bowtiedarling

Blaine held a cherry red sweater up to his chest in the mirror and silently debated its destination for a minute before he tossed the garment into the growing pile on his bed. He reached into his walk-in closet and grabbed a jacket, immediately tossing it into the stack. There was no way he could take his entire closet to New York City, and if the stories that Wes told him were true, he’d be lucky if he had time to gel his hair in the morning.

He glanced back at the bulletin board in his room that held his official acceptance letter to the musical theater program at NYU. Blaine’s hard work – the sometimes hated efforts to push himself to the forefront of New Directions, his participation in a myriad of clubs, and keeping straight A’s – had all paid off. His parents, of course, had patted him on the back with few words, but he knew how hard he worked to keep himself on top. He could hardly believe that it had all worked out and that he would be moving to New York City in a month.

Blaine quickly folded the clothes up and placed them in a box to take to Goodwill later on. He grabbed his wood hangers and hung up the three cardigans that had remained draped over his desk chair for a few days and cringed at the sound of Kurt’s voice in his head that said he was ruining good couture. He paused and bit his lip as he turned back toward the picture frame that was perched upon a wooden trinket box. He lightly traced over the photo with his finger and smiled softly at the memory. The photo had been taken a few months earlier at Blaine’s senior prom; Kurt had shown up and surprised him in a tux borrowed from Vogue, and with a second one in his arms for Blaine. Blaine got lost in the memory of that night; the feel of being in Kurt’s arms, the amount of laughing they had done, and the after party at Breadstix that had culminated in an impromptu rendition of Shiver Shiver.

Blaine shook himself out of his head and finished hanging his cardigans up. He grabbed the box off of his bed and flicked the switch on his way out. He was getting more excited to move to New York every day.

*~*~*

Blaine threw a piece of popcorn at the television as he criticized the judge’s decision. The winning cake had been completely inedible compared to the other groups; why would anyone choose an uncooked cake to win? He rolled his eyes and quickly changed the channel to the Food Network while he stuffed another few pieces of popcorn into his mouth, settling into the corner of the couch as Guy Fieri coached his contestant.

Blaine had just finished his bowl of popcorn and wrapped himself in a blanket when the doorbell rang loudly through the massive house. He groaned in protest but threw the blanket off and trudged through the hall to the large foyer. He peeked through the peephole, just in case, and rolled his eyes with a slight grin before he opened the tall front door to reveal Sam shifting back and forth with his hands in his pocket. “Hey, come in. What’s going on?”

Sam walked into the foyer and glanced around before he continued to shift on his feet. “Not much, dude. Do I need a reason to see my best friend?”

Blaine shook his head and motioned for Sam to follow. “Oh, now I know something’s up. Did you piss off the Warblers again? I really don’t want to do anymore damage control.”

“That was one time and you were there-“

“I was there for the first one. I’m talking about the two incidents after the initial incident.”

Sam collapsed into the couch next to Blaine and grumbled. “It’s not my fault some people can’t take a joke.”

“You dyed their cat pink, Sam! How could anyone not be upset by that?”

Sam rolled his eyes and shrugged. “He looked cute in pink.”

“Then, as if that wasn’t bad enough, you had to bleach the blazers.”

“Okay that, I admit, was bad. But they ruined our football field, dude. Come on.”

Blaine shoved his hands in his pockets and stared back at him. “Take the high road, Sam.”

“But-”

“Take the high road.” He watched as Sam collapsed farther into couch cushions, seeming to have given up on the argument. “Now, why are you here?”

“I have an idea, a good one, and I want you to thoroughly think about it before you say anything, okay?” Blaine nodded and Sam continued. “We should go on a road trip.”

Blaine raised an eyebrow at the thought. “A road trip?”

“Yeah,” Sam nodded. “Think about it. We start college soon, the schedules are going to be crazy, and we’ll have to get jobs too. This could be the last time we have for a while to do something crazy and fun and spontaneous! Besides, your parents are gone for two weeks aren’t they? Do you really want to sit around here alone when you could be on the open road driving to New York City?”

“I don’t know.” Blaine bit his lip as he considered. It would be a lot of fun, he had no doubt about that, but where would they stay? What would they do? “New York? We’ll be there in a month or two.”

“I know, but I already talked to Kurt and Rachel and they offered to let us crash at their loft, and they’d show us around and we could go find out all the good ways to get to school. By the time we show up for classes, we’ll practically be true New Yorkers.”

Blaine pursed his lips together as he thought about it. Sam sounded so enthusiastic and excited about the idea and he couldn’t help but at least consider it. I would e nice to know something before school started. He didn’t want to look like an idiot.

“Come on, Blaine, it’ll be fun dude. It’ll be our last big thing before we move to New York for college. Don’t you want one epic memory before we go?”

Blaine chewed the corner of his lip as he thought about Sam’s plea. It could be fun, if he let himself admit it, and it wasn’t a long drive to Brooklyn. Plus he did want to see Kurt again; they hadn’t seen each other since before Blaine and Sam had graduated. “Epic, huh? And Kurt and Rachel said we could crash there?”

Sam nodded as the grin spread across his face. “Yup. They have no problem with it. So, are we going?”

Blaine sighed and rolled his eyes as he nodded. “Yes, we can go. It’ll be fun.  But as far as my parents know we’re going because we want to get a feel for the school, got it?”

“Yes! It’ll be so awesome.” Sam punched the air before he fist-bumped Blaine in excitement. “So how long before you’re ready?”

“You already have your stuff in the truck don’t you?” Blaine rolled his eyes when Sam nodded and then turned around to climb the stairs toward his room. “Give me an hour.”

*~*~*

Blaine's eyes were shut as the wind swirled through the truck and carried Freddie Mercury's voice out with it. The air felt good on his skin and he felt light; like the wind was carrying his worries and fears away as it blew across his face. He hadn't realized how worried and how scared he was of moving to New York and going to college until suddenly he had felt the weight of the fear lift from him.

Blaine blinked his eyes open and allowed his eyes to adjust to the bright, harsh light as he stared out the passenger side window at the landscape of Pennsylvania.  The sun had started to sink lower in the sky bringing the blinding light with it and he reached for his glasses in the door pocket and slipped them on. He glanced at the dashboard and saw that it had just passed six.

"Hey, Pittsburgh is coming up. Do you want to stop and grab some food?" Sam asked.

Blaine nodded, his stomach choosing that exact moment to growl. "That sounds great. I haven't eaten since I snacked on popcorn earlier."

"Yeah I totally forgot to eat before I went to your place. There should be some fast food and then we can keep driving for another two or three hours before we-"

Sam was interrupted as the rear left side of the car suddenly sank down. A loud scraping sound echoed throughout the truck and Blaine groaned at the sound. He knew exactly what it was. He glanced over at his best friend and would have laughed at the look in his face had they not been so far from Lima.

"Shit, are you kidding me right now?"

Blaine sensed Sam's frustration and took a deep breath. He glanced around quickly and spotted an exit sign up just ahead. "Pull off at that exit, we'll go find a place to change the tire."

Sam ran a hand through his blonde locks and bit his lip in nervousness. "I, umm, I don't have a spare tire."

Blaine squeezed his eyes shut and counted to three in his head. "What do you mean you don't have a spare? Every car has one."

"I used mine a few months ago and I forgot to replace it."

Blaine tugged at the ends of his curls and let out a loud sigh. "Alright. Get off at this exit and give me a second."  His fingers were already tapping away loudly on his phone, searching for a tire shop while Sam pulled the car off the freeway and stopped at a red light. "Okay there's a place a few streets down. Turn right here then go down to the next light and turn left. It should be a few blocks down on the right."

The two drove in silence as they followed Blaine's directions with the sound of metal clanking on the ground every few seconds. Sam spotted the small red building and slowly pulled into the tiny parking lot as to not ruin any more parts. A few seconds later Blaine rubbed at his eyes with the heels of his hands as Sam lightly punched the steering wheel in frustration. "Closed? Are you kidding me? It's only six o'clock."

"There aren't any others around right?"

Blaine shook his head and double-checked the map one more time. "Not around here. We'd have to get your truck towed."

Sam bit his lip and let the idea sink into his head for a minute. He glanced around the area before he turned toward Blaine. "Okay, there's a Wendy's across the street. Lets go over there, get something to eat, and figure out our next plan okay?"

"Alright. Though we really only have two choices." Blaine grabbed the cardigan that he had draped over the back of his seat and quickly pulled it on.

They walked together in silence as they crossed the street and entered the bustling fast food restaurant. The smell of French fries wafting through the air caused Blaine's stomach to growl once again. They got into the line and waited patiently while it moved slowly as more people entered.

After a long wait the boys grabbed their trays, stacked to the brim with food, and found the last available table in the room. Blaine hurriedly shoved a few French fries into his mouth before he dived into the burger, inhaling it in record time. Once his hunger pangs began to subside he took a quick sip of his tea before he cleared his throat. "Alright, so I see about two possible scenarios right now."  Sam nodded and signaled for him to continue speaking. "Okay. Scenario A: we can call around, see if we can get someone to tow the truck to a shop that's open, get it fixed, and then continue driving."

Sam took a sip of his soda as he threw the balled up wrapped onto the tray in front of him. "Okay. What's the other option?"

“Option B, which is my personal choice, is that we see if we can rent a room at the Holiday Inn we passed a block back, get some rest, and leave the truck where it is overnight and come back when the shop opens in the morning. We can have them fix the tire, grab some breakfast, then get back on the road.”

Sam sat back in his chair and thought for a minute as Blaine continued to eat. A few seconds passed before Sam spoke. “It’ll depend on how much the hotel room will cost. I don’t know if I have enough money for food and gas and a new tire and a room.”

Blaine shook his head as he finished eating. “No, don’t worry about it; I’ll pay for the room. Seriously Sam, don’t protest I’ve got that covered. We’ll see how much the truck costs tomorrow and I’ll pitch in for that.” Sam began to protest but Blaine refused to hear it. “Nope. Not up for negotiation, okay? I got it.”

Sam reluctantly backed down and they finished their food so they could grab their belongings from Sam’s truck. They grabbed their bags and anything they didn’t want left in the car and locked it before they trekked down the street to the Holiday Inn tucked behind a McDonald’s.

Blaine walked up to the registration desk and gently placed his bag on the floor before he smiled at the desk clerk. "Hi. I was wondering if you had any rooms available for the night."

"I'm not sure, we're pretty full tonight. Let me check." The woman behind the counter began tapping on the keyboard and stared at the screen. Blaine drummed his fingers against the counter and glanced back at Sam.

"We have four rooms available, all with a king size bed."

Blaine bit his lip and looked at Sam, who was oblivious to the situation, and was staring at the small aquarium in the corner of the lobby. "You don't have any rooms with two beds?"

The woman shook her head and adjusted her glasses. "I'm afraid not, sir. There's a large convention in town and we are housing a lot of the guests."

Blaine sighed and opened his wallet. Hopefully Sam wouldn't mind too much. "Alright, that's fine. I'll take that room." He sent Kurt a quick, short text before he signed the paperwork for the room and was given the keys. He hoisted his bag up higher on his shoulder and grabbed the larger bag off the floor, motioning across the lobby for Sam to meet him over at the elevators.

“Hey, you got a room?”

“I did,” Blaine nodded as he pushed the ‘up’ button for the elevators. “However, the only rooms they had available had a king-size bed.”

The elevator doors opened and Sam walked in as Blaine checked the floor number before he pressed the number. “Okay, that’s cool.”

“If you want, I can sleep on the floor, if it’ll make you feel more comfortable-”

“Blaine?”

“Yeah?”

“Shut up.” Sam glanced over Blaine’s shoulder at the room number on the card and stepped out, turning down the hallway with their number.  “You’re my best friend.  I don’t care if you’re gay or straight. Just don’t hog the blankets or there’ll be a fight.”

Blaine grinned and a quiet sigh of relief left his lungs as he walked into the room behind Sam. He set his belongings on the side of the bed that Sam hadn’t claimed, and therefore wasn’t currently sprawled out on.  He looked around the room, grabbed the remote and tossed it onto Sam’s stomach. “See if anything’s on if you want. Or if there are any movies or games you want to rent.” He fished his laptop out of his bag and tossed it on the bed, then grabbed his grooming bag and crossed the room to set it on the counter in the bathroom.

A phone began ringing and Blaine realized it was his ringtone for Kurt.  He quickly walked out to see Sam holding his phone out for him. Blaine quickly answered the call and grabbed his room key, holding it up to let his roommate know he was going out to the hall. “Hey Kurt.”

“Blaine! I just got your text. What’s going on?”

He let the door shut quietly behind him and slid down the wall to sit on the carpeted floor. “We’re stuck in a small town outside of Pittsburgh.”

“Stuck? That doesn’t sound good. Why?”

Blaine shut his eyes and allowed his head to tilt backwards to rest against the wall. “Sam’s truck got a flat tire on the freeway.  We pulled off the freeway but the tire shop here is closed until tomorrow.”

“Uhhhh, Blaine? I taught you how to change a flat tire, remember? Don’t tell me you forgot all of the valuable lessons I taught you.”

He huffed out a laugh and let Kurt’s voice melt away the tension in his body. “Oh Kurt, how could I forget? No, Sam used his spare a while back and forgot to replace it.”

“Oh. Damn. So what are you guys doing?”

“We’re staying at a Holiday Inn down the street and the truck is parked outside the tire shop. We’ll get there in the morning when they open.”

“That sucks. I’m sorry. On the bright side at least it’s only a flat tire and not something worse.”

Blaine nodded and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m just tired. I spent most of the morning trying to clean out my wardrobe, since I can’t take a lot of it with me and between that and packing boxes and lugging them up and down stairs, I’m just really tired.”

There was silence on the other end of the line for a few seconds before Kurt spoke. “Blaine? Can I ask you a question? Why are you getting rid of half of your stuff? Why not just leave it in Lima?”

Blaine sighed and played with a loose button on his cardigan. “My parents won’t let me keep any of my stuff at the house. Plus I’m afraid they’ll throw it all out if I did keep anything there.”

“Blaine, my dad can store your stuff in the basement with mine. There’s plenty of room and you know he would have no problem with it.”

“No Kurt, I couldn’t ask him to do that. You guys have already done so much for me. I could never ask him to do that. It’ll be fine.”

“You’re not winning that easily Blaine, but I’ll let it go for tonight. I know this trip was sudden, but I’m really glad you’re coming. I have a few days of light workloads at Vogue so I can spend time with you. We can go all around New York and walk around your campus and I can show you some of my favorite places, it’ll be fun.”

Blaine smiled at that and felt that warm feeling that he always got with Kurt spread through his body. “I’m really glad, too. I’ve missed seeing you.”

“Once you move here there will be no more excuses.”

Blaine nodded and glanced at the watch on his wrist. “Well, I’m going to get going before Sam buys every single movie and game on the TV and runs my bill through the roof. I’ll see you tomorrow okay? I’ll call when we hit Newark.”

“Okay, get some sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow.” Blaine hung up and stood from the floor with a smile. Maybe this really was a good idea after all.

*~*~*

Blaine rubbed his eyes and tried to get the sleepiness out of them as he heard Sam's voice filter through the car over Coldplay's. He groaned as his neck protested his sleeping position and attempted to pull himself up in the seat

"Hey sleepyhead."

Blaine turned towards Sam and smiled sleepily at him. "Hey." His voice was raspy and thick with sleep and he cleared his throat as his eyes adjusted to the light. "Sorry I fell asleep on you. I'm a crappy road trip buddy."

Sam rolled his eyes at the comment as he signaled to get over a lane. "No you're not. It's fine. I had a good time singing along to Top 40 radio."

Blaine chuckled at the comment and rolled his head to face the window and the scenery flying past. He had always loved the way this side of the country looked, with its classic Americana and its New England style; there was so much history here. He watched as the green trees and the brittle, dry brush mixed together in a blurred combination that was the epitome of summer

Blaine dug his cell phone out of his pocket to see if anyone had left any messages. None. He yawned and looked out at the open road in front of him and frowned when he saw the freeway signs. "Hey Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"Where are we?"

Sam shrugged at the question. "Somewhere on our way to New York. Wherever your directions said."

Blaine quickly opened the maps app on his phone and did a current search; he frowned as it took much longer than usual. The result popped up on the screen and he hit the search button again as he figured his phone was having an issue. Six seconds later it kicked back the same response and he looked up just in time to see a flag waving in the breeze in front of a building to his right. "Ummmm, Sam? We're in Maryland. "

"What? No we're not. I took the freeway that your directions said to."

"Well, that may be the case, but my phone is saying we're in Maryland and I'm pretty sure I just saw the Maryland state flag flying."

Sam groaned and tugged at his hair. "Okay, ummm, let me find somewhere to pull off the freeway. Maybe we can find a place to eat and figure out how to get back."

Blaine nodded and glanced back at his phone, looking for the next exit. "Alright, my phone says that there should be an exit up a mile for a place called Hagerstown."

Sam mumbled in acknowledgement and changed lanes, taking the exit toward the town. They navigated the local streets, quietly admiring the classic American architecture, and followed the signs to downtown Hagerstown.

They drove slowly through the town until Sam spotted a small diner on a corner and pulled into a parking space a few storefronts up from it. They stretched quickly and ambled up the street, taking in the sights of the old town stores, and entered the diner where they were quickly seated by the windows along the walk. They read the menus in silence, gave their orders to the waitress and waited for the coffee to arrive.

Blaine reached into his pocket, looking for his phone to see if he had missed anything, and checked the screen to find a text from Kurt.

Kurt (11:43 pm)

How’s the drive going?

Blaine (12:49 pm)

We’re lost somewhere in Maryland. At a diner eating and trying to figure it out.

Kurt (12:52 pm)

What? What do you mean lost?

Blaine (12:55 pm)

Don’t worry, we’re figuring it out. Call you when we get to Newark.

Blaine opened the maps app on his phone and thanked the waitress as she placed the coffee in front of him. “Alright, so, give me a minute and I’ll see what the map tells us on how to get back on track okay?”

“I’m sorry.”

Blaine’s head snapped up at the statement and reached for his coffee. “Why are you sorry? You didn’t do anything.”

“I got us lost. I’ve never had good direction and now we’re farther out, and we had to stay overnight to get a flat tire fixed because I’m the one that forgot to put a spare back into my truck. This trip was supposed to be fun and it’s just turning into a bunch of bad stuff happening.”

“Hey Sam, this isn’t your fault. It’s what happens on a road trip. It’s what makes it an adventure! This trip is a lot of fun, I promise. Don’t worry about it so much. Alright?” The blonde nodded but kept his gaze down at the table. “Okay?”

“Okay.” Sam smiled at Blaine across the table as he held his hand out for Blaine’s phone. “Alright, let me see that map thing before our food gets here.”

*~*~*

“Okay, can someone leave so we can get a spot?”

“Welcome to New York, Sam. It’s always like this. It’s worse in the city.”

The two had been driving around the block for twenty minutes hoping for a parking spot to magically appear. The loft was in a busy part of town and since they had arrived later in the day it was worse than usual.

“Up there! Someone just put their backup lights on.” Blaine pointed at the black truck a few spots up and Sam threw his blinker on and moved quickly. As soon as the black truck had left Sam squeezed into the spot and turned the engine off. Blaine relaxed against the seat and looked over at him. “God, that was a long drive.”

Sam laughed and agreed. “Yeah. Let’s avoid all that on the way back. Let’s grab our stuff.”

Blaine hopped out of the truck and grabbed his bags from the backseat. He quickly called Kurt and agreed to meet them at the doors to the building. Blaine and Sam walked a block back to where Kurt lived and as they rounded the corner they spotted the two roommates waiting for them just outside the building. He couldn’t stop the grin that appeared on his face when he saw Kurt; he also couldn’t stop the pain that flooded his chest. He tried to ignore it as they were spotted and Kurt and Rachel came running over.

“Blaine!”

Kurt wrapped his arms around him and Blaine quickly dropped his bag to the ground. He welcomed the warmth that enveloped him and the peace that washed over him when Kurt was near. He hadn’t realized how much Kurt affected his whole being until now. “Hi Kurt.” He pulled away after a few seconds and pulled Rachel into a hug as he attempted to follow her mile-a-minute story. He reached down for his bag but Kurt had already picked it up and was walking back toward the building. Blaine smiled and followed behind him.

They rode the older style elevator up to the top floor and walked through the large metal door into the space. There were more things in there now than he had seen the last time he was there. In the corner was a sewing space, with a dress form that had fabric draped over it to form a women’s dress. Stacks of fabric were piled on top of shelves next to it. There were curtains over the windows now and in front of one of them, by the sewing area, was a large table, most likely for Kurt.

“Hey stranger.”

Blaine jumped at the voice in his ear and turned to see Kurt there with an amused grin on his face. “I’m sorry what?”

Kurt laughed and tugged at Blaine’s arm. “Come put your stuff down in my room.” Blaine smiled back and followed him behind the room divider to his area of the loft. “I’m sorry it’s not all that private. We still haven’t figured that part out.”

“It’s okay, Kurt.” He placed his bag next to the bed and turned back to Kurt, placing a hand on his arm. “I’m just glad that I’m here and that I get to see you.”

The moment was interrupted as a loud knock rang through the apartment and caused Rachel to squeal. Kurt rolled his eyes and tugged Blaine with him. "I swear that girl is going to find herself outside sleeping on the fire escape if she isn't careful."

Blaine chuckled and followed Kurt out to the kitchen where Rachel was grabbing plates for everyone as Sam paid the pizza deliveryman. Kurt squeezed his arm and got some drinks out of the fridge while everyone helped themselves to the food. Rachel was the first out to the couch and turned a mindless movie on in the background. Kurt and Blaine squeezed onto the small sofa with her and Sam followed a few minutes later, plate piled high with pizza and breadsticks. He rolled his eyes at his best friend’s appetite and nudged Kurt with his shoulder before he dug into the food.

“So what’s been happening the past few months with you two back in Lima? I feel like we haven’t actually talked in forever.” Rachel took a bite of her sandwich and looked between Sam and Blaine.

“Well, everyone graduated, even Brittany, and I think everyone’s just been trying to spend as much time together as we can before we go all over. We’re just trying to stir up some trouble one last time before we leave.”

Kurt raised an eyebrow as he swallowed his food. “What do you mean one last time? What the hell has happened to you two since I left?” He looked pointedly at Blaine, who tried to hide his grin but was unsuccessful. “Uhhhhh, that could take some time to explain.”

“Lucky for you we’ve got that. Start talking.”

Blaine motioned for Sam to start with the stories and the small group spent the next three hours curled up together on the couch laughing from the stories being told, from Sam and Blaine’s Dalton adventures to Rachel’s nemesis and Kurt’s stealthy observations in the fashion world.

As Rachel was recounting a particularly bad class Blaine noticed that at some point Kurt’s arm had snaked around his shoulder and he was leaning back into Kurt, snuggled into his shoulder like he often used to. He caught Sam’s eye and smiled at him; both boys knew that this was the start of something great for both of them. Blaine couldn’t help but hope that maybe, just maybe, everything would work out in the end after all.

Title: Brick By Brick (LJ I FF.net I S&C)

Author: bowtiedarling (Tumblr | LJ)

Artist: voices-echo (Tumblr)

Word Count: ~25,279

Rating: R

Characters/Pairings: Kurt/Blaine, Mike Chang, Rachel Berry, OC

Warnings: Language

Summary: After a decade together, Kurt and Blaine are more distant than they’ve ever been. Between late nights at the office and weekends working, Kurt is never home and Blaine is at his wit’s end. As everything comes to a head, Blaine will take one last shot at saving their relationship. 

Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters. Or the show. God, I wish I did, but I don’t. 

Author’s Notes: I want to thank my amazing betas, twobirdsonesong and voices-echo. Voices-echo was also my artist for this BBB and did half the artwork for it as well as a playlist. This story would not have gotten written if it wasn’t for those two pushing me to keep going and forcing me to rewrite half of it to make it better. You two are phenomenal! This story was inspired by the song ‘Brick by Brick’, sung by Train and I suggest you go check it out here. Also, I don’t write long stories that don’t end happily. Keep that in mind please. The artwork includes some photos of locations to relevant places in the story so make sure to check that out too. Enjoy!

Artwork

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6  | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Epilogue

*~*~*

“Considering all the chaos surrounding the past four years of his life, it’s no wonder that Hummel-Anderson is so successful; he rarely takes a moment to pause. ‘I only stop when my husband puts his foot down; when that happens, I know it’s bad.’ His busy life isn't about to get any less stressful either; Hummel-Anderson and his husband, theater director Blaine Hummel-Anderson, will welcome a new addition to their family in two months. ‘Our son will be born in December or January, although our daughter can’t understand why he isn’t here now. She’s very impatient. She takes after me in that regard.'

Hummel-Anderson will show his Fall 21/22 collection at Fashion Week in February to--no doubt--sold out crowds and a waiting list the length of Manhattan. We will certainly be there with wide eyes and high heels.”

Blaine grinned and handed the article to Burt so he could glance at it for himself. “Such a great article. The cover is amazing too. My baby’s famous!”

“Call me that one more time outside of our bedroom and you will be sleeping on my pattern tables,” Kurt warned from his place at the kitchen sink.  He finished drying the last dish from lunch and placed it in the cupboard.

Burt groaned and covered his face with his hands. “Oh, I didn’t need to hear that, Kid. Watch it.”

“Sorry, Dad.” Kurt apologized and rolled his eyes at Blaine who sported an adorable pout. “Don’t give me that look; we’ve had this conversation.”

“You know, I remember when Kurt used to blush whenever you mentioned that, maybe we should go back to that,” Burt mumbled. Blaine turned to agree with his father-in-law but was interrupted by a flurry of pink.

“Papa! Papa! Look what Grandma helped me make!”

Blaine bent down as the flurry of pink crashed into his legs and waved something brightly colored on his face. "Yes I see, Addy, what is it?"

The brunette girl with curly hair stepped back and held up her project. "It's for my Halloween costume! Grandma helped me make Sally's wig out of yarn! Isn't it pretty?"

"It's lovely, sugar. Why don't you go show Uncle Finn?" Blaine chuckled as she immediately spun around and ran out of the room. 

"Adalia Hummel-Anderson, we do not run in this house!"

"Sorry, Daddy!"

Kurt sighed at their six-year-old daughter's behavior and Blaine chuckled at the pair. "Blaine, why are you laughing? You're the one that allowed this to happen."

"Whoa, hold on their just a second. Who's the one that introduced her to The Nightmare Before Christmas, thus starting her obsession?"

Kurt turned to Blaine, hands resting on his hips. "Who's the one that said she could go as Sally?"

Blaine raised an eyebrow at Kurt’s response and smirked. "Which one of us is going as Jack Skellington because his daughter pleaded?" 

"Jesus, you two need a new kind of therapy. I think the New York City air here has finally gotten to you."

"Are you kidding? This is normal for them." Carole swooped through the kitchen and gently patted Burt on his cheek before reaching for a sugar cookie. "We're just never around to see these little debates."

Kurt rolled his eyes and Blaine nodded at Burt. "She's right, this is our new normal." 

"It's scary that's what it is," Burt grumbled as he walked across the kitchen toward the family room.

"Well, it is Halloween dad," Kurt reminded him and scowled as Burt ruffled his hair on the way out. "Hey! I'm not ten anymore!"

"Really? Could have fooled me." Blaine grinned at his husband and unsuccessfully tried to avoid the playful swat that came from his direction.  "That wasn't very nice."

"Since when have I ever been nice?"

"You may have a point there." Blaine waited until Kurt had his back turned to hastily grab a tiny snickers bar from the bowl of candy on the counter. "Is everything ready for tonight?"

Kurt nodded and leaned over to rest his forearms on the counter. "Mmhmm. Although I don't know why you won't tell me what you're dressing up as. I've been trying to find your costume for weeks."

"That could be difficult considering it's not here." Blaine smirked as Kurt scowled at him in response. He had known that Kurt would tear every inch of their home apart searching for it so he had begged Rachel to hold onto it for him. "Rachel is bringing it later when she comes with Brody."

"That sneaky little diva. I asked her and she said she had no clue what it was."

"Oh, she doesn't know, unless she peeked. I guess we'll find out later."

Kurt bit his lip before he stood up straight and sidled over to Blaine's side. "Are you sure you don't want to tell me what it is?"

Blaine immediately knew exactly what Kurt was trying to do and he laughed loudly. "No, I'm pretty sure this way is just fine."

Kurt snaked both of his arms around Blaine's shoulders and drew him close as he pressed their cheeks together. "Just think of the fun we could have later if I knew what I could be expecting."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure you'll like it."

Kurt pulled back with a worried look on his face. "You're not going as Christian Grey are you?"

Blaine rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Of course not. I don't know whether I should be offended because you suggested that or offended because you know who that is."

"Wouldn't you like to know…"

Blaine smiled and tugged at Kurt's waist until he could brush his lips along the corner of his mouth. "I love you so much." Kurt smiled softly and played with the curls at the nape of Blaine's neck before he pressed his lips to Blaine's.

Kissing Kurt was one of Blaine's favorite things in the world now. After their relationship nearly collapsed four years ago, they both worked hard to make sure the other knew their feelings at all times, and Kurt put every single emotion into his kisses - whether they were long and drawn out or short and sweet. Blaine treasured moments like these; they were fewer nowadays with their growing family and successful careers. 

Blaine gently ran a hand under Kurt's sweater and grazed across his lower back. Kurt sighed into the kiss and let out a little moan as they broke away. "God, you still take my breath away."

"Good. I better make sure it stays that way."

Kurt smiled and ran a hand over Blaine's cheek and cupped it as he placed a final chaste kiss to Blaine's lips. "I love you more than you know."

Blaine smiled and nuzzled his cheek into Kurt's palm. He was so lucky to have this man in his life and couldn't wait for the years to come. 

"Daddy! We need a Zero! We need to go buy a dog right now! Everything will be ruined!"

Blaine groaned as Kurt's laugh rang throughout the kitchen. "I knew we forgot to mention something."

"You want to go talk to her?"

Blaine shook his head and pulled back before he gently pushed Kurt in the direction of the family room. "Nope, that's you. You have to go explain to her why Jack Skellington won't have his best friend at his side tonight. I'll sit here and laugh."

Kurt glared at him and sighed before he walked out to console their daughter. He grinned and sent a silent thank you to whoever was watching out over them. They finally had their growing family, they both had jobs they loved, and most importantly, they had each other forever. God, he loved his life.

Title: Brick By Brick (LJ I FF.net I S&C)

Author: bowtiedarling (Tumblr | LJ)

Artist: voices-echo (Tumblr)

Word Count: ~25,279

Rating: R

Characters/Pairings: Kurt/Blaine, Mike Chang, Rachel Berry, OC

Warnings: Language

Summary: After a decade together, Kurt and Blaine are more distant than they’ve ever been. Between late nights at the office and weekends working, Kurt is never home and Blaine is at his wit’s end. As everything comes to a head, Blaine will take one last shot at saving their relationship. 

Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters. Or the show. God, I wish I did, but I don’t. 

Author’s Notes: I want to thank my amazing betas, twobirdsonesong and voices-echo. Voices-echo was also my artist for this BBB and did half the artwork for it as well as a playlist. This story would not have gotten written if it wasn’t for those two pushing me to keep going and forcing me to rewrite half of it to make it better. You two are phenomenal! This story was inspired by the song ‘Brick by Brick’, sung by Train and I suggest you go check it out here. Also, I don’t write long stories that don’t end happily. Keep that in mind please. The artwork includes some photos of locations to relevant places in the story so make sure to check that out too. Enjoy!

Artwork

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6  | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Epilogue

Kurt had said something the other day about Burt. A wave of panic spread through Blaine; surely Kurt would have told him immediately over the phone if something had happened to his dad. He reached the end of the hallway and when he turned the corner, he saw Kurt ahead, seated on the floor in front of Blaine's door, with his arms wrapped tight around his legs. Kurt’s overall appearance did nothing to lessen Blaine’s worry.

Kurt had skinny jeans on with his favorite lace-up combat boots, which were so worn they were close to falling apart. His hair seemed to have little-to-no product in it and Blaine himself had rarely seen it unstyled in all their long years together. Blaine's old, worn-in NYU sweatshirt covered Kurt's torso and Blaine's heart broke; Kurt only ever wore his hoodie on a really, really bad day. Kurt's head was down and he was curled in on his own body, making himself as small as possible. His shoulders were slightly shaking. Blaine slowed his steps as he got closer so as not to scare Kurt. 

"Kurt?" Blaine asked, as softly as he could.

Kurt's head shot up and Blaine immediately saw his red-rimmed eyes and dried tear tracks. As soon as Kurt's eyes locked with Blaine's the tears began anew, and Kurt threw a hand over his mouth. His eyes squeezed shut as the tears threatened to fall harder and Blaine's heart broke all over again. 

"What’s wrong?"  Blaine rushed that last few steps to get to him and bent down to run a hand through Kurt's hair. "What happened?" 

Kurt just shook his head as the tears fell harder and leaned towards him. Blaine wrapped an arm around him. 

"Come on, let’s go inside okay?"  He felt Kurt nod and Blaine helped him stand before he grabbed his key out of his pocket and opened the door. 

Blaine slipped the strap of his bag over his head and gently placed it on the top of the desk. He watched as Kurt sank down into the bed and Blaine padded over to sit down beside him. Kurt turned into his side and curled into Blaine’s body without hesitation. Blaine wrapped his arms around him as Kurt sobbed into his neck.  He felt Kurt's tears seeping into his shirt and just held him closer. "What happened?"

Kurt shook his head but Blaine couldn't tell which direction and bit his lip before he tried again. "Is it your dad? Is he okay? Is-"

"My dad's fine, Blaine. It's me! I'm not okay!" Kurt shouted through his tears and he tore himself from Blaine's arms to stand in front of him. "I lost my job, Blaine! My job! I have been working my ass off for months because there was a promotion happening and they said if I proved myself I would get it! Fuck I'm so stupid!"

Blaine watched, stunned, at Kurt’s outburst as Kurt paced back and forth in front of him. Blaine couldn't understand why Kurt was blaming himself. 

"Kurt, you are not stupid,” he said earnestly.  “You were trying for a promotion? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you weren't supposed to know! I was going to surprise you because we had talked about starting a family and how insane an idea it was because both of our schedules are crazy and we rarely have time to just be as is. But this new position would have given me back normal hours, with the exception of the shows, and we would have had more money and we could have started our family, So I've been working my ass off, day and night, to prove myself to get that promotion, but surprise! Apparently the entire fucking company went bankrupt and every fucking person was let go. Meanwhile, Cristian, my dear sweet boss, is gone and no one can find him. So here I am without the love of my life, no job, no prospects for a replacement job, and every single fucking thing I have worked for is gone and I've been so afraid that you'll actually leave me for good and I just want my life back!"

Kurt covered his face with his hands and dissolved into hysterical sobs again.  Blaine sat, shell-shocked at his confession, for a few seconds before he stood up and walked over to gather Kurt in his arms.

"Kurt, I'm so sorry. It's okay sweetheart, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere, okay? I'm right here." He held Kurt close and ran a hand through his thick hair as he whispered soothing words in his ear. He had known that Kurt had been stressed, they had talked about that, but he had no idea that it had gotten this bad.  A wave of sadness swept through him that Kurt had kept it hidden from him all this time, regardless of his reasons. Everything could have been so different if they’d worked through this together.  As a couple.

Blaine felt the last of Kurt’s energy drain out of him, leaving him weak and limp in his arms, and Blaine gently guided Kurt back to the bed before his knees gave out. Blaine continued to hold him until Kurt's sobs subsided after awhile and became soft sniffles. He carefully brushed Kurt's bangs off his face and pressed a gentle kiss to his temple. 

Kurt sniffled and pulled back a few inches as he turned his head to wipe the tears from his face with the edge of the sweatshirt. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to break down like that."

Blaine rolled his eyes. "I think that has been a long time coming now. Why do you always try to be so strong?"

Kurt bit his lip and rested his head on Blaine's shoulder. "I guess it's a force of habit now. I'm used to everyone else breaking around me and I'm always left to keep the pieces together.  I had to keep it together."

"Kurt. You don't have to be strong for me. I know you. Please don't raise that barrier around me, not again."

Kurt nodded his head and glanced at Blaine through wet, clumped eyelashes. "I’m sorry. It’s a hard habit to break."

"Well, let me be the strong person now, okay? You and I are partners and boyfriends, we’re in this together; you aren’t alone. Let me help you through this?" Kurt sighed and nodded weakly, and Blaine considered it a victory when it came to Kurt. "So can we talk about this now? You and me, no hiding, just honesty?" Kurt nodded in agreement again, and Blaine took a deep breath. 

"Why didn't you ever mention to me that you were going for the promotion or even thinking about it?"

Kurt unwrapped himself from Blaine's arms and moved to sit across from him on the bed.  Blaine hated that Kurt still felt like he needed that distance. 

"I honestly wanted to surprise you. It would have made our future easier and less stressful. Ever since we had that talk about maybe starting a family together, I realized I would have to be the one to cut my hours in order to raise a child the way we wanted." Blaine opened his mouth to argue but Kurt quickly held a hand up. "No, Blaine. Just listen to me. You love that theater. It is your brainchild with your friends from college and you have put so much work and blood and sweat and tears into it. It's too important to too many people for you to not be as dedicated to it and not be completely involved.  They need you." 

Kurt paused and Blaine could tell he was trying to figure out how to phrase what he wanted to say next.

"I haven't truly been happy at my job for awhile, if we're being honest. I’ve actually been thinking about trying to find a new job.”

Blaine sat stunned as he listened to Kurt talk about his discontent at his job. All of this was news to Blaine. Why hadn’t he been able to figure out Kurt had been so unhappy? 

“But then this promotion came up and I thought 'hey, this could be perfect.’,” Kurt went on.  “I thought if I worked hard enough I could get it, stay there for another year, earn some money, and then find a different job. It would show that I moved up in the company, that I was a valuable asset, and then I could work for the big labels." Kurt sighed and shut his eyes before he ran a hand through his hair. 

"I've been doing every single extra project that has possibly been coming up to try to get me that extra edge. That's why I haven't been home, that’s why I’ve been so fucking absent. You were so busy at the theater, I just - I guess I thought that you wouldn't notice since we were both so busy. That didn’t work out very well, did it?"

Blaine smirked and held his hand out palm up for Kurt to take. "It could've gone better. So what happened this morning? Or did it happen before?"

Kurt shook his head and reached out for Blaine's hand.  Blaine shivered at the feel of Kurt’s hand once more in his. 

"No, it was this morning. As far as we knew Cristian had been on a business trip this week. I walked in this morning and it seemed like a normal day. I went to my desk and checked my messages, went through my email, just all my usual stuff. About an hour later, everyone in the building was called into the conference room. Sandra, Cristian's assistant, said that some things had been going on in the company without anyone's knowledge, including her own. Then she said tomorrow morning they would be filing for bankruptcy and that as of noon today everyone would be let go. We got our paycheck from the last week and that was it. Someone tried to ask her what was going on, but all she said was that she was sure we'd read about it in the trades in the next few days and that she couldn't discuss anything."

"Well,” Blaine scoffed.  “That doesn't sound fishy at all. Wow.  I’m – I’m so sorry."

"I know, I couldn't believe it. She said we had until noon to gather all our stuff and say goodbye before we had to leave. All I kept thinking was 'all this work I've done the past few months and now I'm unemployed.’ Out of all possible scenarios in my life right now, this was definitely not one of them."

Blaine brought their joined hands up to his lips to kiss Kurt's knuckles and gently rubbed his thumb back and forth across it. "I'm so sorry, Kurt.” He repeated. “You should have told me what you were trying to do. Aside from communication, starting a family doesn't mean one of us works more than the other. We talked about that remember? We decided it was going to be equal. You insisted on it."

"I know, I know, but I thought if I could just prove myself everything would work out. Now the whole idea seems stupid to begin with and I should have just told you." They both remained silent for a minute, lost in their own thoughts about the future. "God, I don't even know what I'm going to do now. Word is going to get around one way or another about what happened and now I'll have that name on my résumé forever. No one is going to want anything to do with me."

Blaine's head snapped up at that comment when he heard the defeat in Kurt's voice. "No, hey, look at me. You don't know that. Fashion moves so quickly - I'll be surprised if anyone remembers his name in a month."

Kurt shut his eyes to try and prevent more tears from slipping out. "That's the thing though. Everyone loves the gossip mill. I guarantee it will be talked about for months. It's just the way it happens. I don't even know where to start to try and find another job."

Blaine exhaled and slowly moved across the bed to sit next to Kurt and gathered him in his arms. "It's okay alright? We'll figure it out. Once people see your portfolio and talent they won't care where you came from. We have to take one thing at a time okay? We can't fix everything immediately."

Kurt relaxed and nodded into Blaine's chest and he felt the other man's fingers gently fist the front of his shirt. He tightened his arms around him as they sat there for a few minutes, not speaking, just holding on to each other. Kurt suddenly tensed up and unwound himself from Blaine to sit up.

"Where are we?"

"Ummm," Blaine glanced around confused by the question. "We're in my hotel room."

"No, no, I meant where do we stand? You and I."

Blaine's lips formed an O and thought about the question. "I love you more than you know, Kurt. I can't imagine us not together for the rest of our lives. You are it for me." He saw Kurt exhale in relief and Blaine didn't think it was ever a question. "We can't have this happen again. I can't handle it again. I won't survive it."

Kurt nodded and ran his hands over his face to wipe away his tears. "I know. I have to work on my communication. I swear I won't keep anything from you in the future."

Blaine bit his lip and ran a hand through his hair. "Things like this have to be a discussion. You can't make choices for me, especially when it comes to life-changing ones. We have to be a team." Kurt nodded nervously and Blaine could tell that he needed a solid answer.

"Come here." Kurt threw his arms around Blaine's shoulders and the force of it caused them to lose their balance and they fell backwards on the bed. They both laughed and Blaine pressed his forehead to Kurt's and his palm to Kurt's cheek. "We're going to be okay. We'll still have to work on everything to get back to where we were, but we'll get there."

Kurt nodded and hesitantly moved forward to close the space between them and he lightly pressed his lips to Blaine’s, unsure if it was okay. Blaine pushed forward and let himself remember Kurt’s kisses, let himself drown in the relief and happiness that had suddenly taken over. He sighed and tilted his head, finding the familiar angle and deepening the kiss, He reveled in the touch and taste of kissing Kurt that he had missed so much during the past few weeks. He ran a hand slowly through Kurt’s hair and re-acquainted himself with the feeling of Kurt’s lips on his before Kurt gently pulled away. “So does this mean you’ll move back home?”

Blaine nodded and his lips curled up in a little smile. "Yes, but not today. Today you and I are lying here in this room and we're getting everything out on the table between us. We'll order take out and we're going to talk everything out until our voices are gone." Blaine heard a quiet giggle escape Kurt's lips and he grinned at the sound. "Then we'll go home tomorrow."

Kurt grinned and surged forward and pressed his lips to Blaine's. "Good. I like home. I miss home. It hasn't been home since you left."

Blaine covered Kurt's lips with his before he had another chance to get emotional. "I miss home too."

Title: Brick By Brick (LJ I FF.net I S&C)

Author: bowtiedarling (Tumblr | LJ)

Artist: voices-echo (Tumblr)

Word Count: ~25,279

Rating: R

Characters/Pairings: Kurt/Blaine, Mike Chang, Rachel Berry, OC

Warnings: Language

Summary: After a decade together, Kurt and Blaine are more distant than they’ve ever been. Between late nights at the office and weekends working, Kurt is never home and Blaine is at his wit’s end. As everything comes to a head, Blaine will take one last shot at saving their relationship. 

Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters. Or the show. God, I wish I did, but I don’t. 

Author’s Notes: I want to thank my amazing betas, twobirdsonesong and voices-echo. Voices-echo was also my artist for this BBB and did half the artwork for it as well as a playlist. This story would not have gotten written if it wasn’t for those two pushing me to keep going and forcing me to rewrite half of it to make it better. You two are phenomenal! This story was inspired by the song ‘Brick by Brick’, sung by Train and I suggest you go check it out here. Also, I don’t write long stories that don’t end happily. Keep that in mind please. The artwork includes some photos of locations to relevant places in the story so make sure to check that out too. Enjoy!

Artwork

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6  | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Epilogue

Blaine spotted the familiar storefront and paused on the edge of the sidewalk as all the memories flooded back to him. He remembered their first foray here ten years ago and all the feelings he had felt at finally being here in New York City, with Kurt, to live the life he had always dreamed of. He remembered all the study dates, quick breaks in their hectic schedules, and long relaxed evenings curled up together on the large leather sofa that he was sure was no longer there. He glanced up ahead at the sign one more time before he walked the last few feet to the entrance. 

He pulled the heavy door open and heard the small bell chime above him. That tiny, crisp ding was always one of his favorite sounds and he was glad to see that at least that hadn’t changed. He glanced around the cozy shop and let the warmth and aroma of freshly ground beans envelope him. Blaine spotted Kurt off to the side of the shop and his breath caught in his throat. 

Kurt was sitting on the well-worn couch against the wall that they had spent many nights curled up together on. Kurt looked up from the two cups he was holding and grinned as his face lit up. Blaine took a deep breath and smiled back and made his way through the tables to join him. 

Kurt stood up as Blaine approached him and cleared his throat nervously. “Hey.”

Blaine couldn’t help but smile. He reached for Kurt’s arm and rubbed it lightly. “Hey. I’m glad you came.”

“I wouldn’t have missed it, Blaine.” Kurt glanced down at the two cups in his hands and held the left one out for Blaine. “I got you a latte. I hope that’s okay.”

Blaine took the hot cup from him and allowed the scent to pierce through the air. “It’s perfect. Thank you.” They both moved back toward the large leather couch and settled comfortably back into the worn piece of furniture. “I can’t believe they still have this thing.”

“Neither could I! I walked in thirty minutes ago and saw it over here.  I thought they would have gotten rid of it years ago.  I ran over and threw my jacket across it so no one would sit here while I got our coffee.”

“You risked your McQueen jacket for the old, worn-out couch?”  Blaine asked fondly.

Kurt shrugged and his cheeks flushed a faint rose color. “Well, it’s our couch. It seemed only right that we sit here today.”

Blaine bit his lip and stared at the man across from him who had suddenly started to surprise him. “Kurt.”

Kurt blushed an even darker shade and quickly took a gulp of his coffee, wincing as the heat seared his mouth. “What?” Blaine didn’t respond and Kurt stared down at the warm mug nestled between his hands. “Don’t look at me like that. It makes me nervous.”

“Hey,” Blaine spoke quietly and he reached out and tipped Kurt’s head up gently to look at him. “Don’t be nervous. It’s just us.”

Kurt bit his lip and stared back at Blaine before he took in a deep breath. “But that’s just it, Blaine. What is us? What are we? I don’t-”

“Please, Kurt, not today.” Blaine glanced down at the floor and bit his lip as he tried to keep his emotions from surfacing.  “I don’t have the answer for you and I won’t have it today. Just, please, I don’t want to do this today.”

Kurt nodded and whispered a faint acknowledgement before tracing his finger around the top of his coffee.

Blaine knew he had probably taken his words in a different meaning and he reached out to gently place his hand on top of Kurt’s. “We will talk about everything, Kurt, I promise. But today, I just- it’s just two great friends sharing their lives, okay?” The words felt odd as they tumbled out of Blaine’s mouth; they were never just great friends. They had always been more.

Kurt glanced up through his eyelashes at him and let out the breath he seemed to have been holding before a smile crept across his face. “Okay. I can do that.”

“Good.” Blaine smiled back and took a quick sip of his latte and savored the taste. “So how are Burt and Carole?”

Kurt quickly swallowed and ran his hand over his thigh. “They’re good. I mean, Dad has had me worried for a few weeks now, regardless of what he or Carole say about his health, but I think they’re okay.”

Blaine furrowed his brows in concern. “What do you mean worried?”

Kurt sighed and tilted his head to stare up at the ceiling for a minute before he focused his attention back to Blaine. “He said a few weeks ago that he had a few chest pains off and on for a couple of days. I wanted him to go to the hospital but he refused, he said they weren’t that bad. Carole said he’s been a little sluggish lately and sometimes a little out of breath. She said not to worry.”

“Carole’s a nurse, Kurt. I’m sure she knows what she’s talking about.”

“Yes, I know,” Kurt shot back with narrowed eyes before he realized how loud he had been. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap, but he’s my dad, you know? It was just the two of us for so long. I can’t help but worry about him.”

Blaine nodded, not knowing that feeling for his own family, but he certainly worried about Burt himself. He had grown close to the man and felt as though he was a father to him. “Have you talked to him about it? I think he’d probably understand why you worried if you told him.”

Kurt shook his head and took another sip of his drink. “No, every time I try he just gets grumpy and changes the subject.  I’ll force him to listen to me soon, somehow.”

Blaine smirked into his mug before he took a sip. Kurt was just like his father, in the best way possible, but still stubborn as a mule. He wondered if Kurt would ever realize it himself.

Kurt took a deep breath and sat back into the worn leather sofa and he seemed to finally relax. “Enough of that. How’s the theater doing? What have you been working on?”

Blaine chuckled and crossed his legs as he tucked himself into the corner of the couch. “Oh, it’s doing fine. We’re busier than any of us thought it would be. Some of the kids are keeping us busier and on our toes more than others.”

“Ooh, I sense a story there.”

Blaine laughed and took another sip of his latte. “Oh, you sense about a dozen stories there.”

Kurt sat up as his eyes sparkled and grinned excitedly. “Oh tell me, I’m always up for good stories.”

He laughed and got comfortable as he began to regale Kurt with the latest news from the theater.

*~*~*

“That tone was perfect, Derek, just great. next time we’re going over the new music so please make sure you bring that with you alright?” Blaine chuckled at the loud groans from his students before he waved them off for the day. “Go on, get out of here. See you on Thursday.”

Blaine reached for the sheet music on top of the piano and carefully placed it in his master folder. He walked away from the piano and towards his desk to grab his bag. Today was the first day in a week that he had been able to catch up on all of his work and could leave at a normal time. He threw his old, worn leather messenger bag on top of the desk and began to place his music and student assignments in it. 

“Oh my God, are you actually leaving?”

Blaine grinned at Izzie, who was casually propped up against the doorframe with her arms crossed and a stack of papers in her hands. “Why yes, I am. Isn’t it fantastic?”

“It’s not fair, that’s what it is. Teach me your ways, Anderson. I’m here for another two hours at least.”

“Yes well some of us actually get our work done on time.”

“Says the man who’s been late on that for two weeks now.”

Blaine rolled his eyes and buckled the flap of his bag shut “As much as I adore you, is there a reason for this lovely visit today?” he asked as he reached for the coat draped over the back of his chair.

Izzie smiled, unfolded her arms and held out a letter that was gently tucked on top of the stack in her hand. “A certain gentleman dropped this off about two hours ago. I promised him you’d get it.”

Blaine’s breath hitched and he bit his lip and reached for the envelope while he tried to suppress his grin. “Thanks, Iz.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Do I get to know what’s inside that?”

“Nope.”

“Oooh, it’s one of those letters.”

“No, it is not!” Blaine tried not to blush at her comment as he set it on the desk and slipped an arm into his coat. “It’s just personal, that’s all.”

“Mmhmm. That’s why you’re blushing furiously right now.”

“I’m going home.”

"Sure you are."

Blaine sighed and turned to face her. "Are you ever going to act your age?"

"Hell no," Izzie balked and rolled her eyes as she turned to walk out of the room. "Then I would have to grow up. Who wants to do that?"

Blaine shook his head and watched her leave as he hitched his bag onto his shoulder and headed out of the classroom. He locked the door behind him and glanced down at the envelope in his hands and wondered what Kurt had written. As he thought back to the letters he had already received, the corner of his mouth twitched. He had never thought until recently that he would have enjoyed these letters that they’d been sending back and forth the past week.  They were clear, physical reminders of their relationship and why they were worth the fight for each other. 

Blaine stepped into the cool weather and pulled his jacket around him more closely.  The crisp, cold air enveloped him and he couldn't help but smile; it meant the holidays were coming. He walked with the hordes of New Yorkers who were also on their way home for the evening as he thought about what takeout he wanted and what his evening in would look like. He followed the crowd down into the subway and swiped his card before he walked through to wait for the train.  

He waited until he was safely tucked away in his hotel room with Chinese takeout cradled in his lap as reruns of Project Runway, a habit Kurt had forced on him that he now enjoyed, played softly in the background to open the latest letter. This one looked like it might be longer than the previous letters and he was instantly curious to read its contents. 

Blaine,

What a day it's been so far. Some of the samples got misplaced in tracking and Di and I ended up scrambling all over the city this morning picking them up. I am completely exhausted from it and it's only four o'clock.  Things are more hectic than usual, lately, what with the runway show in a few weeks and working in fittings and last minute changes and new patterns. I'll be so glad when the show is over. 

I was going through one of our albums last night and ran across the picture we took in high school at Sam's birthday. The one with the slide? God, that was such a great night. I still remember the look you had when we drove up to Sugar's house and saw that huge bouncy water slide. Your face could have lit up an entire football stadium. All of us came out with so many bruises that night from everyone crashing into each other and from when Rachel fell down the steps trying to get to the top. 

When we had all had enough of that there was the bonfire after dinner that night, remember? They had that massive fire pit in the backyard and we all grabbed a ton of blankets and pillows and gathered around it. Puck and Sam had brought their guitars and played songs and we all sang. You and I had found a lounge chair earlier and had curled up on it with the blanket you gave me for my birthday. Later that night, almost everyone had fallen asleep and we stayed up curled under the blanket, with your head on my chest, and talked about the future and all the possibilities. You probably don’t know this, I’ve never told you, but I have the picture of us from that night that Sugar took, on that lounge chair, taped to the inside drawer of my desk at work. It’s one of my favorite pictures of us and reminds me to have fun and try to slow down. I know I haven’t slowed down at all lately, but I promise I still look at that picture every day when I’m at work and smile. 

I miss having you next to me at night and sharing stories about our days like we used to. I miss coming home and having movie nights that would inevitably turn into throwing popcorn at each other. I miss you snuggling up to me at night because you’re cold and I’m always warm. I miss waking up to coffee filtering through the air and you dancing in the kitchen to the radio by yourself until you force me join you. I miss planning crazy trips with you that we won’t take but still plan anyway. I turned on reruns of America’s Next Top Model the other night and turned to say something, but you weren’t there. It’s not the same anymore. 

I miss you terribly, every day, but I know that you need time to decide what you want. I’ve already made my mind up, Blaine. I want you. All of you. Every single day and night. It’s no question for me. I can’t promise to always be the perfect partner but I CAN promise you that I will do everything I can to communicate and make sure you know how much you are wanted and needed every day. I can promise to listen and attempt to control my temper and talk things out rationally. I hope that’s enough for you, and if it’s not, well, I’ll have to learn a new kind of life. I don’t want to though - I want you.

I love you with all my heart,

Kurt

Blaine lifted a hand to his face and felt the dampness on his cheeks as he finished reading the letter. He smiled through his tears as he reread the last paragraph of the letter over and over again until he’d memorized it. Kurt had never been the one in their relationship to lay all his emotions and feelings out at once and he had certainly never said anything like he just had in this letter. Blaine knew that it meant Kurt was trying for him.

He wiped the remaining tears from his eyes and moved across the room to place the letter in his bag for safekeeping. He sat down at the desk with a pen in his hand and began to think of a response.

*~*~*

Blaine dropped his head back to stare at the ceiling and groaned at the commotion going on around him. After two hours of constant bickering and arguing, they were no closer to deciding what student submission would be shown in spring than they were at the beginning of the meeting. He glanced at Izzie, who rolled her eyes at him, and he was glad to know that he wasn’t the only one annoyed with the current situation. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and jumped at the sudden feeling. He pulled out his phone and hit decline without seeing the screen and shoved it back in.

“What’s wrong?”

“Hmmm?” Blaine glanced at Izzie before he shook his head and turned back to the menagerie gathered around the large table. “Nothing, why?”

“Why? Probably because you’ve been jumpy for two days straight now and get more agitated by the second. Why don’t you just answer your phone? That’s the second time it’s rung.”

“Because I am in a meeting that’s important, though clearly no one else got the message. And I am not agitated.”  Blaine shut his eyes and took a deep breath before he looked back at her. “I’m sorry, Iz. I didn’t mean to snap.”

Izzie took a sip of her now-cold coffee and grimaced before she swallowed. “What’s wrong? Anything I can help with?”

Blaine shook his head no and sat back in his chair. “No. I just, I haven’t heard anything from Kurt in two days. It’s probably nothing, but he’s been writing these letters every day, and I just thought it was odd. Maybe he finally gave up.”

“No way. Nuh uh. That man is madly in love with you. I’ve seen those letters, Blaine, trust me, he’s not giving up anytime soon.”

Blaine choked on the coffee he had just sipped and glanced around to see if anyone had heard them; they hadn’t. “What do you mean you’ve seen them? How?”

“Oh please. I rifled through your bag. You should know after four years of friendship that I’m a Nosy Nellie. Also, you should probably keep them a little more hidden.”

“Izzie stop going...” Blaine trailed off as he felt his phone vibrate again and pulled it out to glance at the caller. “It’s Kurt. I’m going to take this okay? I think he’s been calling.”

She waved him off and he quickly ducked out of the chaos and stepped into the quiet solace of the hall. “Hey.”

“Hey Blaine. Are you home?”

Blaine furrowed his brows at the stuffy sound of Kurt’s voice through the phone. “No, I’m in a meeting at the theater. Why?”

“Can you get out of it and meet me at your hotel room?”

Blaine quickly became concerned when he heard the slight quivering and unsteadiness in his voice. “What’s wrong? Are you okay? Did something happen?”

“Please, Blaine, I just really need you right now. Can you please just get out of it and come?”

Blaine bit his lip and glanced back into the room where everyone was still arguing. “Yeah give me a few minutes. Are you hurt or anything?”

“No, I’m not hurt. Just, please meet me at your room okay?”

“Okay I’ll be there as soon as I can.”  

“Thank you.”

“Be there in a bit.” Blaine hung the phone up and stared at the object for a few seconds as he wondered what could possibly be wrong. He shoved the phone back into his pocket and pushed the door open as loud voices greeted him. He hurriedly walked back to his spot and bent over to grab his bag. “Izzie, I have to go.”

She looked back at him in concern. “Is everything okay?”

“I don’t know,” Blaine shrugged his shoulders and threw his belongings in the leather bag. “He sounded really upset. I’m sorry.”

“No it’s fine, you go. I’ll cover you and let you know what happens. I know what you want done anyway.”

“Thanks Iz you’re amazing.” He kissed her quickly on her forehead as he threw his jacket on and swung his bag over his head on the way out. No one else seemed to notice he left as he glanced over his shoulder before he walked quickly down the hall toward the elevators. Kurt had sounded horribly upset and he hoped that nothing serious had happened. Kurt had called him, though; when he needed him the most and he would do what he needed to be there for him.  

Title: Brick By Brick (LJ I FF.net I S&C)

Author: bowtiedarling (Tumblr | LJ)

Artist: voices-echo (Tumblr)

Word Count: ~25,279

Rating: R

Characters/Pairings: Kurt/Blaine, Mike Chang, Rachel Berry, OC

Warnings: Language

Summary: After a decade together, Kurt and Blaine are more distant than they’ve ever been. Between late nights at the office and weekends working, Kurt is never home and Blaine is at his wit’s end. As everything comes to a head, Blaine will take one last shot at saving their relationship. 

Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters. Or the show. God, I wish I did, but I don’t. 

Author’s Notes: I want to thank my amazing betas, twobirdsonesong and voices-echo. Voices-echo was also my artist for this BBB and did half the artwork for it as well as a playlist. This story would not have gotten written if it wasn’t for those two pushing me to keep going and forcing me to rewrite half of it to make it better. You two are phenomenal! This story was inspired by the song ‘Brick by Brick’, sung by Train and I suggest you go check it out here. Also, I don’t write long stories that don’t end happily. Keep that in mind please. The artwork includes some photos of locations to relevant places in the story so make sure to check that out too. Enjoy!

Artwork

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6  | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Epilogue

“Hey Coop. The cab will be here soon.”

“Thanks, Blainey.” Cooper gently ruffled Blaine’s curls then quickly moved out of the way to avoid the arm that swung out toward him. “Hey now, be careful. You don’t want to damage the famous movie star with looks that rival a Disney prince.”

“What movie star?” Blaine glanced around the room. “No movie star here. Just a nosy older brother with big feet and questionable style.”

“Hey now, what’s wrong with my style?”

“Nothing if you ride a motorcycle.” 

“My style is classic, unlike you who wears bowties and rides something else.”

“Cooper!”

The older man grinned and shrugged his shoulders. “What? Am I wrong? I was always taught not to lie to anyone.”

Blaine burst out laughing and sat down on the corner of the bed to catch his breath. “Yeah, says the man who forged his first résumé.”

“You know what? Do as I say, not as I do.” Cooper flopped down on his back beside him and stretched his arms up toward the pillows. The two sat in silence for a few minutes as horns honked outside the window. “So,” Cooper said finally. “Are you going to write him back?”

Blaine bit his lip and fell back to lie next to him. “I think so. Kurt doesn’t do things like that; he doesn’t make the little gestures. I’m usually the one to leave notes everywhere and waxes poetic about his eyes or something.”

Cooper snorted. “I hardly call it poetic.”

“He tried though. He’s trying. We both want this- we- I don’t want to try to live without him Coop.”

Cooper smiled sadly and pulled Blaine across into an awkward hug. “I know. God, I’m rooting for you two. You have no idea, Blaine. If anyone deserves to have that kind of forever happiness, it’s you. It makes me feel better, knowing that you and Kurt are here taking on the world when I can’t be there for you.”

Blaine nudged his brother in the side. “Hey, none of that. We don’t do sappy emotional stuff anymore remember? We agreed on that my junior year of college.”

“Ah yes. The famous Anderson nervous breakdown. Then what do you call last night?”

Blaine thought for a minute before he shrugged a shoulder and sat up. “Temporary insanity.”

“Ooooh. I wonder if I can get away with that on set. I should remember that.”

“And on that note,” Blaine interrupted before Cooper could continue, “your cab is probably going to be here any minute.” He watched as Cooper stood up and gathered his luggage and messenger bag and checked around the room one last time to ensure he had all his belongings.

Blaine grabbed his keys and a jacket and held the door open for Cooper. They slowly made their way down the hall toward the elevator in silence as he wished, as always, that his brother could stay a little longer. 

The elevator doors closed and Cooper sighed and turned. “Are you going to be okay? Honestly. I worry about you. I know you’re old enough but you’ll always be my little brother, Blaine.”

Blaine bit his lip and nodded as the doors to the elevator opened and they both stepped out into the lobby. “I’ll be fine, Coop, things are looking up. If I do need you, or I’m not okay, I promise I’ll call, okay?”

Cooper nodded and they walked out the front door and down the short steps to see a cab parked in front of the hotel. The driver stepped out and reached for Cooper’s bags and placed them in the trunk. Cooper turned toward Blaine and pulled him into a hug.  “I love you, Blainey. No distance changes that. I’m always here for you.”

Blaine squeezed him a little tighter and nodded. “I know. I love you too.”  They pulled away from each other and Cooper squeezed his brother’s shoulder before he opened the door to the cab and sat inside. “Promise you’ll call if you need me.”

“I promise,” Blaine said again. “Let me know when you get back to Chicago so I don’t have to worry.” He watched as Cooper nodded then motioned to the driver to leave. Blaine waved goodbye and waited until the cab turned the corner and was gone from sight before he shoved his hands into his pockets and began to walk away from the hotel. He jogged across the street and stepped up on the sidewalk and narrowly missed a dog walker and her pack as he stumbled around them.  He smiled at the sight of the dogs and the walker as she attempted to get a handle on the pack of eight. 

He approached the door to his new coffee shop and hurried to hold it open for two women and received a thank you before he followed them inside. He took a deep breath as he entered the short line and peered over to the glass case as he felt his sweet tooth making an appearance. He frowned as the last Snickerdoodle cookie was bought before he could get to it and glanced down the rows again for something else. The ladies in front of him finished their order and he moved up to the counter and smiled as he ordered a latte. 

“Did you just move into the area?”

Blaine furrowed his brow at the barista who asked him the question. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I haven’t seen you around here before and now all of a sudden you’re in here every day. I was just wondering, feel free to tell me to shut up and mind my own business though.” The woman took the ten-dollar bill from him and gave him a friendly smile.

Blaine chuckled and shrugged. “I’m staying at a hotel down the street for a few weeks, that’s all. Though I’ll definitely be coming back here because your coffee is some of the best I’ve had.”

“Oh, living in a hotel, that’s not fun. I’m sorry, for whatever the reason is that you are.” She handed him his change and folded her hands on the counter in front of her. “Hopefully everything works out for you, although don’t forget about us over here.”

He pocketed his change and glanced at her name-tag, then stepped out of the way for the couple behind him. “Thank you, Emily, and I won’t forget this place. I will definitely be back.” He gave her a small wave and headed over towards the bar to wait for his drink. 

He glanced around the coffee shop, at its warm, homey interior and the plush, oversized leather couches placed around the space. It reminded him of the coffee shop that he and Kurt used to frequent when he had finally moved out to the city, all those years ago.

Kurt had found out about it months before Blaine had graduated but refused to go inside until they were both living there, together. The second day Blaine was in the city, Kurt had dragged him to that coffee shop and they spent three hours there, on one of the comfortable brown leather couches, curled up together and reveling in the fact that they were out in public and no one was batting an eyelash. Blaine grinned at the memory as he recalled the feeling of being free, of finally being able to hold his boyfriend’s hand and kiss him and no one cared.

Blaine snapped out of his reminiscence and reached for his drink before he made his way through the patrons toward the exit. He pushed the door open and stepped out into the fresh air, merging carefully into the foot traffic already walking through the area. He reached the corner and paused for a sip of coffee as he decided what to do.

He had the morning off as his classes didn’t start until after noon, and while he had been working way too much lately, there was still the draft of the script for the workshop’s musical to finish. He pursed his lips before he spun on his heel and headed back toward the hotel to grab his bag. He had no other plans until later and he guessed it wouldn’t hurt to finish it sooner rather than later, in case his colleagues wanted a lot of revisions.

He leapt up the steps and walked inside and waved at the now familiar face at the front desk.

“Mr. Anderson!”

Blaine quickly backtracked and jogged over to the counter. “Yes?”

“I have another letter for you.” The man reached over to the box on the side and pulled it out before he passed it to Blaine. “Another no-name.”

“It’s alright,” Blaine spoke softly as a smile slowly crept up. “I know who they’re from.”

“Well, whoever he is, he’s very lucky.”

Blaine’s head shot up at the comment. “How did you know it was a he?”

The older man rolled his eyes. “That tall gentleman with you, your brother I believe. We had a nice chat while he was here.”

“Of course you did. He makes friends wherever he goes,” Blaine mumbled and ran his fingers gently over the envelope. “Thank you. Did Kurt drop it by?”

“Does he look like he walked out of a magazine?”

Blaine chuckled and his head fell backwards at the accurate description. “Yeah, that’s him. About how long ago?”

The man glanced at the clock on the wall across from them. “Oh, about ten minutes ago I think. A few minutes after you and your brother left.”

Blaine nodded and held the letter up. “Thank you for getting this to me.”

“You’re very welcome, Mr. Anderson. Have a wonderful day.”

“You too.”  Blaine walked toward the elevators and stared at the envelope in his hands. Kurt had never, in the history of their relationship, written anything longer than six sentences on paper to him. Now, he had received two letters in less than twenty-four hours. He wasn't sure what to think anymore, but he hoped it meant that Kurt really was trying. 

He walked down the small hallway, opened the door to his room, and set his coffee down on the nightstand once he got inside. Blaine sat down on the bed as he traced his name on the front with his finger then swiftly opened the sealed flap and began to read the letter. 

Blaine,

I hope you don't mind me dropping this off at the hotel; I plan on writing you every day until you come home. Wow, that sounded weird. Or romantic. Not sure which one right now. 

On my way home last night after we talked, I walked past that little bakery we used to go to, remember? We used to get a slice of cheesecake and a slice of cherry pie and we'd share. It used to be our weekly Wednesday date when you didn’t teach that night. I remember one time, when they had closed for a week for some reason, and you tried to make a cherry pie from scratch at home. I think there was more flour on you than there was in the crust. I remember I walked in after work and I peeked around the corner of the kitchen to see you covered in flour from your hair down to your knees. I still don't understand how one person can create that much of a mess in the kitchen. It was so adorable that I burst out laughing and you looked so defeated. Then later that week you almost burnt the apartment down when you forgot about the cookies in the oven. Aren't you glad I bought you that timer? See? Baking can be hazardous to your health. 

Rachel came over early this morning and effectively kicked my ass into understanding just how awful I’ve been lately.  She used her "escalated stage voice."  I know I keep repeating myself, but I am so sorry Blaine. I have been working so much and so hard lately., and I know it isn’t an excuse, but it has just consumed me.  I have never felt this stressed in my life. I never meant to hurt you or make you feel unloved or unwanted. I’m trying so hard to keep everything afloat right now and our relationship just got lost in the shuffle. I’ll work on whatever I can to show you how much I love you. You are my entire world Blaine.

All my heart,

Kurt

Blaine bit his lip at the end of the letter and then reread it one more time before he slipped it back into the envelope.  He knew it wasn't easy for Kurt to write his feelings down and face them, but these letters made Blaine fall in love with him even more. Not that he had ever fallen out of love with him. Kurt had said that he would continue writing letters and Blaine wondered just what was to come in those. 

He looked up from the envelope and glanced around the room; his eyes settled on the desk along the opposite wall. He crossed the room and opened the small drawer and was rewarded with what he hoped he'd find: hotel stationary. He reached for a sheet and an envelope and placed them on the desktop and searched around the room. He shut the drawer with his hip as he walked back to the side of the bed and grabbed the pen that was placed on top of the small notepad. He spun the instrument between his fingers and sat down in the leatherette executive chair and thought about his response. If Kurt was going to take time out of his hectic schedule to write these letters everyday he could certainly write a letter back to him.

Kurt,

Rachel, huh? I actually feel sorry for you. It’s my experience that being on the receiving end of her "escalated stage voice" talks make ears bleed and glass break.

And Kurt, I know you're sorry. I do.  As nice as it is to hear, you don't have to repeat it. I believe you. The question is, where to go from here?. I just, I mean, what's not to say that this won't happen in a few months? You getting stressed at the office, you becoming cold and distant again... I'm not saying I don't think anything will change, because I know things will change for the better now. But what about the future, Kurt?

I love you, so much that it hurts to breathe sometime, and I know that you are the one for me, without a doubt. Where do we go from here though? 

Remember our old coffee shop that we used to go to when we got our first place? It's still there and open late on Fridays. Meet me there tomorrow night? 8:00?

Love you always,

Blaine

Blaine sat back and read through the letter three times before he felt comfortable with it. He gently folded the paper and slid it into the envelope before he sealed it and wrote 'Kurt' on the front. He glanced at the clock on the nightstand that read 10:45am. When did it get so late?  Kurt would be at work now, he knew that, and decided he could walk over and leave it under the door.  

He stood up and reached for his jacket and hastily threw it on over his shirt. He didn't want to take the chance of Kurt running home for something at lunch. He tucked the envelope into his inside pocket, reached for his keys and phone, and grabbed his still-warm coffee. Hopefully Kurt wouldn't be disappointed in his own response. 

*~*~*

Blaine stood in front of the brick building and felt his heart start to ache and tighten. He missed coming home here every night; he missed the familiar street signs and he missed the activity from the neighborhood in the morning.  He missed the kids playing in the street on the weekends or riding their bikes in excitement. As he climbed the front steps, he stared at the front door he wondered if it was a good idea to drop the letter off himself.  He took a deep breath and quickly slid the letter through the mail slot, as fast as he could, before he stepped back. He took in the familiar brick building one last time and hoped he could come back soon. 

"Blaine?"

Blaine's head snapped around at the sound of his name and let out the breath that he had been holding. "Rachel. Hi."

She stood at the bottom of the stairs and stared up at him with curiosity in her eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't realize you were coming."

"Oh no." Blaine shook his head emphatically and motioned behind him. "I was…I was just dropping a letter off.  For Kurt."

Rachel squealed and grinned. "Like the ones he's been writing? Oh, it's so romantic don't you think?  I couldn't believe it when Kurt suggested it, considering he's never done anything like that before, I thought it was so wonderful-"

Blaine cleared his throat and tried to stop her rambling. "Anyway, I need to get going. I just wanted to drop it off."

"I'm dropping off food for him that's fresh. He rarely leaves except for work."

Blaine bit his lip and asked the one question he was trying to avoid.  But he needed to know. "How is he?"

Rachel's features softened and shrugged her shoulders as she climbed the concrete steps. "He's beyond sorry. He's trying to take it one day at a time without you there. I don't think he truly understood how much you relied on each other until you weren't there anymore. He has a lot more hope now that you two have talked. His eyes are shining a little bit more now. How are you though?"

Blaine inhaled sharply surprised at all the information and the subsequent question. "I'm okay. I think. Cooper showed up yesterday so that helped. I feel - I know this is probably the wrong thing to say - but I feel like Kurt might finally be appreciating what we had and how much we took care of each other without knowing it. I feel like he's seeing the value of our relationship and of us." 

Rachel nodded and juggled the bag in her arms before she pulled him in for a quick bug. "It's working, I promise you that. I'm finally seeing the Kurt from when we lived in the same apartment and he used to shove me out the door for the evening."

Blaine laughed along with Rachel at the fond memory from his freshman year at NYU. "Kurt was a spit fire then. It's still there, Rachel, he just has to find it again."

She nodded then gestured to the produce in her arms. "I better get these inside before they wilt. Keep at it, Blaine. You're getting to him."

Blaine nodded and waved goodbye to Rachel as she entered the town home and he quickly whipped around and hurried down the steps, afraid of what emotions might reveal themselves if he glanced at the inside. He strolled back down the familiar street and took in the comforting sights that surrounded him.

The ball was in Kurt's court now; he was just on defense. 

Title: Brick By Brick (LJ I FF.net I S&C)

Author: bowtiedarling (Tumblr | LJ)

Artist: voices-echo (Tumblr)

Word Count: ~25,279

Rating: R

Characters/Pairings: Kurt/Blaine, Mike Chang, Rachel Berry, OC

Warnings: Language

Summary: After a decade together, Kurt and Blaine are more distant than they’ve ever been. Between late nights at the office and weekends working, Kurt is never home and Blaine is at his wit’s end. As everything comes to a head, Blaine will take one last shot at saving their relationship. 

Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters. Or the show. God, I wish I did, but I don’t. 

Author’s Notes: I want to thank my amazing betas, twobirdsonesong and voices-echo. Voices-echo was also my artist for this BBB and did half the artwork for it as well as a playlist. This story would not have gotten written if it wasn’t for those two pushing me to keep going and forcing me to rewrite half of it to make it better. You two are phenomenal! This story was inspired by the song ‘Brick by Brick’, sung by Train and I suggest you go check it out here. Also, I don’t write long stories that don’t end happily. Keep that in mind please. The artwork includes some photos of locations to relevant places in the story so make sure to check that out too. Enjoy!

Artwork

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6  | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Epilogue

He glanced both ways before he hurriedly ran across the street and paused to take a deep breath to steady his nerves. Before a few days ago, he never would have been nervous around Kurt, at least not since high school. Now, he didn't know where they stood or what they still meant to each other, Blaine quickly forced those thoughts away and started walking into the small park. He followed along the path and wound around the playground before he spotted a lone figure on their bench with his back to him. His breath caught in his throat and he struggled to take in air as he felt the nervous butterflies in his stomach begin to flutter rapidly. He couldn’t turn around now.

He quietly made his way over to their spot and Kurt's face finally came into view; he looked to be as nervous as Blaine. He saw him holding a pair of coffee cups in his hands and wondered if he had brought him coffee. Kurt's head snapped up and glanced over at where he was standing in. Blaine sighed in realization that he had been spotted and he walked over to the bench. Kurt's eyes widened and he immediately stood up and tried not to spill anything 

"Hi."

Blaine smiled slightly and nodded his head at Kurt. "Hi."

Kurt took a steadying breath and shifted his weight back and forth. "Please, sit,” he said, and he gently motioned to the empty space on the bench and Blaine accepted it quickly.  

He desperately wanted to cut through the awkwardness that had crept up between them. Kurt held out a cup toward him and bit his lip. 

"I got you a black drip with cinnamon. I wasn't sure if you still liked it. I know it isn't your usual coffee order now but…" Kurt trailed off.

"Thank you, Kurt." They both stared out into the park and attempted to find the right words to start the conversation.

"I'm so sorry."

Blaine snapped his head in Kurt's direction. "What?"

Kurt sighed and turned toward him. "I'm so sorry about what's happened and how I've acted. I just, I'm so stressed out at work I can't think anymore. I'm exhausted all the time. Carole said something to me last month that has me constantly worrying about Dad. I just thought I was handling it all fine and then you left and I had to put a brave face on so no one knew I was cracking." 

Kurt was close to tears and Blaine just wanted to reach out and gather him in his arms but he knew they both had to get everything out. He hadn’t seen Kurt cry in years; he had always been the strong one in their relationship. It took everything he had to keep his hands folded.

"I'm just so sorry,” Kurt continued.  “You have no idea. I can't believe we got to this point. And God, Blaine, it's all my fault. I caused all of this."

"No, hey, come on, it takes two to screw up a relationship, it's not just you. There are things I could have done."

Kurt looked at Blaine and he could see tears pooling in the man’s eyes. "Are we, I mean, please don't say we're through Blaine. Please."

Blaine gnawed at his lip for a second before he tentatively reached for Kurt's hand and lightly resting his own on top. Relief flooded through his entire body at the gentle touch; it felt right. "Kurt, I have never wanted to break up. I want to fight for us, I just didn't think you did."

Kurt sighed audibly in relief and turned his body toward Blaine. "Me too. Oh, me too. You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that."

Blaine lifted his hand and placed them both in his lap. "This is it for me, Kurt. You are it. No one else. But…we need to work on our communication. We need to work on how we handle things. We need to be able to trust each other with everything." 

Kurt nodded in agreement. "We do need to work on that. Mostly me, but yes."

"That being said, I think I need to stay at the hotel for a while."  He held his hand up to stop Kurt from interjecting.  "Just wait, don't interrupt.  Please. We need to work on communication and I think we need to start from the beginning with it. I will come home at some point. Of course I will. I just think we need distance to really work on this."

Kurt groaned frustrated with Blaine. "I hate it. I know you're right, somewhere deep down, but I hate it. I hate being alone, Blaine. I hate waking up to an empty house. I hate you not being there."

“That’s how I felt every time you stayed late or rushed out of the house for work.” Blaine shut his eyes for a minute and repeatedly told himself why it was good to stay at the hotel instead of rushing home. "I know, god Kurt I know, but we both need this."

Kurt nodded and knew it was for the best. "So what now?"

Blaine bit his lip and grinned, then raised an eyebrow. "You mean you don't have a plan?"

Kurt ran both his hands gently over the delicate skin of his face. "No. In hindsight a plan would have been good."

Blaine rolled his eyes and downed the last of his coffee. "Well, I currently have an annoying but somehow lovable brother in my room right now, so I need to go make sure he hasn't killed himself yet. It's not entirely out of the question."

"Oh God, did he actually show up? I thought he was filming."

Blaine nodded and stood up. "He was, he has to fly back to Chicago tomorrow. You should thank him. He's the one that reminded me why I wanted to come."

"I will sometime.” Kurt paused and seemed to consider the true implications of that.  “Believe me, I will. So what now?"

"Now," Blaine shrugged and motioned for Kurt and he walked toward the end of the park with Kurt beside him. “Now we go home and sleep, because I have eager but rambunctious actors tomorrow, and you have a spring line to get out. After we get some sleep, we'll talk some more and figure it out. I promise."

Kurt nodded and stopped walking. "Wait, before you go..." Kurt trailed off as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope. "I wrote this to you. You weren't there for me to talk to and I just...will you read it? I know it's not like me to write letters, but, I just..." Kurt fumbled for the right words and began to get flustered. 

"Hey, it's okay, Kurt. It's okay." Blaine reached for the envelope and held it in his hands for a second before he carefully placed it in the pocket inside of his jacket. “I promise I'll read it, okay?"

Kurt nodded and his body relaxed. "Thank you. I'll do whatever it takes Blaine. I promise you that, okay?"

Blaine nodded and motioned backwards. "I have to go. I'll call you soon and we'll figure this out okay?"

Kurt nodded and began to reach out for Blaine, but he quickly pulled back and just nodded again. "Okay. Thank you."

“Bye Kurt.” Blaine smiled and turned around to walk toward the busy New York streets and left Kurt to go back to the hotel. They had a lot of work to do and he wasn't the least bit sure on how to do it, but as he felt the slight crunch of the envelope in his pocket he had a new hope that they would work everything out after all. 

*~*

Blaine quietly shut the door behind him and tiptoed into the room as he tried not to wake his brother up. He knew Cooper had an early flight and, based on the dark circles that were currently under his eyes, Blaine knew he needed as much rest as possible. He would have to remember to thank his brother tomorrow for nudging him toward the door earlier that evening. While he and Kurt may be far from great, the bridge was beginning to rebuild and Blaine had hope for the first time in months that they would make it somehow.

Blaine quickly went about his night routine and threw his pajamas on - an old Hummel Lube and Tires tee and knit cotton pants that Kurt had bought him for Christmas two years ago; Blaine was certain by the feel of the fabric that they had cost a fortune. He switched the light on the nightstand on to its lowest setting and hoped it wouldn't disturb Cooper; it didn't. He padded over to his jacket and grabbed the letter from the pocket and he held it carefully as he got situated under the covers. He stared at it for a few minutes, suddenly nervous, and wondered what the folds contained. He peeled the flap open with gentle fingers and reached inside to pull the letter out.

He took a deep breath and began to read.

Blaine,

I thought it might be easier to write a letter to you than to try to come up with the right words in person. I know I’ve been a jerk and an ass the past few months and, while work is stressing me out, it’s no excuse. I’m so sorry, Blaine, you have no idea. Those words seem so insignificant and small compared to how I feel, but there they are. I wish you could only know.

It’s weird waking up and not having you here. I never realized what comfort and what love you gave me every day. I found one of your old NYU sweatshirts last night that still smelled like your cologne and, just, you. I may or may not have slept in it last night. It brought back memories of you and I trading clothing that first year, and then later, when I did the study abroad program in Paris. I remember opening the packages you sent with your NYU sweatshirt in them, practically dripping in your cologne, and God, I had never missed you so much as I did then. They comforted me so much while we were apart those six months. I look back on those separations we went through, the first year and then the six months, and I can’t believe how strong we ended up being from that. I look at us now and can’t help but think how we got here, though I know it was my fault. We’ve been through worse than this.

I had a dream the other night from when we first moved in together into that tiny, shoebox apartment, remember? We were so lucky because your job was straight across the city and mine was near yours. It was so small -, that closet was pathetic, the cabinet colors were hideous, but I got over it because it was ours.  Yours and mine. No more sharing dorms, obnoxious-as-hell roommates, no one to disturb us. (Well, except Rachel, but ten years later and that still hasn’t changed.) I still remember our fight over how to pay for it, I so badly wanted to us to do it on our own, but you were right then, still are; we wouldn’t have made it without your fund. We would have been exhausted from commuting and God only knows what else. I still can’t believe we just finished paying back that trust. I know you’re rolling your eyes right now. “Kurt, it’s our money, we don’t have to pay it back.”  You will thank me one day, mister. I miss those days sometimes, when we were so broke, and over worked, and just trying to make it day to day. Those are some of my best memories.

I haven’t been sleeping well since you left. When I do sleep, I’ll either get good dreams like those, or awful, terrible nightmares. Rachel’s been busy with the show but I can tell she’s curious and wonders about both of us. I didn’t even realize the show opens next month; I haven’t been a great friend lately. God I want to change that, I just don’t know how, I can’t see how it’s possible right now. I’ve alienated both of you, but mostly you, Blaine, and I am so deeply sorry.

Please don’t give up on us, I beg of you. I know I’m not myself and I’m moody and bitchy and pissed off, but I promise it’s going to change soon. For the better. I love you so much. You are my world, whether you believe me right now or not, and I’ll do whatever it takes to get us back to where we were. No, I take that back, we can’t go back there. We have to be different, but better. Our relationship has always been built on support and trust and friendship before everything else. Please don’t give up.

All my love,

Kurt

Blaine reread the letter over and over engraining the words into his mind. It wasn’t like Kurt to express his thoughts down on paper, not like he usually did either. But he was touched that Kurt had felt the need to write something so personal to him, regardless of the situation; he had never done so before. He smiled at the memory of that first apartment, that first job that he had in New York City when they were struggling to make ends meet, when Kurt had refused his father’s help, and Burt had sent a check to Blaine every month without Kurt's knowledge.

He had always scowled when he met people who said the days they would treasure the most were the days where they could barely afford to live; now as he looked back on those times he understood every word. He missed the simplicity - the times where they had to make do with only having each other. He wondered how they could get back there; he missed them more than he even thought he could. 

"Blaine?"

"Yeah its me." He glanced over and saw his brother under the covers with sleep ruffled hair and squinting at him through the dim light in the room. "Sorry Coop, I didn't mean to wake you up. Go back to sleep."

"Did you see Kurt?"

"Yeah, I did." Blaine placed the letter back in the envelope and placed it safely in the nightstand before flipping the light switch.  The only light that remained was the glittering of the city that came through the window. "I'll tell you about it in the morning."

"Mmmkay."

The corner of Blaine's mouth tugged into a small grin at his brother's semi-conscious state and at the surprising turn of events from this evening. For the first time in months he felt himself relax with the hope that his life with Kurt could soon begin to be repaired. 

Title: Brick By Brick (LJ I FF.net I S&C)

Author: bowtiedarling (Tumblr | LJ)

Artist: voices-echo (Tumblr)

Word Count: ~25,279

Rating: R

Characters/Pairings: Kurt/Blaine, Mike Chang, Rachel Berry, OC

Warnings: Language

Summary: After a decade together, Kurt and Blaine are more distant than they’ve ever been. Between late nights at the office and weekends working, Kurt is never home and Blaine is at his wit’s end. As everything comes to a head, Blaine will take one last shot at saving their relationship. 

Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters. Or the show. God, I wish I did, but I don’t. 

Author’s Notes: I want to thank my amazing betas, twobirdsonesong and voices-echo. Voices-echo was also my artist for this BBB and did half the artwork for it as well as a playlist. This story would not have gotten written if it wasn’t for those two pushing me to keep going and forcing me to rewrite half of it to make it better. You two are phenomenal! This story was inspired by the song ‘Brick by Brick’, sung by Train and I suggest you go check it out here. Also, I don’t write long stories that don’t end happily. Keep that in mind please. The artwork includes some photos of locations to relevant places in the story so make sure to check that out too. Enjoy!

Artwork

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6  | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Epilogue

He quickly dressed and ran some product through his dark curls; Kurt convinced him to get rid of the gel back in college for far more favorable products.  He sprayed his cologne on and glanced one last time in the mirror before he switched off the light in the bathroom. He padded out to the desk and fired up his laptop, waiting for a minute or two as it warmed up.  A loud knock rang through the room and he froze; only two people knew where he was and he debated not answering it. 

“Come on, Squirt, I know you’re in there. Open up.”

Blaine relaxed immediately, but his mind reeled with questions.  He ran hurriedly over to the door and smoothed his shirt down before he opened the door.  “Hi, Coop.”

“Hi, Blainey.”

Blaine let Cooper into the tiny space, and he could tell by the Hollywood smile plastered on his face that he was holding something back.  “What are you doing here? I thought you were filming in Chicago.”

“Funny story about that actually,” Cooper started, and he placed his overnight and messenger bags on the bed. "I was heading back to the apartment a week ago after filming and decided I would call my little brother.  You know, catch up on life, find out how everything was going. His phone was off, or dead, because it went straight to voicemail. So I called his landline, knowing someone always picked up if they were home. You can imagine my surprise when my brother’s boyfriend picked up and stated in an exasperated tone that he had moved into a hotel and had left a note that he was leaving."

"Well, it wasn't quite that dramatic," Blaine mumbled in protest as he walked to the other side of the bed and sunk down into the mattress.  He swung his feet up on the bed and stretched his legs out in front of him. 

Cooper exhaled and Blaine watched as his brother crawled onto the bed next to him and he prepared himself for one of their famous talks. "What's going on, Blainers?"

"Don't call me that."

"Hey, come on." Cooper nudged Blaine's shoulder until he was forced to look at him. "It's me, Blaine.  Just me."

Blaine stared down at his fingers and fiddled with them for a long minute, and watched them wring and twist together as he tried to form the right words. “He’s, just, I don’t know Coop. He’s constantly at work, we never talk, all we do now is fight about stupid inconsequential things. I just didn’t know what to do anymore. I love him, God, so much it hurts, but I just couldn’t live in a house like that anymore.”  Blaine paused and shut his eyes in hopes that the tears that were forming would go away.  “I’ve already lived in one house that was full of screaming and fighting every night because of me. I don’t want to go through that again. I can’t, especially not with him.”

Cooper’s face fell and he quickly gathered his brother up in a tight hug. “No, Blaine, don’t think that. They didn’t fight because of you. They had been fighting for years, they just hid it better back then.”

Blaine felt the tears start to slide down his cheeks and all too quickly they were trickling at a steady pace.  He had tried to stay strong, not only for himself but because he didn’t want anyone prying into his life, even his friends; he was private in that respect.  But he knew as soon as his brother had walked through the door though that it was only a matter of time before the dam broke.  He was safe with Cooper.

Blaine cried as Cooper held him, stroked his hair, and whispered calming words in his ear.  It felt like it took forever, but eventually his tears slowly began to subside and he quietly sniffled through the last of them.  He gratefully accepted the tissues that Cooper pulled from the nightstand and gently dabbed the wetness on his face.  It one of the many little quirks Kurt had instilled in him years ago. “I’m sorry, Coop. I didn’t mean to cry like that.”

“Hey, don’t apologize. Have you cried at all since this happened? Wait, don’t answer that, I already know the answer. You can’t keep your emotions bottled up like this, Blaine. It’s not good for you.”

Blaine nodded and rolled his eyes. “I know, I know, I remember the talk we had, believe me. No need to repeat that.”

“Good.” Cooper released Blaine and sat up for a second to readjust the pillows behind him. He curled up on his side to face his brother and propped his elbow on the pillow and rested his head in his hand. “Okay, so I know you told just a little of what happened to Rachel and Mike, but I know nothing and I need to know everything. So let’s start from the beginning.”

Blaine chuckled and groaned as he flopped back onto the pillows stacked on the other side. “I don’t think we have enough time for everything, Coop.”

“Try me.”

Blaine bit his lip before he started speaking. Cooper listened for an hour as Blaine as he attempted to put everything about his and Kurt’s problems into words - the lonely nights, the growing distance, and the moment he’d had enough with everything. When he was finally finished, Blaine took a deep breath, rolled onto his back, and allowed Cooper to process all the information he had thrown at his brother.  

Cooper breathed deeply and ran his fingers through his straight brown locks. "Wow, Squirt, I can't believe it. I'm sorry. You should've called me way earlier."

Blaine scoffed and stared at the ceiling. "Why, what could you have done? It's my problem. Well, mine and Kurt's, there isn't anything you can do."

Cooper turned toward him and poked him in the side. "Blaine, I'm your big brother. No matter how old either of us get, it's my job to protect you and try to do what I can to help. Even if it's just sitting here doing nothing. You better get used to that fact because it's not changing. Ever."

Blaine bit his lip trying to hide his grin. "Thanks, Coop. I know it took a lot to be able to fly out. I never thanked you for that."

"Not necessary, Squirt. And, no, I won't stop calling you that." Blaine groaned and Cooper grinned before turning back to stare at the ceiling. "I'm actually trying to figure out why Kurt would ever act like that. He's snarky, sure, but he's never mean to family or his friends. Are you sure he hasn't said anything to you? Hinted at anything that could have been bothering him or stressing him out?"

Blaine shook his head as he thought about Kurt. "The only thing he's ever referenced is his job, which has always stressed him out on a daily basis. For some reason after three years that stupid company still makes him work himself to the bone regardless of the fact that he's always gone above and beyond."

"Well, maybe there's something going on that he doesn't know about or hasn't told you. Don't give me that look, Blainers, I'm just saying humans are complicated. And your human is especially complicated."

Blaine huffed and kicked his brother’s leg. "Don't start with the 'we are not alone' shit. I'm not getting into that with you right now."

"I'm just saying there has to-"

"Cooper!"

"Fine. Ignore my brilliant theories. Have you talked to Kurt since you left?"

"Didn't you he tell you when you called?"

Cooper shrugged and folded his hands behind his head. "Not really. He said that he's seen you once but that was it."

"He came over last week and said I was being dramatic. Me. Has he met himself?"

"Well-"

"No don't answer that; your opinion is biased. I just want him to understand where I'm coming from and have a calm, rational discussion." Blaine glanced at the clock on the bedside table and groaned. "Shit, I'm going to be late for work."

"Want me to write you a note?"

"Want me to throw you out the window?"

Cooper gasped and threw a hand on his chest. "Blaine Anderson, is that any way to treat a welcomed guest?"

Blaine rolled his eyes and stood up from the mattress. "Who said my guest was welcome? As I remember it, he showed up at the front door unannounced."

"You know, I think those manners you used to have are leaving you."

Blaine smiled and threw the strap of his bag over his shoulder before sighing at Cooper who was spread out across the large bed. "Are you staying with me?"

"Well, I could get a room if you want, but I have to leave tomorrow morning."

Blaine shook his head and began walking toward the front door. "No, crash here. I have classes until six so I'll probably be back a little before seven."

"You know, I can come help you teach as a guest instructor or something. Kind of like what I did at your glee club-"

"Hell no. I am not reliving that. It was hard enough the first time." 

"Okay fine. I’m offering you industry secrets and you're turning them down. I'll just go stroll around the city, maybe go down to Broadway. I might be able to convince someone to give me a role on the Great White Way."

"Well, whatever you do make sure it's legal please. I don't have the extra money to bail you out of jail. " He waved behind him as he opened the front door while his brother babbled behind him. "Bye, Cooper!" He shut the door and was engulfed in sudden silence and he grinned wider than he had in a long, long time as he walked toward the elevator. He was so thankful to have Cooper as a brother. 

*~*

Blaine walked through his open office door and came face to face with Izzie sitting behind his desk in his chair. He glanced back at the front door then around the space. "Am I in the wrong office?” He asked with a bit more sarcasm than usual. “I could have sworn this was mine."

"Blaine Anderson, you are an hour late. No call, no text, no nothing to indicate you’re still alive."

He saw the playful smirk on her face and he relaxed as he walked into the office and shut the door behind him. "I know. I'm sorry. I had to change trains twice and the station was closed."

Izzie eyed him curiously. "There's only one station closed for the day. Why the hell were you all the way over there?"

Blaine froze and shut his eyes silently cursing himself and his inability to think before he ever spoke. He turned, slightly tugged his lip between his teeth, and sank down into the chair across from Izzie. "What? I don't know-"

"Blaine," Izzie spoke softly, "why were you coming from over there?"

He gazed across the desk at her before he sighed and ran his hands over his face. "I moved out last week. I'm staying at a hotel over there."

"Oh, Blaine, why didn't you say anything?"

He shrugged and tilted his head back and shut his eyes.  He was not going to cry here too. "I don't know. I guess I didn't want to admit it. If I'm being really honest, I don't think I wanted anyone to know that I failed at the one relationship I had. I don't want us to end. I want him to fight for us. I want to fight for us. I guess it isn't that simple though."

Izzie moved to speak, but a loud knock on the door interrupted them and one of the new interns came in. "Sorry to disturb you, but they're calling a meeting."

"Thanks." Blaine glanced at Izzie and shrugged his shoulders. "Come on, the theater is calling."

Izzie snorted and rolled her eyes before she latched onto his arm as they walked out. "You'll tell me if you need anything?" 

He nodded and together they walked in silence toward the conference room. 

*~*

"Mr. Anderson!"

Both men whipped around toward the front desk where the attendant was waving them over. Cooper had his Hollywood smile on and Blaine took a deep breath and prepared himself for the typical fan reaction to his brother. "Yes?"

The older attendant reached to his left side and pulled an envelope out of the row of metal cubbies.  "This arrived from a young man while you were out. I assured him that I would deliver it to you directly."

Blaine furrowed his eyebrows as he took the envelope from the attendant. "Thank you so much." The man nodded and turned back toward his work.  Blaine stared at the handwriting on the envelope as he and Cooper meandered through the lobby on their way back from dinner out. "It's Kurt's handwriting."  He’d know that script anywhere.

"Hmmmm. I wonder why he didn't just call or email." Cooper pressed the 'up' button for the elevator and glanced over at his brother. 

Blaine shrugged and carefully flipped the envelope over and over in his hands as he debated whether or not to open it. The elevator doors opened and both men stepped in and Blaine felt his brother’s eyes on him as he continued to stare at the object. "What?"

"Well, are you going to open it or do I have to do it for you?"

"I don't know Coop. Why would he send me anything?"

"You have refused his calls and ignored his texts the past few days. He's most likely resorted to snail mail."

Blaine scoffed and walked out onto his floor and down the hall with Cooper trailing behind him. "That's because I don't know what to say, and I don't want to say anything I'll regret later." Blaine unlocked the front door and stepped inside. He shrugged off his jacket and tossed it over the desk chair as he made his way to the table in the corner. "I mean, for all I know it could be the final nail in the coffin."

"Oh for Christ’s sake, Blaine, would you just open the damn thing? You have too much of an imagination sometimes."

Blaine glared at him, but he slowly slid his finger under the flap and forced the pieces to separate and slid the folded piece of paper out. 

Blaine,

Not sure where you are but please talk to me. I know it's late, but if you can, please meet me at our spot in the park. I'd like to talk to you. Text me and let me know. 

I miss you.

-Kurt

Blaine groaned and threw the piece of paper onto the table before he flopped back in his chair. "I swear that man is going to make me lose my mind."

"You did that a long time ago, Squirt. What's it say?"

"He wants me to meet him at our spot tonight to talk."

"So go."

Blaine's head snapped up at his brother.  Cooper said it so blithely, as if it were that easy.  "It's nine at night, Cooper. It's late."

Cooper rolled his eyes. "So what, are you going to turn into a pumpkin? You wanted him to fight for you. Maybe he is. You won't know unless you go."

Blaine bit his lip and glanced at his phone before he reached for it. He quickly shot off a text before he could back out. 

Be there at 9:30. -B

The response came almost instantaneously, as though Kurt had his phone in hand and was waiting for a message.

Thank you. Meet you there. -K

Blaine ran a hand over his face before he walked over to the chair and threw his jacket back on.  "Okay, I'm going before I can change my mind. I'll be back in a bit."

"All right. Just text me if you decide to not come back here at all."

Blaine glared at Cooper before reaching for his key. "Not an option, Coop."

His brother just waved him off and reached for the remote. "Good luck, Blainey. I'm rooting for you guys."

"Me too, Coop." He stepped into the hallway and shut the door.  He leaned back against it as his eyes closed and he spoke softly into the empty hallway. 

"Me too."