"Until I Met You"
Summary: Kurt has always been the only one he knows with abilities. Blaine has always been told to hide his abilities. When the truth comes out, they find an incredible friendship in each other, and much, much more. Heroes!AU for Gleekover2014 theme Sci-Fi.
A/N: No, I totally didn't use West and Claire's story as inspiration for this fic… Nope. Totally not. (Okay, maybe I did. I just love West and Claire so much! And I love their combination of powers, so…)
Blaine had always grown up thinking that his abilities were something to hide. Something to be ashamed of. Something that no one else could possibly understand. And he'd always believed it, because why would his parents lie to him? They were just trying to protect him, right.
Then he met the one person who made him want to spill everything: Kurt Hummel.
Kurt was in his AP Biology class, and it was pretty obvious why he was such an expert on the subject. He could… heal things, with just a wave of his hand. And he wasn't very subtle about it. Blaine remembered the day the school had found out about him; and he hadn't bothered hiding it since. But Blaine could never be that open about his abilities; he couldn't bear the persecution that came with it. He couldn't do what Kurt did. Blaine knew that was the main reason, even more so than Kurt's sexuality—which he also didn't hide—why the people at McKinley High were so cruel to him. He was different, and that meant he was a threat. They feared him, so they despised him.
Blaine feared him, too, but for a different reason. He often found himself wanting to confide in Kurt, tell him about his abilities. They were lab partners and it was incredibly distracting watching him use his abilities to turn a wilted flower into a beautiful blossom. He had to constantly remind himself why he couldn't just lean over and tell him his secret. It would ruin everything.
The only place he could use his ability was in the privacy of his own room, at night when his parents were asleep.
When he was certain they were sleeping he would climb out of bed and grin excitedly as his feet hovered a few inches off the ground. Sometimes he went higher than that, but he didn't want to break something like last time. Sometimes he even dared to venture out onto the balcony connected to his window and stand on the railing, feeling as if he was truly flying.
He never took it much further than that, though. He was too afraid. He always remembered what his parents said—"No one can ever know; you can never use it."—but sometimes he wondered if that was true. He knew there would be people who wouldn't understand, people who would hate him for it, but he also knew of one person who wouldn't. Kurt. Kurt would understand.
Sometimes he had dreams that he was soaring, and sometimes… Sometimes Kurt was with him.
It was just another day in Biology class. As usual, Kurt and Blaine finished the assignment early. However, one thing was different. For the first time, Blaine had worked up to courage to actually say something to him. "So… Uh, do you know anyone who's… like you?" he asked quietly.
Kurt looked over at him, raising an eyebrow suspiciously. "And why do you suddenly decide it's okay to talk to me? I thought you were afraid of me."
Blaine shook his head, stuttering out a response. "Well, I wouldn't necessarily say I'm afraid. I think it's actually more of a fascination. But, I mean, if you don't want to talk to me, or this is too weird, I'll just—"
"No," Kurt said, softly. His lips curled into a small smile and Blaine found it incredibly charming. He wanted to see that smile more often. "It's nice," he added."
"Oh," Blaine said dumbly. "So, um, have you ever met anyone like you?"
Kurt's smile disappeared and Blaine felt a pang of disappointed. "No," he said. "I… I haven't. I want to, though. Someday. I hope I'm not the only one."
You aren't, Blaine wanted to say. He wanted to make Kurt smile again. He wanted to tell him he wasn't alone. He just wanted to tell him that he had powers, too. He didn't want to be alone, either.
Instead, he smiled empathetically and said, "I'm sure there's someone out there."
It sounded so insincere and horribly inadequate because he knew exactly how Kurt felt. He knew what it meant to be lonely.
But he also knew what it was like to be afraid. And it was that fear that kept him from spilling the truth. It was that fear that kept him from completely ignoring his parents' advice and just flying free—literally. He didn't want to be afraid all of his life. Kurt made him want to be brave for once. But he just couldn't. It wasn't safe, and he couldn't bear the risk.
It was a week after their conversation that Blaine felt more alone than ever. Kurt hadn't been in class that day, and Blaine was shocked by how much he missed him. Since their first conversation, they were much more talkative during their time together. They had a lot in common—a lot more than Kurt realized—and Blaine found himself blushing whenever their hands brushed during an assignment.
But going an entire day without even seeing Kurt was like torture. Even if he couldn't tell Kurt his secret, he still felt safer around the boy than he'd ever felt before. It was unbelievably freeing.
He was spending his lunchtime sitting on the bleachers lining the football field, picking at his food and squinting at the sun. There was no one else around. He wished he had the courage to just fly around the stadium and let himself go. He hated feeling like he was trapped.
Maybe a little hovering wouldn't hurt anything. Biting his lip, he stepped onto the top bleacher, taking a deep breath before lifting himself off the metal. His arms were spread out to either side and he looked up at the sky, closing his eyes. Without realizing it, he went higher, and higher, and higher…
"Hey!"
Blaine gasped, falling due to the concentration lapse. He cried out when he landed on his ankle weird and fell on his shoulder a few steps down from where he'd started. A few seconds later, he heard hurried footsteps climbing the bleachers and getting closer to him. This is it, he thought. This is the end of the secrecy. Now I'll be hated and bullied just like Kurt.
"Are you okay?" a familiar voice asked. Blaine opened his eyes, surprised to see that it was Kurt standing in front of him and helping him to sit up. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to… Here, let me help," he said, seeing the way Blaine's ankle was twisted at a strange angle. He waved a hand over the limb and it corrected itself with a quick snap. Blaine cried out through gritted teeth, sitting up with a pained groan.
To his surprise, though, after a few seconds his ankle actually felt better. As did his shoulder after Kurt did the same to the bruised area.
"Are you okay?" Kurt repeated, looking at Blaine with concern. Blaine looked over at him—at some point, he'd sat down on the bleachers beside Blaine—and was speechless for a moment.
"You… Where were you today?"
"My car broke down this morning so I came to school late. I'm here now, aren't I?"
Blaine managed a smile. "Yeah. Yeah, you are."
"So…" Kurt started, unsure of how to broach the subject.
"So," Blaine agreed.
"You're like me."
"It looks that way."
"And you never told me."
"I was afraid."
Kurt looked hurt, staring at Blaine with sad eyes. "I felt so lonely. Why were you afraid to tell me? I, of all people, would understand what you're going through."
"I was lonely, too," Blaine admitted. "I'm sorry, I just… I was too scared. I've always been told that this was something I had to hide. But then I met you and I wanted to tell you the second I saw you. I just couldn't."
Kurt took Blaine's hand, squeezing it softly. "You don't have to be afraid anymore."
"I know," Blaine whispered. "And now you know. And I'm so glad that you do. I didn't want to hide it from you any longer."
Blaine was surprised when Kurt suddenly threw his arms around him, hugging him tightly. "I'm so glad I met you." They were both silent for a while, until Kurt pulled back and said, "Let's go for a walk."
Blaine couldn't help but agree.
They walked all over the city, Lima Bean coffees warm in their hands while their free hands were linked between them.
"So, do you have any other abilities?" Kurt asked. "My dad says that some people have been said to have had more than one."
Blaine's eyes widened. "Really? That's incredible! I… I just have the one. What about you?"
Kurt smiled. "Well… technically, it's just one ability, but it kind of goes both ways. I can heal other things and people, but my body also heals itself instantly. It still hurts but it goes away fast. I could walk five steps to my right, into moving traffic, and I'd be fine."
Blaine stared at him in awe, switching positions as an afterthought and moving Kurt further from the street. Kurt laughed, squeezing his hand. "I never said I would. I just said I could. Calm down."
"Just to be safe," Blaine said, and Kurt giggled even more.
"You're sweet," he said. Blaine blushed, smiling at Kurt. "Thank you."
Blaine nodded, smiling even wider. "Any time."
They continued walking, both smiling to themselves.
Somehow, they ended up back at Kurt's house. They reached the front porch and Blaine wasn't quite ready to say goodbye. "Can I see you again sometime?" he asked shyly.
Kurt smiled teasingly. "You'll see me tomorrow in Biology."
Blaine laughed. "I know, but I mean… like this. When can we do this again?"
"Whenever you want," Kurt said, blushing. "You know where to find me."
Blaine smiled, but he didn't let go of Kurt's hands yet. "Would you stop me if I kissed you?" he whispered.
Kurt smiled shyly, stepping closer. "Be my guest."
Blaine leaned up to press his lips to Kurt's, soft and tentative. When Kurt deepened the kiss, Blaine's chest fluttered happily and he suddenly felt his feet leave the ground. He gripped Kurt's waist and spun them in a circle mid-air. When they parted and Blaine brought Kurt back to the ground, Kurt grinned brightly at him. "You're amazing."
Blaine grinned right back. "Ditto."
Kurt laughed, pecking Blaine's lips softly before stepping back. "I should probably go inside. My dad will be wondering where I was."
"Go ahead," Blaine said, smiling softly. "I'll see you tomorrow. And then some, I'm hoping."
"And then some," Kurt agreed, reaching for the doorknob. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Kurt."
That night, Blaine didn't even need to leave his bed to feel like he was flying.
It was about five weeks later, on a Saturday, when Blaine showed up outside Kurt's bedroom window just before sunset. He grinned as Kurt opened the glass. "Ready to go for a ride?"
Kurt smiled. "Hmm, what does my boyfriend have in store for me tonight?"
"A surprise!" he exclaimed, eyes wide with excitement. "Trust me, you'll love it."
Kurt laughed fondly. "All right. In that case, off we go!"
Kurt climbed out of his basement window and wrapped his arms around Blaine's shoulders. Blaine hugged his waist and then they were soaring. Kurt hugged him tighter as Blaine flew faster.
Before Kurt knew it, they were flying high above the New York skyline. It always amazed Kurt how fast Blaine could fly.
"You told me a few weeks ago that it was your dream to move to New York someday. Well, here we are. The city is yours tonight."
Kurt looked around in awe, feeling safe as ever in Blaine's arms despite the fact that they were hundreds of feet in the air.
"Blaine, this is amazing. I can't believe you did this for me."
Blaine grinned. "I told you you'd love it."
A few minutes later, Blaine sat them down on a rooftop where they could perfectly see the sunset just as it was showing its last glimpse.
The sat on the edge of the rooftop and watched in silence, content to hold each other the whole night through. Then Kurt spoke up.
"I used to see how high I could jump from and survive," he admitted.
Blaine looked over at him, a bit surprised. He listened for more, though.
"I had a friend last year, before I transferred to McKinley, who knew about me. I asked him to drive me to the tallest building he knew. We drove to Columbus and found it. And I jumped. For a few seconds, it really felt like I was flying. It felt like I was free. Then I hit the ground, and it hurt like hell, but I was fine. I was completely fine. And it was terrifying, but it was exhilarating."
Blaine nodded a bit. "Why are you telling me this?"
"Do you trust me?"
"Of course, but what—"
Before he could finish his question, Kurt had flung himself off the side of the building, plummeting towards the concrete alley below. Blaine's heart sank.
He'll be fine, he reminded himself.
But he'll still be hurting, said another, larger part of his mind. In a flash, he dived and swooped in to catch Kurt gently in his arms. Kurt gasped and clung to him as Blaine carefully lowered them to the ground.
"Why did you catch me?" Kurt asked, breathless. "I would have been okay."
"I know," Blaine said. "But I never want to see you in pain."
Kurt stared at him, slightly dumbfounded. "I…"
He couldn't think of anything else to say, and Blaine smiled. "I care about you too much to ever let anything hurt you."
"That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me," Kurt said, smiling softly and resting his head against Blaine's chest as the boy swept them into the sky once again.
"You deserve all of the best," Blaine told him, kissing his forehead. He paused, smiling as he thought. "Would it freak you out too much if I told you I loved you?"
"Not at all," Kurt answered, perfectly content to let Blaine hold him close while they flew.
"Good. Because I do. I love you, I mean. I do love you."
Kurt giggled. "You're cute when you're nervous. I love you, too, dork."
Blaine let out a relieved laugh, holding Kurt a little tighter.
They had no idea what was in store for their future. They didn't know if they'd ever find anyone else like them, or if there was anyone else like them. They didn't know if there were people who would try to take advantage of their powers and, to be honest, they didn't really want to think about that possibility.
But one thing they did know: they were in it for the long run. They were together, the understood each other, and that wasn't going to change. Whatever challenges came with their abilities, they were ready to face them together. And that was how it was supposed to be.