Author notes: This one is for you, Oshrit. I believe you requested a Shooting Star fic where Kurt flies to Ohio when he hears about the shooting. There is a bit of Brittana in the background of this too and blink and you'll miss it Blam, but the main focus is Klaine. I hope I did it justice and you like it. This is by the way the first fic I have written on my brand new Macbook after my Windows computer died. So I guess I am back in the game. Reviews feeds my soul. :)
Kurt will never forget where he was when he first heard about it.
It's late in the afternoon. He's at a coffee shop in Bushwick. Sitting in a corner studying for a music history project and scribbling down notes when his phone rings. Again. He glances at it, lying on the table as it keeps vibrating and raises an eyebrow. Santana has been calling him non stop for almost half an hour and after an annoyed look from the barista, Kurt put it on silent. He breathes in relief when the phone goes dark again and turns back to his reading material. It's important, he can't disappoint Madam Tibideaux after she finally took a chance on him. Or himself for that matter. His whole future depends on passing this class.
He's only read three more lines when Santana calls him again and he can't help but roll his eyes. What is it with her today? For goodness sake, he will see her in about an hour, they live together after all. Whatever it is, he's sure it can wait. Just like it could wait last week when she called him about "accidentally" shredding Rachel's new reindeer sweater in the garbage disposal. Not that he didn't secretly approve, that sweater was a flaming fashion disaster – he would know - and it needed to go. But it was hardly a life and death situation as Santana had implied. Death threats from an angry Rachel Berry does not count. She's all bark, too much bark actually, she never shuts up - and no bite.
His roomie however is nothing but stubborn and the insistent buzzing drones on and on until Kurt can't stand it any longer. Okay, enough. He can't concentrate like this. Grabbing the phone and turning it off completely, he makes a mental note to have a talk with Satan about boundaries later on that evening. As he puts his now dead cell in his pocket, he sighs in contentment. Finally some peace and quiet – and gets back to work.
About ten minutes later he finishes the first chapter of Western Music History: Quantitative and Computational Approaches to Music History – yes, just as boring as it sounds - and goes to the counter for a refill. More coffee is definitely needed in order for him to get through this. Behind him is a small tv mounted on the wall, it's set to some news station, volume turned down to just a whisper so Kurt is not paying attention to it. He's way too preoccupied with finishing his studies and in need of coffee to care about what's happening around the planet. He taps his foot impatiently as the barista takes forever making his order. Kurt thinks it may be payback for his noisy phone earlier. He takes a deep breath and fights the urge to snap his fingers at the man in front of him. Blaine doesn't like it when he does that and even though the boy is nowhere near him right now, Kurt knows he has a point. It is rude and that's not the impression of himself he wants to present to others.
Finally, the slowest barista in the history of barista's – in Kurt's opinion - has just handed him his grande non fat mocha when Kurt thinks he hears something familiar. A name. William McKinley. Taken by surprise, his ears prickle. That is probably the last name he would expect to hear someone mention in New York. Outside of his own social circle, of course. So he looks around trying to locate the person who said it, wondering if maybe he knows them, but there is no one behind him in line. Weird.
Maybe he just imagined it? Maybe Kurt's been obsessing too much about his ex back in Ohio lately and that has now resulted in his subconscious mind hearing what it wants to hear? Words that remind him of dark curly hair and golden eyes? He has to admit to himself, it's likely. Kurt is not proud of the fact that he's still thinking about Blaine almost every hour of every day; what he's doing, who he's with, what bow tie he wore that day, if he's happy? But he just can't help it. After Blaine's visit at Christmas and the almost kiss while ice skating, it got increasingly more difficult to shake him from his thoughts. Especially after that Come What May daydream he had - that Santana totally called him out on - in front of Adam, no less. Sometimes he wonders why he is still friends with her? Most of the time he wonders why he is still seeing Adam?
The novelty of having an older guy hit on him and the "sexy British accent" wore off long ago and now Kurt's just sort of going with the flow. They're dating, but they're not exclusive and he can't really picture himself with the Brit in the long run. They're not serious. Kurt knows in his heart that they will never be serious. Because when it comes down to it, Adam is just not his type. Sure, he could be considered handsome, in a hipster kind of way and he can sing – a not so secret turn-on of Kurt's. But he is also the complete opposite of pretty much everything else that Kurt is actually looking for. Come to think of it, that may have been the biggest reason Kurt agreed to go out with him in the first place; no chance of unpleasant reminders if the new guy doesn't look a thing like the old one. In all honesty, Adam is nowhere close to what he really wants. Who he really wants. Blaine. Kurt is still in love with Blaine. And wow, that was a mind-blowing realization to come to on a random Wednesday. Or not so random Wednesday as he would soon find out.
It is knowledge that has been long underway though. Ever since the wedding he hasn't been able to stop fantasizing about Blaine. Not only their little rendezvous in the car, but also how Blaine smiled when Kurt pulled him by the tie, how he gasped when Kurt pushed him up against the door, how be begged for Kurt to touch him, how he moaned when Kurt fucked him into the mattress and especially how beautiful he looked when he slept. Kurt may or may not have laid there long after Blaine fell asleep – just staring at him like a creepy Edward Cullen stalker – wanting so badly to caress but at the same time knowing that wasn't part of the deal with a one-night stand. Kurt knows he's forgiven Blaine. He wouldn't have been able to have sex with him otherwise. He also knows that he trusts him, because he made a conscious decision to do so. Trust is a choice.
He is obviously aware that Blaine still loves him too, since he keeps telling him over and over. But love is not always enough. If there was...is... one thing their relationship never lacked, it was love and it all fell apart anyway. So Kurt is not ready to get back together with his ex yet. Will I ever be?
He snaps out it then and realizes he's just kinda standing still in the middle of the shop, coffee in hand and stuck halfway between the counter and his table, completely lost in thought. All the while the barista is eyeing him suspiciously. Ok, so sue him. He had the right to space out. He just had an epiphany, for crying out loud.
He sends the guy an apologetic smile anyway – somewhere along the way Blaine's impeccable manners must have rubbed off on him - and is just about to sit down in his chair when suddenly once more, he hears it. Kurt's sure he just heard someone mention his old high school again, but there is not a soul around him. He's about to conclude that he's probably going insane, when he looks up and comes face to face with a very familiar sight filling the tv screen above him. There, on the news is the building of his old high school; William McKinley High. But it is not a scene he recognizes. There are police cars everywhere and officers trying to keep nosy spectators from getting too close. Kurt sees a lot of ambulances parked all around too. But what really makes his blood run cold is the yellow streamer running over and over at the bottom of the screen: "Live: School shooting happening in Lima, Ohio. Shots heard. SWAT is on the scene."
He jumps forward without thinking, spilling his coffee all over the floor as well as the table and knocking over his chair in his haste to get to the tv and turn it up. He doesn't care. Not about the people now staring at him as he frantically searches for the right button to push – why is this tv so ancient!? Or the barista's squeak of; "Hey, watch it dude." He has to find out what's going on. Kurt can feel the first beads of sweat starting to form at his hairline as he finally finds the volume control - and he probably turns it up way too loud if the complaints being thrown his way are any indication. He doesn't give a damn though and barely registers when the barista comes up to him.
"Sir, you are disturbing the rest of the costumers, I will have to ask you to..." The man starts, but Kurt cuts him off.
"This is my school!" He hisses and sends the barista a challenging glare that has him covering back behind his counter. Yeah, you better run. He focuses back on the screen where a female journalist is now interviewing students from the school. Kurt is only mildly surprised to see Tina there. But that's a good sign right? If Tina made it out, then surely the rest of Glee Club did too? They are not stuck in there. Blaine is not stuck in there. Please.
"What is your name, young lady?" The interviewer asks.
"My name is Tina Cohen-Chang." Tina answers shakily, but doesn't say anything else, her eyes are a little glazed over like she's in shock.
"And you go to this school?" The interviewer probes when Tina doesn't elaborate.
"Yes. So does all my friends." She is crying now, but Tina always cries, so Kurt is not gonna jump to conclusions.
"Are they still in there?" The interviewer hands Tina some tissues which she accepts. She daps at her eyes gingerly.
"Yes. I was late for Glee practice. I had just entered the school when I heard the shots. Then I turned and ran out to call the police. I was such a coward. I should have checked on them." Tina babbles and Kurt's last hope is squashed. Blaine is in there. With an armed gunman. Right now. Oh my God.
"There was nothing you could have done, honey. You did the right thing." The interviewer says. "The police will do everything they can to get them out safely."
"No, you don't understand. They're the target!" Tina is now hysterically sobbing. "The Glee Club is the only club staying this late after school. Everyone knows that. Whoever is in there came for them."
Tina is then led away and Kurt stands there shocked, her words running through his head on repeat. "They're the target." No. "Whoever is in there came for them." No no no no. This can't be happening. There is not someone in his old school armed with a weapon, looking for his Blaine right now. Blaine might die? What if he's already dead? Kurt feels like he's been punched in the stomach. No. It's not possible. It can't be. I would have felt it. But what if? What if I will never get to tell Blaine I still love him?
The news turn back to their standard coverage after that and the first thing Kurt does is grab his phone and turn it back on. A million messages and unanswered calls come in and now he is not surprised. No personal texts from Blaine - although he did send one tweet out.
"There's a shooter in the school. Trapped. Call the police." It reads.
Short and to the point. It's unnatural. So unlike Blaine who is usually waxing poetically. And always using way too many emoticons. Ever since Kurt's known him, the boy has never been able to send a simple text that didn't go over the 160 character limit. Well, except for that first one. Courage. He could use some of that right now.
Admittedly he is pretty hurt that Blaine didn't send him a text, but could he really expect him to? Kurt's torn. It's not like they're dating anymore. He really wants to call Blaine up, tell him he loves him and that everything will be okay, but he knows it's a bad idea. The last thing Blaine needs right now is Kurt potentially giving away his location to a killer. Instead he calls up Santana as fast as he can, she answers on the first ring and he has to cut her off when she starts cursing at him in Spanish. He does not have time for this.
"I know, Santana. I know. Just saw the news. Could you shut up for a second." He barks. "Listen, I am going to Ohio. I am booking my ticket as we speak." He really is. He just clicked buy on the app. "Sure, alright. There's a plane leaving in 45 minutes."
He is not surprised she wants to come with. Brittany is in the same position as Blaine is right now and Kurt knows perfectly well how Santana feels about the girl. "No, I am not going home, I have clothes stocked at my dad's place. Yes, I'm sure we can all stay there."
Kurt shoves his school things back in his bag and leaves the shop running as fast as he can down the street dodging people left and right and almost knocking over an old lady. "Sorry! Sorry!" He manages to yell. "No, I wasn't talking to you Santana. Right okay, I'm at the small coffee shop on the corner right next to the subway. Okay, see you there."
He's agreed to meet up with Santana at the airport in 30 minutes, they can make it. They don't have any luggage to check in after all. The train ride seems to take forever and Kurt goes on his phone to see if there is any further development. They are now airing the only 911 call that came from inside the school itself.
"My name is William Schuster. I am a teacher at William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio. There is a gunman in the school. We are trapped in the choir room. Send help!" Mr Schuester sounds terrified, but in control of the situation and he didn't mention anything about anyone being hurt. It makes Kurt feel a little better.
As soon as he gets off the train Santana is rushing at him engulfing him in a bone-crushing hug. He wasn't expecting that and it's not until he pulls back and takes a real good look at her that he sees just how rattled she is. Santana rarely shows her emotions but it's clear she's been crying, the smudged mascara gives it away. "It's okay." He says. "She'll be fine. They all will."
"How do you know?" Santana asks and Kurt's not sure he has ever heard her voice sound like that, small and afraid. "I don't." He answers honestly. "But I have to believe it, because if anything happens to Blaine I don't know how I would survive it." She nods knowingly. "Me neither." And they both know that she is not talking about Blaine.
They board the plane not long after and Kurt reluctantly has to turn his phone off during take-off. He doesn't want to. He's been watching the news, obsessively checking for updates and just having it on feels like a lifeline, but he knows he has to. He can do this. In about 1 hour and 21 minutes, he will be in the same state as Blaine and then it's just a short car ride to Lima. He's already called his dad to come pick them up at the airport. If they don't run into any red lights, they will be there in less than two hours. What could happen in two hours, that's no time at all when you think about it. Just keep telling yourself that.
When the light lets him know it's okay to switch on his phone again, he does. He is not prepared for what he sees. The news is now showing video from inside the choir room, courtesy of Artie, of course. Always the filmmaker. It's absolutely heartbreaking watching his friends leave messages for their loved ones. He feels Santana rest her head on his shoulder, watching quietly.
And suddenly Blaine is there. On the screen. Sitting down behind the piano wearing his red and white cheerleading outfit with his knees pulled up to his chest. And looking more scared that Kurt has ever seen him. He just wants to reach out and hold him, but of course he can't. Kurt lets out a small whimper and a few tears escape. That's when he feels Santana take his hand and hold it tightly. He gives her a grateful watery smile, then squeezes her hand a little and they both turn back to the recording.
"Artie, what are you doing?" Blaine whispers, his eyes are wet.
"If we don't get out of here, people need to see this." Artie whispers back and Blaine just crumbles in on himself, hiding his face in his arms. Kurt knows he's crying and it breaks his heart. He wishes he could be there.
"Does anyone have anything they want to say?" Artie asks. Apparently Ryder does, because next thing Kurt knows Artie appears to be crawling over to him sticking the camera in his face. Kurt can't help but selfishly wish Artie would keep the camera on Blaine.
"I love you dad." Ryder says wetly. "Thanks for like...everything and I know I don't always let you know but you taught me a lot." Artie then moves on to Marley who is huddled next to Jake. She is openly crying, so is he. It is so hard to watch this.
"There's a fake bottom to my desk drawer." She confesses. "If you look under it...um...there's a journal with a bunch of songs that I wrote. I never told anyone, but I'm really proud of them."
She sits back, clearly done and the camera zooms in on Jake. "Um...mom...Puck. I love you guys." That's all he has to say and Artie is quick to zoom out and move the camera to Sam, who as far as Kurt can tell is directly across from Blaine. He knows because he can hear Blaine's desperate whisper from behind the camera: "Turn it off. Please...turn it off."
Kurt has mixed feelings, on one side he's glad Artie isn't turning it off, because at least as long as it's on he's not in the dark and he can see Blaine. But on the other side he is angry at Artie because he's doing something Blaine is clearly uncomfortable with. The camera is still on Sam and Artie prompts him to say something, but Sam just reaches out and smacks the camera out of Artie's hand making it turn off as soon as he hears Blaine's pleading. Kurt is grateful. He will have to thank Sam for that one if they make it out. No, Kurt corrects himself. When. When they make it out. Because they will make it out. He can't accept the alternative.
When the camera comes on again, it seems like Sam changed his mind about taping a video and Kurt can't find it within himself to begrudge Sam his wish to say a final goodbye. "Mom, dad. I love you guys." He starts. "And...there's a cat in my backpack in my locker. Please feed her for me." Despite the situation Kurt can't help but snort, because it's just so Sam, he feels Santana laugh silently next to him too.
Unique is next: "To anyone who ever watches this. Never stop being yourself." Kurt has a lot of respect for her, they are kind of kindred spirits. She is followed by Kitty and even though Kurt never liked the girl, he feels sorry for her: "Hi mom and dad, I just wanted you to know that I love you and this has been the best year of my life...even though maybe it didn't seem like it." And then Artie comes on: "I just wanna say that I've had the best experience of my entire life in this room and I love these people more than anything."
Nothing from Blaine. Kurt is both relieved and disappointed by that. Disappointed because he is aching to see his beautiful face again and relieved because he's not actually sure he could watch Blaine say goodbye to him without breaking down completely.
"She wasn't there." Santana blurts and Kurt blinks.
"What?" He asks dumbly.
"Brittany. She wasn't in the choir room with them."
Oh...he hadn't really noticed. Too focused on Blaine.
"It doesn't have to mean anything, San." As soon as his words are out though, she starts crying.
"What if she's lying alone in a hallway somewhere...bleeding...dying...alone." He immediately sits up straight pulling her with him and looking into her eyes. "Stop it. Don't think like that." He wipes away a few tears from her cheeks.
"Sorry." She whispers. "I'm just so scared." Kurt pulls her in for a hug and she clings to him.
"Me too." He sighs. "Me too." He is really tired of being scared.
They land safely in Ohio after only 1 hour and 15 minutes and Kurt thanks his lucky stars. His dad is already there waiting and Kurt throws himself at Burt. "Dad!" He buries his head in his fathers arms and just breathes him in. The smell of laundry detergent, grease and just Burt always meant comfort to Kurt and that's something he desperately needs right now. His dad hugs him back just as fiercely and then makes Kurt look at him.
"He will be fine, Kurt. Okay? Nothing's gonna happen to that boy. He isn't going anywhere, you hear me?"
Kurt just nods and hopes his dad is right. Then Burt gives Santana a hug too – after that they are all slipping into the car and as soon as they are on the road the first thing Kurt does is turn his phone on and back to the news. They got new footage. Artie is apparently uploading it directly to Twitter.
The camera comes on again and it's pointed in Ryder's direction. He is calling someone and a phone rings in the choir room. No, Kurt thinks. Turn it off, they can't hear you! Almost as soon as he thinks it, he sees and hears Blaine again: "You guys, find that phone and turn it off!" He sounds and looks absolutely petrified with fear now and again Kurt wishes he wasn't so far away.
Well, not exactly far now...but definitely not close enough either. They have just passed the "Welcome to Lima" sign and the school is only 10 minutes away now, but Kurt knows those 10 minutes is gonna feel like 10 hours. What happens in the video next is horrible and his knuckles turn white as he clasps the phone too tightly in his hands. Someone grabs the handle to the choir room and jiggles it, trying to turn it. The sound is unmistakable and he hears and sees all of his friends whimper and try to hold back screams as someone keeps banging on the door trying to get in. Then it focuses on the door and there's a shadow behind it. At lot of commotion follows and then the camera abruptly cuts out right as the door opens.
Kurt is frozen in his seat, his ears are ringing. Someone got into the room. That much was clear. Was it the shooter? Are they all dead now? Is Blaine dead? He starts hyperventilating. "No no no no." He chants over and over. Next to him he barely registers his dad speeding up and Santana shaking him. All he can see in his head is a massacre in the choir room...bodies everywhere...Blaine in a puddle of blood...empty dead eyes staring at him. "No no no no no." Oh God, what am I gonna do? I can't live without him. Kurt is not sure how long he's been catatonic, but it was apparently long enough for someone to slap him. He blinks, dazed...as he becomes aware of his surroundings again.
"There you are." Burt's voice. "You scared me, buddy." He looks at his dad, then at Santana, then back to his dad. "Did you just slap me?" He asks, confused and a little shocked. "Come on, Kurt. You know I would never lay a hand on you, but..." And his dad looks a little apologetic. "I did give her permission to." He nods his head in Santana's direction.
"You did what!?" Kurt shrieks and he knows his voice is getting to the point where dogs will be coming around the corner any minute now. He glares at his friend who just shrugs. "I had to. You were completely out of it. I'm not sorry." With that she leaves the car and Kurt realizes they're there.
He jumps out of the car taking off in a run after Santana who is in just as much hurry as him, Burt trailing behind them - but when they reach the barrier, they are not allowed further. "Please!" Kurt begs the officer. "My boyfriend is in there!" He doesn't even realize what he just said or that Santana is side-eyeing him until she blurts out: "And so is my girlfriend! We have to see them! Please." The officer just shakes his head. "Sorry. I can't let you in." Then he turns his back on them and they both slump down on the grass. Clothes be damned. He looks at Santana.
"You do realize Brittany is dating Sam, right? She's not your girlfriend anymore."
"So? I just heard you refer to Blaine as your "boyfriend," even though you are seeing someone else in New York." Santana challenges him.
"Touche." He concedes. The situation is nothing if not complicated.
They just sit for a few minutes and Kurt uses the opportunity to really take a look around. So much chaos. He remembers coming here every day. But it never looked like this. People all over the place, sirens, news wagons, police cars and ambulances, a SWAT car. That choir room used to be his safe place, he wonders if he will still look at it the same after this? Then he spots the interviewer that talked to Tina earlier. Speaking of, where is Tina? He does a quick search around the area and finds her in the back of one of the ambulances.
"What happened?" He asks alarmed as he watches Tina unconscious on the stretcher. When the medic is not forthcoming he tries again. "Please, her name is Tina, she is one of my friends!"
That seems to mellow the medic out. "Nothing to worry about. She was hysterical so we gave her a sedative to calm her down." Oh...yeah, that sounds like Tina. "Will she be okay?" He asks. "She should be fine." The medic smiles at him. Good.
He walks off to find Santana again. She is right where he left her. It's eerily quiet. He can't understand what's happening. Didn't they see the video? Why aren't they doing anything? On the ground Santana is just sitting staring at nothing, so when he sees the news reporter ready to go on, he inches closer to the action hoping to gain some info.
"It's been 15 minutes since SWAT entered the building." She says. "No movement since." Just then the doors to the school opens and the SWAT team pours out. "Wait..." The reporter states. "Something's happening." Pandemonium pretty much ensues after that. Everyone is running at the entrance to the school, there are flashing lights everywhere, a sea of people; cops, medics, reporters, parents here to find out the fate of their kids. Kurt is among them, fighting his way through. Fighting his way to Blaine. But he can't see him. Can't see anything. Still he has to know. He just has to know Blaine is okay. And then he sees him. A huge SWAT guy steps to the side and Kurt spots a flash of red and white before Blaine emerges about 30 feet away, looking shaken but unharmed.
"BLAINE!" He screams and he watches Blaine looking around. When their eyes finally meet, he can see Blaine's lips mouthing "Kurt?" He can't hear him over the noise though, it's just so loud so he starts running. Running to Blaine at the same time Blaine starts running towards him. When they reach each other Kurt pulls Blaine in and holds on to him tighter than he ever has.
"Oh my God, Blaine." He whispers into his ear." I was so scared." Kurt barely notices he's started crying, nor does he see the news cameras catching every last bit of their reunion. All he can focus on is Blaine in his arms, clinging to him for dear life. Like he never wants to let go and Kurt doesn't want him to. "Kurt." Blaine cries into his shirt. "Oh, Kurt." Now they're both crying, just standing completely still in each others arms while people rush all around them. The tears come from pure relief...Kurt is relieved Blaine is still here and Blaine is just relieved that it's over.
Then the sheer joy and love takes over and Kurt leans back from the embrace only to pull Blaine into a searing kiss. Right in the middle of homophobic Ohio. He doesn't care. Right in front of the news wagons. He doesn't care. Right in eyeline of the whole student body who has showed up to watch the drama unfold. He doesn't care. He could have lost his love forever today, but he didn't and he is gonna take full advantage of that. In this moment nothing exists except for the two of them. Blaine seems to be on the same page as he kisses back just as passionately. It's a thrilling moment. One that is documented thoroughly from all angles by every news crew present - as they would find out later.
When they finally break apart Blaine's face is lit up with happiness. "I can't believe you're here, Kurt." He says into Kurt's shoulder where his head is resting. "I'm here." Kurt breathes. "Now lets get you checked out? You're okay right? Not shot or anything?" Kurt steps back to give Blaine a thorough once-over as Blaine smiles. "I'm fine." Kurt just quirks an eyebrow. "I think we should let the medics be the judge of that. Come on."
Without thinking he drags Blaine to the same ambulance he visited earlier and he watches Blaine's eyes widen when he spots Tina. "Oh my God, what happened? Is she dead?!"
"Whoa, Blaine...honey. Relax." Kurt is quick to soothe the frantic boy. "She wasn't shot. They had to give her something to sleep on because she freaked out." Blaine blinks, then: "Yeah, that sounds like Tina." And Kurt bursts out laughing. "What?" Blaine asks, perplexed. "Nothing." Kurt says. "Just...sometimes we think so alike." Blaine knits his eyebrows together. "Is that a bad thing?" He asks, pouting. "No. It's the best thing." And Kurt just has to lean in and kiss that pout off his face.
It's barely 5 minutes later when they are dismissed by the paramedic and Blaine's been given a clean bill of health. He is also strongly encouraged to seek psychological help if he needs it. Kurt watches him talk to one of the counsellors and is happy he's taking this seriously. Blaine accepts her card, promising to call her to set up an appointment.
While the curly-haired boy is busy doing that Kurt checks the last of Artie's videos. It's showing the group after they were rescued and he watches with a fond smile as Blaine is sobbing into Sam's shoulder while Sam holds him tight. He can hear Blaine's loud cries and he's glad that Blaine is letting it all out instead of keeping it in. It's healthy. He is also glad that "Blam" is a thing. After the rough start the two had, he's surprised they suddenly got along like two peas in a pod, but he'll take it. Blaine needs someone around when Kurt's not there.
Since Blaine's parents aren't home as usual, Burt invites him to stay with them for which Kurt is grateful. He is definitely not ready to let Blaine out of his sight yet. He is not sure he will ever be okay with that to be honest. They find Santana who has a teary goodbye with Brittany and they watch her stare after Britt with miserable eyes as the woman of her dreams walks right back into another man's arms.
"I know Sam's my bro and all." Blaine says. "But...I never felt like he and Brittany had any chemistry." Kurt nods sadly. "I'm with you there, but it's not any of our business." Then he remembers something. "Hey, why don't you go see how Santana is doing. I need to speak to Sam for a moment." Blaine gives him a look of confusion, but complies.
"Hey Sam?" He taps the taller boy on the shoulder. "Can I talk to you for a minute."
"Kurt? What a surprise. I would ask what you're doing here, but I think I know." Sam sends a not too discreet nod in Blaine's direction and smiles goofily. Kurt returns it. How can he not. It's Sam.
"Yeah, something like that." He smiles, then continues. "I actually wanted to talk to you about Blaine. I saw the videos from the choir room. I know what you did." Sam goes pale almost right away and Kurt knows the blond has completely misunderstood him.
"No, Kurt...what? I would never, we're not...I mean, not to diss your taste or anything...it's not like he's not handsome, I can acknowledge male beauty when I see it without being gay and trust me, if I were into dudes I would totally be into him...I mean, he's kind of adorable sometimes, but I have a hot girlfriend and..." Kurt honestly has to stop him there, because Sam referring to Blaine as "adorable" just weirded him out. Not that it isn't true. Blaine is adorable.
"Sam...easy..." But the blond is still babbling nonsense so Kurt claps his hands loudly in front of his face making him shut up instantly. "Are we calm now?" Kurt gives him no time to answer. "Good. Now listen. I am not suggesting anything shady is going on. I just mean, you looked out for him when Artie had that camera in his face and you comforted him afterwards. And I just wanna say...I'm glad he has you, Sam. He needs you."
"Oh, well." Sam is blushing now. "I need him just as much, you know. He's my best bro."
"I know. And I'm okay with that. So thank you. You're a good friend."
"It was really nothing, Kurt." Sam smiles a bit embarrassed.
"No, Sam. It was something to me and I suspect everything to Blaine." Kurt then leans in to give the tall blond a hug. "Take care of yourself." He smiles as he pulls back and Sam smiles warmly back at him. "Same to you, Kurt. Now go take care of your man." He winks and Kurt just grins back at him before joining Blaine and Santana who is talking to Burt.
"What was that about?" Blaine asks.
"Oh, nothing." Kurt answers cryptically. "Don't worry about it, everything is fine. Now, I don't know about you, but I'm dead on my feet and I could use some dinner."
They all agree and pile into the car, with Kurt and Blaine curling up together in the backseat. The ride home is quiet and Blaine falls asleep on Kurt's shoulder even though Burt's house is only 20 minutes away. Kurt doesn't blame him. After the trauma he's been through, he must be drained. He wakes him up with a kiss once they get there and also forces the boy to eat something but it quickly becomes clear that Blaine is completely exhausted now that the adrenaline is wearing off. Kurt takes him to his old room without any comment from Burt, his dad knows they're pretty much adults now and simply wishes them a good night.
When they get there Kurt helps Blaine undress down to his boxer briefs and the boy is asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow. Kurt goes through his own skincare routine and then joins Blaine in bed, only dressed in underwear too. He pulls Blaine in, cuddling him close and Blaine mumbles something in his sleep before laying his head on Kurt's chest and settling down again. Kurt smiles. It always were their favorite sleeping position back when they were together. Are they together now, he wonders. Does he want to be? Does Blaine want to be? They have been acting awfully coupley since their embrace earlier. And then there was the kiss. Kisses, to be exact. Was that just a spur of the moment thing? Are they only holding on to each other so desperately now because of the shock they've had? He looks down at the sleeping boy who is now drooling on him and as a warm fuzzy feeling that reminds him a lot of butterflies fills him from head to toe, Kurt comes to the conclusion that it was definitely not just the adrenaline talking. He is so in love. He never stopped being in love. And he's tired of fighting it, these intense feelings for Blaine. He's ready to give in and he is gonna have to discuss this with Blaine when he wakes up. With that last thought he drifts off to sleep.
It's a while later, but still night when he starts waking up to the gentle touch of a hand against his jaw. "Mmmm." He mumbles and leans into it, because it feels so good. But then the hand disappears and he makes an unhappy questioning sound. He tries to roll his head, to chase it and hears a chuckle and a voice - but it seems like it's coming from somewhere far away.
"Kurt? Baby? Are you awake?"
He manages to open his tired eyes a little bit and comes face to face with Blaine who is now sitting up with Kurt's head in his lap. Blaine's stroking his hair, his expression so soft. "There you are." He says and Blaine is reminding Kurt so much of Burt in that moment. He is gonna make a great dad someday.
"T'is nice." Kurt slurs and yawns when he tries to sit. "But why are you up?"
"Had a nightmare." Blaine shrugs. "But the counsellor did say it was to be expected."
"Wanna talk about it?" Kurt asks, concerned. "What was it about?"
"Oh, just...total mayhem in the choir room...the gunman breaks in, everyone dies, blood splatters everywhere, that sort of thing."
"I'm sorry." Kurt says because he doesn't know what else to do. "Are you okay?"
"As well as I can be, I guess." Blaine whispers and there's a short pause before he adds. "I couldn't, you know..." And Kurt quirks his head to the side. "Say goodbye to you. You were the first person I thought of when those shots rang out. It wasn't my mom or dad or even Cooper. And you were also the first person that came to mind when Artie asked if we had anything to say. God, Kurt. I thought I was gonna die and I had so much left to say to you. More than there was time for, more than I could ever express." Blaine's voice breaks a little and Kurt moves forward hugging him tightly and just listens to him, knowing Blaine needs to say this. "In the end, I just...I couldn't get the words out. It made it too final. I felt like...if I said it out loud, it would make it all real and seal my fate. I would really die and never get the chance to say those words to your face. I know it's stupid, but..." Blaine chokes on the last word.
"No. No honey, it's not stupid." Kurt whispers as he runs his hands through Blaine's curls and up and down his back, comforting. "I understand, it's okay."
They are silent for a while, just breathing together and Kurt starts to think maybe Blaine fell back asleep, but then he breaks the embrace to look Kurt in the eyes. "I'm so glad you're here, Kurt. But..." Blaine hesitates, then breathes out. "Why are you here? I was sitting for an hour watching you sleep and I can't figure it out." Kurt says nothing, he doesn't know where to start and Blaine continues. "Santana told me." This time Kurt raises an eyebrow questioning. "About how you freaked out on the way to the school. Said she had to slap you to get you to respond. Why was that?" And Blaine is looking at him with such earnest eyes that Kurt has to tell the truth.
"I thought you were dead." He says. "I had just seen the video Artie taped of the moment when I guess SWAT came in to save you, only it stopped recording right when the door opened and I thought it was the gunman." Blaine nods. "Artie and his stupid camera."
"Yeah, I noticed you weren't so fond of it." Kurt says.
"That's an understatement." Blaine breathes. "I mean, if you can die at any moment the last thing you want is a camera invading your personal space. I reached a whole new level of compassion for Princess Diana and what she must have gone through stuck in that car, surrounded by paparazzi."
"I get it. I do." Kurt says. "But I was actually glad Artie taped it."
"Why?" Blaine looks truly baffled. "Why would you want to see that?"
"Because it was one of the only reasons I was able to keep my sanity through-out the whole ordeal. Seeing you, knowing you weren't lying somewhere bleeding out already."
"Oh." Blaine looks down at the duvet and starts picking and it and Kurt knows they are not gonna get anywhere unless he makes the first move.
"Yeah, oh." Kurt sighs and stops Blaine's nervous fidgeting by taking his hand in his. "Listen Blaine. I am gonna be honest with you. The thought of losing you sent me into a downward spiral of absolute terror that I have never experienced before and hope to never experience again. I still love you. I am still in love with you. I've forgiven you, I trust you again and I want you back."
"What about...Adam?" Blaine barely gets his name out, Kurt notices. "I thought you were dating him, but then you come here and you kiss me and call me honey...and...Kurt, I'm confused."
"Adam doesn't mean anything to me. We were never serious, never exclusive and most certainly never boyfriends. And whether or not we get back together, as soon as I get back in town I am breaking it off with him for good."
"Oh." That's all the response he gets and Kurt starts sweating a little.
"You are saying that an awful lot."
"I'm overwhelmed." Blaine admits. "I honestly never thought I would get a second chance. A real second chance, that is. Not like...at the wedding. Not that it was bad." He is quick to add when he sees Kurt's expression. "It just wasn't exactly what I wanted either." Blaine is looking down at the bedding again refusing to meet his eyes.
"I mean it, Blaine." Kurt says. "If we start over right here, right now, we wipe the slate clean. But you have to promise to communicate better, to tell me what is wrong and not assume I know. I'm not a mind reader. And I will of course do the same with you." Kurt thinks, then adds. "And if I start acting like an asshole again, call me out on it. Talk to me. Tell me that you're unhappy. But don't cheat on me again. Take your own advice." Blaine's head snaps up as the words he once uttered are parroted back to him and he knows Kurt has a point.
"You're right." He whispers and bows his head again. "You're absolutely right."
"Of course, I'm right." Kurt quips. "I'm Kurt Hummel." And Blaine laughs which was exactly what Kurt was going for. "So..." He says as he puts a finger under Blaine's chin to lift it up and look into his eyes. "Are we doing this again?" Blaine leaning in and kissing him hungrily is the only answer he gets and the only one he needs as they lose themselves to passion.
A few days after they are back in the school to...as Mr. Schuester called it..."reclaim the choir room." Kurt thinks it's a bit too soon, but all the others seemed eager to go, so he tagged along to spectate, never letting go of Blaine's hand. Tina is there too. They all visit the choir room for a while, sitting in a circle on the floor, talking about what happened. About Becky and the gun and how surreal it all is. No one is mad at Becky though. They all know that she didn't do it on purpose and he notices that Blaine...all of them really, seem a lot lighter afterward. They are laughing and goofing around with each other and it's almost like the horrifying experience they went through in that room never happened.
Later they all gather in the auditorium where they have pulled some benches together to be closer to each other. They talk and everyone teases them about "Klaine" being the new "Twitter sensation." Apparently the kiss from their reconciliation in front of the school was broadcast to the whole wide world live and someone leaked their names to the press so now their "epic romance" is trending. They have already been asked for interviews which they've declined and Sam's been sending them "fan videos" of the special moment set to romantic songs the last two days as a joke, not knowing they've actually watched and saved all of them in their browser history. Because they're that couple and they're adorable and Kurt wants to use those clips in the future...at their wedding, maybe. But he's getting too ahead of himself. He returns from his wedding daydream when he hears guitar music. Sam brought his guitar to the gathering and when a few members of the orchestra joins them Kurt sits next to Blaine as they all sing a classic John Mayer song he later learns they practiced the week before.
Have no fear for giving in
Have no fear for giving over
You'd better know that in the end
It's better to say too much
Than never to say what you need to say again.
Say what you need to say, Kurt thinks as the song comes to an end. How appropriate.
He looks at Blaine, taking his hand and placing a kiss on it as Blaine chats along with Sam distractedly.
"Blaine?"
"Mm?" Blaine turns to him, a question in his eyes.
"I love you." Kurt smiles. "Just in case I never get the chance to say it again." Blaine's warm smile in return could probably light up the whole world.
"I love you too. And don't worry. You will have the rest of our lives to tell me." With that he leans in for a kiss and Kurt is more than happy to give it to him.
THE END