The "Ex" in Xmas
A/N: This is more somber than my usual fluffy stories, but it just sort of came to me.This is a continuation of the Klaine storyline in "Glee Actually" (Ep 4.10) and goes further into why, exactly, Burt brought Blaine to New York and what happened after the ice skating rink.It's a little angsty and sad, I'm not going to lie, but I think it's sweet, too.
"We'll always be there for each other."
Blaine's words rang in Kurt's head during the cab ride back to his apartment from the rink at Bryant Park. The boys had turned from their embrace and found Burt smiling at them, obviously quite pleased with himself. Blaine looked down shyly and Kurt just shook his head, reaching out and beckoning Burt to join them. The three exchanged "Merry Christmases" and then decided it was time to be heading home.
Blaine mumbled something about a hotel, but Burt swiftly took his elbow and "suggested" to Kurt that it would be fine for Blaine to stay at the loft. Kurt readily agreed, and despite the awkwardness of the situation, he meant it.
Blaine volunteered to take the couch, with Burt taking Rachel's bed. They spent the next day comfortably happy in each other's company – Burt watched his basketball game, Kurt flipped through Vogue, and Blaine effortlessly managed to show interest in both at the same time.
Burt had a late flight Christmas night back to Ohio, as Carole and Finn would be returning from her sister's home that evening. Hugs were shared all around, and Burt declined Kurt's offer to ride with him to the airport. "No sense in you taking a round-trip cab ride, kid. Your old man will be just fine," Burt insisted, and he was perhaps the one person on the planet who could out-do Kurt in stubbornness. Burt gave Kurt one last hug, noting that his son held him a little tighter than normal. He looked up over Kurt's shoulder and caught Blaine's eye, giving him a pointed look. Blaine almost imperceptibly nodded, understanding the unspoken reminder of their earlier conversation.
"Blaine, when I tell Kurt about this, it's going to hit him like a ton of bricks, but he won't let that show. Not to me.He'll hold it together so long as I'm around, but he's going to break at some point.He'll need someone there for him when that happens, and the best person I can think of is you."
Blaine was dumbfounded. "Me?Burt, I don't know, we've only recently started talking again, and I…"
"Son," Burt interrupted, fully aware of the importance of that term in relation to Blaine, "I know you two have had issues. And I'm not gonna say that I'm happy with how you handled things."Blaine looked away in shame, but Burt went on quickly. "But I know you, and I know Kurt.You two will be all right.You love him, right?"
Blaine nodded, his eyes a little bright with moisture.
"Then be there for him. He's gonna need you, kid."
After the door closed behind Burt, Kurt stood there for a moment, his back to the room and his hand pressed flat on the door. Blaine stayed still, a few feet behind him, waiting. He heard Kurt slowly inhale and sigh before turning around and giving Blaine a small smile.
"So, one last hot chocolate before we call it a night?"
Blaine agreed and moved to the kitchen to help. He was happy that Kurt hadn't seemed bothered by the idea of Blaine staying an extra night. Burt had made the arrangements, and told the boys that the best flight he could get for Blaine was on the evening of the 26th. Neither boy had argued, but Blaine had been prepared to get himself on a standby flight if Kurt had objected.
They settled on the couch, the only light in the room being that from the Christmas tree and a couple of strands of lights around the apartment. They talked quietly about random things in each other's lives, catching up since their last conversation by phone. It was calm and comfortable – as much as it could be between two exes – and Kurt really seemed to be okay, all things considered.
Eventually, the late hour caught up with them, surreptitious yawns interrupting the conversation enough that they finally gave up and decided to go to sleep. Blaine decided to remain on the couch, claiming "spin the bottle flashbacks" as a reason to avoid sleeping in Rachel's bed. Blaine stood up when Kurt did, and after a momentary hesitation, both stepped forward for a gentle hug.
"Merry Christmas, Kurt," Blaine said in a hushed tone.
"Merry Christmas, Blaine," Kurt returned, holding on for a minute more before releasing his ex-boyfriend and padding across the loft to his room.
Blaine drifted to sleep, but woke about an hour later. He wasn't sure at first what awakened him, but then he heard it – a quiet sniffling sound was coming from the other side of the privacy partition that separated Kurt's bedroom from the main living area. Blaine sighed, his heart breaking at the sound. He never could bear it when Kurt cried. Tossing his blanket aside, he rose and made his way to Kurt's room.
"Kurt?" he called softly before entering. When he didn't get a response other than a stifled sob, he quietly slid aside the partition and walked over to the bed. Kurt was sitting upright, his back to the headboard and his knees drawn up in front of him. His arms were folded across his knees, and his head was buried there, his shoulders shaking as he cried.
"Oh, Kurt," Blaine said, and without further invitation, he sat down on the edge of the bed beside Kurt, reaching a hand out and lightly stroking down his back. "C'mere," he whispered.
Kurt turned and threw himself into Blaine's arms, his tears no longer quiet and contained but now coming in the form of full-on, heart-wrenching sobs.
"It's okay, it's okay," Blaine soothed, holding Kurt tightly and rocking to and fro. "I've got you." He didn't try to shush him – no, Kurt needed to cry and let it out, and Blaine was going to be there for him.
Slowly, Kurt began to calm down, his breath coming back to normal and his death grip on Blaine loosening. With a deep, cleansing breath, he pulled back from the embrace. "I'm sorry," he began, wiping at his tear-stained face.
"Hey, don't," Blaine interrupted, reaching over for a tissue and handing it to Kurt, who smiled a bit in thanks. "You've got nothing to apologize for. I'm just so sorry you have to go through this." They were still sitting close to one another, Blaine lightly running his fingers down Kurt's arm to his hand, taking his fingers in his own, then retracing the trip up his arm. "You've got every right to cry."
They talked for a while, Kurt finally saying his fears out loud while Blaine listened and reassured. He renewed his promise to look after Burt, sharing with Kurt his plan to accompany Burt to appointments as needed and to keep Kurt updated at all times, just in case Burt tried to gloss over anything.
Kurt looked at Blaine then. Blaine, who was now looking at him with such warmth and caring that it almost made Kurt want to start crying again. Their relationship was complicated, true, but deep down, Kurt knew that if there was anyone in this world he could rely on in this, it was the person in front of him.
"Thank you," he said, his voice small and a little rough. Blaine smiled in response, and patted Kurt's knee.
"Well, I should let you get some sleep," he said reluctantly, Kurt thought, shifting off the bed and standing to leave.
Kurt reached out and took hold of Blaine's wrist. Blaine looked sharply down at Kurt's hand, then up to Kurt's face. "Stay?" Kurt asked simply.
Blaine paused, hoping he wasn't making the wrong decision as he nodded. "Scoot," he whispered, tapping Kurt on the shoulder. Kurt moved over and Blaine slipped into the bed and under the covers. Without another word spoken between them, he opened his arms and Kurt cuddled into his side, resting his head on Blaine's shoulder and wrapping an arm around his stomach as Blaine's arms settled around him.
There was no thought of anything more happening between them that night. Blaine wouldn't have dreamed of taking advantage of Kurt's vulnerability like that. Similarly, Kurt wouldn't allow himself to take advantage of Blaine's feelings, either. Both of them now understood why Burt had brought Blaine to New York. He had known that Kurt would need Blaine's support, and he also knew that Blaine couldn't have borne to be anywhere but at Kurt's side in this moment. As Blaine had told Kurt at the ice rink the night before, no matter when, no matter where, whether they were together or not, they would always be there for each other. Secure in that knowledge, they fell asleep, entwined together, fearlessly and forever.
A/N: Like I said, a little different than my usual fics.Let me know your thoughts.Hugs to all.