Blaine's just stepping out of the bathroom and into the narrow hallway of his favorite coffee shop when he finds himself inexplicably sprawled out on the floor. He looks up to find an employee waving a mop around frantically while he apologizes. The boy is talking too fast for Blaine to read his lips, but he can make out the repeated use of the word, 'sorry.'
He gets up onto his feet and brushes off his pants, waving the boy off. It had clearly been an accident and Blaine was fine.
OK, he signs when the boy continues to apologize.
"You - feel stupid- boss- me," Blaine can barely make out what he's saying to him. He's been out of practice. He hasn't had to read anybody's lips regularly since transferring to Dalton sophomore year. Even while he father refuses to sign, his mother is always there to translate for them over holidays.
Blaine holds up his hands to stop the boy's apologizing and it's only once the boy stops waving his arms around that he realizes how attractive the boy is.
No, boy isn't really the right word for him, he's more of a man. Yes, definitely a man, Blaine thinks to himself. Nobody in high school is that hot, it defies the rules of puberty.
I'M OK. I'M FINE, he signs with a smile when the boy continues to look worried. He hopes that the message gets across. He doesn't interact with many hearing people. Usually one of his friends that are vocal will do it for him, but his friends are all the way at the back booth and he isn't going to call them over just for this.
"Oh - Deaf- Sorry," he says and Blaine is just about to write him off as another in a long line of ignorant hearing people when something surprising happens.
The man starts to sign to him.
I SORRY. I DIDN'T WATCH YOU.
Blaine chuckles for a moment while the boy looks at him confused.
SEE, he signs careful to mouth the words so he understands. YOU SIGNED WATCH. SEE.
SEE, he boy signs again, blushing slightly. SORRY.
YOU KNOW ASL? Blaine asks.
I'M TAKING ASL ONE NOW, he signs with a smile, much calmer now that he knows Blaine isn't angry at him.
WHAT'S YOUR NAME? Blaine asks, unsure where this sudden burst of socialization has come from. He's usually the first one to avoid conversations with hearing people, even ones that know ASL. He's learned his lesson long ago, the only people who will ever understand him and respect him are his friends in the Deaf Community.
But there's something about the kind look in this man's eyes that has him locked in place and willing to communicate.
K-U-R-T, he spells slowly but thankfully, accurately. YOURS?
B-L-A-I-N-E he spells while Kurt's eyes go wide and an attractive blush fills his cheeks.
SLOW PLEASE, Kurt signs sheepishly. I'M NEW, REMEMBER?
B-L-A-I-N-E he spells, careful to make sure Kurt's caught every letter.
He's not sure why it's important. He's always scoffed at Deaf people who purposefully slow down for the hearing ASL students that inevitably show up to Deaf events for whatever class project they are working on. They shouldn't have to slow down to be understood, they should be free to speak their language comfortably and by their own standards.
This feels different. Kurt feels different.
Kurt's concentrating hard on every letter and way his tongue pokes out between his teeth while he focuses is insanely hot.
"Blaine?" Kurt says and Blaine can thankfully read enough to know that he understood. "Blaine, yeah. Cool!"
MY NAME SIGN IS BLAINE, he says, making a 'B' handshape by his head and pulling it out like he would if he were to sign "dream."
BLAINE, Kurt signs with a smile. WHY?
IT'S LIKE DREAM, he explains.
DREAM? WHAT SIGN IS THAT? DREAM?
D-R-E-A-M-E-R he spells out, surprised to see that he doesn't even roll his eyes at just how new Kurt really is to signing. He's eager to teach Kurt. He wants him to understand.
YOU'RE A DREAMER? Kurt asks and if Blaine didn't know better, he would swear he was flirting with him.
MY FRIENDS THINK SO, he signs.
BLAINE, Kurt signs again, testing it out. Blaine feels his stomach swoop which is ridiculous. All Kurt's doing is saying his name, it's not like it means anything special.
I LIKE IT, Kurt signs with a wink.
Blaine is definitely a goner, now. He is falling for this man embarrassingly fast and he doesn't even know if he is gay. It doesn't matter if he is gay or not because Kurt is hearing. Blaine doesn't date hearing people, most of the Dalton boys don't.
THANK YOU, he signs sheepishly, trying hard not to make it obvious that he was blushing but he fails.
"Well I um.." Kurt blushes, clearly not knowing how to handle the situation and Blaine's just as awkward because he's not letting Kurt pass by him to continue on for some reason. He doesn't want to say goodbye.
Kurt holds up the mop he'd been carrying into the bathroom. "Work," he says.
RIGHT. WORK. NICE TO MEET YOU, he signs and moves out of the way. He should ask for Kurt's number. He should say something at least but he doesn't know how. He's never had to pick up a boy before. The only times he's ever gone on dates, he's always been the one to get asked out.
NICE TO MEET YOU, Kurt signs with a small smile that's just about the most adorable thing in the world. It's so adorable that even as Blaine makes his way back over to his table, he walks backwards the entire time, not wanting Kurt out of his sight.
WHAT? Jeff and Sebastian look at him oddly when he makes it back to the table.
NOTHING, he says, but for the rest of the time they are there, Blaine can't help but look over Sebastian's shoulder to the counter where Kurt's making coffee for customers.
Blaine's never seen Kurt here before so he must be a new hire. He's hopeful that he'll stick around unlike all the other employees that seem to rotate in and out of here every other week. He can't explain it — he's certainly never been interested in getting to know somebody who was hearing — but he's drawn to Kurt.