Your eyes are not deceiving you. This is, in fact, another update!
"Blackmail?" Blaine asked, shocked. "Did they say anything? Was there a message or anything?"
"Well…no, but –" Kurt trailed off with a shrug. The look he gave Blaine was begging him to be as panicked as he was. "We start dating and then the next day this mysteriously appears in my locker? That can't be a coincidence…"
Blaine stood from the desk, picture still in hand, and pulled Kurt to the back of the classroom where they were he was sure no one could see them even if they peered through the window on the door.
"Hey, calm down," he said, stroking his thumb over Kurt's wrist while his breath came out in short pants. "Just breathe, okay?" Kurt nodded as he tried to control his breathing, taking deep breaths, slowly and one at a time.
Once he was certain Kurt had calmed down, he took him into his arms, holding him strongly and trying not to let the hurt sink into his skin.
"I'm sorry," Kurt whispered against Blaine's neck. Blaine could feel a slight dampness that could only mean Kurt was crying. "I'm not ashamed of you, I promise. I'm just…I know what everyone else will think and I'm scared of what they'll do. Not just to me but both of us."
"It's okay," Blaine told him. "Besides, you don't know that it's blackmail, and you can barely tell that it's me anyway. See, look." He pulled away from Kurt slightly to show him the photo, pointing out what he meant, "Your hand is covering my face and I'm not wearing glasses. If…if anyone sees it just…" Blaine sucked in a breath, steeling himself what he was about to suggest, "just tell them that it's someone else. I won't mind, I promise," he lied.
Kurt stared searchingly into his eyes and Blaine felt naked under the scrutiny.
"Are you sure?" Kurt asked hesitantly before he shook his head, screwing his eyes shut, "No. What am I saying, I can't do that to you. I've already hurt you enough. I'm honestly surprised that you're still here."
Blaine cut off his rambling with a brief kiss, heart fluttering at the realisation that he could just do that now. Kurt whined as he pulled away, problems seemingly vanished until he remembered where they were. He looked hastily to the door, double checking that no one saw before he returned the gesture, kissing Blaine back ever so softly.
"I wish everyone knew how amazing you are and how lucky I am that you actually want to be with me," Kurt said, pulling Blaine as close to him as possible in an intimate embrace. Blaine could feel Kurt's heart pounding and tried to decide whether it was from the excitement of everything or his fear of them getting caught. One wall was all that separated them from the rest of the school, after all.
"Kurt, we've been together for less than a day," Blaine reminded him.
"I know," he replied with an air of nonchalance, "I'm just sorry I wasn't brave enough to take this chance sooner. I was just like everybody else, like some of the people I can't stand. I didn't even give you the time of day because I never stopped to consider that behind the glasses and the books and the horribly gelled hair," Blaine mocked offence but allowed Kurt to continue, "I never stopped to consider that behind all that was a person. And an amazing person at that." Blaine ducked his head as he blushed, grinning so wide he was sure his face would split in two. Kurt placed a hand against his cheek, bringing his face up so he can look him in the eye as he poured out his soul "And the one thing I want more than anything else in the world," Kurt continued, "is the courage to just say to everyone 'Yeah, Blaine Anderson is my boyfriend, and I'm the happiest person in the world, so what?' But I…I don't have that. Not yet anyway."
"It's okay," Blaine assured him, and for the first time, he really felt like he could believe his own words. "I don't care if you shout it from the rooftops or whisper it in my ear or none of those things because I know how you feel and that alone makes me so indescribably happy. I've had a crush on you for so long," Blaine admitted with a short laugh as he desperately tried to force his blush to fade through sheer willpower. Kurt laughed too, stroking Blaine's cheek with the hand still cupping his face.
"That's adorable," he cooed and Blaine couldn't bring himself to be embarrassed, not when Kurt was looking at him like that.
The moment was interrupted by an optimistic jingle coming from Kurt's pocket. He pulled out his phone, frowning at the text he just received.
"Santana," he clarified after a moment of silence. "Ugh, I have to be at Cheerio practise."
"You have to go?" Blaine asked, trying to keep himself from pouting yet failing most definitely.
"I think I just want to go home," Kurt said dejectedly, remembering the photograph in Blaine's hand and the implications it had. Blaine nodded in understanding as he began to disentangle his arms from around Kurt. "You wanna come too?" Kurt asked hesitantly. Blaine perked up at the thought.
"Really?"
"Yes!" Kurt assured him with a satisfied chuckle, "We'd have just a little more privacy than we do right now and my dad won't be home till five thirty."
"Okay, absolutely," Blaine agreed with an excited nod.
Blaine stepped nervously over the threshold of the Hummel household, wiping his shoes on the mat then closing the front door behind him. He wasn't entirely sure what Kurt's plans were exactly. It was the first time he and Kurt had ever spent time alone together that didn't involve studying or sarcasm.
"So…" Kurt attempted and Blaine was a little relieved that Kurt was clearly just as apprehensive as he was. "Do you want to watch a movie or something?" he suggested.
"Sure!" Blaine agreed, smiling as Kurt lead him to his bedroom which Blaine was surprised to find out was in the basement.
"I used to have a room upstairs but it was really small," Kurt told him as they descended the steps, "I begged my dad for months to let me convert the basement into a bedroom. He finally agreed after I promised I'd watch football with him every Sunday. I mean all this space was just going waste anyway…" Blaine looked about the room, impressed with the decor. "Oh god, I probably sound really spoiled right now…"
"You don't, I promise," he said, taking a seat on the bed as Kurt curled up into his swing chair. "You decorated it yourself?" Blaine asked, not wanting the conversation to fall to silence. It was different when they were on the phone but he wasn't sure if it wouldn't be too awkward in person.
"Yeah."
"It's nice."
"Thanks…"
So much for things not being awkward.
"So…Sunday afternoon football with your dad? I get that. My dad seems to think that football has some magical quality that turns guys straight. I mean, I love football…probably not for the same reasons he does though," Blaine said with an attempted laugh.
"Oh, no, my dad's not…I mean he doesn't do it because he thinks it'll change me. We just…we don't have a lot in common and I guess it is nice spending time with him, even if I have no interest in the game whatsoever."
"You're lucky," Blaine commented, trying not to feel as jealous as he did. "So your parents know that you're…?" Blaine prompted, not wanting the conversation to turn to his own father.
"Yeah…my dad's pretty much okay with it. Like I said, he isn't looking to change me but it can be a little awkward around the house sometimes."
"What about your mom?" Blaine felt like he needed to ask though regretted it the instant Kurt's face fell.
"She um…she died when I was eight," Kurt stated with a grim smile. Blaine could feel his heart sink, unable to imagine what it must be like to live in a house with just his dad. His own home got pretty noisy at times with his parents and brother around, yet he knew what it was like when he was home alone. But Kurt spent his days alone every day until his father was home and then it was just them. Dinner for two every night.
"Kurt, I'm so sorry."
"It's okay," he assured instantly, "I wasn't trying to make you feel guilty or anything. Sometimes…Sometimes I wonder how she would have taken it, how I would have told her. But then I think that she probably already knew. I mean my dad claims to have known since I was three so…I guess she had an idea at least." Blaine nodded, unsure how to react when it seemed Kurt was having such a personal moment. Thankfully, Kurt wasn't quite as afraid as he was to break the tension.
"So!" he said loudly, shattering the all too serious mood that had fogged the room. "How about that movie?"
Kurt slipped off his swing chair crawling to his DVD case beside it. He picked a movie from the shelf, barely even looking at the selection available and tossed it on the bed beside Blaine.
"Phantom of the Opera," Blaine said after taking one look at the box. "How wonderfully apropos."
"Yeah well," Kurt replied, sitting himself on the bed with his laptop, "I think this play will always remind me of you now."
Blaine smiled as Kurt got the movie ready.
The thing with watching a movie on Kurt's laptop was that it required them to sit incredibly close together in order for them both to see. Blaine would ordinarily have no problem with this but the way his heart was pounding in his chest, he wasn't so sure if he could make it through the whole film without needing to vomit.
"You okay?" Kurt asked, noticing his discomfort. Blaine nodded shakily as Kurt pressed himself against Blaine on the bed and pressed play. Kurt was so close. He could smell his fragrance, and the crisp smell of his Cheerio uniform that comes with only the most expensive of dry cleaning bills. He was suddenly drowning in the overwhelming need to be as close to him as physically possible. To just touch him, to remind himself that he's right there next to him.
Daringly, he let his head drop to Kurt's shoulder, the two of them shifting slightly to get more comfortable until they were settled. Blaine sighed in contentment because there he was in his boyfriend's bedroom, watching a movie with his boyfriend, leaning his head against his boyfriend's shoulder. It all seemed so surreal, especially when he replaced boyfriend with Kurt.
Blaine was a little surprised yet more than relieved to realise that Kurt seemed to be feeling the same way. If the way his hands were trembling slightly was anything to go on at least.
Once the movie had started, however, all of the nerves seemed to evaporate. They recited lines together, having both seen it plenty of times yet still laughing at one another as they mouthed along to dialogue. Blaine was amazed at just how comfortable he was, how easy everything was in the comfort of Kurt's home. Whereas at school, they needed to be careful, everything about their interactions together was summed up by caution. Here they could just be themselves. Blaine stored away every minuscule detail about Kurt he discovered, the way he smiled with his eyes more than his mouth, the way he liked to stroke Blaine's arm affectionately as he still rested his head against Kurt.
Just as Blaine was beginning to think that this could possibly be the best day of his life, a knock sounded from upstairs. Kurt's eyes shot to the stairs at the sound.
"Ugh, I should get that," he said, pausing the movie and disentangling himself from Blaine. Blaine sat up, feeling suddenly empty without Kurt beside him, like a piece of himself was just yanked away. "I'll be right back," Kurt assured as he hurried up stairs.
Blaine waited patiently, unable to stop himself from listening in as he heard Kurt pull the front door open. He could make out a girl's voice though whose he had no idea. Kurt was talking too, he seemed a little frantic but Blaine couldn't make out what either of them were saying.
He heard the door slam shut but the voices continued. She must have come inside. Blaine could feel himself beginning to panic. The little bubble he and Kurt had created for themselves was being invaded and he knew how much it meant to Kurt that they keep their relationship a secret.
The door at the top of the basement stairs was suddenly flung open and the voices became so much clearer.
"Santana wait!" Kurt warned and Blaine felt his stomach drop to somewhere beneath the bed. He needed to hide and he needed to do it quickly. He wondered if he could make it to Kurt's closet but Santana was already coming down the stairs. He dropped to the floor and crawled under Kurt's bed, pulling his bed sheets down slightly to make sure he was out of sight.
Peeking out through the sliver of a gap, he saw Santana's sneakers come into view, probably having come straight from Cheerios practise.
"What are you doing?" Kurt protested, his socked feet appearing in front of Blaine.
"I wanna hang out! What's your problem, Sparkles?"
"You can't just walk in here! And don't call me that," Kurt demanded. Blaine could see him following Santana around the room.
"Since when?" Santana countered, sounding almost offended. "And why'd you skip out on cheerleading practise anyway?"
"I…had some things to take care of," Kurt defended himself, meekly.
"Oh really? Because watching a movie you've seen thousands of times before constitutes as important?" The bed dipped as Santana must have sat herself upon it. Kurt remained standing at the foot of the bed where Blaine watched, holding his breath as his heart pounded in his chest. "So," she said while, by the sound of it, making herself comfortable. "Did you get the picture I left for you in your locker?" She asked casually. Blaine's eyes widen as Kurt took a cautious step back.
"Y-you put that in my locker?" Kurt whispered.
"Yeah, any luck finding out who the guy is yet? He's so hot."
Blaine was almost certain that the sigh of relief he breathed was loud enough to alert Santana to his presence. He clamped a hand over his mouth, letting his eyes drift close for a moment when nothing happened. But…wait, had Santana Lopez just called him hot? That was…new.
"You mean," Kurt began, voice a clearer now, "you don't know who it is?"
"You think I'd withhold that sort of information from you? Believe me, I've been trying to find him. I wish I had a better picture of him though. Maybe he's one of Scott's friends from college! How awesome would that be?" Santana said excitedly and Blaine could tell that she was bouncing slightly on the bed above.
"Look, I appreciate the effort but, really, I don't care about finding this guy. Like I told you the other week, the phone number he gave me was wrong. He's clearly not interested so why bother?" Kurt rambled. Blaine had to wonder how much Santana and Kurt had talked about this. It seemed like Santana's sole aim was to find someone for Kurt, which, he had to admit, was kind of sweet. Except Kurt was already taken and she couldn't know.
"Fine, whatever. stay a virgin forever for all I care." She muttered as Kurt squeaked indignantly in response.
"So," she said, changing the subject, "Dakota Stanley is coming in to direct the glee club tomorrow. I can't wait to watch all those losers cry as he stomps all over their precious hopes and dreams," she laughed. Blaine clenched his fists as he tried to remain silent. He couldn't help but feel like he was betraying his friends by allowing for this to happen. But what could he do?
At least he'll know not to let this Dakota Stanley get to him, he'll just have to pick up the rest of the pieces later.
"Great," Kurt replied despondently.
"What's up with you?" Santana pressed, "You've been acting weird for like 2 weeks now. Are you really that upset about this guy giving you a wrong number?"
"I…" Kurt floundered, "No. I don't know. Maybe I'm coming down with something," he lied. Blaine could see him begin to pace the room, feet stumbling slightly against the floor. "In fact, no, yeah. I am coming down with something. That's why I wasn't at Cheerio practise. You should…you should really go before you catch it." Kurt started coughing violently, which Blaine knew was faked but he had to admit, it was pretty convincing.
"Ew, you could have given me some warning, jeez," Santana said in utter disgust. "Okay, I get it, I'm going." The bed creaked as she stood and Blaine watched in relief as her feet disappeared up the stairs, the front door slamming shut moments later. Kurt was still in the room but Blaine couldn't bring himself to move.
"Blaine?" Kurt said tentatively into the empty room, unsure as to whether Blaine was even still there.
"Under here," he replied softly. Light pierced through the dark space as Kurt lifted up the sheets to find Blaine lying on his stomach, head resting on his folded arms.
"Hey," Kurt said, crawling under and letting the bed sheet fall back to place, shrouding them both in darkness. Blaine remained staring straight ahead, looking at nothing in particular but thinking about everything.
"Hey."
"Thanks for…hiding. I'm sorry you had to though."
"It's okay," Blaine said, his voice strangely pitchy as his heart rate settled back to normal. Kurt edged closer and suddenly his head was resting on Blaine's shoulder. Turning his head, Blaine was met with Kurt's lips pressing into his own and they kissed softly, sweetly, smoothly in the darkness. A moment reserved for just the two of them.
"This sucks," Kurt murmured against Blaine's lips after he pulled back a fraction.
"Kinda," Blaine agreed.
"I hate lying to my friends but I…I just don't know what else we can do," Kurt said with a weighted sigh. Blaine laughed mirthlessly. "What?"
"Your friends?" Kurt pulled back further, calculating eyes meeting Blaine's. "Your friends who are so eager to tear my friends to pieces…" Blaine turned his head away, staring again at the darkened bed sheets hanging before his nose.
"Well your friends were pretty quick to judge me when I joined your stupid glee club," Kurt retorted, suddenly defensive again.
"We might as well come from different worlds, Kurt."
"What are you getting at?" Kurt's voice had lost the venom, his anger short-lived, now he was just frustrated, desperate to be back to where they were before Santana had come.
"I…I don't know. I'm sorry, this is just hard," Blaine confessed.
"It's been a day, Blaine. You said you'd be okay with hiding this."
"I know and I am - mostly - but that isn't what this is about. Ugh just…forget I said anything. This isn't about who can know or our friends or anyone except us. You and Me."
Kurt nods as Blaine looked towards him again before pulling him in for another kiss. Slow and careful as they both confirmed that this was really what they want. That it was worth the sacrifices they were making.
The door slammed shut again from above and the two automatically looked up, despite being underneath a bed.
"Kurt? You home?" A gruff, masculine voice called. Kurt smirked as he began to crawl out from under the bed, followed by Blaine.
"Wanna meet my dad?"
