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whumptasticwednesday · 5 years ago

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Insult to Injury ft. Dadneto (Peter Maximoff - X-Men)

Author’s Note: Hey, ya’ll. I’ve been burning the midnight oil to get this fic out on time, AKA 2 consecutive nights of staying up till’ 3 am. I’ve had the idea for a Peter-centric Dadneto whump fic for a decent amount of time, and after receiving a lovely anonymous prompt, I decided to incorporate both my idea and theirs. Here we’ve got Peter after the events of Apocalypse, debilitated, and accidentally giving himself a nasty case of salmonella, before Erik comes to help. I’m pretty proud of this one, so I hope you enjoy it! This fic is unedited, sorry, so please let me know if there’s any glaring issues. For my next fic, I’m shifting away from X-Men for a hot sec so I can write a nice Detroit: Become Human whump fic with our favorite android son, Connor. I’ve been super excited about my plot concept, so I’m ecstatic to start writing it. Anyways, I hope you like this one, I worked very hard on it, and I hope you’re all excited for the DBH fic coming soon!

-Ash

Word Count: 6299

Warning: Emeto and decently graphic descriptions of physical illness

Setting: Post-Apocalypse/Pre-Dark Phoenix

If there's anything Peter Maximoff knew in this moment, it was that not being able to do the one thing your body was genetically enhanced to do, sucked. A lot.

It had been only a few days since the X-Mansion had been rebuilt and things all fell back into this synonymous routine as if the entire building hadn't exploded a short while ago. In Peter's opinion, it was all kind of creepy how easy it seemed for these kids to all just go back to learning when their home and school just got eviscerated in a hellfire, but he didn't think much of it.

All he could think about in this moment, was how immensely bored he was. Peter always had something going on with him; he was either thinking about his impending dad-related issues, plotting a prank, or deciding to go off and steal an entire Walmart's worth of Twinkies in the blink of an eye, there was always something.

Yet now, the rest of the X-Men were off with Charles helping cover up heat from the international press by cleaning up all the damage and destruction in Cairo and showing what Charles had dubbed: "diplomacy", which was too huge of a word for Peter to ever use in an everyday sentence; too many letters, and Peter was left back at the mansion since he really couldn't use his powers effectively at the moment, so it would be pretty useless for him to be tagging along.

Peter normally wouldn't have given a damn, maybe even excited at the prospect of being able to rig his friends' rooms with elaborate traps with Jello and staplers or something of the sorts while they weren't around, yet now, when faced with inescapable boredom that followed him wherever his broken leg did (everywhere), he was dying to have anything to do. As the team was suiting up to get on the jet to go back to Cairo, Peter had pathetically hobbled down to the X-Men bunker on his crutches, begging to be taken with. But they'd simply gassed up the plane and flew off, leaving Peter alone, and oh so very bored.

Which brings us to Peter now, attempting to create an omelette with 6 different cheeses, 8 different and poorly-diced peppers, a heaping assortment of minced tomatoes, and a sprinkling of those off-brand fruit snacks that are always better than the on-brand ones for some reason. It wouldn't be a Peter breakfast without some form of sweet, and in his eyes, it stuck to the healthy-ish theme. It had fruit in the name for a reason, didn't it?

The kid always had a massive appetite, and everyone that knew Peter knew this as well. You'd be hard pressed to find him without some snack or form of sustenance in his hand, scarfing it down like there was no tomorrow. It was all a byproduct of his enhanced metabolism. All that energy to run had to come from somewhere, didn't it? Little did he know, this super stomach of his would come to kick him in the ass in a few short hours. But for now, the silver-haired man child of a mutant was limping around the mansion's kitchen making a very... exotic breakfast for dinner meal.

Peter plopped the strange looking (decently gooey) excuse for an omelette into a large plate with some Twinkies and orange juice on the side. As he devoured his dinner, Peter thought anxiously about Erik. It had taken him 10 years to connect the dots, work up the courage, and even think of confronting the man to tell him of his true parentage, yet wimped out at the last minute, leaving the ambiguous: "I'm here for my family too." Peter groaned audibly to himself as his mind once again replayed the events he'd already replayed a million times before. It was embarrassing as all hell. Luckily, nobody that did know told Erik anything, which Peter was very grateful for.

Imagine learning about a woman you left 2 and a half decades ago actually birthing a son you had no idea existed and just now learned of... but not from him, despite several encounters beforehand where he had ample opportunities to do so. It'd make Peter feel like even more of a loser than a 27 year old who still lived in his mother's basement. But, to be fair, Peter was no longer a grown man living with his mom, he was a grown man living in a school where he was many years past the oldest enrolled student, while not teaching a single class; it was a step up from the basement, trust me.

Once finished with his omelette, Peter quickly washed his dishes and made his trek up the small flight of stairs to reach his room on the second floor. Over the past few days, Peter had learned just how high a set of stairs could be, especially when you end up falling down them on several attempts to slide down the handrail (and failing miserably while being laughed at by dozens of impressionable pre-teen children.) What a loser.

After reaching his room, particularly winded from this dinner excursion, Peter was grateful to see that he hadn't unplugged his television from the wall after his embarrassing fall in an attempt to get to the bathroom by himself, without his crutches, or the lights on. A simple recipe for disaster in nearly all circumstances, yet for some reason, the universe held pity for Peter and his debilitated state, and decided to not make his day any worse than it already was.

Peter ultimately decided to entertain himself with a good night-long play session of Pac-Man on his Atari 2600, also still miraculously undamaged from last night's fall. He booted up the inferior version of the game (seriously though, he'd have to get Kurt to help him teleport his arcade cabinet from his basement to the school, playing this one was getting a bit tiring on the eyes.) It sufficed, he thought as the TV harshly flashed on.

Now normally, Peter would have been up all night with his video games and rock music blaring in the background, yet tonight, something (besides his immobile leg) felt really off. Each distinct 'WOMP' from the console as the yellow circle man consumed the dashes and dots felt like a sledgehammer into Peter's eardrums, leaving a resonating ache at the base of his skull. He didn't think much of it and brushed it off, simply turning down his music a notch and backing away from the TV a few inches.

The next confusing sign that something wasn't quite right was the disconcerting shivers wracking his body. A chilly breeze seemed to sweep the room as if the AC was on full blast with the windows open on a November midnight, yet it was July and all the windows were closed and when he went to check if his AC unit was acting up, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. That's whack, Peter thought to himself as he plopped onto his bed, Atari abandoned on the rugged floor.

He didn't know how long he spent staring at the unmoving chandelier hanging lamely from the ceiling, but it felt as if seconds later, the room was not only freezing, but spinning, and suffocating. Everything felt way too close. Peter could feel every fiber of his shirt rubbing against his jacket, the itchy inside of his cast pressing up against the entirety of his right leg, and the presence of his goggles resting on his neck, now seeming like a noose closing in on his throat. He hastily tore off the eyewear and tossed them on his nightstand before deciding to shed his jacket and weakly throwing it across the room. Another move he regretted.

Without the jacket to keep his arms warm, the newfound seemingly frosty atmosphere felt like a icy flurry against his skin. In spite of his mind's confused wishes, Peter ripped the heavy blanket off the end of the bed and closed it around himself like a caterpillar ready to emerge as a butterfly the next time it saw the daylight. Peter sure as hell didn't feel like a caterpillar, but if the feeling of metamorphosis was a growing sense of intense nausea and cramping in the stomach, then hell yeah, he was crushing this butterfly business.

Fuck, what's wrong with me?! He thought to himself as he rolled onto his side. Peter rubbed at his eyes, hoping to clear the dizziness, yet only further irritating them. God damnit, he sighed internally as his face scrunched up in discomfort, releasing one of his hand's hold on the blanket to cradle his aching stomach.

"Is this karma for all that shit I stole when I was younger? That's just mean, man," Peter rasped to nobody in particular. He thought about it more though and responded to his own question, "Then again, I think that's pretty fair. Haha...Shit, man. Never thought I'd say this, but I think... I think I need help."

The sledgehammer-like headache was pounding with every bass drum beat lightly emanating from the sound system Peter hadn't turned off, another move he regretted. He couldn't decide if the pros outweighed the cons: hobbling through the dark to possibly remedy a source of his suffering, but relinquishing his hold on the only thing keeping him from feeling like freezing. Peter played it safe, much to his cranium's dismay.

Peter stared off towards the wall at nothing in particular as he tried oh so hard to draw his mind's focus from how terrible he felt to literally anything else. It wasn't working out so well. And so, Peter laid there, blanket tossed over himself, single leg drawn up to his chest, shivering like a leaf in a rainstorm, as nauseous as a toddler who just rode their first roller coaster, feeling like he was about to cry, and alone. What a miserable way to spend the night.

------

If there's anything Erik Lehnsherr knew in this moment, it was that he was beyond irritated that Charles wasn't at the mansion to run his own school. Despite leaving the school once he'd helped rebuild it to try and seek solitude to wrap his mind around his place in the world and everything that'd happened to him, Erik was back at the mansion once again. He was ready to lay down the foundations for his new mutant hideaway, Genosha, and needed Charles's connections to the government to help smooth over his charges and get clearance to have his isolated society where he might truly find happiness and solace. The universe had spoken, and he obviously wasn't cut out to be a nuclear family kind of guy.

Unbeknownst to him, Erik had once again meandered into a setting with his unrealized son. Also unbeknownst to him, that son was currently cooped up alone in his room, feeling like death.

Erik uncomfortably paced around the mansion, checking Charles's office, the X-Men bunker, and all the other places he might have been, yet the telepath was nowhere to be found. Erik sighed, he knew coming this late was a bargain, one, it turns out, he'd come to lose. The school itself was eerily quiet. It was if the entire mansion was empty or something. Peaceful, yet unsettling for a man who knew nothing but chaos.

Erik was about to borrow a book someone had abandoned in the foyer when he heard the muffled melodies of American rock music echoing from the upstairs floor. It must be that problematic Peter child, Erik thought to himself. From what he told himself was a civil duty to the rest of the sleeping kids in the school (but was actually his own way to cope with his curiosity) Erik decided to check up on the snarky young man to ask if he'd turn down the tunes.

As he approached the door, Erik was bracing himself for something extremely untamed. Perhaps a messy, greasy slophole of a living area, or maybe a drunk and uncontrollably obnoxious man dancing to his music in the nude. You never really knew with Peter, and Erik had come to expect the strangest out of the boy from the few genuine interactions they've had.

Erik gently tapped his knuckles against the door, waiting patiently for a 'come in', or something along the lines of those words, yet it never came. Raising a questioning yet not too surprised eyebrow, Erik knocked again, using slightly harder bangs, not wishing to make a ruckus and wake anyone else in the hallway up. Again, nothing. Although it could have simply boiled down to Peter not hearing him from his loud and abhorrent music, Erik was growing slightly irritated with the lack of a response. So with his last reserves of patience, he knocked one final time, once again listening for a signal or cue to enter. He was met with nothing yet again.

Wondering for the worst and fully expecting to meet a blackout drunk Peter when he opened the door, Erik tentatively jiggled the doorknob, which just so happened to be unlocked, and stepped inside. Thankfully, he was not met with a naked dancing or woefully drunk mutant speedster, but most would probably argue that what he was met with was quite worse. And that being a rancid stench of sick and sour nastiness lingering in the air, a poorly plopped pile of blankets draped over the culprit of the odor, and the culprit himself lying pale and flushed on the floor beside his bed, covered in his own vomit.

Erik's nose crinkled up from being met by the strongly nauseating smell of the room, reaching for the light switch on the wall to aid the sad little table lamp and glow of the TV in illuminating the room. Now he truly saw the pity-worthy situation for what it was. Peter laid in a heap on the ground next to his bed; he'd clearly trying to make it to the en suite bathroom just a few feet away. However, with his dizzy mind and immobile leg, he didn't make it very far and ended up expelling his dinner in a much less... dignified location (if you could consider a toilet bowl a very dignified location), that undignified location being all over his lap and onto his faded Pink Floyd t-shirt.

Not knowing how to really handle the situation, Erik called out a soft, "Peter?" hoping to elicit a response. Yet, just like at the door, he was met with nothing. As he approached the boy, thoughts of anxiety and panic circled through his mind. What would he say to him when he woke up? Would he be uncomfortable with Erik of all people coming to help? Would he be confused? Would he not care? He felt undeniably and inexplicably awkward. Erik shook the thoughts from his conscious as he knelt down to try and meet Peter's face.

"Peter?" he asked again. Erik tentatively reached over to tap the boy's face, which was contorted in a pinched expression of discomfort, marred further by the vomit drying in a trail down his chin.

Once Erik's hand made contact with Peter's cheek, he wanted to retract it. From the split second interaction, Erik had felt the clammy, sweaty, and scorching hot skin and was growing concerned. The slight physical prodding finally made Peter respond.

"Mom?" he asked groggily, voice cracking, "I'll put my dishes in the sink in a minute... I'm tired..."

Erik let out a harsh sigh, bending his neck in an attempt to make eye contact with the boy.

"Peter, I'm not you-" Erik was cut off.

"Yeah yeah... I'm not your maid. I know, Ma. Just... give me five."

"Peter." Erik stated bluntly yet with a hint of unease, unsure if Peter was delirious or just messing with him, "look at me, please."

Peter cracked open his eyes and blearily met Erik's stoic and collected face. He blinked a few times, slowly and deliberately, calculating who was kneeling in front of him, before letting out a weak and wheezy chuckle, "hey there, refrigerator ornament. Wassup?"

Erik rolled his eyes, responding with, "I came to ask you to turn down your atrocious music so you won't wake any of the other children who are trying to sleep. When I came in here, you were passed out on the floor. Would you like to explain to me what happened?"

"Nah... it isn't all too interesting"

"Peter, can you please act like an adult for 2 minutes? Please?"

"Oh man, the Nazi-hunting, president-killing, horseman of the Apocalypse is bustin' out the PLEASES. Look out, world, Lord of the Vacation Souvenirs has a new tactic... MANNERS!"

Peter burst out laughing at his own adolescent joke, ending in a wheezy struggle to catch his own breath. Erik couldn't tell if he was just screwing with him or genuinely needed help. This behavior seemed pretty normal for the immature mutant.

"Look, Peter, I really just need to know if you're okay. Can you answer that simple question, please?"

"Man, your tactics are workin' like a charm. I guess I'll tel-" Peter was cut off by a repulsing gag, hunching over and expelling his stomach's contents... again, this time, however, onto Erik's shirt, quickly travelling in a sad trail down onto his freshly-ironed pants. Peter's bloodshot eyes went side with embarrassment as he quickly transitioned his gaze to the floor.

Erik's face was caught frozen still as his mind caught up with what had just happened. As repulsed as he was, it wasn't like he hadn't seen worse. But that still didn't make the fact that he was just puked on any less disgusting. After audibly exhaling through his nose, Erik once again focused on the miserable man child in front of him, who was now anxiously tapping his fingernails on the hard plaster of his cast, deliberately trying to avoid eye contact.

God damnit, Peter, He thought to himself as he continued tapping, it's bad enough leaving him with a painfully ambiguous response during a battle to save all of humanity, ultimately ruining a perfectly good chance to fess up, but now look what you've done. You fucking threw up on him. Peter felt himself growing smaller as his subconscious shamed him for his uncontrollable bout of illness. It was stupid and ultimately all in his head, but it didn't make him feel any less shit about his situation.

After taking the few quiet seconds, Erik stood up, and whether it was out of pity or some subconscious moral quest, grabbed Peter by the armpits and dragged him to the bathroom.

"W-what the?" Peter asked, confused by the harsh white light of the bathroom and the sudden shift in scenery.

"Well I'm not going to let you sit in your own disgusting clothes. I have standards, you know. Can you undress yourself? I'll get us both some clean clothes."

Peter grunted in response. It meant: yeah, I think I can take off my own clothes, bro... once the room stops spinning. Erik, however, had already up and left, stripping off his own soiled shirt and rifling through Peter's dresser drawers, and taking the opportunity to flick off the television and silence the music that had been awkwardly filling the room's background space up until now.

Peter didn't have much variety in his clothing, dark jeans and band logo t-shirts were most of his dresser's arsenal. Not wishing to be clad in a Metallica shirt for the rest of the night, he dug a bit further into the seemingly endless assortment of shirts till he found a plain white short sleeve, sighing in relief. He grabbed a random shirt from the top of the assortment which just so happened to have the Journey logo on it, and set off to find new pants for the boy.

Back in the bathroom, Peter was still laying slumped against the bathtub, shivering. Everything around him had seemingly slowed to a halt, not unlike when he was running past the speed of sound, but this time deceleration just felt... wrong.

The crashing rhythm of the rock music had come to a halt, yet it didn't cease the incessant throbbing ache in his head, as if the bass riffs and the harsh taps of the snare were on a permanent loop with earbuds permanently glued to his ears. He was trying his best to prevent himself from groaning or whining as to not sound like even more of a child in front of Erik, but honestly, he didn't want his nonexistent father right now, he wanted his mom.

Peter was snapped from his self loathing by Erik's footfalls growing progressively louder as he approached him. Erik had thrown on a pair of track pants and a random white shirt. He was holding a pair of sweatpants and another shirt for Peter so he could be free of his sweat-slick and vomit-covered clothes.

"Hey, you don't get to keep those. I like those pants," Peter stated sarcastically, still trying to put up a front, although he was unsure why. He'd needed help, it was painfully obvious, so why was he still pushing his father away? Resentment? Anger? Pride? No... fear.

"Arms up," Erik instructed, preparing to take Peter's shirt off for him.

"Yo, you know I'm not a toddler, right? I can take off my own god damn shirt."

"You sure don't act like you're a day older than one, and I don't wanna risk you accidentally suffocating getting stuck in your own clothing so... arms up."

Peter sighed and did as he was told. Erik swiftly peeled the top off the boy and felt around his back, finding it clammy and warm. As if he'd just went from the tropics to Antarctica, the shirt leaving his skin exposed his skin to a whole new level of cold. The sensation ripped through his spine as his teeth started chattering. Hoping Erik had a brain underneath that skull, Peter was (im)patiently waiting for the man to save him from the frosty winds of his newly installed Arctic bathroom and slip the new shirt over him already. However, much to Peter's dismay, Erik turned on the tub's faucet, soaking a hand towel in cold water before leaning over and placing it on Peter's exposed back.

The second the frigid cloth made contact with his skin, Peter recoiled, back arching backwards, arms frantically bending to try and remove it. Erik sighed, slightly out of pity, and continued holding it down.

"Is this some cruel punishment? What did I do?" Peter pleaded, hoping to distract himself from crying by use of humor.

"You're scorching and sticky and it's just disgusting. I'm cooling you down, so relax," Erik explained. "It'll be a few more seconds, I just needed to get all the sweat off of you."

And as quickly as it had begun, the endeavor was over and Erik was threading Peter's strikingly pale and flimsy arms through the shirt holes. Peter audibly sighed, feeling like he'd just spent an hour in an industrial freezer and was now back into a normal temperature.

Erik's eyes drifted to Peter's legs, immediately noticing a flaw in his plan. How was he going to change Peter's pants with that full leg cast?

"Peter, how do you typically change your pants considering your current... situation?" Erik asked.

"It's pretty simple. I don't," Peter replied bluntly.

"W-what?"

"Well, after I got my leg set a few days ago, I changed into jeans, not wanting to be in flight suit pants for the next week of my life, and I haven't swapped since. It's like, physically impossible."

"So... you've been wearing the same (disgustingly dirty) pants all week?"

"Yeah, pretty much. Hank says I should be grateful that it'll heal in a couple days, most people you'd find passed out on their floor covered in vomit with a full leg cast would have been wearing their nasty pants for weeks."

Erik sighed, tossing Peter's soiled shirt and the sweatpants back into the bedroom before meeting his gaze.

"Alright, Peter, I'm going to set you up in bed now."

"Sounds grea-" Peter was once again, clamping his hand over his mouth, pathetically dragging himself over to the toilet to prevent throwing up all over himself again.

Erik saw his distress and lifted the toilet lid and seat, prompting Peter to start heaving into the sad and dreary porcelain bowl. Each dry or productive heave sent another pulsing wave of pain and violent nausea from his stomach to seemingly every conceivable inch of his body in a viscous cycle of suffering. Erik could do nothing but watch as the silver-haired boy wretched in agony, each heave causing his breath to hitch, caught in his throat, as another bout of sick rushed up past his lips, crashing into the toilet bowl.

Erik wanted to reach over and rub Peter's back or offer a semblance of physical comfort for the anguish he must have been feeling. He'd often do this for his daughter, Nina, whenever she had a stomach bug. Erik reached out his hand, only to quickly retract it, shaking haunting thoughts from his mind. This boy was not his child, and in no way would he ever come close to being Nina. What was he thinking?

Guilt quickly overtook the memories as Peter finished his session of sickness. He sagged limply against the side of the toilet, face still partially hidden by the rim of the bowl. When he looked up at Erik, he looked awful. Beyond awful.

Red-rimmed eyes, clearly there as Peter attempted to stop the obvious tears from spilling over, met cool yet collected ones, the former's being full of pain, not just from this embarrassment or the physical turmoil he'd just endured, but something else. Erik knew those eyes. He knew them because for so long, they were the ones he'd stared at in the mirror, day after day, for years, until he'd found Charles, only to come face to face again with those demonized eyes in the form of an immature mutant puking his guts out on his bathroom floor. They were the eyes of a young man who was lost, feeling alone, hiding a part of themselves they wanted to let go, to set free, so they could truly be happy, yet he couldn't possibly decipher what could be internally destroying the boy.

"I-I'm sorry you had to watch that..." Peter said softly as his head lolled over.

"It's fine," Erik replied with a tone to match that of Peter's.

"I'm pretty sure... that I'm done. For now?" It came out as more of a question, but at this point, Peter wasn't trusting any signal his body was sending him. Every impulse had been smudged and cloudy in his mind, and paired with the seemingly endless headache and the relentless chills racking his body from the fever, Peter was sure that if his mind were a computer hard drive, it would have self destructed out of a deadly virus slowly hacking into the hardware.

But alas, Peter was no computer, and so he was stuck with this mystery illness, cooped up in his room, unable to run, with Erik mother-hecking Lehnsherr. His fever-addled mind was barely functioning at this point, so he didn't register anything but dizzying blurred images swirling around his head and slightly-grumbled voice swimming in his ears as Erik scooped the kid up like a newlywed bride and carried him off to bed.

Peter had never been more grateful to grace the comfort of his duvet, ready to sleep. He halfheartedly grabbed at it in an attempt to cover himself and finally warm up. Erik sighed with pity, grabbing it for him and draping it over his shoulders before moving over to stand by the nightstand and awkwardly watching Peter try and get comfortable.

Despite the obvious fact that his body wanted him to sleep, Peter's mind was racing everywhere except the realm of unconsciousness. Every thought was emphasized ten-fold as it bounced around his head until the only things remaining were his want, heck, his need, to tell Erik the truth, and the hesitant and unsure anxiety lingering in the background of his subconscious that was stopping him from doing just that.

Fevers, though, as Peter was quickly learning, tended to do weird shit to what your brain was really trying to accomplish, often scrambling any message you tried to expel to the point where it may or may not have even been your true intentions. And hell, it was an even bigger gamble if you'd remember any of the dumb shit you'd done or said. It was as if the heat had boiled all the potentially embarrassing memories away, which was at least kinda nice.

With everything happening, Peter thought it best for Erik to just pack up and scoot from the premises, as not to accidentally say or do something stupid that might come back to bite him in the ass later, but Peter wasn't about to pull an asshole move on the man who'd just helped him despite not being obligated to at all.

So, instead of verbally asking, Peter did the next most "mature" thing he could have in his debilitated and helpless situation. He pretended to be asleep in a pathetic hope that Erik would leave on his own. He didn't. Peter ended up looking like he was trying way too hard to be asleep than any real asleep person, and after a few minutes, Erik caught on.

"Peter, I know you're not actually sleeping," Erik said, not putting on any sort of specific emotion.

Peter cracked one red and tired eye open, meeting Erik's gaze yet again. Peter sighed and turned over onto his side, back to the other man, bleary eyes trying to focus on anything that wasn't Erik. Sleep, a seemingly effortless task for most, eluded Peter as he let out an a low whine. This was miserable.

"Hey, Erik?"

"Yes?"

"I umm... never mind..."

"What were you going to say?"

"It's nothing... I just feel stupid since I can't even do the easiest thing on the planet."

"Is there anything I can do?"

The question struck Peter like a cold dagger to the heart, it sounded so much like something his mom would say, who was practically the only person he wanted in that moment. Peter didn't like to be weak or expose any of his fears. He preferred to be distant and reserved, to hide all that insecurity with stupid dry humor and sarcasm. His mom and his sisters were really the only ones who he'd truly been open with, and when faced with these new circumstances, finally able to reconnect with the father he never had, he was frozen in place, and after pushing people away and closing himself off for so long, not knowing what to do to reach out and truly face what he needed to.

Completely internally and externally overwhelmed, Peter let his dam of pride burst, letting his emotional flood pour out of his eyes in the form of earnest, choked sobs. He bit his lip and weakly rubbed at his eyes in an attempt to hide his distress.

Erik was taken aback, taking a step towards him, before backpedaling as fast as the initial paternal instinct had seized him. He didn't know what to do. Erik was conflicted, scared of overstepping boundaries, but wholeheartedly wanting to comfort the clearly suffering boy lying in bed in front of him.

And in a flash of instinct, an unspoken, deep-rooted, yet unknown draw towards the silver-haired boy, Erik sat down on the mattress, back meeting Peter's, and leaning over his shoulder to rub his back

Erik's hand was shaky, unsure if it should truly be there. He felt the heat radiating off Peter's skin through his t-shirt. Erik glanced down further to Peter's face, and despite the hands trying (and failing) to cover his eyes, saw it covered in a new sheen of sweat quickly mixing with his tears, pale and pasty with angry crimson patches sitting pretty as pictures on his cheeks and forehead. Everything in that moment accentuated both how awfully awkward Erik and truly terrible Peter felt.

Erik didn't even know if Peter was lucid anymore. He was breaking down into tears, shivering and being comforted by someone who was practically a stranger. Eventually, the sobs dwindled into whimpers and Erik's nerves were starting to taper off himself. The room fell into a weirdly calm silence as the two decided to not say anything. Until Peter's shaky voice cut through the room.

"Y-you know... when I was a dumb little kid, I thought I-I could outrun germs. Look at me now. I can't even cook a f-freakin' omelette without making myself sick... I never needed to cook for myself, it was always my mom, or Hostess cakes."

"..." Erik wanted to say something, anything, but he was unsure what, or if Peter would understand.

"I can't do anything right... life tosses me chances and I just fuck em' all up."

Erik soon realized Peter was no longer talking about his omelette, but something deeper.

"I just wish... you could've d-done this for me when I was still that dumb little kid. I wish for so much to be different. I'd always wanted a d-dad, and when I finally figured out who he was, I learn he'd gone off to kill the president! I-I don't know..."

"W-what?"

"I m-might not be able to outrun germs, but my entire l-life, I've outrun everything. The law, my responsibilities, adulthood... But now, the one time when I finally can't run from anything, out of all of my problems, I gotta face you of all things. N-not the way I thought this would happen..." Peter's words died out as he fell silent.

Erik wasn't sure he'd heard Peter properly. Until something in his mind clicked. Everything he's done up until now: "my mom once knew a guy who could do that..." and "I'm here for my family too..." Oh my god, he thought, I'm... I-I'm Peter's... father? Who else had he been with before his wife... Magda. Oh god.

Erik pulled his hand away from Peter's back. This caused Peter to moan and flip onto his back, staring directly at Erik, eyes cutting straight to his heart like knives.

"W-why'd you stop? It was nice..." Peter admitted shyly.

"I-I need a second, Peter. I'm sorry," Erik sighed as he pushed himself off the mattress.

Peter said nothing as his eyes drifted back to his bedspread. Disappointment lurking behind his bloodshot irises.

Erik walked off to the bathroom, closing the door behind him with a soft click. He stared up at himself in the mirror, hands gripped tightly around the basin. This couldn't be happening. Not after Nina, not again. Erik was just... terrified. Terrified of the idea of getting close again. Anyone who's ever been a part of Erik's family... had died. His parents, his wife, his daughter; he didn't want Peter to join the list of people the universe was just deemed to kill. He knew that Peter was far from dying, it was a simple fact that the kid couldn't cook and he'd fed himself something underdone. Yet, it was all happening, it was all too fast, and everything felt so damn scary.

He knew, deep down, that this was the truth. It only made sense that the Magda didn't wanna tell her son that his dad was an internationally targeted terrorist that's murdered dozens of people, and this kid had no reasons to lie about it. God... Erik didn't know how to feel, what he should do, but he did know that had a need to comfort Peter, who'd just confessed a secret he'd been hiding for who knows how long, and was now laying alone, probably feeling abandoned again, after pouring his heart out knowing full well it might be shot down.

Whether it was all intentional was yet to be seen. Again, fevers did weird shit.

Erik let out a low sigh and opened the door, finding Peter curled up on himself as best he could, softly whining, mumbling incoherently to himself. Erik stepped over and sat down on the bed again, the entire mattress dipping from his weight.

"I'm sorry, Peter. I am very happy you told me..." Erik was searching for the right words, "the truth."

" 'r welc'm" Peter mumbled as his puffy eyelids slid over his tired brown eyes.

"Is there anything you need me to do for you right now?"

"J'st... stay please. I-It's embarassin', I know, but I just... my mom used to do it..."

"Alright, Peter. I'm not gonna leave, so just try to sleep, okay?"

Peter didn't need to be told twice as his mind and body worked in harmony, finally allowing Peter to be lulled off to the realm of unconsciousness. And although he knew it wasn't necessary, Erik wished to add to the intimacy of this quiet moment, a type of moment so rare and inconstant in both of their lives, so he pushed himself up against the headboard, laying out flat on the bed, and carded his fingers into Peter's silky silver locks. And out of habit, maybe a sort of tendency he'd developed from doing it with Nina, or an obligation to share what he felt Peter deserved, he began to hum his family lullaby, ever so slowly and softly, drowning out any other thing the world wanted to toss at them. Because in that moment... Erik and Peter had found something they'd both been missing for so long, peacefulness and contentment. And for that short night, it was all they needed.

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poisonivysparks · 5 years ago

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The Flightless Bird {Warren Worthington III X Reader}

A blonde boy, a little older than eighteen, was flying above me, his metal wings flapping gracefully in the wind. I wasn't that interested in him, so I just went back to the little hidey-hole that I was living in.

The Professor had invited me to stay inside, maybe take some classes, but I had declined, not liking the idea of me being around people.

I had no idea if the boy had noticed me before, we had never made eye contact or anything, I had just wondered.

I had been at the school for about two years, not being found until about a year ago by a man, whose name I found out was Hank McCoy, apparently, he was a teacher at the school. He was nice enough and looked kind of nerdy, so I trusted him. He had brought me off of the roof and down to Professor Xavier's office, where he had made the offer.

Hank brought me food every day, and I was quite grateful for him, he was like an older brother to me.

"Y/n? Are you in here?" I heard Hank say from the outside of my "home."

"Yeah." I got out and winced at the pain coming from my wings.

"When will you stop trying to tear your wings out? You're just hurting yourself, I don't think they're ever going to come off." He told me as blood dripped off of my wings and onto the roof.

"I know, but what's the point of having wings if I can't fucking fly?" I just wanted the damned things off of my body.

"God, Y/n, you're like a little sister to me, and I hate the fact that you're hurting yourself, just please stop." He rubbed my back comfortingly, not minding the fact that his hand was getting bloody.

"I-I can't, Hank, I just can't." I broke down, tears poured down my face as I clutched his shirt, probably making tear stains on his shirt.

"I brought you food since it's almost dark." He said, making me perk up. "It's (favorite food), your favorite."

"Thank you." I grabbed the plate of food he had and started eating. "Can you answer a question for me?" I asked him, my mouth still full.

"Shoot." He smiled as I swallowed.

"Who's the blonde guy with the metal wings? I've seen him flying above me, and I want to know who he is." I asked, knowing that Hank would know who he was.

"That's Warren, he's kind of new. He was the guy that had gone after Nightcrawler in the big battle that I had told you about. We had all thought he was dead, but he came to us, with only a few injuries, looking for help." He explained, making me think back to when the mansion got destroyed and I had frantically looked for Hank, but I couldn't find him anywhere.

"Oh, well, his wings are absolutely beautiful." I finished my plate, putting it a little bit too close to the edge. It slid off, breaking when it hit the ground. "Fuck."

"I'll clean it up when I get down there. Do you need anything from me before I go?" He asked, going towards the hatch that led to the attic.

"Could you maybe get me another blanket? It's starting to get cold again." I told him.

"You do know that you can sleep in the attic, it's really warm in there, it's right next to one of the chimneys." He opened the hatch.

"Are you sure I won't be in the way?" I asked, following him to the trapdoor, a small blanket around my shoulders.

"I'm completely sure." I followed him down the hatch, it was surprisingly warm. "You sleep well, and I want you to come with me to training tomorrow afternoon. You'll like it, because you're a great fighter, and you'll meet people your age. They're great kids, trust me."

"Fine, but that's the only time I have to come down, right?" I asked, making myself comfortable on the attic floor.

"Yeah, I won't make you do any more socializing than that unless you want to." He left after that, making the room go silent.

~Time Skip to the Next Day~

I sat on the roof, trying to tear my wings away from my back, black feathers were lying all around me, dotted with blood. It bled, staining my already red shirt an even darker red.

The boy, Warren, was flying around again, but he met my eyes and flew down onto the roof.

"Why don't you ever fly?" He asked, his voice like silk. I said nothing and got up, turning my back to him and walking to my hidey-hole. "Why are they like that?"

"I hate them. I want them to come off, but they just won't come off." I said in a small voice. "They'll heal in a couple hours, they always do."

"When I was younger, I had the same problem. It hurts like fucking hell, too." He said, his golden locks shining.

"Trust me, I've tried every single day, for the past ten years to get them off," I said, taking one of the rags that Hank gave me and dabbing my bloody wings with it. "And the worst thing is, is that these fucking things don't even work, they just slash and cut."

"Shit, that's rough. I can definitely see why you... umm..." He trailed off, probably feeling awkward.

"It's alright. So, you're Warren, right?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah, how did you know that?" He asked, a slightly confused look surpassed his face.

"Well, Hank McCoy has kind of been taking care of me for the past year. He's like a big brother to me. He brings me food in the mornings and the evenings, and he's just amazing." I explained, shivering and wrapping one of my blankets around me.

"Why don't you sleep inside with everybody else?" He asked, his wings moving a little as he talked.

"I just didn't want to be with other people, and take classes. I just want to be alone on the rooftop. D-do you know what time it is?" I ruffled my wings, or what was left of them.

"It's about noon." He stated, looking at his watch.

"So, Hank'll probably try to be here in about an hour." I whispered to myself.

"So, what's your name?" He asked, obviously quite curious.

"It's Y/n." I answered.

We talked for awhile, my wings gradually healing while we did.

"Y/n?" I heard Hank ask from across the roof. "Where are you?"

"I'm over here!" I yelled, waving my hand.

He smiled once he saw me and walked over to us.

"It's time for training, Y/n, and you too, Warren." Hank said, in an authoritative voice.

"A-alright," I stuttered, getting up from my spot. "Let's just hope my wings aren't too sore." I fanned them out, and smiled.

All three of us walked through the corridors, people staring at me as we walked. The Professor was rolling down the corridor that we were in.

He greeted us with a smile, "Y/n! It's nice to see you're doing well, I trust that Hank has been taking good care of you."

"He has." I nodded as we walked.

"It's also nice to see you off the roof." He rolled past us as we stopped at an elevator.

"It's nice to see you too, Professor!" I yelled back at him.

We stepped inside the small elevator, me and Warren's wings taking up most of the space, so Hank was squashed between us.

The elevator door opened with a ding, Warren and I exited first, Hank following. Warren seemed to know the way, so I followed him.

People were lined up in front of a closed, presumably locked, door. There were about five people lined up, a boy with silver hair, a boy with a red visor-like thing, a girl with vibrant red hair, a girl with a white mohawk, and a blue boy with a cool ass devil-type tail. They smiled and waved at Warren, while I hid behind Hank.

"Y/n, you need to go up there." Hank whispered to me, pushing me up towards them.

"Professor McCoy, who's that?" The redhead asked.

"This is Y/n, she's kind of been living on the roof for the last two years. I finally convinced her to come and do training with you guys." Hank told them as I just shyly looked down at my shoes.

"Hi." I waved, while they smiled.

"Can you fly?" I heard somebody ask. I shook my head no as Hank unlocked the door.

"I can fight pretty well, though." I told them, looking up.

"It's time for training, everybody inside." Hank said, ushering everybody inside the room.

I was confused on what we were supposed to do, were we supposed to fight? I had no idea.

Hank went to some sort of control panel, pushing a couple of buttons, while everybody lined up where the middle was. I followed their actions, standing next to Warren.

"Okay, so, Y/n, you should probably know everybody's names. That's Peter," Hank told me, pointing to the silver haired guy. "Ororo," The White haired chick. "Jean," The red haired chick. "Scott," Visor kid. "And Kurt." Blue guy.

"Okay, thank you, Hank." I smiled.

"Okay, everybody ready?"

~Time Skip~

I had been training with everybody for at least a month, and we were now getting ready for our first unsupervised mission.

I had kind of developed a small crush on Warren, I mean, yeah he was a complete dick sometimes, but he was caring at times and he had some sort of boyish charm that made me fall for him. I had been living in the attic for quite a bit and Warren spent most of his time with me, because he didn't take any classes. I had started to go down to the cafeteria for meals, and Hank was extremely proud of me for that.

Ororo was nice enough, she visited me once in awhile and we talked about girl stuff, I had even told her about my little crush on Warren.

We were in the jet, ready to go. Hank was in the pilot's seat, ready to drop us off. Warren and Ororo would go by themselves and everybody else and I would go with Kurt.

I breathed heavily, not ready for this shit. Warren had comforted me, rubbing comforting circles on my back, right below my wings.

"I hope this goes well." Warren breathed, calming himself down by rubbing his hands through his, now grown out, curly, golden hair.

"We're almost there!" Hank yelled.

I held onto Kurt's tail, bracing for impact, but the only thing I felt was rushing air around me, and solid ground beneath my feet.

Warren came swooping down after us, landing next to me.

The first part of the battle was boring, we kicked his ass, but the second part got a little more interesting, Warren and I were fighting side by side, Scott, Jean and Kurt were working as a team, while Peter and Ororo were working on their own.

He had brought out these little robot minions, they were quite cute and easy to beat.

The bad guy had apparently been defeated until we were walking away, and he grabbed one of my wings. "Ow! Fuck!" He pulled, getting up, but with a slight limp. "What the Hell, dude!?" The guy started running, and my wings got caught on something. I tried to pull them free but tall it did was make some feathers rip off. I pulled even harder, but they just would not get unstuck. "Well, looks like I'm going to have to do this the hard and painful way." I mumbled, knowing that it would hurt more than what I did daily. "C'mon, Y/n. They'll grow back, you know they will, this has happened to you before." I sucked in a breath of air, before pulling. A loud rip was heard, and I bit my hand to muffle my screams, drawing blood. I looked back, only a few feathers remained of my wings. "Fuck, where'd they go?" I asked, confused. They had completely disappeared, besides the feathers.

"Y/n! What the fuck happened?" Warren swooped down, obviously worried. "Oh my God." He gasped. "Where are..? What..?"

"I'm fucking fine, they'll grow back in a couple of weeks." I said, walking past him, I really didn't want his pity.

"Y/n, you're not fine, your back is bleeding really badly." He said, trying to touch me. "McCoy's going to be fucking pissed."

"He'll be fine, let's just go home." I stalked off, hearing gasps from everybody as I walked by.

"Vhat-" Kurt started, but I cut him off.

"Can you just take me to the jet, please?" I grabbed his hand, as he nodded."Thank you."

We teleported to the jet and Hank immediately came over to me and started fussing.

"What the hell did you do?" He said, hugging me.

"I got them stuck on something, couldn't get out. So, I did what I had to do." I explained simply, pushing myself away from him. "They'll get better in about a couple of weeks, it's happened before."

"Wait, when did this happen before?" He said in a confused tone.

"When I was about twelve, my mom hated me for what I was, and sh-she cut off my wings." I stuttered, walking away. "I ran away, staying in the forests with the animals, and then I found the mansion, you know the rest."

"Oh my God, Y/n. You're sleeping in the infirmary tonight." He told me as I sat down on a chair.

"Fine." I grumped, a little sad that my wings were gone, even though they were completely useless.

"What the fuck, Y/n?!" Warren stormed inside of the jet. "You just stalk off with no fucking reason on why you have no wings!" He ranted, being all pissy as I got up to face him

"Well, maybe you don't know what it's like for your wings to not even fucking work, Warren!" I yelled back at him. "You don't know what it's fucking like to be me! You're just being a dick, okay. Just, fuck off." I sat down in the farthest seat away from him, not leaning back all the way because of my back.

Warren huffed and sat down on the other side of the jet, while Kurt had teleported everybody back.

They all bombarded me with questions, but I tuned them out, saying "I'll be fine" and "they'll heal in a couple of weeks" once in a while.

"Hank, can we please just get out of here?" I walked over to him.

"Yeah, we'll be back at the mansion soon." He told me, reassuringly.

"Thank you, Hank."

~Time Skip~

I groaned, sitting up from the uncomfortable hospital bed. "Warren, what the hell are you doing here?" I spotted the blonde haired boy, who was sitting next to the bed in a very uncomfortable looking chair.

"Okay, I realize now that I was a complete dick to you the other day, and I just wanted to know what happened, you're my best friend and I care about you." He explained.

"Thanks for caring about me." I said, sad that my wings were gone, even if they were useless. I felt depressed, I tried to be happy, but it just wasn't happening.

"I can't help caring about you." He smiled, while my face remained neutral.

"Did you know that I've never flown, I've never been up in the air, never felt the wind in my hair. I've always wanted to fly, ever since I was little, and when I got my wings I thought it was a blessing, but they just taunted me, broke down my sanity, and I hated them, I hated their fucking guts. I kind of miss them, even if they were useless." I ranted, breaking down a little bit.

"I-I could take you flying, if you want." He offered, making me smile, slightly.

"Thank you, Warren!" I hugged him. "Can we go right now?"

"Yeah, but I don't think McCoy would like you being out of bed." He said as I got out of bed.

"Well, he's going to have to deal with it." I said as he got up, smiling.

We walked up to the roof, surprisingly not seeing anybody.

"It's dark?!" I said once we got up to the roof, it was dark and cold and I wasn't wearing a shirt. (there are bandages around those, so calm down)

"Yeah, that's why we didn't see anybody. Do you still want to fly?" He asked, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Of course! I'm going to grab a shirt, first though." I said, going over to my hidey-hole and putting on a shirt. "So, how is this going to work?"

"I don't know, the most I've flown with anybody was grabbing their hands." He admitted, shrugging his shoulders. "I could grab your waist if it's not uncomfortable for you."

"No, that's fine." I smiled at him as he held me by the waist, not quite ready to take off.

"You ready, Y/n?" He asked me.

"Yeah, ready as I'll ever be." I said as he lifted off. The wind whipped through my hair and I laughed. "This is fucking amazing, Warren! You are so lucky! You're an amazing flyer, like, holy shit!"

"Thanks, Y/n." He flew higher and higher, making me grin in excitement. "You're fucking adorable." He mumbled under his breath.

"Thanks." I smiled as his face turned slightly red.

"Oh God, you heard that." He said, holding me a little tighter.

"Well, you're adorable too, and that's why I love you." I realized what I said right after I said it. "Fuck."

"I love you too, Y/n, don't worry. I've loved you since I first saw you on the roof." He said, hovering in the same spot.

"You're an amazing person, Warren." I kissed his cheek, tenderly.

The air was silent between us, the only sound was wings flapping and the wind howling.

We slowly leaned in, and our lips met as I melted into his embrace. Sparks flew and I felt something tugging at my back.

"Y-Y/n, look behind you." He said, pulling away.

I obliged and looked back, seeing my wings, only bigger and more beautiful. I gasped, seeing the, now gray, wings.

"Holy shit. Warren, what happened?" I asked, alarmed.

"I don't know, we were kissing a-and they just sprung out of your back and it was really fucking weird." He said, panicking a little bit.

"It's alright, Warren. You did absolutely nothing wrong. In fact, they're bigger than they were and whiter." I reassured him, putting my hand on his shoulder.

I flapped my wings a little bit, slightly flying out of his arms. I gasped as he grinned widely.

"I-I-I flew. I few, Warren! Oh my God, I actually flew!" I smiled, flapping my wings and flying a few feet above his hands.

"I know, I don't know how, but you're actually flying!" He lightly laughed and I tried to hover. "It'll be hard to hover at first, but you'll get the hang of it, trust me." He held my hands, still grinning.

"Thank You, Warren, for everything." I hugged him and kissed his cheek. "I-I think you did something. You made something happen that I've been dreaming about and I can't thank you enough or do anything that could repay you."

"You could start by being my girlfriend." He suggested, our foreheads touching.

"I could definitely do that."

Masterlist

#X-Men #X-Men Apocalypse #x-men x reader #X-men oneshot #warren worthington x reader #warren worthington imagine #warren worthington iii #hank mccoy #angel #wings #mutant

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ranwing · 7 years ago

Text

Kadam Fic: Dramatic Theory (2/2)

Title: Dramatic Theory Series: A New Direction (was Season Four Remix) Pairing(s), Characters(s): Kadam, Kurt Hummel, Adam Crawford, Burt Hummel, Carole Hudson-Hummel, Rachel Berry, Santana Lopez, Noah Puckerman, Tina Cohen-Chang, Artie Abrams, Original Characters Rating: PG13 Genre(s): canon divergence. Parts: 2 /2

On AO3

Summary: As Kurt prepares to make his professional debut at the Garrison Shakespeare Festival, he finds that he has a lot more to learn than simple stagecraft.

Adam couldn’t help from gasping when he felt Kurt’s teeth grazing the pulse point at his throat, not quite hard enough to bruise because his considerate lover would not mar his skin with hickeys to cover up, but just enough to burn tantalizingly. He was nearly overcome with sensation, his broad hands squeezing Kurt’s ass so firmly that a determined law enforcement official could probably lift fingerprints. He bore down onto Kurt, pressing against his young lover as their morning erections ground together and they came to a more than satisfying mutual climax.

Kurt sighed happily, enjoying the feel of Adam’s weight pressing him down into their bed with a muscular thigh pressed between his own. “I’m getting spoiled,” he proclaimed. “Getting you all to myself like this.”

Adam grinned, keeping his strong arms wrapped about the younger man, enjoying the closeness. “I think we’ve found our opening night tradition. A few good orgasms for good luck.”

“I hope that you’re not planning to save them for special occasions like this,” Kurt said archly. “I’m not moving in with you if you’re planning on saving the good sex for special occasions.”

The Englishman laughed brightly, rubbing his jaw alongside Kurt’s as if scenting him like a cat. “Not at all,” he insisted. “Any excuse works in my book. I find myself hard pressed to keep my hands to myself most of the time.”

Kurt snuggled against him, wanting to enjoy the quiet before the insanity of their day was to begin. They’d had a chance to sleep in a bit since they didn’t need to be at the theater until later in the afternoon. Their final run through had gone well and had plans to meet a few others in the cast for lunch before heading to the theater. Having a chance to rest before tonight’s performance and having a little bit of time to themselves was very much appreciated.

Kurt was admittedly a bit nervous now that rehearsals were finally finished with, but he’d had a chance to show that he could handle the task at hand. He’d worked hard and showed his capabilities at every turn. Now he just had to keep out of his own way because he knew that he would do this.

“I can’t wait until tonight,” he admitted. He turned his head enough that he could look up at Adam.

Adam chuckled, his cheeks flushing a bit at Kurt’s praise. “You’d think that after all the times I’ve done this that I wouldn’t be nervous,” he admitted. “I always get a few jitters before opening night.”

“You’re going to be so amazing,” Kurt insisted. He knew full well that for all Adam’s experience, taking on a leading role was still an enormous responsibility and Adam was as anxious about their first proper performance as Kurt was. The older man had put in a tremendous amount of work to make the brash Benedict as interesting as Kurt was trying to make Don John.

“It’s going to be a wonderful show, Adam agreed. He released Kurt and gave a long stretch, groaning a bit at the pull of slightly sore muscles. “Hmm… what time are we supposed to meet everyone?”

“Ben said that they’d be heading over to the diner at around one, so we’ve got plenty of time to shower,” Kurt surmised.

“That’s if the hot water holds up,” Adam mused, making a small face. Both of them had found the water pressure at the motel less than adequate during their stay.

Kurt made a slight grumble, but forced himself to climb from the bed. If he didn’t get moving, he’d be tempted to lie there all day. “Mind if I go first? I’ll be quick,” he promised.

The older man waved away his concerns. “Take your time,” he urged, not inclined to start moving just yet. “The tepid water isn’t going anywhere.”

Kurt smiled and leaned down to kiss his boyfriend deeply before padding into the adjoining bathroom. Adam sighed happily and nestled down in their bed, slipping into a light doze while Kurt washed away the evidence of their morning activities from his body. He brushed his teeth and shaved carefully, making sure to avoid any nicks or scrapes that might be irritated by the heavy stage makeup.

After finishing his morning toilette, Kurt felt prepared to face the challenges of the day. He stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped about his waist and found Adam still curled in the bedding and showing no evidence that he planned to move anytime soon. The idea of shrugging off the towel and rejoining him was tempting, but they had friends to meet.

“Adam, come on,” he urged, sitting down next to his lazy lump of a boyfriend. “There’s a pot of coffee downstairs with your name on it.”

“Don’t wanna,” Adam whined plaintively. He opened one eye and turned it to Kurt playfully. “You could always lose the towel and join me.” He reached out an arm to try to grab at Kurt.

“Oh no… we’re not doing that,” Kurt proclaimed, swatting away Adam’s hand and giving him a firm nudge. “I’m starving and I am not going to pass out from hunger on the stage tonight.”

The older man couldn’t help from smiling, his eyes twinkling with mischief at Kurt’s reprimand. His young lover had been decidedly composed these past weeks, showing himself to be a true professional. If he wanted to exert what little control he really had over the hours leading up to his debut, it would be childish of Adam to keep teasing him.

“You’re right, love. I’ll go shower so we can get moving,” he acquiesced.

Kurt watched in amusement as his boyfriend climbed from the bed with an overly dramatic groan and gave a stretch that put his long, naked body on display. “Hurry up,” he ordered, fighting back a giggle at the sight of Adam’s pale ass giving an impertinent wiggle before disappearing behind the bathroom door.

They arrived at the diner just as the rest of the group was being seated. Ben was sitting next to Sarah, the lovely young actress playing Beatrice in the show. Alongside them sat Craig, Tracy and David. Kurt was pleased that they had invited Dominic along. The older actor was playing Leonato in the show and Kurt had grown quite fond of the man. Even though he was more than twice the age of most in the cast, he’d been acting since he was a teenager and had a lot of great stories to tell. There was a lot to learn from him and Kurt was intent on picking up as many tips as he could manage.

They managed to squeeze in a few extra chairs around a single table, making things a bit crowded but they had gotten quite close over the past season so no one was complaining about the tight quarters. They enjoyed their chance for a long, leisurely lunch, fueling up for what was promising to be a long and challenging day.

As he ate his lunch, Kurt felt strangely gratified at being included in such a talented group. He loved his friends in New Directions, and knew that they respected his talent. It just… it wasn’t like this. Kurt knew full well that with Rachel, she had no trouble accepting his talent except when he proved better at something than her. And despite how close he was with his high school friends, most in the group never got past seeing him as the “gay kid”.

But with his cast mates, they saw him as a talented actor first and their friendships stemmed from that point of respect. It didn’t mean that he didn’t love all his old friends, but he could see the difference. It was easy to let himself slip into the easy camaraderie that came out of weeks of hard work and practically living in one another’s back pockets.

When they arrived at the theater, Kurt couldn’t resist from pausing outside, looking up at the marque and letting a small smile to touch his features. It was still a thrill to consider that this was his show. He felt his heart start to swell a bit with the realization that his big moment was only hours away.

“Hey, they’ve got the poster up,” Sarah exclaimed, motioning everyone over. They crowded around her to get a look and even though they’d all seen the mock ups, seeing the official poster at the box office for the first time was always thrilling.

At the center of the image were Adam and Sarah, posed as if caught in the midst of an argument. Next to them stood Tracy and David, holding one another and looking blissfully in love. On the other side of the bickering pair was Ben, looking every inch a prince and Kurt, his back turned to the others, but glancing sullenly over his shoulder at the rest of the group.

Kurt felt a lump beginning to form in his throat, the realization of what was happening hitting him particularly hard. He felt rather than saw Adam coming up behind him, a warm reassuring presence that gave him the grounding that he very much needed, otherwise he might fly apart from nerves. The older man placed his arms about Kurt and pulled him close, resting his chin on Kurt’s shoulder.

“How does it feel, love?” he asked softly.

Kurt turned his head to give Adam a loving smile. “It feels perfect.”

“Hey guys, we’d better get moving,” Patrick urged, checking his watch. “Mr. Tillman should be starting in a few minutes.”

Kurt nodded and tore himself away from the poster, shifting his attention to the business at hand. They trooped down into the theater where the rest of the cast had gathered in the orchestra section, alongside the stage, lighting and costuming crews. The curtain was raised, revealing the dressed stage where the set for Act One was already in being put in place. Kurt couldn’t help from making some mental notes about how things would look from the audience and was pleased that his entrance would be suitably dramatic. He took his seat and let Adam hold his hand while they waited for Mr. Tillman to begin.

The meeting was fairly straightforward, with Mr. Tillman issuing a few reminders and instructions to the cast and crew. He tried to keep the mood light in order to avoid making everyone overly anxious by throwing too many critiques at them, but made a few points about some things he noted in their dress rehearsals that he wanted them to keep in mind.

“Yesterday’s final dress was pretty much everything I wanted to see from you all,” he finally complimented. “If you manage to do exactly what you did yesterday tonight, I’ll have absolutely nothing to complain about. Keep in mind that we’ve got a large cast and watch your timing so that everyone can be on their parks.

“So everyone go get ready and I’ll speak with you again before curtain.”

Kurt smiled happily, feeling surprisingly at ease given that the biggest performance of his life was just hours away. Having Adam and his friends at his side alleviated the worst of his nervousness and he knew that he would be able to focus on giving the best performance he could. He’d worked hard these past weeks and knew that nothing was being demanded of him that wasn’t well within his ability to accomplish. Performing in Macbeth gave him a taste of what being in this production would mean. Now he would really get to show what he had in him.

Knowing that his friends and family would be there to cheer him on… that was just the icing on his cake.

“Well, we’d better start dressing,” Adam pronounced, giving Kurt’s hand a squeeze. “I’ll see you in a little bit. Go make yourself pretty for everyone.”

It was hard not to drag the Englishman back for a sound kiss, but Kurt knew that it would not be appropriate. It wasn’t as if everyone didn’t already know that he and Adam were a couple. Everyone knew who was involved with who in the cast, but it was unprofessional to have public displays in their workplace. Kurt had worked too hard to damage his professional reputation right at the start of his career.

Finding his dressing table in the large communal dressing room in the backstage area, he at first wondered if someone had accidently taken his spot. But the black uniform hanging on the rack behind his chair and the pictures of his loved ones taped to the mirror confirmed that he hadn’t been mistaken.

What had confused him was finding his table absolutely overflowing with flowers.

“What the…?” he murmured as he stepped up to his table, looking in befuddlement at what appeared to be a florist shop’s worth of blooms decorating his area. Several arrangements filled his table while a large vase of flowers was place beside his chair because there was no place to put them. From the chatter around him, it was clear that he wasn’t the only one being sent opening night gifts, but he probably had the largest display.

He checked the card on the first arrangement, a lovely selection of summer blooms and felt his eyes begin to water as he read the note.

Kurt, we couldn’t be prouder of you. This is your special moment in time. Don’t forget to enjoy it. Dad and Carole. OXOXOX

He bit his lip, trying to fight back tears as he checked the second arrangement, a large wicker basket filled with brightly colored carnations, mums and asters. His hand was nearly shaking when he found the card.

Today is the day you’ve been waiting for and we are so happy for you. Break a leg! R, S, F, P, T, A.

Kurt couldn’t hold back the short bark of laughter, amused at how his friends had managed to make sure that everyone got included on the card and that Rachel had even managed to squeeze in a gold star for him, a bright spot of glitter sticking up out of the flowers. Next to the flowers, he found flowers and a box of chocolates from Mercedes, Sam and Brittany. They apologized for not being able to be there but wished him luck for his big debut. Smiling, Kurt taped the card to his mirror alongside a photo of his friends, touched that they had made such an effort.

He popped a piece of chocolate into his mouth and mused about who would have sent the last arrangement. Honestly, he wasn’t sure who would be interested enough to send their regards. And so lavishly, he thought, judging by the elegant arrangement of lilies and roses. Finding the card amid the beautiful blooms, he nearly dropped it in surprise.

Sorry that we can’t be there for your big debut, but we’ll be there in spirit. We know that you’ll be amazing. Peter, Ellie and Melissa.

He stood there dumbly amid the riot of flowers, feeling a bit dumbfounded and trying to make sense of his universe when Gen came into the room, her arms laden with costumes that she was distributing.

“Wow, someone’s really popular,” she noted with amusement, having grown close enough that she could get away with teasing him. “Did someone mug a florist?”

Kurt nodded, placing the card from the Crawfords down on his table. “It’s a little overwhelming,” he admitted, smiling ruefully. He picked up the box of candy and held it out. “Want some? You must be running yourself ragged right now.”

“Can you feed me?” Gen asked, her dark eyes glinting with amusement. “My hands are kind of full.”

Kurt couldn’t help from grinning, selecting an appetizing truffle and popping it into her mouth. She chewed, making appreciate sounds. “Thanks,” she said appreciatively. “That hit the spot.”

“Well, feel free to help yourself,” he offered. “You and the rest of the crew work just as hard and don’t get the recognition you deserve.”

“That is so sweet of you… but don’t worry. We get our own rewards,” she assured him. “In the meantime, you’d better start getting ready. You don’t want to be late tonight.”

Gen trotted off to make sure that the costumes got to where they needed to be, leaving Kurt to stare at his table and try to figure out away to get his area into order. Where was he going to put all of them? How was he supposed to get ready with all this stuff?

Taking a cue from the other players who were rearranging their tables in order to deal with their own congratulatory gifts, the arrangements from his friends ended up temporarily on the floor next to the Crawford flowers. That would give him sufficient room to set out his makeup kit and hair products and let him keep the flowers from his parents close enough to enjoy was he was getting ready.

As he was setting out his makeup, he spotted another offering of flowers that had been hidden by the bigger displays. It was nothing but a paper coffee cup filled halfway with water, a few daisies that appeared to have been plucked from the beds outside the theater stuck in. There was no note, but Kurt knew of only one person who would want to give him flowers and wouldn’t have the opportunity to send something more formal.

Reaching out, his finger gently traced one of the soft petals, an amused smile on his face. Picking up the cup, he moved the bedraggled little collection of daisies to a spot where he could see them and he wouldn’t accidently knock them over while getting ready. He then pulled a clip out of his makeup kit to get his hair out of the way so he could focus on getting his face painted properly.

Once he touched his skin with the first streak of foundation, his mind shifted towards the task of becoming Don John.

* * *

The train ride to Garrison was a joyous one for the group as the celebration of their friend’s big night began early. Rachel had returned from her dance class with just enough time to shower and dress before they had to leave for Grand Central in order to catch the train. Santana had packed some snacks and drinks for the ride and they probably made a lot more noise on the train that was respectable, but they had a perfectly good reason so no one felt too guilty.

“Wow, what a crowd,” Artie noted in amusement as they tried to make their way to the theater. Finn was leading, clearly the path so that Puck could maneuver him through the throng of theater goers. “This is insane.”

“Adam was telling me that this is one of the biggest events around here,” Finn explained as he nimbly dodged a slow walking pair of elders heading for the box office. “It’s a really popular production.”

“Oh my God! Look at this!” Rachel exclaimed, pointing at the poster by the theater box office. “Look at Kurt!”

Finn hurried over to her and peered over her shoulder. “Wow… he looks great.”

“Let me see… Finn, move your butt,” Artie demanded, letting Puck push his chair forward. The younger man looked a bit in awe at seeing his old friend featured so prominently.

“He really did it,” Tina marveled, a soft smile on her face. “Our Kurt is a star.”

Puck nodded enthusiastically, not even attempting to hide how proud he was of his boy. “I knew that he would be. Even back in school, I knew that he had the spunk to really make it. He always stood up to everyone who ever pushed him around.”

“Hey kids.”

The group turned to see Burt and Carole walking towards them, Burt offering his wife his arm as they navigated through the large crowd. Finn moved forward to hug his mother, nearly lifting her off her feet.

“How was the ride up?” she asked, reaching up to smooth her son’s unruly hair.

“Pretty good. We started the celebration a little bit early,” he admitted. “It’s a good thing that the train wasn’t too crowded, or they might have thrown us off.”

Burt looked at the group fondly. Despite the differences and disputes that had popped up over the years between them, these kids had become Kurt’s second family in their own way. The fact that all of them were making such an effort to support their friend and celebrate his accomplishment gratified him to no end.

“I think that we’re going to be doing a lot of celebrating tonight,” he mused aloud. He paused to look at the theater poster, his expression softening at seeing his son featured there. His wife stepped over to look for herself, smiling widely at the image of Kurt in character.

“Well, look at that,” she said brightly. “We knew this was coming, but to see him like that… wow.”

Burt couldn’t find the words immediately, feeling his eyes water a little bit. This was what he’d always wanted for Kurt and to see him starting to achieve his dreams made his heart swell in all the right ways. He felt Carole’s hand in his, offering her love and support and if there was any blemish on that moment, it would be that Kurt’s mother hadn’t lived to see her son fulfilling his dreams. But he knew that she would be there in her own way, enjoying her son’s accomplishment.

He wiped at his eyes and turned to face the knowing smiles of Kurt’s friends, seeing that he wasn’t fooling anyone with his gruff façade. To salvage his dignity, since no adult appreciated being seen vulnerable by a bunch of smart ass kids, he checked his watch.

“Looks like they should be opening the doors any minute now,” he advised, hoping to shift their attention. “You all have your tickets?”

At their happy affirmations, he allowed himself to relax and let Carole lead him into the theater.

* * *

Rachel cast an admiring look about the theater as the usher checked her ticket and pointed her towards the front of the orchestra section to find her seat. Kurt had told her about the thrill he’d gotten when he saw the theater set up for their first live performances and she could very well understand that excitement. The theater might not have had the grandeur of some of the finer Broadway stages, but it had its own rough hewn charms.

It was much larger than she had expected when she saw it for the first time, with hundreds of seats and tonight it looked like a sold out show. Amber lights cast a cheery glow on the house, highlighting the almost rustic setting with a warm radiance. The stage was concealed behind a heavy burgundy curtain edged with gold.

An usher lead her and Finn to their seats and she was pleased that Kurt had managed to arrange the best seats in the house for his supporters. They were in the front of the orchestra section, with Artie on the aisle in a space for handicapped attendees. Tina made sure to sit next to him, the pair of them chattering excitedly in hushed tones as they perused the Playbill. Finn was talking to his parents and Santana was snarking with Puck, leaving her to her thoughts for the moment.

She loved to see live performances, and always felt a sense of anticipation as she waited for the show to begin. Once the curtain rose, she could find herself immersed in sights and sounds that never could be experienced watching a film or on television. It was an intimate connection between actors and audience that she always relished. The fact that someone that she loved would be standing on that stage just made the anticipation even more intense.

She looked down at the program in her hands and opened it to the cast listing. It was so thrilling to see her friend listed with the featured cast, and the bio for him might have been brief, but it clearly expressed all of his aspirations and dreams. She couldn’t help from smiling, her finger tracing the outline of Kurt’s face and feeling so happy for him.

There was a time when she admittedly would have been very put out over the idea of the group gathering for the first debut for one in their group and it not being for her. She had been so confident that she would have been the first to be gracing a professional stage. No, arrogant, she mentally corrected. The idea that anyone other than her would have been the first to find their way professionally had been too absurd to consider.

It wasn’t that she hadn’t respected Kurt’s talent. From their very first meeting, she had always seen him as the closest thing to an equal that she had. Even though their rivalry had softened and their friendship grew, there was still the small element of competiveness that she felt and couldn’t totally extinguish.

To see him racing ahead of her despite starting from behind had taken her by surprise, and in a way hurt. He was excelling at NYADA in a way that she wasn’t, mostly due to her own stubbornness. She had been so sure that Funny Girl would have set things back to their normal place, with her as the undisputed star regardless of what those around her managed to accomplish.

The past year had been an awakening for her in a lot of ways. Rude and hurtful maybe, but one that she recognized was badly needed. She had been arrogant and selfish and maybe Funny Girl was the universe’s way to trying to teach her the lesson that she had refused to acknowledge. Kurt would scoff at such musings, having no patience for concepts like fate and destiny. He would just council sagely that she had overreached but with her determination, he had no doubt that she would accomplish her goals.

So in the deepest, darkest part of her heart, she could admit to being jealous that Kurt would be standing on that stage and not her. She was human after all. But she would never, not even for a single instant, let Kurt think that she wasn’t supporting him one hundred percent. He deserved to have her be as supportive of him as he had always been for her.

Finn seemed to sense that she was thinking a little too much and glanced over, concern etched onto his handsome face. “You okay?” he asked a little warily, not totally sure about what her reaction might be.

She reassured him with a bright smile was completely devoid of artifice and actually felt as sincere as it looked. “Just thinking about how far we’ve all come. I like think that we’re going to be doing this a lot in the future.”

And she was sure about that. Not just for Kurt and herself, but Artie and Tina and Santana… even for Finn and Puck. She wanted them to be the kind of close knit group that she saw the Apples could be. Kurt had been right about needing friends to help celebrate the accomplishments of one another and to help through the harder times, and she was ashamed that it had taken her so long re realize that.

He smiled and took her hand, as if sensing that she needed a bit of reassurance. He and Kurt were the ones that understood her best, and forgave her failings. She knew that he was telling her that everything would be okay. And it would be. She was sure of that.

The theater lights dimmed and brightened briefly and a chine rang out, advising the audience to take their seats. As the audience began to settle, Rachel began to feel the quiver of excitement that the play was just moments away from beginning. When the house lights began to dim, she was all but shivering in her seat.

“This is it,” she whispered excitedly, clutching Finn’s hand.

The curtain rose to the strains of lively music, the stage decorated to resemble a courtyard in a lavish estate. Several women dressed in Regency era dresses were hanging up garlands of flowers and ivy, chattering excitedly as they prepared for the arrival of their guests. A broad chested older man playing Leonato was attempting to direct things, but the women were too busy laughing and weren’t paying his instructions very much mind. His bearded face was bright with good spirits as one of the young women came up to his side and placed a circle of flowers awkwardly on his head.

It was easy to pick out the main players. The actress playing Beatrice was tall and elegent, with a cool and intelligent bearing while Hero was petite with bright auburn hair and a winsome smile. They hovered about Leonato, the younger girl obviously thrilled at the impending arrival of the men returning from war, while Beatrice retained her air of cultivated nonchalance.

The back doors of the theater opened, and Rachel turned in her seat, surprised to see the men marching down the aisle of the theater in a full military procession with drums and banners proceeding them. In the lead was an aristocratic-looking man with blond hair, followed by Adam and several others. They were all dressed in red jackets ornately decorated with gold braiding and white riding breaches. With their tall black boots and swords on their hips, they looked like the returning victors they were supposed to be. Trailing just behind them was Kurt, dressed all in black and silver and looking as sharp as the blade he carried at his side. Whereas the other men were laughing and teasing one another, Kurt appeared aloof and somewhat detached from their antics. They were followed by a number of other men portraying soldiers; mostly dressed in red and white but there were a small number of men dressed in Don John’s somber colors and carrying his flag.

When the men arrived on the stage, they were greeted warmly with Don Pedro being paid proper respect for his triumph in battle. Benedick and Claudio were welcomed warmly and embraced as if family, while Kurt as Don John hovered in the background, nearly forgotten by the goings on around him.

It was amusing to see the bickering between Benedick and Beatrice, both performers giving their words just enough sharpness to wound but not draw too much blood. The audience was laughing at all the right places and Rachel found herself chuckling, thinking that Santana would make a wonderful Beatrice if she ever decided to pursue an acting career. She had the same sharp wit and willingness to battle over the smallest matter, though Santana had a lot more venom at her disposal.

As for Adam, he played Benedick with a lot of charm, but Rachel felt a bit put off by the tone of his jabs at Beatrice. They felt just a little too cutting and mean-spirited to be seen a flirtatious for her taste. Knowing how talented Adam was, she knew that this had to be a deliberate acting choice on his part and she wondered at how it was going to work as the story played out. For now, she was firmly on Team Beatrice.

Leonato finally made his greetings to the Prince’s bastard-born brother, almost as an afterthought, but Rachel could see that the warmth he showed Don Pedro and the others was absent. The open welcome that he had shown the other men was replaced by cool reserve.

“Let me bid you welcome, my lord: being reconciled to the prince your brother, I owe you all duty,” he greeted, but while his tone was polite, it was clear that he held back and did not offer his hand in welcome as he had with Don Pedro and Benedick.

Rachel watched Kurt intently, seeing how he kept Don John’s expression shuttered. It was something Rachel was familiar in seeing on her friend when he was masking wounded feelings to avoid being hurt further. And she very well recognized the cool reserve in his voice that she’s heard so often from Kurt as he let Don Jon be socially polite, but showing no more warmth than he was being shown.

“I thank you,” Don John responded with proper courtesy, refusing to let the older man’s lack of regard make him look badly in comparison. It was obvious that Leonato was hosting him only out of a sense of obligation. “I am not of many words, but I thank you.”

The coolness in Kurt’s voice reminded her a bit too much of how he spoke when they first met in New Directions, when she was steamrolling over everyone around her and Kurt had adopted a brittle, icy tone that always frustrated her; the one that always implied that he was better than those around him and there was nothing they could do to hurt him. It had taken her a long time to learn that he would hide his injured feelings with the impression that he just didn’t care one way or another. She wasn’t surprised that he was using his own experiences to lend authenticity to Don John’s sense of grievance.

As the scene played out, it was obvious that Don John was barely a consideration to anyone around him. Even his own brother, who focused his attention on Benedick and Claudio and the entertainment that was Benedick’s rivalry with Beatrice. Rather than trying to draw his estranged brother into the close knit group, Don John was left in the company of what few loyal men he had from his own military unit.

But Rachel could see the way Don John was carefully watching everyone around him, looking for weaknesses that could be exploited. In every scene, no matter what was happening in the main action, Don John hovered in the background, taking it all in to use when it would serve his advantage.

As the main group exited the stage for dinner, Don John was left behind, all but completely unnoticed in his absence. One of his comrades approached, trying to console him.

“What the good year, my lord?” Conrade asked sympathetically. “Why are you thus out of measure sad?”

Don John didn’t answer immediately, pursing his lower lip as he considered the cause of his discontent. “There is no measure in the occasion that breeds, therefore the sadness is without limit.”

His comrade placed a consoling had on Don John’s shoulder. “You should hear reason,” he urged, but Don John shook his head vehemently.

“And I have heard it,” he snapped. “What blessing brings it?”

Don John rose to his feet and marched across the stage, finally able to give into his anger now that Don Pedro was not around to see his true feelings. His man hurried to his side, grasping his arm and trying to get him to see reason.

“If not a present remedy, at least a patient sufferance,” Conrade urged, hoping to keep his lord from letting his temper cost him his opportunities for advancement in his brother’s company.

Don John turned to face him, the anger and hurt at how he was treated clearly evident on his face. “ I wonder that thou, being as thou sayest thou art, born under Saturn, goest about to apply a moral medicine to a mortifying mischief,” he demanded. “I cannot hide what I am: I must be sad when I have cause and smile at no man's jests, eat when I have stomach and wait for no man's leisure, sleep when I am drowsy and tend on no man's business, laugh when I am merry and claw no man in his humour.”

Rachel was glad that she had studied this play in school because the subtext of what was happening on stage was fascinating. She could understand Don John’s cause for ire. He was treated badly for no other reason than the accident of his birth, treated with suspicion and distain. There was nothing he could ever do to erase that stain, so he was instead giving in and becoming what everyone seemed to believe that he was.

Conrade was attempting to make him see reason, but Don John stilled, turning a fierce look to his fellow as his decision was made.

“I had rather be a canker in a hedge than a rose in his grace,” he explained, recognizing that his efforts to gain his brother’s favor was futile. “And it better fits my blood to be disdained of all than to fashion a carriage to rob love from any. In this, though I cannot be said to be a flattering honest man, it must not be denied but I am a plain-dealing villain. I am trusted with a muzzle and enfranchised with a clog; therefore I have decreed not to sing in my cage.

“If I had my mouth, I would bite,” Don John snapped, his teeth snapping to show that his threat was not an idle one. “If I had my liberty, I would do my liking. In the meantime… let me be that I am and seek not to alter me.”

Rachel did not miss the way Don John’s man looked at his lord sadly and she could not help from feeling sorry for the character. He had completely given up on hoping for anything better and accepted that he would never been seen in a favorable light so he might as well be the villain that everyone assumed that he must be. She could only imagine the hurt he must have felt at seeing Benedick and Claudio treated with the regard by Don Pedro that Don John craved. How different things would have been if his brother had only reached out to him.

Another of Don John’s men arrived to tell his lord of the planned marriage between Claudio and Hero and a malevolent smile touched his features. It was a little frightening to see Kurt’s features twist with such maliciousness, to see him so willing to hurt out of pure spite.

“Come, come, let us thither,” Don John urged, drawing his loyal men around him.”This may prove food to my displeasure. That young start-up hath all the glory of my overthrow: if I can cross him any way, I bless myself every way. You are both sure, and will assist me?”

His most loyal man nodded, stepping back to salute him. “To the death, my lord,” Conrade promised.

That show of loyalty seemed to gratify Don John, and his harsh expression eased just a bit with the knowledge that he was not facing this fight alone. “Let us to the great supper,” he urged, drawing his men around him. “Their cheer is the greater that I am subdued. Would the cook were of my mind! Shall we go prove what's to be done?”

The black clad soldiers fell into line behind their chosen lord, following him off stage and Rachel took the opportunity to glance at those seated around her. They all were utterly enthralled by what they were watching on the stage and she was delighted to see Kurt doing so well. Burt especially looked fixated on the action occurring on the stage, taking in every instant that his son appeared.

When the curtain finally came down for the intermission at the end of Act Two, Rachel leaned back in her seat with a breathless sigh. “Wow...” she murmured, feeling a little at awe over what she was watching on the stage.

“This is pretty amazing,” Finn praised. “But it’s not like they explained the play at school.”

Tina nodded enthusiastically rising from her seat to stretch. “I like how they’re switching things up. I always thought that Benedick is kind of a jerk in the play, so I’m kind of glad that the director let that come out more clearly.”

“And Kurt…” Finn shook his head in wonderment. “I know that he’s supposed to be playing the bad guy, but I’m kind of rooting for him here.”

“It looks like the director definitely was playing up all the shades of grey,” Santana noted. “I like seeing Kurt all villainous and badass.”

“And Adam’s doing great too,” Puck insisted. “He’s such a nice guy and his character is a total douche. I actually want to punch him.”

“Well, I’m loving Beatrice,” Santana proclaimed. “She’s totally hot and seriously out of Benedick’s league.”

Finn turned to his parents, seeing the pride on their faced. “How do you like it, Burt?” he asked.

The older man didn’t answer immediately, his eyes still fixed on the stage. “It’s… it’s really something,” he finally said simply. His mouth tightened in the same way that his son’s did when deep in thought. “He’s doing good.”

Carole just smiled and leaned in close to her husband, a calm, supportive presence.

“Well, if we want to use the bathroom before the next act, we’d better get moving,” Tina reminded. “The line is probably going to take forever.”

Puck nodded, looking to his friend in the wheelchair. “You need to go? I can take you,” he offered.

Artie smiled and shook his head. “Nah.. I’m good.”

“Well, let’s get going ladies,” Rachel urged.

Burt watched as the young women headed towards the restrooms, chattering happily about the show and how wonderfully they thought Kurt was doing. He wasn’t a theater person so the kids talking about the nuances and style of acting just went over his head. He just knew that he was enjoying the show and that his son was amazing.

Seeing him having the chance to do what he loved was all that mattered to Burt in the end.

* * *

“Come one people!” the stage manager ordered. “Curtain goes up in three! Everyone on your marks!”

Kurt hurriedly took a drink from his water bottle and stashed it where he’d be able to find it later. Quickly checking to make sure that his hair and costume was in order, he took his place on stage alongside the actors playing his compatriots. The next acts would be busy ones and he needed to be on his toes.

This was the fun part of the show, where he’d get to start playing all sides and turn the good characters against one another before Don John got his comeuppance

Adam was hurrying to his mark, but couldn’t resist pausing to give his boyfriend a quick thumbs up of support. Kurt smiled back at him to let him know that he saw the gesture, but then turned his focus inward to get back into character, his face settling into Don John’s cool sneer. Adam let his features take on Benedick’s arrogant smirk as he prepared to continue his battle with the formidable Beatrice again.

When the curtain rose again, Kurt was ready to continue Don John’s war against all that his brother held dear.

* * *

If someone asked Rachel what moments stood out for her the most from this production, they would all center on her friend. Not that the rest of the cast wasn’t amazing. She loved the actress playing Beatrice, who managed to balance her character’s strength and vulnerability. Adam was remarkable, letting Benedick be as arrogant as his character should be, but still show the confusion of a man falling in love so unexpectedly.

But it was Kurt who was stealing the show in her eyes. Despite the havoc that his character was wreaking, she still sympathized with Don John. She could understand and appreciate how his anger at being treated badly for nothing more than the circumstances of his birth almost justified his behavior.

Now that Claudio had won Hero’s hand, Don John continued his campaign of chaos by attempting to seed doubts into Claudio’s mind about Hero’s fidelity. Don Pedro and Claudio were so focused on setting up Benedick and Beatrice that they didn’t see what Don John was engineering right beneath their noses. He was so cunning in how he was playing them that Rachel could only look on in reluctant admiration.

“My lord and brother,” Don John greeted almost cheerfully as he approached the two men. “God save you!”

The prince nodded at his bastard-born sibling. “God den, brother.”

If Don John was bothered by the lack of familial warmth in the greeting, he made no sign of his displeasure. “If your leisure is service, I would speak with you,” he requested politely.

“In private?”

Don John glanced at Claudio. “If it please you. Yet Count Claudio may hear, for what I would speak of concerns him.”

That seemed to spark the men’s interest “What’s the matter?” Don Pedro requested.

Don John turned his attention to Claudio, the expression on his face one of concern. “Means your lordship to be married tomorrow?”

“You know he does,” the Prince stated almost impatiently.

“I know not that, when he knows what I know,” Don John insinuated.

Claudio had not been paying very much attention to the prince’s brother, but his implication that there may be something that would prevent his wedding

Don John looked to him, the expression of sympathy on his face a bit too overt to be entirely genuine. “You may think I love you not,” he admitted. “Let that appear hereafter, and aim better at me by that I now will manifest. For my brother, I thin he holds you well, and in dearness of his heart, help to effect your ensuring marriage.”

He sighed, looking regretful that the news he was about to deliver would be so painful. “Surely suit ill spent, and labour ill bestowed.”

That finally got Don Pedro’s attention. “Why, what’s the matter?”

If Don John was bothered that his brother only showed interest in what affected one of his chosen favorites, he made no sign. He kept his attention to Claudio, confiding the terrible news that he hoped would break the other man’s heart.

“I came hither to tell you; and, circumstances shortened, for she has been too long a talking of,” he said with feigned regret. “The lady is disloyal.”

“Who, Hero?” Claudio demanded in shock.

Don Pedro shook his head in denial of his brother’s words. “ Even she; Leonato's Hero, your Hero, every man's Hero.”

Claudio seemed stunned by Don John’s insistence. “Disloyal?” he demanded, desperate to have his fears assuaged, but Don John shattered that hope.

“The word is too good to paint out her wickedness;” he stated, his gaze sympathetic towards the heartbroken man before him. “I could say she is worse. Think you of a worse title, and I will fit her to it.

“Wonder not till further warrant, but go with me tonight,” Don John adised. “You shall see her chamber-window entered, even the night before her wedding-day. If you love her then, toorrow wed her; but it would better fit your honour to change your mind.

Rachel was stunned at the way Kurt displayed Don John’s deviousness. How easily he was able to twist those around him and manipulated them into believing what he wanted them to. Kurt was able to make Don John look compliant and inoffensive, pretending that he was only acting in Claudio’s best interests while at the time he got everyone to run about in circles to his whim. It was almost chilling in the way Kurt made Don John look so very pleased as he ruthlessly ripped apart the lives of everyone around him.

Despite his love for his betrothed, Claudio had believed all of Don John’s lives and confronted poor, innocent Hero about her supposed infidelities. Before all his comrades and her family, he renounced her publically and it was a heartbreaking spectacle. The girl cried piteously that they were wrong and that she was faithful and caste but to no avail. Her betrothed dragged her out and ridiculed her, mocking her tears. Even her loving father had no mercy, casting her aside for the shame that she had caused their family and wishing her dead. She wept and begged for her loved ones to believe her, but only Beatrice came to her aid.

All the while, Don John hovered in the background, watching what he’d caused with a look of quiet satisfaction. He had no particular dislike for Hero to cause her such suffering; she was merely the collateral damage in her war against Don Pedro and those the prince favored.

The end of the play followed the script in that all couples were reconciled. Don John’s deceit was discovered and Claudio expressed his deep regret that he had so shamed his beloved. Hero’s honor was restored, but it was clear that the director wanted to place Claudio and all the men very pointedly in the wrong. When the bride’s veil was lifted and Hero was revealed to be alive and well, Claudio’s pronouncements of love after his treatment of her was met with stares of hurt and condemnation. She stared at him dubiously and while she might love him and feel obligated to wed, the trust between them had been broken.

Benedick too had been humbled and won Beatrice only because of his willingness to defend Hero. He won only because he changed and opened himself to love. Rachel had a feeling that Beatrice would be the one wearing the pants in their household in the future.

There was a commotion after Hero’s wedding when Don John was dragged out in chains to face his brother’s justice. The bastard prince had been stripped of his military jacket, his wrists bound in manacles that clanged as he was brought before his brother to be punished for his crimes.

There was no dialogue between the two men. Don Pedro looked confused and betrayed that his brother would act against him in such a manner, that he would go so far to cause harm to those that the prince cared about. He seemed totally at a loss at why Don John would act in such a way.

Rachel focused on Kurt’s expression and the emotion he was giving Don John. There was defiance in his eyes, and a total lack of regret for the hurt that he had caused. But there was also vulnerability and hurt that his brother had been blind as to Don John’s need for his brother’s regard.

In the end, it was Benedick, who had learned his lessons as Beatrice’s hand who broke the tension between them. “Think not on him till tomorrow,” he advised gently, giving his prince a touch of support. He looked to Don John and sighed in regret for what he had inadvertently helped to cause. “I’ll devise thee brave punishments for him.”

Benedict nodded for the guards to take Don John away, saving Don Pedro from having to deal with his brother for the moment and turned to the background players. “Strike up, pipers!” he ordered, to salvage the mood and allow the play to end on a more cheery note.

But it was clear to Rachel that the cheer of what should be seen as a happy ending was not without nuance. Don Pedro celebrated the marriage of Claudio, but it was clear that he was deep in thought about his brother. Claudio and Hero kissed, but it would be a long time before trust between them was restored and even then, Rachel doubted that Hero would ever completely forget at how quickly the man she loved rejected her for so little cause. And Benedick and Beatrice would continue to struggle how to navigate their relationship without diminishing one another. Rachel very much appreciated the less that perfectly romantic conclusion since she firmly believed that Shakespeare himself didn’t believe in perfectly happy endings.

When the curtain finally came down to conclude the show, Rachel found herself rising to her feet, cheering loudly. The entire audience was standing, applauding what had been a truly excellent production and when the curtain rose for the cast to take their bows, the cheers grew even louder.

The ensemble came out first, and Rachel for the first time really began to appreciate how important they were to the production. They had done an excellent job and she wanted to make sure that she gave them the respect that they were due. The minor players then stepped forward to take their bows to rousing applause. But this wasn’t what Rachel was waiting for.

* * *

Kurt watched as Craig took his bows with the rest of the ensemble, trying to contain his growing excitement over his curtain call. He was happy for his friend who seemed to have found being in the ensemble as fulfilling and educational as he had. The other young man was smiling broadly, looking exhausted but happy in his uniform as he drank in the audience’s regard.

The minor players then took the stage, the actor’s who’d portrayed Dogberry, Conrade, Margaret, Ursula… all accepted the ovation from the crowd and bowed deeply.

Tracy and David went next, and the applause for them was especially enthusiastic. Kurt grinned happily as he watched his friends receive the ovations that they so clearly deserved. Tracy was absolutely beaming, her smile wide and brilliant as she curtsied and grasped David’s hand in hers. David looked quite pleased and gave his partner a quick hug, much to the delight of the audience who cheered them on. Many in the theater were on their feet, giving them well deserved standing ovations.

Ben came up to him and placed a friendly hand on his shoulder. “You ready?” he asked, looking tired but very pleased.

Kurt nodded, feeling a swell of pride building in his chest.

When it was their turn, for only the second time in his performing career Kurt found himself receiving applause specifically for himself and his own performance. Through the lights he could see many people rising to their feet, seeming to have responded to his attempts to make Don John sympathetic and it seemed that he was getting as much applause as David had.

From the row where his family and friends were seated, he could hear them cheering and calling out his name. He couldn’t help from laughing and giving them a quick wave to let them know that he’d heard them.

Ben bowed, accepting his accolades but stepped back, holding out his arms to present his younger costar to the audience and leaving Kurt to soak up the cheers on his own. He was stunned to hear the cheers and applause grow even louder, and he felt his cheeks start to heat as he bowed again, placing his hand over his heart to show his thanks to the audience for their regard.

Kurt felt his eyes tearing a bit when he stepped back alongside Ben and Tracy to let their leads take the stage. When Adam and Sarah stepped out, the entire cast added their applause and cheers to the audience to celebrate the amazing work their peers had done.

Once the leads had taken their bows, the cast offered their own ovation for their director who’d lead them these past weeks. He stepped out onto the stage and accepted their regard with a tired but satisfied smile, pleased that the production had gone so well.

The cast bowed again to the audience as a group before the curtain came down, closing out their first performance. The actors began to laugh and chatter happily as they tiredly celebrated their accomplishment. Kurt as he and Tracy hugged and congratulated one another, chattering excitedly while David and Ben were giving one another sound pats on the back. Kurt found Adam and let his boyfriend pull him into a hug, the pair of them holding one another and silently offering support and congratulations for a job well done.

Mr. Tillman hurried over to the group and whistled loudly to get their attention. “I won’t keep you long, but excellent job everyone! You were all marvelous! Now go clean up and get some rest. I’ll see you all tomorrow afternoon.”

The cast cheered again, then began to disperse in order to clean up for the evening. There were going to be a number of celebrations that night with friends and family.

At his dressing table, Kurt looked in the mirror and wasn’t surprised to see that he looked as tired as he felt. Now that the energy of his performance had begun to dissipate, he was feeling totally drained. His hair was a bit of a mess and his makeup was marred by streaks of perspiration running through it. He could feel his shirt clinging uncomfortably to his sticky body and all he wanted at the moment was a shower and to fall right into bed.

But it would be a little while before he could do that. He had people waiting for him that were looking forward to celebrating his performance. He would have to make due with whatever cleaning he could manage with what supplies he brought and have to wait until he got back to the motel to shower.

Around him was a flurry of activity as the costume and prop teams went about collecting items that might need cleaning or repairs before the next performance and to get the stage weapons stored away. Kurt relinquished his sword and quickly undressed so that his shirt could be washed and the rest of his garments inspected and spot cleaned as needed. He felt sorry for the backstage team, whose work was nowhere near over for the night.

After taking off his costume, Kurt threw on his robe and began the process of cleaning his skin. It took multiple makeup wipes to get the stage cosmetics off his skin to the point where he no longer felt greasy. He then pulled a washcloth he’d borrowed from the motel and hurried to the bathroom where he was able to wash down his body enough to get the layer of sweat off and let him feel refreshed enough to make it through the rest of the evening.

After a bit of deodorant and some clean clothes and he was as ready as he ever was going o be for the stage door. This time there would be no hovering in the background and he would have to be prepared to handle it. He thought that he was ready, having watched Adam and the others the past few weeks but he wondered how it was really going to feel to have that attention focused on him.

Adam met him by the stage door, offering a smile to his lover. “Here you are,” he greeted, offering Kurt a tired but loving smile.

Kurt wanted to crawl into his embrace and never leave, but their night wasn’t over yet. “Hey,” he answered, trying to force some spark into his voice. “You were fantastic.”

“You too,” Adam insisted. He cocked his head towards the exit. “Ready to meet your public?”

Kurt inhaled, steadying his nerves. How ridiculous was it that he felt more nervous about this than he did about being on stage? It wasn’t like they were going to boo him the instant he showed his face.

Adam sensed his unease and offered his hand. “I’ll be right there with you,” he promised.

Kurt knew that he was being silly and smiled back at his boyfriend.

“Let’s do this.”

After dreaming about his first time on a stage, the stage door experience had loomed large in Kurt’s fantasies about his future. He’d always imaged being able to handle the fans with confident aplomb, accepting their regards and praise with grace but knowing that it was well deserved. The reality, of course, turned out to be a little bit different.

When they stepped out the door, Kurt was momentarily taken aback by the roar of cheers greeting them. Adam grinned and all but shoved Kurt before him, letting him take the lead and get the full impact of the crowd who began to call out his name and wave their Playbills in his direction.

His brain felt like it was wrapped in a layer of fog as he moved along the line of fans and well-wishers who were addressing him by name and complimenting his performance. Several young women where all but squealing at the sight of him, like he was Brad Pitt or something. One older woman grasped his hand and expressed effusively that she’d seen this particular show done several times before and his was her favorite portrayal of Don John. She couldn’t believe that this was his first serious role. It was all he could do to express his thanks and sign her program before the next fan sought his attention.

He’d never had any experience like this before. He’s performed as part of team many times before, but he’d never had people cheering for him, as an individual. Here were people who wanted his autograph or a picture with him because they had enjoyed his work, not just to be polite because he was standing there. It was heady and thrilling and scary and Kurt wanted to both drink it all in and run and hide until he got his mental feet under him again.

When he arrived to where his friends and family were standing, it was a lot easier. His father looked intensely proud, his eyes glimmering suspiciously as he pulled Kurt into his arms and told him that he did good. Carole was beaming happily and Finn was giving him a smile of quiet pride.

Rachel grasped his arm, pulling him into a hug. “You did it,” she praised happily, the slight quiver in her voice betraying the tears that she was fighting to hold back. “Oh my God… You were amazing.”

“Thanks,” he answered breathlessly. He nearly yelped with Puck pulled him into a hug, nearly dragging him off his feet.

“I can’t wait until everyone in Lima who ever gave you shit hears about this!” he crowed. “You really showed them.”

Kurt wasn’t ashamed to admit that he was going to get a lot of pleasure in proving to all those who had abused and belittled him that he was moving on and finding success. The kid who was humiliated and thrown in the dumpster like he was garbage was going to enjoy having his success rubbed in their faces. He knew that his father had taught him to be the bigger man, but damn it… he wasn’t that noble.

His father placed his hand on Kurt’s shoulder, a comforting and grounding gesture. “Well, if you and Adam are just about done with your fans, we thought we’d grab something to eat,” he proposed. “I’m sure that the two of you are probably starving by now.”

At the prospect of food caused Kurt’s stomach to grumble almost comically loud, causing him to blush a bit in embarrassment. The energy he’d gotten from the light dinner he’d eaten before the show was long gone and his body was telling him quite assertively that he needed to refuel a bit.

Adam was finishing with his autographs, thanking a family that had been lavishly praising his performance. Kurt tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention, cocking his head towards their friends and Adam nodded. Kurt hurried back to his group to let them know that Adam would be there shortly.

Once Adam was finished with the fans, he stepped up to Kurt and placed a casual arm about his boyfriend’s shoulder. “So how’d you like it?” he asked jovially.

Kurt pursed his mouth as he considered his experience and nodded. “I think I liked how that felt,” he acknowledged. “I’m still getting used to strangers liking what I do.”

“You’d better plan on get used to it,” Adam warned. “This is going to be a regular feature in your life going forward.”

“I think I’ll be able to manage.”

“Well, if you two are ready, let’s go get some food into you,” Burt chuckled. “You’re going to need your energy for tomorrow.”

“Of course,” Kurt chuckled, his eyes shining. “We only have to do this another eighteen times.”

* * *

The rest of the season progressed in a highly satisfactory manner. Kurt’s confidence in his abilities as a performer grew with each time he took the stage and he continued to evolve as a actor. It still felt like a novelty to have people applauding him and to have actual fans that knew his name and planned to follow him.

Kelly and her aunt had attended the show on the fifth night and the young girl had waited by the stage door for him, her eyes gazing at him wondrously as she boldly pressed her program into his hands to sign.

“How did you like it?” he asked, giving her a warm smile.

She blushed at being remembered and directly addressed and said shyly, “It was amazing. I loved it.”

“Well, thank you again for coming,” he said, writing another quick note for her in the program. “You helped make my first season here really special.”

“Will you be here next summer?” she asked hopefully.

Kurt felt a warm tingle inside, realizing that he had become for this young girl what his idols had been for him growing up. “I definitely plan to,” he promised.

On the night of their last performance of the season, he felt tears in his eyes because he was going to miss being on that stage and working with this group of actors and crew. Packing away Don John’s uniform for the final time, he handed the garment bag off to Gen to take away with more than a trace of regret. After weeks of hard work and performances, it was going to be hard to just slip back into his normal life.

He couldn’t resist lingering at the stage door, taking his time with the fans that waited to greet the cast. He gave everyone who waited to see him his thanks, appreciating their regard. He posed for pictures with girls who thought he was cute, with old ladies who came every season and spoke with several young people who hoped for their own careers on the stage. He’s never finished anything that left him so satisfied both professionally and emotionally.

There was a wrap party for the cast and crew, to celebrate the close of a successful season. They shared lots of wine and good food as the cast and crew reminisced about all the hard work and the good times they’d shared. Kurt loaded up his phone with the contact information of those that he’d gotten particularly close too so that they could stay in contact in the coming months.

The next morning found him back at the theater, more than a little hung over and functioning only due to the high test coffee from the local coffee shop, packing up his belongings to take home. He placed his makeup carefully in his kit, making a mental note of anything that needed to be replaced or replenished. The photos that had decorated his mirror were neatly stored in a folder, along with the gold star that Rachel had sent him. The flowers had long since wilted, but he’d pressed one from each arrangement between the pages of his volume of Shakespeare plays to save as mementos.

Packed in his makeup kit was another memento that he was going to treasure – a silver button from his costume that Gen had pressed into his hand before she took the costume away to be stored away. It would go into the box where he kept all his most treasured possessions and one day he’d get to look back on it and remember his first days as a professional actor.

Before leaving the theater, he paused by Mr. Tillman’s office. The director was busy packing up his own belongings for the season. He looked tired by was whistling happily as he boxed up his papers. Kurt knocked on the door jamb to get his attention. “Mr. Tillman, do you have a minute?” he asked politely.

The older man looked up and smiled. “Hey Kurt… heading out now?”

Kurt nodded. “Yes, I was just picking up my stuff. I was just hoping to talk to you before I left.”

“Of course,” Mr. Tillman assured him. “Anything wrong?”

“Oh no. I just… I just wanted to thank you,” Kurt said sincerely. “This summer has been one of the best experiences of my life. And I learned so much here. I wanted you to know that I really appreciate the opportunity I had here.”

The director’s eyes softened. “Kurt, it was my pleasure. You are a remarkable talent and you definitely were an asset to our company. I hope to see you next season.”

“Definitely,” Kurt proclaimed. “I’m looking forward to it.”

“Well, good luck this year in school,” Mr. Tillman wished him. “I’m looking forward to seeing how you grow as an actor between now and then.”

He shook Kurt’s hand and now the season was officially over for the young actor. But Kurt was reluctant to leave just yet. He couldn’t resist pausing by the stage, watching the crew breaking down the sets and cleaning up when Adam found him.

“You about ready, love?” he asked. He reached out to take Kurt’s hand to give it a reassuring squeeze. “We need to get going if we’re going to catch our train.”

Kurt took a last look at the stage and turned a loving smile to his boyfriend. “Yeah… you know, I’m going to miss this,” he said softly.

He knew that this would be the normal ebb and flow of their lives in the future. Productions beginning and then ending, with lots of hard work in between. Kurt felt more confident that there would be more performances and opportunities in his future, and he was looking forward to facing it.

“And I did want to thank you,” Kurt said softly. “Having you with me through this whole thing… you really helped me through this.”

Adam’s eyes softened and he reached up to gently cup Kurt’s chin in his hand. “I loved doing this with you,” he admitted. “You being in this show made the whole experience a real pleasure for me, not just a job.”

Kurt closed his eyes, savoring the touch of the man he’d come to love. There was much in his future that might not be certain, but there were two truths that had set into his bones. The first was that he was born to be on the stage and he didn’t regret for an instant starting on this long, uncertain path.

But the second… that he wanted to walk that path, however rocky and strewn with obstacles it might be, with the man holding him in his arms. Adam was a vital part of his present and his future.

Everything else… that would all work out.

* * *

“Hey, Mr. Hummel… guess what?” Rachel proclaimed as she stormed into the loft, slamming the heavy door behind her. She tossed her dance bag onto the couch and faced him with her hands on her hips. “I passed my class!”

Kurt looked up from the boxes he was organizing and gave her a brilliant smile. “You did? Fantastic!”

“Well, I’m never going to be the greatest dancer in the universe, but at least I got passed to the intermediate class.”

“You want to take the same section as I am?” he asked. “It’ll be fun.”

She shook her head insistently. “Uh uh… not with you taking class with Ms. July again,” she insisted. “I’m not that much a glutton for punishment.”

She looked at Kurt’s processions strewn about as he was sorting them for packing. “Need some help?” she asked.

“Sure.”

“I can’t believe that we just got you back and you’re already leaving,” Rachel groused playfully as she moved to fold the clothes that Kurt had set out. Even though she was fully on board with him moving in with his boyfriend, facing the reality of his leaving was hitting her a little harder than she’d expected.

Kurt just smiled at her as he taped up one box. “Artie and Tina will be arriving next week, so I need to clear out before they get here. Otherwise this place is going to get very, very crowded.”

Moving out ended up being a much bigger job than he’d expected. Somehow he had managed to accumulate a lot of possessions in the months that he’d lived in the loft and it wound up being a sizable job to determine what he wanted to take with him, what would go into storage until he and Adam found a bigger place and what he would leave behind.

“I’m glad that I sold them my bed,” he mused. It had been the one real piece of furniture he’d purchased after coming to New York and moving it would have been an absolute nightmare. Adam had a decent queen size at his place, which was more than adequate for the two of them since they liked to snuggle.

“How are you going to get all of your stuff to Adam’s place?” Rachel asked. “You can’t get all of this on the subway.”

Kurt nodded. “We’re going to rent a Zip Car,” he explained. “I should be able to get everything over in one trip.”

He didn’t miss the downcast look in Rachel’s eyes now that Kurt was preparing to move out. Even though she had been fully on board with the idea, encouraging him to take that step in his relationship, she was feeling more than a little apprehension at her best friend moving out.

“Hey, it’s going to be fine,” he reassured her. “You’re not going to lose me.”

She sighed sadly and nodded, knowing that he was right. “I know. And it’ll be good for both of us. It’s not like I’m not going to see you every day.”

“And I’ll make sure to visit,” Kurt promised. “We can set up a night where we all get together for dinner or something. Make it a regular thing.”

Her eyes brightened a bit at the prospect. “That sounds like a great idea. All of our schedules are so crazy that we’ll never see each other otherwise.

“And I get to hang out with you at your new place,” Rachel proclaimed. “I’m sure that Adam won’t mind.”

“Of course not,” he assured her.

She looked about the loft, a bit in disarray at the moment and felt a pang at the shift that their lives were taking. “Did you ever think it would be like this?” she couldn’t help from asking.

Kurt looked up from the scarfs he was sorting and considered what she was asking. “No,” he admitted, a bittersweet smile touching his face. “A lot has changed for us. But I think it’s really for the better when you really think about it.”

She couldn’t help from agreeing with him. “It’s kind of strange… I came to New York thinking that I knew exactly how my life was going to go and absolutely nothing turned out the way I expected. And I’m more than okay with that.”

Kurt smiled and reached out to wrap his arm about her shoulders, pulling her close. The coming months would have more changes and new challenges for them to face. There would be new skills to learn and new opportunities to manage. But he no longer looked at his future with uncertainty or fear. He had his friends and his lover and his family. And in the end, that was what would carry him through.

“Hey… I have an idea,” Rachel proclaimed. “I have a shift at the piano bar tomorrow. Why don’t you join me? It’s been months since we sang together.”

Kurt’s gaze softened at the realization that Rachel was inviting him to share her spotlight with him. He marveled at how far she’d come in her own way these past weeks.

They had a few weeks until classes would begin, but for now they could take a moment to savor what they’d gained.

#kadam fic #kadam #kurt hummel #adam crawford #rachel berry #finn hudson #burt hummel #carole hudson #santana lopez #noah puckerman #tina cohen chang #artie abrams

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rparchiveblogxoxo · 8 years ago

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You both like bp!kurt, mpreg!sebastian, bp!sebastian, kurtbastian, and mpreg!kurt.

Stranger: Sebastian sat on the counter, fingers slowly dipping inside himself as he watched his roommates play in the living room. He grinned, hearing the door open. "Guys, Kurt's home! Pants on or relocate." He shifted on the counter where he'd decided to perch for the day snacking on chips, his shirt falling to his thighs. "How was work?" He asked, licking his fingers casually.

You: Kurt chuckled softly and rolled his eyes at Sebastian's words as he came through the door, shutting it behind himself as he made his way over to greet him. "Hey. Work was good as ever," he said. He rolled his eyes, shaking his head slightly as he watched Sebastian licking his fingers. "You're a little ridiculous, you know that?"

Stranger: "And yet, you haven't kicked me out." Sebastian shrugged. "So work sucked?" He grinned, picking up his bowl of chips once more and slipped one past his lips, chewing quietly as he watched the male.

You: "Yeah, I can't seem to make sense of that decision. I guess I'm a little fond of you," Kurt said, shaking his head to himself. He moved to lean against the counter, looking at Sebastian. "Yeah. It definitely could've been better."

Stranger: Sebastian leaned over, kissing the top of Kurt's head. "Then quit, and do what we do instead!" Sebastian said, smiling. He'd been telling Kurt for years to quit his job and go into their field of 'science'. Technically Kurt's roommates were all in a research trial for a new drug that kicked up sex drives for an extended period of time but they had to record long term effects. "I mean, it's good money and you don't have to leave the house. You'd just constantly be jacking off."

You: Kurt let out a soft laugh at Sebastian's words, shaking his head. "Yeah, see, I just don't know about that, Bas," he said. "As fun as that sounds, I actually like being able to be a productive human being."

Stranger: "Hey, I'm productive. I do a lot during the day. Hunter ate me out while I did the dishes, I even got dinner started in the crock pot. Hunter cleaned, however he had to clean the vacuum after... It was an interesting day actually. But we all got stuff done! And it's for the good of humanity, even if it means I'm constantly dripping." He said, shrugging. "And you already know and like your coworkers. It's a great job." He laughed. "This trial is better than the last one by leaps and bounds at least. No more midnight puking. I hear it's going into production though... that's a scary thought."

You: "Yeah, see, that's technically productive, but at the same time... That's pretty low level productive. But I guess it's alright. It's clean around here, aside from the various bodily fluids," Kurt said with a soft laugh, rolling his eyes at him. "And see, you're not doing a great job of inspiring confidence in me. If part of your pitch is a reminder of the awful side effects of a past run, that's not good."

Stranger: "Hey, I'm not a salesman. I'm a horny drug tester. Don't blame me if I'm just trying to make your life easier." He laughed softly then nudged him with his knee. "I need to go finish myself off though. I'll be back down to finish cooking in a bit. Go relax, take a hot bath. You still look stressed."

You: "Sure, sure. Careful you're not letting those drugs melt your brain, though," Kurt said with a soft laugh, shaking his head. He sighed softly and nodded, stepping back. "Actually, a bath does sound absolutely amazing. So I'll go do that, you enjoy yourself."

Stranger: "I'm taking it better than those two are. Cara can't go an hour without something inside her and Hunter has come so many times in the past 24 hours he passed out while cleaning. We already called it in, I promise." He said as they climbed the stairs. "Enjoy your bath." He called out, going into his own room and falling on his bed, happy to see his vibrator was fully charged again.

You: "See, there it is again. The idea of the drugs might sound appealing if it wasn't for the fact that I see the toll it takes on all of you up close every day," Kurt said, shaking his head slightly. "Alright, I will," he said. He went into his bathroom, sighing softly as he started the tub filling and got undressed.

Stranger: Sebastian worked himself through another two orgasms and laid in bed panting. His body ached in an unfulfilled way, jealous that Hunter was with Cara and really shouldn't be pulling any extra work on top of that. He sighed, checking the time. It flew by quicker when turned on, he would swear to it. Sebastian slid off the bed, tugging his shirt back down after wiping himself up. He'd forgone underwear on day two of the trial, realizing they were pointless when they just got ruined constantly. He slipped down to the kitchen, washing his hands and finishing dinner, his legs tight together as he gave himself constant needy friction.

You: Kurt relaxed in the bath for a while, washing himself up and listening to some music until the water started to go lukewarm. He got up out of the bath and toweled himself off, slipping on some comfortable clothing before padding back out to the kitchen to find Sebastian again. "Hey," he said. "So, how was getting yourself off for the millionth time today?"

Stranger: "Unfulfilling as usual." He said, turning the crock pot off and grabbing plates for everyone. He started plating the veggies and roast for himself and Kurt, handing him his plate. "I've never backed down from a trial though and I've only got a week left on this one. I'll be fine." He smiled, nudging Kurt. "What do you want to drink?"

You: Kurt nodded slightly. He took the plate, smiling softly and thanking Sebastian. "You really do need to find yourself a guy to get on this trial thing too, just so that you can actually be somewhat sated," he said with a soft chuckle, shaking his head. "Eh, just water, I think."

Stranger: "Don't you think I tried? Literally an hour ago." He grinned, grabbing glasses. "Hunter would help but he's worn out just with Cara and sadly I find it hard to fancy a female." He filled them both with ice water and sat them down at the table.

You: "Okay, true. Some other guy, though, probably. I'm sure there's someone out there that would be easy to convince," Kurt said with a soft chuckle, shrugging. He sat down at the table, leaning back in his seat as he started to eat.

Stranger: "Not exactly looking for anyone." Sebastian said and stuck a bite in his mouth, rubbing his thighs together. "I mean, it's definitely going to get better in a week, it would be easier to just hire a prostitute at this point. Oooh, where's that Sam guy you hung out with in high school? He had nice washboard abs I'd grind against!" He teased, winking at Kurt.

You: Kurt let out a laugh and shook his head, rolling his eyes. "That's where I have to draw the line, Bas. I will not permit prostitutes in this home," he said, chuckling. "Sam wasn't a prostitute, anyways. And I'm pretty sure he'd be too boring to entertain you for long, anyway."

Stranger: "I only need a week and a cock. A warm, fleshy cock filling me up a few times a day." Sebastian shrugged, the thought of it making him leak, dripping down his thighs. "Damn it." He whispered, reaching to the middle of the table for napkins.

You: Kurt raised an eyebrow at Sebastian, letting out a soft laugh. "God, I can't believe that this is just the sort of thing that happens around my apartment now. This is just my life," he said. "I can't remember the last time I saw your with pants on."

Stranger: "Honestly don't miss the pants. Or panties, at that point." Sebastian grinned and stuck another veggie in his mouth as his free hand used the napkin to clean himself.

You: "Yeah, I mean... in all honesty, I don't miss you wearing them, either," Kurt said with a soft laugh, shaking his head slightly. "I get a pretty good view from time to time."

Stranger: "Don't turn me on anymore than I already am. I do need this protein... you'll make me forget about the food." He whispered and closed his eyes, trying to focus.

You: "Okay, okay, my bad. In fairness, though, I'm pretty sure nothing /doesn't/ turn you on anymore," Kurt said, looking over to watch him.

Stranger: "I can still think of a few things, but they used to be turn offs and now they do nothing to me at all. Nothing can stop this." He said and took a drink of water.

You: Kurt nodded slightly, chuckling. "Yeah, it's almost a superpower, really. The worst superpower, but a superpower nonetheless," he said.

Stranger: "Not the worst, I think it's literally impossible to be a rape victim now." He whispered before shifting in his seat. He leaned forward over the table, taking large bites to try and finish his meal.

You: "Is that supposed to be a good thing? I'm pretty sure it's not," Kurt said, shaking his head slightly, a small frown on his lips as he watched him.

Stranger: Cara came down the steps weakly, plopping down on her chair at the table. "Remind me how much we make again?" She whispered and Sebastian smiled. "200 a day." Cara nodded, whimpering. "He got the wrong hole and now my ass burns." She whined and covered her head with her hands. "Kurt? Get her a plate?" Sebastian asked, unwilling to move just yet.

You: Kurt nodded slightly, getting up from the table. He looked over to watch Cara as he fixed her a plate, letting out a soft sigh. He knew that his roommates made good money doing this and they had volunteered for it, but seeing them in various states because of the drugs still made him feel bad. "Eat up," he told her as he set her plate down in front of her.

Stranger: Cara nodded as Hunter came down stairs. He made himself a plate and sat down. "Sorry, Care." He whispered and she nodded, eating vegetables slowly. Sebastian reached over and pet her hair sadly. He then glanced at Kurt and shook his head. "She'll be okay." He mouthed, spreading his legs and closing them quickly before finishing his food. "Who's turn is it to do dishes?" Cara sighed and Hunter nodded. "I'll do them, don't worry." He said from the table and Sebastian nodded. "I'm going to bed then, night guys." He said, tossing the drenched napkin away.

You: Kurt nodded slightly, a soft sigh escaping his lips as he watched them, his eyes flicking between the three of them. "Okay, goodnight, Bas," he said, picking up his plate and bringing it over to leave it in the sink.

Stranger: Sebastian waited at the top of the stairs, hating himself for his own minds wants. He leaned against the wall in the hallway, pulling his shirt up so he had access to his pussy, rubbing it over and over, eyes closed as he listened for Kurt's footsteps.

You: Kurt headed up to go into his bedroom, stopping short in the hallway as he caught sight of Sebastian touching himself. He just stood there for a moment, looking down to watch him. "Ah, hey."

Stranger: Sebastian frowned, reaching out to grab Kurt's hand, pulling the male towards him. "Once... I promise I won't ask again. Please? Just this once?" He begged, pressing his hand up against the liquids seeping out of him. "Please?" He whispered again.

You: Kurt let out a soft groan as he felt Sebastian's wetness, nodding slightly. "I... Yeah. Okay. Whatever you need," he said. "I've thought about offering before. This is... yeah."

Stranger: Sebastian panted, lifting his shirt up and off, sweating through it anyway and he reached behind him to open the door to his bedroom, pulling Kurt inside. "Please?" He repeated, despite knowing Kurt consented. He turned, falling onto his bed, legs spread. "God I need you. Fuck..." He panted, chest rising and falling. "Just until I pass out, just this once..."

You: Kurt groaned softly as he followed Sebastian into his room, watching him. He made quick work of ridding himself of his pants and underwear, getting onto the bed. "Okay, Bas," he said softly, settling between Sebastian's legs as he took his cock in his hand and stroked himself to full hardness.

Stranger: Sebastian moaned, watching him, his own hand going back down to sate the fire between his thighs, plunging two fingers into his hole, letting liquids seep out around him as he waited. "Kurt... Fuck." He panted, turning his head to the side and gasping. "W-Why other guy?" He barely got the broken sentence out. "Just you. No other." He moaned, slowly fucking himself.

You: Kurt looked down at Sebastian, watching him as he moved to get on top of him. "Just... just relax, Bastian, I'll take care of you," he said, taking Sebastian's wrist to pull his hand away so that he could replace it with his cock, easing into him.

Stranger: Sebastian moaned, fingers reaching above his head to grab the bed spindles in the head board. "So open for you, please!" He gasped, his eyes shut as his hips pushed up against the warm cock. "Yes... Fuck yes. Need you!"

You: Kurt moaned as he slid into Sebastian, closing his eyes for a moment and taking in a breath. "Fuck," he breathed out at he bottomed out inside of him, starting to move and immediately setting a quick pace in his thrusts.

Stranger: Sebastian cried out in pleasure, his body clenching desperately around the male, legs wrapping around his hips, fingers over his shoulders as he pulled the male deep into him with each thrust. "Kurt!" He gasped reaching his first peak, squirting up against him but unabashed by it. The actual feeling of being filled sating him like no masturbation had yet done. "Oh God yes. Just like that! Don't stop!"

You: Kurt let out a groan as he felt Sebastian clenching around him, his hips stuttering at the feeling of Sebastian coming around his cock. "Jesus fuck, Bas," he breathed out, his hands landing on Sebastian's hips as he continued to fuck into him.

Stranger: "Roll over. I'll ride you." He said, hips halting to let him turn to his back. "I need you deep... Fuck." He gasped, reaching down to frantically rub his his clit as he waited for Kurt to pull out.

You: Kurt nodded slightly, groaning as he pulled out of Sebastian and turned over to lay back against the bed. "C'mon, do what you need," he said, watching him.

Stranger: Sebastian grinned, getting up as soon as the male laid down. He slipped his thighs over him, using his hand to guide his cock inside himself again, bottoming out and moaning explicitly. He leaned down as his hips rolled over him, getting Kurt deep in him while hitting his gspot every time. He cried out as he came on top of him, each high only a few seconds after each other, his body drenching Kurt beneath him as he completely used the mans cock for his own pleasure.

You: Kurt closed his eyes for a moment as Sebastian slid down onto his cock again, moaning at the sensation. He rocked his hips up in time with Sebastian's movements, one hand sliding over Sebastian's skin as their bodies moved together. "Fucking... Bas..." he breathed out.

Stranger: Sebastian bit his lip, working himself up and down the male's shaft. "So good. Fill me up. Fill me up Kurt!" He begged, fingers digging into the man's chest. "Please!"

You: Kurt groaned, his fingers digging lightly into Sebastian's side. He'd wanted to hold off for as long as he could, but eventually, hearing Sebastian's begging, he came hard inside of him, moaning his name.

Stranger: Sebastian moaned, the feel of his cum shooting inside reaching the end of him felt like a full dinner to Sebastian. He was sated, for the time being, in the best way possible. He leaned down, kissing the male softly as all the other body needs started to come to him, sleep taking priority. He slipped off the male slowly, inching to the side as he rested down on Kurt's shoulder, one leg still draped over the male. "Love you." He whispered before his body finally shut down from being overworked for days and he passed out, half sprawled over his best friend.

You: Kurt caught his breath, looking over at Sebastian as he pulled off of him. "Mhm, goodnight, Bas, love you too," he mumbled. He slipped his arms around Sebastian's waist, closing his eyes, not feeling like bothering to get up and move to his own bed.

Stranger: Sebastian slept nearly seven hours, the longest he'd slept since week one of the trial. He slipped up to do his business in the bathroom and take a shower, not bothering to masturbate during it since he was still slightly sore and stiff from the previous night. He smiled, seeing Kurt still in his bed and he sat down, admiring his body. His fingers traced soft lines up and down his thighs as he waited for him to wake up.

You: Kurt grumbled softly as he woke up, yawning and rubbing his hand over his face. He opened his eyes, slowly looking over at Sebastian and remembering where he was and what they'd done the night before. "Mm. Morning."

Stranger: "Morning." He smiled and squeezed his thigh. "Thank you for last night. I actually slept... didn't mean to trap you beneath me though." He whispered. "Sorry."

You: Kurt shook his head slightly. "No, it's okay. I mean, that was the most exciting sex I've had in a while, so," he said, chuckling. "And I prefer to cuddle after anyways, so."

Stranger: Sebastian nodded. "I need to change the sheets but I'm happy to lay back down and cuddle after?" He grinned. "I'm too sore and... I'm oddly sated right now. Like I have a tiny need but nothing like last night. If that's what real sex does... I don't understand how Cara is worse off than I am." He shrugged.

You: Kurt chuckled softly and nodded. "Yeah, okay, we can do that," he said, sitting up and stretching his arms out over his head. "Well... that's good, at least. I guess it's just affecting you differently, and at least you're feeling better."

Stranger: "Well, I mean... I'm a male and she isn't... we just have all the same working bits down there." He shrugged as he started peeling up the sheets. "I'm so happy I can think now and all I want to do is curl up and nap more." He laughed softly.

You: "Yeah, exactly. So it makes sense that you're having different effects. Unlucky for her," Kurt said with a small shrug. He chuckled softly and nodded, giving him a small smile. "Well, curling up and napping can definitely happen."

Stranger: "I need to go out today later though, at least by tonight, to pick up the plan b pill." He said and started putting the clean sheets on the bed. "Because someone was just as distracted as I was last night." He grinned.

You: "Oh. Ha, shit, yeah, you're right," Kurt said with a small nod, chuckling softly. "Not my fault, though. You were very... distracting."

Stranger: "I bet I was, acting like a begging pup at the top of the stairs, waiting for you." Sebastian said, resting his head on the male's chest when he was done and pulling out his phone to email his report to the case study designer. When he was done he set his phone down right before it binged with a reply. Sebastian frowned, lifting the phone back up to his face and sighing. "No other drugs while on the drug. Fuck."

You: "Yeah, it was... interesting, to say the least," Kurt said with a soft laugh, wrapping his arms around him. He watched Sebastian, furrowing his brow when he heard what he'd read off of his phone. "What? No, that's ridiculous. They've got to make an exception in a case like this."

Stranger: "Yeah, if I want to drop out of the program and risk never getting another trial." He sighed. "It's fine, it's highly unlikely you got me pregnant. No one else has... one time won't be the end all." He said, nuzzling into his chest.

You: "Yeah. I know it's not likely, but still. That's kind of bullshit," Kurt said, letting out a quiet huff of air, He let his hand run over Sebastian's side slowly, saying, "But yeah, you're right. Nothing to worry get worked up about."

Stranger: Sebastian hummed, closing his eyes. "You know how you said you got a nice view occasionally?" He asked with a grin. "You were wrong... This is a wonderful view." He hummed, trailing a finger down Kurt's toned stomach then over his thigh. "You're gorgeous. If you decide to stop wearing pants, I'd be on the hype train, hell I'd be the conductor."

You: Kurt let out a soft laugh at Sebastian's words, rolling his eyes. "Mhm, okay, whatever you say," he said, shaking his head slightly. He let out a soft breath as he felt Sebastian's touch moving over his skin. "Mm... I'll definitely keep that in mind."

Stranger: "Let's just be a house of nudists. It would save on clothing." He grinned and closed his eyes, cuddling closer to the male. "Hey Kurt?" He whispered as his arm wrapped around the male.

You: "That'd certainly be an interesting option," Kurt said with a soft laugh, shaking his head slightly. He looked down at him, raising an eyebrow at him. "Yeah?"

Stranger: "We had sex." He grinned. "You fucked a pussy so well it aches." He hummed. "Good job."

You: Kurt chuckled softly, rolling his eyes at him fondly. "Yeah, we did," he said. "In fairness, I think you ended up doing most of the work."

Stranger: "You got it rolling though. I couldn't have done it without you, I have weeks of failure to prove it." He smiled, licking his lips. "I always wanted to sneak into your bedroom at night and suck you off until you begged to fuck me, I would have even let you take my ass, I just... we've been friends for so long I didn't want to fuck it up..."

You: Kurt shook his head slightly, shrugging. "I don't think that you've messed anything up, Bastian," he said, rubbing his hand over his side. "And I don't think that us having sex ever would've. We maybe should've done this before."

Stranger: "Well we're good at teasing what we want, not actually committing to it." He whispered. "I wanted you to fuck me, so of course it took eight years to get it done." He laughed.

You: Kurt chuckled softly and nodded. "Yeah.. So, that begs the question, was it worth waiting eight years for?"

Stranger: "If that's the only time? I wish I was less drugged up for it. If it's not the only time... then yeah. I already know and love you and we have that base beneath us for any added extracurricular fun to stand on."

You: Kurt chuckled softly and nodded, looking at Sebastian with a small smile. "Well, if you want, I think we can definitely have that not be the only time."

Stranger: "I promised not to ask again, so if you wanna fuck me you're gonna have to come to me this time." Sebastian grinned. "And condoms are in that drawer for future reference." He pointed.

You: "I don't think that I'd mind if you broke that promise, though," Kurt said with a soft laugh, shaking his head. "Mm, good. Duly noted for next time."

Stranger: Sebastian nodded. "Well okay then. You know for the next week your cock is going to be begged for constantly, then, right?" He whispered softly.

You: Kurt chuckled softly and nodded. "Yeah, I can live with that," he said. "I'll be right here for you, whenever I don't have to be at work."

Stranger: "I bet you can." He grinned and leaned up, kissing the male's cheek. "Thank you."

Stranger: (Brb)

You: Kurt chuckled softly, looking at Sebastian with a smile and giving his cheek a kiss in return. "You don't have to thank me."

Stranger: "I do. It wasn't until you said you got occasional delicious glances at me under the shirt that I realized you may say yes to fucking me... So it's really because of you this happened at all." He whispered.

You: Kurt nodded slightly, letting his hand slide up to run his fingers through Sebastian's hair. "You would've ended up asking me eventually, either way," he said.

Stranger: "I'm not sure about that." He whispered. "I was really scared you'd run at the idea."

You: "You know me better than that. Any doubt you had was just nerves," Kurt said, shaking his head.

Stranger: "We kept a line between flirting and fucking and neither of us crossed it. Are you saying you were nervous, Kurt?" He asked quietly.

You: Kurt let out a soft sigh, shrugging. "I mean, I guess so, yeah," he said.

Stranger: "What were you nervous about?" He asked, his fingers tracing circles on the male's chest slowly.

You: "I don't know. Just that... whatever I feel for you, that you'd want none of it," he said.

Stranger: Sebastian was quiet as he thought, eyes staring at his finger dancing over Kurt's skin before he moved his hand up, taking the male's chin and he tilted his own head, pressing their lips together fully.

You: Kurt looked at him in surprise as he felt him taking his chin in his hand, letting his eyes flutter shut as he kissed him back.

Stranger: Sebastian cautiously slipped his hand around the male's head, holding him close as his lips traced over the males. He kissed a little harder before his tongue darted out to taste.

You: Kurt kissed him back slowly, letting his mouth open slightly for him as he felt his tongue, shifting into a slightly more comfortable position against him.

Stranger: Sebastian moved with him, sliding over just slightly so Kurt could adjust. His hands slipped down over his shoulders and around his neck, his tongue pressing in to explore the cavern of his mouth, tasting him and moaning against his lips.

You: Kurt let out a soft moan into the kiss, holding onto Sebastian close against his body. Eventually he made himself pull back, asking softly, "What is this?"

Stranger: Sebastian let out short, soft pants as he looked at him. "Me telling you I've wanted you to kiss me like that since I met you?" He whispered. "To kiss me and touch me and... everything?" He added.

You: Kurt chuckled softly, looking at Sebastian with a smile and running his fingers through his hair. "And this isn't just, like, the drugs fucking with your brain since I actually had sex with you?"

Stranger: "No, honestly... ask Hunter." He whispered. "I've wanted you for ages, Kurt. I just didn't want it to hurt our friendship."

You: Kurt nodded slightly, pulling Sebastian into another soft kiss. "Okay... Okay, good."

Stranger: Sebastian laughed softly against his lips. "I promise, I love you way more than a friend should love another friend." He grinned and kissed him again, slowly.

You: Kurt kissed him back contently, letting out a soft hum into it. "I love you too," he murmured.

Stranger: "Good. Now less kissing, I'm enjoying my solace of new serious leaking and I'm terrified this will bring it back. Especially since it's time for another pill." He whispered.

You: Kurt let out a soft breath and nodded. "Alright, alright, no more kissing for now," he said, his hand running over Sebastian's side.

Stranger: Sebastian grabbed the pill bottle and shook one out before taking it and then laid back down with a smile. "Are you skipping work today? It's already eight am."

You: "Yeah, I think I am," Kurt said with a soft laugh, nodding and wrapping his arms back around Sebastian. "I'll call in sick, later."

Stranger: "Mmmn, good, I want you here right now either way." He whispered and closed his eyes. "I want someone to keep me safe and warm as I catch up on much needed sleep." He whispered.

1 note · View note

fnnhuds · 8 years ago

Text

Wherever You Will Go

Tagging: Finn, Rachel & Family Location: The Bahamas Notes: When Carole and Burt organize a family vacation, it seems to be just what Finn and Rachel needed to relax with their loved ones.

Rachel knew that everyone needed this kind of vacation. It was nice to just get out and be in some nice tropical location so they could all enjoy themselves together. She was enjoying the feeling of just be able to put on a bikini again, especially after giving birth to Ryan and being pregnant again. Putting her and Finn's large beach towel down onto the sand, she dropped their bag down on one corner and put her sandals on another corner before slipping off her cover up. "I'd love to know how you can give birth to a kid as big as Ryan and still look the way you do," Blaine laughed, shaking his head. "Most pregnant women wouldn't even dare to get in a bikini afterwards." Rachel really didn't care about the entire being pregnant thing -- after all, it hadn't ruined her body that much. If anything, like Finn had told her numerous times, it had just made her boobs bigger, and she didn't really mind that. Plus, Finn liked it, so she couldn't exactly complain about her post-baby body. "I'll wear a bikini. I'll wear anything. I can't exactly complain about what I look like. I lost a lot of the baby weight after Ryan, so I can't complain. He's so sweet, so even if I still had some of the weight on me, I definitely wouldn't care. And Finn would tell me that I looked fine, anyway. Even if I complained. And Blaine, you shouldn't even talk about me looking good. You and Kurt are in amazing shape. And I'm pretty sure Kurt hasn't worked out a day in his life -- he just folds clothes and organizes stuff all day. Which I much prefer. I try to be a good sport and go to the gym with Finn every once in a while, but I really hate it." Rachel looked over at Finn with a soft smile on her lips before she reached into her bag for some sunscreen before she sat down on the towel and started to put some sunscreen on her arms and her stomach before she moved to her legs and looked up at Finn. "Can you help me with my back and stuff? I may be able to get most of myself, but I can't reach some parts of my back. And sunburn isn't cute."

Finn was relieved that his mom had suggested a family vacation because he knew that everyone desperately needed it. His mom and Burt were watching Ryan while him and Rachel were hanging out with Kurt and Blaine, just enjoying getting to relax on the beach. Finn pulled off his t-shirt as Rachel took off her cover up and he smiled as he looked her up and down for a moment. God, he was married to the most beautiful woman on the planet. "It doesn't even look like you had a baby, Rach. You look amazing and you always do. And I thought you liked going to the gym with me," he said with a laugh. "Finn, not everyone needs to go to the gym. The reason that you have to is because you insist to continue to eat like a human garbage disposal. If you didn't work out, I don't even want to know what you'd look like," Kurt said, looking up from where he had settled down on his towel, a magazine in his hand. "You're always so nice to me, Kurt," he said with a laugh before he brought his focus on Rachel as she applied sunscreen to her body. "Yeah, I can help you, baby. As long as you help me too. You know if I don't put on any sunscreen I'll be totally burnt in a half an hour." Finn grabbed the sunscreen from her before he moved to sit down beside her, a small smile on his face as he looked into her eyes. "Lay down, I'll give you a little massage too." He ignored the loud sigh from Kurt and once Rachel was laying down, Finn poured some suntan lotion into his hands. "I swear, I don't understand how your skin is always so soft." Finn smiled as he started rubbing the suntan lotion into her back, his hands massaging her shoulders before he slowly worked his way down her body. "I swear, you two genuinely insist on making the simplest of tasks as nauseating as possible," Kurt said as he looked over at them with a grimace. "I'm just giving my wife a little massage and putting suntan lotion on for her, that's all," he said with a laugh as he ran his hand down her back, massaging her sides before he dipped his fingers teasingly beneath the fabric of her bikini for a brief moment, unable to not tease Rachel when he had the perfect opportunity too, especially since she was pregnant.

Rachel rolled her eyes at Kurt's words. "Kurt, he's always worked out. And I mean, I can't complain. I have a husband who can practically lift me with one hand if he wanted to. You may not care about going to the gym, but having Finn toned like he is definitely is very sexy. I can't help it." As soon as Finn was next to her, Rachel laid down onto the towel like she was told, laughing slightly at the sigh from Kurt. "Shut up. Get your husband to put some sunscreen on you. At least I ask nicely." She said, shrugging before she looked up at Finn as he spoke, leaning one of her hands over to reach her sunglasses in her and Finn's beach bag. "It's not nauseating. You're nauseating me and ruining my massage." She said before turning her head towards Finn and away from Kurt, sighing softly as she shut her eyes for a moment. A part of her regretted asking him to do this, especially because with her pregnant and Finn touching any part of her, she immediately wanted him. But she was trying to control herself. And as soon as his hand moved underneath her bikini bottoms slightly, she couldn't stop the soft moan that left her lips. As soon as she caught herself, she bit down on her bottom lip slightly. "Behave yourself before I take you back to our hotel room." She said, looking back at him slightly with a soft smirk. Rachel knew that Finn knew better than anyone that she was most definitely not kidding, especially when she was pregnant. Rachel moved to put her sunglasses on as she felt the sun already radiating onto her skin, warming every inch of her. She loved the beach and since she didn't have many excuses to get to the beach, she wanted to enjoy this trip as much as possible. Plus, being baby free even just for a little bit was really great, and she knew that Burt and Carole didn't mind at all.

Finn couldn't help but tease Rachel as he massaged the sun screen into her skin. It wasn't often that they got to relax on the beach together and he definitely intended to make the most of it whether Kurt and Blaine were there or not. When he slipped his fingers beneath the fabric of her bikini bottoms and she moaned softly, he had to bite down on his lip to stop a massive smirk from forming on his face. "What are you two doing?! Please stop, I never want to hear that noise ever again," Kurt said quickly, keeping his focus on the magazine in his hands so he didn't have to look over at them. "We're not doing anything." When Rachel told him to behave before she took him back to their hotel room, he couldn't help but smile before he leaned down to speak softly in her ear. "Is that supposed to be a threat? Because it sounds way more like an invitation to me." Once he finished making sure that he didn't miss a spot, he set down the suntan lotion on the towel and moved to sit beside her. "All done," he said with a small smile on his face, unable to hide his laugh when Kurt made sure to let out a sigh of relief that they could hear. "I already regret agreeing to go to the beach with you both. Blaine, why do we always do this?" Finn shook his head at his brother before he brought his focus back to his wife, running his hand gently down her back and brushing his hand over the curve of her ass. "Hey baby, what about me? I'm gonna need your help with this sunscreen before I get burnt." It felt good to have his mom watching Ryan for a little bit and he knew that as much as they loved their son that they needed to have some alone time too. Well - adult time, since they weren't exactly alone at the moment. "I definitely want to get into that water. I only got my feet in there yesterday and it was so warm," he said as he looked out at the ocean for a moment, just the sound of the water washing up on the beach relaxing him. Yeah, he was definitely happy that his mom had suggested this vacation because he knew they all needed this opportunity to just relax and unwind a little bit.

Rachel pouted at Kurt's words. "Hey, don't complain. We can be fun. It's not like we're boring, you know? We keep your life interesting. So I'm trying to keep you on your toes." Rachel said with a soft shrug before looking over at Finn as he spoke. "Oh, my bad. Of course. I need to help you, too." Rachel grabbed the sunscreen off of the towel and sat up slightly so she could get Finn's back. After getting some sunscreen on her hands, she ran her hands slowly over his shoulders, before running them down his back and along his muscles. It was amazing to just have Finn all to herself, and she definitely didn't want to take any of this for granted. Ever. These little moments were always ones that stuck in her mind for an eternity. "The water does look really amazing. And so do you," She said with a teasing laugh as she moved her hands from his back to run along his chest teasingly before moving back to his chest and his sides, making sure to get every spot that he couldn't reach previously. "I can't wait to go swimming. No throwing me in the water, though. I want to just enjoy working my way in there. It's not even that rough, which is really nice. And the water is just so beautiful. It's so blue and clear, you know?" Rachel sighed contently as she finished up his back, her fingers running slowly over his skin. "We never get to go on vacation. We haven't been on one since our honeymoon, right? I can't wait to just enjoy ourselves here. Even just the rooms here are amazing. They even have comfy lounge chairs by the pool so they don't hurt my back and they're not uncomfortable. But I mean, I might just be picky." She said before she moved her hands away from Finn's back, leaning to kiss him softly before tossing the sunscreen back onto the towel. "We'll just sit out here for a little bit and then we'll go in. I don't want to waste all my hard work putting on that sunscreen for it to wash off right away," She said with a teasing laugh as she looked over to Finn and then back to Kurt and Blaine. "If I were you two, I'd be going on vacations all the time. You don't even have to worry about anything and you can just travel. I think in the future when we're a little older we should do Europe, Finn. It would be so nice. Imagine how romantic a trip to Italy would be? Or Greece? But we have Ryan, so I mean, of course, we need to do the typical Disney trip." Kurt sighed, leaning back against his towel slightly. "We haven't even gotten through this vacation yet. Let's get through this one and then you can talk about other trips." Kurt said as he looked over to her. "Fair. I'll enjoy every second of this trip even if it disgusts you," She said with a soft smile.

Finn smiled as Rachel started running her hands over his shoulders as she got the sunscreen on for him. He would never get tired of the feeling of her soft hands against his skin and he knew that even the simple touches like this meant the world to him. "Oh yeah?" he said with a smirk when Rachel told him that he looked amazing. "I promise I won't throw you in the water - at first. If you take forever to get in there with me though, then I'm definitely bringing you in." A soft laugh escaped his lips as he looked over at her with love in his eyes. "Yeah, we haven't been anywhere since our honeymoon. I can't believe how long ago that was already." When Rachel pressed her lips to his, he smiled into the kiss before he brought his focus back to the ocean when she pulled away. It felt good to be on the beach and out in the sun. While they had beaches back in New York, they were an hour away and the water wasn't nearly as clear as it was here. "I like the sound of that. I'd love to go to Europe with you. Maybe for one of our anniversaries or something. And we definitely have to go to Disney World. I've never been there, I really want to take Ryan." It was difficult not to mention the baby that was on the way but he knew that they were waiting a little while before they said anything. "Kurt, you're such a buzz kill," he said with a laugh. "I am not! I just want to focus on this vacation," he said defensively. "Dude, pull the stick out of your ass and have some fun. When are we all in paradise like this together? Just relax." Finn laughed softly before he moved to lay back on the towel, a content sigh escaping his lips. "I should have brought sunglasses with me," he said, squinting slightly from the sun, letting his eyes flutter shut. "It feels so nice to just relax. I mean, I love New York and everything but unless I'm home it's kind of hard to just relax and unwind there when there are so many people around. You think this place has a hot tub? Because that totally sounds like a plan later." "No way am I getting into a hot tub with the two of you," Kurt said as he looked over at them. "Who said you were invited? I was talking to my wife." Finn laughed softly and shook his head as he continued to keep his eyes closed while he laid down, just enjoying the feeling of being in the sun and getting to not think about anything for a little while.

Rachel loved vacationing with Finn. He was honestly so amazing just to explore things with because he just enjoyed going with the flow even if she was a little crazy with the planning. But she knew a vacation like going to Italy would be way different -- it wasn't exactly something she could plan aside from all of the places she wanted to sightsee. "We can definitely do that for one of our anniversaries. But we need to wait until Ryan is a little older so we can leave him alone for a week with your parents or something and not worry. I mean, I'll still worry, but still. At least it won't be as bad for me and for you." Even just being away from Ryan while he was this young was still hard for her because all she did was worry about him getting into trouble. "You should have brought sunglasses with you. You're crazy. Did you bring some at all? Or did you just forget them in the room? Because we can always buy you some later if you don't have any at all." After a few moments, Rachel sighed contently before nodding at Finn's words. "Yeah, we can go in the hot tub later. And if you two want to come, you can come to. But if we're going to be too gross, then you don't have to come," She said with a soft laugh as she turned her head towards Kurt for a moment before sitting up and taking Finn's hand. "Come on, baby. Let's go in the water. I'm going to get too hot just sitting around here and then I'm going to get uncomfortable." Rachel moved to get up off of the towel, holding his hand tightly as she tried to drag him up with her. "I can't wait to get in this water. It's going to feel so good to relax in this water and not just by the pool. But we can hang out by the pool later with Ryan. He loves the water. If he loves the pool as much as he loves bath time, he's definitely going to love swimming around with us," She said with a soft laugh before she took off her sunglasses and started to walk towards the water.

Finn knew that one day him and Rachel would go on an amazing European vacation but he definitely agreed with her on wanting to wait until Ryan was older. Well, and the baby. But he didn't mind waiting. "No, I did bring a pair but I left them in the room, I think. I totally forgot that I'd need sunglasses," he said with a laugh, his eyes fluttering open as he looked up at his wife. When Rachel took his hand in hers, he looked at her with a smile on his face before he sat up. "Okay, okay, I'll go in the water with you. But Rach, you already are too hot, you know. The water isn't going to change that." A playful smirk formed on his face as he looked into her eyes and he couldn't help but laugh when Kurt groaned. "Oh my god, you two are actually disgusting. Go in the water and come back normal, please." Finn ignored his brother as he headed out towards the water with Rachel, holding her hand in his. "Is this gonna be the baby's first time in the ocean?" he asked with a smile on his face. "It's weird having to remember to not talk about the baby, you know? I forgot how difficult it was." When they reached the water, Finn sighed happily. He couldn't believe how warm the water was when he was so used to the ocean being freezing. It didn't stop him from going in the water but he definitely preferred when it was a lot warmer. "Also, I know I mentioned the hot tub before but I forget if you're allowed to go in them while you're pregnant. We'll have to make up an excuse," he said with a laugh. As he headed further into the water with her, he squeezed her hand gently in his before he turned to face her slightly. "You're so beautiful, you know that, right?" he told her, moving closer to her so that he could press a kiss to her lips. "Mm. I love vacations with you," he breathed out before he pulled away slowly. "You think Ryan is going to let me bring him anywhere near the ocean? Or do you think he'll be scared?" he asked curiously as he led her a bit further into the water. "And I forget how short you are, babe. The water is so much higher on you than me. This is why I usually carry you in," he said with a laugh before he splashed a little water on her playfully.

Rachel smiled gently over at Finn and nodded. "Mhm. Baby's first time in the ocean. Maybe they'll love the water just as much as Ryan does. But I know what you mean. It's so hard not talking about it because I'm so used to talking about it all of the time with you. But it's good if we wait a while. I know everything is okay, but I still like waiting to tell everyone. That way it goes more quickly for everyone, too. And it's the perfect time to start getting everything ready at home for the baby, too. They'll all know eventually, you know? The weeks are going to pass by so quickly." Rachel walked with him into the water and she sighed gently. She really hadn't been in warm water like this since her honeymoon with Finn and she forgot how much she missed it. "I can go in the hot tub. Just not for longer than fifteen minutes or so. As soon as I start to feel too hot, I have to get out. I don't want to get my temperature too high. I'll just go in for five minutes and then we can just go lounge around in the pool. Me getting too hot in general isn't good, so I'm trying to not lay out too much, either." Rachel shrugged before smiling gently at his words.S he just loved spending all of her time with Finn just like this and she couldn't wait to go on family vacations of their own once Ryan and the new baby were old enough. "I think Ryan will love the ocean. He might be scared of the waves at first but you just have to get him used to it. Don't force him in if he doesn't like it, obviously. But I think he'll love it if you give him a minute to get used to it, you know?" Rachel shrugged gently and smiled before continuing to go in the water with Finn. "That's fine. You can just carry me and go deeper. This is usually what happens," She laughed softly before splashing some water back at him before moving closer to him. "If we take him out here, we need to make sure he's smothered in sunscreen. He makes me a nervous wreck out in the sun all day. But I'm pretty sure he makes me a nervous wreck any second of the day. We'll just come out for a few hours with him because I know he's going to get really tired really quickly. But I think it would be nice to have you take him out in the water. Just not too deep." Rachel shrugged, wrapping her arms around his neck to keep against him. "And if he loves the ocean we'll just stay in a shady spot in the pool. He'll probably think it's the coolest thing."

Finn nodded as Rachel spoke. "Well then I won't let you get too hot. They have umbrellas that we can rent so I'll probably get one of those for you when we get back to the towel so you don't have to worry." He was so excited to just be on a vacation with Rachel because he knew that they needed it. After losing her dads and dealing with the whole Shelby situation, it felt good to just have time to not think about anything too serious. "Of course, baby. I'll give him time to get used to the waves and then I'm hoping I can bring him in the water with me for a little bit. I mean, only if the water is calm like this though." He smiled down at his wife as she splashed him back and as she spoke about Ryan, he couldn't help but laugh. "You're such a mom, you know. It's really cute." His arms slipped around her waist as hers wrapped around his neck and he lifted her up into his arms before carrying her further into the water with him. Sure, maybe to anyone else they were all over each other but he didn't care. He loved having Rachel in his arms. He loved spending moments like this with her, especially when sometimes it felt as though the rest of the world was against them. "If he likes the ocean we can bring him into the pool and I can make little waves for him. I bet he'll love that. As much as I want him to stay a baby forever, I really am loving him getting older and being able to do more things with him. It's so cool. He's my little buddy, you know? I love getting to make him laugh and show him new things." Once they were further into the water, Finn kept Rachel in his arms, making sure they were right in the sweet spot of where the waves were rising so they didn't get caught off guard. "It's nice getting to have you in my arms without someone calling us gross," he said with a soft laugh before he dipped his head down to press his lips to hers. Finn kissed Rachel slowly and passionately for a few moments before he pulled away slowly, his eyes fluttering open to meet hers as a smile formed on his face. Gently he let her out of his arms before he went underwater for a moment, re-emerging a few seconds later and running his hand through his now wet hair. "God, this water feels amazing," he said with a smile on his face. "Also, if you weren't pregnant right now, you know I'd be tossing you into the water, right?" he said playfully as he started to float on his back, enjoying the simple motion of the waves.

Rachel just loved how protective Finn was of her. It made her so happy to know that he cared so much. And of course, this was also him freaking out about their baby that she was carrying, and whenever she was pregnant or with Ryan, he always worried about everything ten times more. "You're such a dad, too. If you get to call me a mom, you're definitely a crazy dad, too." She said with a laugh, rolling her eyes playfully as he started carrying her deeper into the ocean. "I'm sure he'll love that. And I'm the same with him. I want him to grow up, obviously. But I love having him this little because he makes me so happy being a little baby. But I do just love being able to hold him and carrying him around while he's so small." Rachel shrugged and moved out of his arms after he let her go, her letting herself relax in the water. "I know. This water is really amazing, and it's definitely nice being able to be close to you without Kurt calling us gross." Pausing for a moment, she couldn't help but smile. "But I'm glad that me being pregnant gives me an excuse to not be tossed in the water." She said with a soft laugh, looking over at him. "I love Kurt and Blaine, but Kurt can really be a little crazy. It just makes me wonder what exactly they're like at home all of the time. I mean, is Kurt even affectionate? I know that Blaine loves him with all of his heart, obviously. I mean, they're married. They've been married basically as long as we've been married, but they've been together longer than us if you think about it. They had those four years when you were gone," She said with a soft shrug. "I just worry about them sometimes. Obviously Kurt isn't super touchy-feely and I get that and I know most couples don't act like us every single day. Because we definitely are a little obsessed with each other." Rachel grinned as she looked over at Finn, dipping her head under the water fully after a moment. "If we weren't all over each other for a day I think people would be worried that we were getting a divorce," Rachel laughed, shaking her head before she moved back over to Finn slightly. "We got even worse being all over each other after we had Ryan. Now we have even more reason to be all over each other and we have another person to be obsessed with all of the time."

Finn laughed softly as Rachel spoke. "That baby is definitely protecting you from being tossed into the water. There might be a little girl in there, I don't want her getting jostled around." When she began talking about Kurt and Blaine, Finn definitely was curious about their relationship as well. A part of him couldn't help but wonder if they were happy with the way that they acted together sometimes. He stopped floating on his back as he turned to face her, a sad smile on his face. "They have been together longer than us, huh? I worry about them too. I mean, there is no one like us," he said with a soft laugh. "But I definitely wonder if they're happy sometimes. I think about how they used to be and I look at them now and I can't help but wonder if something's wrong." When she said that if they weren't all over each other people would be worried they were getting a divorce, he couldn't help but laugh. "That's how we are though. We've always been all over each other and I think usually that's something that fades with time but for us it just gets worse. I like being all over you. I like always being able to touch you even if it's something as simple as just holding your hand. We've been through hell, you know? I never want to go through a day and wish that I had been closer to you more or wish that I kissed you more. I want to live my whole life knowing that I loved you to the fullest each and every day no matter what." Finn smiled at Rachel before he slipped his arms around her waist and tugged he closer to him. "I will never take you or our family for granted. I think that's something that me being in the army and you being sick taught me." He looked into her eyes before he pressed his lips to hers, kissing her passionately before he pulled away slowly. "Mmm, how could I not want to kiss you every second of every day when it feels that good?" It amazed him how easy it was to have all his problems, all his concerns melt away the second that he was with his wife and he knew that what they had truly was unlike anything else. What they had was the real deal in every sense. "How annoyed do you think our kids will be with us being all over each other? We're totally going to embarrass the hell out of them and I'm going to love every second of it," he said with a laugh.

Rachel sighed at Finn's words, knowing that he was right. "I mean, not longer in years length. We've all known each other the same amount of time. I just worry because most couples do fight, and I mean, Blaine tells me about some of their fights but it just doesn't feel a lot like they're getting what they want out of each other. So I'm just worried, that's all. It makes me nervous for the both of them. I obviously don't want to get involved in their relationship because I don't want to overstep, but it does make me really worried." Rachel knew that she couldn't worry about their relationship when they were on a vacation like this. "I know. We've been all over each other since we first started seriously dating. Even when I was sick you were always right next to me at the hospital. And when you were away, we wrote all of the time and we tried to Facetime all of the time." As Finn tugged her closer, she nodded gently at his words and smiled. "I know. I never want to live a day where I feel like I didn't show you or our kids how much I love them, you know? I'm going to be a crazy mom just as much as I'm a crazy wife who's all over you." Rachel really couldn't ever imagine not being the way that her and Finn were. "And our kids are going to be very annoyed. When they have friends sleepover, you know we're going to be those parents who are making out in the kitchen or something when they walk in for a snack," She laughed, knowing that it was definitely something she could see them both doing. "We'll be cuddling watching a movie and kissing and they're going to be so grossed out. But I'm going to love it, too. I mean, they'll get used to it eventually. Maybe." She said with a teasing smile. "We need to be the cool parents, though. Not the ones who let them throw crazy parties, but when we move out of the city when they're a little older, we need to have the house that all the kids want to hang out with. The one with the cool finished basement that they can watch movies in whenever they want and the ones who always host awesome kids birthday parties..." She said softly, her hands running through the hair at the nape of his neck. "And I know we'll have the house of our dreams and everything, but I can't wait for them to have that perfect childhood that we didn't get. And then they'll obviously be in a good school and they'll be involved in whatever they want to be involved in. And we get to just enjoy every second of it," She murmured before she pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

Finn looked at Rachel sadly as they talked about Kurt and Blaine. He knew that bringing it up to either of them while they were on vacation wasn't the best idea but he really did hope that the two of them were okay. "We'll be the crazy parents that are always telling our kids how much we love them and they'll get so embarrassed by us," he said with a laugh. "Making out in the kitchen? Yeah, that definitely sounds like us. Oh, they're totally gonna hate us, Rach." Finn laughed as he looked into her eyes, holding her close to him as they stood together in the warm water a good distance from the shore. He couldn't help but feel as though they were the only two people who existed for a brief moment as he looked into her eyes and he knew that he truly loved Rachel more than anything. What they had was so special and there was nothing that could ever replace it. There was nothing that could ever compare to the relationship and bond they shared with one another. "Oh, I see. The woman who doesn't want me to go back to work wants me to buy her a house out of the city that has a cool finished basement. Should I sell one of my kidneys now or later?" he said with a playful smirk on his face. Finn knew that the plan was to move out of the city once the kids were a little older. They both wanted to have a yard and give their kids a childhood that was a bit similar to theirs in the sense of having a house rather than living in a big, overwhelming city. When she pressed her lips to his, he smiled into the kiss as he held her tightly, his hands resting on the small of her back. "We're gonna have a beautiful house that our kids will grow up in and we'll get a dog and we'll make sure that they have everything we didn't. They'll never have to wonder what it would be like to have one of us in their lives, you know? Because we'll be there. We'll be there through everything and we'll love them no matter what and I know when they're older all of their childhood memories will be so amazing." Finn smiled at Rachel before he pressed his lips gently to her forehead. "I know we said we'd be together till we're old and wrinkly but I think that's starting already," he said teasingly as he held up one of his hands that was getting pruney from the water. "Should we get out and bother them again?" he asked, a smile on his face as he looked into her eyes before he kissed her softly once more.

Rachel pouted as he talked about her not wanting to let him get his job back. "We're going to have a big fancy house because you're going to be making a lot of money from your music and I'm going to be in more shows. Babe, it's going to be fine. We're going to have the house we want to have without a problem. I know we will. Especially because the next show I'm in, I should be getting paid at least almost double. Especially after winning a Tony. What I got paid from rehearsing just that one week with Rupert was crazy. It's insane. So please, don't worry about the future. I know that it'll be amazing and that everything will go perfectly." Rachel knew that Finn was always worried about money, but she knew that they could handle it in the future. They just needed some time to recover after the both of them not working for a while, and they would all be fine. "All of that sounds really amazing, baby. But I think you're right. We are getting a little wrinkly," She giggled softly, looking down at her own hands as well. "We can go back in a little later. When we're not gross and wrinkly." Rachel started walking towards the water, dipping herself under the water again before pushing her hair back so it would stay neatly behind her shoulders. "As a wave crashed on her legs slightly as she was trying to get out, she laughed as she looked back at Finn, her starting to run a bit the rest of the way out of the water until she was on the solid sand again. After taking a deep breath, she smiled gently and started walking towards Kurt and Blaine who were talking on their towel. Rachel teasingly threw some water from her hair at them, Kurt frowning. "Hey, don't get me wet." Rachel rolled her eyes, moving to sit back down on her towel. "That's what you're supposed to do at the beach, silly. You're supposed to go in the water and get wet and enjoy yourself. Not just tan. I can only take so much out here before I go crazy."

Finn nodded when Rachel told him that once she was in a show again that she would be making more than enough money to take care of them plus whenever he ended up making from his music career. "So basically you're gonna take care of us, huh?" he said with a teasing smile on his face as he looked into her eyes. The two of them started getting out of the water once their skin started to get wrinkly and he followed after his wife, smiling softly as she started running out of the water. As they approached Kurt and Blaine who were talking on their towel, Finn laughed when Rachel got some water from her hair on them. "Seriously, dude. I don't know how you don't go in the ocean when you go to the beach. It's way too hot out to just sit here all day long and read." He ran a hand through his hair, causing it to stick up in all different directions before he moved to sit down beside Rachel, stretching his legs out in front of him. "The water is insanely warm, it's awesome," he said as he looked over at Kurt and Blaine. "We'll have to go in later. Even if we just get our feet wet," Blaine said softly, offering them a small smile. Finn couldn't help but feel as if something was wrong but he didn't want to pry, especially on vacation. Plus, he knew that if Kurt or Blaine wanted to talk to them about something, they would. "Sit with me, baby," he said softly to Rachel as he tugged her closer to him, a playful smile on his face before he pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Your hair always dries really pretty and curly whenever we go in the ocean." Finn smiled as he ran his fingers through her wet hair before he brushed it over her shoulder so he could pull her back against his chest, setting her between his legs. "I love you," he murmured softly, dipping his head down to press a kiss to the smooth skin of her shoulder. "I guess cooling off didn't do much to stop you two from being all over each other, even for just five minutes?" Kurt asked, shaking his head as he looked at them. "Kurt, come on. We're on vacation and we're baby free for a few hours. We're just enjoying being together, there's nothing wrong with that. You know this is how we are, it's not like it's a surprise. We're not having sex in front of you, okay? Just chill out." Finn sighed as he brought his focus back to his wife, his hands resting on her stomach. "How's our baby doing?" he whispered softly in her ear, making sure to keep his voice low so that only Rachel could hear him.

Rachel looked at Blaine as he spoke, returning his small smile. "We can come out here later, if you want. I can swim for a little in the ocean with you. Or we can relax in the pool for a little bit later," She offered Blaine, shrugging slightly. If Kurt wasn't going to go in, Rachel wanted to at least try and please Blaine a little bit. Rachel didn't want Kurt to ruin their entire vacation and even if Blaine wasn't enjoying himself with Kurt, Rachel wanted to make sure he enjoyed himself with others. As Finn tugged her closer, Rachel looked back at him with a smile. "Thanks. I like when my hair dries with the salt water, too." Kurt's words made her sigh, looking down slightly for a moment to not make a snappy comment back. Clearly, he wasn't all over his husband, it didn't mean Finn couldn't be all over her. "Kurt, we're not doing anything to hurt you. Just stop bothering us." They always acted like this -- like Finn said -- so it wasn't like this was some kind of crazy surprise. They were always together all of the time, no matter what. It didn't matter where they were, so she didn't understand why he was upset like this. As Finn moved his hands to her stomach, her thoughts clouded for a moment as she smiled, biting down on her bottom lip. "Good." She murmured gently, turning her head slightly so she could press a kiss to his cheek. "Really good." She at least wasn't feeling sick to her stomach, which was definitely the one thing she was worried the most about when she agreed to be coming on vacation. If she was a little sick, she could pass it off as a bug, but Rachel knew that Carole would most definitely be able to see right through her. Plus, at least she'd be able to enjoy herself more by not worrying about getting sick, too. She had a lot of energy, she just felt like she was a little crazy with her cravings, but she could at least handle that inside without anyone else seeing anything. She wasn't showing either, which was good as well. "I feel super energized right now, but I have a feeling that it's going to catch up to me really quickly after I eat something. The sun is definitely going to drain me. So is the water." Rachel shrugged gently, allowing herself to lean back against him and relax. "Do you want to get a little something to eat when we get back? We can get Ryan back from your mom and have something small for lunch. I really want some fruit, honestly. I mean, I'll eat something of actual substance, too. But something sweet sounds really amazing right now."

Finn wasn't really sure what was going on with Kurt and Blaine but they definitely didn't seem to be on the same page of relaxation as him and Rachel were. As he brought his focus back to his wife and their unborn child, he couldn't help but smile softly. He brushed his fingers along the smooth skin of her stomach, enjoying just getting to feel close to her and their baby. "That's what I like to hear," he said softly when she told him that the baby was good, his smile growing when she kissed his cheek. Finn knew that her morning sickness had kind of been all over the place lately and he wanted to make sure that she felt good, especially since they were on vacation. "Energized? You're crazy, you know that? I already know I'm gonna need a nap just from being in the sun," he said with a laugh. A content sigh escaped his lips as she leaned back against him and he nodded when she suggested getting Ryan back from his mom so they could have a small lunch as a family. "That sounds good to me. Is it weird that I miss him even if we were just with him this morning? We're with him all the time back at home so not having him with us even for a few hours is weird." Finn dipped his head down to press a few soft kisses to her shoulder and as he pulled away he smiled softly while he looked out at the ocean. "You sure you don't want to go walk along the water for a few minutes?" Finn heard Blaine ask Kurt softly. He looked over at the two of them for a moment and he sighed when he saw his brother shake his head and bring his focus to the magazine that was in his hands. Finn had no clue what was going on but the more time he spent with the two of them, the more he noticed that something was definitely wrong. "You know Nathan was texting me last night that he met some girl that he's really into," he said, hoping to just get some kind of conversation going so that they weren't sitting there in an awkward silence. "Oh no, please tell me he's not finding another horrible girl like Molly and knocking her up," Kurt said, causing Finn to laugh softly. "I said the same thing to him but he told me she's different. He said if things still feel like they do now when we get back from vacation that he wants me and Rach to go on a double date with them. It must be important to him if he wants us to meet her because after Molly he kept us far away from girls that he's met."

Rachel couldn't wait to just go back to the room and get Ryan so they could have a nice family lunch. She knew that she would love to just spend some time with Finn and have lunch with him, but she really just wanted to spend time with her son, as well. Rachel once again felt really horrible for Blaine as Kurt shot him down once again at his offer to go towards the water. She felt really bad and she wished that she knew what was going on, but Rachel also knew better than to pry. Especially right now. She knew that she'd ask both of them eventually, but she didn't want it to be on their vacation. She was broken out of her thoughts about Kurt and Blaine as Finn brought up a phone call about Nathan. "It's so crazy. I just can't believe that he thinks this girl is something special. Well, special enough to get our approval, I guess." Rachel couldn't help but laugh, shaking her head. "I think it's good that he wants to go on a double date. I mean, we have to give the girl a chance. I don't want to ruin everything for him by scaring away the girl, but I also don't want to never have a formal dinner with her. So this might be good. Just so we can talk to her and figure out what she's like. I mean, obviously Nathan knows that our opinion is important. Clearly he didn't listen to us about Molly and he faced the consequences for that one. But I guess we can't do anything about it now. And he has a beautiful kid out of it." Rachel shrugged, sighing gently. "I think that it's good that he's trying to find someone else, though. I mean, Molly is going to be in his life forever because of the kid, but I mean, he deserves to have an actual relationship. He's probably lonely in his apartment alone all of the time, you know?" Rachel did feel bad that things were the way they were, but she knew that he had to make his own decisions. "I hope that things work out if she ends up being okay. Because obviously it's big, like you said. If he invited us to go. I'm happy for him."

Finn laughed softly as Rachel spoke. He was glad that Nathan wanted them to meet this girl because he knew that his friend was being careful this time around. Molly had been horrible to them and to Nathan and while he had a beautiful daughter out of the whole thing, the situation itself had been pretty bad. The last thing Finn wanted was for Nathan to go downhill again because of a girl. "Our opinion does mean a lot to him, I think he's really nervous for us to meet her because if we don't like her I really think he'll take it seriously this time. I know he doesn't want to date another girl like Molly so if he wants us to give him our real opinion then I have no problem with that." Finn smiled as he looked down at Rachel, running his hand gently along her stomach as he held her close to him. "I hope he finds a great girl. He deserves a genuine relationship that makes him happy. All Molly did was make everyone around her miserable. God, I'm just glad Nathan is working on getting fifty-fifty custody with Ellie because that little girl shouldn't have to be around Molly longer than necessary." Finn let out a soft sigh as he held Rachel close before he glanced over at his brother and Blaine who were talking quietly to each other. He wasn't really sure what was going on with them but it definitely felt weird to be sitting beside them and feel so far away. "Wanna go get Ryan and grab some lunch?" he asked Rachel. "And then maybe we can try and get him in the pool and see how he likes it, you know? Once we see how he reacts to that, then we can see if we want to introduce him to the ocean just yet." Finn wanted to hang out with Kurt and Blaine but he didn't want to spend time with them when they were both clearly not in the mood. He wasn't sure what was going on but he knew that he just wanted to see his son and spend time with him and Rachel. A sigh escaped his lips as he moved to get up before he held out his hand for his wife to take, smiling softly at her. "Come on, baby. Let's go get our little man. I miss him," he said with a soft laugh before he leaned down to start grabbing their things.

Rachel hoped that this dinner would be good for everyone. She knew that this could either be really bad or really good for all of them. They had all pretty much been doing their own thing, but of course, naturally, Carole wanted everyone together for a family dinner a nice restaurant. Rachel was happy to spend some time with everyone, and after getting Ryan dressed in a nice outfit and getting her and Finn actually looking somewhat decent and not just in a swimsuit cover up or a t-shirt, they were out the door and going towards the dinner. It went okay in the beginning -- everyone just talked about their day so far and what they had been doing. It was nice to just sit down with everyone. This was her family -- really the only family she had, and she was just always happy to spend time with them. Especially because she didn't get to see Carole and Burt all that often. "Can I get you started with some drinks?" The waitress asked, Rachel staying quiet and reading the menu for a moment as she heard everyone order their drinks, not ignoring the fact that Kurt and Blaine both got something that sounded very alcoholic. She wanted things to be okay with them. She really did. She was close to them both, and she really didn't want to see them fall apart. They really had been together for so long and she really wanted them to just work things out so they could get their lives back together. When they got to her at the table, Rachel looked up and smiled softly. "Uhm, I'll just have a bottle of water, please. And if I could have an apple juice for him as well?" She said, pointing to Ryan sitting in the high chair next to her. It was still weird to be ordering for him at restaurants, but she loved feeling like he was truly growing as part of the family. "Thank you." Rachel turned to Finn for a moment, offering him a small smile.

Finn knew that this vacation was something that they needed desperately and it felt good to spend time with Rachel, Ryan and the rest of his family. While he felt as though Kurt and Blaine were keeping to themselves a lot, he was glad that he got to see a lot of his mom and Burt. Since his mom had organized the whole trip, he knew that Kurt and Blaine wouldn't be able to talk themselves out of the big family dinner that she had planned for all of them at the resort. When the waitress asked what they wanted to drink, Finn ordered himself a beer and once everyone else had decided what they wanted, the waitress headed off to get their drinks for them. "Ryan gets an apple juice, I should have thought of that," he said with a laugh as he looked from his son to his wife with love in his eyes. "So, how many weeks pregnant are you?" his mom asked immediately, causing Finn turn to face his mom quickly, a shocked expression on his face. "W-What? Rachel's not - Rachel's not pregnant," he said in the least convincing way possible. God, why was he so horrible at lying? "Well, considering the fact that Rachel's favorite drink is right on this menu and she didn't order says a lot. But you're also horrible and lying, honey. The second you two got here I knew that something was going on." Carole smiled as she looked at Finn before she brought her gaze to Rachel, clearly more than excited that she had figured out what was going on. "Oh, come on, mom. We wanted to wait!" he said, causing both her and Burt to laugh. "I told her not to say anything, Finn but I couldn't stop her," Burt said with a small smile on his face as he looked at them. "Well that explains why you two were crazy all over each other at the beach this morning," Kurt commented before he focused back on his menu. Finn ignored his brother, unsure why he was in such a bad mood all day long but he really didn't want to fixate on that when they were on a vacation. "So, how far along are you, Rachel! I want to know everything," Carole said happily as she looked at her daughter-in-law.

Rachel looked up at Carole as soon as she heard her talk. "Wait, what?" She asked, feeling the color drain from her face. Clearly, Carole was a woman and women could read other women incredibly easily, but Rachel didn't think that she had been that obvious. Plus, she was with Ryan, and as much as her favorite drink was on the menu, she probably wouldn't have gotten it. Well... that was probably a lie, and she probably still would have gotten the drink, but she didn't think that getting a water would be that obvious. "I didn't think we were that obvious when we got here. I thought we were acting completely normal." Rachel really didn't want to let anyone know yet, but she figured that it was something exciting for all of them. "I'm eight weeks. We found out a few weeks ago, but I was hoping that you guys wouldn't find out yet. I thought we were doing really well at hiding it. I didn't even let the word 'kids' slip. I speak in the plural form of 'kid' every single day at home so it's hard to not talk about anything. But we're really excited," Rachel said with a soft smile, bringing her hand to her stomach. "I didn't think that I'd be able to get pregnant again. But I'm happy with the timing. Ryan will be around a year and a half once this one is born and it'll just be a good age gap for the both of them, I think. It'll be a little bit more manageable for us." Rachel shrugged before she looked over at Finn, sighing softly. "I really didn't think you guys would find out yet. I'm happy you know so I don't have to hide it anymore, though. It's hard not to talk about it. I'm so excited. If this pregnancy goes well, then we might wait a little bit and have another one once Ryan starts school. Finn and I always talked about having two kids, but I mean, I would love to have a big family. Obviously, that's in the future but it's something we've talked about. I just... I think that once we were told that we couldn't have kids, and now we're finding out we can, obviously, I want to take advantage. I went from thinking I'd never have a child to almost having two kids. It's crazy and I can't wait to have another one. I loved being pregnant last time because obviously Finn is incredibly attentive and with Finn home more, I think it'll be a really nice time. And it'll be easier when I'm eight months pregnant and home with Ryan and trying to pick him up off of the floor and stuff -- then Finn can help me."

Finn couldn't believe that his mom had guessed that Rachel was pregnant when he thought that they had been so good at hiding it. "To anyone else you probably weren't obvious but I know you two way too well. And it was obvious to me that you two were really happy about something. Plus, I've already noticed Finn's been more protective of you than he usually is." Finn sighed at his mom's words, not really knowing how the hell she could tell that they were acting differently when he thought they were doing so well but he figured it wasn't that big of a deal. Plus, he liked not having to hide it from everyone. "Yeah, it'll be a perfect age gap for them. Ryan will be a little older and easier to handle so that having a newborn isn't as overwhelming. I mean, I know toddlers are crazy too but at least we'll be able to really communicate with him easier by then." Finn looked at Rachel with love in his eyes as she spoke, a smile rising on his face as she talked about the possibility of them having even more kids. Of course they weren't even considering that until at least Ryan was starting school but it was definitely in the back of their minds. "Two kids will be amazing, honestly. We always talked about two because we were only children and didn't have that sibling growing up. Them being so close together will be awesome. They'll be able to grow up always having someone to play with." Finn couldn't help but smile as he looked over at his wife before he brought his hand to rest gently over hers that was resting on her stomach, him lacing their fingers together. "Oh, I'm so happy for you both. I was so worried when the doctors told you that you weren't going to be able to have babies because I knew how badly you both wanted to be parents a-and you two are proving them wrong," Carole said happily as tears rose in her eyes. "How has the morning sickness been so far? I know you said it wasn't too bad with Ryan but they always say that the second baby is a whole different experience. Apparently you'll show a lot earlier too this time around." Finn smiled as he looked from his mom to Rachel, glad that everyone was excited. This baby truly was a light after what had been a really dark time for them and he knew that they needed this. "I can't wait to know if it's a boy or girl. It's crazy that it's only two months away, you know? Babies grow so fast," he said with a smile before he leaned over to press a kiss to Rachel's cheek.

Rachel knew that Finn was definitely way more protective of her when she was pregnant. Of course, he still worried about her and protected her when she wasn't, but it was just ten times more intense when she was actually pregnant or whenever she was holding one of the kids. "Yeah, we didn't have siblings. I think it'll be really fun to give Ryan one. I hope that he'll sort of understand what's going on when I actually have the baby. But we'll see. He'll only be 16 months, so I mean, he probably won't really get it, but hopefully we can get him excited about it." As Carole spoke again, she shrugged. "The morning sickness is on and off. Some days its really bad and others it isn't that bad. Like today I was having a little trouble but it went away as the day passed. It wasn't like this with him, but it definitely is an entirely different experience. My cravings are different and everything, too. I'm already a little bloated and I can definitely tell my clothes are already not fitting right and I'm only eight weeks. So I'm sure that in a couple of weeks, I'll definitely be sporting a tiny bump. I didn't really pop until four months last time." Rachel really couldn't wait to figure out if it was a boy or a girl. "I'm hoping for a girl, obviously. But if it's not, I'm still going to be really happy. I just really want a girl to dress up and I want Ryan to be that overprotective big brother and everything," Rachel said as she ran her hand along Ryan's head slightly as he held onto his cup. "I just hope that he's okay with it, obviously. I know he's only a baby and I know he's going to get jealous when I'm around the other baby all of the time, so we're just going to try to prepare him as much as possible with it all so it doesn't upset him a lot. I just want him to enjoy having a little brother or sister."

Finn knew that this time around Rachel being pregnant was definitely a different experience. While she still was more emotional than usual and super horny, he noticed that she was craving different things and he loved that he could tell that she was on her way to starting to show. God, he couldn't wait to see her with a baby bump again because knowing that she was carrying their child made him fall in love with her even more than he already was. "A girl would be really awesome. Of course we'll be happy either way but I think it'll be cool to see a mini Rachel," he said with a smile on his face as he looked at Rachel and Ryan with love in his gaze. They were perfect and he knew that this new baby was going to be so incredibly loved. "I think he'll adjust okay. We might have to deal with a tantrum or two but we'll find a way to make sure he knows that we love him just as much as the new baby even if he or she will require extra attention." When the waitress came over with their drinks before she took their orders, she briefly interrupted their conversation and when she headed off once more, Finn brought his attention to Rachel and their son who was sat beside her. "What do you think, buddy? You ready to be a big brother?" he asked, a smile on his face when Ryan looked at him before a smile formed on his face. He laughed softly as Ryan started kicking his legs and holding his arms out towards him. "Dada!" he said excitedly, causing Finn to smile before he got up from his seat. "I'm right here, Ry," he said with a smile on his face as he moved over to Ryan, taking him out of his high chair for a moment so he could hold him in his arms. "I can't get over seeing you with him, Finn. He's so in love with the two of you. Whenever one of you walk into the room his whole face lights up," Carole said with a smile on her face as Finn moved to sit down with Ryan. "You can hang out with Daddy until I get my food, little man. You better be good." Finn laughed softly as he held Ryan close to him, his son standing up on his lap as he moved his small hand to rest on his chin. "He's obsessed with my stubble, I swear," he said with a laugh before he pressed a kiss to Ryan's cheek, causing him to giggle.

Rachel smiled as Finn talked to Ryan, her seeing how excited Ryan was getting. His babbling was beginning to sound like somewhat like words which of course made her incredibly happy. She was happy that once she was finished with this pregnancy, she'd hopefully be able to somewhat communicate with him. Just simple commands or simple sentences, but it was at least something. "I know, I can't get over seeing Finn with him, either. Ryan loves him so much. He's obsessed with Finn." Rachel smiled as Finn sat back down, her looking at Ryan in his hands. "He's not the only one obsessed with your stubble. I happen to be another one," Rachel said with a slight smirk, her eyes on him before she looked away and went to take a sip of her water. She knew she had to watch what she was saying, especially since she was right here with their entire family. "If we have a girl, you know that Finn is going to freak out. He's literally going to melt the second he holds that little girl. He's going to be super overprotective, but you know you're going to give that girl anything she asks for. Just like you know the second Ryan asks you for something, you're going to go out of your way to give it to him," Rachel said with a soft laugh, shaking her head gently. "I'll be the same way, though. So I really can't say anything. The second that either one of them gives me that begging look, I'm not going to be able to say no." Rachel did try to tell Ryan no and discipline him so he didn't become some brat as he got older, but Rachel knew that it would be hard to say no or to actually discipline him without feeling horrible about herself. "Carole, you're definitely going to be crazy if we have a girl, too. I mean, you raised Finn. He was involved in sports and everything. And I mean, if we have a girl, she might be, but we'll see what happens. I'm just excited to have another child. I can't wait. I just love being pregnant, you know? For a lot of different reasons. I mean, once I start showing. It's just really nice and it feels amazing to just know that I'm carrying our child. The back problems and the hormones can be a little annoying, but having Ryan was an amazing experience. Everything went really well. I'm hoping for a repeat of that."

Finn smirked and raised his eyebrows when Rachel commented that she was obsessed with his stubble too. "I know you do, babe," he said, reaching over to poke her side playfully before he brought his focus back to their son. "If we have a girl she's going to have me in the palm of her hand and I don't even have to see her to know that," he said with a laugh. "I can't help but give him what he wants when he asks for it, you know? He's too cute. Plus, he has your eyes, Rach. How am I supposed to say no to him when he has your eyes?" Finn smiled as Ryan pressed his hands against his chest, trying his best to hold himself up as he stood on his lap. He loved seeing his son get stronger every day and watching him trying to stand amazed him so much. In a few months he would be able to walk around all on his own and Finn was so excited to watch Ryan grow into his own person. "Oh, if you have a girl I'll definitely be crazy. I've never gotten to pick out little girl's clothes and toys. That would be so exciting. If you have a little girl she'll be so beautiful. She'll be this family's little princess." Finn laughed softly at his mom's words, knowing that she was right. Ryan and his future sibling were the only kids in the family and he knew that they were going to be spoiled. "I can't wait for you to start showing. I can't wait for the baby to start kicking, that's when it really starts to feel real, you know? That's when I start to feel like I can communicate with the baby, especially when they start recognizing your voice." Finn was so incredibly excited to have another child with Rachel and he knew that they were more than ready for this. They loved being parents and another baby - while unexpected - was definitely not unwelcome. "Well, Rachel being pregnant definitely explains the two of you at the beach this morning," Kurt commented, causing Finn to sigh softly. "Oh, I'm so sorry that me and my wife are affectionate and in love with each other. God, Kurt," he said in annoyance. "Get ready for Ryan and his little brother or sister to annoy each other like this," Carole said to Rachel with a playful smile on her face.

Rachel knew that they'd definitely love having a little girl. She wanted one really badly, but she knew that she'd love raising another boy again. Now that she knew everything that went along with raising a boy (at least until this point) she knew that it would be really nice. Plus, she'd get to reuse all of Ryan's clothes. "Believe me, Carole. I know. You're definitely going to spoil her just as much as you spoil Ryan. And you spoil him a lot," Rachel laughed softly, shaking her head. Already, she was annoyed with how Kurt was acting. She knew that he always had annoying comments, but it he definitely had gotten worse the past few weeks. And it was even more noticeable on this vacation. "Finn and I are always affectionate towards each other, Kurt. I don't know why you're all of a sudden so annoyed by us. We always act like this and yes, you get annoyed, but never this much." Rachel didn't want to pry, especially because she didn't want to ruin this dinner. Especially for Carole, because Rachel knew how much family meant to Carole. "Ryan and his sibling are definitely going to have a good time annoying each other and getting into each other's business. It'll be really great. I can't wait to introduce them to the family. These next few months are going to go quickly, I hope. I mean, Ryan is already almost a year. That went so quickly. So I can't imagine how quickly this time is going to pass. My pregnancy with Ryan went really slow until I was about seven months, so maybe with Ryan growing it'll go a little more quickly for us. I can't wait to have another one." Rachel paused for a moment before sighing. "But I'll stop talking about it. I don't want to make this entire dinner about Finn and I," She said with a soft laugh. "How was your day, Blaine? Did you guys do anything fun?" Rachel asked, trying to be at least positive about everything. Blaine shrugged. "Fine. We had a good day. We just kept busy, had a few drinks... You know, vacation stuff." He said, Rachel offering him a small smile. "That's nice. At least you kept busy, you know? There's tons of stuff to do here. I think it was a really nice idea to get away. Even Ryan is enjoying it. I think if we get a house outside of the city, we might have to get a pool for this little guy. He loved the pool," Rachel said with a small smile, looking over at Ryan and offering him a funny face in an attempt to make him laugh.

Finn smiled softly at Rachel as she spoke. He couldn't wait for them to have another baby and he knew that her pregnancy was going to fly by. Ryan was already almost one and he couldn't believe all that had happened in just one year of his life. "Hey, we wouldn't have been talking about us so much if my mom hadn't been psychic like me," he said with a laugh. When he noticed Kurt roll his eyes slightly, Finn narrowed his eyes at his brother. He didn't know what the hell was going on but he knew that he was getting to the point where regardless if they were on vacation or not he was going to talk to his brother about this. Sure, Kurt made comments sometimes but usually it was teasing. It wasn't with the aggressive attitude that he seemed to have now. When Rachel asked Blaine about his day, Finn knew that there was definitely something wrong between Kurt and Blaine because they definitely weren't their usual selves. "Yeah, I was nervous that he was going to get scared in the pool but he actually really liked it. At first he kind of clung to me like crazy but once he realized that he was safe and I wasn't letting him go, he loved splashing around," he said with a small smile as he brought his gaze down to his son who was in his arms, giggling happily as Rachel made a funny face. "We're gonna bring him to the beach tomorrow, I hope he likes that too. I really want to take him in the water." Carole smiled as she looked between him and Rachel but Finn could tell that his mom was starting to notice that something was off with Kurt and Blaine as well. "Oh, he'll love the beach, Finn. I remember the first time I brought you to the beach. You were so amazed by the sand, you could have cared less about the water. Just make sure you put a lot of sun screen on him. If his skin is anything like yours, he'll get red in ten minutes. I can already tell you forgot sun screen on your face," she said with a laugh. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll wear a hat and sunglasses tomorrow to try and keep my face from getting any worse." When their food arrived, Finn put Ryan back in his high chair beside Rachel before he returned to his seat so he could start eating. Their dinner went nicely aside from Kurt and Blaine off for the whole time and Finn exchanged a glance with Rachel once he finished his food. "Wow, that was amazing," he said with a small smile on his face as he sighed contently, moving his arm to rest along the back of Rachel's chair.

Rachel smiled as Finn talked about bringing Ryan to the beach tomorrow. She was looking forward to it even though she knew that she'd be a crazy mom with the sunscreen and hat and his swimsuit. "Oh, believe me, he's definitely getting a lot of layers of sunscreen on him. I'll be so worried about him, so believe me, he'll be extremely prepared. I already went crazy today just bringing him to the pool. I have a hat for him and a little swim shirt and cute swim trunks, so he'll be protected. I just don't want him to get burned. We won't stay out too long -- I don't want him to get too hot. And I don't want to get too hot, either. The second I start complaining about being hot, Finn will want me to go inside because he'll be worried about me," She said with a soft laugh. As soon as they got their food, Rachel was more than happy to dig in. She was starving, and after all, she was eating for two. She cut up a few really small pieces of her food for Ryan, him gladly picking up the few pieces from the table and popping them into his mouth. After they finished eating, Rachel smiled as Finn put his arm across her chair, leaning into him the slightest bit to stay close to him. Being a bit further away from Ryan, he looked over at her, hitting his hands slightly against the table. "Aw, are you jealous?" She laughed softly, leaning over to grab him before moving close to Finn again and helping Ryan stand in her lap. Rachel held onto his hands and clapped them together before pulling him close and kissing his cheek, her smiling gently over at Carole when she saw her smiling across the table at her and Finn. When she heard a sigh across the table, Rachel really couldn't help an annoyed comment from leaving her lips. She figured that she could at least blame it on her hormones. Usually, Kurt's comments or sighs wouldn't annoy her, but she really felt on edge. "Did Finn and I do something to permanently annoy you, Kurt? I'm sorry, but I feel like every single thing I do is a problem for you. I'm trying to not let it bother me, but I'm just trying to enjoy my vacation with my son and my husband." Rachel sighed after she finished her tiny rant, looking at Ryan in an attempt to calm down and shut herself up. She really wouldn't ever try to confront anyone about anything, especially since she was the one always trying to make peace, but she was tired of Kurt constantly making comments about stupid things that he could just ignore.

Finn smiled as Rachel leaned into him and when Ryan hit his hands against the table, he couldn't help but laugh. "He doesn't want me hogging his Mommy," he said, watching as she grabbed Ryan from his high chair before she settled back against him, Ryan on her lap. "Sorry buddy, she was mine first," he said with a laugh, his heart swelling with love as Rachel pressed a kiss to Ryan's cheek. He loved his family more than anything and he knew that there was nothing that made him happier than seeing Rachel with their son. When Kurt sighed obnoxiously, Finn glared at his brother before he turned to face Rachel when she decided to comment on it. He really couldn't blame her for saying something, especially when Kurt had been like this all day long towards them. He really wasn't sure what him and Rachel had done wrong but he was getting tired of his brother's shitty attitude ruining the mood on their vacation. "Seriously, man. What the hell is your problem?" Finn asked as he looked at his brother across the table. "My problem is that the two of you are obnoxious," Kurt said in annoyance as he looked between the two of them. "Is it possible for you two to act normal for like five seconds? I'm waiting for the day you two announce to us that you're planning on surgically attaching yourselves to each other." Finn narrowed his eyes at Kurt and he saw Blaine run his hand over his face in the corner of his eye. "Just because you want to be miserable doesn't mean you have to take it out on us. We're acting like we always do, I don't know why you're acting so fucking annoyed about it right now." "Finn, language," Carole scolded softly. "Ryan's getting to the age where he'll start to repeat things." Finn sighed and shook his head as he looked at his brother, truly not understanding what the hell was going on in his head. Even if something was happening between him and Blaine, Finn didn't understand why it was being taken out on him and Rachel. "All I'm saying is that I can here to relax and you two are exhausting," Kurt breathed out as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

Rachel sighed. She really just wished that things were different with Kurt. He always was annoyed with them, but they had honestly acted like this since high school. It wasn't like their behavior was any different. However, she knew that since having Ryan, they definitely were a little bit more affectionate than normal. Rachel knew that other couples weren't exactly like her and Finn, but that didn't mean that she was going to stop acting like she was just to please other people. "Then just ignore us, Kurt. I don't know why you make it your mission to bother us with your comments." Rachel said before she heard Carole speak up, obviously trying to change the subject. "So, is anyone planning on getting dessert?" Rachel was happy for the slight distraction, knowing that the conversation with Kurt wasn't exactly one that she wanted to continue over dinner. It definitely was something that they had to talk about in private when they got back home. "We can get something if you want. I'm kind of full, but this baby definitely is making me have a sweet tooth. I'll share something with you if you want something, Finn." She said, looking over at him. "If you don't want any, then I can always get something sent to the room later. I mean, we're in paradise, I may as well enjoy the food as much as I can. Are you going to get something, mom?" Rachel had only recently started calling Carole mom -- and while her actual name still slipped from Rachel's mouth, Rachel knew that Carole liked hearing her call her mom. Rachel was pretty sure that the first time she called Carole 'mom' she got teary eyed. Carole shrugged and nodded, Rachel offering her a small smile. "Okay. Then we can get something. I'm more than happy to get something," Rachel said with a soft laugh. "All I know is that I've definitely gained a few pounds on this trip already. I feel like all I've done this entire vacation is hang out by the water and eat. But I'm definitely not complaining."

Finn immediately felt bad for fighting with Kurt when his mom interrupted the conversation asking if they wanted dessert. She had organized this whole vacation so they could all relax and get away from reality for a little while and he knew that he wanted to enjoy his time with his family as much as possible. "Oh, I see how it is. You try and get me to get dessert even though you know that you're going to eat half of it for me," he said with a laugh as he looked at his wife. "And you're supposed to be gaining weight, you're pregnant. There's nothing wrong with giving the baby what they want." Finn smiled as he looked at Rachel before he leaned over to press a kiss to her lips. "I'll get something and you can have as much of it as you want, baby," he said softly as he pulled away. When the waitress returned to take their dessert orders and clear off their plate, Finn ordered something for him and Rachel before bringing his focus back to her and Ryan. "I think he's gonna sleep really good tonight. He's had so much energy all day today." He smiled as he ran his hand gently through Ryan's soft hair, his smile only growing when Ryan looked at him happily. God, he loved having a son and he knew that him and Rachel just kept falling in love with him and each other more every single day. It didn't take long for their dessert to arrive and when he looked over to Kurt and Blaine he could tell that the two of them seemed utterly uninterested in even being there. "Oh, this is a lot of chocolate," he said with a laugh before he immediately scooped some of the dessert into his mouth. "Oh my god this is so good," he said with his mouth full. "You want a little, Ry? I think you'll really like it." Finn smiled as he held up a small amount for his son and he couldn't help but laugh when Ryan's eyes lit up at the taste of chocolate. "I might have just started an obsession for him, Rach. I don't think he's going to want normal food again after this. I know I don't," he said with a laugh before he scooped more of the dessert into his mouth, getting chocolate on his chin and causing his mom to laugh softly at his child-like excitement for something as simple as chocolate.

Rachel couldn't help but laugh at Finn's comment about Ryan sleeping well tonight. "Oh, definitely. We'll have to keep him awake on the way back to the room, because if one of us is holding him, he's going to pass out. He's really hyper but I can see that he's definitely getting tired tonight. As soon as we get back to the room, we'll just put him down. Because if we don't, he's just going to freak out and start crying because he's so tired." Rachel looked at him with a small smile before starting to move Ryan's arms, trying to keep him as busy as possible. "Babe, if you give him chocolate, he's going to be addicted. I already sneak him some snack food every once in a while and I know he loves it. He's going to devour the cake we get him for his first birthday," Rachel said with a laugh, watching as Ryan eagerly ate the small bit of the dessert Finn had given him. Rachel ate some as well, knowing that this would definitely satisfy her craving. "You have some chocolate on yourself, babe." Rachel moved her hand to his chin and wiped it off with her thumb before wiping it off on her napkin. Obviously, Finn was enjoying the dessert just as much as her and Ryan were. "God, I'm definitely full now." Rachel said as she put her fork down, taking in a deep breath. "That definitely put me over the edge. I don't think I'm going to eat for a year." Rachel paused for a moment before laughing. "That's a lie. I'm going to be hungry a couple of hours from now and I'm going to make Finn get me room service, probably. Oh well."

Finn was relieved that the rest of their family dinner went without incident with Kurt because he knew that it really was the last thing he wanted to deal with when they were supposed to be relaxing. After getting Ryan to sleep early and Finn and Rachel more than enjoying their alone time, it was a new beautiful day on their vacation. He was more than eager to bring Ryan to the beach for the first time to see how their son would react and as they got ready in the hotel room, he couldn't help but laugh. "Baby, how many layers of sunscreen are you gonna put on him? It's starting to turn him white and not even blend into his skin," he said with a laugh as he applied sunscreen on himself as well. "I mean, I know I burn really easily but he's half you and you've always tanned. Maybe he's a combination between the both of us and won't burn as much as I do." He couldn't help but smile as he looked at his wife and son, knowing that he loved his little family more than anything. They were so perfect and he really was so excited to just spend the day enjoying each other's company. Plus, the fact that they didn't have any plans with Kurt and Blaine helped since he really didn't want his brother to kill the mood on what was supposed to be something special for Ryan. "Have I mentioned how sexy you look in this bikini? You know how difficult it is for me to focus when you're practically naked right? I thought you would have learned this lesson from high school," he said teasingly as he moved to sit on the edge of the bed, waiting patiently for Rachel to finish getting Ryan ready so that they could head out.

Rachel was so happy to just be spending the day with Finn and Ryan. It was going to be a first for Ryan, and she knew that she was happy that this would just be something that her and Finn got to witness. She honestly just wanted some family time. "Finn, I realize that he's a part of you and a part of me, but I'm not taking any chances with his skin. If he gets burned, I'll feel horrible. I know that I don't burn, I only tan, but his skin is really sensitive." Rachel put some sunscreen on his ears before sliding on a swim shirt for him and kissing his cheek, making him giggle in response. "And thanks, I'm glad you think I look good in a bikini. And believe me, I'm well aware. If Kurt and Blaine weren't with us the other day on the beach when we were putting on sunscreen, I'm pretty sure we would have been making out on the towel because we can't control ourselves." Rachel laughed softly before putting a sun hat on Ryan and fixing the strap beneath his chin. "There. I'm finished and it didn't even taking me that long. And he's not even mad at me for fussing over him this long." After slipping on some flip flops, Rachel started to walk out of the hotel and towards the beach. Once they arrived, she put their things down onto the sand, still holding Ryan in her arms. "Let's take him to the sand down by the beach. If he goes over here, he's going to burn his feet and I know the heat will scare him and make him cry." She said, offering Finn a small smile. "Isn't this crazy? Giving him these firsts? In a few months he's going to be walking and I know I'm going to cry the second he takes his first steps. It makes me emotional to just know how much he's grown. And now he's going to be going in the water with us for the first time. Here, take him. I know you want to take him in." Rachel said, smiling gently as she handed Ryan over, grabbing onto his legs exposed slightly by his swim trunks. "God, I love his chubby little legs. He's so cute."

Finn watched Rachel with love in his eyes as she got Ryan ready to go to the beach. He loved his little family more than anything and he knew that getting to have a whole day with the two of them was really all he needed. "Look at you, little man. You're all ready to get in that water now," he said with a laugh before he brought his gaze to Rachel. "He could never be mad at you for fussing over him, baby. He's a mama's boy and totally obsessed with you, you know that." Finn grabbed the beach bag with their things before they headed down to the beach and he spread out the blanket in the warm sand. "Very true. We'll introduce him to the nice sand first. Maybe he'll want to make a little sandcastle." It amazed him sometimes that they were really in this place in their lives. They were married and had a son with another baby on the way and Finn couldn't believe it when sometimes he still felt like that clueless eighteen year old and the only thing he knew was that he loved Rachel. "I can't wait until he's walking. You can tell he wants too but it's still a little too much for him. He's standing a little bit though, that's so awesome," he said with a laugh. When Rachel handed him Ryan, Finn smiled before he pressed a few kisses to their sons cheek, causing him to giggle happily. "You hear that, buddy? You've got chubby little legs." He laughed softly as he looked from Ryan to Rachel before he moved his free hand to hook teasingly in the fabric of the bottoms of her bikini. "Come here, beautiful," he said with a playful smirk on his face, pressing a kiss to her lips once she was beside him. "I love you. And I love our babies. If this one's cute, I can't wait to see the next one," he said with a laugh before they started heading down to the water. Finn knelt down with Ryan in his arms just where the water was washing up so that he could get a feel for the sand and water. "Do you wanna put your feet in the sand, Ry?" he asked softly. "Look how pretty the water is." Finn kept his hands under Ryan's arms as he lowered his son's feet to the wet sand and he laughed for a moment when Ryan freaked out for a second, attempting to climb back into his embrace. "Hey, hey, I've got you. It's okay. It's just sand. Look at mommy standing in the sand. See her? She's okay. And you are too, it can't hurt you." It took a few moments before Ryan felt comfortable and once Finn got him to kick his legs against the sand, he couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, I think he's learning to like the sand. Now we just have to get him in the water." Finn gently lifted Ryan back into his arms before he started walking into the water, turning to look at Rachel with a smile. "Look at these little sandy toes," he said with a laugh, tickling Ryan's feet and causing him to squirm in his arms as he giggled happily.

Rachel laughed as Finn also commented on Ryan's legs. "It's good that he's chubby. At least I know he's eating well. And believe me, he is. He's your son, he's definitely eating well. He eats and he's hungry a couple of hours later." Rachel kept close to him as they walked to the water, her smiling as she stepped back for a moment and watched as Finn leaned down with Ryan in his arms to get his feet in the sand. Rachel kept close though, leaning down slightly as well as Ryan started to freak out. Rachel knew he'd be a little weirded out at first, especially because it was a texture that he wasn't used to. "The water is so great, Ry. You're going to love the beach." Rachel said, seeing as he started to like it after a moment. Rachel knew he would -- she loved the beach when she was little, and apparently Finn did as well. Honestly, she couldn't think of a child that didn't love the water. "He'll love it after a few minutes. He just needs to warm up to it all. That's all." It was so nice to just be a family and she loved experiencing this with the both of them. "Sandy toes are my favorite toes." Rachel said, grabbing his foot teasingly and seeing as he laughed from Finn tickling him. "God, I love how happy he is. Here, come on." Rachel said, grabbing Finn's hand that wasn't holding Finn to pull him closer to the water and to the water that was washing up onto the shore. "Let's get him down so he can feel the water. And if he likes it, you can take him in deeper. But not too deep. Because you know me, I'm going to freak out if you take him in too deep." Rachel took him from Finn's arms and held onto his hands to stand him up, trying to get him to at least get the feel of it. She wanted him to walk really badly, but she knew that he wasn't exactly ready. As the water touched his feet slightly, he kicked his legs as Rachel held him up, a soft laugh leaving his lips. "He's so cute." She laughed, smiling as she held onto his hand. "Here, take his hand. I used to love when my dads picked me up over the waves when I was little." She said, smiling up at Finn. "You ready to do all of this over again with another one? I don't want to leave here, but I also can't wait to go home and have an ultrasound and see our other little one. I love going on family vacations. But we can have our own family vacations. We're gonna be a family of four, babe. That's so crazy. Ryan, you're gonna be so big by the time I have your little sibling. You're going to be walking and you'll be saying words... and we'll definitely take you to the beach more, because you definitely love it even if you're a little unsure of it still."

Finn smiled at Rachel as he held Ryan. "Me too. I'll never get tired of seeing how happy and giggly he is." When she grabbed his hand, he looked at his wife with love in his eyes as they headed closer to the water where the waves were breaking. The ocean was calm and peaceful and Finn knew that there really weren't any better conditions than this for introducing their son to the ocean for the first time. "I promise I won't take him too deep in the water, baby. But you don't have to worry about him when he's with us. We'd never let anything bad happen to this kid," he said with a soft laugh before he handed Ryan to Rachel so she could stand their son up in the water. Finn knelt down and when his son looked into his eyes happily, he couldn't help but smile. "You like the water, little dude? I knew you would." As he moved to stand up, he watched the two most important people in his life with love in his eyes. God, he was pretty sure he had never been in a moment as perfect as this. "We definitely have the cutest kid, Rach. This new baby is gonna have a lot to compete against," he said teasingly. When Rachel told him to grab Ryan's hand, Finn did so and he smiled as they lifted Ryan up over one of the waves, causing him to erupt in laughter. "Am I ready? Baby, I can't wait. I'm so excited to have another baby with you. Once we're a family of four we'll wait until they're a little older and we can road trip down to Disney World. It'll be a perfect family trip, just the four of us." As much as Finn was loving this vacation, he definitely felt the same as Rachel. He couldn't wait to go home and see their baby growing. He couldn't wait to finally feel their little one kick for the first time. As they held Ryan's hands, Finn smiled when their son kicked at the water excitedly every time they lifted him up. "Can you believe we have a family, Rach? We made one and a half humans together," he said before a laugh escaped his lips. Ryan squealed happily when the water splashed at his legs and Finn was pretty sure that he couldn't stop smiling if he wanted to. When his son looked up at him and Rachel with a bright smile on his face, Finn felt his heart swell with love at the sight. "Look at you, Ryan. Most kids would be scared but not you. I knew you'd love the beach just like me and Mommy do."

Rachel still couldn't believe that she was going to have another baby sometimes. Other than the morning sickness, she really forgot she was pregnant half of the time. But the second she started showing, she knew that she'd love every single second of it. "That's true, we definitely do have the cutest kid. And I can't wait to go on trips to Disney World and stuff. It's going to be great. While they're a little young, we can just enjoy them at home. Plus, I mean, who knows what could happen in the future. It's just all so amazing." She just couldn't wait to bring their kids on trips and she couldn't wait to go move into a real house and not just an apartment. Owning a house with Finn was definitely something she always dreamed of. As much as she loved the city, it wasn't the best place to raise a child and she didn't want their kids to be in school in the city, either. She wanted them to have a nice school in a nice neighborhood with friends they could visit. "No, I really can't. I still can't believe we have Ryan half of the time. He's just such a good kid and it just makes me so happy to see him like this. He's definitely not scared. He's such a big boy right, Ry? So big and strong." She said, looking at her son with a big smile on her lips. Rachel leaned over to press a kiss to Finn's lips, pulling away before another wave broke gently and she lifted Ryan over it with Finn. "I love you, Finn. I don't want to get sappy, but this kid always makes me really emotional. I just can't imagine where we'd be without you," She said softly, looking into his eyes. "This is just... wow. We're in paradise with our baby and we're going to have another one. This is Ryan's first time at the beach. Isn't that crazy? Our parents did this with us. And now we're doing it with him. He'll never remember this but... but we will, and I guess that's really all that matters. He's going to have the best childhood even if he can't remember a lot of it."

Finn smiled at Rachel as she spoke. After everything that they had been through together, Finn knew that being in this moment with their son and one on the way meant everything to them. He was so excited for what the future held and he knew that they still had so much to experience. They both wanted to buy a house together to raise their family, it was something they had always talked about and while it was a big step, he couldn't wait for it. God, he just couldn't wait to watch their kids grow up with Rachel right by his side through it all. "Yeah, you hear that, buddy? You're big and strong, no wave stands a chance against you," he said with a smile. When Rachel leaned over to press her lips to his, Finn sighed contently into the kiss, smiling as they lifted Ryan over another wave. "I love you too, beautiful. And hey, our relationship is sappy, there's no shame." Finn smiled softly as he looked at his wife, unable to believe that this was his reality sometimes. He was married to the most amazing woman on the planet who he had fallen in love with at the age of sixteen and together they had built a beautiful life together. It wasn't always perfect and they had been through hell and back but despite it all, they had each other. Finn knew as long as they had each other that everything would be okay. "He'll get to look back at the pictures we took and stuff. One day we'll tell him about his first day at the beach and how he loved the waves so much. We'll tell him that his Grandma ruined the surprise about his little brother or sister." Finn smiled at Rachel before he looked down at Ryan who was clinging tightly to their hands as he kicked happily in the water. "I know that you already know it, baby, but I can't imagine where I'd be without you too. All of this... everything we have now - I never could have imagined it feeling this good. I keep thinking it's not possible to fall in love with you even more than I already am but every day you prove me wrong." Finn pressed another soft kiss to her lips before he pulled away slowly, a laugh escaping his lips when Ryan started babbling happily. "You ready to bring him into the water a little bit, baby? Or do you want to wait? Because I know your overprotective mom senses are going to start kicking in," he said with a laugh.

Rachel smiled as Finn spoke, happy to just be experiencing this with him. "That's true. We definitely take too many pictures, so he'll have plenty to look at. Plus a ton of videos. You get a little crazy with the videos sometimes, but it's really cute. I love that you take so many videos of him. And I know you'll be just as bad with our next one." She laughed softly, smiling over at him. "But I know. I just really don't know what would happen if we didn't end up together. I just have thought about so many what ifs and I'm happy that we ended up like I know we should have." As he suggested to bring Ryan into the water, she took in a deep breath. "We can bring him in. But you hold him, okay? You're higher up and I'd be afraid of him getting caught in a wave with me or something. But please be careful even though I know you will be." Rachel picked Ryan up from the very shallow water and stood up, tossing him in the air slightly and smiling as he laughed. "Daddy is going to take you in the water, okay?" She said as she kissed his cheek, him screeching happily as she passed him over to Finn. Rachel moved closer to Finn as she started walking further into the water with him, trying to ignore the nerves that she felt already growing. "I don't even know how I'm going to handle two kids. He already almost gives me daily heart attacks so I can't imagine what it's going to be like with another newborn. My overprotective mom senses are never going to go away." Turning slightly to avoid a wave crashing over her front, she laughed gently and let her hands glide gently over the water as she continued to walk deeper before stopping. "Okay, don't bring him in too deep. I think this is good." She said as she looked up at Finn, offering him a slight smile. "It's your first time in the water, little man. Daddy is going to find every excuse to get you swimming now that he knows you love it." Rachel didn't exactly mind, really. She loved the water too and she couldn't wait to have Ryan experience new things with him now growing older.

Finn laughed softly at Rachel's words. "I can't help but film them a lot, you know? My mom never really had any videos of me and I just want our kids to be able to see how much we loved them. To see all these great moments. Plus, I want to look back at them one day too when they're older." When he asked about bringing Ryan further into the water, he smiled softly when he saw her clearly hesitant about it. "Baby, you know I'll be careful. I'd never let anything bad happen to him. Or you. Or our little baby in there." Finn loved that Rachel was a protective mom because he knew that he was an overprotective parent as well. They loved their son so much and he knew that they would do anything to make sure that he was okay. "I swear, I love seeing you with him," he said with a smile on his face as Rachel lifted Ryan into her arms before handing him over. Finn pressed a kiss to Ryan's cheek and tickled his stomach as they started walking into the water and the further in they got, the more he could tell Rachel was getting freaked out. When a wave crashed in front of them, Finn lifted Ryan over it and he smiled when he giggled happily. He was so relieved that Ryan was happy and having fun because he knew that he wanted the beach to be a good experience for him. He wanted all of the things that him and Rachel loved to be a good experience for their kids. "I won't go too far in, Rach, it's okay," he said as he returned her smile with a small one of his own. "Oh, you bet I'm gonna get him to go swimming as much as I can now. Just wait until we have a house and a pool and he's older, I'll take him swimming all the time." Finn smiled as Ryan kicked his legs through the water and smacked his hand against it, clearly more than excited to be in the ocean with them. "You having fun, buddy?" he asked, laughing softly as he lifted Ryan over a wave which only caused him to grow even more excited. Ryan started babbling happily through his giggles, causing Finn's heart to swell with love before he looked over at Rachel. "We have one happy baby," he said before he brought his focus back to Ryan who was looking up at him with a bright smile on his face. "Are you happy, you crazy boy? You're gonna be worn out today."

Rachel was pretty sure that she was one of those crazy parents who were always constantly worried about their kids and about their family. But she tried not to get too stressed out, especially being pregnant. She trusted Finn with Ryan, but of course, it didn't really matter when she imagined every single possible thing going wrong. "I know you won't, but you know I'll just get way too incredibly freaked out about everything. I'm trying to just let him have fun because I know he's having fun." As she watched Ryan laugh, kicking his legs with a smile on his lips, Rachel couldn't help but feel her heart swell. She absolutely loved her little tiny family and she couldn't wait to add another one. She loved watching Finn with Ryan and she couldn't wait to see him with a newborn. Especially because they knew what to do now and they would better be able to handle everything that was going to happen. "We do have a really happy baby. I'm so happy that he's this happy. I'm sure the next one will be just as happy. We never fight, so he doesn't really know what anger is or what it's like to be upset all of the time." Rachel moved a little closer to Ryan and Finn, her leaning to kiss Finn before running her hand over Ryan's head slightly. "The second we get out of the water and I carry him back, he's going to pass out. It's time for a nap for him anyway, I think. You can see it in his eyes that he's already tired, but he's having too much fun to care," Rachel said with a soft laugh, tickling his stomach slightly and looking up at Finn. "I'm getting pretty tired too but it's just so nice out, you know? I've been having such a good time but I think it's all catching up to me. It's not necessarily a bad thing, though. Not at all. I'm grateful we're even able to be here, especially with Ryan. Well, and your family. Even if there's a little drama. But I think that's expected a little bit. Especially with everyone together for this long."

Finn smiled softly at Rachel as she spoke. They really did provide an amazing environment for their son and he knew that Ryan was going to grow up with a happy childhood. He never wanted his kids to have to worry the way he did when he was little. While he never had dealt with fighting, he had watched his mom struggle in different relationships and he had been fearful during times where they didn't have a lot of money. He was just incredibly grateful that him and Rachel were able to provide their children with a life where those fears didn't have to exist. When she moved closer to him and kissed him, Finn smiled against her lips and looked at her with love in his eyes as she pulled away. "We used to fight when we were younger but I think we just outgrew it. We've been through too much together to ever waste time fighting over stupid stuff." Finn smiled as Rachel interacted with Ryan and he moved closer to his wife before he slipped his free arm around her waist while the other held their son tightly against him. "I'm kind of tired too, honestly. When we get back to the room we should all have a little family nap," he said with a laugh. "As for the drama, I don't know what's going on with Kurt and Blaine but I really hope that whatever it is that they figure it out." Finn sighed contently as he looked from Rachel out towards the ocean, a small smile on his face as he gazed out at the horizon. It truly was beautiful out and he knew that this vacation was certainly what they needed after everything they had been dealing with lately. "I'm just happy that I get to be with my two favorite people. And our new little baby. This is really what we needed." Finn tugged Rachel slightly closer to him and smiled softly as he looked down at his wife and son, more than aware that he was the luckiest person alive to get to have a family as amazing and loving as his.

#wherever you will go

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