I See The Light
So, I saw Tangled the other day (SEE IT, IT'S AMAZING) and as soon as I saw this song in it (I See The Light, performed by Mandy Moore & Zachary Levi) I couldn't get writing this one shot out of my head. I'm writing a lot of one shots at the moment, and not posting most because they're usually not good, and at the moment I'm too busy/impatient to write a decent long running fiction. So yeah, this one wouldn't go away until I wrote it down. It's shameless fluff, and I imagine it set in a few episodes, so there are spoilers up to Silly Little Love Songs, except I've imagined things going a little differently. I don't own Glee or Kurt, or Blaine or any of the other fantabulous characters created by RyMurph who feature in this. I don't own I See The Light, either. Enjoy, I hope. :)
Kurt settled himself down in the choir room, placing his bag carefully on the floor, and glancing around the empty room, smiling softly. Nothing had changed in here in the months he'd been gone, it was almost as if he'd left McKinley yesterday. Yet it was strange not being in the Dalton library; he almost expected Blaine to walk through the doors, collected and dapper as usual, curly hair combed to perfection, uniform perfect, not a spec of dust on him. But Blaine wasn't here, Blaine was still at Dalton, the school that Kurt had left only days ago. Kurt sighed, the smile slipping from his face. He felt stupid that he'd hoped he and Blaine had a chance, Blaine's actions since the When I Get You Alone Gap fiasco showing that clearly to Kurt. He smiled as he remembered Blaine's face when he told him he'd be returning to McKinley, and let himself wander back to the memory.
"Is this because of me? Because of us?" Blaine asked, not moving from his position by the door as Kurt emptied his desk drawer into a box. A small, sad smile played on Kurt's lips.
"No, Blaine, this isn't about you." He dropped a couple more of his possessions into the box, and then straightened up and walked over to his friend, the boy with whom more and more distance spread between them, until Kurt felt like Blaine was a different guy than the one who'd sent him texts simply saying 'Courage' all those months ago. "Karofsky – he's gone from McKinley and he's not coming back. But more than that, I've realised that leaving wasn't the answer, Dalton wasn't the answer, not for me anyway. I don't fit in here, you know that as well as I do. I've loved it here, and I'll miss it. But New Directions? They're my family, they need me and I need them."
"I still feel responsible." Blaine said, looking as if he ached to reach out to Kurt over the ocean of unexplained silence and broken promises that stretched between them.
"Don't. For the first time I think I'm doing the right thing for me. It feels good. This," Kurt gestured to the two of them, "this was never going to work, Blaine. I thought I'd learnt with Finn, but I didn't. I need to stop putting all my hope and energy into one person in the hope they'll make me happy. For now, I'm enough for me." There was another silence, and Blaine opened his mouth, but nothing came out, he seemed at a loss.
"Goodbye, Blaine." Kurt smiled, picking up the box and walking out of the room. And Blaine wanted to follow him more than he'd ever wanted anything.
"Kurt!" Quinn was first to walk into the choir room and see her long lost friend. They all knew he was coming back, but seeing him back in the room, in his skinny jeans and boots and dress shirt, as if nothing had changed, made it real. He was back. Quinn put her arms around Kurt and hugged him hard, and he put his arms around her too, faintly surprised at how pleased she was to see him. He had scarcely parted from her for ten seconds when the second blonde hugged him too.
"Your hands are still so soft," Brittany commented, taking the seat next to Kurt as Artie wheeled himself up and smiled.
"Welcome back." Artie said quietly as Brittany carried on stroking Kurt's hand softly.
"Thank you." Kurt smiled, giving Artie a sideways glance. "So," Kurt continued, as Santana walked in and winked at him before taking a seat next to Quinn, "I see still no Cheerios uniforms."
"I think the Sue Sylvester horror ship has well and truly sailed without us." Quinn replied, smoothing her pale blue dress.
"How does it feel?" Kurt asked, smiling.
"Pretty great actually." Quinn smiled back. One by one the students piled in, saying their hello's and welcome back's to Kurt, who accepted them graciously, but inside his heart felt warm, perhaps for the first time since he'd transferred. He did belong here, he could see that now more than ever, and that feeling was only enhanced as his best friend and his step brother walked in and smiled, not saying much but taking their seats near to him.
"Hey guys," Mr Schuester walked in and gave Kurt a quick wink, "today we welcome back Kurt, hopefully for good?"
"Definitely for good." Kurt replied, "Dalton was great, but nothing beats family right? Especially a family as dysfunctional as this one."
Of course Glee didn't run smoothly. Rachel threw a hissy when Schue gave a solo to Brittany, Santana made bitchy remarks, Finn made idiotic comments, and Sam spent the entire time giving Quinn, who was sat beside Finn, vengeful glances. But that was the way it was, and Kurt would be lying if he said he hadn't missed it, and as he drove home, a song came on shuffle on his iphone, and he knew he had to sing it in Glee.
Blaine
"Blaine you're a mess!" Blaine could hear Wes moaning at him, and David, and pretty much all of the warblers, but he couldn't defend himself. They were right, he absolutely sucked. He could barely remember the words to the song the warblers were supposed to be practising for nationals, he couldn't do two simple dance moves without stumbling, and he wasn't concentrating on anything anyone said to him. "Just go! Go and talk to him!" Blaine looked up as Wes said that.
"I don't know what you mean.' Blaine replied, running a hand through his for once out of control mop of dark curls.
"You like him and he likes you, so for God's sake go and tell him! You're both tying yourselves up in knots for no reason, because you're both too stupidly proud to say how you really feel." Wes snapped, folding his arms across his Dalton blazer.
"I-no I don't like him, he's a friend." Blaine stammered for possibly the first time since he'd been at Dalton.
"You don't fool me, Blaine Anderson, and you can't keep pretending that none of this touches you. Go!" Wes said, putting a hand on Blaine's shoulder. Blaine swallowed.
"Don't wait up." Blaine called, "Cover for me?"
"Of course." Wes smiled, as he watched Blaine run for the door. "Good luck kid!" And all of a sudden, Blaine was running for his car, and he slammed it into gear and drove as fast as he dared to McKinley.
"Mr Schue, If I may." Kurt raised a hand as he addressed the teacher. The club were gathered in the auditorium to see that week's assignment play out; sing a song meant for two, but as a solo. Will nodded, and Kurt took his place on the stage. Alone, again...Kurt couldn't help thinking, but then he nodded to Brad, swallowed and smiled as the music began to play.
All those days, watching from the windows, all those years, outside looking in. All that time never even knowing just how blind I've been. Now I'm here, blinking in the star light, now I'm here suddenly I see, standing here, it's all so clear, I'm where I'm meant to be
Mercedes smiled encouragingly as he sang that line, and he smiled back, and carried on singing, bathing in the sound of his voice, and the encouraging, happy faces that smiled at him from the seats below. And as he sang, he forgot to feel lonely, he forgot about needing someone else.
And at last I see the light, and it's like the fog has lifted. And at last I see the light, and it's like the sky is new, and it's warm and real and bright, and the world has somehow shifted. And all at once, everything looks different, now that I see you
He smiled as the piano played, and saw the eyes of the rest of the glee club flicker to behind him. He frowned, but opened his mouth to continue singing as the next verse approached. But before he could sing the line, another voice began to sing. He glanced to the glee club, but they were all staring, open mouthed. The voice was coming from behind him. He turned around, and was so shocked all he could do was stand and stare.
All those days, chasing down a daydream, all those years living in a blur, all that time never truly seeing things the way they were. Now she's here shining in the starlight, now she's here suddenly I know, if she's here it's crystal clear I'm where I'm meant to go
Kurt watched Blaine walk onto stage and sing the lines, smiling at him as he did so, his hair sticking up at all angles, his Dalton blazer on, his red and blue striped tie hanging loosely around his neck, his top button undone. At the next line, Kurt began to sing with Blaine, and Blaine walked forward as he did so, not touching him, but singing to him, gently, softly, with tears slightly dampening his eyes.
And at last I see the light, and it's like the fog has lifted
And at last I see the light, and it's like the sky is new, and it's warm and real and bright, and the world has somehow shifted, all at once everything is different, now that I see you
Now that I see you
As the music came to a standstill, Kurt looked over towards the rest of Glee club, most of whom had tears in their eyes, especially Rachel who was bawling on Quinn's shoulder. Kurt smiled a watery smile at Mercedes who gave him a thumbs up, before returning his gaze to Blaine.
"I, er, didn't plan that by the way. I came to talk to you, and you were singing Disney. It's sort of a reflex to sing along to Disney for me." Blaine shuffled his feet, and Kurt smiled.
"Once a geek, always a geek." Kurt smiled, and Blaine nodded, wiping his cheeks quickly to hide the tears that had begun to trickle down them, swallowing hard. Kurt gently grabbed Blaine's hand. "It's ok to cry you know. Once in a while. You don't have to be this strong handsome prince who swoops in and saves the day. Once in a while I might save you."
"I think you already did." Blaine replied, smiling, before glancing at the rest of the club who were staring at the two, exchanging smiles.
"Haven't you guys got somewhere to be?" Kurt urged, and Mr Schue smiled, and ushered them out of the auditorium, and when the two were alone, Blaine began to speak again.
"I haven't been honest with you, Kurt. I really like you. In fact I think I might love you, and it scares me how strongly I feel for you. So I put on that stupid display at Gap, and try and put distance between us to try and avoid it. But I don't want to avoid it anymore. I just want you."
"Even though we're on separate teams now." Kurt replied, before adding, "I love you too. I'm pretty sure you already know that though."
"I'm sure we can work something out, Romeo." Blaine smiled, taking Kurt's hand in his.
"I'm sure we can. I mean you'll probably regret it, I'm really annoying, and I sing all the time, and I'll bitch at you, and this doesn't mean I'll stop insulting those hideous jumpers you wear, and..." Blaine cut Kurt off as their lips met, crashing together at first and then moulding into place, and Kurt ran his hands through Blaine's hopelessly messy curls, and Blaine put his arms around Kurt's small but muscular form, and they stayed that way for a long while, their bodies moulding together, and when they broke apart, Kurt was breathing heavily. "I love you."
"I love you too," Blaine replied, and he hugged Kurt hard, and they stood that way on the auditorium stage for a long while. None of it would be easy, they knew that for sure, it would probably be hard every single day, and they'd fight, and there was nationals coming up, where they'd have to compete against each other, and Blaine still had to meet Burt, who'd no doubt give him the speech about the shotgun and the shovel he kept in his basement, but none of that mattered, all that mattered was that they had each other, and that was all either of them had ever wished for.
