A/N I hope you all enjoyed the first story! This chapter will start out at Two Bros, as well, and all the same characters will appear, but it is a completely different story. For the purpose of this story, Beth actually WAS Finn's daughter, and when Quinn gave up her parental rights, Finn took the baby in. I hope you enjoy it!
Sorry I am posting this later than I planned, I spilled broth on my laptop the other night, and it took a while for it to dry out and start working again. I'm still working on the next chapter of Their Love is Out of This World and the last Chapter of Dancing Through Life, and hope to have those up by this weekend, and another chapter of Somewhere, Ohio, and the third installment of this story up next week.
Reviews always welcome!
…
Tangled Images
Blaine stopped two steps inside Two Bros, freezing in his tracks as the three people sitting at the bar turned to look at him. The place was closed on Sundays, but Blaine and Cooper usually stopped in during the afternoon to do inventory and plan the menu for the week. It wasn't unusual for Zoey to join them, though now that she was eight months pregnant with twins, she stopped in less frequently. The third person at the bar, Isabelle Wright, was Zoey's best friend, and the owner of Leather and Lace, the local lingerie shop.
Normally the site of the three of them wouldn't bring a sense of dread to Blaine, but the fact that all three of them had gone silent the moment he walked in and were giving him peculiar grins definitely made him feel uncomfortable.
"Uh, hi. What's up?" He said tentatively.
Cooper moved out from behind the bar and wrapped an arm around him, pulling him in further. "I tried to talk them out of it, Squirt, tried to offer my services, but Zoey just didn't like the idea of me doing it!"
Well, that just made Blaine feel even more confused. "Doing what?"
His sister in law just grinned wider. "I couldn't have Cooper do it, Blaine! The women who come into the bar fawn over him enough as it is! And this would just make him even more irresistible to them! You understand, don't you?"
Not really. "Do what?"
Isabelle stood and walked around him. "You're perfect! I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner!"
"Is somebody going to tell me what this is about?"
"Isabelle is adding men's lounge wear to her online catalog!" Zoey said. "She needs a male model to show the line off, but the one she hired broke his leg skiing!"
"And you want me to do it?" He asked, incredulously.
"I tried to tell them you probably wouldn't be interested, little brother," Cooper said, still grinning mischievously at him. "They seem to think you'll jump at this chance, though!"
Blaine shook his head and looked at the two women. "I just got my first substitute teaching gig, and I'm still working on my thesis for my masters. Between that and working the bar almost every night, I don't have time for anything else!"
"Please?" Isabelle pleaded. "I need the photographs by the end of the week, and I already have the photographer lined up!"
"It will only be for about an hour each day," Zoey interjected. "I may be as big as a whale right now, but I can manage the bar for a little while each day this week while you help out my best friend!"
Blaine looked between the two women and his grinning brother. "What exactly is men's lounge wear?"
Isabelle laughed. "Pajama pants, robes, some briefs and thongs."
Blaine looked horrified at the thought. "I can't be photographed in underwear! What if my students see me in the ads?"
The petite redhead patted his arm. "We'll only use from the chest down. No one will see your face. I promise, no one will know it's you."
"Please, Blaine?" Zoey said, giving him those puppy eyes she'd learned from him.
Sighing in defeat, he rolled his eyes. "Fine. When and where?"
…
The next day, Blaine parked behind the small cottage on the outskirts of town with the sign out front that read; K.H. Photography. Parking in Rear.
As he climbed out of his jeep, he saw a sign pointing down to a cellar entrance. At the door was another sign stating that one should ring the doorbell for service. After a moment, the door was opened by a girl of about 16 years of age. Her blonde hair was up in a complex French braid down her back, and her blue eyes sparkled in recognition.
"I know you! You're subbing for Mrs. Windmier while she's recovering from hip surgery!"
Blaine smiled at the girl. "I am, but I don't recall seeing you in my class."
"I'm not, but my friend Madison is. She thinks you're cute. I'm Beth."
Blaine laughed at that. "It's nice to meet you, Beth. I'm Blaine Anderson. I'm supposed to have some pictures taken here today."
The girl opened the door wider and invited him in. "Uncle Kurt is on the phone. His receptionist called in sick today, so he has to do everything himself. I'll let him know you're here."
Blaine thanked the girl and stepped inside the studio, looking around as the girl climbed a set of stairs into the main part of the house. He wandered over to a wall of photographs depicting different events, from weddings to birthdays, anniversary parties, and lots of babies. He smiled as he looked over the pictures. The photographer was very adept at taking candid shots at the perfect moment, capturing every emotion.
He was studying a photograph of a couple celebrating their seventy fifth wedding anniversary when he spotted the signature in the corner. He frowned and leaned a little closer. No way, it couldn't be! Life couldn't be that cruel.
He took a step back when he heard a voice at the top of the stairs, and froze. "And don't forget to finish your homework! Dinner will be ready in about an hour!"
Blaine knew that voice. He'd dreamed about that voice for more than a year. He'd sat behind the auburn haired man for two full semesters his freshman year of college. Kurt Hummel had been eight years older than him, about to complete his masters in business.
Blaine was a music therapy major, but had taken the business management class just on a whim. He'd been helping run a business since he was twelve years old. He'd helped run his Mom's family restaurant first, and when it had burned down, he'd helped run his dad's furniture store. When his parents had died in a car accident shortly after he'd graduated from high school, he and Cooper had used the money they had inherited, plus from selling the furniture store, to buy the bar. They'd named it Two Bros Bar and Grill, and despite the fact that Blaine wasn't old enough to drink or serve alcohol, he'd helped out in the kitchen and keeping the books while he attended college. Once he turned twenty one, he'd started working in the bar.
He remembered the first day of class, he hadn't really been paying attention when he chose a seat, and had accidentally bumped the taller man with his backpack as he passed. He apologized, and smiled at him, but the glasz eyed man had just looked him over, frowning in disapproval, and looked away.
Blaine was a friendly, easy going guy, and didn't seem to have any problems getting people to like him, so had just shrugged the encounter off as the other guy having a bad day. But Blaine couldn't help notice how beautiful the other man was. The auburn hair was perfectly coiffed, his blue/green/grey eyes adorned with perfectly sculpted eye brows that made Blaine acutely aware of his own oddly shaped ones. And the man was dressed to kill in the tightest skinny jeans Blaine had ever seen and shirts that showed off his flawless neck.
After the class, Blaine had attempted to apologize again, but the other man had told him to forget it, and had rushed out.
"Hello," that voice said, cutting into his memories. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting, my receptionist is out with the flu. I'm Kurt Hummel."
Blaine turned slowly to face the man he'd fantasized about so often, a wry grin on his face. "Hello, Kurt."
He saw the other man freeze up as recognition entered his face. "Blaine Anderson." The name was spoken as if the other man had ashes in his mouth.
Blaine sighed. He'd never figured out why the other man seemed to dislike him so much. He'd never been anything but polite and friendly with him, but the older man had always brushed him off.
"Isabelle didn't tell me you were the photographer she'd hired."
"Yes, well, she didn't tell me you were going to be the model. She just said she knew a kid who could fill in."
Blaine frowned at being called a kid. He wasn't that much younger than Kurt, but the older man was always treating Blaine as if he was just some punk teenager. He'd been six weeks shy of nineteen when they'd met, an adult in every sense of the word, but to this man, he might as well have been twelve the way he treated him.
"Yes, well, I'm here to help Isabelle out. So can we get started?"
…
Kurt almost died when he saw Blaine standing there, in his home. This was the man Isabelle had chosen to model her new line? He tried to recall if he had done something to piss off his former employer that would make her want to torture him this way.
It had been bad enough having the gorgeous man sitting behind him all through that Business Management class four years ago, constantly distracting him, not only with his good looks, but with all the girls in the class constantly fawning over him, often leaning past Kurt to whisper flirty invitations to the curly haired man during lectures.
Kurt was in college to get his business degree, to build a better life for him and Beth. He didn't need the constant interruptions to his concentration the man created. Besides, Blaine reminded him too much of his ex, Sebastian, except Blaine was more than likely straight, since he'd never once heard the man tell the women no. The guy sure seemed to like to party, too. The women were always talking about some bar they all hung out at. Blaine apparently was always there, despite the fact that he couldn't possibly be old enough. Probably used a fake ID.
Just like Blaine, Sebastian had been attractive, always smiling, always making new friends. Kurt had been flattered when the man, two years younger than himself, had shown so much interest in him, and had let himself be swept away by his charms. They had dated for three years, and Kurt thought it was love. And then the unthinkable had happened. His stepbrother, Finn, had fallen asleep at the wheel of his truck, and had crashed headlong into a semi, dying on impact.
The tragedy of his stepbrother dying at the age of twenty four just seemed to be the ultimate slap in the face for the young man who had been through so much in his young life. Finn's father had died of a drug overdose when Finn had been only a few months old. In high school, he had gotten his girlfriend pregnant. When Quinn told him she was giving up her parental rights, Finn decided to raise the baby on his own. It had been a struggle, but he had managed, and after graduating, he'd taken over Burt's garage, and had started earning enough to support both of them.
Beth had been seven when her father had died. Burt and Carole were too old to care for the child, and Kurt refused to let her go into the system, so had gone to court to take legal custody of the girl. He'd dropped out of NYADA and moved back to Ohio, enrolling at OSU to get his business degree so he could open his own photography studio.
Sebastian had been supportive, and they had kept up a long distance relationship. They'd been talking about getting married before the accident, and Kurt truly believed they'd spend the rest of their lives together.
Kurt had been saving up to visit Sebastian over the Christmas Holidays, as a surprise. He'd made arrangements for Burt and Carole to watch Beth for a week, and had driven to save money. He'd arrived at Sebastian's home on Christmas eve, to find a party in full swing. He'd made his way through the living room, searching for his boyfriend, not recognizing any of the people in attendance.
He overheard someone asking about Sebastian's whereabouts, only to have another boy snicker. "In the bedroom, where else?"
Frowning, Kurt made his way down the hall to the bedroom, where the unmistakable sounds of passion could be heard. He'd opened the door to find the man he'd thought he would one day marry having sex with not one, but two men.
He'd turned and walked away, driving straight back to Ohio on autopilot. Sebastian had called, and tried to explain, but Kurt had told him that what he had seen had been pretty self explanatory. Sebastian had turned cruel after that, saying that Kurt had always been something of a prude, hadn't wanted to try new things, sexually, and that ever since he'd inherited 'the brat,' and moved back to Ohio, Sebastian's needs weren't being met. The younger man had called Kurt an old maid, sexless, and ugly.
After that, Kurt had thrown himself into his studies, working hard to keep his grades up while taking care of a child. He didn't date, didn't go to parties, and didn't go out drinking with the other students on Fridays and Saturdays, although he'd been asked several times.
He'd only had one year of school left when He had walked into his life, turning everything upside down, distracting him during class. Invading his dreams at night, tangled images of the two of them...
Kurt shook himself out of his thoughts. He'd promised Isabelle, who had helped him out so much since he'd moved back to town, that he would do this photo shoot for her for only the cost of the printing as repayment for everything she'd done for him. But why did it have to be Blaine?
"Yes, let's get this over with," He said, going to the box of clothes Isabelle had sent over, frowning. He'd already looked through the contents, and knew there was no way he could photograph Blaine in any of the sexy thongs. He'd woken up from too many dreams about the younger man over the last four years, covered in sweat and...other things. Shoving those items to the bottom, Kurt picked out a pair of fleece pajama pants and a matching robe.
"Here," He said, thrusting the clothes out to the darker man without looking at him. "We'll start with these. You can change in the bathroom around the corner there."
The shorter man hesitated a moment, then took the clothes and walked away. Once he was out of view, Kurt slumped against the workbench. How was he going to get through this without losing his mind, or doing something stupid, like falling for the younger, probably straight man?
…
Blaine slumped against the bathroom door. He couldn't do this. He couldn't subject himself to rejection again. He'd literally cried himself to sleep on several nights after Kurt Hummel had shut him down and belittled him all those years ago.
But he had promised Zoey and Isabelle he would do this, and he never went back on his word. Muttering curses to the universe and fate, he quickly changed into the pajama pants, opting to leave his undershirt on, and tying the robe on over it. It was a very short robe, like the one Hugh Hefner used to wear, and Blaine was grateful not to be wearing it over a pair of briefs or a thong.
When he left the bathroom, he found Kurt bent over a set, adjusting a lounge chair. Blaine didn't really pay attention to the rest of the scene as his eyes focused in on Kurt's perfect ass, heart shaped and perfectly outlined by those damn tight fitting jeans. Blaine was instantly erect.
Swearing under his breath, Blaine quickly turned away as Kurt straightened up, not wanting the older man to see how he affected him. He took a couple of deep breaths to try and cool himself down, but it had no effect.
"Come sit down on the lounge," Kurt instructed, but Blaine didn't move right away, attempting to adjust the robe to hide his bulge. "Problem, Anderson?"
The tone of Kurt's voice, condescending and sneering, helped some, making Blaine's problem less noticeable, but didn't make it go away all together. Figuring it would have to do, Blaine moved over to the set area, which was dressed up like someone's front porch, with a small table bearing what appeared to be a breakfast tray sitting next to the lounger.
He sat down quickly, trying to hide his state from Kurt, but the short robe caught on the edge of the chair. He grabbed it and hastily covered himself up, but judging from the way Kurt had gone still, the other man had noticed.
…
Kurt finished setting up the scene as he heard Blaine exit the bathroom. He didn't turn around, not really ready to face Blaine in what was sure to be a sexy outfit. He'd worked for Isabelle for three years as he put himself through Business school, knew exactly what types of clothes Leather and Lace sold, and had no doubt that any men's wear the lingerie provider put out would be hot on a body like Blaine's.
Still not turning to look, he called Blaine over and instructed him to sit in the lounger. It was only when he realized the other man hadn't moved or responded that Kurt turned, seeing the other man tugging at the short robe. Was the man nervous about showing his body to a gay man? Well, too bad. He called out again.
Finally, the younger man walked towards him, and past him to the lounger. Kurt had a momentary sense of relief when he noted that the curly haired man had left his undershirt on, but as the shorter male slipped onto the seat, the robe got caught, and there was no mistaking the bulge in the other man's lap.
Kurt went still, unable to look away, even as the other man tried to cover himself up. Why was Blaine aroused? There were no women around, giggling and fawning all over him. As Kurt continued to stare, the bulge grew, and twitched. He spun away suddenly, moving back to the work bench to switch out the lens on his camera, but his hands were suddenly shaking. It couldn't be possible that Blaine was aroused because of him, could it?
Was Blaine bi? He'd never really thought about it before, so annoyed at all those women in the class flirting with the handsome man, but there had been at least one guy in the class who had also flirted with Blaine, and Blaine hadn't discouraged it. He hadn't encouraged it either, though. Kurt took a deep, steadying breath. He was being an idiot. The younger man probably had a hot date tonight, and was just thinking about the lucky girl, and how he expected to get lucky, too.
He finished setting up his equipment, and by the time he checked the lighting and settled behind the lens, Blaine's little (ha! As if!) problem seemed to have gone away. He managed to get a few shots, showing off the lounge wear in a relaxing pose. He handed Blaine another set of pajama pants and robe, this one a little longer than the others.
"You'll have to take your undershirt off for this one. Isabelle wants some with the robe untied."
The other man seemed upset by this news. "You're just going to photograph from the chest down, though, right?"
Kurt frowned, wondering why the other man suddenly seemed self conscious, when he never had before. Was it because he was uncomfortable around Kurt? "Those were my instructions."
The darker man nodded and went to get changed, and Kurt hurried to reset the backdrop. He pulled down a canvas painted to look like a roaring fire in a fireplace, and then spread out a faux fur rug and a couple of throw pillows next to a low slung coffee table. He set a wineglass on it that looked like it was filled with wine, but wasn't actually.
"What, no real wine?" Blaine said as he returned from changing.
Kurt frowned. "This isn't a party, this is work. I don't know about you, but I don't drink on the job."
…
Blaine frowned at Kurt. Was the older man accusing him of being irresponsible? Taunting him about his youth again? "I was joking. I don't know why, but you seem to dislike me for some reason I've never been able to figure out, and the tension was getting a bit thick in here. I was trying to lighten the mood."
Kurt just glowered at him. "Well, geez, excuse me for taking my business seriously. Some of us need to work to pay the bills. Not all of us can afford to party at a bar all weekend!"
Blaine was confused. "I don't party at a bar all weekend. I work at a bar. Two Bros Bar and Grill. My brother and I own it. It's how I can afford to go to school without worrying about student loan debts looming over my head."
"You own a bar?" Kurt said, sounding as if he didn't believe someone so young could own a business.
"Yes. We bought it with the money we inherited from our parents when they died."
Kurt's entire demeanor seemed to change. "Your parents died? I'm sorry."
The older man seemed sincere for once. Blaine shrugged. "It was years ago. I miss them, of course, but life goes on."
Kurt nodded and switched out his camera lens again. "I understand that. My mom died when I was eight, and Beth's dad, my stepbrother, died when she was seven. It's rough losing a parent. I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost my dad, too."
"You would have gone on," Blaine said. "You would have missed him, but eventually, you would have moved on with your life."
The taller man just shrugged, but Blaine felt like some wall between the two of them had begun to crumble, and they'd found some common ground. There was less tension now, and they managed to shoot two more outfits before the hour was up.
…
The next day, Blaine arrived at the studio at the same time that Beth was getting home from school. Kurt had come outside to check the mail, it seemed, and as he approached he could hear the teen girl pleading with her uncle.
"Please, Uncle Kurt? It will only be for a couple hours. Madison and I are going to work on our science homework together."
"Uh huh," the pale man said, looking through the mail in his hands. "Who else is going to be there?"
"Just Madison. And her brother, Mason."
Blaine couldn't help smiling at the tone of voice the girl used when she mentioned the boy. Somebody had a crush.
Kurt eyed the girl up and down for a moment, obviously coming to the same conclusion. "You go, you do your homework, and you come straight home before dinner."
The girl squealed, and hugged him. "Thanks, Uncle Kurt! You're the greatest!" He smiled and hugged her back, then watched as she rushed off to jump into the sedan parked on the corner with another girl behind the wheel.
Blaine couldn't help noticing that the smile faded some when the older man turned to look at him, but didn't completely disappear. He smiled back in greeting.
"Hello, Kurt."
"Hi. Shall we get started?" The auburn haired man turned and moved down the stairs, and Blaine followed.
"Still no receptionist today?" Blaine asked, trying to maintain a polite conversation.
"No, Rachel is still out with the flu." As they entered the studio, Blaine noticed that the backdrop and scene had already been set up. It was a backyard scene, and a few of the briefs and thongs were hung up on a clothesline. "We'll be starting on some of the briefs today."
The taller man handed him a pair of black briefs that had snaps up the sides. Blaine studied the scrap of cloth with a frown, but walked to the bathroom to change.
…
Kurt watched the dark haired man walk away, but not before he had seen the other man's look of horror at the chosen item. In truth, Kurt had chosen it because it was the least sexy pair he could find. The last thing Kurt needed was Blaine prancing around in leopard print underwear. Or a bright red thong. He really didn't want living proof of the vivid dreams he'd had about the younger man's body keeping him awake all night.
As he waited for Blaine to emerge from the bathroom, Kurt got the camera ready, and adjusted the lights. He heard the bathroom door open, and glanced over. He almost choked on his tongue.
He had to stifle a whimper as the other man walked towards him. Kurt knew Blaine was sexy, but he'd never realized just how well built the other man was, with six pack abs, and a trim waist. When the shorter man stepped into the light, Kurt's knees nearly buckled as his glasz gaze was drawn to the briefs.
The damn things were see through! How could he have not noticed that detail? Was the universe out to get him or something? He forced himself to turn away, swearing as he felt his body stir to life, and almost tripped over his own feet.
"Kurt?" The hazel eyed man sounded concerned.
"I'm fine," his voice sounded thick in his ears, and he had to swallow before he could say anything else. "Go ahead and take your place by the clothesline. Pretend to be hanging something up, and I'll shoot from behind"
He heard the younger man take his position, and after closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he turned back to get the shot, biting his lip as the view from behind was even more enticing than the the view from the front. He could feel himself getting aroused. He needed a distraction as he took several pictures.
"Maybe you should keep that pair," Kurt heard himself say, and could have kicked himself. "I'm sure your girlfriend would love it."
…
Blaine turned to look at the other man over his shoulder, confused. "Girlfriend? Why would you..."
He was cut off by the sound of a phone ringing, and Kurt almost seemed to sag in relief at the distraction. He watched the older man walk over to the workbench and pick up the extension there.
"Kurt Hummel Photography, this is Kurt, how may I help you?" Blaine saw the other man stiffen at whatever he heard on the line. "Beth? What's wrong? But...Okay, baby, it's okay. I'll be there in fifteen minutes."
Blaine was already wrapping a robe around himself. "What's wrong? What happened?"
Kurt looked at him as if he'd forgotten he was there. "Something upset Beth. She was crying. I need to go pick her up. We can finish up tomorrow."
Blaine nodded. "Of course. Nothing is more important than family!" He quickly went to get dressed as Kurt got his jacket and car keys.
He followed the pale man out of the studio, only to stop short when the man in front of him stopped in his tracks and swore. Blaine had to lean around him to see what the problem was. The front passenger side tire was completely flat on Kurt's Navigator.
"Damn it! It will take me twenty minutes to change the tire! I told Beth I'd be there in fifteen minutes, and that was five minutes ago!"
The older man sounded as if he was on the verge of panicking. "I can drive you to pick her up, and bring you both back. You can change the tire later. I can even help you if you want."
Kurt looked at him in confusion for a moment. "You'd do that?"
"Sure," Blaine said, surprised the other man had to ask. "It's no problem."
They got into Blaine's Jeep, and Kurt seemed lost in thought. "Where does Madison live?"
"Oh," the auburn haired man definitely was distracted, by what Blaine had no clue, but gave him the address absentmindedly.
They made the trip there in silence, both lost in thought. Why would Kurt assume he had a girlfriend? He'd never hidden his sexuality, had always thought it was obvious to people that he played for the other team. That didn't stop women from flirting with him, of course. He was always polite when he turned them down, and remained friendly with them. Surely Kurt knew...
He spotted the teen girl standing on the sidewalk, arms crossed over her chest, and evidence of tears drying on her face. She frowned in confusion as they pulled up in the unfamiliar vehicle, and Kurt opened the door and stepped out to let her climb in.
"I'm sorry, honey, my SUV had a flat tire. Mr. Anderson offered to drive me over to pick you up."
"It's okay, Uncle Kurt, I'm just glad you're here."
They were halfway back to the studio when Kurt managed to coax the girl into telling him what happened. Beth huffed before answering. "Madison and I were working on our science project, when Mason came in. I was trying to do the math to figure out how much citric acid we needed to use, but I got mixed up, and he started making fun of me, and called me stupid."
"Well," Blaine said as they stopped at a red light. "Did you figure out where you made your mistake?"
"Yeah, but he still called me stupid."
"Then he is the stupid one. At least you realized you were wrong and went back and corrected it."
Beth smiled shyly at him. "Thanks. I hate math sometimes. Sometimes I just get so confused."
Blaine looked at her in the rear view mirror and smiled. "Math confuses a lot of people. If you want, I can tutor you some, teach you some tricks to make it easier."
"Really?"
"Sure," he said as the light changed. "We can work on it now, for a little while, if you'd like. If it's okay with your uncle."
Kurt looked at him as if he'd never seen him before. "You'd really be willing to teach her?"
Blaine glanced at him as they pulled into the driveway. "Why not? It's what I do. For now anyway. Eventually, after I get my Masters, I want to work with special needs kids, specializing in music therapy."
Kurt turned away, looking a little flushed. "I didn't know that."
Blaine just shrugged. "There is a lot you don't know about me." His tone of voice clearly stated that the other man hadn't wanted to get to know him.
…
Kurt sighed. It was true, he hadn't bothered to learn anything about the younger man, only made assumptions based on his relationship with Sebastian. But Sebastian would never have offered to give Kurt a ride to pick up Beth, or offered to help change his tire, not that he needed help with that, having changed enough of them working in his dad's garage. And Sebastian sure as hell would never offer to tutor anyone. Then again, Kurt didn't think Sebastian knew enough about anything to tutor anyone.
He put dinner on as Beth and Blaine sat at the table, working on her homework. He watched the two of them out of the corner of his eye, and realized how great Blaine was with the girl. He'd tried helping her with her math homework before, but always seemed to confuse her even more. Blaine had figured out a method that helped her so much in just a matter of minutes, and soon she was able to do the problems on her own.
"Can Mr. Anderson stay for dinner?" Beth asked as Blaine helped her proof read her essay for Government class.
"Oh, I uh..." Kurt stammered.
"I'd love to, but I can't tonight." Blaine said, smiling at the girl. "I'm meeting someone."
Kurt turned to the stove to check on the casserole he'd made. Of course, the younger man probably had a date with his girlfriend.
"My thesis adviser is going to stop by the bar for dinner tonight and check on my progress." He heard the other man lower his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, and heard Beth giggle. "My adviser is a sucker for a good Ruben sandwich. I'm hoping to bribe him into giving me a good report."
Kurt felt something inside him relax, relieved that the other man wasn't going out with some woman tonight. He'd begun to understand that Blaine was less like Sebastian than he'd believed for the past four years, but the thought of him with a woman made Kurt's heart ache.
…
When Blaine arrived on Wednesday for the final shoot, he was surprised to be met at the door by neither Kurt nor Beth, but rather a petite woman with long brown hair, and a prominent nose. She was wearing a plaid skirt with white knee socks and patent leather black Mary Janes, and possibly the most hideous sweater Blaine had ever seen.
"Uh, hi. I'm Blaine Anderson. I'm supposed to be finishing up my shoot with Kurt today."
The woman looked him over as if he was a sweet treat she wanted to devour, which made him uncomfortable. "How do you do, I'm Rachel, and you;re gorgeous!"
"Uh, th-thank you. Is Kurt here?" He tried to take a step back, but the woman seemed oblivious to his discomfort and took a step closer.
"He's running late, he had to pick up a package at the post office. Can I get you anything? Coffee? Food? A duet?"
Blaine frowned and took another step back. "No, thank you. I'll just wait over there..." He moved to the small waiting area he hadn't actually stepped into yet. The aggressive woman might have followed him, but the ringing of the phone distracted her, much to Blaine's relief.
He walked around the small waiting area, glancing at the photographs here. They were a lot different than the ones posted in the other parts of the studio. These all seemed to be pictures of Kurt and his family. There was a picture of an adorable baby with auburn hair, being held by a large man who had a huge smile of pride on his face, while a woman, obviously Kurt's mother judging by the resemblance, leaned over the man's shoulder.
Blaine smiled as he saw more pictures of the small family, but then instead of three people in the photographs, there were just two, and both of them had a certain sadness about them. And then there was a picture of Kurt with a group of teens, including the receptionist, Rachel, standing in what appeared to be a music room. A placard proclaimed them to be the New Directions. Blaine was surprised to find he recognized that name. They were the competitive show choir from McKinley High School in Lima. He'd competed against them in high school. Kurt had obviously graduated by then.
He looked so cute, and so happy with his friends surrounding him. Then there were wedding pictures. Kurt's dad, and a woman he assumed was Kurt's stepmother, along with Kurt, and a really tall teen, holding a baby. They all seemed so happy together. There was even a picture of Kurt dancing with the tall teen, who Blaine assumed was the stepbrother, and one of Kurt holding the baby, who was asleep on his shoulder.
He hadn't noticed Rachel enter the waiting room until he heard the sound of a tray being set down on the table.
"I brought you some coffee, and some cookies. I could make you a sandwich if you'd like." The woman was like a terrier with a bone, practically backing him up into a corner. Blaine was actually starting to panic, until he heard someone clear their throat.
…
Kurt set the weekly package from his stepmom on the counter. He thought this one was the heaviest yet. He knew it would be filled with clothes for Beth, along with Kurt's favorite orange Madeleine cookies, and other treats Carole seemed to be under the impression that he couldn't find in southern Ohio. He loved the woman dearly, but she was going to make him fat if she kept sending him all this food every week.
He glanced around, wondering where Rachel was, when a noise from the waiting room drew his attention. He walked over to the small room to find his receptionist fawning all over Blaine, who was backed into a corner with a look of fear on his face. It would have almost been funny if Kurt hadn't realized that Blaine was genuinely afraid of the petite woman.
He cleared his throat to get their attention. "Heel, Rachel! He's not a tree for you to sniff around. Give the man some room!"
Blaine all but ran to hide behind Kurt when the tiny woman took a step back. "You can go ahead and go home now, Rachel. Blaine is my last client of the day, and I can answer the phones myself."
The strange little woman tried to protest, but he just shook his head. "I'm the boss here, and I am telling you to go home!"
Blaine remained behind him until the woman left, and Kurt couldn't help laughing at him. "Okay, she's gone. You can relax."
The shorter man sighed in relief and stood up. "Thanks. It's because of women like her that I'm gay!"
Kurt froze at those words. Blaine was gay? As in Capital G, one hundred percent gay? "Oh."
Kurt had to turn away then, and quickly walked over to the work bench to get the last few items for Blaine to model.
"So, where's Beth today?" Blaine asked as he took the scraps of clothing.
"She's at the library finishing up the science project she was supposed to be doing with Madison. She'll be home in time fr dinner." And suddenly it hit Kurt. They were alone, and Blaine was gay.
"Oh. Well, that's good. I hope she gets an A, and rubs it in that kid, Mason's face." And then he disappeared into the bathroom to change. But all Kurt could think was Blaine is gay, and they are alone, and Kurt hadn't had sex in nearly eight years.
His mind was still screaming those thoughts at him a few minutes later when Blaine came back out of the bathroom wearing a pair of shiny blue briefs that laced up the sides. Kurt looked at the younger man, and the thoughts in his mind changed. They were alone, Blaine was gay and almost naked, and Kurt hadn't had sex in way too long.
Apparently he had slipped into a trance, because the next thing he knew, fingers were being snapped in front of his face.
…
Blaine stopped when he noticed the way Kurt was looking at him. The other man seemed dazed, and his eyes had glazed over. He reached out and snapped his fingers, bringing the older man back to the present.
"You're not Sebastian."
Blaine was even more confused, and beginning to worry the other man might be having some kind of medical issue. "Um, no, I'm Blaine."
The pale man just shook his head. "No, I mean, I've been comparing you to my ex all this time, but you really aren't like him at all."
Blaine frowned. Kurt had been comparing him to some mysterious ex he'd had? Was that why Kurt had seemed to dislike him so much?
Kurt sighed and turned to sit down in the lounge chair they'd used as a prop the other day. "I met Sebastian my sophomore year at NYADA. He was two years younger than me, but had seemed like the perfect guy at the time. We dated for two years, and everything was going great. We'd been talking about a future together, marriage, family. But then Finn died. Beth's dad, my stepbrother. Seb was sympathetic, said he'd always be there for me. When I dropped out of NYADA to move back to Ohio and adopt Beth, Seb said it was the right decision.
I'd been back in Ohio for seven months, had just gotten settled into this house with Beth, was enrolled at OSU studying business, and was working for Isabelle to pay the bills. Christmas was coming up, and I decided to surprise Sebastian by driving up to visit. I left Beth with my dad and Carole, and set out, expecting Sebastian to be excited to see me."
He paused and wiped his face with the back of his hand. "I arrived on Christmas Eve, only to find Sebastian was throwing a party. I found him in the bedroom with two men. He said I was a prude and an old maid. Said I was ugly and dressed like a stick in the mud. He said a lot of other things, but you get the gist. Anyway, I came back to Ohio, and threw myself into school and work and taking care of Beth, deciding I didn't need anyone else in my life."
He looked up at Blaine. "Everything was going fine, until you showed up in my Business management class, distracting me."
Blaine frowned and moved closer. "How did I distract you? You were always ignoring me."
Kurt snorted. "I was always aware of you, sitting behind me. And even if I hadn't been, there was no way I could ignore the droves of women falling over me to get to you. They flirted and giggled, and interrupted my concentration during lectures. I figured you were just like Sebastian, constantly flirting, except I thought you were straight."
It was Blaine's turn to snort. "I'm about as straight as Dumbledore. I thought you'd have noticed, considering how many times I tried to get your attention, only to have you slap me down and treat me like a child."
"I'm sorry," Kurt said, sounding sincere. "Sebastian really messed me up, and all I could see when I looked at you was another, younger version of him, although I must admit you are way better looking."
Blaine laughed. "Apology accepted. So, any particular reason you are telling me all this now?"
Kurt shrugged. "Because I've come to realize over the last few days that you are nothing like Sebastian. You're humble, and kind, and smart, and a hard worker. And I..." He seemed lost forwards for the moment, but then he stood up and moved closer to Blaine. "I want you."
Blaine's heart tripped up at those words, not sure he had heard right, until Kurt's lips found his own. With a groan, he slipped his hand up to cup the other man's jaw and deepen the kiss. He felt Kurt's hands slip into the curls at the nape of his neck, and sighed.