A/N: I started this as a Creative Writing assignment a while ago, and it kind of just turned into a Klaine fic, because it was assigned on a Wednesday and I was on a bit of a Glee high. The assignment was to write a scene between two characters talking about love, and it escalated from there. Title from Sugar, We're Goin Down by Fall Out Boy.
"Do you believe in fate? Destiny?" Kurt asked cautiously as he sat down across from Blaine at their usual table at the Lima Bean.
Blaine stirred his coffee slowly, deep in thought. Kurt studied his face, searching for hints of emotion. Blaine's face remained calm. The only difference was a small sparkle of amusement and curiosity. He tilted his head to the left and looked straight into Kurt's eyes. Kurt felt the blood rush up to his cheeks, and looked down, grabbing his scalding coffee and taking a long sip to hide his pink face. It burned a fiery path down his throat as he swallowed, making his eyes water. He tried not to splutter.
Kurt turned back to Blaine once he had recovered.
"I've never really thought about it," Blaine was saying, "but I think our own actions influence where we end up. Blaming fate when things don't work out, or crediting it when they do, that's just an excuse. If you want something, work for it." He picked up his coffee, sipping it smoothly, so unlike Kurt's ungraceful gulp.
"What about soul mates?" Kurt blurted out, way too quickly. He was kicking himself before the words were out of his mouth, but it was too late to stop them. They rolled off his tongue and hung in the air, as he repeated a mantra of stupid, stupid, stupid in his mind. He was too nervous to look up from his coffee cup, but he could feel Blaine's eyes on him.
What was he doing, bringing up these topics of destiny and love and forever with Blaine? Blaine, who he'd only known for a few weeks. Blaine, who was only a friend, no matter how much Kurt wanted to change that to something more. And now Kurt was being all deep and mushy; he was sure to scare him off. Why do I ever even talk? Kurt chastised himself. Why can't I ever keep my mouth shut?
He couldn't look at his drink forever though, so he glanced up. The look he saw in Blaine's eyes was one Kurt had never seen before. It was both quizzical and intense.
"I believe…" Blaine began slowly, "I believe that two people work to make love last. It's up to them to be honest and faithful and if they're both willing to do that, then love can last. But there's no magical soul mate who appears and suddenly everything's perfect without either person even trying."
Kurt's heart fluttered a little in his chest as he watched Blaine deliberate, and before he could compose himself, Blaine was questioning him.
"Why do you ask?" Blaine raised his eyebrows slightly. "Is there someone special?"
Kurt's faced positively burned as he stammered out a "no, n-not really."
"Not really?" Blaine's tone was light and teasing, but when Kurt's blush deepened further, he turned serious. He looked almost…angry? No, that wasn't the right word…
"Who do you like, Kurt?" His voice sounded strained, controlled. It put Kurt on edge. He couldn't understand what had changed Blaine's attitude so suddenly.
"No one. I just told you that," Kurt said carefully. Blaine seemed to snap back to reality.
"Sorry, I didn't…" He trailed off, and stood swiftly. "I have to go. Sorry." He hurried off, leaving his half-full coffee cup on the table.
Kurt sat there for a few minutes, completely still and silent, trying to process what had just happened. Did Blaine know about Kurt's feelings for him? Was he angry because he thought that Kurt was ruining their friendship?
He picked up both of their coffee cups, tossing them in the trash – a little more viciously than necessary – on his way out.
Kurt refused to sulk that night. He worked on his homework without taking any breaks, forbidding his mind to stray to Blaine and his strange reaction in the coffee shop. He finished his French essay in record time, and moved onto his math, though that was done quickly as well. Kurt went upstairs to help Carole with dinner, needing to keep his mind and hands busy. He was just putting some pasta on the stove when he heard a small knock at the door.
"I'll get it," he said to Carole, who was chopping up some vegetables. She nodded towards him in acknowledgment.
Kurt hummed to himself as he walked down the hall, concentrating on the tune and not a certain curly-haired boy who was desperately trying to break into his thoughts. A second later, he realized that the melody had drifted into Teenage Dream, and abruptly stopped humming.
Reaching the door, he pulled it open without checking the peephole – and there stood Blaine, looking sheepish and awkward on Kurt's front porch.
"Blaine?" Kurt was stunned. He didn't know what to say. He'd scripted an entire monologue on his drive home from the Lima Bean, but now that Blaine was here in front of him, his mind was blank.
"Hi," Blaine said, the corners of his mouth twitching up a briefly, and then falling back into a frown.
"Um," Kurt replied intelligently.
"Can I… Can I come in?" Blaine urged. Kurt might have turned him away, if he hadn't been so surprised. Kurt was the type to hold grudges for quite a while before even considering forgiveness.
Being in the state he was, however, he stepped back to let Blaine through into the entrance hall, a stunned, deer-in-headlights look still in place.
"So, uh," Kurt stuttered, trying to clear his head. "What are you doing here?"
Blaine looked sheepish again. "I came to apologize. For being such a jerk. I just…thought you liked someone, and it…surprised me, is all."
"Why would it matter if I liked someone?" Kurt asked, starting to recover and return to his I-don't-take-shit-from-anyone attitude.
"I don't want you to get hurt!" Blaine told him.
"Well, it's none of your business who I like or who I date," Kurt snapped.
"Yeah, it is, I'm your friend!"
"Then you should want me to be happy! You shouldn't be pissed at me because I like someone!" Kurt was almost yelling now. He fought keep his voice under control; he didn't want Burt or Carole to come check up on him.
"So you do like someone?" Blaine asked, suspicion leaking into his voice.
"For God's sake, Blaine, just leave it! Why are you so obsessed with who I like?" Kurt was yelling now, not caring who might hear him. Why wouldn't Blaine just forget about it?
"Because I like you, Kurt! Okay? And it would break my heart to see you with another guy!"
Kurt froze. He felt paralyzed, every single part of him. He felt like even his heart had stopped beating. It didn't register at first what Blaine had said. His mind seemed to be slowing down, moving at a pace not unlike that of molasses.
Somehow he managed to unglue his tongue from the roof of his mouth enough to say, "Wait, what?"
"Please don't make me say that again, Kurt." Blaine pleaded, looking embarrassed.
Kurt let out a couple non-word noises, still not able to believe what had just happened.
"Sorry. I'm sorry," Blaine said. "I know I just fucked up our friendship completely. I'm just going to go now. Sorry." He turned and pulled open the front door, walking out into the cold evening air.
Blaine was halfway down the driveway before Kurt came to his senses and ran after him in his stocking feet.
"Wait! Blaine, wait!" he called as he tried not to slip down the stairs. Kurt flew towards Blaine, who had finally stopped and turned around, and collided with him, causing him to stumble back a few steps. Then, before he could lose his nerve, Kurt captured Blaine's face between his hands and pulled it up until their lips met, soft and sweet and warm and perfect. There was desperation, relief, and affection wrapped up in that kiss, and it was overwhelming. The cold bite of winter air, the sound of traffic from the next street over; none of it mattered in that moment. Those two boys were the only solid things in the world, and they clung to each other like they would be flung into the abyss if they so much as loosened their hold on the other.
When they both pulled away, and there was a beat of awkward silence before Blaine asked, "So, does this mean you like me too?"
Kurt laughed, finding one of Blaine's hands and weaving their fingers together. He looked back up to find Blaine still watching him, looking completely serious, and a little anxious. Kurt realized he needed reassurance.
"Of course, Blaine. Of course I like you, too. How could you ever think that I didn't?"
Blaine left out an audible sigh of relief, and smiled up at his…his what? What were they now?
"So, um. Where do we go from here?" he asked.
"You'd know better than me," Kurt replied, and they stared at each other for a moment, unsure of what to do next.
"A date?" Blaine suggested, uncertainty colouring his voice. "A date seems like the next step."
"Yeah. Yeah, a date," Kurt agreed, nodding. Before he could realize what was happening, Blaine dropped down on one knee, the goofiest smile spreading across his face.
"Kurt Elizabeth Hummel, will you go on a date with me?" he asked, batting his eyelashes.
Kurt groaned. "Only if you get up off the ground," he said, grabbing Blaine's hand and tugging. Blaine stood and pulled Kurt close.
"Awesome," he breathed against his neck, and Kurt shivered involuntarily. That's when he became aware of how cold his feet were.
"Blaine, as much as I'd love to stay out here with you, my toes are going to fall off if I don't get inside soon," he pointed out.
"Oh! Oh. Sorry. Get inside, it would be a shame for you to lose your toes." Blaine pressed a quick kiss to Kurt's lips, sending the butterflies in his stomach into a frenzy. "I'll call you later tonight," Blaine promised.
Kurt turned to leave, but changed his mind halfway through and ended up spinning in a full circle until he was facing Blaine again. Wrapping his arms around his waist, he kissed Blaine once more.
"Okay, I'm leaving now," Kurt said determinedly after they pulled apart, more to himself than to Blaine.
"You do that," Blaine told him, chuckling a bit.
"I am." Kurt started to walk towards the house, his feet painfully cold now.
"Bye, Kurt!" Blaine called. Kurt raised a hand over his head to wave back, and headed up the stairs.
After he warmed his feet up as much as he could, he walked back into the kitchen, humming Teenage Dream and swaying a little bit.
Carole looked at him curiously. "Who was at the door, honey?"
Kurt smiled to himself, trying to decide where to start.