Ch 80
"If he doesn't love it, he's insane, Blaine." Jeff said, awe coloring his voice as he looked through the 3rd floor apartment with his friend. Nick had met them there, gave Blaine two sets of keys he'd gotten from Kyle, and stood back to watch him take it all in.
"Yeah…yeah, he'll love it. He said these were things he wished he'd been able to get for his place downstairs, but they were either too big for the room or out of stock or…something. Wow. I'm so stunned at how this turned out. It's so bright up here! I thought with fewer windows it would be dark, but with the brick all white washed and the trim all white….wow. I don't know what we'll do with all this open space, but I'm sure he'll find something, right?" Blaine laughed. "I can't wait to show him…." He paused, hearing Jeff mumbling to himself a few feet away. "What are you singing?"
"Nothing!" Jeff blushed.
"You are, what are you singing you freak?" Blaine laughed.
"Insane in the mem-blaine…insane in the BLAINE!" Jeff sang in a nasally voice, dancing across their newly laid flooring like he belonged on "So You Think You Can Dance?".
"Cypress Hill? Really man….that's old school, right there, Jeffie. There is something SO wrong with you, man…" Blaine said, laughing until his sides hurt. "Thanks a bunch for that, I'll be singing it all night now. How am I gonna explain THAT to Kurt?" He snickered. Nick just rolled his eyes at the two of them.
"You gonna show him tonight or wait until tomorrow or what?" Nick asked, throwing an arm around a still jumping Jeff to reign him in.
"I…um….you know, I was going to, but he has to get up for work tomorrow, and I don't want him to be all crazy wound up and not able to sleep. Maybe I'll wait until tomorrow night. When he goes in tomorrow, I can work on moving some of my stuff up here…hopefully his things. Would that be presumptuous?"
"I don't think so…no." Nick answered.
"With what you told me about what he said…great job, great roommate, etc, I think he'll be ecstatic, but that's just me." Jeff added.
"So what's up with Trent and Thad, then? Are they just waiting on your cue to move over to Kurt's place when he's all set here?" Nick questioned.
"I think so, yeah. Then, if all that works out, Coop had mentioned wanting my old place for him and Maggie and the kids." Blaine chuckled. "Seriously, you guys should just move in here. It's the place to be, apparently."
"No more room, man!" Jeff laughed, as did the other two men.
"Ok, well, if you're done ogling in here, let's go up to the roof, shall we?" Nick suggested. "I think you're gonna love it, and I know for a fact that Kurt will."
"Lead the way!" Blaine grinned.
"You know, Sebastian's gonna be hounding you to be able to use the roof still, right?" Jeff asked, grinning. "Even more so, now, I'm sure!"
"You've already seen it?!" Blaine crowed. "Geeez, always the last to know…." He harrumphed.
"No, actually, Kurt's the last to know this time if I'm not mistaken." Nick said with a wry grin as he watched Blaine shove the door open.
"True enough, I just hope he li—" Blaine paused, his breath catching in his throat. "Oh…oh my GOD….what? But you said….NICK?"
"Told you he'd like it." Jeff stage whispered over Blaine's broken babbling.
"He's gonna die…just…walk through this door, lay down and die, right here on these stones and….stones?" Blaine exclaimed, looking down at the huge, flat stones that acted as the pathway into wonderland. "NICK, you…but you said $500…I was expecting…and…holy shit….." Blaine continued to babble. "This is….he's gonna die."
"Well, shit, Blaine, I hope not!" Nick laughed.
"You lied to me, you asshole! What IS this….this …it's…..wow. Just…oh wow. This is the most beautiful thing…." Blaine whispered to nobody in particular. He wandered around the roof, eyes wide and taking it all in. There was a gazebo of sorts…a pergola, perhaps? He couldn't recall the word. It looked to be built of reclaimed wood, all weathered and grey and soft looking. There was greenery woven through and around and over it, blooming flowers that shouldn't still be blooming. It was gorgeous, and inside was built in seating made to look like a sectional sofa with a soft greenish gray fabric on the cushions in the shape of a "U". Rattan chairs to match and add more seating scattered around the area were given the same cushions, as were the seats on the weathered teak chairs around a dining table for 6 that sat a ways away on the other side of the "room" where a brand new grill was placed against the wall where the stairwell ended.
Pots of every imaginable shape and size dotted the roof with flowers, greenery, tall grasses and small trees, and strung through them were the small, white twinkling lights Kurt adored. White Japanese lanterns were strewn about and hung overhead drawing the eye up. It was a wonderland that would surely be Kurt's favorite spot from now on. Blaine was in awe.
"Nick…you said…you told me he said $500 to do all this. There's no way…" Blaine breathed out, still stunned at the beauty of the space before him.
"I said he'd need $500 for the wood…everything else is my gift…to you, Blaine. There are things we receive in life that we'll never be able to thank someone enough for…things that people do that we can't repay, no matter how hard we try. You…just by being here, bringing this man into my life, Blaine," Nick said, winding his arms around Jeff's waist from behind and nuzzling into the blonde's neck, "you've changed me, everything I am has been highlighted, brightened because of him, and for that I will never be able to fully repay you, but I hope I can start with this." Nick smiled.
"Oh my God, Nick, but…I didn't DO anything…I mean, you saw a photo and you grabbed the opportunity to…and he…" Blaine wasn't having any luck finding the words he wanted. He was too excited about showing Kurt their new home…this new place. Everywhere he looked was something he was surprised to see….he couldn't focus at all. He just shook his head at Nick.
"You did, you showed me a photo, but one word from you could have shut that down. He told me what you said before he and I ever met…that you thought I was a good guy, had a good head on my shoulders. You've been there for him through all of this…everything we've been through with my dad, Blaine, you've stood by him and brought him back to me. When he ran, you allowed him to be here, close to me, for as long as he wanted, and you never said a word, never complained. When I needed you to remind him that I loved him, you never balked at that…letters, packages, impromptu visits to surprise him…it was all you. When he was bored and stuck in the apartment, Kurt took him under his wing and made him feel needed and useful again. Even before I knew either of you, you were there for him…keeping him whole and sane and happy after the toughest of times….maybe…just maybe…that was so that one day, he could walk into my life and be here for me…for us. So many things, Blaine, that you take for granted and don't even think about…I think about them all the time. And for all of those things, I'm eternally grateful. This is the very least I can do, believe me.
Blaine just closed his eyes and shook his head with a smile, then walked over and enveloped Nick in a huge hug, then grabbed Jeff into the embrace as well.
"You guys…" He said with a watery laugh.
"Yeah, well, it's not without a catch. We expect to be invited over now and again to enjoy it up here!" Jeff laughed.
"You don't even have to ask. You know you're welcome here whenever you want, Jeffie." Blaine told him, holding on a little longer than he normally would. These guys…these were his friends, and they made his life so much better. "This is just…it's amazing, and I can't wait for him to see it. Thank you. Thank you both, because I know Jeff had his foot in it, too." He grinned.
"Maybe a little…got my hands dirty planting things…a few splinters." Jeff teased.
"Party here soon, then! But first…I have to show Kurt!"
"Trent! Oh, I'm so glad you're here. Listen, that kid I hired called in sick agaaaaain, and there's no way I can get all of these pieces hung by myself. Any way you can stick around and help out tonight?" Ted asked him, breathless from running up the steps.
"Yeah, yeah, it's fine, I can do that. Thad's working late…again." He said, a little forlorn.
"Doesn't sound good. Everything ok with you guys?" Ted asked, working on matting one last piece for the show. He glanced over his shoulder to watch Trent doing the same, double sided tape here, screws tightened there, placard mounted and slipped into the back of the frame for now.
"We're fine, I'm just not sure he's thrilled with his job. He was supposed to be doing the same thing he was doing down in Atlanta, but he's not, and he's not enjoying it. I mean, who really enjoys going to work anyway, it usually sucks, but…" He broke off when he looked up at Ted and saw him with a raised eyebrow and a snarky grin. "Oh, no…I mean….God, Ted, you have to know how much I love working here, seriously. I'm saying in general!" Trent backpedaled. Ted burst out laughing.
"I know what you meant, continue…" he said, his smile wide.
"Well, I just don't want him to break down and want to leave. I love it here, in the city, I really do. I don't want him asking to be transferred out to some other location and then we're moving again and…well, you get it. I wish there was some way I could help him…make things better for him at work, but I don't know how. I don't DO numbers and figures and all that accounting stuff. I'm not wired that way. I can barely balance my own checkbook for God's sake!" He says, and now it's an impassioned rant instead of the conversation he began with.
"Ok, alright…let's…let's not go there just yet. Because he doesn't like his current position doesn't mean he'll want to up and leave, right? I mean, he can ask to be moved within the company, and still stay here, right? He could ask for a different position, he could move laterally, so as not to lose income or seniority and all that. He could look for another job in the city? Does he enjoy what he does…usually? I mean, before you came here, did he like the accounting and all that numbers stuff?"
"He did, he does! It's just, I think it's also some of the people in his office…" He trailed off and Ted caught something in his eyes that he hadn't seen before…sadness.
"Ok, so wait…is it the job he's not fond of or his co-workers?" Ted asked, and Trent stiffened a bit. Bingo. "What are they bothering him about?" Ted asked, point blank.
"There's a guy who transferred up here with him, from Atlanta. It's like he was living in a cave…he didn't know about us at all, Thad and me, and Thad had pictures all over his desk and one on the wall…on his phone. So it's as if this jerk just suddenly realized he's with me and…he's been making his life a living hell, apparently. It's making him hate to get up and go to work in the morning." Trent said sadly.
"You don't see a whole lot of blatant homophobia in New York like you do in smaller places…it always shocks me when I hear of it. I guess I shouldn't be surprised at all, though. Some people…I don't know what makes 'em tick."
"Oh no, he's not…that's not what bothers him. I don't think it bothers the guy at all, actually. He hits on Thad all day long now. Asks him out, invites him to lunch, leaves little, silly gifts on his desk. He flirts with him incessantly…and it makes me insane. I know Thad, and I know he doesn't give the guy a second thought, but he knows me, too, and he can tell it makes me crazy. He's mine…he's MY fiancé, and the guy has gone as far as to say 'until those vows are made, Thad…..'" It makes me want to go over there and introduce his nasal cavity to the commercial carpet, ya know?" Trent said, and Ted nearly snickered out loud. This wasn't something he'd seen before- irritated Trent. He was always so easy going. Apparently that didn't apply when speaking about the love of his life.
"Ok, well, that's something else altogether, isn't it?"
"Yeah, well, I have to keep up this act of not caring so I don't give off the 'I'm gonna kill that asshole' vibe around the apartment and upset him further. He has stopped telling me anything at all about it, but he comes home in increasingly bad moods and I know it's that guy and I want to end it, but…I don't know how. I mean, the guy is obsessed…he only put in for the transfer up here after he realized that Thad was with me… a guy…and then he followed him up here. Ted, who does that?!" Trent bellowed, his blood pressure rising with his growing irritation.
"Do you think maybe his first step should be asking the guy to back off? Explaining that the ring on his finger does, indeed, mean something to him?" Ted asked.
"He's asked him to back off, explained numerous times that he's not interested, told him he's bothering him…I've asked him to go to H.R. and I think that's the next move, but…he's nervous about it. He doesn't like to rock the boat, I guess. He'll do it…for me…I know it. And he's not wearing a ring, he gave me one, but…I was going to wait until um…you know, until we got married." Trent said, uneasy now. "Maybe I should have gotten him one, as well?"
"When IS the big day, anyway?" Ted asked.
"We haven't set a date. As far as I'm concerned, it can't happen soon enough. All I've wanted from the moment I met that idiot in high school was to say 'this guy is mine, forever!' It's been a long time coming. It's just a matter of finding a place and with it getting colder now it'll have to be indoors or else we wait until the spring, but then we worry about the weather, I guess. So much to think about, and I do, believe me, I do…a lot. We haven't even really had two minutes to talk about it together, though, with the move and both of us with new jobs and now we'll be moving again."
"Moving again?" Ted asked.
"Well, within the same building. A smaller apartment is probably opening up this weekend, so we'd rather have that. The rent is cheaper, and since we're saving for the wedding, that would be a plus in and of itself. And we have way too much room as it is…it's three bedrooms where we are…we can make do with one, but the one opening up has two."
"Probably opening up? There's a story here." Ted laughed.
"I'll tell you the whole thing over lunch?" Trent offered with a smile.
"Sounds like a plan!"
Thursday night ,after work, Kurt paused inside the apartment door and just stared at the sleeping lump on the sofa. There was Blaine, curled into a little ball, the throw blanket tucked up under his chin and a content look on his face. He was nearly smiling in his sleep. Kurt was dying to know what he was thinking about. He smiled softly and thought "This is what he wanted to come home to every single day…just this". Just his Blaine.
He walked over and set his things down on their normal spot by the desk near the door and then sat on the edge of the sofa, pressing his lips to Blaine's forehead and brushing away a few stray curls from his temple.
"I'm so glad you're home, B…." he whispered into the air. He ran his fingers down the man's jawline and grinned. Here, on his sofa, was the single most beautiful person he'd ever met, and he was all his. And now he was home…their home. Kurt breathed in deeply, inhaling the scent of Blaine…his body wash, his after shave, his hair products…all man, all his. He couldn't help but lean in and kiss his jaw…and then again…and again….soft, fluttery kisses that slowly brought the sleeping man back to life with a smile and a deep sigh.
"So glad to be home….so glad you're home now…" Blaine sighed, without opening his eyes. He smiled then, groping for Kurt and tugging him down on top of him.
"What if it hadn't been me?!" Kurt giggled.
"I can sense you…I feel when you're around me. I knew it was you. My body knows you, Kurt." He grinned, pulling Kurt down for a kiss. "Missed you, baby…so much." He said, scooting into a sitting position on the sofa and wrapping his arms around Kurt.
"Missed you, too, and I'm so glad you're home. So where's my surprise?"
Blaine burst out laughing and shook his head as he rolled his eyes. "You don't want me home, you just want your surprise!" He groused.
"Untrue…I'm so glad to have you home for good. I was just thinking that this is what I want to come home to every single day…you…here, in our place. It's what I want." He said, scanning the apartment and the pile of Blaine's things inside the door. Blaine followed his eyes.
"Don't worry, I'll get to it. I didn't want to unpack yet because—" he paused, eyes wide when he realized what he nearly blurted out. I'm just going to have to pack it to take it upstairs anyway….
"Because?"
"I didn't know where you wanted me to put stuff, and I didn't want to ruin some carefully organized chaos or something." He said, regrouping.
"You'll have plenty of time in the morning. I took tomorrow afternoon off. I thought maybe…um…you know, since we haven't had much time together lately…maybe we could…uh…just…be. Just us?" Kurt asked shyly. He had his own thoughts for what he wanted the following day, and he needed time to work up to what he hoped the evening would hold for them.
"That sounds…actually, pretty damn good. When you get home tomorrow I can give you your surprise and we can go from there…see what you're up for after that. What do you think?" Blaine smiled.
"Totally on board. I can give you yours tomorrow as well."
"No hints?" Blaine said with a raised eyebrow.
"Mmmm….well…." Kurt hummed, leaning in to kiss the pink lips that called out to him. "Maybe after dinner I can give you a little hint? I picked up food on the way home. Too tired to cook tonight."
"Yay, food! You're my hero."
"I wanna be…always yours." Kurt grinned, pecking him on the nose again. "Let's eat!"
"And you're sure this covers it all? He can't finagle anything and get out of it, no loopholes, etc?" Jeff asked Cooper over lunch.
"Not that I can reasonably conceive, Jeffrey. It's very straightforward, very to the point, just like you wanted. He's not going to like it, man, but it is what it is. You're keeping you safe and keeping him safe all at once. Deep down, he'll probably be glad, but…at first, you should brace yourself. He's gonna blow up, if you ask me. But…yeah, I think you're doing the right thing for when that all comes into play." Coop said over his pasta at lunch.
"I don't want him to be angry, and I know he'll be irritated at first, but…you're right, it's the right thing to do. I needs to be done. It's done. It is, isn't it?!" Jeff said, finally with a smile on his face. "Now we'll be able to move forward and put this all behind us. Well, when the time comes, anyway…" Jeff trailed off, grinning.
"When the time comes…now eat up before it gets cold, dork. Stop worrying and start eating." Coop scolded.
"God, you're like a parent or something…" Jeff grumbled.
"Naw, just used to eating with kids now." Coop grinned and Jeff smacked him in the arm.
"How's that going?…congrats, by the way. I should've said it earlier. I can't believe you eloped and didn't invite me. I'm like your brother from another mother but still best friends with your real brother…."
"Oh shut your mouth…" Cooper laughed. "Spur of the moment…best damn thing I've ever done in my whole life, I'm tellin' ya. She is the best person alive, and now she's all mine…and the kids. I've never been so in love. I feel like life has just handed me the most precious gift…it's astounding really. All those years of a new girl every week, sleeping around and just not connecting with anyone…not even really wanting to. Then WHAM! Here's Maggie in my life and I wouldn't change a single moment since the second I laid eyes on her in Blaine's apartment that morning. I was done for…head over heels in love and nothing will ever change that." Cooper said, his tone strong and insistent.
"You're whipped. Sickening, dude. I looked up to you…." Jeff teased him. Coop smirked and smacked him in the head.
"Owww! What the fuck, man!?" Jeff hissed, mindful of the people around them.
"I don't ever wanna be that guy again…this is so much better. You know what I'm saying or you wouldn't have had me draw up those papers, so don't act like you don't." Coop told him with raised eyebrows, clearly knowing Jeff well.
"There's nothing like it…." Jeff trailed off. "I don't know what I'd do without him, Coop, and I don't ever want to find out. Not ever. He's amazing…simply perfect for me. Waking up next to him every morning and going to bed with him every night is like winning the lottery…and now I'm not even gonna go there with the money stuff." He sighed. "Where are you staying these days?"
"I've been sleeping at her place, but hopefully this weekend everything shifts in the brownstone and we're going to move into B's old place in the next few weeks. More room…the kids'll love it! Kurt and Blaine just up the steps will be a dream come true for them!" Coop said excitedly.
"It's been a constant shifting over the last few months, hasn't it?" Jeff laughed. Blaine moved in, Kurt moved in, I moved in with Blaine, Blaine moved out…sort of…Trent and Thad moved in, Hunter's moving in, Blaine's moving in with Kurt, and hopefully, after tonight, they're moving upstairs!"
"And then we'll be moving in…after Trent and Thad move out…over…whatever. Holy shit, what a mess!" Coop laughed over his diet Coke, and shook his head.
"It's just one big crowded house over there, eh?" Jeff asked, shaking his head as well.
"That it is…and I'm happy to be a part of it. So, what are your plans for the weekend, since you won't be moving?" Coop asked. Jeff wore the world's biggest smile as he stared down at his lunch on the plate.
"Oh…you know….nothin' much." He grinned, but didn't give anything more away than that.
"Kurt, for God's sake, get OUT! LEAVE!" He yelled. You're making me absolutely insane, and I can't take one more damn minute. I'm ordering you to leave, or you're fired!" David bellowed with a laugh, everyone staring at them now. "I am perfectly capable of doing this, and I know you know this, but you're a control freak, and I love you for it, but damn….you're vibrating with excitement to get the hell out of here, so DO IT. GO! Just…go to him." He laughed.
"But…but I…we still have to—" Kurt began to argue.
"This is nothing that won't hold until Monday. Please. Look at yourself, Kurt. You're nearly floating. I know it's been weeks since he's been home for any length of time, please just go. I'm cutting out early today myself…closing up." David said as he checked his watch, and Kurt heard and audible "YES!" from several work stations around the loft. He snickered.
"You're sure? Don't work on this without me, David or shit's gonna hit the fan, you know this, right?" Kurt griped.
"I'm aware, and I wouldn't think of it. Please…Kurt, just go to him. I'm sure he's just as bad off as you are, at home, waiting." David smirked.
"Ok, alright, I'm going. I know when I'm not wanted!" Kurt said, looking down his nose in a huff. "Monday we'll get back to this…but for now, I'm going home to my man." He said, raising his eyebrows suggestively. A cat call and a "Get it, Kurt!" rang out from the back of the loft and Kurt looked embarrassed for a brief second, then bellowed back.
"Oh honey, I plan to get it…and give it as well….." And grabbed his bag and his jacket before sauntering out the door, hips swaying. "Thank you, David. I owe you!" He yelled as the elevator doors closed.
"Why can't Nick or Kyle just meet him here? I don't understand." Kurt asked as Blaine dragged him back inside after their lunch out at the deli down the street. Blaine had missed that little place while he'd been gone.
"Nick's apparently doing something last minute on Jeff's gift…he was going to meet the guy here, but he can't, so he dropped off the keys and we're to meet the new owners when they get here. Wanna have a look while we wait?" Blaine asked nonchalantly.
"What? No! Blaine, we can't just go IN there! It's not…BLAINE!" Kurt hissed as Blaine turned the key and shoved the door open. Grabbing Kurt's hand again he pulled him inside.
"They won't mind, I bet. We'll just take a look around. You picked all the furnishings out anyway, they should be grateful, right?"
"I don't feel right walking through someone else's home, no matter how stunningly beautiful and perfect it is…oh my GOD, Blaine….look at this! I'm so jealous! I wanted these pieces in my place! Ugh!" Kurt griped, but he looked around with wide, interested eyes, taking in every detail.
"Turned out pretty nice, huh?"
"It's amazing…just perfect. Looooook! My table! Oh, I wish I'd had room for this downstairs! I love it…the color, the texture of the wood….and LOOK! Oh my GOD, this kitchen! I could make things in here that would curl your toes, Blaine. This is amazing. Who knew they could take this old, dusty place and turn it into something so stunning?"
"Not me, that's for sure. I mean, I had hope, but…."
"Oh! Is this the….Blaine! It's our piano!" Kurt blurted out excitedly, sitting down on the bench and striking a few keys. "Our spot…I don't even think it's moved, has it?" He asked, looking around. "It's as if everything was done around it…I can't imagine how they got the new flooring under here. Awwww, I'm kinda sad now. Someone else has our piano…this is where we met, B…" Kurt trailed off, his eyes wet.
"Don't be sad…I think the new owners will take great care of it. And, if I'm not mistaken, it's been tuned…" Blaine said, then sat next to Kurt and began hitting a few keys to test it before moving into "Kurt's Song" and smiling as he sang the first verse softly, Kurt's head on his shoulder.
"I've missed this…I've missed hearing you singing, even if I had to listen through the walls. I did, you know? For all that time, before I met you, I listened to you play and sing. I'd lean my head right up to the wall or at the window just to hear you, and I got pretty good at the lyrics, too. I'm so glad you're home, B. Please don't ever go away again. I don't think I'd do so well with it."
"I don't plan to, believe me. There's nowhere I'd rather be than right here next to you, playing your song, holding your hand, loving your smile, sharing your heart…and our home…if you think you might be happy here…in this place." Blaine said quietly, his heart in his throat.
"You know I'm happy here, Blaine, we talked about it. I love the location, I adore my roommate…" he snickered.
"But you wanted something bigger, and I think we need that…a little more room, maybe, if that's ok?"
"I wouldn't be opposed, but I like this building, really. It's our place…where we met…where we fell in love…where we made love for the first time. I don't really want to leave it." Kurt said softly.
"And if you could have a bigger place, and you didn't have to leave the building?" Blaine asked. Kurt wasn't getting it, and he was trying not to giggle at him.
"You want to switch apartments with Trent and Thad now? I don't know how they'd feel about that."
"Mmmm, yeah…I think they DO want your apartment though…if it's going to be empty…like…if we moved…into our new apartment…soon. Maybe this weekend…maybe?" Blaine said, still unwilling to come right out and say it.
"What new apartment, Blaine. There's yours and mine…we're in mine, Trent and Thad are in yours, the only other apartment is Seb's…or this one, but I'm sure the new owners aren't going to surrender their keys to me anytime soon." Kurt laughed. Blaine leaned over and took Kurt's hand, kissing his knuckles, grinning into his neck with a kiss there for good measure. He opened Kurt's fingers and laid a set of keys to the new apartment into his palm and closed the fingers around them. Kurt's brow furrowed, still not understanding.
"I'd surrender anything I have to you, Kurt. If it would make you happy, and if it was mine to give, I'd surrender anything at all to you…even a beautiful apartment." Blaine told him, staring into Kurt's eyes with a dopey grin and as much love as he could push forth.
"Blaine, I don't…what's with the keys, honey? They belong to—"
"The new owners, yes." Blaine cut it.
"And they'll be here any time now, so we should probably go becau—"
"They're already here, baby. They've been here all along."
"I don't under—" Kurt began, but his eyes widened just a little bit, and his heart picked up its pace. "Blaine?"
"Kurt?" He said with a smirk.
"BLAINE?" Kurt said a little louder, his heart pounding now. "But….No, don't mess with me, B, it's not kind to—"
"To give the love of your life anything you're able to give? I love you, Kurt…and I thought maybe you might want to live with me…here." Blaine said, looking up and around the apartment, his smile wide and hopeful. "Please?"
Kurt was full on panting now, breath uneven and harsh, he stood from the bench and paced away a few steps, then back to Blaine, eyes wide.
"What did you do?" He finally said softly.
"I bought the building from Irene?" Blaine said, unsure of Kurt's reaction.
"You…you bought…you OWN the building now? The whole building? I've been writing rent checks to YOU for…BLAINE!? It's…this place…this apartment is YOURS?!" Kurt exclaimed loudly. "It's YOURS!?"
"Ours…God, Kurt, please say it's our place…be here with me…every day. Come home to me, here, and let me come home to you, here? Can we?" Blaine asked, his heart in his eyes.
"I'm dying…I'm literally dying right now. Before I'm gone, let's make a list for the funeral arrangements. Oh my God, Blaine. This is…wait." He said, holding his palms out to Blaine. "Wait, wait, wait….you had ME pick out the furniture and all the bedding and linens and….BLAINE!" Kurt laughed, pointing accusingly at him.
"I did…Nick told you…the new owner wanted your style…he loved what he saw downstairs and I just wanted you to have what you wanted. Are you…do you regret anything you picked?"
"No….no, not a single thing. It's exactly what I would have done for us, if I'd KNOWN!" Kurt huffed with a laugh. "I'm so overwhelmed right now I want to cry…I think I will…" He laughed again, tears falling down his face. "Seriously, am I being punked, B, because that would be so mean!" He was full on crying now, ugly sobbing tears making their way down his red face as he tried to speak. He kept looking back at Blaine, then around the apartment.
Kurt walked around the space taking in everything, touching the dining room chairs, admiring the fabric he'd picked for the upholstery. He walked through the kitchen, opening the oven and turning the stove burners on and off. He sat on the sofa and leaned back, propping his heels on the coffee table he had salivated over when he was picking his own furniture. He stared lovingly at the chandelier that hung above his head and sighed. He then walked into the bathroom and gasped, having not seen it until then. "Oh God, B, this bathroom…I'm never leaving it!" He squealed.
Blaine sat on the bench, still just a little unsure if Kurt was happy or stunned or, God forbid, upset. He was pretty sure he was happy, though.
"I just want you to love it as much as I do…as much as I love you."
"Oh...Blaine, I don't know that I could love you more than I do right now, but ask me tomorrow, because I think every day I love you just a little bit more. I'm so stunned, so overwhelmed…..I can't believe you hid this from me, but it's the most spectacular surprise!" Kurt said, his tears not as heavy now. He approached the piano bench again and Blaine stood up to walk towards him.
"As long as you're happy, everything was worth it…all the weeks of little white lies, all the secret emails, and all the pictures I had to hide from you. I didn't like doing it…feeling like I wasn't totally honest with you, but I sort of felt like it was the kind of lie you tell to get someone to their own surprise party, ya know?" Blaine asked, and Kurt nodded his head yes quickly, still shaking his head and scanning the apartment. "So um…surprise?" Blaine said hopefully.
"I love it, B. I love it so much, and I'm so excited…so thrilled, I can't even….I can't express to you what I'm feeling. I can't…I just…." He trailed off, then nearly threw himself at Blaine, who grabbed him up in his arms and held on tightly. "Thank you…thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart. I love it, every inch. And I love you for doing this for us." He said, every ounce of love he had to offer shining in his still wet eyes.
"I'm so glad…so, so glad, Kurt. And now that I know you're not going to throw me over the side, let me show you the rest!" Blaine laughed, hauling Kurt off of his feet and spinning him around as they both laughed and headed for the roof.
Kurt's reaction to the rooftop garden was much what Blaine had expected. He was speechless and in awe. He had bursts of chatter, mostly half sentences that began with "and did you even see this…." or "Oh my God, they even….Blaine!" He was happier, in those moments, than Blaine had ever seen him. He was the picture of giddiness and as he pulled Blaine down on his lap and kissed him senseless, Blaine realized he'd done something right. All the worrying that Kurt would be upset at being kept in the dark, all the anxiety over the little white lies and the hidden truths was all worth it. Kurt was happy. Kurt was ecstatic. Kurt was tugging on his hips and pulling him down to straddle his lap. Blaine was on board.
"I can't remember the last time I was this happy." Kurt whispered into his ear as he mouthed at Blaine's neck.
"I'm thrilled that you like it…."
"Ok, that's a lie…."
"No it's not, I'm honestly thrilled that you—"
"Not that, you idiot!" Kurt laughed. "I know the last time I was this happy. I woke up on a sofa in a strange apartment in the arms of a curly haired man who smelled so amazing that I wanted to swoon right then and there and hold on to him forever. I remember the feeling and the sound of your heart beating under my ear…"
"One of the best memories of my life, waking up with you that morning." Blaine said softly, his forehead leaned on Kurt's and his eyes staring intently into the ocean colored orbs watching him. "I remember thinking that I'd never felt so whole, so content, in all my life. I wanted it… more of it. It's all I've wanted since that morning."
"I can help you with that." Kurt smiled and kissed his lips softly, then with more passion. "I'm so in love with you, Blaine Anderson….so in love." He said, slipping his hands around Blaine's neck and running his fingers through the short curls there.
"This is fortuitous, Mr. Hummel, as I'm pretty damn head over heels for you, too." Blaine giggled. "And clearly, there are other parts of me that are on board the Kurt train…." He said, grinding his hips down, making Kurt feel the hard ridge of muscle in his jeans. Kurt tugged him down harder, his hands on his hips and moaned wantonly when they brushed against one another, Kurt just as strained against the zipper of his own jeans.
"Want you…I just want you…here…now..." Kurt mumbled between kisses.
"Here? You wanna break it in the first day, Hummel?" Blaine asked, his voice sexy and low, smooth like soft butter.
"I want…oh fuck…yeah…I do. Touch me…." Kurt whined, reaching down to flick the button on Blaine's jeans. Blaine already had his hand down Kurt's pants, his briefs shoved out of the way and his cock tugged out and exposed to the air. His heart was pounding at the sight of how hard Kurt was, already leaking at the tip of his full length. Kurt's head was thrown back on the cushions, his neck exposed and Blaine was mouthing over it as he slowly, torturously tugged on Kurt's length when a voice that didn't belong brought him up short. Kurt sat up quickly and they bumped heads, both groaning as they watched Jeff moonwalk across the stone pathway, a crisp fifty dollar bill in his hand as he crowed "hells yeah, I know you so well….fifty dollars for meeee! Whooooo!"
"You…fucking hell, Jeff, what are you…why are you here, and more importantly, why are you here NOW?" Blaine growled, Kurt's deflating cock still in his hand.
"He wanted to see how Kurt reacted to the apartment. When we didn't find you downstairs, we came looking and he bet me we'd find you up here in some sort of compromising position. You two are so damn predictable, guys. Really? You cost me fifty bucks, man!" Nick scowled.
"Don't mind me…." Jeff said, plopping down in a rattan chair, his thumb and forefingers on either side of the money, snapping it tight as if to show it off. "Do go on, Blaine. If it makes you feel better, I won't watch, I'll just listen. Blaine scowled again and made haste to tuck Kurt back into his pants before climbing from his lap and sitting next to him, snuggled in closely. C'mere, baby." Jeff said, making grabby hands at Nick. "Sit with me so we can see where this goes." He laughed.
Blaine was ready to kill him. Kurt was almost amused…almost…as his erection had been killed off now, and he was certainly not wanting to do anything with an audience. He was resigned to wait and finish their tryst later. He had plans for later anyway…big plans.
Nick saw the look on Kurt's face and knew the urgency was gone, so he plopped down on the sofa next to Kurt and stretched his arms out across the back of the seat.
"So, do you love it?" He asked Kurt.
"I love every single thing about it, so thank you guys for everything. Blaine says this is all your doing, and I'm eternally grateful. It's stunning and beautiful and I'm sure I'll spend too much time out here….I just…thank you guys." He laughed, because Blaine was muttering "oh yeah, thanks for being a huge cock block…" as he gave them both a playful sneer then rolled his eyes and tucked himself a little more comfortably in his own jeans.
"You love me, Blainers." Jeff laughed.
"You're lucky as hell that I do, Jeffrey, or I'd flip your ass over the side of this building right about now." He ground out, still huffing and pouting.
"Don't pout, it's unbecoming of you…" Kurt laughed.
"My cock's still half hard!" Blaine bellowed, followed closely by a chorus of "TMI!" from Jeff and Nick and giggles from Kurt.
"I promise to fix that for you later, honey." Kurt purred into his ear quietly, kissing him on the cheek. He finally got a half grin from Blaine.
"Speaking of later on, we were wondering if you guys had plans tonight. I was supposed to work, so we made plans to celebrate Jeff's birthday tomorrow, but Puck needs the cash so he called to see if I'd give up my hours. We thought maybe you'd join us for dinner?" Nick asked.
"Um…I dunno. I was honestly thinking of moving some things up here tonight and maybe spending our first night together in the new place?" Blaine suggested. Kurt gave him a look and a shoulder shrug that said he didn't care either way. "Then again, it IS the goofball's birthday weekend, and I DO have a gift somewhere…." He grinned. "Yeah, I guess we can spare you a couple of hours."
"Yes!" Jeff fist pumped. "Dinner out with my favorite guys for my birthday. Does it get better than this?"
Blaine and Nick shared a knowing look while Jeff wasn't looking…unbeknownst to them, Jeff and Kurt shared the same secretive grins.
A/N Thanks to Suzanne for editing! :) Lord knows what you poor people would be reading without her. C's still on hiatus, getting things in line at home!
I need to say thank you to those of you who review all the time and make my day. I watch the numbers and I know that the vast majority of people don't bother to review, don't have time, don't know what to say, don't want to put themselves out there. I appreciate each and every person reading, but it means a lot to me when you give me feedback so thanks so much to those of you who do. I appreciate it more than I can express.
My other project is complete and being edited. I plan to self publish on Amazon / Kindle, so please keep your fingers crossed for me that it's not a harrowing experience that sends me over the edge! Because, seriously, I'm not sure I could be any more insane than I currently am and function in polite society! :p
Wishing you all a great week! Until next time! Hugs!