For Tracey and Robyn, who keep me on my toes and harass me on the regular to get my arse in gear. Love you ladies!
Ch 103
Blaine reached for the handle of the front door and realized that his knuckles were busted up and a couple were actually bleeding slightly now. He hadn't even noticed in the cell….well, what with other things on his mind, like being in a jail cell, for God's sake, and that jackass whining and bellowing in his ear from the next cell over. It'd been a while since he'd thrown a punch at someone without boxing gloves on and he'd forgotten how that stung after the fact. He'd have to clean the abrasions well and bandage them up if he wanted to avoid an infection.
Kurt was nowhere to be seen when Blaine got inside their apartment, and Blaine assumed Kurt would probably just avoid him and go to bed. He briefly considered just sleeping on the sofa…or even in the guest room for the night. First, though, he took a seat on the chair he favored in their living room and braced his elbows on his knees, holding his head in his hands and contemplating what had happened. What in the world had come over him? He wasn't a violent person. Despite having boxed for years, he wasn't into hitting someone for the sake of hitting them. Is that what had happened? No….No, it wasn't what happened at all, he thought.
That man, Tim, had ruined their dinner and that of everyone else around them. He'd ruined Blaine's plan for a nice, romantic night out which should have ended with him asking his stunningly handsome boyfriend to be his husband and live their lives together forever. Instead, Tim had insulted Kurt and used a shitty word when referring to him…and then he'd swung at Blaine and hit him…however off target….he'd hit him. Blaine had been hit his fair share of times in his life, and he swore, the last time George Anderson had hit him back in his childhood home, that he'd never just stand there and not defend himself again. And he hadn't.
With a sigh a good while later, he rose from the chair and figured he'd try to talk to Kurt before heading to bed…wherever that might be tonight. Blaine headed straight for the bathroom to wash his hands, taking his time to assure himself that he'd avoid any infection. Who knew what he'd touched between dinner and home. As he rinsed the soap and water and turned to grab the towel to dry off, Kurt quietly sauntered into the bathroom behind him in nothing but his boxer briefs, a pair so tiny they were indecent. His head was down and he was fidgeting with his fingers, seemingly nervous. It was clear that there was something on his mind and Blaine braced himself for the big boom…which never came.
"Blaine?"
"Kurt, listen, I'm so sor—" Blaine began, but when he turned around he looked straight into Kurt's eyes and what he saw there was…paradoxical. There was no anger and no irritation, as Blaine expected, but what he did see made his knees week – pure, unadulterated lust in its truest form. "Kurt?" He said again, confused now.
"Y-you…you did that…for me. You stood up to that jerk for me. You defended me in a crowded restaurant full of strangers and said to hell with the consequences…for me."
"I will always defend you, Kurt. Always, no matter what. You didn't deserve what he said or any of the abuse that came along with those people next to us. He was wrong, and I just took it upon myself to show him the error of his ways. Could I have done it differently? Perhaps…and I probably should have, but he made me so damn angry, and when he called you…that…and then ran his mouth, caught the table on fire and then had the gall to hit me…well, he got what he deserved and I'm not sorry for that. I am, however, sorry if I embarrassed you at all. That wasn't my intention, really Kur—"
Mid ramble, Blaine was caught in a searing kiss that rocked him to the tips of his toes and left him absolutely breathless. Kurt slid his hands up under Blaine's jacket and the heat was sizzling Blaine's skin right through his dress shirt.
"From the moment you stood up from your chair I was so turned on I couldn't see straight. What you did…that was so absolutely out of character for you, Blaine, but it was so damn hot…" Kurt trailed off, leaving a path of sweet, wet, open mouthed kisses along Blaine's skin, which was quickly appearing from beneath the dress clothes he'd been wearing just minutes earlier.
"Kurt…"
"He was afraid of you, Blaine. That's why he hit you first. He was clearly afraid that it was his only shot…to hit you first and try to take you down. And you just stood there, solid and firm, and took it…looked at him as if he'd barely touched you and I…oh my God, Blaine…" Kurt breathed, obviously overcome.
"He doesn't get to talk about you that way. He doesn't get to touch what's mine, even verbally. Nobody does. I protect what's mine, Kurt, at all costs. You're the most precious thing in my world, and I'll be damned if I'm going to sit by and listen to some ignorant ass run his mouth."
"Well, now that it's all over and done with, I'd like to give you just a small token of my appreciation," Kurt purred into Blaine's ear, soft, hot breath tickling the hair curling around the shell.
"…token…?" Blaine managed to croak out, despite the fact that Kurt had succeeded in removing his jacket and unbuttoning his shirt…warm, strong fingers stroking Blaine's skin as he moved.
"Oh, honey, so many tokens…" Kurt breathed, reaching for Blaine's belt at the same time Blaine did. "Oh, your knuckles…"
"Washed and dried. They're ok. I'll put some antibacterial stuff and bandages on 'em later," Blaine blurted, not willing to stop the journey to nakedness for even a fraction of a second to bandage his fingers.
Kurt fiddled with Blaine's button and zipper, then reached for his injured right hand and lifted it to his mouth where he proceeded to kiss each and every knuckle and then nip at Blaine's fingertips.
Blaine felt as if they were moving through Jell-O. The room was warm and the air felt thick with promise and arousal. Every move he made felt like it was in slow motion.
"Come with me?" Kurt asked softly, tugging on Blaine's hand and backing out of the bathroom toward the bedroom.
"Anywhere with you, yes," Blaine managed to breathe out on an excited rush of air.
Kurt had turned the bed down already and he walked backwards, pulling Blaine along with him until his knees hit the edge of the bed. Then he slid his arms up and around Blaine's neck and tugged him in for a passionate kiss that left them both utterly wrecked.
"If I'd known beating people up did it for you, Kurt, I'd have laid out a few of our neighbors on the regular just to make you happy," Blaine teased.
"No need. The memory of that brief exchange will live in my spank bank until I die, mark my words…" Kurt giggled, blushing furiously as he ducked his head and bit his lip.
"Oh my God, Kurt!" Blaine laughed out loud. "I can't believe you said that!"
"Those kinds of things usually live in my head and never make an appearance. But sometimes…sometimes they just up and exit my mouth as if they had permission," Kurt blushed. He still had his arms around Blaine's neck and it was only then that Blaine heard the soft, low music playing in their bedroom.
Blaine glanced at the iPod dock, then at Kurt, and raised his eyebrows in question.
"Mood music?" Kurt asked, biting his bottom lip again. He swayed with Blaine in his arms, turning them ever so slowly until Blaine's back was to the bed, then he leaned them toward the mattress and watched Blaine's blinding smile as he fell backwards.
"Hmmm…did you have plans for this evening, Mr. Hummel?"
"I did, I do…I have things to do, that is. And at the top of that list…is you."
"Tokens?"
"So many tokens…" Kurt hummed, leaning down to kiss Blaine's lips softly, then nudge him up the bed so that they both were solidly on it, no limbs hanging off. "Can I have these?" Kurt asked, flicking the fly of Blaine's undone trousers, then tugging lightly as Blaine hurried to lift his hips for Kurt to pull them off.
"You can have anything I have to give, Kurt…absolutely anything."
"Fortuitous, then, isn't it? But I only want you right now, B…just you. I'm gonna ride you until you beg for mercy and plead with me to let you come inside me. If you're a good boy…I'll indulge you," Kurt purred.
Blaine was having trouble replying, understanding and especially thinking straight. Kurt's words and over the top sexuality this evening were frying his circuits and he wasn't able to communicate properly, merely nodding quickly to show his compliance with Kurt's plan. He was certain Kurt could see his heart beating out of his chest and there was no question he could absolutely feel the evidence of Blaine's arousal nestled against his firm cheeks as Kurt rested on his pelvis.
"I want to be clear," Kurt said, nosing under Blaine's jaw breath warm and soft, "I don't condone violence, per se, but seeing as you were defending yourself and taking up for me, I'll make an exception this one time. So brave, my man…." Kurt purred, bending to kiss Blaine softly, letting himself shift over Blaine's cock, rubbing back and forth slowly.
"K-Kurt…"
"Want you in me, Blaine."
"Oh God, yes please…please….." Blaine pleaded. It wasn't lost on him that Kurt was offering him something rare. Although they'd done it before, several times, it wasn't often that Kurt was comfortable "bottoming"….even from the top. Blaine never pushed the issue, knowing exactly why Kurt shied away from it, and not having any issues with their sex life as a whole.
Kurt shimmied out of his boxer briefs and straddled Blaine's hips once more, lube already on the bedside table and a towel nearby. Reaching for Blaine's already straining erection, Kurt spread lube over it and then reached behind himself, knees jerking into Blaine's hips as he ran fingers over his own puckered hole.
"I want to show you how much you mean to me, Blaine, and I'm not going to hold back, so neither should you. I want to hear you, babe." Kurt's eyes were heavy lidded and it was infinitely clear that he was as turned on as Blaine was, if not more.
As Kurt sunk down over him without warning, Blaine inhaled sharply, causing him to cough and tense up momentarily. Kurt didn't stop, moving ever so slightly back and forth to work the lube around and sink down onto Blaine's lap.
"No s-stretching?" Blaine squeaked, realizing after he said it that clearly he'd missed a step and Kurt was already open for him.
"You were in the living room and the bathroom for so long. I took it upon myself…" Kurt trailed off, grinning like the cat who got the cream. Kurt lifted up and dropped back down too quickly, stealing Blaine's breath away again.
"Oh sweet Jesus, Kurt!" Blaine groaned, almost jerking his knees up into Kurt's back. He was suddenly unsure how long he would be able to keep from coming with Kurt's tight, hot body snugged around him. Mentally, he felt unprepared for it, and he had to say as much to Kurt to save himself from being a three-pump-chump. "Please….God, Kurt…a minute…just…be still, ok? Please…." He whined, loudly when Kurt teased him and wiggled in his lap with a smile.
"Having troubles, baby?"
"Oh God, if you move I'm gonna come yesterday. Be still." Blaine was panting and he knew it. Kurt was grinning at him, drunk on the fact that he'd gotten Blaine in such a state so quickly.
"Wanna talk about something unrelated? Pizza? Bad fashion? Oooh! How about your Aunt Harriet's high fiber diet?" Kurt grinned. Blaine, however, did not. He was still gnashing his teeth trying to keep from spontaneously combusting. It took a lot to erase the vision before him from his mind.
"Just…you just feel so good…"
"OH, I know! We can talk about Cooper's sex life!" Kurt beamed.
"Oh shit, Kurt, no. I wanna cool down a little, not develop permanent erectile dysfunction! Good God…" Blaine grumbled. Kurt couldn't help but laugh, which made him shimmy a little bit over Blaine, of course. "You're killin' me…" Blaine laughed, hands on Kurt's hips as he stared into the eyes of the man he loved most in the world. "I love you…God I love you so much, Kurt."
"You…" Kurt began, but paused to choose his words. He felt Blaine's fingers on his hipbones, then one hand slid behind to cup Kurt's ass and tug him forward a bit. Kurt let his eyes fall closed as he registered the little lift of Blaine's hips, rocking into Kurt ever so slightly. "You never cease to amaze me, Blaine. Never. Every time I think I couldn't love you any more than I do, you prove me wrong. You zig when I think you're gonna zag. Do you know…" Kurt began, but faltered again when he felt Blaine jolt up under him a little harder, picking up a smooth rhythm as Kurt spoke.
"Do I know…?"
"Your hands are…such a…Oh God, Blaine…" Kurt breathed out, feeling Blaine inside him, deep and snug and hot…so very hot, already brushing his prostate once. "That day…the day I first saw you in that coffee shop window, when I was with Rachel? Your eyes and your beautiful smile caught my attention…but I'd be lying if I didn't say I thought, immediately, how beautiful, yet strong and capable your hands looked. You lifted your coffee cup and paused, and I just…ohh…oh yeah…right there…."
"Mmmmm…..who's being vocal now, hmmm?" Blaine teased, running his hands over Kurt's torso, up over his pebbled nipples and down to swirl his fingers around Kurt's bellybutton, bumping his stiff cock as he did so. Kurt gasped and squeezed his eyes shut with a grin.
"Your hands are a thing of beauty, Blaine."
Kurt picked up Blaine's right hand and held it firmly in his own, raising it to kiss the battered knuckles again, nibbling on the tips and nuzzling into the palm. He began rocking up and back, a steady rhythm on Blaine's cock, knowing if he kept it slow enough he could keep them both interested but not desperate for a while. He felt Blaine's hands on him, on his thighs, his belly, his chest and back to his hips once again. Kurt reveled in the feeling of Blaine's strong, beautiful hands on him and through the haze of sexual bliss he made a mental note to care for Blaine's busted knuckles after they made love.
"Love…oh god, love you…." Kurt whined, picking up the pace a bit now, head thrown back as he raised up a bit more on each upswing. "So beautiful, Blaine…my Blaine…so strong…."
"Always yours, Kurt…always….God yes, ride me…." Blaine whined, hands now firmly on Kurt's hips as he raised him and then tugged him down again in time with Kurt's movements. The bed rocked and shook as Kurt took control and rode Blaine hard, body straining and muscles flexing as he moved his lithe form like a choreographed dance over Blaine's prone figure. "So stunning like this…skin sweaty and slick…look at you…." Blaine praised him.
And Kurt was a stunning sight, head thrown back, mouth open and breath panting. He'd been holding Blaine's hands again, then let them go to lean back and place his own hands on Blaine's muscled thighs to change the angle a bit. But now Kurt's strong, muscled arms were up over his head, one pulling his own hair and the other reaching blindly for something unseen above them. The sight drove Blaine insane with lust.
"Please…Oh god, please, Blaine…touch me…." Kurt whined after what seemed like hours but would never be long enough.
"Not yet…not ready yet…not ready for this to be over…." Blaine muttered, hands tight on Kurt's hips and surely he'd have bruises there the following day but Kurt never complained about them. In fact, he loved the physical evidence of Blaine's lovemaking on his body. Blaine kicked his hips up harder as Kurt let his body fall down time and again. Their cadence was perfect in every way and Blaine was sure his heart was about to burst right out of his body.
"Blaine…." Kurt begged, a long, plaintive moan that shook the man straight to his core and nearly had him erupting inside Kurt's body.
"One more minute…please…l-let me enjoy your stunning, beautiful b-body for one more minute, baby."
"Oh god….ohgodohgod, Blaine….make me come…please….please, Blaine…." Kurt begged, and quite loudly. Blaine loved it; loved every minute of it and reveled in what he was able to do to this strong man, bringing him to the point of begging.
"Kurt…" he panted, reaching up to stroke Kurt once, twice, three times before Kurt nearly bent in half, his cock spitting over and over again up over his chest and belly before Blaine aimed toward himself and watched threads of white shoot over his own chest, belly and chin.
"Oh Christ, Blaine…Blaine!" Kurt nearly yelled as he came, trying to keep his eyes open through it but failing as his head fell back again and he emptied across any expanse of skin available. Stilling and steadying himself, Kurt took deep breaths trying to regain his senses. When he finally opened his eyes he saw Blaine staring at him as if he hung every star in the sky for them and them alone. Blaine was still hard as steel inside him, his thumbs rubbing circles on Kurt's hips as he kept eye contact with his lover. Kurt raised up on his knees and dropped down again quickly, knowing he wanted to watch every single second of Blaine falling apart beneath him. "Come for me…c'mon, Blaine….come for me. Fill me up…know you want to…come in me…." Kurt teased, a blissful, satiated smirk on his lips as he leaned back, reached behind him and slipped two satiny fingers between Blaine's cheeks, searching out that soft skin beneath Blaine's balls and the dusky pink pucker that he knew only took the slightest touch and then—
"Fuck….oh fuck, Kurt…KURT!" Blaine shouted, one hand squeezing Kurt's hip and the other grasping the sheet hard enough to tear it. He trembled and shook through his orgasm, eyes squeezed shut tightly as he gasped for air and Kurt played with slick fingers, rolling his hips until Blaine was so sensitive he loudly demanded that Kurt stop, while laughing madly at the knowing look on Kurt's face. "You're a minx." Blaine groaned, absolutely satisfied and in no hurry to remove himself from Kurt's body.
"You ripped my sheets!" Kurt exclaimed, laughing and beaming at Blaine still snickering beneath him.
"You made me do it. It was your fault, I take no blame for that," he grinned, hands back on Kurt's hips again.
"I see…well, then, I suppose we'll have to keep these activities to a minimum in the future if the act itself promises to shred all of our bed linens—" Kurt began, but Blaine rolled them over and tickled Kurt until he was squealing like a stuck pig and begging for mercy.
"Stop….oh, God, Blaine, stop...STOP!" he laughed riotously.
"Say uncle…"
"I love you."
"Good enough," Blaine said, quieting, then kissed Kurt softly and snuggled up behind him, holding him securely in the circle of his arms. "I'll buy you beautiful new sheets….and I love you more."
Kurt grinned, then rolled away and out of bed. Blaine watched him stride into the bathroom, heard him rummage around for something, then the water turned on and Kurt appeared through the door with a handful of things. Blaine's brow furrowed.
"Gonna clean you off here…" Kurt said, wiping a warm towel across Blaine's chest. "And then here…" he said, as he sat on the edge of the bed and picked up Blaine's right hand. "Can't have anything happen to these, now can we?" He grinned lovingly, rooting through their first aid supplies.
"They're fine-"
"Not taking any chances. They're very precious to me, B. "These hands called to me through that coffee shop window…they played music that drew me to you and made me fall in love with a song…and then the man who wrote it. They held me, safely and securely, as I slept on you that first night in your apartment downstairs. They touched me tenderly, reassuring me each and every time I faltered that I was going to be ok…that we'd be ok. They assured me that, even though a psychopath was within a few feet of us with deadly intentions, no matter what happened, I wasn't alone and I never would be. These hands hold me every night as I sleep, as we make love, as we shower and just …be us…and I know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that if I fall, these hands will be there to pick me up and dust me off. And tonight, these hands defended me…and you. I love them, and I love you…desperately, Blaine. You are the love of my life and I don't ever want you to forget that."
"I will always…always…be there to catch you if you fall, Kurt. No matter what, a small stumble or a major mis-step, I will always catch you."
"I'll hold you to that, Blaine Anderson. And rest assured, I'll do my very best to be all those things and more for you," Kurt said softly as he wrapped a small bandage around the last finger. "Now we should try to get some sleep. Lots to do tomorrow, love."
Blaine tugged Kurt against him and kissed the back of his neck, holding on tight to the most important thing in his world.
Downstairs, Hunter vibrated with need. It was no secret to anyone, thanks to Sebastian, that hearing anyone else having sex set him off and running. Sebastian slept peacefully next to him, his breathing even, only briefly interrupted by a murmur or a snuffle as he shifted in his sleep.
"….oh God yes, ride me…." Hunter heard Blaine whine through the ceiling and, even though it was muffled and faint, every nerve ending in his body was on alert. He shifted again, rolled over, pelvis nearly drilling holes in the mattress as he breathed deeply and tried to block out all thoughts of his husband's amazing body beside him. It wasn't working. Sebastian rolled over to face the door, then snuffled back into his easy rhythm of breathing again.
"Please…Oh god, please, Blaine…touch me…." He heard, then bit the heel of his hand to keep back a whimper.
"..time is it?" Sebastian asked sleepily, rolling onto his back.
Hunter glanced at the clock on the table next to his side of the bed. "It's 1:17, babe…get some sleep."
"Mmmm….then it's tomorrow?"
Hunter snickered and grinned. Seb was so cute when he was half asleep. "It's tomorrow…turkey day later on. Sleep, Sebby."
"Oh god….ohgodohgod, Blaine….make me come…please….please, Blaine…."
"Not likely with all that going on…and you know, and I know, what that does for you, Hunter….and it's tomorrow. You said tomorrow—"
Sebastian never got another word out before Hunter was on him.
As Blaine was just about to drop off into dreamland, he heard, hazily in his mind, the soulful wail of one Hunter Clairington-Smythe begging his husband for release…and seconds later, a shout of ecstasy that nearly had Blaine half hard again.
"Those two, I swear…." Kurt mumbled.
"That's your fault, too, ya know?" Blaine grinned, kissing Kurt's neck.
"And I'll gladly take full credit if need be," Kurt murmured. " 'Night, B."
"Goodnight, love."
Blaine woke before Kurt, hearing Mattie and Evee downstairs laughing at something. It was faint, and not nearly what he would have heard had they still lived in Kurt's old apartment, but he could hear the kids, nonetheless, and it made him smile. He was thrilled to be spending the day with his family for Thanksgiving and couldn't wait to get to his mom's new place.
He rolled slowly, hoping to let Kurt sleep for a little while longer. When his feet his the floor in the dim, morning light he noticed their clothes scattered about. Kurt had to have torn his off and just flung them anywhere if what he was seeing was any indication, and that thought had him grinning from ear to ear. Last night Kurt had been…wild. It was amazing to Blaine…the changes in Kurt in just a matter of months, and he was proud and honored to think he may have had something to do with that, no matter how small a role. Kurt had come out of his shell and, damn, was it a good thing despite how Blaine's body ached from their romp in the sheets just hours before, muscles sore from the sheer physicality of their lovemaking. He'd "suffer" this ache indefinitely if Kurt wanted him to.
Walking to the bathroom, Blaine barely glanced in the mirror then quickly did a double take.
"What the holy hell….?" He gasped to himself, noting the blue and purple bruising around his eye where that jackass had clipped him the night before. "Well, I suppose just not mentioning it today is out of the question now…"
"Is there a reason you're talking to yourself in the bathroom?" Kurt teased from their bed.
"Uh…well, yeah. I'll show you in a minute," Blaine grimaced, seeing himself in the mirror again. He did his business, brushed his teeth and slipped on a pair of boxers before heading back out to the bedroom where Kurt immediately knew what he'd been talking about.
"Awww…baby," he said and immediately rolled up on to his knees to greet Blaine as he approached the bed. Blaine looked so pathetic, even going so far as to stick his lip out in a childish pout as he walked up to Kurt and let him place his hands softly on Blaine's face.
"What I said was that I suppose just 'not mentioning it' today is out of the question now. Coop's gonna have a field day with this one," Blaine said, rolling his eyes.
"Don't care what Coop thinks…you're MY hero, B. You stood up for me and for us and I'm grateful."
"Yes…yes you are…or were…especially last night. That was…very, very nice, love," Blaine grinned, leaning down to kiss Kurt. He readily responded and let his fingers slip into Blaine's curls, gripping firmly and tugging him in.
It was then that Blaine let out a sharp expletive and looked down to see what the heck he'd stepped on that dug into his foot, leaning back and moving the duvet away.
"What is it? Did you kick the bedpost?" Kurt asked, leaning forward. Blaine nearly shoved Kurt down on the bed to keep him from looking down. Under the ball of Blaine's foot was Kurt's engagement ring which must have fallen out of his pocket when his pants were removed the night before.
"Yeah…yep…kicked the bedpost…stubbed my toe. It's fine…no problem… " Blaine babbled, nudging the ring further under the bed. That was absolutely not the way he planned on Kurt first seeing his ring.
"You need me to kiss it all better?" Kurt asked, his voice husky as he leaned into Blaine again. "I'm not sure I got it all out of my system last night," he grinned, tugging Blaine toward him by the elastic band on his boxers.
"Mmm, yeah?"
"Yeah…come play with me, handsome."
Kurt tugged him down playfully and Blaine landed with an "oooof" on top of him, smiling widely and bracketing Kurt's head with his hands to hold himself up. Kurt leaned up to press the softest of kisses around Blaine's discolored eye, ending with a flick of his tongue over the bruising and then going straight for Blaine's lips.
"Can't get enough of you…"
"Lucky for you I'm an all you can eat smorgasbord, right?" Blaine snickered, kissing back and letting his hips slot nicely with Kurt's.
"How long before we have to be at your mom's?"
"We can be a few minutes late," Blaine grinned, and shoved his boxers down with haste.
"You'll keep an eye on it for me?"
"I'll tell you the minute I can see anything at all. I brought everything with me to fix it, if need be, don't worry, B, and don't mess with it!" Kurt grinned, swiping Blaine's prodding fingers away from the skin around his eye.
"I feel weird. I don't know how women wear make up every day and look beautiful and just…do that," Blaine complained, watching himself in the compact mirror he'd pulled from Kurt's bag. "I feel like it's so obvious on ME."
"It's not, really. I blended it so it matches your skin tone seamlessly, baby. You can't tell. Just stay out of the kitchen, don't sweat at all and you'll be just fine. Nobody will be the wiser. We'll do the same tomorrow for the wedding and the pictures will be perfect. No need for anyone to know if you don't want them to."
"You're a miracle worker," Blaine said, looking one last time at his reflection before snapping the compact shut and replacing it in Kurt's bag. They both had a casserole dish on their laps in the cab and Kurt had enough goodies in his bag to start his own restaurant.
Cris greeted them both warmly with hugs and a kiss on the cheek for both men, ushering them inside to where Cooper, Maggie, Evee, Mattie and Bill were all waiting. Maggie was firmly planted on the sofa, the Black Friday newspaper ads spread out before her like a shopper's feast, and Cooper and Bill were planted squarely in front of a large T.V. watching football. The kids came out just long enough to say hello, then scurried back into the spare bedroom that Mattie had already dubbed "their room". Apparently Cris had given them an early Christmas present in the form of an Xbox and they were busy figuring it out and arguing over what games to play first.
"Uncle Blaine! You have to come and see! We got an Xbox!" Mattie squealed.
"You did? That's awesome, man! Who got you that? Wait, was it Cooper? Because he'll take over your games and you'll never get to play. I speak from experience, little man. Be careful!" Blaine laughed.
"No, it's from Grandma Cris!" He grinned then took off back into the room. Blaine smiled at his mom when he saw the look on her face at Mattie's words.
"That's new," Blaine said, and it was both a statement and a question. Cris' watery eyes and bright smile said he was right on target and she wasn't unhappy with the title.
"I've gotten so used to 'Ms. Cris' that…I guess I didn't expect them to…if they didn't want to or if they weren't comfortable with it."
"But you're ok with it?" Blaine smiled, wrapping his mom in another hug.
"I'm so much more than ok with that, little one," She smiled warmly.
Blaine was happy that nobody seemed to cast him (or his eye) a second glance, especially Cooper. He carried the food into the kitchen and set it on the counter, bumping hips with Kurt as he did so. Kurt smiled at him warmly, then shooed Blaine out of the kitchen and into the living room, afraid that the bright lights would give him away.
"So…" Cris began when she spied everything Kurt brought with him. "It looks like you're here to take over the kitchen, and I'm of a mind to let you do so!" She laughed out loud as Kurt unpacked everything he'd brought along: a pie pan, apples, an apple corer, spices for his pie, herbed butter for the turkey, spices for his mom's gravy recipe using all the drippings from the roasted turkey, and a whole cast of other little things she hadn't even seen come out of the bag yet.
"I uh…I was going to get the pie started this morning and just bake it here. It's best when served warm with some vanilla ice cream, but I got…um…sidetracked," Kurt blushed. He was recalling the morning romp in bed with Blaine and the way his boyfriend arched his back and cried out in ecstasy when Kurt lifted Blaine's hips and slid into him fully and with intent. There was, in Kurt's opinion, nothing in the world better than Blaine panting his name as he climaxed and collapsed back onto the bed completely spent. He felt his cheeks grow even hotter as he realized that Cris was grinning at him knowingly.
"Sidetracked, hmm?" She grinned at him, then winked. Kurt nearly squeaked and ducked around the other side of the kitchen island to lay the remainder of his stuff on the counter for easy access. "This sidetracking…does it have anything to do with why my son is in the newspaper this morning for allegedly assaulting a man in a restaurant last evening?"
"What!?" Kurt whipped around so quickly he knocked the glass pie pan off the counter and it shattered into little bits all over the floor. "Oh God…oh my God…are you…it's not, really, is it? He's not in the…paper…oh my God…" Kurt asked, voice shaky.
"Babe….what happened? No, don't move, let me get a broom," Blaine said, looking at the mess on the floor.
"Pantry…" Cris said, motioning with her hand toward the hallway where the broom would be found.
"Oh my God, he'll be so upset," Kurt whispered, eyes pleading with Cris to say she was joking, kidding, making it up, anything at all. She only gave a resigned shrug of her shoulders. Just then Kurt's cell phone rang and he pulled it from his bag, cringing as he saw David's name. This couldn't be good if his boss was calling him on Thanksgiving.
"Got it….I'll get the big pieces," Blaine said as he returned to the kitchen, broom in hand.
"H-Hello?" Kurt said quietly into his phone, cringing again.
"Kurt, can you tell me what the hell happened last night?!" David said, stage whispering in the phone as if he didn't want anyone around him to hear. "Is Blaine ok? Are YOU ok?"
"We're uh…we're fine. I'm fine. Blaine's…ok. He's got a black eye but I've managed to cover it up pretty well this morning," Kurt said quietly, thankful that Blaine was keeping up a conversation with Cris as he swept.
"What happened? This isn't the type of publicity we need, Kurt. 'Boyfriend of Up and Coming Designer, Kurt Hummel, in Restaurant Brawl' isn't what I hoped to be dealing with this morning. My phone suddenly won't stop ringing, Kurt!"
"I haven't uh…I haven't seen the paper yet this morning. I'll have to make a point of doing so, David, and then I can get back to you regarding the article."
"Yes, well, you do that. We need to have something prepared to say about all of this and I'd like your side of the story before I say anything to anyone. Call me back soon, please!" David said, clearly unhappy, then disconnected.
"David's calling you on a holiday?" Blaine asked, his smile still bright as he swept the remains of Kurt's pie plate into the dust pan. Kurt bit his bottom lip. He'd have to tell him. Blaine would find out soon enough.
"He uh….wanted to ask me about um…." Kurt began, but Cooper beat him to the explanation.
"So, Blaine, what's this in the paper about you kickin' some guy's ass at Zayne and Aria's last night?"
Blaine stood stock still for a moment, letting Cooper's words sink in before he mentally freaked out.
"W-What? I…what?" He said, uncertain if he'd heard correctly. "The paper? Like…the newspaper?!" Blaine blurted out, eyes wild. Cooper shoved the paper under Blaine's nose, his face the picture of happiness as Blaine blanched and nearly swayed on his feet.
"Boyfriend of Up and Coming—" Cooper began, but Blaine silenced him.
"I CAN READ, COOPER, THANK YOU!" he bellowed, grabbing the newspaper from his brother. Glancing up, he noticed Kurt wasn't meeting his eyes and wondered, even after their absolutely amazing evening the night before, if Kurt would be angry with him. "Kurt?" He asked, softly. Everyone seemed to get the hint and vacated the kitchen.
"David's….upset," Kurt said quietly, eyes still on the counter and not on Blaine.
"And you?" Blaine asked, nearly in a whisper.
Kurt took a deep breath and thought of the ramifications of such an article when they were in their infancy with the business. It crossed his mind, briefly, that if Blaine was seen as a loose cannon, it could shed a bad light on Kurt, as well as David. He needed to read the article and see what it said. Blaine waited, silently, his face sad as he was clearly upset. But Kurt was there. He'd seen what happened and heard what was said. He wasn't letting any crazy newspaper article define Blaine, or their relationship. David would hear from Kurt, first hand, what had happened and Kurt was certain he'd side with them. David knew Blaine and he knew he wasn't a crazy person prone to irrational outbursts. And most of all, Kurt knew Blaine…and Blaine's heart. With a smile, he laid his palm along Blaine's cheek and jaw.
"I am behind you 100%, Blaine…just as you were behind me 100% last night. And I'm not upset with you in any way, so please don't give it a second thought. If David wants to freak out, he can, but we were there and we know what happened…and we have witnesses to stand behind us. In fact," Kurt said, grabbing the article from the counter, "depending on what this says and how it's worded, I may have to march right down there and throw and epic bitch fit if it shows you in a bad light!" Kurt grumbled, his hackles raised now.
"I want to hear more about how Blaine was behind you 100%. Sounds kinky—"
"COOPER!" They both barked out, harshly.
"Not the time?"
"NO." Blaine answered tersely. Cooper just nodded and backed out of the room a second time, his face still gleeful.
"You're not angry with me?" Blaine asked, needing to hear it again.
"I am, and I will always be, proud to be on your arm, Blaine Anderson…anywhere, any time. I love you. That's all there is," Kurt told him in no uncertain terms, sauntering over to Blaine now that the glass had been swept up. "You and me…we're all that matters in the big scheme of things. If David can't handle a little bit of publicity that might not be all positive, then he needs to hire someone who can. He has to know they'll spin things to grab readers, and that has to be what this is. I won't give it any credence."
"God I love you, Kurt…so much. Thank you. I'm sorry…again. I didn't mean to embarrass you in any way—"
"And you haven't. Nothing has changed. I'm still grateful that you stood up for us last night, and you're still my hero…everyone else be damned. Now let's read this article and I'll call David back and tell him what really happened so he can deal with it as he sees fit, shall we?" Kurt slid his arm around Blaine's waist, pulling him in tightly so they could both read the offending article.
In the end, it wasn't nearly as bad as either of them thought it would be. It mentioned that they'd been spotted at Aria's, a trendy spot for young up and comers. It even went so far as to say what they'd both ordered for dinner. The author of the article mentioned how the couple beside them had garnered the attention of every patron of the restaurant within 50 feet of their table and that Blaine had clearly had enough as he yanked the man from his chair and punched him in the face, knocking him out cold before the police could haul him off.
Kurt was fuming, though, as it didn't mention any of Tim's verbal bashing of them in particular, his slurs or his bizarre wife stuffing her butt in Kurt's face. It also failed to mention Tim assaulting Blaine first and then setting their table on fire. Kurt was in a state and vowed to find out who wrote the article and give them a piece of his mind. He called David back after reading and being calmed down by Blaine, and then gave him the real story while David dutifully took notes on what had actually happened, that there were numerous witnesses to the scene and how those witnesses had also graciously shown up at the police station and gave their statement of the events, leading to Blaine being released with no charges filed.
Over a fantastic dinner of perfectly moist and tender turkey, Kurt and Blaine explained to Blaine's family exactly what had happened the night before at the restaurant, Cooper vowing to call Zayne and get his version of events, as he was certain Kurt was leaving out "all the good parts". Cris cooed over Blaine, gingerly running her fingers over his eye and fussing as only a mother could, then complimenting Kurt on his concealing prowess.
"I wouldn't have even known if you hadn't told us," Maggie agreed with a smirk. "And I'd be lying if said I wouldn't have wanted to see all that in person…what happened last night."
"It wasn't….fun," Blaine smirked back. "But damn if it didn't feel good to deck that asshole."
"Uncle Blaine, I heard that! You said a bad word!" Mattie yelled from the other room, right back to his game the moment dinner was over.
"I'll eat soap right after dessert, buddy!" Blaine yelled, smirking.
Bill put his two cents worth in as well, telling Kurt what he thought were the pros and cons of even addressing the article and its writer. Giving them any attention gave credence to the article and what it said, but ignoring it allowed them to think it was ok to state only half the story and that Kurt would, perhaps, not say anything or argue for what actually happened. They agreed to speak with David about it further and see what he thought.
Nobody mentioned George Anderson except for Cris, who announced over dinner that the divorce was final, having been rushed as much as possible so she could be free of her husband of nearly 30 years. When Blaine saw the mood take a drastic turn toward melancholy, he put the brakes on and changed the subject quickly, chatting animatedly about the following day and Trent and Thad's wedding, as well as Christmas and everyone's plans.
"We haven't decided yet," Kurt replied when Cris asked him if they were going to see Burt and Carole. "We chatted briefly about it last night over dinner but then a crazy woman shoved her hind side in my face and it all went downhill from there," he joked, winking at Blaine over the table. The conversation took many turns after that, all of them enjoying dessert and praising Kurt's apple pie as they chatted.
It was midway through a conversation with Maggie over the Black Friday sales that Kurt caught Blaine staring at him quietly across the table, his chin rested in the palm of his hand. When Kurt's eyes met his boyfriend's, Blaine smiled and simply mouthed the words 'I love you' at him across the table. Kurt bit his bottom lip, rose from his chair and walked around to where Blaine sat, casually sitting down on his lap and wrapping his arms around Blaine's shoulders. "I love you, too, B. Today has been perfect. Thank you for including me. I haven't even had time to miss Dad and Carole."
"I wouldn't have it any other way. I belong with you and you belong with me, no matter where we are or where we go, Kurt."
"Well said, love," Kurt whispered in his ear, clinking his glass to Blaine's in a quiet toast to themselves.
"I look ok, then?" Blaine asked, checking his 'make up', then turning to see his backside in the mirror as Kurt grinned at him.
"You look absolutely stunning, if I do say so myself. That suit fits you like a glove…a glove I plan on removing finger by finger later on this evening. Now you have to get going or you're going to be late. They're taking pictures before the ceremony, so…"
"Ok, I'm going. You'll meet me there?" Blaine smiled at him, that heart crushing smile that melted Kurt every, single time, and held out his hand for Kurt to take.
"Wouldn't miss is. Save me a dance, Mr. Groomsman?"
"For you, anything in the world, Mr. Hummel."
Blaine peered out the window, spying the long, black car out front waiting on him. "Ok, I'm off. I'll see you soon, love."
"You will. I'll be there with bells on."
"As long as it's only bells, this will be the best wedding ever!" Blaine called over his shoulder, laughing, as he descended the stairs.
"Don't push your luck, Anderson!" Kurt called after him, blushing and laughing. Lord, he loved that man. "Love you! Be careful!" Kurt added, then heard the door close and a muffled "will do!" from Blaine. He watched as Blaine approached the sleek, black limousine in front of their building, then he turned, looked up at the window where Kurt stood and kissed his fingers, blowing the kiss toward Kurt. Kurt gave a short wave with his fingers, mouthing "I love you" as Blaine grinned and climbed into the car. The driver closed the door, rounded the front of the vehicle, climbed in and pulled into the street. Kurt watched until the car disappeared around the corner, then sighed long and loud.
"Oh for God's sake, Princess, pull yourself together. You'll see him in a couple hours—"
Kurt gasped, his hand flying to his chest as he spun and spied Sebastian standing at the top of the stairs.
"Knock much? Sheesh, Seb…" Kurt replied, rolling his eyes. "To what do I owe this lovely visit where you, once again, didn't knock or request permission to enter in any way, shape or form?" Kurt snarked.
"I need a last minute alteration…if you can spare me the time?" Sebastian looked pleadingly at Kurt. This was new.
"Oh, what seems to be the…oh, yeah, there it is. This is the suit Hunter picked out?"
"It is…"
"Brooks Brothers. I approve…" Kurt trailed off, inspecting seams and tugging on the lapels. But as tall and stately as you are, you aren't 6'-8" tall, and so yes, you'll need to be hemmed. Climb on up." Kurt motioned for Sebastian to step up on to the ottoman in the living room, motioning toward his office / sewing room as he meandered away. "Pins…" He said by way of explanation.
"Mmmhmmm…."
"You're abnormally quiet and not snarky. Are you still feeling badly?
"No, I feel ok. Healing…it's a slow process I'm told. Damn stitches are itching me like a bitch, but I can handle that. I had an appointment to get them out this morning, but the doctor was called away for an emergency, so I had to reschedule for next week. Hunter is not amused."
"Things…alright…with you guys?" Kurt asked. Clearly something wasn't as it should be. Sebastian was strung tightly, not himself. It was oddly disconcerting. Kurt was used to snarky Sebastian and this quiet, unengaged version of his generally obnoxious neighbor was….off.
With a sigh, Sebastian looked toward the door and huffed out a deep breath. "I think I'm going to quit my job."
"What?! Seriously? I mean…I suppose I can understand that, what with everything that happened. Have you talked to Hunter about it?"
"Sort of. He's absolutely freaked out about me going back to work. I guess I hadn't realized how much it affected him, bothered him, ya know? We had quite the sit down and talked about it the other morning and he's…he's struggling. I don't want to put him through that. I've talked to Jimmy, my boss, and he's…not exactly on board. He wants me doing what I do and doesn't want to lose me. I mean, can you blame him?" Sebastian smiled, cocky as ever.
Annnnnd, he's back, Kurt thought. He rolled his eyes.
"Listen, you didn't see him while he waited to hear some word on your condition, Seb. Granted, I wasn't with him, personally, for the first hours that he was there, but when he found his parents, and then Blaine and I…Seb, he was a mess. He was absolutely devastated and wrung out. I've never seen him like that. I've never seen anyone like that, actually…ok, except maybe Nick when Jeff was…right after the accident," Kurt said softly, remembering, and not fondly. "It was clear that he was terrified," Kurt told him, placing another pin, and then tapping Sebastian's leg so he'd turn. He started pinning the other hem, tugging on the inseam to get it to hang correctly.
"He's having nightmares. He doesn't wake up screaming or anything, but I've woken to him sobbing quietly in his sleep. Sometimes he's awake, but barely, crying and trying not to shake the bed. I had to move heaven and earth to get him to come back into the bedroom. He's terrified he's going to somehow hurt me while we sleep. He's switched sides of the bed, and that alone is causing him to sleep poorly, even without everything else. He's been a cranky mess for days…well, almost two weeks now – first from sleeping on the sofa and now from trying to hold himself so rigidly that he doesn't hurt me. Something's gotta give."
"Do you want me to talk to him?" Kurt asked. Clearly Hunter wasn't dealing well. Kurt wasn't sure what he could say, but he'd give it a shot if Seb thought it would help.
"Don't tell him I spoke with you about it. I don't want him thinking I'm talking about him behind his back, but I know he could use someone else's point of view. I guess you'll do," Sebastian smirked.
"I have a handful of pins, here, asshole, and I'm not afraid to use 'em. Watch it." Kurt put the last pin in place and moved his pin cushion off to the end table. "Ok, off with the pants if you want 'em hemmed."
"I always knew you wanted to get in my pants," Sebastian leered, stepping off of the ottoman. Without the slightest hesitation he unbuttoned and unzipped, letting the expensive pants fall, then stepped out of them right in Kurt's face, his royal blue boxer brief covered cock inches from Kurt's chin where he kneeled on the floor.
"Really, dillweed? Back off," Kurt deadpanned.
"And you assured me your philandering days were over, husband!" Hunter growled from the landing.
"And this day just keeps getting better, doesn't it? It's not what it looks like?" Kurt grinned, leaning out around Seb's legs and smiling at Hunter.
"It never is with this one, is it?"
"I'd have to agree with that statement wholeheartedly," Kurt smiled. "Tell me you don't need last minute alterations, too?"
"Nope, I'm all good. I told him to bring you the pants earlier in the week but he was too busy, apparently," Hunter grinned and nudged Seb in the good shoulder.
"Won't take but a minute, have a seat," Kurt said, motioning for them to sit on the sofa as he took the chair and picked up his needle and thread. Kurt shook his head wondering how Blaine would react to knowing Sebastian had been sitting on their sofa in his underwear. He internally snickered.
"By hand?" Sebastian asked, nodding to the needle and thread on the table.
"The hems? Of course…it's the only way I do it," Kurt winked.
"Oooh, look! Hummel's getting sassy!" Seb leered. "Tell us more about how you do it, Kurt?" Hunter thumped Sebastian on the head. "Ow…watch the hair, babe. I don't want to have to shower and start over."
"Be good, he's doing you a favor. So what time are we supposed to be there, anyway?" Hunter asked, checking his watch. He'd worked up until an hour ago and was hoping for a short nap before they had to leave.
"Um…wedding's at 7 pm, so I'm leaving around 5 or so. I said I'd be around for last minute things if they needed an extra hand. They wanted pictures before the ceremony, outdoors, of all things, so they needed the light. Blaine's just left, so we have a couple hours until we should go…I mean, if you wanted to share a cab or whatever?" Kurt suggested, slipping the needle through the fabric of Seb's trousers.
"In that case, I'm going to head downstairs and catch an hour of shut eye. Thanks for fixing his pants at the very last possible minute ever, Kurt," Hunter said, giving Sebastian the hard stare. Seb had the grace to blush and look chastised.
"Not a problem. I have nothing to do but sit around here until it's time to go. I'm pressed and ready and just going through recipes for Christmas food now that Thanksgiving is over. Get some sleep. You can probably push it to an hour and fifteen if you hurry!" Kurt grinned.
"I'm out. See you in a bit. Don't harass the help, Sebby!" Hunter called, disappearing down the stairs.
"He seems ok," Kurt said as he heard the door close behind Hunter.
"He does. I hope he is, but it wouldn't hurt to ask, if you don't mind. I'd appreciate it."
"I'll be happy to talk to him. But what about you? What do you wanna do? This affects you more than anyone, Sebastian. Do you want to quit?"
"I won't lie. I'm more shaken up than I thought I would be. Do I think that I can't do my job now? Absolutely not. I'm still in top form and I could still take down anyone who got in my way, even with the stitches. But…I don't want him sick with worry every time I leave the house. That'll weigh on my mind, and that, ultimately, will be a distraction I can't afford. I don't want him to worry, so if I can alleviate the need to, I will. I'd do anything for him, and he knows it."
"I know you would, Seb. You guys have a good thing. I'm glad to see you're taking this seriously and not blowing it off," Kurt smiled at him kindly. "You two are good for each other." Kurt whipped the needle in and out of the hems so quickly that Sebastian couldn't even follow with his eyes.
"He's the love of my life. If this isn't working for him, then I'll change it. That's what ya do, ya know?" Seb asked, looking very serious.
"I do know…and I think that's a very grown up perspective, Seb," Kurt huffed out a short laugh. "I'm proud of you. And your pants are done. Put 'em on. Let's see…" Kurt instructed. Seb pulled the pants on and turned this way and that, looking over his shoulder to check the back of his legs. "Looks good. You're all set. You need me to press 'em?"
"Thanks, Kurt, but I can at least handle an iron. I owe you one," Sebastian smiled, happy with the hems, his hands in his pockets. "And for the record, of all the people I know who Hunter might have befriended, I'm sincerely glad it was you he picked," Sebastian smiled, his hand on the railing leading down to the door.
Kurt nodded, emotion clogging this throat, and offered a weak smile in return. "Me too, Seb."
"See you in an hour or so, Hummel."
The sleek black limo pulled up outside the penthouse and Blaine assumed that Trent, Jeff and maybe even Nick would be waiting. They were on a schedule, after all. When nobody emerged after five minutes, Blaine decided to text the lot of them and figured someone would reply.
Blaine: I'm here and waiting. What's taking so long? Get down here before we're late! You have the GROOM, you schleps!
Trent: Thank GOD you're here, B. Help me! Jeff was all ready to go and then some song came on the radio and he started dancing and Nick hauled him off down the hall and the noises coming out of that room, Blaine…..dear Lord. I don't see them emerging any time soon!
Blaine: WHAT? Please tell me you're joking?
Trent: I wish I was…It was intense. The minute the music started Jeff's head snapped up and he gave Nick a look and sauntered over to that damn support column in the middle of the room and…shit, the way he moved around that pole I…well, I'm not going there. But Nick only let it go on for like two minutes before he literally threw Jeff over his shoulder and stalked out!
Blaine: We're gonna be late!
Trent: It's MY freaking wedding! You think I don't know!? I've banged on the door several times but it's very clear that they're …um…busy.
Blaine: Niff, I know you're hearing your phones go off. Get your asses out here!
Trent: It's no use, Blaine. All I keep hearing is Nick saying "…not until you do!" What the hell?
Blaine: Nick, c'mon man. Seal the deal and let's get on with it!
A few seconds later Blaine's phone rang. Noticing that it was Nick calling, he smirked and rolled his eyes.
"You on your way down here?"
"He's being stubborn, Blaine. I'm not walking away until he comes and he won't until I do and I'm not until he does and you're on speaker phone, by the way."
"You idiots!" Blaine huffed, trying not to laugh at their antics. "Trent's freaking! It's his wedding day and you're throwing the schedule off! Come on. Just…finish up and let's go!"
"It's his fault, B," Jeff whined. "I was minding my own business-"
"You were pole dancing to Let's Get It On, Jeffrey!" Nick boomed, clearly thrusting forward as Jeff let out a moan that was seven levels straight past pornographic. Blaine had to resist the urge to adjust himself and he hoped the driver couldn't hear his conversation.
"Nick…just…can you guys just do this and get Trent out here?" Blaine asked, looking at his watch. They had a few minutes to spare so he wasn't overly worried just yet. Still, he couldn't believe this is what was holding them up and to top it off, the simple fact that his friends were doing that while on the phone with him. They were clearly crazy.
"As soon as he gives in…" Nick grunted. Blaine could only envision what was going on. He could hear Trent hollering through the door at them to pull it together and get out there. "Got an ace up your sleeve, Blaine?"
"U-umm…." Blaine stuttered, thinking back to their days at Dalton so many years ago and he couldn't help but smile and shake his head. When your best friend was also a former lover it was….odd. But clearly Nick wasn't uncomfortable asking Blaine for advice.
"I…wow, this is all kinds of awkward, isn't it?" Blaine asked, grinning.
"BLAINE. Don't," Jeff warned.
"I mean, of course there are…things….one in particular…" Blaine chuckled.
"Blaine, shut up. Just hang up. Nicky, hang up the phone," Jeff ordered, his voice cracking before another long, sensual moan was dragged from him.
"What is it I should do, Blaine?" Nick asked, clearly grinning and finding the whole thing amusing. Blaine shook his head and huffed out a breath. This was surely not a conversation he ever thought he'd be having with his best friend's husband. "Blaine?"
"Jeff has a thing…worked every time…if you just—"
"BLAINE, STOP IT!" Jeff whined. "Oh God, Nicky…"
"…if you slip your fingers in next to your—"
"Blaine stop!"
"…and find his—"
"BLAINE, SHUT UP….Niiiiiccckkkkk…."
"while you're sliding into him—"
"Oh FUCK…Nicky….OH GODDDDD…." Jeff whined, clearly overwhelmed and giving up. The sounds that poured from Jeff's mouth nearly did Blaine in. He heard himself suck in a breath, his own eyes wide from what he was hearing and it was….heady. He felt more than a little uncomfortable sitting there listening to his best friend and his husband pleasuring each other, but he was infinitely grateful they were both comfortable enough with him to…well. He surely didn't want to make a habit of this, though.
Jeff's drawn out moan of complete and utter satisfaction was enough to give Blaine chills and he slumped back into his seat feeling…off. Nick followed closely behind, a short shout of triumph as he obviously 'won' their contest, then the call, blessedly, disconnected.
Blaine had to mentally calm himself. He took a deep breath and thought of anything he could that would settle everything below his belt. With a shake of his head and a smirk, he sat their contemplating whether Nick and Jeff would be in one piece when Trent finally got ahold of them.
"Mr. Anderson! How pleasant to see you this fine afternoon!" Terrance greeted him warmly as he opened the limo door to let Trent climb in ten minutes later, followed closely by a sheepish Jeff.
"Hello, Terrance. Glad to see you, too. I hope you're well?" Blaine asked.
"I can't complain at all. You gentlemen have a splendid evening. And once again, my sincere congratulations, Mr. Nixon, on your marriage!"
"Thanks, Terrance. And remember what I said. You come on over to the reception tonight when your shift ends and party with us, ok?" Trent grinned.
"I'll consider it, sir," Terrance grinned. "I appreciate the invitation."
The moment Jeff saw Blaine he gave him a very non-threatening glare and looked down his nose.
"Sorry Jeffie," Blaine grinned, biting his bottom lip.
"Traitor," Jeff grumbled.
"You'll live. Besides, it sounded to me—"
"AND me," Trent added, exasperated.
"…that you were completely and utterly enjoying yourself, so I don't wanna hear it. Where's Nick anyway?"
Jeff smirked like the cat who got the cream. "Oh, B, he may have 'won' the battle, but I won the war. He's all but passed out on the bed, euphoric and singing my praises. He'll be there later. I think he's picking Kurt up, too."
"Huh…Kurt's planning on taking a cab. I'll text him to let him know."
"So Blaine….." Trent began, his smirk oddly unsettling. They sat in the back of the limo making their way through the New York City traffic to get to the small, generally quiet park where Trent and Thad decided to have pictures taken prior to the wedding. The skyline in the background would be fantastic. At Blaine's raised eyebrows he continued. "I got up early this morning. Nerves…couldn't sleep. You know how it goes. Anyway…I didn't want to wake everyone. My dad's a real peach if you wake him before his alarm goes off, so I threw on my jeans and tried to look respectable as I made my way to the hotel elevator and downstairs for some breakfast in the hotel dining room. While there, with my coffee and a cute little Danish, I spied an abandoned newspaper on the table next to mine—"
"Oh shit…just…can we not?" Blaine said, exasperated.
"Oh, honey, no. There's a helluva story here and I want in on it!" Trent grinned mischievously.
"What? Wait, what's going on? What did I miss?" Jeff asked, putting his phone away.
"Well, Jeffrey, it seems our boy, here, had a helluva night out at Aria's Wednesday. Apparently there was a couple beside them at the next table who were being unruly—"
"He called Kurt a fag," Blaine stated plainly, as if that explained every, single thing that happened. And it did. Jeff and Trent both sat in the plush seats, mouths hanging open, desperate for the rest of the story, although Trent knew some of it from the article. "Wait, you said it was today's paper?"
"It was, yep. A retraction of sorts…a 'laying it on the line' of what really went down, apparently. I didn't see the original article, but it must have been chock full of misinformation. Seems one David Perry, speaking for Kurt Hummel, must have caused quite a stir and wanted the record set straight."
"I'll have to find a copy. Maybe Kurt can grab one? He'll be glad to hear there's more information than there was in the original article. It made me seem like a lunatic…a loose cannon, really, and didn't give any rhyme or reason for what happened. It was ugly…"
"So wait, start from the beginning, B. You and Kurt went to Zayne and Aria's for dinner Wednesday and….Blaine, are you wearing make up?" Jeff asked, eyes zooming in on Blaine's eye, his own eyes wide. Jeff leaned in and softly ran his finger over the artfully applied concealer over the bruise around Blaine's eye. Of course Blaine swatted at him.
"Don't screw around! I don't want the bruise to show up in the pictures!"
"Ok, then…spill it," Jeff demanded.
Blaine proceeded to tell the story from the beginning, leaving nothing out and watching the eyes of both me get wider and wider.
"Holy shit, Blaine. If I hadn't seen it in the paper I would say you were shittin' me!" Trent told him, shaking his head back and forth. "Unreal…."
"It wasn't a fun night, unfortunately. I wanted it to be perfect for him. I was all ready to—" Blaine began, then stopped realizing what he was about to say. Trent had no idea about the ring. His blinding smile at Blaine said he'd assumed, correctly, why Blaine wanted a perfect evening for his date…and he was fully on board.
"Yeah? You're doing it?" He asked, face wide with joy for his friend.
"I am…as soon as I can make it happen. I've tried several times now and something always gets in the way. My plan is always ruined. Yesterday morning when I walked back into the bedroom I stepped on the damn ring on the floor where it had to have fallen out of my pants when Kurt…when…um…" Blaine paused, grinning and almost blushing. "Anyway, I keep trying and things keep happening and I almost feel like I'm gonna have to pull off a miracle to get the job done," Blaine huffed.
"You could always just ask for help. You know we'd be more than happy to help you set the perfect scene B," Jeff grinned.
"Yeah, I know you would. With Thanksgiving and the wedding today I sort of just put it on hold for a few days. I want it to be special and amazing for him, but I don't think Kurt wants some crazy, huge gesture in front of a bunch of people…especially people we don't know. I won't be renting space on the scoreboard at Madison Square Garden or anything," Blaine snickered. "He's kinda quiet…reserved…about personal things. You know how he is. I mean…I dunno. I'll get it done…sometime."
"You will. When the time is right, it'll happen and we'll all be unbelievably thrilled for you two," Trent said, nudging Blaine's shoulder with his own.
"Yeah…when the time is right, I guess."
Blaine got fidgety standing up with his friends before the officiant. He could see Kurt in all his splendid glory, in a suit made by his own hands, looking absolutely delectable, and all he could think was that it was time for this to be "them". It was their turn, and he was mentally berating himself for not being able to seal the deal. As the words rolled over him, Trent and Thad reciting vows they'd written for one another, Blaine thought of a thousand scenarios where he could just ask Kurt and beg the gods to grant him this one boon.
"By the power vested in me by the state of New York, I now pronounce you husbands. Please join me in welcoming Mr. and Mr. Trent and Thad Hargrove-Nixon!"
The guests were exuberant and Blaine smiled widely, so thrilled for his friends. They looked so happy, so thrilled to have taken the plunge and pledged themselves to one another, that he couldn't bear to think of never getting to this point with Kurt. He would, and it would be soon. There was no other way.
Dinner was served, music played softly and people were milling around, chatting, dancing, taking photos. Blaine was standing with Thad, Wes, Kurt and David, who was in town for the wedding but flying out the following morning for work again. Blaine felt Thad's mood shift before he knew what was happening, saw the absolute panic in his eyes and swung his gaze in the direction of Thad's, but still didn't know what was going on.
"Oh God…oh no. No no no no no, not tonight. Please don't let Trent see him….." Thad hissed, looking around quickly to see where Trent was. Thad saw his boss sitting with Ginny and her boyfriend, who he recognized, but couldn't place which department he worked in. Not wanting to make a scene, he hurriedly told the men what was going on as a clearly tipsy Micah swooped in through the front doors of the gallery.
"Trent can't know he's here. Get him out of here while I go find Trent and keep him occupied. I don't care if you have to call the cops, just please…please, get him out of here. I won't have our day ruined by that asshole!" Thad hissed.
Unsure what to do, the men all glanced around for Trent, Blaine spotting him on the other side of the room dancing with one of his sisters with Nick and Jeff dancing and laughing beside them.
"Go cut in, keep his back to us for a few minutes. We'll handle it," David assured him, quickly discussing with Blaine and Kurt what should happen.
As Blaine turned to walk away, Wes and David standing in their same spots to hinder anyone else headed in Micah's direction, Kurt turned and nearly stumbled into Hunter, who was dragging Sebastian off the dance floor and toward the bar for a drink.
"Hummel's had too much to drink, cut him off," Sebastian teased as Kurt righted himself and brushed at his jacket. "In a hurry, Kurt? Stall open up in the men's room for you two or what?"
"Ha ha…this guy," Kurt deadpanned, motioning toward Micah with his head, "isn't welcome here. He's been causing Thad all kinds of grief at work and Thad wants him out. Gone. And we can't let Trent see him here, so we have to remove him quietly."
"He's been harassing Thad?"
"Unrequited crush, for months now, followed him here from Atlanta," Blaine explained.
"Can you just ask him to leave?" Seb asked as they all sauntered over toward Micah, who was making himself a plate at the buffet, talking loudly to nobody in particular as he threw a few things on a beautiful ivory dish. He was clearly inebriated.
"I don't think he gets 'subtle' very well, according to Thad. In fact, I don't think he gets it when Thad's blatantly honest with him…or he wouldn't be anywhere near here. He doesn't belong here and he's not welcome. Let's ask him to go and hope he goes quietly," Kurt told them.
Sebastian looked uptight. He didn't like it all, hearing that this Micah had followed Thad up here from Atlanta. That was a step too close to stalker for him. Sizing the man up, Sebastian handed his phone to Hunter and said "call dispatch if there's trouble…have them send an officer over to escort our guy out if he won't leave quietly, please, babe."
"Seb! You still have stitches. Stay out of it, please…"
"It'll be fine, Hunter. It'll end peacefully, one way or another. No worries, love. Just watch. If he doesn't walk out of here, quietly, on his own, just call 'em. Have them send a car, ok?" Sebastian smiled so sweetly that Hunter almost didn't argue with him…almost.
"Sebastian!" Hunter hissed as his husband walked away with Kurt and Blaine. Hunter hung back, knowing that an approaching crowd would only cause this guy's hackles to go up…and possibly draw more attention.
"Hey…how's it goin'?" Blaine said to Micah cordially.
"Good, man. Good food here," he slurred, glancing at Blaine beside him and Kurt on the other side. He showed no signs of being bothered by their presence even one bit. Kurt glanced at Blaine, both of them having expected the guy to give them some grief, at least. When Blaine shrugged, Kurt spoke.
"Listen, I'm just gonna cut to the chase, here, and ask you to go home, ok, Micah? This is a private party and you weren't invited, nor are you welcome here," Kurt said, his voice stern, but not unkind.
"I just made a plate for God's sake. Back off and let a guy eat, will ya?" Micah sniped back at Kurt.
"I don't think it's a good idea," Blaine replied, glancing around as a few heads turned their way. Micah was raising his voice and it made Kurt nervous.
"Be that as it may, you're not welcome and Thad wants you gone," Kurt hissed, leaning in a bit closer. Sebastian just stood behind the trio and watched, waiting to see if he was needed. "You have a helluva lotta nerve showing up here at all, Micah!"
"Oh Lord, what in the world is HE doing here?"
Sebastian heard the girl speak, but he wasn't sure who she was. He turned slightly and gave her an inquiring look, noting her disdain for the unwanted guest. Raising his eyebrows in question, Seb waited for her to offer the information.
"I'm Ginny. I work with Thad and…him." Her distaste for Micah was evident. "Surely Trent won't be happy to see him here," she said, shaking her head.
"No, I'm certain he won't be…we're going to remove him, one way or another," Sebastian assured her.
"Back the fuck off, man!" Micah growled, turning toward Blaine who'd attempted to take the plate Micah had loaded up.
"And that's my cue…" Sebastian said quietly to Ginny just as Tom, her boss as well as Thad and Micah's boss, stepped up behind them, his eyes wide. Ginny's date followed closely behind, all of them unsure what would happen next. Sebastian wasn't taking any chances. He turned toward Hunter and nodded, watching Hunter bring the phone to his ear and step toward them.
"Micah-" Kurt began, but Sebastian had walked closer, a very calm smile on his face as he approached the three men.
"Hey, man. Thad asked that we get you to leave. I'm asking you, now, to put the plate down and walk out the door. This is the only time I'm going to ask, and I assure you that if you don't leave now, peacefully, you'll regret it when you wake up," Sebastian told Micah quietly, but with such an air of malice and finality that Blaine even raised his eyebrows a little. Sebastian, in his element, was frightening. Who knew?
"The fuck are you gonna do?" Micah spit, brushing past Sebastian and bumping his shoulder as he did so, nearly upsetting the plate of food and making Sebastian wince. His stitches might be nearly healed, but they were still sore. "Move, man. You almost made me spill my plate!"
"Kurt?" Sebastian said sweetly, "The plate, please?"
Kurt reached for the plate at the same time Sebastian reached for Micah, muttering to Blaine "Catch him, please…" In a split second, Sebastian reached for Micah's neck, touching him in such a way as to make the man's eyes roll back in his head and he went down like a sack of bricks, completely limp and unconscious. Blaine scrambled to grasp Micah under his arms as Sebastian grabbed his feet and they carried him away from the crowd, down a short hallway and into an office where they both let go of the man and laid him on the floor. Their small group of friends seemed intent on seeing it through and followed them down the hallway, mouths gaping open at whatever Sebastian had done to fell the man without a single protest. The wedding guests, however, seemed to brush the scene off without concern.
"I don't even know what you did, but that was….I…I've never seen anything like that!" Kurt said, breathless and shaking his head. His wide eyed stare was mimicked by everyone else in the room, especially Hunter who looked…mystified. "Shit, Sebastian, is he dead? Oh my God…."
"What the ever loving…what kind of Vulcan neck pinching magic was that, Sebastian!?" Hunter finally blurted out. Tom and Ginny both nodded, wondering what he'd done and how.
"Hunter, you of all people shouldn't be surprised…you know what I…I mean, I'm trained to do this…to handle situations like this, babe. It's my job…" Sebastian said, suddenly uncertain whether Hunter was intimidated, afraid or…hmmm….that looked a little like "impressed", actually…and maybe slightly turned on? Yep. This…this was something Sebastian could work with.
"Well, yeah, but…I mean, I've never actually seen you do….that. Or anything even remotely close to it. That was…just…wow. I had no idea…" Hunter trailed off, alternating glances between Sebastian and Micah. Kurt caught Blaine's eye and tried not to snicker at the two of them.
"Do you think, when he wakes up, it's a bad time to tell him that he's fired?" Tom asked. Ginny resisted the urge to giggle, still a little freaked out.
"Oh, so it had to come to this before anyone listened or did anything?" Blaine asked, brows furrowed as he glanced at the prone figure on the floor.
"No, actually," Tom began, "Ginny came to me and to…an associate in H.R…" he said, glancing at Ginny's date, although Blaine was certain he hadn't meant to, "regarding the issue. It was apparent that the individual in H.R. who had previously been 'handling' the situation wasn't following protocol. She has also been dismissed, as it appears it was deliberately neglected." He looked uncomfortable for a second, but continued. "The complaint that Thad made was to a woman named Geneva Harris…who just happens to be Micah's aunt. It was very clear, when we looked into things, that she hadn't followed up on even one of Thad's complaints after the initial filing. She was sure to make a note of everything Thad brought to her, but she didn't do anything about it, opting to keep quiet and not get her nephew in trouble. Clearly it has landed both of them in hot water. I'm only sorry I didn't know the severity of what was going on sooner."
There was a commotion outside the door as two uniformed officers stuck their heads in, followed by Ted, wondering why the group of people were in his office, why the cops had arrived, and especially why there was an unconscious man on the floor.
"Guys…and lady…" Sebastian grinned at Ginny, "Can you give the men some space?"
Everyone filed out, staying close by in the hallway to see what was going to happen and Sebastian explained to the officer what had gone down. Unfortunately, as the officers were dragging Micah up from the floor, he came around and began bellowing once again. As they approached the door of the gallery, headed outside, Trent noticed and approached, much to Thad's dismay.
"You don't deserve him!" Micah spat at Trent, eyes wild despite the fact that he still felt groggy and disoriented.
"You're right…I probably don't. He's way too good for me," Trent agreed with a grin and a fond glance at Thad as he took his husband's hand. "But the fact remains, he chose me and he's my husband now, so you need to back off. If this isn't enough of a wake up call for you, I don't know what will be."
"Don't forget losing his job…" Kurt threw out there.
"What?!" Micah bellowed, being dragged away now. "You can't do that!" He wailed at Tom.
"I can, and I have. Your belongings will be waiting for you in the security office on Monday morning. I can't believe the things you've done, at work, Micah….and you obviously thought you'd get away with those things. But cancelling everything for Thad and Trent's wedding? And you used the office phone to do it, so either you're too cocky for your own good and thought you'd never get caught, or you're too dumb to even consider the ramifications of your actions. Did you assume your Aunt Geneva, down in H.R. would be able to get you out of that too, if it came to light what you'd done?" Tom asked, then barreled on without allowing Micah to answer. "She can't help you any more, Micah. She was let go Wednesdayy at the end of the day. Had you stuck around the whole day, as you were supposed to, you'd have known that, and you'd have been terminated at that time as well. The conversations regarding the wedding services were taped, and we have a good number of other things on camera, as well as a handful of witnesses who've heard the things you've said to Thad, as well as seen things you've done when he clearly asked you to back off. This is over. What you've done here is inexcusable," Tom spoke harshly, shaking his head.
"That's bullshit!" Micah bellowed, his feet nearly off the ground now as the officers led him away quickly. "I'll be there Monday morning and…and this isn't over, Tom!"
Tom just shook his head and gave Micah a stern look as the man was escorted out.
Blaine wasn't sure who looked more relived, Thad or Trent. Clearly everyone was watching now and Kurt felt badly that it had come to that. Trent looked embarrassed and Thad looked angry and anxious.
"I dunno about you guys, but I'm craving cake and I'm fairly certain there's a big ass, fondant and buttercream covered confection in there with your names on it…maybe even literally…and I don't mind saying I'd like a big slice of it!" Blaine grinned, attempting to take the focus off of what was going down outside the doors. His plan to draw everyone back into the reception and the celebration was a good one, and soon the cake was cut and everybody was dancing as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
Ending the evening with his husband swaying in his arms was the best thing Blaine could think of at the moment. Kurt held him tightly and Blaine could feel his warm breath on his neck as they danced. The altercation with Micah was all but forgotten already and everyone was having a grand time dancing, eating and partying with the newlyweds. Blaine couldn't think of a better way to end the week, except maybe if his boyfriend had a shiny band on his own finger.
A/N Thanks to Suzanne for making this legible and correcting all of my "little things". She always makes it better :)
A big thanks, also, to all of you who have read The Escape and commented on it...as well as to Toni, who apparently read my "Sleigh Bells Ring" from last Christmas and mentioned it on a Klaine fanfic page. I've received quite a few favorites and follows because of that. I appreciate it so much, so thanks lady! :)
I won't even pretend to think I'll have another chapter out before Christmas. No way that's happening. I have two six foot by seven foot quilts to finish by 12/24 as well as a few smaller projects which are gifts as well. My time is limited and I don't want to rush and spew out something not worthy of you fine people ;) So, that being said, I will take this opportunity to wish each and every one of you a fantastic holiday season, no matter what it is that you celebrate! Peace, love and happiness to all of you. Be safe, have fun and don't do anything that'll end up on YouTube. Merry Christmas from me and mine!