Chapter 24

Sunday, September 17th, 2023

Light was streaming through Kurt's bedroom window as Jeff slowly blinked himself awake, tucking his chin down further into Kurt's shoulder. He made a sleepy little noise and shifted around, tucking Kurt closer to his chest. He was almost back to sleep when –

"Aaauuugggh!" he exclaimed, a cold, wet nose and a slimy tongue attacking his face.

Kurt bolted upright, nearly knocking Jeff in the nose with his elbow. "Romeo! Stop it, stop, off, off, off!" he scolded, pulling the fluffy white dog off of Jeff's chest. He and Jeff looked at each other and started laughing.

"Sorry, he's a little enthusiastic in the mornings," Kurt apologized, petting Romeo's head.

"I don't think it's morning anymore," Jeff said, pulling his phone off of Blaine's nightstand to look at the screen. "It's – oh my god, Nick texted me!"

From: Nick

Come over to my place in about half an hour or so?

Blaine said he'd vacate so we could talk.

"Oh my god, he sent it an hour ago – shit, I'm late, he's going to hate me –"

"Jeff, calm down," Kurt laughed. "He knows you guys were out late last night. Just call him and tell him you'll be there soon."

"You call him!" Jeff exclaimed, tossing the phone to him. "I have to shower!" Kurt continued to laugh as he stumbled out of the bed, getting stuck in the covers that he was cocooned in. Finally he freed himself from the offending linen sheet and threw it on the bed in a pile. "Not funny!" he called to Kurt, who was still laughing. "And call Nick, seriously! Please?"

"Fine!" Kurt acquiesced as Jeff shucked his shirt, darting into the bathroom.

He took the fastest shower he could and still come out clean and dried himself frantically, rubbing the towel through his hair. He ran back out of the bathroom, holding the towel around his waist, to dig through his suitcase.

"Kurt, what did he say? What do I wear? I didn't plan for this when I packed –"

"You," Kurt said, pushing him out of the way of his own suitcase, "need to calm down." He began rifling through Jeff's small selection of clothes. "Here," he said, "Wear these jeans, with ... this sweater." He plucked them out of the pile and handed them to Jeff. "Oh, and you might want a pair of these, too," he grinned, throwing a pair of Jeff's boxer briefs at him. "Now get dressed, and I'll accessorize you."

Jeff ran into the bathroom, pulling on his underwear and jeans, then hurried back out as Kurt was digging through his accessory drawer. "Nothing too flashy – you still want to look like you," he muttered, picking through scarves and brooches. "What about the fox tail?"

Jeff raised his eyebrows.

"Okay, no. Umm – oh, what size shoe do you wear?"

"A 12 ..."

"Oh, excellent. Wear these boots – zip them, but don't fasten the buckles – and ..." he paused, rifling through his closet. "This jacket. And if you spill anything on it I swear to god I will make you pay my utilities from now till next July to make it up to me, understand?"

"Um – yeah." Jeff pulled a white t-shirt on before pulling his sweater over his head. "So – did you talk to Nick?"

"He said not to rush. Eat breakfast. Take your time."

"How am I supposed to eat right now?" Jeff asked, throwing his hands in the air.

"Well, that sentiment I actually understand. But can I at least make you a cup of coffee? And for heaven's sake, do something with your hair before you go."

"Hair. Right. Okay. You are the best, Kurt, I owe you –"

"You don't owe me anything," he grinned. "I'm just glad I've got something to be optimistic about. I'll go brew a pot."

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Jeff was flying out the door, the coffee he'd chugged sloshing around in his stomach. His hands shook as he briskly walked the four blocks to Nick's apartment, and he almost turned around and walked back to Kurt's before he finally brought himself to hit the buzzer.

Nick was sitting on his couch when Jeff let himself in, fidgeting with a rubber band, dark circles under his eyes.

"Hey," Jeff said, the air thick with tension. "You okay?" He didn't look okay.

"I'm not sure."

Jeff's stomach felt uneasy as he sat down on the opposite end of the couch. "I, um – before you say anything, can I just come clean about something? If you'd like me to leave after, I can, but –"

"I don't think that's going to happen," Nick said.

"Well, you might want to wait until I say it before you make up your mind." He paused, so nervous that he could hear his heartbeat in his ears. "Um – so – I like you, Nick. Like, I really like you."

"Yeah – I kind of became aware of that last night." Jeff glanced at Nick out of the corner of his eye, and was surprised to see a little smile on his face.

"And I've reallyliked you for a really long time," Jeff admitted.

"How long are we talking?" Nick asked.

Jeff ran a hand through his hair, probably messing it up beyond repair, but he was just so nervous – "Ummmmm ... about fifteen years?"

Nick stared, his mouth agape. "Wow. That's – wow."

Jeff felt a little like he was going to throw up. "I just – I'm normally better at keeping it close to the vest, but I was a little drunk last night, and you were so close, and I just got a little carried away – I'm so sorry if it freaked you out –"

And then his heart stopped, because Nick had scooted closer, gently cupping Jeff's cheek in his hand. "Shhh," he whispered gently. "What if I told you that it didn't freak me out? What if I said I wanted to kiss you again?"

Jeff sucked in a breath. "I think I'd probably be okay with that," he managed, and his eyes slipped shut just as Nick's lips pressed soft against his. He moaned – he couldn't help it, it was just so good – and leaned into it, threading his fingers in Nick's hair. Their lips parted again, and it was Nick this time who licked inside Jeff's mouth, carefully exploring with his tongue. Jeff felt like he was on fire – it was so much better than the night before, without his senses dulled by alcohol and too much noise. He could hear Nick breathing softly through his nose, could feel the strength in his hand where he held Jeff's cheek. He darted his tongue out, sweeping it against Nick's, and this time they both moaned, breaking apart to rest their foreheads against one another.

"You don't have to stop," Jeff whimpered.

"Actually, I've got a few of my own confessions to make," Nick said with a sheepish grin. "Can we talk first?"

Jeff took Nick's hand and held it against his cheek. "Yeah. What do you want me to know?"

"Well – I kind of might be falling for you."

Jeff stared at him, still holding his hand in place.

"I might have already fallen for you, actually," Nick said with a little laugh, casting his eyes down as his neck flushed pink.

"You – what?" Jeff let go of Nick's hand, his eyes growing wide. "You – you –"

"Yeah. It's – kind of been coming on for a while, I think."

"But what –" Jeff was completely, unequivocally dumbfounded. He never thought that he'd hear those words – the most he was hoping for was a 'maybe we'll try this out.' "What does 'a while' mean?"

"My feelings for you have been a little murky for upwards of like six months now," Nick told him. "But – do you want to know a secret? One I've never told anybody before?"

"I'll keep it right here, I promise," Jeff said, picking Nick's hand back up and placing it over his heart.

"I had a crush on you when we were fifteen," Nick said softly. "I was so confused about who I liked and who I didn't, and you were so safe –"

"I'd had a crush on you for a year by then," Jeff murmured. "I can't believe – I could've ..."

"Maybe it's better that we didn't, then. We might not have gotten to be friends for as long as we have."

It was all Jeff could do to keep from kissing him again.

"Anyway," Nick continued, "I was trying to figure out what the hell I liked, so – do you remember that party we had with Crawford County where we got picked to play Seven Minutes in Heaven?"

Jeff actually laughed out loud. "Yeah, of course I do. It's so weird that you mention that –I was just thinking about that last week."

"Do you remember when I asked you if you'd ever kissed a boy, and you said no, and then you left and got that girl – what was her name? Mary or something. Anyway, do you remember that?"

"How could I forget?"

"That was –" Nick stopped, blushing furiously. "That was me asking you for a kiss. I – I wanted to know what it felt like, kissing a boy – kissing you. Whether I liked it or kissing girls better –"

Jeff's eyes widened. "And I walked out on you."

"You did," Nick smiled, "and in walked Mary. I was so disappointed, Jeff. But in she walked anyway, and we kissed, and it was fine. But it was nothing – nothing – like what kissing you turned out to be," he said, freeing his hand from Jeff's grasp to run his thumb over Jeff's bottom lip.

"But – you've always dated girls –" Jeff sputtered.

"Yeah, and I like girls. I don't know if I'm pan, or bi, or what, but – I like what I like, no matter what kind of package it's in. It's just that – you're the only guy I've ever had feelings for, if that makes sense."

"I – I think so –"

"But those feelings?" Nick said, brushing his fingers over Jeff's cheek again. "Once I realized I had them, I also realized that they're stronger than any feelings I've ever had for anybody. Ever."

Jeff shivered under his touch. "How do you know for sure?" he whispered. He was so hesitant to make the leap. If Nick broke his heart, he'd shatter it for good.

Nick smiled, his eyes clear and bright, and Jeff believed him before he even opened his mouth. "Because it's you, Jeff. You're my best friend. You're my favorite person. I just – I don't want to be without you. I don't think I realized what a massive part of my life you are until I moved away."

"So – what are you saying, exactly?" Jeff asked, wanting to be sure. "What do you want?"

"I want us," Nick said, almost shy, looking up at Jeff through his long, dark eyelashes. Jeff was caught, hook, line, and sinker. "I want to try being ... an us."

Jeff felt like all the happiness in the whole world had tried to jump into his chest at once, that his heart would burst with it. "Okay, then," he said, beaming. "Let's try being an us."

They met in the middle this time, lips crashing together. Jeff hadn't realized it was possible to grin and kiss at the same time, but they were managing pretty well. He tried to keep himself from laughing against Nick's mouth, but couldn't help it. "You have no idea how happy you just made me," he murmured against Nick's lips, trailing kisses down his neck. As he paused to pay special attention to Nick's pulse point, he felt a strange tightness around his arms – Nick had him halfway out of Kurt's jacket already. "Hang on," he said, blushing, "if this gets ripped, Kurt might literally kill me."

"Oh, you're borrowing Kurt's clothes, now?" Nick teased. "I didn't know you'd become so fashion forward!"

Jeff blushed. "I just wanted to look nice for you. I wasn't expecting to get a – um – an us out of this weekend when I packed my suitcase."

"You would've gotten an us out of this weekend no matter what you wore, Jeff. And, just so you know, I think you always look nice."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome," Nick grinned. "Now, will you please take off the jacket so I can feel your arms better?"

Jeff let out a bark of shocked laughter, but did as Nick asked. He carefully shrugged the jacket off, blanching at the Vivienne Westwood tag that he'd been in too much of a hurry to see earlier, and hung it delicately over the back of a kitchen chair. When he returned, Nick was grinning widely at him.

"Hi."

"Hi," Jeff smiled back. "So, you're going to think I'm really weird, but can I just do something really fast?"

Nick nodded, a little puzzled, and Jeff carefully took Nick's head in both his hands, leaned over, and dug his nose deep into the silky strands. He inhaled deeply, the fresh scent of Nick's shampoo threatening to overwhelm him. His throat felt tight, like he was about to cry.

Nick laughed underneath him. "You've been smelling my hair for years," he said. "It's never bothered me before."

Jeff pulled back, a little red. "Those were supposed to be covert operations ..."

"Well, I guess it's a good thing you're not a spy," Nick said with a sly look, tugging Jeff into his lap and kissing him again. Jeff let himself get lost in it, tipping his head slightly to the side, giving Nick full access to his mouth. Nick was gripping his biceps, rubbing his thumbs over the soft material of Jeff's sweater, moaning against Jeff's lips. With each low noise Nick made, a little more blood flowed from Jeff's brain to his groin, and it was soon all he could do to keep from grinding down against Nick's lap.

Eventually, Nick broke off with a sigh and pressed his forehead up against Jeff's. "You," he said, his voice soft and gentle in spite of his heavy breathing. "You were right in front of me all along."

"I'm still right in front of you," Jeff said, his voice thick with want. "And don't count on me going anywhere anytime soon."

"It'd break my heart if you did," Nick breathed, pulling him in for another deep kiss.

It was getting to the point where Jeff was feeling sparks all over him, and the jeans that Kurt had suggested that morning were becoming uncomfortably tight. He shifted, his denim-covered cock bumping up against Nick's crotch, and he groaned loudly, then turned bright red.

"I'm sorry," he squeaked, pulling back a little. "It's just been a while since – well, since anything, and –"

"God, don't apologize," Nick moaned as he ran his hands up and down Jeff's thighs. Jeff's eyes nearly rolled back in his head. "Just – you're gonna have to walk me through some of this. I'm, uh, a little new –"

"You need to tell me – and tell me very soon – how much you want me to walk you through today," Jeff said, trying to keep his breathing and his hips under control. "Because –"

"Maybe get off my lap and ask me again," Nick said, his head lolled to the side.

"Right. Yes. Good plan," Jeff said, reluctantly removing himself from Nick's body. "Okay," he continued when he was a safe distance away. "Now. How far are you comfortable going? I don't want to push you – this is so new, for both of us –"

"I – fuck, I want to say we'll go slow, take our time, but – your flight is tonight, Jeff."

Jeff felt a little sick. Amid all the emotional ups and downs and backs and forths, he'd completely forgotten about going home.

"Fuck it. Fuck it, Nick, I'll use a sick day. I can't – I've been waiting half my life for this," he said, his voice desperate. "I'm gonna call and reschedule my flight for tomorrow night. And then I'm going to fake food poisoning on my boss's voice mail. And then – shit, I've got to call Kurt."

Nick's eyes widened. "Wait, you're going back to Kurt's tonight –"

"Well of course I'm not, dummy. What would be the point of calling in sick and rescheduling my flight if I wasn't planning to spend the night with you?" A thrill shot down Jeff's spine as the words tumbled out of his mouth, and he grinned, blushing furiously.

"Okay," Nick said, tucking his head onto Jeff's shoulder. "We'll take things a little slow. Nothing till tonight, and maybe then we can take one thing at a time? See how things go?"

"Sounds good. Except – there's one problem," Jeff said. "What are you going to do with Blaine?"

* * *

To: Kurt Hummel

Hey man, it's Jeff – don't know if you've

got my number in your phone or not.

Anyway, don't expect me back at your

place tonight J

From: Kurt Hummel

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To: Kurt Hummel

One small favor though – no offense to

Blaine, but we'd rather have Nick's place to

ourselves ...

From: Kurt Hummel

On it.

* * *

"Hello, you've reached Rachel Berry, Broadway ingénue and current star of Funny Girl. If you're calling about a part, you can contact my agent, Laura Moorehouse, at L-dot-moorehouse at gmail-dot-com. Otherwise, leave me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thank you, and have a gold star kind of day!"

Kurt rolled his eyes as he waited for the beep.

"Rachel Berry, if you do not pick up your phone, I will come after you with the fire of a thousand suns – you owe me a favor, and it is more important than whatever you're doing right now! This is the fifth time I've called – where are you?"

An hour later, he had his answer.

"Kurt, I didn't appreciate the mean-spirited message I found on my voicemail," Rachel scolded through the phone. "I was getting my bi-monthly mani-pedi, and you know how important that is to me – plus I couldn't answer my phone, my fingers were indisposed when you called."

"Alright, I'm sorry, I know – it's just, you do owe me a favor ..."

"What do you want?"

"I need you to let Blaine stay at your apartment tonight."

"What?" Rachel cried. "Kurt, you know I'm still mad at him!"

Kurt frowned at a loose thread on his jacket. "I know, I know, and on my behalf, too – but don't you think you can get over that for one night? You can stay over here, you don't have to even breathe the same air as him. I don't see what the problem is."

"Why can't he stay at Nick's?"

"Long story," he sighed, "but in a nutshell – Nick and Jeff need some alone time, if you catch my drift ..."

"Alone – what? Nick and Jeff? Ohhhh, a forbidden tryst, I love it –"

"What's so forbidden about it, Rachel?" he asked, rolling his eyes.

"Well – isn't Nick straight?"

"Apparently not as straight as we thought he was ... Jeff told me last weekend that he'd been in love with Nick for years, and he just texted me. It's pretty clear that Nick is reciprocating. So, can Blaine stay at your place so they can have a night together, please?"

"Does he not want to stay with you?" Kurt could almost taste her bitterness.

"I didn't ask him. I – Rach, if he stays one night and then leaves again – I can't do that. If he's coming back, I want him back for good, and I just – I'm not ready to accept any less than that. Please just come over here and let him stay at yours?"

Rachel huffed. "Well, I suppose – but only because I love a good love story. And only if I get details as you find them out. But that doesn't mean I'm not still angry with Blaine."

"Duly noted," Kurt said, a small smile hinting at the corners of his lips. "Thanks, Rach – I'll see you in a little while?"

"Kay. We'll bake cookies and watch movies or something. Tell Blaine I'll leave the key under the mat for him."

"Sounds perfect – you're the best, Rach."

He could hear the hint of a smile in her voice as she answered, "Yes, well, I knew that already, didn't I?"

To: Jeff

It's a go – Blaine can stay at Rachel's tonight.

* * *

Blaine had just pulled his boxing gloves off and was beginning to unwrap his hands when he saw his phone light up on top of his gym bag. Wincing a little as he pulled the wrapping off of a sore knuckle, he stooped to see who it was.

From: Nick

I feel like a jackass for doing this, but things

went really well today with Jeff,and he

rescheduled his flight for tomorrow so we

could have tonight together. So I was wondering,

is there any way you might could stay vacated

after 5-ish tonight?

Blaine grinned.

To: Nick

Sure thing, man! Congrats – that's huge! I guess –

has Jeff talked with Kurt about him not coming

home? Does he know that I'll be coming tonight?

From: Nick

Um, Jeff said something about you staying at

Rachel's? Maybe you should call Kurt for

confirmation?

Blaine stared at the phone, feeling a little numb. He knew they'd talked about going to therapy before living together again, but the fact that Kurt didn't want him there for just one night ...

He dialed Kurt's number.

"Hey," Kurt answered conversationally after a couple of rings. "Have you heard what's going on?"

"I heard that you want me to stay at Rachel's tonight," Blaine said evenly.

"Oh. Um, yeah, I asked her if that would be okay ..." Kurt said hesitantly. "She said it was fine with her.

"Great. That'll be so convenient for me, dragging my suitcase all the way up to Murray Hill." Blaine stuffed his boxing gloves in his bag, but didn't zip it – he might not have been done with his workout after all. "So much easier than coming home where I have, you know, pajamas and shoes."

"Blaine – I thought we talked about this, that neither of us were ready –"

"But one night, Kurt?" Blaine asked, feeling a little anguished. "You can't stand to be around me for one night?"

"I –" Kurt stopped. "I just – if it's not for good then I can't – Rachel promised me a movie night," he finished dumbly.

Blaine dragged his fingers through his sweaty curls. "No, no, that's fine. I wouldn't want to inconvenience you. I don't mind carting a suitcase all over creation while two of my best friends fall in love with each other –"

"May I remind you," Kurt said testily, "that you are the one who left in the first place?"

"Yeah, and you're never gonna let me forget it, are you?" Blaine muttered into the phone, getting the roll of gauze back out of his bag.

"I – Blaine, I thought we were a little better."

Blaine closed his eyes, holding the phone on his shoulder as he began to roll the gauze around his wrist. "I thought we were too. Which is why I was a little surprised to hear that I'd be staying at Rachel's. Isn't she mad at me, anyway?"

Kurt sighed. "She is. I'm sorry, Blaine. I didn't realize it would hurt your feelings –"

"Well, it did." Blaine stood, his hand on his hip, and bit his lower lip. "It really did, Kurt."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah. Me too. Look, I was in the middle of a workout – I'll talk to you later, okay?" Blaine looked at the heavy bag, still swinging on its rope a little, and wanted nothing more than to punch it until his fingers ached.

"Okay. I really am sorry, Blaine."

"I know you are. Tell Rachel I say thanks for letting me breathe her air even though she hates me right now, okay?" He tried to keep the sarcastic tone from his voice, and wasn't sure how successful he was.

"Yeah, will do. I love you?"

The fact that Kurt posed it as a question might have hurt Blaine more than being sent to Rachel's house for a night.

"Yeah. I love you too."

He threw the phone in his bag along with his boxing gloves, which he left off his hands against his better judgment. The darkest part of his mind wanted to see his knuckles swell, bleed, a visible expression of the pain he felt inside. He wondered, as he began to punch the bag in an angry frenzy, if Kurt would even notice the next time they saw each other.

* * *

"So, this has been a better day than I thought it'd be," Jeff grinned as he pulled a soft, light blue sleep shirt over his head.

"How so?" Nick asked, a coy twinkle sparkling in his eye as he watched his best – no, his boyfriend change into his pajamas.

"Oh, I don't know," Jeff said, sauntering around Nick's bed to wrap his arms around Nick's middle. "I thought today would be a sad goodbye and a late plane ride. But I was wrong."

"Mmm, you were."

"There was the whole us thing ..."

"There was," Nick agreed, leaning back against Jeff's chest, warm and happy in his arms.

"...And then there was the walking through Central Park, drinking pumpkin spice lattes and holding hands thing ..."

"That was nice."

"...And then there was the kissing." Jeff brushed his lips against the rim of Nick's ear. "That part was my favorite," he breathed.

"Mmm, mine too," Nick murmured, tipping his head back and catching Jeff's lips against his own. "Let's have more."

Nick turned around as Jeff deepened the kiss. He draped one arm around Jeff's neck and reached with the other hand to click the light off, shrouding them in violet twilight. They swayed slowly together in the shadowy room, learning each other's mouths all over again. Nick trembled under Jeff's tender touch as he slowly began to guide Nick backwards toward the bed.

"I never even dreamed," Jeff said breathily, his eyes fluttering open as Nick's knees hit the side of the mattress, "that I'd ever be able to have this, with you."

"You do, though," Nick said. He smiled softly, sat down, scooted toward the headboard. "Come here."

His heart pitter-pattered in his chest as Jeff crawled toward him, and they both sighed blissfully as their lips met again. It was exhilarating, kissing Jeff in his bed, knowing the potential of what might come next. Jeff's long, thin frame hovering over him was the stuff his admittedly confusing dreams had been made of lately, and as he gazed up at the lean muscles rippling in Jeff's arms as he held himself inches above Nick's chest, he felt a surge of desire stronger than he'd ever felt before.

"Take this off?" he asked, playing with the neckline of Jeff's sleep shirt between his fingers. "Please?"

Jeff grinned, sliding his shirt off over his head in one fluid motion, and Nick stared up at him, the thin line of blonde hair that descended into his shorts from just below his navel, his flat, toned stomach with deliciously visible abs, his perfect brown nipples peaking on his strong chest. "God, you're gorgeous," Nick breathed, wanting.

"Well, thanks," Jeff said, glancing down at his bare chest.

"No, seriously, Jeff – has anyone ever told you before? How perfect you are?"

Jeff blushed. "I wouldn't say perfect ..."

"Well, I would," Nick said as he ran his open palms down Jeff's arms. "You're so beautiful, Jeff."

"I –" Jeff started, then paused, blinking fast, and Nick swore his eyes were watering.

"Hey, hey, shhh," Nick said, reaching up to swipe his thumb under Jeff's eye as a single tear emerged. Worry began to cloud his otherwise blissful disposition – had he said the wrong thing? Had he somehow offended Jeff, calling him beautiful instead of handsome or hot or cute or something? "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to upset you –"

"Say it again," Jeff interrupted.

"What?"

"I want to hear you say that again," Jeff said firmly, though his cheeks and neck were crimson. "I – I never thought I would, and –"

"Oh, Jeff, you're beautiful," Nick said, his voice full of reverence as he stared up into Jeff's eyes. "I'll say it as many times as you want to hear it."

"Then say it one more time," Jeff murmured, bending at the waist to take hold of the hem of Nick's t-shirt.

"You're beautiful, Jeff, and god, I want you so bad –"

"Off," Jeff said as he yanked at Nick's shirt, and Nick sat up a little, raising his arms as Jeff pulled it off over his head.

He felt heady with the skin-to-skin contact that made his stomach flip-flop as Jeff lowered them both back down, this time settling some weight on top of Nick. Jeff was barely pressing him into the mattress, but something about being held in place by Jeff's body was igniting a fire inside of Nick. "Kiss me again?" he practically pleaded.

Jeff made a pleased little noise, his hands exploring Nick's bare shoulders as he lowered his mouth. The moans came quicker this time, their bare chests brushing against each other and their thin shorts not leaving much to the imagination. Nick felt his nipples stand at attention as Jeff playfully grazed his fingers over them, and when he lowered his head and mouthed over one of them, licking in a lazy circle around it, Nick's cock throbbed.

"Mmmmm," he sighed, "do that again."

Sparks of pleasure shot through him as Jeff did so, lightly sucking, and Nick wondered briefly if it was possible to come just from that. But then Jeff shifted into a more comfortable position, and that thought flew away as fast as it had come, for as Jeff moved, Nick could feel the unmistakable press of Jeff's erection into his thigh. "Jeff," he grunted, rubbing his leg up against it to see what kind of reaction he could incite.

And it was quite a reaction indeed – Jeff groaned low in his throat, shifting his hips so that his and Nick's matching erections lined up. "Oh, fuck," Nick murmured as Jeff experimentally rocked forward.

"Good?" Jeff asked, his voice gravelly.

"God, yes," Nick whispered, canting his hips upward to try and get more contact. He grasped at Jeff's bare back and pulled him closer. Locking his lips on Jeff's neck, he sucked lightly, trying not to leave any marks. Jeff's eyes slid shut, his lips barely parted, and Nick thrust up harder.

"Do you – um, I'm not sure how much you're comfortable with," Jeff said, suddenly sounding nervous, as he opened his eyes, "but if you want to –"

"If I want to what?"

Jeff's couldn't look at him as he said it. "Take our shorts off?" he asked, looking down at the sheet now crumpled around them.

"Yes," he said emphatically. "Yes, I want to do that –"

He'd seen Jeff naked before. Plenty of times, in fact. But this – this was different. He sat up, scooting his hips back, and played with the waistband on Jeff's shorts. "May I?"

Jeff nodded his head erratically, groaning as Nick carefully slipped his fingers under the elastic band. Nick quickly ran his hands over Jeff's ass before carefully sliding the shorts down his hips, careful not to catch his cock as he went. He sat and stared as Jeff kneeled before him, cock curving upward toward his belly.

"Is this weird for you?" Jeff asked, blushing furiously. "If it's weird –"

"It's not," Nick said quickly, staring unabashedly. The first thing he noticed was that Jeff was – well, large. Nick might had seen Jeff naked before, but he'd never seen Jeff naked with an erection, and – wow. He was a little thicker than Nick was, and longer by at least an inch, maybe even two. His heart began to thump harder in his chest – how was that ever going to fit –

Stop. He was getting ahead of himself. They weren't there yet – hadn't even talked about it, and wasn't that something one would need to discuss first? Who wants to top, who wants to bottom, what –

"Hey, you still with me?" Jeff asked gently, cupping Nick's face in his hand, tilting his head so that he was looking in Jeff's eyes. "Are you sure this isn't weird?"

"Yeah – yeah, sorry. You're just – wow. I thought I knew everything about you but – I guess you were hiding something ..."

Jeff blushed even brighter red. "Um, well – how would one go about saying that, exactly? Hey, you don't know this about me, but I get extra-large hard-ons? It's not a conversation you just have, you know ..." Nick laughed, and Jeff huffed out a sigh. "You are not naked enough."

"I'm not," Nick agreed. "Care to oblige?"

Jeff stripped his shorts down in one smooth motion as Nick hoisted his hips off the bed, and he kicked them off, trying not to avert his eyes as Jeff studied him.

"You are perfect," Jeff declared after several seconds. He pushed on Nick's shoulder, nudging him back down toward his pillow. "Now, um –" he said, "what, um –"

"I just – I want to feel you for a minute," Nick blurted out, and Jeff smiled graciously, lining their cocks up again. Nick gasped loudly when Jeff's hips moved, and their soft, velvety skin rubbed against one another. "Oh my god –"

It was a sensation that he'd never felt before, his own cock rubbing up against another – no, up against Jeff's. He tried to concentrate at first, to memorize the feeling, because he never wanted to forget. But he soon gave up – it was too hard, thinking about it, when he just wanted to feel. He closed his eyes, let his mouth hang just a little agape, and allowed his hips to take over.If getting off with his boyfriend was a religion, well, he'd just become a convert.

"We can't do this for too much longer or it'll start to chafe," Jeff said after a few more thrusts that had Nick's head spinning.

"Fuck, Jeff, you want me to stop?" Nick gasped.

"We need lube," Jeff continued, "or – if it's okay –"

"What, what, anything," Nick moaned, his fingers curling into the sheets as he tried to still his stuttering hips.

"I'd really like to blow you," Jeff said shyly.

* * *

Blaine couldn't sleep. He was miserable in a foreign bed, surrounded by foreign walls, feeling alien and out of place. He didn't belong there. He knew it sounded ridiculous after having slept on Nick's couch for so long, but Rachel's loft was a girl's loft, through and through. The makeup and the bottles of nail polish and the flowers on her boudoir caught the light coming through the window, casting strange shadows on the wall that seemed to loom over him like ghosts. He'd brought his own pillow, but it didn't matter – Rachel's whole bed smelled like girl. The only thing he wanted to smell when he slept was Kurt.

With a sigh, he got out of bed, his bare feet lightly slapping the hardwood floors as he made his way to the large window that looked out over the city.

This is your fault, a voice in his head said, quiet but insistent. If you'd never left Kurt in the first place –

"No!" he said out loud, shaking his head. If I hadn't left, he thought, I would've gone crazy.

Listen to yourself. You're talking to a voice in your head, the voice said. You're already crazy.

I'm getting help, he told himself. I'm going to therapy, I'm getting help ...

Which solidifies the fact that you're crazy, the voice said. You hate yourself.

Blaine blinked, perching on Rachel's windowsill. I hate myself, he agreed. I do. But I don't want to feel like this anymore ...

Good luck with that, the voice said sarcastically. Kurt's all but given up on you. Pretty soon he'll be the one with the divorce papers, especially if you keep up this talking to yourself thing. You're lazy and you're worthless and what kind of parent did you think you'd be anyway? It's probably better that Violet got taken away from you ...

Blaine hung his head, hot tears stinging his eyes.

Your own family doesn't even care about you. When's the last time you talked to your mom? Would she even recognize your voice if you called her? And what would your dad say about this, sitting in a window, crying like a girl?

I'm getting help, Blaine thought, pulling his knees to his chest. I'm getting help and I'm going to stop hating myself and Kurt still loves me – he still loves me –

No he doesn't. Just text him, see what happens, the voice said, using Blaine's own sarcastic tone.

Fine, Blaine thought angrily, brushing tears from his eyes. Fine, I'll prove it, and then "will youshut the fuck up?" he shouted out loud. He sighed, looking up at the ceiling, wiping a hand over his face. "I really am crazy."

He got out his phone and stared at it for a long time before hesitantly typing a message to Kurt. Wednesday, the day of his first appointment with Dr. Jacobson, couldn't come fast enough.

* * *

Nick's eyes widened. Had Jeff just asked if he could blow him? "Wh – what?"

Jeff smiled, a wicked little twinkle in his eye. "I want," he said, "to give you a blowjob."

"You – yes," Nick sputtered, "yes, yes, god – please –"

Nick watched in awe as Jeff snaked his body backwards down Nick's chest and abdomen, hovering over his groin. His cock was hard and heavy, one drop of pre-come gleaming on the very tip.

"I can't believe this," Jeff murmured, gently caressing his fingers up and down, making Nick's hips jerk. "I don't think you understand," he said, looking up with a very serious expression. "I don't think – I never thought –"

"Jeff –" Nick said. "Look at me."

Jeff did.

"I know you've waited forever for this, and I'm sorry I made you wait so long, but do you understand – I got off twice last night because of you. Once right before I went to sleep, and once right after I woke up from this dream –"

"You dreamed about me?"

This time Nick flushed bright red. "Um, yeah," he said, remembering how dream-Jeff had held his arms down and his legs far apart as he fucked him raw. When he woke, he was already touching himself, hovering on the edge, and when he came, he had to bury his face in his pillow to keep from waking Blaine up. "Yeah, you could say that. You, um – well, it was really, really hot –"

"So you – fantasize about me?" Jeff asked.

"I tried not to, at first," Nick said. "But – what can you do? You're hot, we were close, I liked you – my brain goes where it wants to go, apparently. Do you – did you fantasize about me?"

"I –" Jeff paused. "Is this going to freak you out?"

"Considering I'm about to have my cock in your mouth, no, probably not," Nick grinned.

"Since I was fifteen. I've been fantasizing about you since we practically met," Jeff said. "You were just so hot, god –"

"And now?" Nick asked, his voice low.

"Fuck, Nick," Jeff said, coming up to plant a searing kiss on his lips. "You're – you're like my Adonis – your fucking body –"

"And do you still fantasize about me?" Nick murmured, gasping as Jeff's fingers began to stroke over his cock again.

"I've imagined this moment about a hundred times," Jeff said. "But – nothing compares, this is – you're real, Nick –"

Nick grinned. "I'm very real. I'm also very horny. And I would very much like that blowjob, if you're still interested ..."

"Oh, I'm very interested," Jeff grinned. He drifted back down, flicking his tongue out of his mouth to catch the pre-come on the tip of Nick's cock. Nick's eyes slammed shut as Jeff's lips slipped over the head and when he swirled his tongue around it, all the air left Nick's lungs. It was bliss, it was heaven, it was perfect, it was indescribable, being enclosed in Jeff's warm-wet mouth. Then Jeff began to sink, lower and lower and lower until his nose was buried in the soft bed of curls at the base of it. Nick kept waiting for him to gag, to pull off, but he never did.

"Oh my god," he moaned as Jeff sucked and swallowed around him. He was torn – he wanted to watch Jeff bob up and down expertly between his legs, but he was fighting against his body and his instincts, to arch deeper into Jeff's mouth, to throw his head back with the sheer ecstasy of it. His entire body was buzzing, fingers and toes tingling, blood rushing red-hot into Jeff's cavern of a mouth. Finally he gave into his body, clutching at his sheets, at the rails on his headboard, arcing his back. He had never had a blowjob that felt like this.

"Oh my god –"

Jeff slid off with a lewd smack and grinned at him, his lips wet and shiny with saliva. "I may have failed to mention that I give really good head."

"No shit," Nick panted.

"You can, uh, move, if you want to. It's not going to – I mean, I can take it."

Nick tried not to whimper. "Okay."

Jeff slithered back down, this time teasing him, licking in long strokes and never giving him full satisfaction. Nick knew that he was making all sorts of embarrassing noises, whines and grunts and moans, but he couldn't bring himself to care as his hips stuttered off the bed, seeking Jeff's mouth.

Finally Jeff obliged, reaching up to graze his fingers over Nick's nipples as he sucked Nick's cock into his mouth. Nick experimentally thrust his hips upwards, pulled back, thrust again, and his eyes nearly rolled back in his head as Jeff took it without a flinch.

"Fuck, Jeff, this might not last very long ..."

Nick quickly devolved to groans and grunts as he rocked his hips up and down off the bed and into Jeff's deliciously wet mouth. He let his body take over – he was so close, so close when suddenly Jeff pulled off with a little pop.

Nick whined – he couldn't help it, he needed Jeff's mouth, he needed –

"I want to try something," Jeff said, his eyes wide and hungry. "It's not – I'm not going to do anything, I'm just going to see –"

"Anything," Nick begged, "just – please, Jeff ..."

Jeff picked up right where he left off, sucking and swallowing and bobbing his head, and Nick felt the familiar warmth pooling again, when – "Oh my – fuck –"

Jeff's finger was grazing back behind Nick's balls, around his perineum and his hole, and with a gentle press of one finger in just the right place – he didn't even have to press inside – Nick saw sparks. Every muscle and nerve in his body ignited as pleasure coursed through his limbs, his chest – he could have sworn in that moment his hair felt good.

"Fuck, fuck, Jeff –" he said, grabbing his shoulder, "I'm almost – shit – if you want to pull off, do it now ..."

He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but he knew he wasn't expecting for Jeff to pull off for a brief second, asking, "Are you crazy?" before doubling his efforts, sucking harder, bobbing faster, his finger still circling Nick's hole. Lights flashed in Nick's closed eyes, and his toes curled as he swung on the precipice of climax. Jeff's finger was driving him insane. "Oh my god," he gasped, pistoning his hips up and down. "Yeah, yeah –"

Jeff tossed his one free hand up to Nick's chest in an impressive display of balance, his middle finger and thumb rubbing over both Nick's nipples simultaneously. "Holy shit," he moaned, slamming his cock into Jeff's mouth as Jeff moaned around it. And with one more particularly hard rub over both his nipples, he groaned loud and as his body fell over the edge. He shot into Jeff's mouth and Jeff sucked and swallowed him through it, still moaning around his cock.

Finally Jeff released him and his head fell back to the pillow. He felt like he was floating, breathing fast and heavy.

"God you taste amazing," Jeff groaned, sounding a little hoarse, and if Nick had been sixteen, that's all it would've taken for him to be hard again. As it stood, he could barely catch his breath. "Was that good?"

"Holy shit," Nick said, letting out an embarrassingly high-pitched giggle. "I mean – damn."

Jeff grinned brightly. "Good. I, um, I don't want to be crude, but –" he gestured to his own cock, leaking and red and huge, "do you mind if I ..."

Nick stared at him. "More like, do you mind if I..."

"Oh," Jeff said dumbly. "Oh. If you want to ..."

"Get up here. One of these days, you're going to teach me how to do what you just did, but tonight ..."

"No," Jeff said, crawling up beside Nick, "god, I don't want you to feel obligated –"

Nick looked at Jeff, raising his eyebrows. "Believe me, obligation is the last thing I'm feeling. Here, lean back."

Jeff blushed, sitting between Nick's legs as he was directed, leaning back against his chest. Nick reached into his dresser drawer, grabbed a bottle of lube and slicked up his hand.

"Please don't base any expectation of future performance on this," Jeff said, his head dropping back to Nick's shoulder. "I think I'd come if you breathed on me right now –"

"Mmm, that would be a fun experiment," Nick murmured, closing his hand around Jeff's cock. It was huge in his hand, and jerked a little as he slid his hand down to the base. "Fuck, Jeff," he whispered as Jeff let his knees fall to the sides, putting more of his weight on Nick's chest.

"Fuck is right," Jeff murmured. "This is like – you don't even know –"

"Shhh," Nick whispered again, closing his mouth over Jeff's neck, lightly sucking as he slid his hand up and down, up and down. He brought his other hand up, doing the same thing to Jeff's nipples as he'd done to his, rubbing at them simultaneously with his thumb and middle finger. Jeff groaned, panting in his arms.

"I'm so close already – I'm sorry –"

"Don't be sorry," Nick murmured, keeping up a long, slow pace with his hand, trying to memorize the feel of Jeff's cock. "Nothing to be sorry for."

After just a few strokes, Jeff began to tremble in his arms. "Oh my god," he intoned, "oh my god, Nick..."

Nick never sped up, just continued the torturous drag of his hand as he felt all the muscles in Jeff's body begin to tense. Jeff began thrusting up into Nick's hand, moaning louder and louder and yeah, Nick was really glad that Blaine wasn't in the next room.

"Fuck, fuck," Jeff gasped, his hips jerking harder.

"Come on," Nick murmured, "come on ..." He nipped lightly at Jeff's ear, keeping the same slow pace, and Jeff threw his head to the side.

"God, ahh, ahhhhhhh," Jeff groaned, his hips snapping up twice more before he came all over Nick's hand and his own stomach. His mouth went slack and he slumped back against Nick, who slid his arm around Jeff's chest, holding him close. He took a few minutes to come down, then blinked open his eyes and smiled sleepily.

"Hi."

"Hi, yourself," Nick grinned.

"You're amazing," he murmured, and Nick's heart had never felt so warm.

"Yeah? Same goes for you," Nick said, kissing the top of his head. "It's weird that this doesn't feel weird."

"Feels right."

"Mmm," Nick agreed. "I'll be right back."

He clambered out from behind Jeff's back and padded to the bathroom, humming softly as he dampened a washcloth. When he glanced back at the bed, Jeff was nearly asleep already, his eyelids heavy and his breathing slow. He smiled softly, then looked back at himself in the mirror. His cheeks were flushed, his hair was a wreck, and his eyes held the unmistakable light of someone in love. He looked happy.

Once the washcloth was wrung out, he ambled back to bed, sitting on the edge next to Jeff, who was sprawled on his back.

"I can't believe I missed out on you for so many years," he said, gently cleaning Jeff's stomach off with the cloth. "You were right in front of me, and I never realized –"

"Shhh," Jeff whispered, bringing his forefinger up to cover Nick's lips. "No talking. Sleep time."

Nick grinned and climbed into bed once Jeff was clean, tugging him against his chest and tucking his down comforter over both their unclothed bodies. "You're right. Sleep time with me. I'll see you in the morning, 'kay?"

"'Kay," Jeff said happily, curling closer to Nick's chest. "Night."

"Night, Jeff." Nick waited until his boyfriend was asleep to whisper softly in his ear. "I think I love you."

* * *

"Blaine, where are you? I can hear you – I'm trying to find you, but you have to tell me where you are!"

Kurt's in a forest, dark and dank and woodsy. The full moon above casts shadows on the ground, distorting his vision – why can't he see? – making him jump and his heart pound.

"Kurt!"

Blaine's voice echoes through the woods – it shouldn't echo like that, there aren't any mountains, there's no canyon, nothing that should cause that kind of acoustics, but Blaine's voice is all around him. He sounds scared. He sounds like he's crying.

"Blaine, I'm coming!"

Keep going. Just keep walking, you'll find him, keep going.

He's so tired. So slow. Why is he so slow?

Finally he comes to a clearing, a wide valley shaped like a bowl that might be pretty during the day but is positively terrifying at night – there's something dark down there, and –

"KURT!!!"

Go. Run. Can't run fast enough, legs feel like lead, can't get there, oh god, don't hurt him –

Blaine is cowering, arms up over his head, face twisted – Kurt can see tears falling from his eyes.

There's nothing there.

"Blaine?"

"Kurt, HELP ME!" Kurt's never seen him so terrified, so frightened in all his life, has never heard him scream like that. It's like he's being tortured by something invisible, something terrible that Kurt can't even see. He rushes toward him, needing to hold him, needing to gather him up, and – BAM.

It's like Kurt has run into a wall of glass.

"Blaine!"

"Please – please help me, I can't –"

Blaine's desperate now, and Kurt watches, helpless, as his eyes widen, a look of sheer terror washing over his beautiful face, and –

Kurt gasped, sitting straight up in bed, clutching his chest. He couldn't get enough air, breathing hard and heavy as Rachel let out a tiny snore and snuggled deeper into the blankets beside him.

"Okay," he whispered. "You're okay. Just a nightmare."

He glanced over at his nightstand, his heart pounding, and saw his phone lit up – it must've buzzed and woke him. Normally he'd be annoyed at a text or a call at two in the morning, but he was thankful – whoever sent it kept him from seeing the ending of that particularly horrible dream.

But when he looked at the screen and saw the message there, his heart threatened to beat right out of his chest.

From: The Husband

I need help.

He stumbled out of bed into the living room, fingers fumbling with the phone, trying to dial the number. He'd started to cry at some point, the dream so scary, so fresh on his mind, so horrifically close to what Blaine had texted to him.

Please be okay, he silently begged as the phone rang in his ear, please be okay until I can get to you ...

"Kurt?"

"Oh, thank god you're there, Blaine," he said, two huge lungfuls of relief whooshing out of his body. "Are you okay? Do you need me to come get you? Are you at Rachel's?"

"Kurt, I – I don't know what's wrong with me, I –"

The fear in Blaine's voice was enough to spur Kurt into action – he darted back into the bedroom, pulling out a hooded fleece jacket and slipping on a pair of Blaine's flip-flops.

"Okay, honey, just breathe – just tell me what's going on." Kurt grabbed his keys and ran out the door, skipping the elevator and darting down the four flights of stairs.

"I just – I don't know, I feel crazy." Kurt could practically see him pacing around Rachel's loft. "I keep – there are these voices, but it's me, Kurt, I'm telling myself all these awful things, and it's like there are two parts to my brain, and – oh my god, I'm schizophrenic –"

"Hey, hey, calm down," Kurt said as gently as he could while still running down the street. He realized that he hadn't left Rachel a note, and promised himself that he'd text her when he got to her apartment. "You aren't schizophrenic, okay? I talk to myself all the time."

"But these – these are awful things," Blaine said, his voice shaky. "Like – Kurt, I feel like I hate myself –"

"No, no Blaine – there's nothing in you to hate, nothing, please don't say things like that."

"Kurt – I need you," he said in a very small voice.

"Okay, honey, I'm coming," Kurt assured him, his heart breaking. "I'm on my way – goddammit, why does Rachel have to live all the way in Murray Hill – I'll be there as soon as I can. Just – hang on for me, okay? I'll lose signal on the subway ..."

Kurt hightailed it down the escalator and managed to catch the 2:25 train just before the doors closed. And then he waited.

It was twenty-six minutes of hell on earth, with no way to make sure that Blaine was alright, Kurt's nightmare playing on loop in his head. He couldn't get Blaine's terrified face out of his mind.

Finally, after going through every scenario of finding Blaine dead in Rachel's apartment that he could think of, he arrived at his stop.

He flew out of the subway, up the escalator, and called Blaine back as he ran down the sidewalk. His heart hammered as the phone rang once, twice, three times ...

"Kurt?"

"Oh, thank god," he breathed. "Okay, I'm almost there. Blaine, please be honest with me – how much have you had to drink tonight?"

Blaine was quiet for a moment. "Drink? I – nothing. I'm just – my own brain is scaring me –"

"You didn't drink?"

"No – god, I feel so dumb, Kurt, you didn't have to –"

"Shut up. Shut the fuck up, Blaine," Kurt said, tears stinging his eyes again. "I did have to. You say you need me, I come, end of statement. I don't care how mad I am or how mad you are or –" He broke off, realizing how sharp his tone was getting. "I'm sorry, that was harsh," he said. "I just – you scared me, honey, I – I'm almost there."

"Okay."

Kurt sprinted the last quarter-mile, pressing his hand to the stitch that was forming in his side, cursing himself for letting himself get so out of shape.

When he arrived at Rachel's loft, he let himself in with his copy of her key and ran up the three flights of stairs.

"Blaine?" he said as he burst through the door, still fearing the worst in spite of the fact that Blaine was still on the phone with him.

"Hi," Blaine said, sniffling a little. He was crouched in the shadow of Rachel's fireplace, and it made Kurt sick to his stomach, how similar his posture was to the posture of the Blaine in his dream.

"Oh, Blaine, honey," Kurt said, rushing over and crouching next to him. Relief flooded his entire system as he pulled Blaine into his arms, letting him cry into his jacket – he was here, there was no invisible barrier keeping him from his husband, he could do something. "It's okay, you're okay."

"I feel so stupid," Blaine said, chuckling a little as he clung to him tightly. "I'm sorry I got you out of bed for this ..."

"I'm not," Kurt said, burying his nose in Blaine's curls. "God, you scared me."

"I'm sorry. I just – I felt so out of control, like my brain was split in half – it was like my evil twin or something, just like tormenting me –" Kurt squeezed his eyes shut, trying to ward off the tears as he thought of his dream. Blaine being tortured by something invisible. Screaming for help. "I just hate myself so much sometimes that the rational part of my brain doesn't work –"

"Why do you hate yourself?" Kurt asked.

"I'm weak. I'm too emotional. I'm lazy – I sit around doing nothing all day, Kurt. I'm basically useless. And – I left you. You needed me and I left, and if that doesn't make me hate myself, well ..."

"You did leave me," Kurt told him. "And it hurt, really, really bad. But you didn't leave because you were walking out on me. You left because I hurt you, too."

Blaine contemplated this for a moment. "Why didn't you want me?" he eventually asked, looking up at Kurt with big, sad eyes. "Tonight – why didn't you want me with you?"

"I – Blaine –"

"Do you still love me? Because I – I don't know if I would love me. Hell, I don't love me..."

"Of course I love you, honey," he said, brushing a hand through Blaine's rumpled curls. "But I'm – I can't watch you leave again. I'm so tired of us being broken, and I'm afraid that if we try to live in the same place again, we'll just go right back to where we were. I just want to get some help, so we can figure out how to do it right. And – I'm here now, aren't I?"

Blaine's face twisted as a fresh onslaught of tears overtook him. He fell face-first into Kurt's chest, and Kurt slid his arms around Blaine's back.

"Will you stay with me?" Blaine asked, very quietly.

"You know I'd never leave you like this."

"I'm so sorry –"

"Shhh, there's nothing to be sorry for," Kurt said. "Come on." He led Blaine to Rachel's bed and climbed in, gesturing for him to slide in as well. "I'll keep the voices away from you, and you can keep the nightmares away from me."

"Are you having bad dreams?" Blaine asked as he curled up beside Kurt.

"Hopefully not anymore." He paused, tucking his arm around Blaine's middle. "What's that poem you used to tell me when I'd have nightmares back in college?"

He heard Blaine's breath hitch just slightly before he answered. "Tie your heart at night to mine, love, and both will defeat the darkness," Blaine murmured, "like twin drums beating in the forest against the heavy wall of wet leaves."

Kurt pulled his arm tighter around Blaine. "Yes. That one. Tie your heart to mine, love, tonight, okay?"

Blaine nodded, turning in Kurt's arms and burying his face in Kurt's shoulder. "If you'll tie yours to mine, too."

"I promise," Kurt whispered. "Goodnight, husband. I love you."

Blaine's voice broke again as he replied. "Goodnight, husband. I love you, too."