#dwmfa

When Blaine woke up, he didn't open his eyes immediately. His face was pressed into a soft surface, and it just smelled so good. He didn't want to ever get up, didn't want to leave this wonderful dream. Sighing, he nestled closer to the warmth and tried to enjoy as much of it as he could.

Suddenly, the figure next to him began to move though, and begrudgingly, Blaine opened his eyes. When he tilted his head upwards, he looked into two light blue orbs. The sight took his breath away, and he never wanted to stop staring.

Then he noticed the conflicted expression on Kurt's face and asked worriedly, voice still slurred with sleep: "Kurt? Are you okay? Did I make you uncomfortable?" He quickly made to get up. "I'm so sorry, I don't know what was up with me, I should- I should go."

Kurt quickly grabbed his wrist. "No, no Blaine, it's okay. I was just a little confused, that's all." He flashed him a clearly faked smile.

Blaine was not convinced, but he sat back down anyway. An awkward silence spread between them, making him feel rather uncomfortable.

After a while, he got back up, hungry. "Uh… Wanna grab something to eat? I mean, only if you want to of course. There's a small café about five minutes from the hospital, I figured we could go there?" He rubbed his hand over his neck awkwardly.

Kurt smiled that adorable smile of his and nodded. "Uh, we'll have to ask the doctor first, but after that's settled, sure, I'd love to! Just uh, let me get ready?"

Blaine grinned, relieved. "Okay, you wanna use the bathroom first? I can uh, wait." He waved his hand at the bathroom door vaguely.

The other boy shook his head. "Nah, you go ahead. I always take a little longer anyway." He chuckled.

Blaine nodded again and turned to the bathroom. He had a feeling today would turn out to be a good day after all.

While Blaine was in the bathroom getting ready, Kurt decided to pay Blaine's parents a visit after checking with the doctor. Blaine's father had never been particularly nice towards him, but he had accepted that his son had a boyfriend and that was alright with Kurt, seeing as the man had had a homophobic mindset pretty much all his life.

Elaine on the other hand, while having shared her husband's views before Kurt came along, was a very sweet woman, and even an idiot would have been able to see that she tried her hardest to adjust. She loved Blaine with all her heart and only wanted the best for her son, whether it was with a man or a woman.

The bed creaked slightly when Kurt got up; making him glad that Blaine had got a single room. He was making his way to the door when his phone buzzed. Rolling his eyes, Kurt turned around and reached for his phone on the bed to check who was texting him. Something must've been wrong with his phone, because the text was from over two hours ago, why hadn't it buzzed earlier?

Call me, freaking stat, lit up on the screen and the fact that it was from Rachel surprised him even more. Still, he complied and scrolled through his contacts to get to Rachel's number.

The phone rang three times until Rachel finally picked up. "Kurt! How nice of you to finally call! It's an honor, really!" she exclaimed sarcastically.

Kurt sighed, irritated. "Oh, I'm sorry I was awake pretty much all night because my fucking ex-boyfriend and one of my best friends has a concussion and only just woke up after one and a half fucking days of being unconscious! I really sorry for not having thought about contacting you when god forbid there were more pressing matters on my mind!"

There was a stunned silence on the other end, then the sound of a throat being cleared. "Uh… I'm sorry, Kurt, I didn't mean to-"

"Save it, I didn't mean it either, I'm just tired I guess. So, what did you call for?"

"Adam called this morning, he was wondering why you're not replying to his texts or calls. Kurt, you really need to sort this out." Rachel pressed.

"I know but… What am I supposed to say to him? 'I'm sorry but I don't want to date you because I prefer my ex-boyfriend who cheated on me?" He didn't want Blaine to hear anymore so he walked out the door, not caring about how he looked for once, and continued. "'I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier but I left everything and flew over to Ohio because I maybe still want to get back together with him'? I don't want to hurt him, Rachel."

His friend sighed. "I know you don't, Kurt, but you need to tell him if what you just told me is the truth. You're hurting him more by leaving him hanging, he believes he still has a chance with you, you know."

"But that's the problem, I don't know what I want! So what, say I got back together with Blaine, what if he hurts me again? I don't think I could go through that a second time, Rachel."

"Then you need to figure it out as soon as possible. And besides, from what I know about Blaine, he wouldn't do it again. He loves you more than anything else in this world, and you're hurting him too by not knowing what you want. Please, talk to Adam."

Kurt sighed in defeat. "Alright, I'll call him. I gotta go now, I want to pay Blaine's parents a visit before we go for breakfast."

He heard a muffled chuckle on the other line. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, uh, nothing, you have fun honey. See you!"

The boy shook his head, confused. He had promised Rachel to call Adam, but he really didn't want to ruin his good mood; besides, a few more hours wouldn't hurt right? He deserved to have a little fun, he did.

Shortly after that, he arrived at the room Elaine and John Anderson had been put in. He knocked, just in case Cooper had gone to see them already. When nobody replied, he cautiously opened the door.

The two adults really did look horrible. Their skin was pale and their eyes looked sunken in. Kurt shuddered, not being able to imagine how it must have felt for Blaine to see them like that for the first time – actually he was able to. He remembered the time two years ago, after Burt had had the heart attack. Sure, he had woken up a week after, but still, it had been terrible.

Huffing out a deep breath, he sat down next to Elaine, taking her hand in his own. It felt cold, just like his father's had felt. He swallowed the lump in his throat and decided to just sit here for a while. While he started out the window, he remembered the first time he had met Blaine's parents.

Kurt was frantic. He was meeting Blaine's parents today! What if they didn't like him? What if they thought he wasn't good enough for their son? What if- "Hey baby, you look terrified. It's going to be okay, they're going to love you, especially my mom. I told her so much about you!" Blaine shook him out of his thoughts.

He couldn't quite get himself to believe his boyfriend though. How could he know? He would probably end up embarrassing himself, and first impressions were always the ones that lasted. Taking a shaky breath, he decided to voice his doubts.

"Kurt, you're wonderful. You're adorable, and witty and just overall perfect. Please, don't worry. You're amazing."

"But-"Kurt tried to object.

"No buts, Kurt Elizabeth Hummel. You're going to be amazing. Now come on, we have to get going or else we'll be too late."

Blaine took his hand and dragged him out into the corridor. Kurt chanced one last look at his hair, then squared his shoulders and nodded. "Let's do this."

His boyfriend grinned and leaned in to kiss him softly. "That's my boy", he mumbled.

They left Kurt's house, getting into Blaine's car and starting the drive to Westerville. All the while, Blaine was trying to comfort his boyfriend. "Kurt, calm down. They're going to love you."

He flashed him a convincing smile.

When they finally arrived, Kurt was a mess of nerves. He had never been so terrified to meet someone new before. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he stood next to his boyfriend, waiting for the door to open as he rang the doorbell.

A strange man opened, he wore some kind of black tuxedo, a dark blue bowtie and looked like he was about 70. That was Blaine's father?

His confusion was soon cleared when Blaine spoke up. "Hey James. This is my boyfriend, Kurt Hummel. Kurt, meet James, our butler."

Kurt let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and timidly shook the old man's outstretched hand. "I-it's nice to meet you, sir."

"The pleasure is all mines, Mr. Hummel." James said with a slight smile. Kurt managed to crook a smile too.

James led them through the huge house – no, mansion – up until they reached a dining room that looked like it had been taken out of a palace. Kurt gasped and suddenly felt rather uncomfortable. If Blaine's parents were that wealthy, who was to say they wouldn't think he wasn't good enough for Blaine?

Once again, he looked around the huge hall, taking in all the details. The flooring was made out of some dark kind of wood, mahogany perhaps, and the walls, which were reaching up about 3 meters, were colored in a creamy brown. In one corner, there was a fireplace with an armchair sat in front of it, the flames flaring up and coloring the space around it in a warm, comfortable orange.

In another a huge shelf was placed, stuffed to the max with books of all kind. He couldn't make out the details, but they all looked really old and very, very valuable.

Beautiful furniture was lining the walls, decorated with complicated ornaments and fitting perfectly into the calm, somewhat antique atmosphere. Kurt loved it right away.

But the one thing that really made his breath catch in his throat was the dining table. It was long and dark brown, a light table runner running on top of it, with plates and candles all around. Once again, the table's legs were covered in beautiful ornaments and swirls, making him feel like somehow he had landed in a fairytale with Blaine as his prince and he being the poor Cinderella. The view was truly breathtaking, and Kurt found himself envying Blaine a bit.

He shook his head to free himself from his daze and shot a look at his boyfriend who was smiling at him with a knowing glint in his eyes. Obviously he got this reaction a lot, Kurt deduced.

James cleared his throat and motioned for them to follow him to the table, both of them gladly obeying. When they were seated, Kurt fidgeted around in his seat, afraid to knock down one of the porcelain plates or the glasses.

The first thing Blaine noticed after waking up was his throbbing head. He reached up tentatively, feeling around on his scalp until finding the huge bump on the back of his head. Flinching, he bit back a groan and opened his eyes slowly.

It was dark. Blaine didn't exactly know what happened, just that he'd blacked out, so he really wanted some answers right now. "Hello?", he called, flinching at how timid his voice sounded. A stifled gasp sounded somewhere next to him.

"Blaine!" He recognized the voice immediately and reached out with his arms. Kurt's hands grasped his, and he pulled him into a crushing hug. "Blaine, I was so worried that you- I mean, you just fell to the ground but you've got a concussion and-"

Kurt choked on his own breath as he tried to get the words out. Blaine groaned softly, his head hurting even more now. Something in his gut twisted, seeing Kurt like that. Blaine patted his back awkwardly, his heart almost bursting through his chest with how hard it was hammering.

"I'm- I'm okay. Why… what happened?"

Kurt finally pulled back, turned the light by Blaine's bed on and then slowly turned to Blaine, looking at him through red-rimmed eyes.

"Blaine… your mother, she- she stopped breathing… for a while. She's okay now though, they got her back on track." He added hastily after seeing Blaine's horrified face.

Blaine's vision started to blur, and the room was circling around him. His breath came in short, shallow gasps and he made to get out of bed, but Kurt forced him back down.

"No, Blaine. You've got a pretty severe concussion; you're not supposed to be moving. You've been out of it for a day and a half… I was so worried about you. I- I thought you wouldn't wake up again…" Kurt's voice broke.

Blaine began feeling guilty, trying to calm himself down. Kurt had been worried… about him. He knew this wasn't the appropriate moment to be happy, but he couldn't help it. But then reality hit him again.

"But- mom she- I need to-" He dissolved into body wracking sobs again. He barely registered when Kurt scooped him up in his arms and enveloped him in a hug.

Probably without realizing, he kissed Blaine on his forehead, murmuring soothing words and gently stroking his back. Blaine immediately stiffened but didn't allow himself to pull back, feeling safer in Kurt's arms than he had ever since they'd broken up. Clutching his back like a lifeline, Blaine held on until his crying subsided, though he still didn't let go after.

"Go back to sleep, Blaine. We'll talk later." Kurt whispered. Shortly after, Blaine had already drifted off into a fitful, nightmare-plagued sleep.

While Blaine slept, Kurt let his thoughts drift off, needing to figure out what to do next. He knew what he'd done wasn't the most intelligent idea he'd had in the past few days, kissing Blaine and all, but he'd just looked so utterly heartbroken.

The worst thing about it was that it hadn't felt weird or bad at all. It'd felt… familiar, comfortable, like they'd never been apart. Crap.

Sighing, he closed his eyes as well and drifted off to sleep. There'd be more time to think later.

If there was one thing Rachel hated, it was being woken up ahead of her schedule. She was a morning person, that was out of question, but even though the obsessive part of her high school-times was mostly gone – she shuddered at the memory of some of her clothing – she still had a tight sleeping schedule and she wasn't about to change that.

That was why she wasn't at all amused when her phone rang at 6am (Seriously, who even called that early?), two hours before she usually got up.

Rachel really didn't want to get the phone so she simply let it ring, relieved when it stopped after a while and slowly drifting back to sleep. When it rang again though, she figured she had to get it, so she pushed herself up with a groan and feeled around for her phone with her hand.

Luckily, the cell was still ringing when she had finally found it, and she replied with a harsh "Hello?" without glancing at the caller ID.

The person on the other line replied with a persistent British accent. "Hey Rachel, it's me, Adam. I was just wondering if Kurt's any better? It's been two days and I don't know, I was just kind of hoping for something that indicates he's still alive?" he chuckled, obviously not noticing Rachel's annoyance or the fact that it was 6am in the morning, for Christ's sake!

The girl was caught by surprise. Adam? What was she supposed to tell him? "Uh… You know… He's uh- he's still asleep!" Smooth, she thought with a slight eye-roll.

She could hear shuffling on the other end, probably because Adam nodded or something. "Uh, okay. Tell him to call me when he wakes up though? Or at least, you know, reply to my texts?"

Rachel's expression darkened at that; she was furious with Kurt by now. "Oh, I'll make sure of it, trust me." she answered determinedly.

"Thanks Rachel! See you soon!" How could anyone be so cheery at this hour?

The girl just huffed out a "Yeah" in response and ended the call, falling back into her pillows. She texted Kurt a Call me, freaking stat, before closing her eyes and trying to sleep again. Shifting around under her covers, she soon realized she probably wouldn't be able to sleep in again.

What a wonderful start for the day, she mused darkly. Still, she got up and made her way to the kitchen, beginning to make herself a coffee. Santana probably wouldn't be up until nine or later, seeing as she worked a night shift at the bar she was employed in.

Shaking her head, Rachel sat down at the kitchen table after getting her coffee and pulling the laptop nearer to herself, glad she'd left it there yesterday after looking something up.

She opened her writing program and began working on an essay that was due next Monday. Seeing as it was only Wednesday, she still had a lot of time, but she didn't want to take any risks – after all, she hadn't come to NYADA to flunk or live the "college life". If she wanted to get anywhere near Broadway, she'd need to do her very best and more.

Time flew by, and after writing about half of the 15 pages, she finally looked at the clock again; it read 7.45am, still a little too early for her liking, seeing as she had already been up for almost two hours, but it was alright.

She stood up and went over to the stove, pulling a pan out of the cupboard and opening the fridge to get two eggs. While waiting for the oil to heat up, she decided to check if Kurt had called or at least replied to her text.

She wasn't surprised to find that he hadn't, it was still rather early in the morning, and it wasn't like she herself was up by choice.

After about two minutes, Rachel returned to the kitchen and grabbed her eggs, smashing them into the pan and stirring. She took them out when they were ready, grabbing herself another coffee and settling by the table again.

Her thoughts began to drift to Blaine, because even though they hadn't talked in a while, he and Kurt still were her best friends. She couldn't imagine what Blaine had to be going through right now, and her chest constricted in sympathy.

Thoughts of the time Kurt's dad had had a heart attack clouded her mind, and she wondered if Blaine was doing the same. Hopefully he was holding up, it had been terrible seeing Kurt fall apart two years ago – she didn't even want to think about what would happen if his parents didn't wake up.

Shoveling her scrambled eggs into her mouth, she didn't notice Santana coming up behind her. When a hand touched her lightly at the shoulder, Rachel jumped, her fork clattering onto the plate.

Swirling around, she realized it wasn't someone who had broken in but her pretentious roommate. "God, can't you say something instead of sneaking up on me like that?" she exclaimed, irritated.

"Sorry hobbit, didn't realize you'd gone deaf. I mean, it's not like I made an effort to be quiet. Thinking about something?" She turned her head.

Rachel nodded slowly. "Yeah… I can't stop worrying about Kurt and Blaine. What if Blaine's parents don't make it? And Kurt… he's got to be there for Blaine all on his own. I wish there was something I could do."

Santana's expression softened and she sat down beside her friend. "Hey, listen to me. They will be okay. All… four of them, or however many there are at the moment. It will turn out all right; it always does with these two. And I guarantee you, when Kurt gets back, he will have happy news", she smirked.

The other girl grinned and moved over to give her roommate a hug. "Thank you, Santana. You're a great friend when you want to be, you know?"

She could hear a huff. "Don't get used to it, Berry."

Rachel was restless. Kurt had promised to call her last night, but he hadn't. In fact, he had neither called or texted, and she was really worried that something had happened, be it to Blaine, Kurt or Blaine's family. She had tried calling, of course, but it went straight to voicemail every time. Blaine wasn't responding either, and slowly she was starting to become very anxious.

Santana was seemingly making fun of her, but Rachel could see that she, too, was very worried.

Adam had called earlier, had asked where Kurt was because they were supposed to meet for coffee before class. Rachel had had to lie; she had told him that Kurt was sick and still asleep. Judging by how he sounded, he must've bought it – for now at least. Rachel knew that if Kurt really was going to stay with Blaine longer, she would have to come up with something else, something that excused his long absence. After all, nobody was sick for two weeks without saying anything to anyone, much less Kurt. Last year, he had caught the flu, but didn't want to stay at home. That day he almost passed out when they had come back to their apartment, so Rachel had to insist on him staying home.

Now was not the time to worry about Adam though – she just wanted to know if Kurt was okay. Of course, there was always the possibility that he had just forgotten to call her, and Rachel sincerely hoped that was the case. She hated the thought of Kurt suffering, be it physically or emotionally.

Sighing, she took her phone into her hands again and dialed Kurt's number. She expected it to go to voicemail again, but this time, the phone was actually ringing. Rachel didn't allow herself to get too excited about it yet though – just because his phone was on didn't mean that Kurt was alright.

"Hello?" a tired voice came from the speaker.

Rachel recognized that voice, but she couldn't quite place it. "Uh… who's there?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, you must be Rachel. I'm Cooper, Blaine's brother. I gave you guys an acting class last year, remember?"

The girl nodded eagerly, even though Cooper couldn't see it through the phone. Of course she remembered! But… why had he picked up Kurt's phone, and not Kurt himself? A shiver ran up her spine.

"Yeah, yeah, of course I remember. May I ask a question though? Why did you pick up Kurt's phone, and not he himself?"

She heard Cooper let out a huff. "Well, Blaine's had a nightmare last night, and he was calling for Kurt, so Kurt ended up staying up pretty much all night to sing him to sleep. I can't believe the chemistry these two have." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, he's still asleep I think."

Rachel was relieved, but just as she opened her mouth to reply, she heard someone mutter on the phone, and then footsteps. "What was that?"

"Seems like Kurt is awake after all. He went to the bathroom, wanna stay on the phone until he gets back?"

The girl nodded again. "Yeah, I'll stay. And about the chemistry… I find it terrible they broke up. Kurt had always told me that he had found a soulmate in Blaine."

Cooper shrugged. "Let's hope they'll be okay eventually. Blaine needs Kurt right now."

Nobody had noticed that Kurt had woken up halfway through the conversation the two brothers had shared. He had heard what Blaine had said about him. It made him feel… weird, in a good kind of way.

He shouldn't still feel that way about Blaine. He should be angry, or distant, or anything un-positive, really. Instead, he felt almost the same way he had always felt when Blaine had told him that he loved him. The feeling was almost overwhelming, and something he couldn't remember ever feeling about Adam.

I'm a fucking terrible person.

The next thing he noticed was that Blaine had disappeared after the talk. Where to, he didn't know.

When his phone had begun ringing, he braced himself to pick up, but Cooper beat him to it, which Kurt was kind of grateful for. Rachel was calling. Oh. Right. I didn't call her.

He really didn't want Cooper telling Rachel about last night, but he supposed he couldn't change it. His roommate would most likely tell Santana about them sleeping in the same bed, and Kurt could only imagine her reaction to that. "Wanky." She'd probably say, or "Finally getting or mack on again, are we?" If she hadn't already heard it, because there was a high possibility the phone was turned on-speaker.

Eventually, he was sick of just listening and got up, grumbling. He could feel Cooper's eyes on his back as he made his way to the bathroom. Thankfully, the room had one inside, as he could vividly imagine the bedhead he must have developed over night.

One quick look in the mirror was enough – he groaned. He really wasn't up to this right now. Still, he'd have to go back to the room, as all of his stuff was still in his suitcase.

"Kurt, it's Rachel, she uhh… wants to talk to you."

Kurt debated just waving him off, but then decided against it, sighing in defeat and reaching out for his cell. "Yeah?" Ugh, that had sounded way nastier than he had intended it to.

He was really grateful when Rachel chose to ignore it. "Kurt! Why didn't you call me last night? I thought something happened to you, or to Blaine! You promised, Kurt."

The boy scoffed irritably and the corners of his mouth turned downwards in a frown. "Rachel, if you didn't notice yet, my b-"he cleared his throat and started again, "My ex-boyfriend's parents are in coma and I'm really sorry that I forgot to call you yesterday, but I obviously had better things to do."

At that, he heard someone on the other line let out a chuckle, and it was just now that he realized how dirty that had sounded.

Guessing who had emitted the chuckle, he replied, annoyed, "Santana, I didn't mean that the way you think at all. I don't have such a dirty mind."

He heard another laugh, nearer this time. "Oh come on. I'm pretty sure the whole Glee Club noticed what you two were doing at Mr. Schue's wedding. Don't tell me there wasn't anything dirty involved later that day."

Kurt blushed at the thought, and he was really thankful for the fact that the phone wasn't on speaker because oh my god, Cooper did not need to know that.

No answer was enough of an answer for Santana obviously, because she huffed. But when she spoke up again, her voice was much softer. "Hey… Is the other hobbit okay? And are you? I mean, not that I really care, but I know little Barbra Streisand here is really worried. I couldn't care less, uh, obviously."

The boy couldn't help but grin at her stumbling over her own words, but decided not to say anything on that matter. Instead, he concentrated on her questions.

"Uh… well yeah, I'm okay, just a little tired, and Blaine… well; I hope he is going to be okay. He really isn't right now though… for obvious reasons."

He could hear two little hums from two different people. Obviously, the phone was turned on-speaker.

Eventually, Rachel spoke up again. "Well, honey, please make sure he really will be, alright?"

Kurt hummed in acknowledgement. "I'll do my best… But enough about me. What's up over there in New York?"

Rachel replied: "Well uhh… Adam called this morning. He was wonder if you were…okay. Apparently, you two were supposed to meet for coffee."

Kurt face palmed. "Oh yeah… I forgot about that." He paused, "What'd you tell him?"

"I told him you were sick. But Kurt, you gotta talk to him. Soon. It's not fair to lead him on, neither to you, nor to him or Blaine. You have to make a decision."

Kurt didn't reply. If only it was that easy to decide…

Blaine had left the room after finishing talking to his brother. He needed to clear his head, and he was pretty sure he wasn't going to be able to do that with Kurt in the same room as him.

His flight had taken him to the hospital cafeteria. He had dug around his pockets, eventually finding two dollars. He spent them on a coffee.

Now, he was sitting at a table, the whole big room almost empty; it was only eight after all. Frightening thoughts were invading his head, thoughts about his parents dying or Kurt hating him – well, the latter was probably true, either way. He tried to ignore them, intently staring at the white walls – the only splash of color being the blue-colored window frames.

It was a kind of baby blue, but it was thicker in some places where it hadn't been painted on smoothly, and every time a sunray would hit it, it would kind of "sparkle". The color really reminded Blaine of cerulean – the color Kurt's eyes were, at least when he was not angry or being hit by sunlight directly or sad or basically, anything that that wasn't contentment. Blaine loved the color of the other boy's eyes – he often called it glasz.

Blaine decided to go visit his parents; he really needed to stop worrying about Kurt so much. Sighing, he got up and made his way to room 356, the coffee still in his hands.

When he entered the hospital room, he immediately felt himself stiffen – it wasn't a controlled action, it was just how he had learned to behave around his parents, and he hated himself for acting like that when they could possibly be dying.

He sat down on the chair next to his father's bed gingerly, and observed his face.

"Dad…" He began slowly, taking a deep breath, "If you um- I you can hear me, then just uh… listen please."

Blaine cleared his throat. "I know that our relationship hasn't always been the best and I really wanted that to change, believe me. It was just that… I don't understand why you can't just love me even though I'm gay! I'm you son, and you just tossed me away as soon as I came out to you. I had Kurt when it got worse, but now…? He's gone and you- you and mom you may be gone too and Cooper will be in Hollywood. What about me? What am I supposed to do? I just want someone to talk to. Pl- please…"

His resolve broke and his whole body shook with sobs.

After what felt like hours, there was suddenly a change in the room. The steady beeping of his mother's heart monitor got quicker and there was some kind of alarm. Blaine was starting to panic. "Mom! Mom please no… Mom…" His voice broke.

He spun around when the door was opened and a whole army of doctors and nurses streamed into the room.

"What's- what's happening to her? Please…"

One of the nurses put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Shh… She's gonna be okay, it's just… there have been a few complications."

Blaine could tell she was lying. She was not sure at all that his mother was going to be okay; in fact, she probably didn't believe it herself.

She ushered him out of the room, even though Blaine protested. The fact that he could hear a defibrillator in the background didn't help at all. His breathing began to speed up, and the voices in his parents' room became hard to understand as they blended together. The room was rotating around him.

Lunch had been awkward. Cooper had made a point of sitting on a different side of the table than the two boys, much to Kurt's dismay. He had made a point of not sitting too close to Blaine, and as soon as the other boy had realized that, he had excused himself to the bathroom, barely hiding his tears.

Kurt had felt terrible, but he just couldn't change his behavior. I shouldn't have come.

Cooper had gone after Blaine, and soon they had both come out of the bathroom, Blaine's face puffy and blotchy. Everyone had been relieved when lunch had finally been over.

Now, Kurt was lying on his back in the same room Blaine and his brother slept in – he hadn't wanted to return to Lima for the night, it just wasn't worth spending even more money on a cab. When Cooper had offered him to stay, Kurt had reluctantly agreed.

He had been lying awake for about two hours now, but he just couldn't seem to be able to sleep. His mind whirled with thoughts about the past two days. The boy hated himself for causing Blaine even more pain today. I came to make him feel better!

It was hopeless. He felt much too awkward than he should – he had seen Blaine on Christmas after all. That had been months ago though, and since then they'd barely as much as spoken a word to each other. Kurt sighed.

For a while, he just kept lying there, staring at the ceiling, slowly dozing off, when he heard sort of a whimpering sound. Slowly, he sat up and looked around, searching for the source of the noise. And there it was again, a little louder now.

Kurt's gaze fell on Blaine. His face was scrunched up and tears were rolling down his cheeks. "No… No, please! Don't- Kurt… Kurt! Please no…" he cried.

He was thrashing around on his bed now, and the sounds roused Cooper. He grunted groggily. When he noticed his brother, he went to calm him down, but Kurt stopped him with a soft "No, let me."

Blaine obviously had a nightmare, and he had called for Kurt. Helping him was the least he could do. The blanket was pushed off his legs slowly, and he stood up. As silently as he could, he went over to Blaine's bed and reluctantly sat down on it. He started shaking Blaine's shoulder gingerly at first, but that only caused the other boy to become even more frantic in his movements.

Kurt proceeded to shake harder, whispering Blaine's name. The effect was tremendous: the boy shot up, whimpering, sobs wracking his body.

"Shhh, Blaine, it's okay, you're safe now. Calm down." Blaine looked at him, the fog in his eyes slowly clearing. "Kurt?"

His voice was so timid, Kurt had barely heard it. "Yeah, it's me Blaine. It's okay. Come here." He opened his arms.

Blaine all but melted into his embrace, still sobbing. "Kurt…! Kurt I- I just-"

"Shh, it's okay." Kurt soothingly rubbed small circles into the other boy's back, while he proceeded to comb Blaine's hair with his other hand.

Blaine practically clung to him, his sobs slowly subsiding, but he was still shaking like a leaf. Kurt's heart twisted painfully in his chest. He couldn't stand seeing this boy in pain. Suddenly, he had an idea.

"Oh yeah, I'll tell you something, I think you'll understand, When I say that something, I wanna hold your hand"

Blaine still clutched Kurt's shirt tightly, but, without realizing it himself, he had started to sing along. They finished the song together, their voices harmonizing perfectly.

Kurt wrapped an arm around Blaine's waist, murmuring soothing words into Blaine's ear as he calmed down. He was glad to see Blaine feel better, and he pulled him to his chest, letting Blaine rest his head on his chest.

Tangled together like that, they slipped into a dreamless sleep, missing Coopers knowing smile as he settled back down. Heck, if these two didn't end up being back together by the end of next month, he would willingly give up on his acting career.

When Blaine woke up the next morning, he felt kind of… warm and fuzzy. Safer than he had in months. It was then that he noticed the arm around his waist, the chin pressed onto his head. His eyes widened when he saw it was Kurt.

He remembered what he had thought just yesterday, about never seeing Kurt without hair products again. Trying very hard to suppress a happy sigh, he attempted to recall last night's events. All he remembered was having a nightmare about his father; about the day he had come out to him, and then he had cried out for Kurt.

Blaine flinched violently and pushed himself back into Kurt's tight embrace, never wanting this moment to end. Yet, he knew that when Kurt woke up, it would be over, the awkwardness between them would be back.

Dreamily, he observed the other boy's beautiful face. Blaine loved his face, his skin tone, and now that Kurt was asleep, he could actually stare again without having to worry.

He almost missed the low chuckle that came from the other side of the room. Almost.

Narrowing his eyes, he asked, suspiciously: "What is it, Coop?"

He earned another chuckle from his brother. "Oh nothing. Just that you've been practically fucking him with your eyes for the past few minutes."

Blaine blushed in a dark shade of red. "I- I don't know what you're talking about." He replied, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Oh please, I know you Squirt. And I don't even blame you! I suppose he really is something… if you're gay I mean."

"I-" Blaine began, "Listen Coop, he- he really means a fucking lot to me, and even if I was… eye-fucking him, I certainly wouldn't risk this… whatever we have right now for that. Even though we will probably never get back together, I still love him so incredibly much."

Cooper's eyes were narrowed. "What makes you think that?"

"Well, maybe because I hurt him a lot, and have you not noticed how awkward lunch was for us yesterday?"

His brother just nodded thoughtfully. "You keep trying though, B. If you two are meant to be, then it will happen. And judging by the way you two were around each other before this whole… thing happened, and by last night, I think it will. Just… Don't give up, okay?"

Blaine had cried himself to sleep last night. He didn't really know why, himself. Cooper had finally come back, he had talked to Kurt, and he had – at least somewhat- come to terms with the fact that Kurt would probably never ever forgive him. The boy had refused to leave the hospital, so he and his brother had asked for a room they could sleep in. Thankfully, the hospital always had one or two guest rooms that family members could use. Still, his night hadn't been a quiet and restful one. No, he had had haunting dreams of the night after the Sadie Hawkins dance, when he had been beaten half to death, and then woke up in a hospital. In this hospital. That was probably the reason for his nightmares- this place triggered memories.

Nevertheless, the Sadie Hawkins dance hadn't been the only thing he dreamed about. Kurt had been a major factor in his unconscious state, and he had always appeared when the nightmares got really bad, so Blaine could calm down. Cooper had also been there with him, in person even, and had whispered soothing words into his ear until he fell back asleep. Blaine couldn't help but wish it had been Kurt's arms that encircled him, Kurt that rocked him back to sleep, Kurt that made his night more bearable.

Blaine felt like a delusional 10-year-old that had their first crush on a girl – or a boy – and was too afraid to talk to them. Because he was delusional. Kurt wouldn't get back together with him anytime soon, if ever.

He was staring out the window into a small park. There were a few people walking around, a woman was pushing a man around in a wheelchair; his hand was moving from time to time and he was drooling on his shirt. Blaine sincerely hoped that when – if – his parents woke up, they wouldn't end up looking like that. He didn't think he could take care of them at 17.

So lost in thought, he almost fell of his chair when the door opened widely and hit the wall. He spun around, startled, and was relieved to find that it was Cooper.

"Coop, man, you know doors have handles for a reason, right? You're gonna give me a heart attack someday."

Cooper just grinned. "Whatever, Squirt. Anyways, I got you some coffee. I didn't know how you liked it so I just got you a simple one with milk."

Blaine nodded in acknowledgement, his fingers curling around the cup that contained the hot, dark brown liquid as he took it from his brother. Slowly, he took a sip and spluttered as he burned his tongue.

"Go slow B! It's fresh and hot."

The other boy just scoffed. I noticed. At least the coffee made him feel something. Made him feel alive. Blaine and Cooper sat in a comfortable silence for a while, Blaine continuing to look out the - rather small – window. He didn't notice the time fly by, and the next time he turned around, Cooper was gone again. Blaine sighed.

Was he a bad person for thinking more about Kurt than his parents? Probably.

He felt empty and numb. Kurt was invading his mind again. Blaine just couldn't stop thinking about the beautiful boy, his clear, glasz eyes, his porcelain skin, his chestnut colored, always perfectly coiffed hair. The corners of his mouth slowly formed a small smile at the thought. He had always been proud of the fact that he was the only one who ever saw Kurt without hair products.

I'll probably never see him that way again. Coldness gripped his insides tightly.

He didn't even startle that much when the door hit the wall again. "You really need to break the habit, Coop." he started, "I-"

It wasn't Cooper that stood in the doorframe, with red rimmed, blue eyes, hazelnut hair, porcelain skin, just a few tones lighter that paper.

"Kurt." He breathed.

The flight had been even worse than he had expected. His nervousness had made his bladder go crazy, so he had to go relieve himself every ten minutes, which in return caused the woman next to him to go crazy. Eventually, he offered to trade seats, as he was sure she was about to kill him if she had to move out of his way one more time.

Now, Kurt was standing here at the Port Columbus International Airport and was waiting for a free cab to take him to Westerville. Normally he would've asked his dad to get him, and he knew Burt would've done it, but he really wasn't in the mood for an interrogation of any kind, and that was most likely what his father would do.

So here he was, looking around, neck strained, hoping to catch a cab soon. When he saw a free one, he lifted his hand and waved. The driver nodded and pulled over.

"Where to?" The man asked when Kurt had gotten in. He looked nice, in his forties probably, hair starting to become grey.

Kurt smiled and replied "Westerville Hospital please."

Curiously, the driver looked at him. "Something bad happened?"

"You could say so." Kurt sighed and leaned back in his seat. He earned a sympathetic glance from the other man. "Sorry. I'll do my best to get there quick buddy."

He earned a small smile from Kurt who busied himself fastening the seatbelt. "Thanks."

They spent the drive in comfortable silence. The taxi driver seemed to understand that Kurt didn't want to talk, and Kurt was incredibly thankful for that. Still, he was happy when they arrived at the hospital after half an hour; he wasn't sure if he could've handled the pitying looks any longer.

With a forced smile, he handed the man thirty dollars, telling him to keep the change, got his suitcase out of the back of the car and entered the hospital.

He went over to the information. "Excuse me?" He began. The woman behind the counter looked up at him, a bored expression taking over her features.

"Yes?"

"Um… I'm looking for Elaine and John Anderson. I wanted to see them." He stammered.

The woman looked through her computer, then nodded. "Yes, they're here. Family only though."

"I'm their nephew." Kurt never would've thought he'd ever lie to achieve what he wanted.

The woman – her name was Lorie, judging by the small iron plate pinned to her chest – eyed him skeptically. "Nephew, huh?" Kurt held his breath. "Room 356, up the stairs then left. Impossible to miss."

Kurt nodded, relieved. "Thank you so much."

Lorie just shrugged in acknowledgement and then waved him off. The boy had to keep himself from running up the stairs. He turned left, and soon he stood in front of the room that Blaine's parents were in; and hopefully Blaine too.

Softly, he knocked. A voice told him to come in – but not Blaine's. Still, he entered the room. There, next to a battered Mrs. Anderson – the sight of her made him gasp – sat an about 25-year-old man; Cooper. He turned around, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Kurt? What- what're you doing here? Blaine told me that-"

Kurt cut him off with a wave of his hand. "I can guess what he told you. I bet he thought I wouldn't care, right?" Cooper nodded, still surprised. Kurt sighed. "I guess it really must've seemed like that. Just hanging up on him, I shouldn't have, it was just that-"

It was Cooper that stopped him this time. "Whatever. Blaine's not here as you can see. But… I can take you to him if you want? Boy's been thinking and talking about you all the time."

Kurt couldn't help it when a slight blush crept up his face, and Cooper cracked a smile as he stood up. "Come on, I'll take you."

The boy could only nod, and followed Cooper out of the room. They rounded a corner and then stood in front of a different looking door.

"Blaine- is he- is he okay?" Cooper looked at him with an unreadable expression. "Physically? Yeah. Emotionally? I'm not sure; doesn't look like it. Go easy on him, yeah? He really missed you and now the thing with mom and dad…" He drifted off.

Kurt couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt and the man's words. The thought of causing Blaine even more pain than he was in already made him feel physically sick. He didn't voice his thoughts though, just nodded.

It was just now that he realized the tears rolling down his cheeks and he quickly wiped them away; he needed to be strong – for Blaine and also for himself. Remembering the promise he had given to himself in the plane, about not breaking down, he entered the room when Cooper flung the door open and silently left. Kurt flinched at the sound.

"You really need to break the habit, Coop." The other boy said, his voice tired and empty. His back was turned to the door, his shoulders hunched. Slowly, he turned around, and when he saw the face in the doorframe wasn't his brother's, his face morphed from shocked to relieved to incredibly happy in the blink of an eye.

Kurt's heart constricted in his chest when he saw Blaine's eyes fill with tears, and when he said his name, he lost it, flinging himself in Blaine's arms.

Blaine couldn't believe it. The beautiful boy in his arms, that was Kurt. His Kurt. He was so shocked that he didn't respond to the hug at first – he hadn't fully processed what had just happened yet. When he finally understood that this was really Kurt, that he was real and warm in his arms, he returned it with full force.

"Kurt, Kurt, Kurt!" He chanted the other boys name over and over between the sobs that wrecked his body. He never wanted to let go. Never ever would he lose sight of Kurt again. "I missed you so much, Kurt." He murmured.

At the sound of his voice, Kurt seemed to realize what he had just done, and pulled away. Blaine tried to force the hurt off his face, but obviously didn't succeed as Kurt looked at him with a stricken expression. Internally smacking himself, he cursed his dumbness – saying that had probably been too much. He quickly wiped his tears away as he tried to get a hold on himself.

"I'm- I'm so sorry for that. I didn't mean to- I-"Kurt couldn't seem to be able to find the right words. Blaine wanted nothing more but to cut him off with a kiss, but he knew that wasn't possible. Kurt would probably soon realize his mistake and leave again.

Self-consciously, Blaine wrapped his arms around himself. "What- What are you doing here? I thought that- you didn't- you wouldn't-"It was Blaine who was at a loss for words now.

"You thought I wouldn't care?" Kurt guessed. Blaine shrugged and the other boy nodded, staring at the wall, deep in thought. Suddenly, he grabbed Blaine by the shoulders, as if to shake him, and brought their face dangerously close to each other.

"Blaine, listen to me. I don't want you to ever think that I don't care, okay? Even though you- I mean- you-"He took a deep breath and started again, "What I mean is, even though we had our… differences," Sighing, he continued, "that doesn't mean that I don't care, alright? I- You will always matter to me, no matter what happens, do you understand?"

Blaine had a hard time listening, with those beautiful eyes so close to him. Still, he managed to nod and Kurt let go of him. He cleared his throat. "All right, so now that we covered that… How are you feeling?"

Still staring at his former boyfriend, it took him a few seconds to realize that he just had been asked a question. Lifting up his shoulders in a shrug, he replied: "Um… Okay I guess. I mean, as okay as one can be when your parents are in a coma." he tried to joke lamely. Kurt flinched, and Blaine immediately felt guilty.

"I- I'm sorry, I tend to shut off when I don't know what to say." Kurt still looked so incredibly sad, and Blaine wanted nothing more than to kiss the sadness off his face.

"No, no, it's okay, I didn't- I don't expect you to tell me anything, after what happened with us in… the past."

It was Blaine's turn to flinch now. This conversation was incredibly awkward so far, and Blaine really missed the times when they could tell each other everything. That seemed like ages ago, and they acted like strangers with memories now. We probably are, he thought sadly.

"So…" Kurt cleared his throat awkwardly. "Do you… did you go home since your parents… you know."

Blaine shook his head. "No, I couldn't; too much to remind me of them, you know?" Kurt nodded understandingly. When they heard someone knocking at the door, they were both incredibly relieved.

When the door hit the wall with a loud thud, Blaine almost jumped out of his skin. He was almost just as surprised when he saw who the visitor was. "Coop? W-what are you doing here?"

His older brother looked disgruntled. "What do you think? Mom and Dad are in coma, of course I'm here!" Blaine just shook his head and looked down on his hands in his lap. "But- I thought you had that important shoot this week…?" Cooper looked at him with disbelief on his face. "Look, Squirt, this is our family, our parents are more important than a shoot, don't you think?"

Blaine shrugged. "I guess so…" It was then that Cooper finally got a good look at his brother's face. Blaine had dark circles under his eyes, his hair was messy – he hadn't put on any gel – and he was pale. Cooper was by his side immediately. "Hey, little brother… when was the last time you got proper sleep?" Blaine's face scrunched up as he thought.

"Um… I think two days ago? I couldn't sleep at night and then there was the thing with Mom and Dad…" Cooper felt guilty for waking his brother now. "I'm sorry for waking you up then. You really need to get some sleep." Blaine tilted his head slightly. "Don't worry about it. It wasn't a relaxing sleep anyways."

Cooper shot him a sympathetic look. "Nightmare?" Blaine shook his head. "More of a… flashback."

"You wanna talk about it?" Blaine shook his head again. "I- I'd rather not, no." The older man nodded. "Alright. But you know you can talk to me if something's wrong, right? I- I mean besides the fact that Mom and Dad are… uh… you know." "Yeah, I know Coop. I just- Kurt called me earlier."

Cooper looked at his younger brother expectantly, waiting for him to continue. Blaine drew in a deep breath, as if he was steeling himself for saying the next words. "He… He wanted to know if I was okay because he thought that I was in that car- Mom and Dad used my car." He explained. "I told him about Mom and Dad and then he started rambling and just hung up. I know that I- that I hurt him, but why did he call, then?"

His older brother looked thoughtful. "Well… All I can say is, he obviously still cares about you in some way. After all, you two were a couple for over a year, and as far as I could see, he loved you a whole damn lot." Blaine frowned at that. Cooper just continued. "And I personally think that he was really concerned about you and he wanted you to be okay. But you cheated on him. That's not something you forget that quickly. I guess he still cares about you more than he wants to admit to himself. That might be why he hung up so quickly… But that's just my guess. You should talk to him."

Blaine worried his bottom lip between his teeth. "But- he obviously doesn't want to talk to me. I mean, if he did, he would've when he called, right?"

Cooper shrugged. "Just let him cool off little. Wait until tomorrow or so. I bet he will listen to you. He doesn't seem like the kind of person that holds a grudge without reason." Blaine smiled a little, and then flung himself at his brother, resulting in a surprised grunt from the older man. He clung to Cooper and buried his face in his chest, encircled by strong arms. "You're really wise sometimes, you know Coop?" he murmured. The man grinned and patted his brother's back. "I try."

Kurt was frantic. He hadn't slept all night, just tossed around in bed. Now it was 7am and he would leave for the airport soon. He contemplated to give Blaine a call, tell him he was coming, but then decided against it. His former boyfriend would probably make him stay in New York, and he certainly would not do that.

Sitting at the kitchen table, sipping his coffee, he mentally checked if he had everything. My moisturizer, my scarves, my clothes… My promise ring. Kurt always took that ring with him. It was a connection to his old life, to Blaine, and even though he was far from ready to forgive Blaine, it still calmed him down to have a part of the boy with him. He sincerely hoped that Blaine was okay.

He hated the boy for what he did to him, and he hated that guy that Blaine had cheated on him with. Why didn't he notice though? Kurt was well aware that the breakup wasn't entirely Blaine's fault. He had become rather distant after he had been in New York for a few weeks, busy with his internship at Vogue and with college. He hadn't listened to Blaine, and he hated himself for not noticing the change. Still, cheating is not right. He shouldn't have done it. Kurt shook his head to clear it from the depressing thoughts that haunted him. I need to stop worrying. I'll have enough time for that later. Still, he couldn't help but to be nervous at the thought of seeing Blaine again. He hoped he wouldn't break down, he really couldn't afford that. For some reason, he didn't want Blaine to see him cry, see him being weak in general.

What has happened to us? Kurt thought bitterly. Slowly, he stood up and dropped his cup into the sink. Rachel was already shuffling around the house, and Santana had returned at night, not bothering to tell anyone where she'd been. Kurt couldn't find himself to care, not right now. He jumped when a hand touched his shoulder. He whirled around. "Santana! Couldn't you have said something?" he almost shrieked. Santana just yawned. "Cool off, ladylips. I'm not here to murder you. Just wanted to… y'know, wish you luck?"

Kurt stared at her, shocked. The snarky ex-cheerleader glared at him. "Don't look at me like that! I might not always show it, but… you and the hobbit mean quite a bit to me. We're- we're a family, right?" Kurt had never seen her look so flustered, so instead of making a sarcastic remark, he just nodded slowly, and then grabbed Santana's hand. "Yeah. Yeah, we're a family."

Santana smiled and Kurt managed to crack a sincere smile too. From one second to another, the usual cocky expression found its way on the girl's face again. "Now get ready and help your puppy of a boyfriend. When was the last time you got your mack on?"

Kurt just shook his head and smirked. "Whatever you say, Satan."

Santana scoffed and muttered something under her breath. Then she turned around and left, probably to get a few more hours of sleep.

The boy's insides felt warm and he wasn't as nervous as he had been ten minutes ago. Yeah. We really are a family.

The airport was packed. Businessmen and –women everywhere, mostly headed in directions like LA or to Europe. Kurt's nervousness had crept back again, gripping his insides tightly. Rachel was chattering away as usual, not caring if anyone listened. The boy just sighed, shaking his head at his roommate's obliviousness. He tried to shut her blabbering out, but when she just wouldn't stop talking, Kurt snapped. "Oh my god, Rachel, would you just shut up for a minute?"

Rachel stared at him with big hurt eyes. Kurt immediately felt guilty. "Hey, Rachel, I'm sorry, okay? I just- I can't think clearly right now. Sorry."

The girl nodded, her expression soft and understanding. "It's-" She was interrupted by a voice that announce the boarding for Kurt's flight. "We should get going, otherwise we're gonna be late. The airport is huge after all." Kurt nodded curtly, following the short girl to their gate.

His thoughts drifted off to Ohio again. He ran into an older woman, mumbled an embarrassed "I'm really sorry ma'am" and hurried after Rachel. Damn it Blaine, what are you doing to me? Kurt shook his head. He needed to get his act together; he certainly would not break down when he arrived at the hospital.

When they arrived at the gate, there was already a line of people waiting to be let in. Rachel turned to her best friend and pulled him into a tight hug, sniffling a little.

"Gosh Rachel, I'm not going away for a year!" Kurt murmured, flustered. Rachel let out a small, breathy chuckle and whispered back: "Be okay, yeah? Make sure Blaine is as well. I'll miss you."

Kurt nodded. "You just make sure that Santana doesn't skin your- Brody alive." Rachel laughed, choosing to ignore that Kurt had hesitated to call Brody her boyfriend- or maybe she just hadn't noticed. Nodding, she replied: "I will, promise. Text me when you arrive? And give me a call tonight?"

"You bet. I doubt I'll be able to deal with this alone."

Rachel gave him one last, teary smile, pecked him on the cheek and the gestured to the gate. "Now get going or you'll miss your flight!"

Kurt smiled back, then turned around and went over to the gate. As he was ushered through the gate, he turned around and gave her a small wave, before she disappeared out of his side when he stepped into the plane.

When he was seated, he leaned back, stuffing a strip of chewing gum into his mouth and turning his iPod on. As the flight took off and all the houses and cars got smaller and smaller, he hoped the music would give him something to concentrate on, as he was almost positive he was gonna go crazy if he spent more time worrying his head about Blaine. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and chewed to ease the pressure that had started building up in his ears.

After Kurt had hung up, Blaine just stared at his phone, his eyes watering up again. “…Kurt?”, he said in a timid voice, almost like he was talking to himself. What had he expected? That Kurt would just forgive him for his cheating and confess his undying love for Blaine?

He had been a complete asshole, and he knew he’d probably never forget the look on Kurt’s face when he had uttered the words. “I was with someone.” Kurt had looked so heartbroken and when he had started crying, Blaine could practically feel his heart shattering. How could he have betrayed the love of his life like that?

Of course he won’t care. I broke his heart, what did I expect? Still, Blaine couldn’t help to feel more than just a little disappointed, having relied on Kurt’s support more than he would ever admit to himself. He let out a strangled sob and curled up on the hospital chair by his mother’s bed. I hurt him so much. How could I have been such an idiot? I love him more than anyone else in this world, his laugh, his skin, his eyes. Kurt… I’m so sorry…

Slowly, carefully, he cupped his mother’s hand in both of his. “Mum… I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I wasn’t there with you guys. I just- I really fucked up with Kurt and I want you to- I just w-want you to hug me. Please… Please wake up. I can’t lose you and dad too.” But her hand didn’t as much as twitch.

Blaine let go of her hand and let his gaze linger on her body. She had a huge cut on her forehead and her left arm and leg were wrapped in a cast. From what he had gathered, she also had several broken ribs, a severe concussion and a minor bleeding in her brain, which would most likely cause memory loss and confusion – or worse - when she woke up. If she wakes up… Blaine thought solemnly.

His father wasn’t better off; in fact, he probably had it even worse than Elaine. John had pretty much the same injuries as his wife, but on top of that, a glass shard had found its way into his right eye which would most likely make him go blind on that side.

Blaine sighed. He had never wanted this. He had never wanted to see his parents on a hospital bed, being kept alive by machines, barely even functioning anymore. Slowly, he let his mind drift off, thinking of better times. As his limbs and eyes started to grow heavy, he didn’t fight sleep, letting himself indulge in the soothing darkness.

Blaine jumped out of his bed, his little bare feet making loud sounds on the tiled floor as he ran into his parent’s bedroom excitedly. “Mommy, Daddy, it’s my birthday today, get up, get up!” he exclaimed excitedly. His father groaned and turned around in their bed, his mother slowly blinked her eyes open.

“Oh honey… What time is it?” Blaine shyly handed her the alarm clock on the dark brown night stand next to the bed. The woman let her head fall back into the pillows. “Blaine! It’s five thirty in the morning, why are you up that early?” The now 5-year-old boy jumped up and down, not able to keep still.

“But Mommy!” he argued, “It’s my birthday! I wanna eat cake and get my presents and play hide and seek with Wes and David and-“Elaine chuckled. “Alright, alright! Just let me get Daddy out of bed and get ready. You just put socks on; we’ll be down in a minute.” She smiled warmly at her son. Blaine grinned back.

Before he went back to his room, he paid a visit to Cooper though. Laughing, he flung himself on the bed where his brother slept. “What the hell Blaine?” the older boy grunted. “It’s my birthday, get up, get up, get up!”  Blaine all but shouted. “Ugh- Do you know what time it is? Can’t you just wait like, one or two hours yet at least?” Blaine shook his head vehemently. “Nuh-uh. Mommy and Daddy are already up, I want my big brother too!” At that, Cooper laughed, scooted over to one side of his bed and patted the spot next to him.

“Come here squirt.” Blaine obeyed. “Happy Birthday little brother. You’re my favorite one.” Blaine giggled. “But Coop, you only have one brother!” “Exactly. And I wouldn’t want another!” He pulled the younger boy into a tight hug.

“Now get out so I can change!” The little boy laughed and finally retreated to his room, shouting: “Love you big brother!” He heard Cooper laugh. “I love me too!” Blaine grinned again. He had a feeling that today would be absolutely awesome.

“Make a wish Blaine!” Blaine grinned, then closed his eyes and blew out the candles. Please let Mommy and Daddy and Cooper always be okay. That was his only wish. When all the candles were blown out, his father whirled him around in his arms. Blaine was positively squealing with laughter. He felt so happy in that moment. Still catching his breath, he blurted out: “D-daddy! Can we eat the cake later? I wanna get my presents! Please?” He put on his best puppy dog eyes, knowing his dad couldn’t resist them.

John laughed. “Okay, birthday boy. Let’s get your presents!” He stalked off to retrieve them. Blaine was giddy with excitement, once again not able to stop himself from bouncing up and down. Happily, he looked around the room, and just seeing his mother and Cooper smiling broadly at him made his heart feel like it was going to explode with excitement.

When his father finally arrived, three big, colorfully wrapped packages in his hands, Blaine practically tore them out of his hands. He began unwrapping the first one, the big goofy grin never leaving his flushed, round face. When he saw the Superman costume he had wanted in there, he ran up to his family, wrapping his short arms around them as good as he could. Cooper ruffled his unruly dark brown curls and Blaine went back to his presents.

The second package contained a dark blue scarf and matching mittens and a hat. Blaine knew his parents always got him something useful on top of the things he wanted. And blue was his favorite color anyways, so he wasn’t upset at all. He just hoped his last gift was the one he wanted the most.

He ripped off the wrapping paper, hoping to find the thing he had wished for ages for underneath it. His disappointment when he saw it wasn’t what he hoped for, but rather some matchbox cars must’ve been clearly visible on his face because his mother tried to explain. “Honey… I know you’re disappointed that we didn’t get you that… princess costume but… we didn’t think it was- we didn’t think it was appropriate. You see, only girls can be princesses.”

Blaine didn’t understand. “But what about when a boy and a boy like each other? I mean, who is the princess then?”

John cleared his throat. “Blaine… Listen to me. When two men or two women love each other then- that just isn’t right. It’s not normal.”

Blaine’s face was scrunched up in confusion. “But what about Hannah? She has two dads. And… as long as they love each other, shouldn’t that be okay?”

His father just sighed. “Blaine, let’s talk about this another time, okay?”  The little boy just nodded, even though he still didn’t understand.

“Now, who wants cake?” his mother exclaimed. Blaine immediately forgot the conversation he had just had and replied “Me, me!” He ran into the kitchen, missing the concerned glance his parents exchanged.

The day proceeded normally, Blaine ran around in his Superman costume, laughing and shrieking and completely forgetting the talk he had had with his parents. When he fell into bed that night, he remembered again though. He took the chance when his mother came into his room to kiss him that night and asked “Mommy? What is wrong with a boy liking another boy?”

Elaine narrowed her eyes and gave him a weird look. “It just isn’t normal. It’s against God and- why do you want to know?”

“I just don’t understand Mommy. And- and this God, if he thinks that it’s wrong then he is wrong I think. And you are too. You shouldn’t just believe him, Mommy. I think you should be able to like whoever you want.” He nodded to underline his statement.

His mother looked angry now. “Look Blaine, God is always right. Two men being together is wrong, and I don’t want you talking back to me. Also, I don’t want you to associate with… people like that.” She spat. “This Hannah you were talking about. I don’t want you talking to her anymore.”

Blaine shook his head. “Nuh-uh. Hannah is my friend, and I wanna talk to her!”

“Blaine! Stop talking back! You will obey by what I tell you!” Blaine flinched visibly and scooted back a few inches.

Elaine seemed to realize what she had done because she tried to touch her son’s arm, but he flinched back, almost hiding in his bedding. The woman sighed in defeat and stood up. “Good night, sweetie.” But Blaine didn’t answer, just hid under his blanket. When he heard the door close, he peeked out of his makeshift-cave and thought about what his mom just said. He just couldn’t get her logic through his head. And the look in his eyes when she had started shouting… She had looked almost… disappointed in him? But why would she be? What had he done wrong? With all those question in his head, he slipped off into a restless sleep…

…only to be woken up by a door being flung open.

Rachel was worried about Kurt. He he had been frantically running around the apartment for hours now. All she had been able to get out of him when she had finally returned from her date with Brody was something about an accident and that he needed to see Blaine. As far as she understood, it wasn’t Blaine that was hurt though. “Kurt, you need to calm down. You won’t be of any use for Blaine if you arrive there looking like a complete mess.”

“B-but he sounded so broken and- and I just want to hold him and comfort him and I want him to stop hurting! –Damn it!” Something clattered to the ground loudly. Rachel turned around only to see Kurt had knocked the vase off the table, and was now trying to clean up the mess with shaking hands. When he cut into his finger, his resolve finally broke and he fell to the ground, trembling.

Rachel ran up to him and wrapped her arms around her roommate. “Shh- Shh, it’s gonna be alright. Blaine is not hurt, and that’s a good thing right?” Kurt nodded weakly. “See? And now, we will book a flight for you so you can see your puppy-like boyfriend, okay?”

“He- he’s not my boyfriend, Rachel.” Kurt argued. Rachel just nodded with a knowing smile. “Not yet, you mean.”

That made Kurt crack a smile, and Rachel was glad that he seemed to be perking up. He had already called his dad, telling him that he would use his emergency credit card to book a flight to Columbus. From there, he’d be taking a cab to the hospital in Westerville. Burt had agreed of course, knowing how much Blaine still meant to his son.

Rachel got up, turned the laptop on and looked for the next available flight to Columbus. The next one that flew there directly was at around 9am tomorrow. She got Kurt to stand up, showed him the flight and then left to clean up the mess in the kitchen.

When she got back, Kurt had booked the flight and shoved some toiletries and a few scarves into his packed suitcase. As he saw Rachel’s raised eyebrows, he just shrugged and explained: “I don’t know how long I’m gonna stay.”