A/N: wow! Look at me go! Another chapter so soon! Yay! Since some people did PM me after my last two updates: I did in fact move and it went well. My husband and I have settled in and he likes his job. We're still very nervous with covid going on and having moved half way across the country, but it looks like this was a great choice for us. I just didn't feel right doing a personal update previously. I hope everyone can understand, and I'm sorry that I left everyone hanging in regards to my personal life!
Song: Bubbly: Colbie Caillat
Lyrics: "Undercovers staying dry and warm, you give me feelings that I adore."
Summary: Thad doesn't like being Blaine's roommate No, it wasn't that he was mean or messy or caused any issues with the teachers. He was just… in love. And Thad doesn't quite know how to handle that, especially when Blaine isn't yet dating the object of his affections.
Rating: K+: This is a cute one. Just nice and fluffy. A little Niff, a little Warbler's council, a little early Klaine… just all the good stuff.
"It's sickening, David! You don't have to room with him! It's like living in a fucking rom-com I swear!" Thad plopped his backpack down next to the fellow warbler as he continued to complain about his roommate. "You thought it was bad when he was still hung up on that boy from his old school? This is like 10 times WORSE. I'm dying!" His head hit the table as he groaned.
David sighed. "I really don't see what that has to do with me. Blaine is your roommate and you need to figure out how to room with him."
"I'm not in my room right now because 'oh Thad! There was a storm ad Kurt can't' sleep in his own room. Please let him stay with us! Please!'" Thad mustered up his best Blaine impression complete with puppy dog eyes. "So, now I'm here. Because Blaine's too nervous to share a bed with Kurt and I didn't want to be THAT person. I hate sleeping in the common room."
Wes rolled his eyes, "just go back to your room. Share a bed with either Blaine or Kurt. They're too nervous around each other to even let their legs brush under the stupid table in the coffee shop. It's not like they're defiling your room."
"I'd rather they just defile it and get it over with! This is worse!" Thad fell back onto the couch in the junior commons.
"You're being a tad dramatic don't you think?" Nick piped in from his spot on Jeff's lap. "They aren't even coming close to dating yet. It can't be that bad. At least not as bad as unrequited love Blaine. Because that was AWFUL! We all know they like each other, they're just nervous."
Thad went to argue again when Wes and David both pulled him up and pushed him in the direction of his dorm. "go get some sleep," David warned. "Your part of our council you need to be in top shape at every rehearsal, especially one so close to Regionals!"
When Thad pushed open the door to his room, he was immediately shushed by his roommate. He went to roll his eyes, thinking Kurt was just asleep somewhere and this was another instance of Blaine just being too "moony-eyed" to realize he was being irrational. "I just got him to doze off." Thad walked into the room and saw Blaine holding onto the new student for dear life, Kurt's head pressed against his chest, breathing heavy and ragged.
"Is he okay?" Thad's anger and annoyance faded instantly into concern.
Blaine nodded. "He just doesn't like storms," he gestured vaguely out the window where the rain from earlier in the day was now pounding against the building, thunder cracking every so often. "I know he misses home and is worried about his dad too. Kurt's been through a lot."
He watched Blaine threaded his finger through Kurt's hair, adjusting himself so the taller boy could lay down completely. Thad thought about how much pain Blaine must be in by sitting in that awkward position for so long. It was kind of a secret that Thad had found out on accident one day when he had walked in on his roommate changing early on in freshman year, and it was one of the reasons Blaine and Thad had become close friends and they had requested to never change roommates.
Every part of Blaine's body was covered in scars and large surgery marks. His chest was covered in slashes and cigarette burns and his legs were covered in large, jagged white marks. Some went from his thighs down to his ankles. They were courtesy of the bullies at this old school. Thad knew they caused the curly-haired boy pain, he had permanent damage from what had happened to him at Westerville Middle School. Having someone put their full weight on the bottom half of his body had to hurt, but Thad knew he wouldn't move. The way that Blaine looked at Kurt said it all. Whether he'd say it out loud or not was irrelevant. Kurt was the moon and stars to Blaine, the lead Warbler would do anything to make sure his new friend had everything, even if it meant sacrificing his own comfort or needs.
"You really like him don't you?" Thad broke the silence in the room as he climbed onto the bed next to Blaine, scooping Kurt up and placing his body between them. Blaine said nothing but winced as Kurt's weight was removed. He really was in pain, but Thad noticed that the other boy only moved slightly before allowing his hand to fall over Kurt's lower body as if he was affirming that he was still there.
"Yea, Thad. I really like him."
"In a more than friends' way?"
The answer wasn't immediate and for the first time since the beginning of their friendship, Thad worried if had overstepped. They always talked about girls and boys and what was going on in each other's lives. But the sigh that came from Blaine with the question made it seem like this was a far more intimate question than it had ever been before. "Am I that obvious?" Well, that hadn't been what he was expecting. He was waiting for blushing, a quick denial followed with a look of defeat, a rambled sonnet about how much he adored Kurt. He wasn't expecting close to anything he got.
"Is it bad to be obvious?" He only got a slight glare in return. "Does he not like you back?"
"I don't know. I just know that I'm not what he needs right now"
Thad had to hold back laughter at that absurd comment. "He obviously does, Blaine, he wouldn't be here right now otherwise." He watched his friend's gaze fix itself again on the new Warblers' sleeping form that sat between them. Somehow in his sleep, Kurt had found a way to shift so his head was laying against Blaine's chest again. It was like a magnetic force, even in unconsciousness the two were drawn to each other. It was weird and a little bit sweet, but also concerned Thad when he heard Blaine speak about their relationship. "Why do you think he doesn't' need you?"
"He doesn't need me as a boyfriend right now." Blaine let his hands run through brunette locks. "He's been through so much, Thad. Some things even worse than me."
"Worse?"
"Yea…" Blaine's voice cracked slightly as if he were holding back tears. "He's far worse off emotionally than I was. My pain was physical, his is all mental. I feel so much…so strongly for him. I can't let my feelings mess him up even more."
"You aren't going to mess him up, Blaine. I thin—" He was interrupted by Kurt stirring awake. "B?" It was like suddenly Thad didn't matter anymore. With a single letter, less than a full syllable, Blaine immediately was next to Kurt, cupping his cheek, and talking to him in hushed tones. Thad backed up slowly, pressing himself into the wall next to the bed. He felt strange intruding in this moment. It was something comfortable and intimate, something he didn't feel he was supposed to be looking in on. It was an experience that wasn't meant for outsiders.
As the minutes dragged on, Thad closed his eyes, trying desperately not to look to his left, curious about what was happening, but knowing it was best that he not interrupt. He heard small whimpers, a sob, and some more hushed tones. "You're safe." "I'm scared." "I've got you." "What if he finds me here? "It'll all be okay." "I'm always terrified." "I'm right here with you." It was what felt like hours later when the words stopped and silence fell again that Thad would open his eyes to see Kurt snuggled once again against Blaine's chest, the shorter boy stoically watching him.
"You aren't going to sleep tonight are you?"
"I'll sleep tomorrow after my morning classes."
"That's why you didn't want me here? You didn't want me to see this?" The silence confirmed Thad's questioning. "You need to take care of yourself, Blaine. This isn't good for you."
"I need to take care of Kurt."
"I know." Silence. "Do you want me to go?" Blaine nodded slightly. "Are you sure?" He nodded again, more enthusiastically this time. "You don't need to be here for this. It can get rough… he has nightmares sometimes."
Thad winced. He remembered what Blaine's nightmares had been like when he first started at Dalton. If Kurt's experiences at his old school had been worse, maybe it was better than Thad give up his room for a time so the two could have pricy on what was likely to be a difficult night. "Can you at least try to get some sleep?" Blaine nodded but Thad new the request was in vain. The lead Warbler wasn't going to take care of himself until he knew Kurt was okay, even if that took weeks or even months.
"He's really lucky to have you," Thad remarked as he gathered a few items from his drawers. "You two would be cute." He saw Blaine blush and smiled as he continued to massage is fingers through Kurt's hair. "Ask him, Blaine. You guys can make it work; I know you can. If it isn't the right time he'll say no."
Then he left, throwing one glance over his shoulder when he heard Blaine begin singing. He made his way down to the common room again, barely able to talk to the guys when he got there.
"Really, Thad?! Man, you just don't have the balls do ya?" Nick teased as he pulled himself away from his boyfriend on the couch for half a moment. "Just tell them you want to sleep in your own room! They aren't dating it'll be okay!"
The council member just shook his head. "They just need time together." He paused trying to figure out how to explain the bond Kurt and Blaine had to his friends. "They're really special."
Just because they're gay doesn't mean they're special!" Nick interrupted, only to be shushed by Wes.
"It's not like you and Jeff," He continued. "you guys have both been in Dalton's system your whole lives. The two of them, they've really bonded over some shitty stuff. They're special, they mean something. Just give them some time and some space. They need to come to terms with what they are at their own pace. You guys experience stuff when we leave campus, but it isn't your life. There are things about his past I know Blaine hasn't told you guys, and I have a feeling Kurt has some of those skeletons in his closet too. They need each other."
The room was silent for a moment, the gaggle of Warbler's each in their own minds, trying to imagine what could possibly have created such a bond that even Thad, a boy who had been so angry only an hour or so ago about being kicked from his room, was now reserved and thoughtful in regards to the situation.
"Do you really think they'll end u together?" Wes questioned. He had been one of the guys extremely invested in the relationship the Warbler's had affectionately dubbed 'Klaine.'
"I think at some point Blaine is going to realize that Kurt isn't as fragile as he thinks he is and he'll go for it. I just don't know how long that's going to take."
As it turned out, none of the boys had to wait too long. It was the beginning of the next week, just a short time before Regionals, that Kurt walked into rehearsal in all black, the death of Pavarotti was shocking. All the boys loved the birds they were given as newcomers, and they knew how hard the deaths were when they happened. After all, this wasn't the first.
Thad sat in his seat at the council table, starting to hum along with the rest of the Warbler's when he saw it. Blaine's face changed. Yes, they all looked crestfallen and sad, but Blaine's face was different. His eyes were red and glassy with unshed tears, but the expression in them was softer than anything Thad had seen before. None of the others had noticed the change, it was slight, but Thad noticed. He tried to look away quickly, hoping his roommate wouldn't catch his staring, but the lead's gaze never left Kurt. Thad's mind burned with questions, questions he realized he wouldn't get answers to as Blaine sped out of the room that afternoon, not even stopping to talk to Kurt. It would be several days later that Blaine would link arms with his roommate as he made his way down the hall. "Thank you," was all he said before disappearing into his AP English classroom.
About a week later in their shared dorm Thad would ask what Blaine had meant earlier when he said thank you, and the shorter boy's gaze would fall and his cheeks turn red, before mumbling something and rushing out of the room. He would leave Thad speechless and confused. It would be a few nights later that Thad found out what he was being thanked for when he, Jeff, and Wes stopped by his dorm room to grab a few quick things. "Omigod!" Thad quickly shut the door, causing the other boys to look confused before he darted in without opening the door too far. "Hi, Kurt," he mumbled. The porcelain boy just groaned and held his hand up in greeting from his place in Blaine's lap, his head buried in the shorter boy's shoulder. "Is this what I was being thanked for earlier this week?" Thad questioned Blaine
Blaine simply turned red again and looked at Kurt. "Yea. You just helped give me the push I needed I guess."
Thad left the room as Kurt leaned over to kiss his… boyfriend?, would be Thad's thought. And as he walked down the hallway with the other Warbler's he'd grin and share what he just witnessed. Jeff would jump and hoot, Wes would smile, and they'd immediately spread the news all over campus. Two days later at Warbler's rehearsal, Kurt and Blaine would sit with Jeff and Nick, their knees touching and smiles never leaving their faces. They'd all know, but no one would say anything. Over time it would just become normal. They were just Kurt and Blaine.
Several years later at their 10-year reunion, Thad would tell the story again over glasses of champagne and they'd all laugh about it because honestly, none of them could truly remember a time that Kurt and Blaine were separate people. To the Warbler's they had always been together, completely and totally in love.
A/N: I thought this would be a cute idea, fluffier more than anything else. I also really love this song. Shameless self-promotion: A group of my friends and I have created a podcast! Food For Nerds (follow us on insta at foodfornerdspodcast) is all about fan culture and the impacts of fandoms in our society. Our first episode is being posted tomorrow (July 18th, 2020)! Our second episode is going to be all about fanfiction and the following episodes will do a deep dive into individual fandoms as well as elements of fandom culture. Look us up if you're interested!