Dislaimer: Glee belongs to FOX, the writers, producers, actors, etc. I am making no money from this, and no copywrite infringement is intended. All quotes were found online and are attributed to their authors if I could find them.

AN: The first in the "When Flowers Bloom" series, which is independent of my other Klaine stories. Exploring major moments in Klaine's relationship, and trying to do so differently than all the other wonderful stories out there. The focus of the series is courage, indeed that is the element binding all of the stories together, so while some will be the major moments that you're used to seeing, others will be scenes rarely done. The series is named from Lady Bird Johnson's famous quote, "When flowers bloom, so does hope." Because in my mind, hope is a kind of courage. It's the courage to believe that things can turn out the way you want them to.

"Blossom" is set soon after the end of "Original Song," and assumes that Klaine started dating with their first kiss, and that was only about a week before Regionals. That may seem short, but Glee is not known for being worried about its timeline, and so I'm not going to worry either. A week worked for me, so that's how long they've been dating. This also assumes Dalton is a boarding school, and that both boys stay there during the week. I know fans are split on this, but it works wonderfully for storytelling purposes.

Please enjoy, and just to let you know; I love reviews, both positive and constructively critical.

Blossom

By Lady Callista

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"There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom" -Anaïs Nin

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They had been studying, they really had. Kurt had even been sitting in the chair at his desk while Blaine sat cross-legged on the bed and they quizzed each other on French verbs. Then they'd had to check something in the textbook, and Kurt had crossed over to sit on the bed next to Blaine because his pronunciation based on reading was a little better, but he had to see the word in order for that to work.

Their shoulder had brushed, then their hips, and then they had been kissing as if they were about to be separated forever.

While books lay forgotten on the bed and Madonna wailed in the background about her holiday, the kiss deepened even more as tongues and teeth came into play.

"I want to talk about something." The words slipped out of Kurt's mouth when they broke the kiss to catch their breath, causing his face to flush impossibly hotter. He hadn't meant to just blurt it out like that.

Blaine pulled his head back at once, the hands that had been carefully resting on Kurt's hips, thumbs trailing in small circles, immediately falling away. "What's the matter? Sorry, was that too much, or…"

"Blaine." Kurt's voice held amusement and just an edge of annoyance. "That wasn't the first time that we've French-kissed. You know that… that I like it." The last was said on a whisper as he broke eye-contact; it had taken all his courage to say it at all, he still wasn't comfortable talking about the things they did together, no matter how much he was coming to crave those things. Those things and more. Which was what he wanted to talk about, he just didn't know how.

"I thought so, but… I just never want to do anything you don't want."

The earnestness in Blaine's voice made Kurt smile even as a rush of love surged though him, and he caught Blaine's eyes with that love clearly visible before leaning in to kiss him gently.

The sentiment resonated deeply, and he understood in a flash why their physical relationship was moving so slowly. It hadn't been what he had feared, or at least not that alone. He still sort of wanted to talk about what he had originally been going to ask, but he felt his courage start to falter now that he had something else to focus on. Now that he knew at least part of the answer.

He knew where that sentiment came from, and why Blaine was so adamant about it. It wasn't just Blaine's innate sweetness and considerate nature, although that was a good portion of it, Kurt was certain. It was that Blaine had been the only person he told about the kiss Karofsky had forced on him, and was also the only person who understood Kurt's romantic nature enough that he realized just how much it had bothered him.

Kurt still didn't know how to talk about the physical things he wanted, but talking about the emotions was something that had always been easy for them, likely because of the serious nature of their first few discussions, and the way things had just instantly clicked between them. Maybe the fact that this discussion would involve both the physical and the emotional would make it easier. This was what he had wanted to talk about after all, although he had planned on approaching it more from the physical side. This would probably work much better all around, and certainly be less embarrassing.

"Kurt, what is it?" Blaine's soft voice drew Kurt out of his thoughts, drew him back to the side of his bed where they sat side by side, bodies still turned towards each other and fingers clasped loosely.

"I never want you to worry about me comparing you to him." Kurt realized he really should have found a better way to phrase that sentence, but he saw the understanding swim into Blaine's eyes anyway. "I want you to kiss me, and… and touch me. I don't really know what I'll like or what I won't, but I like kissing you. I like touching you. And I really like knowing that we're in this together. Yes, it's new and a little scary, but I… I trust you. And you know me well enough to know how rarely I say that to someone."

"Kurt." Blaine said his name softly, like it was the most precious sound in the world, squeezing his hands gently. "I'm so glad we're in this together too. Is that… is that what you wanted to talk about?"

"Sort-of." Kurt felt the blush rise to his cheeks again as his pulse sped up, and steadied himself by gazing into Blaine's deep amber eyes. "Before, when you asked me if it was too much… it wasn't. Not at all. I think, no, I know, that I want more, but it seems like you don't and I just wanted to talk about why, but I think you just told me."

Blaine's eyes had widened as the last long, run-on sentence took shape, and when Kurt finished speaking Blaine couldn't help it when his mouth dropped open in shock. Kurt thought that he didn't want to… where in the world had that come from? "Why would you think that I don't want… want more?" He swallowed heavily, audibly, knowing he had to deal with that before anything else, although the fact that Kurt not only wanted more but was able to say it out loud sent his body humming. But he didn't want Kurt believing that for even one second longer than he had to.

Kurt broke eye contact then, looking down at their still joined hands. "All the girls always say how pushy their boyfriends are when it come to… to kissing and other stuff. The more stuff. But you're not like that, so I just thought that maybe you didn't want to."

"Kurt, I… hey, can you look at me please?" Blaine's voice was achingly gentle, and he slid one of his hands out of Kurt's and reached up to cup his cheek, not pressing him to raise his head but just touching him softly. When Kurt looked up, eyes more vulnerable than Blaine had ever seen them, he continued in the same loving voice, "I do want to… I want to do those things with you. But barely a month ago you didn't even want to talk about sex, and I never want to make you as uncomfortable as I did that day."

Kurt remembered the aborted conversation all too vividly, it was indeed something else from that very same day that had had him so worried, that he had thought might be the problem. And now that Blaine had brought it up, now that it was right there, now that Blaine was gazing into his eyes with a look of adoration that gave him courage, he managed to whisper, "I thought maybe it was just because I wasn't sexy."

Kurt saw the shock go through Blaine's eyes at the statement, and that single flash of disbelief loosened the knot of anxiety in his stomach.

Blaine was speaking as soon as the shock cleared from his eyes, "I never said… I didn't know you thought, Kurt… That wasn't what I meant that day. Not… but you wouldn't let me explain, and…."

"But you said it looked like I had… had…" Kurt couldn't even bring himself to repeat the comment that had been so painful, even though Blaine's manner of handling it had taken away much of the hurt.

"It was a stupid comment, but I didn't mean that…" Blaine took a deep breath and then tried again, "You may not know how to fake being sexy, but you do it all the time without even trying. God, Kurt, the way you flirted and danced with me when you were helping me practice Baby, It's Cold Outside last winter… That was so hot. And Rachel has sent me a few videos of New Directions performances, and believe me Kurt, you are definitely sexy. I actually kind-of like knowing that you can't fake it, that the look in your eyes for me is real."

It was Blaine's turn to blush now, and Kurt responded to the confession, which had loosened the last bit of worry and fear he had been living with, at once. "I'm just not… no one has ever said that before, I'm not used to someone that I like actually… actually liking me back."

"I'm not either." Blaine reached out to trail his fingers over Kurt's cheek yet again. "It still amazes me sometimes that I have the right to do this, or this." Blaine leaned in and kissed Kurt softly on the lips.

Kurt slid his hand lightly up Blaine's arm, hesitantly cupping the back of Blaine's neck and deepening the kiss. Blaine moaned low in his throat as Kurt took the initiative for the first time while they were like this, and responded by sliding his arms around Kurt's back to gently pull him just a little bit closer.

They were both breathless again by the time they drew away, foreheads resting against each other as if neither wanted to withdraw further than they had to even as they panted for air.

Blaine recovered first, and encouraged by the level of trust and honesty Kurt had already shown, he asked in a whisper, "Can we talk about it? About what we want to try, and about what one or both of us isn't ready for yet."

Kurt took a deep breath, and spoke before he could talk himself out of it. "I'm not ready for sex…" He hated that he blushed deeper as he said the word, but forged on, "And honestly I'm not even sure what that means for us."

"It means whatever we decide it does, and I'm nowhere near ready for that either." Blaine answered immediately, pulling back enough that they could see each other clearly. "We can talk about that, what we want it to mean, either now or later. But I think it might be better to do it later, cause we're nowhere near that point and I think it might be easier to talk about it when we're more comfortable with each other."

"I think that sounds good." Kurt breathed back, feeling the relief flow through him. He had already pushed himself out of his comfort zone in this discussion several times, and while it felt good -felt like a push he needed to be just that much closer to Blaine- he also knew he had just about reached his limit for the day. "But I am comfortable with you, or I wouldn't have been able to have this conversation at all. I don't know if this will make sense, but it's like I feel like I can talk about anything with you, but there are just some things that I can't talk about yet."

Blaine smiled at the seemingly contradictory statement, understanding what Kurt was trying to say. "And we don't have to talk about anything you don't want to, just like we don't have to do anything one of us doesn't want to do. But I do want to kiss you more, if that's okay?"

Kurt smiled at the teasing tone of the last sentence, just as Blaine had intended, and wondered how Blaine always knew exactly when they needed to lighten things up. "It's more than okay." He said breathily, adding after taking an only slightly shaky breath, "Can we maybe, maybe be on the bed more?"

Blaine's eyes widened again, but his smile bloomed only a second later. His voice was adorably soft as he said, "I remember the first time I was in your room. We were going to watch a movie, and you just scooted up to rest your back against your headboard and gestured for me to sit next to you there."

"It was how I always watched movies with the girls." Kurt said softly, remembering the surprise that had crossed Blaine's face that day before he had smiled and plopped unto the bed beside him.

"It wasn't bad Kurt, it just… I had already noticed that you liked your personal space." Which Blaine knew was completely understandable, given the physical bullying that Kurt had suffered. "Which was hard for me, cause I'm kinda naturally a touchy person."

"No kidding." Kurt teased gently, eyes flicking down to where Blaine's fingertips ran up and down the inside of his forearm, the touch feeling feather light through his thin dress shirt.

Blaine blushed, but continued to make his point. "I didn't think it was weird, I've sat like that with other guys to watch TV, the way the rooms at Dalton are set up it's really the best option. I was just surprised that you were comfortable enough with me, but after that second of shock I was happy."

Blaine's smile almost matched the one he had given back then, and he scooted back onto the bed, shifting the pillows until he was settled comfortably.

Kurt offered a shy smile, feeling himself blush, as he scrambled up to join Blaine, hesitating only briefly before curling onto his side, resting his head on Blaine's chest as he wrapped an arm around his waist.

Blaine's arms slid around him in response, the one on Kurt's side wrapping around his back to rest a warm hand on his waist, the other gliding lightly up and down Kurt's shoulder. For a moment there was silence, slightly awkward as they each made slight adjustments to get comfortable. It was when Kurt finally let out a deep sigh, settled perfectly, that Blaine spoke seriously, "There is one serious problem with this."

Blaine felt Kurt tense in his arms, and realized he should have injected a more teasing note into his voice when Kurt asked worriedly, "What's wrong?"

"It's just that I can't kiss you." Blaine answered gently, his fingers dancing lightly over the side of Kurt's hip before returning to the safer territory of his waist.

Kurt felt himself shudder at the teasing touch, and shifted slightly back from Blaine to make sure that the boy couldn't feel the reaction he was causing. They weren't even kissing, as Blaine had just pointed out, but somehow being cuddled together actually felt more intimate. "I like kissing, but I like this too." He confessed softly, unable to completely voice the thought he had had but needing to say at least this much. "Can we just stay like this for a few minutes before…."

Blaine had shifted his head to the side enough to kiss Kurt on the forehead, causing him to trail off. Blaine tilted his head slightly to drop another gentle kiss on his forehead before saying softly, "I like this too, and we can stay like this for as long as you want."

Kurt chuckled, reminding himself yet again that he had the most amazing boyfriend ever. "Well, my dad will be home from work in about twenty minutes, and I do want to kiss you some more."

"How about ten minutes for cuddling, ten minutes for kissing?" Blaine chuckled as well, his fingers dancing over Kurt's hip again.

That sounded wonderful to Kurt, it really did, but there was something else he been wondering about and as his courage had held so far he decided to test it one last time. "How about five cuddling, ten kissing, and then five cuddling, but, uh, switched."

"Swi…. Oh." Blaine realized what Kurt meant even before he could finish asking, and felt a rush of heat go through him as he remembered how it had felt earlier when Kurt's arms had wrapped around him while they were making-out. And that had been sitting up. But it felt so amazing to have Kurt in his arms like this. "I really like holding you."

Kurt's confession came softly, and he was glad that his face was tipped down so that Blaine couldn't see how red it had turned. "One of the things I always imagined, one of the images I dreamed about, was having a boy cuddled up against me. I'm always one of the girls, which is fine most of the time, but I don't wanna be the girl in this relationship…"

"Whoa, whoa." Blaine cut him off. "There isn't a girl in this relationship. We don't like girls, remember, we like boys. I don't think of you as the girl, and I never will. I just got here first and you cuddled up against me. I'd be just as happy if you were the one holding me. Somehow this feels almost more special than kissing."

Kurt felt himself fall even deeper for this amazing boy who had just unashamedly said almost exactly what Kurt had thought earlier but been too shy to say. "Sometimes I still can't believe I can have this." Kurt blamed the fact that one of his most private worries slipped out on the almost floaty feeling that being this close to Blaine was causing to drift through him. He didn't think he had ever been more comfortable in his life, especially after what Blaine had just said.

"I know what you mean." Blaine said simply as his hand slipped from Kurt's shoulder to rest on the back of his neck.

They lapsed into silence then, simply sharing enjoyment in the warmth and closeness that was so incredibly new, but felt so incredibly right.

Their talk had cleared the air on all of their immediate worries, and both knew that while there would be future discussions that would bring back the nerves and embarrassment, they also knew in their hearts that they could get through them together.

Because they could get through anything together.

FIN