Here we go guys...another long one. Kurt and Blaine spend some time working on Kurt's case and then...
Apparently I should not try to be a mystery writer cause most of you figured things out! That's ok, I'll stick to Klaine and stay away from mystery. :)
Also, thank you SO much for all of the reviews! Every time I logged on, I had another review waiting for me. I love them so much!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Glee. Unfortunately, Ryan Murphy can claim that.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Kurt's sudden outburst startled Blaine. "Are you sure? Are you sure you know who that is, Kurt?"
Kurt looked up at Blaine. "I'm about 95% positive. I'll have to go into the office to double check, but I'm pretty sure that's Kayla's boyfriend. Um, I think she said his name is Jace. I've seen his picture sitting in her cubicle."
"Kayla? Is that one of your co-workers?"
Kurt snorted. "You could say that. I mean, yes, she works at Spencer's but I wouldn't exactly call her a…" Kurt stopped, his eyes going wide.
"Kurt? What? What is it?" Blaine could see Kurt's eyes widen.
"We were competitors, Blaine." Kurt stopped, as if that alone would answer all of Blaine's questions.
"Aren't all fashion designers competitors in some sense? Even if they do work for the same fashion house?"
"Yeah, but not all of us were up for the same promotion. Ms. Spencer had looked at Kayla's designs the day before she looked at mine. Apparently her designs did not warrant the promotion like mine did."
Blaine took in the look on Kurt's face, realization hitting him. "Kurt? Are you saying what I think you're saying?"
"If you think I'm saying that Jace beat me up because I got the promotion instead of his girlfriend, then yes, I'm saying what you think I'm saying."
Blaine sighed. "Good Lord, is the fashion industry really that cut throat?"
"Blaine, you have no idea."
"Ok, explain something to me then, if Ms. Spencer didn't think Kayla's designs were good enough then what would she accomplish by having you attacked?" Blaine was having trouble understanding the logic.
Kurt thought for a moment. "Well, I'm not sure exactly. I mean, Kayla was very confident going into her meeting with Ms. Spencer. She thought she had it in the bag. We weren't super close friends or anything but our cubicles were right next to each other so we carried on civil conversations. When she came out of her meeting with Ms. Spencer she was devastated. I tried to comfort her but she pushed me away. Maybe she just didn't want comfort but maybe…maybe since she knew that my meeting was the next day…maybe she assumed I was going to get it."
Blaine took in Kurt's comments. "So, maybe she thought if you were out of commission, Ms. Spencer would offer the promotion to someone else?"
"Maybe? I don't know. Two fatal flaws in her plan though…one is that she didn't bank on Ms. Spencer being so great and allowing me to work from home and two…she didn't bank on me surviving."
"Kurt! Don't say that!" Blaine didn't like thinking about how much worse Kurt could have been hurt.
"It's true, Blaine. I was hit over the head with a baseball bat! I was unconscious for four days! I could have easily died. Either that or I could have woken up a completely different person."
Blaine knew that Kurt was right. "Ok. Well do you want to look at the other tape?"
Kurt shook his head. "No. I don't need to see it to know that's who that is." Kurt took a good look at the TV screen, the image paused. "I don't know who the other guy is though."
"It doesn't matter. I guarantee you once the NYPD questions Jace, he'll turn on the other guy. We'll find out who he is."
Kurt took in a deep breath. "So, what happens now?"
"Well…" Blaine said. "…I need you to be 100% sure that is Jace…not 95% sure. So, we should take a road trip to your office. You'll need to be very nonchalant though. No one needs to know you're there to check out the picture on Kayla's desk. We'll just say you're there to pick something up. Then once you're 100% sure, we'll contact the NYPD and let them do what they need to do."
"Will they arrest him?"
"They'll probably pick him up on suspicion. Hopefully, he'll confess when they interrogate him." Blaine felt lighter. They were getting somewhere.
"What about Kayla? And what will the charges be?"
"Well, with Kayla, it depends on her participation. If she knew about it, she could be charged as an accessory. As far as Jace and his little friend there…they'll most likely be charged with Assault with a Deadly Weapon – which carries considerable jail time. Although, I'd like the DA to look at your medical files from when you were in the hospital – maybe talk to your doctor. Depending on what comes from that, they could be charged with Attempted Murder."
Kurt's eyes got even wider. "Attempted Murder?" There was a hint of fear in his voice.
Blaine picked up on it. He knelt in front of Kurt and grabbed his hands. "Kurt. I'm representing you as your attorney in this. But, first and foremost, I'm your friend. If you don't want to do this…if you won't want to pursue this, then that's fine. It's your decision and I will support whatever decision you make."
Kurt stared down at his hands in Blaine's. "If I don't pursue this, then they get away with it. They get away with almost killing me."
"Yes." Blaine simply stated.
Kurt looked up and met Blaine's eyes. "They could try again."
"Yes." Blaine simply stated again. Blaine didn't know if they would, but they certainly could try again – and the thought terrified him.
Kurt saw fear in Blaine's eyes. He knew that Blaine was afraid that they would try again – and succeed on the second time. "No. No. Let's do this. They are not going to get away with it."
That was all Blaine needed to hear. He needed to take Kurt to his office so he could get a glimpse at the photo on Kayla's desk to ensure that the man in the video is in fact Jace. Public transportation is difficult in New York when you're in a wheelchair. Thankfully, the law firm had a company car that Noah Rhoades was more than generous enough to let Blaine use.
Blaine helped Kurt into the car and folded up his wheelchair and put it in the backseat. It took 25 minutes in New York traffic to reach Kurt's office. Blaine stepped out of the car and while walking around to the other side to assist Kurt, he took a good look at the building. He'd never been there before. It was an impressive building. Kurt saw Blaine's look and smiled to himself. He was pleased that Blaine was impressed with his office building. All these years later and Kurt still wanted Blaine to be proud of him.
Blaine wheeled Kurt into the building as Kurt gave him directions of where to go. Once they'd reached Kurt's floor he was bombarded with well-wishers. Everyone in the office had heard what had happened to him. Blaine was proud. There were so many people that cared about Kurt. While Kurt was thanking everyone, Blaine noticed one woman off in the distance that had remained back. She had a confusing look on her face. Blaine couldn't totally read it but he was sure that she wasn't too happy about Kurt being there. Blaine would bet a year's salary that that was Kayla.
Once Kurt finished his conversations, he directed Blaine towards his cubicle. They were under the guise that they were there to collect some of Kurt's sketching utensils. Kurt really did need them. One in particular offered a special shading effect that Kurt was having trouble trying to replicate with another pencil. Before their arrival Kurt told Blaine where they were so that he could pretend to small talk with Kayla while Blaine retrieved the utensils.
Blaine had been right – the woman in question was Kayla. Kurt politely introduced Blaine and then asked Blaine if he would get his pencils so he could catch up with Kayla. Since Blaine was standing, he was able to get a quick look at the picture on Kayla's desk. He'd watched those videos enough to know for himself that the man in the picture frame was the same man that beat Kurt.
Kurt struck up a quick conversation with Kayla, conveniently wheeling himself closer to her cubicle so he could get a quick look at the picture. One glance was all it took. Kurt was now 100% sure that Kayla's boyfriend had assisted in his attack. It made his stomach turn just talking to Kayla. Judging by Kayla's uncomfortable posture while Kurt was near, he was pretty sure that Kayla had either masterminded the attack or at the very least, she knew about it.
Blaine could see that Kurt was uncomfortable so he quickly gathered Kurt's utensils and after saying as polite a goodbye as possible, they turned to leave. Once they were in the elevator, Kurt told Blaine he wanted to see if Ms. Spencer was in. They took the elevator to the 35th floor and when they stepped out, Blaine audibly gasped.
Kurt looked up at him and smiled. "I know, right? It's pretty spectacular."
"Kurt. This entire building is spectacular but, wow, this office is…I don't know. I don't have the words."
Kurt smiled again. "Just think, this entire floor belongs to Ms. Spencer. Maybe one day I'll have something like this."
Blaine leaned down and whispered in Kurt's ear, "I have no doubt that you will."
Kurt shivered as Blaine whispered in his ear. Blaine wheeled him up to Ms. Spencer's assistant's desk. Kurt saw Ms. Stapleton typing vigorously on her keyboard. He cleared his throat. "Good afternoon, Ms. Stapleton."
She turned and grinned. "Kurt! Oh my God! Let me take a look at you!" She jumped out of her seat and completely circled Kurt before she sat back down. "It's so good to see you! You look fantastic!"
Kurt laughed. "Well I don't know about looking fantastic, but I must admit, it's nice to be seen."
Ms. Stapleton glanced up at Blaine. "And, who is this handsome gentleman?"
"Oh, this is Blaine Anderson." He turned to Blaine. "Blaine, this is Glenda Stapleton. She's Ms. Spencer's personal secretary, assistant, and pretty much everything else."
Glenda shook Blaine's outstretched hand. "Well, Kurt, Mr. Anderson, let me see if Ms. Spencer has a moment to say hello."
When Glenda turned to leave, Blaine leaned down. "Not that I'm surprised, but you are loved around here, Kurt."
Kurt chuckled. "Well, all except for Kayla and her boyfriend. Please tell me you saw the look on her face while I was talking to her." He saw Blaine nod. "Good, because if she didn't mastermind the entire thing then she at least knew about it. I'm certain of that."
Just then, Glenda reappeared and told them that Ms. Spencer would love to see Kurt and she'd be out in just a moment. They chit-chatted for a couple of minutes before Ms. Spencer came out of her office.
"Kurt, darling! It's so good to see you! Paul showed me the flare you added to the jacket he was working on. It's simply divine." She leaned down and gave Kurt a kiss on each cheek.
Kurt grinned from ear to ear. "Thank you. I received Paul's email saying that he liked it too."
Rosaline Spencer smiled. "Yes, he likes your work very much. He sees the same potential that I do. You are going to do great things in this business." She paused for a moment. "Now, on a more serious note, what brings you here? I can see that you're still in your wheelchair and those casts are telling me that you're not ready to come back into the office yet."
"No, not yet. I do have a reason for being here, though." Kurt paused and looked up at Blaine. "Ms. Spencer, this is Mr. Blaine Anderson. He's my attorney. We'd like to have a moment of your time, privately, if you don't mind."
Blaine tensed. He didn't think it was wise to let Ms. Spencer aware of the suspicions they were having. Nothing had been proven yet. He gripped his hands on Kurt's shoulders. "Kurt, she looks very busy. Maybe we should come back another time."
Kurt knew that tone of Blaine's. He was trying to warn Kurt that they should not be discussing this. He looked up at Blaine again. "Trust me."
That was all Kurt needed to say. Blaine trusted Kurt implicitly. He just nodded at Kurt.
Ms. Spencer looked concerned. It was never good when an attorney showed up on her doorstep. Everything with Kurt's injury had occurred so quickly that she hadn't had a chance to get Kurt's new contract spelling out the details of his new promotion ironed out and signed. Kurt had already begun working with Paul. No, they hadn't agreed to terms but she had made sure that Kurt was receiving the proper salary that accompanied the promotion. She had full intentions of working everything out upon Kurt's return.
Regardless, she smiled her award winning smile. "Of course. Please follow me." She ushered Kurt and Blaine into her office. Once she closed the door behind her she began again. "Kurt, if this has anything to do with your contract, please know that it hasn't been an oversight. Your injury just happened so quickly that we weren't able to get everything ironed out. I did ensure that you were receiving your proper salary. I just didn't want to burden you with contract negotiations while you were recovering."
Well, this surprised Kurt. Honestly he hadn't given any thought to a contract and he'd been so distracted by his recovery that he hadn't really even checked his pay checks. "Oh. No, I didn't…that's not…" Kurt was stuttering. He cleared his throat and took a breath. "That's not actually why I wanted to talk to you."
She cleared her throat. "It's not?"
"No." He stopped and looked over at Blaine who had taken a seat next to him. He looked back at Ms. Spencer. "You have been so wonderful by allowing me to work from home. I am so appreciative of that. I was worried when I woke up in the hospital that on top of everything else that I'd lost my job. You have to know how grateful I am."
She smiled back at Kurt. "Well, I see how talented you are. You've got raw talent, Kurt. I know under the mentorship of Paul, you will rise to great things. It won't be too long before celebrities are clamoring to wear your designs."
"Thank you." He paused for a moment. "Ms. Spencer, I realize that you have already allowed me many liberties and I may not be in the position to ask – and feel free to tell me no – but, we have reason to believe that we know the identity of my attackers." Kurt saw her eyebrows rise. "Having said that, we haven't even begun the process of reporting it to the police, let alone letting the courts do whatever they need to do. I hate to ask, but would it be possible to have some time off? I know you've been so gracious to allow me to work from home but I'm just afraid that once things heat up, I won't have much time keep up with emails, phone calls or video calls."
Rosaline Spencer took a deep breath. "Wow, that's…well, now I'm speechless."
Kurt spoke up. "Please feel free to say no. I understand that it's an important time in the creative process right now. If you need me to, I will make sure I have time for everything you need. I will make it a priority. My job, no, my career, is very important to me."
Ms. Spencer chuckled. "No, Kurt. That's not why I was speechless. Of course you can take whatever time you need. Paul and I were speaking the other day about what a shame it was that the likelihood of you finding out who did this to you was slim to none. I am so happy that you are going to get justice for what happened." She stood up and walked to the front of her desk. She leaned on her desk, right in front of Kurt – just like she had the day she gushed over his portfolio. "Your job will be here. I am not losing out on talent like yours. If I'm not careful, I'll be competing against you in this industry. And, I'm afraid I'd lose." She smiled at Kurt.
Kurt smiled so big his cheeks hurt. "Thank you so much, Ms. Spencer. I promise I will be back as soon as humanly possible." Rosaline Spencer bent and gave Kurt a kiss on each cheek and again told Kurt to take as much time as he needed and to let him know if she could help in any way.
After saying goodbye to Ms. Stapleton, Kurt and Blaine once again found themselves in the elevator. Blaine looked down at Kurt. "Shit, you scared me in there. I thought you were going to tell her about our suspicions – which you know would not have been smart."
Kurt grinned up at Blaine. "You don't really think I'm that stupid, do you?"
Blaine laughed. "Well…"
"Hey!" Kurt reached up and playfully slapped Blaine on the arm. "I told you to trust me."
Blaine's face turned serious. He knelt down and leveled his face with Kurt's. "I know you're not stupid, Kurt. And, I do trust you. I trust you with my life." And my heart, Blaine thought.
Kurt just stared at him. Unable to say anything. He was just breathing in Blaine's presence. He wanted so badly to close the small distance between them and place his lips against his. He wanted so desperately to tell Blaine that he'd broken up with Kevin; that he wanted nothing more in this world than to be with him. Forever. But he couldn't. Not yet. He needed to get the assault behind him. He needed to get to a place where he was totally free from his past baggage. Once Jace and his friend were behind bars for attacking him, then he'd ask Blaine to take him back.
Blaine stared at Kurt staring at him. The tension was so thick. He saw Kurt briefly glance at his lips. Did Kurt want to kiss him? No, that couldn't be right. He was dating Kevin. Blaine figured that he was making this up in his head. He cleared his throat. "So, what do you say we head to the police station?"
Kurt and Blaine made their way to the NYPD and asked to speak with Detective Walton. He had been the one that had initially taken Kurt's statement after the attack and he had also taken Liam Newman's statement. The problem was that after the statements had been taken, no follow up had been done. Kurt was disgusted by that. It was assumed that he was the victim of a random hate crime – attacked because he was gay. The fact that the NYPD didn't follow up after taking initial statements was revolting. Kurt was so thankful that Blaine was back in his life. Because of him, not only did they discover who had assaulted Kurt, but they'd also discovered it was not a hate crime after all. He was the victim of a jealous co-worker.
Det. Walton appeared and escorted them into an interrogation room so they could have some privacy. "Mr. Hummel, it's nice to see you out and about. Unfortunately, we still don't have any leads in your case."
Blaine's stomach turned. He could smell the homophobia on this guy. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Blaine Anderson. I'm Mr. Hummel's attorney. Luckily for him…" Blaine glanced over at Kurt. "…not only did we find a lead, but we found the assailant."
Det. Walton's eyes widened. "Really?" He took a good look at Blaine. "Who are you again?"
Blaine rolled his eyes. "Blaine Anderson. Kurt Hummel's attorney. I work for Rhoades, Michaelson & Boothe. We're a prosecuting law firm. We take on cases, similar to Mr. Hummel's and gather the evidence. Then we present it to one of New York's District Attorneys and they decide if it's strong enough to bring to court. If it is, the DA will sign off on it and we'll go to court. The reason we're here is because we need you to make an arrest…or at the very least, haul him in on suspicion."
Det. Walton's curiosity was peaked. "Ok. I'm listening. Who do you think I should haul in?"
Blaine told Det. Walton about his discussion with Liam Newman and then his follow up with the bank and the jewelry store. He told about how the cameras had turned out to be very beneficial. He then told about how Kurt had come in and looked at the video and identified one of the men as the boyfriend of one of his co-workers.
Det. Walton had sat and listened to Blaine's entire story. "Well, that's pretty impressive Mr. Anderson. What you're telling me is that this was not a random attack as we assumed? That Mr. Hummel was, in fact, targeted?"
Blaine nodded. "It appears that way, yes. Kayla Jones was passed up for a promotion in favor of Mr. Hummel. We have every reason to believe that her boyfriend, Jace Lavine, retaliated."
Det. Walton rubbed his chin. "You believe that Mr. Hummel was beat near to death over a promotion?" It sounded a little incredible to him.
Kurt spoke up for the first time since they'd entered the police station. "Det. Walton, have you ever heard of The House of Rosaline Spencer?"
Det. Walton looked at him. "No."
"Well, let me tell you then." Kurt cleared his throat. "The House of Rosaline Spencer is one of the top fashion houses in the world. Not just New York – but the world. Kayla Jones and myself, along with several other junior staffers, had been given the opportunity to put together a portfolio to present to Ms. Spencer herself. Whoever she chose would get the promotion of a lifetime. They would be given the chance to design alongside one of the world's top designers. They would be groomed and mentored before eventually getting their own line – their own collection."
Det. Walton responded. "And this is that cut throat?"
Kurt laughed. "You have no idea. This is New York. This is one of the top fashion meccas in the world…right up there next to Milan and Paris. This isn't like designing for The Gap or Old Navy." Kurt paused and took a good look at Det. Walton. He noticed something and smiled. "Det. Walton, are you married?"
"Yes, I am."
"I thought you might be. Your tie? Where did you get it?"
Det. Walton glanced down at the tie he was wearing. "Um, not sure. My wife gave it to me for Christmas last year. Why?"
Kurt smiled. "Because that tie is exclusively from the Paul Brewer's Menware's Collection – a collection from The House of Rosaline Spencer. You see, I was paired with Paul Brewer when Ms. Spencer selected me for the promotion. I would recognize his work anywhere."
Blaine smiled at Kurt. He was so proud of Kurt. He felt like he could burst with love for this man. Blaine told himself that he wasn't a boyfriend stealer but the thought of not spending forever with this man was enough to cause him to reevaluate his moral code. He didn't care what it took, he was going to get Kurt back. No matter what.
Det. Walton looked over at Blaine. "So Mr. Anderson, you have this gentleman on video?"
Blaine looked back at Det. Walton. "Yes. The security camera aimed at the bank's ATM provides a clear view of the two men. One was carrying a baseball bat and the other is Jace Lavine."
"Does this video show any of the attack? Anything that we can arrest him on? Anything? Like them grabbing Mr. Hummel?"
Blaine lightly shook his head. "No. But I know you can bring him in on suspicion. Interrogate him…lean on him…get him to confess. I guarantee he'll turn on his friend. You'll get his identity."
Det. Walton thought for a moment. "Ok, look. I'll bring him in. I'll talk to him. But, Mr. Anderson you know that simply having him on video following Mr. Hummel isn't anything to really go on. It's circumstantial at best. There is a strong possibility that he won't confess and if that happens then I'll have no reason to hold him."
"We are aware of that Det. Walton." Blaine answered. "But this is the best opportunity that Mr. Hummel has to get justice. I appreciate your assistance in this."
At that, Det. Walton told them he'd keep them informed. He also agreed to speak with Kurt's doctors. He asked Blaine to email the video to him and then once he received it he was going to try to pick up Jace Lavine today so they should be expecting a call later this afternoon. Det. Walton told them both that depending on what Jace might confess to, Blaine was correct in his assessment of charges…either Assault with a Deadly Weapon or Attempted Murder if the information from Kurt's doctors warranted such a charge.
Once they were in the car again, Kurt turned and looked at Blaine. "You know, you shouldn't have thanked him for his assistance. You did all of the work that he should have done. I mean, I'm not the only one that could tell he's a homophobe right?"
Blaine laughed. "No, Kurt. I could tell he was a homophobe too, and we could have gone to another detective but I was extending professional courtesy. He was the initial detective assigned to the case and he knows now that it wasn't a hate crime." He saw the look that Kurt was giving him out of the corner of his eye. "No, that doesn't make his homophobia any less disgusting but in my line of work it's important to have detectives on your side. If we went behind his back and he found out – which he would have – then I would already have one detective in the NYPD that didn't like me. I've just started working here. I don't want to make enemies so soon."
Kurt sighed. "You're right. I get it. And, I guess he seemed more willing to help once he knew the details. It just seemed that he was so willing to help because it was attached to Spencer's and not just some gay guy getting attacked because of who he was." Kurt paused. "It's just a little frustrating, I guess."
"I know. But, this might be the only shot we have at getting those bastards behind bars."
Kurt smiled. "You keep saying 'we'."
Blaine smiled back. "That's because we're in this together, Kurt. You know how I feel about you. It makes me sick to think that there are guys out there that would do something like that just because their girlfriend didn't get a promotion. I told you I'd fight for you. This isn't just your battle, Kurt. It's ours."
"Thank you, Blaine. Really, I mean it." Kurt wanted so badly to tell him all the things he had been holding back.
"Kurt, you never have to thank me." There it was again – the tension between them. It was the good kind of tension though. He felt like there was something Kurt was holding back. Blaine's gut was telling him to amp up his fight for Kurt's love. Maybe now was the time. The only thing holding him back was Kevin. But Blaine couldn't understand where Kevin had been today. Why wasn't he by Kurt's side? No. Blaine was going to push Kevin out of his mind. "So…where to? Do you want me to take you home? I know it's been a long day so far."
"Yes. Home is exactly where I want to go." Kurt turned and looked at Blaine. "Actually, what's your schedule like for the rest of the day?" Kurt couldn't hold back anymore. He wanted to be with Blaine. He felt so good about today's progression. Waking up in a cabin with Kevin just this morning seemed like a lifetime ago. Seeing his assailants on video and reliving his attack with the police all over again reminded him how short life can be. Why was he waiting? He wanted Blaine and he knew that Blaine wanted him. Waiting was over. He wanted his life to begin. His life with Blaine.
Blaine's heart began to pound. He couldn't exactly explain what he was feeling. This felt good. There was something different about Kurt. Blaine couldn't put a finger on what it was, but it felt good. "Um, well Mr. Rhoades has been extremely gracious in allowing me to pursue your case so I don't have anything else on my plate. Why do you ask?" Blaine desperately hoped that Kurt was asking what he thought he was asking.
"Well…" there was a nervous tremble in Kurt's voice. "…I was wondering if you'd like to come up…" Kurt was nervous. "Uh, my ribs are sore and do you think…well…do you think you might be able to help me rewrap them?" While that was true, that wasn't the real reason he wanted Blaine to come up.
Blaine knew Kurt's nervous voice. It only served to make Blaine nervous. There were so many unspoken words that were flowing between them at the moment. "Sure. I think I can handle that. You'll have to show me how though." Blaine smiled. He didn't want to get his hopes up but it was hard not to right now. "Uh, I have to return the company car first, though. How about we go to your place, that way I can help you upstairs and then I can go return the car, close up my office and I'll bring a cab back." Blaine thought for a moment. "Unless you are in a lot pain. Then I can come up right away and help you."
Kurt thought about it. No, he wanted Blaine to go back and return the car first. That way he can tidy up his apartment – put his luggage away, a sure fire sign that he'd been out of town – and when Blaine finally came back, there wouldn't be an excuse for him to leave. If Kurt had his way, their nights apart would be few and far between from now on. "No, I'm ok. I think I can wait until you come back."
They had just pulled up to Kurt's apartment building. Blaine helped Kurt out and allowed Kurt to half lean, half hop up to the third floor. When they got to Kurt's door he told Blaine to go back downstairs and get his wheelchair. He didn't want to open his door because he wasn't sure where Kevin had put his luggage. He did not want Blaine to see the luggage. He was going to tell Blaine about the cabin but he wanted Blaine to know exactly how he was feeling about him before he did. As soon as Blaine disappeared down the staircase Kurt opened the door to his apartment. He was glad he'd sent Blaine downstairs. Kurt's luggage was sitting just inside the door. Figures, Kurt thought. You couldn't have at least put my suitcase in my bedroom? Thanks a lot, Kevin.
Thankfully both suitcases were on wheels so Kurt was able to hide them in his bedroom closet before Blaine returned with his wheelchair. Kurt was just coming out of his room when Blaine reentered the apartment. Without even being asked, he rushed over to Kurt's side and threw his arm around Kurt's waist and helped him to the sofa. The moment their skin made contact, sparks flew. Blaine was sure he wasn't the only one that felt it.
"Thank you." Kurt said as Blaine was helping him to the sofa. "You're still able to read my mind and know exactly what I need before I'm really aware of it myself."
Blaine sat down next to him. "Well, I don't know about that, but I know that the last time you fell it was because you were hopping around this place. I don't want to take you to the hospital again." Blaine smiled at Kurt.
Kurt smiled back at Blaine. They just stared at each other for a minute or two. The air was so thick it was getting impossible to breath. Both men felt it. Both men so desperately wanted to close the small gap between them and allow their lips to meet. Both men wanted to stay right there and never leave. Both men were feeling the exact same thing.
Blaine blinked first and cleared his throat. "Uh, well if you think you'll be ok for a little while I'll go ahead and get back and close up my office and return the car. I'll try to hurry back."
"I'll be fine. You won't be gone long will you?" Now that Kurt was ready to confess his feelings, he didn't want to wait any longer than he had to.
"No. I promise. Just…just don't move any more than you have to. Remember, I don't want to have to take you to the hospital again." Blaine got up and walked to Kurt's front door. Then he turned back around and looked at Kurt. God, he was beautiful…the most beautiful man he'd ever seen. "God, Kurt. We've been so busy today we haven't stopped to eat! How about I get us something on my way back?" Blaine saw the look on Kurt's face. "Oh, unless I'm overstepping. I mean, uh, maybe you have plans with Kevin tonight…I don't know…I mean, I'm assuming he was working today and that's why he wasn't with us and maybe you two have some sort of plans and I'm just overstepping and…" Blaine was rambling. He was having trouble stopping himself.
Thankfully, Kurt broke in and interrupted him. "Blaine…stop rambling! No, Kevin isn't coming over tonight so you are not overstepping. Dinner would be nice." Kurt didn't want to tell Blaine that he and Kevin had broken up yet. Kurt knew once he started revealing his feelings he would have a hard time stopping. "And, I promise not to move any more than I have to. Oh, and don't lock the door behind you – that way you can just let yourself back in when you get back." Kurt liked the thought of Blaine walking in without knocking.
Blaine liked the thought of entering Kurt's apartment without knocking. It would feel like coming home. He smiled back at Kurt. "Ok, I'll be back soon." With that, Blaine turned and left.
Kurt hopped back into his bedroom and began unpacking. As soon as he'd finished unpacking he hopped back into the living room and began to tidy up. Kurt wasn't a messy person but he wanted everything to be perfect. He wanted the beginning of his life with Blaine to be as far from messy as possible. They'd already had so much thrown at them. No more. Tonight was the first night of the rest of their lives.
Blaine was full of anxious energy. What was happening between Kurt and him? There was all this tension between them. If Blaine hadn't known any better, he would have sworn that Kurt was feeling the same thing he was. But what about Kevin? Blaine had mentioned him and all Kurt had said was that they didn't have plans for tonight. He would have said if they'd broken up, right? No, it didn't matter. Blaine was tired of playing this game. He was sure that he wasn't imagining this. There was no better than time than tonight. Something was happening between him and Kurt. He was going to fight for his love again. He knew it wouldn't be easy but that was not going to intimidate him. He was fighting.
Blaine had just finished rehearsing the speech he was going to give Kurt when he pulled up into the law firm's parking lot. He took the elevator up to the 5th floor and smiled at Emily as soon as they locked eyes. "Hey Emily. I didn't miss much today, did I?"
"Well hey there, Blaine. You sure look happy. Did you and Mr. Hummel have a successful day?"
Wow, Emily didn't even know the double meaning of her question. He smiled bigger. "We sure did. It was a great day. We found them. The assailants. Now it's in the police's hands. Speaking of which, do I have any messages?" Blaine knew it hadn't been long since they'd left Det. Walton but he wanted so badly for this nightmare to be over for Kurt.
Emily checked her notes. "No, I don't have anything. Oh! Mr. Rhoades was looking for you a few minutes ago. I think he was looking for the car. Landry has the other one and well, you know how he can be when he's driving the company car."
Blaine laughed. "Yeah, I know. I've got the keys. I'll pop in his office and return them. I want to give him a quick update anyway."
Blaine walked down the hall and knocked on Noah Rhoades' door. When he heard permission to enter, he stuck his head in and smiled.
Noah Rhoades looked up from his computer. He took one look at Blaine and smiled. "Blaine! If it isn't our little wonder boy! I heard some rumblings around the office that you were having a good day. Wanna tell me about it?"
"Absolutely!" Blaine sat down and told Noah Rhoades all about acquiring the videos from the bank and jewelry store, getting Kurt to identify one of the attackers and their recent visit to the NPYD.
"Shit, Blaine! I had a feeling about you when I hired you. My gut was just telling me to hire you despite never prosecuting anyone. But having said that, you haven't prepared a package for the DA. Even if all of the evidence is there, if the package isn't strong, the DA might not agree to move forward. I told you when I allowed you to follow this case that I'd help you in whatever way I could. Once you hear back from the detective, get on my calendar. I will sit with you and we'll prepare the package together."
Blaine was beside himself. "Oh, wow. Thank you so much! You have no idea how much that means to me."
Noah Rhoades smiled back at him. "You are welcome. I am proud of you, Blaine. You will have a great future with this firm."
Blaine thanked him again before heading into his office to shut down for the day. He was having such a good day. He couldn't wait to get back to Kurt. This was his day. He could feel it. He was going to pick up something for him and Kurt to eat for dinner and then he was going to give Kurt his big speech. He had prepared something to say to hopefully convey to Kurt how he felt and that he really wanted to share forever with him.
Kurt felt like he'd been waiting forever for Blaine to return. He'd cleaned up his apartment and he'd returned to his seat on the couch. He had so much pent up energy that it was almost killing him that he couldn't at least pace around his apartment like he desperately wanted to. About an hour after Blaine had left, Kurt heard Blaine turning the handle on the doorknob. It made Kurt's heart flutter that Blaine was letting himself in rather than knock.
Blaine was just outside Kurt's apartment, balancing Chinese food in one hand while trying to free the other. It would have been so much easier to knock – or rather knock on the door with his foot. But, Kurt had told him not to lock his door when he left so he could just let himself in. That was exactly what he was going to do. He felt like he was coming home. He finally got one hand free and turned the doorknob. When he pushed the door open, he saw Kurt, still sitting on the couch, smiling at him. "Hey there. I'm so sorry it took me so long. My boss stopped me."
Kurt sat up a little straighter. "Oh, it's ok." Kurt could see that Blaine was struggling with balancing all of the food. He went to stand up. "Here, let me help you."
"No, you stay seated. I've got this." Blaine walked over to the kitchen and sat the food down. "I got Chinese…as you could probably tell." Blaine let out a nervous chuckle. "Just tell me where I can find the plates and what you'd like to drink. I'll bring it to you. And yes, we're using plates because I'm pretty sure I remember what Chinese food you like and I got that, but I also remembered how you always liked to eat some of my food. If I put it on a plate, we can share."
Kurt thought his heart was going to pound out of his chest. This was becoming quite the romantic setting. "Uh, the plates are in the top cabinet to the left of the stove." Kurt paused for a moment. There was a fantastic bottle of white wine he had chilled. Would it be too much to suggest that? Oh, the hell with it. "There's a bottle of white wine in the fridge. Are you up for a glass of wine?"
Wine? What was Kurt doing to him? This made him more confident than ever that he was making the right decision with regards to lay it all out on the table tonight. "Sure, white wine sounds great. Although now you're going to have to tell me where you keep your wine glasses and bottle opener." Blaine grabbed the wine out of the fridge and began dishing out the food onto the plates.
"Oh, the bottle opener is in the drawer directly across from the fridge and the wine glasses are in the top cabinet to the right of the stove. It's a small kitchen as you can tell. It won't take you long to figure it out." Oh shit. What had he just said? He'd just implied that it wouldn't take Blaine long to learn his way around his kitchen. That implied that he felt like Blaine would be spending time in his kitchen, which would mean that he would be spending more time in his apartment. Who was he kidding? Of course he hoped that would happen.
Blaine turned and looked at Kurt. He had an embarrassed look on his face. It seemed to Blaine that Kurt had just implied that Blaine would be spending enough time here to eventually get to know his way around the kitchen. Blaine just smiled back at him and continued to get their dinner ready. This felt nice. Very domestic. Blaine wasn't totally sure what was going on here, but he wasn't going to leave until he had laid all of his cards on the table.
He brought the food and wine to the coffee table and sat down next to Kurt. Kurt smiled at Blaine. "Yep, you brought everything that I love with you. And, you were right about the plates because I SO plan on eating some of your food." He picked up his chop sticks and took a bite. "Oooh God, this is so good, Blaine!
Blaine nearly choked on the noises Kurt was making while eating. It brought back memories from a few of the moments they shared recently in Ohio. He coughed a bit. "Well, I haven't forgotten what you love, Kurt."
There it was again. The tension – the good tension. They stared at each other for another moment. It was like they were in a trance. Kurt was the one that broke the eye contact this time. "Uh, so you mentioned when you came ho…uh…when you got here that your boss had stopped you when you were in the office earlier. Anything interesting?" Holy shit – Kurt was two letters away from referring to Blaine coming home.
Blaine hadn't missed Kurt's near slip-up. He smiled. "Well, he'd heard rumors about what I'd been working on and he wanted a progress report. So, I told him everything that had happened today. Then he told me the best news ever. Kurt, I don't know if I've ever mentioned it to you before but after I collect all of the evidence in support of your case, I have to put together a package and present it to the DA. That is how they decide whether or not to move forward on prosecuting. Well, obviously, I've never done that before. Mr. Rhoades told me that he'd personally sit down with me to put the package together. Noah Rhoades is the fucking head of the firm! He started the firm and he's going to personally help me. Do you have any idea what a big deal that is?" He looked at Kurt and saw that he was hanging on every word Blaine was saying. "What am I saying? Of course you know what that's like. You recently went through the same thing."
Kurt was looking lovingly at Blaine. He was mesmerized by Blaine's excitement. "Wow, Blaine. That is so amazing. I'm so proud of you, really. Not just for helping me but for finally breaking free from your father and for all of the other people in New York that you are going to help. In case I didn't say it before…I'm really glad you're here."
By now they had finished eating and Blaine was taking the plates into the kitchen. He returned and sat next to Kurt on the couch again. He picked up the bottle of wine. "Would you like another glass?" Kurt nodded and Blaine refilled their glasses. After they each took a sip, Blaine set his glass down on the table and shifted so he was facing Kurt completely.
He took a deep breath. "Kurt, I'm glad you're glad I'm here. This has been a really, really great day. And I don't want to ruin it, but there is something that I need to talk to you about…"
First, some have expressed views that they're not necessarily happy that Blaine continues to fight for Kurt with how Kurt's treated him. I get it, I do. But there will be some give and take between both of them and Kurt gives quite the speech himself.
Second, as I've already stated, I don't know much about how things work in the legal world. I don't know how cops work, I don't know how lawyers work but I do know that since this is fiction, they can work however I need them too. :)
Next up: Klaine :)
I'll update again tomorrow.
Reviews? Really, they do make my heart smile...each and every one is extremely appreciated. :)