#blelliott

And Blaine knows better than to let this grief take over and cast a dark shadow over the joy of the day, but he can't really help it.

Count on Elliott for not letting him hang out with his dark cloud.

"Hey little cutie," he says as he joins Blaine on the fire escape where he has found a refuge.

Blaine looks at him over his shoulder before returning his gaze to the cars passing by below.

Elliott shakes his head and steps over to sit behind Blaine, his long legs framing Blaine on the staircase. "What, want me to call you 'doctor' now?" he asks teasingly, his hands cupping Blaine's neck, thumbs pressing down.

Blaine lets out a short chuckle and shakes his head. "No, cutie is still good," he replies, leaning back against Elliott who immediately slides his hands down to rest on Blaine's chest in back hug.

"Everything okay?" Elliott asks softly, taking in Blaine's mood.

"Just a little ...," Blaine starts, a sniffle interrupting him and raising many a flag in Elliott's mind. "Overwhelmed and underwhelmed, simultaneously?" he finishes, another wet sniffle making it clear that Blaine is on the verge of a meltdown.

"Is it because now you have to actually be an adult?" Elliott asks seriously--God knows he was a mess the first week out of school, thrown into the "real" life.

"No, not really," Blaine replies, reaching up to cover Elliott's hands with one of his. "It's just ... it's the last big rite of passage, you know? And they're not even here."

Elliott can think of a couple "rites of passage" Blaine still has to go through, one in particular they may go through together one day, who knows, but he keeps quiet about it. "You do know that they had me record the ceremony from every angle possible," he says instead, resting his cheek on top of Blaine's head. "And that in two days, we'll have the biggest party ever with them back in Ohio."

Blaine lets out a wet giggle. "I know, I know, it's ridiculous," he says, wiping his tears. "Don't mind me," he adds nonchalantly--well, as nonchalantly as he can while tearing up and in his boyfriend's embrace.

"It's not ridiculous if it's really what you feel," Elliott says softly, hooking his chin over Blaine's shoulder and tightening his hold around his body. "There is no shame in crying it out," he adds just as fresh tears roll down Blaine's nose.

Another wet giggle comes out of him, and Elliott smiles, pressing a kiss behind Blaine's ear, and another to his temple. "Thank you Buddha," Blaine says teasingly, a last sniffle marking the end of his grieving moment.

And it is grief, Elliott knows it: for the "actes manqués", all the missed notes between Blaine and his parents, and for his childhood that is officially over, now that he's a doctor.

"Come on, Dr. Anderson," he whispers, "I think I need an exam."

Blaine freezes in his arms before twisting in his arms to look at him with a raised eyebrow. "Do you now."

"I'm swooning, doctor," Elliott replies, an hand to his forehead as he winks at Blaine. "Either I am very sick, or it's just you."

"You do know that I'm not an M.D.," Blaine asks with a laugh as he starts opening Elliott's fancy shirt.

"You did know that I would exploit that doctor kink to the end of the world," Elliott retorts, picking Blaine up to go back inside, Blaine's legs closing around his waist.