A/N: Guys, I am on fire right now, not gonna lie. I've had a lot of free time to write and inspiration to boot. I played around with the idea of a sequel to Two Rules, but now that I started, I'm in love with it and I hope you all like it too!
*The rating on this WILL go up to M, but it may take a while to get there.*
For those that do not want to read the prequel to this story: I understand that the prequel may not be everyone's cup of tea, so here is an idea of what you NEED to know to read the story: At a young age, Blaine was sexually abused. That's it, fill in whatever details you want about it and everything else will be spelled out in non-graphic flashbacks throughout the story.
Blaine stared at himself in the mirror, one final inspection before he left for his first day as a Sophomore at McKinley High School. He had moved into Lima only a week earlier, so he hadn't met anyone yet and he wanted to make a good impression. He typically liked a more fashion forward, upscale look, but he didn't want to stick out like a sore thumb right away, he figured that he would ease into that as the year went by.
He wore a fitting pair of dark blue jeans with a pale green button up, and a navy cardigan with red trim. He rolled the sleeves up and then back down and then back up again, settling there.
Blaine had struggled for several years to get back to normal after the night his parents were killed. He and Cooper had been split up when they were taken into custody and he hadn't heard from his brother since. He had some outdated information from the agency, but it didn't work and truthfully, he never really tried that hard to find his brother.
Cooper had barely been able to look at him after that night and he didn't think that he could stand to be faced with that again. His brother was the only one that really knew what happened and he didn't want that reminder. They were both better off separated, able to grow into new people and leave the past behind.
Blaine had been devastated for a long time, refusing to talk to most people, shutting himself away from the rest of the world. It wasn't long in foster care that he realized that his chances of finding a new home were slim because of his age and his attitude.
His therapist, knowing only the vague detail of what had happened to him, bought him an iPod for Christmas as a potential means of helping him cope. A lot of people find solace in music and since Blaine wasn't interested in making friends, it was worth a shot. He didn't know Blaine's tastes in music, so he put some of his favourites on it and also bought a gift card, letting Blaine use his computer after one of their sessions to choose some songs.
As Blaine began to open up, little by little, getting more songs became a sort of a reward for him. He found that he really loved music and liked to sing. A couple of the workers that had caught him said that he had a nice voice, though he'd never meant for anyone to hear.
One day, he was singing to himself in the garden when a woman approached him, startling the boy out of his headphones. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you..." She smiled down at him sweetly. "I was just wondering, what's that song you're singing? It's lovely."
Blaine blushed a little, unaware that he had been within earshot of anyone. He was tucked back in the garden, sitting on the grass between two small trees. It was his favourite place to go to be alone. "Oh, um... It's called 'A Change Is Gonna Come', it's by Sam Cooke." He smiled politely, it was his favourite song.
"Thank you." She turned to leave, but paused. She turned back around, hesitant. "Would you sing it for me?"
He stared for a moment, taken aback by the question. He had gotten compliments before, but no one had ever asked to hear him sing. He gulped, a little nervous, but somehow excited by the chance to sing for someone. He nodded and started playing the song from the beginning. He took one speaker out of his ear and closed his eyes.
He had never sung out loud before, really. Mostly, he sang under his breath or barely above a whisper. Sometimes when he knew that he was alone or couldn't be heard, he would sing a little louder, but he just wasn't confident enough to belt it out like the people he listened to and admired so much.
This time was different, though. Once he closed his eyes and started singing, everything just felt right. He had sung the song to himself hundreds of times and hearing it come out of him at full volume, he amazed even himself. The song held a lot of meaning for him and it all came out as the song progressed.
During the end of the song, he opened his eyes, surprised to find that they were watering slightly. Hearing himself sing the words, it was like he was hearing them for the first time, singing them about himself.
"There've been times that I thought that I could last for long, but now I think I'm able to carry on. it's been a long, a long time coming, but I know a change is gonna come." His voice shook as he carried the final lines, looking up at his one-woman audience. "Oh, yes it will..."
The woman was staring down at him with understanding eyes, her hand across her chest, tapping to the beat. She had clearly felt that the song was important to him and was moved by his performance. He hadn't noticed that a few others had gathered to see what was going on until they started clapping slowly.
Blaine smiled, feeling amazing about having sung for someone for the first time. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so happy. He stood, taking his headphones off. "Thank you." She smiled again before giving a small wave, walking back the way she had come.
"Blaine, I didn't know you could sing like that!" He was immediately accosted by the other kids that had gathered, all complimenting him. He blushed and smiled, not sure what to do with the attention.
A few days later, he was called into the office, more nervous than ever. That morning, he had been told that they may have found a home for him. He smiled brightly as he saw the woman from before sitting with the social worker, who was also grinning. "Hi, again." She smiled back as he took a seat.
"Blaine, this is Marie Chapman. She's the one I talked to you about earlier." Blaine's smile faded quickly.
"Really?" He was sure that he was dreaming or that it was some sort of cruel joke that was being played on him.
"Really, Blaine." She was hesitant to say much until she knew more about his odd reaction.
"Really?" He asked the case worker next, more hopefully than before.
She chuckled at him a little. "Yes, really, Blaine. We've been talking for the past two days and she just came in to sign the paperwork. I'd like to give you a couple of days to decide, so spend some time together, get to kno-" She was cut off.
"No!" Both women were caught off guard by the outburst from the usually quiet boy. "I mean... It's okay. I don't need- Um..." He fumbled over his excitement. He took a deep breath before he continued. "Yes."
Marie smiled, charmed by his enthusiasm. "Really?" She echoed Blaine from before. He nodded eagerly.
"Well, I guess that's settled, then. There are a couple of things we still need to sort out. Blaine, you're aware that we have to disclose all of your details before the paperwork is signed." She spoke gently, approaching the subject gently. He nodded and looked over at Marie unsurely, getting a soft smile back.
"Your therapists recommendation is that you continue your sessions, but says that since you've made a lot of progress, he is comfortable with bi-weekly visits. You two can discuss what time and date works best, but you'll go ahead and attend tomorrow as normal."
She went through some other technical things they needed to do before and during Blaine's stay. There was a short period where it wasn't exactly final, that way if they weren't a good fit or if something came up, Blaine could come back.
"So, tomorrow, you're going to get your things packed up and then go to your normal session. When you're done, Marie will be here waiting to pick you up. Okay?"
"Okay." He took deep breaths, overwhelmed by how fast everything was moving, but excited. He couldn't wait to get back to a somewhat normal life. It was hard to heal when he felt like an oucast every day and felt like there was no chance of ever being part of a family again.
He gave a quick smile to Marie before leaving them to finalize papers. He went to pack his things right away, not wanting to wait another minute.
-The Present-
That was almost 5 years ago and Blaine had never been happier. After moving in with Marie, he began to come out of his shell. She had been teaching Blaine how to play the piano and always encouraged him to sing. Her older brother used to love to sing, but he had passed away almost a year before she adopted Blaine. She was open about the fact that his singing was one of the reasons that she adopted him, because she felt a connection through his song.
He still went to therapy, though he only went once a month now. The only reason that he still went was his inability to talk about the details of what happened that night. He wanted to just forget about it.
He fixed an out of place hair before heading out of his room, down the stairs with his messenger bag. He grabbed a quick breakfast bar and his keys and ran out the door. "Bye! See you after school!" He yelled behind to her.
His mom had bought him a car as a present for getting his license during the summer break. It wasn't anything new or fancy, but it meant a lot to him and he loved it. He pulled into the parking lot, excited for his first day.
-Later That Day-
His first day was exactly what he expected, a little boring, but the first day always is. During lunch, he grabbed an apple and wandered, exploring the school, enjoying just watching the other students.
As he packed up his locker he smiled, feeling pretty good about the day. Walking through the halls, past the few students that hadn't rushed out the door immediately, his attention was pulled when he heard a girl singing from around the corner. He followed the amazingly soulful voice to a classroom. The door was cracked, so he quietly peaked in, standing in the doorway. He smiled, watching and listening to them as they harmonized, working as a team to make a great sound.
They all clapped and high-fived as the girl finished and took a seat, laughing. Almost immediately after she sat down, another one of the group stood and made his way to the front. He was slender, with very well styled hair and an gorgeous outfit. He wore fitted black jeans and a grey sleeveless shirt with a marroon, band-style sleeveless jacket over top. Blaine stared for a moment, unable to look away.
I woke up to the sound of silence and cries were cutting like knives in a fist fight. And I found you with a bottle of wine, Your head in the curtains and heart like the Fourth of July.
You swore and said, "We are not, We are not shining stars." This I know, I never said we are.
Though I've never been through hell like that, I've closed enough windows to know you can never look back.
Blaine held his breath, listening to the amazing voice. He couldn't take his eyes off of the boy as he sang, he was blown away with both his voice and the way that he looked when he sang. It was indescribable.
As he finished, everyone cheered again as he humbly waved them off, a little embarrassed by the compliments. He was still in a daze as a handsome, slightly older man called him out. "Come on in! Don't be shy."
"Oh, um... Thanks." He gripped the strap of his bag nervously, not expecting to be called out.
"What's your name?" The girl from before piped up as he stepped forward.
"Blaine." They were all staring at him, probably expecting more than that. Luckily, the man from before spoke up.
"I'm Will Schuester, I teach Spanish here at McKinley and after school, I'm the director of the New Directions, the Glee club. Guys, let's get some introductions." He motioned to the end of the line of kids on the bleachers.
They each went down the line, giving a quick name intoduction and a wave. The cheerleaders didn't seem too enthusiastic, but everyone else was all smiles. They got to the end to the two that he saw singing. "Hey, I'm Mercedes." She gave a little wave and the bracelets on her wrist jingled.
Blaine had nodded and smiled to everyone as they introduced themselves, eager to learn the gorgeous boy's name. "I'm Kurt." He spoke softly.
Blaine couldn't help but smile a little bit wider and reply. "Hi." He barely whispered.
Kurt's cheeks got a little pink. "Hi." Blaine didn't hear him, but saw his lips moving.
"So, Blaine, what brings you to the Glee club?" Mr. Schuester seemed like a really nice guy, trying to make him feel welcome.
"I..." He cleared his throat a little. "I was just on my way out and I heard the singing. Um, you were both really amazing." He stuttered out, feeling a little more comfortable, but still having everyone staring at him was a little nerve wracking.
The two smiled at him and thanked him. "We're always accepting new members if you're interested in trying out."
He was about to insist that he couldn't do it when he remembered a promise he made to Marie that this year he was really going to try to put himself out there and make friends. Also, he really wanted an excuse to talk to Kurt. "Yeah, that sounds like fun..."
Mr. Schu beamed at him. "That's great! You can come by sometime this week if you need time to prepare an audition."
"He should just audition now. We're all here and I think that we should all have a say in who is allowed to join. We're all part of the group and all of us should have input-" The bubly brunette chattered away very quickly, he thought he remembered her name being Rachel.
"Rachel! Calm down for a second. No one is trying to say that you guys don't have a say in who joins. You know that I value all of your opinions, but not everyone just has an audition song ready at a moment's notice." The teacher was polite, but had definitely had to deal with reeling the diva in before.
"I can audition now. I don't mind." Blaine spoke up, surprising the group. "Can I use the piano?"
"Of course. Guys, give it up for Blaine." He stepped back, taking a seat next to Kurt at the end of the stands as they gave small claps and encouraging words.
He took a moment, setting his bag down and cracking his fingers. He had gotten pretty good at playing the piano and he had started arranging songs a couple of years ago. He had arranged one of his favourite songs from a pop song to a piano ballad and it felt really appropriate for his audition.
He sat down and took a deep breath, placing his fingers delicately across the keys, playing the first opening notes.
You think I'm pretty without any makeup on, you think I'm funny when I tell the punchline wrong. I know you get me, so I let my walls come down, down.
When he started, he had his eyes closed or looking down, but as he calmed down and began to lose himself in the song, he opened his eyes and glanced at Kurt. One look was all it took to be completely transfixed.
Before you met me, I was alright but things were kinda heavy, you brought me to life. Now every February you'll be my Valentine, Valentine.
Let's go all the way tonight. No regrets, just love. We can dance, until we die. You and I, will be young forever.
You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream, the way you turn me on. I can't sleep, let's run away and don't ever look back, don't ever look back.
My heart stops when you look at me, just one touch, now baby I believe. This is real, so take a chance and don't ever look back, don't ever look back.
Kurt stared back at him, also unable to look away as Blaine sang in a way that seemed like it was just for him. The look in Kurt's eyes gave Blaine a confidence boost as the pace of the song picked up.
I'm a get your heart racing in my skin-tight jeans, be your teenage dream tonight. Let you put your hands on me in my skin-tight jeans, be your teenage dream tonight.
When he finished, the room was silent for a moment before Mr. Schu started clapping and stood up. That was the first time he tore his gaze from Kurt, smiling a little, his cheeks a little red.
The rest of the group joined in quickly, some clapping, some hollering. "That was really great, Blaine. I think you'd make a great addition to the New Directions, and I'm guessing from all the noise that the rest of you agree?"
"Hells yeah!" Mercedes shouted, making Blaine laugh a little. He liked her already.
"Well, that's settled then. Blaine, stop by tomorrow after school and I'll get you our schedule and we'll get you settled in and everything. For now, I have to get going. You guys have a good night and welcome back. Blaine, it's great to have you on the team." He patted Blaine on the back as he headed for the door.
While Mr. Schu was talking to Blaine, Mercedes was whispering something to Kurt and elbowed him.
"Thanks." Blaine went to pick up his bag and was going to head home. As the others started to file out of the room, he looked up to see Kurt walking up to him.
"That was really good." Kurt smiled at him shyly.
"Thanks. You too. I love that song." Blaine was glad that Kurt had approached him, not sure if he would have had the guts to approach him first.
"Yeah, it's one of my favourites. Did you arrange that song yourself? I didn't even recognize it at first." Kurt leaned against the piano, getting close enough that Blaine could smell his cologne.
"It's something I've been working on for a while." He laughed to himself a little. "I actually just made up that last part as I was doing it."
"No way! I couldn't tell at all. I wish I could play the piano, I'm really useless when it comes to instruments." Kurt rolled his eyes back and fiddled with his hair as he made fun of himself. Blaine really liked his smile.
"With a voice like yours, you don't need to play an instrument. It's pretty fun, though. I could maybe should you some basics sometime." Blaine offerred without even thinking. "I mean, if you're interested in learning..."
Kurt's eyes lit up at the offer. "Are you kidding? I'd love to."
Their conversation was cut off by Blaine's phone going off. He apologized as he pulled it out of his pocket. "Sorry, I gotta get this, just one second. Hey, mom, what's up? Oh yeah, I'll be on the way in a sec., I got caught up a little. No, I'm fine, I'll tell you about it later. Love you too, bye." He tucked it away and smiled to Kurt. "Sorry, my mom is a little bit of a worrier since it's just the two of us. I didn't let her know I was staying late, so..."
"Yeah, my dad's the same, but he knows about Glee, so I've got a little more time before he bugs me. Also, I don't doubt that Finn's already home telling them I'll be late, so it's fine."
"Finn? Is he your brother?" Blaine definitely didn't see the resemblance.
"Step-brother. It used to be just me and my dad, but Finn's mom married my dad last year, they met when I was a freshman here because Finn and I were both in Glee. This place kind of has a way of bringing people together."
"Yeah, I'm hoping it does." Blaine laughed a little at how cheesy that had sounded out loud. "Well, I gotta get going, but it was really nice to meet you, Kurt."
Kurt nodded in agreement, it had definitely been nice meeting Blaine. "I'll walk out to the parking lot with you."
They chatted a little bit more as they walked out, waving as they separated, having parked on opposite ends of the lot.
-At Home-
"So, you had a good day, then?" She smiled, patting the sofa after Blaine put his things away. The huge grin on his face was a dead give away.
He jumped onto the couch, grabbing an oversized pillow as he sighed. He crossed his legs and hugged the pillow, resting his head on it. "Yeah." He didn't know what else to say.
"What did you stay behind for?" She wasn't the overbearing type, but she was incredibly curious about what could put such a look on Blaine's face. She'd never seen him with his head so in the clouds. She knew that look, but it was a look that she thought he may never have, given his past.
"I joined the Glee club." Her eyes widened. "Yeah, I know. I just stumbled on it and they asked if I wanted to try out and I did and it was awesome. Everyone loved it and there was this one boy, Kurt, that sang a song before me and was amazing. I mean, I've never heard a voice like his before. It was so..." He buried his face in the pillow.
"Blaine, that's wonderful! I'm so proud of you, honey." She was overwhelmed with pride. She knew that Blaine would keep his promise and that he would try to socialize more, but she would never have thought that he would go so far with it so quickly.
"It's going to be so great, and I offered to teach Kurt some piano basics, if that's okay?" She balked at him like he was crazy. Making friends and inviting them over all in one day? "I know! I don't know what got into me, I just really wanted a reason to see him again."
She smiled and nodded, understanding. "Okay, sweetie, I have a question and I don't want you to feel pressured to talk about it if you don't want to, okay?" He looked a little confused at the change of subject, but nodded. "Do you like Kurt? I mean, do you LIKE him, like him?"
He thought about the question for a moment, a little taken aback. "I don't know, I just... He's really nice and I guess I do kind of like him like that, maybe." She could tell that he was getting overwhelmed, so she reached her hand out and rubbed his hand, encouraging him.
"It's okay if you do. You know that I'll love you and support you no matter what you decide. I'm just curious because you've never really mentioned being interested in anyone before. I'm so happy for you, Blaine." She really was and he could tell by the look in her eyes. "Why don't you tell me a little bit about him?"
He smiled, his nerves calmed a bit as he told her about his voice and his smile and how he made his stomach do flips and about how they stared at each other the whole time and didn't look away. His eyes lit up as he spoke on and on about his new friend.
"Well, I feel like celebrating! Let's order a pizza, do a musical marathon and split a pint of banana split ice cream." It was a tradition of theirs when something good happened to do just that. It always started with a relaxed pizza and ended up in them singing using their spoons for mics after the sugar rush kicked in.
After the marathon and a shower, Blaine laid in bed staring at the ceiling. He was too excited to sleep, but at the same time, he wanted to sleep so that he could dream of Kurt. He drifted off after a while, a huge smile still on his face.
-TBC-
