"I should have known you two couldn't be tasked with the responsibility of naming a child anything sensible," Santana says when she walks into their room the next day. Blaine looks up anxiously from where he's tucked in the corner of the couch, feeding Libby, his eyes flicking to Kurt in worry.
"Is it terrible?" Kurt asks warily. "Do you hate it?"
"It's perfect and I love it," Santana laughs, sitting down next to Blaine and touching the baby's tiny foot in a brief hello. "No one uses their middle name anyway, Kurt, yours is Elizabeth but I hear very few people walking around calling you by your full name. Only Blaine when you say something shocking. No...you got this right. I think your mom would be really touched," she says, smiling at Blaine. "Did your dad see her yet?"
"Yeah, he came with Burt and Carole yesterday," he says quietly. "He uh...he cried. A lot."
"To be expected though," Santana says, laying a hand on his arm. "I mean, it's been two months, not long at all. Plus, it was a huge shock. No one had any time to prepare."
"I know," he says, nodding. "I'm all too aware of how bittersweet this moment is, trust me."
Santana shuffles closer, kissing his cheek and looking down at the baby who stares back with big blue eyes. "I'm sorry," she says quietly. "Of course you are."
"Ugh," Blaine splutters, forcing a smile. "No, it's fine. I'm sorry. Tired, y'know? It's all very well and good having a private room like this but you're expected to get up and tend to her yourself in the night."
"That's kinda what you have to do with babies that are yours," she grins, noticing how Kurt has nodded off in the arm chair. "As I understand it, when you go home you also have to get up in the night too, the neighbor down the hall doesn't come rushing in to attend to her needs."
"Six times," he whispers, horrified. "She woke up six times between ten and six. And to think I was worried she would cry in the night and we wouldn't hear her? Nuh-uh. She bellows."
"Maybe she picked up a few of my traits while she was in there," Santana smiles proudly, stroking Libby's hand where it clutches Blaine's finger tightly. "Good girl."
"You okay?" Blaine asks, shifting Libby to his shoulder to wind her. "I mean, do you feel okay? Physically and...emotionally?
"I'm good," she smiles. "I have to admit I was worried. I thought I might not be able to look at her, or touch her for a few days but I can," she says, smoothing a hand over Libby's soft hair to prove her point. "And it doesn't feel weird. I think if she had looked like me in any way I might have found it harder, but there is absolutely no way she could have come from me," she smiles. "So I'm glad you used Kurt's...y'know."
"Santana!" Blaine laughs. "Are you getting bashful over the word sperm?"
"No...it's just...she's here now. It doesn't feel right to think of her like that. Cute," she smiles. "She's fallen asleep on your shoulder. She really does look like her papa. Is she everything you dreamed?"
"And more," Blaine grins, sniffing into Libby's neck and sighing contentedly. "If someone had asked me twenty years ago, to describe my future husband and subsequent child I couldn't have even come close to the perfection that is the pair of them. Look." Getting up, he carries Libby over to where Kurt lies curled in the armchair, setting her down in the crook of his arm, smiling indulgently as Kurt snuffles in his sleep, his arm automatically coming protectively around the baby, holding her tight. "Just...amazing," Blaine says quietly.
"You know what we should do, while they're sleeping?" Santana asks as she joins him to look down at them.
"What?"
"Put them in ridiculous poses and take pictures of them."
"Oooh, tempting..."
"And fun," she finishes for him. "We can start by putting this pacifier in Kurt's mouth. Or is that some weird kink of yours that I don't know about?"
"Ew, no! And Kurt and I are not kinky."
Santana stops, pacifier in hand as she looks at Blaine and laughs. "Oh Blaine. In all the years I've known you that's the funniest joke you've ever made."
"Mr. Hummel-Anderson!" the exasperated nurse shouts into the room. "Whichever one, it doesn't matter. A word, please!"
Kurt scurries out into the corridor after her, smiling benignly and he hopes, innocently at her. "Can I help you?"
"This is a hospital!" she fumes. "At my last count, you had fifteen visitors in that room, plus the three of you and now I find two more in the hallway trying to locate you!"
"Ooh. Who?"
"I don't know who," she snaps. "I realize you're excited about your daughters arrival, and I understand that you want to share this time with your family and friends, but can you please keep it to a maximum of four visitors at any one time, please. You are not the Royal Family."
"Yes, certainly," Kurt smiles politely as he spies Ken and Gill heading down the corridor laden down with gifts. "I do apologize."
Satisfied, the nurse turns and stalks off down the hallway, glaring at Ken and Gill as she passes. "Is this a bad time?" Gill asks with concern.
"Not at all!" Kurt says happily. "Come on in. We're having quite the party."
The party carries on all afternoon, even though the nurse tells them three more times about visitor numbers before eventually realizing they're not going to comply. Libby is passed around everyone while Kurt and Blaine open multiple gifts and enjoy showing off their beautiful daughter. Wes and Kathy surprise Santana with an enormous bouquet of flowers and earrings to match the pendant, while Rachel announces she's booked them a spa weekend which Santana actually looks quite excited about.
Libby receives endless amounts of clothes and soft toys from everyone, which Kurt and Blaine gush over. The visitor numbers swell to twenty two with the arrival of Nick, Jeff, Lacy and Anna with her husband Marcus, by which time the nurse looks in danger of a coronary, and so gradually people say their goodbyes- with all the Ohio contingent booked into a nearby hotel and promising to visit them at home tomorrow. Left with Riccardo, Lucia, Anna and Marcus, Kurt and Blaine revel in the relative quiet as Anna cradles the baby and instructs her husband to hand over the gifts
"I know this little lady will have all sorts of wonderful clothes," she says, smiling at them both. "But I couldn't resist the opportunity to make her a few more."
"Gorgeous," Kurt says, unwrapping the delicate tissue paper to reveal a floral patterned dress with matching booties. "And actually, Blaine's mom knitted a cardigan that will match perfectly. Thank you."
"I'm afraid Riccardo shopped for our gift," Lucia explains. "I can only apologize."
"No, no, you like! Blaine! You want Libby to be musical, yes? So she learn!"
Laughing, Blaine unwraps the xylophone, smiling until he realizes the accompanying noise a gift like that will bring.
"For when she's older," Riccardo says happily. "Bang bang, yes?"
"Yes," Blaine says weakly.
"And look! See what I did," he says, pressing a cd into Blaine's hand. "The album of piano concertos we made? I named it. You hold first copy in your hand."
Blaine turns it over, the first album he has ever made where he plays piano solo on every track. 'Lullabies for Libby,' it says, and Blaine's heart swells with pride.
"That's amazing," Kurt says softly. "Just...wonderful. Thank you, Riccardo. Thank you."
"Will you bring her on tour?" Riccardo asks excitedly. "In the summer? Please? Then I can say to everyone 'here she is!'"
"Um...well...we haven't really spoken about it, it's still four months away," Kurt says, embarrassed at being put on the spot. "Um..."
"Makes no difference to me," Anna says happily. "If you want to take off over the summer then go for it. We're booked in for Phantom starting September, you can design while you're on the road."
"Blaine?" Kurt asks quietly.
"I said I wouldn't do summer tours again," he says with a shake of his head. "You wanted to take Libby on vacation."
"We could do that after?"
"You want to go?" Blaine asks in surprise.
"Yes," he laughs. "I think it would be so much fun. I'm sure Lucia and Gill would help me out."
"I would love to," Riccardo's wife says happily.
"Um..." Blaine starts, but Kurt cuts him off.
"You know it would be fun," he grins. "Say yes, go on, say yes."
"Yes!" he cries, pulling Kurt into a quick kiss as Riccardo cheers. "Anything for you," he whispers quietly into Kurt's ear, "anything for both of you."
Nine o'clock the next morning finds Kurt and Blaine standing nervously outside the hospital, holding Libby in her car seat between them. "You can drive," Kurt says, staring out toward the parking lot.
"No, I think you should."
"I can't," Kurt whispers.
"You're gonna have to drive her somewhere eventually," Blaine tries to reason. "That's why we got two cars."
"I know but...not yet. Please drive. You've been driving longer than I have," he wheedles. "And I'm so young..."
"Kurt!" Blaine laughs loudly. "Okay, okay, I'll drive. But don't let me fall asleep at the wheel."
However nervous they are for the journey home, it is nothing compared to the all encompassing fear and dread they feel when they close the apartment door behind them and realize they're now in sole charge of a baby.
"Holy shit," Kurt says, stood frozen in the hallway. "This is it."
"It is," Blaine nods. "Can you believe they think we're responsible enough for this? I'm sure they'll come calling soon, saying there's been some mistake."
"She's sleeping, at least," Kurt sighs. "So...what now?"
"We could put her in silly positions and take pictures of her?"
"Blaine!" Kurt admonishes. "No! You wouldn't do that, would you?"
"Nope," Blaine says quickly, thinking of the forty plus photos he has already of Libby in various poses. He's particularly fond of the one which looks like she's wearing Kurt's shoes. "Never."
"Let's put her in the crib then make out like a couple of sex-starved teenagers," Kurt says decisively, and Blaine follows willingly.
"Oh my god, come here," Blaine whispers the second Libby is settled. "Let me kiss you, properly. It's been two whole days since my tongue was..."
He is silenced by Kurt's mouth on his in a kiss almost bruising in its intensity. He welcomes the feel of Kurt's tongue against his lips, moaning happily and opening his mouth wider. "I think we should move this to our room," he gasps when Kurt starts to bite his neck. "We'll hear her if she wakes."
"I don't think we have long," Kurt says, backing him down the hallway and removing his own shirt while he's at it. "She was fed three hours ago. It's only a matter of time."
Blaine's eyes travel over him appreciatively in a manner which still sets Kurt's heart racing. "I can be quick."
"Aw honey, I know you can," Kurt teases, reaching for his sweater and tugging it over his head.
Blaine, growls, making Kurt laugh loudly and he falls willingly onto the bed with Blaine landing on top of him. Still laughing, Blaine pins Kurt's arms above his head and kisses down his body, teasing the nipples of his shirtless husband until he's writhing beneath him. Rubbing his hand over the bulge in the front of Kurt's jeans, Blaine yanks his t-shirt over his head before pressing his bare torso to Kurt, both of them groaning happily.
"Blaine?" Kurt gasps, his body arching under his touch.
"Mmm?"
"I want it hard, fast and rough."
"Thank you for your order, sir," Blaine chuckles, kneeling between Kurt's legs and unbuttoning his fly. "Will that be all?"
"A side order of heavy marking but not above my collar line, and for dessert I'll be requiring sweet kisses and lazy cuddles."
"Coming right up," Blaine grins, pressing his face into Kurt's hip, running his tongue out before sucking a large purple mark just above the bone. He pretends not to hear the first, tiny cry that comes, and he knows Kurt does too by the way his body tenses under him but he carries on tugging at his hair. The second one is louder though, and he groans and kisses Kurt's stomach sweetly. The third and forth come quickly followed by a subsequent burst of wailing that Blaine is pretty sure can be heard by the whole of Illinois. "Ugh," he groans, and Kurt pushes lightly at his shoulders.
"I'll go."
"Cockblocked by a two day old baby," he groans as Kurt carries her into the room.
"Ooh grumpy, grumpy daddy," Kurt says to Libby in his best baby talk voice. "I know it sucks," he says to Blaine, "but look. Look how cute she is."
"Hear how loud she is," Blaine grumbles, kissing the top of her head. "Guess I'll be making up some formula then."
"Hey! I'm here!" Santana calls loudly as she opens the door. "And I have your parents with me. Oh for goodness sake, Kurt! Why is your shirt in the hall?"
"I forgive you for all your cockblocking," Blaine whispers to Libby as he pulls his t-shirt back on. "The alternative could have been so much worse."
"Are you two naked?" Santana calls, knocking on their bedroom door.
"Seriously!" Kurt yells over Libby's wailing. "Does it sound like we would be?" Turning to Blaine, cheeks flaring an indignant shade of red, he hisses "Why does she still have a key? It's been two years since we found out she got one, and you still haven't asked her for it back!"
"Well neither have you!"
Kurt pauses, halfway to the closet to find a top. "Good point. Ah well, just go give Libby to someone and make her up some formula."
"Yes, Kurt, I'm on it, Kurt," Blaine jokes with a mock salute.
"Good boy. And don't forget my order for later," he adds with a wink.
The endless stream of visitors are very welcome, but exhausting. By the time Libby is ten days old, Kurt and Blaine are both wrecks. Unshaven, with very few clean clothes left between them after it turns out Libby is very good at regurgitating milk as quickly as it went down, the apartment is a mess and the cupboards are bare.
"This is not how I thought it would be." Kurt is sprawled on the couch, in Blaine's track pants and an old t-shirt, surveying the wreck of the room. Coffee cups from guests long since departed litter every surface. Cards are everywhere as are piles and piles of gifts. In the middle of the floor lies Libby, contentedly staring at a black and white zebra hanging from her baby gym, Blaine propped on one elbow next to her, gazing down in wonder.
"Same," Blaine nods. "I thought she'd sleep more, for one thing."
"This can't go on forever, right? I mean, I'm pretty sure I wasn't waking on an hourly basis when I was a little kid."
"No, she has to start sleeping sometime. It's just that by then we'll be too worn down to appreciate it, and all those Facebook posts you were dreaming of, bragging about how your baby sleeps through, well they won't happen cause you won't have the energy to type."
"She is delicious though," Kurt says, smiling down at her.
"She is. But we need to do something. Get some help...or something."
"We do." Kurt agrees.
"So...who we gonna call?"
"Ghostbusters?" Kurt laughs at his own joke then sees the look on Blaine's face. "Sorry."
"I could call Kathy and Wes?"
"You can't do that. Kathy is pregnant and really tired out, and Wes teaches in the week. You can't expect him to drive up here two weekends in a row. And Santana's on vacation, don't forget."
"Rachel?"
"Working."
"Carole?"
"Working."
"Why do all these people have jobs?" Blaine cries exasperatedly. "Ugh."
"We have jobs."
"Oh my god we do," Blaine says, stunned. "How are we expected to go back to work with this?"
"This has a name, and we worked it all out months ago."
"I know, but the lack of sleep, I mean? I had two hours sleep last night. Two. I haven't even got the energy to put the mugs in the dishwasher and...oh for fucks sake," he groans as the buzzer sounds. "Sorry, Libby. Who is it this time?"
"Hey Uncle Blaine, it's your favorite niece!"
"You're my only niece," he grumbles through the intercom at Maddie. "Come on up."
"Woah! What the hell happened here?" Joe laughs when they arrive in the apartment.
"Libby happened," Kurt says wearily.
"Hey cutie," Joe coos, kneeling on the floor and taking her in his arms. "Are you causing trouble for your daddies? Huh?"
"Not trouble so much, just...lack of sleep, resulting in lack of energy."
"You have to stop having so many visitors," Maddie tells them as she settles on the floor next to Joe. "This place is usually pristine. I know babies come with a lot of stuff, but even so. This place is starting to look like Joe's apartment when I haven't cleaned it."
"We can't turn people away though," Blaine reasons. "They've come to see Libby, and they bring gifts. I can't just say 'thanks, but not right now.'"
"Yes you can. All your family and friends have been at least twice- and that's a hell of a lot of visitors if you think about it. And anyway, when I called in yesterday you were showing two journalists out. They're not here to see you or the baby, they're here from Classical World magazine, hoping they can show how LGBT friendly they are by featuring a world class gay pianist in an at home with his husband and baby."
"Yeah...they did mention something about that."
"You see?" Maddie continues. "There's no harm in asking people to call before they visit. And you two need to rest. You look exhausted."
"We are," Kurt moans.
"Why don't Maddie and I take Libby out for a walk?" Joe offers. "You two can clean this place then take a nap."
Kurt is quick to sit upright on the couch. "Oh no. No way."
"Why?"
"You...in charge of a baby...no."
"Four younger sisters, remember?" he snarks at Kurt. "And it's just a walk."
"Do you know how to change diapers?" Blaine asks him.
"Yes."
"Feed her? Burp her?"
"Yes."
"Do you know what to do if she chokes?"
"Blaine, I'm offering to watch her for a couple of hours. Not adopt her."
"I'm not sure," Kurt muses, sharing worried glances with Blaine.
"Oh look, Libby's in her stroller already," Maddie grins at the shocked parents. "Diaper bag?"
"Uh...hall closet," Kurt says slowly. "But I..."
"Okay," Joe says brightly, emerging from the kitchen with a bottle in his hand. "We have milk, we have diapers, we have baby. See you in two hours."
The door slams and Kurt turns to Blaine, stunned. "They took our baby," he says, eyes wide with surprise.
"Yes."
"You don't seem alarmed."
"I'm more...entranced," Blaine says smiling softly.
"Huh?"
"Entranced...by you," he repeats, holding his arms out. "C'mere."
"But they..."
"Listen, Kurt," he urges. "Listen."
"To what? There's nothing to listen to."
"Precisely," Blaine grins as Kurt slowly moves to the armchair to settle into his lap. "Nothing. Not a sound. There's no one here but us. For two whole hours."
"Y'know..." Kurt says, a slow smile forming on his face. "There's a lot we could achieve in two hours."
"An awful lot," Blaine whispers, nuzzling into his neck and breathing deeply. "And I've still got an order on hold from the other day..."
"I've changed my mind," Kurt says, arching his neck and letting out a soft moan.
"Oh no, Kurt," Blaine murmurs, running his tongue over his skin. "No no no."
"I don't want it hard, fast and rough," Kurt says, shifting to straddle him face on. "I want it long, drawn out and slow."
"Well that I can definitely do. Mmm, I've missed this," he says, leaning up to kiss at his lips. "Like...really missed it."
"You wanna take this to the bedroom?" Kurt asks, already unbuttoning Blaine's shirt. "I'm just thinking that if they do come back for any reason..."
"Yes. It would scar all of us for life," Blaine agrees.
They shuffle down the hallway together, Kurt's arms wrapped tightly around Blaine from behind, both giddy at the prospect of being together once more. They make love slowly and sweetly, exploring every inch of each other for as long as they possibly can until Blaine settles between Kurt's legs and enters him. Clutching tight to his back, Kurt rises up to find his husbands lips, and they share long, lazy kisses with Blaine gently moving inside until it becomes too much to bear and they climax together.
"I've gone all wobbly," Blaine laughs shyly as his arms start to tremble and he carefully lies Kurt back down on the bed. "Y'know... I love you more now you're the father of our child," he says, kissing gently at Kurt's shoulder as he withdraws.
Kurt turns onto his side as they snuggle down together, almost nose to nose. "Really?" he asks, eyes sparkling with pleasure. "Because it's totally the same for me. When you were over me, just then, moving inside me, I looked at you and thought how wonderful this all is. I have so many connections with you that I'll simply never have with anyone else, and now we have the ultimate bond. And I love watching you with her. I love hearing you talk to her when you're changing her diaper. I love the discussion you had this morning about which outfit papa would like best. Little things like that- the way you pull goofball faces at her, or kiss her tiny fingers- they all just make me love you more and more... And...you're crying. What a surprise," he laughs, kissing at Blaine's cheeks. "See? I love you more."
"I miss her when she's not here," Blaine admits. "But this time with you just feels like heaven. I'm not going to feel guilty about asking people to watch her, or about ignoring the chores while she sleeps in favor of taking you to bed, because I feel on top of the world right now. We're going to be better parents if we focus on each other as well as Libby, you know. And she'll be happier as a result."
"They'll be back in half an hour," Kurt says quietly, ducking his head so Blaine won't notice his tears, but of course he does.
"Want me to hold you?"
"Yes please."
"Why does this apartment look exactly the same?" Joe asks when he returns to find Kurt and Blaine cuddled up on the couch. "Oh." He stops dead as he realizes. "You two had sex, didn't you?"
"Joe!" Maddie reprimands as she takes Libby from the pram. "Do you mind? They're my Uncles."
"You did though, didn't you?" Joe asks, noticing Blaine's ultra smug grin.
"We didn't just do that," Kurt says, trying for nonchalance but failing miserably. "We changed the sheets."
"And I shaved," Blaine adds.
"Ew, Ew, Ew!" Maddie cries in horror. "You are disgusting. Have your baby back. She was good as gold, by the way, and she was fed an hour ago. We're going to leave you now, because I need to go bleach my brain. Love you all."
"Thank you!" a cheery Kurt calls after them, but Blaine is too absorbed in Libby to notice them leave.
"Did you miss your daddy and papa, baby girl? Did you?"
"Blaine, she's asleep."
"I know that," he smiles. "But I don't care. C'mon. Let's clean up while she naps."
An hour later and they're almost done when Libby wakes with a loud wail. "Okay, okay," Blaine calls from the kitchen. "I'm coming."
"Is that okay?" Kurt calls back. "I was just gonna vacuum."
"Go ahead, I'm almost done here."
But to both their surprise, the second Kurt turns on the vacuum, Libby stops crying and listens intently. Blaine rushes into the living room to find her, eyes fixed on the hanging zebra once again, transfixed by the noise.
"I think she likes it!" Kurt calls.
"Turn it off!"
So Kurt does, and the crying starts once again.
"Turn it back on! Turn it back on!"
And again, the crying stops.
"Excellent!" Blaine laughs, "So now we can have a happy baby and clean floors."
They are happy for the rest of the day, the three of them spending a long time on the floor examining the merits of the zebra before they all climb into the tub together.
"Apart from the times we've been completely obscene," Blaine muses, playing with Libby's toes as Kurt holds her. "This is the best bath I've ever had."
"She likes it too," Kurt observes. "Looks like we're going to be spending all our time in the tub or vacuuming."
They curl up in bed together after, with Kurt cradling Libby in his arms as he feeds her, and Blaine putting an arm around them both, drawing them close and kissing Kurt's cheek.
"The stars are out," he sings softly, smiling down at their tiny daughter.
"The moon is up,
It's time to go to bed.
I'm so glad you have a place
To lay your little head.
Have a deep and peaceful sleep,
Dream away the hours.
When you wake, the sun will come
To smile upon the flowers.
Go to sleep my little friend,
Beneath the evening star
And you will always have a friend,
No matter where you are."
Taking the bottle from a now sleeping Kurt, he gently lowers Libby into the crib at the side of their bed, kissing her cheek softly. "Love you, my little darling," he whispers, flipping out the light and pulling Kurt into his arms. "And I love you, my gorgeous boy."
A/N- If you have ever been in possession of a newborn (borrowed or otherwise) and not used the opportunity to dress them up and put them in ridiculous poses, you're missing out. Find one and try it today.
Last chapter tomorrow!