Fic: Remarkability (3/3)
Title: Remarkability (3/3)
Author: Aelora
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: For 2.16
Word count: 4,650
Summary: Kurt is the remarkable boy that Blaine has been looking for forever.
A/N: First off, just a HUGE thank you to everyone who has commented on the previous parts! I’m trying to get through and respond but I got so behind in homework last week and I just can’t let myself do that this week, so it may take me a few days to get back to everyone. But just know for now, every comment gets read and truly means a lot to me!
Thanks so much to my betas, backinblack (who is the best person EVER for catching schmoop and calling me on it!!) and murgy31, both of whom were willing to jump right in there when I put out the call! XOXOXO
And, my apologies ahead of time. I can’t afford to pay for your dental bills after this. (Needs to write angst now like whoa.)
Remarkable:
1. notably or conspicuously unusual; extraordinary: a remarkable change.
2. worthy of notice or attention.
Part One
Part Two
The thing is, Kurt had been absolutely right.
Blaine can’t help but look at the world around him and realize that now, everything is different. His world has changed. Everything seems somehow brighter, and he’s got to be honest-Blaine has never exactly been a ‘glass is half-full’ kind of guy. So taking in a world that he already thought was pretty darn wonderful to begin with, and adding everything he feels for Kurt and everything Kurt seems to feel for him into it, and suddenly it’s almost too much for Blaine to handle. Like, he wants to grab random strangers on the street and hand them balloons and tell them how awesome today is, and beg them to agree. Because it is. He can’t imagine it ever not being awesome again.
(Honestly, he refuses to even consider that possibility. He’s always been all for the whole carpe diem thing.)
And, okay, so there are some things that have become a little less than fantastic. Take classes, for example. Blaine’s always been an A student. He’s always kind of loved school. Sure, there are some subjects that don’t come to him quite as easily as others-he’s not a chemist, he doesn’t ever plan on being a chemist, why are they forcing him to bother?-but he loves learning and he loves hearing the ideas of others.
But these last two days? Getting through classes has been hard. He’s daydreaming more often than not, staring out the windows at the beautiful spring day-has the sky ever been bluer?-wondering if Kurt’s thinking about him, coming up with the first words he’s going to say to Kurt when he ‘accidentally’ runs into him between classes, reminding himself to remark on the broach Kurt was wearing earlier that morning because it matched his eyes so well.
Every single class that day becomes a little more difficult, especially when he does accidentally run into Kurt between classes. The time between fifth and sixth period he hadn’t even planned, which makes him think Kurt had, because their classrooms were in completely different buildings. And god, that realization just made him want to drag Kurt off to a corner somewhere, especially when Kurt looked at him from beneath ridiculously long lashes and said he missed him since last period. There’s the anticipation of knowing that Kurt is going to come home with him later, which makes his mind just kind of falter because he hasn’t really planned anything. And he’s totally okay if they just sit on the couch and watch daytime soaps together or something because he knows, he knows, he can reach out and hold Kurt’s hand and run his thumb over his palm and tell him how amazing-no, wait, that’s Kurt’s word for him-remarkable he is, and the world is just perfect.
They spend lunch outside in the warm, early spring weather, but unfortunately they aren’t alone. Kendrick asked Kurt for some help with his French assignment, and the two Warblers are stretched out over the lawn on their stomachs, leaning over a shared textbook and speaking to one another in a language Blaine knows approximately two words in-oui and amour. He’s taking Japanese, mostly because his father feels it will be far more useful in his future career, whatever that may be.
Blaine picks at the cheeseburger and fries he grabbed from the cafeteria, sitting up beside Kurt with his knees pulled to his chest, occasionally glancing over when his boyfriend laughs at something Kendrick says, or shifts slightly against him, leaning his shoulder briefly into Blaine’s thigh. It’s not a bad way to spend his lunch, and while a part of him wouldn’t have minded replaying yesterday’s venture in the library, he’s still far too happy to mind that their time together is being interrupted with Kendrick’s presence. After all, it’s not as if Kurt’s ignoring him. There’s the occasional nudge against him, and while Kendrick is writing something down, Kurt will turn and look up at him, squinting against the sunlight to give him a smile. And the thing is-the thing that makes it so special from any other smile Kurt has given him in the last six months-is that this smile, and every single one in the last two days, is coming from his boyfriend. Blaine Anderson’s boyfriend.
“This totally helps, Kurt,” Kendrick says, finally closing his textbook and getting to his knees. “Conjugation sucks in the worst possible way.”
“You do seem to have a problem with it,” Kurt remarks, rolling over on to his back and tucking his arm behind his head. “Luckily for you, your accent is flawless.”
Kendrick flashes his trademark perfect smile at both of them-Blaine’s honestly seen grown men stumble over their own feet when Kendrick smiled at them. It’s something about the boy that’s so blindingly brilliant it’s almost a little creepy-and climbs to his feet. “Thanks again. See you guys in rehearsal.”
Finishing off his cheeseburger, Blaine looks for something to wipe his hands on, belatedly realizing he’d forgotten to grab a napkin, and finally settles for wiping them over the grass. There’s a distinct silence, and he glances over to find Kurt watching him with an expression somewhere between amusement and horror. Maybe fond exasperation if he wants to be optimistic about it?
“Honestly, I can’t take you anywhere,” Kurt says with a laugh as he sits up and turns to dig through his bag, pulling out a box of wipes. He tugs out a packet and tears it open.
“Thanks,” Blaine says sheepishly, reaching out for it, only to have Kurt take his hand and carefully begin wiping the grease from each finger. He feels his breath catch at the action.
Kurt isn’t looking at him, gaze focused on where their hands meet, and Blaine can hear the slightest tremor in his voice when he quietly asks, “You don’t mind, do you?”
“N-no,” Blaine responds, swallowing when Kurt looks up at him from under his lashes before turning his attention to his other hand.
Blaine wants to tell him how awesome it feels; he wants to tell him that no one has ever done anything like this for him before, but he honestly can’t form words at the moment.
“There. Now you won’t be greasing up the environment,” Kurt teases, tucking the used wipe into the open packet, and shoving it into the outside pocket of his bag. He takes Blaine’s hands into his again, and Blaine can only stare while Kurt gives him another smile. “Sorry our lunch was interrupted.”
Blaine shakes his head, finally regaining the power of speech before his boyfriend can begin to worry that maybe he’s gone mute. “It was fine, really. I mean, I still got to spend it with you, right?”
Kurt bends toward him, leaning his forehead on Blaine’s shoulder, and he literally cannot stop himself from reaching up to lay his hand over the back of Kurt’s neck. His skin is warm, and the strands of hair beneath his fingers are soft. Kurt makes a soft noise that seems to encompass everything Blaine is feeling in that moment-contentment, pleasure, sheer joy. Blaine slides his fingers over Kurt’s neck, watching as the skin rises into tiny bumps, and against him, Kurt’s breath hitches slightly.
The bell for classes rings in the distance, signaling the end to their all-too-short but still kind of perfect lunch. Blaine stands and holds his hand out to Kurt, who takes it instantly, allowing Blaine to haul him to his feet. They smile at each other silently, standing for a long moment a little too close, and if there weren’t other boys walking past, heading to class, Blaine knows they would share a quick kiss. He’s sure the boys wouldn’t mind, for the most part, but even at Dalton there are one or two rotten eggs, and the school administration does have its rules. So they just stand there and linger until the last possible moment before finally heading to class, still holding hands.
With Regionals the next day, Wes is in a mild tizzy and calls for a long rehearsal that afternoon, and Blaine doesn’t understand why he’s so panicked. After all, they have Kurt singing, and Kurt has the most beautiful voice in the world, and Blaine could pretty much just stand back and let him have it all and they’d still win. Except, honestly, he doesn’t want to stand back. He wants to be up there in the spotlight with Kurt. He wants the world to see them singing together, dammit. Because Kurt is his.
Holy crap. Kurt is his!
He’s never going to get used to that.
And while Blaine does feel mildly irritated by rehearsal going on longer than usual he only has to look over at the boy beside him, who occasionally reaches out to take his hand and is always, always giving him the most breathtakingly beautiful smile that Blaine has ever been glimpsed, and then he feels nothing but pure happiness all over again.
Well, except when Nick begins making something very close to gagging noises beside him.
“Real mature,” Blaine mutters.
Nick sticks his tongue out at him.
They run through “Candles” seven times, and okay, so maybe Blaine is just a little bit biased but he thinks that he and Kurt sound perfect together. Then he discovers he isn’t really all that biased because finally, finally the council tells them they’re free to leave while the rest of the Warblers remain to continue working on the harmonies. Kurt barely has time to grab his bag before Blaine snatches his hand and is practically dragging him from the room.
“Have fun, kids!” Thad calls out behind them.
“And remember,” David’s voice adds, “protection is your friend!”
Blaine actually stumbles to a halt, his ears, face, neck-pretty much everything burning. He half-turns to go back in and do… something, he isn’t sure what yet. David’s bigger than he is (isn’t everyone, Blaine??), and he takes tae kwon do, for crying out loud, but seriously? The last thing he needs right now is the Warblers to send Kurt into some kind of sex terror panic.
Only Kurt is laughing beside him, tugging on his hand, and saying, “Okay, so this is like the most embarrassing moment of my life and you are totally not going in there to make it worse!”
They’re both mildly out of breath when they reach the Navigator. The driver’s side door is facing away from the school, and Blaine can’t get a word out before Kurt’s pressing him back against the vehicle, claiming his mouth in a slow, deep kiss. Blaine exhales into the mouth over his, and reaches out to wrap his arms around Kurt’s waist, pulling him closer. It’s surprising to him, the odd feelings of security and comfort he feels right then, held as he is between Kurt’s body and the Navigator. He feels… small. Protected. Cherished as Kurt cups his face tenderly between his hands, the depth of the kiss changing suddenly; brief pecks to his lips, across his cheeks, and then Kurt is just holding him there, breathing against his neck.
“Sorry,” Kurt whispers, and Blaine can hear the nervousness in his voice, the fear. “Sorry, I just-“
“Hey.” Blaine pushes him back a little, tilts his head to catch Kurt’s gaze. “Don’t start apologizing for kissing me, Kurt. That kind of… scares me, a little.”
Kurt’s face is a bright, vibrant red. “I just mean-I didn’t mean-“ One hand waves in the air, encompassing Blaine, the Navigator, everything around them. “It’s like, all day long, all I’ve wanted to do…”
Blaine smiles, leaning up to bring their lips back together. “Me, too.”
It seems to be the right thing to say and Kurt relaxes against him instantly, returning the kiss, smiling against his mouth, and Blaine likes that. They’re smiling against each other now, and laughing a little, and they just keep kissing because they haven’t had the chance to do so all day, and that seems like an incredible waste of time.
“Guess what?” Blaine whispers, moving his mouth away from Kurt’s to skim over his cheek, down to just below his ear where he licks at the lobe.
“Hmmm?”
“We’ve officially been boyfriends for thirty-three hours, three minutes and, like, twenty-two seconds.”
Kurt laughs and smacks his shoulder. “You, Blaine Anderson, are a dork.”
Blaine blinks, and pulls back, because that hadn’t been the reaction he’s expecting. He thought for sure Kurt would be as excited by that fact as he is.
And apparently Kurt catches what he’s thinking because he’s holding Blaine’s face between his hands again, and kissing him ever-so-softly. “Stop looking like I just kicked your puppy,” Kurt whispers against his lips. “I meant that in the best way possible because don’t think I haven’t been counting the hours, too. Only I’m not a dork enough to actually, you know, say it out loud.” He smiles and kisses Blaine again. “But that’s what I have you for, and I don’t want you to stop ever… ever… ever.” He punctuates each ‘ever’ with another kiss.
Blaine pulls Kurt closer, sliding a little against the SUV behind him. “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of kissing you.”
Kurt’s smile broadens, and his hands slip to wrap around the back of Blaine’s neck, massaging there gently. “We should probably head to your place, or we’re going to spend the couple of hours we have left in the parking lot.”
“Well, if you’d stop making out with me against your car-“
“You want me to stop making out with you?” Kurt asks with an arched brow.
“Like you could.”
“Don’t tempt me, Blaine Anderson. You’re actually not cute as you think you are.”
Blaine ducks his head a little at that.
Kurt laughs at him, pulling him close in a tight embrace as he kisses his cheek. “Come on. I’ll meet you at your place.”
***********************
“Do you trust me?” Kurt had asked, very, very seriously, eyes boring into Blaine’s as he waited for his answer.
Blaine hadn’t even hesitated to respond.
And that’s how he’s sitting on the floor, settled between Kurt’s legs, and Kurt is situated behind him on the bed, hands moving in a rhythmic and gentle motion as he continually draws a comb through Blaine’s hair. Gel, Kurt had explained, made the long anticipated enjoyment of getting to run his fingers through his boyfriend’s hair less than enjoyable. So he’d kind of asked, but mostly demanded, that once they arrive at Blaine’s house, he get the chance remove what stiffness he could out of Blaine’s perfectly coifed curls.
If Blaine had been told how incredibly it would feel to have his boyfriend comb his hair, he might have shown up to the common room two days ago and presented Kurt with a brush after their kiss.
Okay, maybe not. But still.
Closing his eyes, Blaine hums softly as he leans his head back while Kurt begins moving the brush in short little strokes over the front of his head. The brush pauses, and then Blaine feels soft lips pressing against his forehead. He feels Kurt shift slightly, the quiet thump of something landing on the bed, and then Kurt’s palms are cupping his cheeks. Kurt’s lips move from his forehead to his nose to his mouth, and it’s weird kissing like this because a million Spiderman jokes are suddenly popping up in his brain, and he is so not ruining this moment with one of those!
When Kurt pulls back, Blaine opens his eyes to find him gazing down at him, smiling. “What?” he asks and he can barely hear the sound of his own voice.
But Kurt must have heard him. “Just… this.” His palms press more firmly over Blaine’s face before his thumbs slowly caress his cheeks. “I love that I just get to do this.”
And he leans over him again, pressing their lips together, sucking Blaine’s lower lip between his teeth where his tongue just slides over it, back and forth, until it’s too much. Sitting there on the floor, unable to do anything but dig his fingers into the carpet beneath him, is far too much inaction for Blaine Anderson. He pulls away, eliciting a whine of disappointment from Kurt, but he quickly scrambles upwards, slipping once more between Kurt’s legs as he leans a knee on the bed between them and captures Kurt’s mouth with his own, balancing himself with palms pressed against Kurt’s thighs. And Kurt’s fingers are threading through his hair, over and over again, and it’s enough for Blaine to almost reconsider using gel to tame his curls gel every morning.
Kurt’s pushing backwards now, moving up the bed, and Blaine is trying to stay with him, to not break their kiss because, god, Kurt’s lips are perfect and kissing him feels like falling into sunshine and joy and everything Blaine never, ever wants to give up. But moving and kissing isn’t easy, and Blaine stumbles, and Kurt’s elbow catches him in the chin, and they both kind of land on the mattress. Kurt sprawls on his back, laughing with Blaine draped half over him, chest pressed over his hip, cheek burrowed against his ribs. He can feel Kurt’s body shake with his laughter beneath him, and he doesn’t feel inclined to move. He loops his arm around Kurt’s waist and takes a breath, closing his eyes, suddenly content to just lay there, when only moments before all that had mattered was Kurt’s mouth.
Mere seconds pass and Kurt’s fingers are moving through his hair again, a slow-paced, soothing motion, and all Blaine can think is I can’t believe I’ve been missing this from my life.
Kurt begins humming a tune, though Blaine can’t really make it out at first. It could be because Kurt is now gently tugging on a curl, here and there, twining them around his fingers, just playing with Blaine’s hair like it’s some newfound hobby. Blaine sighs, feeling his whole body relaxing as he curls a little more deeply against Kurt. He can hear Kurt’s strong heart beat drumming beneath his ear, feel his chest rise and expand with each deep breath before settling down once again. Kurt shifts slightly, grumbling under his breath that Blaine is heavier than he appears, and Blaine just smiles at that because Kurt’s fingers haven’t left his hair.
Blaine isn’t certain how long they’ve been like this. He thinks maybe he drifted off to sleep for a few minutes because Kurt is humming again, but this time Blaine knows the song, and he can’t help but smile, can’t help but want to join in. He listens quietly though, not moving, wondering if Kurt believes he’s sleeping or knows he’s awake.
When Kurt softly begins to sing above him, Blaine can feel the emotion swelling within him with each word.
Kiss me too fiercely
Hold me too tight
I need help believing
You're with me tonight
He loves that they have this; that they can share this. Music and song means so much to both of them, and they both have their own way of expressing themselves through that. And maybe, right now, this is the only way they can put into words how much that they’re feeling, how much their lives have changed.
Blaine turns his head, laying his chin on Kurt’s chest to look up at him, and Kurt seems surprised at first, shy, cheeks reddening a little, but he keeps singing:
My wildest dreamings
Could not forsee
Lying beside you
With you wanting me
Pulling himself up, Blaine moves over Kurt, holding his weight up with his hands flattened beside Kurt’s shoulders, and before the boy can continue singing, Blaine takes over:
Maybe I'm brainless
Maybe I'm wise
But you've got me seeing
Through different eyes
He’s pretty sure he’s completely off-key at the moment, and his voice is a little strained-more a whisper than what he’s used to belting out during a number. But he wants Kurt to know this isn’t a performance-it’s just a song that they can share.
Somehow I've fallen
Under your spell
And somehow I'm feeling
It's up that I fell
Kurt joins him, and they continue softly together:
Every moment
As long as you're mine
I'll wake up my body
And make up for lost time
Blaine doesn’t let the song continue, instead pressing down to claim to Kurt’s mouth, kissing him sweetly until it’s Kurt that’s surging upwards, wrapping a hand around the back of Blaine’s neck, pulling him closer as his tongue slips into Blaine’s mouth. The last thing Blaine ever wants to think about is the idea of no future together. He can’t imagine giving up this feeling, this boy who has so quietly and yet so completely threaded his way into Blaine’s life until Blaine honestly isn’t certain what life was like before Kurt Hummel. He never wants to know.
“I had a nightmare last night,” Kurt whispers beneath him, still clinging to Blaine, still capturing his lips between his own with each pause. “This was all just a dream, and we were still… just friends. And I couldn’t touch you… couldn’t kiss you like this.”
“Kurt.” Blaine’s heart breaks a little at the tremor in Kurt’s voice, at how the feel of his kisses turn needy and desperate. “I’m not going anywhere.” He takes a chance and lowers his body completely over Kurt’s, settling there as Kurt’s eyes widen and their lips pull apart from one another, and Blaine just waits, holding his breath, not daring to move.
Kurt inhales deeply, the hand not wrapped around the back of Blaine’s next moving for a moment beside them, as if he’s uncertain what to do with it before his fingers come to rest gently at Blaine’s temple. He pushes the curls that linger there back for a moment.
“This is-this feels nice.” His face doesn’t betray whether he means it or not.
Letting out the breath he has been holding, Blaine can’t stop himself from saying, “You’re so beautiful, Kurt.”
Kurt squirms with his words, looking away, his eyes too glassy suddenly. “You don’t have to say that,” he whispers.
Blaine frowns, bringing his hand up to grasp Kurt’s chin, turning his face toward him but Kurt still refuses to meet his gaze. “I thought we were going to be honest with each other, Kurt. That’s why I said it.”
That gets his attention. Kurt’s all wide eyes and parted lips now, staring up at Blaine like maybe he’d just handed him Alexander McQueen’s entire summer collection. He opens his mouth, only to close it again seconds later.
Blaine can’t help but smirk. “Well, look at that. Kurt Hummel, speechless. A welcome change from your recent ability to hand me nothing but snark-Oww!” He rolls off of Kurt quickly, clamping a hand over his side where Kurt had pinched him really, really hard.
And now Kurt is leaning over him, hands pressed to his chest, and Blaine couldn’t get away if he wanted to (and he doesn’t want to) because his boyfriend is stronger than he looks. “Snark? I’ll show you snark, Mr. Helmet Hair!”
Blaine doesn’t actually squeal (okay, he totally does) when Kurt begins tickling him, pinning him down so he can’t go anywhere, and just mercilessly attacking his sides.
“For your information, Mr. Solo Hog, I’m unbelievably nice to you,” and Kurt’s grinning down at him wickedly, fingers only moving more quickly against him as Blaine pleads for him to stop. “You deserve every bit of snark you get from me, Mr. Leave Your Toys in the Drawer Tonight,” and okay, so Blaine is totally laughing over that while still whining over the tickling, “and I think you should honestly just count your undeniably good luck over the fact that-“
“Kurt, please, stop!” Blaine is laughing and crying. “Seriously! I hate being tickled!”
“Don’t interrupt me!” His tickling actually gets worse, and then his face is hovering right over Blaine’s, as he says, “Lucky that I think you’re the sweetest, most amazing boy I’ve ever met.”
Kurt’s not tickling him anymore. Blaine’s breathing hard, cheeks itching where tears from his laughter have streamed, and he can’t look away from the boy above him. His chest aches, and he doesn’t think it’s because he’s been denied air the last few minutes.
“Kurt-“
He’s silenced when Kurt’s lips press lightly against his. “We’re being honest, remember?” Kurt lifts up a little, beaming down at him. “Wait. I forgot romantic.”
Blaine blinks. “I’m not romantic. Kurt, I told you-“
“Whatever, Mr. You Move Me.” Kurt laughs softly before flopping down against Blaine’s chest, arms slipping beneath him to hug him tightly. He tucks his head beneath Blaine’s chin and just lays there silently for a long moment. Then he says, “You’re far from perfect, Blaine. But, you’re perfect for me.”
He doesn’t know what to say to that. He stares up at the ceiling, swallowing a few times, hands pressed into Kurt’s shoulders. He thinks of a million things he could say, and none of it seems right.
The moment is stolen from him when Kurt’s phone begins loudly playing “Silly Love Songs”. Blaine smiles, even as Kurt pulls away. He smiles every time he hears that ringtone. Kurt’s glancing at the screen of his phone with a frown before sighing.
“I need to head home.”
Blaine pushes up to lean on his elbows, meeting Kurt’s gaze as he turns to look at him. “You can’t go. I need to think of something romantic to say.”
Kurt laughs as he leans over to kiss him. “Don’t strain your brain trying, dummy. Give it time. I’m sure you’ll come up with something brilliant when we both least expect it.” He slips off of the bed to stand.
“You mean like in the midst of your decorating a canary’s casket?” Blaine moves to join him.
“Exactly.” Kurt turns toward him, his smile suddenly faltering. He reaches out and brushes his fingers over Blaine’s cheek, down his neck. “Do you really believe we’re going to win tomorrow?”
Blaine smiles with the assuredness he feels, pulling Kurt in for one more kiss. “With you and I together? How could we not?”
************************
The Warblers don’t win Regionals.
New Directions does, and Blaine finds he can’t really be sad about that. He likes Kurt’s friends, many of whom are now his friends, too, and he can’t help but admire their talent. He feels bad for his teammates, feels guilty for letting them down. He wonders if maybe someone else should have taken the lead on “Raise Your Glass”, but he doesn’t think about it too hard. He hopes he can make it up to them next year. Blaine’s never been particularly competitive; he just loves to perform. Losing has denied him Nationals, but it doesn’t mean he won’t get to sing again. That’s what’s important, right?
Well, that and the boy beside him.
Actually, mostly the boy walking beside him, holding his hand tightly, looking over at him every now and then with a soft smile. Blaine meant it when he’d said that getting each other out of everything means far more than a trophy. He wants to believe that Kurt gets that; that he believes it, too. Blaine knows Kurt likes the spotlight, knows that he likes to stand out in a crowd, and honestly, Blaine plans on making certain that Kurt never goes unnoticed again. Not by anyone, and most certainly not by him.
After all, when the most remarkable boy in the world trusts you with his heart, what else can you do but try to be remarkable in return?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks again everyone for reading!
Author: Aelora
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: For 2.16
Word count: 4,650
Summary: Kurt is the remarkable boy that Blaine has been looking for forever.
A/N: First off, just a HUGE thank you to everyone who has commented on the previous parts! I’m trying to get through and respond but I got so behind in homework last week and I just can’t let myself do that this week, so it may take me a few days to get back to everyone. But just know for now, every comment gets read and truly means a lot to me!
Thanks so much to my betas, backinblack (who is the best person EVER for catching schmoop and calling me on it!!) and murgy31, both of whom were willing to jump right in there when I put out the call! XOXOXO
And, my apologies ahead of time. I can’t afford to pay for your dental bills after this. (Needs to write angst now like whoa.)
Remarkable:
1. notably or conspicuously unusual; extraordinary: a remarkable change.
2. worthy of notice or attention.
Part One
Part Two
The thing is, Kurt had been absolutely right.
Blaine can’t help but look at the world around him and realize that now, everything is different. His world has changed. Everything seems somehow brighter, and he’s got to be honest-Blaine has never exactly been a ‘glass is half-full’ kind of guy. So taking in a world that he already thought was pretty darn wonderful to begin with, and adding everything he feels for Kurt and everything Kurt seems to feel for him into it, and suddenly it’s almost too much for Blaine to handle. Like, he wants to grab random strangers on the street and hand them balloons and tell them how awesome today is, and beg them to agree. Because it is. He can’t imagine it ever not being awesome again.
(Honestly, he refuses to even consider that possibility. He’s always been all for the whole carpe diem thing.)
And, okay, so there are some things that have become a little less than fantastic. Take classes, for example. Blaine’s always been an A student. He’s always kind of loved school. Sure, there are some subjects that don’t come to him quite as easily as others-he’s not a chemist, he doesn’t ever plan on being a chemist, why are they forcing him to bother?-but he loves learning and he loves hearing the ideas of others.
But these last two days? Getting through classes has been hard. He’s daydreaming more often than not, staring out the windows at the beautiful spring day-has the sky ever been bluer?-wondering if Kurt’s thinking about him, coming up with the first words he’s going to say to Kurt when he ‘accidentally’ runs into him between classes, reminding himself to remark on the broach Kurt was wearing earlier that morning because it matched his eyes so well.
Every single class that day becomes a little more difficult, especially when he does accidentally run into Kurt between classes. The time between fifth and sixth period he hadn’t even planned, which makes him think Kurt had, because their classrooms were in completely different buildings. And god, that realization just made him want to drag Kurt off to a corner somewhere, especially when Kurt looked at him from beneath ridiculously long lashes and said he missed him since last period. There’s the anticipation of knowing that Kurt is going to come home with him later, which makes his mind just kind of falter because he hasn’t really planned anything. And he’s totally okay if they just sit on the couch and watch daytime soaps together or something because he knows, he knows, he can reach out and hold Kurt’s hand and run his thumb over his palm and tell him how amazing-no, wait, that’s Kurt’s word for him-remarkable he is, and the world is just perfect.
They spend lunch outside in the warm, early spring weather, but unfortunately they aren’t alone. Kendrick asked Kurt for some help with his French assignment, and the two Warblers are stretched out over the lawn on their stomachs, leaning over a shared textbook and speaking to one another in a language Blaine knows approximately two words in-oui and amour. He’s taking Japanese, mostly because his father feels it will be far more useful in his future career, whatever that may be.
Blaine picks at the cheeseburger and fries he grabbed from the cafeteria, sitting up beside Kurt with his knees pulled to his chest, occasionally glancing over when his boyfriend laughs at something Kendrick says, or shifts slightly against him, leaning his shoulder briefly into Blaine’s thigh. It’s not a bad way to spend his lunch, and while a part of him wouldn’t have minded replaying yesterday’s venture in the library, he’s still far too happy to mind that their time together is being interrupted with Kendrick’s presence. After all, it’s not as if Kurt’s ignoring him. There’s the occasional nudge against him, and while Kendrick is writing something down, Kurt will turn and look up at him, squinting against the sunlight to give him a smile. And the thing is-the thing that makes it so special from any other smile Kurt has given him in the last six months-is that this smile, and every single one in the last two days, is coming from his boyfriend. Blaine Anderson’s boyfriend.
“This totally helps, Kurt,” Kendrick says, finally closing his textbook and getting to his knees. “Conjugation sucks in the worst possible way.”
“You do seem to have a problem with it,” Kurt remarks, rolling over on to his back and tucking his arm behind his head. “Luckily for you, your accent is flawless.”
Kendrick flashes his trademark perfect smile at both of them-Blaine’s honestly seen grown men stumble over their own feet when Kendrick smiled at them. It’s something about the boy that’s so blindingly brilliant it’s almost a little creepy-and climbs to his feet. “Thanks again. See you guys in rehearsal.”
Finishing off his cheeseburger, Blaine looks for something to wipe his hands on, belatedly realizing he’d forgotten to grab a napkin, and finally settles for wiping them over the grass. There’s a distinct silence, and he glances over to find Kurt watching him with an expression somewhere between amusement and horror. Maybe fond exasperation if he wants to be optimistic about it?
“Honestly, I can’t take you anywhere,” Kurt says with a laugh as he sits up and turns to dig through his bag, pulling out a box of wipes. He tugs out a packet and tears it open.
“Thanks,” Blaine says sheepishly, reaching out for it, only to have Kurt take his hand and carefully begin wiping the grease from each finger. He feels his breath catch at the action.
Kurt isn’t looking at him, gaze focused on where their hands meet, and Blaine can hear the slightest tremor in his voice when he quietly asks, “You don’t mind, do you?”
“N-no,” Blaine responds, swallowing when Kurt looks up at him from under his lashes before turning his attention to his other hand.
Blaine wants to tell him how awesome it feels; he wants to tell him that no one has ever done anything like this for him before, but he honestly can’t form words at the moment.
“There. Now you won’t be greasing up the environment,” Kurt teases, tucking the used wipe into the open packet, and shoving it into the outside pocket of his bag. He takes Blaine’s hands into his again, and Blaine can only stare while Kurt gives him another smile. “Sorry our lunch was interrupted.”
Blaine shakes his head, finally regaining the power of speech before his boyfriend can begin to worry that maybe he’s gone mute. “It was fine, really. I mean, I still got to spend it with you, right?”
Kurt bends toward him, leaning his forehead on Blaine’s shoulder, and he literally cannot stop himself from reaching up to lay his hand over the back of Kurt’s neck. His skin is warm, and the strands of hair beneath his fingers are soft. Kurt makes a soft noise that seems to encompass everything Blaine is feeling in that moment-contentment, pleasure, sheer joy. Blaine slides his fingers over Kurt’s neck, watching as the skin rises into tiny bumps, and against him, Kurt’s breath hitches slightly.
The bell for classes rings in the distance, signaling the end to their all-too-short but still kind of perfect lunch. Blaine stands and holds his hand out to Kurt, who takes it instantly, allowing Blaine to haul him to his feet. They smile at each other silently, standing for a long moment a little too close, and if there weren’t other boys walking past, heading to class, Blaine knows they would share a quick kiss. He’s sure the boys wouldn’t mind, for the most part, but even at Dalton there are one or two rotten eggs, and the school administration does have its rules. So they just stand there and linger until the last possible moment before finally heading to class, still holding hands.
With Regionals the next day, Wes is in a mild tizzy and calls for a long rehearsal that afternoon, and Blaine doesn’t understand why he’s so panicked. After all, they have Kurt singing, and Kurt has the most beautiful voice in the world, and Blaine could pretty much just stand back and let him have it all and they’d still win. Except, honestly, he doesn’t want to stand back. He wants to be up there in the spotlight with Kurt. He wants the world to see them singing together, dammit. Because Kurt is his.
Holy crap. Kurt is his!
He’s never going to get used to that.
And while Blaine does feel mildly irritated by rehearsal going on longer than usual he only has to look over at the boy beside him, who occasionally reaches out to take his hand and is always, always giving him the most breathtakingly beautiful smile that Blaine has ever been glimpsed, and then he feels nothing but pure happiness all over again.
Well, except when Nick begins making something very close to gagging noises beside him.
“Real mature,” Blaine mutters.
Nick sticks his tongue out at him.
They run through “Candles” seven times, and okay, so maybe Blaine is just a little bit biased but he thinks that he and Kurt sound perfect together. Then he discovers he isn’t really all that biased because finally, finally the council tells them they’re free to leave while the rest of the Warblers remain to continue working on the harmonies. Kurt barely has time to grab his bag before Blaine snatches his hand and is practically dragging him from the room.
“Have fun, kids!” Thad calls out behind them.
“And remember,” David’s voice adds, “protection is your friend!”
Blaine actually stumbles to a halt, his ears, face, neck-pretty much everything burning. He half-turns to go back in and do… something, he isn’t sure what yet. David’s bigger than he is (isn’t everyone, Blaine??), and he takes tae kwon do, for crying out loud, but seriously? The last thing he needs right now is the Warblers to send Kurt into some kind of sex terror panic.
Only Kurt is laughing beside him, tugging on his hand, and saying, “Okay, so this is like the most embarrassing moment of my life and you are totally not going in there to make it worse!”
They’re both mildly out of breath when they reach the Navigator. The driver’s side door is facing away from the school, and Blaine can’t get a word out before Kurt’s pressing him back against the vehicle, claiming his mouth in a slow, deep kiss. Blaine exhales into the mouth over his, and reaches out to wrap his arms around Kurt’s waist, pulling him closer. It’s surprising to him, the odd feelings of security and comfort he feels right then, held as he is between Kurt’s body and the Navigator. He feels… small. Protected. Cherished as Kurt cups his face tenderly between his hands, the depth of the kiss changing suddenly; brief pecks to his lips, across his cheeks, and then Kurt is just holding him there, breathing against his neck.
“Sorry,” Kurt whispers, and Blaine can hear the nervousness in his voice, the fear. “Sorry, I just-“
“Hey.” Blaine pushes him back a little, tilts his head to catch Kurt’s gaze. “Don’t start apologizing for kissing me, Kurt. That kind of… scares me, a little.”
Kurt’s face is a bright, vibrant red. “I just mean-I didn’t mean-“ One hand waves in the air, encompassing Blaine, the Navigator, everything around them. “It’s like, all day long, all I’ve wanted to do…”
Blaine smiles, leaning up to bring their lips back together. “Me, too.”
It seems to be the right thing to say and Kurt relaxes against him instantly, returning the kiss, smiling against his mouth, and Blaine likes that. They’re smiling against each other now, and laughing a little, and they just keep kissing because they haven’t had the chance to do so all day, and that seems like an incredible waste of time.
“Guess what?” Blaine whispers, moving his mouth away from Kurt’s to skim over his cheek, down to just below his ear where he licks at the lobe.
“Hmmm?”
“We’ve officially been boyfriends for thirty-three hours, three minutes and, like, twenty-two seconds.”
Kurt laughs and smacks his shoulder. “You, Blaine Anderson, are a dork.”
Blaine blinks, and pulls back, because that hadn’t been the reaction he’s expecting. He thought for sure Kurt would be as excited by that fact as he is.
And apparently Kurt catches what he’s thinking because he’s holding Blaine’s face between his hands again, and kissing him ever-so-softly. “Stop looking like I just kicked your puppy,” Kurt whispers against his lips. “I meant that in the best way possible because don’t think I haven’t been counting the hours, too. Only I’m not a dork enough to actually, you know, say it out loud.” He smiles and kisses Blaine again. “But that’s what I have you for, and I don’t want you to stop ever… ever… ever.” He punctuates each ‘ever’ with another kiss.
Blaine pulls Kurt closer, sliding a little against the SUV behind him. “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of kissing you.”
Kurt’s smile broadens, and his hands slip to wrap around the back of Blaine’s neck, massaging there gently. “We should probably head to your place, or we’re going to spend the couple of hours we have left in the parking lot.”
“Well, if you’d stop making out with me against your car-“
“You want me to stop making out with you?” Kurt asks with an arched brow.
“Like you could.”
“Don’t tempt me, Blaine Anderson. You’re actually not cute as you think you are.”
Blaine ducks his head a little at that.
Kurt laughs at him, pulling him close in a tight embrace as he kisses his cheek. “Come on. I’ll meet you at your place.”
***********************
“Do you trust me?” Kurt had asked, very, very seriously, eyes boring into Blaine’s as he waited for his answer.
Blaine hadn’t even hesitated to respond.
And that’s how he’s sitting on the floor, settled between Kurt’s legs, and Kurt is situated behind him on the bed, hands moving in a rhythmic and gentle motion as he continually draws a comb through Blaine’s hair. Gel, Kurt had explained, made the long anticipated enjoyment of getting to run his fingers through his boyfriend’s hair less than enjoyable. So he’d kind of asked, but mostly demanded, that once they arrive at Blaine’s house, he get the chance remove what stiffness he could out of Blaine’s perfectly coifed curls.
If Blaine had been told how incredibly it would feel to have his boyfriend comb his hair, he might have shown up to the common room two days ago and presented Kurt with a brush after their kiss.
Okay, maybe not. But still.
Closing his eyes, Blaine hums softly as he leans his head back while Kurt begins moving the brush in short little strokes over the front of his head. The brush pauses, and then Blaine feels soft lips pressing against his forehead. He feels Kurt shift slightly, the quiet thump of something landing on the bed, and then Kurt’s palms are cupping his cheeks. Kurt’s lips move from his forehead to his nose to his mouth, and it’s weird kissing like this because a million Spiderman jokes are suddenly popping up in his brain, and he is so not ruining this moment with one of those!
When Kurt pulls back, Blaine opens his eyes to find him gazing down at him, smiling. “What?” he asks and he can barely hear the sound of his own voice.
But Kurt must have heard him. “Just… this.” His palms press more firmly over Blaine’s face before his thumbs slowly caress his cheeks. “I love that I just get to do this.”
And he leans over him again, pressing their lips together, sucking Blaine’s lower lip between his teeth where his tongue just slides over it, back and forth, until it’s too much. Sitting there on the floor, unable to do anything but dig his fingers into the carpet beneath him, is far too much inaction for Blaine Anderson. He pulls away, eliciting a whine of disappointment from Kurt, but he quickly scrambles upwards, slipping once more between Kurt’s legs as he leans a knee on the bed between them and captures Kurt’s mouth with his own, balancing himself with palms pressed against Kurt’s thighs. And Kurt’s fingers are threading through his hair, over and over again, and it’s enough for Blaine to almost reconsider using gel to tame his curls gel every morning.
Kurt’s pushing backwards now, moving up the bed, and Blaine is trying to stay with him, to not break their kiss because, god, Kurt’s lips are perfect and kissing him feels like falling into sunshine and joy and everything Blaine never, ever wants to give up. But moving and kissing isn’t easy, and Blaine stumbles, and Kurt’s elbow catches him in the chin, and they both kind of land on the mattress. Kurt sprawls on his back, laughing with Blaine draped half over him, chest pressed over his hip, cheek burrowed against his ribs. He can feel Kurt’s body shake with his laughter beneath him, and he doesn’t feel inclined to move. He loops his arm around Kurt’s waist and takes a breath, closing his eyes, suddenly content to just lay there, when only moments before all that had mattered was Kurt’s mouth.
Mere seconds pass and Kurt’s fingers are moving through his hair again, a slow-paced, soothing motion, and all Blaine can think is I can’t believe I’ve been missing this from my life.
Kurt begins humming a tune, though Blaine can’t really make it out at first. It could be because Kurt is now gently tugging on a curl, here and there, twining them around his fingers, just playing with Blaine’s hair like it’s some newfound hobby. Blaine sighs, feeling his whole body relaxing as he curls a little more deeply against Kurt. He can hear Kurt’s strong heart beat drumming beneath his ear, feel his chest rise and expand with each deep breath before settling down once again. Kurt shifts slightly, grumbling under his breath that Blaine is heavier than he appears, and Blaine just smiles at that because Kurt’s fingers haven’t left his hair.
Blaine isn’t certain how long they’ve been like this. He thinks maybe he drifted off to sleep for a few minutes because Kurt is humming again, but this time Blaine knows the song, and he can’t help but smile, can’t help but want to join in. He listens quietly though, not moving, wondering if Kurt believes he’s sleeping or knows he’s awake.
When Kurt softly begins to sing above him, Blaine can feel the emotion swelling within him with each word.
Kiss me too fiercely
Hold me too tight
I need help believing
You're with me tonight
He loves that they have this; that they can share this. Music and song means so much to both of them, and they both have their own way of expressing themselves through that. And maybe, right now, this is the only way they can put into words how much that they’re feeling, how much their lives have changed.
Blaine turns his head, laying his chin on Kurt’s chest to look up at him, and Kurt seems surprised at first, shy, cheeks reddening a little, but he keeps singing:
My wildest dreamings
Could not forsee
Lying beside you
With you wanting me
Pulling himself up, Blaine moves over Kurt, holding his weight up with his hands flattened beside Kurt’s shoulders, and before the boy can continue singing, Blaine takes over:
Maybe I'm brainless
Maybe I'm wise
But you've got me seeing
Through different eyes
He’s pretty sure he’s completely off-key at the moment, and his voice is a little strained-more a whisper than what he’s used to belting out during a number. But he wants Kurt to know this isn’t a performance-it’s just a song that they can share.
Somehow I've fallen
Under your spell
And somehow I'm feeling
It's up that I fell
Kurt joins him, and they continue softly together:
Every moment
As long as you're mine
I'll wake up my body
And make up for lost time
Blaine doesn’t let the song continue, instead pressing down to claim to Kurt’s mouth, kissing him sweetly until it’s Kurt that’s surging upwards, wrapping a hand around the back of Blaine’s neck, pulling him closer as his tongue slips into Blaine’s mouth. The last thing Blaine ever wants to think about is the idea of no future together. He can’t imagine giving up this feeling, this boy who has so quietly and yet so completely threaded his way into Blaine’s life until Blaine honestly isn’t certain what life was like before Kurt Hummel. He never wants to know.
“I had a nightmare last night,” Kurt whispers beneath him, still clinging to Blaine, still capturing his lips between his own with each pause. “This was all just a dream, and we were still… just friends. And I couldn’t touch you… couldn’t kiss you like this.”
“Kurt.” Blaine’s heart breaks a little at the tremor in Kurt’s voice, at how the feel of his kisses turn needy and desperate. “I’m not going anywhere.” He takes a chance and lowers his body completely over Kurt’s, settling there as Kurt’s eyes widen and their lips pull apart from one another, and Blaine just waits, holding his breath, not daring to move.
Kurt inhales deeply, the hand not wrapped around the back of Blaine’s next moving for a moment beside them, as if he’s uncertain what to do with it before his fingers come to rest gently at Blaine’s temple. He pushes the curls that linger there back for a moment.
“This is-this feels nice.” His face doesn’t betray whether he means it or not.
Letting out the breath he has been holding, Blaine can’t stop himself from saying, “You’re so beautiful, Kurt.”
Kurt squirms with his words, looking away, his eyes too glassy suddenly. “You don’t have to say that,” he whispers.
Blaine frowns, bringing his hand up to grasp Kurt’s chin, turning his face toward him but Kurt still refuses to meet his gaze. “I thought we were going to be honest with each other, Kurt. That’s why I said it.”
That gets his attention. Kurt’s all wide eyes and parted lips now, staring up at Blaine like maybe he’d just handed him Alexander McQueen’s entire summer collection. He opens his mouth, only to close it again seconds later.
Blaine can’t help but smirk. “Well, look at that. Kurt Hummel, speechless. A welcome change from your recent ability to hand me nothing but snark-Oww!” He rolls off of Kurt quickly, clamping a hand over his side where Kurt had pinched him really, really hard.
And now Kurt is leaning over him, hands pressed to his chest, and Blaine couldn’t get away if he wanted to (and he doesn’t want to) because his boyfriend is stronger than he looks. “Snark? I’ll show you snark, Mr. Helmet Hair!”
Blaine doesn’t actually squeal (okay, he totally does) when Kurt begins tickling him, pinning him down so he can’t go anywhere, and just mercilessly attacking his sides.
“For your information, Mr. Solo Hog, I’m unbelievably nice to you,” and Kurt’s grinning down at him wickedly, fingers only moving more quickly against him as Blaine pleads for him to stop. “You deserve every bit of snark you get from me, Mr. Leave Your Toys in the Drawer Tonight,” and okay, so Blaine is totally laughing over that while still whining over the tickling, “and I think you should honestly just count your undeniably good luck over the fact that-“
“Kurt, please, stop!” Blaine is laughing and crying. “Seriously! I hate being tickled!”
“Don’t interrupt me!” His tickling actually gets worse, and then his face is hovering right over Blaine’s, as he says, “Lucky that I think you’re the sweetest, most amazing boy I’ve ever met.”
Kurt’s not tickling him anymore. Blaine’s breathing hard, cheeks itching where tears from his laughter have streamed, and he can’t look away from the boy above him. His chest aches, and he doesn’t think it’s because he’s been denied air the last few minutes.
“Kurt-“
He’s silenced when Kurt’s lips press lightly against his. “We’re being honest, remember?” Kurt lifts up a little, beaming down at him. “Wait. I forgot romantic.”
Blaine blinks. “I’m not romantic. Kurt, I told you-“
“Whatever, Mr. You Move Me.” Kurt laughs softly before flopping down against Blaine’s chest, arms slipping beneath him to hug him tightly. He tucks his head beneath Blaine’s chin and just lays there silently for a long moment. Then he says, “You’re far from perfect, Blaine. But, you’re perfect for me.”
He doesn’t know what to say to that. He stares up at the ceiling, swallowing a few times, hands pressed into Kurt’s shoulders. He thinks of a million things he could say, and none of it seems right.
The moment is stolen from him when Kurt’s phone begins loudly playing “Silly Love Songs”. Blaine smiles, even as Kurt pulls away. He smiles every time he hears that ringtone. Kurt’s glancing at the screen of his phone with a frown before sighing.
“I need to head home.”
Blaine pushes up to lean on his elbows, meeting Kurt’s gaze as he turns to look at him. “You can’t go. I need to think of something romantic to say.”
Kurt laughs as he leans over to kiss him. “Don’t strain your brain trying, dummy. Give it time. I’m sure you’ll come up with something brilliant when we both least expect it.” He slips off of the bed to stand.
“You mean like in the midst of your decorating a canary’s casket?” Blaine moves to join him.
“Exactly.” Kurt turns toward him, his smile suddenly faltering. He reaches out and brushes his fingers over Blaine’s cheek, down his neck. “Do you really believe we’re going to win tomorrow?”
Blaine smiles with the assuredness he feels, pulling Kurt in for one more kiss. “With you and I together? How could we not?”
************************
The Warblers don’t win Regionals.
New Directions does, and Blaine finds he can’t really be sad about that. He likes Kurt’s friends, many of whom are now his friends, too, and he can’t help but admire their talent. He feels bad for his teammates, feels guilty for letting them down. He wonders if maybe someone else should have taken the lead on “Raise Your Glass”, but he doesn’t think about it too hard. He hopes he can make it up to them next year. Blaine’s never been particularly competitive; he just loves to perform. Losing has denied him Nationals, but it doesn’t mean he won’t get to sing again. That’s what’s important, right?
Well, that and the boy beside him.
Actually, mostly the boy walking beside him, holding his hand tightly, looking over at him every now and then with a soft smile. Blaine meant it when he’d said that getting each other out of everything means far more than a trophy. He wants to believe that Kurt gets that; that he believes it, too. Blaine knows Kurt likes the spotlight, knows that he likes to stand out in a crowd, and honestly, Blaine plans on making certain that Kurt never goes unnoticed again. Not by anyone, and most certainly not by him.
After all, when the most remarkable boy in the world trusts you with his heart, what else can you do but try to be remarkable in return?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks again everyone for reading!