Fic: Moving Forward, Part 2 - Two Steps Forward
Title: Moving Forward (Part 2, Two Steps Forward)
Series: Aftermath
Rating: PG
Warnings: None for this section - yay!
Author's Note: This is part 2 of 5 for this bit of fic. One section will be posted each day until it's complete - the last part will go up on Thursday before Glee airs.
Blaine does come for the week of spring break, as Kurt insisted at Christmas.
They stay in the first night of Blaine's visit.
Rachel is nowhere to be found, kicked out by Kurt (much to her displeasure, though she did depart before he had to threaten her with bodily harm), and the apartment is quiet.
Well, as quiet as an apartment can be in New York City.
The traffic sounds are constant, but Kurt finds them soothing now, only waking (sometimes) when an emergency vehicle drives by, lights flashing and sirens blaring.
The noises are all new for Blaine, his memory of his first trip blurred beyond recollection.
It's probably a good thing.
Blaine's tired to the point of exhaustion.
The last week has been tough, with mid-terms looming and Sectionals fast approaching, and everyone in glee club still just too self-absorbed to be there for him, to help him decompress.
He talks to Kurt at least three times a week, still sees Shelly and eats dinner with the Hummels once a week, but it's not quite enough.
He rolls over in bed again, trying to get comfortable, and hears a sleepily-mumbled, "Blaine?" fall from Kurt's lips.
"I'm fine," he whispers immediately. "Go back to sleep."
Kurt rolls onto his back and rubs his eyes, then props himself up on one side so he can look Blaine in the eye.
He's giving him that look, the "don't you lie to me, Blaine Anderson" look, and Blaine looks away and says softly, "Sorry, habit."
Kurt sighs. "Don't be sorry," he says quietly, reaching over to cup Blaine's cheek and rub his thumb under his eye. "Can't sleep?" he guesses.
Blaine leans into the touch, closing his eyes and nodding.
Kurt scoots closer and rolls to his back again.
"C'mere," he murmurs, tugging at Blaine's shoulder.
Blaine curls into his side, head pillowed on Kurt's chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart and the soft sound of his breathing.
Kurt starts singing, lyrics so soft they can barely be heard, and Blaine closes his eyes and listens.
He is lulled into slumber as Kurt continues to sing, his own voice fading as he, too, drifts off, arms wrapped tight around the boy he loves.
******
Rachel shows up in the morning at what feels like the crack of dawn.
It's really 8:30.
The rest of her morning classes have been canceled, so she decided to come home instead of kill time on campus.
She comes bearing coffee and bagels, though, so Kurt can't be too upset.
And she didn't barge into his "room," either, just called his name softly and waited for a response.
Kurt can't really move without disturbing Blaine - he is completely smothered by his boyfriend, essentially pinned to the bed by his warm, solid body.
Rather than try to get up, he tells Rachel to just come in.
Rachel enters, one hand over her eyes, and Kurt has to choke back a laugh.
"We're decent," he says quietly.
Rachel peaks at him from between her fingers.
She practically coos over them as she sets the plate of bagels on Kurt's nightstand.
"I got coffee, too," she whispers. "I'll be right back."
Kurt shifts in the bed, trying to sit up without disturbing Blaine.
It doesn't quite work.
Blaine mutters in his sleep, arms sliding tighter around Kurt's torso as he rubs his face against Kurt's shirt.
Kurt sighs and runs his fingers through Blaine's curls, rubs the other hand gently over Blaine's back, trying to lull him back to sleep.
Blaine pushes his head into Kurt's hand, whining a little, and Kurt can't help but smile.
Blaine has always loved having Kurt play with his hair, though the opportunity didn't come often thanks to the amount of product Blaine insisted on using.
One of these days, Kurt will help him find something that will work just as well to tame his curls without flattening them to his head.
Blaine is mumbling into his shirt now, nonsense words that might be meaningful to him, but hold no meaning for Kurt.
"I didn't mean to wake you," Kurt whispers, rubbing circles against Blaine's back. "You can go back to sleep if you want."
"Mmmm," Blaine murmurs. "No, 'm 'wake."
He cracks open one eye and looks at Kurt. "Morning," he says, smiling softly.
Kurt leans down and kisses his forehead. "Good morning."
When he pulls away, Blaine is pouting, lower lip sticking out and his brow furrowed.
"What's wrong?" Kurt asks, feeling his own face pull into a frown.
"Wanna kiss you," Blaine says, wriggling. "You're too far away."
Kurt laughs and slides his hands into Blaine's armpits, helping him shift into an upright position.
Blaine settles his head against Kurt's shoulder for a moment, until Kurt pokes him and says," Weren't you going to kiss me?"
A flush rises in Blaine's cheeks, turning them a delicious shade of pink.
Kurt bites back a laugh.
"Blaine, if I cared about morning breath, I'd kick you out of bed and make you brush your teeth. Now get over here and kiss me good morning!"
Blaine's cheeks flush even redder, but he leans up and presses a closed-mouth kiss to Kurt's lips.
When he pulls away, Kurt is staring at him, one eyebrow raised, and his displeasure would only be more obvious if the words "That's it, really?" were written on his forehead.
"Blaine Anderson, if you don't come back here and kiss me properly I swear I will-"
His rant is cut off by Blaine's mouth sealing over his, tongue sliding between his lips to tangle with Kurt's.
Kurt sighs and wraps his arms around Blaine's neck.
"Okay, I have the coffee, sorry about the- oh."
Rachel halts in the doorway, two mugs of coffee her hands.
Kurt turns his head in her direction and narrows his eyes.
Blaine buries his face in a pillow.
"Sorry," Rachel whispers, setting the mugs down. "Pretend I was never here."
She darts away.
Kurt pokes Blaine's side.
"Get back here," he demands. "I wasn't done kissing you!"
******
Kurt has the week off, given to him by Isabelle after he mentioned Blaine's trip. She insisted he spend some "quality time" with his boyfriend. She sent some work with him, assured him she would email him for his input as needed and would call in an emergency.
"I don't want to see you here this week," she said, hustling him out the door. "You need to show your young man around town while he's here; the work can wait."
She grabbed his bag and handed it to him, along with his portfolio. "Out!" she declared, pointing towards the door.
Kurt hadn't been able to resist giving her a hug before doing as he was told.
*****
Kurt takes him to Times Square and finds himself grinning hugely as Blaine's eyes grow wider and wider as he looks up at the buildings.
Blaine spots the Toys 'R' Us store, and he doesn't even have to ask before Kurt is dragging him across the street and into the revolving doors.
They spend over an hour inside, wandering through as many sections as they can stand, before leaving to continue their journey through the Square.
They see dozens of advertisements for shows, and Kurt can see how much Blaine wants to see them all.
"Next time," he promises. "Next time you come, whether it's for a visit or to stay, we'll do dinner and a show."
Blaine turns to him, eyes almost comically wide. "Really?" he asks.
Kurt smiles softly.
"Really."
Before he's finished saying the word, Blaine has flung himself at him, embracing him so hard he knocks the air from Kurt's lungs.
Kurt winds his arms around Blaine's back and holds him close, turning his face into his neck and pressing a kiss there.
******
The visit is wonderful for the first couple of days.
But, by the middle of the week, Blaine has caught up on his sleep and is no longer exhausted, and he comes to dread going to bed at night.
Because sleep brings dreams, and Blaine's dreams aren't always pleasant.
He has nightmares sometimes.
Too often, if he's honest.
At home, he just wakes up screaming, face buried in a pillow to muffle the sounds or, if he's lucky, in a cold sweat, his screams deafening in the dream but silent outside it.
But here, with Kurt, in Kurt's bed, he's jerked from his sleep, not by his screams but by his boyfriend gently shaking his shoulders, worry plain in his voice and face as he calls his name.
Blaine throws himself into Kurt's arms, clinging tightly, fingers digging into Kurt's back, his grip so fierce he would draw blood if his fingernails were longer.
Kurt holds him close, shushing him, one hand tight around Blaine's waist and the other buried in his hair, fingers rubbing his scalp gently as he combs through the curls.
He doesn't let go once Blaine has calmed, his sobs fading into stuttering breaths and sniffles. He continues to hold him, waiting as Blaine's breathing gradually slows back to normal, until Blaine relaxes in his arms and Kurt knows he's asleep once more.
In the morning, Kurt will ask questions. He'll ask how long the nightmares have been coming, how often, what they're about.
He'll ask if Shelly knows, encourage Blaine to tell her if she doesn't.
Kurt knows he can't fix this, no matter how hard he tries.
But he can try to hold Blaine together while he's here, keep him safe from the terrible things his mind will convince him are true, and show his love in every way he can.
******
Blaine flies home on Saturday, his bag stuffed with souvenirs and his heart feeling almost too-full with love.
Kurt comes with him to the airport, riding with him in the cab and holding him close until he has no choice but to let him go, to let him go through security and return to Ohio.
"I'll see you at graduation," Kurt says, leaning in for one last kiss.
Blaine pulls away, eyes shining brightly with unshed tears.
"Promise?" he whispers.
Kurt takes his face in his hands and kisses each cheek.
"I promise."