Summary: Set four months after The Enemy of your Enemy.
"I want to show you something." Kurt isn't sure what he should expect from that announcement, but Blaine manages to surprise him again.
Notes: Second story of Cooper, The Vampire Slayer. It got away from me again in the middle of the story, which explains the change from fluff to idiot boys being idiots, but well, this is what it turned out to be. No warnings apply.
Cooper, the Vampire Slayer
Here Comes The Sun
"Well, I'm still not sure what exactly has happened here, but I don't see any bunnies near us, so I'd say we count this as a victory and call it a day. Night. Whatever. Good job, people!"
Kurt just so managed not to roll his eyes. He wasn't really sure either how they had been able to end the last ridiculous crisis, even less sure why exactly he had gotten involved with the slayer and his little gang again, but at least it was over now. There had been way too much fur lately, and there definitely was something like a cuteness overload.
"Are we dismissed now?" Santana drawled from where she was sitting on a table, the head of her faery girlfriend Brittany resting on her shoulder. "I know his will be a surprise to you, but some of us actually have a day job to get to and would appreciate some sleep."
"Of course, sorry," Cooper said and laughed self-consciously. "It's really been a long night, hasn't it? Thanks guys, and I guess I'll see you around – hopefully in private, at least for a while."
"I liked them,"Brittany said, "I had a bunny as a child, but it had to be banished after it smoked all the herbs meant for the midsummer night's ceremony." She tilted her head, before she beamed at Santana. "Do you think we could get a bunny?"
Santana rolled her eyes, even as she looked fondly at her faery girlfriend. "Not in the dorms, I'm afraid," she said. "Come on, let's go, you can tell me all about your pet experiences in my room." Their pinkies linked, the two girls walked out of the room.
There had been a time when Kurt would have been the first one to leave. Technically, there had been a time when he wouldn't even have been at this meeting. He hadn't meant to team up with the slayer and his team on a regular base. It had been just to literally save the world – including his own skin – that had thrown him into the slayer's radius. It was more comfortable than being hunted by the group, sure. But back then, he had wanted nothing more than end this ridiculous alliance as soon as possible.
That had been before Blaine, of course.
Naive, kind, helpless Blaine, the slayer's younger brother and Sunnydale's favorite hostage, who turned to Kurt even more freely than his obnoxious brother did, just trusting that he would receive the help he asked for – or at least, that's how it had been. But for about the past month, Blaine had been looking at him, as if he wanted to ask for something but wasn't sure how to. This was the true reason why Kurt was still here, why he had agreed to help with the bunny crisis and the banshee before, and even that supposed leprechaun that had turned out to be just a very creative prankster at Sunnydale Community College. He had to know if something was going on, just to make sure the boy wasn't in trouble.
It was a ridiculous idea, of course. Whatever was going on, the slayer's brother had enough people at his call that would take care if there was a real problem. But whatever it was, either Kurt was involved or Blaine wanted his help, specifically. It was stupid, but it was enough reason not to leave immediately.
As the group dispersed, though, Blaine was still standing with his brother, talking. It would be too strange to be the last one here, so eventually, Kurt stood up and stretched his shoulders.
"Next time you call me, it better be something important," he grumbled – more show than genuine annoyance, and he figured that by now nobody took him seriously anymore, but he had to keep up some appearances after all.
He walked out of the building and onto the college campus. It was still dark outside, he'd have enough time to get to his refuge safely. He'd even have some time to spare, although not enough for a little hunt. It was fine, though. He had taken blood two days ago, and although blood bags could never be as satisfying as a fresh victim, this way he had way less hassle.
He wasn't surprised when he heard footsteps quickly catching up to him. He didn't need to look up to know it was Blaine.
"Kurt? Do you have a moment?"
Always so polite... Kurt turned around, raising an eyebrow to indicate he was listening.
Blaine was looking up at him, a little uncertain smile on his face. "I wanted to ask you something," he said. His hand went up to his hair – a nervous gesture Kurt had gotten used to.
"Ask then," Kurt said. There was no point in playing games, not when he was about to find out just what had been on Blaine's mind all month. But now that he looked at the boy, Kurt realized that he had been wrong. Blaine wasn't worried, or scared. He was nervous.
"I want to show you something," Blaine said.
"And what would that be?"
Blaine bowed his head, and Kurt could smell blood rush into his face. "Not tonight," he said, "but tomorrow. I'm actually glad we took care of this bunny thing now. It has to be tomorrow night."
Kurt's eyes widened, although he tried to hide his surprise. It had been a long time since it had mattered, but tomorrow was his birthday. He wasn't sure if Blaine even knew.
"It better not be another of these u-turn things," Kurt said to brush over the pause.
Blaine rolled his eyes. "YouTube, Kurt. It's called YouTube. Seriously, my grandparents figured that out." He frowned and shuddered. "Huh... did you realize that you're actually old enough to be my grandfather? That's really weird."
"Is it?" Kurt asked, unimpressed.
"Or my great grandfather," Blaine said. "Great great grandfather..."
"I get your point," Kurt interrupted, "and how old exactly do you think I am?"
"I don't know, you refused to tell me," Blaine said with a shrug. "My point was, I want to show you something, and it's not on YouTube. Just... can we meet? Tomorrow after sundown?"
"Of course," Kurt said automatically. There had been a time when he would have refused out of principle, at least until he had a clearer idea on what he was getting into. But that too had been before Blaine.
Blaine blinked at him in surprise, as if he had expected it would be harder to get Kurt to accept, but he smiled. "O-okay! Cool, so... here, okay? Campus entrance, after sundown? Is that okay for you?"
"I just said it is," Kurt said. The boys uncertainty was charming in a way, a change from the confidence he had gotten used to.
Blaine was still looking at him, almost shyly. Back when Kurt's heart had still been beating, this kind of look would have sent it racing. But he wasn't a boy anymore, wasn't even human anymore, and the kid in front of him was literally decades younger than him, in addition to being the slayer's little brother. It wasn't important that it got harder and harder to put the boy out of his mind.
"You should go, you don't want your brother to get any weird ideas again," Kurt said.
More blood rushed into Blaine's cheeks, and Kurt involuntarily drew in more air. He would never taste it again, but the smell was enough to evoke the old memory of the hot rush of the boy's blood down his throat, the exhilaration that had come with it, the heady feeling...
"You're right," Blaine said, interrupting his thoughts. "I'll see you tomorrow then?"
Kurt nodded. "I'll be here," he said.
The moment Blaine turned around to return to his brother, the smile that had been on Kurt's face fell. As strong as the memory had just been, as strong is the wave of shame that rolled over him now. It was still one of his best memories, that night when he had drunk the boy's blood. Blaine, he reminded himself, and it was much harder to enjoy the memory when he thought of "Blaine" instead of "the boy". It had been an amazing experience for Kurt, but for Blaine that night had been traumatizing.
That too was a reason Kurt should put the boy out of his mind. You couldn't destroy somebody's life and then expect them to like you.
Disgusted with himself, Kurt turned away. Time to go back to his refuge. It really was where he belonged.
Kurt had left the vault as soon as the sun had set. He had no idea what exactly Blaine was going to show him, but the moment he had awoken this evening and had remembered they were going to meet, he had been excited. It wasn't a feeling he was used to anymore, and he tried to talk himself into caution, remind himself that he'd probably end up disappointed. Chances were that Blaine was just going to show him some runes or something supernatural that they couldn't figure out. There definitely wouldn't be a birthday present or anything like that.
Then again, if it was something supernatural, why had Blaine wanted to get him alone before asking? Why hadn't he said what it was directly? And why on earth would he have been shy about that?
Well, he was about to get his answer. He had just stopped in front of the campus gates, when he saw Blaine coming out of one of the buildings. It took a few seconds until Blaine noticed him, but even on the distance Kurt could see the smile appearing on his face. In a few quick strides, Kurt was standing with him.
"Well, you've kept me guessing," he said. "So what is this about?"
"You're always so to-the-point," Blaine said, shaking his head. "Hello Kurt, it's nice to see you. Did you sleep well? Sweet dreams?"
"Fine, let's have small talk. Just remember you're the one who insisted on this," Kurt said and rolled his eyes for show.
"Well, yeah," Blaine said, although he didn't meet Kurt's eyes. "I guess I did." He sounded uncertain again, but it wasn't the same adorable shyness from yesterday. In fact, now he seemed downright insecure, as if he was doubting himself.
"What is it?" Kurt asked.
Blaine shrugged. "I... I don't know. I thought it was a good idea, and now... It's probably silly, you'll laugh, I'm sure."
"Hey," Kurt said, and waited till the boy met his eyes again. "Just show me, and then we'll see if it's silly or not."
Blaine nodded "Right," he said, "yeah, let's... It's not here, though, we have to walk for a bit."
Kurt frowned, even as he followed. "Why didn't we meet there?"
The boy shrugged. "I wanted it to be a surprise. Although now that I think about it, you're gonna see the place anyway before we go in, so..."
"It's okay," Kurt said quickly. The shyness had been adorable, but the insecurity worried him.
Eventually, Blaine slowed down and came to a stop in front of a large building that Kurt hadn't paid much attention to before. At the second glance, Kurt recognized it as the local movie theater.
"Blaine? You're not actually taking me to see a movie, are you?" he asked sarcastically. Of course, they were going to the movies, and maybe later they could share a milk shake and make out on the backseat of Cooper's car...
He regretted the tone when he saw Blaine's face fall.
"Wait, are you?"
Blaine looked away. "So it probably was a stupid idea," he admitted.
Kurt blinked, not sure he understood what exactly was happening. He couldn't deny a warm feeling spreading through him. Nobody had ever invited him to something. He just didn't know where this was coming from.
"It's not a regular movie, I promise," Blaine said. "But I got tickets for the Imax tonight. They have a special feature, and when I heard about it I thought this might be something you would want to see. Or maybe I shouldn't have watched Interview with the Vampire the other night, okay, but... give it a try? Please?"
He hadn't needed the please, really. "Lead the way then," he said.
Kurt had been at the movies before, of course. It was a form of entertainment that didn't clash with his nocturnal activity, and nights could be very long and very boring when one lived in a vault. But it had been some time since he had been there, and he'd never been in company. He also had never been to a 3D movie. He had seen some 3D movies but none of them had seemed that special to him.
When they entered the auditorium, Kurt noticed that it was much less visited than other movies he'd been to. Maybe that should be a warning about the quality of the movie, but he was glad about it. He didn't like big crowds on his best nights.
Blaine found their places with some distance to other guests, another thing that Kurt was happy about, and gave Kurt a pair of glasses. Their timing couldn't have been better, as they hadn't been sitting more than a few minutes, when the curtains were drawn open and the movie began. Blaine quickly put up his glasses, and Kurt followed his example. He looked at the screen – and at the fiery image of what couldn't be anything but the sun. As the light filled the screen, he could hear a man's voice with a British accent start to talk.
"We see it every day, and even at night, it's still there, lighting our way via the moon. It's the source of light and warmth, and the point our planet revolves around. But what do we really know about... the sun?"
The words "The Sun" appeared in dark writing over the picture, and Kurt realized what movie they were seeing.
"A documentary?" he asked, not even trying to keep the smile out of his face.
"Just... watch it. It's supposed to be really good," Blaine whispered back.
Kurt nodded, leaned back into the chair, and let the images wash over him, hardly listening to the commentary as he allowed himself to just enjoy to see what he hadn't seen in so long.
Kurt couldn't have said, how long the movie had run. All he knew was that at some point the curtains fell and it was over. On some level, he noticed the people around them getting up, some of them chatting as they left the auditorium. But he couldn't move, too stunned from the spectacle he had just watched. It had been decades since he had seen the sun – almost a century, really, although he didn't remember all those years. Movies so far hadn't been able to recreate it properly. Well, he hadn't paid attention before.
But this...
"Kurt?"
Blaine's voice was soft, and the hand he put on Kurt's thigh was careful, and yet it grounded him in a way he couldn't describe.
"Are you alright?" Blaine asked.
All Kurt could do was nod. He couldn't say what it had felt like to be so close to the day again. It had brought up memories he had thought long buried. It was too much. If he had any tears he would be crying now, but even so he felt raw. And Blaine, kind, wonderful Blaine, took his hand and squeezed it softly, as if to say that he understood, and that it was okay.
"We have to go," Blaine said softly after what could have been a minute or could have been an eternity. Still, Kurt didn't have enough energy to do more than nod and follow as Blaine took his hand to pull him to his feet. Somehow, they walked out, and all the time, Blaine didn't let go of his hand, just held it, warm and soft and alive. Outside, they stopped close to the door, waiting for the last few other guests to leave. Kurt closed his eyes, not wanting to see the night around him when he had just gotten the chance to see the sun again after so long.
"Was this okay?" Blaine asked. "I wanted this to be something good for you."
"You have no idea," Kurt said, "this was the most amazing thing I've seen in ages." He opened his eyes, smiling at the boy in front of him. "Thank you," he said, trying to put all of his emotion into those two words.
Blaine looked up to him, his smile radiant. "Happy birthday, Kurt," he said, hardly above a whisper.
Kurt stared at him, unable to grasp just how this evening had happened. It had been a throw-away comment, and somehow Blaine had not only remembered but had tried to give him something unique, something beautiful that he hadn't seen in decades, something he missed more than he even realized before. And just by caring so much, Blaine had made him feel more than he thought he was capable of.
He put a hand against Blaine's cheek, softly stroking over his skin. The boy's eyes widened, his brow furrowed as if he was trying to figure something out. Kurt found himself bowing forward, knocking their foreheads together, and then he closed the space between them, placing his lips on Blaine's.
For a second, the boy froze. Kurt moved his lips over his, letting his tongue dart over them to catch the taste. After a moment, Blaine's lips opened under his, and he started kissing back.
There hadn't been many kisses in Kurt's past – at least not many that he remembered clearly, but none had been with a moral since he had become a vampire. He liked kissing itself well enough, but this... His lips were on Blaine's, his tongue invading the boy's mouth, licking and tasting where the blood was so close beneath the surface. It was one step removed from actually tasting it, but just removed enough that it was almost insufferable teasing...
It had been nothing like this the last time. While that had been good, even Blaine's taste had been covered... but it hadn't been real, that time. This... This was...
Kurt pulled back enough to get away from the taste, tried to get a chance to clear his head. Blaine's breath blew over his lips in hurried gasps, as he stared at him wide-eyed, probably at least as surprised as Kurt felt himself about his actions. And then, Blaine was surging forward, sealing their lips together with more force than before. Kurt's teeth caught his lips, and as Blaine kissed him, he could taste just a few drops of blood... and he was gone. It was only a little bit, just enough to kindle the fire. The kiss got fiercer, more passionate. Blaine's arms were around him, and he pulled the boy closer against himself, reveling in the feeling of him, and god, the taste, the one he hadn't been able to forget and hadn't expected to ever experience again, and now it was right here...
The boy was starting to pull away, but Kurt couldn't stand the idea of losing his contact. He put a hand onto the boy's head, holding him close to himself, and ravishing his mouth. There was no way he'd let go...
But the boy started to push him away, getting more frantic as he realized that he didn't actually have the strength to fight off a vampire. This was a familiar situation, holding onto the taste against a struggling body, and...
This was Blaine, who was sweet and kind and had given Kurt something amazing. It was Blaine who Kurt couldn't stop thinking about, and who was now thrashing in his arms, panicking, desperate...
Kurt let go and stepped back, horrified with himself and what he had done. He hardly dared to look up at the boy- no, Blaine, who was...
Gasping for air, but smiling, almost laughing. "Air," he gasped, "some of us need to breathe, remember?"
"Right," Kurt said, observing Blaine carefully for the slightest sign of being traumatized. But he only took deep breaths, and looked up to Kurt with an expression he couldn't quite place. Shyness was there, surprise, a hint of happiness...
"Sorry," Blaine said, although Kurt had no idea what he should be apologizing for.
He definitely knew what he himself should be apologizing for.
"W-where did that come from?" Blaine asked softly.
He couldn't stay. "I have to go," Kurt gritted out.
He could see Blaine's face fall, the frown appearing on his face, and how he opened his mouth to protest, but then Kurt had turned away and hurried away. He wasn't worried about Blaine following, he could never keep up with vampire speed. It was better for the boy, anyway. He was too open, too trusting, and Kurt... Clearly, Kurt couldn't be trusted around him.
He had hoped that by the time he'd arrived, he might have calmed down at least a little bit, but by the time he had come to his refuge, he was still as high strung as he'd been before. Blaine's taste filled his mouth as well as his mind, he could feel the boy's presence burn inside his veins, run through him like an electric current. Even back then, that time when he had not only tasted but actually drank his blood, Blaine hadn't occupied his thoughts, his mind this much. He hadn't been this obsessed last time, although there had been enough going on to keep his mind occupied. But now... He could see Blaine's face every time he blinked, could almost feel what it had been like to hold him. It was overwhelming, intoxicating...
And wrong, so wrong. Kurt was a monster, not even human. He couldn't even remember how many peoples he had killed, how many lives he had destroyed... Even now, as he had kissed the boy he actually cared about, the blood lust had overwhelmed him. On the forefront of his mind wasn't the kiss, but the taste of blood. How easy would it have been to lose control completely? And then...
Another image of Blaine sprang to his mind, the one he had been trying to suppress for months now, the one of Blaine, deadly pale on a stone floor, his own blood pooling around him...
He tried to calm down. After all, the future was uncertain. There was no such thing as definite visions. But he could see it so easily happening. There were so many dangers for Blaine here in Sunnydale. Kurt had been the first of these dangers Blaine had encountered, and if he wasn't careful, he might as well turn out to be the last.
No, Kurt couldn't risk it. He could manage being a friend, though even that was a bit more than he was comfortable with. About those other feelings or wishes he might have...
It wasn't for him. Those were human emotions, and he had given up on that when he had sold away his soul. He wasn't even quite sure what he felt for the boy. But he knew it was too dangerous to try and find out. He couldn't risk t, not if it was literally the boy's life on the line.
The kiss had to be a one-time thing. Well, two time thing. Or technically...
The point was, it would not happen again. He'd talk to the boy soon, make up some excuse or explanation for his behavior, he'd think of something. For now, it was more important to find something that could quench his thirst, flush the taste of Blaine Anderson out of his system. Time to hunt.
Waking up was a slow process, a gradual awareness of his surroundings, followed by an analysis of his body, state of mind, and mostly thirst. Kurt had never timed it, but going from his feeling it usually took him about half an hour to wake up completely. There was only one thing that could jump start this process.
Intruders in his refuge.
He jolted up the moment he felt the presence inside his crypt. But as he sat, he realized there was no danger, and it wouldn't have taken him too long anyway to identify the intruder. Blaine was sitting on his old designer couch, cross-legged and with some sort of textbook in his lap that he looked up from once he head Kurt sit up.
"Do you have an actual death wish?" Kurt hissed. "Why the hell would you come to the cemetery at night?"
"I came here before sundown," Blaine said with a shrug. "I figured you'd be awake by the time I should start to worry about vampires. And I brought holy water, just in case."
Kurt sighed, shaking his head. "You're insane," he said.
"So I've been told," Blaine said. "I just think we should talk."
"Talk... You risk your life to come here to talk? It couldn't have waited a bit longer?"
"You still don't have a cell phone," Blaine said. "And don't give me the power excuse, you have a refrigerator in here!"
"That's for blood," Kurt said.
"Besides," Blaine said, and now his voice took a more vulnerable tone of voice, "I wanted to talk to you as soon as possible, so I wouldn't just... you know. Chicken out."
Kurt frowned. It was something he had noticed, how Blaine always underestimated his own courage... But this was not what he wanted to bring up right now.
"I really believe it could have waited," he said, "but fine. I assume this is about last night?"
"Of course it is," Blaine said.
"I do owe you an apology for that," Kurt said.
The hint of a frown appeared on the boy's face. "What for?"
"You did something very kind for me, and my reaction was... less than appropriate," Kurt said, trying to sound neutral and convincing. "It was overwhelming, seeing the sun again. It was... so much more than I could remember before. It was intense, and I lost control. I'm very sorry, and it's not going to happen again."
Blaine tried to laugh it off, but there was too much tension in him. "I'm not sure you were paying attention, but it really wasn't bad."
"It wasn't, Kurt admitted. He had to get a grip on himself so the boy wouldn't see just how much it had affected him. "I just don't want there to be any misunderstandings..."
"So... what was I supposed to understand?" Blaine asked. Now his expression, too, was carefully guarded.
"You showed me something I've been missing out on for years. It just reminded me of other things I haven't seen, or felt, or done in a long time. I was just overwhelmed with it. That wasn't even about you. I was just... reminded."
"Of who?" Blaine asked, his voice just the tiniest bit of sharp
That was not what Kurt had been trying to say, but if it would get the message across faster, it couldn't harm.
"Somebody I knew a long time ago," Kurt lied, "he's long gone."
"Oh."
To Kurt's surprise, the boy actually looked unhappy about this. "So.. I guess I was just conveniently close?" he asked.
Kurt sighed. "As I said, I was overwhelmed. I forgot where I was, or who I was with. If I had thought about it a bit more, I wouldn't have..."
"Yeah, I get it, you can stop talking now," Blaine said.
He sounded... irritated, maybe even hurt. But no, the pain had to be something he was imagining. Maybe the boy's pride was wounded, but he couldn't possibly be upset, or have wished for that kiss to mean what it actually meant...
And was that a flicker of hope Kurt felt inside his heart? There was an impulse, to take it back, to lay himself open. He hadn't been let anyone in since... he couldn't even remember. This was a chance to do it, to be brave, and...
The mere idea was terrifying.
"I just didn't want you to get the wrong idea," Kurt said instead. "I do like you, but... not like that. Can you imagine that? A vampire and the slayer's kid brother..."
For a second, Blaine's eyes widened, but then his face closed off, keeping a polite but not very convincing smile. "Cooper would have freaked out," he said. "Besides, I never even got this whole vampire kink thing anyway. No offense..."
"None taken," Kurt said. He tried to smile, but it was probably as believable as Blaine's. "So... was there anything else we should discuss?"
Blaine shook his head. "No, now that all misunderstandings have been cleared..." The boy looked away, his hand coming up to run through his hair in that nervous gesture again. "I, um... I guess I'll go home then."
"I'll take you," Kurt said. "Seriously, you can't run around the cemetery. You need to find a better way to contact me."
Usually, this was the point where Blaine would tell him to get a cell phone, but right now, he wasn't reacting to it.
He'd get over it, though. It wasn't as if the boy had actually been expecting more, and even if he did, it wouldn't change a thing about the situation. Kurt could not get involved with the boy, it was too dangerous. He was doing the right thing here. It was something to be proud of.
And yet, as they walked through the cemetery, Kurt couldn't help but wonder, if this was doing the right thing – why did it feel like cowardice?