Hello! Wow, it's been a while hasn't it? A thousand apologies, and a thousand more after that! Thank you so much to everyone who has stuck with this, even though my updates are no longer structured! It really does mean a lot to me :)
A lot of you were intrigued to see why April was back on the scenes, and I fear I may have built it up a bit. She's back in this chapter for a bit, and she will be coming back again in some future chapters (I hope), but I think some of you were expecting some big revelation or something, and I'm really sorry if this disappoints!
Now I want to say 'thank you' to a few people. Obviously Lu and Kris, because you've helped me through a lot, and I don't know what I'd do without you two :) I-might-BE-slighly-INSANE, you get a thank you for all the laughs we've had over the past eight weeks at school, especially R.S! "Either way you're screwed", eh? ;)
So I hope you all enjoy this, please let me know what you did/did not enjoy, and I really hope to be updating soon! I'm on a week-long half term now from school, so I'm getting closer to updating True Colours as well, so anyone who reads that keep your eyes open for an update hopefully by the end of the week!
Enjoy! C xx
April Rhodes had come far in the past few years. She'd come to realise that, while running Rinky Dinks was a good money earner, it wasn't what she wanted to be doing for the rest of her life. After selling the club (for a rather sizeable amount) April had restarted her pursuit for a career on Broadway that she had left behind years previously. Seven long months of auditions and sign-up sheets and rejections later, April resigned to the thought that she just might be too old to start an acting career.
Whilst attending one of her last auditions that she would ever do, April met a charming, mysterious man by the name of Dustin Goolsby. He had been at the audition to support his sister, Juliet, and had heard April singing, so caught up with her just before she left to compliment her voice. They flirted for a few minutes and April left the theatre with a wide smile and a date for that Friday night. And even though April didn't get the part she'd wanted - or any part for that matter - she hadn't minded, because she soon found out that there was more to life than having your name in lights; there were friends to see, places to visit, and loved ones to cherish. Instead, she and Dustin – after much deliberation – started up their own recording studio in Lower Manhattan. It wasn't much, and they weren't all that well known, but they were helping to support local artists and bands in the first few stages of their careers.
"So you're a producer, now?" Kurt asked, both his and Rachel's eyes wide as they drank in April's story of the past four years. The trio were all stood together, reunited after four years of living their lives, and the small bubble that had formed around them was almost impenetrable. They had been talking for nearly ten minutes now, the three of them just completely oblivious to the party going on around them as they chatted and drank and laughed and joked and reminisced about old times.
"Well, I wouldn't say that," April replied, blushing gently and waving him off. "But I would say that Dustin is. I'm just the charms; he's got all the brains. Trust me, if we ever have kids I seriously hope they get his cleverness because if they get mine they'll be screwed, bless 'em!"
"Look at you, thinking about kids!" Kurt teased. April just beamed even wider.
"Can you still have kids?" Rachel asked, her head tilted slightly to the side.
"Rachel!" Kurt hissed, glaring at her for a few seconds before turning to apologize to April who, to his shock, was laughing.
"Don't worry about it, kid," April gave him a wink and a signature grin before turning to Rachel. "Yes, sweetie, I can still have kids; I'm not that old yet! But the clock is a-ticking so I'm either having one soon or I ain't having any at all! Now if y'all excuse me, I'm gonna go get another drink." And with that she parted from the two younger adults, leaving them both contemplating in silence.
Both Kurt and Rachel began to think about the tiny pitter-patters of feet at the same time, completely unaware they were thinking about the same thing as their neighbour. Rachel considered that, with an engagement ring on her finger, maybe a wedding shouldn't be the only thing with a due date in her life. She and Finn had been together for years now, and what with teaching sports to children Finn really had matured. They'd both come a long way since high school, and Rachel really couldn't think of any reason why they shouldn't at least consider taking that next step. Kurt, on the other hand, could not stop thinking about Blaine; Blaine cuddling a bundle of blankets, or Blaine scooping up a small child in his arms, or Blaine asleep on a sofa with a child snoozing on his chest. The images weren't perfect – they were a little fuzzy around the edges, and the child was never facing him so he couldn't see their face – but they were there, and Kurt could honestly say he didn't think he'd wanted anything else more in his life.
Elsewhere, with the occasional assistance from Finn, Blaine was getting to know the people who had shaped his boyfriend's life. He met Kelly first, and promptly found himself loving her company. She was around 5'3", with her blonde hair – which she assured him was completely natural – cascading down over her shoulders in gentle waves. Her blue eyes lit up when Blaine asked her where she worked, immediately delving into stories of her fifth grade students and the brilliance of teaching ("It's like, every day I can go home knowing that I have passed on these vital nuggets of information to our next generation. I'm serious, Blaine; it's incredible"). He then spoke to Harry for a few minutes, but their height difference was starting to take effect on their neck muscles after a while, and so both made their polite excuses and wandered off back into the party.
"Blaine! There you are!" Blaine looked up to see Finn waving over to him from where he was sat on one of the sofas. Blaine waved back and began to make his way over, throwing a quick glance over in Kurt's direction where his boyfriend now stood with Rachel, their friend April having seemingly disappeared. They were talking quietly, but Blaine couldn't tell if they were upset, angry, serious, or downright bored. Before he could ponder about it any further he found himself in front of Finn, a man with striking blue hair sat smiling next to him. "Blaine, this is George," Finn introduced them, patting George on the back with a heavy hand. "He's an old buddy from college. Well, I actually knew his older brother at the time, he was on the football team with me at NYSA, but George here hit it off with Kurt and Rachel. We've all been good friends ever since." Blaine felt his heart growl in his chest at the thought of George and Kurt together, but quickly recovered when he couldn't recall a 'George' on the list of ex-boyfriends Kurt had told him, and thanked his lucky stars that his throat didn't actually form the noise.
"Nice to meet you," He took George's extended hand and shook it. "I'm Kurt's boyfriend."
"Ah, nice to meet you," George grinned as he retracted his hand. "How did you guys meet?"
"We actually knew each other when we were kids, but only for a year. Me and my family moved here when I was nine, and would you believe it? Sixteen years later, I meet Kurt again!"
"Wow, that's quite a story!" George grinned, his eyebrows slightly raised. "I wish mine was as good as that, but me and Stephanie don't go back that far; only married." He added with a wink, his wedding band suddenly becoming obvious on his finger, and Blaine was thankful his sarcasm was obvious. "In fact, it's four years next week that we met."
"Aww! How did you meet?" Ever the sucker for a romantic story, Blaine sat himself down on a chair next to the sofa Finn and George were sat on, leaning forward on his knees with eyes and ears wide open.
"Well, I moved to Washington a few years ago for my job, and after a few months one of my work colleagues insisted that I let him set me up with this girl he knew. I was a little hesitant at first, but I wasn't exactly fighting off the ladies so I accepted. We went for dinner, got to know each other, and she really was a great girl."
"So was Stephanie the girl you went out with? Was it 'love at first sight'?" Blaine hadn't realised Finn was listening so intently until that moment, and held back a laugh at how Finn seemed more eager to hear the story than he was.
"No," George looked grim for a few seconds, taking in the way both men's faces fell. "Stephanie was her roommate." He finished with a wicked grin and a wink as he took a drink from the beer in his hand. The three men laughed together, Blaine missing the affectionate smile Kurt threw in his direction when he saw how well his boyfriend was getting along with his friends.
"Is she here? Stephanie?" Blaine asked when he regained his composure, gesturing to the crowd of people.
"No, no, she's back in Washington," George told him with a slight crestfallen smile. "She couldn't get out of work, but she did really want to be here." He took his phone out of his pocket and after a few taps here and there held the phone so they could all see the screen. The display was adorned with the image of a beautiful redhead, a wide grin on her face as she cuddled a small white Bichon Frisé puppy.
"Aww, cute! Who's that little guy?" The grin on Finn's face seemed like it would never fade as he gazed at the pup, seeming to pay no attention to Stephanie.
"That's Archie," George smiled fondly. "He's a lot bigger than that now, but he's just as cute, if not cuter, now! We got him last year; advice from the parents when we started discussing kids: 'If you can't look after a puppy, you can't look after a baby'." George quoted in a high-pitched voice, most likely an imitation of either his own mother or Stephanie's. Finn and Blaine both laughed at the impression, but Blaine found his thoughts wandering away from him.
"God, I wish we could get a puppy," He heard Finn saying. "But I don't know if we're allowed one in this building…"
Kurt would be an amazing father, Blaine found himself thinking. He glanced across the room to try and find his boyfriend, but in his seated position it was hard to see much further than those closest to him. He turned back to the conversation, nodding and smiling and laughing when appropriate, with his mind completely occupied by thoughts of Kurt asleep on the sofa, two smaller bodies curled up next to him.
He wasn't sure how long he had been daydreaming about him and Kurt becoming parents, but a high-pitched beeping to his left startled him back to the present. "Aww man," Finn groaned as he read the text he had just received. "Puck's been roped into a night shift and can't come! I'd better go tell Rachel…" And with that he stood up and left, winding through the crowd until he found his girlfriend. Blaine could see George in his peripheral vision, the two of them not really sure what they should do considering how little they knew each other.
"So, you and Kurt, huh?" George asked, tilting his head to the side slightly and smiling warmly.
"Yeah, me and Kurt," Blaine grinned in reply, unable to keep the fluttering feeling in his chest down for long.
"How long have you two been together?"
"Not long," Blaine frowned at the memory of how he had been with Sebastian when he and Kurt had met, but it soon dissolved when he added. "But we've known each other for ages. Seems a bit stupid that we weren't together before."
"Ah, I know how that is," George nodded solemnly. "But everything happens for a reason, right? And you two are together now; that's all that matters, any way you slice it."
Blaine chuckled and agreed, taking a sip of his beer just as the crowd parted briefly in front of him. He saw a quick glimpse of Kurt, his face bright with a radiant smile, and even over the din of the party Blaine could hear the musical tones of his laughter. George was right; it didn't matter how he and Kurt had gotten together, or how long it had taken them, as long as it stayed that way.
"Well," Finn sighed heavily as he dropped onto the sofa, wrapping an arm around Rachel's shoulders. "That was brilliant." Kurt smiled from the adjacent sofa, his fingers carefully playing with Blaine's curls as his boyfriend snoozed in his lap. The four of them were the only ones left, with the rest of the party having departed and Mr and Mr Berry staying in a local hotel. Blaine had been asleep some thirty minutes, having found his way back to Kurt over an hour ago and refusing to leave his boyfriend's side for the remainder of the night. He was still holding onto one of Kurt's hands, clutching it tightly to his chest as he slept.
"I'll say," Rachel agreed, snuggling into her fiancé's side. "It was great seeing everyone again; my Dads and April and- and everyone. It was brilliant. Thank you." She leant up and planted a kiss on Finn's cheek, leaving a red lip print on the side of his face. She yawned and snuggled back into Finn, falling asleep in seconds with a peaceful smile on her face.
"I thought Rachel only had one glass of champagne?" Kurt gazed at his friend in confusion and awe, amazed at how much of a lightweight Rachel had become since their high school days.
"She did…" Finn frowned as he watched his fiancée sleeping in his lap. "At least, I think she did. How many beers did Blaine have?" Finn nodded towards Blaine, who stirred slightly in his sleep when Finn said his name.
"I, uh… I have no idea," Kurt realised that he hadn't really spent that much time with Blaine that night, and although he knew that Blaine could hold his drink, he wasn't exactly sure how much that was. "But I think I'd better get him home or he'll be seriously grouchy in the morning." He gave Blaine's hand a gentle squeeze, smirking when his boyfriend grumbled in his sleep.
"It's really great to see you so happy," Finn remarked into the silence. Kurt looked up to see Finn watching them and blushed slightly. He and Finn had been friends for quite a while, but it was very rare that they ever spoke to each other in such a manner. Or, to be more accurate, it was rare for Finn to be so affectionate towards anyone other than Rachel or his mother.
"I am happy," Kurt confirmed, more to himself than to Finn. "I just can't believe I'm so lucky, y'know?" Finn tilted his head to the side, reminding of Kurt of his boyfriend's own puppy-like ways.
"How so?"
"Well, me and Blaine knew each other when we were kids, right?" Finn nodded, but his facial expression showed no sign of being any closer to understanding. "Well, when he left, I lost my best friend. And then I haven't exactly had the best romantic history, have I? I mean, there was Jason in High School, but-"
"But he was an asshole." Finn interjected, his face darkening slightly.
"Yes, he was an asshole." Kurt agreed with a firm nod of his head. He knew how much Finn hated his first boyfriend, if the black eye and broken nose Jason miraculously obtained after he broke up with Kurt was anything to go by. "And then there was Alex, but that was just a crush on a straight guy… First of many, it would seem." Kurt waved off the statement with his hand, an attempt to be blasé that Finn could see straight through. His brow furrowed in concern, watching Kurt from across the room as his body language changed with the mention of each ex-boyfriend. "Richard was just- Urgh, I can't even talk about him anymore. Same goes for Tom. I don't even think of them as ex-boyfriends anymore; they're just people-who-used-to-be-in-my-life-that-I-don't-care-about-anymore. Seriously, when I think about it, the only one I can stomach to think about is Daniel," Finn's expression lightened slightly, knowing that Kurt's last boyfriend, Daniel, had been the closest Kurt had gotten to 'The One'. Daniel had been a sweet, loving, genuinely romantic boyfriend; the ones Kurt had fantasized about during his teenage years. They had broken up nearly two years ago now, their seven-month relationship being torn apart by Daniel's promotion that whisked him away to Seattle. They had ended on as good a terms as they could manage, Daniel assuring Kurt that he would find the person he was meant to be with. And it had been in that moment that Kurt had thought of Blaine for the first time in seven months, a fleeting image of what he had still believed his childhood friend would look like in present day, Rolex and all.
"And now Blaine," Finn added softly, his voice only just loud enough to penetrate Kurt's thoughts. Kurt looked to him, a dazed but confused expression on his face. "Blaine will be the one you will always be able to talk about, because I don't think you're going to be with anyone else for the rest of your life." Kurt was stunned into silence, his breath and any remnants of words or sound caught in his throat. Finn took the silent opportunity to continue. "I'm serious, Kurt. He has completely changed you, and for the better definitely. I haven't seen you so happy since Daniel, and yes I know you haven't been sad or depressed, but you haven't been happy." Finn gestured to Blaine. "He's changed that. I'm telling you, Kurt; I think he's The One for you."
The two men sat in silence together, their partners still sleeping soundly beside them. "Thank you, Finn," Kurt choked out, his voice a mangled whisper that only just managed to escape his throat. He collected himself and looked down at Blaine, feeling completely overwhelmed with the warm feeling of utter devotion swelling inside his chest. "Blaine, honey," He said gently, rocking his boyfriend carefully until he began to stir. "Blaine, we're going to go home now, so you need to get up, okay?"
"Mmno," Blaine grumbled, clinging onto Kurt. "Comfy here."
"Tough luck, sweetie," Kurt chuckled, shifting his hips so that Blaine had to sit up. "You need to wake up in your own bed; otherwise you're going to be incredibly grouchy in the morning."
"Don't wanna," Blaine whined as Kurt hauled him up to his feet, slumping into his boyfriend's taller frame when he was upright.
"I'll see you later, Finn," Kurt gave a half-wave, only allowing his hand to leave his boyfriend for a second before putting it back, keeping Blaine upright being at the forefront of his mind. "And thank you." Finn simply nodded in reply before offering to help Kurt walk Blaine to the door. "No, no, it's fine; I've got him," Kurt assured him. "Besides, you have your own sleeping beauty to deal with." He winked at Finn with a nod towards Rachel, who was still sleeping soundly cuddled into him.
A brief, stage-whispered goodbye between them and Kurt was out of the apartment, stumbling under the weight of a drunken Blaine who was giggling and slurring the whole way down to the street. It had been a task getting Blaine to stay upright in the elevator (no way was Kurt risking the stairs with Blaine in this condition), but now, while Kurt was trying to hail a taxi for the two of them, it was even harder.
Finally able to flag a cab down, Kurt piled Blaine into the back seat before slipping in next to him and keeping him propped up as he told the driver their address.
"He better not be sick in here." The driver informed him gruffly as Blaine groaned after the car halted to an abrupt stop.
"Maybe next time you should be a little gentler on the brakes." Kurt retorted, his eyes barely leaving his boyfriend.
Finally home, Kurt got Blaine safely into his own bedroom, settling him down on his bed before carefully undressing him. Knowing that any form of bright light would be like torture to Blaine in this state, Kurt took care of him by the light from the hallway with the door to Blaine's bedroom ajar but not fully open.
Kurt left his boyfriend tucked up in bed in a pair of old Dalton sweats he had found in his boyfriend's closet, one of the last pieces of Blaine's clothing not to have moved into Kurt's room, and headed to the kitchen. He returned carrying a glass of water with a straw in it and an old washing-up bowl that was kept under the sink for such situations.
"Blaine?" Kurt crouched next to his boyfriend, gently brushing a stray curl or two from his face. "Baby, I need you to drink this water for me, okay?" Blaine blinked at him sleepily before his gaze moved to the glass of water. He groaned and buried his head into the pillow, curling his body up under the duvet.
"N'more drink," He grumbled. "Don' wan' n'more to drink."
"You have to, sweetie," Kurt persisted calmly, stroking Blaine's curls in an attempt to calm him down. "Otherwise you're going to feel very ill in the morning."
"Feel ill now." Blaine pouted back, peeking over the covers at Kurt.
"Well you'll feel even worse in the morning if you don't drink this for me," Kurt could see why his Dad had expected him to be either a doctor or a teacher; he had inherited his mother's ability to care for absolutely anyone, with that gentle persistence that made him see it through to the end, even if his 'patient' wasn't so thrilled about it. "I'm not saying you have to drink it all; just a little bit? For me?" Those last two words were the final two blows to Blaine's resolve that made it crumble. He pulled the covers back down and stared back at Kurt for a few seconds before shifting closer. Kurt held the straw out for him and Blaine took a few small sips before retreating again, but Kurt was still satisfied. He gently placed the glass onto the bedside cabinet before making sure the bowl was in the right sort of area should Blaine feel the need to use it. He rose from his crouching position and placed a gentle kiss to Blaine's temple before departing for his own bedroom. Dressing quickly, he decided that he could skip his skin regime for one night, even though he was usually more diligent after consuming alcohol, and headed back into Blaine's room. Making sure all the lights were switched off throughout the apartment, Kurt quietly slipped into bed behind Blaine and caressed his back and shoulders gently to let him know he was there. As much as he wanted to cuddle up to his boyfriend, there was no way he was risking Blaine being sick on him. Instead, he kept a small distance between them with a hand constantly in contact with Blaine's body, either softly stroking his arm or rubbing his shoulders gently, just to make sure that Blaine knew he was there taking care of him.
Aww, a little bit of fluff in there :D See how differently Kurt looks after Blaine when he's drunk than Sebastian did way back in chapter 7? :)
Now, I'm not going to have a rant, mainly because I haven't seen The Break Up, but I am going to say that it's not going to affect anything I write. This story, and True Colours, will remain a HEA story. If you read my profile, I did say that I will always try to write HEAs. Of course there will be a story or drabble that isn't all butterflies and rainbows, but I gotta write some angst somewhere, people! But yes, my point was that you don't have to worry about anything breaking these boys up, cos I ain't gonna let that happen ;)
I also want to send my best wishes and deepest condolences to everyone and anyone who has been affected by Tropical Storm Sandy that hit the east coast at midnight GMT last night. A group of students from my school went out there last Thursday, and I have no idea when they're meant to be back but I have a feeling the storm has affected it. My best to everyone who has been affected Xxxxxxx
