A/N: This one shot was written for the following prompt I received on tumblr...
anonymous prompted: I absolutely adore "with a cherry on top"! could you do a first date sequel where blaine calls kurt and asks him out and he says he'll take kurt anywhere but an ice cream shop
After he hung up his apron and clocked out, Blaine couldn't wait to get home to pull out the card with the number on it again, his spoils from that serendipitous encounter earlier in the day. He wanted to call immediately, but he didn't know what the rule was for calling someone or if one really existed at all. To come off as desperate was the last thing Blaine wanted. Well, making Kurt feel like he wasn't interested was the worst thing he could do, because he was definitely interested. So he programmed Kurt's number into his phone, sat cross-legged in his bed, and simply stared at the lit screen for a while.
Blaine knew that he needed a plan before he pressed call, that he had to rehearse something and pick a location for a date, or he would end up making an ass of himself and possibly ruin his chances with Kurt. A coffee date was so clichéd, and dinner and a movie was even worse. There was just something about Kurt that made Blaine feel like he deserved better than that, deserved something special. Blaine would have taken him to the theater for a show, but he didn't know anything about the man yet, except that he was around his age, exceptionally attractive, extremely well-dressed, and liked peanut butter topping. Besides, any show worth going to would probably require a trip to the city, and he wasn't sure how feasible that would be. After mulling over it for a bit, he finally came up with an idea that was kind of romantic, took a deep breath, and then called Kurt.
It rang, and rang, and rang. And then it connected.
"Hello?" Kurt answered, his voice just as sweet and musical as Blaine had remembered.
"Hey, Kurt? It's Blaine." He paused for a second. "The ice cream truck guy," he added quickly and then realized how ridiculous that sounded.
"Yes, I know," Kurt said, and Blaine could hear his smile. "I'm really happy you called."
"I'm really happy I called too," Blaine said, and then was kicking himself for having no game whatsoever. He was just glad Kurt couldn't see how red his face currently was.
"I'm guessing you decided how I can return the favor from earlier?" Kurt said.
"Yes. I want to take you out," Blaine said, regaining his courage. "On a date."
"I was hoping you would say that. I would love to go out with you," Kurt said. "What do you have in mind?"
"Anywhere but an ice cream shop," Blaine said hurriedly, and Kurt laughed. "By the summer's end, I probably won't be able to look at ice cream until the following summer. I was actually thinking," Blaine hesitated for a moment, wondering if Kurt would find the idea stupid. "Would you like to go to Franklin Park Conservatory with me?"
"That's an unusual date location, I mean, that's more like a day trip. But," Kurt paused momentarily, and Blaine grew nervous, "I'd love to."
"There's the botanical gardens and…I would also like to take you to dinner afterward, if that's alright," Blaine quickly added. Was he pushing his luck?
"I'm sure there are plenty of great places to eat in Columbus," Kurt said, easing Blaine's doubt.
"Yeah, definitely. How is this Wednesday for you? I know, it's sorta an odd day, but it's one of my only days off," Blaine said.
"I only babysit on the weekends, so it's perfect for me too," Kurt said.
"Good," Blaine said, and then, "I'll pick you up around noon? It's open late on Wednesdays during the summer."
"You put a lot of thought into this. I'm impressed," Kurt said. "I'll be ready at noon, and I'll be expecting you on the dot."
"I'll be there," Blaine said.
"I can't wait."
-s-
When Kurt stepped out of the house, Blaine looked up into his smiling face before scanning the length of his body, taking in his hair and clothing, and suddenly Blaine felt extremely underdressed in his polo and cargo shorts and unworthy of Kurt's company. And down here on the ground standing beside Kurt, Blaine noticed the height difference. He was taking a model on a date, for Christ's sake. Well, Kurt wasn't that much taller, but everything about him and the way he carried himself screamed sophistication, and he looked even more handsome up close.
"You look…really nice," Blaine said, knowing that it was an understatement.
"Thank you. You look quite handsome yourself," Kurt said, his eyes flicking up and down Blaine's body.
"Thank you, but I didn't know you were going to dress up, or I would have tried harder." Blaine looked down at the ground.
"What, this? This is casual compared to what I usually wear. Trust me, you look dapper and are a perfect complement to my ensemble."
Blaine blushed. "Shall we head out now?"
"Of course," Kurt said, and they made their way toward the car.
Blaine hadn't considered the possible extended time period of awkwardness - and hopefully not silence - until they were in the car and on the highway headed toward Columbus. The trip would take about an hour and a half, and, although he had found it easy to talk to Kurt while he was hiding behind the Mister Softee persona and perched up in his truck, he was all nerves now, unsure of where to begin. Luckily, Kurt turned on the radio and struck up a conversation about music, a topic that Blaine knew plenty about. With the way they were getting along, the ride was pleasant and over before they knew it.
"So, why did you want to come all this way to bring me here?" Kurt asked after climbing out of the vehicle. He watched Blaine as he walked toward the back of his car and opened the trunk.
"I confess that this was a bit of a selfish move for me. I've been meaning to come here for a while." He leaned over and grabbed the strap of a small, black bag, lifting it out of the trunk before shutting it again.
Kurt quirked an eyebrow. "What's that?"
"My camera. I'm a photography major at University of Dayton," Blaine explained. "I wanted to go to NYU, to be in the city and all, but the program is great here, and I'm much closer to home. It makes my parents happier, and they worry less about me."
"Oh, that's interesting…would this be a bad time to tell you that I go to school in New York?" Kurt said, looking sheepish.
"You do?"
"Yeah, NYADA - for performing arts, of course," Kurt said. "I'm sure my dad would have preferred I stayed close to home too, but he also knows how important it was for me to get out of Ohio."
"That's great, Kurt. Living in the city must be really amazing." Blaine tried to ignore the pang of jealousy in his stomach that was rising up to form a lump in his throat, but he swallowed it down because this wasn't the time to feel anything like that.
"It is - it's a great experience." Kurt must have sensed Blaine's discomfort, because he turned the conversation back to Blaine. "Why did you choose photography - if you don't mind me asking?"
"I guess I - I have a knack for recognizing beautiful things, and when I see them, I want to capture them in time so I can hold on to them forever," he said, glancing up shyly at Kurt.
Kurt's neck and cheeks grew rosy, and he turned his head to the side in attempt to conceal it.
They spent a few hours in the conservatory while Blaine snapped some pictures. Kurt watched and asked questions but was doing his best not to get in Blaine's way. All the while, they talked, flirted, and joked with each other while they admired the flowers, insects, and other small wonders there. But amongst all the beautiful things, one thing always stood out and continued to distract and intrigue Blaine, no matter how hard he tried to focus on another subject.
-s-
Back in the comfort and dim lighting of his bedroom, Blaine plugged his camera into his computer to upload and check out the shots he got. As soon as the files popped up on the screen and he began to scroll through them, he realized a trend.
There were numerous gorgeous shots of butterflies, plants, and flowers, but there were even more shots of Kurt, all but a few candid and unbeknownst to the subject. There was Kurt kneeling by the koi pond, Kurt pointing at two butterflies on a rock, Kurt by Chihuly's vibrant glass artwork, and then Kurt smiling in the sun, and Kurt holding his hand up in front of his face, and another where he tried to cover the camera lens after catching Blaine.
And then there was the one where Kurt had playfully snatched the camera away from Blaine and turned it around on them just in time to capture a shocked Blaine as Kurt's lips pressed firmly against his own. He blushed and grinned, lightly pressing his fingertips to his lips, the memory of the kiss still so clear in his mind, the ghost of Kurt's soft lips still lingering on his mouth and skin.
With his evidence of the day, Blaine was pretty confident that the date had gone well - if the hickey over his collarbone wasn't also an indication of its success. So maybe 'gone well' was a huge understatement, but Blaine tried to remain humble and not get too ahead of himself.
He sighed and threw himself backward onto his bed, flopping down and closing his eyes, and a huge grin stretched across his face that he was certain might become permanent.