Kurt watched Blaine leave the apartment and held back his desire to shout "I love you!" as he left. Saying I love you like that seemed to much like saying goodbye and this wasn't goodbye.
Lifemate inspections were rare but not unheard of, just because they were coming didn't mean they suspected anything. Maybe it was because of Cooper's new found fame, maybe they just wanted to get credit for pairing him so well.
Kurt rubbed his hands up and down his legs nervously. He knew it most likely meant prison if they found out he and Blaine were together. Kurt had always known that he and Blaine couldn't last, but it couldn't end now, not like that.
"Hey." Cooper said putting his hand on Kurt's shoulder. "We've got this." He smiled. "Do you think we'd be over-selling it if I went and slipped on some PJs? You are in yours and it could look like we just woke up if they get here soon."
Kurt looked down at the pajama bottoms and t-shirt he'd thrown on. "Um, actually I don't just sit around in my PJs much and we should keep as close to the truth as we can. I think I'll go shower and get ready for the day."
"Okay, good idea. So when they ask us stuff tell as much of the truth as possible."
Kurt nodded and glanced towards the door Blaine had gone through.
"I'll make breakfast while you shower?" Cooper said. " I'm not much of a cook but I scramble some mean eggs."
Kurt smiled knowing Cooper was doing his best to keep things light. "Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks."
He took a shower and then got out to moisturize his face and do his hair. He opened the bathroom cabinet and found Blaine's gel for curly hair. He held it in his hands, his heart thudding, would they looked around? Where they going to inspect the apartment? What else of Blaine's had they left behind? He got dressed and wondered if he had time to run the hair gel downstairs, he glanced at the clock it was almost 10:00am. He just stashed in the back of the bathroom closet.
Kurt went to the kitchen where Cooper had made eggs and toast and coffee. He could get around the kitchen alright when he wanted to.
He made himself a plate of food and sat down to eat, but for as hungry as he'd been when he first woke up he couldn't manage much now. His mouth and throat were dry and his stomach churning. This could all go so wrong. Cooper didn't seem to have much of an appetite either and they both just pushed around the food on their plates.
There was a knock on the door and Kurt started, almost jumping out of his seat. Cooper slid his hand across the table and covered Kurt's. "Hey. It is going to be fine. You think I'd let anything happen to you or my kid brother? Just breathe."
It was as serious as Kurt had ever seen Cooper. "Okay." He nodded making himself calm down, he got up from the chair to answer the door.
A tall woman with obviously dyed red hair stood on the other side with a middle aged man with round glasses. "Hello?" Kurt said counting his breathes in his head.
The woman smiled pleasantly, "Hello. I am Hilda Miller and this is my associate Mr. Browne we are from the Lifemate Registry." They both took out there badges for Kurt to see. "We're hoping to have a word with you and your husband. Is he home?"
Kurt took a step back and put a smile on his face. "Of course, come in. I'll get Cooper."
Blaine paced Cooper's living room not able to sit down his nerves a jumbled mess. The officials might not arrive for hours; this was going to be a really long day. Then his phone pinged and he looked to see a message from Kurt.
"Sorry Coop and I might have to cancel our plans with you for today. Some people from the Lifemate Registry are here."
Blaine smiled a little. Kurt was being careful, even in his text messages, but still letting Blaine know what was going on. That was good. He sat down on the couch and texted back.
"Let me know if you need anything."
And then he waited.
Cooper was amazing, charming and easy-going. The officials started poking around the apartment so he immediately offered them coffee and a tour of the apartment, Kurt's worry started to ease. This was going to be fine. After they'd been show around Hilda smiled and asked if she could speak to Kurt alone in the kitchen he nodded as Mr. Browne stayed with Cooper in the living room. Kurt's heart started thudding again but he didn't think his nervousness showed too much, he was a performer after all.
They sat down and Hilda started asking him all kinds of questions taking notes the whole time. It didn't take long for her forced pleasantness to start to get on Kurt's nerves. But he just smiled back and answered her questions.
How did Cooper and he get along when they first got married?
Would he say they were well matched?
What was the best part of being married?
What had been the hardest for them to go through?
Which side of the bed did Cooper sleep on?
How did he take his coffee?
And a number of other questions.
As they continued it got easier and easier to answer. Kurt stuck with the truth as much as possible, knowing Cooper would too. He told Hilda what she wanted to know, it was hard when they were first paired because Cooper didn't want a Lifemate, but things slowly got better. He loved that both of them had similar interest and life goals, it was difficult to have Cooper gone so often. Cooper slept on the left side of the bed. He took his coffee black with a lot of sugar.
This might actually work.
"And… excuse me for asking." Hilda said with a tilt of her head and a smile. "But between the two of you who tops and who bottoms?" Hilda looked at Kurt expectantly, as if it was a completely appropriate question.
"I… I…" Kurt's cheeks flushed. It was okay that he was blushing because he'd be embarrassed if someone asked that about him and Blaine as well. "I don't think that's any of your business." Kurt answered.
Hilda raised her eyebrows. "Alright, then would you say you have a sexually satisfying relationship?"
Kurt stared at he a moment before answering. "Uh, yes. Yes I would." How was Cooper doing with these questions? The thought made Kurt want to groan.
"And how long have you and Cooper been together, sexually."
Kurt cleared his throat. Could he refuse to answer these questions? Would that look too suspicious? Kurt thought back to the one and only time he'd been with Cooper that way. "It took a few months for us to get there." He answered honestly.
"And have you been with anyone else besides your Lifemate since you were paired?"
"No. Of course not." An easy lie.
"Very good." Hilda said scribbling in her notebook. "And what about Blaine?"
Kurt blinked at her his stomach tying in knots. "What about Blaine?"
"Is it difficult to live so close to your Lifemate's brother? Does he interfere in your relationship?"
"No!" Kurt said and hoped he hadn't been too fervent in his answer. "I mean… Blaine is Cooper's only family that he is close to, having him nearby makes Cooper happy so it makes me happy as well. We… we're friends."
"Mmmm." She responded and spent a long time writing something he her notepad. Damn notepad.
"We spoke to a few of your neighbors earlier in the week." Hilda said tapping her pen on the table top.
Kurt's hoped his face didn't show his surprise, that wasn''t a good thing.
"It seems that Blaine spends a lot of time up here in your apartment?"
"He lives downstairs." Kurt said. "As I'm sure you know. But yes, he spends a lot of time with Cooper and me. He's family."
"I gather that he spends a lot of time here when Cooper is gone as well."
"He's family." Kurt repeated his hands becoming clammy; he rubbed them against his jeans under the table.
"I see. Wouldn't it have made more since to move to California if your husband's job keeps him away so long? I must admit it looks a little odd to live here in New York, like maybe it's because of Blaine?"
Kurt clenched his jaw as his anger grew. But that was okay, he could use that irritation. What if he was happily married to Cooper and she was insinuating things that were true, how would he act?
"We are in New York so I can go to NYADA, I was accepted before I was ever paired with Cooper, and because Cooper cares about me we moved here." Kurt said brusquely. "Blaine happens to go to NYU so it had the added bonus of letting Cooper be near the little brother he helped raise. I am sorry if you think there is anything wrong with that."
Kurt's cheeks were flushed. How dare these people come in and try to ruin the life they'd built? How was it fair that they had so much control over how other people lived their lives? They weren't doing anything bad, they weren't hurting anyone; all he'd ever done wrong was fall for Blaine. And that wasn't wrong, being with Blaine was so so right.
"I'm sorry Mr. Anderson-Hummel. I'm just asking questions." She said and Kurt tried to relax. "I think that's all I need for now." She stood to leave. They walked back to the living room and Mr. Browne stood up, he hadn't smiled at all that Kurt had seen, and shook Cooper's hand.
Cooper and Kurt walked them to the door when Hilda Miller stopped. "Oh! One last question Kurt. Have you heard from a…" She glanced down at her notepad "Santana Lopez-Howell recently?"
Kurt was caught off guard with the question, what did Santana have to do with anything?
"I saw her at my brother's memorial service over the summer. I didn't get a chance to speak with her much. Besides that I hadn't seen Santana since High School." He answered truthfully.
"I did you know she considers herself a lesbian?" Hilda asked.
Kurt looked at Cooper whose face still looked affable, but a little tight around the eyes and lips and then he turned back to Hilda. He didn't like the way she said "considers herself" as if Santana might be wrong about her own sexuality.
"She came out when she was 13 or 14." Kurt answered. "We all knew."
"Very well." Hilda said with another fake smile as they left the apartment. Kurt shut the door and leaned his head against it.
"I think that went well. I did fantastic!" Cooper said behind him and Kurt smiled a little. He hoped Cooper was right. He texted Blaine that they had left and sat down to compare answers with Cooper.
Blaine's stomach was feeling a little queasy with worry. The people from the Lifemate Registry had been upstairs for a long time, was that good thing or a bad thing? He hunched over on the couch his arms wrapped abound himself when his phone buzzed and someone knocked on the door at almost the same time. He picked up his phone.
"They left." Kurt informed him. Maybe that was Kurt at the door, but why would he knock?
Blaine answered the door and was met by two strangers; they introduced themselves as Hilda and Mr. Browne and held up Registry badges, Blaine let them in wordlessly. This wasn't expected.
"Blaine Anderson, we've just been talking to your brother and his Lifemate and were hoping we could take a look around your apartment?"
"Um, yeah. Sure." Blaine said nervously. "I could show you around."
"That won't be necessary." Hilda answered as she and her silent friend started poking around, opening cupboards and looking in closets, going through the dirty clothes hamper.
"I'm sorry." Blaine said clenching his fist. "Is there something you're looking for? A reason you're going through my private things?"
Hilda smiled. "Tell me about your brother and Kurt?" She ignored his question. "Would you say they are happy together?"
Blaine glanced over at Mr. Browne who was opening the bathroom cabinet.
"I… yes. They are happy together."
"Mmm, and was it love at first sight would you say?"
"I'm sorry, but why are you asking? What is this about?"
"Oh just some routine questions, we like to check up on our couples."
"I haven't really heard of that before." Blaine said.
Hilda's smile cracked a little. "It's better if you just cooperate."
Blaine let out a breath. "No, I don't think it was love at first sight. Attraction maybe…" Blaine said deciding to tell the truth on this point. "I think they had to work on it a little first."
Hilda wrote something down on her pad. "I see. And do you think they are a good match?"
"I do." Blaine said putting his hands in his pockets and keeping an eye on Mr. Browne as he continued to poke around.
"Are you in love with you brother-in-law?"
Blaine's head snapped from Mr. Browne back to Hilda. "Excuse me?"
"Are you in love with Kurt?" Hilda repeated calmly her smile gone.
Blaine's heart all but stopped beating. "I... No. No I'm not. Why would you ask that?"
"How would you describe your relationship with Kurt?"
"We're friends." Blaine answered immediately; he liked this woman less and less every moment.
Hilda nodded and smiled again. He really didn't like her smile either. "And are you looking forward to getting your own Lifemate someday?"
"Of course." Blaine said easily, remembering how he used to feel about getting a Lifemate, before he met Kurt. "I'm in New York and working towards my dream and part of that would be having a Lifemate one day."
Hilda snapped her notebook closed as Mr. Browne joined them again. "Well very good. Thank you for your time." She said and Blaine walked them back to the door, they left without another word.
Blaine stood in the empty apartment for a moment feeling sick. This wasn't right, something was going on. They were going to take him from Kurt, he could feel it. He had to do something.
He looked at his phone and the text from Kurt. And then scrolled through his contacts until he found the number for Sebastian Smythe.