You Make Me (Part 1/3)
Author's note: Well, here it is. My first "bit" of Klaine fanfiction, which was supposed to merely be a fluffy little thing and then decided to explode into over 20,000 words and lead to shorter fics, oneshots, and sequels. I've broken it into 3 posts for LJ since posting everything at once is just crazy.
Rating: PG-13 for this section (R overall), due to subjects discussed near the end of this installment.
Word Count: 4187 for this part/21,513 overall
Summary: Kurt invites Blaine over for dinner at the Hudmels.
Kurt hummed softly as he slid the casserole into the oven, then gently closed the door. He reached forward to set the timer. As he turned to put the oven mitts away, he nearly collided with another body.
"Blaine!" He jumped, startled. "You're early…."
"I let myself in…I hope that's alright…" Blaine glanced away, shifting his stance a little.
Kurt smiled and rolled his eyes. "Of course it is. You know you're always welcome here."
They'd been dating for four months, but Blaine still hadn't grown accustomed to the welcoming atmosphere of the Hudmel household. He'd been raised to announce his presence when arriving at someone's home-even his own-and being asked-no, ordered-to "just open the door and come on in" (Carole's words) was incredibly foreign to him.
But he liked it. He liked it more than he would ever admit.
"Blaine?"
Blaine blinked, shaken from his thoughts. "Yes?"
"I asked you how long you'd been standing there," Kurt said, a small smile on his lips and a twinkle in his eyes.
Blaine glanced around the room before looking back at Kurt. "Oh…not long." That's not a complete lie. I stood next to him for just a few moments. He doesn't need to know I stood in the doorway, watching him cook and sing for nearly 30 minutes. He'd kill me.
Kurt raised a skeptical eyebrow.
"What were you singing?" Blaine asked, hoping to distract Kurt from questioning him further.
Kurt's cheeks flushed. He mumbled something Blaine didn't quite catch.
"Say again?"
Kurt's eyes were trained on the floor and he shifted uncomfortably.
"Teenage Dream," he said quietly.
Blaine smirked.
"Oh, really? Isn't that a little too...'Top 40' for your taste?"
Kurt glared at him, trying to muster up the fury to do so properly.
The moment was ruined as Blaine started laughing at him. Kurt couldn't help but join in.
Once their breathing had slowed to a more normal pace, Blaine repeated his question.
"So...why that song?" He asked. He stared steadily into Kurt's eyes.
Kurt looked away, shifting his feet and wrapping his arms around himself.
Blaine shook his head. "Come on, is the reason really that bad?" He placed a finger under Kurt's chin, forcing him to look up. "Just tell me, alright? I promise I won't make fun of you."
Kurt's stance relaxed a little, but his arms remained wrapped around his body. He raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Really? I have a hard time believing you."
Of all the promises Blaine would make-and they are numerous-this is the one he always had a hard time keeping. Kurt was just so much fun to tease. Blaine loved to see the flush climb his cheeks and his lips form into a pout. And he would turn his head away, hoping Blaine wouldn't be able to see the laughter in his eyes.
Blaine held out his hand. "Pinky swear!" He said, eyes twinkling merrily.
Kurt's arms dropped to his sides, and he felt his jaw drop open. "Pinky swear? Really? Are we five years old?"
"Pinky swears aren't just for little kids, you know," Blaine said seriously, as if Kurt had missed something very important.
"Really?" Kurt said, eyes wide and tone skeptical.
"Really. It's a promise between best friends. And best friends don't break promises."
Blaine still had his hand raised, the fingers curled into a fist except for his pinky. His lips were turned up in a small smile and Kurt could see the laughter (and...was that hope? or fear?..) in his eyes.
Kurt sighed and linked his pinky with Blaine's. "You are so ridiculous," he said, laughter and disbelief in his voice.
Blaine tightened his hold on Kurt's finger. "But that's why you love me!" He said, his smile morphing into a full-out grin.
Kurt felt his breath catch in his lungs. There it was...that word. Blaine could use it so casually, so effortlessly, as if it were very obvious. And Kurt, after spending so many years holding back what he really felt, never being able to use that word-except with his father, which wasn't the same thing at all-without worrying about it being misinterpreted, was finally able to say:
"Well, that's not the only reason I love you, you know."
Blaine chuckled, releasing his hold on Kurt's hand. Kurt missed the contact immediately.
"I got you to say it first!" Blaine said, a satisfied smirk on his face.
Kurt rolled his eyes. "Are you really going to make this a contest every time we see each other? Please tell me you're not actually keeping track of who says 'I love you' first each time."
Blaine rolled his eyes toward the ceiling, whistling innocently.
Kurt gasped. "You are. Oh my gosh, why would you do that." A horrifying thought crossed his mind. "You're not going to use that to guilt me into doing you a favor sometime, are you? Because that's just mean."
Blaine laughed. "You're so ridiculous. It's for myself, and I have no plans to use it to guilt you into anything."
Kurt frowned slightly, not understanding. "So...why are you keeping track then?"
"Because I want to stay ahead of you."
Kurt was speechless. "Because I want to stay ahead of you." For a guy who says he's not very good at romance, he's doing a damn good job so far. Kurt had no idea what to say. Blaine was beginning to look slightly uncomfortable, and Kurt realized he was probably overthinking what he'd said, worrying that it was the wrong thing. And since Kurt's brain couldn't come up with any words nearly as sweet as what he'd just heard, he did the only other logical thing.
He took a step forward and pressed his lips to Blaine's, resting one hand on the back of his neck and the other on his waist. He felt Blaine relax immediately, a soft sigh whispering from his lips. Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt, pressing them closer together, just enough so they could feel the warmth from each other's bodies.
They kissed for what seemed like forever, and yet, when they pulled away and Kurt touched his forehead to Blaine's, no time seemed to have passed at all. They stood quietly from a moment before Blaine said, "So now that you've tried to dodge my question twice, will you please tell me why you were thinking about Teenage Dream?"
Kurt tried to pull away, but Blaine's arms tightened around his waist. "Come on, Kurt. I promised not to make fun of you. I even pinky swore, just for you!"
Kurt sighed and rolled his eyes. He leaned closer to Blaine, pressing his lips to the other boy's ear.
"I was remembering the day I met you," he whispered.
This time, it was Blaine who was left without words. He felt his breath catch in his throat. His eyes widened.
"Any...ah..." He coughed, trying to clear his throat. "Any particular reason? Not that you need one, of course..."
Kurt pulled away, just enough to be able to look into Blaine's eyes. He smiled shyly, a flush creeping up his cheeks again, and his eyes darted to the side. He couldn't think straight with Blaine giving him that look.
He cleared his throat. "It's been exactly seven months since I happened to stop you on the steps at Dalton."
Blaine's face split into a grin. "Whoa, really?" He pursed his lips and rolled his eyes toward the ceiling, searching his mind for the memory. "Wow," he breathed. "I can't believe I didn't remember..." His voice trailed off, his eyes losing focus slightly as he replayed that day.
He was late for Warblers practice, once again. Wes was going to kill him; not only for being late for the fourth time within a week, but also for "being such a terrible example for the new Warblers. If we keep letting your lateness slide, they'll assume they can begin doing the same, and before we know it, practices will become chaos."
It wasn't Blaine's fault so many people insisted upon distracting him as he walked the Dalton halls. It would be unspeakably rude to brush them off, and a Warbler wasn't ever to be rude.
He raced down the down the stairs, head down, brushing quickly past the other students. As he reached floor level, a voice he didn't recognize said, "Excuse me." Blaine turned and glanced up at the young man on the staircase. The boy continued, "Um...hi. Can I ask you a question? I...I'm new here."
Blaine immediately knew the boy wasn't telling the truth. New students were given a uniform along with their class schedules and were expected to wear them right away. New students were also assigned an upper classman to be their guide for their first day.
Blaine was about to call him out for telling an untruth...but something in the boy's eyes stopped him. Blaine smiled, held out his hand, and said, "My name is Blaine."
The boy glanced down at their clasped hands, then looked up at Blaine with a smile. "Kurt," he said, sounding a little breathless.
Blaine released the boy's hand and watched as he glanced around at the bustling students.
The boy (Kurt, Blaine corrected himself), sighed and said"So...what exactly is going on?"
"The Warblers," Blaine said, excitement in his voice. He glanced at the students milling around, then looked back at Kurt and continued, "Every now and then they throw an impromptu performance in the senior commons." He glanced away again. "It tends to shut the school down for a while," he finished with a wink.
Kurt's eyes widened as he watched the students flowing down the hall. "So...wait. The glee club here is kind of...cool?"
"The Warblers are like...rockstars," Blaine said, grinning.
Kurt's eyebrows climbed his forehead, a look of sheer disbelief on his face. Blaine couldn't stop smiling. He reached for Kurt's hand and said, "Come on. I know a shortcut."
They raced down the empty hallway. Blaine realized that Kurt's arm was awkwardly crossing his body, but he didn't want to release the boy's hand. As they reached the senior commons, the doors swung open. Blaine released Kurt's hand and turned to face him.
"Oh, I stick out like a sore thumb," Kurt said, observing the attire of the other students.
"Next time, don't forget your jacket, new kid," Blaine said, reaching out to adjust the lapel of his jacket. "You'll fit right in," he said, winking and setting aside his bag.
"Now if you'll excuse me," Blaine said, turning away and joining the Warblers, who had begun their background vocals for their number.
As the song began, Blaine turned in a slow circle, glancing around the room, a huge grin on his face, making eye contact with several students.
And then...he looked at Kurt. As he sang, "You'll be my valentine...valentine," his eyes met Kurt's. The other boy was watching tentatively, hesitation in his eyes, a half-smile on his lips.
Blaine began moving in time with the rest of the Warblers, shifting his gaze to other students, and stopping to look at Kurt often. As the performance continued, Blaine found himself looking at Kurt more than any of the other students or his fellow performers. He found himself singing to Kurt, pointing at him as he sang "You make me...feel like I'm living a teenage dream..." He repeated the motion each time the chorus began again.
As the performance went on, Blaine continued to keep an eye on Kurt's expression. He saw the boy begin swaying with the music and a smile begin to form on his face. He watched as Kurt observed the reactions of the other students. He looked so...happy.
Halfway through the song, Blaine sang "...when you look at me..." he looked into Kurt's eyes, drinking in the boy's ecstatic expression, the joy that could clearly be seen in his eyes and in the wide smile on his face.
"Just one touch..." Blaine saw Kurt giggle and duck his head but he kept his eyes locked on Blaine's. Blaine decided he liked seeing Kurt smile, so he hammed up his performance a little bit, smiling wider, gesturing more dramatically, and making sure to look at Kurt as he sang.
"Don't ever look back..don't ever look back..." He pointed at Kurt again, hazel eyes locking with blue once more. If possible, he saw Kurt's smile grow wider, his eyes scrunching shut.
And as the song came to a close, the Warblers singing, "Be your teenage dream tonight," Blaine once again locked eyes with Kurt. Blaine was quickly mobbed by the students, but before his vision was completely blocked, he saw Kurt begin to clap wildly, his grin splitting his face and his eyes shining.
I'm glad I didn't call him out on his lie, Blaine thought, this was a lot of fun.
"Blaine." Kurt snapped his fingers. "Blaine, are you in there?"
"Hmm...?" Blaine murmured, slowly coming back from his reminiscing.
"I've been trying to bring your attention back to me for almost a minute. Where were you?" Kurt asked, grinning.
"Same place you were when I got here," Blaine said with a smile of his own.
Kurt frowned, puzzled for a moment. Then his eyes lit up and a smile split his face. "You were remembering, weren't you?"
Blaine nodded.
"You know..." Kurt started, then paused and bit his lip.
"What?" Blaine asked. "Come on, we're always honest with each other. You don't have to censor your thoughts around me."
Kurt shook his head, smirking. He strode out of the kitchen to the living room. Upon hearing Blaine's footsteps following him, he called out, "Stay there for a minute, okay?"
Blaine paused just inside the doorway, trying to figure out what Kurt could possibly be up to.
"Okay!" He heard Kurt's voice...from upstairs? Had he gone to his bedroom? "Come on up!"
Blaine walked up the stairs slowly, still trying to figure out what Kurt could possibly have up his sleeve. As he approached Kurt's bedroom, he could hear music playing faintly. He strained his ears, trying to hear what song Kurt had chosen. If he could just figure that out, maybe he could determine what Kurt was trying to surprise him with.
He reached Kurt's bedroom and noticed that the door was closed. He knocked sharply on it...just in case.
Kurt whipped the door open, startling Blaine and causing him to leap backwards. Kurt giggled.
"So...what are you up to?" Blaine asked, trying to peer around the door. All he could see of Kurt was his upper body; the rest was covered by the door. "What song are you listening to?" He stepped forward, intent on entering the room, when Kurt pulled the door open the rest of the way and began to sing...
"You think I'm pretty...
"...without any makeup on," Kurt sang, slowly backing into the room.
Blaine stood in the doorway, mouth hanging open.
"You think I'm funny...when I tell the punchline wrong," Kurt continued, moving around his room to stand behind his bed.
Blaine stepped into the bedroom, mouth still agape.
"I know you get me...so I'll let my walls come down...dooown..." Kurt smiled shyly before continuing to sing.
"Before you met me...I was a wreck...but things were kinda heavy," Kurt's lips turned down into a frown, his shoulders slumping slightly.
"You brought me to life," the smile was back, his shoulders straight and proud once again. "Now every February...you'll be my valentine...valentine."
"Let's go all the way tonight," Kurt felt his cheeks heat up and noticed a blush creeping up on Blaine's as well. "No regrets, just love." He stepped forward, taking Blaine's hands in his. "We can dance until we die," he tugged on Blaine's hands, coaxing him to dance a little. "You and I...we'll be young forever." He held on to the last note just a little too long as he released Blaine's hands and stepped away.
"You make me," he burst into the chorus, pointing both hands at Blaine. "Feel like I'm living a Teenage Dream."
"The way you turn me on..." Kurt felt his cheeks heating again. "I can't sleep..." oh, if Blaine only knew how true that line is, Kurt thought.
"Let's run away..." he grabbed Blaine's hand, dragging his boyfriend out of the bedroom and toward the stairs. "And don't ever look back...don't ever look back." They raced down the stairs, stumbling slightly as they reached the main floor. Kurt released Blaine's hand, stepping down into the living room and leaving Blaine standing at the foot of the stairs.
"My heart stops..." Kurt placed his hands over his heart. "When you look at me..." He pointed at Blaine, locking his blue eyes with Blaine's hazel ones. "Just one touch..." He stepped forward, trailing a finger down Blaine's arm.
"Now baby I believe...this is real." Kurt stepped back into the living room, bouncing from one foot to another.
"So take a chance..." he stepped forward again, grabbing Blaine's hand and tugging him towards the front door.
"And don't ever look back...don't ever look back..."
Kurt tugged the door open, dragging Blaine outside.
"We drove to Cali...and got drunk on the beach..." He released Blaine's hand and moved to the other side of his car, laying his upper body across it and holding Blaine's eyes.
"Got a motel and...built a fort out of sheets..." Kurt disappeared from Blaine's view as he circled the Navigator.
"I finally found you..." Kurt appeared from the rear of the vehicle, reaching forward to grab Blaine's hand once again.
"My missing puzzle piece..." he leaned forward, his lips close to Blaine's ear. "I'm complete."
The boys began jogging around the house as Kurt continued singing, "Let's go all...the way tonight. No regrets...just love.."
They reached the back yard as Kurt belted out, "We can dance...until we die...you and I...we'll be young forever." He nearly lost the note as Blaine started to dance. Blaine let go of Kurt's hands so he would be more free to move.
"You make me.." Kurt launched into the chorus.
"Feel like...I'm living a Teenage Dream..." Blaine joined in, no longer willing to just stand by and watch Kurt perform.
"The way you turn me on..." Both boys blushed and giggled. "I can't sleep...Let's run away..." They joined hands again, racing around the yard as they sang. "And don't ever look back...don't ever look back..."
They stopped in a corner, releasing their hands and hopping from one foot to the other, perfectly in sync. "My heart stops..." they pressed their hands to their chests. "When you look at me..." They pointed at each other, and Blaine winked, causing Kurt to giggle and nearly skip the next lyrics.
"Just one touch.." They reached out their right hands, each trailing a finger down the other's left arm.
"Now baby I believe...this is real..." Their hands linked together once more. "So take a chance...and don't ever look back...don't ever look back."
Kurt pressed a finger to Blaine's lips to prevent him from singing for a moment. He pressed his hand to Blaine's chest. "I might get your heart racing..." He moved his hands to his hips, running them down his thighs. "In my skin-tight jeans...be your teenage dream tonight..."
He reached for Blaine's hands, and placed them on his hips, covering them with his own hands. "Let you put your hands on me...in my skin-tight jeans..." Kurt reached up and rested his hands on Blaine's cheeks. "Be your teenage dream tonight."
"You make me..." Blaine joined in once again. "Feel like I'm living a Teenage Dream." He spun Kurt around. "The way you turn me on..." Again, both of them blushed and giggled. "I can't sleep..."
They took off running once more, hands linked between them. "Let's run away...and don't ever look back...don't ever look back."
They paused in the middle of the yard, hands pressed to their hearts. "My heart stops...when you look at me."
"Just one touch..." They each pressed a hand to the others' cheek. "Now baby I believe..." They started running again. "This is real...so take a chance and don't ever look back...don't ever...look back."
Kurt stopped running as he sang the last lyrics. "I might get your heart racing...in my skin-tight jeans...be your teenage dream tonight..." He and Blaine stood, facing one another, their chests heaving from exertion.
"...Let you put your hands on me...in my skin-tight jeans...be your teenage dream tonight."
And as Kurt sang the final note, Blaine tackled him, slamming them both to the ground.
"Oof." The air rushed out of Kurt's lungs. He glared at Blaine. "Why did you do that? I'm going to be COVERED in grass stains!"
"I'll pay for the damages. Promise." Blaine chuckled. "You honestly expected me not to jump you after that? Have you looked at yourself lately?"
Kurt squirmed beneath Blaine, his eyes downcast.
Blaine's expression softened, the smile fading from his face and eyes. "Kurt?"
Blaine watched as Kurt's cheeks flushed, but the other boy still wouldn't look at him.
Blaine sighed, placing a hand on Kurt's cheek while using the other to prop himself up. "Come on, look at me. What did I say?"
Kurt still wouldn't meet his eyes. Blaine huffed out a breath before sliding down Kurt's body slightly and resting his chin on Kurt's chest. He reached forward, placing a hand on either side of Kurt's face, his thumbs lightly brushing the soft skin of his cheeks. Neither of them spoke for a few moments. Kurt's chest rose and fell steadily as he breathed, and Blaine continued stroking his cheeks, still watching Kurt and waiting for Kurt to respond.
"Why?" The word fell from Kurt's lips, almost too quiet for Blaine to hear.
"...why...what?" Blaine asked. Kurt was usually very easy for him to read, but, right now, Blaine had no idea what Kurt was thinking.
"Why did you ask if I'd looked at myself lately?" Kurt asked, his chin tilting down slightly to look into Blaine's eyes.
Blaine was quiet for a moment, trying to read the expression on Kurt's face. His boyfriend's eyes could hold so many emotions and could express what Kurt was feeling better than his words. And...there it was. The reason why Kurt seemed so unsettled by Blaine's words, why Kurt had grown so serious.
"You really don't see how beautiful you are, do you?" Blaine asked. Kurt's eyes widened. Blaine felt Kurt's chest rise sharply as he gasped.
Blaine dropped his hands to his sides, levering himself up to hover above Kurt.
"How?" Blaine asked, trying to keep the disbelief in his voice to a minimum. "How do you not see it? You spend so much time choosing your outfits, and taking care of your outward appearance..." Blaine trailed off as he watched Kurt's eyes steadily growing brighter, tears shining in them. I'm saying this all wrong. Fix it, Blaine. Fix it! Blaine sighed, then rocked back on his heels and stood up. He held out an arm for Kurt. "Come on. Let's go inside. I want to show you something."
Blaine led Kurt back inside the house and up the stairs to Kurt's bedroom. He led Kurt to the small area where Kurt's vanity was set up and sat down on the bench, tugging Kurt down beside him. Blaine wrapped an arm around Kurt's shoulders, pulling him close.
"Okay," Blaine said. "Look in the mirror and tell me what you see."
Kurt sighed. He briefly considered trying to distract Blaine from whatever he was trying to do. However, since Blaine hadn't been swayed earlier, Kurt really didn't see the point in trying again. "I'm too pale," he began quietly. "My hair looks terrible if I don't take the time to style it. My nose is too big; my lips are too red. And my teeth-"
"Stop." Blaine cut him off. Kurt stopped speaking, his teeth gnawing on his lower lip. Blaine placed a hand on Kurt's cheek, locking eyes with him in the reflection of the mirror.
"I love your skin. I love how soft it is beneath my hands, how well it contrasts with my own." He reached up, tugging at Kurt's bangs that were swept to the side. "I love your hair, no matter what you do with it." Blaine reached around, tweaking Kurt's nose. "Your nose is just right." Kurt's expression relaxed slightly.
Blaine's fingers trailed lightly over Kurt's lips. "I never want to hear you say bad things about your lips. They are beautiful. In fact..." Blaine angled himself toward Kurt, placing his hands on Kurt's cheeks.
"I think I'll show you just how much I love them," he said, leaning forward and pressing his lips to Kurt's.
Part 2