I forgot to include this yesterday for my Australian readers who asked for the uncensored scene from 3x05. If you go to my Tumblr (link on my profile), it should be near the top but it depends when you read this chapter too and it'll be called UNCENSORED 3X05 SCENE FOR AUSTRALIAN VIEWERS. It's not great quality but it's there :)
Oh, and all the people who wanted a sequel to yesterday's chapter explaining the council table first kiss? I don't even need to. You'll see why at the end of the chapter.
From Klaineshipper (Anonymous): Blaine is a rock star, and during one of his gig, he sees Kurt in the pit staring at him. It's love at first sight and Blaine try to find Kurt after the gig but there are too many fans while Kurt is pushing back by the bodyguards.
You all owe me so much love. I mean it, this took forever.
(No, I don't demand love. I wrote this for me first)
Rock
Blaine Anderson was used to fans when he performed but this?
This was ridiculous.
Honestly, he had only agreed to this gig because of the charity side of things. Usually he tried to avoid the bar scene, knowing it had more potential to go badly than to be a performance that was good for his rep. And yes, once upon a time he had played exclusively in bars, but that was back when he was only known as Blaine and didn't have a million dollar recording contract waiting for him back in New York.
But Ohio still held a soft spot in his heart and when Blaine heard that Candidate Sylvester had finally been elected and was cutting the arts program completely, he knew he had to do something. Dalton might be prestigious enough not to be affected but the public schools would and Blaine's three years at Westerville High - while painful and horrifying to remember - had given him a deep appreciation for public school art programs and their struggles.
So if something meant playing a gig at a small bar in Lima, Ohio, then he would do it.
But Blaine had not expected this.
The place was packed to the roof. Obviously there were some regulars there, the ones slumped over the bar looking entirely uninterested in the chaos, but the others looked like fans who had traveled from all over Ohio to crowd into a dingy bar. All of the emergency exit doors were open with people crowding through them - and Blaine cringedto think about the health and safety violations - and there was no breathing room, let alone moshing. But that certainly wasn't stopping the crowd who was going absolutely crazy.
And Blaine still loved it. He loved the atmosphere surrounding him when he performed, the people who were allowing themselves to lose all inhibitions and be free to the music and to themselves. It wasn't about their love for his talent but their love for music and art that kept him going, kept him performing even when he was working 20 hour days trying to get everything done. Blaine had gotten absolutely no sleep last night between reading over contracts, trying to write the final song for his album and the fact that the Lima Hotel hosted the most uncomfortable couches to date and Blaine refused to let his publicist sleep anywhere but in the bed - and no, he would not be sharing the bed with her, no matter what a few select people in his team seemed to think.
But none of that mattered, not when the bright lights were on his face, the guitar in his hands, lyrics pouring out of his throat like they were made to be there - they kind of were- and the crowd falling in love with music all over again. Nothing else mattered.
A lot of these people knew him as the Warbler. Blaine wasn't sure exactly when the nickname had caught on - after all, his high school Glee club had performed with him a few times now - but he couldn't complain. It was nice to be known for something positive at the moment instead of all the negativity a few months ago.
Blaine had been at the height of his career, well-liked in the music scene, recording frequently and basically having one hell of a good time. His private life was yet to be uncovered - and it wasn't that Blaine was ashamed of who he was, not at all. It just hadn't come up and Blaine was happy to keep it that way. But naturally, as it seemed life was prone to, Blaine was hit with a curveball when one of his old high school classmates decided it would be fun to leak Blaine's sexuality to the press.
He didn't try to deny it of course, and deflecting was out of the picture. After a long meeting with his publicist team, they decided to just run with it and simply not make a big deal out of Blaine 'coming out'. While the press was still having a field day, Blaine's lack of reaction actually ended up winning him more fans. However, there were always groups who decided he needed to be hated because he was gay and there was a rough few months where many of his concerts were being boycotted by angry 'former fans'.
Lima had always been a risk - homophobia had been rampant when Blaine was a student and coming to a bar of all places to perform as an openly gay artist was a risk. But right in this moment, he was so so thrilled that he had done it.
Human was always a crowd pleaser and tonight was no exception if the wild applause when he had finished singing was any indication. "Thank you so much!" he called out to the audience, truly appreciative of them. "This next song isn't mine, but I do have permission from the woman herself to perform it for you tonight. Some of you may have seen me sing this with the Warblers -" Blaine had to pause as the screaming reached new heights, grinning at them until they settled down again. "But tonight I'm afraid it's just me."
And without any further ado, Blaine began to strum at his guitar, picking out the opening notes to Teenage Dream.
It really was his song. It was the song that had launched his career when he and the Warblers had performed it at a private competition after being knocked out of the show choir competition at Regionals level in his Senior year. They had no idea that agents were in the crowd and Blaine had almost been signed almost on the spot, only having to do the small-time artist thing for less than a year before his career began to build. He had grown so much since that moment, but coming back to the song was always a reminder of where he had come from, especially now while he was here in Lima.
"Before you met me, I was alright but things were kinda heavy,
You brought me to life,
Now every February, you'll be my Valentine,
Valentine."
Glancing around the crowd, Blaine couldn't help but smile. Every performance without fail, Blaine found himself checking the guys his age, looking for someone good looking that he could take a moment to watch, to pretend he was singing this song to. It wasn't like he was depressingly lonely or anything, but it had been a little while since Blaine's last boyfriend and it would be nice to find someone. Of course there would be nothing happening between him and a fan - that was always bad news - but no harm in looking, right?
As usual, there was nobody in particular who stood out and Blaine cast one more critical eye over the bar before turning back to -
Wait.
No. Freaking. Way.
Was that Kurt Hummel?
Kurt Hummel had no idea what he was doing here.
Not just the small dingy bar in Lima that he had never set foot in or near while he was a student here, but Lima itself. Kurt had always sworn to himself that once he graduated and got out of here, he would never be back. Of course once he realized that his father was never going to leave Lima, never going to come to New York no matter how appealing Kurt tried to make it, those plans changed a little, but up until now Kurt had never come back for any longer than the festive seasons. After all, what reason did he have to be here?
Kurt's high school experience had been pure hell. He had been the only kid out of the closet and up until his Junior year, that had simply meant scorns and slushies. But when Junior year rolled around, one of the bullies had decided that Kurt was going to become his personal punching bag and Kurt made the biggest mistake of his life when he tried to find out why. Because David Karofsky had been in the closet - still was in the closet actually - and had decided that Kurt's first kiss should belong to him.
If Karofsky hadn't moved out to California a year ago, Kurt wouldn't have even thought about coming back for longer than a few weeks. No matter how long had passed, Kurt still couldn't bear to look at the boy, the one who had taken something from him and then threatened to kill him. Kurt had gone through a year and a half of fear, not knowing whether this jock would snap one day and either actually go through with his threat or decide to do something much worse. He had dropped out of his Glee club, flown under the radar while studying as hard as he could and graduated with a 4.0 and near crippling depression. As soon as he had gotten to New York, Kurt had had a complete breakdown resulting in a few months of therapy before he could even begin his course.
But Kurt had fought through it. Like his father had always said, he was a fighter. Overcoming the experiences of high school, Kurt had focused everything he had on his fashion career, working at unpaid internship after unpaid internship to try and find the right one, the right area for his distinctive fashion sense where he could be who he wanted to be. And then one phone call to his father had changed everything - the one phone call where his father had said one simple sentence.
"If the industry isn't designed for people like you, make your own."
So he had. It had been a huge risk - investments with money he didn't have, hours upon hours of tireless work, enlisting others who basically worked for free until he could back pay them - but it had paid off. And now Kurt Hummel was a name that everybody knew.
The biggest shock of Kurt's career had been arriving back in Lima six months after he had produced his first runway shoot and visiting Will Schuester at the high school to find students walking down the halls in his creations. Students, plural. Granted, nobody could rock his looks quite like him and many of those kids were the ones ending up in the dumpsters, but Kurt had never been prouder of himself.
Kurt was where he had always wanted to be and, it was true, he loved it.
So why was he back in Lima? Simple.
Pity.
The last time he had visited McKinley High, he had been warned by Will about Sue's rise in the polls yet again. She had tried to run while Kurt was in his Senior year but had not been successful so, five years later, was giving it another shot. And this time it looked like she might win, and this time she would be cutting the arts completely. No worry about reading at the average level, no conditions to get it back. They would just be gone.
Kurt had been one of the ones watching the verdict and, as soon as it had passed, he had made a few vital calls to his team. Two weeks later, after his final runway show of the year, Kurt was touching down in Lima for the forseeable future.
It was all kept under the radar of course - if students from other schools found out that Kurt Hummel was teaching at McKinley High free of charge, there would be an outcry of complaints from the other schools demanding equal treatment. But Kurt's loyalty would always stay with McKinley; no matter how difficult his schooling had been there, Kurt knew they did the best with what they had. And McKinley had always been one of the lowest budget schools in the area and with this new cut, they were barely getting by. It was the least Kurt could do.
But Sue was going down - some kind of private funding project was underway that would seal Ohio's arts future for the next ten years - and Kurt could tell he wouldn't be needed for much longer. New York was calling him back anyway - while his team was running things fine so far, Kurt was itching to get his new designs created for the fall season and missed the bright lights of his home.
It had been a long day and, despite his usual inclinations, Kurt stopped by the bar to grab a drink before heading back to his dad's place. Usually he would hang out with Finn but Finn had flown to New York - ironically - to watch Rachel's opening night for West Side Story. And as far as Kurt could tell, at least by the little ring box he had found in Finn's house the other week, Finn had the perfect celebration in mind. So he figured one drink alone at the bar wouldn't be too depressing, right?
Something was going on, Kurt could tell as soon as he arrived. The regulars were all at the bar and he took a seat, ordering his usual and glancing around. The stage was being set up and people were already beginning to crowd into the seating, Kurt frowning at them in confusion. He hadn't heard about any performances coming up, especially not something that would draw this kind of crowd - because it was growing by the second. Shrugging, Kurt figured he could stick around for a little while and see if this person was any good. It had been quite some time since he had seen a good live performance anyway.
An ill timed bathroom break meant that Kurt actually missed the arrival of the performer, but he could hear the chaos from the bathroom itself. My goodness, they're acting like Beyonce arrived or something!
Even though Kurt knew it wasn't Beyonce, who was currently on tour in Europe, he found his curiosity peaked. Maybe someone actually famous was here. And although Kurt was fairly well famous himself, his industry never really bumped elbows with the music world so it would be nice to see who it was, because who would come to Lima to perform?
Wandering out of the bathroom, Kurt took one look at the stage and nearly passed out.
That… that's Blaine Anderson…
Holy crap.
Kurt needed to sit down. Stumbling back to his seat - and at least he blended in in that regard - he collapsed back into his empty spot, spinning around to face the bar for a moment and taking a few deep breaths because Blaine Anderson was performing behind him, live, in person and why was he not watching?
Spinning back around, Kurt propped his chin up on his hands and just stared.
There were only a few mainstream artists that Kurt had a true appreciation for. Lady GaGa would always hold a special place in Kurt's heart and others such as Beyonce and Adele were definitely amongst his favorites. Kurt was a firm believer in the classics, in taking time to build up your reputation instead of doing a Justin Bieber and being famous from the first song. But one thing Kurt hadn't been able to help was falling in love with Blaine's voice the first time he had heard it.
Because Blaine Anderson was, simply put, a musical god. New to the scene, yes, but his talent was immeasurable, only matched by his friendliness and modesty - at least what Kurt could tell from the interviews he had seen of the man. He was going to go far, Kurt could tell, and therefore he really couldn't resist buying his album the moment it came out, committing himself to becoming a fan. But really, Blaine did deserve it.
Oh, and he was freaking gorgeous.That helped too.
"Thank you so much!" Blaine called out and Kurt couldn't help but smile because he's such a sweetheart. "This next song isn't mine, but I do have permission from the woman herself to perform it for you tonight. Some of you may have seen me sing this with the Warblers -" Kurt winced as the girls in front of him went crazy and suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. I highly doubt the Warblers are here tonight. "But tonight I'm afraid it's just me," Blaine confirmed to the slight disappointment of some of the fans.
Something you should never apologize for.
Kurt mentally rolled his eyes at himself for that one. He really was turning into a groupie… and really couldn't care. After all, nothing would ever come of it and at least he had a better chance than the girls who were currently gushing over him because Blaine? Yeah, Blaine played for Kurt's team.
And the really funny thing about the whole situation?
Kurt could have known Blaine.
Junior year at McKinley High when he had still been a part of the Glee club - just before he had dropped out actually - and Noah Puckerman had told Kurt to 'do something useful' and go spy on the competition. That year for Sectionals competition, New Directions was up against the Warblers.
Kurt had thought long and hard about it but in the end had decided against it. It wasn't fair on the other team if he spied, especially if he was returning intel to a group who hadn't exactly been that loyal to him all the time. So Kurt hadn't gone to Dalton and, a few weeks later, had dropped out of Glee. He hadn't attended Sectionals, in fact hadn't had anything to do with the music scene for the rest of his high school years. So he hadn't seen Blaine perform with the Warblers but he had known that he was the lead soloist and, according to a reluctant Rachel, was very talented.
It was a bummer, yes, but it was life. And now Kurt was making up for lost time by finally getting to see Blaine perform…
Teenage Dream?
"Before you met me, I was alright but things were kinda heavy,
You brought me to life,
Now every February, you'll be my Valentine,
Valentine."
Kurt couldn't help but smile because it was such a strange song for Blaine to sing but he was absolutely rocking it and how his coming out had been a shock to anybody, Kurt had no idea. Not many straight guys had this much fun singing Katy Perry.
Blaine was staring around the audience, his face almost contemplative as he sang. He really was so handsome, Kurt mused, watching how relaxed he was up on the stage, how free he seemed to be in his own skin to just be. Probably never got bullied in high school.
And then Blaine's eyes drifted straight over him before snapping back, locking their gaze.
Intensity coursed through him and Kurt gasped quietly, unable to tear his eyes away. He was vaguely aware that Blaine should have started singing the next line instead of simply strumming but yeah, there were more important things going on right now than a silly performance, things like the fact that Kurt Hummel might just be in love.
Blaine suddenly snapped back to attention and continued to sing, flicking his eyes away from Kurt back to the crowd. Kurt couldn't resist a sigh until he realized that Blaine was still glancing his way every few seconds, a smile growing on his face and Kurt realized.
Blaine was singing to him.
"Let's go all the way tonight,
No regrets, just love,
We can dance until we die,
You and I will be young forever!"
The girls began to scream and started jumping up and down, partially blocking Kurt's view of Blaine. With a huff he stood, leaning back against the chair and holding his bag protectively to his body to make sure nobody stole it or any of his belongings. But all of this was done absently as his sole focus was still on Blaine - Blaine who was still smiling at him and flirting outrageously through song and Kurt just loved it.
"You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream,
The way you turn me on I can't sleep,
Let's run away and don't ever look back,
Don't ever look back,"
Blaine stood as well and now Kurt could really see him, all of him if he chose to. Instead he simply focused on Blaine's eyes, the eyes he may have admittedly stared at a little on the close up of the album cover but looked so much better in person - warm, inviting, caring. Blaine was smiling but it was different than what the critics had dubbed his 'excitable puppy' look that he usually wore when performing. This was soft, almost secretive.
And Kurt knew it was for him.
"I'mm'a get your heart racing in my skintight jeans,
Be your teenage dream tonight,
Let you put your hands on me in my skintight jeans,
Be your teenage dream tonight."
Kurt could only imagine what this would be like if someone had sung it to him as an actual teenager - probably falling over himself to clap and be a complete fool and probably consider himself in love from that very second. Instead, Kurt swayed along lightly to the music with a small smile in place. And if that smile were reserved for Blaine, well so be it.
It was only a short version of the song anyway but it felt like Kurt could have blinked and missed it. Too soon - far too soon - Blaine was thanking them all for listening and began to talk about his purpose in coming and the moment was broken. Kurt sat back down to listen and was pleasantly surprised to find that Blaine was here for the exact same reason that Kurt was - to try and make a difference in the arts program. Apparently all of his merchandise profit from today and the time he spent in Lima would be going towards the arts program and, judging by the fan base, Kurt was fairly sure the funding problem would be solved fairly soon.
There were a few more songs but Kurt - despite his love for Blaine's voice - could barely focus. All he could think of was those eyes,that piercing look when Blaine had sung that song, and how much Kurt needed to talk to this Blaine Anderson. Which is why it was a surprise when Blaine finished up his final song and called an end to the night. "Well," Blaine said again into the microphone, "it's been a pleasure performing for you all tonight. Thank you very much."
Blaine disappeared out the side door and Kurt saw his chance. Pushing past others who had gotten the same idea, Kurt quickly darted out to the side to see Blaine heading for a black SUV with tinted windows - not exactly the most subtle car to hide a celebrity in in Lima. And before Kurt could make his way closer, the crowd of fangirls swarmed in, pushing past him roughly to try and get to Blaine and, judging by the way they were screaming, possibly try to devour him. Security was on them in a heartbeat and Kurt had one final glimpse of Blaine disappearing into the car before he was pushed away with the rest of the crowd.
Sighing, Kurt turned back into the bar for another drink. He had no doubt that Blaine would be straight out of Lima and back to New York as soon as possible - nobody would stay here for longer than necessary and Blaine had done his bit after all. Kurt had shared a moment with another guy for what felt like the first time ever and now it was gone.
That's life, he reminded himself as he ordered another drink and pulled out his sketchbook to begin preparing designs. And soon enough you'll be gone too, back to where you belong.
Blaine rested his forehead against the window with a sigh, watching Lima pass by. It was only a ten minute drive to the hotel but Blaine was grateful for the time he got to spend alone, time to let his thoughts roam free. The performance deserved reflection, just as all of his others got, but right now Blaine's mind was definitely elsewhere.
Kurt Hummel.
Blaine knew who he was, of course - anybody who wore clothing knew who Kurt Hummel was, even here in Lima. He was occasionally referred to as the 'newest Alexander McQueen' and considering how often Kurt had been seen pairing his creations with McQueen or McQueen inspired collections, Blaine figured it was probably the highest compliment the man could ask for. And Blaine admired him, admired his creativity and the clothing he produced even if half of it just simply didn't suit Blaine at all.
And to see Kurt here in Lima… well, it didn't make sense. There had been rumors that Kurt wasn't designing at the moment, even with the latest collections due to be released, that he had left his team in charge while he had disappeared for some reason. So now Blaine knew those rumors were true, but what reason did Kurt have to be in Lima?
Blaine needed to find out, but he didn't know how. Kurt wasn't staying at the same hotel as him and considering it was the only one in Lima, that left Blaine at an absolute loss on where to go from there. Perhaps Kurt had friends or family in the area but considering Blaine couldn't leave the hotel without being mobbed most days, he wasn't exactly able to go poking around and door knocking to try and find him. He had another six days in Lima, two performances left to do - and he probably needed to start advertising for the one on his last day considering the tickets needed to be sold to make any profit, Blaine realized, and jotted down a note for his assistant to find in the morning.
But his mind wouldn't get off the beautiful young man - and Kurt was definitely more gorgeous in person than he was on any of the shows Blaine happened to catch on television - and why he was here.
As the hotel drew into sight, Blaine sighed again. He probably wasn't going to find out and, as soon as he was done in Lima, his contract was taking him to Los Angeles for two months, thereby losing any chance of making contact with Kurt. By the time he was back in New York, Kurt would be preparing for Fashion Week with no time to spare for the man he had seen playing one small performance in a bar.
And Kurt probably had much bigger things to think about than Blaine anyway.
He hadn't been trying to pry, but Kurt would take any knowledge he could get. Once upon a time he would have been dubious about his intel coming from Finn and Puck, but Kurt had learnt that they were more often than not right. Puck being the manager of Breadstix meant he heard all the gossip that came through and since they actually got along well now, Kurt took full advantage of getting a sizeable discount at the restaurant whenever he came to town.
It was only the previous night that Blaine had been at the bar performing and the two was still buzzing about it, as Puck informed him when he ended up joining Kurt for dinner that night. "The girls are going crazy, even though they know full well he doesn't play for their team," Puck said, snapping a breadstick in half. "And his other performances are already near sold out -"
"Other performances?"
Puck nodded, raising an eyebrow. "You didn't know? He's here for this whole week and he's performing at the mall on Monday and then a proper concert type thing on Friday right before he leaves. Driving for some weird reason."
An idea began to form in the back of Kurt's head of the variety that he would usually quash, but this was just a little too appealing. "So, you know everything around here. Know where he's staying?"
"Why, want to go jump him?" Kurt smacked Puck's arm and he raised his hands in defense. "Sorry, dude, couldn't resist. Yeah, I know but it's not common knowledge so don't spread it around. I mean, I don't get how people could miss where he's staying but hey, we're not the smartest town." Kurt waved a hand, waiting. "Right, right. He's at the Lima Hotel. At least that's what I can tell from the delivery I made the other day where there was a rather fancy looking car in the basement car park."
Kurt nodded slowly. "So, about this car…"
Admittedly, Kurt should probably feel bad for it but Blaine was rich. He could afford another set of tyres and Puck had owed him a favour since their high school days when Kurt had come across Puck in a rather compromising position that would have easily gotten him expelled and Kurt had kept his mouth shut. And if anybody was going to get the job done, it would be Puck.
So when Burt got the call the next morning about a car with slashed tyres that needed to be towed in, the shop was left in Kurt's more than capable hands while his father disappeared to pick up the car. Kurt, alternating between a smug grin and nervous smile, continued to run operations and direct the others on what to do until the arrival of the vehicle - and okay, Blaine had a penchant for vintage cars, very nice. "Where's the owner?" he asked.
"Coming by in about half an hour," Burt explained. "Going to help me with this one?"
Kurt shrugged and threw on a pair of overalls. Between them, the tyres were changed in record time, giving Kurt just enough time to dart into the spare room and get changed. As he was wiping the grease off his hands, he heard it - "Holy crap, is that that Blaine Anderson kid?"
"My daughter is crazy about him. Do you think he'd sign her an autograph?"
Kurt took a deep breath and left the room, trying not to roll his eyes at the other men who - and they would never admit it - were almost acting as bad as the fangirls down at the bar. Thankfully they kept their distance as Kurt crossed the workshop to where Blaine was standing with his father and oh, okay, that's one of my scarves. And that in itself was a much bigger deal than Kurt thought it would be.
"… don't know how it happened," Blaine could be heard saying as Kurt drew closer. "I just came down from the hotel room and there it was."
Burt tutted. "The kids are getting so wild these days. I thought it was bad when Kurt was in school here but now -"
"Kurt?"
Kurt paused, smirking, and waited. Blaine glanced up at the sign - HUMMEL'S TYRES AND LUBE - and then seemed to draw the conclusion, as far as Kurt could tell from watching the back of his head. "Oh. I see. And your son, would he happen to be here today?"
"Well, he's right behind you actually."
Leaning against the counter, Kurt raised an eyebrow as Blaine turned to look at him. "Blaine Anderson," he said, tilting his head to the side a little as he took in the man.
"Kurt Hummel," Blaine said quietly and Kurt could almost feel the heat of his stare.
Burt, thankfully not oblivious but never one to be subtle, cleared his throat rather loudly. "I'll just - ah, I'll be over here. Doing something. Blaine, let me know when you're ready to talk payment."
"Thank you," Blaine said without looking away. Kurt felt like he should be embarrassed by the intensity of the look in Blaine's eyes but he knew the same was in his own. "So, funny coincidence this," he continued when Burt's footsteps had faded away. "My car suddenly gets its tyres slashed and ends up in what I presume is your father's garage. Could I then go on to presume you have something to do with this?"
"Blaine Anderson, I'm shocked," Kurt managed to say with a straight face. "I grew up with cars, do you really think I could lower myself to destroying one?" When Blaine's brow furrowed in confusion, Kurt allowed his smirk to appear. "But I do have friends in strange places who owe me," he completed.
Blaine nodded as if that made sense - and Kurt knew full well that it didn't, didn't answer the question of why Blaine was here, but somehow that didn't need to be answered. They simply watched each other for a few more seconds, waiting for something that neither of them knew how to find. Not yet, anyway.
"So," Blaine said, scuffing his foot at a coagulated puddle of oil. "I'm here. Now what?"
And Kurt really had no idea. He hadn't thought this far ahead, all he had known was that… "I just needed to see you again," he admitted, words spilling out as if he had no filter. "I mean, obviously you're famous as hell and I'm a fan but… more than that. I wanted to meet Blaine."
Blaine stared at him for a good few seconds before smiling, sudden and stunning. "Thank god, if you were just going to end up being another fan wanting to jump me, I had spent all morning trying to work out how to gently let you down." Kurt had to laugh at that and Blaine continued to smile. "But I get what you're saying. I wanted to meet Kurt too."
"But that's different," Kurt tried to protest, hearing the emphasis in Blaine's words. "I'm not -"
"Famous?" Blaine flicked his scarf over his shoulder meaningfully. "Just because Lima aren't jumping over themselves to get your autograph doesn't mean you're not well known and loved, Kurt. I know full well that you're the prime candidate to turn heads in Fashion Week and you're booked solid for interviews pretty much the second you get back to New York."
Kurt coughed, trying to hide a smile. "Stalker much?"
"I read your bio," Blaine explained. "Your collections amaze me."
He hadn't blushed since high school so what on earth was going on? "Thank you," Kurt managed. "Naturally, your voice is outstanding, I would kill for your talent."
"Not me, I hope?"
Blaine's voice was teasing and Kurt smirked back. "Never you," he replied and oh, maybe they were flirting a little. Or a lot, and Kurt kind of didn't want to stop. "So, I hear you're performing tomorrow?"
"Just at the mall," Blaine confirmed. "So it's free - the real ticket seller will be Friday, this is just to get attention, let people know I'm in town."
Kurt snorted. "Honey, everybody knows you're in town. The girls in my class are going to flip tomorrow."
"Class?"
Oh. Kurt bit his lip, debating. "I'm helping out at one of the high schools," he finally admitted. "The arts cut hit them pretty hard so I thought I'd try and offer a bit of expertise. Obviously it's not much, not enough, but -"
"It's more than they would have been getting," Blaine completed. "That's incredible, Kurt. Which school?"
"William McKinley."
Blaine nodded. "I saw it. It looks run down, they could definitely use a hand."
Kurt bit back the natural reaction to say that it had been needing that for a long time because he wasn't quite ready to touch on why exactly he was at that school. "So, this performance tomorrow sounds amazing. I'll do my best to be there… it's a little difficult to get around without my car but I'm sure I can get a loan of one here."
"Why don't I pick you up?"
Kurt raised an eyebrow at Blaine who was shrugging like it was the most normal request in the world. "Are you sure?"
"Well, I know where to find you now."
"I don't live at the garage." Kurt rolled his eyes and gestured for Blaine's phone. He quickly typed his address into Maps and pulled up the route Blaine needed - not that Lima was difficult to navigate but the last thing Blaine needed was to get lost on his way to his own performance. "Thank you."
"I'll be there at four," Blaine said, his voice suddenly softer as he pocketed his phone. "Now I'd better pay for this damage you created and head back before my production team sends out a search party for the fangirls who mobbed me."
As Blaine turned away, Kurt placed a hand on his arm to stop him. "Wait a second," he said before slipping into the back room and grabbing his jacket - of his own collection of course. Blaine was a bit shorter than him but they were the same build as Kurt found when he slid the jacket over Blaine's shoulders, smoothing down the lapel. "Retail, that would cost as much as your tyres, or at least it will when it's released next month. I think we're even."
"Kurt -" Blaine began, looking shocked.
"It suits you," Kurt said simply. "I'll see you at four tomorrow."
Walking away from Blaine was strangely difficult, probably more so than it should have been, but the smile on Kurt's face was worth it.
Something was coming.
It wasn't common for Blaine to get nervous before his performances anymore, so the bundle of emotions gathering in his stomach was almost definitely more due to the fact that he was standing outside the home of Burt Hummel, preparing to walk inside and pick his son up for the night.
Funny how much Blaine felt like a teenager showing up for his first date.
Drawing up all of his courage, Blaine walked up the front walk towards the front door. Hand positioned to knock, he paused and instead plucked a piece of paper off the front door.
Blaine,
Had to run out for an emergency. Kurt's inside but he's too caught up in his clothes to hear you knock so let yourself in.
Take care of my son.
Burt.
Well, that made things easier. Smiling - because Kurt really was a lot like him when it came to passions - Blaine quietly opened the front door and let himself in. The hall light was on and he took a moment to look around before pausing, listening.
The sound of music was drifting down the staircase and before Blaine could think about it, he was following it. Figuring Kurt was the one playing it, Blaine had his foot on the bottom step before stopping. If he's changing up there, it's probably quite rude to just walk in.
Before Blaine could do anything, the words began to play and he literally had to grab onto the banister to hold himself up.
That's not the original.
That's Kurt.
He knew it couldn't be a recording - the words were too clear, cut above the instrumental which was probably a tape. And Blaine had had a hunch since the first time he had heard Kurt speak that there was a singing voice in there somewhere. But he hadn't dared to hope for this.
"Blackbird singing in the dead of night,
Take these broken wings and learn to fly,
All your life,
You were only waiting for this moment to arise."
Kurt's voice was high, strong and so beautiful that Blaine almost wanted to cry.A countertenor, he marveled, glad he wasn't actually in front of Kurt as he knew the expression on his face was something akin to lovestruck but who couldn't love that voice?
And, come to think of it, who couldn't love Kurt?
Blaine was beginning to struggle with that one.
"Blackbird fly,
Blackbird fly,
Into the light of the dark black night."
It was just phenomenal to listen to and Blaine wished he could see it, see the way Kurt was when he sang. Any time he had seen Kurt in one of his interviews, there had been a guard up, just like the guard Blaine often had to wear in his own. But performing was where Blaine could be free to be himself and he suddenly realized that Kurt was the same - not just with his fashion but with singing.
He's performed before, Blaine realized with a sudden certainty. Singing is - or was - something he loves.
Pieces were starting to come together in Blaine's mind.
"You were only waiting for this moment to arise,
You were only waiting for this moment to arise."
Slowly, Blaine tiptoed back to the front door and opened it again, knocking lightly. "Kurt?"
There was a muffled thud from upstairs and then Kurt's voice came down, growing louder. "Hey, Blaine! Just give me a second -"
"Take your time," Blaine called back. "We can't really miss the show, after all."
Kurt laughed and Blaine heard a closet door closing. "True. Sorry, I was doing some designing and lost track of time - I saw the most fabulous colours coming home and had an idea for a gorgeous new vest for the latest line." The sound of footsteps echoed down the stairs and then Kurt appeared, shrugging on a jacket. "I should have been more organized but - oh."
Blaine frowned. "What?"
"You're wearing it."
His voice was hushed, almost awed and Blaine glanced down at his own jacket with a smile. "It's the most gorgeous thing I've ever worn. I barely managed to take it off last night but I figured sleeping in it might not be good for it."
"No," Kurt agreed quietly. "I'm glad you like it and - oh, this is probably selfish." He ducked his head a little and laughed.
"What?"
"I was just thinking about what good publicity this is going to be," Kurt admitted. "Hundreds of people are going to see you in this jacket and when it hits the racks, it's going to sell out straight away. Obviously I'm not asking you to publicize -"
Blaine interrupted him, gears turning in his mind. "I've got the jacket and the scarf but… I know I'm shorter than you but I imagine you're prepared for anything. You should dress me completely."
Kurt's eyes lit up. "Really?" Blaine nodded and he clapped his hands together, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Okay, I have the perfect outfit in mind! Come with me."
Kurt grabbed his hand and all but dragged him up the stairs and into a room filled with fabrics and clothing. A couple of mannequins were in the corner with beginnings of outfits hanging off them and Blaine spun in a slow circle, taking it all in. "I'm guessing you spend a lot of time here then?"
"I come back three times a year," Kurt explained, rifling through the closet with his back to Blaine. "Family gatherings and all that. I've been designing since high school and when I create something good, I'll take it back with me, and my dad's pretty good with sending over stuff I need for various collections. This is more storage than anything - thank god Finn moved out otherwise I'd have nowhere to sleep." Blaine was just watching, trying to take in the whirlwind that was an excited Kurt Hummel. Sitting on the edge of the bed and avoiding the piles of fabric, he propped his chin up on his hand and simply stared as Kurt pulled out clothing, holding them up together with a critical eye before shaking his head. "Pass over the jacket?"
Blaine slipped the jacket off his shoulders and handed it to Kurt who nodded, pulling out a green v-neck. "You'll need a different scarf but I can arrange that. Here." He handed over the clothes and added a pair of jeans to the pile. "Try these on and call me when you're done."
Kurt closed the door behind him and Blaine changed quickly before stepping over to the full-length mirror. A second later he did a double take and positively stared.
It wasn't that Blaine had ever considered himself good looking - yes, he could accept that others saw him that way but he wasn't particularly vain like he knew some of the other performers were. But dressed like this, in clothes that were practically made for him, clothes that were picked out by a fashion designer to clearly show the best of himself… Blaine just had to smile.
"Blaine?"
"I'm done."
Kurt poked his head around the door before stepping in, eyebrow raised. "Criticisms?" Blaine shook his head and Kurt grinned. "I'm not surprised. You look wonderful. Oh, hold on." A scarf came out of the closet, Blaine barely catching sight of it before Kurt was stepping forward and wrapping it around his neck and what was air? Blaine had forgotten. "Perfect."
Blaine nodded, taking a step closer and Kurt's eyes widened slightly. "Thank you," he said softly. "It's amazing and I'll be sure to let everybody know who designed these clothes. Just one question - these fit me like they were designed for me… how?"
Kurt laughed and his cheeks reddened slightly. "I design for many body types," he explained. "Usually based around those in the public eye - I'm always looking for people to wear my outfits and I figure if I have something already made for them, it's easier. So this… well it was designed for you."
Blaine suddenly felt too warm but resisted the urge to tug at the scarf lest Kurt get the impression that he didn't like the outfit. "I - I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything," Kurt said, taking his hand again. "You like it and that's what matters."
It was official - Blaine had to give the best damn performance of his life.
It was official - Blaine had just given the best damn performance of his life.
Kurt was still in a state of shock by the time his friend had finished his set, unable to even clap along with the others because Blaine had been on fire. It was the simple most amazing thing Kurt had ever watched and Kurt knew the rest of the crowd was in agreement.
And then, instead of thanking the crowd as normal at the end of his final song -and Kurt had never really been a Paul McCartney fan but Silly Love Songs was definitely joining his most played list on iTunes immediately - Blaine stayed centre stage. "I'd just like to let you all know of someone very special who helped me out today. You all might have noticed I'm dressed a little snazzier than usual - I can assure you it wasn't my doing." Kurt's breath caught in his throat because there was no way Blaine was doing what he thought he was doing. "I'm sure you've all heard of Kurt Hummel, the designer? He's actually in town at the moment and he custom made this outfit for me and I have to say it's the best thing I've ever worn."
"I knew it was him!" came a whisper from behind him and Kurt turned to see a few teenage girls staring at him in shock. He offered them a raised eyebrow and a smile before turning back to Blaine.
"He's not paying me to say this, promise!" Blaine held up his hands, the picture of innocence and the crowd laughed. "Seriously though, of course I do autographs at the end of every performance but I might be able to wrangle him into signing a few… if you guys help persuade me."
Kurt rolled his eyes, already knowing this wasn't going to happen, that nobody was as interested in meeting him as they were Blaine because Blaine was Blaine and Kurt was just…
The crowd went crazy and Kurt jerked his head up in surprise, meeting Blaine's eyes. Blaine smiled softly and beckoned him up to the stage and Kurt went, no questions asked, simply because Blaine had told him to. Blaine met him at the bottom of the stage, handing over a pen. "You deserve as much love as I do."
An hour later, Kurt's hand was cramped, he had answered the same questions over and over again and the smile couldn't be wiped from his face.
Blaine grinned at him after signing his last picture. "Happy?"
"Very," Kurt admitted. "You're keeping the outfit for that."
A raised eyebrow and Kurt could see the stubbornness in his eyes already. "I couldn't -"
"It wouldn't fit me."
Blaine laughed, the desired effect. "Fine. I'll wear it to every performance then -"
"God no!" Kurt shook his head, scandalized. "You want to wear my outfits, you wear different ones!"
"Well, maybe we'll have to make an agreement then."
Kurt's heart really shouldn't have leaped as much as it had then, but there it was.
"Maybe we should."
Kurt didn't take attendance in his classes. After all, they were open to anybody and different people showed up every week and yes, it was common for people to wander in mid-lecture and take a seat. They were arts students after all; most of them ran on their own time and Kurt couldn't change that. All he did was teach and hope that these students could take away something that would tide them over until their arts programs came back - and hopefully that would be soon because, yes, the artists and drawers were satisfied but Kurt knew that the other arts students such as the dancers and photographers who occasionally showed up were starting to get frustrated that there weren't programs for them. And as hard as Kurt tried, he couldn't please everybody.
So when Kurt looked up from the latest design program he was demonstrating to see Blaine slipping into the back of the classroom, he was proud of himself for barely faltering. It was when seven or so other people followed him in that Kurt had to pause because they were all headed straight for the front of the classroom. "It seems we have some visitors today," he managed before the class erupted.
"Is that?"
"It is!"
Kurt swore two of the girls had fainted by the time Blaine made it to the front of the room. "Hi everybody," he said, giving a wave and causing another to swoon. "I'm sorry for the interruption but I heard what Kurt was doing for you guys here and I thought it was an amazing idea, but I know he's struggling a bit too. So I thought I'd give him a hand and help you all out."
Blaine turned to the people beside him and began to introduce them one by one. As soon as Kurt took in the titles of the first two, his jaw dropped as he realized what Blaine had done. Dancer, photographer, painter, model, actor, writer… Blaine had brought along everybody he could pull, covering as many of the bases as he could. "So text your friends!" Blaine said, turning back to the others. "I talked to your principal and instead of having to go to the rest of your classes, we're all moving to the auditorium and this is going to be a full day workshop - presuming Kurt is okay with me invading?"
All eyes were on Kurt who rolled his own. "Seriously?" he asked, crossing his arms and turning to Blaine. "Although a little warning would be nice next time, this is phenomenal." He grinned at his class who had begun to cheer. "Get to the auditorium and spread the word!"
The room was a flurry of movement as students made their way out, phones emerging from pockets. Kurt turned back to his desk and began to pull his papers together, shaking his head. "Only Blaine Anderson," he muttered.
"Only me."
Kurt jumped, turning to see Blaine leaning against his desk with a smirk. "I can't believe you did this," he said quietly. "You just - you're going to change their lives."
"Just adding to what you've already done," Blaine said, his voice just as soft. "I can't imagine how difficult it's been single-handedly running the arts program for this school… especially since I now know you were a student here."
Kurt closed his eyes. "You found out."
There was a sound as if Blaine had taken a step forward. "You were in the Glee club until just before Sectionals of your Junior year… you would have been our competition. But you dropped out, dropped off the radar completely. You weren't in any club photos in the yearbook, only your class photo and academia credits -"
"Stalker," Kurt whispered without any heat to the words.
"I'll take that," Blaine agreed. "It wasn't hard, all the yearbooks are online now. Could you answer me one question?"
"I'm doing this because I know what it was like to be a student at a school where nobody could afford to give you what you deserve," Kurt began, his voice almost a monotone. "My schooling sucked but I know our choir teacher tried his best - the fact that he's still here means a lot, even if he can only teach Spanish at the moment. We all struggled. But I made a name for myself and I came from here and there could be kids here who just need that push to get out there and make their own names, find themselves outside these walls, outside this town. Kids who need to know that loving the arts is okay, more than okay. That's why I'm here, that's what you've been wanting to know since you saw me in that bar."
Blaine crossed the distance between them in one quick movement and kissed him. Kurt let out a muffled squeak of surprise but was kissing back immediately, hands tangling in Blaine's hair to stop him from pulling away because this was what had been between them since that moment they had laid eyes on one another, this was what they had both been waiting for, trying to put into words before realizing they couldn't.
There were still no words when they broke apart, but that was okay. Words were reserved for later when Kurt knew they would have to talk about the more serious things and then begin the process of invading one another's lives but later. For now, Kurt was pressing Blaine back into his desk, arms wrapping around each other and if they had only known each other for three days, who cared?
Who could care when it felt this amazing to be together?
Neither of them had gone to the workshop and if anybody had noticed their absence, they hadn't sent a search party, so Kurt figured it was okay. And while they weren't spending much of their time talking, they certainly hadn't rushed off to an abandoned classroom to have sex so he really couldn't feel that guilty.
They had ended up at the Lima Bean, casting shy glances over coffee cup rims, occasionally starting conversations only to stop with a smile and a reminder that there was no need to talk. Not yet.
Kurt felt like he was seventeen again and he was loving every second of it. This was what he had craved so much in high school but known he would never get, not while he was the only one out of the closet, especially not here in Lima…
Oh.
He snorted and Blaine glanced up instantly. "What?"
"Just -" Kurt waved a hand, trying to find the words. "We're in Ohio."
Blaine got it and laughed too. "I never thought I'd find anybody here either. I mean, that's why we went to New York." Kurt had never told Blaine that and had to smile into his coffee because how could someone invade his mind so entirely in three days and he didn't even mind?
"But we did."
Blaine's smile softened. "We did."
Another long silence and Kurt found himself staring at Blaine's hand resting on the table top, glancing around to check whether anybody would notice if he just slipped his own fingers into the spaces between Blaine's. Nobody was really there at that time of day and they were in a corner of their own, almost invisible to the general public - and that in itself was saying something considering he was sitting with Blaine Anderson and nobody had mobbed them or asked for an autograph. Kurt figured they were pretty much safe.
Just as he was about to speak, Blaine beat him to it, finally saying what Kurt knew had been on his mind most of the morning. "The Warblers are coming out to help me with my performance on Friday," Blaine said. Kurt hummed in response. "I have a few great numbers planned but there's one I need some help with… basically I want to turn it into a duet, but I don't have a partner as of yet."
Kurt frowned. "Your Warblers can all sing, can't they? I'm sure one of them would help."
"I need a countertenor."
And there it was. Kurt sucked in a shocked breath, staring wide-eyed at Blaine. "You want me to sing with you?"
"I know it's been a long time," Blaine said quietly. "And I know you think you've lost your talent but I know you haven't. I - it would be amazing, a dream come true, if you would sing with me, Kurt." Kurt shook his head but Blaine wasn't finished. "When I came to pick you up the other day before my concert, I actually got there early. I - I heard you singing Blackbird."
Kurt closed his eyes for a second. "Oh."
Blaine's fingers laced in his suddenly, startling him. "Kurt," Blaine said, his voice almost on the edge of desperation. "You moved me."
Kurt's eyes flew open to meet Blaine's - inviting, pleading and honest. "You really -?"
"Yes."
And now it was Kurt's turn to kiss him, public setting be damned. "What's the song?" he asked, finally pulling away because, yes, kissing Blaine was amazing but he needed to agree to this now before he could let himself back out, let himself forgot Blaine's praise and how genuine it was and that he could sing.
It took Blaine a second to open his eyes but the happiness shining in them was impossible to mistake. "Candles, by Hey Monday."
Kurt grinned. "I'm impressed. You're usually so Top 40."
It was one thing to talk about it but quite another to be standing in the wings, microphone in hand, listening to the crowd going wild for Blaine on stage and trying so hard not to pass out or run away screaming.
It wasn't that Kurt didn't know the song or anything since they had practiced so much the past two days that Kurt figured he could sing it in his sleep (a helpful factor if he really did pass out anyway). Of course that wasn't all they had done over the past two days - neither of them had vocalized what they were but the amount of kissing they had been doing made Kurt well aware that they were definitely not 'just friends'. And a label really didn't matter, not now.
Especially not now because the crowd - and what a crowd too for Ohio, there literally had to be thousands of people out there and this meant that the arts programs were pretty much sorted for life - had risen to a crescendo and Blaine was walking right towards him, holding out a hand. "Ready?"
"Has anybody ever literally died on stage?"
Blaine stopped, taking him in properly and Kurt was torn between turning away from embarrassment or kissing the sweat off Blaine's face. "Are you nervous?"
Kurt nodded, wringing his hands together. "I - this is the first time I've ever had a solo… ever." He sighed. "Go on, judge me."
Warm hands covered his, gently pulling them apart. "I think it's adorable," Blaine murmured. "I think you're adorable. And -"
Whatever else Blaine was going to say was lost in Kurt's lips as they enveloped his, kissing Blaine like he was his oxygen. Although maybe it was better to say he was his courage.
"Let's do this."
Blaine took his hand and led him out onto the stage.
One minute he was hand in hand with Blaine, absolutely refusing to look at the audience as the Warblers began to harmonize; the next he was staring into Blaine's eyes as the applause rose around them and it was over and he had done it and it had been beautiful.
Kurt's clothing had always been his outlet. He knew he was one of the top designers at the moment and his fashion sense always left people guessing, wondering what would come out next. He was creative, inspirational and talented. But this… this had just shown Kurt that his talent wasn't limited to the one area he had let himself release it, that the past didn't have to scar him forever and that he could still choose to love the things he wanted.
Blaine was pushing him into the center of the stage then to take his bows and Kurt grinned into the audience, unable to remember feeling this alive in his life.
It was all over.
Kurt sat on the edge of the stage, staring down into the empty seats where thousands of people had sat earlier. His head was still reeling from the aftershock of the noise, the people screaming for Blaine and for him. Something his teenage self had dreamt of and his adult self had pushed aside as a dream that would never come true.
Blaine had given him this, and Kurt was in love with him.
Footsteps, and Kurt didn't need to turn around to identify the owner. "It was amazing," Blaine said softly, resting his hands on Kurt's shoulders.
"It was."
Blaine sat down next to him and Kurt took his hand without thinking about it, staring across the mall for a few seconds longer before turning to Blaine. And they both knew they needed to talk about it - the topic that Kurt knew they had both dreaded since the moment they realized that this wasn't going to work. Blaine was due to fly to Los Angeles in three days, driving home tomorrow. Kurt was flying back to New York in a week to prepare for Fashion Week then probably making a trip to Milan and it couldn't work. Not like this.
But it didn't have to be like this.
"You know," Kurt said slowly, meaningfully, "Los Angeles is lovely this time of year. The fashion is amazing too and I could use some inspiration for Fashion Week, something a little less New York inspired to make me stand out amongst the crowd."
"I was thinking of cutting Los Angeles short," Blaine said just as meaningfully, his grip tightening in Kurt's. "Maybe just one month, and then a bit of time in New York to work on my latest album. And then a holiday, because I deserve one. I've never visited Milan and it sounds amazing."
Kurt ducked his head a little but only for a second - he couldn't bear to draw himself from Blaine's eyes for any longer than necessary. "We're going to make this work, aren't we?"
"Kurt, I don't think I could handle it if we didn't." Blaine's gaze was intense, beautiful. "I didn't want to say it, I didn't want to scare you off or make this too much if you didn't -" he broke off, shaking his head. "I think I love you."
It should have been a surprise, Kurt realized. He shouldn't have known - not presumed either, known- and it shouldn't be happening, not this soon. But it was too right to ignore. And they were going to make this work because Kurt had never wanted anything more than he wanted Blaine Anderson to be his, forever.
"I love you too."
And when their lips met again, it was like the very first time.
Has anybody ever challenged me to write from Teenage Dream to 'I love you' in one story before? No? Well … *points upwards*
;)
MusicalEscape:
"So... How WAS your first kiss?"
"Well... We were sitting on the council table, planning what to do with The Gavel (yes, it's even capitalized), when we just looked at each other and it clicked. I ended up winding an arm around Blaine's neck and hitting him on the head with The Gavel by accident..."
"Then I fell off the table, knocking it over- which revealed a box labeled 'Wesley's- do not touch.' So of course we opened it, and found a box of Twilight merchandise. Including Team Jacob and Team Edward shirts."
"There was the most adorable little stuffed wolf, too..."