Breath Feel Love from Midnight Radio, Stephen Trask
It was the sound of voices that roused Blaine from his deep slumber, however, to his alarm, he found he was terribly disorientated and couldn't open his eyes properly.
"Seriously, Dad?"
"Yes, son, really. Now let's just trust her, shall we?"
Blaine could make out two different voices – one deep and solid; the other much younger and quite airy in its delivery. The voices came closer and finally, they were clearer.
"But, I just don't get it, Dad. How is it possible that this … this ceremony will break the -"
"I don't get it either, Kiddo, but Sue said that this is what we had to do. You want this gone don't you?"
"Yeah – absolutely Dad, I do."
"Well, now that you are eighteen we can finally do something about it, Sweet Porcelain."
Blaine identified a third voice entering the discussion now. This voice was definitely female although Blaine could detect a hard undertone to the cadence.
And who in the hell calls their daughter, Porcelain?
Blaine heard a lot of rustling close to his position and tried hard to open his eyes but to his dismay, he found he absolutely couldn't.
"This tree," the strong female voice declared emphatically.
"Really, Sue? This tree?" The young voice queried and Blaine tried to picture the face that accompanied such an ethereal sound.
"Why? Is there something wrong with it, Kurt?" the deep masculine voice queried.
Kurt? Blaine was amazed. The soft, light voice belonged to a boy? Again he tried desperately to open his eyes and the panic in his heart increased with each unsuccessful attempt.
"No, Dad, there's absolutely nothing wrong with this tree. It's just …" The voice trailed off and Blaine strained his ears to hear the rest of the sentence.
"What, Porcelain? Spit it," commanded the fierce female voice.
'It's just this forest has always been a safe place for me. Sometimes, when the bullying became quite bad, I'd run away from school, come here and just walk around. I'd often find myself here in this area. I've spent several afternoons leaning against this particular tree trying to calm down. It's always been a comforting place for me."
"That's beautiful, Boo." A young female voice, rich in tone, was added to the mix now. "But soon this whole nightmare will be over and you won't have to run from tormentors anymore."
"Thanks, Mercedes."
The reply was from this Kurt, Blaine deduced. But what the hell was going on here? Why was the boy being tormented?
"So, Sue how does this all work?" The deep older male voice was back.
The dad, decided Blaine. Again, he struggled to open his eyes, to shake off the disorientation that clouded his brain and to let these people know he was there. But his struggles were in vain.
"As I explained to you, Burt, now that Kurt is eighteen, we are able to break the curse that came over him by being born on Friday, the 13th."
"And all he has to do is … marry?"
This was a new voice, Blaine determined, also young, but definitely male.
"Yes, Finn, all he has to do is marry."
"This tree, you've chosen?" The guy, Finn, sounded confused but then so was Blaine by the turn in the conversation.
"Yes, Finn. If we perform a marriage ceremony between Kurt and this tree, the curse that has rendered him unable to receive love and reciprocate this with a suitable partner will be lifted."
"It's as simple as that?"
Blaine recognized that distinctive voice now as belonging to this Kurt – a young male who had obviously just turned 18. Curse? What curse can make it impossible for you to love and be loved?
"Well, there are a few other procedures we must follow but we can worry about that after the actual marriage ceremony. Let's do this." The ardent and intense female was back and taking control.
"Where should I stand?" asked Kurt.
"How about here, Boo?" the young female, Mercedes, suggested. "There's a lovely patch of sunlight streaming through on this side of the tree. It will be beautiful."
"Oh, yes!" the boy, Kurt, agreed. "It is magical."
Blaine found himself struggling yet again to open his eyes and regain full consciousness. He was desperate to put a face to the voice that was pervading his very body, infusing his senses with a desperate longing he didn't even recognize.
"Aright everyone, gather around please."
"Am I the only one who thinks this is weird?" asked Finn. "I know you guys think I'm really slow to catch on but, seriously, you're gonna make Kurt marry a tree?"
Blaine fought his eyelids once more. He, too, was curious to observe this very strange procedure for himself. It would make for a good story back in the dorms at Dalton. Nick, Jeff and he would laugh over this for many days.
But why was he unable to open his eyes? Was he still dreaming? Was this actually all part of some freakish dream? Did he and the boys smuggle alcohol into the dorms again?
Vague flashes of memory began to tease the edges of Blaine's mind. There had been alcohol and loud music. Girls from their sister school, Crawford Country Day, had arrived through the window, ably assisted by Wes and David. And Rachel – Rachel had decided they should play Spin-the-Bottle.
Blaine tried really hard to remember what happened with the game but he couldn't make out anymore and a voice interrupted his contemplation. It was the voice of the woman they called Sue – she was speaking in a strange language – one Blaine couldn't identify. But then she said in perfect English, "Kurt, place your hand on the tree."
A sharp pain pierced Blaine's chest and he gasped as the air was sucked out of his lungs. His mind whirled with a kaleidoscope of colours and there was the sensation of being flung head first into an endless dark pit. He tried to cry out but no sound escaped. But then, just as suddenly, the pain was gone, the colours receded and Blaine was finally able to open his eyes. The sight before him caused his breath to startle once more.
Before him stood the most beautiful boy he had ever seen in his life. With chestnut brown hair brushed neatly up off his forehead into a stylish coiffure, the boy was standing very close to him with his arm extended in Blaine's direction. He tried to look down to see where the boy's hand came to rest but he couldn't move his neck. Once more, he tried to move his head but it was stuck fast.
Quickly, he ran an inventory of the rest of his body, trying first to move his arms to reach out and touch the boy opposite him but they were frozen by his side. Nor would his legs move. Blaine tried to alert the boy to his predicament but, to his horror, he found he couldn't move his lips and no sound came out of his throat. He was effectively trapped inside his body with only his eyesight. His heart beating rapidly in his chest and his breath coming out short, Blaine began to panic.
Just then, with his eyes focused on the tall blonde woman standing just a little way away from them, the handsome boy began to echo the strange words she was saying and the sound of his sweet, melodious voice soothed Blaine's distressed, traumatized nerves and he began to breath easily again.
He looked out beyond the striking boy standing next him to where a small knot of people stood, their eyes focused on the tall boy beside him. An elderly bald man stood with his baseball cap in his hands, his eyes full of concern. A tall giant of a boy stood awkwardly next to a curvy girl with braided hair who was grinning widely.
Why can none of them see I'm in trouble here?
They all seemed to understand what Kurt was saying in response to this tall woman dressed in a bright red tracksuit because they were all smiling and nodding along in agreement with him.
Blaine heard the woman say in English, "Do you, Kurt?" just as the boy turned to face him.
Kurt gasped and the blood drained from his face as he jumped away from Blaine in shock, his hand coming up to cover his mouth in surprise.
"Kurt? Mercedes asked quickly, in concern.
"Kurt, what is it?" demanded his father.
"Dad, look!" Kurt pointed but his father was perplexed.
"What Buddy?" he asked, the worry evident in his tense tone.
"The tree, Dad! It's…it's a boy!" Kurt whispered.
Blaine's eyes lit up. He sees me!
"Now, Kurt. You need to settle down. I know you're nervous but Sue is almost finished the ceremony. Just repeat the words after her."
"But Dad," insisted Kurt. "It's not a tree! It's a boy! Can you not see that?"
"Kurt!" hissed his father. "Stop this nonsense immediately!"
"Boo? What's wrong?" Mercedes asked gently, intervening in what was rapidly becoming a typical Hummel-Male Showdown.
"'Cedes, please tell me you can see this boy standing here?' Kurt implored of his good friend knowing that Mercedes wouldn't let him down when he needed her.
The sympathetic girl hugged Kurt to her chest, whispering, "Boo, I know this is all very strange but you really need to get a grip on yourself, right now."
"Mercedes, what do you see there?" Kurt gestured toward Blaine whose eyes lit up again in the hopes that rescue was imminent.
"I see a tree, Kurt. It's a little on the short side but it seems strong and sturdy," she replied, running her hands down the length of the tree trunk.
Kurt watched fascinated as Blaine's eyes widened in discomfort at Mercedes running her hands up and down his upper arms. Kurt read the fear and confusion in those eyes and knew he had to do something.
"'Cedes, stop! Don't do that. He .. he… doesn't like it."
Kurt's eyes finally found and held Blaine's who, despite his fear, saw the undeniable compassion there. They held each other's gaze until they were interrupted.
"Can we continue, Porcelain? I assume you are over your little outburst now?" Sue's voice was harsh and judgmental.
"Yes, yes," mumbled Kurt. "You can continue," he told her and once more, he turned to the boy who was standing as still as a statue.
"Right well, put your hand back on the tree where it was before," Sue instructed.
"I'm … yeah … I think it was here," murmured Kurt as he lifted his hand and laid it tentatively on Blaine's chest, his eyes steady on the boy in front of him.
Blaine's chest felt warm where he now knew Kurt's hand was resting although he couldn't look down to see it. He wondered if the boy opposite him could feel the racing organ beneath his fingers.
"Seriously, none of you are seeing what I'm seeing right now?" Kurt asked one final time without looking away from the motionless boy in front of him.
"Dude," replied Finn, "all I see is you resting your hand on a tree trunk and you're about to make marriage vows."
Blaine's eyes flew wide open in surprise at Finn's comment and, desperately, he searched Kurt's face for answers.
"Finn, I've explained this to you over and over." The father's voice was gruff and impatient now. "Kurt has been cursed because he was born on Friday the 13th and now, he must marry this tree and carry out the ritual in order to be released."
Blaine's eyes nearly popped out of his head and they rapidly blinked open and closed in confusion.
A tree? I'm a tree?
What the hell was in that alcohol Jeff had brought? How is any of this even possible?
Again, Blaine tried to shake his head clear of the confusion and jog his memory.
Spin-the- bottle! That's right.
He'd had to kiss Rachel but he'd refused on the grounds that he was gay. Rachel Berry – Head Girl of their sister school - had been furious and the last memory Blaine had was of being frog-marched by her out of the room with her yelling unintelligible things in his ear.
Am I here in frozen in this forest, apparently looking like a tree, because of Rachel Berry?
"So, I'll ask you again, Kurt," Sue's voice cut through everyone's thoughts. "Will you take this tree to be your lawful wedded spouse?
Kurt looked into Blaine's eyes and caught the surprise, the genuine confusion but he saw more; much, much more. In those warm, bright, hazel-nut orbs, he saw kindness, tenderness, honour and compassion. As Kurt stared, the eyes seemed to soften, they blinked and the boy in front of him, blushed. Kurt couldn't help the giggle that escaped his lips.
"This um … this tree … um … in front of me – You want to know if I'll take this tree here to be my lawful wedded spouse," Kurt asked for clarification, his eyes never leaving Blaine's.
"Boo, for heaven's sake! Would you please just say 'yes' already?" Mercedes snapped in irritation.
Kurt smiled. "Sue, um, absolutely! I definitely take this … um … tree to be my lawful wedded spouse." He grinned at Blaine whose own smile was evident in his eyes although his face had not twitched at all. The eyes danced merrily as they caught Kurt's good humour.
"Does he like have to, you know, like kiss the tree now as well?" Finn asked, suddenly now genuinely interested in the proceedings.
Kurt giggled again as Blaine's eyes widened at that comment and the boy blushed yet again. Brazenly, Kurt looked into the eyes of the boy immobile before him and asked, "Yeah Sue, do I have to kiss him, … um, I mean, it?"
"No, it is perfectly acceptable for you to simply hug the tree to cement the vows," was her reply.
Kurt moved closer into Blaine's space and slipped his arms around the boy. He could feel that Blaine was completely immovable but there was so much about this secret ceremony that he didn't understand that he simply took the moment to hold the other boy in a tight embrace. He brought his lips close to the unmoving boy's ears.
"I don't know what this all means but you are seriously the cutest boy I've ever laid eyes on. When are you going to let the others know you're here?"
He pulled back from the one-sided embrace to search out Blaine's eyes which were now clouded over in confusion.
Doesn't he understand that I can't? Does he not get that I'm stuck here? Shit! This is so frustrating! I just want to go home.
Blaine didn't realize that tears had formed in his eyes and were trickling down his cheeks until he heard Kurt say, "Hey now; don't be upset. I didn't mean to upset you. Sh.. sh.. it's okay."
He ran his hands on either side of Blaine's head and cupped his face between his two hands.
"Everything's going to be okay, you'll see. My curse is broken now and I'll be able to fix whatever's wrong," he promised.
"Well now, the curse isn't broken just yet, Porcelain," interrupted Sue. "We still have the final ritual to perform."
"What do you mean 'the last ritual'?" Kurt asked, lowering his hands from the boy's face. "I thought you said I needed to marry a tree in the forest that you'd pick out and then the curse would be broken? Well, I've married my tree now." Kurt gestured back to the boy whose eyes were fixed solely on Kurt now.
Puck stepped forward and this was the first time Kurt saw the axe which swung over his shoulder.
"What? What is that for?" Kurt asked quietly, his voice quivering.
"Puck here, will now chop down the tree that you have married and then the curse will truly be broken," Sue explained calmly.
"What? No wait, you can't!" yelled Kurt. He caught Blaine's eyes wide with panic and then turned to his father.
"Dad, you can't let them do this! He isn't a tree! He's a boy! Don't you see?" Kurt was urgent in his pleas, tugging at his father's shirt-sleeves gesturing to Blaine, desperate for his dad to see the boy before them dressed in grey trousers, white shirt and navy blue blazer.
"Kurt, I don't know what game you're playing here but it's starting to bug me," Burt remonstrated with his son, "Now, step aside and let Puck do what he needs to do."
"Puck, no! Don't you dare lift that axe!" Kurt screamed at the axe man and positioned himself in front of Blaine, his arms spread wide in defense.
"Finn, could you grab your little brother here and hold him for me? I don't want him to get hurt when I swing the axe." Puck was composed in the face of Kurt's terror.
Blaine was screaming at this point too, but his lips wouldn't form the words and his voice wouldn't work at all.
Dear heaven! Rachel, what have you done to me? You little witch!
He watched with eyes blinking in terror as Puck approached him and ran a hand down his legs looking for a spot to land the axe. Blaine looked up and found Kurt squirming and screaming, captured fast in Finn's arms.
"Finn, please? I'm begging you! Let me go!" he roared.
"No little Bro – I understand it all now. You have to marry this tree and then this tree has to die so that the curse can be broken and you can be free," Finn was righteously adamant.
He's cursed?
That beautiful boy there is cursed and this is what this little caper in the woods is all about?
They all see me as a tree but he touched me and saw me for real. But, for his curse to be lifted, I must be chopped down.
Kurt was yelling at the top of his lungs, wrestling in his brother's tight grip. "Finn, No! You don't understand at all! Damn it! He's not a tree!"
"Yeah, yeah," Finn nodded, "he's your spouse now. I get that, dude. It took me a while but I'm there."
"No! No! He really IS a boy. When I touched the tree, I saw him. Puck! Put down that axe or I swear on my mother's grave, I will kill you!"
"Look Ma'm," Puck spoke politely to Sue, "I didn't sign up for all this screaming, shouting and verbal abuse. Perhaps, we should remove the boy from the scene?" he suggested.
Finn finally put Kurt down and, quick as lightning, the boy dashed between Puck and the frozen statue of a boy. Blaine's eyes were squeezed tight in anticipation of the devastating lethal blow.
"Burt Hummel!" Sue yelled. "Do something!"
"Kurt, buddy, if we don't chop down this tree – the whole ritual is in jeopardy and we won't be able to break the curse."
"I don't care! I don't care! Dad, I'd rather be cursed for the rest of my life than have you harm this beautiful boy."
Mercedes stepped forward. "Boo, hey come on. It's just a tree. Let's be rational here."
"That's what you see, Mercedes. That's what everybody sees," Kurt replied – his voice still laced with horror at the attempt to hurt the boy.
Blaine opened his eyes to meet Kurt's as the boy continued to speak.
"I see more than a tree. I see a handsome face with sparkling brown eyes and a head full of hair that's been unashamedly plastered down with far too much hair gel - " Kurt ran a hand over the side of Blaine's head meeting hard-as-concrete gel. He quirked an eyebrow at Blaine and asked quietly, "What were you thinking?"
Blaine blushed again and dipped his eyes.
"Dad, Sue, I don't know why he's here, in this place, frozen in the image of a tree to all of you but I know that I will not allow any of you to lay a hand on him. He's mine – I claimed him in that marriage ceremony you performed, Sue and, as such, I will protect him."
Nobody could say anything when Kurt stopped speaking because suddenly the ground beneath them began to shake and there was a deafening roar from the heavens.
Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine and whispered in his ear.
"Nothing's going to harm, you. Not while I'm around."
The wind whipped up around them and the dead and dying autumn leaves that had been lying on the forest floor were swept up in a whirling frenzy.
"Kurt!" yelled Burt, lifting his hands to shield his eyes from flying debris. "Are you okay?"
"I'm okay! Take care of Mercedes for me, Dad!"
"I've got her, Kiddo. Hold on!"
Kurt watched in horror as his father and Mercedes and then Sue, Finn and even Puck were sucked up into the funnel of the terrifying twister which danced wickedly and erratically around the forest clearing. Kurt held onto his frozen boy-tree with all his might. His head buried in the neck of the boy statue, he clung on as the storm raged violently around them.
Just as suddenly as the storm had arisen, it was over and the forest settled down to its previous state as if nothing untoward had just taken place. The eerie silence was in stark contrast to the high whine of the wind and Kurt took a moment to allow his senses to re-adjust.
To his amazement, he felt arms being wrapped around his waist and he jerked back in surprise. The boy in front of him was gripping his waist and tilting his neck from side to side like he was trying to iron out a knot or two.
Kurt stepped back in astonishment.
"You're … you're …" At a loss for words, he gestured to Blaine who bent first his left leg at the knees and then the right. Similarly, he bent his elbows and stretched his arms above his head.
"Holy Crap-a-doodles! That feels good!" The boy's voice was a bit rusty from disuse and he coughed abruptly. It was then that he noticed Kurt staring at him, his mouth wide open.
"Kurt - ", the boy said and his name on this boy's lips was the sweetest sound Kurt had ever heard.
"Yes, I'm Kurt," he replied gently. "Who are you?"
"My name's Blaine," he replied.
"What are you?" Kurt asked, mystified, "and what in the hell just happened here?"
"I'm a student at Dalton Academy," Blaine explained, gesturing to the uniform and the large letter 'D' embroidered neatly on his blazer pocket.
"What are you doing here? Why were you pretending to be a tree?"
"I'm not entirely sure. My memory's a bit hazy," Blaine explained, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand in what Kurt thought was an entirely endearing gesture. "But, what's your deal?" he asked Kurt. "Why, the whole ritual in the forest? Marrying a tree, really?" he tilted his head to the side in question.
"I was born on Friday 13th …" Kurt began.
"Yeah – I heard all of that. Your father explained to the giant that you can't love or receive love – is that right?" Blaine interrupted.
"Yeah – so we had to perform this ritual to release me." Kurt confirmed.
"But, Kurt, why didn't you let them follow through with it? You should have let them chop me down so you could be free from your curse." Blaine was stunned.
"I couldn't, Blaine," Kurt tried to explain. "I couldn't let them do that to you."
"But why, Kurt? Why not?"
Kurt took a deep breath and Blaine noticed a light blush creeping up the boy's cheek.
"Because …. Because, when I saw your eyes for the first time- it was … it was like looking at my own," Kurt stumbled over the most honest answer he had.
"Like a mirror of my soul?"
"Yeah, something like that."
"You actually felt something for me?" Blaine sought clarification.
"Yeah, I did. Something inside me recognized you and I knew I couldn't let them hurt you."
"And something inside me recognized you, too," Blaine countered. "I wanted that Puck guy to swing the axe so that you could be released from this awful curse."
"You would have done that for me?" Kurt asked astounded.
"Yeah, absolutely," Blaine didn't hesitate.
"But, why?"
"Because you're mine," was Blaine's simple response.
"Oh, that silly marriage ceremony doesn't count, Blaine. You didn't even have a say," Kurt was quick to relieve Blaine of any misplaced sense of responsibility.
"No, I'm not talking about the ceremony, Kurt. I'm talking about the fact that my soul recognized yours and I am totally willing to give up my life so you could have yours."
"Just as I am willing to endure a lifetime curse so that no harm would befall you," Kurt whispered in return. Then, with perfect understanding Kurt declared, "You're mine, Blaine."
"All yours, Kurt," agreed Blaine and he stepped closer, taking the beautiful boy in his arms and kissed him. Kurt's breath hitched as he felt Blaine's lips descend on his, at first delicately and gently but then, with greater confidence and passion. Kurt moaned and opened his mouth at Blaine's tongue's insistent request when they heard Burt's voice yelling in the distance.
"Kurt! Kurt! Can you hear me?"
Reluctantly, Kurt pulled his mouth away from Blaine's, took a step back and turned in the direction from which the voice had come.
"Dad! Dad! We're here!" he answered loudly.
"Keep calling me, son! We're following your voice," Burt called back from far away.
Not five minutes later, the bedraggled party of five entered the clearing. Holding on tight to his hand, Blaine slipped behind Kurt when Puck who somehow hadn't lost his grip on the axe despite having been tossed by a twister, entered the clearing with the others. Kurt felt Blaine start in surprise when several other boys whom Kurt did not recognize brought up the rear of the reassembled group.
Kurt gestured to Blaine. "Dad, guys, I'd like you to meet - "
"Blaine!"
A blond-haired boy detached from the group behind Puck and ran forward to grab Blaine and spin him around. Several other boys, all dressed in exactly the same uniform as Blaine, stepped closer and surrounded him, patting him on the back.
"Blainers! Buddy!"
A tall Asian boy swept Blaine up into a warm embrace and then both were tackled by a dark boy who spun them both around, whooping with delight. A dark-haired boy grinned at their antics and then yelled at them to "Put the bugger down!"
"Kurt!" Blaine exclaimed excitedly, grabbing the tall boy's hand again in his and wrapping his arm firmly around Kurt's tiny waist, "These are my good friends from Dalton Academy. This is Wes, David, Jeff and Nick." He pointed to each respectively and one by one the boys came forward to shake hands with Kurt.
"We've been looking for Blaine for so long now," explained Wes.
Finn quickly explained to Kurt that they had found the Dalton boys near the edge of the road where the twister had dumped them –
"- ever so kindly and politely, I might add," interjected Mercedes.
"Anyway," Burt continued, "they said they could help us make our way back here to the clearing so we could find you, Kurt. But I see you're not alone." Burt's eyes landed pointedly on the arm around his son's waist.
Kurt smiled happily at his dad from within the safety of Blaine's embrace. The boy's arm around his waist felt warm and comfortable and just … right.
"Dad, Mercedes, guys: This is Blaine."
"Nice to meet you, Blaine," Burt shook hands politely. "That twister grab you and dump you here?" he asked.
"No, Sir, I haven't left this spot at all," Blaine replied with a small smile.
Finn suddenly interrupted their conversation with a shout. "Hey, Kurt! Where's your tree gone?"
Kurt looked from Finn to his father to Mercedes and then back to Blaine again. "Um, guys, … this is my tree." The knot of people watched him gesture to Blaine as he continued. "Blaine is the boy I saw when you all saw a tree."
"This one? Sue asked, looking Blaine up and down. "He was frozen in a tree?"
"Frozen as a tree, I think," replied Kurt.
"How'd that happen?" asked Burt.
"I'm not really sure," answered Blaine truthfully and he turned to his schoolmates. "Guys, help me out here, please? The last memory I have is of playing spin-the-bottle with the girls from CCD and Rachel was upset because I wouldn't kiss her."
"Yeah," agreed Nick. "She hustled you out of the room and we kept just playing, man. Shit! We should have …."
David picked up the story as Nick fell quiet contemplating the consequences of their thoughtless actions. "When she returned, she said that you had decided to go on up to bed. It was only when you didn't report the next morning at roll call that we realised your bed hadn't been slept in and you were actually missing."
"This Rachel," Sue asked. "Is her surname Berry by any chance?"
"Yes, Rachel Berry – that's her," confirmed Jeff.
"Why the little devil!" Sue exploded. "She obviously didn't take kindly to being refused by Blaine and the little witch placed you in the forest here under some sort of curse. I'm going to pay that little wench a visit when we all get back to town," Sue promised.
"Hey, that's right!" Wes said. "I didn't get it at the time but when Rachel got back to the party, she said you 'would wake up when you understood what true love actually was'."
Kurt started to giggle and then Blaine did too.
"Wait, why are you guys laughing?" asked Mercedes, intrigued.
"Because, what she said is true. I did wake up when I realised what true love actually is," explained Blaine.
"True love, huh?" queried Burt with a hint of a smile dancing around his eyes.
"Absolutely!" agreed Kurt and taking Blaine into his arms he whispered, "The fairytale kind."