2013.
Blaine: 18, Kurt: 19.
"How is it that we have been dating for nearly two years yet we've never gone on an actual date?" Kurt said from the other side of the couch where we were sitting with our legs tangled together as they so often were these days.
"Maybe because we've only been together – like, in the same place – for two months of that time?" I suggest. It hadn't even dawned on me until that moment that we hadn't been on a proper date. I mean, we'd been out a lot; to get lunch or to get ice cream, we even went to a music festival last Summer. But we'd never actually been on a date where we get really dressed up and one of us picks the other up and take them out somewhere nice.
"But still, how many of those days over those two months have we sat there for hours trying to decide what to do and we end up watching a movie that we've both seen a hundred times, when instead we could have gone on a proper date?"
"True, but we always end up making out the whole time and, I don't know about you, but I think that's way more fun than going out to a fancy restaurant," I said with a teasing smile.
"Blaine, I'm serious!" Kurt said with a kick to my side; but I knew he wasn't really annoyed if the way he was laughing was any indication. "Anyway, what I was getting at was that I wanted to ask you, Blaine Anderson, if you would like to go on a date with me?"
He actually looked kind of nervous, which was ridiculous; we were already dating, it's not like I was going to say no.
"Well, what if I wanted to take you out on a date, though?"
"I asked you first! You can take me on a date after I take you out on a date," Kurt said smugly.
"Okay, you have yourself a deal, Kurt Hummel," I replied, holding out my hand so we could shake on it. However, Kurt slapped my hand out of the way and leant over to kiss me instead. I wasn't complaining.
…
"Oh my god!" I practically screamed in fright as Kurt flew past where I was sitting on the piet and dove into the water, droplets only just missing the pages of my book.
Kurt was laughing when he surfaced, shaking his hair out and wading into deeper water.
"You're lucky you didn't get my book wet; you'd be buying me another one!" I called out.
"One, I would never even think of doing such a thing, and two, that's my book anyway," Kurt pointed out and, well, he had a point.
I hadn't realised until we were already here that I had no unread books on my bookshelf and hadn't brought any new ones with me, instead raiding the bookshelf in Kurt's lounge room, settling on Bridge to Terabithia. Kurt had read it at school and told me he and a love-hate relationship with it; he wouldn't tell me why, said I had to read it for myself.
I settled back against the post of was leaning against and returned to reading. For a while, the only noise that could be heard was me turning a page and Kurt quietly splashing in the water. However that quiet only lasted for about 20 minutes until Kurt swam back over to me, lifting himself up so that his arms were resting on the end of the pier, his shoulders sticking out of the water.
"Enough reading. Come and swim with me," Kurt said abruptly.
"But Kurt, I'm up to a really good part," I complained, though it was starting to get very hot and the water did look really nice.
It didn't take much convincing before I was pulling my shirt over my head and canon ball-ing into the water; nowhere near graceful enough to pull off a dive like Kurt.
"B!" Kurt squealed as I jumped onto his back, wrapping my arms securely around his neck and my legs around his waist.
"My feet don't touch the ground this far out, I had to stay afloat somehow," I said, resting my chin atop his head.
"It's called swimming."
"Technicalities."
Kurt seemed to admit defeat, walking out further until only his head was poking out of the water. "I have decided that our date will be on Thursday, by the way. So don't go planning anything."
"Oh, I dunno. I might have to wash my hair on Thursday."
I barely had a moment to say I'm kidding before Kurt loosened my grip around his neck and I was falling backwards into the water. When I surfaced and had rubbed the water from my eyes, Kurt was laughing and already swimming back towards the pier. By the time I caught up with him, he was already at the pier, leaning against one of the large posts.
"You're gonna pay for that," I said teasingly.
"And what might my punishment be?" he said, one eyebrow raised.
I didn't waste any time in kissing him, stepping closer and pressing up against him. I waited until Kurt's hand had moved to cup the back of my neck before pulling away.
"I'm hungry, let's go have lunch." And I pulled myself up onto the pier, drying myself off with my towel.
"Tease," Kurt muttered, though still loud enough for me to hear.
…
Blaine to Kurt (11:40pm):
I hate you.
Kurt to Blaine (11:41pm):
What did I do?!
Blaine to Kurt (11:41pm):
Bridge to Terabithia, that's what.
Kurt to Blaine (11:42pm):
Aww, babe. I'm sorry.
Blaine to Kurt (11:43pm):
When you said you had a love-hate relationship with it I didn't think you meant because it rips your heart out, breaks it in two and then stomps on it.
Kurt to Blaine (11:45pm):
You're never going to trust my book recommendations again, are you?
Blaine to Kurt (11:45pm):
I dunno. Maybe.
(11:46pm):
Can I still borrow Looking For Alaska?
…
To say I was a little worried when Kurt leant across the centre console to tie a blindfold over my eyes would be correct.
"Should I be concerned that you don't want me to see where you're taking me? You're actually kidnapping me, aren't you? And you don't want me to know where your secret lair is?"
"Drama queen much?" Kurt laughed. "And I just wanted it to be a surprise, that's all. This is our first date, I want it to be perfect."
I reached across blindly – literally – until my hand rested on Kurt's knee, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Regardless of what we do, it's going to be perfect."
We weren't in the car for long; 15, maybe 20 minutes tops. I was thinking about the movie Beverly Hills Ninja, which I used to love as a kid, as I tried to figure out where we were going based on what I could hear. I gave up when we turned onto a gravel road; yeah, I had no idea where we were.
"Stay right there, mister," Kurt said as I moved to undo my seatbelt.
A moment later I was hit with a warm breeze as my door opened, Kurt hands wrapping around mine and tugging on them, prompting me to slowly step out of the car. The car beeped as Kurt locked it and pocketed the keys, before his hands came to rest on my hips from behind as he nudged me forward. We walked for a few minutes, Kurt giving instructions like left here and we're going down some steps now.
"Okay, stop for just a second," Kurt said, and with that the firm grip of his hands was gone. I heard a rustling that sounded like the movement of branches but my heart was beating so loud in my chest that I couldn't be sure. And then Kurt's hands were on mine, guiding me forward just a few more metres. "And sit down."
"Sit down?" I asked, looking around futilely, still unable to see anything. I sat down, feeling the ground with my hands first and surprisingly finding material beneath them. "Can I take this blindfold off yet?"
"Eager," Kurt laughed. "Just keep your eyes shut for a second while I take it off...okay, you can look now."
I opened my eyes slowly, blinking a few times to adjust to the light. In front of me was a picnic blanket, adorned with a picnic basket I recognised from Kurt's pantry as well as two plates and two glasses, a bottle of apple cider leant up against the side of the basket.
"Kurt..."
He was kneeling on the other side of the picnic blanket, chewing on his bottom lip and looking at me expectantly.
"I don't know if you remember, but..." and he trailed off with a hand waving around as if that explained everything. It was only then that I actually looked around at where we were, having only been focused on what Kurt had set up. We were surrounded by leaves and branches, and it wasn't until I looked up that I realised we were underneath a willow tree, its branches so long that we were entirely enclosed.
"Is this – is this the tree from the first day we met?"
The smile on Kurt's face grew a thousand times, any trace of nervousness having vanished.
"You remember."
Tilting my head to the side and looking at how the blush crept up Kurt's cheeks, I said, "I had my first kiss that day, of course I remember."
Kurt smiled bashfully, "Me too. It's not a day one simply forgets... Anyway, these sandwiches that I made are amazing, so would you like something to eat?"
"Please," I said, sitting back while Kurt pulled tupperware containers and napkins from the picnic basket. I started serving sandwiches – cut into triangles – while Kurt poured apple cider into our glasses. "How did you organise all this?"
"Dad. I made the sandwiches and stuff this morning and he drove out here about half an hour before we left and set everything up."
"Remind me to thank him later."
We ate mostly in silence, stealing glances at each other while we ate. Kurt was pulling out more tupperware containers, this time filled with cut up fruit, when I said, "You know that first day when we met, after your mum found us and I went back to Coop, I told him that I was in love," I laughed at the memory, my laughter catching in my throat a moment later. "I love you so, so much. I don't say it nearly enough, but I really do."
"You texted me a minimum of once a day for the past year telling me you loved me, I think that's enough," Kurt joked, but I could see the sincerity in his eyes.
"I could say it a hundred times a day and it still wouldn't be enough."
"Sap. I love you too."
The teasing smile Kurt was giving me was too much, so I took the container of fruit from his hands and placed it on the picnic rug, leaning over to kiss him instead.
Making out with Kurt is great. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love when Kurt and I just lounge around the house and watch movies together or lean against each other while we read or when we go swimming or kayaking and all those other things, but making out is just really, really great. There's just something about it that makes me feel so loved and connected and warm inside. The way that Kurt twists my curls around his fingers and lets out these quiet whimpering noses when I kiss him in that spot and how he sometimes slips his hands underneath my t-shirt just to run his hands over my lower back.
A shiver ran over my body as Kurt's left hand made its way up my side, his hands clinging to me as I sucked on his lower lip. We were no longer sitting, instead both laying on our sides; though not for long as Kurt wrapped his arms around the back of my neck and rolled over onto his back, effectively pulling me on top of him. We kissed leisurely for a while until I felt myself becoming less and less concerned about keeping my weight off him, deciding when I could feel every inch of Kurt against me that this was neither an appropriate place nor time.
"Kurt," I whispered as I pulled back, resisting from falling back into him when he let out a small whine. "As much as I love where this is going, I think we should probably stop."
Lifting himself up enough to lean back on his elbows, unable to sit up fully as I was still straddling his knees, Kurt let out a breath and ran a hand over his hair. "We did – uh – get a little carried away there."
"I do..." I paused for a moment, trying to shake my nerves. "I do want that with you, believe me I do; but not here. I want it to be perfect and, as lovely and sweet and romantic as this is, there are families eating their lunch not 250 metres from us."
Kurt laughed, muffling the sound against my shoulder. We sat in silence while our breaths evened out until Kurt said, "I have a proposition for you. How about, instead of taking me out to a fancy restaurant – and don't even try to deny that that's what you were planning – how about we kick our parents out and eat in instead?"
Kurt bit down on his bottom lip and I felt my heart rate quicken because what he was implying was huge.
"O-okay. Yeah, we can definitely do that."
…
"Hey, Mum?" I asked from the doorway, watching her look up from the book she was reading when she heard my voice.
"Hey, sweetie, what's up?"
"I was – um – do you think you could maybe teach me how to make your butter chicken recipe?" I asked nervously.
"Yeah, sure. You do know that if you want it you can just ask, right?" she laughed.
"Well, I actually wanted to make it for Kurt."
Her smile softened then, the small imprint of dimples appearing in her cheeks. "In that case, let's get cooking then," she said, and then she was placing a bookmark between the pages of her book and walking towards the kitchen, grabbing my hand as she passed me and pulling me along with her.
"Okay, so first you have to..."
…
It was Saturday – date night – and I was really freaking nervous. As planned, instead of going out to a fancy restaurant, Kurt and I were staying in at his house and I would cook him dinner. Mum, Dad and Burt were all going into town for the night, promising not to disrupt us any time before midnight. I'd double and triple-checked the recipe with Mum and had gotten everything ready this afternoon, only needing to put it on the stove when I went over to Kurt's.
"Oh Blaine, you look so handsome!" Mum crooned when I came out of my room, putting her hands on either side of her face while she made me turn around. I was wearing suit pants – freshly pressed – and a short-sleeved button down navy shirt, a red bowtie tied carefully under my collar. "Kurt isn't going to know what's hit him."
"Remember, no interrupting," I warned, specifically looking at my Mum who quickly shook her head and looked at me as if to say what, me?
"Don't worry, bud. Kurt's already threatened me with bodily harm if we do," Burt said, clapping me on the shoulder. "Now go knock his socks off."
I took steadying breaths as I walked the short distance between mine and Kurt's houses – for the first time in my life wishing that they were further apart – a green bag full of everything I needed for dinner in one hand and the other decidedly empty; maybe I should have brought flowers. I stood on the doorstep for a minute before I knocked, and I don't think I'd ever truly understood the meaning of the phrase took my breath away until Kurt opened the door. Dressed in dark shorts and a dark green shirt buttoned at his wrists, his hair styled to perfection, I couldn't stop my jaw from dropping.
"Wow! You look amazing," I whispered, my heart warming at the way he smiled at me bashfully.
"Says you," Kurt said, taking my free hand and pulling me inside, kissing me quickly before shutting the door.
Kurt sat at one of the kitchen stools while I cooked, resting his chin in his hands as we chatted idly.
"This smells so good, B," Kurt praised as I led him to the table which was complete with candles and a single flower in a glass. I waited eagerly as he took his first few bites. "Okay, you've been holding out on me. You never told me that your cooking abilities extended beyond two-minute noodles!"
"Mum helped," I shrugged off the compliment, though inside I was doing a happy dance.
My nervousness dissipated as we fell into easy conversation, and while we ate, I honestly forgot why I was so nervous in the first place. I smiled at the way Kurt would put his cutlery down every so often so that he could make exaggerated hand gestures while he talked. And at how he absentmindedly ran his foot up the inside of my leg occasionally. And when he reached across the table to squeeze my hand for no reason at all.
"You really outdid yourself," Kurt said as we collected the dishes and carried them into the kitchen. "And because of that, I'm going to do the dishes while you sit there and look beautiful."
"Hey, no. This is my date and I say that I wash the dishes," I protested.
"I wash, you dry?" he offered.
I sighed, knowing that was the best compromise I would get. "Okay."
I'm not entirely sure how it happened but one minute we were putting away the last few dishes, and the next I was leaning against the bench with Kurt's hands either side of me on the bench top and his lips on mine. Without breaking away, Kurt trailed his hands down my arms, entangling our fingers together and giving me a tug. It wasn't until we reached his room that I remembered why I had been so nervous, the butterflies returning in full force.
"Are you sure?" Kurt whispered, his face still close.
I nodded, my mouth suddenly dry. I swallowed slowly before saying, "I love you."
The corner of Kurt's mouth quirked up in a smile. "I love you too."
And then I lost myself in him.
…
The first thing I noticed when I woke up was an acrid taste in my mouth. I rolled over in bed, reaching over to find the spot next to me empty. Opening my eyes just a fraction, I let out a yawn before I was overcome with a coughing fit; though it didn't pass. I tried to pull myself from the bed to get a glass of water from Kurt's adjoining bathroom, but could hardly stay standing as I tried to catch my breath, smoke filling my lungs. I crouched low on the floor, the heat and the smoke pressing down on me, making my head foggy and my breaths come out in short, quick gasps. I distantly heard a familiar voice calling my name before the fog clouded my brain completely.
…
I'M SORRY.
Em xoxo.