AN: Thank to the anonymous person who prompted this story on Tumblr. I hope you like it! xo
And a huge thanks to Don't-Stop-Believin-In-Klaine as well for being my beta - she is kind and wonderful and talented!
I did add some tweaks after she got it back to me though so all mistakes are my own.
Enjoy!
Changing schools in the middle of the school year sucked. Blaine knew that it wasn't a very mature sentiment, or a very eloquent one, but when Cooper called the evening before and asked how Blaine was feeling about starting a new school in January – all Blaine could even think to say was, "This sucks."
"I know is does, hotshot." Cooper said and Blaine was too upset to ask Cooper not to call him 'hotshot'. "But you know it's for the best, things at Dalton… well it was getting…"
"I know, Cooper." Blaine sighed as he laid on his back on his bed, lifting the hand not holding his cell phone and wiggling his fingers; they were glowing, "But I was the lead singer for the Warblers and all my friends go there."
"And that teacher almost found out that you-"
"Yeah, Cooper, I know." Blaine cut in, tiny shoots of flame coming from his fingertips, "You don't have to remind me."
"Just be careful at this new school okay?"
"I was being careful, it just that sometimes... I have a tough time controlling it."
"I know." Cooper's voice sounded strained and Blaine hated that he worried his family so much.
"But I'll try." Blaine sighed, knowing that was what his older brother wanted to hear.
"I hear McKinley has a great Glee Club, you could join."
Blaine was grateful for the change of subject, "How do you know that?"
"I've been looking it up, I may be in California, Blaine, but I'm here for you."
Blaine smiled into the phone, "Yeah, okay. I'll see if they take auditions mid-year."
Blaine had gone to bed that night feeling slightly more encouraged about starting at McKinley High the next day.
As soon as he walked into the large, crowded public school that morning, all his confidence deflated. Which of course was when Blaine had learned to act the most confident. He was getting fairly good at hiding how he really felt.
Blaine stopped in the administration office first to check in, his school schedule had already been sent to him and he had poured over the school floorplan determined not to get lost on his first day. He strode out of the office ready to meet this day head on, but his stomach twisted with nerves when he saw the halls full of people and not a single familiar face among them.
As he made his way to his first class he couldn't help but think that the hallways of McKinley smelled like sweat, disinfectant, and despair. But that may have been Blaine being over dramatic.
The first few periods went by without anything of note, he had to introduce himself in front of the class in both Spanish and Economics, but he got through it quickly and without any… incidents. There seemed to be some curiosity about him as the "new kid" who joined mid-year, several girls took the time to introduce themselves between classes, but Blaine just smiled and begged off with an easy, "Sorry girls, I play for the other team."
Blaine had been "out" since he was twelve years old, and yes, McKinley may be a large public school and not the progressive private school he came from, but he wasn't going back in the closet now. He had too much about himself he was already keeping a secret.
The thing was it didn't matter how much bigger McKinley was than Dalton, it was high school and rumors and gossip spread like wildfire. Blaine was on his way to lunch when some oversized jocks in varsity athlete jackets shoulder-checked him into a locker and murmured the F word under their breaths.
Blaine immediately curled his first, counting to ten in his head like he had practiced. His fist grew hot and Blaine hurriedly stuffed them behind his back so no one would see. The jocks laughed and continued down the hallway unaware of the danger they'd narrowly avoided.
"Shit." Blaine hissed under his breath. That had been close and on his first day no less. Blaine was going to have to stay alert. If bullies were a problem here, he just had to be ready for them so he didn't overreact.
He made his way to the cafeteria and through the lunch line, his mom had offered to make him lunch but he told her bringing a bagged lunch his mom had made on the first day at a new school wouldn't look good.
He shouldn't have worried. As soon as he was out of the lunch line he stood with his tray in his hands looking over the crowed and noisy cafeteria feeling lost, where were the teachers in this place? The whole room seemed like a free for all.
Blaine had no idea where to sit, every table already had at least a few people sitting there and Blaine didn't know anyone. He spied a few of the girls that had introduced themselves to him, and started their direction before stalling. What if they were the ones that told the jocks about him being gay?
Blaine sighed and considered the cliché of eating his lunch in the bathroom when someone walked up to him, looped her arm through his and started leading him towards a table. "I'm Tina." She said with a bright smile, "We have Economics together."
"Yeah, I remember seeing you." Blaine let himself be led, he didn't have any better options.
"You said in your introduction that you use to be in your old school's Glee club?"
"Um… yes."
Tina brought him to a table filled with a mismatch group of students. A few cheerleaders and football players, but also a boy in a wheelchair and tiny brunette with a horse on her sweater and… Blaine swallowed... and the most gorgeous person Blaine had ever seen in his life. The unknown boy looked up at Blaine from where he was sitting at the far end of the table, his blue eyes widened and he brought a hand, covered in stylish fingerless gloves, up to straighten the unicorn broach on his vest.
"This is the McKinley High Glee Club." Tina announced, "You can sit with us."
Blaine was immensely grateful and he hoped the smile he shot Tina told her as much. Tina slid in and sat her tray down next to a tall Asian boy giving him a quick kiss to the lips. "This is my boyfriend Mike." She introduced and then went around the table sharing names. Blaine tried to be polite and listen, but it was all he could do not to stare at the blue-eyed Adonis at the end of the table.
"And I…" the boy cleared his throat, the last to introduce himself, and Blaine should stop staring, he was probably making him nervous, "I'm Kurt."
"Hi." Blaine smiled dopily at him, still standing by the table with his tray in his hands. A tray that was suddenly getting very hot. Blaine glanced down at it and back up again, "Um hi, I'm Blaine." Blaine felt caught between the need to run off and hide his hands and the desire to sit down and talk to Kurt.
A few of the people he had just met scooted over leaving him a place on the bench making his decision for him.
"Have a seat." The tiny brunette said, Rachel, Blaine believed that's what she said her name was.
Blaine sat down quickly, taking the opportunity to put his tray on the table and hide his hands in his lap.
"You sing?" Rachel asked leaning in close to him as if personal space wasn't really a concept she was aware of.
"Uh, yes."
"Tenor, I'm guessing by the tone of your vice."
"That's right."
"Well," she brushed some of her thick hair behind her shoulder. "We are preparing for Regionals and I'm not sure if we need another voice right now."
"Well… I…" Blaine wasn't sure what to say, he hadn't even had a chance to make his case. "I sang at my old school."
"The Warblers?"
Blaine looked past Rachel to the kid with the glasses in a wheelchair, he couldn't remember his name and Blaine was usually so good with names. It was just that his mind didn't want to focus on anything other than Kurt a few people down from him, he had to physically keep himself from glancing at him every two seconds.
"Was that your group?" The guy in the wheelchair had his phone out and Blaine could hear the opening of the Warbler's rendition of Hey, Soul Sister starting.
"Yes, that's us." Blaine smiled at the memory. "Sectionals this year. We won."
"Rachel," The kid – Artie that was it! – passed his phone over to her, "He was the lead singer and they're really good."
Rachel watched the YouTube video for a moment and even with the tinkly small sound from the phone Blaine knew the Warblers sounded great. Rachel glanced from the phone to a tall, lanky football player across from her. "We have a male lead," She passed the pone back to Artie, "I just don't think we can add a new voice this late in the year, it's my senior year and you know how Impor-"
"Rachel, stop."
Blaine's quickly glanced towards the person who spoke up. Kurt.
"We could always use more voices and he's experienced. That is…" Kurt turned to Blaine with a small shy smile, "If you even want to join, we've been making assumptions."
Blaine nodded, moving his hands to sit on them, sure they were about to spark any minute if Kurt kept looking at him like that. "Yes… I would like too. To try out at least."
"Fine." Rachel huffed out, "You can try out today at Glee Club."
"Give him a chance to practice and come up with an audition song." Mercedes, a dark haired girl with a beautiful smile interceded for him.
But Blaine shook his head, "No, it's fine. I have something ready. You should always have something in your back pocket, right?" Blaine glanced around the table, eyes landing on Kurt again.
Kurt smiled brightly, "I can't wait to hear it."
The rest of the day went by in a blur, Blaine didn't even care that he had to introduce himself in three more classes and he didn't even notice the glares he received from the hockey team while walking down the hall. All he could think about was a pair of blue eyes and the sweetest smile he had ever received.
By time Glee Club rolled around Blaine felt like he was walking on air. Joining Glee would mean more time with Kurt. Mr. Schue, the choir director, introduced him to the group, even though he had met most of them over lunch and then it was Blaine's time to audition. Blaine turned to the piano player, giving him his song and then took a deep breath, glancing at Kurt who was watching him from the back row with rapt attention.
Blaine's heart did a little nervous flip-flop, but it was okay. He could do this, he was good at this. The piano player started his intro and then Blaine took the song and ran with it – dancing across the room, hopping up on chairs, smiling and spinning and singing his heart-out. And maybe, maybe, he made eye-contact with Kurt more times than necessary, but he doubted anyone noticed.
"Be your teenage dream tonight!" Blaine finished the last line of the song, he stood in front of the group breathing heavily and waiting. The room was silent; he started to worry, stuffing his hands in his pockets, until… Kurt stood up in the back, his expression bright as he cheered and clapped and the rest of the group followed suite, even Rachel. She ran up to Blaine looping her arm through his.
"Welcome to the New Directions!" She congratulated him, "We have to duet, our voices would be amazing together."
Blaine got home from school that afternoon humming under his breath and with a skip in his step. His mother greeted him with a smile, "Good first day?"
"Very. I made friends and joined the Glee Club and…" and met the world's most beautiful person. "And… it was great, mom."
"No concerns?" She glanced down to Blaine's hands.
"No. I mean a few little heat ups, but nothing major, nothing anyone would notice and my emotions were all over the place today so it wasn't anything more than to be expected."
She nodded her head, "You'd tell us though, if there were any problems? We can't let things get out of hand like they did at Dalton."
"I had everything under control at Dalton." Blaine sighed, his good mood taking a blow, "I let my guard down one time and a teacher thought he saw something." Blaine grimaced at the memory.
He had been so excited that the Warblers won sectionals that he had spent hours and hours practicing to be ready to lead them to a win at Regionals. He had thought he had been alone. The Warblers had dispersed and Blaine had the room to himself so he just didn't hold back – he sang and let his emotions go unchecked in a way he hadn't in a long time. Little busts of fire had shot from his hands. Something he never let happen outside of home – and of course a teacher decided that moment was an appropriate time to check in on things and had maybe seen Blaine quickly put the flames out and hide his hands behind his back.
And that had been the end of that.
When he told his parents, they immediately pulled him from Dalton, homeschooled him the rest of the semester, and enrolled in McKinley for the beginning of the new year. "A big public school will be easier to hide in." His father had reasoned, and Blaine didn't argue, he had already made his parents worry enough.
Now he was determined, he wasn't going to make a mistake again, he wasn't going to give up the acceptance he had found from the New Directions or the chance to get to know Kurt Hummel. He wouldn't mess up this time.
The New Directions were nothing like the Warblers. Where the Warblers relied on order and planning the New Directions seemed ruled by emotion and drama. Still as he listened to Rachel Berry passionately belt out, Without You he realized their way worked for them. He kind of enjoyed the messy free for all of it all.
He just knew he would have to keep his own emotions in check.
Something that was growing harder and harder with each passing day because of the single most amazing person he had ever met – Kurt Hummel.
Kurt was funny and smart and extremely talented, they immediately became fast friends. Kurt made sure Blaine knew he could always sit with them at lunch and asked if maybe he would like to work on a duet together. That was just the beginning, soon they were studying together and practicing for Glee together and spending nearly all their free time in one another's company. Blaine had been to Kurt's house and nervously met his dad and step-mom, and Kurt had been to Blaine's, meeting his parents as well. They both knew the other was gay and it seemed Kurt had never really had an out-and-proud friend before – they spent hours talking about how hard it was to be different in a narrow-minded town, they talked about vogue, and bullies, and New York (they both wanted to move there) and anything and everything under the sun.
Everything but the one thing that Blaine never talked about with anyone outside of his family. Maybe someday he'd tell Kurt, he hoped he would – but even though Blaine already considered Kurt his best friend, it was too soon to test those waters.
They were sitting on the bleachers waiting for Finn to be done with football practice after school one day, the sun was warm even though the January air was chilly, and Kurt was sitting so close that Blaine's heart did funny little cartwheels in his chest.
"Do you miss the Warblers?" Kurt asked unexpectedly, turning towards him with an earnest expression.
"I miss my friends, sure. But I still see them outside of school."
"Why exactly did you transfer? It sounds like a great school. I mean the zero-tolerance bullying policy alone has me sold."
"I… I thought it might be good to finish up high school in a less sheltered environment." Blaine answered, and it was partially true, it was the reason he was glad he ended up at McKinley over another private school.
"So you just dropped out in the middle of the school year after leading the Warblers to a win at Sectionals and joined their competition?" Kurt teased, but behind his smile Blaine could tell he was trying to get to the truth.
"I hate that we're about to go up against them." Blaine nervously rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, "I do feel bad about that." He was avoiding the question and Kurt had to see that, but he wasn't sure what else to say.
Kurt nodded and let it go, "We're going to beat them at Regionals. Poor prep school boys."
Blaine laughed, "They'll give us a run for our money."
"But we're going to win." Kurt's eyes were sparkling with excitement, and he looked even more lovely than usual.
"Yeah," Blaine smiled, "We are."
"Knock it off, homos!" Someone shouted and Kurt and Blaine glanced down in surprise to see one of the football players yelling at them from the edge of the field. "No one wants to see you two making out!"
"I…" Blaine opened his mouth and shut it again; they were just sitting next to each other.
"Shut up, Azimio!" Kurt shouted back at him. "Just because you don't have any actual friends doesn't mean you get to taunt us for getting along."
The football player let out something like a growl and started towards the bleachers, "One sissyboy was enough, but now we have to put up with two?"
Both Kurt and Blaine stood, Blaine moved so he was standing a little in front of Kurt, his fist balled as heat flowed down his arms to his fingertips.
Kurt moved away from him though, stepping down the bleachers until he stood face to face with the football player.
"Kurt, no. Don't." Blaine hurried to follow him.
"I don't think Coach Beiste would care to hear you talking that way." Kurt seethed, "Didn't she say anyone who bullied other students would be kicked off the team?"
"And what, you going to tattle-tell?"
Where was Coach Beiste when you needed her? Football practice had ended without Blaine even noticing and the coach and most of the players were already off the field. Blaine looked down at his hands they were shaking and glowing slightly. This was bad.
"What are you going to do?" Kurt asked and Blaine saw that as brave as he was his own gloved hands were trembling slightly. "Hit me?"
The sharp sound of a whistle split through the air.
"Hey, Azimio!"
All three boys looked up to see Beiste had come back out to the field.
"Go hit the showers. Now."
Blaine let out a sigh of relief.
"Whatever. Next time." Azimio murmured and then followed his coach back inside.
Kurt's shoulders relaxed and then he turned to look at Blaine who quickly stuffed his hands in his pockets; Kurt's sharp eyes followed the movement. "You okay?"
"Me? Of course I'm okay. You were the one... he could have... you really shouldn't antagonize them like that."
"Antagonize?" Kurt folded his arms across his chest clearly frustrated, "Blaine, we were just sitting there talking. We didn't do anything. My mere presence antagonizes Azimio and people like him. I can't even exists without antagonizing them! What would you have me do? Stop being me?"
"God no, Kurt." Blaine walked down form the bleachers to stand next to him. He wanted to pull a hand out of his pocket and take Kurt's, but he knew his skin was still too hot. "I love the way you are… I just meant yelling at him – he really could hit you."
"I…" Kurt blinked for a moment and his cheeks grew rosy. He cleared his throat. "Yes, he could, but I can't be scared of bullies like him all the time. What kind of life is that? Being afraid and hiding who you are?"
Blaine's stomach dropped, "Yeah… that'd be no kind of life."
Kurt glanced down to his shoes, "You um… you love the way I am?"
Blaine opened his mouth to back-paddle, but what was the point? Kurt was incredible and he didn't hear it enough, "I said that, didn't I?" Blaine teased.
Kurt looked back up at him cheeks still red, "You did."
"I do love the way you are." Blaine said feeling bold, "That's why we are such good friends." But not bold enough to admit how he really felt.
"Friends. Right." Kurt reached out his hand; Blaine looked at it and then slowly pulled his own hand out of his pocket. If it was still warm, Blaine could pass it off as nerves after everything that just happened. He took Kurt's hand in his own as his heart beat wildly.
"Let's find Finn and then after we drop him off maybe we could go to the Lima Bean?"
"Yeah. Yes. Please." Blaine said eloquently, but Kurt just smiled and led him away from the football field.
The school year was flying by. New Directions went up against the Warblers at Sectionals and McKinley did win. Blaine was both thrilled to go to Nationals and disappointed for his friends. The Warblers were gentlemen about it though. Even if their new member Sebastian might have been a little too friendly when he came over to congratulate Blaine. Kurt shot Sebastian a glare and took Blaine by the hand to lead him off to where the rest of the New Directions were celebrating.
Blaine would almost think Kurt had been jealous… if they weren't just friends. Blaine was hoping that maybe someday soon they would be more than friends – Kurt made Blaine's insides feel like jelly and his hands get a little steamy sometimes… his hands and his thoughts, but Blaine tried hard to quench both of those problems.
New Directions all went to Breadstix that evening to celebrate their win, and while the breadsticks weren't even that good, Blaine thoroughly enjoyed himself. They all talked and laughed and fought and laughed some more. They tried to get an idea of what they wanted to sing at Nationals but at this rate Blaine worried they wouldn't come up with a set list until the last minute. Another way New Directions was different from the Warblers.
It didn't matter though, because Blaine was happy, and every time he looked at Kurt to find him already smiling back Blaine's heart did the rumba and he thanked his lucky stars that he had transferred to McKinley.
Kurt and Blaine stayed until closing, even after the rest of New Directions left, and the servers had to start cleaning up around them before they got the clue that they should go – Blaine made sure to leave a hefty tip.
Kurt walked him out to his car, both of them moving slowly not wanting the evening to end.
"You have to drive all the way back to Westerville now."
"I don't mind," Blaine said and he couldn't stop smiling at Kurt, "I'm used to the drive."
"I just don't want you to get sleepy behind the wheel."
"I won't." Blaine said bouncing on his toes outside of his car, "I'm too excited about Nationals. I know you went last year, so maybe it isn't as big of a deal for you-"
"Are you kidding? It's my senior year! Not only am I excited to go I think we actually have a chance of placing this year."
"Placing?" Blaine said reaching for both of Kurt's hands and then spinning around with him in a circle, "I think we could win!"
They spun faster and faster both of them laughing until Blaine almost lost his footing and he pulled Kurt close against his chest to steady himself.
Their laughter died down as they breathed heavily and met each other's eyes. They were so close, just a breath away, and Kurt was as gorgeous as ever, cheeks rosy from laugher, the streetlamp glancing off his perfect hair, he smelled like jasmine and peppermint.
Blaine swallowed looking from Kurt's clear blue eyes down to his sweet pink lips and back up again.
"Blaine… I…" Kurt started to lean in closer.
Blaine's heart was beating in his ears, all he wanted to do was close the small space between their lips and-
"Oh god!" Blaine jumped back letting Kurt go so quickly Kurt nearly fell over. Blaine hastily put his hands – which had sparked and started burning – behind his back. "I gotta… I have to go!"
"Wh-what?" Kurt shook his head looking stunned.
"I already texted my mom saying I was heading out and it is a long drive." They had moved away from his car and Blaine was quickly backing towards it, hands still hidden behind him. "Sorry!"
He turned around and opened the door crawling in and slamming the door behind him. Oh god, that was so rude. He quickly rolled down the window. "Kurt… I'm sorry. I just. I should be getting home."
"No, it's fine." Kurt smiled but it was a little wobbly. "Call or text me when you get there so I know you made it home alight?"
"I'll will. Of course I will." Blaine smiled and sat on his hands.
Kurt's brow furrowed in concern but he nodded and walked towards his Escalade, turning to wave at Blaine before getting in.
Blaine waited until Kurt had pulled away before he lifted his hands, cooler now with no signs of sparks. "Stupid goddamn…" Blaine mumbled, and then leaned his head against his steering wheel and groaned. "Well done, Anderson, well done."
"I'm sure it wasn't that bad, hotshot." Cooper said over the phone.
"Please, Cooper, now of all times don't call me that."
"Honestly, Blaine, it couldn't have been as bad as you've described."
"Cooper, he was… and I was… and I would have kissed him! I wanted to. And then I was running away like a maniac and slamming car doors and… I don't think I'll ever be able to face him again."
"Now you're just being over-dramatic. Kurt is your best friend, of course you'll face him again. Just tell him… tell him you weren't feeling well and you thought you might be sick."
"Oh yeah, good idea. 'Hey, Kurt, you know the other night when we almost kissed? Well, it made me want to be sick.'"
"Uh, okay, not great. You'll think of something though, I mean he's your friend and I don't know… you two care about it each other. It will work out."
"I'm crazy about him."
"I know."
"And now he is going to think I'm just crazy."
"You could…" Cooper voice was tentative, "Tell him the truth?"
Blaine didn't answer right away, mulling the idea over in his head.
That was exactly what he wanted to do. Tell Kurt the truth. Tell him about this power he had that had only shown up a little over a year ago. Tell him how scary it was to have a superpower connected to his emotions. He wanted to tell him the truth about Dalton and… and about how he felt about him. Because he was more than crazy about Kurt, he was falling and falling hard.
"I think it is too soon to dump all that on him." Blaine finally said feeling a little bit like a coward, "Those of us with powers are so few and far between and mostly we scare people."
"Do you think Kurt would be scared of you?"
"No?"
"Convincing."
"I'm just not ready yet."
"Then you're going to have to get those flame throwing hands of yours under control so you can kiss this boy already!"
Blaine chuckled and then sighed, rubbing his eyes wearily, "I'm working on it."
"Good."
Blaine had texted Kurt Saturday evening before calling Cooper to let him know he got home safely and they texted some on Sunday – not as much as usual because Blaine was feeling self-conscious – and when Monday rolled around Blaine was a mess.
He had no idea how to explain himself to Kurt, and Kurt deserved an explanation. Blaine was going back and forth with Cooper's advice; maybe he should just tell Kurt the truth? He wanted to so much. They had only know each other a few months, but Blaine trusted Kurt completely. It wasn't really about trust though, this was a big thing, not just telling someone else, but to expecting them to keep it a secret? It was a hard burden to carry and maybe one he had no right to make Kurt shoulder.
No matter what Blaine chose to do, he really needed to be calm and reasonable about this so that he could properly apologize to Kurt without his emotions, or his power, getting the better of him.
He walked down the hall to his locker and saw Kurt waiting there for him. "Oh, god." Blaine quickly ducked around the corner leaning against the wall and closing his eyes. No. He wasn't ready. He couldn't talk to him yet. Blaine waited until the bell rang knowing Kurt hated to be late for class, then he peeked around the corner. Kurt was gone, Blaine rushed to his locker feeling like an idiot and grabbing what he needed for his first class. He'd be late now.
He kept this up for the rest of the morning avoiding the very person he wanted to see the most just because he didn't know what to say to him.
He wasn't sure what he would do about lunch since the New Directions usually sat together and would expect him to be there. Blaine lingered in the hallway until it was empty wondering if he could just skip lunch. But no, that was a pathetic idea. He hated this; he hated avoiding Kurt and not talking to him. It had been half a day but he already missed his best friend.
He'd just have to keep his hands low and out of sight and regulate his breathing and not freak out. He could do that. It would be fine.
Except as he walked resolutely to the cafeteria he was already freaking out a little. Just sit with the group, Kurt won't call you out on the other night in front of everyone. It will be fine and maybe after school you can find a quiet place to talk-
Blaine stopped in his tracks mid-thought, three huge players from the football team were walking down the hallway towards him. Blaine looked around quickly, no one else was around.
Great. Perfect. Wonderful.
Blaine rolled his shoulders back and kept his head high, not making eye contact. Best case scenario they would shoulder-check him and let him go on his way – Blaine could handle that – but if he turned around now they'd smell fear, like a pack a feral dogs, and come after him. He walked on.
"Hey, Anderson!" Azimio called as the other guys wolf whistled, "Where's your girlfriend?"
Blaine clenched his jaw as his heart thrummed, the thing was, he wasn't actually that afraid of bullies, he was more afraid of what he could accidentally do to them. "Are you making fun of me for being gay by pretending Kurt is a girl?" Blaine asked, his fist balled, he really needed to just be quiet and keep walking, "Because that makes no sense." Why was he still talking!
"Wait? What?" Azimio looked confused, but the expression passed quickly replaced with anger, "Boys I think the homo is trying to stand up to us! Aww, look how cute, you actually have balls."
"I don't know, I think Hummel keeps those in his purse." One of the other jocks said.
They all started laughing.
"Your insults aren't even clever, you lumbering batch of bottom feeders." Not Blaine's most stirring comeback, but Blaine was angry and a little scared, because his hands were getting very hot and he could feel heat in the blood pumping down his arms.
The laughter stopped abruptly as Azimio placed his thick muscled arm across Blaine's chest and pushed him backwards until Blaine's back slammed against the locker bank. His face was lived and an inch from Blaine's.
"Say that to my face." He growled and Blaine had to bite his tongue to keep himself from responding that he had said that to his face.
"I don't want a fight." Blaine said passively, he wanted to lift his hands up in surrender but they were sparking a little now and he had to maneuver them behind his back.
"Oh, it won't be a fight." Azimio smiled as he pulled back his free hand, fisted and ready to swing.
Everything happened in an instant.
Blaine lifted his hands to shield his face.
Azimio's cronies starting whopping.
A big angry fist started fly towards Blaine.
And a high, scared voice rang out, "STOP!"
There was a flash of light, Blaine's hands, but Azimio and his friends weren't looking, instead they were all staring at Kurt who had come seemingly out of nowhere and was pulling against Azimio's elbow to keep him from punching Blaine.
"Stop!" Kurt's face was pale, but his voice was strong, "I swear to god I'll have all three of you reported to Beiste and kicked off the football team faster than you can spell your own names!"
Azimio hesitated.
"We'll see how much this school cares about you without those letterman jackets." Kurt added, eyes glancing nervously from Azimio to Blaine.
Azimio let his arm drop, "Come on guys, it isn't worth it." He nodded to the other jocks and they quickly made their way down the hall.
Blaine's breathing was coming too quickly. His hands behind his back again, but still overheated, he was worried he might be melting the metal lockers.
"Come with me." Kurt said grabbing his arm.
"Kurt, I can't. I really can't right now. Please."
Kurt just pulled him away from the lockers and down the hall the opposite direction of the bullies. He opened the first door they came to and gently shoved Blaine in.
The room was dark, but Blaine's hands provided light, glowing an orange-red like heated metal.
"Kurt, I can explain really... it's just…"
Kurt flipped on the light and they found themselves standing in the small storage room the handyman used to store his supplies.
"Oh, god." Blaine looked around the room, "I can't be here! There are chemicals and paint cans. Oh my god, I could blow us both up!" Blaine needed his hands too cool down now but his fear just made them go from glowing to burning, flames flickering from his knuckles and his fingertips. "Kurt, get out of here, get away from me. Quick!"
"Shhh, Blaine. It's fine." Kurt said calmly as he tugged his fingerless gloves off.
"I could hurt you!"
"Blaine." Kurt lifted his hands and before Blaine could even catch up with what he was doing; Kurt took both of Blaine's hands and folded them between his own.
"No! Kurt! You… could burn yourself?" Blaine's eyes widened has he looked at Kurt's hands curled around his. Blaine's skin immediately started cooling down and little wisps of steam were drifting up from them. The fire had been instantly put out and Kurt wasn't burning himself, instead his hands had turned a frosty light blue, little flecks of ice shimmering off them. "I… you…" Blaine stuttered not knowing what to say. His hands feeling a refreshingly chilled as Kurt continued to hold them.
He looked up from their clasped hands to Kurt's face. His eyes were wide and his lips flattened into a worried line. "Don't… don't freak out. Okay?" Kurt pleaded.
"Kurt you… have powers."
"I get really cold."
"You get really cold?"
"I can do things with ice and snow that are pretty cool. No pun intended." Kurt was watching him warily, scared of how Blaine might react.
"Fire." Blaine said and he could feel the smile curl on his lips. "I can do things with fire that are… pretty hot."
Kurt laughed, "I've been wanting to tell you for ages."
"I was trying to convince myself to tell you today!"
"Oh, really?" Kurt said lifting an eyebrow, "Is that why you've been avoiding me all morning?"
Blaine's stomach dropped, "I was only doing that because… because…"
"Because why, Blaine?" Kurt's voice grew quiet, "On Saturday at Breadstixs I thought… there was a moment when I thought you were going to…" Kurt stopped and shook his head looking down at their still clasped hands. All four of them back to their normal appearance.
"Kiss you?"
Kurt looked up and nodded, his eyes shimmering and gorgeous.
"I was going to kiss you."
"Then why did you run away like I'd sprouted a second head or something?"
"Kurt." Blaine's voice was pleading, he needed Kurt to understand, "We were about to kiss and my hands sparked and were going to catch fire, they do that sometimes when I'm… when I'm feeling a lot." He swallowed nervously, very aware of his hands in Kurt's, "You make me feel a lot."
"Oh." Kurt said and then a bright smile broke out over his face. "Oh."
"Did you know then? About my power? You don't seem surprised."
Kurt shook his head still looking at Blaine in awe, "I wondered if you had some kind of ability, but I didn't know for sure. I thought I saw your fingers glowing once when you were singing and you always stuff your hands in your pockets when you're flustered." Kurt smiled, "Today though, when I hadn't seen you all morning and you were late for lunch I went to find you and… Blaine, you lectured me about not antagonizing bullies but you were the one that almost got hurt!" Kurt's voice trembled, "I stopped Azimio from hitting you but then I saw your hands flash and I was frantic to get those Neanderthals away from you. I knew if I could get you alone somewhere, I could use my ice to dowse your fire. And it worked!"
Blaine shook his head in disbelief, "This whole time we've both had powers and… and yours." Blaine thought to the glittering blue ice that had covered Kurt's hands, "Yours is beautiful."
"Your hands light up when you are full to the brim with emotion," Kurt was beaming at him. "That's beautiful, Blaine."
Blaine ducked his head, "You have no idea what a relief it is to be able to talk to you about this. Actually… you probably do seeing as you have powers too." He looked up at Kurt.
He was smiling at him and biting his lip, "Was it just your sparking hands that made you run off the other night?"
"Yes."
"And did you really want to kiss me?" Kurt's voice was breathy as if he could hardly believe this was happening.
Which was exactly how Blaine felt, "Very much so."
"Are you still afraid if you kiss me your hands with burst into flames?"
Blaine laughed, "If they do, you could just… hold them."
Kurt nodded, "I could."
"Good." Blaine smiled as he leaned in, bringing his lips to Kurt's in the gentlest of kisses. Kurt breathed in a sigh and then kissed him back. The kiss turning more intense as one of Blaine's hands came to cup Kurt's neck and one of Kurt's hands curled into Blaine's hair. They kissed until they had to break away for breath.
Blaine was breathless, his body tingling down to his toes and his hands were hot again, but Kurt held one of them cooling it down and the skin on the back of Kurt's neck where Blaine's other hand was had turned light blue and icy keeping Blaine from fully lighting on fire.
"That was… that was…"
"Perfect." Kurt breathed.
"Perfect." Blaine agreed, "Kurt I… you should know that I'm head over heels for you." Blaine felt himself blush, "It isn't just about kissing, though the kissing is perfect. It's about you being… you. I... my mind is fuzzy," Blaine laughed, "I'm not saying this right. I just want you to know how much you mean to me."
"Blaine," Kurt leaned his forehead against Blaine's, "I feel the same way. All I can do is think about you, I want to be with you all the time, I'm driving my dad crazy with how much I talk about you."
"Really?"
"Really." Kurt met his gaze, "We… we still have a little while until lunch is over and even though this isn't just about the kissing, or the fact that our powers perfectly complement each other, I wouldn't mind testing out both... a little more."
"I like that idea," Blaine said brushing his lips against Kurt's as steam started filling the room from Kurt's icy touch cooling down Blaine's fiery skin. "We should practice-" Blaine started but Kurt interrupted him crashing their lips together.
Blaine laughed into the kiss – for the first time in a long time letting himself feel everything his heart was bursting with without worrying about hiding who he was. With Kurt, he realized, he never had to worry about hiding who he was.