Kurt didn't want to get too optimistic, considering the date wasn't over, so there was still time for a catastrophe, but if all continued smoothly, this would easily be the best date he'd ever been on. It wasn't even the setting, although the idyllic summer day and picnic in Central Park were definitely positives. But it was Blaine. He was… Kurt ran through a list of adjectives in his head, and none of them seemed enough to describe Blaine. They weren't strong enough or vibrant enough or deep enough. Blaine was all of them at the same time, and more.
Kurt also wondered why he was so comfortable around Blaine already, and why he wasn't more nervous about how comfortable he was around Blaine. Kurt had known Blaine… actually known Blaine, which only really came after a real conversation… for about 24 hours now, yet here he was, already offering advice and commentary on Blaine's life and goals. Kurt had been with Chandler for months and never reached that point. Kurt wasn't sure he and Chandler had ever even discussed their life goals or dreams. With Adam, it had taken a long time before Kurt had felt like they could have such deep conversations, and usually they'd ended with one person storming away in anger after someone took something the wrong way. But here Kurt and Blaine were, seconds after Kurt calling Blaine out for being too scared to be great, and Blaine was playfully teasing him about eating squirrel meat and drawling pet names as he promised to get them out of the Ramble.
And they were holding hands! And they'd already kissed! Many in Kurt's circle, including Adam, had referred to him as slightly frigid. Kurt preferred to refer to it as being selective about whom he showed physical affection. Yet here he was, publicly holding hands with Blaine on their first date, after publicly kissing him yesterday after their first real conversation. It should terrify Kurt, but he was just so comfortable with Blaine that it was hard to be scared of anything.
Well, except maybe getting lost in the Ramble. Although Blaine had promised to get them out, Kurt wasn't so sure it could be done. Kurt was pretty sure the Ramble had been designed to be completely impossible to escape and was meant to serve as a torture device. Kurt was initially impressed that Blaine wasn't even hesitating whenever the path split, confidently choosing a direction, until they passed a bench that looked familiar. "Blaine? Are you sure you know where you're going? Because I'm pretty sure we've already walked past that bench."
Blaine turned to glance at it over his shoulder. "There are a lot of benches that look the same. Maybe it's a different one."
"With the exact same pigeon poop spot right in the middle of the seat?"
"There are a lot of pigeons, so it's statistically possible."
Kurt gave Blaine a penetrating glare. "Blaine, do you know where we're going?"
Blaine smiled sheepishly. "Okay, maybe not exactly, but I'm sure we'll find our way out." He started to walk again, but since Kurt wasn't moving and their hands were still connected, Blaine stopped abruptly. He turned and looked at Kurt questioningly.
"You said you knew the way out!" Kurt accused.
"No, technically I said I'd get us out. Which I will," Blaine quipped.
"After leading us in circles for hours?"
"It won't take hours," Blaine assured him.
Kurt raised his eyebrows in disbelief.
"The Ramble's not that big. It's not going to take hours."
Kurt remained skeptical, but when Blaine pointed out the only options were to stay there or follow him, Kurt reluctantly began walking again.
A few minutes later, they wandered down another identically confusing path, as far as Kurt was concerned, and reached a welcome sight: the Lake. Which meant they were out of the Ramble.
Blaine smiled proudly. "Told you I'd get us out," he boasted with a cheeky grin.
Kurt shook his head and rolled his eyes, and Blaine laughed. "Next time I'm bringing breadcrumbs," Kurt promised.
"Does that make me Hansel or Gretel?" Blaine wondered aloud.
"Gretel. I think she's pretty useless at the beginning."
"Thanks," Blaine replied with a laugh. "But hey, isn't she the one who tricks the witch into the oven? Ultimately saving the day? Sounds pretty good to me."
"Hm. Maybe you're the witch," Kurt mused. "Luring innocent people to their deaths by convincing them to trust you when they shouldn't."
Blaine slapped his free hand over his heart. "That hurts, Kurt. That hurts."
"Yes, well, the truth hurts sometimes, Blaine."
Blaine looked like he was about to say something, but then his head turned sharply as something caught his eye. "Look, ducks!" he exclaimed, pointing toward three birds waddling across the grass. "Now I also wish we had some breadcrumbs." He dropped Kurt's hand and started walking across the grass toward them, humming the Ducktales theme song.
"Are you sure you're 26 and not just 6?" Kurt asked as he watched in amusement from the path.
"Of course I am. Poor deprived 6-year-olds these days don't know the Ducktales theme song." Blaine continued quietly following the ducks toward the lake. "Do you think they're boys?"
"Yes, based on my extensive study of duck anatomy, I can confidently state that they are boys," Kurt replied sarcastically.
Blaine shot Kurt an unamused look over his shoulder. "Kurt, this is very important. I need to know if I can call them Huey, Dewey, and Louie."
"Somehow I don't think they'll mind either way," Kurt replied.
Blaine followed the ducks to the edge of the water. Two of the ducks slid into the water immediately, but one duck seemed hesitant. "Hurry up, Louie! They're leaving you behind!" Blaine encouraged. When the duck slipped into the water and followed the other two, Blaine clapped in glee. Then Blaine darted back to the path and grabbed Kurt's hand again, pulling him toward the rocky outcropping further up the path where a few people were sitting and watching the lake. "C'mon. I don't want to lose sight of them!"
"Seriously. Are you sure you're not 6? Because I feel like your nanny right now."
"My nanny? Not my parent? That's very posh of you, Kurt Hummel," Blaine teased as he climbed up the rocks and sat down in a spot to watch the ducks.
Kurt settled next to Blaine, close enough that they were touching from shoulder to hip. Then he turned to Blaine in surprise. "Wait. How do you know my last name?"
Kurt felt Blaine tense. "Um… I have a confession to make," Blaine said.
"A confession? You're really taking this whole correcting the imbalance of the embarrassing secrets to heart, aren't you?" Kurt teased.
When Blaine didn't smile, Kurt grew worried. He tightened his grip on Blaine's hand and ran his thumb across Blaine's knuckles in a comforting motion. "Blaine, you can tell me anything." Kurt knew that wasn't typical first date conversation, but it was true. Somehow, this didn't feel like a first date. It felt like a continuation of… something. Kurt just couldn't put his finger on what.
Blaine turned his head to look directly into Kurt's eyes. After a moment, he turned back toward the pond and admitted, "That first duet wasn't my first time at Warblers."
