AN- Klaine Week Day 5!
Here is a little graduation fic for you guys. Title taken from the oldie Vitamin C graduation song.
The day had finally come.
Kurt looks at himself in the mirror, tasteless blue (polyester) robe draped over his body. He hadn't put the hat on yet; he couldn't bring himself to mess up is hair with that thing.
He sighs. Today, he is graduating.
He is leaving McKinley High far behind; the years of torment, the days of locker slams and dumpster tosses, the idiot jocks who would one day work for him. It would all be but a distant memory once he was in New York, living the high life that was always meant to be his.
Of course, not everything about his high school life was bad. Glee club had been a shining star for the longest time (until senior year and a new star shined on the horizon) and all the friends and family he managed to get because of it
He had plans to live with Rachel, and he knew Santana was sneaking her way into the city as well. Finn was staying in Ohio at the time being, to work at the garage and attend a local community college until he could determine what exactly he wanted. Mercedes was on the next plane out to L.A. with Sam heading back to Kentucky to be with his family. Quinn was still heading to Yale, injuries faded and a new resolve to really kick ass. And Mike was also in the city, attending dance school like he always wanted.
He knew it would be hard for all of them; keeping in touch with each other and significant others. Brittany, Artie, Tina and Blaine stuck behind in Lima, forced through one more year of high school. Kurt sighs; today is no place for those kinds of thoughts. It's a celebration of surviving.
A knock on the door, and then his dad is popping his head in.
"You ready to go, Champ?"
Kurt smiles as dad walks inside, tears springing to his eyes when he realizes that Burt is crying.
"Dad. You're not supposed to do that until the ceremony."
"I'm sorry," Burt says gruffly. "It's just…God, Kurt, you're graduating high school. It seems like just yesterday we were havin' tea parties and…"
He closes the distance and pulls Kurt into a nearly back-breaking hug. "I'm so proud of you. You have no idea. And, your mother would be too, kid."
"I was thinking about her today. I wish…I love Carole, I do. I just wish…"
"Me too, kid," Burt whispers. He clears his throat and claps Kurt's back as he pulls away. "Come on, we got a ceremony to get to."
They leave Kurt's room and head downstairs where Carole is smoothing out Finn's robes. She takes one look at Kurt, breaks out into sobs and embraces him.
"Oh, God, she just stopped crying," Finn mutters.
"I love you and I'm so proud of you, honey," Carole whispers. "I hope you know that."
Kurt hugs her back. "I love you too."
"I need a picture!"
She makes Finn and Kurt stand in the middle as she goes to dig out the camera. Once she has everything all situated, she walks over to them, standing on Kurt's left side while Burt stands on Finn's right. The flash goes off, the moment forever frozen in time. They're a family; and no one can ever tell Kurt otherwise. As much as he misses his mother, he wouldn't trade Carole and Finn for anything.
"Alright," Burt announces loudly as Carole stuffs the camera in her purse. "Let's get going."
"Wait! Blaine isn't here yet. He was going to drive with us to the ceremony…."
Burt looks at his watch, then exchanges a glance with Carole. "Kid, if we don't go now, we'll be late."
"He promised," Kurt says. "He promised he'd be there to see me graduate."
"And he will be, sweetie. We know Blaine would never break a promise. Maybe something's come up and he'll have to meet you there. Did he text you?"
"No…"
"Dude," Finn says suddenly. "We have to go! I promised Rachel I'd meet up with her beforehand."
"Kurt. We have to go," Burt urges gently.
Kurt nods and follows them out the door, shooting off a quick text to Blaine while he's at it.
Where are you – K
Blaine never answers his text.
By the time Kurt and Finn get to school, all their friends are there and it's a mad house of hugs, last minute year book signings and general silliness. It almost takes Blaine right off Kurt's mind.
Almost.
Because, see, he needed to see Blaine before the ceremony. To take the butterflies out of Kurt's stomach and to assure Blaine this year separation was nothing. If they could get through homophobic bullies, Kurt's transfer to and from Dalton, and their only year together at McKinley, they could get through anything.
Someone hugs him from behind and a glance over his shoulder reveals it's Rachel. She's beaming, happiest he's ever probably seen her (the whole engagement debacle notwithstanding).
"We're going to New York, Kurt! We're going to New York!"
He laughs and squeezes her arms. "Yes, we are. Of course, we'll have to put up with daily visits of torment from Santana and Mike probably crashing on our couch more than once and then making a schedule so we can both have our boyfriends visit but…it will all be worth it."
"Yes. Yes it will!"
"I know you two aren't having a moment without me."
Kurt beams at Mercedes. "Never."
Rachel untangles herself from Kurt and launches at Mercedes, pulling her into an even tighter hug. "I'm going to miss you so much! But I can't wait until I can tell everyone I knew music sensation Mercedes Jones before she was famous."
"And I can't wait until I'm bragging about my Broadway star best friend. Friends," she amends, looking at Kurt.
He throws her arms around both of them. "And I love my divas."
Soon, though, more arms and bodies join their huddled mass. Santana and Quinn beaming over Mercedes shoulder, Sam and Puck (who was still undetermined about his own future) taking the opportunity to ruffle Kurt's hair (he still hadn't put on the hat). Their entire Glee club, one hugging mess of tears and goodbyes and, God, Kurt would miss them all.
There were days when he couldn't have half the people in this circle. When Rachel still talked too much and brandished her talent everywhere she didn't need to. When Quinn held her nose high in the air and never even looked at him.. When Santana made the snide remarks against his sexuality. When Puck threw him in dumpsters. When Mercedes focused too much on prayer and not enough on him after his dad's heart attack. Finn's words in his basement, a knife cutting through his heart. When his bullying got to be far too much and no one even noticed.
But then there was Rachel, standing at his locker and offering him a duet. Quinn, hugging him tightly when it was announced they got another year. Santana striking a deal with Karofsky that allowed Kurt to come back. Puck fist bumping him and Mike high-fiving him and Finn dancing with him in front of everyone at their parents wedding. His welcome back when he finally transferred home.
He wouldn't trade any of them. Not for the world.
They have just a few minutes before it will be time to line up and walk the walk. Kurt has finally resigned himself to wearing that stupid hat and all the couples that can have broken out into their own little groups. Watching Finn and Rachel kiss or Mercedes and Sam stare lovingly at each other makes him miss Blaine more than anything else has today.
"Hey, beautiful."
Kurt whips around and there's Blaine, grinning brightly at him and Kurt just almost tackles him to the ground, his nose buried in the juncture between Blaine's shoulders and neck.
"Where have you been? Dad made me leave without you at the house and then you didn't answer my texts and-"
"For someone so obsessed with how bad polyester feels against skin, I can't believe you're willingly touching it."
Kurt pulls back a little. "Blaine, I have to, it's my…"
But he stops. He stops and he takes a step back and he stares. Because Blaine is the one wearing polyester. Blue polyester. Blue, graduation gown polyester. Grinning up at Kurt like this is his best kept secret.
"W-what…you…Blaine."
"Surprise."
"I don't understand."
"Well after that whole Sadie Hawkins dance keeping me back a year thing, I never really bothered to try to catch back up because I had no desire to graduate with anyone my age…until you. When I transferred to McKinley, I went over all my options with Miss. Pillsbury. I've been taking extra classes and…I'm officially a senior as of last week."
"Blaine…" Kurt is crying out and God, his graduation pictures are ruined but he can't even bring himself to care.
"You have no idea how hard it was to keep this from you. The extra work, the classes, the NYU application, the NYU acceptance."
"Wait. Wait, you….you're graduating with me today."
"Yes."
"You're going to New York University in the fall?"
"Yes."
"You're going to move to New York with me this year. Not next year but this year. This summer?"
"Yes."
Kurt doesn't care that they're surrounded by all of their classmates. He kisses Blaine right there in the cafeteria, everyone else be damned. His boyfriend is graduating with him. His boyfriend is moving with him. There won't be a long year of separation and loneliness that he knows they would have gotten through but now they don't have to because Blaine is graduating today.
He hears groans and remarks but he hears Santana louder, telling everyone exactly where they can go.
"I can't believe you managed to keep this from me," he whispers against Blaine's lips and Blaine chuckles.
"Me either. I mean, I kept this from a lot of people. Rachel, Mercedes anyone that I know would tell you. Mike knew because he helped me out with deadlines and everything and my parents knew, obviously. And…your dad knew."
"I think you two have secret coffee dates behind my back or something," Kurt murmurs. "You're graduating today."
"Yes."
"We're going to New York together."
"Yes."
"I love you. I love you so much, Blaine."
"I love you too, babe."
Coach Sylvester and Mr. Schuester walk in then, getting the students lined up. Blaine has to go near the front and Kurt, the back but Kurt doesn't want to move and he just hugs Blaine tighter.
"I'll see you after the ceremony," Blaine whispers in his ear. "I'll find you on the field and we'll do the whole running into each other's arms deal, okay?"
Kurt giggles. "Okay."
He kisses Blaine again, more quickly this time, and walks over to join Sam in line. They're all lead outside, towards the football field and as they walk, they hear the music start to play.
This is it; the end of something simple and the beginning of everything else.
AN- No, I didn't totally steal Dawson's Creek's tagline. What are you talking about...