Blaine sat at his new desk working on an activities plan for a kids' music camp he was teaching at over the summer. Looking around at his new space, he sighed happily. Etienne had asked if he wanted to get an apartment with him since they'd become such good friends over the past year. Blaine had agreed immediately. His parents had actually approved of his final grades and had offered to pay all his expenses again, despite the change in major. They had moved quickly, as in just one week, as Etienne had already had his eye on a small place near the college. They each had their own spacious bedroom as well as a large living space and kitchen. After living in the tiny dorm, he appreciated every square inch of his new home.
As he typed, he hummed a tune that had been stuck in his head for the last couple weeks. He'd first heard it after talking with Kurt and finding out they both would eventually find new soulmates. It was soft and melancholic, bittersweet in its beauty. Blaine had written it out as best he could, changing and adding to it as time went on. He hadn't been inspired with any lyrics as of yet, but he knew it would come eventually. He was hoping his muse would hit in time for his recording session. He had met Scott McCall, an independent producer, through his musical theory professor. Scott had heard some of his class work and had offered to help him record an EP. Blaine, of course, accepted and had been filled with excitement ever since. He hadn't been this excited and happy in a long time. It was the first thing that had really taken his mind away from grieving for Kurt and honestly, he welcomed the distraction.
His phone started ringing and seeing Wes's name, he grinned and picked it up.
"Hey Wes!"
"Blaine, how are you?" Wes's voice was warm as always. His friend, no matter the distance or situation, remained a source of comfort.
"I'm good, actually," Blaine replied, standing and stretching.
"Glad to hear it. Hey, what are you doing right now?" Wes asked.
Blaine heard an odd tone in his friend's voice. "I'm just working here at home, why?"
He heard the front door open and Blaine walked out to see Etienne walking in with a smiling Wes behind him.
"Look what I found in the parking lot, darling!" Etienne called.
Blaine stuck his phone in his pocket and ran to Wes, gathering his friend in a hug with a laugh.
"You shithead! Why didn't you tell me you were coming out?" Blaine leaned away and slapped Wes in the shoulder.
"Why would I do that when I can just show up unannounced?" Wes replied with a grin, smacking his friend right back.
"This is amazing! How long are you here? Why are you here?" Blaine asked, his mind racing with possibilities of things they could do, places he could take his friend.
"I'm only here overnight, actually. Layla and I are heading out for a cruise with our families this weekend," Wes said, his face losing some of its joy.
Blaine frowned. "Okay, well, I'm glad you could come out this way, but why did you if you can only stay overnight?"
"I, uh, was asked to come out here, actually," Wes said, looking uncomfortable. "Can we sit down?"
"Sure," Blaine said, leading the way toward the living room. His stomach was twisting in knots and he had a feeling his happy afternoon was about to take a turn for the worse.
"Should I step out?" Etienne asked hesitantly.
"No, you can stay," Blaine assured him, seeing Wes nod as well. Yep, it was definitely going to be a bad day if Wes agreed that he would need extra support.
Etienne sat next to Blaine on the couch while Wes took a seat in an arm chair across from them. His usually confident friend was twisting his hands together, clearly nervous.
"Who asked you to come out here, Wes?" Blaine asked, swallowing heavily.
"Kurt did," Wes answered.
Etienne reached over and took Blaine's hand, squeezing it.
Blaine cleared his suddenly blocked throat. "Is he okay?"
Wes nodded. "He's fine. He, uh, told me about the changes with your Marks and the opportunity for new soulmates. I'm really sorry about that, Blaine. I know you were hoping to get back together with him."
"I'm dealing with it," Blaine said. He'd noticed Kurt's name on his soul band had darkened into more of a shadow. He had made a point to not look at it at all and suddenly seeing his beloved's name disappearing had hit him like a fist in the gut. But like he'd told Wes, he was dealing. It was getting better. Slowly. "Why did Kurt tell you? Don't beat around the bush, Wes. I know you're uncomfortable, so let's just get it out there. Why are you here?" Blaine was getting nauseous and he refused to acknowledge what his mind was trying to warn him of.
Wes dragged his hand down his face and took a deep breath. "Blaine, I am so fucking sorry, man. Kurt found his soulmate and is now in a fully Claimed relationship."
Blaine stared at him, the room silent. Standing, he shook his head. "No, he's not. He's not. He just told me about all this shit like two weeks ago!" He started pacing, throwing his hands in the air. "How the hell could he find someone already? Who the hell is this guy?" He demanded. This was unbelievable!
Wes shared a sympathetic look with Etienne as they watched Blaine walking back and forth. "It's Kurt's boyfriend, Elliot."
Blaine froze and glared at Wes in disbelief. "How the hell is that even possible, they've been together for months!" Blaine's brain was swirling, trying to take in the information. Why was this happening?
Wes turned bright red. "Well, I guess they, uh, hadn't been, um, fully intimate up until recently. Kurt said that the new soulmate bond could be triggered through physical intimacy."
Blaine couldn't help picturing his Kurt nude, his long lithe body stretched out, legs spread, and a sensual smile on his face as he welcomed Blaine into his body. The picture warped and he saw that black haired lead singer lowering himself, covering up all of that beautiful pale flesh. Another cock pumping into Kurt's delectable ass. Blaine stopped pacing, his stomach heaving. Closing his eyes, he cleared his mind, knowing if he didn't try he would vomit.
Coughing, he straightened up and looked at his friends sympathetic faces. He shook his head. "No! Kurt didn't want another Dom. What if he didn't want this? What if he is trapped into this? What if he needs help?!" Blaine suddenly screamed, pacing again, rage filling him. "This isn't what he wanted, Wes!" He stopped and slammed his fist against the wall. "Dammit!"
"Blaine, calm the hell down!" Etienne demanded, going over and grabbing his roommate and shaking him. "You're not going to solve anything by destroying our brand new apartment!"
Wes came over and helped wrangle Blaine back onto the couch. "Fuck, Blaine, I thought you took classes and had this shit under control?"
Blaine glared up at him from his seat and sneered. "Well, gee, Wes, I guess finding out my sub and soulmate has found someone new to spend his life with undid all the good I achieved."
Wes leaned down and got in his friends face, speaking slowly. "And whose fault is that?"
Blaine jerked back like he'd been slapped. He stared into his friend's dark eyes for a long moment. Wes was absolutely right. Just like that, his fury was gone, replaced with feeling like his heart was being shattered all over again.
Wes saw the change of emotions cross his friends face and crouched in front of him. "Blaine, he isn't trapped and doesn't need help. Elliot isn't a conservative Dom. He doesn't even dominate Kurt like you used to. They fulfil each other's needs through a loving partnership," he said gently.
Etienne took Blaine's hand again and scooted closer to him. "So he's happy?" he asked Wes.
Wes nodded. "Extremely so. I'm sorry Blaine."
Etienne took Blaine's chin and looked into his eyes. "I know this is hard, darling. But it's the end now. You know for a solid fact that there is zero chance that you can get him back. You can really move on now. He is safe and happy which is what you want, right?" Blaine nodded miserably, tears streaming down his face. Etienne wiped his cheeks gently. "Then let him go. Let him go so you can focus all of your energy on you. Concentrate on you, your career, let that be the endgame you strive for."
"He's right, B," Wes agreed. "There is nothing holding you back. You can look ahead now. You are going to be so successful, I know it. Put all the love you have in that heart of yours into your music. Let that be what leads you. Will you try for me?"
"Will you try for you?" Etienne corrected with a smile at Wes, who nodded.
"Yeah. I'll try. What else can I do, right?" Blaine said, smiling weakly, ignoring the raw feeling in his chest.
. . . . . .
The next day after driving Wes to the airport, Blaine took a detour from his route home and went to the beach. He hadn't wanted to try and sleep night before. Luckily, Wes and Etienne had been more than willing to have a Halo night. He had to admit, having his friends near him had eased him. The couple hours he'd slept on the couch had been fitful, images of Kurt assaulting his subconscious.
Plugging his headphones into his phone, he left his shoes in his car and walked along the beach. The refreshingly cool waves lapped at his feet and he paused occasionally to watch his feet sink into the sand like magic. The endless waves and the blue of the ocean helped him put his problems into perspective. In the span of the ocean, the universe, his problems were minimal. He just wished his heart would get the hint. Humming along to the music, he realized that Etienne was right. It was really over now. There was no need to always be thinking about new and different ways to fight to get Kurt back.
Of all the things I've believed in
I just want to get it over with
Tears form behind my eyes
But I do not cry
Counting the days that pass me by
Kurt was happy now, he had a new soulmate who loved him the way he needed to be loved. Dammit, he thought, he had loved Kurt, too. He had given his all to his soulmate. From saving every penny he'd ever earned to doing what he thought was right when it came to dominating Kurt, though he'd been so very wrong. Elliot wouldn't do that to him. Elliot had learned the right way to love a soulmate.
I've been searching deep down in my soul
Words that I'm hearing are starting to get old
It feels like I'm starting all over again
The last three years were just pretend
It was just over a year ago that Kurt had left. And just under two years since he'd first found Kurt. It seemed like so much longer, an eternity. Was it all a waste? Had it all been for nothing? Should Kurt have met Elliot first? He had to wonder if Kurt and Elliot were the ones who were truly meant to be. If Kurt had never had whipped cream on his face that day in the Lima Bean, if Blaine had never had the opportunity to touch him and Kurt had ended up in New York... If he had met Elliot and touched him, would they have been soulmates then?
I still get lost in your eyes
And it seems that I can't live a day without you
Closing my eyes and you chase my thoughts away
To a place where I am blinded by the light
But it's not right
And it hurts to want everything and nothing at the same time
I want what's yours and I want what's mine
I want you
But I'm not giving in this time
Thoughts of Kurt ran through his mind on a loop as endless as the waves crashing into his ankles. His sparkling blue green eyes over coffee. His excitement and diva-like attitude over decorating their Dalton dorm. A multitude of duets, kisses, and touches. Making love gently, slowly, quickly, and even roughly. Now it was over. For good. Those pictures in his mind didn't belong to him anymore. Kurt wasn't his anymore.
Goodbye to you
Goodbye to everything I thought I knew
You were the one I loved
The one thing that I tried to hold on to
The one thing that I tried to hold on to
Goodbye to you
He stood still for a long time, staring out into the distance, seeing nothing but the ocean. No cities in the distance, no islands, nothing blocking the path of the water. This was his life now. There was nothing standing in the way, nothing holding him back. He could go on from here. Sad? Yes. Aching with loneliness? Yes. Determined? Absolutely.
Sighing deeply, he turned and headed back to the parking lot. He smiled at the people around him, enjoying their freedom of spirit. Dancers, skaters, lovers, they were all there, showing him that he could do it too. As much as he didn't really want it, he was free.
He moved out of the way of a couple rollerblading and walked right into another person. The smaller man tripped and Blaine reached out to catch him, absently noting his Mark was a lock.
"Careful! Sorry about that," he said, steadying him. He tilted the young man's chin up, looking him over. "You okay?"
A pretty blush stole over freckled cheeks and shy brown eyes looked up at him under a fringe of copper hair. "I'm okay. Thank you, sir."
"You're welcome, sweetie. Take care," he said with a soft smile.
Blaine looked him over one more time before turning back toward the parking lot. He didn't see the flushed face of the young man watching him walk away, cradling his hand around his still tingling chin. He didn't see the look of joy and awe that crossed his youthful face as he began running. Blaine continued on to his car, unlocking it and opening the door, suddenly hit by his lyrical muse, words to his song filling his mind. As he was about to get in, a soft hand touched his arm.
"Sir?"
. . . . . .
Goodbye to You – Michelle Branch (verses and chorus taken out of order is my doing)
'Producer' Scott McCall cameo courtesy of my new love of Teen Wolf fanfiction