Kurt woke with a small jolt as Blaine gently shook his shoulder, his smiling face the first – and only – thing Kurt saw as he blinked blearily, sitting up and grunting as his spine clicked, a residual ache in his neck letting him know that it did not approve of sleeping on a bus. He swallowed, opening his mouth to say something but was cut off by Blaine's low murmur.
"We're just coming into New York, Kurt. And I think your phone is the one that keeps ringing."
"... Oh..." he mumbled, not very intelligently as he tried to process Blaine's words, running the backs of his knuckles along his eyes, fingers brushing through his hair to make sure everything was where it should be before fumbling in his pocket for his iPhone, sliding it out. Three new messages. Stifling another yawn, Kurt slid it unlocked and opened up his messages.
'Call me when you get there. Dad.'
'hey babe x x x howz about sum shopping with ur fav diva in NY? x x x'
'brit wants 2 kno if any of the boys r reely grls n i forgot ur shoes srry.'
… Damn Finn. Kurt sighed irritably, letting his head thunk against the window. Those shoes would have been perfect... His thumbs moved quickly, despite his sleepy state.
'Nearly there, dad. Keep eating healthily. Love you.'
'Mercedes, you took the words from my mouth. I'll call you as soon as I can get away x x x'
'You're an idiot, Finn, but since we're now related I'll forgive you. Also, all the boys are boys. Stop encouraging Britt's madness.'
"Everything okay...?" Blaine asked, smiling at Kurt from his seat next to him, offering him an earphone from his iPod. Kurt took it, smiling softly back at his friend, the sound of their set-list greeting him.
"Yeah... Just my dad, Mercedes and Finn. He forgot my shoes."
"The McQueens?"
"Bingo," Kurt sighed, shooting Blaine a long-suffering look.
"Oh, ouch," Blaine winced, genuine sympathy shining in his eyes. "And they would have gone so well-"
"-With my outfit for tonight...!" Kurt finished, laughing along with Blaine as they both nodded, lifting their hands and high-fiving gently, though it was more a pat of palms than the typical let's-make-your-hand-fall-off high-fives that were commonplace. "I know," he sighed, letting his hand rest back on his knee, lips still in their small, sad smile. "But I'll live."
"Thank god you have the Jacobs. They'll be fine, especially if you wear your black shirt, as opposed to the green," Blaine said, leaning his own head back against the padded chair.
"And lo, a genius whose wisdom has saved me for a fashion catastrophe," Kurt grinned, delighting in the soft laugh Blaine let out, flicking a hand in a small gesture.
"It's my pleasure~," he grinned. "Oh, look...!" He pointed, Kurt turning his head obediently to look out the window and gasping softly as the amazing New York skyline swept majestically into view.
"... Oh my god..." It was beautiful... Utterly beautiful, in a terrifying, exciting way. Suddenly he was aware that Blaine was leaning over him, their cheeks close as he peered out the window too, grinning.
"Amazing..."
Kurt swallowed, laughing softly and jerking his head just in time to stop their temples smacking together as the bus jolted. Blaine leaned back with another soft smile, turning around in his seat to chat to Wes and David as Kurt's phone buzzed again.
'brit wants 2 kno if der all gay srry bout the shoes ill by u a hat'
Kurt took a moment to decipher Finn's message before sighing softly, texting back.
'No, they're not all gay. And I'm holding you to the promise of a new hat.'
As soon as he hit the send button, his phone buzzed again.
'awesome x x x bring blaine 2 if u want babe x x x gonna bring sum of the gurls x x x'
Kurt bit back a small smile, tapping Blaine on the shoulder. "Blaine...?" The boy turned, smiling at his friend.
"That's me."
"Do you want to come shopping with Mercedes, myself and a few of the girls from New Directions this afternoon?"
"Of course! That'd be great. Thanks!" Blaine nodded, squeezing Kurt's wrist softly before turning back to Wes and David, chatting about the football game last night.
'Mercedes, you're a goddess on earth. Blaine and I will see you lot later x x x'
Kurt slid his phone back into his pocket and stretched, shivering as his shoulders popped, his knees cracked and... Yeah. He really had been sitting for too long. His eyes fixed on the view outside the window, a small, excited smile on his face as they drew closer and closer to New York, and what he was sure would be the best weekend of his life so far, even though they had to spend nearly all of Friday on this bus, and pretty much all of Monday too to return.
It was another hour later that the bus finally pulled up to their hotel, a tall building that certainly wasn't too shabby, its glittering Crowne Plaza Hotel sign prominent on the stone wall. Not to mention it was in Times Square right next to Broadway. He'd never be able to thank Richard enough for having a father who'd managed to get them a discount on their hotel.
Had he mentioned it was in Times Square? Right next to Broadway? Yeah. Because it was.
Kurt resisted the urge to scramble out of the bus as soon as it had stopped moving, instead waiting patiently for everyone to filter out in turn, brushing down his Dalton uniform. He couldn't wait to change into his own clothes, no matter how smart these were, his clothes were a huge part of him and... Well, he never felt 100% right when he wasn't in them. Finally he was stepping off the bus onto the pavement, a permanent grin on his face as he looked around, following the queue to the boot to take out their belongings. With his big, light green and black suitcase trailing behind him he made his way up the steps towards the door of the hotel, Blaine quickly catching up with his much smaller suitcase in tow and shooting Kurt a charming smile as he held the door open for him. Kurt beamed back, looking over his shoulder one last time before he stepped inside and moved out the way so Blaine and the rest could come through too.
Wes and David strode up to the check-in desk, smiling as they got their reservation. Thanks to the prestige of both the school and its Glee Club, plus Wes and David being in their last year of school and utterly trustworthy, the trip had been organized, fund-raised, paid for and kept in motion by the two. They turned to the eager, smiling and shockingly well behaved group of boys waiting. Wes handed out room keys as David spoke.
"We're all going to go to our rooms now, unpack, change, relax and take some time to get over the trauma of that bus journey. Then you're all free until 6PM, when you'll all return here. You can only go out in groups of two or more, and if anyone gets separated or lost from the other, go to the nearest shop or café and ring either Wes or myself, and then your partner. Wes and I aren't going to help you, but we will tell you you're an idiot, and to stay where you are until you're found like the little lost sheep you are. Alright?"
There were nods all round along with a few laughs, Kurt giving Blaine an excited smile as he took the key from David with a murmur of thanks.
"Lead the way, Kurt," Blaine smiled, following him as Kurt moved towards the elevator, checking the floor and room number on the key's tag before pushing the appropriate buttons, a few more of the boys climbing in. Wes smiled at him, leaning against the rail.
"So, are you going to meet up with your old classmates today, Kurt?"
"Yeah," Kurt laughed, fingers brushing his fringe to the side as he glanced to Blaine. "Blaine and I are going to meet up with some of the girls for a bit of retail therapy." Wes laughed softly and nodded, David checking his notebook and writing down a couple of things. The lift stopped; the doors slid open a moment later and the boys stepped out into the grand looking hallway, taking a second to gather their bearings before heading towards their rooms.
"Well, see you two later," Wes said with a small wave as he and David went into their room.
"We'll keep in contact," Blaine grinned, unlocking their door, right opposite the other two and holding it open again for Kurt with a short bow and a twinkle in his eyes. Kurt bit back a giggle, pretending to curtsy before going in and breathing out softly in awe, looking around the amazing room, the amazing view, the amazing decoration, the-...
"... Can I come in too?" Blaine asked with a laugh. Kurt flushed, stepping aside immediately to let him in and grinning sheepishly.
"Sorry. The room's amazing..." he murmured, leaving his suitcase in a corner of the room and going over to the huge window, looking down onto Times Square. "... Oh my god... The view..." he breathed, gently flattening his palms on the window as he peered out, watching the crowds scurry to and fro. Blaine stepped up beside him, their shoulders brushing and their breath fogging up the glass as they both looked down onto the street.
"... It's unbelievable, Kurt..."
Kurt glanced over to Blaine, crooking a small smile. "Some day in the future, I'll be so used to it that it'll become boring~" he joked, Blaine laughing softly and drawing back, sitting on the big double bed in the middle of the room, flopping back onto it with a hum of content. Kurt went over to the small armchair beside a table, flicking out his phone and calling Mercedes.
"Whadd'up~?"
He couldn't stop the grin creeping onto his face. "Hey, girlfriend~ Are you in the big apple yet?"
"Uh huh! You'd better believe it! We're in some crappy little hotel outside the city, but we're right by a subway. Where are you?"
"I," he grinned, "am in a hotel over looking Times Square."
"Oh my god! No way!"
"Yes way~!" He laughed, Blaine sitting up and laughing softly too.
"You lucky little...!" she laughed. "So, do you have your own room?"
"No, no. I'm sharing with Blaine. We're in pairs."
"Uh huh~ Let me guess, double bed~?" The grin in her voice was obvious as Kurt flushed a little.
"Oh, shut up~ Anyway, shopping. When can you get here?"
"Mr. Schue's letting us go in about half an hour, so it'll be about an hour from now until we get into Times Square."
"Got it," Kurt smiled. "Call me when you get here, and Blaine and I'll come out and meet you." He hung up then, leaning back against his chair and glancing over as Blaine flicked on the kettle in their room, brewing them both a much needed cup of Earl Grey tea, coming over with the teacups on saucers. He handed one to Kurt with a wink, sitting opposite and crossing his legs just as Kurt had done. "Well," he smiled, "this is simply lovely."
Kurt smiled softly back at him, over the rim of his cup as he sipped, his pinky elegantly poised as if he was from the highest English aristocracy. "Perfectly charming."
"Astoundingly bewitching."
"Incredibly enamouring."
"Delightfully enrapturing."
"Exquisitely captivating."
"Fascinatingly enthralling."
"Wonderfully... Hypnotising."
"Astonishingly... Um..." Blaine laughed, his thumb ruefully rubbing his chin as he thought. "... Pleasing...?"
Kurt laughed too, sipping his tea again and smiling, looking out the window for a moment or two, speaking softly. "All in all, the best weekend of my life..."
Blaine smiled at him before looking out too, watching crowds pour out of a theatre onto the busy street. "I couldn't agree more..."
An hour later he and Blaine were sitting outside a small café, in their own clothes and waiting for Mercedes and company to arrive, Vogue's newest edition between them as they discussed the merits and drawbacks of ponchos, and whether or not they really did have a place in the fashion scene of today.
"I'm telling you Blaine, not even Naomi Campbell can work a poncho...! It's completely and utterly dated!"
"But isn't that what fashion's all about? Re-invention? Re-definition?" He grinned, nudging his knee against Kurt's as the boy pressed the back of his hand to his forehead, closing his eyes and looking pained.
"... I swear to god, Blaine... Sometimes I don't know what I'm going to do with you..." Blaine's laugh was as bright as the sun shining down on them as Kurt broke off into giggles, shaking his head.
He was brought out of his little bubble as Mercedes' familiar voice rang loud and clear over the bustle of the street.
"KURT!"
He gasped softly, standing and turning to her immediately, a beam breaking out to match hers as she ran towards him, arms outstretched. "Mercedes...!" He pushed his chair aside, running to her too as people paused, watching the mismatched pair almost slam together, laughing as they hugged each other as tight as they could. Kurt's hat got knocked a little askew by the collision, Mercedes' bag almost falling off her arm. He clamped his eyes shut as he breathed in her perfume, the scent hitting him hard and bringing home just how much he missed her.
"... It's like watching dark chocolate and white chocolate hugging..." came Brittany's breathy, spacey voice from beside them, Kurt opening his eyes and beaming, gently drawing back from the hug as he turned to look at his fellow ex-Glee Clubbers.
Santana was standing in what could only be called minimalistic clothing, arms linked with a similarly dressed Brittany. Quinn stood beside them, her clothes a little more conservative than the other Cheerios, and finally Tina, smiling and waving in her usual Gothic getup. Kurt swallowed, blinking away tears.
"Hey..." He murmured, smiling as they all – even Santana – came over and hugged him with a chorus of greetings. Blaine stood, slipping their magazine into his bag and took off his large, pink-rimmed sunglasses. Kurt beamed at him, brushing his hair to the side and stepping back a little so he and Blaine were side by side.
"Girls," he said, voice a little stronger and less emotional, "this is Blaine. Blaine, this is Santana," she waved, smirking as she looked him up and down, "Brittany," she smiled widely, "Quinn," a little wave, "and Tina. You already know Mercedes." Blaine laughed, his eyes twinkling with their mesmerizing charm.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all."
"Damn," Santana laughed, nudging Mercedes. "You were right. He is hot."
"Totally..." Brittany breathed, Tina giggling softly in the background as Blaine laughed and looked to Kurt, a little lost. Santana tossed her hair, squeezing Brittany's arm even as she smirked at Blaine.
"Are you sure you're gay? We could always test that-"
"-And this is where you shut up now, Santana," Kurt said hurriedly, flushing for Blaine as Mercedes laughed and looked to Santana.
"You're embarrassing them~" She all but cooed, taking Kurt's arm as Quinn shouldered her bag and smiled softly.
"Since Tina, Mike Sam and I are meant to be meeting up for lunch, I think we should go."
"I'd totally sleep with you... You wouldn't even have to buy me dinner or flowers..." Brittany smiled, eyes still on Blaine who was looking mildly panicked as the two scantily clad girls took an arm each, sweeping him along after Quinn and Tina. Blaine was obviously flustered, eyebrows raised.
"I, uh... I... Thank you...? I think...?" He tried, both Santana and Brittany giggling at his blatant discomfort at being so crudely propositioned.
"... I should have warned him about Santana and Brittany..." Kurt murmured, he and Mercedes bringing up the rear of the group as they headed towards 59th Street. Mercedes just laughed, squeezing Kurt's arm and looking up to him.
"He'll be fine~," she grinned before pausing for a second. "Damn, Kurt... Have you grown...?"
"I don't think so... Maybe a little, but..." he said, blinking before showing her his shoes. "Heels," he said with a small smile, pointing out the fashionable way the whole sole became a sloping heel. "And you're in flats."
"Thank god," she laughed, the two hurrying after their friends as Blaine shot a terrified look over his shoulder towards Kurt, his expression begging for help at the same time Santana and Brittany looped their arms around the back of Blaine's waist. Kurt bit back a grin, lips moving wordlessly.
'This is Karma for thinking ponchos were cool.'
Blaine's brows furrowed as he lip read before he snorted, biting back a laugh and mouthing to Kurt.
'I take it all back! Ponchos are the devil's work!'
Nothing could stop the giggles flowing from Kurt's lips as they paused by a Gucci window display, Quinn leaning in to look at the sun-dresses.
"That one," Kurt said, pointing out one in tasteful, pastel pink, "would really compliment your figure and your hair colour, Quinn. Especially if Sam's brought his infamous blue jumper."
Quinn laughed softly, Blaine nodding and looking over to her with a smile. "Add some white, strappy sandals,"
Kurt grinned, looking to him across Mercedes' head. "Some silver jewellery,"
"Preferably with blue gems," Blaine said, looking over to Kurt with a smile in his eyes.
"And white ankle socks,"
""And you'll have Versace's Summer Dream collection...!"" They chorused, breaking off into little laughs as the girls stared up at them.
"... Are you two psychic...?" Brittany whispered.
"No, Britt," Santana sighed, rolling her eyes. "They're both just incredibly gay."
"I prefer the term fashion aware. A concept you seem to be struggling to grasp," Kurt snipped, Santana glaring up at him and opening her mouth to retort before Blaine laughed charmingly and gently tugged them towards the entrance.
"Let's just go in and take a look around," he said, his warm, genuine smile instantly distracting Santana from snapping back at Kurt.
Quinn laughed softly and followed them in, immediately going and picking out the sun-dress in her size and holding it against herself as Blaine went over to her, Santana and Brittany in tow as he lead them to the clothing racks with a confident smile. Tina hung back with Mercedes and Kurt, heading straight to the shoes. Twenty minutes later they were all by the changing rooms, sitting in the plush seats as a few of the staff members milled around, reassured that the group weren't trouble makers of any sort. In fact, one of the floor girls had taken an instant shine to Blaine and had shown him some items that weren't quite on the shelves yet, much to Kurt's excitement as he longingly clung to a pair of shoes that hadn't even come out in Vogue.
"Blaine," Santana grinned, taking his wrist and tugging him up, "come and help me put these on."
"... Uh," he laughed, looking unsurely back to the group, "... I'm not sure if that's..."
"It's fine," she smirked. "You're gay, right? It's not like you'll be perving on me."
"O-Of course not...!" He blustered, his shock letting down his guard for the split second Santana needed to tug him into the swanky cubicle and shut the saloon-esque door. Kurt's eyebrow twitched as he crossed his arms.
"Just what is she playing at..." he murmured, almost to himself as Mercedes rolled her eyes.
"She just can't take no for an answer, I guess."
Santana smirked softly at Blaine, gently pushing him down to sit as she faced the mirror and, without an ounce of shame, whipped off her top. Blaine's indigent, soft squawk cracked the annoyed look on Kurt's face as he covered his mouth with his hand and tried not to laugh out loud. Mercedes almost doubled over as she tried to keep quiet, all of them able to see as Santana's shirt dropped to the floor, her skirt quickly following as another strangled noise of embarrassment came from the poor boy trapped in there with her.
Santana raised an eyebrow, hands on hips as she faced Blaine who'd covered his face with his hands and turned away slightly. "Seriously...? This does nothing for you?"
"... Please just put some clothes on..." Blaine mumbled, the tips of his ears bright red. Kurt had never heard the confident, smiling boy sound so... Ruffled. It was, frankly, hilarious.
"... Damn it," Santana sighed, reaching for the clothes Blaine had picked for her. "What if I took off my panti-"
"-Please don't!"
That was the last straw. Kurt, Tina, Mercedes and Quinn all burst into laughter that just had Blaine going even pinker beneath his hands as Santana grumpily pulled on her clothes. Her frown disappeared as she turned this way and that, dressed and inspecting herself in the mirror.
"... You can look now. I'm dressed. I promise~" she laughed as Blaine slowly peered at her through his fingers, dropping his hands in relief as he saw that she was indeed dressed. He tried for a smile, though a hint of nervousness was still clear in his eyes. He stood, nervously brushing his shirt down and nodding as Santana twirled. She opened the door, striding out and striking a pose, the group 'ooh'ing and 'aah'ing, Kurt clapping as Blaine snuck out from behind her and hurriedly sat down beside Kurt, still looking a little shell shocked.
"Karma, Blaine. Poncho-y karma," Kurt whispered, a smirk playing about his lips as Blaine simply groaned softly and slumped more in his chair. Brittany was next to disappear into the cubicle, going solo and coming out in simply stunning dress that Kurt had found, hidden away. It took another good twenty minutes for the mini fashion show to finish, the group leaving the shop with a few discounted items between them, namely Quinn's pink dress and Kurt's new shoes.
Which, as Blaine had correctly pointed out, would look much better than the Jacobs. That really sealed the $160 deal in the end, and Quinn's dress had ended up costing only $99 because of a small tear, and the fact it had never sold many in the first place. Kurt had assured her that the small tear could, and would, be expertly repaired by him this weekend. Quinn and Tina left after a brief visit to D&G, saying they had to meet Sam and Mike on a sort of double-date, and that they'd catch up with them later on. However, half an hour later Kurt got a text from Finn saying (almost incoherently) that the rest of New Directions had found themselves in the same restaurant, and Kurt should bring Blaine, Santana, Brittany and Mercedes to it so they could all have lunch together and meet Blaine. After a quick discussion, Kurt agreed to come and soon the five of them were walking into a little restaurant, just by Times Square. A big table was taken up by New Directions in the corner of the room, the place balancing just the right amount of class and informality that suited everyone from Rachel to Puck.
It was Mr. Schue who spotted them first, standing up and grinning, beckoning them over with a wave of his hand as he made his way to Kurt. When he got there, he reached out to gently squeeze Kurt's shoulder with a warm smile.
"Kurt! It's great to see you again! And you must be Blaine," he smiled, looking at the handsome, smiling boy standing close to Kurt.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Schuester," he said, holding out his hand and smiling wider as Mr. Schue took it, shaking. "Kurt's told me a lot about you. It's nice to finally get to meet you."
Will laughed, instantly charmed by the young man as he rubbed the back of his head, smiling at Kurt. "Good things, I hope," he grinned, sharing the laugh with Blaine before ushering them over to sit, Kurt's cheeks tinged pink with nerves. He took a short breath and shot a smile to Blaine, who was sitting between him and Puck.
"Blaine, this is Sam,"
"Hey!"
"Rachel,"
"Good afternoon!"
"Finn,"
"Hey."
"Puck,"
"Yo."
"Mike,"
"Hey."
"Artie."
"'Sup."
"And..." … Kurt blinked, his hand gesturing to the large girl stuffing her face with sweets whose name he didn't know.
"Lauren," Rachel said quickly, with a strained smile.
"... And Lauren," Kurt said, looking at her still with a sense of... Well... He didn't know exactly, but she was meant to be his replacement...? Things must've gotten pretty bad.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Blaine said with a smile that had every girl smiling instantly back, the boys nodding their heads and making gruff noises as they instantly put two and two together, and came out with 'gay'. Puck reached behind Blaine to pat Kurt's back with enough force to almost send him slamming into the table.
"'S good to see you again, Kurt," he said. Gruffly. Like a man.
"... Thanks, Puck," Kurt said, wincing a little as he rolled his shoulder. Finn nodded, looking at him from over the table and crooking a dopey smile.
"Sorry about the shoes. I honestly thought I'd put them in my suitcase."
"It's fine, Finn. I bought some new ones. I'll survive."
Finn nodded, sipping his water and glancing over as Sam and Puck started discussing football, soon joining in along with Artie. A moment later, Blaine piped up.
"Are you talking about the game last night, by any chance...?" He asked. Puck looked over to him, crooking an eyebrow.
"Uh, yeah. Do you like, like football?"
"I do," Blaine laughed, seeing the shock on the boy's faces as they tried to cope with the concept that a guy could both be gay and like football. "Honestly," he smiled, pouring himself a little water. "I thought Ymein's tackle was totally uncalled for. He'd been hanging right all evening, and then came out of nowhere."
"Dude, I totally agree!" Sam said. "That happened to me once and the dude totally dislocated my shoulder...!"
"Oh, ouch," Blaine winced emphatically. "It's really bad sportsmanship, in my opinion." Finn and Puck nodded wisely and before Kurt could even utter a word, they were all engrossed in a debate over some intricate part of the game Kurt didn't understand, and quite frankly, didn't want to. He sent Mercedes a long suffering look as she giggled softly, patting his shoulder and bringing him into the conversation with Mr. Schue and the girls about things Kurt had missed since being at Dalton. They all jumped at the sudden roar of laughter from the 'boy's end' of the table, looking around to see Puck clapping Blaine on the back as they laughed at a joke he'd made, Blaine's winning smile infectious.
"Well," Kurt said softly to the gaggle of girls, an eyebrow raised. "At least they like him, right?"
"You'd better watch out," Mercedes laughed, their food arriving. "They look ready to steal him away from you," she teased as everyone tucked in, the conversation slowly coming round to music, the whole table soon involved with the light-hearted, jovial banter. Kurt leaned close to Blaine, murmuring just below the level of conversation.
"So...? What do you think?"
"Apart from Santana's terrifying stripping in the changing room," he said playfully, "I think everyone's really great, Kurt. Honestly. Even Santana." Kurt laughed, relaxing back in his chair a little more and nodding.
"Good." He knew Blaine would understand that although life was so much better at Dalton, his friends at McKinley had been – and still were – incredibly important to him.
Unsurprisingly, it was Puck who turned to the giant, pink elephant in the room and punched it in its proverbial face.
"So, Blaine, dude," he said, the tone of his voice instantly making everyone listen, Kurt turning to look at Puck with a warning sheen in his eyes. Puck carried on regardless as Blaine smiled questioningly at him. "You are, you know, gay, right?"
The half-beat of silence that followed was tense; even Mr. Schue listening though he was blatantly trying not to look like he was. But instead of Blaine getting offended or frowning, he simply smiled a little wider.
"Yes, I am. Is that a problem...?" He asked, laughing a little as the boys hurriedly shook their heads.
"Nah, dude. We're cool with that stuff," Puck said with a self-assured nod, crossing his arms. "Kurt's like... Like... Like our brother, dude, and we're totally cool with him."
Kurt could feel himself flushing a little as he listened to this weird and oddly touching speech from Puck.
"I punched the dick who was giving him trouble," Sam said, with a sense of pride. "And I won. Even though I got a black eye. And it didn't really help in the end..."
"And Kurt kinda is my brother now, sort of, so... Yeah. No problem," Finn finished, with a dopey little smile. Blaine grinned back, looking to Kurt for a second.
"Well, that's good. Is there anything else you want to know?" he asked, before Kurt could tell him that would be a bad idea, especially with Puck's state of mind moving on from 'protective' to 'curious', Brittany's lack of sanity, and Finn's utter lack of tact. There was a second of silence before Santana sipped her drink, her eyes trained on Blaine's.
"Have you ever had a girlfriend?"
"Uh, no," he laughed. "I play-married a girl when I was five, but since the reception party was a collection of Barbies and teddy bears, and the minister a G.I Joe, I don't think that really counts," he grinned, his easy-going, confident nature getting a laugh even from Mr. Schue, who probably wasn't meant to be listening to this sort of thing whilst trying to be the Responsible Adult. Santana smiled again, this time with a little more danger in her eyes.
"Have you ever had a boyfriend, then?"
Kurt's fingers fumbled nervously with his napkin before brushing his hair to the side as Blaine laughed softly again. "I had a very brief 'relationship'," he said, crooking his fingers to form the quotes, "with a boy last year. It only lasted two weeks."
"Did you sleep with him?" Brittany asked, cocking her head as all the boys suddenly looked everywhere that wasn't Blaine or Kurt or anything awkward or... Yeah.
"Uh, no," Blaine laughed, rubbing his nape and obviously not having expected to be asked about his sex life, and especially not in front of a teacher. "No, we just held hands," he said with a small, awkward smile. Kurt swallowed, his own eyes trained on his plate. Blaine was a virgin too. Mercedes, keen to get rid of the mounting tension, leaned forwards.
"Do you have brothers or sisters, Blaine?"
He shot her a grateful look and a smile as everyone relaxed, the conversation back on safe ground. "I have an older sister, Jessica. She's at college in Chicago, studying Law." Mr. Schue smiled at him.
"Where do you live, Blaine?"
"Well, I board at Dalton, but I actually live about an hour north of there. It's not really near any big towns, but my parents love the house there, so that's where we stay," he laughed, sipping his water. The conversation continued innocently enough for the next fifteen minutes or so, the bill coming and everyone chipping in a little to pay. Finally, Mr. Schue lifted his hands to quell the conversation, everyone going quiet as they looked at him.
"Since we're all here along with Kurt and Blaine, I'd like to say a few words." He turned a little, looking to Kurt. "Kurt... It's really, really great to see you so happy again, even though it means we've had to say goodbye to you."
Kurt smiled softly, blinking as he tried not to get overtly emotional.
"What happened to you at McKinley shouldn't have ever happened to anyone, and especially not to the level that it got to. The state you were put in went beyond simple High-School bullying, and for that, I'm really sorry that I didn't step in sooner and try to stop it."
Kurt swallowed, blinking a little more rapidly as Blaine gently nudged their knees together under the table.
"We all want you to know that we really miss you, Kurt, and though we're now technically rivals, well..." he laughed softly and stood. "Seriously," he grinned, "why am I saying these things when we could be singing them. Right, guys?"
"Right, Mr. Schue," Rachel beamed, standing up too with the rest of Glee as Kurt looked around them, a little confused as to what was going on.
With three flicks of Mr. Schue's fingers counting them in, New Directions burst into song, smiles on their faces as they started to hum, the notes tumbling from their lips as they all pulled away a little from the table, forming a semi-circle around Kurt and Blaine, both cracking into smiles as they instantly recognized the tune. Finn shifted forwards to take the first lines, taking his time with them and keeping the song's tempo slow, almost crooning and more sedate than the original.
"You've got a friend in me, you've got a friend in me, when the road looks rough ahead,"
The people in the restaurant were turning to look, smiles on their faces at the beautiful blend of voices singing the harmonies, the melodic vein of the lyrics cutting clear on top of them. Rachel smiled softly and stepped forwards as Finn stepped back, eyes closing as she sang.
"And you're miles and miles from your nice warm bed, just remember what your old pal said,"
Kurt swallowed, grinning even as he completely teared up, biting his lip a little as Santana cocked her head with a small smile, taking her place and pointing to Kurt, but sending a flirtatious wink to Blaine.
"Boy, you've got a friend in me, you've got a friend in me, you've got a friend in me,"
Quinn's smile was soft and beautiful, Kurt's eyes following them as they seamlessly moved towards him to sing their lines before fading back into the harmonics.
"You've got a friend in me, you've got troubles, well I've got 'em too,"
They were all swaying, clicking their fingers along to the beat, Puck grinning down at Kurt as he – gently, for Puck – grabbed his shoulder.
"There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you, we stick together and we see it through,"
Even Lauren, who Kurt really didn't know at all, was singing along with Tina as they both smiled at him.
"You've got a friend in me, you've got a friend in me,"
Sam grinned softly, winking and cocking his head, his blonde – dyed – hair falling over his eyes a little as he shrugged, stepping forwards.
"Some other folks might be a little bit smarter than I am,"
Artie grinned, gently pushing Kurt's arm as the tearful boy gave a little laugh.
"Bigger and stronger too, maybe,"
And then Mercedes' voice was crashing over him, her whole soul n her lines as she took Kurt's hands and sang from the very depths of her heart.
"But none of them will ever love you the way I do, it's me and you...!"
Mr. Schue was grinning as he sang, though his eyes too looked a little glazed, busting a quick move that had Kurt laughing softly.
"And as the years go by, yeah, our friendship will never die,"
Brittany beamed, still looking utterly spaced out as she took her place.
"You're gonna see, it's our destiny,"
Even Mike grinned, touching his cap as he nervously, but admirably, sang his solo line with an accompanying move to Mr. Schue's one earlier.
"You've got a friend in me,"
And then, like a heavenly chorus of music that had a single tear trekking down Kurt's cheek as he smiled at them all, utterly enthralled and touched, they all burst into a truly incredible, diverse range of vocals and pitches that actually left Kurt a little breathless.
"You've got a friend in me, you've got a friend in me...!"
Kurt was clapping before they'd even finished, Blaine and the rest of the restaurant joining in, even the staff having appeared from the kitchens and such to see what was going on. Kurt drew a deep breath, quickly wiping away the spilt tear as he laughed shakily, his friends all sitting down and the buzz of conversation in the restaurant resuming.
"Thank you," he all but whispered, swallowing and saying it again, a little more confidently as Mercedes hugged him close. "I-... What can I say...? That was amazing..." he laughed, wiping his eyes subtly with his napkin.
Blaine grinned, gently nudging Kurt with his elbow. "I don't know about you, Kurt, but I think The Warblers are going to be in big trouble this year," he laughed, the rest of the group bursting into laughter too, Kurt leaning a little on Mercedes.
"I know that you guys are rehearsing in the theatre tomorrow morning, and we've got the afternoon, but I was wondering if you two would like to join us for dinner that night? We've got a table for fifteen reserved at the Miranda Restaurant on 80 Berry Street," Mr. Schue beamed, handing the little black book stuffed with money to the waiter who smiled, taking it away. Kurt looked to Blaine, smiling widely, his eyes shining with his eagerness to go and spend more time with his friends.
"Well, I'd love to," Blaine laughed. "Thank you so much for inviting me along."
Mr. Schue chuckled softly, waving a hand as he stood. "It's our pleasure. The table's booked for 8, and I guess we'll see you two then."
There was a clatter of chairs as everyone stood too, gathering their bags and so on, some of the girls hugging Kurt tightly as Puck clapped Blaine on the back again and swaggered off, swinging his arm around Santana's shoulders. After a few moments of confusion, hugs and goodbyes, Kurt and Blaine were walking towards their hotel again, small smiles on their faces.
Blaine gently nudged their elbows, his eyes glittering as they caught the sunlight. "Those shoes really do look good on you, Kurt." He'd changed into his new Guccis in the bathroom before they'd left the restaurant and their dark red leather sides seemed to gleam in the light, the little buckles twinkling. Kurt flushed a little, nervously brushing his hair to the side as he giggled, flattered.
"Thanks~ I've just noticed that they match your jacket, and now we're colour co-ordinated." Blaine looked down at them both before bursting into soft peals of laughter, adjusting his sunglasses and swaggering a little.
"And don't we just look fabulous, darling~" he grinned, sending Kurt into another fit of giggles as Blaine looped their arms together and tugged them into a proud strut, chins up and chests out. Kurt had never felt so proud, so light-headed as he and Blaine walked along, arm in arm, designer shopping bags hanging on the crooks of their elbows, wonderful hats and sunglasses firmly in place.
"We're totally the most fantastic, fancy, fashionable duo in the whole of New York," Kurt laughed, a little breathless as they turned the corner and headed towards the hotel. Blaine chuckled softly and squeezed Kurt's arm, swooping them past the entrance of the hotel and down towards Broadway.
"The most fantabulous, frivolous, flamboyant duo to have ever existed," he shot back with a wink. "And so, we're going to explore Broadway and all that jazz~"
"I simply can't think of something I'd like more," Kurt giggled, his cheeks a little pinker as they wandered past the grand theatres, weaving in and out of the crowds, their arms fitting together like two links of a chain.
It wasn't until 10PM that Kurt collapsed down onto the plush bed with a groan of exhaustion. After wandering Broadway until 6, they'd returned to the hotel, been checked in by Wes and David, ushered into a sitting room for a Warblers conference, then taken to the hotel's restaurant for dinner, and then finally released back to their rooms. Blaine snickered at him, flicking on the kettle again and taking off his shoes as Kurt did the same. Both pairs were neatly put in the bottom of the wardrobe, Kurt immediately going through their shopping bags and hanging and folding and putting away as Blaine watched with a tender smile, making the tea. Soon Kurt was presented with a cup of fragrant Earl Grey.
"Thanks, Blaine," he sighed, blowing on the much needed liquid to cool it as he slowly sat in one of the armchairs and crossed his legs, looking up as Blaine came to sit opposite him.
"It's my pleasure," Blaine returned with another wink that had Kurt blushing again, biting back a grin as he looked out of the window, the lights of the big city playing over their faces like stained glass. Kurt glanced back to Blaine and sucked in a sharp, silent breath at how handsome he looked, his expression relaxed and gentle, the neon colours dancing over his skin and catching the hollows and shape of his face. When Kurt realized he was staring he forced himself to look away, sipping his tea again and standing a second later.
"I'm going to take a shower..." he murmured, Blaine shifting a little to look up at him and nod his head.
"Got it..."
Kurt finished his tea and turned to their wardrobe, plucking out pyjamas and then going to his suitcase, taking out one of two wash-bags before heading into the bathroom and closing the door. He came out about half an hour later, washed and in his light blue flannel pyjamas with a small smile and flushed cheeks. Blaine was on his side of the bed, in a t-shirt and an old looking pair of black jogging bottoms that had a big rip in the shin. Kurt leaned against the door frame, slowly raising an eyebrow as Blaine glanced up, his iPod in his hands.
"Really, Blaine? Really? I was expecting silk, at the very least," he smirked, going over to the little dresser and sitting on the stool, opening his second wash-bag and laying out all his toiletries. Blaine laughed softly, heading for the bathroom.
"Says the princess who just took a half hour shower," he teased, closing the door as Kurt laughed and unscrewed a lid on a little pink tub, starting to massage the contents into his skin. When Blaine came out ten minutes later, once again dressed in his pyjamas but fresh from a shower, Kurt's face was a neon shade of green thanks to the face mask. He turned his head to look at Blaine and froze, the same time Blaine froze to blink at Kurt's new... Greenness.
"... Your hair's... Curly..." Kurt murmured, eyes widening a little.
"Huh...? Uh, oh... Yeah..." Blaine laughed, lifting a hand self consciously to touch the mass damp curls winding their way around his ears and nape. Kurt swallowed, mouth suddenly dry as a drop of water trailed its way down Blaine's neck, swept away when the boy threw a towel over his head, scrubbing his hair dry. "I gel it in the mornings," he smiled. "It looks neater."
"You suit it more when it's like that," Kurt breathed, his voice a little higher than usual as he quickly turned back to his mirror, so glad his blush was hidden beneath the mask.
"Thanks," Blaine laughed, going over to the bed and sitting down as he neatly folded the towel and draped it over the radiator to dry, alongside Kurt's. "Well, maybe I won't gel it tomorrow, then."
"I think that's the best idea you've had all night," Kurt smiled, managing to recover a bit of his grace as he picked up his nail file and started to tidy the edges of his perfect fingertips. Blaine collapsed down onto his bed, stifling a yawn before climbing under the covers and putting his hands behind his head, watching Kurt fuss over all his bottles and products. Blaine was half asleep when Kurt finally peeled off the mask and turned off the little lamp there, leaving his things out for the morning as he gave his hair one last brush and went over to the bed. He hesitated for a split second, reaching over and turning off the switch. The lights of New York illuminated the room with soft yellows, reds and blues, each flickering, moving colour mesmerizing and breathtaking. Kurt slowly sat down on the bed and climbed in too, laying down before he glanced over to Blaine and crooked a little smile.
"... I've never shared a bed with anyone who's not my immediate family..." he admitted softly, watching a red slant of light flit over Blaine's forehead.
"... Wanna know a secret...? Me neither," Blaine whispered back, their gazes locking across the pillow and the small gap between them. Kurt's laugh was barely an amused breath, his face oddly cast in shadow as the window was to his back.
There was a sudden influx of tension, both the boys going silent as they stared at each other, neither moving nor saying a word. A loud thump and a burst of muffled laughter from opposite them broke the tension like ice, Blaine and Kurt giggling as the fuzzy noise of Wes cursing and David laughing heartily at Wes' misfortune. Kurt smiled softly and closed his eyes.
"... Goodnight, Blaine..."
"Goodnight, Kurt..." came the murmured reply, the room going quiet again as they both – slowly – fell asleep with twin smiles on their faces.
The next morning, Kurt woke up feeling oddly... Warm. Warm and... He shifted, eyes still closed as he snuggled into the warm that was mainly behind him, but also... Around him...? That was odd. Nice, but odd. Kurt shifted again, sighing out softly. Suddenly the warm around him tightened, and his eyes shot open. The sunlight blinded him for a moment and he winced, clamping his eyes shut with a soft hiss of pain. Something warm nudged his neck, a breath shivering over his nape. He realized with a thump of his heart that that was Blaine's nose, pressed almost behind his ear, and that was Blaine's chest melded against his back, and those were Blaine's arms wrapped around his stomach, and those were Blaine's fingers entwined with his.
Oh.
Oh dear.
He and Blaine were... Spooning. And – by the rhythmic breaths washing over his neck – Blaine was still asleep. Which left him with two options. He could keep his eyes closed and just bask in the warmth and the wonderfulness of this moment, or he could try to wriggle away and save them the embarrassment and awkwardness that would arise the second Blaine woke up.
… But Blaine's arms were surprisingly – pleasingly – toned around him, his cheek warm and with the hint of stubble against the back of his neck, his fingers tender and slotting so rightly between Kurt's... It couldn't hurt to spend a little more time here, like this, right...? … Right...? Not a lot of lovely, perfect things like this happened to Kurt, so... He was allowed to indulge in them when-...
"... Kurt...?"
… Shit. He felt Blaine shift a little behind him, his fingers flexing and his swallow audible over the silence of the room.
"... Kurt... I know you're awake... Um..." It was probably because he was as rigid as a plank of wood in Blaine's arms, and on the verge of trembling. Kurt swallowed too and – though he regretted it almost instantly – slowly let go of Blaine's fingers.
"... Um..." was all he could think to say as Blaine slowly took his arms back, disentangling their legs and finally drawing his head back from Kurt's. Though it was probably a bad idea, he shifted around to face Blaine.
It was a bad idea.
Blaine was leaning on one hand to keep himself upright, his arm straight and the muscles flexed to just the right degree, his body almost leaning over Kurt's as the New York sunshine shimmered across him. His hair was curly and tousled, framing his face perfectly as he licked his lips, his hazel eyes glittering in the light.
Not even all the men combined that featured in the magazines April had slipped him could hold a candle to Blaine's sheer handsomeness.
"... Kurt, I-" He was interrupted by a sudden loud banging on the door, Wes' voice carrying through. "Rise and shine! Up and at them! Go go go! Breakfast is in fifteen! If you sleep in, you won't get any, and David will come through and clash metal things together!"
"We're awake...!" Blaine called back, looking over his shoulder to the door and flushing a little. Kurt sat up quickly, sliding out of bed and brushing himself down, disappearing into the bathroom before Blaine could call him back. He closed the bathroom door behind him, leaning against it and closing his eyes to suck in a few deep, calming breaths. After a moment he'd regained his composure and moved away from the door, going about his daily routine.
Blaine slowly slumped down on the bed, his forearm covering his eyes as he silently mouthed a curse under his breath. When Kurt came out of the bathroom ten minutes later, the bed was made and Blaine was picking out his clothes for the day. He turned his head and shot Kurt a warm, soft smile.
"Good morning."
Kurt exhaled softly and smiled back, sitting at the dressing table and grabbing a few bottles and tubs. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?" He asked, his tone perfectly polite and civil, as if they hadn't woken up a tangled mess of limbs in each others arms.
"I did, thanks. Did you?" Blaine paused by the bathroom door to hear his answer, still smiling at him in that charming manner that made Kurt's toes curl happily.
"I did, I did," he laughed, voice soft and breathy as Blaine nodded and went into the bathroom with one last beam. As soon as the door closed Kurt slowly let his head thunk down onto the tabletop in front of him, eyes closed.
He was completely, utterly, undeniably in love with him. And, at the moment where it looked like Blaine was going to say something... He'd bolted. That moment was gone. Ruined.
"... Damn it..." he whispered to the smooth wood beneath his forehead, finally pulling back with a sigh as he opened a tub and started to rub the moisturiser into his skin. The door reopened, Blaine coming out with his hands in his pockets and that easy, gentle grin on his face.
"Not more face masks...! We've got to be downstairs in 10, or David's coming in with the cymbals," he laughed. Kurt shot him a small smirk, brushing his hair with his fine toothed comb.
"You'll be pleased to hear that the face mask is a special treat only for the evenings, Blaine, and one day you will come to realize their magic."
"That'll be the day I manage to get you to understand the offside rule in soccer," Blaine grinned, winking as he sat back on their bed. Kurt stood with another soft giggle, going to the wardrobe and opening it, choosing his outfit carefully so as it didn't clash with Blaine's.
"That will be a miraculous day indeed, Blaine," he shot back, smirking over his shoulder before taking his clothes into the bathroom to change, coming out just as the bedroom door opened, David standing there with two cymbals in hand.
"Oh, you two are up," he grinned as both Blaine and Kurt blinked at him.
"Uh, yeah... Thanks for the vote of confidence though," Blaine laughed, standing and stretching.
"You might also want to think about knocking before bursting into people's rooms," Kurt said with a small frown, giving his hair one last brush and grabbing his bag.
"Why?" David asked, his smile turning into a smirk. "Was I about to walk in on something~?"
""-No!""
… Blaine and Kurt flushed, looking to each other in the awkward silence that followed their outbursts. The silence stretched. And stretched. And-
-CLASH!
David brought his cymbals together, Kurt and Blaine almost leaping out of their skins as they looked to the laughing boy in shock. "Let's go to breakfast before it gets so awkward here I have to start gnawing off my leg to cope."
Blaine crooked a grin and nodded, hurrying out after David as Kurt did the same. Breakfast was a short affair, most of the boys half asleep as David and Wes ushered them out and towards their theatre to practice, spending a few moments talking to the floor manager, an hour to do sound-check and make sure the acoustics were working properly. After that, they practised.
And practised.
And practised.
By the time they were done most of the Warblers were feeling the stress, sitting on the stage in grumpy huddles. Blaine's smile was strained, Kurt's non-existent. Wes stood up.
"Well," he said with a tired grin, "that was excellent, guys. With a performance like that, we're sure to win Nationals again...!" he checked his watch with a smile. "So, now you're free until 6PM this evening! We did well yesterday with no little lost lambs, so let's try to do it again today!" There was a collective sigh of relief and agreement as everyone scrabbled to their feet and escaped.
Kurt and Blaine were left in the dust, Kurt checking the time on his phone. "... We've got about half an hour until New Directions are scheduled to arrive to practice..." he murmured, glancing over to Blaine with a small smile.
"Good..." Blaine said with a small laugh, making his way over to the piano and sitting on the stool, patting it as he looked back to Kurt with his soft, charming beam. Kurt slid his phone back in his pocket and went over, sitting down beside Blaine as he lifted the piano's lid and let his fingers brush the keys.
"... Piano's a bit beyond me..." Blaine smiled. "... I'm much more of a guitar man... I only know bits and bobs of tunes..." he picked out the riff to Baby It's Cold Outside again, Kurt grinning fondly at the memory as he nodded.
"Well, I can't pluck a single note on a guitar, so..." He slowly started to play, the tinkling of notes echoing through the hall as Blaine's knee gently pressed against Kurt's. The air was warm, dust motes swirling around them and the red velvet of the curtains glowing in the streams of sunlight illuminating the room. His fingers turned, idly picking out a slow tune as Blaine slowly smiled.
"Hey... I know this..."
"... It's from Oliver and Company... One of my favourite childhood musicals..." Kurt smiled, glancing up to him through his eyelashes. He changed chord, brought the song back in, and started from the beginning as Blaine looked at him too, their gazes locking. Blaine crooked a devastatingly handsome smile and started to sing.
"You and me together, we'll be..."
Kurt laughed softly, blushing as he licked his lips and joined in, voice soft as his fingers flicked over the keys.
"Forever... You'll see... We two can be good company..."
"You and me... Yes together, we two..."
Kurt bit back a grin as Blaine's fingers gently pressed keys with him, mirroring the base notes of the chords along with Kurt as the slender, fey boy lead the tune, gently nudging Blaine with his elbow.
"Together... That's you..."
Blaine beamed back, gently knocking their knees together.
"Forever with me... We'll always be..."
"Good company... You and me..."
"Yes, together we'll be..."
"You and me... Together we'll be..."
"Forever... You'll see..."
""We'll always be... Good company... You and me... Just wait... And...""
Their fingers brushed over the last chord, the soft, sweet notes hanging in the air as their voices melded together in perfect harmony.
""... See...""
The tender note died, the two left in silence with their gazes locked, fingers and knees touching, their breath synced and the echo of the music still trembling through the dust. Blaine licked his lips, Kurt's eyes following every sweep of his tongue. His own lips parted a little, and just as their gazes met...
… The doors burst open and New Directions poured in. Mercedes beamed when she saw them, calling out.
"Kurt! Blaine! Whaddup, yo!" she laughed as Blaine and Kurt sprang away from each other, both smiling nervously and blushing, brushing down their clothes and cursing mentally. Blaine grinned and stepped forwards, immediately his charming self.
"Mercedes...! You're all early," he laughed as they all clambered up on stage, Puck and Finn heaving up Artie's chair and nodding to Blaine. Mr. Schue rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish chuckle.
"I, uh, misread the clocks and got everyone up an hour early. We saw some of the Dalton boys wandering around, so we reckoned you were done here."
"We are," Blaine smiled, looking to Kurt who was standing there with his arms crossed, trying not to look like something potentially life-changing had just been interrupted. "We were just leaving, but we'll see you again at dinner...! Thank you again for inviting us, Mr. Schuester," Blaine said with a winning beam.
"Oh, wait...! Kurt...!" Finn went over to him as Kurt blinked up at him. "Here. For a hat, because if I try to buy you one, it'll be wrong."
Kurt looked down and, after a second, took the $20 from Finn's hand with a nod. "Thank you, Finn. We're now even for the shoe disaster."
"Good. See you," Finn said, crooking his lopsided grin as Kurt tucked the money in his wallet and followed Blaine down from the stage and out with a few more goodbyes. The door shut behind them and, with a small smirk, Santana turned to the group.
"Does anyone else get the feeling we totally just walked in on them?"
Finn looked to the door in mild shock. "R-... Really...? You think...? I mean... Really...?"
"Blaine is gay, Finn. Believe me, I tested it in the changing rooms and that boy is as bent as they come."
"And you think he's digging on Kurt...?" Puck said, looking at her as if they were discussing alien life-forms.
"Oh please, Puckerman, those two are sweeter on each other than sparkly, rainbow unicorns," Mercedes smirked, hands on her hips as several of the members laughed, looking around the impressive stage.
"Yeah, but... Do you think they've... You know," asked Finn, shifting awkwardly.
"Hell no," Mercedes laughed. "Believe me, if there had been a development, Kurt would have texted me."
"Are you sure about that...?" Rachel murmured. "I mean, he didn't tell any of us about how bad the bullying got with Karofsky, or that he was transferring to Dalton..." Mercedes bit her lip and frowned, suddenly a little doubtful at the truth in Rachel's words.
"Yeah, but... I mean, Kurt would tell me if he'd got a boyfriend..."
"... You think those two are banging...?" Puck said, wrinkling his nose a little bit as he tried not to picture it. Just because he was fine with them being... Like that... Didn't mean he wanted mental images. How did two dudes even do it anyway...!
"All I'm saying," Santana smirked, holding up her hands, "is that we walked in on a room that reeked of sexual tension, and believe me, I know my sexual tension."
It was at that moment Mr. Schue clapped his hands, coming back from the floor manager. "Alright everyone! Let's do a quick sound-check, and then run through our songs!" There were whoops from the group as everyone got into position, the issue of Kurt and Blaine forgotten for the moment.
It was a good few hours later when Mr. Schue, applauding their efforts with a huge beam, started handing out sheet music to them all. "I know this isn't on our setlist, and I know we haven't done this one for a while, but I think we all need to have a little pick-me-up. A little self-confidence! Sure, the Warblers are amazing and now they have Kurt, and sure, we're going to be playing to a huge audience-,"
"Not helping, Mr. Schue," Artie dead-panned, taking his music.
"-But we're amazing too, guys. And we've come so far! Literally and metaphorically. So, let's sing this last song, and then go get some lunch," he grinned, nodding to the band and hopping off the stage as the iconic drum beat started up, Puck and Finn stepping forwards with all the swagger they could muster.
"Buddy you're a boy make a big noise playin' in the street gonna be a big man someday! You got mud on your face, you big disgrace, kicking your can all over the place!"
They stepped back, everyone clapping in time as the girls took the main strength of the chorus, the boys strutting around as if they owned the place, Mike busting out some of his finer moves as they all sang.
"We will, we will rock you! We will, we will rock you!"
Artie rolled himself forwards, one hand raised to accent each word as the guys danced around him.
"Buddy you're a young man, hard man, shouting in the street gonna take on the world some day! You got blood on your face, you big disgrace, waving your banner all over the place!"
The girls shimmied forwards this time, the boys fading back.
"We will, we will rock you! Sing it now, we will, we will rock you!"
Sam and Mike strode forwards, Sam taking the main vocals and Mike dancing, flipping and spinning and generally owning the stage.
"Buddy you're an old man, poor man, pleading with your eyes gonna make you some peace some day, you got mud on your face, you big disgrace, somebody better put you back in your place!"
And then everyone was moving, dancing and weaving in between each other like a seamless sea of bodies, Artie's wheelchair perfectly integrated.
"We will, we will rock you! Singing, we will, we will rock you! We will, we will rock you! We will, we will rock you!"
Everyone stepped forwards, stamping down their foot as Artie raised both arms.
"ALRIGHT!"
They broke off into laugher, Mr. Schue grinning as he applauded them, turning to the empty seats and taking a sweeping bow.
"Thank you, New York, and good night!" He turned back to his group, holding out his arms. "What can I say, guys...? I think we have a real, serious shot at winning this competition."
Rachel beamed, clapping her hands together as everyone left the stage. "Even though everyone's tired and probably hungry, I'd like to take this time to say a few wo-"
"- Berry, get your hobbit ass moving," Santana drawled, giving her a little shove. "You can give your speech to Finn later, but right now we're going for lunch."
"But, I feel like I should...!"
Finn gently touched her shoulder. "Let's go, Rachel. I'm really hungry." She sighed, defeated, and followed the rest of them out, leaving the theatre in warm, sunlit silence.
"Blaine. I am having a crisis and your insistence on wearing an orange shirt is not helping me in the slightest!" Kurt snapped. "Please stop asking me if I'm ready to go yet!"
Blaine groaned lightly, his head in his arms and his upper body half slumped over the dresser table. "Kurt, you've been getting ready since 4:30. It's now 7:30 and if we don't go soon we're going to be late...! Not to mention it took ages for Wes and David to agree to let us go, and now I owe them both a terrifying amount of chocolate...!" He looked up, a sort of desperation in his eyes. "Will you please choose an outfit?"
"How can I...! Nothing works well with each other and you!"
"If I change my shirt, will you be happy...?"
Kurt hid a victorious smirk behind his hand as he turned a little from Blaine, fussing over one of many shirts laying on the bed. "I will be so happy, I might just cry."
Blaine couldn't stop the laugh even as he dragged himself to his feet and went to the wardrobe, reaching for another shirt.
"The white one," Kurt said quickly. Blaine let go of the green one and obediently took the white one. Being told what to wear was a small price to pay if it meant they could go. Blaine was, as he proved often, incredibly fashion aware, but Kurt was just... Scary. Not that it made him like Kurt any less, he mused as he undid his orange shirt and carefully hung it up, sliding on the white one. In fact, it just... Made him like him all the more. He turned to Kurt with a small smile.
"Better?"
"Infinitely," Kurt grinned, scooping up an outfit and moving to walk past Blaine to the bathroom. Blaine reached out, gently gripping his arm.
"... Kurt... Do you remember when I told you that... You should try to fit in a little more and tone yourself down...?"
… Kurt blinked, his smile slipping as he slowly nodded. "... Yes...?"
"Well, I regret it," Blaine murmured, squeezing Kurt's arm. "Don't change anything about yourself. Not even the taking three hours to get dressed side of you," he smiled, watching as Kurt slowly blushed, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips. "You're perfect the way you are."
"... Thank you..." Kurt breathed, voice a little higher than usual as Blaine winked, letting go.
"Now go and get dressed, or we're going to be late."
Kurt nodded and hurried to the bathroom, appearing ten minutes later. His own shirt was black with a white, slim tie and white jeans that could easily have been painted onto his skin, his beloved little black boots on and his new hat – courtesy of Finn – sitting at a jaunty angle on his impeccable hair.
"Well?" He smirked, striking a little post and grabbing his white coat. Blaine could only nod, noting that Kurt had manoeuvred them into subtly matching outfits once more, and was grinning like the cat that had got the cream.
"Good," he murmured, a little belatedly before laughing and running his fingers though his hair Kurt had insisted wasn't gelled into place. "Now, let's go," he grinned, holding out his arm for Kurt to take and opening the door for him. Soon they were walking down the evening streets of New York, arm in arm, and heading for 80 Berry Street.
"$10 says Rachel was the one who chose this restaurant," Kurt smirked, turning the corner onto said street as Blaine laughed softly, the restaurant quickly coming into view.
"I'm not foolish enough to throw away $10 like that. Besides, we're already late because of you, so I think you owe me the $10," Blaine grinned, nudging Kurt in the ribs as they walked up to the entrance, Kurt giggling and shaking his head softly.
"Look...!" Santana grinned, pointing out the window from where New Directions were already seated, looking down onto the street below. "They have to be dating. They're practically holding hands...!"
"Santana," Mr. Schue said warningly, "let's not embarrass them, alright? It's none of our business whether or not they're dating."
"It totally is," Santana grinned, sipping her water as Brittany nodded along.
"Well, just don't piss him off," Finn said, shifting in his seat and watching as Blaine opened the door for Kurt, them both going in and disappearing from sight. "He's scary when he's mad. And his dad'll get pissed off at me."
They all laughed and, a moment later, a waiter was showing Blaine and Kurt in with a small smile. Mr. Schue stood, grinning. "Hey...! Glad you two could make it! We were starting to get worried."
Kurt and Blaine laughed, sitting in the seats left for them between Mercedes and Puck; taking off their coats and draping them over the back of their chairs almost in sync.
"We're sorry about that, Kurt had a three hour wardrobe malfunction," Blaine explained, beaming at the group.
"In my defence," Kurt said, crossing his arms and looking pointedly to Blaine, "he wanted to wear an orange shirt." There were a few seconds of silence as everyone – except Blaine – looked at Kurt with a blank expression. Kurt blinked. "... Orange," he repeated. "He wanted to wear an orange shirt. My shoes have red laces, and-"
"-It's a fashion thing," Blaine said with a small laugh as everyone continued to stare incomprehensibly at Kurt.
"Oh," Finn said, slumping in his seat and nodding. "No, he does that all the time. You get used to it."
"... I am sitting right here, Finn," Kurt pointed out with an icy glare as he poured him and Blaine some water. Mr. Schue quickly handed them menus, his movement swiftly bringing conversation back to the table as everyone's attention was diverted. "I'm just glad you two could make it. How did your rehearsal go?"
"Thank you, Mr. Schue. It went well," Kurt nodded, flicking open the menu as he crossed his legs. "And yours...?"
"It went really well too," he smiled, sitting back in his chair a little. They were all soon ordering, the atmosphere around them warm and friendly, everyone smiling and laughing and having a good time as the food was brought to them.
It was when Blaine cut off a neat square of his Italian style chicken and slid it onto Kurt's plate to try as Kurt cut off a neat square of his spinach and ricotta ravioli for Blaine to try with twin, tender smiles that Puck – noting that Mr. Schue had gone to the bathroom – asked The Question.
"So... Are you two, like... Dating?"
Kurt choked on his mouthful, looking to Puck with wide, horrified eyes as Blaine flushed instantly, clearing his throat.
"Uh-"
"We-"
"That's, u-"
"I me-"
… They both went silent and shifted in their seats, looking anywhere but at each other before Blaine regained his composure.
"No, no... We're, um, we're not dating," he laughed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as Kurt downed his water, trying to stop himself from blushing.
"Damn!" Santana groaned, flicking out her wallet and handing over $10 to Mercedes, who took it with a grin.
"Seriously?" Puck asked. "'Cause like, we all thought you two were."
"Terribly sorry to disappoint," Kurt shot at him acidly and with a small glare, his cheeks still burning as Blaine laughed awkwardly, not sure what to say.
"Um... Why aren't you?" Sam asked, sitting forwards a bit. "I mean, you two are so... So..." he waved a hand, words failing him.
"You're so you two," Finn said, helpfully. Blaine and Kurt stared at them, the embarrassment mounting in their eyes.
"I mean...!" Finn looked back to Sam for help. "You two are so alike, and you're both... Both..." There was a long, awkward pause before Finn decided not to say gay. "... Single."
"And gay," Puck added. Helpfully.
"... Thank you, Captain Obvious," Kurt gritted out, "I hadn't quite worked that last bit out, but now it all seems so clear."
"Hey," Mercedes said, lifting her hands. "They can be gay and single and just be friends, alright? Back off them, Puckerman."
"Word," nodded Artie, cringing enough for both Blaine and Kurt combined.
"I was just asking...! Jeez," Puck said, but he cracked a grin at Blaine and Kurt. "... We cool? No hard feelings, right?"
"... Right..." Blaine smiled, a little shakily as he finally looked to the still mortified Kurt.
"In your dreams," Kurt mumbled back, glaring at Puck again.
"Hey, come on! I was just asking! It's not that bad, right? We all thought Sam was gay."
"What?" Sam gaped, almost dropping his fork. "Why? Did you?" He asked, looking to Blaine, who laughed a little and, after a second, nodded. Sam groaned, dropping his head into his hands. "Oh my god... Why does everyone always think I'm gay...?"
"It's your mouth, dude. It's your mouth," Puck said wisely, crossing his arms and nodding. Quinn sighed, gently taking Sam's hand as the blonde pouted, picking at his food.
"I can't help it if my mouth looks gay..." he muttered. Mr. Schue sat back down and looked around the table, raising a suspicious eyebrow.
"... What did I miss?"
"Nothing," Kurt said, before anyone else could butt in. "Puck choked on his food." Puck grinned, hitting his chest with his fist as Mr. Schue nodded slowly and sipped his water.
"Alright, well-," his phone suddenly went off, playing a cheery Journey mash-up. "Excuse me," he said, sliding it out of his pocket as everyone started talking again, Kurt finally trying the chicken and Blaine the ravioli. Mr. Schue frowned as a message popped up.
"... Terri..." he whispered to himself, pressing the button to open it.
'youll see, will... youll be mine again... you dont know how much i love you...'
… What the... Mr. Schue frowned at it, a small noise of frustration slipping past his lips as he deleted the message and put his phone back in his pocket. The last thing he needed was Terri messing with his mind before Nationals. She was probably drunk and at her sisters.
"Mr. Schue...?" Rachel asked, touching his arm. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Rachel," he smiled, picking up his cutlery. "Wrong number text," he laughed, glad when she was instantly pacified and turned back to talking to Tina. Soon dinner was over and, due to some people getting up to go to bathrooms or to get more – non-alcoholic – drinks from the bar, Kurt found himself sitting next to Finn, Blaine swept up in another sporting discussion with Sam and Puck.
"How are things at home...?" Kurt asked in a low, soft voice, sipping his water as Finn nodded, finishing off his icecream.
"Good, I guess. To be honest, it's a bit weird without you. Your dad keeps forgetting you're not there and shouting at you to come up for dinner," he chuckled. Kurt laughed softly too and nodded, turning the glass in his hands.
"... Is he eating healthily...?"
"Oh, yeah. My mom's making sure we're following your recipe book thing and she makes him lunch and won't let him work too much," he grinned.
"Good, that's... That's good," Kurt murmured. They sat in silence for a moment before Finn spoke up.
"... Do you miss it...? Being at home, I mean..."
"... Of course I do... But Karofsky, and-... I can't go back to McKinley... I just... I can't go through that again..." Kurt murmured, putting his glass down with a small clink.
"... And you've got Blaine now, right...?" Finn said, glancing over to the boy who was making Puck split his sides laughing with some football story. Kurt flushed softly, picking up his glass again and looking to Blaine too.
"... I already said, we're not dating," he murmured.
"That's not really the point, though... Don't get me wrong, Kurt, I'm happy for you," Finn said softly as he crooked his little half-grin. "Blaine's a really cool dude, and... Well, to be honest, you deserve a break." Kurt snorted gently and sipped his water.
"Understatement of the century... But... Thanks, Finn. That means a lot to me," he smiled, glancing up at his former crush, current half-brother. Finn nodded back, drinking from his own glass.
"And Dalton is like... More smart. Though I don't know why you'd complain that a lesson was too easy," he grinned. "... But... Isn't it weird there...?"
"Weird how...?" Asked Kurt, raising an eyebrow.
"I mean... You're all in uniform, and you all sing together... I mean, no-one takes the solos or anything... And Rachel told me about the audition and stuff, and... I don't know... It doesn't seem like it's... You."
Kurt blinked at him, glass forgotten in his hands. "... Well, I-..."
"... What I'm trying to say," Finn said, pulling an awkward expression as his grasp of self-expression slid from him, "is that... It looks like that school has taken everything that makes you you and stopped it. Like, your clothes and your solos and... I don't know, it just... You're too different. In a good way," he added quickly, biting his lip as Kurt slowly turned the glass in his hands, eyes fixed on it.
"... Finn... Dalton is... It's amazing... Everyone's nice, the lessons are challenging and you're right, Blaine's there... Not to mention how much money my dad and Carole have put into me going there... I can't go back to McKinley's, not with Karofsky there..."
There was a short silence between them before Finn reached forwards and gently squeezed Kurt's upper arm.
"Just... Don't let them stop you from being you, okay?" Kurt looked up to Finn with a small smile on his face, nodding.
"I won't. I promise." Kurt said with a small crook of his lips as Finn grinned, a little relieved.
"Good."
"Hey," Blaine said gently, coming over with his coat over his arm. "I'm sorry to be a party-pooper, but we've got to go, Kurt."
"Oh, of course," Kurt nodded, standing and plucking up his own coat. "Just let me get some money out to pay..."
"I've already paid for us," Blaine said with a charming smile, sliding his own coat on.
"What...? Blaine, but...!" he flustered, looking over to Mr. Schue who was handing the bill back to the waiter.
"Too late~" he grinned, gently touching Kurt's arm and handing him his hat. Kurt shook his head and put his hat on, adjusting it automatically.
"Well... Thank you," he said softly with a small flush before turning to Mercedes to hug her. They soon said their goodbyes, waving as they left the restaurant and waving again up at them from the street, arms once again in arms as they walked briskly back the way they came.
Mr. Schue frowned softly, watching as a man who'd been loitering for quite a while by an all-night mini-mart stood up straight and fell into step around five meters behind the duo. He shook his head and turned from the window, looking over his group as they gathered their things to leave too.
"Mercedes, text Kurt in a few to make sure they got back okay, please?"
"Got it, Mr. Schue," she smiled, tugging on her coat.
It was probably nothing, he reasoned, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
A/N: Wow. To those of you who sat through this whole TL;DR thing... Just... Wow. I applaud you, seriously. Thank you so, so much for reading and I really hope you all enjoyed it!