Yay, yay, yay! Welcome to Clear Skies Wednesdays! Hope you had a nice start to your week!

Thank you so much for all the great comments in the last chapter. I'm very happy that you all seem to be enjoying this story. There's a lot of good stuff coming up, so buckle up! :)

Big hugs and lots of love to Christine, best beta in the whole wide universe.

Love to Sofi, for the six minute audio reviews.

Enjoy!


Once upon a time, Valentine's day had been Blaine Anderson's favorite holiday.

He had always been a bit of a hopeless romantic deep down inside. He had dreamed of finding a perfect guy he could serenade and make a fool out of himself with, declaring his love loud from the rooftops. He had laid in random hotel rooms while he and his family toured because of Cooper's band and thought about beds covered in rose petals and sweet kisses and whispered I love yous. As a young boy figuring out he liked boys, it had been nothing but a fantasy, something he had started to believe he would never get to have.

As an adult, a little freer and determined to be himself, most of his gestures hadn't been appreciated.

"It's weird that you give me flowers, Blaine. I'm not a girl," one of his first boyfriends had said.

"Valentine's Day? That's a garbage holiday. Plus, we're not a couple, right? We don't need that. We don't need to label this, we just have fun, right?" That was said to him by the man who only showed up when he wanted to get laid and who had disappeared without a trace the moment Blaine hinted that he wanted more.

"Oh, I'm busy on the fourteenth," said his third boyfriend, and it turned out he had been fucking someone else on the side. In the end, he had chosen that someone else over Blaine.

"You're so sweet," Derek had said with a kind smile, when he walked into Blaine's apartment and saw the romantic dinner Blaine had made for him. "I love you," he added, but less than two weeks later he was gone, all his bags packed, his engagement ring left next to the bathroom sink, because he had gotten exactly what he wanted out of Blaine and he didn't need him any longer.

Over the years, Blaine had dated and had tried and had waited for everything he had always dreamed of, and came up empty-handed every time. And one day he decided it was time to stop waiting, to kill all his expectations, to live in the real world and admit that love wasn't something that happened like it did in novels or movies. It was complicated and difficult to find and sometimes it never came at all.

And then he had met Kurt Hummel.

Kurt Hummel, who was bright and beautiful and smart, who genuinely liked spending time with Blaine, who always looked interested when Blaine needed to rant about his day or just talk about everything or anything at all. Kurt, who always melted into a kiss and held Blaine like he didn't want to let go, and Blaine had suddenly believed that maybe, just maybe, all those things he had always wanted weren't as far-fetched as he had convinced himself they might be.

He had just been trying to find them in the wrong person, every time.

So on Valentine's Day he woke up with a smile, already thinking about how he would surprise Kurt that evening. He had some time before he had to head over to Cooper's, so after a quick and healthy smoothie, he went into the small room he called his gym and began to pound on the punching bag, enjoying the rush of energy and strength that travelled through him every time his fist collided with it.

It was lucky he heard the doorbell at all.

He caught a towel as he exited the gym and headed down the hallway, wiping the sweat off his face. When he opened the door, there was a delivery man standing there, looking bored.

"Blaine Anderson?" He asked, and Blaine nodded. "Sign here."

He was gone as soon as Blaine grabbed the package, clearly in a hurry. Blaine regarded the box curiously and opened it, only to find a heart-shaped candy box and a teddy bear made of pink roses. Blaine had to bite his lower lip to keep his smile in check, and then realized he didn't want to, so he allowed himself to grin like an idiot. It was all so corny – he loved it.

There was a card stuck to the box, his name written in Kurt's familiar handwriting. He turned it around to read the message:

Happy Valentine's Day, my love.

These past few months with you have been magical. Thank you for making me feel so special and cared for. Hope this will make you feel special, too.

With everything I am,

Kurt.

Blaine reread the card a few times – my love, my love, my love.

Valentine's Day was definitely Blaine Anderson's favorite holiday.


His cellphone began to ring just as he was leaving Isabelle's office, so Kurt hurried to his desk to catch the call before it went to voicemail. He smiled when he saw it was Blaine, answering with a smile already stretching his lips.

"Well, good morning, Valentine," he said.

The little delighted chuckle on the other end sent warmth all through Kurt before Blaine even spoke a word. "Good morning, darling. Happy Valentine's Day," he murmured, and god, there was something about Blaine's voice that always managed to untie all the knots in Kurt's back – the tension left him immediately when he heard it. "Thank you so much for the present. It was such a lovely surprise."

"It wasn't tacky, was it? The teddy bear looked cute on the website, but maybe it's ugly in person," Kurt laughed, as he sat at his desk.

"It's not tacky at all, I loved it," Blaine said. "It's actually the first time someone's sent me something for Valentine's day, so thank you so much."

A pang of sadness went through Kurt at those words – how come no one had ever sent him anything? All those years, all those Valentine's days, and no one had thought of giving Blaine something special? "You're very welcome. I was worried you'd be gone to Cooper's before the delivery arrived, so I'm glad it caught you at home."

"No, no, I was just working out, so it caught me right on time," Blaine chuckled again. "I almost didn't hear the doorbell because of the bag."

Kurt replayed the sentence in his head, but it still made no sense. "Bag? What bag?"

"The punching bag," Blaine clarified. "I like boxing. I never mentioned that? I have a little gym at home…"

"Oh," Kurt's head was suddenly filled with the image of a sweaty Blaine punching the bag, little noises of exertion coming from his lips… and he needed to think about something else because his cubicle wasn't private enough and it would be very unfortunate if someone saw him with a boner – he had only officially worked here a little over a month, he didn't want to be known as the office pervert. He cleared his throat. "Oh, that sounds… that sounds so nice…" he croaked out, so he cleared his throat again, hoping his voice would go back to normal. "So, uhm… you know, if you wanted to send me a picture… I wouldn't complain."

"A picture?" Blaine repeated, confused, and then it seemed to dawn on him. "Oh, Kurt Hummel. Are you asking me for a sexy picture?"

"Hey, you have your toys, let me have mine," Kurt murmured.

"Well," Blaine said, and Kurt could tell he was smiling. Smug bastard. Smug, sexy, sweaty bastard. "That's certainly going to give me something to think about while I shower."

"Blaine," Kurt whined, because he really, really couldn't help the way his body reacted to his insanely gorgeous boyfriend. "I'm at the office."

"You started it, baby," Blaine laughed. "Okay, change of subject. Are we still on for this evening? I'll pick you up at Vogue."

"Yes, we're definitely on for this evening," Kurt replied. "Are you going to tell me what we're doing or not?"

"Nope," Blaine said cheekily.

"You went over budget, didn't you?" Kurt asked, arching an eyebrow in suspicion.

"It's Valentine's day, Kurt. Rules don't apply," Blaine said. "So just let me spoil my stunning boyfriend for the evening and don't worry about anything else, okay?"

Well. How was Kurt supposed to protest when he was turning into a puddle on the floor? "Okay," he whispered. He noticed Isabelle leaving her office, and he cleared his throat for the third time. "Alright. I gotta run, honey. We have a meeting on the ninth floor. See you later!"

It wasn't until he was in the elevator, Isabelle babbling about Milan fashion week next to him, that his phone pinged with a new text. He was lucky she was distracted, because as soon as he opened it, he found a picture of Blaine, standing obviously naked in his master bathroom, all shiny with sweat, curls still wild and untamed, face still unshaved. The counter covered most of his bottom half, but the picture still showed the sharp V of his hips and the beginning of the dark hair between his legs…

Kurt swallowed thickly and put his phone away.

Needless to say, he had no idea what the hell the meeting he attended was even about.


New York looked like Cupid had vomited all over it – there wasn't a single store or building that wasn't decorated in shades of red and pink, hearts and flowers everywhere. But Blaine didn't mind. He held onto the small bouquet of roses and waited, eyes wandering from the busy sidewalk to the entrance to the Condé Nast building as he waited for Kurt.

He finally caught sight of him coming out as he talked to a petite, lovely woman in heels long and sharp enough to poke a man's eye out. The way she smiled at Kurt as he talked told Blaine it had to be the famous Isabelle Wright.

Kurt laughed and looked away from Isabelle, his eyes finding Blaine. The way his face lit up made Blaine's heart jump in his chest. He murmured something to his boss, and then Isabelle was also looking at him and grinning.

Blaine tightened his grip around the flowers. He wasn't sure how much Kurt had told her about them, and he wondered if he was about to find yet another person who would judge them based on appearances.

He forgot all about his sudden reservation as soon as Kurt got to his side and he leaned in and pressed a sweet little kiss to his cheek, smiling as if Blaine had hung the moon in the sky. "Hi Blaine," he whispered. "This is Isabelle Wright, my fabulous boss. Isabelle, this is Blaine, my boyfriend."

"Miss Wright, it's lovely to meet you," Blaine said, offering his hand to hers, who accepted it, so he raised it and pressed a swift kiss to the back of her hand. "Kurt's told me so much about you."

"Well, aren't you a charmer? I can see why Kurt's so endlessly besotted with you," Isabelle said with a smile. "It's so nice to finally meet you. And please, call me Isabelle."

"Isabelle," Blaine nodded politely. "Hope you two had a nice day at the office?"

"We did," Isabelle replied and reached out to squeeze Kurt's arm lovingly. "I would be lost without this one."

"Oh, I know the feeling…" Blaine muttered, looking up at Kurt, who blushed under the attention.

"Okay, stop it, you two," he said with an eye roll, but he was clearly pleased.

"Just telling it how it is, darling," Blaine said as he wrapped his free arm around Kurt's waist to pull him a little closer. Isabelle was smiling at them like she had won the lottery. "Isabelle, we're taking a cab downtown. Can we take you anywhere?"

"That's sweet of you, Blaine, thank you," she said. "But I'm meeting some friends in the Upper East Side, so I'm heading in the opposite direction. You two lovebirds have fun, though."

They said goodbye and watched Isabelle walk away at a brisk pace – something Blaine couldn't help being impressed with, considering just how uncomfortable her shoes looked – before they turned to each other, still smiling.

"These are for you," Blaine said, handing Kurt the bouquet. "Thank you again for the presents. You really didn't have to."

"I wanted to," Kurt murmured, burying his nose in the roses to take in their scent. "You're always spoiling me. It's time I start doing the same, don't you think?"

"You spoil me just by being with me," Blaine said with a quick chuckle, looking down the street to see if he could spot any available cabs.

"So, downtown, huh?" Kurt asked. "Where exactly in downtown?"

Blaine flagged down a cab and opened the backseat door for Kurt before he slipped in himself. "Hi, Barclay and Church St., please," he said to the driver, before he turned back to Kurt, who was looking at him curiously. "Why do you want me to ruin the surprise?"

Kurt pouted, which just did things to Blaine and it was unfair. "I just want to know if I'm dressed appropriately."

"Kurt, you're always dressed appropriately. You look stunning," he leaned in to kiss his cheek, and then sighed. "Okay, fine. So, I booked a room at the Four Seasons. We're having a couple's massage at the spa, then dinner at CUT, and then just spending a really nice night together in a beautiful hotel room."

Kurt's eyes widened. "Oh my god, are you serious? That sounds amazing!"

"Yeah?" Blaine muttered, and Kurt nodded eagerly. He exhaled in relief. Ever since their first date, he had been worried he would do the wrong thing when it came to their dates. Now he knew that Kurt wouldn't just walk away if he messed up, but he still wanted Kurt to enjoy himself. "So you're not mad I went over budget?"

"Let's agree we can go over budget when it comes to special occasions, okay?" Kurt said, cupping his cheek and bringing him in for a brief kiss. "Plus, now that I have a decent job, I want to do some spoiling of my own…"

Blaine bit his lip, his grin threatening to get indecently wide. "Really? You want to spoil me?"

"Honey, you have no idea," Kurt said with a little wink. "Oh, and once we're in our room, we need to discuss that picture you sent me today."

Blaine smirked at him. "I have absolutely no idea what you mean."

"Sure you don't," Kurt rolled his eyes again. It was funny – with Cooper, it drove him mad to the point of wanting to push his brother off a cliff, but with Kurt… oh, how he loved that sassy eye roll.

It was the best Valentine's day of Blaine's life, even better than anything he could have imagined. Kurt was loose and pliant after their massage, full and satisfied after their dinner, beautiful as he stood by the large window in their room to take on the view, letting Blaine wrap his arms around him from behind. And they kissed and kissed and kissed, for once feeling at peace with the world, forgetting about whatever was outside this room, because for now? For tonight? It couldn't touch them. Deadlines and brothers behaving weirdly and fathers who didn't quite approve and work being insane and roommates being unbearable would return in the morning, but right now it was just the two of them – just the two of them as they stripped off their clothes and kissed every inch of each other's skin, and then Blaine gently pushed Kurt's front to the large window, before he got to his knees and kissed him where no one had kissed Kurt before, until he begged for more, and more, and more, a babbling mess that was all his, the city and its undying lights at his feet.

They fucked long and slow on the large king-sized bed, taking their time, and starting over again once their pleasure peaked. They took a bath together and he let Kurt wash his hair, straddling his lap, his chest covered in white, jasmine-scented foam, and Blaine slipped right back into him, still stretched and ready for him, and the water splashed over the edge as Kurt rode him. Afterwards they dried themselves and didn't bother putting on any clothes, just headed straight back to bed and kissed until they were ready to go again, Blaine on all fours and biting onto the pillow to keep from screaming.

Sated and exhausted, tangled together, sharing sweet little kisses, they drifted off to sleep well past midnight, three little words stuck right on the tip of their tongues and saved for another time.


Standing in front of the mirror, Kurt regarded his reflection critically, before he shook his head in disapproval and undid the tie to exchange it for a thin, black one. It looked better with his perfectly tailored black suit and crisp white shirt. Still, Kurt wasn't satisfied – ah, a splash of color. That was what was needed.

He was searching for a pocket square in his dresser drawer when Rachel pulled his grey curtains aside and came into his room.

"Knock, knock," she said, because she knew how much Kurt hated the lack of walls and a proper door. "Do I look okay?"

Kurt turned to inspect her and sighed. "Rachel, that's a sundress."

"It's cute!" She exclaimed, running her hands over the pale yellow dress.

"You look like a toddler going on a church picnic on a spring Sunday," Kurt said, because he had been done sugarcoating things for her years ago. "It's February. Do you want to freeze to death?"

Rachel grimaced. She was very proud but she knew better than to contradict Kurt when it came to fashion. "No. Okay, then help me? I don't know what to wear."

"Get the long sleeved black cocktail dress I made you buy last year for the winter showcase," Kurt said, as he returned to the mirror with the pocket square. "With the black pumps I got you for your birthday."

"Isn't it too much for a birthday party?" She asked, unsure.

"Rachel, this is Cooper Anderson's birthday party," Kurt replied tiredly. "It's not a barbecue birthday in Ohio. There might be paparazzi and celebrities, do you really want to dress down for this?"

She raised her hands in defeat. "You're right." She looked at him for a moment. "You look tense. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Kurt said, arranging the pocket square just so. It had shades of green and blue, the perfect disruption to his otherwise very classic ensemble. "This is just the first time I'm attending an event as Blaine's boyfriend, and it's his brother's birthday, on top of it. I just want it to be perfect. I don't want to make a fool of myself or anything."

Rachel smiled as she came to his side and squeezed his shoulder. "I'm pretty sure there's nothing to worry about. You already met Cooper and Blaine is clearly crazy about you."

It sent shivers down his spine, that Rachel thought that. At first, they had been worried about how people would look at them and judge them because of the obvious age difference, but now… now he wondered if they all could see how well they fit together and all the ways in which they were perfect for each other instead.

Kurt was about to reply when his curtains were pulled open again – damn curtains – and Santana walked in, a vision in dark red, looking like she had just walked out of the cover of a magazine.

She looked at Rachel with an arched eyebrow. "That's what you're wearing?" She asked in contempt, before she turned to Kurt. "And you're letting her?"

"No, she's going to go change into the black cocktail dress, right?" Kurt said purposefully. Rachel rolled her eyes but nodded. "Santana, I didn't even hear you come in. When did you get home?"

"Like an hour ago," she said, as she sat carefully on the edge of his bed, mindful of her long dress. "I actually… have news." Rachel and Kurt turned expectantly towards her. "I gave Gunther my two weeks' notice today."

Kurt smiled at her. "Really? Santana, that's amazing! Does that mean the show's going really well?"

"Well, I made it through to the next stage yesterday, and the rehearsals and performance schedules are about to get really crazy, especially with the live shows starting in March. So…" She shrugged. "I'm betting on myself. I can't perform as well as I hope if I'm exhausted from working double shifts." She ran her hands over her dress, straightening it, looking a little nervous. "I actually… until I see what happens with this, money's going to be a little tight for me, so…"

"We'll help you," Kurt said at once, coming to sit next to her and squeezing her hand. "We might be a little tight for a while, but this is a big opportunity for you. You need to make sure you do everything you can to win this thing. Even if it means taking a little risk."

Santana took a big breath – Kurt knew how hard it was for her to ask for and accept help. She was very, very proud and independent. "Thank you," she whispered.

Kurt looked pointedly at Rachel.

"Oh, yes, of course," Rachel said with a smile. "We got your back."

Santana smiled up at her. "Thanks, but please go get changed before I poke my own eyes out."

Rachel groaned and stomped away towards her room.

Blaine had insisted on sending them a car, so as soon as it arrived, they piled up in the backseat and chatted excitedly all the way to the venue. Kurt knew Blaine had been working very hard planning this party – Cooper had very extravagant tastes when it came to birthday parties, apparently, and Blaine had had to talk him out of having an ice-sculpture of his face made, but he had encouraged the signature cocktails – and they hadn't seen each other much since Valentine's day.

The party was taking place at a really exclusive club in Soho that the Anderson brothers had rented for the night. There was a long line of cars outside, dropping people in fancy clothing at the entrance (Kurt turned to Rachel pointedly and gestured at all the gowns and she rolled her eyes but agreed the sundress had been a terrible idea). Kurt texted Blaine that they were here just before exiting the car and then pocketed his phone as he approached the unusually large man standing guard at the door, with a clipboard in his hands and checking people's names.

"Hi," Kurt said timidly. "Uhm, Blaine Anderson should have put us on the list? I'm Kurt Hummel."

The man didn't say a single word, he just checked the long list of guests until he found his name. "Kurt Hummel, plus two guests," he read, and glanced at Rachel and Santana. "Very well, come in." He opened the door for them and the music spilled out to the streets.

"That's so cool," Santana said under her breath as she followed Kurt inside. "That's some VIP shit right there, Kurt. I can get used to it."

They checked their coats in before stepping into the party, which was already in full swing. The venue was large and elegant, with a long bar on the far wall, already crowded with people asking for drinks. On the opposite side, there was a small stage, where a DJ was playing music and dancing along. There was a metal stair and a railing that overlooked the dancefloor, and Kurt could see the VIP lounges upstairs, with velvet-covered booths. He thought he saw Cooper sitting at one of the tables there, surrounded by beautiful women, but he wasn't sure.

Rachel grabbed his arm. "Where's Blaine?" She asked.

"I don't know," Kurt had to shout back to make himself heard over the sound of the music. "He must be around here…"

Like he had been summoned, Blaine appeared amongst the crowd, gently pushing his way towards them. He looked amazing – he was wearing a suit, too, but he had left his shirt open at the collar, and Kurt could see a little bit of sweat glistening at the base of his throat and his temples, making the little grey hairs get loose from the product and curl up, framing his handsome face. He smiled as soon as he saw them, the laugh lines in his face becoming more prominent in the multicolor lighting of the dancefloor.

God, he was gorgeous. How had Kurt gotten so lucky?

"Hey!" He exclaimed when he reached them, and immediately leaned in to press a kiss to Kurt's cheek. "You are stunning, darling," he said in his ear, and Kurt felt the warmth pooling in his belly as Blaine turned to look at his friends. "Ladies, you look amazing. Thank you so much for coming."

"Thanks for having us," Rachel preened at him. "Will we get to congratulate the birthday boy?"

Kurt rolled his eyes – Rachel had been excited about meeting Cooper all week, claiming that it was unfair that she was the only one who hadn't met him yet.

"Yes, soon, I'm sure," Blaine replied politely. "In the meantime, can I get you guys a drink or something to eat?"

"I'm starving," Santana said. "I didn't have time to eat anything today."

"Why don't you and I go and mingle and find some snacks, huh?" Rachel proposed, grabbing Santana's hand. "Let's leave Kurt and Blaine to it. We'll find you guys in a bit?"

Sometimes Rachel was a great friend. Kurt smiled at her. "Thanks. That sounds good."

They watched them get lost in the crowd before they turned to each other. Kurt threw his arms over Blaine's shoulders and pulled him closer so he could give him a proper kiss. Blaine didn't even hesitate before he wrapped his own arms around Kurt's waist.

"You are so handsome I want to set myself on fire," Kurt laughed. He allowed himself to run his fingers down the column of Blaine's neck, towards his open collar, his fingertips brushing over the bit of chest hair peeking through.

Blaine blushed a bit under the attention. "Please don't set yourself on fire. I'm quite fond of you," he murmured. "But if you're looking to burn a little, maybe we can dance?"

"I'd love that," Kurt said, and let Blaine guide him to the dancefloor.

The song was upbeat and the people around them were jumping and moving along with the rhythm. Blaine immediately pulled him close and they began to undulate together, just enjoying the proximity and allowing themselves to be silly and have fun.

"People are looking at you," Blaine murmured into his ear, after a while, his breath hot against his skin. "They're wondering who that extremely gorgeous guy is and whether they'll get a chance to dance with you and, if they're really, really lucky, maybe take you home at the end of the night…"

"Nope," Kurt said with a little grin. "I'm taken. Also, I'm pretty sure they're looking at you."

"I'm old news, baby," Blaine laughed. "And I can't blame them for looking. You look sinful in that suit. Makes me want to drag you to some dark corner and have my way with you…"

"Oh, tempting," Kurt said, thrusting his hips against Blaine's thigh. If they kept at it, he was going to get hard, but he wasn't sure he cared right now.

Blaine leaned in and kissed him. It was an open-mouthed, needy kiss right from the start, a little possessive. "I missed you this week. What have you done to me, Kurt Hummel? A handful of days without you and I feel like I'm falling apart…"

Kurt sighed in contentment as he let his lips trail up Blaine's jaw towards his temple. "I missed you, too." He looked over Blaine's shoulder and saw that it was true that a few people were looking at them.

He tightened his arms around Blaine. Despite the music being very loud and buoyant, they had slowed down, dancing together as if it were a ballad instead, more focused in holding each other than anything else.

Blaine's hands caressed down his back, settling on the curve right above his ass. "Once this party is over I should be able to go back to my usual schedule, so we can see each other more."

"Can't wait," Kurt said, tilting his head to press a kiss to the spot behind Blaine's ear, the one that drove him crazy. He felt more than heard the groan, echoing from Blaine's chest against his own, and then his hands went down and grabbed his ass. "Blaine Anderson, if I've known how possessive you'd get just because a few people are looking at us, I would have taken you dancing long ago."

He felt Blaine smile against the bare skin of his neck, where he had just dipped his head to kiss it. "I promise I'm not a jealous asshole. I just know the worth of what I have in my arms. I'd be an idiot to let it slip away…"

The hint of arousal that Kurt had started to feel mixed with a rush of affection. "I'm yours. Entirely yours. I thought that was very clear."

Blaine straightened up so he could look Kurt in the eyes. It took Kurt's breath away, the way he looked at him, like he was something precious and unbelievable. "Kurt, I…"

A waitress tapped Blaine's shoulder, breaking them away from the bubble they had created for themselves in the last few minutes. Blaine, a bit dazed, glanced away from Kurt and towards her.

"Mr. Anderson, I'm sorry to bother you. Apparently there's a problem with the cake and they need you in the kitchen," she informed him.

Blaine nodded. "Thank you. I'll be right there." As she left, he sighed and turned back to Kurt. "Sorry, darling. Duty calls. Want me to help you find Rachel and Santana before I leave?"

Kurt held onto Blaine's hand as they walked out of the dancefloor. He looked around and found the girls were actually near the bar, just taking in their surroundings and talking to each other. "No need. I see them."

"Okay," Blaine said, and pressed one more kiss to his cheek, clearly reluctant to let go. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Blaine headed in the opposite direction as Kurt reached Santana and Rachel, each of them with a bright colored drink in their hands.

"I still think you two should do porn," Santana commented. "Even your dancing is erotic."

Kurt ignored her comment. "Have you found anything to eat? I'm so hungry."

"No, we could go now, though…" Rachel said, looking around, trying to find where the food was.

"Oh, hey, look," Santana said, gesturing to something behind Kurt. "There's Cooper."

They turned and saw Cooper making their way to the bar. Judging by how he was walking, it was obvious he'd had a few drinks already. People kept stopping him to say hello and hug him, which Cooper did gladly, a showman's smile on his face.

As he passed by where they were standing, Kurt took a step forward to get his attention. "Hi, Cooper! Happy birthday!" He said with a smile. This was his boyfriend's brother, his only family. Kurt really wanted to make an effort to fit in.

But Cooper, who had been smiling goofily until then, suddenly looked serious. He moved towards Kurt, frowning. "What are you doing here?"

Kurt faltered. "Oh. Blaine invited me… I'm sorry, I thought you knew I was coming…"

Cooper snatched a glass of champagne out of the tray of a passing waitress and downed it in one big gulp. "Well, no. I didn't know. I gave him a very specific guest list."

Kurt shifted uncomfortably in his spot. "I'm so sorry. I just wanted to…"

"But it would make sense that he would invite you," Cooper shrugged. "He clearly can't do a single fucking thing these days without you being involved in some way…"

"Look, Cooper," Kurt started awkwardly. "I didn't mean to…"

"I don't care. It's fine," Cooper laughed bitterly. "It's totally fine. He'll get bored soon, I'm sure. He'll get sick of fucking you and will go back to actually being good at his job, because let's be real, it's your fault he's been so lousy at it. Ever since he met you, he's distracted and never has time for anything anymore. But like I said, it's fine. He'll remember that there are more important things than the young and pretty boy toy he got for himself."

Kurt felt as if he had been slapped. If it had been anyone else, he would have probably returned the slap, either literally or verbally, but this was Cooper. This was Blaine's brother. And he hadn't expected him to say such awful things…

"Cooper, I don't think you should talk to Kurt that way," Santana interceded, staring at him in shock.

Cooper turned to her and the way he looked at her… he would've looked at an insect with more respect. "You're here too? What the fuck is this?"

"Don't be rude, we're just…" Santana tried to say.

"It's my fucking birthday and I don't want to be stuck with you here, too," Cooper said coldly, as he grabbed yet another glass of champagne, almost making the waitress carrying the tray trip. "I'm already stuck with you at work. The only reason I chose you was because I thought you'd be easy to get into bed – let's be honest, you look the part – but it was obviously nothing but a waste of my time."

Santana inhaled sharply, and it was obvious she had also felt it like a slap.

"You have no right to talk to us this way," Kurt managed to say, even though it seemed like finding his voice was the hardest thing right now. "We did nothing wrong, and I don't think Blaine would…"

"Don't worry about what Blaine would or wouldn't think," Cooper interrupted him. "What? You think he's actually got feelings for you? Because he doesn't. He wouldn't. He could have any guy he wants, and the only reason he's with you is because you're certainly showing him a good time…" He looked Kurt up and down, making him feel so dirty he wanted to hide. "And I know exactly what you are. I know your kind. You're just making sure you get something out of him, aren't you? What is it? Connections? Money? My brother may still be an idiot when it comes to choosing boyfriends but I see right through you. So if it's a fat, juicy check you're after, then let me tell you, you're getting nothing at all. So enjoy being my brother's little fuck toy while you can…"

"Cooper!" Blaine said, appearing right at his brother's back, eyes wide and scandalized. Cooper spun around, almost losing balance. "What the hell did you just say to him?" He asked, anger seeping through every word.

Kurt, hands shaking, reached out for Blaine to calm him. "Blaine, it's fine."

"No, it's not fine," Blaine said, coming to stand in front of Kurt as if wanting to shield him. He put a finger on his brother's chest. "You don't get to talk to my boyfriend like that. Who the fuck do you think you are?"

"Blaine," Cooper said, voice as shaky as Kurt's hands. "I'm just looking out for you."

"No, you're not!" Blaine screamed, and now people were starting to turn towards them. "That's not looking out for me. I know you can be a selfish asshole, but this is a whole new level for you. I'm disappointed, Cooper."

Cooper reached out for him, trying to grab his arm, eyes a little unfocused. "Blaine…"

"Don't touch me," Blaine snarled. He shook his head. "I can't even stand to look at you right now." He reached behind himself and grabbed Kurt's hand, who gave it to him as willingly as ever. "You know what? We're leaving. Enjoy your birthday, Cooper, if you manage not to drive away every single person who cares about you."

"No," Cooper said in a pathetic little voice. "Blaine, no, wait… don't go…"

But Blaine was already tugging on Kurt's hand to get him to follow, Santana and Rachel close behind them, wordless.


Cooper stood there, right on the edge of the dancefloor, watching his brother walk away, pulling his boyfriend by the hand, realizing he was having trouble breathing. The empty champagne glass he was still holding got thrown against the wall without him even noticing what he was doing.

Turn around, Cooper thought, watching his brother's retreating back. Turn around, Blaine, come back.

But Blaine left, without even a second glance in his direction.

Everything Cooper had been feeling lately – every pressure, every doubt, every moment of weakness and vulnerability – seemed to rush at him at once. His chest hurt. Blaine was everything he had… if he walked away… if Cooper pushed him away…

People were staring. At least the ones who had noticed something was going on. Hundreds of pairs of eyes on him, and for the first time in years Cooper couldn't keep the mask on. It fell and shattered just like the glass of champagne. He felt naked, like everyone could stare right through him, read everything he had always kept hidden, find the fears and the pain he kept buried deep inside of him.

Cooper had always been so, so careful. His façade had been his salvation. He made sure to always be surrounded by others so his thoughts would get drowned. He made sure to find enough distractions so he didn't have to actually look at his own life and see how empty it was. And now…

Now he couldn't stand this. He couldn't keep hiding in plain sight. He couldn't let anyone see him anymore.

It was time to break.

"Get out!" He screamed, so loud it seemed to rip his throat, and the crowd hushed, to the point where more and more people began to notice something was going on, until even the music faltered and died, the DJ paralyzed on the stage, every gaze on him. "Get out! Now! Everyone out, party's over! Get out!"

People began to leave, slowly at first, still looking at him curiously, which only made Cooper feel worse. He crossed the venue towards the stage, the DJ quickly getting out of his way, and noticed the cake had just been rolled out in a cart, a huge mountain of white buttercream with his name written in golden letters, stars everywhere.

He pushed it off the stage with a scream, and the ones who had dwelled to watch him ran away, muttering under their breaths, until the venue was empty and quiet and Cooper sat on the edge of the stage and finally, finally, finally, broke down.


For a while, they just walked.

Blaine had no idea where he was going, he just knew he needed to move, to put some distance between himself and his brother. The only thing that kept him grounded was Kurt's hand in his, so he held on for dear life.

After what felt like forever, they came across a burger joint – it was empty enough to look inviting, and the girls had started complaining about getting blisters, their shoes too uncomfortable to walk, if they didn't sit down at once. Blaine had almost forgotten they were with them. He felt bad, so he held the door open so Kurt, Santana and Rachel could walk in, immediately sighing in contentment at the warmth that came out of the diner.

They sat at a booth, he and Kurt on one side, the girls in the other, and silence fell on them.

Rachel was the only one brave enough to break it. "Uhm, why don't we eat something?" She said, glancing around at them. "Santana, you said you didn't eat anything today, so… what about you, boys?"

"Sure," Kurt muttered, but he was looking at his hands, pressed together on the edge of the table.

"Blaine?" Rachel turned to him, eyes a little wide, as if unsure if she was supposed to talk to him or not.

"Yeah," Blaine replied, and the one word felt like a struggle, but he managed to find a little smile for her. "That'd be nice."

"I wonder if we have to go up to the counter or if a waiter will come and take our order…" Rachel began to babble, clearly trying to diffuse the tension. "Don't you hate it when the ordering protocol isn't obvious? It can make things so awkward. Of course, I prefer it when the server comes to the table, like we do at the diner, because it makes you feel like…"

"Rachel," Santana said in a low voice, none of her usual snark present. "Please, stop talking."

Rachel shut up at once.

Blaine ran a hand through his hair, which was surely already a mess. "I'm so sorry," he said at last. "Cooper had no right to talk to you like that. I don't know what's wrong with him."

Kurt sighed and slipped a hand under the table, resting it on Blaine's thigh, a comforting little weight. "You have nothing to apologize for."

"Of course I do," Blaine retorted, and he felt so angry. He had only heard a few words, but he had gotten enough of a gist to know that what he had missed hadn't been nice either. "I invited you, and then my brother acted like that…"

"It's his birthday," Kurt said in a monotone. "We shouldn't have come. We're not his friends, or his family…"

Blaine glanced at him. He looked pale, even for Kurt. "Don't say that," he whispered.

Before he could say anything else, a bored-looking waiter approached their table to drop off some menus and take their orders. Santana ordered a triple decker burger, extra fries and a chocolate milkshake. By the scared look on Rachel's face, Blaine assumed it wasn't usual for her – maybe Cooper had said something to Santana, too?

Unable to stop himself, he hid his face in his hands. It was like all the exhaustion that had been building in him for the past couple of weeks – hell, for the past couple of decades – finally managed to catch up with him.

"I'm so embarrassed," he muttered, and felt Kurt's hand shifting to rub his back.

"Honey, it's fine," Kurt said softly. "You did nothing wrong. And Cooper was clearly drunk, so… maybe he didn't mean any of that stuff." He didn't sound very convinced when he said it.

"He meant every word," Santana said quietly, and the other three turned to her.

"What did he say to you?" Blaine asked warily.

"It doesn't matter," Santana shrugged. "At least it was honest."

"Santana…" Blaine started to say, but she shook her head.

"Look, I don't have to deal with him ever again if I don't want to, but Kurt's your boyfriend and he got the worst of it," Santana said, and Kurt tried to shush her, but she ignored him. "I may act like a heartless bitch most of the time, but these two are my family. If Cooper has a problem with Kurt…"

"I'll talk to him," Blaine said at once, and he felt so, so, so endlessly tired. "I really don't know what's gotten into him." He turned to Kurt before he added: "He won't talk to you in that way ever again. I promise you that."

"Blaine, he's your brother. I don't want to cause trouble between you two," Kurt said.

The waiter returned with their food, and for a while, it was the perfect excuse not to keep talking. Rachel looked like a deer caught in the headlights, eyes going from one to the other, as if expecting them to burst into tears or start yelling at each other. It made Blaine dread whatever Cooper had said before he got there, because what he heard had already been bad, and he didn't want to think there had been something worse than accusing Kurt of being some sort of gold-digger.

He wanted to kill his brother.

Santana was the only one who ate with voracious hunger, Rachel picking at fries and sipping at her own milkshake at a slower pace, while Kurt mostly turned his food around and Blaine couldn't really stomach anything.

"I need to go to the restroom," Santana said when she was done, before turning to Rachel. "Come with me?"

Rachel nodded eagerly and followed her, clearly grateful to have an excuse to escape the awkwardness that had settled over the table.

Blaine immediately turned a bit on the seat and wrapped his arm around Kurt, bringing him closer. He cupped his face and pulled him into a deep, yearning kiss, wanting to erase the bitterness of the night and make it better. A kiss seemed like a good place to start. Kurt kissed him back easily, like it was second nature to him, like he couldn't not kiss Blaine.

When he pulled away, Blaine rested their foreheads together, content to just breathe with him for a moment, until he murmured: "Whatever Cooper said to you, it's not true."

Kurt's fingers found the lapels of Blaine's jacket and held on for dear life, as if afraid he would fall if he didn't grab at him. He nodded, but Blaine could tell there was still something bothering him. Something he couldn't shake off.

"Do you want to tell me what it was?" He asked.

"It doesn't matter," Kurt replied quietly. "Like you said. It's not true. Right?"

It looked like Kurt needed the confirmation, and Blaine really wished he knew exactly what Cooper had said so he could reassure him, but at the same time... did he really want to know just how poisonous his brother could be?

"Remember when we were dancing?" Blaine whispered, because it somehow felt like it had been years ago and not just a couple of hours ago. How quickly a night could transform into something so entirely different...

"Yes, I remember," Kurt said, but his eyes were sad.

"Just keep dancing with me, darling," Blaine pleaded. There was something building in his throat, a ball of emotion that threatened to break him into a million pieces. "Don't ever stop dancing, okay?"

Kurt's smile wasn't as bright as it usually was. "I won't."

Blaine kissed his forehead. "Good. Because I'm entirely yours, too."

Kurt's arms slipped around his shoulders, and he held him, face buried in the crook of his neck, until the girls returned.

Then they all went home, because the party was over.


Blaine's house was dark and silent when they arrived. As soon as they crossed the front door, it seemed like they had walked into another world, one where it was safe, a beautiful haven where it was just the two of them and nothing else mattered.

Blaine turned the hallway light on as Kurt stood by the front door, unmoving. "Do you want a glass of water or anything from the kitchen? Maybe some tea?"

Kurt shook his head and watched Blaine walk further into the house, turning lights and dropping his coat as he went. He pressed his back against the door and closed his eyes for a moment.

He'll get bored soon, I'm sure.

Cooper's words had kept repeating themselves in his mind ever since they had walked out of the club, and no matter how hard he tried...

What? You think he's actually got feelings for you? Because he doesn't. He wouldn't. He could have any guy he wants, and the only reason he's with you is because you're certainly showing him a good time…

… he just couldn't ignore them.

He knew Blaine felt something for him. Maybe it wasn't love, maybe not yet... but it was more than just lust, it was more than just the sex. Men who only care about getting you into bed don't take care of you when you get mugged, don't listen to you talk over and over again about the things that trouble you at work and school, they don't celebrate Christmas a couple of days late just so they can be with you on the holidays. They don't send flowers to your office and try to charm your boss and your friends and are willing to meet your family...

They don't call you darling and look at you like the whole world starts and ends with you.

Blaine was so much more than that. Blaine was...

Was it too soon to say he was the love of Kurt's life? Because it felt like it. It felt like Kurt was standing right on the edge of something wonderful, and all he had to do was jump and it would be his.

He'll remember that there are more important things than the young and pretty boy toy he got for himself.

They had been apart two weeks and it had been as if the world had ended. It couldn't be just Kurt. Blaine had felt it, too. He was sure of it.

But if there was one person who knew Blaine better than Kurt did, it had to be his own brother, right? So what if Cooper...?

"Hey," Blaine said, as he came back down the hallway. He frowned when he saw Kurt was still standing in the very same spot. "Are you alright?"

Kurt reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him close. He breathed him in – the scent of his cologne, a mix of something citric and sandalwood, and the simple scent of his skin, that made Kurt feel like he was home.

"Take me to bed?" Kurt whispered a little brokenly, but he smiled a little when Blaine pulled away to look at him, clearly worried. "I just need to hold you, that's all."

Blaine studied him carefully, like he was trying to find another explanation on Kurt's face, something he wasn't saying. "I will always hold you, Kurt," he said, and it sounded like a promise Kurt never wanted him to break.

Blaine was right – they just needed to keep dancing, for as long as the music was playing.

Kurt hoped the music kept playing on forever.


Another very eventful chapter! I can't wait to see what you guys think.

Thank you for reading and I'll see you on Saturday (a little later than usual because I'm visiting my cousins and seeing Eternals this weekend, so please be patient!).

Love,

L.-