Author's Note: Kind of an unusual Valentine's date...
Chapter 7: Valentine's DayAfter Cooper's gaffe, Mr Top Model stopped coming to the coffee shop. Correction: he stopped coming to the coffee shop when Blaine was working. Stacey told him Mr Top Model still showed up regularly on Blaine's days off.
Stupid Cooper! Why did he have to meddle and ruin everything? And I'm stupid as well. Why didn't I say something when I had the chance? Stupid, stupid, stupid!
Blaine fulfilled all of his duties as conscientiously as ever, but his colleagues saw that the sparkle in his eyes was missing, and that his smile for the customers looked brittle and forced.
"Hey…" Stacey asked one day, "You want me to slip your phone number to your crush when he comes in on Tuesday? I totally would, you know."
Blaine barked out a short humourless laugh. "No, Stace. But thanks for offering."
At home, too, Cooper got nosy and wanted to know why Blaine never talked about Mr Top Model any more.
"Because I haven't seen him since you interrupted us talking that day and called him my boyfriend," Blaine snapped. "I guess he wasn't amused. As usual, you put your foot in it, Coop."
Cooper seemed taken aback by Blaine's vehemence and animosity, and didn't bring up the subject again for months.
Halfway February, though, Blaine came trudging into their apartment wearily after a long study session in the library, and the first thing he saw was two boxes of pizza on the kitchen table.
"Are you having Rachel over?" Blaine asked, a little surprised. Rachel didn't like pizza, preferring Indian or Thai take-out instead.
Cooper shook his head and grinned. "No, this is for us. Just push your books aside for an evening and spend some quality time with your big brother, okay?"
Blaine quirked an eyebrow and drawled, "O-kay? What's the catch? What do you want from me this time?"
Cooper widened his eyes, the picture of innocence, and hurt crept into his voice when he answered, "There's no catch! I just want to hang out with you!"
Blaine nodded slowly. "All right. Star Wars marathon?"
Cooper beamed. "Star Wars marathon!"
It wasn't until the second film was coming to an end that Blaine noticed Cooper was fidgeting. Blaine looked at his brother and frowned. "Spit it out, Cooper. What is it?"
"I hate seeing you so unhappy," Cooper confessed. "I'm sorry I messed things up with your Mr Top Model, you know that, right?"
Blaine scowled. "Yes, well, sorry isn't going to help. I'm never going to see him again."
"Oh yes, you are!" Cooper said confidently.
Blaine looked at his brother quizzically. Cooper beamed at him.
"Okay, I'll bite," Blaine gave in. "How can you be so sure I'll see my crush again?"
"Because I know him," Cooper stated.
Blaine's eyebrows rose. "And you never thought to mention this to me before? Why exactly?"
"You chewed me out the one time I brought up the subject!" Cooper defended himself.
"Because you ruined any chance I might have had with him," Blaine hissed, still sour.
Cooper sighed. "Yes, yes, I'm sorry again. But as I said, I can make it all better."
"How?" Blaine asked, sceptical.
"Your Mr Top Model happens to be Rachel's roommate Kurt," Cooper grinned. "And guess who arranged for us to have a double date on Valentine's Day?"
Cooper unsubtly pointed at himself.
Blaine's eyes went wide and his mouth went dry. "You… You mean he agreed to go on a date with me?"
"The four of us are going on a date together," Cooper nodded. "I'm sacrificing my alone time with Rachel for this, so you had better be grateful."
Blaine tackled his brother backwards onto the sofa and hugged the living daylights out of him. "Thanks, Coop! You're the best!"
K&B
Valentine's Day dawned bright and clear, and Blaine smiled broadly at everyone he crossed jogging through the park. On his way home, he stopped at a delicatessen to buy a small box of Belgian chocolates as a Valentine's present for Kurt.
Kurt mentioned chocolate that one time, didn't he? It's so wonderful to have a name to put to the face now.
During his shift at the coffee shop, he couldn't stop smiling ecstatically, which earned him way more napkins with phone numbers from instantly smitten girls than he usually got.
Stacey counted them at the end of their shift, giggling all the while at the comments scribbled next to the phone numbers and reading out the best ones. "I like my baristas like I like my coffee – hot and sweet. If you're lonely this Valentine's, think of me."
"Not going to happen," Blaine mumbled, the tips of his ears going red.
Stacey winked at him and then moved on to the next message.
"Oh, this is priceless! 'You're as hot as the coffee you serve, and your smile just melted the frosting off my cupcake. Please call me.'"
Blaine snorted. "Where do they come up with this stuff? Please stop, Stacey!"
Stacey grinned at him unrepentantly. "Oh, come on, there's even one who wrote a poem! 'Roses are red, violets are blue, there's a coffee shop on every corner, but I only like the one with you.'"
"Those last two verses are way too long compared to the first ones," Blaine commented, and Stacey rolled her eyes at him.
"Fifty-four, fifty-five, fifty-six, fifty-SEVEN," Stacey counted. "Wow, that's a high new record. At least twenty more than the previous one. You girl magnet, you!"
Stacey made exaggerated doe eyes at him, blinking her lashes as fast as she could. "Oh, Mister Cute Barista, look at me! Smile at me! Make my day!"
Blaine, torn between laughing hysterically and wanting to sink through the floor, implored Stacey once again to please stop.
"Well, if you don't want any of these…" Stacey held up two hands full of scribbled-on napkins, "I guess they all go into the trash. You cruel man!"
That made Blaine flush and stammer that he didn't want… He didn't mean to… Honest!
Stacey took pity on him, patting him on the arm and telling him she was just joking. "Go on, get out of here! I know you have a hot date and want to dress to impress."
Blaine flashed Stacey a huge smile. She pretended to swoon and then waved him away.
At home, Blaine took advantage of the peace and quiet now that Cooper wasn't there yet to take a bath, groom himself and try out twelve different outfits, most of which he discarded outright as way too simple for Kurt's tastes. He was vacillating between his two favourite options, holding them in front of him and staring into the mirror to see the effect, when Cooper appeared behind him and offered his advice. "Pick the red trousers. Your ass looks amazing in them."
Blaine turned around. "Coop!"
"What? It's true! And Kurt is definitely an ass man. I've seen him look when you had your back turned."
Blaine felt his blood rush to his cheeks.
"But that bow tie with the hearts on them is overkill," Cooper commented. "You guys aren't even dating yet. Go with the black-and-white one. Classy. Very 1920s movie star. Kurt will love it. Goes very well with that grey sweater, too."
Blaine nodded and started putting on the chosen outfit.
Half an hour later, they were on their way to the restaurant, and Blaine was both so excited and so nervous that he was practically vibrating.
Cooper noticed, but rather uncharacteristically didn't tease Blaine. Instead, he said encouragingly, "Relax. Kurt likes you too. It will all go swimmingly."
At the restaurant, Cooper mentioned his name to the hostess, and she led them to a table near the window.
"Good, we'll see them arrive," Cooper beamed.
A quarter of an hour later, Cooper was sipping at a cocktail. He'd offered to get Blaine one too - "it will help you relax, squirt" - but Blaine had simply shook his head and asked the hostess for a glass of water. He hadn't touched it yet. He was looking at the drops of condensation that were slowly making their way down the glass when Cooper tapped his arm. "There they are!"
Blaine looked outside, and yes, there was Rachel in a bright red coat, arm in arm with Kurt, who was a vision in a dark grey pea coat with a blue scarf, his hair swept up dramatically.
Kurt held the door of the restaurant open for Rachel, as a true gentleman, and Blaine smiled approvingly.
And then it all went wrong. Kurt and Rachel were arguing. Kurt apparently hadn't known that Cooper would be at the restaurant, and resented Rachel for making him tag along as the third wheel on her date with Cooper. Rachel laughed and assured him it wasn't like that, and then Kurt's eyes widened in alarm, and he started hissing at her for setting him up on a blind date, on Valentine's Day no less, and didn't she realise how tacky that was?
Blaine was growing more and more agitated.
Why hasn't Rachel told him he's meeting me? I thought he knew! I thought he wanted this double date!
And then Rachel let it slip that she'd set Kurt up with Blaine, and Kurt completely misunderstood, thinking that Blaine was a girl's name and stalking off offended.
That set Cooper off on a laughing fit. He guffawed so hard he had to wipe away tears of mirth. Blaine shot him a nasty look, jumped out of his chair and ran after Kurt without even getting his coat first.
Kurt was walking as fast as he could without outright running, and Blaine had a hard time catching up with him.
Wow, Kurt, slow down, please!
Desperate to get to Kurt before he disappeared out of Blaine's life again, Blaine sped up his pace and yelled for Kurt to please wait for him.
Kurt slowed down and then turned around to face Blaine, his angry expression melting away when recognition hit him. Now, Kurt just looked confused.
Blaine started babbling apologies as fast as he could utter them, and Kurt's perplexity only grew, so Blaine sighed and decided to start at the beginning, introducing himself properly.
When it dawned on Kurt that Blaine was his promised date, and very much NOT a girl, his mouth fell open, and he blurted out, "YOU're Blaine?"
Then Kurt seemed aghast by his own rudeness and hastened to shake Blaine's hand, as if to say that his exclamation hadn't been meant as an insult and that he very much wanted to get to know Blaine.
Well, that's encouraging…
Blaine explained that he knew Rachel through Cooper, and Kurt went slack-jawed again.
Then Blaine apologised for Cooper's behaviour in the coffee shop, and Kurt frowned and then gaped, struck speechless once more. It was clear he had something to say, though, so Blaine waited patiently for Kurt to compose himself and speak.
You could have knocked Blaine down with a feather when Kurt explained he thought Cooper was speaking to him, not Blaine, and then thought Blaine was freezing Kurt out in disgust at being considered gay and Kurt's boyfriend.
Blaine couldn't help but laugh at that, a spark of hope igniting in his chest when Kurt mentioned he'd been flirting with Blaine.
Blaine quickly assured Kurt that he was very much gay and not offended by Kurt's flirting in the least. Hadn't he always flirted back just as hard?
That made Kurt blush prettily, and admit that he'd barked up the wrong tree before, and mistaken friendliness for romantic interest.
Blaine's lips curved up as far as they could go, and before he could second-guess himself, he'd taken Kurt's hands and told him that he was very much interested, but had held off asking Kurt out because he'd always been at work when he saw Kurt.
Kurt instantly understood, and that made Blaine smile even wider, and then explain further about the double date.
Why didn't Rachel tell Kurt about it? She might have known he'd have a fit at being set up! And why did Cooper make me believe Kurt knew about this and wanted to date me? Seriously, I'm going to KILL him if he's ruined every chance I may have had with Kurt now.
Before he knew it, Blaine was voicing his displeasure at his brother's idiocy, and Kurt gently squeezed his hands and soothed him, saying there was no harm done, and that they were together now, and understood the situation, and knew each other's names. Kurt tacked an apology onto that, for thinking Blaine was a girl's name, and somehow that led to Kurt telling Blaine about his mother dying when he was eight, and Blaine felt his heart break for Kurt.
Kurt clearly didn't want to discuss the topic further, and suggested going to his apartment nearby to continue their conversation, seeing as it was freezing and snowing.
Anything you like, gorgeous, if that means I can spend more time with you…
K&B
As soon as they were in Kurt and Rachel's apartment, the temperature difference got to Blaine. He hadn't noticed the cold while explaining things to Kurt, but now that he was in a warm apartment, it dawned on him that running out of the restaurant without his coat might not have been very wise. He felt like an icicle, frozen all the way through, and started to shiver violently.
Kurt threw him a concerned look, and the next thing he knew, Blaine was sitting on the sofa, his wet sweater gone, swathed head to foot in a thick afghan, while Kurt busied himself making hot chocolate for the both of them.
Blaine couldn't get the tremors racking through his body under control, and when Kurt handed him a mug, his hands trembled so strongly that the hot liquid sloshed over the rim and onto his fingers, making him hiss in pain.
Kurt quickly took the mug away from him again, his brow furrowed and his expression anxious.
"Okay, so that won't work," Kurt murmured. "Come with me, sweetie."
Kurt led Blaine to his bedroom and pointed to his bed. "Get under the covers, and I will, too. That's the only thing that will help now to warm you up again."
Kurt helped Blaine take off his shoes when Blaine's fingers refused to cooperate to undo his laces, and then blushingly suggested that Blaine might want to get out of his wet trousers.
"You can put on some pyjamas of mine instead. I'll change into pyjamas as well."
Kurt rummaged in his closet and handed Blaine dark blue flannel pyjamas. Then he turned his back to Blaine to take off his own trousers, which were also covered in snowflakes, his vest and his shirt, leaving him in a wife beater and snug boxer briefs with a camouflage print. Blaine's mouth went dry, and he fumbled helplessly with the button of his trousers to follow suit, his stiff fingers proving useless once again.
Kurt wriggled into his pyjama bottoms and shrugged on his pyjama top. He turned around while doing up the buttons, and raised an eyebrow when he saw Blaine fiddle with his trouser button unsuccessfully.
Blaine shot him a pleading glance, and Kurt quickly undid the button and the zipper for Blaine, and helped him get out of the trousers, which clung to his legs, uncomfortably cold and heavy.
Blaine hurried to put on the borrowed pyjamas.
"Come, before we both catch our death of cold," Kurt said then, and they slid under the covers, Blaine's teeth chattering when the cool covers touched his skin.
"Come here," Kurt ordered, holding his arms open, and Blaine crawled into them hurriedly, craving the heat Kurt's body provided.
Kurt shivered. "You're cold as ice."
"So-so-sorry…" Blaine stammered out, another violent tremor shaking his body.
"Oh, shush, it's okay," Kurt reassured him, gathering him even closer, his arms winding around Blaine protectively and his legs tangling with Blaine's. Blaine's nose was smushed against Kurt's chest and his ear was flattened against Kurt's collarbone.
Blaine felt Kurt's warm breath wash over his curls, and shuddered with how good that felt. Kurt, however, seemed to think Blaine was still cold, and took to rubbing circles on Blaine's back. That had the double effect of warming Blaine up and soothing him to the point where he fell asleep, his last conscious thought that this was absolute heaven.
K&B
Blaine was startled awake by a loud voice.
"Kurt? Kurt?! Are you at home?"
Blaine felt Kurt's voice rumble through him when he answered in clipped tones. "Yes, Rachel, I'm at home."
"Why is there a full mug of chocolate milk on the coffee table? And you spilled some on the floor. And there's more on the stove."
"Rachel, I'm already in bed, so leave me alone!" Kurt yelled. "I'll clean it up tomorrow. What are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be at Cooper's right now?"
"Well, he's looking for his brother. Blaine. He went running after you, without his coat on. And he's not at their place. We went there first. So we hoped he'd managed to catch up with you and I would find you both here."
Blaine groggily tried to sit up, intent on telling Rachel she could stop worrying, but Kurt shook his head and put his index finger to his lips, pulling Blaine to his chest again and stroking his curls absent-mindedly.
"Have you ever heard of this handy new-fangled device called a cell phone?" Kurt asked conversationally. "It allows you to reach someone wherever he or she is. Have you tried that?"
Rachel was silent for a beat. Then Blaine heard her tapping on her phone, and a moment later she said, "Cooper, have you tried calling or texting Blaine?"
There was a moment of silence, and then she said, "Kurt's here, but Blaine isn't with him. Yes, text him and let me know if he answers."
Kurt whispered to Blaine, "Is your phone on silent?"
Blaine nodded.
"Is it in your trousers?" Kurt asked.
Blaine nodded again.
Kurt slipped out of bed with the stealthy grace of a jungle cat and rifled through Blaine's trouser pockets for his phone. Then he slid back under the covers, grinning, and handed Blaine his phone.
There was one new text message. "Blaine, where are you? Let me know asap, I'm out of my mind with worry! Cooper"
"Let me answer," Kurt suggested. He took the phone, held it so that Blaine could see the screen as well, and typed, "I'm okay. Staying with a friend. Didn't want to go home and listen to you two having loud sex. I'll be back tomorrow. Around eleven? Or do you want me to stay out until later? B"
"Okay?" Kurt asked, and Blaine grinned and nodded.
Kurt sent the text. Hardly a minute later, they got a response. "A friend? Since when do you have friends? Well, I'm glad you're okay. And come home whenever you want to, Rachel's gone back to her place, to look for you. No sex tonight, loud or otherwise :-( Cooper"
Blaine gestured for Kurt to hand him back his phone, and typed, "I'll have you know I have lots of friends. And serves you right for messing things up again for me. Some matchmaker you are! B"
Kurt suppressed a giggle.
Apparently, Cooper was briefing Rachel on the situation, because the next thing they heard was the click-clacking of Rachel's heels, and then she yelled, "Blaine's okay, he's staying with a friend. I'm going back to Cooper's!"
"Bye, Rachel!" Kurt answered.
They heard the front door slam closed, and Kurt resumed his head rub, making Blaine's eyes roll to the back of his head with how amazing that felt.
"What was all the secrecy for?" Blaine wanted to know.
"Huh…" Kurt huffed. "If they knew we were together right now, they'd put that as a feather in their cap. And they don't deserve that. They're the worst matchmakers ever."
Blaine laughed. "They are. Still, they'll find out soon enough, won't they? I'm not planning on letting you go again ever."
Kurt's eyes softened, and his hand travelled down from Blaine's hair to caress Blaine's cheek. "Same here. But I don't want to let them know for a while yet. Let them stew."
"Okay," Blaine agreed easily, closing his eyes in bliss when Kurt started massaging his forehead and temples with a feather-light touch.
"How are you feeling?" Kurt asked solicitously. "Do you feel warm again now?"
Blaine felt his lips stretch from ear to ear. "Toasty. Never felt so good in all my life."
Kurt pressed a kiss to the top of Blaine's head. "Good. Are you hungry?"
As if on cue, Blaine's stomach rumbled, and they both laughed.
"I'll take that as a yes," Kurt said. "I'll go take care of dinner. You stay here and rest."
Kurt got up, put on a dressing gown and went to the kitchen, where Blaine heard him clang with pots and pans. Blaine buried himself a little further under the bed covers and dozed off again.
His nose woke him this time, sniffing appreciatively when a delectable smell drifted into the room. Blaine opened his eyes lazily and saw Kurt holding a tray with two plates of food.
"Hey," Blaine croaked.
"Hey, sleepy-head," Kurt smiled. "I hope you like chicken curry."
"Sure," Blaine slurred sleepily. "Smells good."
Blaine scooted up to sit against the headboard. Kurt handed him a plate and silverware and then joined him on the bed.
"I don't usually eat in bed," Kurt confessed. "Don't want stains and crumbs everywhere."
Blaine hummed in assent, his brain still a bit hazy and his mouth too full to speak.
"But I don't want you to get cold again," Kurt continued. "And this is nice and cosy."
Blaine hummed again.
"Not very awake, are you?" Kurt laughed. "As soon as we're done eating, I'm going to find you a spare toothbrush, and then we'll call it bed time, all right? Unless you'd like a hot bath to warm up further."
Blaine considered this, and then shook his head. "I'm warm 'nough."
Amusement danced in Kurt's eyes. "Okay, eat up, then, sleepy-head."
They ate in companionable silence, and then Blaine took the tray back to the kitchen, where he washed the dishes. Kurt dried them and put them away, and then mopped up the spilt chocolate milk and put the mug on the kitchen table.
"Want me to warm up the chocolate milk for us in the microwave?" Kurt offered.
Blaine smiled. "Yes, please."
"I even have marshmallows," Kurt promised. He paused, checked the refrigerator, and announced proudly, "And whipped cream, too."
"Yum," Blaine grinned.
They sat down on the sofa, the afghan draped over them, sipping their hot chocolate, while Kurt was mindlessly zapping through the television channels.
Afterwards, they brushed their teeth and got into bed again.
"It's weird how this doesn't feel the least bit awkward," Kurt mused.
Blaine smiled hugely. "I know, right? And thank you. Thank you for hearing me out, and for taking care of me. This has been the best Valentine's Day ever."
Kurt beamed. "For me too. I'm glad we found our way back to each other, in spite of Rachel and Cooper's meddling."
"Me too," Blaine agreed. "So when are you planning on telling them?"
Kurt bit his lip. "Hmm… At their wedding?"
