Title: Somewhere Only We Know

Author: partofmychemistry

Rating: M, just in case

Pairings: Blaine/Kurt, Blaine/OC, Finn/Rachel, Puck/Quinn, Puck/OC, Quinn/OC

Summary: Love is a task; it sucks, and it can come when you least expect it. How do you know when you're in love? There's no signal; no 'spark'. One minute they're a stranger, the next, you can't live without them. How do you deal with love? And how do you push it away... When Kurt and Blaine's relationship hits a bump, things are thrown out of control, and desperation takes over. Drama ensues and both tears and laughter are shared. So, let me ask you something... How do you fall out of love?

Notes: DISCLAIMER. I own nothing, except the OCs. And yes, I know Klaine is a beloved couple. This story does not necessarily ship the whole Blaine/OC thing, but it does put a spotlight on it because it is special, so please don't scream at me saying I WANT KLAINE, I WANT KLAINE. Don't worry, so do I. ALSO: Check out my profile; I have my tumblr username posted in there and THERE WILL BE GRAPHICS POSTED FOR THIS FIC ON TUMBLR. Feel free to follow me!

You'd think a girl like me – talented, witty, and just overall the most worthy starlet of her time – would know when love comes along, but you would be quite surprised. How do you know – really – when love has come your way? How can you tell it apart from a silly little crush or an insane and maybe unhealthy infatuation? How do you know? I will tell you now, Rachel Berry has asked herself this many times. Yes, I am a curious girl… curious about love. It's such an odd subject; so relevant to speak of but so deep, it almost hurts to even try to put the feeling of it into words. But there it is again… how do you know, when the feeling comes along? I've always thought that you know you're in love when you would sacrifice your own happiness for the happiness of another, even if it means being without them for the rest of your life. This sounds so undesirable, doesn't it? Love is painful; it is downright evil in some situations, and can turn the sanest person completely crazy, but love is a magical feeling. It makes you feel everything, see everything. The world is so different when you're in love, yet it hurts. It kills you; it can be terrifying, especially when you don't know if the love is returned. To confess it is a scary thing, yet the curiosity eats at you. It gnaws at your every bone until you give in, then… they don't feel the same way.

Fairy tales don't come true. Sure, every once in a while something amazing will happen. It will be something so surreal you'll feel as though you're flying. You're ten feet off the ground and there's no way you'll fall. This eternal feeling of ecstasy takes over and you feel… unimaginable. You can't even put the feeling into words. All you can do is smile. But these fairy tales are a rare thing, and although I would seem like a girl who would experience them, I really don't. Or, I haven't. Needless to say, I have been around while one was in the works. Yes, and it didn't include Finn or Quinn or me. Odd, right? It was beautiful, yet I was scared for the poor girl's life. And still, it didn't turn out happy for her. No, she didn't get him in the end. It was sad, and I will admit that I lost a little faith in love, but it was a lesson learned for both of them, and that's what makes it beautiful. They were able to move on, to love one another in a deeper sense, in a sense that is more appreciative love than intimate love. When the other person has sentimental value to you, as a human being, that is when you know that despite you were hurt in the end, you still got something out of it… and you didn't lose any love. I've always thought that that is the best kind of love; the kind that makes you think, that makes you change your ways and makes you reconsider everything you've ever known, and sometimes you don't have that person, and sometimes you do.

I'm not gonna go and tell you everything. We will save that for later… but think about something for me, hm? Every single person you see has a story. It could be sad, some could be happy… hey, maybe there's a bit of both! But that man you see walking down the sidewalk probably had a dog or cat or something when he was younger, and the name of that animal has been imprinted in their brain forever, no matter what disease or change comes their way. That boy that you think is flawless and is confident in every way; he could have a story that could shock you. Everyone has that one person in their life that has been there through everything, even if they weren't right there, in sight, or even in mind, but in some way, you were aware of their existence. Things could change in a second, just because you've heard some of their story. Maybe you won't like it, maybe you will, but life is pretty damn complicated and it throws things at you that you do not see coming. I've had to deal with so many things… the push and pull of Finn, the strange things Noah will pull to try to get me to make out with him, and the awkwardness that is the status of the relationship between Quinn and I. We will never be friends, but there have been times in the past where she was oddly nice to me, and I'm not entirely sure if I enjoyed it at that moment, despite the fact that I found out her reasons for doing what she did weren't exactly ideal.

What I'm really trying to say is… when love comes along, don't run. Embrace it, and hold on, because it could be taken away in a flash that may or may not resemble Quinn Fabray in a strange way. Don't ever ask yourself whether it is love or not… you will know. How do you know? Nobody does how it happens. Nobody knows the criteria for love. There is no checklist. Embrace it and you will know. I've learned many lessons after witnessing some terrifying but beautiful things happen to amazing people. There are no rules when it comes to love; you just have to stride on and not think about who should make the next move or what needs to be done in order for the next event to follow. Love comes with ease, though it is hard, breathtaking battle, but no matter what, you should accept it, because if you push it away, it may not come back to you.

Or sometimes, when you push it away, even in the slightest… it just might force itself back.

"I'm joining the New Directions."

Kurt's eyebrows furrowed. What on earth was Blaine talking about? He was Warbler, for goodness sake. Without any more hesitation, Kurt gave his head a good shake. "No, Blaine… I mean, I'd love to have you with us, but… you're a Warbler." A smile came over Kurt's lips, though it looked painful, and I could see that Kurt was forcing. I looked down at my latte and Kurt did the same to his. Without notice, without the smallest hint of telling Mercedes and I what was about to happen, Blaine threw himself across the table and kissed Kurt, quite passionately. I looked at them, quite bewildered and flabbergasted. Kurt didn't even bother to close his eyes; he just stared at Blaine, astonishment covering his face. My eyes shifted back to Mercedes, and it seemed as though she was feeling the same way… confused. Blaine and Kurt's relationship had always been quite legitimate, but the strains of the end of the honeymoon phase were certainly upon them, and of course, Mercedes and I had to watch them work their way through it. In public. I shifted awkwardly in my seat and Mercedes and I exchanged glances. The first week of our senior year had begun, and everything was fantastic. So far, no slushies, which was definitely a good thing.

Blaine pulled away from Kurt and gave him a smile. He blinked and sat back down, glancing at Mercedes and me for a moment. He laughed a hefty laugh and ran a hand over his thoroughly-gelled hair. "I'm sorry, I just…" his words faded when he looked back at Kurt, who was staring intensely at his coffee. "Kurt?" The other boy's eyes floated up to mean Blaine's, and his lips perched up in a half-smirk, half-awkward-grimace. "Kurt… are you okay?" Blaine asked in a low voice, reaching across the table and taking hold of his boyfriend's hand in his own. Kurt looked down at their hands and let a breath build slowly in his chest. He exhaled through his mouth and looked up at Blaine. His eyes weren't tearing up, but you could see that something emotional was about to occur. My eyes dropped to the table again. I couldn't watch this.

"Do you think we're working out, Blaine?"

I looked up at them both. What was Kurt trying to say? I looked over at Mercedes, my jaw dropped in a temporary awe. Blaine's eyebrows, as triangular as they were, furrowed and for a moment I thought he was going to get angry, but he looked down and slowly turned to Mercedes and I, sitting there, still as gargoyles. "Girls, can you excuse us for a moment?" Of course, I nodded quickly, grabbed my coffee and my bag and walked off, Mercedes and I arm in arm.

Blaine turned back to Kurt quickly and looked him in the eye, though his gaze was soft. "Kurt… you know how I feel about you. Every couple goes through this. It's perfectly normal," Blaine said, Kurt's hand in his again. Blaine bit down on his lip, not convinced it had gotten through to Kurt. He cleared his throat a little and breathed deeply. "Kurt, I love you. I want this to work. Don't you?"

With some unintended hesitation, Kurt nodded, but his lips parted suddenly as if words were trying to break through without notice. "I – I have a lot of thoughts… right now. Maybe… maybe we should take a break."

All thoughts aside, despite every time Kurt had made Blaine's heart skip a beat, Blaine let go of Kurt's hand as if it were a sickening disease that was highly contagious and completely fatal. His mouth dropped opened and a look of terror came over his features. "Why?" was all Blaine could say. He ran a hand over his face and covered his eyes with his hand. His head shook slowly and he breathed loudly, as if it were a strenuous task. Kurt leaned forward quickly and looked at Blaine with eager eyes. "Blaine, you know I love you… I just… we spent every day together during the summer… every day. And we still each other every day… unless you're married, it's a bit much!" Kurt spat defensively. Really, his intention was definitely not to get Blaine angry, but Blaine looked up, his eyes confused and angry, eyebrows furrowed all the way.

"Wha – what? You want to get married now?"

"No! Noo, that's not what I meant," Kurt said, not even sitting in his seat anymore. Their voices were louder than they intended, and people in the little restaurant were watching. He stopped and took a moment to just look at Blaine, to understand his emotion and try to stop it. "Blaine, I just think that we're digging ourselves a hole here, in this relationship. We need time and space to get out… It's not a break up, just time. We need time to slow down. I don't want to hurt you; I want to save us."