A/N: So, this is it! The end of this (particular) story. Everyone seems excited to hear that this has turned into a whole 'verse in my head, & I will definitely be writing more at some point. I'm iffy about it myself, but that's from a writing viewpoint, because I didn't expect this story to take over my brain. But anyway. There will be copious "end notes" following the story - I won't bore you by putting them up here. Go, read, and then let me know how much you hate me for this particular ending. ;P I apologize to anyone who wanted cuddles, there are none. Well... do verbal cuddles count?

Kurt found himself staring at his digital clock, reading 7:22, without remembering actually waking up. It took him a little while to understand that he was looking at the time, and it must be morning. It took him even longer to realize that, while he had absolutely no urge to move, his head didn't hurt anymore. It was an interesting feeling, because his head wasn't pounding anymore, but it felt almost hollow, like he could still feel the echo of the headache.

It was Saturday. He didn't have to drag himself out of bed and get ready for school. Which was a good thing, he realized with a jolt, because he didn't have a car. His Navigator was still sitting in Dalton's parking lot, because Blaine had driven him home. He was carless for the weekend.

Blaine. He was supposed to call him, let him know his migraine was gone. Kurt shifted his eyes down to the floor, where he'd dropped his cell at some point during the night. He was supposed to call Blaine... He whined, really not wanting to move. He finally forced his hand down and unlocked his phone. He used the speed dial and put the phone on speaker, so he wouldn't have to pick it up.

Blaine picked up on the second ring. "Kurt?"

"That, or it's my ghost calling you," Kurt mumbled. "I'm calling to tell you, my migraine's gone. Because you wanted to know. So you can stop worrying now."

There was a pause. "You still sound like you don't feel good," Blaine only sounded a little hesitant.

"I'm just exhausted," Kurt explained, pressing his face into the cool cotton of his pillowcase. "Tends to happen when you're in pain all night."

"Glad to hear your snark hasn't suffered, at least." There was laughter in Blaine's voice, and Kurt liked to think he could hear relief as well.

Kurt couldn't help but smile. "Please. Takes more than a little headache to do damage to my snark."

"Oh, well, that's good to hear." There was a pause, then Blaine said softly and sincerely, "I'm glad you're feeling better."

Kurt smiled. "Yeah. Me, too. I mean-" he grimaced, and was glad Blaine couldn't see him right then. "Of course I'm glad I feel better, but- you know what I mean!" he finally muttered as Blaine started laughing. "Shut up," he sulked. "Stop laughing at me."

"Sorry," Blaine apologized, not sounding sorry at all.

Kurt was quiet for a moment, just staring down at his phone. "Hey Blaine?" he murmured softly.

"Yeah, Kurt?" came the equally quiet reply.

"Thanks, for taking care of me." Kurt picked at some lint on his comforter, uncomfortable having to admit that he'd needed to be taken care of.

A soft, cynical laugh came from Blaine's end. "I didn't really do anything, Kurt. I didn't know what to do."

"You were there. You helped, and you... you were you," Kurt finally said, remembering Blaine's words to him from the afternoon before.

"I still wish I could have done more."

Kurt made a face before saying, "Yes, well, hopefully you won't get another chance, but it's unlikely. This one was a little worse, probably because of our hectic schedule during Regionals, but it's not like it was completely unexpected. I get migraines, and since we're spending more time together now," (because we're boyfriends! - yes, he was definitely starting to feel better if his inner voice was back to randomly celebrating their new status) "you'll probably see me get another one."

During the pause in conversation that followed, Kurt began to worry that he shouldn't have said anything. Maybe he should have let Blaine think that this was more of a special circumstance and less of the norm than it really was. Kurt had no illusions that he was fairly high maintenance, but maybe being chronically sick was more than Blaine had bargained for when he'd decided he wanted to have a real relationship with him.

"How often do you get migraines?" Blaine asked quietly.

Kurt stared at his phone, Blaine's question seeming to confirm his fears. If he told Blaine the truth, Blaine would realize how much care he needed, and decide it was more than he wanted to deal with.

But, if he lied, and said it wasn't that often, then eventually Blaine would realize he'd lied, and that would be bad, too. It might even be worse, because not only would he know how sick Kurt was, he'd recognize that Kurt had lied to him about it.

"Kurt?" Blaine's voice sounded anxious. Kurt didn't want him anxious.

"Not-" he bit his lip, unable to finish the lie. "It's not really consistent," he finally mumbled, "but every couple months, maybe." They'd been more frequent, his last few months at McKinley, because of the stress, but thankfully McKinley's syllabus was laughable, and he'd never had any problem keeping up with his classes and homework.

"Every couple months?" Blaine murmured, and Kurt closed his eyes, waiting for it. Waiting for Blaine to say he couldn't handle it. This was why Kurt never wanted anyone to know what he was going through - no one would want to deal with it. He didn't want to have to deal with it, why would anyone else? "You're gonna tell me next time you get one, right?" Kurt's eyes snapped open, and he stared at his phone, half-wishing Blaine were there, just so he could see his face, to try and glean just what he was thinking from his face.

"I- what?"

Blaine made a noise that might have been amused, and said, "I may not be much help, but I wanna know when you're not feeling well, so I can- do whatever I can, y'know? I don't know if that makes sense, but, I wanna help, even if that means leaving you alone for a while."

"I don't-" Kurt had no idea what to say. It definitely wasn't what he was expecting. "I didn't-" He took a deep breath, trying to collect his thoughts and sort them into some sort of order that made sense.

"Next time," he finally murmured, "I won't ask you to leave. Even if it means you'll be horribly bored."

Kurt liked to think he could hear Blaine smiling as he responded. "I don't mind being bored."

The End!

End Notes

First of all, YES, I will be writing more of this, eventually. I don't know exactly how I wanted this to end, but this wasn't what I was expecting, either. These two should never be allowed to talk in my head, because they end up going in completely unexpected directions, and I can't draw them back.

How this came to be:

I had a terrible, terrible headache about a week ago. Killer. I had the lamp on, and couldn't stand the light. I was wishing my head would just fall off and be done with it. I finally made myself get up and take some Advil, but it made me wonder, since my mom suffers from migraines (and they're at least somewhat hereditary, & her mother suffered from them as well). So, I looked them up in Wikipedia. (I don't have migraines, though, just hypochondria.)

Besides following some links explaining different words, and looking up what drugs might be used to help combat it & the like, that was all the actual research I did. Anything else was drawn from personal experience, either my own in being sick (I usually only get headaches from eyestrain or with a fever, but I do get stomach bugs occasionally), or more often, seeing my mom being sick, both from migraines and other chronic illnesses.

My mom's been sick my whole life, so she became a little bit of a template for Kurt's mother. There are large differences I took into account, though, like Kurt's mother wasn't a single parent trying to take care of him and have a full-time job at the same time.

What's to come/To Do List:

* I want to write a couple deleted scenes, specifically, when Blaine leaves Kurt's room to let him get dressed in part 4, and when Blaine leaves Kurt alone in his room at the end of the same part. Both parts will involve Blaine, and at least the second deleted scene will involve a little talk between Blaine and Carole.

* someone on LJ commented on a way Blaine might be able to help with Kurt's migraines, and as soon as I read it, I knew I'd have to incorporate it into a later story. So, future-established-relationship!fic. That's honestly as far as I've gotten with the idea, but I really want to write it. I can see the one scene perfectly. I've also got an idea for Blaine becoming a little more proactive in helping Kurt with them (because Blaine wants to help however he can, lol!)

I actually love comments where people tell me about their own experiences with migraines (both their own or a family member's), and they really do spark story ideas quite often. Y'know, just saying. ;D

Up Next!

I will be writing a slightly future!fic, set in next season/year. All I'll really give away is, it's a Christmas fic, and Blaine comes to visit Kurt. There will also be Skype conversations, and the smelling of clothes. ^_^ Just something cute and sweet and fluffy and completely pointless (but with a little emotional angst to make the fluff even sweeter).

Why a Christmas story when it's not even May, you ask? Well, because it was the only time I figured they'd have off school to visit each other, and because if I start it now, I might actually have it finished before Christmas. ^_~ Plus, slightly less chance of it being Jossed before I finish it. And don't worry, I'll probably find myself writing snippets (or more) for this verse in between my other writing.