"Blaine, hold on!"
He turned around to face the person that had called out to him, having barely left the building where people were still partying. He couldn't stand the sight of his ex boyfriend flaunting his new boyfriend around and rubbing Blaine's nose in it. He didn't want to come to this housewarming party, knowing Henry would be there. He'd only come for Brittany, because after years of hard work, she and Mike's dance studio had become quite successful and she'd been able to buy her own condo.
Mike had run after him, worry written on his delicate features. Blaine smiled weakly at his friend, too tired to even put on his usual I'm okay façade. He'd used all of his energy for that at the party. The truth was, Blaine was not okay. Not even the slightest. Henry was his first long term boyfriend and Blaine was handling their breakup poorly. Henry had cheated and it was something Blaine could still not swallow down as of now, even four months after the incident.
"Already leaving?" Blaine asked Mike as he slipped his hands in his pockets, trying to look as casual as possible. "Do you need a ride?"
"Blaine, I..." Mike started saying, his mouth left hanging, causing Blaine to cock an eyebrow at him. Mike took him in his arms, hugging him tightly.
"What's going on, Mike?" Blaine inquired as he hesitantly hugged Mike back. This was not typical of Mike. They weren't that close for them to hug casually like this. Blaine was suspecting another pity hug.
"I'm in love with you," Mike pulled away, his hands holding Blaine's shoulders and his eyes piercing through his. "I know you're going through a lot lately and the last thing I want is to complicate things for you but I just want you to know that I love you. You didn't deserve what Henry did to you, you don't deserve all the crap he's still giving you right now. He's a fucking idiot for not seeing what I see in you. I'm sorry for not being a better friend to you. I was too caught up in my own misery when you two were dating to actually be there for you when you guys broke up. And the worst thing is I was freaking happy when you dumped him, Blaine. Bottom line is, I'm sorry, Blaine. I'm so sorry."
"What?" Blaine couldn't even speak coherently. This was too much to process. Mike was in love with him? Why couldn't have this happened years ago, back when Blaine had a crush on Mike? Blaine didn't even know what to say to him. He didn't have feelings for Mike right now, and even if he did, Blaine was a mess. Henry had ruined him in a way that Blaine fret was irreversible. Blaine's ability to trust was severely damaged, he could not just dabble into a relationship any time soon. This was the story of his life. Have a great guy in love for him in the aftermath of a destructive relationship that left nothing behind. Mike was looking at him with such an earnest and imploring gaze that the last intact part of himself broke when Blaine realized he didn't have anything to say to him but this, "I...I can't, Mike. I just...can't."
He meant it. He couldn't do it, he couldn't make Mike happy. He was just damaged goods and Mike would be better off with someone else. He spun on his heels and started walking away from Mike when the latter grabbed his forearm firmly to keep him in place.
"Blaine, wait," Mike begged him, his voice breaking ever so slightly and breaking Blaine's heart furthermore in the process. "I just have one last thing to tell you."
Blaine nodded, his sight becoming blurry as tears pooled around his eyes.
"I understand that my confession is the last thing you want on your mind but just know that I'll love you and I promise to cherish you forever, if ever you let me," Mike's words struck him in a way that Blaine didn't expect, his breath hitching when the weight of those words dawned on him. Not even at the peak of their relationship had Henry ever said anything quite like this to him. When Blaine finally broke out of his haze, he realized with embarrassment that Mike was currently wiping at tear stains on his cheeks with his thumbs, smiling fondly at him.
"I'm too far gone to be with someone like you, Mike," Blaine replied eventually, his voice a little rough. He kissed Mike's cheek as a parting gesture and as he pulled back, Mike cupped his face and crushed their lips together, kissing Blaine roughly. Blaine couldn't react otherwise than by kissing back, feeling his entire body relax at this one simple connection. They broke the kiss eventually for air and Mike leaned his forehead against Blaine's, their breaths ghosting over one another's lips. Blaine shouldn't have kissed Mike back. He shouldn't have let Mike think something could happen between them and disappoint him. Blaine couldn't take another heartbreak. But he also couldn't take the loneliness that was slowly but surely taking his sanity away and perhaps it had already rendered him insane if he'd learned nothing from his last disaster of a relationship and was ready to risk another heartbreak for a few months of non solitude.
"Did you really mean it? You'd love me forever?"
"If ever you let me."
