Too In Love to Let it Go, Chapter 7
Title: Too in Love to Let it Go
Author: gingerandfair/lavender_love00
Genre: AU/Married!Klaine/future-fic
Rating: NC-17
Word count: 5702/200,000
Spoilers: none
Chapter summary: In which Kurt and Blaine talk names and watch another ultrasound, Abby is hormonal and an adoption plan is made.
Prologue (LJ/AO3/Tumblr/S&C) - Chapter 1 (LJ/AO3/Tumblr/S&C) - Chapter 2 (LJ/AO3/Tumblr/S&C) - Chapter 3 ( LJ/AO3/Tumblr/S&C) - Chapter 4 ( LJ/AO3/Tumblr/S&C) - Chapter 5 on ( LJ/AO3/Tumblr/S&C) - Chapter 6 on ( LJ/AO3/Tumblr/S&C)
Read Chapter 7 on AO3/Tumblr/S&C
Thursday, April 6th, 2023
"Micah, everybody's staring at me," Abby whispered, her hand on her belly as they walked through the Columbia University bookstore.
"Just 'cause you're so pretty," he whispered back, squeezing her hand.
"No, Micah, not 'cause I'm pretty," she snapped. "It's because I'm a pregnant teenager. I'm a statistic. I don't belong here."
Micah tugged her out of the bookstore and onto the busy sidewalk. "You belong wherever you say you belong, Abby," he said harshly. She shrunk back, and he sighed, rubbing his neck. "Look, this is hard. I don't know what I'm doing anymore than you do. But this is what you want, right?"
"I don't know what I want," she mumbled, looking at the ground.
"Abby, your eyes lit up when we got to campus. I saw them," Micah said. "You've been wanting to come here since you knew what Columbia was. Having a baby doesn't have to change that."
"Babies change everything," she said, stumbling as a passer-by in a hurry bumped into her.
Micah caught her shoulders and led her back inside the bookstore into a quiet corner. "You're right, babies do change stuff. Which is why Kurt and Blaine are gonna adopt her, right? You're making me nervous here, Abby."
"I'm sorry." She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, you're right. I'm just hormonal. Or - I'm kind of hungry. Maybe that's it - can we get something to eat?"
"Of course we can," Micah said, cupping her face and kissing her forehead. "It's gonna be okay, you know that, right? Everything's gonna work out fine."
"You're right. I know. It's just - it's harder, the more she moves around. I can just feel her all the time - but you're right. God - can we just go get a burger or a slice of pizza or something? Maybe I'll stop acting like such a bitch …"
"You aren't acting like a bitch." He paused. "Abby - it'll all be worth it. We'll get to go to college, and then you'll go to med school and be this awesome doctor and I'll get to be an architect. We're doing the right thing."
"You're right," she said, nodding her head. "Of course you're right. Of course I'm excited. I mean - college, right? It'll be awesome."
"It'll be so awesome." Micah squeezed her hand again. "Come on, let's go get you and the baby something to eat."
* * *
Sunday, April 23rd, 2023
Blaine popped a strawberry in his mouth as he leaned back against Kurt's chest, watching tulips sway back and forth in the breeze.
"This is the perfect day," Kurt sighed, and Blaine smiled, feeling the vibrations of Kurt's voice against his back. He felt so alive and invigorated, and oh god, the sun. He'd worried for a while that they'd never see the sun again.
"Mmmm," he rumbled, low and long, wondering if Kurt could feel it against his skin. "I've been dying for warm weather."
Kurt hooked his chin over Blaine's shoulder. "I know. You've been whining about it for a month and a half now."
It was true. He had. "I just get so tired of winter. But this totally makes up for all the cold and snow and yuck."
Kurt fished the bag of baby carrots out of the picnic basket next to him and began munching on them. "We should probably start thinking about names," he said thoughtfully in between bites.
"Confession?"
"…Yeah?"
"I've had names flying through my head since we found out she's a girl."
"Oh, I'm so glad I'm not the only one," Kurt said in a breath. "I just hope we're not on total opposite sides of the name spectrum - which ones have you been thinking about?"
Blaine sat up and wiggled around to face Kurt, biting into another strawberry. "Well," he said, a bit of juice running down his chin, "I'm pretty attached to Myrtle. But if you pushed, I'd be okay with Judith, Alma, or Betty. They're family names."
Kurt gaped at him. "Please, tell me you're joking.
"Why? …Aren't any of those okay with you?" Blaine didn't bat an eye, but on the inside he was already giggling.
"Blaine, if you try to name our baby Myrtle? I will strangle you in your sleep."
"Well, what about Alma, then?" Kurt glowered, and Blaine's straight face broke as he snickered into his hand. "You didn't actually believe -"
"I never can tell with you," Kurt said, smacking him on the arm. "Here, you've got a little -" He reached out, wiping the juice from Blaine's chin with his thumb
"Thanks."
Kurt nodded. "Now, what were you actually thinking?"
"I like Olivia and Sophia, but I'd want to call her Sophie," Blaine grinned. "And I like Emma or Ella. You?"
Kurt smiled. "Don't laugh …"
"I would never." Blaine looked into Kurt's eyes, clear as the sky today, so he'd know he was serious.
"Well … I really like flower names."
"Flower names? What, like Petunia?" Blaine asked, wrinkling his nose.
"Not Petunia," Kurt said. "Rose. Lily. Violet. Pretty flower names, Blaine."
He cocked his head. "I think I like that, actually. All of those."
"Really?"
"Yeah. We should wait till we see her to pick, though." The thought of it - seeing his baby, not on a ultrasound screen but in real life - made him want to dance and cry and sing and turn cartwheels on the grass.
He settled for a few claps of his hands, which made Kurt smile.
"Just eleven weeks left." Kurt pulled out his phone and tapped the screen twice. "The app says she weighs almost four pounds and is about 16 inches long this week. She has toenails, fingernails, and hair. And - Blaine, she sucks on her fingers already!"
Blaine grinned. "I can't wait to meet her."
Kurt leaned back on his elbows. "What are you most looking forward to?"
"Reading to her," Blaine answered without hesitation, tucking his knees under his chin. It was his favorite thing to think about before going to sleep. "And telling her stories. We'll go on all sorts of adventures before bedtime - maybe we'll even let you come along sometimes."
"Charmed, I'm sure," Kurt smirked.
"What about you? What are you excited about?"
"Everything, I think," Kurt said, his voice dreamy. "Bathtime. When she learns to laugh. Shopping with her, when she's older. Introducing her to music. I just - I'm so - I don’t even know, Blaine. We're gonna be dads." Kurt's voice grew thick and Blaine inched closer to him as he sat up straighter.
"It'll be the hardest, best, funniest, saddest, happiest, most exhausting thing that's ever happened to either one of us," Blaine said, leaning in close. "And I'm so glad it's you. I couldn't imagine doing anything like this with anybody else." He stared into Kurt's eyes for a shared silent moment and saw tears welling up and threatening to spill over.
"God, what is wrong with us?" Kurt laughed, breaking his gaze and wiping the lone tear that had run down his cheek off with the back of his hand. "We're crying in the middle of the park. People can see."
"Correction: you're crying in the middle of the park."
"Bullshit. Your eyelashes are wet."
"They are not," Blaine said, swiping his fingers over his eyes anyway. Kurt raised an eyebrow. "Oh, fine, you win."
Kurt's grin lit up his whole face, and he wrinkled his nose and narrowed his eyes deviously. "Ooooh, baby, I'm so sorry - I know what it does to you when I win…"
"Oh my god, every time I say anything about you winning -"
"You know it's truuuuue!" Kurt sang. He took a carrot from the bag and wrapped his lips around it, slowly pushing it into his mouth.
"You're an evil, evil man, you know that?"
"Mmmm, I know."
"And I somehow manage to love you anyway."
"Well, thank god for that," Kurt said, leaning in to peck Blaine on the cheek.
* * *
Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023
"Oh my god, look at her," Kurt whispered, clutching Blaine's hand tightly.
Their baby bobbed before them on a golden-colored screen, and Kurt thought that he should probably have been totally freaked out, because really it was a lot like watching an alien in a weird liquid-filled holding cell, but all he could think was how beautiful she was. And maybe that was what being a parent was about, suspending reality because your child is better than reality.
This baby was better than reality, for sure.
All of a sudden, in a weird jerky movement, the baby's hand moved over her face and when the image cleared, her thumb was in her mouth.
"Oh my god - Micah, are you watching this? She's sucking her thumb!" Abby laughed, her hand flying up to her mouth.
"Hold still, honey," the ultrasound tech smiled as the wand twisted and jumped with Abby's jiggling belly, making scary-looking distorted craters in the image of the baby. Micah sat at Abby's head, stroking her hair.
Blaine hadn't said anything, so Kurt looked up to make sure he was still with them, and oh. Tears were streaming down his cheeks and he was grinning ear to ear, not even trying to stop them. "She's perfect," he finally murmured.
Abby beamed at them from the bed.
"She looks like you," Kurt told her, unable to keep his eyes on anything but his child for very long, and yep, it had already happened. Hook, line and sinker.
"You think so?" Abby asked, gazing at the baby, still sucking on her fingers.
"I do," Kurt smiled. "Look - she's got your nose."
They sat, the four of them, silent and awestruck and reverent and giddy over her, this beautiful life that brought them together, and Kurt kept holding onto Blaine's hand and tried not to cry.
"Thank you, so much, for letting us come with you," Blaine said, swiping his forearm over his eyes, trying to brush the tears away after the ultrasound was done and Abby's belly was wiped clean. "You guys have been so great about letting us see stuff -"
"Well, you're gonna be raising her," Micah said. "I mean - it's kind of only fair that you get to see it too."
"I'm sorry your mom couldn't come," Kurt said.
Abby sighed. "I think she doesn't want to get attached to the baby," she said. "She keeps telling me that she doesn't want to sway my decision, that Micah and I need to do what's best for us. She thinks that if she's too involved, it'll be too hard to let her go."
Blaine gave Kurt a wary glance, and Kurt squeezed his hand reassuringly. "I'm sure that would be hard," he said. "But it's good that she supports what you want, right?"
"Yeah, totally. She's been great the entire time," Abby said, smiling softly as she looked back on the screen.
"Hey," Blaine said gently, and Kurt could tell that he was sensing a dip in Abby's mood. "You guys feel up for some ice cream when we get out of here? Our treat?"
"Oh, you guys totally don't have to do that -" Micah started, but Kurt interrupted.
"No, we want to," Kurt said. "Come on, isn't there supposed to be something about pregnant women craving ice cream all the time?"
"Well," Abby said, looking a little hesitant, "some mint chocolate chip does sound pretty good …"
* * *
"Do you know what you're naming her yet?" Abby asked, placated for the moment with her double-scoop waffle bowl of mint chocolate chip.
"Not yet," Blaine said, stealing a lick off Kurt's cone. "We have possibilities - ahh!" he screeched as Kurt took his own cone out of his hand.
"All's fair in love, war and ice cream," Kurt grinned, taking a giant bite of Blaine's top scoop of peanut butter ice cream before handing it back. Blaine pouted, but inside he was beaming - he loved this Kurt, this uninhibited version of his husband that only unleashed itself when Kurt was extraordinarily happy or extraordinarily turned on. It was stupid, he should've known it would happen, but it made Blaine incandescently thrilled to realize that seeing their baby would bring it out as well.
Since Blaine was too busy mooning over Kurt, Kurt spoke for the both of them. "As Blaine was saying, we have possibilities, but we really want to wait until we meet her for the first time. We kind of want her name to match her personality."
"Cool," Micah said, grinning at Abby. "I kind of can't wait to see what she's like in real life."
"Watch out," Abby warned Kurt and Blaine, gesturing with her ice cream cone. "If she's anything like Micah, she'll be totally dorky and sit in the front row in calculus class and doodle in her notebooks all the time. And she might develop an obnoxious obsession with Meryl Streep."
"Hey! Meryl Streep is awesome!" Micah protested.
"Meryl Streep is ancient," Abby retorted.
"Meryl Streep is one of the best actresses to ever grace the silver screen. If the man's got to have an obsession, she's a worthy one to have," Kurt said, shaking his head at Abby.
Micah rolled his eyes. "Thank you," he said pointedly to Kurt and Blaine. "And speaking of watching out … if the baby's anything like Abby, she'll take five years to do her hair in the mornings," he teased. "And she'll really, really, really love mint chocolate chip ice cream and the color aubergine, whatever that is -"
"Eggplant," Kurt supplied.
"- and she'll always want to sleep till noon and even though you know she's lying, she'll always complain about how much she hates her mo-" Micah cut himself off with a croak, clearly realizing a few too many beats late what was about to come out of his mouth. "Um," he said lamely.
An awkward silence came over the table until Kurt announced, "I'm going to go get some water."
He rose from the table and Blaine scrambled to follow him. "Water. Yes. Good, I'm thirsty, too."
They walked to the counter, not far enough away to be out of earshot, but hopefully far enough to give Abby and Micah a moment of privacy.
"Baby, I'm sorry, I didn't mean -"
"Micah? Don't," they heard Abby say.
"But I -"
"You're probably right," she said, her voice a hoarse whisper. "She probably will hate me, and it won't be a lie."
"But why would she hate you?" Micah asked. "You're wonderful, Abby."
"Because I'm giving her away," she hissed. "Because I don't want her."
"But that's not true -"
"Do you think she'll know that? All she'll know is that I put what I want over what she needs."
Out of the corner of his eye, Blaine saw her push her chair away from the table and look pointedly away from Micah, her arms crossed over her chest. He gave Kurt a look full of trepidation, and Kurt sighed heavily, took his hand, and led him back to the table.
"I think I'm ready to go," Abby told them before they could sit down, her cone still over half-full.
"Are you sure?" Kurt asked gently. "We can -"
"I'm sure," she snapped. It was the last thing she said all evening.
* * *
"She's going to back out," Blaine said as soon as they'd parted ways with Abby and Micah on the subway platform. "She's going to keep the baby."
Kurt sighed, tugging Blaine to his chest in a quick but tight hug. "She's not, honey. We have an appointment in two and a half weeks to make the adoption plan - she's not backing out. I'm sure she's hormonal, and her idiot boyfriend had to put his foot in his mouth, which did not help …"
"I know, I know, she just seems so off to me lately."
"Blaine, honey? I'm not trying to be condescending, but we don't really know her. I mean, you remember Rachel's epic temper tantrums, and she wasn't ever even pregnant. I'm sure it's just a hormone thing - plus, there is a living creature inside of her. I think I might get a little testy at times, too."
Their train roared up to the station and they stepped on together, Blaine clutching Kurt's hand like a scared child.
"I don't know. I just have a really bad feeling," Blaine said. "I don't think - Kurt, what if we lose her?"
Kurt took a deep breath, his heart clenching at the thought. "Then we deal with it if it happens," he said evenly. "We've been through hell before and lived through it, both of us. But seriously, I don't think we have to worry."
As the final word left his mouth, his phone buzzed in his pocket.
From: Abby
Sorry I was so catty tonight - hormones are a bitch. We still on for the 22nd?
Kurt showed Blaine the message, planting a kiss on his temple. "See?" he said. "Nothing to worry about."
* * *
Monday, May 22nd, 2023
"I should've brought a jacket," Kurt whispered to Blaine, rubbing his upper arms where goosebumps had popped up. "I had no idea it would be this cold in here."
They were sitting in the familiar conference room with Abby, Micah, Holly and Karen, and David Powell, one of the lawyers they'd met with when they first started their adoption paperwork. Karen was shuffling through an accordion folder and speaking in a low voice with the lawyer, and Abby's head was resting on Micah's shoulder.
Blaine rolled his chair closer to Kurt's and shrugged off his cardigan. "Here," he said, holding it out. "You can wear this."
"Blaine, it doesn't -"
"Either you wear it or you stay cold, but no complaining about how it doesn't match," Blaine chastised. "I'm being nice."
Kurt shot him an annoyed look, but took the sweater. "You won't be cold?" he asked.
"Nah, I'm fine," Blaine replied, crossing his arms across his chest. "Go ahead."
"Okay, are we ready?" Karen asked, looking up from her papers.
Blaine and Kurt both sat up in attention, and Kurt quickly stuffed his arms into the sleeves.
"Alright, we're all here to draw up a post-adoption contract between Abby Roberts and Micah O'Neal and Kurt and Blaine Anderson-Hummel. Is that correct?" Mr. Powell asked.
Blaine's and Kurt's heads both bobbed up and down.
"And are you all of the understanding that this is just a preliminary agreement, and that nothing can be signed today? You'll sign this along with signing over parental rights after the baby is born," he continued.
More bobbing of heads.
"Excellent. I'll let Abby and Micah go first - just state your terms and Kurt and Blaine can agree or not."
Abby clutched Micah's hand on top of the table and pushed her bangs out of her eyes five times in succession with her other hand. "Um. Okay. Well …"
"Please don't be nervous, Abby," Kurt said, trying to still his own bouncing knees. "All of this - everything we're doing - is in the best interests of the baby. That's it. Obviously, yes, we want her and we want to raise her, but we're more than happy to be flexible about just about everything."
"See?" her mom said quietly, nudging her shoulder. "I told you."
Kurt watched her take a deep breath, shoring herself up for what she was about to say. "Okay. Right. Um - so, I guess starting with her birth? I don't know what you guys were expecting, but I kind of want it to be just me and my mom and Micah. Like, during labor and her delivery and stuff. I - um, I'm really scared about that part, and I think -"
"Abby? It's okay," Blaine said. "We weren't expecting to be there for it. That's something that you need to share with Micah and the baby."
Abby nodded nervously. "Okay. Um. God, this is embarrassing - um, I kind of want to nurse her? Just while we're in the hospital? Because - I know she'll have to get formula when she goes home with you and I know that colostrum is the most important stuff anyway, and I want to be able to at least give that to her. I want to do right by her, you know? I mean, I'm giving her away already - the least I can do is give her this -"
"Oh Abby, of course," Kurt said, feeling entirely helpless to comfort the poor girl. Now her knees were bouncing, so hard that the entire table was shaking. "That's something that only you can give her. We'd never want to take that away from either one of you."
She nodded shakily, and Micah sighed. "Will you guys excuse us for just a minute?" he asked, standing and tugging on her hand. Abby's mom shot a worried look at him, but he just shook his head. "I got it, Mrs. Roberts."
He guided her out the door into the hall, and Kurt sat in awkward silence with Blaine, feeling like the gazes of Karen, Mr. Powell, and Mrs. Roberts were boring into his forehead. The young couple returned a few minutes later, and Abby's eyes were red-rimmed.
"I'm sorry," she babbled, sitting down. "I just - hormones, you know? They make you crazy. I'm just stressed, I guess?"
"It's okay," Blaine said earnestly, giving her a look that melted Kurt's heart. "We know this isn't easy for you. Do you feel like finishing today?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm sorry," she repeated. "Okay. So, I'd love for you guys to come and see her after she's born, but I'd like for her to stay in my room until we go home. And then -" she turned to Karen. "I know the agency has a policy that the baby usually goes to like an interim family?"
Karen nodded. "Yes, typically that's the case."
"What if I wanted her to go straight home with Kurt and Blaine? Can you do that? I just hate for her to be moved around so much, and they've been waiting so long for her - would that be possible?"
Karen hesitated. "Yes, we make exceptions in some cases. If that's what you'd like to do, we can make that happen."
"Okay, so after she's home with them, I know you guys said you wanted a couple months before we see her," Micah continued. "But - we were hoping for like maybe an email once a week? With a picture? Just to see how she's doing. I think - it'll be hard for Abby, after the baby's living with you …"
"We can definitely do that," Kurt said.
"So after that, like, pictures at least maybe once a month?" Abby said, brushing her bangs back again. "And an update? And - I don't know how often we'll want to see her - I mean, I'll want to see her all the time, but I don't know how often is healthy or what will work for you guys or what..."
Kurt looked at Mr. Powell. "Can that be determined later? Does everything have to be set in stone right now?" he asked.
"No, you can use whatever amount of flexibility that you want," he answered.
"Okay, then, why don't we see how things go for the first several months?" Blaine suggested. "We'll be in contact with you - we can just talk about it and see what you guys feel comfortable with. Is that okay?"
Micah and Abby agreed that Blaine's plan was the best course of action to take, and the lawyer flipped through his notes. "Anything else?"
"Can we give you pictures of us?" Abby asked. "I want her to know what we looked like when we were little and stuff."
"Sure," Kurt said. "I was going to ask about that anyway - I'd like to put together a scrapbook for her of you guys and your families, so when she gets older and wants to look at where she came from, we'll be able to show her."
Abby blinked rapidly, and grabbed one of the tissues that Karen offered her. "That would be fantastic," she sniffled. "You guys - we're so lucky to have you …"
"Any other requests?" Mr. Powell asked, making a note on his legal pad.
"None that I can think of now," Micah said.
"We just want to be part of her life," Abby added, sounding a little desperate.
"Of course," Karen said, patting her hand. "That's what we're here for - to give her the most fulfilling family experience we can. So, if nothing else changes, I guess we'll all see each other again when the baby comes!"
* * *
Saturday, May 27th, 2023
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you," Kurt could hear Blaine singing as a crack of light appeared in their bedroom door. "Happy birthday to-the-best-husband-in-the-wooooorld, happy birthday to you."
Kurt blinked his eyes open and smiled softly at the image before him, a very sleepy Blaine standing in the doorway, holding a tray loaded with piping-hot muffins, a glass of orange juice, and a vase brimming with tiger lilies.
"Oh, Blaine," Kurt said fondly.
"Happy Birthday, Kurt," Blaine told him, setting the tray on Kurt's nightstand and bending to give him a sweet kiss. "I wanted to do something special - it's the last birthday either of us will have before we become parents."
"This is so sweet," Kurt said, scooting up in the bed and reaching over to finger one of the flower petals. "They're beautiful! What kind of muffins are these?"
"Cranberry-orange," Blaine said proudly. "I got up extra-early to bake them myself."
Kurt beamed. "Come here, get back in bed with me," he said, patting the empty space next to him. "I want to eat them while they're warm."
Blaine climbed in next to him, grabbing a muffin as he went. "I don't want you to lift a single finger today," he said, tearing a little piece of muffin off. "For anything." He held the warm, fluffy muffin to Kurt's lips, and Kurt parted them, the sweet, warm confection almost melting on his tongue. He sighed, delighted.
"You are too much. What other surprises have you got planned today, hmm?"
"Oh, you'll see - you are turning thirty after all …"
"Ugh, don't remind me," Kurt said, making a face.
"Hey, don't feel too bad. I'll be right behind you this fall."
"When did we get so old, Blaine?"
"I don't know - they say you're only as old as you feel," he said, popping more muffin in Kurt's awaiting mouth. "How old do you feel?"
"A lot younger than either of us will feel in a month or so," Kurt said, smiling.
"Mmm, that's true," Blaine said, taking a bite of muffin himself. "Do you know we've spent nearly half our lives together?"
Kurt nodded solemnly. "And I've felt every second of it." Blaine gasped in mock-offense, his hands going straight to Kurt's ribs, tickling him.
"I'm not stopping till you take it back!" he exclaimed as Kurt shrieked his laughter.
"Fine, fine, stop! I take it back!" Kurt's eyes were shining as Blaine rolled them over and held himself up, hovering over Kurt's chest.
"I can't wait to be a dad with you," he murmured softly.
"Mmm, me either." Kurt pulled Blaine in for a sweet kiss. "I love you so much."
"To the moon and back," Blaine whispered against his lips, pulling their bodies flush together.
The muffins were cold on the platter before either Kurt or Blaine gave them another thought.
* * *
Wednesday, May 31st, 2023
"So Blaaaaine," Kurt drawled out as he plated their breakfast: egg white, spinach and swiss omelets and field greens with homemade vinegarette.
"Mmm?" Blaine asked, blinking still-sleepy eyes as he came up behind Kurt, wrapping his arms around Kurt’s waist and nuzzling his scruffy face into Kurt’s neck.
"Abby's 37 weeks today."
"Mmm?" Blaine repeated.
"According to the What to Expect book, that's technically considered full-term. Which means she could go into labor at any time. Which means we could have a baby at any time, Blaine, and we've still not gotten the nursery ready…"
"I know, I know, I'll order the crib today while you're at work," Blaine groaned, carding a hand through his messy bed-head. "Today, Kurt, I promise."
"And the glider?"
"And the glider."
"And paint?"
"And paint."
"Good," Kurt said, gliding over to their tiny kitchen table. "Because it just wouldn't do to put the baby in a dresser drawer or something awful like that."
Blaine rolled his eyes. "I'm sure we'd figure something out. She could technically sleep in the Pack-n-Play if worse comes to worst."
Kurt looked aghast. "No daughter of mine is sleeping in a playpen, understood?"
"Yes, yes, understood," Blaine said.
"Excellent. And we're having everything overnighted, right? No ifs, ands, or buts?"
"No ifs, ands, or buts, I promise."
* * *
"Can you remind me why this was a good idea, painting the room tonight?" Blaine asked, slipping on the plastic that covered the floor and nearly falling against the still-wet wall. The sound of Romeo barking filled the background - he'd been sequestered in the bathroom and was vocalizing his chagrin. Loudly.
"We have to be prepared, Blaine! What if Abby goes into labor?" Kurt asked, gesticulating wildly with his Misty Lilac-covered paint roller.
"Are you sure you're not the one nesting, here? Where'd all this 'we have to do everything right now' stuff come from?"
Kurt sighed. "I don't know. I just - can't wait any longer, I guess. I want everything to be perfect for her."
"It will be," Blaine promised, dipping his roller in the paint and going at the wall again. After a few minutes, though, he looked out the window into the lit-up darkness and sighed, "Do you think we really need two coats? I'm getting tired …"
"Blaine."
"Okay, okay, wishful thinking," he said, holding his free hand up in surrender, swiping the roller in big "v" strokes. They painted in silence for a while, Romeo's barks subsiding to pitiful whines, until Kurt piped up again.
"Oh, did I tell you Carole called?"
"No, what about? Is your dad okay?"
Kurt laughed. "Yeah, Dad's fine - but apparently Rachel called Carole wanting to plan a big baby shower shindig after the baby comes home. I think she managed to talk her out of the huge party that Rachel initially wanted, but …"
"It's still Rachel," Blaine finished for him. "Noted."
"It could be fun," Kurt said hopefully. "Although I'll have to threaten her within an inch of her life not to make things overly dramatic with Finn. He never really has gotten over her."
"I know." Blaine let his head thump against the wall out of both fatigue and vexation toward Finn's lingering crush. "…Shit."
Kurt stared in horror for a second, then clapped a hand over his mouth to hide his snickers.
"Ohhhh, no," Blaine said, coming toward him. "This is not my fault, you don't get to laugh. You coerced me into painting when I was tired, you talked about Rachel and Finn, it's your fault I have purple all over my face."
"Blaine …" Kurt warned as his husband's smile turned wicked.
"You're only getting what's coming to you, baby," Blaine said, finding a spark of energy. He grinned as he dragged his roller from the top of Kurt's head, down the side of his face, to the hem of his old McKinley gym t-shirt.
Kurt gasped, sputtering, then dipped both hands in the paint bucket and placed them on either side of Blaine's face, giving him a deep, hard kiss. Blaine broke away laughing, rubbed the paint from his face onto his hand, then palmed Kurt's crotch through his old gym shorts.
"You!" Kurt shrieked, grabbing his own roller. He chased Blaine around the room, and by the time they were done, collapsed in a laughing heap on the paint-spotted plastic, they were both covered in large streaks and splotches of Misty Lilac.
"You know we've got another coat to go," Kurt said, slightly out of breath. Blaine looked at the walls, and much to his dismay, Kurt was right. The pale purple was no match for the bright color of blue that they'd painted their work room when they'd bought the condo four years prior.
He looked down at his paint-covered t-shirt. "The next time we paint a room? We're hiring somebody to do it for us."
"Lazy," Kurt teased, groaning as he pushed himself up off the hardwood floor. "Come on, sweet cheeks," he said, extending a paint-covered hand for Blaine. "Let's get back to work."
Chapter 8