Authors Note - I AM SO SO SO SO SO SORRY! Like literally, i cannot even begin to apologise for how long this has taken me - I'm literally so disappointed in myself that this has taken me like 6 months - Im literally so disappointed with myself and i promise you, even though i only have two more chapters to write after this one, they will not take me anywhere near that long - I'll make sure of it!
Life has just been so crazy that writing this was so hard to fit in! My Summer was crazy (Jesus i'm writing about Summer in December!), I told you guys about my new laptop for uni so i spent like a month trying to change everything over, over summer I was also trying to organise everything for university and I had to sort out my job up here because yes, since I last updated, I have moved to University! Massive changes but it's been amazing so far but with university has come a HUGE workload which hasn't helped at all in me trying to finish this chapter but in the last couple of weeks, i've managed to find a balance in how i can keep up with my writing and doing my work AND going to work and literally right now, I'm in the middle of house hunting for somewhere to live next year so my life is just hectic right now but hopefully i can keep up this routine i've got!:) I'm literally just finished C17 at like 3am and I'm writing this at like 4:30am because my lecturers are actually striking tomorrow so I have a day off...which is going to be spent in the library!
So also, in Summer as ofc you all know, Cory sadly passed away (idk about you guys but I didn't stop crying for a week afterwards - I was so shook up about it I even stopped writing this chapter because I was just greiving so much!) but i want to clarify that in this story, Finn won't die!
So seeing as it has been sososososo long, as a short recap, in C16, we had Kurt making the video tape for his baby brother/sister, the fluffiness of Blaines 20th Birthday (sidenote -it's my 20th birthday in 9 days IM SO OLD!), Kurt had his last chemoradiotherpay session, Kurt took Blaine to visit his mum for the first time and ofc, I left you guys on the worst cliffhanger with Burt and his heart attack!
BUT im pretty certain you guys are going to be happy with C17 - I mean it's taken me long enough! BUT it is a WHOPPING 14,356 words - pretty sure that's the longest chapter I've ever wrote; even longer than the fundraiser chapter! Theres so much going on in this chapter, lots of cute moments that i gave myself cavities writing and a scene near the end that im sure a lot of you will be very happy with seeing as a lot of you have asked me to do this BUT none of you have influenced me to write this - this has been my plan from the very beginning! (i'm sure you'll figure out what storyline I'm on about when you get to it)
Also, thank you so much guys for sticking with me, i really do appreciate it and seriously, this story will never be abandoned - I will finish it! And thank you to those of you who have alerted and favourited recently - seeing those emails comes through always makes me so happy!:)
SO get a cup of tea or coffee and some biscuits and go enjoy C17! You're gonna be here a while!
"I'm fine godamnit!" Burt protested from the passenger seat of the car that was being driven by Carole at a speed that was slightly, but very clearly over the legal limit. "For the seventh time, I don't need to go to the hospital!"
"Clearly you've suffered a case of amnesia as well as the heart attack in the last fifteen minutes because are you forgetting you had another heart attack just over a year ago?" Carole said through gritted teeth, clearly getting more and more stressed as more minutes passed and her husband was still protesting like a five year old in the seat beside her. "You would be stupid and irresponsible to not go see a doctor right now."
Kurt and Blaine sat silently in the back seat, their eyes darting backwards and forwards as they watched the two adults bicker backwards and forwards. Ever since they had walked through the front door and witnessed the startling scene in front of them, not even half an hour ago, Kurt had stayed impossibly silent.
As Carole asked either of them to call the hospital whilst she stayed impossibly by Burts' side, running her hand up and down his back as he leant against the back of the sofa, catching his breath as the dull pressure on his chest and the shooting pains down his arm and neck slowly but surely subsided, Kurt didn't move an inch. Couldn't move an inch. He'd barely even registered that Blaine had been on the phone for almost 5 minutes now.
"Yes. Yes. I'm not sure how long it lasted - my boyfriend and I walked in as - Okay, his wife's just told me it only lasted around a minute and a half, maybe two. He's a little short of breath but nothing like he was a few minutes ago. Okay. Yep. Yep we're leaving now. Thank you so much for your help." Blaine pressed the 'end' button on the screen of his phone, promptly ending the call. He hadn't even put his phone back in his pocket before he lifted his head, saying "we have to go - they want us to go up there right now" to Burt and Carole.
Although he appeared physically fine and much better than he had a few minutes ago, Carole still wound her arm around Burts' waist, supporting him as they walked out of the front door, Carole picking up her handbag and car keys and Burt protesting his physical fitness along the way. Despite not having emptied his pockets the whole ten minutes they had been home, out of habit, Blaine patted his pockets to make sure he still had everything he might need and as he was just about ready to walk out of the door, Kurt still had yet to move.
"Kurt?" Blaine cooed. The gentle touch of Blaines hand against Kurts arm was the first thing Kurt had physically responded to since they had walked through the front door. He slowly turned his head towards Blaine, his eyes red rimmed and his bottom lip slightly pouting outwards. Kurt looked at Blaine with such vulnerability that instantly made him look ten years younger, almost like a scared little boy and Blaine could have died right there and then because the sight was nothing short of completely and utterly heart-breaking.
"Come on babe, we need to go". Kurt didn't even respond, nod - nothing, as Blaine, with a reassuring arm around Kurts' waist, guided them out of the front door and opened the car door for them both.
"Hey" Blaine softly nudged Kurt with the side of his body. As Kurt turned to face him, his face stoic but his tear stained cheeks confessing everything, Blaine offered him the warmest of smiles, a reassurance that he was there and always would be there. "Are you okay?"
Kurts' eyes dropped as he didn't reply instantly. He slightly bowed his head before raising it back up, meeting Blaines' eyes and when he did reply, not at all to Blaines' surprise, Kurt shook his head signalling "no" and if his facial emotion was anything to go by, he was far from okay.
"C'mere" Blaine whispered as he lifted his arm and wrapped it around Kurts' shoulders as Kurt, without hesitation, snuggled into his side, clutching tightly at Blaines' shirt with his hand.
"Love you" Kurt murmured sadly against the fabric of Blaines' shirt as Blaine kissed the top of his forehead, running his hand up and down his arm in an attempt to offer some comfort.
"You too" he replied. Blaine was fully aware that there was probably nothing that he could say right now that would offer Kurt any reassurance. This wasn't Burts' first heart attack and from previous conversations, he knew how scared and alone Kurt had felt at that time and so Blaine knew that as well as being completely terrified, he sensed as though a feeling of resignation had washed over Kurt this time, like bad things were always destined to happen to their family and so even though words probably wouldn't do much right now, Blaine hoped his actions would remind Kurt that he was there and always would be there.
They arrived at the hospital moments later, quickly parking the car into the nearest available space. They all walked quickly through the doors, Carole practically running towards the reception desk to check her husband in, the words spilling out quicker than running water from a faucet. It wasn't even thirty seconds before Burt and Carole were being guided through a set of double doors by a tall, young male doctor who sharply turned his head round to Kurt and Blaine to call out "We'll call for you both later on" before walking further into the distance of the corridor until all three of them were gone.
The minutes passed by so slowly. It seemed as though every time Kurt looked at the clock, even though it felt as though at least 15 minutes had passed, only two had. He had originally started by pacing up and down the small but open area for several minutes, running his fingers through his hair and tapping his shaking fingers against his mouth before settling down in one the blue plastic chairs next to Blaine. Blaine had rung Finn to fill him in on what had happened, reassuring him he didn't need to come down and that he would keep him up to date and in between, had made two separate coffee runs in the time they had been waiting and both for Kurts' cups sat on the table in front of him, left to go stone cold, feeling too sick to consume anything. The people that occupied the chairs around them were constantly changing, a cycle of new faces every so often, some of them going home with relieved smiles on their faces, some of them not. This was the first time in nearly an hour that they were completely alone and the first time in nearly an hour either one of them spoke.
"It's been nearly an hour" Kurt stated sadly as he stared into the distance at a set of double doors, the same double doors his father had walked through some time ago. Blaine looked up from the home improvement magazine he had picked up from the pile of reading sources on the table beside him but really had no interest in reading. Even if he wanted to or had been the slightest bit interested in ten ways to make your living room appear larger, his mind really wasn't able to process anything he read right now.
"I know babe" he replied.
"We should have heard something by now right?" Kurt asked as he turned to Blaine.
"They probably just want to cover every aspect they possibly can" Blaine offered. "You know, to make sure they can rule anything else out and to make sure they treat him with the right medication."
"Yeah" Kurt sighed. He nervously tapped his fingertips together in front of him before speaking again. "But, I mean, he was fine right?" His voice was starting to crack, almost as if he was pleading with himself, telling himself what he needed more than anything to be true. "He was walking and talking, and fighting even - what could possibly be taking so long?"
"Kurt, honey -" Blaine pulled Kurt into his side as soon as he saw Kurt close his eyelids, trying in vain to push the tears away.
"I just need to know he's going to be okay" Kurt cried softly into Blaine's side. "Like really okay. I can't go through this again Blaine, I just, I can't."
"I know" Blaine said as he kissed the top of Kurt's forehead, still running his finger through his hair. "But your dad is going to be fine. You saw him, he was still the same, stubborn old Burt I've had the honour of knowing for nearly two years when we arrived -" Blaine joked which got a soft chuckle out of Kurt through his tears. " - But whatever happens - " Blaine lifted his arm from around Kurt's shoulder and Kurt lifted his head, both of them now facing each other, holding the others hand in between them. " - One thing I do know is that I'm going to be right here with you okay? You're not going to have to go through this feeling like you're alone this time okay? I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere" Blaine promised.
Kurt looked at Blaine with such love and awe that he couldn't help but lean his forehead against Blaine's, lacing and entwining their fingers together as he moved.
"Sometimes I don't know what I would do or where I would even be without you" Kurt whispered into the small space between them, his breath warm on Blaine's face. Blaine smiled softly, gently closing his eyelids as he revelled happily in the moment between them.
"I know the exact feeling."
"I was so scared earlier" Kurt confessed quietly as he pulled away but keeping the distance between them infinitely small, his eyes never leaving Blaine's.
"I know. It's okay" Blaine reassured.
"I just froze" Kurt said in such a tone that made it sound like he was ashamed of his reaction. "I just, I didn't know what to do or think, I - "
"It's okay Kurt. You were in shock.
"I should have been there for him. Like 'been there' been there."
"You were! And you're here now aren't you?" Blaine smiled. "Please don't beat yourself up about this. Your Dad had a heart attack - I mean, going into shock is perfectly normal."
"I guess" Kurt slightly nodded his head. "You know, all I could think in the car on the way here is 'maybe this is just how our lives are going to go'." Blaine's eyes slightly squinted and he tilted his head - a sign Kurt recognised as that he should elaborate. "Like bolts of lightning full of crap thing are constantly striking us. First it was my mum dying, then Dads first heart attack and then him going into the coma, then there's me, not ever out of my teen years and I've got cancer and now this? It just feels like it never ends" Kurt sighed as he ran his free hand that wasn't entwined with Blaine's over his face.
"You're right" Blaine agreed. "I mean, they're all awful, terrible things that could ever happen to a family but you know, the bad never comes without the good stuff as well" Blaine smiled hopefully. "Like your dad and Carole meeting, getting married, you got a brother out of Finn and you're about to have another brother or sister and, well, I know that I count my lucky stars every day because I found you." Kurt facial expression completely melted, his shoulders dropped and his face tilted slightly as he sat in such awe of the man in front of him, both of them with nothing but expressions of love on their face. "The bad, it sucks - in fact, it completely and totally goes beyond that, it's just outright painful and heart breaking but when the good stuff comes along, it makes everything worth it."
"Seriously how do you do it? How do you always know exactly what to say?"
"It's part of the job description for 'best boyfriend' "Blaine joked, tossing away hair that wasn't there. "Besides, a magician never revels his tricks." His attempts to lighten the sombre mood instantly took effect as for the first time in what felt like forever, Kurt scoffed so loudly and collapsed into Blaines shoulder laughing. It was so infectious that Blaine couldn't help but laugh along with him.
"You're such a dork" Kurt smiled. "My dork." Kurt added as they smiled softly at each other.
"Do you ever feel guilty for laughing in places like hospitals?" Blaine asked after a few seconds of comfortable silence between the two of them.
"Yes!" Kurt exclaimed. "Because you feel like you shouldn't. Because the majority of the time, they are such a morbid place to -"
"Kurt Hummel? Blaine Anderson?" The boys heads shot up as a young male nurse called out their names into the reception area.
"Hi, I'm Kurt and this is Blaine" Kurt introduced as they walked up to the man with a hurried pace. "Where's my dad?"
"Your dad is just fine" the man reassured. "I'm here to take you both to where he and your stepmom are." The nurse smiled as he started to lead the way. "The results are back from the lab and so the doctor is ready to discuss them with your Dad but your Dad was adamant that you both be there too. He knows how worried you both must have been."
"See" Blaine whispered to Kurt, silencing Kurts' earlier fears about not feeling like he had really been there for his dad earlier on. Kurt smiled softly in return before taking Blaines' hand in his, clutching it tightly as they walked. The three of them made small talk as they weaved in and out of the colourless corridors, passing many doors where patients lay on the other side (maybe they were getting better and maybe they weren't) before the nurse opened a single door for them and as they walked into the room, Burt and Carole were sat in two chairs directly in front of the desk.
"Dad!" Kurt exclaimed before they had even fully walked into the room, rushing over to Burt and wrapping his arms around him, giving Burt the tightest hug Kurt hadn't given him in a while. Blaine offered a 'thank you' to the nurse before shutting the door behind him, smiling at Carole as they watched the intimate father/son moment unfold in front of them.
"What happened? What took so long?" Kurt asked as he and Blaine stood behind Burt and Carole as there were no spare chairs available, apart from the doctors.
"Your dad had a few tests done. One of them being an Electrocardiograph" Carole started to explain.
"I had electrodes all over my body! On my chest, arms, legs. I've never seen so many wires on a person!" Burt exclaimed.
"They also took a small blood test to determine the amount of damage that could have been done to the heart and they also took an ultrasound to try and build a picture of the inside of the heart to see if there has been any damage, where exactly it is and if it's affected the hearts functioning at all."
"So they're certain it was a... a heart attack?" Kurt asked hesitantly.
"Hey" Burt said as he gently placed his hand on Kurt's arm, not missing the sadness in his voice. "I'm breathing aren't I?" Burt smiled. "Everything is going to be okay."
Before Kurt had a chance to reply, the door handle clicked and the door swung open.
"Ah" The doctor breathed out as he entered the room. "All here I see. Dr Jensen" the man smiled as he held out his hand to shake Kurt and Blaine's.
"Kurt" Kurt introduced himself as he shook the doctor's hand. "I'm his son and this is Blaine, my boyfriend."
"Lovely to meet you both, even under such circumstances." The doctor didn't miss how quickly Kurt's face turned pale and how much his eyes widened. "Nothing bad, I promise. I just mean, being in a hospital" Kurt nodded. "But that is actually the good news I've come to talk to you all about. Your results - all clear."
An excited buzz filled the air as the anxiety instantly slipped out of everyone's systems, breathing out huge sighs of relief, each of them smiling wider than they had all day.
"From what I can gather from the results, Burt did indeed suffer a heart attack but on a medical scale, it was an extremely tiny, miniscule one - nothing life threatening at all but from what I can gather, the most likely cause of it was probably brought on by stress. Were you engaging in any stressful activity before it happened?" Dr Jensen asked.
"Isn't arguing with your wife always stressful?" Burt joked and the two men chuckled slightly however Carole clearly didn't see the funny side of things, neither did Kurt or Blaine.
"From what you've told me and considering your past medical history, this sounds like something that has been building up given the circumstances - worrying about your son, working longer hours, arguing about said longer hours - it all contributes and if you're not cautious, things like this can happen. You need to think of it as your body sending you a message that something isn't right and also with your medical history, it is right to be concerned. But there are a few simple things we can do in terms of altering your lifestyle habits to prevent this from occurring again and having much more dire consequences, so firstly, I would recommend less hours at work - lessen the load on your shoulders. I understand you're the manager of your business but surely you have an assistant manager who is able to hold things up for you too?"
"We were having that exact conversation right before...well...you know" Carole trailed off.
"I see" Doctor Jensen replied.
"I did have an assistant manager but he recently left, just a few months back and well, I guess I've just been too preoccupied recently to hire another one" Burt sighed.
"I understand" Doctor Jensen sympathised. "I understand the family is going through a difficult, stressful time right now but, don't you think now more than ever, your son and also your wife who is just over five months pregnant I understand, don't you think they need you at the top of your game?" Everyone stayed deadly silent as the words mulled over in their heads.
"Look, like I said, all of your results in this circumstance, are very positive. You're on a good track. It's clear that your wife and son are doing a good job keeping your diet in order and look, I'm a doctor, not a prison guard - it's okay to have a burger once in a while, just so long as it is in moderation" Doctor Jensen smiled. "I'm signing you off for the next month" he said with such a definitive finality tone to his voice. Before Burt could even lift his finger and open his mouth to protest, Doctor Jensen continued, "That is not up for debate. You need to fully recover. So please, keep going with your eating plan, take short walks to build your strength back up, get one of your guys to cover your job and please - " Doctor Jensen ripped off a prescription he had been writing and handed it to Burt, " - just take it easy. Things won't fall apart at work if you're not there and besides, we live in the 21st century! You can be there without actually physically being there but I need you to take this month off, take it easy and then if I'm happy with your condition in a month's times, I'll sign you off. If you feel any aches or pains or whatever in the time being, don't hesitate to call or come in."
Handshakes and expressions of gratitude were exchanged between the five of them before Burt, Carole, Kurt and Blaine left Doctor Jensen alone in his office and made their way home, relieved and beyond grateful that this day hadn't ended in some other tragic way.
"So, last ever treatment!" Burt exclaimed from the driver's seat. Today was indeed, Wednesday 28th November - the date of Kurt's last chemoradiotherapy session. It had been a little under a week since Burt's heart attack and already, he was finding himself restless and going near stir crazy, what with not having work to do every day and so he absolutely insisted on dropping Kurt and Blaine to the clinic, even if that was all he done. "How are you feeling bud?"
"Weird" Kurt contemplated. "It's surreal but you know, it might not exactly be my last treatment session. That's probably why I'm not as excited."
"You know you just have to try and stay positive" Blaine smiled back at Kurt from where he was sitting in the front passenger seat.
"I am. I mean, I am staying positive. But I'm also being realistic" Kurt stated.
"Gosh can you believe it's 3 days until December!" Burt exclaimed as a prolonged silence fell over them, swiftly changing the subject into something more positive. "We're like three or four weeks away from Christmas!"
"I love Christmas" Kurt sighed happily.
"Me too" Blaine echoed. "Everything is just so festive and happy."
"Yeah" Kurt agreed. "I love going into shops and literally everywhere is playing Christmas music, everyone says 'Merry Christmas' to each other, there's snow on the ground, putting up the Christmas tree and all the decorations, Christmas traditions, going Christmas shopping- I just love it!" Kurt exclaimed excitedly.
"Yeah and then within a few hours, it's all over" Burt mocked.
"But the build-up is so worth it" Kurt argued.
"Well just think, this time next year, you'll have a little brother or sister to pass on your Christmas excitement too" Burt said. Kurt didn't bother saying what he was actually thinking, that what if he wasn't even around next year. Instead, he settled with replying with a simple "yeah". It was only as the car pulled to a stop that he realised they were already at the clinic.
"Okay, I'll be back to pick you guys up at 2" Burt said.
"You're not coming in?" Kurt asked, completely confused. Blaine too had a look of total confusion on his face.
"Nah. I figured you both would want to do this yourselves. You know, start together, end together kind of thing" Burt smiled.
"You're - are you sure?" Kurt asked.
"Yeah. I have a few things to sort out at home anyway" Burt shrugged off.
"Okay" Kurt gave in. "Well, you know if you change your mind or anything, you know where we are."
"Go kiddo otherwise you're going to be late!" Burt said, practically forcing the two of them out of the car with his voice, leaving no room to question the matter any longer.
Kurt had to admit, it did feel somewhat strange walking through the automatic doors, the same ones he had spent nearly the last six months walking in and out of. He almost felt, dare he admit it, a sense of finality - like maybe this would be the last time he would have to walk through them. But he also wasn't stupid - he knew he had to be realistic about this, about the fact that after this last treatment and the next set of results, anything could happen.
"Kurt! Blaine" Steph exclaimed as she walked down towards the reception area, a clipboard held tightly in her grasp. "Right on time guys! I just have to finish up with my patient and then I'll be with you guys. You know the drill by now."
"Sign in and settle in?" Kurt smiled.
"Got it in one" Steph winked as she finished writing out something at the reception desk. "Amy will see you through your Radiotherapy and then as soon as you're done, you know where to go guys and I'll be with you as soon as I'm finished." She turned to walk back in the direction she had come from before stopping. "Hey Kurt!" she whispered loudly down the corridor, Kurt and Blaine lifting their heads from where they were currently signing their names into the sign in book. "Last treatment!" she exclaimed excitedly, complete with a thumbs up. Kurt returned the bright smile and the thumbs up she sent his way but as soon as she turned her back, the smile faded, his expression more turning to one of worry than happiness.
As always, the radiotherapy was quick, simple and completely painless and so they made their way to their usual room and as they settled down into their respective seats, Steph came bounding into the room, a wide smile on her face.
"Sooo -" she started as she bounced into the room. Kurt was so thankful that Steph had been his nurse throughout this whole ordeal because on days where he felt completely dejected, like a raincloud was constantly hovering about him, Steph was like the brightest ray on sunshine that always chased it away, keeping him positive when some days he really didn't feel it. "How are you feeling today?"
"Good" Kurt replied honestly. "Neutral."
"Trying not to get too excited at the prospect of this being your last treatment session?" Steph asked as she set up all the machines.
"Yeah. I just - I want to take it one step at a time, you know. I don't want to get too ahead of myself and start thinking something that might not even be true" Kurt sighed.
The soft whirring of the machine started to purr to life as Steph got up from where she was currently crouched on the floor.
"So wise beyond your years" she pondered as she looked at Kurt. "Just know that it's okay to be happy about the prospect though - even if it isn't a confirmed thing yet. And plus, I'm sending all my positive thoughts and energy your way so you have that on your side" she smiled which made Kurt smile in return.
"Thanks Steph" he smiled.
"Anytime honey. Okay, well, you know the drill by now!" Steph said as she clapped her hands together. "I'll pop in every so often to make sure everything's okay, okay?" she smiled before turning on her heels and walking out of the door.
"I'm really going to miss seeing her" Blaine thought aloud, his eyes focused on the open doorway.
"Yeah. Me too" Kurt replied. And he would because out of this whole ordeal, meeting Steph and having her being assigned as his nurse had been one of the best things to come out of all of this and whether he only lived to be 20 or 80, Kurt would always be so grateful that this woman had been his nurse and caregiver.
Despite Kurt deciding to take the realistic route in viewing todays session, there was still a somewhat sombre mood in the air as Burt drove the two boys home that afternoon because as much as he willed himself to keep looking at things in a realistic manner, Kurt had to admit, he did feel a sense of finality in things, despite Stephs best efforts to not make it feel that way as they parted ways minutes earlier as she explained what would happen over the next few days.
"Okay so we've scheduled your check up appointment for next Monday which is the 3rd December. Obviously as you know, today was your last session and so you've had the eight courses of Chemoradiotherapy your doctor arranged with you in September." Kurt nodded as he listened to Steph. "So this check-up session is basically exactly the same as the last one. It's the same process. We'll start off with the CT scan so we can get a clear picture as to what's going on inside your body and how the cancer cells have reacted to the change in treatment, both in terms of the course of the treatment and the intensity because of course the chemoradiotherapy sessions have been a lot more intense on your body than the chemotherapy sessions. Then, we'll take some blood samples from you which again, is to just help us get an idea of how your body is reacting and then that's it. Because you don't have any more sessions booked as of now, you'll be as free as a bird" Steph smiled excitedly. "Right, come on, give me a hug!" Steph smiled brightly as she waved her arms at Kurt. The two of them really had created quite a special bond over these last six months. "So I'm not going to say goodbye, especially as I'm going to see you on Monday - " Steph started to say as they pulled away from the embrace, " -but I've got a feeling about this Kurt" she smiled sincerely. Kurt didn't quite know what to say to that. He so desperately didn't want to get his hopes up and express those hopes out loud - saying it out loud made it more real and so he settled with offering her a genuinely warm smile back.
"Don't think you're leaving without a hug too" Steph warned Blaine as she opened her arms to embrace him too, the two of them swaying slightly from side to side. "I'll see you both on Monday okay" she smiled brightly before the two of them walked out of the double doors to meet Burt in the car park.
The days following after Kurt's treatment session passed by in pretty much in the same way they had done for the last six months. As expected, Kurt spent much of late Wednesday night/Thursday morning and all day Thursday in pretty much the same state he spent the few consecutive days after a treatment session - tired, vomiting and just in just pure physical, emotional and mental pain. His first bout of sickness struck him around fourteen and a half hours after his chemoradiotherapy session. It was nearing half four in the morning, the sky was pitch black and the street lamps were still lighting the darkened roads outside, creating an orange glow in the room. The house was dead silent bar the faint sounds of Burt and Finn's snoring trailing out of their rooms when Kurt woke up. His eyes shot open as he started to feel that unwelcome, familiar stirring in his stomach. Without trying to disturb Blaine too much who was fast asleep beside him, he threw his share of the duvet backwards, swung his legs over the bed and quickly ran barefoot across the room to the bathroom, closing the door slightly ajar so that the light didn't filter into the bedroom too much before Kurt couldn't help it any longer - he quickly sunk to his knees as he started to heave relentlessly into the toilet. All Kurt could focus on was when the next wave would hit him as he closed his eyes and tried to regain his breathing; he didn't know how much time had passed and he hadn't even registered someone else was in the room until he felt the familiar, comforting hand on his back and the comforting scent of Blaine.
"I'm sorry if I woke you" Kurt croaked out, his voice gravelly from an unwelcome combination of sleep and sickness. "I didn't want to disturb you."
"You didn't" Blaine gently assured. "I woke up and you weren't there. Guy gets kind of lonely and restless when you're not next to me." Although his head was leaning against his arm across the toilet seat, Blaine could see the upturns in Kurt's mouth and he heard the small snort as Kurt laughed softly. The feeling of happiness didn't last long though as within seconds, another wave of vomit hit Kurt like a tidal force.
"It's okay babe. It's okay" Blaine cooed as he rubbed soothing circles into Kurt's back and tucked his hair behind his ears. It just didn't stop. It just kept coming out of Kurt like water gushing out of a tap.
"I swear to all that is holy -" Kurt groaned as he gripped the toilet seat tightly to balance himself, his head hanging just above the hole, " - I will give anything for this to be the last time I have to go through this."
"I know babe. Me too" Blaine agreed sadly as he continued rubbing soothing patterns into Kurt's back but before he knew it, the sound of vomit echoed around the room as Kurt started to throw up once again. It had been around about twenty minutes in total of intervals of sickness before finally, Kurt caught a break and felt like he could sit up and breathe again.
"Here - drink some water" Blaine said as he offered Kurt a glass of it.
"Thank you" Kurt croaked out, coughing to clear his throat before taking a long sip. Blaine sunk down to the floor, taking a seat besides Kurt against the wall. "I know I always tell you and I know you're probably going to say I don't have to but, thank you" Kurt said earnestly as he looked Blaine in the eyes. "I mean, it's nearly 5am and here you are -" Kurt said as he gestured towards the small bathroom window to emphasise his point, the sky having gradually turned into a dark blue since they had been in there, the beginnings of the day becoming more and more evident. "- helping me, comforting me, getting me water and just, being with me."
"You really should know by now that, I would do anything for you Kurt."
"I do know."
You're kind of stuck with me" Blaine shrugged.
"Well I can't think of anyone I'd rather be stuck too more" Kurt joked. "But honestly, even if I'm too busy upchucking my entire stomach, everything you do, it means everything to me."
Blaine smiled softly before leaning across to kiss Kurt's temple. Kurt eyes closed and a small smile spread across his face as he basked in the moment of warmth, comfort and just feeling like he was at home. Even in times like this, nothing felt more right than being with the man sitting next to him.
"I love you so much" Kurt whispered softly between them.
"I love you too" Blaine sighed happily as he leant his head against Kurt's. The two of them didn't move for at least another hour as they watched the sun start to rise through the window. Although both of them felt their eyes start to drop at times, neither of them were particularly desperate to go back to bed or do disturb the serene moment they were currently sharing. They had nowhere to be and nothing to do tomorrow - they could sleep then.
The days flew by and Monday came around quicker than any of them could have fathomed and within an hour, Kurt's check-up session was over and done with. The session went smoothly and having been through the same procedure less than two months ago, it was less daunting this time around Kurt felt somewhat, relaxed this time around. Burt and Blaine didn't leave his side as Steph conducted the blood tests and X Rays and as sad as Kurt was to say an unofficial goodbye to Steph, he felt more than glad and completely relieved that the check-up was over. For around two weeks, as hard as it might be as it was quite unforgettable, he didn't have to think about cancer or think about his next chemoradiotherapy session or taking pills to relieve the pain from his treatments. For almost two weeks, Kurt could pretend that there was nothing wrong with him at all. He could pretend that he was a healthy eighteen year old boy.
And that hurt. Kurt didn't want to pretend anymore. He didn't want those things to be some far away fantasy anymore. He wanted them to be real.
"I'm proud of you kiddo" Burt proclaimed as he slammed the drivers door shut, Kurt and Blaine piling out of the car too, having just pulled up to the house.
"For having two lots of blood taken out of my body and lying on a bed whilst a machine scanned over my body? Thanks Dad!" Kurt joked.
"Smart ass" Burt joked as Kurt and Blaine giggled between them at the banter between Kurt and his dad. "You know what I mean and I don't just mean today. I'm proud of you every single day and every moment I breathe but these last few months, in times where a lot of people, especially people your age, would understandably crumble, you've handled it with such courage for someone your age and, I'm proud of you" Burt praised his son as the three of them walked through the threshold of the Hummel-Hudson home and into the living room.
"Thanks Dad. Really" Kurt said softly.
"SO -" Burt exclaimed as he clapped his hands together, "- That's why we have a surprise for you."
"We?" Kurt questioned. On cue, Carole rounded the corner, out of the kitchen where she had clearly been hiding and into the living room, holding something behind her back.
"What are you two up to?" Kurt smiled nervously as his eyes darted between his parents. "Do you know what this is?" he asked Blaine.
"No clue" Blaine replied, looking equally as confused at the two of them.
"Okay so both of you, close your eyes and hold out your hands" Carole instructed them, smiling brightly at them. They did as they were told and whatever was in their hands right now wasn't heavy at all. It felt so weightless that they weren't too sure they were holding whatever their surprise was yet.
"Open!" Burt and Carole both squealed.
As the two of them opened their eyes, they suspiciously eyed the envelopes that had been placed in both of their hands. They looked at each other, as if searching for more answers to which neither of them actually had any to offer.
"Kurt, why don't you open yours first" Burt suggested. Kurt carefully opened the envelope, his finger running across the glued seal and as he pulled out the contents, his eyes widened wider than any of them had seen in so long, a huge gasp leaving his mouth.
"New York?" Kurt said incredulously as in his hands, in black and white print, were two premium economy, adult tickets, printed with both of their names to New York City. "Tickets to New York? Are you serious!?" He squealed excitedly. This had to be a dream.
"You leave Thursday morning and fly back Sunday night" Burt confirmed.
"Blaine why don't you open your envelope now" Carole nudged. Blaine smiled and whispered a small "okay", eager to see what was inside after the first surprise.
"Tickets to Kinky Boots. Tickets to a real Broadway show?!" Blaine gasped and Kurt was practically squirming next to him. They knew both of them felt the exact same way - like a child let loose in a toy store who's Christmases had all come at once.
"We got you tickets for the Saturday night showing. We wanted you to have something that you both could enjoy on your last night." Carole smiled. "Now of course you'll have things on Christmas day but this is kind of an early Christmas present from both myself and Burt but also from your parents, Blaine. Most of all though, it's a little vacation for you both" Carole smiled. "Kurt, for the last six months, you've had to deal with something most people you're age cannot even fathom to begin to deal with and although you're already so mature, you've had to grow up a lot and really quickly these past few months and whilst your friends have been able to start their lives in college or wherever, we know you've missed out on that. And Blaine, you too have grown up a lot these past few months. For someone who was 19 when this started, you've acted way beyond your years. You took time out of school to be here, you organised a whole fundraiser event and not once have you crumbled under pressure or given up and decided it's too much for you to handle - you've been selfless and caring and we can't thank you enough. You've both had to give up a lot these last few months and we just want you guys to be 18 and 20 again. Go, be young and have fun!"
"Thank you" Kurt breathed. "Thank you so much" he suddenly launched at them, situating himself in between his parents as he wrapped his arms around them, tears in his eyes. Blaine wasn't far behind to express his gratitude.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! We need to go call your parents!" Kurt squealed as he turned to Blaine. It was so refreshing to the three of them to see him so excited about something. The next two and a bit days were going to drag slower than anything.
"New York Blaine! Can you believe it? We're here! In New York!" Kurt exclaimed as the two of them walked through the 'arrivals' doors of Newark airport and straight out into New York City. Since that very morning when Burt, Carole and Finn dropped them off at the departures gate just as the sun was starting to rise and throughout the whole plane ride, the excitement practically radiated off of them. They didn't watch any films or any of the in-flight entertainment available to them, opting instead to take goofy selfies of each other and together and to just talk: talking about everything they wanted to do and everything they wanted to see in the precious few days they had in such an amazing city. But before their adventure could truly start, first they needed to get to the hotel. They stepped to the side of the road, people around them piling their luggage into mixture of relatives' cars and taxis they had hailed. Blaine put his thumb and forefinger to his mouth, whistling loudly before holding his arm up to signal to the taxi he had just managed to hail to where he and Kurt stood.
"I've always wanted to do that" Blaine said proudly as he turned to Kurt, a smile of accomplishment on his face. Kurt smiled brightly as she shook he head at his boyfriend before the two of them, with the added pair of hands of their driver, piled their luggage into the boot of the taxi and set off into the city. As they drove into the city, their eyes never left their respective windows, taking in all of the sights around them whilst their hands lay comfortably intertwined between them.
"So is this your first time in New York?" their driver, whose name was Greg, asked them as he peered at them through his rear view mirror.
"Yeah" they both echoed at the same time.
"Well, enjoy it boys! So much to do and see here - It really is the city that never sleeps!"
"How long have you lived here?" Kurt asked.
"Coming up 17 years now. Came here after high school, met my wife here and now we have two beautiful children, living in a beautiful city and I've never looked back" Greg smiled through his mirror as he expertly navigated his way through the New York City traffic.
"I'd love to move here one day" Kurt revealed to Greg. He and Blaine had already talked about moving to New York one day in their future together, especially seeing as Kurt had his sights set on studying at somewhere like Parsons or Pratt but with everything that had happened over the last few months, they hadn't visited those dreams as often.
"Good for you kid. They don't call New York 'The city of dreams' for nothing." The car came to a sudden halt as they pulled up outside of the hotel. Greg insisted on getting their luggage out of the car for them, insisting that they "take it all in", for in Greg's words "there's nothing quite like seeing Times Square for the very first time." They paid (and generously tipped) Greg before he wished them a happy vacation and a good Christmas and drove off into the bustling city. Burt and Carole had put them up in The DoubleTree Suites, right in the heart of Times Square and as they walked into the foyer of the hotel, the gasps that left their mouths were unmistakeable. To put it simply, it was huge. The floor was immaculate, a glistening white shade of marble. Chandelier like lighting fixtures hung from the ceiling, creating a warm, inviting glow in the reception area. The check in desk was longer than anything they had ever seen before, with a gorgeous grey draping fixture as the check in back drop and clearly embracing in the Christmas spirit, two huge twenty foot Christmas trees that were beautifully decorated lay either side of the check in desk as light Christmas music played softly throughout the room. It was safe to say that they were off to a good start. A young, friendly woman named Jen checked them into their room, welcoming them to both the hotel and the city as she tapped their details into the computer before handing over their key card to them. As their room was on the twenty seventh floor and the fact they were still ladened down with all of their luggage, taking the elevator was the clear winning choice and after what felt like an eternity, the elevator finally 'dinged' and the doors opened. They eventually found their door on the long corridor, room 371A, excitement and anticipation buzzing through their veins.
"Three, two, one" they counted excitedly before pushing the door open to reveal what exactly lay behind it. Their mouths dropped open and Blaine didn't even register that is the handle of his hand luggage bag had slipped from his shoulder. Shocked didn't even begin to describe how they felt.
"I want to live here forever" Kurt breathed.
To say their room was amazing was nothing short of an understatement. Their 'room' was more like their own mini house! As they first walked into the room, they were greeted with their own living area, complete with a two seater sofa, an armchair, a huge flatscreen TV and a dining table, seated for six people. Being on the twenty seventh floor clearly had its advantages too because as they looked out of their window, they had the most glorious sight of Times Square. Off to the side of their living room was their bedroom where they had yet another TV, a king sized bed that had been immaculately made (there were even welcome chocolates on the pillows!) and a desk near the window, overlooking the sights. On top of all of this, they had one small bathroom in their living area and one huge en suite bathroom, with both a bathtub and a shower cubicle and two sinks.
"Remind me when we get home to give my undying gratitude to our parents" Blaine laughed in disbelief.
"If we ever actually make it home because I'm not sure I'll ever want to leave here, count me in on that one" Kurt agreed.
They spent the afternoon unpacking their things and making the room more homely and more them with their possesions and once they had both finished unpacking the necessities they needed, they snuggled up on the sofa to watch some TV. Feeling the effects of travelling across the country, they opted for ordering room service on their first night but it was nothing short of perfect as they had a candlelight dinner, ate beautifully cooked meals whilst overlooking the sight of the lights of Times Square twinkling all around and lighting up their darkened room. Despite being completely exhausted from the day's events, they both went to bed that night with huge smiles spread across their faces.
After setting off from the hotel early Friday morning and finding breakfast in a quaint little patisserie they found as they wondered the streets of New York, they simply spent the day exploring the city. They had managed to buy all day tickets for one of the 'hop on - hop off' tour buses so they could pick and choose where they wanted to go and how long they wanted to stay and explore. They saw all the sights that New York had to offer them ranging from the Empire State building to the Ground Zero memorial site to the Flatiron building and so much more and of course, their shared love of the performing arts inevitably led them to Radio City and Carnegie Hall. They were currently on one of the many streets lined with shop after shop. They walked in and out of most of them, trying to do a combination of finding things for themselves, finding "we went to New York!" gifts to bring back for their families and starting to find Christmas gifts for everyone. As they walked around, they revelled gleefully in the fact that they were holding hands, in New York! Although they weren't afraid of showing their undeniable affection for each other in Lima, they made an effort to keep it to a minimum in public, mainly in front of people who didn't know them but here, no one cared. Of course they had heard about places like New York being so diverse that being gay wasn't a big deal at all but being here and actually seeing and experiencing it for themselves was something else. Their fingers were tightly intertwined and not a single person paid them a second glance. They even had a few people smile at them and Blaine could have sworn he heard one older woman say to her husband "Isn't young love a beautiful thing - I wish we were that young again" but most people just walked past them, going on with their daily lives. The fact they were two boys meant nothing here because they were in love; that's all it was, all it ever has and all it ever will be between them - pure and simple love.
They made it back to Times Square for around 6ish where they went to dinner at Ellen's Stardust Diner. The food was amazing and the waiters and waitresses were all amazing singers and everyone clapped, cheered and sung along as they sang and danced on the table tops in their red and black uniforms. Of course, Kurt and Blaine sung the words back to each other of every song that was sung, their cheeks completely aching afterwards from how hard they smiled and giggled throughout. After dinner, they walked the short two minute walk (they needn't hail a taxi although they had both become experts at that now) to the Rockefeller centre. They'd both seen the world famous Rockefeller Centre Christmas tree in pictures and in movies like Elf, Home Alone 2 but seeing the seventy five plus foot tree with their very own two eyes, decorated to perfection and thousands of lights twinkling brightly against the dark night was nothing short of breath taking. They took picture after picture of them outside of it, an adorable mixture of shots of them together, some of one or the other standing in front of the tree and some of them just being silly selfies of the two of them together that for them personally, would carry memories forever. After spending a respectable amount of time admiring the tree, they walked the short distance from the Rockefeller centre to the Bryant Park ice skating rink. Even though it was nearing half ten at night, there was still at least a hundred people on the ice rink and many more people watching over them from the observation decks.
"The city really does never sleep" Kurt thought to himself as he and Blaine sat on a little bench outside of the rink, lacing up their skates, smiling brightly at each other when their fingers brushed against the others.
"Ready?" Blaine asked as he stood up, holding out his hand and after an affirmative nod from Kurt, he happily accepted the outstretched hand and the two of them skated out onto the rink.
"Ah! Blaine!" Kurt squealed as he momentarily lost his balance.
"Got you" Blaine reassured as he stood slightly behind Kurt, his hands firmly on his waist. For someone who had nearly fallen flat on their back on the ice, Kurt couldn't seem to stop giggling.
"I haven't ice skated in years - that was bound to happen" Kurt laughed. They skated around the rink a couple of times, reminding themselves of the skills they had both learnt years before but hadn't put into practice in a long time.
"This is so much fun!" Kurt smiled brightly. As Kurt skated ahead for a minute, swinging his arms and gracefully turning his body as he skated, Blaine couldn't help but smile at the person in front of him. This person in front of him right now was a stark contrast to the person he had seen go through some of the toughest things a person could ever live through in the last six months. In that moment, Blaine realised that in the last two days they had been here, this was the happiest he had genuinely seen Kurt in months and he wanted nothing more than for that smile to never disappear from his beautiful, glowing with happiness face.
"Come on slow coach!" Kurt quipped as he turned around, noticing Blaine was still behind him. He held out his hand for Blaine to skate up to and take, skating together around the rink hand in hand and for the remainder of time they had left on the ice, that was exactly what they proceeded to do.
After such an eventful Friday and not getting back to the hotel until well after midnight, the boys opted for a good old fashioned Saturday lie in. As Kurt started to gradually wake, his eyes slowly accustoming to the warm sunlight that gently streamed through the floor length window, the sheer curtain dancing softly against it in the wind, he slowly became more aware of his surroundings. His bare skin was pressed against Blaine's, his head firmly nestled on Blaine's bare chest and his arm draped over his waist as his boyfriend slept peacefully above him. Kurt thought to himself that there really was no other way he would rather wake up.
Once Blaine woke up, the two of them took a shower before settling down to eat a room service breakfast of freshly brewed coffee and vanilla pancakes, decorated with diced strawberries, generous pots of maple syrup and a dusting of icing sugar, whilst lounging on the bed in their bathrobes.
"You realise we are literally a scene out of a rom com film right now" Kurt commented as he took a sip from his coffee. The two of them laughed at how cliché the moment actually was but they really couldn't find in them to care too much because above all else, to them, everything felt completely perfect. Feeling that they had had such an eventful day yesterday, they decided to spend the remainder of their day strolling leisurely through Central Park before the show that evening. The December air was crisp and yet still despite the cold weather, Central Park was bustling with people from all walks of life. They saw men and women, dressed to the nines in their corporate suits, looking extremely focused as they tapped away on their iPhones. They saw parents out with their children, feeding the ducks or simply just playing around, the sound of children's laughter filling the air as they enjoyed the quality time. They saw couples, just like them, strolling around leisurely hand in hand whilst talking animatedly and stealing loving glances at each other. After walking around for quite some times, they decided to sit on the greenery just off of the footed path, the New York City landscapes behind and around them towering over the naked trees that surrounded them.
"It's so strange" Kurt commented as he settled in between Blaine's legs, his head resting comfortably on Blaine's chest and Blaine's arms wrapped snuggly around his waist.
"What is strange?" Blaine asked softly, his voice right next to Kurt's ear as he settled his head on Kurt's shoulder.
"Like, think of how many films or TV shows you've seen where the characters have been in New York, in Central Park and now it's like we're actually here. I'm here. With you" Kurt added as he turned in Blaine's arms, toying with Blaine's scarf as he smiled softly up at him. They weren't too sure who closed the distance between them but as their lips brushed against each others, they didn't really care. It was only when they heard an exclamation of "Mummy look" from an unfamiliar, very young voice did they pull away, seeking out the source. They were taken aback to find a young girl wearing a maroon pea coat and a black beanie hat with an owl face knitted into it, two bobbles on top of it embodying the ears covering the top of her slightly curled, long blonde hair. They thought she couldn't have been more than five or six years old but what surprised them most of all is that they found no disgust or questioning look on her face. There was no follow up question like "why are two boys kissing" or even a juvenile comment such as "gross", she just looked at the two of them with nothing but pure joyfulness.
"They're cute. I want a prince mummy, just like from my stories" the girl smiled.
"Maybe in ten years honey" her mum replied in a tone that said she'd answered this question a hundred times. "I'm sorry - she does this to a lot of couples. Can't take her anywhere!" The mum stage whispered as she leant over to Kurt and Blaine, still keeping a firm grasp on her daughters hand.
"It's fine" Kurt laughed softly. "She's adorable" he commented.
"Yeah she's adorable now but try getting her to go to bed - that's when the little monster comes out" the mum laughed. "Anyway, we won't disturb you anymore. Have a lovely day boys" the mum smiled.
"You too" Blaine smiled back.
"BYE!" the little girl grinned brightly at them, waving her hand enthusiastically as she walked away. The two of them waved and smiled back and as the mum and daughter walked far enough into the distance, Kurt turned in Blaine's arms, hiding his face in Blaine's chest as he laughed and laughed. Blaine couldn't help but laugh along with him, pausing to kiss the top of Kurt's head.
"Did you hear that though - we're cute" Kurt smiled as he pulled away and looked up at his boyfriend.
"Of course we are" Blaine replied. "And in answer to your previous statement, there's no one else I'd rather be here with than you."
Ahead of their visit, Burt, Carole, Isabelle and Nathan had all organised between them for the boys to dine at one of New York's finest restaurants, 'Carluccio's' before they set off to the show. When they looked up the place on the internet, seeing it was an fairly classy restaurant and knowing that afterwards they would be heading straight to the theatre, they made sure they dressed for the occasion, although who was Kurt to ever turn down an opportunity to dress to impress. Seeing as tonight was one of the first real dates they had been able to have in such a long time, they decided to go all out, starting off by getting ready in separate rooms so that each of them would be floored by the other. Kurt was in the bathroom as Blaine stood in front of their floor length bedroom mirror putting the finishing touches on his hair, making sure his curls were cute and controlled. He had decided to wear a crisp white shirt to go underneath a black cardigan with grey trimmings along the sleeves, pockets and at the bottom of the garment, grey buttons lined down the middle. Blaine paired the ensemble with a thin black tie and light grey chequered trousers. Just as he decided he was satisfied with appearance, smiling and nodding to himself in the mirror, the sound of the bathroom unlocking echoed around the room and Blaine watched as the door knob twisted as the person behind it opened the door.
"Whoa" Blaine exclaimed as Kurt stepped out of the bathroom. He was wearing fitted black trousers that tapered perfectly down his legs, a dotted navy blue shirt whose detail was much more greatly appreciated up close, paired with a grey scarf wrapped around him. As always and despite the slight thinning of it due to his chemoradiotherapy sessions, Kurt's hair was styled to perfection.
"Funny" Kurt smirked as he leant against the doorway flirtatiously. "I was just about to say the same thing about you" he smiled seductively in a way that was almost killing Blaine. "Seriously though, do I look okay?" he asked as he dropped the flirtatiousness, looking down at his outfit almost self-consciously as he walked over to Blaine.
"Okay isn't even the word" Blaine replied instantly as Kurt looked up at him, reaching for Blaine's hand. "You look beautiful." There was so much earnestness in Blaine's eyes that Kurt almost felt dizzy it was so overwhelming.
"You do too" Kurt whispered, their hands entwined between them and never once breaking eye contact with Blaine. Kurt couldn't help but think not only how sickeningly perfect the moment was between them but how sickeningly perfect his boyfriend was. This man in front of him that loves him, that never hesitates to tell him he is beautiful and looks into his eyes as if the sun rises and sets in them, and Kurt got to call him his.
"I love you so much" Kurt couldn't help but whisper into the silence. The feeling within him was so overwhelming that he just couldn't keep the words in.
"I love you" Blaine whispered just as softly in return, like any loud noise or utterance would shatter the beauty of the moment. Kurt cupped Blaine's cheek with one of his hands, his thumb gently stroking along Blaine's cheekbone before leaning inwards, closing the distance between them, their lips fitting together like a jigsaw, fitting together and parting in slow, lazy kisses.
"As much as I could do that all night-" Kurt whispers in the small distance between them, his kiss swollen lips brushing against Blaine's and their foreheads pressed against each others "- we have a dinner and a show to go to." Kurt laughed as Blaine groaned.
"You're a tease Kurt Hummel."
"But you love me" Kurt countered.
"That I do" Blaine nodded softly against Kurt's forehead before pulling away and straightening himself up, holding out his arm for Kurt to take. "Shall we?"
"We shall" Kurt answered in the classiest tone he could muster, the two of them giggling as they walked out of the room.
There was no denying that Carluccio's was a beautiful restaurant. The navy walls were softly illuminated by the warm white lights that hung from strands of different lengths from the ceiling, from the Moroccan style wall lamps and the little lamps provided on every table. Each table was decorated to perfection, crisp white table cloths covering each table with the cutlery all neatly aligned, glistening wine glasses provided and napkin swans adding a personal touch. A pianist provided live music entertainment by playing soft medleys in the background over the soft, indistinct chatter of the diners. Kurt and Blaine were shown to their reserved seats by a friendly young man called Joe who had them seated at a medium sized table, perfect for two people. Joe explained all of the specials available for that night and took their drink orders and just as he was about to leave, he took out an envelope from his apron pocket and handed it to Blaine.
"We got told to give this to you both when you arrived" he smiled and winked before walking off, leaving Kurt and Blaine totally confused, as if he knew something that they didn't. Blaine cautiously opened the envelope, confused as to what could be inside and Kurt, on the other side of the table, just as intrigued to see what it could be. Their confusion peaked when all that was inside was a single slip of folder paper.
Everything is taken care of - dinner's on us! Enjoy your night! Love from Isabelle, Nathan, Burt and Carole xx
"Oh my god" Kurt exclaimed as Blaine showed him the slip of paper, his own eyes wide in disbelief. "Just when I keep thinking they can't possibly trump themselves, they somehow manage to!"
Shortly afterwards, Joe brought over their drinks and after careful consideration over the menu, Blaine ordered the 'Fritto Misto' and Kurt opted for the 'Milanese Di Pollo'.
"You guys have great taste" Joe complimented as he scribbled away on his notepad. "I'll get that right into the kitchen for you and if you need anything, just give me a shout" he said before leaving the two of them alone once more.
"So, although this isn't a vintage wine or glass of champagne - " Kurt started as he lifted up his glass of Pepsi, " - I want to make a toast. To us" he smiled. "And to you. Thank you not just for a completely, amazing few days but for everything you've done for me over the last six months and for an amazing two years of just us. It's like, no matter what comes our way, as long as we're together, we always come out stronger in the end and call me cheesy, but I couldn't imagine my life being more perfect then it is with you - well, you know, besides the obvious 'C' shaped cloud hanging over us. But thank you" Blaine was having trouble regaining his breath as Kurt finished his toast, his chest so tight he felt like he could literally combust at any second with how in love he was with this man.
"I - no toast I even try to make is even going to compare to yours" Blaine eventually breathed out.
"You don't have to" Kurt said as he shook his head incredulously. "I just wanted you to know all of that" he smiled softly, his features beautifully illuminated in the warm lighting.
"Well, then, to us" Blaine smiled as he tilted his glass, clinking their glasses together. "I love you and thank you for an amazing few days. They've just - this has been so perfect. I kind of don't want to go home" he confessed.
I know the feeling" Kurt smiled back. "So -" Kurt began as he clapped his hands together, " - are you excited for the show?"
The rest of their dinner date was spent just like that; basking in each other and each others company, conversation flowing as easily and naturally as ever between them whilst enjoying the most delicious dinner. They made a mental note to definitely come back to Carluccio's the next time they were in New York. Despite the bill already being settled, they made sure not to leave without giving Joe a generous tip.
"Thanks guys! You guys have a great night okay!" he smiled brightly before walking over to serve another table as Kurt and Blaine wrapped themselves in their coats and scarves, ready to brace the outside weather.
"That was so amazing!" Kurt exclaimed happily as he and Blaine walked down the streets of New York, hand in hand. They decided to take a leisurely stroll back to their hotel, in no rush to get back as they admired the city at night and cherished their final moments in the city that never sleeps. The show had ended just under half an hour ago and they were both still reeling with just how incredible it was, the chorus of 'Everybody Say Yeah' having being stuck in their head since the end of the first act and not being too bothered by that. "That was - oh my god I just seriously cannot get over how good it was!"
"I know!" Blaine enthusiastically agreed. "And Billy Porter was just so convincing when he was on stage as Lola - like his acting was just incredible. No wonder he won the Tony!"
"Yeah - so totally deserved!" Kurt agreed. "Oh look! They're putting up their tree!" Kurt said as he tugged on Blaine's hands, talking quietly as if he was afraid that by talking too loudly would be intrusive and pointing in the direction of the window of an apartment they were walking past, bright smiles plastered all over the faces of the family as they shared the Christmas tradition of decorating the tree.
"These last few days really have been so perfect" Kurt sighed happily as they resumed walking, leaning his cheek on Blaine's arm as they walked.
"They really have. I couldn't imagine a more perfect way to start the Christmas period than spending a little bit of Christmas in the city of our dreams" Blaine replied.
"Me either" Kurt smiled. "I know we've talked hypothetically about living here but, now that we're here, what do you really think? Because I -"
"I can see us living here just as clearly as I can see the sun and moon in the sky" Blaine replied instantly. "It's like, being here has really made me see what our lives could truly be like. I can see you running out the door to work in a rush but you won't leave before you've at least kissed me on the cheek. I can see you mastering the art of the subway at eight in the morning. I can see me walking down the bustling streets, coming home from my job and not even being phased or frustrated by how many people are on the streets because I love the atmosphere so much. And for the weekends, I can see us going shopping or walking through Central Park or going to every other Broadway show until we've seen them all. I can see everything."
Kurt knew that he must have slightly resembled a slapped fish in that moment but he couldn't close his mouth. It wasn't even that he was shocked at how much thought Blaine had put into what their future lives could be like; it was that he could see it too. As clear as daylight, he could see every single one of those scenarios being aspects of their life. At a loss for words, Kurt replied in the best way he thought possible and as his lips pressed against Blaine's, he hoped that everything he felt in that moment, Blaine could feel in his kiss.
"I want all of that too. More than you know" Kurt whispered against Blaine's lips. "Should we promise it then?" he asked as he pulled away, holding out his pinkie finger for Blaine. "Promise that when we're ready, emotionally, financially, no matter how long it takes us, we'll find our way back here."
"Sealed with a kiss?" Blaine winked and although Kurt laughed as how much of a dork his boyfriend was, he didn't hesitate in moving forward, their lips connecting once more.
"We could live in one of those apartments with a doorman" Blaine said excitedly as he pulled away and they started to walk again, their arms linked closely together.
"Maybe one of those apartment blocks with a revolving door like in 'Elf'!" Kurt joined in, equally as excited.
"We could get an apartment with 3 floors!"
"Whatever we get, it has to have a balcony!"
"We should get one on the highest floor so we can look out onto the city!"
"Oh my god yes!"
"We should get a dog too!"
"Blaine" Kurt deadpanned, his voice instantly switching from excitement he felt seconds before.
"But Kurt" Blaine whined, pouting his lips in a way he knew Kurt could never resist. "Dogs are so cute though."
"Cats are easier to keep though" Kurt reasoned.
"You know you would love a happy little dog running around the place" Blaine nudged Kurt's shoulder. "Dogs make everything that little bit brighter and happier."
"I don't need a dog for that -" Kurt said as he turned to look at Blaine, "I have you." They smiled softly at each other. "And besides, as amazing as that all sounds, I actually really don't care if we ended up in the biggest penthouse apartment overlooking the Manhattan skyline or in a tiny shoebox apartment where the floorboards creak and its damned with a temperamental heating system, as long as I'm with you and we're together, that will always be more than enough for me."
It had already been just under week since Kurt and Blaine had returned home from their New York adventure and although they were still suffering from a severe case of the travel blues, they settled back into their lives quickly. But now that they had had a piece of New York, all they wanted and craved since they had been back was the whole cake. Those three days had given them a taste as to what their lives could truly be like in the future and all they wanted was for that dream to start right now. However long before any of that was even a possibility of happening, they still had Kurt's impending results hanging over them. With Christmas being just over three weeks away, the last thing any of them wanted was bad news. Bad news was certainly something they didn't want to see the New Year in with.
It was the Sunday night, a week after his and Kurt's return when Blaine decided he was ready in every possible way.
The five of them had all just had dinner together and because Carole had to rush off to her night shift, the four men cleared the table and washed the dishes between them when suddenly the doorbell rang. Finn, Blaine and Burt peered their heads around the corner when all they could hear from the direction of the front door was incessant squealing.
"I just got back like a couple of hours ago and as soon as I caught up with my dad's, I had to come see you and Finn!" they heard Rachel squeal. The two of them eventually made it past the front door and walked into the kitchen, making cups of tea and stockpiling a whole packet of biscuits before making a swift exit to Kurt's room, the two of them proclaiming they had "so much to catch up on!" The three remaining men smiled between them as they heard the two best friends share excited chatter until it became inaudible; it was a comfort to know Kurt had such great friends at times like these. With the dishes washed and put away, Finn also excused himself to go upstairs as Rachel insisted he and Blaine join their respective others as soon as they were finished so that they could all catch up together.
"This was the perfect opportunity" Blaine thought.
"You coming man?" Finn asked, him and Blaine the only two in the kitchen as Burt was already sitting in the living room, flicking aimlessly through the television.
"I'll be there in a minute" he nodded before Finn nodded back at him and thundered up the stairs.
Just go. Ask him. It'll be fine.
Blaine took a deep breath to compose himself before he walked into the living room with his head held high.
"Hey kiddo. You not joining the reunion party upstairs?" Burt chuckled.
"I will" Blaine smiled as he sat next to Burt on the two seater sofa. "I was hoping, if you have some time to spare, I could talk to you about something first?"
"It's a Sunday night - of course I've got time to spare" Burt laughed. "And besides, for you, it wouldn't matter what time it is or what I was doing, I always have time to talk to you - anytime." Blaine couldn't help but think how not only did Kurt luck out in having such an amazing person for a father, but he himself lucked out in having Burt take on the role of a father figure for him too. Burt switched off the TV, turning his full attention to Blaine. "What's on your mind kiddo?"
"It's nothing bad" Blaine rushed out. "And erm, before you say no or completely shoot me down, I really, really need you to know that this isn't some impulsive decision or something I've taken lightly. I've - well, I've been thinking about this for a long time and even more so recently."
"Okay?" Burt said, confusion laced in his voice. "What's going on bud?"
"Okay" Blaine breathed out a breath he didn't even realise he was holding in. God he really was so nervous! "I'm just going to come right out and say it and well, Burt, I would like to ask for your permission to ask Kurt to marry me."
A silence fell upon the two men and as if that wasn't the longest 5 seconds of Blaine's life. "Oh" Burt eventually said. Blaine couldn't gauge if his initial reaction was good or bad but any confusion he had was completely gone within the next few seconds as Burt started smiling and laughing at him. "Is that it kid?!" Burt chuckled as he clapped his hand on Blaine's shoulder. "You kind of scared me for a minute then!"
"What do you mean 'is that it' - you're not - I mean, you're not going to say we're too young or, or anything?" Blaine was floored. Of course he hoped to come out of this conversation with the answer he wanted more than anything from Burt but he hadn't expected this level of calmness from the man.
"Look, Blaine - "Burt softly began, " - If we're going to play the age card then yeah, you guys are young but as far as I'm concerned, your relationship and the maturity that you and Kurt show is light years beyond your ages. You know, in my opinion, some of the key points to a marriage is having a strong relationship, good communication and being a support system for your partner, and anyone can see that you guys have that. And I think, as awful as these last few months have been, it's been a testament to your relationship too because, well, things have been tough. You know, sometimes when things are tough, people don't always handle the situation well - you could have run away, deciding it was too much - "Blaine softly shook his head at the thought. There was no way he ever could have abandoned the love of his life when he needed him the most. " - and Kurt could have pushed you away- anything could have happened but it's like if anything, throughout this whole adversity, it's only made you both stronger and not just a stronger relationship and support system for each other but stronger as individuals. But look Blaine, I've had nearly nineteen years to get to know my son; I can read him inside out like a novel I've read a thousand times. I know, with all of my heart, that you are the one for him. He's at his peak when he's around you. His smile is wider, his eyes shine brighter - he is the happiest I've ever seen him when you're around and that is all I've ever wanted for him but more than anything, I couldn't be happier or prouder that he found all of that with such an upstanding man like you. So, to put it into layman's terms, you absolutely have my permission. Heck, you've had it for quite some time if I'm honest" Burt confessed. He knew that first night in the hospital when Kurt was diagnosed that he would marry Blaine. He knew the day Blaine made the decision to put his education on hold to stay by Kurt's side. He knew when Blaine organised a whole fundraiser event not only to help with medical funds, but simply to make Kurt smile. He knew that day when he and Blaine went fishing and they talked about becoming in laws one day because to Burt, it wasn't a possibility, it was an inevitability. This day had been coming for a long time and Burt knew that.
"I know you will but just promise me one thing?" Burt asked
"Of course" Blaine complied. "Anything."
"Promise me that you'll love my son every single day. Promise me that you will support him and love and cherish him and tell him every day how much you love him. Life is too short to not let the people you know how much you love them."
"Burt, I can say quite easily that that is the easiest promise I'll ever have to keep" Blaine said softly, his left hand unconsciously curled over his heart. "I have no intention of ever stopping loving your son. He's the love of my life" Blaine simply replied. Burt smiled, so proud of the man sitting in front of him.
"Well kiddo, I for one cannot wait for you to become my son in law. If I may say so, I think my son has made an excellent choice."
"Well, he hasn't said 'yes' yet Burt" Blaine laughed coyly, blushing slightly as he bowed his head.
Burt scoffed lightly at Blaine. In his head, all Burt could see was Kurt's smile whenever he was with Blaine, how utterly content and peaceful he looks whenever the two of them snuggle on the couch. Burt thought about the way Kurt had looked at Blaine during the fundraiser, the tears of pure love and happiness he had shed that night as Blaine spoke and performed just for him, complete love and adoration written all over his face. Burt thought about how Kurt had let Blaine into things outside of the family, nobody would ever know. He thought about how Kurt had taken Blaine to Elizabeth's grave just last month, a cherished monument in the Hummel Hudson household that barely anyone outside of the family is privy to. Burt had no doubt in his mind that Blaine was the man his son was going to marry.
"He will" Burt said with absolute surety. "That is something I know for certain."
Two whole days had passed since Blaine's conversation with Burt and ever since the words 'yes' had passed through Burt's lips, thoughts and ideas about the proposal had refused to leave Blaine's head. One aspect he was certain of is that he would propose to Kurt on Christmas day. It was now Wednesday and although Blaine had already previously arranged to see David now that he was home for the Christmas holidays, now with just over a week until Christmas, Blaine added the very important task of finding the perfect ring for the occasion to their to-do list. That was how Kurt found himself alone in the house that very same afternoon. Blaine had left just over an hour ago and so he decided to busy himself by watching a film. As he laid on his bed, engrossed in the storyline playing out, Kurt couldn't help but think just how content he was with his life right now. It was like for nearly two weeks, he had been able to forget he even has Cancer; he hadn't had any chemoradiotherapy sessions since his last one at the end of November, he hadn't had any bouts of sickness as a result of his treatments, he hadn't had any untimely or scheduled trips to the doctors or to the hospital, although he had been extremely lucky with the thinning of his hair, he had found it had stopped thinning as much as it had during his treatment, he hadn't felt the need to take a single painkiller in nearly two weeks and to make things even better, his favourite holiday was just around the corner, Carole was blossoming beautifully in her pregnancy, all of his friend were now home, he had his family around him and Blaine. Blaine was here.
Yeah, Kurt Hummel was pretty darn happy. Until he answered his phone.
"Hello Mr Hummel?"
"Yes" Kurt answered. He recognised the number as soon as it flashed up on his screen.
"Hello I'm calling on behalf of Doctor Rolstone at the Lima Memorial Hospital. We're just calling to inform you that we have received your test results so would it be possible for you be able to come in tomorrow morning at 10?" the woman on the other end asked.
Kurt inhaled deeply.
This was it. Tomorrow could be the day he found out if the cancer was gone or if come the New Year, the cycled would start all over again.
"Mr Hummel?"
He exhaled.
"I'll be there."
Sooo? Are we excited for a certain proposal!? Also, if you didn't figure it out, that as the storyline i was talking about in the A/n above - the one where none of you influenced me to write it because it's always been part of my plan - it's been so hard not to tell you guys when some of you write "can they get married" or stuff along those lines that that storyline has been in my head since before chapter 1 was even a chapter and this story was just scribbled notes on paper!
Just a little note, this chapter has quite a few references to my own life- Amy and Jen are two of my flatmates here at Uni, Carluccio's is a restaurant I've found since I moved to Leicester, When i was on holiday in Florida, I watched the Tony's and thats where I first saw Kinky Boots and became obsessed with the song 'Everybody Say Yeah' (Seriously go listen to it), Kurts love of Christmas stems from my own love of Christmas (i'm in such a good mood now that it's December) - i'm sure theres more but it's nearly 4:40am and my brains a bit shoddy right now
Reviews
RozarieCriss
I'm gonna address both your reviews here honey:)
I'M SORRY FOR THE CLIFFHANGER! I'M EVEN SORRY FOR HOW LONG I MADE YOU WAIT FOR A RESOLUTION!
Awwwh i know this was like 6 months ago but i hope you're okay now and the fact that my story made you happy for a little while, thats honestly such an honour and i'm so glad it done that for you - that is the best compliment I could ever recieve!
Yeahh i cried so hard writing that video tape part too!
Awwh It's always good to hear from you too - i love reading your reviews! But i'm really good thank you and yeah, Uni is great thank youu:) Hope you're okay too!xx
nomorecandles
I hope your results were good and what you wanted/needed!:)
Awwh thank you:) Hope you liked this chapter!xx
Coldkagome
Ahhh i think Kurts luck is about to change though ;)xx
eternityforklaine21
THANK YOU SO MUCH BABE!:)
it's going to have two more chapters - Chapter 18 and an Epilouge :)
I JUST REALISED I NEVER REPLIED TO YOUR PM - Oh my god that was like the day before i moved to uni and i was so busy and i've just realised - I will message you later and catch up!xx
Anonymous comment
I have cried several times showing.g you just how good a writer you are!
That honestly means so much to me - like that makes me so happy in the best way possible thank you so much! I'd quite happily write this story forever but unfortunately it's coming to it's natural end :( theres still two more chapters though!xx
Mel Reed
Oh my god you are so welcome! Thank you for the amazing review! it's reviews like yours that give me so much motivation to keep going!:)xx
Mandymacca
Awwh thanks babe! Hope you enjoyed this chapter:)xx
oo Countess D oo
Yeahh i think you're going to be one of the people happy with this chapter then ;) :Dxx
So guys, although i still havent finished this story, I thought i might as well tell you all that after this story, I AM planning to write another one! it's a aspect in Klaine fics that I've been interested in for a few months now and im already festering ideas for it and writing random ideas on my phone - i don't want to give away details or anything yet because I'm still not 100% on the in's and out's but one thing that is certain is that it will be a future fic and so Kurt and Blaine will be in their 20's or so so basically, if you're interested in my writing, I will be writing another story and i promise to be more organised with this one!
BACK TO THIS STORY THOUGH - my first baby:) Please review and let me know what you thought! This is one chapter i can't wait to hear what you guys thought and will certainly brighten my day when I'm stuck in the library all day revising for my exams next week!
Until next time honeybunches!(L)xxx