Kurt and Rachel arrived in New York early on the Friday morning. Blaine met them at the airport, some paranoid part of his brain worried that they'd get lost or abducted.
'Blaine!' Rachel called as she entered the arrivals lounge, before Blaine had even spotted her. She threw herself into his arms, giving him a warm, strong hug. When she let go, Kurt immediately took her place, not even showing the slightest hesitance before hugging Blaine.
As Kurt stepped back, Blaine found himself casting a critical eye over him, as if trying to determine whether Sam was right in his assessments of Kurt. He looked quickly over his face, where each feature was striking, and continued on, taking in Kurt's fashion choices. He found himself getting distracted, however, when he noticed Kurt's pants; the tight red jeans hugging every inch of Kurt's legs.
After several moments, he became aware of the sound of a throat clearing, and Rachel began to speak. 'So, Blaine, how are we supposed to get out of this airport?'
'Oh, oh right,' Blaine forced his eyes away. 'Um, right, let's go. Follow me.'
They exited the building and caught themselves a cab. After they'd dropped their luggage off at Blaine's apartment, they continued on with their day, heading for campus tours (the reason they were missing class). Blaine had organised each of them two tours, one at their school of choice (NYADA and Parsons) as well as a second backup option.
They both instantly fell in love with the school they'd chosen, determined to do everything in their power to be offered a place. As Rachel strode down a corridor in NYADA, gazing about at all the sights, Blaine was sure he heard her murmuring to herself, 'This is where I belong. This is where my real home is.'
He caught up to her, falling in step beside her. 'Ah, Rach, you've still got to get accepted yet.'
'Yea I know,' she told him simply. 'But I know now that it's going to happen. I can just feel it. Besides, did you hear that girl singing back there? I am way, way more talented that her. They'll have to let me in.'
Blaine didn't say anything more, instead just feeling pleased that Rachel might have finally calmed down about her audition. He wondered if his dads would notch it up as a win.
During their tour at Parsons, Blaine and Rachel just trailed awkwardly behind, feeling rather like they didn't belong as Kurt talked animatedly with the tour guide. Blaine had no idea what they were talking about, what with the amount of jargon that was being thrown around, but he was pleased to see how excited Kurt was about the whole thing. Blaine loved the way his eyes lit up, and if he could, he'd have done everything in his power to make sure that they always looked that way.
By the time the tours were over, it was mid-afternoon, and Rachel insisted that Blaine took them around his school so that she could see what his day-to-day life looked like. Kurt was quick to second the idea, and Blaine reluctantly agreed, but not without promising them that it would be decidedly uninteresting.
But as he led them through the main foyer, he realised that he'd been wrong. Because coming from the opposite direction was James, and he was headed directly towards them.
'Hi, Blaine,' he greeted, coming to a stop in front of them.
'Hey James,' he replied, immediately noticing how calm he felt. 'How are you?'
James seemed almost surprised by the civility of their conversation. But considering the last time they'd talked, it was a little surprising. 'Um, yea, alright thanks. Look, I was just wondering if you had any notes for yesterday's lecture. Because you always seemed to have the best notes.'
Blaine remembered how, back when they were dating, James had always borrowed his notes. He expected he'd be annoyed about remembering just another way he'd been used. But he didn't. It was strange. 'Yea, yea I do,' he answered eventually. 'But I don't have them with me now. I'll have to email them tonight. If that's alright?'
'Yea that'd be great,' James told him. 'Thanks Blaine. And hey, it's good to see you.' Blaine mumbled a quick 'you too' as James walked off.
They stood in silence for a few moments before Kurt spoke up. 'Wait, so was that the evil nasty ex?' Blaine nodded in response. 'So what are you gonna do? Send the completely wrong notes?'
'No, I'll just send him the real ones. Revenge seems like far too much effort.'
'Blaine, you're not still pining after him are you?' Kurt seemed concerned. 'Cos you're kinda acting like a pushover.'
Blaine watched Kurt closely for a few moments, taking the time to think over what it was that he was doing. 'No, that's not it. I just think that, I dunno, maybe I've just let go of the past. Maybe I've finally moved on.'
Rachel was watching the two of them like she had no idea what was going on. 'Wait, Blaine, did you date that guy? You never told me you'd had a boyfriend.'
'I've had a few Rachel. It's just never come up, because I was always too busy trying to solve your relationship problems.' Rachel looked surprised for a moment, as if she'd never realised how much she'd blathered on about Finn (or Puck or Jesse) before.
Xxx
Blaine looked up from his dinner to watch the involved conversation Kurt and Rachel were having about what they should do the following day. Rachel was trying to convince Kurt that they had every chance of sneaking into the Gershwin theatre. Kurt, ever the sensible one, was trying to counteract with suggestions of just sticking to the usual tourist attractions.
'What do you suggest we should do, Blaine?' Rachel asked eventually, when it was starting to become clear that she would lose the argument.
'Well, I have to agree with Kurt,' he told her, smiling at the way Kurt turned to smirk at her. 'I was thinking Central Park, Times Square, Empire State Building. All the must-sees.'
'Fine,' Rachel huffed, 'but can we at least walk past some of the theatres?'
'I'll see what I can do,' Blaine told her. 'Actually, I'm kinda surprised that Dads didn't organise some tickets for us. I'd have thought that you would've been on at them about it.'
Rachel looked slightly guilty. 'Well, I tried. But I don't think they could handle the idea of missing out.'
They all returned their attention to their meals, silence falling over them as they ate. After a few minutes, Kurt spoke up. 'I can't get over how cool this place is, Blaine. I can't understand why you don't practically live here.'
Blaine laughed, taking a moment to take in the surroundings once again. When they'd been trying to decide what to do for dinner, Blaine had told the other two about this café. It was just down the road from his apartment building, and Blaine couldn't get over how cutely cliché it was. Especially on nights like tonight, when there was live music.
'Yea it is nice,' Blaine agreed. 'But a place like this, you need decent company, and well, I try not to let Sam out in public too often.' Kurt giggled at this, hand held up to cover his mouth. It was kind of adorable.
When they'd finished eating, they all ordered coffee, deciding that they'd spend some time enjoying the music and the atmosphere. Conversation flowed easily between them, simple and unhurried, with the occasional pause to listen to the music.
'So when do you start looking for a job, Blaine?' Kurt asked. 'Do you have to wait until summer, or what?'
'Um, actually, there's a chance I might have found something already. Last year, I did a placement at a school a couple of neighbourhoods away. They've got a teacher who's about to retire, and so they got in contact with me. They knew I was about to graduate, so they asked if I wanted to apply.'
Kurt seemed excited for him, reaching out to squeeze his hand. 'That's so exciting, Blaine. You haven't even graduated, and you're already being headhunted.'
Blaine couldn't help but smile at Kurt's reaction. 'Yea, well, I don't know how many other students they got in contact with. And it's not like I've got the job yet, I've still got to go through the process.'
'It seems so weird,' Rachel spoke up after a moment, having zoned out previously. 'It's weird how you're getting ready to, like, join the workforce, and me and Kurt are still stuck in high school.'
Blaine laughed. 'You know, if I didn't know any better Rachel, I'd think that you were calling me old.'
Xxx
The next morning, when Blaine woke up, he was momentarily disorientated. Where was he? Because he definitely wasn't in his own bed. Eventually he worked it out though. He'd insisted that Kurt and Rachel shared his bed. And since Sam was staying with Tina for the night, he'd taken Sam's bed, preferring that to curling up on the couch.
'Morning, Blaine,' Rachel called from the door, bright and cheery. 'Time to get up, we've got a big day. Kurt's just making breakfast.'
Blaine didn't want to get up. He didn't like getting up in the mornings. But the longer he took to get up, the less time he'd have to make himself look presentable. With that thought in mind, he quickly rolled out of bed, trying his best to not step on the mess on Sam's floor.
Xxx
The day went well, the morning spent wandering around Central Park, exploring it to an extent that Blaine hadn't bothered with for years. After a quick lunch, they headed to Times Square, where they found themselves a spot to people watch, Kurt giving a running commentary on everyone's fashion choices.
After that, they headed towards the Empire State Building, the sidewalks getting more crowded the closer that they got. Blaine glanced towards Kurt, noticing how nervous he seemed. 'You ok?' he asked quietly.
'Just worried that I'm going to lose you two,' Kurt explained, trying to walk as close as possible to Blaine.
Blaine held his hand out towards him. 'Take my hand then,' he told him, before turning towards Rachel, 'and you, take my other one.' They both slipped their hands into Blaine's, and he gave them both a quick squeeze as they continued to walk. It felt nice, Blaine found, the warmth of their hands against his. But at the same time, it kinda made him feel like a mother duck.
Xxx
That evening Sam was back at the apartment when they arrived, eager to tell them about a play that a friend of Tina's was in. The two of them had been to see it the night before, and the others should really go see it. In fact, if they wanted, Sam could take them.
It was quickly agreed upon, and they headed out, finding somewhere to eat before heading to the show. The play was dark, spooky even, and Blaine found himself on edge. He jumped when Kurt's hand accidentally brushed against his on the armrest, heart beating a million miles an hour. But he calmed instantly when Kurt laced their fingers together, his thumb running back and forth reassuringly. It was kinda weird, he couldn't help but think, having Kurt look after him, be protective of him. Shouldn't it be the other way around?
He was kinda surprised, when the show ended and the lights came up, to see that their hands were still intertwined. But as Kurt turned away from the stage to start a conversation with Rachel, he just let Blaine's hand go. As if it was the most natural thing in the world. As if he was always holding hands with boys.
Xxx
When everyone was getting ready for bed that night, Blaine was making up the couch, preparing himself to sleep there. As Sam passed from the bathroom to his bedroom, he stopped for a moment, watching Blaine do battle with a sheet.
'Are you really going to sleep there?' he asked. 'I tried that once, when my parents were visiting. It's super uncomfortable.'
Blaine had had suspicions that would be the case. 'Yea, well, I don't really have any other choice.'
'Yea. I would just let you share my bed, but that kinda crosses the bros line. And besides, Tina reckons I kick in my sleep.'
'I think I'd prefer the couch,' Blaine told him with a smile.
Two hours later, Blaine was convinced that he'd prefer anything over the couch. It was the most uncomfortable thing ever. No matter which way he twisted or turned, he couldn't find a comfy position. At this rate, he wouldn't sleep a wink tonight.
At that moment, Blaine heard footsteps coming from somewhere in the apartment. He sat up quickly, suddenly hyperaware of every little noise. Rachel appeared in his bedroom door, before crossing the room towards the kitchen.
'Rachel,' he whisper-shouted, 'what are you doing?'
'I'm just getting a drink,' she replied. 'What are you doing?'
'I couldn't sleep,' he admitted.
Rachel ducked into the kitchen, returning with a glass in her hand. 'The couch as uncomfortable as Sam said it was?' she asked. He nodded in reply. 'Well, come share with us, then.'
'What, no. Rachel, I couldn't.'
'Blaine, if it was just me, would you share a bed?' He thought for a moment before nodding. 'Well, come on then. If I sleep in the middle, it's not like it's going to be any different.'
Blaine couldn't help but think that it didn't work quite like that. And besides, it was gonna be super squashed in there. But he was really tired, so he just followed obediently after her, eager for the comfort of his own bed.
Xxx
It took Blaine a moment to get his bearings when he first woke up. He couldn't, for the life of him, work out why he was staring into the most gorgeous blue-green eyes. Eyes that were staring sleepily back at him. Blaine knew these eyes, maybe not in this much detail, but he knew these eyes.
Slowly, he refocused his gaze, finally working out who it was that was watching him from the other side of his bed. 'Morning Kurt,' he greeted quietly, not wanting to disturb the stillness of it all.
'Mm, morning,' Kurt hummed back, still sleepy but slowly waking up.
They just lay there like that for a while, just watching each other, until Kurt spoke up. 'Has anyone ever told you that you have really adorable bedhead?'
Blaine laughed softly, still captivated. 'Yea, Sam tells me periodically. But only when he's trying to wind me up.'
A look of alarm flashed across Kurt's face. 'Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realise it was a sore point.'
'Don't be sorry, Kurt. It's different when you say it. I kinda like it.' He ducked his head at this last admission, not wanting to meet Kurt's gaze. Something about this half-awake state made him feel so much more vulnerable.
Kurt reached a hand out from under the covers, inching it slowly towards Blaine's face, before tilting his chin back up. His eyes searched Blaine's, clearly looking for something, before he started to move towards Blaine. Blaine, caught up in everything that was Kurt, mirrored his actions. As they met in the middle of the bed, Blaine brought his hand up to Kurt's face, thumb caressing his cheek. They hesitated there for a moment, searching each other's faces, before they leant in at the same time, lips meeting in a sweet, chaste kiss. Blaine didn't think he'd ever had a kiss that was so simple before, or one that was so perfect. He couldn't get over how soft Kurt's lips were against his. After what felt like a lifetime, they pulled away.
Kurt just watched him again for a moment, before speaking up. 'I really, really like you, Blaine.'
Blaine thought for a moment, taking in the meaning of Kurt's words. As the realisation hit him, alarm and panic started to rise, hard and fast. He started to freak out, not knowing what to say. 'I'm really sorry, Kurt,' he said eventually. 'I can't do this.' He turned away to get out of the bed, but he felt a hand on his shoulder.
'Blaine,' Kurt's voice was soft, kind. 'I know you're scared. But I would never hurt you.'
Blaine turned back towards him, saw the gentleness in his eyes. 'I know,' he told him. 'But I just – I just can't Kurt. Not now. I'm not ready.'
'Then I'll wait.' Kurt replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He leaned up on his elbow, hand on Blaine's cheek as he kissed his nose. Blaine smiled in reply, a soft, sad smile, before turning away and getting out of the bed.
Xxx
The rest of the day was a little awkward. When Blaine entered the lounge, he found Rachel sipping her tea, humming incongruously, trying to feign innocence. He found himself wondering how she'd managed to slip out of the bed, from right in the middle of the bed, without disturbing either him or Kurt. She started chattering away, too brightly, even for her.
They headed out soon after, leaving before Sam was out of bed, catching a ferry out to the Statue of Liberty. Throughout the trip, Blaine didn't know how to act around Kurt, didn't know what he should even feel. So he did his best to keep Rachel between them, acting as a buffer. Rachel, of course, didn't mind, as it meant she got more attention. Kurt seemed a bit put out by Blaine's behaviour, but Blaine got the distinct impression that Kurt didn't really know what to do either. So he'd let it slide.
When they got back to the apartment, Rachel and Kurt rushed to pack all their belongings, preparing to leave. Blaine sat waiting in the lounge.
'C'mon,' he called, 'we need to be leaving in the next ten minutes.'
Rachel appeared at the door. 'Actually, I was thinking Blaine. If we're ever going to survive in New York, we're going to have to be able to get our own way around. So we may as well get started now.'
'Are you saying you expect me to let you get to the airport, and on your flight, on your own?'
'Yes, Blaine,' Rachel seemed insistent. 'We'll be fine.'
Blaine really wasn't sure it was a good idea. But Rachel was stubborn, and he didn't think he'd be able to argue his way out of this. 'Fine,' he agreed eventually, 'but make sure you text me just before you board, so I know everything's alright.'
Rachel jumped up and down in excitement, rushing over to hug Blaine.
'Rachel, are you ready to go?' Kurt asked from the doorway. 'Because I think I'm all packed.'
'Well, I guess this is it then,' Rachel replied, turning back to Blaine and hugging him again. 'Thank you so much for everything, Blaine. You are the most amazing brother ever.'
'You're welcome, Rach,' he told her, trying not to choke on the words. He hated goodbyes, and this one seemed worse than most.
Kurt was hovering nearby, seemingly unsure what to do. Suddenly, he rushed forward, pulling Blaine into a quick, slightly awkward hug. 'Thank you for inviting me along, it meant a lot,' he told him, before pulling back to look at him. 'And just remember, Blaine, I'm not going anywhere, ok?'
Blaine smiled tightly in return, not wanting to think about all the meaning hidden under those words. He turned back to Rachel, 'Can I at least call you a cab?'
'No, Blaine. What kind of New Yorkers would we be if we couldn't even get our own cab?' Blaine laughed as he walked them to the door, the two of them having said goodbye to Sam. Having said their final farewells, Blaine watched as they walked down the hall, on their way back to Ohio.
Yea so I don't know a hang of a lot about New York. I swear 90% of what I do know is from this fandom. So I hope this chapter wasn't too painful for you. And I hope you're enjoying the story.
