt whispered after a few minutes of silence had passed by. Blaine angled his head slightly to look at Kurt from the corner of his eye.
"What are you scared of babe?" Blaine asked, concern laced in his voice.
"Because what if - what if I never get to meet them" Kurt quietly confessed, still laying across Blains chest and avoiding all eye contact with his concerned boyfriend.
"What?" Blaine seemed confused. Kurt gently raised himself from the comfort of Blaines arms and sat upright on the bed, Blaine following his lead closely behind. Kurt ran his fingers through his hair, exhaling deeply. "Kurt?" Blaine gently whispered from his side. "What did you mean by that?"
"I meant exactly what I said. What if I don't ever get to meet them Blaine." Kurt said, his gaze cast downwards as he nervously toyed with his fingers as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. "What if-" he continued "- by the time my own brother or sister is born into this world, I might have already left it." he whispered. "What if I'm not around to see them grow up."
Blaine was startled by his boyfriends revelation. He knew that something was bothering Kurt but this - this he hadn't expected. When he thought about it though, he saw that this was a completely realistic reaction for Kurt to have and he whole heartedly understood why he would be worried about this and suddenly, he almost felt disappointed in himself that he hadn't thought of it before. Some of Blaine's first thoughts at the news were how lucky this baby was to have a family like the Hummel Hudson's with loving siblings and indescribable parents like Burt and Carole as he knew how much, in their own ways, each of the family members had helped Blaine in some form. But admittedly, a lot of his initial thoughts were how he and Kurt could be involved in the baby's life, together and all the things they could do with him or her. He didn't ever want to consider the possibility of a world without Kurt. And he didn't want to start now.
"Kurt, you - you will be" he stuttered out, desperate to reassure both Kurt and himself. The sight that then graced his eyes could have broken his heart into two right there and then as Kurt looked up at him, tears flowing freely down his flushed cheeks.
"Can you promise that?" he cried, the crack in his voice audible. "Because I can't."
"Kurt, I -" Blaine started as he gently wiped away the fallen tears on Kurts face with the side of his thumbs.
"We don't know what is going to happen to me." Kurt said, startling Blaine with his bluntness. "I mean right now, we don't even have any idea if the chemotherapy is even working or not and we won't know until the 'halfway point' check up in September. Right now, all that we are going on is pure hope and luck, but what if lucks not on our side?" Kurt could tell that this was upsetting for Blaine to hear as he averted his gaze, Kurts cheeks feeling instantly colder from where Blaine had removed his hands. Although hearing it wouldn't be any easier, Kurt softened his tone and took one of Blaines hands and clasped it softly in his own. "Things could take a sudden, horrible turn. We have to consider the possibility that - that I might not be here at some point and that when they're born, I might be nothing more than a memory."
"Kurt this, you - " Blaine shook his head as words failed him. "You're going to be fine. You're going to fight this okay, and you already are."
"Blaine, I love you more than anything and your optimism is one of the things I love about you the most, but for just one moment, can we be realistic? There isn't some part of you that thinks that things might not work out?" Kurt exclaimed.
"Do you?" Blaine questioned to which Kurt shrugged.
"I don't know what to think anymore" he simply replied. "Some days I think that yes, maybe things will be okay and you and me will live a fabulous life together somewhere where we'll live in a house that we can call our own and everyone will be even more insanely jealous of us than they are now because we'll still be the happiest we have ever been and we'll be sitting in a nursing home when we're in our seventies, gracefully growing old together." The smile that had been planted on Blaines face at the image of their future was soon wiped clear with Kurts next comment. "Some days, I feel as if I'm a ticking time bomb. You know, its bad enough not knowing whether I'm going to survive this or not and we don't talk about it but I know you, dad and everyone else feels the exact same way. But now, I'm going to have a little baby brother or sister - something I always wanted and - and I might not even get to meet them. You know, I might not ever get to hold them in my arms or take them to the park or give them ice cream at night time when I know they shouldn't have any. I might not be able to help them with their homework or to give them advice about boys or girls when that time comes because god knows what kind of advice Finn would give them. There's so much I want to be able to do that now, the possibility of not being able to do all of those simple things is all I can think about." Kurt immediately fell forward into Blaines arms as he completely broke down, his body violently shaking as he lost control of his breathing. Blaine instantly hugged Kurt closer to him, rubbing his back and whispering sweet nothings into his ear as he attempted to calm him down although a few tears had escaped his own eyes too. He desperately tried to push them back but Kurts words had been too powerful, too hard hitting that when he recalled what he had heard minutes earlier, the tears flowed so easily that he couldn't stop them. Blaine felt Kurt tightly grasp the fabric of his t-shirt, seeking more comfort as he buried his head deeper into Blaines chest which only made Blaine hold onto him tighter than before. Blaine slowly brought Kurt down with him to lie down on the bed, still holding Kurt in his arms. He tangled one of his legs over Kurts in an attempt to bring to two of them closer together, never once breaking the contact between them.
It could quite easily have been hours that had passed by with the two boys lying on the bed in silence, Blaines arms still wrapped around Kurt and Kurts arm draped over Blaines waist, embracing each other because in that moment, all they wanted and all they needed was each other and right then, it felt as though the feeling of the other offered more comfort than words ever could.
"Kurt?" Blaine whispered to which Kurt hummed in acknowledgement.
"I know you don't, I mean I don't want to - I can't, but have you - I've been thinking and maybe we could make a video tape or something."
"Blaine Anderson, please don't tell me you just suggested making a sex tape after everything that happened tonight" Blaine could hear the amusement in his tone as he mumbled his reply, his head buried underneath Blaines chin and his forehead pressed into Blaines chest.
"No" Blaine chuckled. "No no, I mean, a tape of you, being you. I don't know, I've heard of people doing it, you know when people think they're going to - " He stopped. He couldn't say it - the word just felt like acid on his tongue. Blaine suddenly felt the soothing sensation of Kurt softly running his hand up and down Blaines back, as if he was silently letting him know that it was okay - he knew what he meant. " - you know, well they make tapes of themselves."
"You mean something similar to how Shelby made the recording for Rachel?" Kurt queried
"Yeah exactly. I mean - I just I thought - " Blaine slowly trailed off. He wanted to say something like "I thought it would be a nice way for them to remember you, for you to tell them everything you want to, so they could see how amazing you truly are where pictures could never do you justice" but it was all wrong. Talking about Kurt in the past tense was verbally and physically wrong.
"I get it" Kurt whispered, swiftly taking control of the conversation from Blaine because without even having to lift his head to look at his boyfriend, Kurt knew this was hard for him and although the words were unspoken between the two of them, it was clear to both of them that they were on the same page.
"I understand" Kurt said before he shuffled himself out from underneath Blaines chin and settled himself onto the pillow so that now both he and Blaine were lying on their sides, face to face. Kurt reached his hand out and started to softly run his fingers through Blaines curls. Blaine shut his eyes and nuzzled further into the comforting sensation.
"I even like it" he continued. "I - I'd want to do it sooner rather than later though. I'd want them to remember me like this - not as someone I might become in the future because that wont be the true me. I want them to know the real me" he confessed, almost in a whisper. Blaine nodded slowly in agreement.
"I know. And they will. I promise." Although it was his idea, more than anything, Blaine wished that the unborn child would never even have to see the video but either way, he was adamant that they would know how completely indescribableKurt Hummel truly was and that they are lucky to call him their brother.
The month of August had arrived and everyone was rushed off of their feet. With the fundraiser being a mere month away, several hours had been put into the planning and preparation of it. Days after the initial meeting in The Lima Bean, the remaining ex Warblers and New Direction members had each been informed in some way of the concert and it was a clear testament to how much love and admiration each and every one of them held for Kurt considering how quickly they all agreed, despite whatever their schedules entailed. With Tina as head of the yearbook committee that year and having crucial contacts with printing companies they knew would be needed, Finn had texted her early on into the month to ask for her help in creating programmes for the evening. Each of the core five planners admired how beautifully the yearbook had been put together and although she agreed without a second thought, they all were relieved when she did in fact accept because they were all in agreement that even something as small as the programme being made by someone who Kurt loved and who equally loved him back was a lovely personal touch. Inboxes were full and phones were ringing more than ever as everyone kept each other up to date on progress and either Blaine or Finn attended to queries that were made.
With Blaine singing his own songs to Kurt and therefore not participating in The Warblers segment, it was easy for them all to meet up and practice without Kurt suspecting anything. Of course Kurt didn't mind one little bit when Blaine told him a few times that he was going to meet up with some friends, proclaiming to Blaine "It's good for you to see your friends. You'll get bored of me otherwise". And that was the truth - Blaine was seeing his friends. But what Kurt didn't know was that he was in fact sitting in on their rehearsals. The first time he'd gone to watch had been emotional because seeing all of his and Kurts friends together for the reason they were all together again was somewhat overwhelming.
It wasn't only The Warblers that were hard at work though as The New Directions were too. Again, Kurt had no reason to suspect anything unusual as Finn leaving the house on a regular basis to see Rachel was as normal as Blaine singing along to the radio in the shower every morning. However again, he was oblivious to the fact that a few miles down the road, in Rachel Berrys basement-converted-music room, each and every member of his old Glee Club family were gathered together just like they had been a few months before, singing and harmonising until their voices were ready to crack. With several members of both groups moving out of town, some of them even moving out of the state to settle into their new homes and begin their orientation processes before going on to their respective universities, they were glad that performing was something they now all had years of practice in. They were rushing against the clock to make sure that everything was as perfect as it could be as they would have a limited amount of rehearsal time once everyone was reunited but it was a challenge they openly accepted.
One morning after Breakfast whilst Kurt was in the shower getting ready, Blaine and Finn took the opportunity to tell Burt and Carole about their plans for the fundraiser. As they explained their plans that all of the money raised from the evening was all to go towards helping with all of the expenses of Kurts treatments, Burt was left speechless whilst Carole sat next to him, crying tears of pride at their idea. They both expressed how much they loved the idea and that was that.
The days were passing quickly and as per scheduled for the middle of the month, Kurt underwent his third chemotherapy session. As he grew more accustomed to the process with each session, it was all a little easier than before and although sitting in a single armchair for four consecutive hours with limited room for movement, falling in and out of consciousness with a needle inserted through the back of his hand was not exactly Kurts definition of fun, the whole process still ran smoothly. He was just grateful that Blaine was with him, every step of the way. The two boys eventually both fell asleep and were only awoken when Steph came back into the room, gently nudging the two of them before turning off the machine and carefully removing the needle, gently wiping the injection site on Kurts skin clean with an antiseptic wipe. Steph grabbed a chair and brought it closer to Kurt and Blaine as she explained in more detail why the 'halfway point' check up that had been briefly mentioned to them before was a crucial appointment.
"It's the doctors early indication to see how your body is responding to the chemotherapy" Steph began to explain to them. "You know by this point, you will have had three courses of treatments so we've given it a substantial amount of time to run its course and we can just see if it really is progressing with the treatment of the cancer cells or if its not." They nodded in understanding. "If everything's good and the chemotherapy is looking like it's doing what it should be doing, then that's excellent and you carry on like normal and finish the other three treatments in your six month course and if things don't look too good right now, then we start looking into other options such as adding radiotherapy treatments on top of your chemotherapy treatments which is more intense but it doubles our chances of success and tackling the cells or there's also the option of bone marrow treatment." They scheduled the appointment right there and then for September 20th.
It was no surprise to them that as soon as they got home that day, Kurt went straight to bed, falling into bursts of deep sleep's very easily after such a gruelling day and only eating the soup that Carole heated up for him when awoken by Blaine. It was also no surprise that as the sun began to rise again, marking a new day, Kurt was rudely awoken with the sudden, familiar churning feeling in his stomach but after going through this process two times already, both he and Blaine were more than prepared. The bin had already been moved next to Kurts side of the bed to save him the run to the bathroom, especially in the first few days of recovery when he still felt lethargic and weak and when rest was essential. Although he was fast asleep himself, it was almost as if Blaine was mentally tuned into the situation as he woke up instantly, squinting and blinking rapidly to clear the sleep from his vision. However still bleary eyed, he sat himself up to sit beside Kurt, rubbing soft circles into his back, gently placing the occasional kiss to his shoulder as his boyfriend hunched over the bed, groaning in pain. Once the vomiting had subsided, Blaine gently pushed Kurt to lie back down before crossing the room to get a glass of one of cold water and a strip of tablets from the vanity cabinet. It was Blaines idea to keep four glasses upstairs for emergencies such as now to save them the journey of going downstairs and they had divided up the tablets equally so that half of them were upstairs in their bathroom cabinet and the other half were downstairs in the medicine cabinet in the kitchen. They had thought of nearly everything and were prepared for all the possibilities that could be thrown their way. As expected, the next few days passed in a similar fashion. The boys spent much of those days watching countless films and watching trashy daytime television that they knew should be awful but couldn't help it being a guilty pleasure. The scandalous stories and DNA tests on 'Jeremy Kyle USA' had them both gasping but mostly, they simply just enjoyed being with each other. Rachel and Mercedes even dropped by one day to have one last "Girls day in" with their honorary girl before they both jetted to either sides of the country a week later.
As well as Rachel and Mercedes parents, Finn, Kurt and Blaine had made their way to the busy terminals of the Dayton International airport to say their goodbyes. Announcements were constantly being make and strangers all around them, saying both their 'goodbyes' and 'hellos' made none of this easier for any of them: the goodbyes had them feeling empathetic and the hellos left them jealous. For Kurt, he thought this would be the last time he would see either of his best friends until at least Thanksgiving, if not even Christmas break. However what he was completely unaware of was that both of his best friends had plans to fly back into Ohio in exactly two weeks as it was now the penultimate week in the month of August and the fundraiser was now a mere 3 weeks away.
"So what time is Rachel flying back in today?" Blaine asked as he walked around the bedroom, gathering together the things he needed that were scattered in various places.
"Half one" Kurt answered from the bed as he aimlessly flicked through a magazine. It had been two weeks since Rachel and Mercedes had left Ohio. Rachel had rung Kurt specially to tell him that she was flying back into Ohio for Hirams birthday. Of course everyone else but Kurt knew that wasn't the only reason she was flying back home as she flew in exactly one week before the Fundraiser. The phone call was pretty one sided as Rachel excitedly rambled into the receiver with the words "You, me, sleepover, take out and movies and that's non negotiable" ringing in Kurts ears. Before he too could express his mutual excitement, he was forced to hang up as Rachel said she had just reached the subway and she would see him next week, not before pro longing a "love you" down the phone. Gosh did he miss his best friend and her antics. "You said you're spending the night at Davids right?" Kurt asked as he looked up from his magazine.
Blaine and Finn had managed to sort out the remaining final details for the night. The programmes were to be printed and delivered to Mr Schuster's office a week before the fundraiser. It was easier to have them delivered straight to the school as that was where they were to be handed out and most importantly, they were kept out of Kurts eyesight. Artie had designed the lighting and sound and Mr Schuster had already contacted Finn to let him know that as long as he sent a set list to him when school started up again - a week before the fundraiser - he would sit down and organise everything with the band that played for the Glee Club rehearsals and performances. The word had been spread and tickets had been and were still being bought but Blaine and David wanted to make sure that everything truly was perfect and that they hadn't forgotten anything before David left in a few days time.
"Yeah. Well you and Rachel deserve to have some quality catch up time together - I'm sure you already have a lot to catch up on so while she stays over tonight, I'm going to spend some time with David before he goes back to Michigan" Blaine casually remarked.
"Okay. Hey, erm - " Blaine looked at Kurt to find him slowly closing the magazine he had previously been reading. " - now that you mentioned it, about Michigan..."
"What about it?" Blaine wondered as he picked up his phone, unplugging it from the charger before slipping it into his back pocket.
"I just, I mean I know you deferred for me and I can't even put into words how much that means to me but, are you truly okay with that? Because I don't want to hold you back in any way."
"Hey" Blaine cooed. He climbed onto the bed to sit next to Kurt, taking one of Kurts hands in his. He used his other free hand to gently clasp Kurts chin, softly encouraging Kurt to look at him. "I made a decision. The right one and the only one in my mind and I don't regret it. There's nowhere else I'd rather be right now. Okay?" Blaine ducked his head to meet Kurts eyes. Kurt always instantly felt more at ease as soon as his blue eyes met the warm hazel eyes of his boyfriend.
"Okay" he whispered. "Its just with everyone starting school and Davids going back, I just don't want you to have any regrets because your happiness is important to me and I just don't want this to be something that you could throw at me in an argument in ten years time or something."
"You - " Blaine leant forward to kiss his forehead. It was so gentle that Kurt could feel the goose bumps rise up to the surface of his skin. "- worry too much" As Blaine pulled away, Kurt could see he was smiling. "Honestly, you have nothing to worry about okay? No uncertainty here." Kurt returned the smile as he nodded. "Good" Blaine said as he acknowledged the nod. "Now can I be so cheeky as to steal a real kiss from you as I'm going to go now"
"I suppose" Kurt dramatically sighed as he pouted but soon enough, the pout was gone as Blaines hand reached behind Kurts head, his fingers gliding through Kurts hair as he pulled him forward into a kiss. They could both tell that neither of them wanted to pull away any time soon as they both deepened the kiss. A good minute or so passed by before Blaine decided to take the plunge and pull away first, leaning their foreheads together but he couldn't resist pressing one final chaste kiss to Kurts cherry plump lips, whispering against them the three words he would never get tired of telling him.
"I love you too" Kurt whispered back, not breaking the serenity of the moment. Blaine felt Kurts hand cup his cheek. He closed his eyes at the comforting sensation as Kurts thumb brushed along his cheekbone.
"Okay you need to stop otherwise I'll never leave" Blaine chuckled breathlessly.
"That's not necessarily a bad thing" Kurt remarked, his thumb still running along the softness of Blaines cheek. "No go. Go have fun."
Blaine smiled as he cupped both of Kurts cheeks in his hands, leaning up to press a kiss to his forehead. He purposely avoided Kurts lips because he knew if he went back to them, he really wouldn't be leaving the house any time soon.
"I'll see you tomorrow afternoon okay" Blaine said as he looked into Kurts eyes, his fingers toying with the hair on the back of Kurts head. Kurt smiled as he nodded. Blaine pushed himself off the bed before grabbing the overnight bag he had finished packing earlier on. He threaded his arm through the handles and headed out of the doorway, waving goodbye which Kurt returned.
It was 3 O'clock before Rachel and Finn walked through the door of the Hummel Hudson household. Finn had been at the terminal to greet his girlfriend as she walked back towards her old life. They had dropped off her luggage at her house and her dads were as equally ecstatic to see their daughter again as well as she was to see them. As Finn pushed the door to the Hummel Hudson house open, Rachel was quick to fly through and head straight for the stairs in search of her best friend.
"It's as if she's never been away" Finn thought to himself.
Compared to Rachel, Finn calmly ascended the stairs and as he reached Kurts doorway, the sight before him warmed his heart. He saw his girlfriend and brother, standing in the middle of the room, their bodies flushed together as they were tightly wrapped up in each others arms, swaying slightly side to side in an enthusiastic hug, Rachels arms swung around Kurts neck and his own wrapped securely around her tiny waist. The three of them spent some time together, gathered around the breakfast bar, catching up over cups of tea. Rachel asked about Kurts latest treatment session and in return, she told them stories of everything that had happened to her in the last two weeks, including the embarrassing moment which involved her tripping down the last few steps of the NYU campus staircase within one hour of arriving. However it wasn't all bad as by miraculous chance, the same girl, Chelsea, who had run over to her was actually set to live in the same dormitory block as her, two doors down to be exact. They talked and talked about various things but eventually, Rachel left Finn with a fleeting kiss to the cheek and she and Kurt retreated to his room. It was already nearing six o'clock and so the two of them passed the Chinese menu between them as if it a football, each circling the things they wanted before placing their order. They waited until the food arrived before settling in to watch their first film of the night, "An Affair To Remember". As they watched Cary Grants character, stand at the top of the Empire State Building, full of hope, waiting for the one he loved to arrive, Kurt felt prompted to ask the question that had been burning in his mind all day.
"So how - how is New York?"
"Its good" Rachel nodded as she swallowed the last bite of her Sweet and Sour Chicken Ball. Kurt could see the smile that grew on her face and he just knew it was better than 'good'. "It's amazing Kurt. It's - it's everything I ever dreamed of. I really do miss you guys though" Kurt smiled at her before dropping his gaze downwards.
"Do you wish you were there?" Rachel pondered.
"Sometimes I guess. I think it's just more the fact that everyone is moving on with their lives, moving away, going to school and I'm, well I'm a bit tied up at the moment" he softly chuckled, attempting to lighten the mood which had unexpectedly taken a solemn turn.
"You know you're going to get out of here too right?" Rachel grabbed both of his hands and held them tightly in her grasp. "This isn't forever. You're going to go on and do amazing things - the world won't know what hit them because you are a force to be reckoned with and you deserve everything good that happens to you, more than anyone I know."
"Do you ever think about when there was a time where we used to hate each other" Kurt joked, smiling broadly which made Rachel laugh.
"Well, I'm so happy that's not the case anymore" she said before the two best friends enveloped each other in a hug. Kurt whispered 'thank you' into Rachels ear as he rested his chin on her shoulder.
They took it in turns to pick the movies and so because it was Kurts choice to watch An Affair To Remember, Rachel decided that the next film would be 'The Breakfast Club'. It was nearing midnight and they were onto their third film of the night, 'Father Of The Bride', a film they both equally loved. The romance of Annie and Brian had them 'aww-ing' and crying and the comedy of George and Franc had them crying with laughter, the famous 'hot dog bun' scene particularly having them bowled over with laughter. Just like Brians dad, they were both reaching for the box of tissues Kurt had earlier on put between them as they watched Annie and Brian exchange their vows.
"You know" Rachel said through her sniffles, "that dress really reminds me of Kate Middleton's"
"It's the neckline and arms" Kurt said as he dabbed the tissue underneath his slightly red rimmed eyes. "Lace is such a timeless choice" he admired.
"Do you think you'll marry Blaine one day?" Kurts eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected question but not for long.
"I really do" he confessed. "I mean even when we were just friends, he was like no one I had ever met before and I knew he was special. He's been such an important, prominent part of my life since day one that I honestly cannot imagine a day where I don't see him or talk to him in some way, even if it is just a text 'hello'. He's everything I always dreamed of but never thought that I would get. He makes everything so much brighter with just a smile and with everything that's happened in the last few months, I just know now for certain that I don't need anybody else - he is the one for me." Kurt smiled at his words, biting his bottom lip as he thought back on them. "That sounded so cheesy didn't it?" He hadn't even realised Rachel had started to cry again until he looked up at her to find her snivelling into a tissue, her eyes wet as a few tears ran down her cheeks.
"No" she cooed. "It sounds like love. True love" she smiled. "Can I call dibs on being a Bridesmaid?"
"You and Mercedes are already on my list" he winked and the two laughed.
"I'm going to go get us some more drinks okay" Rachel said, patting the back of Kurts hand with her own as she got up off of the bed.
"And that involves going to see Finn for a few minutes" Kurt pre meditated. It wasn't even a question.
"Well I just had to sit and listen to you talk about your perfect, idealistic romance that you only read about in books - let me embrace in my own relationship for a while" she quipped from the doorway. "If I'm more than five minutes, I swear that I will hand over my right as the person to pick the next film to you" She slipped out of the doorway, leaving Kurt giggling on the bed. He picked up one of the take out boxes of Chicken Chow Mein, tucking into what was left of it before the message tone from his phone startled him.
From Blaine:
Hope you're having an amazing time with Rachel! I don't want to disturb you but I can never go a night without saying goodnight to you so here it is - Goodnight baby:) Sweet dreams and I can't wait to see you tomorrow afternoon :)(L)xx
Kurt instantly typed out a reply, his face beaming with happiness as he sent it. He locked the phone and as he held it, he pressed it to his lips that were still upturned in a smile. He thought back on Rachel's earlier question and despite there being no one but him in the room, he found himself answering the question again.
"I really, really do" he whispered.
The day had finally arrived. Saturday, September 15th 2012. They day that they all had spent nearly two months in preparation for was finally here. Both Finn and Blaine had received several texts over the last few days from all of their friends who had moved out of state over the Summer to let them know that they had arrived safely back in Ohio.
Blaine slowly opened his eyes to find that it had just gone 10am. The bright rays of the morning sun shone through the bedroom window. He looked over to the side of him to see that Kurt was still fast asleep, his gentle breathing almost audible in the silence of the room. Ever since his diagnosis, Blaine personally loved when Kurt was asleep because when he was asleep, there was no pain, no bad news, no treatments, nothing that could ever truly hurt him - it was just a world of complete and utter peace and dreams, even if it only was for a few hours. By habit, he checked his phone that was residing to the side of him on the bedside table. To his surprise, he found three new text messages waiting for him to read.
From David:
The day is finally here B - let's get this show on the road! We're going to make Kurt proud!
From Will Schuster:
It's looking as though you guys are in for a full house tonight! Good luck (not that any of you need it!)
From Rachel:
Tonight is going to be ah-mazing! Let's do it for Kurt xx
As he read over them, Blaine found that he was smiling to himself. A simple idea that he had one night nearly two months ago after accidentally stumbling upon a conversation not meant for his ears was now about to become a reality and it was all in honour of the one he loved. He couldn't wait.
He put his phone back onto the bedside table and shuffled back down into the bed, parallel to Kurts sleeping form. Blaine admired how peaceful and at ease his boyfriend looked, a soft smile playing at his lips. He leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to Kurts cheek, the one that was completely fair game and not nuzzled deeply into the pillow. A soft groan escaped from Kurts lips and Blaine was urged to continue what he had started. He slowly started a trail of soft kisses, his lips slowly moving from the curve of his jaw all the way to Kurts ear.
"Kurt." Kurt hummed in acknowledgement, shuffling slightly in his position, eyes still tightly shut. "Wake up babe" Blaine whispered against his ear before his lips met the softness of Kurts cheek again. The beautiful blue eyes he so longed to see were finally visible as Kurt slowly squinted his eyes open.
"That's a nice way to wake up" he murmured, his voice still thick with sleep. Blaine settled back down onto his pillow to look into his boyfriends eyes.
"Good morning" he smiled.
"Good morning to you too" Kurt replied before leaning forward to press a soft kiss to Blaines lips, cradling his cheek in his hand.
"What are you doing tonight?" Blaine asked against Kurts lips as he pulled away. Kurt pouted his lips into an 'o' shape.
"Oh well I'm sorry Mr Anderson but I'm pretty sure my schedule is jam packed tonight." Blaines eyebrows furrowed for a second but then Kurt continued. "It involves a lot of eating, watching Saturday night TV whilst cuddling with you and anything else we can think of to pass the time by doing. My days packed to the brim. It's very exhausting" Kurt teased.
"You're hilarious. Let me take you out tonight. Please?"
"What, like on a date?" Kurt inquired, his voice slightly buzzing with excitement.
"I guess you could say that" Blaine pondered. "So will you - will you let me take you out tonight?" Kurt couldn't help but shine him his brightest smile
"Of course I will you idiot - as if I would ever say no. That sounds perfect." Kurt grabbed Blaines hand from where it rested underneath the pillow, bringing it to his lips before intertwining their fingers, resting their now entwined hands in between them. "Am I allowed to ask where you're taking me?" Kurt cooed hopefully but Blaine was firmly shaking his head against the pillow, a smile playing at his lips. "Didn't think so" Kurt whispered playfully.
"It'll be worth it. I promise"
The day passed by like normal. Kurt didn't even question when Finn left the house just after 3pm. He knew all to well that Rachel was still down from New York so he assumed that that was where his brother was off to, however Blaine knew that he was on his way to the school where in approximately an hours time, both groups had plans to rehearse their songs on stage one final time as a group before curtains up. Because Blaine was performing by himself, they all felt that as long as he was comfortable with his songs, there was no real need for him to be there. Besides, all of them - including Blaine himself - agreed it was probably best if Blaine didn't go because that held the possibility of raising Kurts suspicions and they were going to every length possible to keep this a secret. Instead, Blaine spent the afternoon happily curled into the side of his unsuspecting boyfriend, Kurt's arm wrapped protectively over his shoulders as they watched a film together. Both of them watched intently but Kurt used Blaines engrossment into the film as an opportunity to try and extract some form of information from him.
"You know, if I knew where we were going tonight, I wouldn't be having so much trouble figuring out what to wear" Kurt dramatically sighed but Blaine wasn't budging.
"I know what you're trying to do - I know you too well Kurt Hummel and I'm still not telling you" Blaine replied, his eyes never leaving the screen.
"Worth a shot" Kurt murmured. Blaine kissed his side before turning his attention back to the film. He knew Kurt could be impatient at times but he knew it would all be worth it in the end.
With both Burt and Carole still at work, Blaine took the opportunity of the empty house to create a special, romantic dinner for him and Kurt. He'd had it planned for days - Spinach and Ricotta stuffed Chicken breasts with creamy, gruyere potatoes and roasted vegetables, finished off with mini chocolate and vanilla layered cheesecakes. Blaine had already placed the iPod in the docking station, his and Kurts playlist softly playing in the background. He placed a vase containing a single red rose in the middle of the table, two, vanilla scented tea candles either side of the vase. Although it wasn't quite dark outside yet as it was just before six, the candles weren't exactly necessary but Blaine was determined to go all out tonight and every night he was ever able to because Kurt deserved romance. In Blaines eyes, Kurt deserved everything.
"So I can cross off the possibility of our date involving dinner off the list" Kurt quipped as he sat down at the head of the table in the chair Blaine had courteously pulled out for his boyfriend. Blaine softly laughed as he walked from behind Kurt to take the seat next to him.
"I'll give you that one" he played along.
"I'm still trying to guess you know" Kurt smiled.
"Well have fun with that honey. Cheers?" Blaine tipped his wine glass in Kurts direction.
"To us" Kurt clinked his own glass against Blaines. They both took a sip before setting the glasses down. To his surprise, Kurt grabbed Blaines hand before he could even pick up his cutlery.
"I love you. This is - this is perfect. Thank you" Kurt said softly. Blaine couldn't help but lean over to briefly connect his lips with Kurts.
"I love you" he replied as he settled back into his chair.
They ate perfectly happily in a comfortable silence. They spoke when they wanted to - it was never forced conversation but mostly throughout dinner, they just smiled. As Blaine loaded the dishwasher whilst Kurt cleared the table, insisting it was the least he could do after the meal Blaine had cooked for them both, Burt and Carole both walked through the front door. They walked into the kitchen to make the quick pleasantries of 'hello's and 'how were your days'.
"Well as much as we would love to stay and chat boys, we both need to go get ready" Carole proclaimed.
"Oh where are you going?" Kurt excitedly asked.
"Just - just out for the night" Burt casually remarked. He could see Blaine behind Kurt, pursing his lips together and dipping his head to hide his smile.
"That's so funny, Blaines taking me out tonight too!" Kurt proclaimed excitedly as he moved to stand to the side of his boyfriend, nudging his shoulder against Blaines. "He won't tell me where though of course - hey, maybe we'll see you out!" he joked to which they all laughed because oh how true that was going to be.
"Oh well, you never know" Burt said before turning on his heels and going upstairs, Carole following shortly behind. When they came downstairs later on, Burt dressed in his finest pair of tailored black trousers, complete with a matching black suit jacket and a light blue shirt underneath and Carole dressed exquisitely in a sophisticated, dark red dress that wrapped perfectly around her waist, showing her curves beautifully.
"You both look dressed to the nines" Kurt clapped his hands together in excitement. "I'm going to go get ready myself but have fun tonight" Kurt squealed as he ran up the stairs.
"Great acting skills guys" Blaine congratulated when he was sure Kurt was out of earshot to which Burt and Carole both laughed.
"Still alright to get to the school yeah?" Burt checked
"Yeah of course!" Blaine said. "Its twenty past 7 now and the fundraiser isn't until 8 so as long as we leave the house by quarter to, we'll be fine."
"Okay well drive safely and we'll see you soon bud." Burt clapped him on the shoulder, a simple but meaningful gesture of his pride before walking towards the door, picking up his car keys on the side table beside it.
"We're so proud of you" Carole said as she cupped his cheek. She kissed his other cheek before joining her husband and shutting the door behind them. Blaine walked up the stairs to start getting ready with the clothes he had planned out in his head hours ago. As he walked into the bedroom, his jaw slightly fell as he found Kurt, fiddling with his cardigan as he stood in front of their full length mirror. He was wearing a crisp white shirt with a zip down the middle that substituted the standard fastening device of buttons, a v neck black cardigan that followed the same pattern of consisting of a zip and a pair of light grey skinny jeans that hugged in all the right places. He was beautiful. Kurt hadn't even noticed that Blaine was in the room until he felt a familiar warmth behind him, Blaines arms circling around his waist as his chin dipped onto his shoulder.
"You look amazing" Blaine said into his ear, looking at his and Kurts reflections in the mirror.
"It's not too overdressed or underdressed or anything?" Kurt pursed. Blaine lifted his head from Kurts shoulders to kiss the back of his neck, hoping to calm his insecurities.
"Perfect" he simply replied. As Kurt walked to the bathroom mirror, styling his hair to his standard of perfection, Blaine quickly got changed into his outfit of choice. He too wore a white shirt, however his had eye catching black buttons down the middle and one on either collar, the dense colour popping off of the blank surface, a dark green cardigan that Kurt had always told him that he loved, claiming that it highlighted all of Blaines best features, especially his eyes and he finished the outfit with a pair of black jeans.
"Well don't you look handsome" Kurt said as he walked out of the bathroom.
"Well your seal of approval is the most important to me. Do I look okay then?" he smiled nervously.
"Perfect" Kurt replied, mirroring Blaines own answer from earlier. "Shall we go?" Kurt said as he held out his hand for Blaine. Their fingers entwined and they walked down the stairs, hand in hand. Kurt was about to reach for the door handle before Blaine stopped him.
"I just have..." he trailed off before producing a scarf that he had hidden in his back pocket.
"Really? You want me to wear a blindfold?" Kurt asked, completely amused.
"I don't want to spoil the surprise" Blaine shrugged. Kurt broke out into a wide grin before walking closer to his boyfriend, turning his back on him so that he could put it on.
"The things I do for you" Kurt joked as his vision was suddenly completely blinded. "You're not going to let me bump into anything of fall into any cracks or ditches in the road will you?"
"Never" Blaine said as he placed his hands on Kurts shoulders, guiding him out of the front door and towards the night that had been planned especially for him.
They drove the short journey to McKinley, talking about every and anything. Their usual agreement of whoever is the passenger has control of the iPod went out the window seeing as Kurt, being the blindfolded passenger tonight, couldn't see a single thing and so they both happily settled for having the radio on quietly in the background but they weren't really listening to it anyway. Blaine pulled into the car park of his boyfriends old high school, Kurt squealing with anticipation next to him because although he couldn't see where they were exactly, the fact that the car had slowed to a stop, the sound of the handbrake crunching as Blaine pulled it upwards and the sound of the ignition being switched off was enough to let him know that they had arrived at their destination. Blaine jogged round to the other side of the car to help Kurt out of the car. He guided them towards the school entrance, having to warn Kurt of the occasional step up or downwards. From what Kurt could tell, they had been walking for at least two minutes before Blaine stopped them and took off the blindfold. Kurt blinked his eyes rapidly as they adjusted to the sudden exposure of brightness.
"Blaine why - why are we back at McKinley?" Kurt asked, completely confused to the situation as he looked around his old, school hallway. "How are we even allowed here - isn't it shut? OH MY GOD we didn't break in did we?" Kurt rambled and Blaine couldn't help but laugh. Kurt playfully swatted his arm before holding his hand out to the side of him, almost gesturing to the mustard yellow lockers beside him as he silently asked Blaine to explain to him what exactly was going on right now.
"Do you trust me?" Blaine offered. Kurt narrowed his eyes because surely Blaine knew that Kurt trusted Blaine more than anyone in his life.
"Of course I do" he simply answered. Blaine held out his hand for Kurt to take.
"Come with me then?" Blaine smiled hopefully and his hand felt instantly warmer as Kurt slipped his own hand into his. As Blaine began to guide them towards the Auditorium doors that Finn had given him directions to earlier on, he could've sworn that he heard Kurt whisper something along the lines of 'anywhere' under his breath, making Blaines heart flutter. They turned several corners before they reached two, tall, black, double doors.
"The auditorium" Kurt whispered, his fingers till tightly entwined with Blaines. "What is-" he started, looking at Blaine completely bewildered. Blaine smiled before pushing the doors open and Kurt jumped slightly as he was completely caught off guard as to the rapturous applause that echoed around the room as they walked in. As from what Kurt could quickly make out, the room was filled with people he knew, friends, several family members, some he hadn't even seen for a while and there was no denying that all eyes were on him and Blaine right then.
"There you two knuckleheads are!" Kurt whipped his head around to find his father and Carole standing centre stage, a microphone stand between them and directly above them, he could see a projection that read in large, bold letters 'A Song For Kurt'. "Ladies and gentleman, the man you've all been waiting for - my son Kurt Hummel and of course, my almost, non official son in law - Blaine Anderson" Burts voice echoed around the room as everyone clapped and stood to their feet. Kurt was speechless. Overwhelmed.
"This is all for you" Blaine whispered into his ear and Kurt could start to feel the tears pooling at his eyes. Kurt turned his head to find that Blaine was already looking at him, his hazel eyes pooled with love and admiration that made Kurts insides flutter. He wanted to say and ask so many things: "I love you", "You did this for me?" "I love you right now more than I ever thought was possible" but instead he hoped that the glowing smile he gave Blaine was enough to convey those messages, for now at least. Blaine tugged gently at their intertwined fingers to guide them both to the two empty, reserved seats in the front row.
"I look around tonight and I know that I am speaking on behalf of Carole and myself when we say how utterly heart warming it is to see so many of you here tonight - it really speaks volumes and it shows how many people truly care about our son. And if you're in this room, then you'll know why we're all here tonight. There's no question about it - these last few months have been hard - extremely hard on us all as a family but Kurt, we are so, so proud with how well you have coped with this. You've faced this with nothing but strength, grace and pure determination and I said man earlier because that is what we have watched you become. Your mother would be so proud of you." Blaine felt Kurt squeeze his hand tighter as their entwined hands rested on the armrest between them. As Blaine slightly turned his head to look at Kurt through the corner of his eyes, he could tell that Kurt was desperately trying not to cry by the way he kept blinking his eyes shut quicker than usual. "Now Kurt, we all know that you are completely in the dark with everything that's going on right now -" Soft chuckles were heard throughout the room. "- so let me explain. Blaine here - " Burt started, gesturing his arm out towards Blaine "- and Finn came to me and Carole a few weeks ago telling us about this idea Blaine had. An idea for us but mainly and specifically for you. 'A Song For Kurt' is your own, personal fundraiser bud. All the money that is raised from tonight is all to help you but tonight's also a night for you, in honour of you and for the people you love to show how much they care about you in their own special way." Kurt was slowly shaking his head from side to side, as if he couldn't believe anything he was hearing right them.
"So honey" Carole said, looking directly to Kurt, "tonight is for you and we're going to stop taking up so much of your time and we're going to hand over the stage to Mr Will Schuster so we can get this show started." The audience applauded enthusiastically as Burt and Carole made their way off stage to take the two empty seats to the side of Kurt.
"So what do you think?" Blaine asked wearily as he leaned over towards Kurt.
"I think that I couldn't love you any more than I do right now" Kurt answered, his voice starting to quiver. "I can't believe you did this for me" he whispered. Blaine smiled broadly at him. "I love you. So much." Kurt had a feeling he would be saying that a lot tonight but he didn't care.
"I love you too" Blaine smiled. They were abruptly pulled out of their moment as they looked up to find Mr Schuster standing on stage. Good natured cat calls and wolf whistles could be heard amongst the applause but they all soon trailed off.
"Good evening" he begun. "Now I don't want to echo what Burt just said but we all know why we're here tonight. We're here for an extremely good reason. There are no words to describe how I felt when I heard about what had happened to Kurt. Shocked, angry, devastated - they don't even begin to cover it and this shouldn't have happened to you Kurt, but if there's one thing I learnt about you in the 3 years I truly got to know you, it is that you are the strongest person I know and I know you can beat this, and you will. Now, although we are missing one, extremely crucial member -" Mr Schu winked in Kurts direction "- I couldn't be more happier to be the one to kick things off tonight by introducing the reunited New Directions of 2012!"
Kurt watched in awe as all of his friends shuffled onto the stage, waving at Kurt as they walked to their rehearsed positions. Kurt ran through all the members in his head and thought about where a lot of them had come back from for tonight. They had come back for him. Finn took to the centre of the stage.
"Er Hi everybody" he started, clearing his throat. "Well what can I say that my mom, Burt and Mr Schu haven't already said. But as we all know, we're all here tonight for my brother, Kurt and so Kurt, this song is for you. We love you and we just hope you already know that each and every one of us, no matter where we are, we are always here for you." Kurt smiled fondly up at his brother on stage. The two of them rarely shared personal, brotherly moments but when they did, it was a beautiful thing to witness. it was as if despite everything that the two of them had gone through in their Sophomore year, in some way, they were destined to be brothers.
As his friends hummed the introduction notes, he instantly recognised them as hums he had once hummed with the group before, back in his Sophomore year. There was no question that the song was 'Lean On Me' - the song they had all sung to Finn and Quinn during Quinns pregnancy, as their way of letting them both know they were all there for them in their time of need. And now they were sending the same message to Kurt. A single spotlight shone down on Artie as he sung the opening lines, another focusing on Mercedes as she joined in and eventually, the whole group was brought out of the blackout and became visible as each of their voices combined to become one.
The crowd were on their feet in an instant as their pitch perfect vocals slowly faded out. Kurt especially was clapping harder then he probably ever had before, stopping occasionally to wipe the tears away from his cheek. They took their bows and everyone except Finn walked off of the stage, waving to Kurt as they did with proud smiles across their face, some of the girls even blowing kisses in his direction.
"I'm honoured to be introducing the next set of performers" Finn started. "Now that they're not our competition anymore, I can happily express that they are an exceptional group and one that's especially close to both Kurt and Blaine's hearts as well as being great friend of ours. Ladies' and gentleman The Warblers!"
Each and every member of the Warblers upheld their reputation of being a polished, classy group as they all walked out onto the stage, perfectly in sync with the other members, dressed in their instantly recognisable navy blue red trimmed blazers with the red embroided 'D' on their breast pockets, perfectly displaying their unity as a team. Finn clapped David on the shoulder as both he and Wes moved to take Finn's place at the microphone stand.
"Thanks for that Finn. Good evening ladies and gentlemen" David said through the microphone. "We're so happy to be here tonight for an extremely special friend of ours, Kurt Hummel. Now, we all met Kurt when he transferred to Dalton, although myself, Wes here and Blaine all met Kurt when he was actually trying to, not so inconspicuously, dig up dirt on the competition - don't think we'll ever let you forget that Kurt!" David joked and there wasn't one single person in the room that wasn't laughing. Even The Warblers, standing in their perfectly aligned formations were giggling.
"You know, we have to give you props for the recreation of a Dalton uniform but you just weren't quite convincing enough for us Preppies" Wes joked.
"I tried!" Kurt playfully defended as he shouted back, laughing to himself as the whole room laughed with him too.
"And a valiant effort good sir" David quipped. "But in all seriousness, Kurt only transferred to Dalton for a few short months but he certainly made an impact, not just on us as a team, but as individuals too. He taught us a lot of things. He certainly made an impact on our Blaine here too" David winked "But really, we have a lot to thank you for Kurt because when you first arrived, it was the first time any of us had seen Blaine truly smile." A lot of 'aww's' could be heard from the women of the audience. Both Kurt and Blaine turned to look at each other, smiles plastered across their faces as their gazes showed nothing but complete and utter love for the other.
"Like David already said, you were only with us for a few months but in that time, we all grew to love you like we had known you for years, we grew to love you like a brother and we all still and always will value your friendship" Wes smiled. "So Kurt, from us to you."
Kurt smiled fondly as each and every single one of them began to click their fingers of their right hand, shimmying their shoulders slightly forward as they did. Of course with it being The Warblers and a minimal amount of instruments being used, Kurt didn't recognise the song instantly but then David sung the first line of the lyrics.
"If you need me call me, no matter where you are, no matter how far"
He in took a sharp breath as he realised the song was none other than 'Aint No Mountain High Enough', a Motown song Kurt considered one of the best and he had spent many of his younger days enthusiastically singing along and recreating the Sister Act 2 end credits. He recalled a specific time where Burt hadn't been too amused to walk into their front room to find a young, guilty looking Kurt staring up at the ceiling as his jacket he had tossed into the air never managed to make its way back down, hooking itself onto the end of one of the panels of the ceiling fan. As Blaine looked over at Kurt, he could see that he was smiling brightly and he was confident that his friends had picked a perfect song. He thought back to when Wes and David had informed him of their choice of song.
"We wanted Kurt to know that no matter where we are or what we're doing in our lives, we will always be there to help him. And besides, you know the lyric "Remember the day I set you free, I told you you could always count on me"? Well we thought that mirrored how we all felt when he left Dalton - that even though he left and was gone, he could still count on us for anything. And he still can."
Their motto of "Once a Warbler, Always a Warbler" had never been truer in Blaines eyes.
Rightly so, a standing ovation was given to them as their perfectly harmonised vocals gradually faded out. Kurt especially applauded with such enthusiasm. Having been a member of the New Directions for three of his four high school years, he wasn't surprised that they performed but he was a little taken aback by The Warblers performing. He only spent a few months with them, 2 competitions he participated in with them but he would always look back on his time at Dalton with nothing but happy memories. After all, it was the place that not only brought him to the love of his life, but introduced him to another set of friends and he felt overwhelmed that they cared about him so much to do this for him. As if he didn't already know it, all Kurt could think about was how he truly does have an incredible circle of friends around him.
"Who's next?" Kurt asked Blaine excitedly as Mr Schuster walked back onto the stage but Blaine kept schtum, nodding to the stage as he smiled coyly.
"Now there's a little change in the set list tonight that's not in your programmes. You see, two days ago, my new Glee Club members approached me about tonight and each of them showed such enthusiasm and for their own reasons, they all really wanted to be a part of it. So without further ado, I welcome onto the stage, The current members of the New Directions!"
Kurt gasped, covering his mouth with his fingertips as seven young looking students proudly walked out onto the stage, one of the boys holding an acoustic guitar in his hand. A girl, dressed in a short black skirt with a contrasting white trim, a white shirt paired with a red cardigan stepped up to the microphone whilst her fellow team mates stood in a line behind her. With her short, dark brown hair, Kurt mused to himself that this girl could quite possibly fit the role of the new Rachel Berry within their group. As much as he adored his best friend, he hoped for the sanity of her fellow members that her personality wasn't quite as overpowering and that solo's were something that she was happy to share without competitions being made because of them.
"Hi everyone" the girl meekly said into the microphone. "Hi Kurt. You probably don't know me but a lot of us know you. My names Sarah and behind me, I have Mark, Sadie, Noah, Hibba, Cameron and Lily" she said as she gestured down the line, all of them smiling brightly at Kurt. "I'm personally a sophomore so I was a freshmen when you were here but we are all a mixture of freshmen and sophomores, all hoping to live up to the legacy that you guys left behind of being the national champions of 2012. Anyway, we all heard about what you were going through and when we asked Mr Schu more about it - more about you, he told us what your boyfriend, brother and friends were doing for you tonight and we hope you don't mind but, we all really wanted to be a part of it. I was actually in the audience when you made your speech for Senior Class President last year and I just remember being completely in awe at your strength. I can only hope that one day, I might be as strong as you. And when we spoke to Mr Schu about you more, we found out that not only are you a strong person but you really did change things around here - you showed so many students that it's okay to be yourself and to stand up for what you believe in, that high school is only the beginning of our lives and so no matter how many slushies get thrown at us or how many times we're shoved into a locker jut because we're in glee club, this isn't the end of our lives and that they're only just beginning."
Blaine whipped a tissue out from his pocket as he heard Kurt sniffling next to him. Blaine found himself wiping a tear away from his own eye at the heart warming speech. When Kurt turned to say thank you, he smiled sheepishly as he held out the same tissue to Blaine that he'd been offered moments before.
"I know I'm speaking on behalf of all of us when I say that you really don't deserve all of this but without even knowing you personally, I knew you were a strong person and you're strong enough to get through this." Sarah smiled softly as she stared intently at Kurt, as if she needed him to believe the words she was saying. "So, we're still a small group at the moment - you know as well as we do how hard recruiting new members is but we're slowly getting there but we really wanted to do this for you and we hope this song brings a little brightness to your life right now."
Sarah stepped back from the microphone to join her friends. They all gathered around the boy with the guitar, whose name Kurt now knew was Cameron as he started to gently strum his fingers along the strings of his guitar. Kurt was practically squealing in his seat as he instantly recognised the intricate guitar notes Cameron was playing were in fact the opening notes to 'Here Comes The Sun' by The Beatles, another song Kurt truly loved and by a group he held dear to his heart. In a way, it was The Beatles that helped him and Blaine get together. Kurt thinks about how Blaine is often telling him that he is certain he would have realised his feelings for Kurt at some point, even if Kurt had never sung Blackbird in honour of Pavarotti but in the end, Blackbird is what helped to push Blaine in that direction and so Kurt would always be thankful towards The Beatles.
They weren't standing in a perfect line nor did they perform a set of strict choreography but Kurts heart warmed at their formation. It reminded him of the few times when the new Directions would just sit around in the Choir Room whilst they waited for Mr Schu to arrive to start their lesson, simply enjoying each others company as they sung for fun. Not for rehearsals, not for assemblies but just because it's what they loved to do. They performed a beautiful, stripped back, acoustic version of the song and even had the audience clapping along with them as they replicated the distinctive clapping around the "Sun sun sun here it comes" verse. With that performance, Kurt knew that they would be just fine and would succeed. They proudly took their bows to a rapturous applause, Kurt screaming loud enough for everyone else sitting in his row. Kurt mouthed a "thank you" to Sarah as she smiled broadly at both him and the crowd, as if she was in shock as to the reception they were receiving. They all skipped happily off the stage, patting each other on the back and hugging each other from behind as they did. Mercedes and Rachel passed them as they walked onto the stage, grinning broadly at them.
"Well Mr Schu, I think you're going to have no problems getting to Nationals this year because those guys are ah-mazing!" Rachel squealed as her and Mercedes stepped up to the microphone. "And there's only seven of them so far! Moving on, Hi everybody. We hope you're all enjoying the show tonight! Just to introduce ourselves to those of you who don't know us personally, I'm Rachel Berry and this is the fabulous Mercedes Jones and tonight, we're going to collaborate to sing a duet for our best friend, Kurt Hummel."
Mercedes grabbed the microphone stand and tilted the microphone closer towards her. "You got two divas on stage Kurt - are you sure you can handle that?" she joked which had Kurt and the whole audience laughing.
"But you have two divas on stage who love you more than words can say" Rachel expressed sincerely.
The music began to softly play and Mercedes and Rachel both reached for the others hand. They were both smiling softly at each other, as if they were having a silent conversation with each other of "We're going to do this - we're going to do this for Kurt."
"And I never thought I'd feel this way, And as far as I'm concerned, I'm glad I got the chance to say, That I do believe I love you" Mercedes started to sing.
" 'That's What Friends Are For' "Carole gasped. "Oh honey, what a beautiful song for them to pick for you" she whispered to Kurt as she leaned over her husband to do so. Kurt smiled and nodded at her. He squeezed her hand in acknowledgement before they both settled back into their seats.
"Well you came in loving me, and now there's so much more I see, and so by the way I thank you"Rachel sung, never once breaking eye contact with Kurt. She was adamant about singing those particular lines because although her and Kurt had shared their differences in the past, that had all started to change for the better in their Junior year. Kurt had shown Rachel a lot of things in the last two years, inspired her and challenged her - she had even wrote in a heartfelt message in his yearbook that because of Kurt, Rachel would never apologise for who she was and so for that, she would always be thankful to Kurt.
Kurt was already fully aware of the power and beauty of both Rachel and Mercedes voices but this song really did beautifully show them off. Their harmonies were faultless and they found an impeccable balance between belting out the big power notes to singing some lyrics more softly and sincerely. It was perfect.
"I'll be back soon" Blaine leaned over and whispered to Kurt, patting their entwined hands as he started to move forward in his chair.
"Wait what, where are you going?" Kurt questioned.
"I need to go to the bathroom" Blaine lied.
"Okay" Kurt laughed as he shook his head, slipping his fingers away from Blaines for the first time since they had arrived. "Hurry back though, there's still one more performance on the Programme and it says 'Special Performer'."
"Trust me, I wouldn't miss it" Blaine winked. Kurt watched as Blaine walked up the aisle before turning his head back towards the stage where his two best friends vocals were starting to soften, coming down from the powerhouse notes they had been effortlessly belted out in the last chorus, coming together beautifully as the song came to a finish. The audience went wild, standing on their feet in an instant, Mercedes and Rachel earning themselves a deafening applause. They couldn't stop smiling as they took their bows, hand in hand. As they rose their heads, the crowd still applauding their flawless performance, they both excitedly ran to the end of the stage and fell to their knees, calling Kurt over before wrapping him in one of tightest hugs they ever had. As he pulled away, Kurt mouthed "I love you" to both of them, squeezing both of their hands before returning to his seat as they simultaneously returned to the microphone stand.
"Okay and now for our last guest of the evening." Mercedes started.
"Last but certainly not least" Rachel countered.
Kurt started to wonder as to why Blaine wasn't back from the bathroom yet as he looked to the empty chair to the side of him. He just had to hope he would be back in time to see the end of the show.
"Now we are completely ecstatic to be introducing our last performer of the evening. He is someone extremely special, not only to us and to a lot of the performers tonight, but also to Kurt. Especially to Kurt. He has played the most crucial role in tonight - without him and his genius idea, 'A Song For Kurt' might not have ever happened." Kurts jaw slightly dropped as the cogs started to turn in his head. Remembering what his father had said to him upon his arrival, he now had a strong instinct as to who the 'Special Performer' was. "So ladies and gentleman, without further ado, please welcome our last performer of the evening, Blaine Anderson" Mercedes announced. The audience cheered loudly and enthusiastically, the loudest of cheers coming from both The Warblers, the old New Directions and even Burt. Kurt however, was sat completely frozen. All he could focus on was his beautiful boyfriend walking across the stage, smiling directly down at him.
"Good evening everyone. I'm Blaine Anderson and I'm sure by now we all know why we're here tonight. If you don't, you probably shouldn't still be here" Blaine joked which made the audience chuckle. "We're here for someone who is extremely special to me; the person who I hold closest to my heart and the person I cannot imagine not spending a single day by his side. Kurt - " Blaine softly said. " - We're here for you. I hope tonight that not only have you enjoyed yourself but I really hope you've seen how many people care about you and how special you are to so many of us. You changed a lot of peoples lives. You changed my life. You changed it in a way I never imagined someone could and because of you, my days were so much brighter - because of you, I have a reason to wake up in the mornings. I know how hard these last few months have been for you but everyone who loves you is right here for you. I'm here for you and we're going to get through this together. I'm going to be right by your side through everything and I don't ever intend on leaving."
Kurt shut his eyes as the tears flowed freely down his cheek. He couldn't stop. When Carole leaned over to hand him a tissue, he smiled in compassion as he saw that she too was in tears at Blaines words. He knew that he and Carole weren't alone as he heard Rachel, Mercedes, Tina and Quinn all crying behind him. He didn't even know about past their line but if he had looked, he would have seen several of the female audience members dabbing delicately at their eyes, desperate to not ruin their makeup. To Kurts surprise, David suddenly walked out onto the stage, sheet music held tightly in his grasp as he took a seat at the Piano that had been on stage all evening and now Kurt knew why.
"I know you want to stay in bed, but it's light outside"
Blaine was so happy when he found this song, scrolling through his iPod one day in search of his two songs for tonight. He really thought it said a lot of what he wanted to say. He knew the opening line was perfect because he thought it was fitting for the days when Kurt is recovering from his treatment sessions. Kurt's had three of them now and Blaine knows exactly how he feels - tired, weak, dejected and besides it being on Stephs strict orders, sometimes he just doesn't want to get out of bed. But as the song said, 'it's light outside' - there's light on the other side - there's always a better day ahead of the bad ones: they just had to get through the bad stuff first before they could reach that other side. Although he already knew that Kurt knew this, especially as he'd expressed it right before this song as well as countless times before, Blaine loved that the song reinforced the fact that Blaine was going to stay right by his side "because you saved my life once" because Kurt truly had and Blaine honestly couldn't imagine how his life would have turned out if Kurt wasn't by his side.
"I think I always knew you would be, I think I always knew you would be the greatest, the greatest"
Blaine would be the first to admit that yes, it had taken him a long time to realise his feelings for Kurt but he never once denied that there was just something different about Kurt, something that drew Blaine to him more than he'd ever been drawn to anyone else. Even when they were just friends, Blaine wanted to spend every single waking moment with Kurt, even if it was just doing something so trivial. From the first moment they sat down for Coffee and Kurt revealed everything he had been living with for the last however long, Blaine was completely in awe at his strength. Blaine always knew that Kurt was great and now he truly did believe that he was the greatest. Kurt was the greatest thing to ever happen to Blaine.
The song drew to a finish and Blaine was greeted with a rapturous applause. Kurt was out of his seat before anyone else, clapping with everything he had, a fresh set of tears running down his already tear stained cheeks. Everytime Kurt thought it wasn't possible to love his boyfriend anymore than he already did, Blaine completely surpassed all of what he thought.
"Now I'm being selfish and singing another song for my boyfriend tonight" Blaine joked with the audience as several band members, equipped with every and any instrument walked out onto the stage, standing near David and the Piano. For the final time that evening, the opening notes were played and by the simple notes David was playing on the piano, Kurt took a sharp intake of breath as he instantly knew what song it was. The love Kurt felt for Blaine in that moment was written so clearly across his face as Blaine beautifully crooned his way through "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face". He turned to look at his dad and Carole who just smiled proudly back at him, like they were silently conveying to him how happy they were that he and Blaine had found each other.
As Blaine sung the line "The first time ever I lay with you, I felt your heart so close to mine, And I knew our joy would fill the earth, And last till the end of time my love" Kurt thought back to their first time together. The night they gave each other everything, shared everything and truly became each otherseverything. Kurt knew from that moment that there was no one he ever wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He wanted Blaine to be the last person he said goodnight to and the first person he said good morning to. All the dreams they had talked about before like moving into their first apartment and adopting their first dog, Kurt wanted nothing more than to make those dreams a reality with Blaine. Kurt wanted to spend the rest of his life loving Blaine.
By the end of the song, not only was Kurt crying but nearly everyone else was shedding the occasional tear. The audience were instantly on their feet, applauding wildly as well as cat calls and whistles being made too. Blaine absorbed the reaction for a moment before turning his attentions to Kurt, who he found was smiling straight back at him. In that moment, it was as if either of them were the only people that existed. Blaine walked down to the end of the stage, jumping down from it onto his feet to meet Kurt in a tight embrace. Blaine could've sworn the applause suddenly got louder as he and Kurt wrapped themselves around each other. Blaine rested his forehead on Kurts shoulder, his arms wrapped tightly around his waist as Kurt nuzzled himself into Blaines neck.
"I love you" Kurt mumbled into his skin. "More than anything"
"I love you forever" Blaine whispered into his ear.
They were forced to pull away as they Mr Schu walked onto the stage to deliver the closing speech. As they sat back down in their chairs, Kurt held his hand out on the armrest for Blaine to take, entwining their fingers as soon as he did.
"Ladies and gentleman, what a night!" Mr Schu exclaimed. "Can we just give another round of applause to all of our performers tonight. Thank you so much for all coming out tonight and we hope you've enjoyed the performances. The money you've all raised tonight is really going to help in so many ways. Ladies and gentlemen, please drive safely and have a good night. Thank you"
The audience slowly began to sift out, the auditorium becoming emptier and emptier by the second. Burt and Carole had also left, not before hugging both Kurt and Blaine and telling them that they would see them at home. Blaine wrapped his arm around Kurts shoulder as Kurt rested his head against Blaine, wrapping his own arm around Blaines waist. They stood in the aisles talking to Rachel, Finn, Mercedes, Santana, Sam, David, Wes and Thad.
"You were all so amazing tonight" Kurt gushed. "I just - I don't even know how to thank you all for what you done tonight. It - I cant even tell you how much it meant to me."
"Kick this thing square in the ass" Santana quipped and they all giggled. "Just beat this thing and I think we'll all be more than happy to call it even" she smiled. They eventually all shuffled out of the auditorium
"Oh wait, I forgot to pick up the scarf - you know, the one you blindfolded me with earlier" Kurt joked just as they reached the auditorium doors.
"It was worth it though right?"
"More than" Kurt whispered as he caught Blaines lips in a gentle kiss. "You go, I'll meet you outside" Kurt tapped his arm before walking back down the aisles. Blaine pushed the door open, walking out into the school corridors before stopping dead in his tracks at the people before him.
"Blaine" A woman softly said. Blaine felt a cascade of emotions as he was faced with the two people he thought he would quite likely never see again.
"What are you doing here?"
A/N - BAM CLIFFHANGER - gotta love the cliffhangers ;) so who do we think Blaines seen?
I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and the fundraiser:) I honestly enjoyed writing it so much:) I hope you liked the song choices too! I swear they changed so many times! For ages, my idea was to have The OLD New Directions sing 'Thats What Friends Are For' and i literally only changed it to Mercedes and Rachel a couple of week ago, The idea of the NEW New Directions performing - I hummed and harred with that idea for so long and it was always one of my initial ideas to have someone outside Kurts group of friends perform for him so eventually i just decided to include it.
With Blaines songs, Ever since i had the idea to write this story (a year ago), I always had in my head that Blaine would sing 'This Years Love' by David Gray and then literally a few weeks ago, I was listening to my iPod and 'Light Outside' came on and I'd never even considered it but as I listened to the lyrics, I just thought it was so perfect for the situation that i had to include it and I had to keep 'The First Time..." because i have a serious idea for that song ;)
Here is the full list of songs anyway just in case it wasn't clear in the chapter
The OLD New Directions: Lean On Me - Bill Withers
The Warblers - Aint No Mountain High Enough - Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terell
The NEW New Directions: Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles
(I had to include someone singing The Beatles somewhere because they're my favoruite group ever and this is one of my favourite songs by them :) )
Mercedes and Rachel: That's What Friends Are For - Dionne Warwick
Blaine: Light Outside - Wakey!Wakey! and 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' - Roberta Flack
(While we're on the subject, check out Matt Cardles version of The First Time from X Factor - it's beyond beautiful and its something I always listen to when I'm writing this)
And PLEASE, if you've never heard This Years Love, although it didn't get used, you have to go to YouTube to listen to it - again it's a song i completely adore - It's been one of my favoruite songs for years and i always listen to it writing this. Its beyond beautiful and it literally makes me cry every. time.
Also just some side notes, if you want to see Caroles Dress, go to this link - take out the [ ]'s
webapp[/]wcs/stores[/]servlet/prod_10001_10001_34519+87610613_-1?breadcrumb=Home~Women~Dresses
And Kurts outfit inspiration is from 'Heart' during the 'Let me love you' performance although i changed it from pink to black cause i prefer those colours:)
Reviews
iloverandyortonwwefan23
Thank you so muchh:)
SpookedKitten
Awwh thank you! Urgh I know that feeling - exam periods are the worst :| mine lasted like over a month :(
Oh good! There's not much development with the pregnancy in this chapter but there will be in other ones and it's definitely going to play a role in the epilogue:)
Oh god I hope your not too angry at how long you've had to wait for this chapter :(
nomorecandles
Awwh wow that's awesome! Well you can definitely expect more from this :) despite my crappy updating skills, I'm nowhere near finished with this story yet :D
Awwh I hope your sisters went well and I hope her results are good on Thursday - I'm already preparing myself for the worst :(
Jazz
Awwh of course - its my pleasure! :) well I really hope you liked this chapter too!
Thank you about my exams btw:)
Now that I'm finished with college, I'm aiming for 3 week updates which is what I used to do and then everything just got so hectic so yes, that's my plan atm:)
Now I'm off to Scotland on Saturday and I have a plan to keep writing Chspter 13 while I'm there - I've got it all planned out INU head - writing this whilst overlooking mountains and the loch ness ;D
Until next time my lovelys and you can have my word it will not be as long as it took me with this chapter:)(L)xx