4
"There you are!" Wes barked when he spotted Blaine leant against the wall as he came around the corner of the hallway. "We've been looking for you everywhere, man." He paused and looked back and forth between his solemn-looking friend and the door he'd apparently just come out of. "Were you in the empty bedroom this whole time?"
Blaine let out a pained chuckle. "It's not empty anymore. I was hanging out with the new guy."
Wes cocked an eyebrow. "The new guy?"
Blaine nodded. "His name's Kurt. He just got here today."
Wes crossed his arms, skeptical. "You mean to tell me there's a new guy on the floor and I, the Senior Prefect, was not informed?"
"Yes. Look, can we move this into your room? I don't want him to hear us talking about him."
Wes moved toward Kurt's door, raising a hand to knock. "Well, I should probably introduce myself…"
"No!" Blaine interrupted.
The other boy looked at him like he had three heads.
"I mean… just wait a minute, okay? I really need to talk to you about him first."
Wes studied his friend's face closely.
Blaine bit his lip, betraying his anxiousness.
Then a look of realization came over the Warbler's face. "Oh my God. He's totally hot, isn't he? You in love, Blaine?" Wes beamed mockingly.
"Shh! Jesus, Wes, no. We just got to talking and he just seems really…" Blaine cast a nervous glance over his shoulder at Kurt's door. "Can we please move this to your room?"
Wes sighed dramatically. "As you wish. I can't wait to hear this."
A minute later Blaine was standing in front of Wes's bed, where he and David sat attentively.
"Alright, Anderson. Spill," commanded Wes. "What is about this new kid that's got your panties in a twist?"
"Seriously, dude," David chimed in. "This guy better have something awesome like, fucking laser vision or hypnotic powers for you to ditch us for him all night."
Blaine felt a slightly dopey smile come over him remembering Kurt's electric blue eyes. "You're actually not too far off," he said.
Wes and David shared a look.
Then Blaine began to pace back and forth across the small dorm room as he regaled them with the story of meeting Kurt on the stairs up until how he came to stumble into his room.
"Anyway, when I came up here to FaceTime with Ollie, I heard music playing and went to see what it was and it was him. Next door. Then, I don't know, we just got to talking and we just… flowed, I guess."
"Before this goes any farther, he's definitely gay, right?" David asked.
"Yes. Definitely. We talked about it and everything. But he seemed a little skittish about it."
We cocked his head. "What do you mean?"
Blaine shrugged. "He just seemed convinced that he wouldn't be accepted. Like he thought I'd hate him for being gay."
"Ha! Man, did he have you pegged all wrong!" said David.
Blaine rolled his eyes. "Whatever, David. He seemed genuinely worried."
Wes rose to his feet and strode across the room to his desk, where his laptop sat open. "I'm going to check my Dalton email to see if I got any Prefect news about him," he explained. "Seems weird that he would just show up with no notice in the middle of the semester. In his senior year, no less. Maybe we can get some insight."
"Good idea," Blaine affirmed.
David scooted closer to the edge of the bed, looking intrigued. "While he does that," he motioned to Wes on the computer, "tell me more about what you two talked about for hours."
Blaine smiled. "We just talked about music, mostly. And his old school a little bit. Oh yeah! He said he wants to join the Warblers."
"Ooh, a singer too, eh?" David teased. "You always did have a soft spot for the chanteuses." He winked.
Blaine let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah, well, I told him he needed to audition with you guys. So be nice when he does, okay?"
David raised his hands, feigning innocence. "Blaine, when am I ever not nice?"
"Oh, this is interesting," Wes piped up from his place at his computer.
"What?" Blaine and David asked in unison.
"Turns out I did get an email, but not until four p.m. today. It says here that Kurt is an 'Expedited Emergency Transfer.'" Wes turned to face his friends. "That means they let him in right away on a temporary basis without having to go through the whole application process due to emergency circumstances. His enrolment will be permanent after a month if he keeps his grades up."
Blaine's brow furrowed. "So, what does that mean? He's here for sanctuary or something?"
"Essentially, yeah," Wes replied. "Apparently this kid must have gone through something pretty rough at his last school. These types of situations are pretty rare. Things have to be pretty damn serious to warrant emergency admission."
Blaine frowned at the news. He wondered what on earth Kurt had gone through in Lima that was so terrible he needed an immediate transfer. Could it have been something to do with what made him so apprehensive about outing himself?
"Heavy," David said. "Sounds like the guy is probably gonna need some major cheering up."
"Yeah," Blaine chimed in, "he seemed pretty anxious about not knowing anyone. I actually already told him that it would be okay if he ate lunch with you guys tomorrow. That's cool, right?"
"Of course," Wes replied without hesitation. "As if I wouldn't have invited him to eat with us anyways. I am Prefect, after all. Part of my job is being a one-man Welcome Committee."
"Awesome. I think he'll be really relieved to have you guys. He seemed pretty bummed when I told him I don't actually go here."
David smirked. "Oh, I don't doubt it for a second. I bet he was just devastated to learn that hunky Blaine Anderson wouldn't be around to ogle all day, every day."
Blaine smacked his friend upside the head. "Shut up."
"I'm being serious! Blaine, the kid let you hang out in his room for hours. He told he was gay, so he obviously wanted you to know. Plus, it's no secret that our little Blainey has blossomed into quite the strapping young man."
Blaine scoffed. "Does your girlfriend know how much time you spend checking out other guys?"
David waved a hand, dismissing the remark. "Don't change the subject. So, you like him too then, right?"
Blaine blushed. "I… yeah. Yeah, I think I do. He was just so… captivating. I can't really explain it beyond that. I just feel like I need to get to know him better, you know?"
"Well, did you score his digits?" David inquired with growing enthusiasm.
Blaine nodded. "And we're getting coffee together on Sunday."
"Atta boy!" David jumped up and raised his hand for a high five.
Blaine laughed and slapped his friend's hand.
"As pumped as I am to hear that Blaine's still got game," Wes began from his position at his desk, "let's not ignore the enormous pink elephant in the room. How did he react when you told him about Oliver?"
Blaine's heart immediately sank to his stomach. "Oh, um, well…" Blaine sputtered, feeling his chest tighten once again at being reminded of his major omission of the truth.
"Blaine…" Wes began in a scolding tone. "You did tell him, right?"
Blaine bit his lip guiltily. "Not exactly?"
"What!" Wes threw his head back dramatically and sighed.
"I just said I left school because of family issues. And when he saw the picture of Ollie on my phone, I… well I panicked and told him he was my nephew," Blaine said ashamedly.
"Blaine, like it or not, that kid is the single most important detail about yourself! You can't just fail to mention the fact that you're a father. Especially at our age."
"I know that," Blaine snapped. "Trust me, I know what a big deal it is for people to know I have a kid. In fact, usually, that's the only thing people know about me. They take one look at me with a baby and immediately presume to know all about my life. Well they don't, Wes. And excuse me if I didn't want another person judging me before he knew anything else at all about me at all."
"Woah, alright, calm down," said Wes, raising his hands in mock surrender. "You're absolutely right, okay? And I didn't mean to imply that that's all there is to you, but dude… If you really like this guy, you owe it to him not to leave him the dark."
Blaine sighed. "I know, I know. I just don't see the point in sabotaging the relationship before it even starts. I mean, if Kurt knew about Ollie right now, do you really think there's a chance in hell he would agree to a coffee date on Sunday? I just… I really want to see if we actually have a shot at anything before I drop a bomb like that on him."
Wes and David both nodded their understanding.
Then Wes began again, carefully. "I hear you, Blaine. And you're right. Maybe he doesn't need to know right away. But you have got to tell him soon. If you think this thing could go forward at all after Sunday, you have to tell him."
"I agree with Wes, man," David added.
Blaine nodded. "I know. And I will. But for now, he doesn't know and I don't want him to hear it from anyone but me, okay? So please, please, please don't bring it up around him until I tell him myself."
Wes sighed in resignation. "I guess that's fair. But it is a pretty tall order. I mean, you want all the guys to keep quiet about you? That'll be tough. Especially since I'm sure he'll be full of questions about you."
"Right. Can't you just like, I don't know, threaten to revoke their Warbler membership of they spill?"
"Blaine Anderson, I would never disrespect the Warbler gavel by resorting to such extortion. I resent that you would even suggest it."
Blaine rubbed the bridge of his nose, becoming stressed and tired of the discussion. "I'm sorry, Wes. I wouldn't want you to dishonor the gavel."
David tried and failed to hold back a snicker.
"But you could you just please try to convey the importance of this to them? Have them help a former Warbler out?"
"We'll do our best," David interjected before Wes could respond. "If that's what you want, we'll do anything and everything in our power to make sure it happens. Right Wes?" He gave the other Warbler a warning look.
The other boy let out another long, defeated sigh. "Once a Warbler, always a Warbler. No one will tell the new guy about Oliver. You have our word," he said.
"Thank you," Blaine breathed in relief. "Seriously, you guys are the best."
"What about Sebastian, though?" Wes interjected before Blaine could say another word of thanks.
He froze, caught completely off-guard by the question. "What about him?"
"How is he going to feel about you dating?"
David leaned forward, obviously intrigued by the question.
Blaine scoffed. "If this even escalates into full on dating, it'll be none of his business. We're not together, and it's not like I give him any shit about all the guys he hooks up with."
"Yeah, but we've all seen firsthand how possessive he is of you," David offered. "Remember when he made Tyler Crawford cry at that Halloween party sophomore year just because his hand accidentally grazed your ass? He made him cry, Blaine."
Blaine rolled his eyes, recalling said incident in his mind. "That was when we were together. But as far as I'm concerned, he has lost the right to have any say in my romantic life at all."
Wes and David shared a slightly surprised look, impressed by Blaine's sass.
"I just hope you'll be careful," said Wes, always the voice of reason in the group.
"Oh come on, Wes. Quit trying to bring him down. Just help a brother get his rocks off!" David winked at Blaine, who blushed furiously.
"David," he groaned. Spending practically all his time around his toddler son and immediate family for the past year and a half had almost made him forget how frequently the conversations of teenage boys took inappropriate turns.
"Seriously, Blaine. It has been way too long."
"David…" Blaine pleaded again, just hoping his friend would drop his disturbing fascination with his sex life.
"A man can't live on just his own hand alone."
"Alright dude, cool it," Wes said.
David raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay I will. But think about this, Wes. Blaine hasn't had a blow job in over a year and a half."
"Jesus, man!" Blaine exclaimed, face burning redder than ever. "What is the matter with you? Wes, he's your roommate. Can't you turn him off or something?"
Wes just laughed. "Believe me, I would if I could."
"Aww, I'm only teasing, Blainey. I'm sure those blue balls will clear up in no time. If everything goes well with this Kurt, that is." David dissolved into a fit of laughter.
"I hate you guys." Blaine buried his face in his hands and then took a seat on Wes's bed. He really loved his best friends, but they could be jerks sometimes.
The rest of the night was spent catching Blaine up on what he missed at the party downstairs and then reminiscing about the all the Warbler antics of years past. By the time Blaine finally lay down on Wes and David's hard floor with a pillow and blanket, the clock read 3:30 am.
He stayed awake for a little while longer after his friends' snores filled the room. His mind wandered first to Ollie, musing about whether or not he was warm enough and if Sebastian had remembered to put Goober the stuffed rabbit in his crib with him.
Then, as he slipped farther toward unconsciousness, he thought of Kurt. A small smile came across his face when he remembered the way his long eyelashes had fluttered against his pale skin. He thought about how gorgeous the new boy must look when he was asleep. Statuesque, probably. A small shiver ran over Blaine's back when he remembered that Kurt was just on the other side of the wall.
Then he kind of hated himself for letting his tired thoughts become so creepy and stalker-like.
He rolled over on the floor, making sure he was facing away from the wall shared with Kurt's room, and released a sigh. He closed his eyes and tried to let sleep come.
As he finally drifted off, he let himself hope Kurt liked him as much as he liked him. He thought about everything he had at stake with the new boy, and he hoped his friends wouldn't spill the tea about him. He didn't want to let himself imagine things going anywhere with Kurt; he knew it was the surest way to set up heartbreak. But he couldn't stop the tiny smile from returning to his lips when he imagined himself with Kurt: holding his hand, kissing his smooth cheek, his lips, kissing him other places...
Shit. Maybe he was a normal teenager after all.
His last conscious thoughts were of blue eyes and song lyrics: "While our blood's still young… It's so young it runs…"
Blaine's iPhone alarm blared loud and clear at eight a.m. and, hope as he might, throwing it across the room did not actually succeed in shutting the thing up. He got up and groggily retrieved the device, thankful he hadn't actually damaged it but not sorry for his actions. 'Four hours of sleep' and 'seventeen-year-old boy' were terms that simply did not mix.
He'd promised his dad he'd be ready to start reconstruction on the bathroom at nine a.m. sharp, so he set about gathering his stuff and getting ready to go home. He didn't bother waking Wes and David to say goodbye. He knew that would probably just end in a black eye for him anyway.
He made sure he sent Kurt a quick text before he drove off, just to let him know he hadn't forgotten about him. Because he definitely hadn't forgotten about him.
Hey Kurt. This is Blaine. I talked to Wes and David (head Warblers and your next door neighbors) and they said you're more than welcome to grab lunch with them today. – Blaine
Blaine had barely made it outside before his phone chimed with a response. He couldn't help but let out a little laugh. He thought there would be no way Kurt would be up this early on a Saturday, but there he was.
Thanks! Wow, look at me now, sitting with the rock-star Warblers on my first day! – Kurt
Blaine chuckled at the text before typing out a reply.
Well, they say it's all about who you know ;) – Blaine
He got into his car and turned on the defroster. Another response came while he waited for his windows to unfog.
Haha then I'm really glad it was you who stumbled into my room last night – Kurt
Blaine smiled and typed out one more text before he started driving.
Me too Wes will probably knock on your door sometime this morning. I hope you enjoy my friends - Blaine
He pulled back into the Anderson driveway a few minutes later. His dad was already up and reading the newspaper at the kitchen island when he entered.
"Morning, Blaine," Mr. Anderson said, reaching for his coffee mug.
"Hey, Dad," he replied. He let out an enormous yawn as he removed his coat.
Mr. Anderson peered over his reading glasses at his youngest child. "Long night?" he asked. It didn't seem like he was even trying to hide how patronizing he sounded.
"We stayed up pretty late, yeah." Blaine came into the kitchen and started to pour a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. "The performance was great, though. Probably my best one yet," he tried, thinking that maybe, since today was about bonding, his dad might pretend to care a little bit about his passions. Maybe Cooper Sr. would actually come back with a follow-up question. Like, oh, really? What song did you sing? Or even a neutral remark like that's nice, Blaine.
"Mmhm," his father grunted, sounding bored. "I hope you're not too tired to lay some tile with the old man."
Shot down. A complete change of subject, just like always. Well, Blaine thought, it was worth a try. He forced a small smile before plunging a spoon into the cereal. "Of course not, Dad."
The rest of the day passed pretty similarly. Just a blur of 'hmm's and nods as his father went on and on about how when he was Blaine's age, he'd already accomplished this, that, and the other thing. And wasn't it amazing how well Cooper was doing out in Los Angeles? How Cooper's really got his head on straight, all of which Blaine translated to mean, why can't you be more like me and your perfect brother?
Then, of course, there were the subtle (not-so-subtle) nudges and hints about Sebastian. Like, "I think I might ask him to play a round of golf with me again when it gets warmer outside. He really has grown up a lot in these past two years. Now he's really a model of respectability for your generation, Blaine."
To which Blaine had really almost replied, then why don't you marry him, Dad? But instead, he just rolled his eyes at the wall and concentrated on laying the new Italian tile in the mortar.
And then came his father's terribly awkward attempt at a segue into bringing up the fact that the Westerville Country Club had just had a cancellation in early June, and wouldn't that be such a nice place for a wedding reception?
It was at that point that Blaine was able to cleverly conceal an earbud from his iPod in his ear. The rest of the day was more tolerable after that.
Except for the nagging worry at the back of his brain. All day, the part of Blaine's mind that wasn't occupied with biting back snarky comments at his dad was busy worrying about how Kurt was faring with the Warblers. Or rather, how the Warblers were faring with Kurt. Had anyone spilled the beans yet? Should he be expecting an angry I-can't-believe-you-lied-don't-ever-talk-to-me-again-you-creep text?
It was six before his dad finally told him they were done for the day, and Blaine's anxiety over whether or not his secret was safe was now dominating his thoughts. No one had tried to contact him all day, so he really had no idea where he stood. Before changing out of his mortar-stained, dusty work outfit, he shot Wes a text.
How'd it go today? – Blaine
A minute (which felt like an hour) later, his phone chimed with the response.
Good dude. Kurt is really cool. I think he'll fit into the Warblers great. Why didn't you tell me he's a countertenor?! Do you know how many possibilities this opens up for new vocal arrangements? – Wes
Blaine rolled his eyes at the text. Leave it to Wes to make every situation about the Warblers.
That's great Wes. No one told him about Oliver? – Blaine
Another long minute.
Don't worry, bro. Your secret is safe. I called an emergency Warbler meeting and told the guys to keep your personal details on the DL. You'll be glad to know David has named the whole thing 'Operation RBBB' (Relieve Blaine's Blue Balls) ;) But it wasn't actually that hard to keep quiet. Contrary to what you may believe, our conversations don't always have to revolve around you and your drama :P – Wes
Blaine rolled his eyes at David's code name and then let out an audible sigh of relief.
Thank you thank you thank you. I owe all you guys. -Blaine
Don't worry about it. You'd better tell him soon though. We can only avoid suspicions for so long. -Wes
Blaine flopped facedown on his bed. He knew Wes was right. He knew that his friends would not be able to fight off Kurt's curiosity about him forever. He lay on the bed for a minute, contemplating the tangled web he was weaving and growing more and more anxious about his impending meeting with Kurt tomorrow. Then his mother called him down for dinner, so he dragged himself up, changed out of his dirty work clothes, and headed downstairs.
He returned to his room twenty minutes later to find a missed text.
You mind if we FaceTime a little early? Ollie's beat and I think I'm going to put him down for the night. – Seb
Blaine glanced at the time and figured why not? He wasn't doing anything else and he was still missing his baby like crazy. He'd felt that ache of separation itching in his chest all day.
Sure, but I'm home so let's Skype. - Blaine
He crossed his room to his desk and opened up his laptop. Talking on the computer was always a lot easier than holding a phone at arms length from his face.
Two minutes later, the image of his ex sitting with his sleepy-eyed son in his lap came onto the screen.
"Hey, Buddy!" he said cheerfully, causing Ollie to tilt his quizzically at the screen before a look of excited recognition came over his face. The usually chipper little boy didn't say anything, though. Merely smiled and rested his curly head back on Sebastian's chest.
"He's exhausted," Sebastian explained. "He was a ball of energy all day. Wouldn't sit still for two seconds and just cried for half an hour when I tried to put him down for a nap."
Blaine's eyes shifted up to his ex as he spoke. Sebastian's green eyes looked almost just as sleepy as Ollie's from behind his black-rimmed glasses. He was also clad in one of his alternative rock band T-shirts that Blaine knew were his usual lounge attire. Tonight, it was his navy blue Dashboard Confessional tee.
"Yeah he's been fighting the naps lately. I think the terrible twos might be coming early," Blaine said.
Sebastian nodded and then yawned.
"Glasses, huh?" said Blaine, knowing also that Sebastian only wore the frames when he was about to go to bed. "He wore you out pretty well too, then?"
Sebastian just sighed. "Yeah, he did. Sometimes I don't know how you do it every day, Bee."
Blaine's eyes widened. Had Sebastian just complimented him? He couldn't remember the last time his ex had given him a sincere compliment that had noting to do with his ass. It made sense, though, he supposed. Sebastian always did get a little nicer when he was tired.
Blaine just put on a small smile, glad that it seemed like Sebastian wouldn't be totally insufferable tonight. "Yeah, well, you get used to it, I guess. And you learn to sleep when he sleeps."
The tiniest half-smile came across Sebastian's face. The he glanced down at Oliver, who had been uncharacteristically still and silent in his lap. "Speaking of which, he's practically out."
"Yeah, he's dozing," Blaine agreed, watching as Ollie's head drooped and he brought it back abruptly. "Did you have a good day, Ollie?" he tried, hoping he would get some interaction with the baby before he fell asleep.
The boy's eyes fluttered open at the question, but he still didn't answer. Instead he just turned in Sebastian's lap and nuzzled into him, bringing his thumb to his mouth and relaxing into the comfy pillow that was his Papa.
Even though he was a little disappointed the he didn't get an answer, Blaine chuckled at the action just because it was so darn cute. "I see how it is," he joked.
"Yeah, I don't think you're getting anything else out of him tonight," Sebastian commented, wrapping an arm protectively around the toddler as he nodded off.
Blaine couldn't help the fact that his heart melted just a little at the action. Normally, Blaine would feel a pang of jealousy at the fact that his son was cuddled up with anyone else but himself, but there was something about seeing Sebastian act so caring that always got to him. It was these rare glimpses into his good side that reminded Blaine why he had loved Sebastian once. If it was this caring guy that was around all the time—rather than the cocky, self-righteous douche that so often liked to rear its ugly head—then maybe Blaine actually would consider settling down with him.
"Well, thanks for calling me anyway. I really miss him when he's gone, you know."
"Yeah, I know," Sebastian replied. "You always make sure I hear about it. Thanks for not harassing me with a million worried texts last night like usual, by the way. Maybe I should get the Warblers to distract you form your helicopter parent tendencies more often when I have him."
And the small smile on Blaine's lips disappeared. He wasn't altogether sure if Sebastian was joking with that comment or what. It didn't feel as biting as his usual digs at him, but Blaine knew that subtlety might as well have been Sebastian's middle name. Blaine just sighed. So, tired Sebastian did still have his claws after all.
"Yeah, maybe," he replied stiffly, putting his guard back up. He figured he'd better end this conversation soon before it did digress into a full-blown argument like usual. "I'll let you go so you can put him in bed. Kiss his goodnight for me," he said, glad that this time Sebastian had clearly heard his request.
Sebastian let out a sigh and muttered something that sounded like "Ialwaysdo."
"What?" Blaine asked, not sure he'd heard correctly.
"Nothing," Sebastian said, resuming his typical bored-sounding tone. Then he brought the arm that wasn't wrapped around Ollie up to the mouse of the computer he was at. "Goodnight, Blaine. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Uh, okay. Night," he replied, still feeling confused about the utterance and surprised at how relatively non-incendiary they had kept that conversation.
Sebastian clicked the hang-up button and the video box went blank. Blaine sat in silence for few minutes, still in shock that Sebastian had managed to keep the snarkiness down to just one vaguely insulting comment. Maybe I should just try to make sure I only interact with him when he's tired from now on, he mused.
His phone buzzed again next to him. He reached out to grab it, expecting it to be some kind of smartass text from Sebastian since he'd apparently forgotten to be horrible earlier. A smile immediately burst out on his face, though, when he saw that it wasn't.
It was incoming call. From Kurt.
Blaine bolted upright in his chair, heart suddenly pounding hard, and took a deep, calming breath before he answered.
"Hello?"
"Hi Blaine," came Kurt's musical voice on the other end. "This is Kurt."
"Hi!" Blaine replied, perhaps a bit to eagerly. He cleared his throat and tried to sound markedly calmer when he continued. "I mean, hey. Um, how are you?"
He heard Kurt chuckle softly. "I'm fine. How are you?
"I'm okay. Uh, no complaints, I guess. What's up?"
"I just wanted to call and thank you for telling your friends to tolerate me today. They were really great," said Kurt, the genuine thankfulness apparent in his tone.
"Oh, don't mention it. They were happy to have you."
"Really?"
"Yeah, totally. Wes told me so."
"Oh, good."
Blaine smiled into the phone at Kurt's relieved tone. He was cute when he seemed a little nervous. Kurt's way of somehow being able to show his vulnerable side while staying entirely in control at the same time was definitely one of the more attractive things Blaine had seen in his life. Even through the phone.
"He's also super excited to have a potential countertenor for the Warblers," Blaine added. "You didn't tell me that was your vocal range."
Kurt laughed. "Did I need to? I thought that was pretty obvious. I sound prepubescent."
Blaine chuckled. "No you don't. You sound perfect." The words were out before he realized what he'd said.
Kurt was silent.
Blaine scrambled. "No, I didn't mean like… I just meant… I like your voice. It's nice," he concluded, wanting to take a step back and slap himself in the face. "I'm sorry…"
"Blaine," Kurt cut him off. His tone sounded amused. "It's okay. I can take a compliment when I hear one."
Blaine smiled warmly, but still felt embarrassed for the slip-up. "Okay. I meant it then. You have a really nice voice."
"Thank you. Yours isn't exactly terrible to listen to either, Blaine Anderson Warbler."
Blaine laughed. "Thanks. Maybe I'll get to hear you sing sometime."
"Maybe. If you're lucky."
"Hey, you heard me sing. I think it's only fair. I showed you mine, now you show me yours, Hummel. That's how it works."
Kurt laughed his musical laugh again. "I'll think about it," he replied teasingly.
They kept talking for hours. But it didn't feel like it. It wasn't the strained, awkward, or hostile conversation Blaine was used to with pretty much everyone he usually talked with. They talked about everything, starting with all the Warblers that Kurt met today and then moving on to the classes and teachers at Dalton. From there the conversation somehow escalated into a series of retellings of the most epic performances their respective glee clubs had performed. Kurt complained that most of his would have been a lot more epic if he were awarded the solos over some girl named Rachel Berry.
Kurt was easy to talk to, and even more easy to listen to. At one point Blaine found himself just getting lost in the sound of Kurt's (totally not prepubescent-sounding) voice and the fact that this gorgeous, intriguing guy was actually interested in talking to him.
The conversation didn't pause or even slow until Blaine was lying on his bed and staring at his ceiling as Kurt twittered on about how outraged he was that the latest Vogue issue had declared jean jackets out of style.
"I'm sorry, I'm rambling. I'm boring you, aren't I?" Kurt asked after he'd let out the brunt of his frustration.
Blaine laughed softly at the other boy's unnecessary self-consciousness. "No, not at all. I totally agree about the denim jackets. It's a travesty," he replied.
"Thank you! When they're done right, and aren't over the top like my step-mom used to wear, they can be the perfect neutral complement to an outfit! It's so good to know that I don't stand alone on this issue."
"Of course not. I'm sure a lot of people feel the same way. Maybe you should write a letter to the editor or something," Blaine suggested jokingly.
"Are you teasing me?" Kurt countered. "Because I'll have you know that I actually have written several letters to the editor of Vogue in the past. They have yet to respond."
Blaine laughed again, not even really surprised that Kurt would do such a thing. "Then that's their loss, I'm sure," he said. "You'll probably end up running that magazine one day and then they'll feel pretty stupid."
"That's what I say," Kurt agreed amusedly.
Blaine was shocked that when he finally looked over at his grandfather's pocket watch lying open on his bedside table; it was going on one o' clock in the morning.
"Oh my god, Kurt. It's one a.m.," he said.
Kurt laughed on the other end of the phone line. "Oh, wow. What do you know? It is."
"The time ran away again. How does this keep happening to us?"
"I don't know," Kurt replied, his voice beginning to sound a bit slower and deeper, betraying his tiredness. "I really did just call to thank you. I didn't mean to shanghai you into talking to me for the whole night."
"Don't apologize. If I wanted to stop, I would have stopped."
"Oh, okay," he answered, clearly relieved.
Blaine had only seen Kurt in the flesh for one night, but he had no trouble picturing the big, genuine grin that the other boy was probably sporting at that moment.
"Um, do you want to stop now?" Kurt asked.
"No, not really," he answered honestly, "but we probably should."
Kurt let out a sigh at that. It seemed full of disappointment and longing, but maybe Blaine was just projecting his own feelings onto it. And for a moment, he wished he could just crawl into Kurt's mind and see what he was thinking. See if he was just as apprehensive and excited as he was.
"Yeah. I guess you're right. But we can pick up again tomorrow, right? Are we still on for coffee?"
Blaine couldn't hold back the triumphant smile that came over him at the question. "Absolutely," he said. "The place is called Joehouse and it's just down the block from Dalton. Do you want to meet there around noon?"
"Noon sounds great."
"Okay. Awesome. I'll see you there, then?"
"Yes. Oh, and, Blaine?"
"Yeah?"
Kurt paused. "Not to be creepy or anything, but we've been getting along so well and I just wanted to ask and make sure… Is tomorrow a date?"
Blaine smiled warmly. "You're not creepy, Kurt. And yes. I would love to make it a date… If you want it be, that is."
"I appreciate your humoring me, and yes, I do."
Blaine laughed. "Okay. Then it's a date."
"Perfect. I'll see you tomorrow, Blaine."
"Tomorrow. Goodnight, Kurt."
"Night."
Blaine pressed the "End Call" button and collapsed back into his pillows, dopey grin fully intact. He let himself revel in the relief and excitement for a while. Relief over the fact that for the time being, his secret was still safe and excitement over the fact that he would be seeing the gorgeous, interesting, intriguing Kurt Hummel again tomorrow. And that he flirted with him. And that he wanted to make their coffee outing a date. Blaine had a date with Kurt Hummel.
His spirits stayed high all night; even to the point that when he stood up to change into pajamas, he let himself do a little happy dance. The kind warmth he'd felt fill his chest when Kurt had first flirted with him in his room came back as he readied himself for bed, and he even caught himself humming "Teenage Dream" into his bathroom mirror.
Later, Blaine nodded off to sleep with the excited warmth still high in his chest.