"Feel it, Kurt!"
"Blaine! Sh-"
"Kurt, just feel it! Just trust me, just- touch it!"
"Do I need to remind you that we're in public?"
"It's so soft!"
"Oh my god..."
Kurt waves sheepishly at an older woman over by the parakeet cage, who looks very alarmed by the teenage boy yelling in the middle of the pet shop. Not to mention the fact that she can only hear the words he's yelling; She can't see that Blaine is kneeling beside the rabbit pen, holding one in his arms. Kurt won't allow himself to consider what she could possibly be imagining Blaine wants him to pet.
"Rabbits- He loves rabbits," Kurt explains, smiling at the woman. "Who doesn't, though? Super cute, right?" He jokes with an awkward laugh, and the woman simply nods, a forced smile flashing before she turns and leaves the area. Kurt drops down beside Blaine at once, but he refuses to kneel, squatting instead because lord knows how many dog feet have trampled across this floor.
"Blaine, it's just a rabbit," Kurt says again, but Blaine isn't paying him any attention. The mall in Ohio is less than extravagant, especially when it comes to clothes, but one great thing it does have to be proud of is a small pet shop. It isn't allowed to sell anything that doesn't reside exclusively in a bowl or cage, but its enough to give the children of Lima something to be excited about.
The children and apparently, Blaine Anderson, Kurt has learned today.
"We've been here for ten minutes," He tries again, reaching out to touch Blaine's arm. "Didn't you want to try and find some new shoes? There's a sale going on, remember? Plus, we need to get back to Westerville before it gets too late-"
"Kurt, this one would be you if you were a bunny," Blaine interrupts, flashing his brilliant, childlike grin. For a second, Kurt stops caring about the fact that they're in a dingy pet shop, surrounded by smells of all different kinds of pellets, and the fact that Blaine's navy cardigan is going to have hair all over it for the rest of the day.
"Look, his eyes are blue," The dark haired boy continues. "If you look really close, you can see."
Hesitantly, and with a wary glance at Blaine, Kurt leans his face down close enough to the creature in his arms to peer into its eyes. Sure enough, there are hints of blue around the wide pupils. The bunny suddenly twitches, looking directly at Kurt and causing him to shriek, jump backward, and almost fall dead on his ass. Blaine throws his head back with laughter.
"He's just a bunny, Kurt! He's not going to chow down on you like a carrot."
"Have you ever seen Donnie Darko? Hell, have you ever seen the Easter Bunny who comes to visit the kids here? They're creepy, Blaine."
"They're adorable! And this one is totally you. His fur is almost exactly the same color as your hair, and you both have blue eyes. Well, yours are much lighter than his, but they're both still a really nice blue. Face it, this is you as a bunny."
Kurt tries to ignore the fact Blaine is talking about his appearance, and reminds himself that his eyes are pretty big, so it's not like anyone would have to stare- or god forbid, gaze- to know out what color they are or anything.
"That's lovely, Blaine. I'm sure the psychotic bunny rabbit is very flattered," Kurt comments, and Blaine snorts a laugh, shaking his head as he goes back to petting the small animal. "Maybe he'll even be your Valentine next week."
"Oh my god, if someone bought me a bunny for Valentine's Day, I'd marry them," Blaine blurts excitedly, looking up at Kurt at once. "I don't even care if they're a girl, I'd marry them."
Kurt can't help but laugh, and Blaine joins in too, his adorable, childish giggle. He watches as Blaine strokes the rabbit's long ears, leans down and presses a kiss to its fluffy head, and decides that maybe they can afford to stay just a little bit longer.
"That was amazing! You guys are great!" Rachel is positively glowing as Kurt and Blaine join the table she's sharing with Mercedes, after their surprise Valentine's Days performance. Her love of show choir, public performances, and love songs being combined have probably overwhelmed her; Kurt knows she's going to launch into a ramble about how many ideas she has for New Directions to do the same. Though, it does seem that she's gotten a lot better with her manners since Kurt left McKinley. Even though he knows she's been having a rough time with her Finn issues (or Finnsues, as Kurt likes to call them), she doesn't let on. She's more cheerful than anyone in her position should be on Valentine's Day.
Then again, Kurt supposes, being optimistic feels right. It's refreshing. Maybe its going around.
Just earlier that week, he had been feeling so disgusted by the thought of anything to do with love. He'd been dreading Valentine's Day. Even still, he had stood by Blaine while he went on about seducing another man in song- in public, mind you- even if it made him miserable to watch. Positively miserable.
Then, upon trying to confront his friend about his feelings, Blaine had surprised him. He said something that made him feel... Well, hopeful. And maybe it was stupid to feel that way, maybe he's just setting himself up to be hurt again- but somehow during all the excitement, surrounded by his friends, he can't bring himself to care.
"Split a cookie with me?" Blaine asks suddenly, snapping Kurt out of his reverie. He looks up and is met with a wide, joyful smile, and big brown eyes staring right into his. Kurt grins back immediately, nodding in response, and his gaze follows the other boy as he practically bounces off to order a stupid heart cookie.
Nope, he regrets nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Blaine is smiling as he leaves Kurt's home that night, having dropped him off after the Warblers' second public performance that week. The performance had been a complete success, which has Blaine happier than ever as he walks down Kurt's driveway and to his car. That, as well as getting to spend the night with his friends and all of the new ones from McKinley, singing and just being happy that love exists at all. All thoughts of Jeremiah are forgotten, even though his stomach still twists when an unpleasant memory pops into his mind, the only thing still bugging him is the embarrassment. He isn't upset about the rejection.
Because he hadn't been alone on Valentine's Day. He'd been surrounded by people who were happy to spend time with him, singing and dancing and laughing with him.
And really, he thinks as he unlocks his door, it's all thanks to Kurt.
Blaine grins. He's so lucky to have met the other boy, he can't even believe it. Kurt's such a great person.
Climbing into his car, he sits only for a moment before he's up again, brows raising in alarm because there's something under him. Something that is certainly not the cushion of the driver's seat.
Blaine grabs for the strange object, hand going to click one of the overhead lights on to examine it.
It's a bunny. A stuffed, brown bunny rabbit.
There's a small card tied to one of the bunny's ears. Still surprised, Blaine flips it open with his thumb.
"Couldn't help myself. Would have felt like denying candy to a child. ~ Kurt".
Blaine's lips tug into a grin so huge, it feels like it reaches his ears, and his heart suddenly seems a thousand times lighter.
What a strange, silly irony, Blaine thinks. To start your day with humiliating rejection, and have it end up being the best Valentine's Day ever.