Happy Saturday! I hope you're having a wonderful weekend!

I'm very happy to announce I finished writing this story last night. It'll have 28 chapters total, which makes it my longest story to date. I can't wait to share it with you guys!

Thank you for all the lovely reviews. Hope you'll like this one as well.

I own nothing!

On Sunday, Sam sat across from him at their favorite diner, bouncing Max distractedly on his lap, and watching Blaine with bright, eager eyes. "So?

Blaine took a sip from his Diet Coke and raised his eyebrows at him over the glass. He licked the sugary after-taste of the drink off his lips afterwards. "So, what?"

"Aren't you going to thank me and tell me you love me for setting you up with Daniel?" Sam asked, looking very pleased with himself.

Blaine rolled his eyes. "I may have to reconsider seeing him again if you're going to become too annoying." He leaned across the table to wipe a little smudge leftover from his meal from Max's mouth. "But he's kind of amazing."

"I would have introduced you two sooner if he hadn't been married to that asshole," Sam answered. Then he looked down at Max apologetically. "I mean, bad man. Very bad man."

"It's terrible, what his ex-husband did to him," Blaine shook his head. He couldn't imagine ever doing that to someone. He especially couldn't imagine doing it to someone he was supposed to love more than anyone else in the world. "I'm glad he could get rid of him. Can you imagine, how hard it must be, knowing you were living in such a nasty lie?"

"Some people are just heartless, I guess. They can't appreciate what they have. I felt bad for Daniel when I heard. He's truly one of the good guys. He didn't deserve it," Sam reached for his glass and took a sip. "Which makes it even better that you two hit it off. Are you going to see him again, then?"

Blaine looked down at his empty plate, only a few crumbles left there as evidence of his burger's previous existence, as he thought about it. He liked Daniel. He was a kind guy, respectful, attractive, interesting. It was hard finding guys like him nowadays. It seemed stupid not to see him again. He glanced at Max for a moment, wondering. He had no idea how to do the dating thing having a baby to worry about at the same time. But he guessed that, like with everything else so far, he would have to figure it out as he went.

"I think I will, yes," Blaine replied, and Sam gave him a bright grin of approval.

Suddenly, there were little dates during the week. Sometimes, Daniel would show up on campus, boxes of Chinese food, or sandwiches from the deli, and surprise Blaine in his office or between classes. There were stolen kisses when they didn't have enough time to even finish swallowing their food before they had to be back at work. Blaine met him for coffee twice in the afternoon, as well, before heading home. They sat close at their table, ankles knocking against each other, and flirted and talked until their coffee went cold, completely unnoticed on the table.

It was weird, having this. It was like being a teenager again, delighted with every interaction, a smile easy on his lips as soon as he thought of Daniel.

They hadn't gone out for dinner again yet, because Blaine didn't want to abuse Kurt's kindness by asking him to stay with Max on a Friday or Saturday night again. He knew the easy solution was to invite Daniel over to his place, maybe cook dinner and watch a movie, cuddle on the couch, but he wasn't ready to introduce him to Max yet. Max was so important to him, he didn't want to screw it up. He needed more time.

Daniel was very understanding, and Blaine liked that about him, as well. He didn't push, didn't pressure Blaine to find time to go out with him, didn't force himself into Blaine's private spaces. There were things Blaine wasn't ready to share yet, and he appreciated the patience.

Inevitably, though, when no other plans seemed to work because their schedules didn't allow it, Blaine approached Kurt once more, and asked if he was free to stay with Max on Saturday night. Sam had thought it would be a good idea to go out on a double date, and Daniel and him were meeting Sam and his new girlfriend, Mercedes, at the jazz club where she performed.

"Sure," Kurt said, and Blaine thought there was something weird about the way he said it. "No problem."

Blaine was going to ask him if he was okay, but Kurt's phone rang. It was his father, and Kurt never rejected a call from him, so Blaine let him to it in the living room, while he finished getting ready for work.

He probably should have remembered to ask him before he left, but he was on a hurry, as he usually was, and forgot. He called a quick goodbye into the apartment and closed the door behind himself, not seeing the way Kurt's face fell as soon as he was out of sight.

The next couple of weeks, Kurt went out on two dates. Both were with friends of Rachel, guys she promised were perfect for him, that she had been waiting forever to set him up with.

Sometimes he wondered what the hell Rachel saw when she looked at him.

The first guy, Sean, was clearly still too hung up on his ex-boyfriend, because he didn't talk about anything else during the entire time they were sitting at the restaurant. Kurt ordered chicken parmigiana, and that started a 10-minute monologue about how it was his ex's favorite meal in the whole world, and how Sean had learned to make it for their first anniversary. Kurt made a comment on the latest Julia Roberts film, and Sean said they had kissed for the first time watching Notting Hill cuddled on the couch. Kurt mentioned how much he loved fashion, and Sean said his ex had every number of Vogue that had ever been published, mint-condition, like a treasure.

Kurt left the restaurant feeling he knew a lot more about Sean's ex than about Sean himself. He glared at Rachel when she greeted him at the door of their apartment, excitingly asking if he'd had a nice time.

The second guy, Michael, was… well, there was no other way of putting it: he was Kurt's clone. It was like looking in a mirror and finding a slightly whinier version of himself. Everything Kurt liked, Michael liked. Everything Kurt wanted to do, Michael wanted to do as well. Except he expressed his enthusiasm by making really loud noises and gesturing so wildly he almost knocked their beverages twice.

Rachel was making herself a cup of tea in the kitchen when he arrived home. She turned to him with a huge smile that fell as soon as she saw the look on Kurt's face.

"I'm actually scared to ask you why you even thought this would be a good match," Kurt muttered, leaning against the closed door tiredly. "It was so weird, I think I'll have nightmares."

Rachel's face fell. "I'm sorry. I thought you'd hit it off. You have so much in common."

"Too much," Kurt replied, as he shrugged his coat off and put it on the back of a chair.

"I'll choose the next one more carefully, then…"

"Oh no," Kurt said, taking a seat and looking at her, defeated. "I think I'm done with blind dates for now, Rach. Thanks, though. You're a good friend."

Rachel gave him a sad smile. "Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, please," he murmured with a sigh.

Maybe he could have this, for the rest of his life. He and Rachel, two romance-impaired people who loved each other, keeping each other company until they were old and grey. Sure, there would be no sex, but they could still have kids one day, if they wanted to…

God, he was pathetic.

The problem wasn't that there weren't any guys he would like to date. It wasn't that New York was devoid of charming bachelors, of attractive gay men he could go out with, have fun, fall in love with. The problem was that the one his heart currently screamed for was more and more taken every day. He could see the gleam in Blaine's eye when his phone buzzed with a text message, when he came home from work and had seen Daniel during lunch. There was a change in him, one he very much deserved after everything he had gone through, but it pained Kurt to see it anyway.

And, pathetically enough, the thing he was most scared of was that maybe soon, if Blaine and Daniel took things seriously, they wouldn't need Kurt anymore. And it didn't scare him because he didn't want to lose his job.

He didn't want to lose Max.

It was almost heart-wrenching, the way he had fallen in love with that little boy. His smile could illuminate even the darkest of days, and his gentle innocence made Kurt believe that a better world, a happier world, was possible. He loved him. He would miss the hell out of that kid if he never got to see him again…

"I'm being stupid," Kurt said, causing Rachel to look up at him from where she was pouring a second cup of tea.

"What do you mean, sweetie?" She asked, taking a seat across from him and passing him his mug.

"This thing, with Blaine," he rolled his eyes. "I'm making things up in my head, worrying about things I don't know will even happen. I just… I don't want to ruin this. It's a good job. And I love Max. I just need to get over whatever my stupid feelings are doing."

"I don't think your feelings are stupid, Kurt," she said, seriously.

"They are when they do this," he fluttered his hands uselessly around himself, as if trying to explain what this was. "It's probably all from lack of dating and sex. I just need to give it time, but it's driving me insane."

"Maybe you're truly in love with him," Rachel said calmly. "There's nothing wrong with…"

"Everything's wrong with that!" He exclaimed, almost angrily. He covered his eyes with his hand. "I'm not in love with him. I'm not in love with him, Rachel. This is just me being stupid and needing a goddamn boyfriend. I just need to get laid. I'll get over it. I'm not in love with him."

They both knew he just kept saying it as if constantly feeding the lie to himself would make it true, but neither said anything.

It was Tuesday, and Blaine was locking up his office after his last appointment with a student, when his phone began ringing in his coat pocket. He fished it out, and then stared at the name on his screen for so long, the call almost went to voicemail. He accepted it just in time, feeling his mouth dry, dread already pooling in his stomach.

"Hello?"

"Blaine," his mother said in greeting. "Is this a bad time?" She asked, only to do justice to her manners, but Blaine knew she never liked being dismissed, was it or not a bad time.

"No, no, I'm just leaving work. How are you? How's Dad?" The hall was almost empty, so he made his way to a bench and sat down.

"We're both fine, thank you. I'm calling because we're going to New York this weekend. We have a little dinner party on Saturday, with the Collins, for their son's engagement," she said, and maybe Blaine imagined how pointedly she said those words, but it felt like she was trying to make him feel bad about it. "We want to see Max on Sunday."

She didn't ask. She simply made a statement and expected Blaine to agree, whether it was convenient for him or not.

He realized he was sweating. He had last seen them at Cooper and Sara's funeral, when they had argued about Max's custody. They rarely spoke on the phone. This year, he hadn't even received a Christmas card, only an email from his mother that said "Happy Holidays" without even a signature or good wishes.

But they were Max's grandparents. They had a right to see him.

"Uhm, sure," he said, feeling a little dizzy. "What did you…?"

"We'll stop by your place," she said, not waiting for an invitation. "Please send me the address, I'm not sure if I have it."

Blaine had lived in the same apartment for a few years now.

"Of course," he said. His mouth had gone from dry to pasty. "I…"

"Perfect. Then we will see you on Sunday," she interrupted. "Good afternoon."

And just like that, she hung up.

Blaine stayed there, gaping at his phone like a fish, for a few minutes. He wasn't certain he could trust his legs yet. His mother's phone calls were like being hit by a freight train.

He wasn't entirely sure how he even made it home. One second he was still sitting in that bench, the next he was standing in a New York corner waiting for the light to change, and then he was trying to fit his keys in the front door's lock.

Kurt was dancing with Max in the living room, the little boy laughing so hard he drowned out the music playing in the background. There was a huge smile on Kurt's face as he swayed the kid around, and they both turned towards him when they heard him come in.

"Look who's home, Max! Uncle Blaine should join our dance party, don't you think?" Kurt exclaimed, but with a good look at Blaine's face, he stopped. He put Max down gently and turned the music off. "What's wrong?" He asked.

Blaine wondered how he could know with just one look. He looked aside, to the mirror in the little reception area, and saw his face was white as a sheet.

Glancing at Max to make sure he stay put, Kurt walked towards Blaine, grabbed his hand and pulled him to the couch, making him sit carefully. He kneeled on the floor in front of him. "Blaine? Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Blaine finally snapped out of it. Max began to whimper, protesting because the dance party was so suddenly over. Kurt reached behind himself and rubbed Max's back comfortingly, but his eyes were set on Blaine, attentive and worried.

"No, no, I'm fine," Blaine said, touching the back of Kurt's hand fleetingly to reassure him. He laid against the back of the couch, his body going loose after the tension produced by the phone call. "It's just… my mother called."

Kurt frowned. "Is she okay?"

"Yes, yes. Both she and my father are fine," Blaine said dismissively.

Now Kurt arched an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, Blaine. I'm not sure I'm following."

"They're coming to visit on Sunday," Blaine said, and by the look on Kurt's face, he understood this still didn't explain why he seemed so upset. "We're not exactly on speaking terms. We kind of… uhm, I think argued is a very light word to what happened when I last saw them. I'm pretty much sure I screamed at them in the middle of Cooper and Sara's funeral."

"Oh," Kurt said softly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Blaine shrugged, and god, he hadn't realized how tired he was. "It's complicated. We had an incredibly complicated relationship for most of my teenage years, and sometimes I think Coop was the only glue keeping us together."

"Maybe they want to make amends?" Kurt suggested, and when Blaine glanced at him, he shrugged. "Losing a child sometimes sets your priorities straight, Blaine. Maybe they don't want to miss out on being part of your life now. Maybe they realized they were wrong."

Blaine closed his eyes and tried to imagine that. He tried to imagine that his parents would apologize for the many years of indifference, for the lack of love and support, for being so intolerant and distant. He imagined his mother would hug him and his father would pat him on the back, and everything would be okay.

He shook his head. Andrea Anderson hadn't been the warmest of mothers on the phone. She hadn't even asked how he was doing. She hadn't even asked about how Max was doing. "It doesn't really sound like them."

Kurt smiled encouragingly at him. "Give them the benefit of the doubt? If you can't avoid this visit, then it makes no sense to just stress until it happens. Do you know what stress does to you?" He asked, and arched an eyebrow again. "It makes you lose your hair, Blaine. And I'm sorry, it doesn't matter how attractive you are, you cannot pull off a bald spot."

The laughter burst out of Blaine so suddenly he didn't even have time to register that Kurt had said he was attractive, and then that Kurt's face had gone red as soon as he realized.

"It'll be alright," Kurt said softly. "Can I help? Do you want me to buy food for them? Do you want me to help in any way? Maybe moral support?"

"Moral support would be sort of awesome," Blaine said, feeling a little embarrassed at how relieved he was that he wouldn't need to face this alone.

"I'll stop by on Sunday, pretend I forgot my notes for my Monday class or something," Kurt said. "If things are going well, then I'll just go. If not… well, we'll see what happens."

"You are…" Blaine's eyes fixed on Kurt, at a loss for words. How could he even begin to describe Kurt? "You're an angel, Kurt. Sometimes I think Cooper sent you here to make my life easier."

Kurt blushed again. "I… I don't… really know what to say to that," he stammered.

"You don't have to say anything, Kurt." He smiled at him. "Thank you."

Max crawled towards them. Blaine grabbed him to sit him on his lap, and wrapped his arms around him, breathing in the scent of his baby shampoo. That was the biggest comfort he could find.

Blaine just hoped his parents weren't planning on taking him away.

I really enjoyed writing the dynamic between Kurt and Blaine in this story. Please review and let me know what you think about this chapter :)

See you guys next Saturday!

Love,

L.-