Blaine was impressed when he was finished with the lyrics to the song in just under 15 minutes. He didn't think the words had ever flowed that easily or come out that perfectly. He was sure there would be almost no revisions required, and he wasn't entirely sure he'd actually let someone change the song if they tried. His head was already swimming with melodies, and he couldn't keep the new words out of his brain; they were repeating on a continuous loop, sparking ideas as they circled.
Lying back down on his side, he faced Kurt, propping his head up on his arm and watching him with a contented smile on his face, humming what he was pretty sure was becoming the melody to the chorus of the song.
Kurt awoke less than an hour later and after giving Blaine a few lazy kisses and a quick "Love you," he tumbled out of bed and headed into the shower.
Blaine knew he should start packing. After all, the bus was leaving early that morning for Lincoln, Nebraska. They had another gig that night before heading up to Chicago for their final performance of the first leg of their tour. Then, they had almost a week off before they were heading to Colorado. But Blaine didn't really feel like getting up. So, he laid on his back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, humming the song he'd written that morning. That is until a beautiful, clear voice sounded through their hotel room. It was Kurt.
"Ooh, your love is a symphony
All around me
Running through me
Ooh, your love is a melody
Underneath me
Running to me
Your love is a song"
Does he know what I was doing this morning? Blaine questioned, sitting up on his elbows a little. He loved Kurt's voice. It was so gorgeous, and he hit every note perfectly, strong and exacting, full of emotion and wonderfully dynamic. That was when an idea popped into head, a perfect idea that he was suddenly itching to give wings to. He would have to talk to the rest of the guys about it, but he didn't think he would have any problem getting everyone else on board with his plan.
The day after their show in Lincoln was busy because finally, finally they were having the interview where they were going to reveal that Eli had been let go from the group and Kurt was taking his place. The boys had also decided that they weren't going to do any hiding or try to keep their secret from the world. Fans of Warbler Attack already knew that Jeff and Nick and Elliot and Sebastian were together, soulmates. Why should Kurt and Blaine hide when there was nothing to be ashamed of?
Kurt was nervous as they waited for the interviewer to show up. They'd decided that they were going to record the interview so it could be released as both a print article and a video online. Neither of them wanted to deal with the extra fuss a full live camera crew or a trip to a TV station would bring into their lives when their relationship was still so new. They just wanted the info out. "What if I mess up?" Kurt asked, pacing back and forth. "What if I say something I'm not supposed to? What if they ask me something I don't know how to answer?"
"Kurt," Blaine said, catching his arm as he went by again. He pulled the other man to a stop, stepping around to stand in front of him. "Everything's going to be fine. We gave them a list of questions that they're supposed to ask, and you and I have gone over them and the things you can say several times. I'm going to be right beside you, and you can always just turn to me if you don't know how to answer something. I'll be the first to admit that initial interviews are difficult. Hell, the first few are tough because you're nervous about saying the right thing. But you're going to do great. I promise." He squeezed his hand comfortingly before pulling him in close for a hug. "I love you so much," he whispered into his ear. "I know you're going to be fine."
"Thanks for being there for me," Kurt whispered against Blaine's head. "I don't think I could do this without you next to me. And I love you, too."
"I'll always be here for you. Promise," Blaine replied, pressing a quick kiss to Kurt's cheek before pulling away. "She's coming," he commented quietly, nodding in the direction of the approaching reporter.
The woman was thin and blonde, tall and prim, but she had a smile on her face. "Hello, boys," she greeted warmly, sticking out a hand toward them. "My name is Holly Holiday. I'm from Entertainment Weekly, and I've been told you two have quite the juicy story for me. Are we revealing a budding new romance?" she asked, arching an eyebrow at them, eyeing the way they were still turned toward each other to soak up the other's presence. It was like a hug without touching, and Holly could see right through it.
"Oh, I like her," Blaine whispered into Kurt's ear as he reached forward to shake her hand. "Are we so obvious?" he asked louder. "We do have quite a lot to tell you. Shall we sit?"
"Please," Holly said, taking Kurt's hand in hers, too, for a moment. "I have lots of questions for you, but first I've got to ask... How long have you two been an item?" She looked back and forth between the two of them before letting her gaze settle on Kurt. "You're the newcomer here, am I right? The addition to the band. You can answer the questions." She flipped to a new page in her notebook and turned on her recorder before settling back in her seat and repeating her question. "So, how long have you two been an item?"
Kurt swallowed hard, his throat suddenly feeling very dry now that he was faced with talking openly about his and Blaine's relationship right off the bat. He'd thought he'd have some time to warm up to that topic, get to know Holly before he had to dive right in. But Fate didn't seem to be on his side in this, and he felt his face flushing as he struggled to figure out what to say.
"Actually," Blaine jumped in, "we'd really like to do this interview together, please. It's important to us. And, we'd like to start with band news. Then, we can get to 'us' if you'd like."
Holly sighed. "Taking all the fun out of my job," she complained good-naturedly. "Very well then. Tell me about the band. You've lost a member and replaced him, correct?"
Blaine nodded, taking this one on. "That's right. Eli Crocker was our bassist and an original member of our band. Unfortunately, due to some…" He trailed off, searching for the right words. "...some incompatibilities between the remaining bandmates and he, the decision was made for Eli and Warbler Attack to part ways."
"A mutual agreement, I take it?"
"I'm not really at liberty to discuss the details," Blaine replied. "Our label has asked us to keep many of the details under wraps until the legalities have been sorted out. We just wanted to let our fans know that we've added a new member to our band and, unfortunately, said goodbye to a familiar face."
"Ah, yes. You, then," Holly said, turning once again to Kurt. "Tell me about you. What's your name? Where are you from? Your background. How you met Blaine. I want to know everything. Spare no detail."
"W-well, my name is Kurt Hummel. I-I'm from Li-Lima, Ohio, a little town there. And, I, um, well, I, uh, went to the-the same school as-as Blaine did before he-he, um, he became, well, a-a rockstar."
Instead of saying anything further or commenting on the info she had just received, Holly leaned forward and shut off the recorder, settling herself with her elbows on her knees. "Listen-Kurt, wasn't it?" When he nodded, she went on. "Listen, Kurt. I know you're nervous, but all this stuttering around is going to make it impossible for me to sift through and find something good to write down about you. You're lucky there aren't camera crews here today. My boss wanted a live interview, but I talked him out of it for this exact reason. I get that you're scared. You're nervous. Doing an interview like this goes against every instinct in your body to keep things about yourself private. But if you want to be a part of this Hollywood, rock star, glamorous world, you've got to get comfortable with people knowing a little bit about you, being able to pick your face and your name out of the other millions of faces and names on this planet. I don't want you to bare your soul or give me your address and social, but I do need you to give me something. Confidently. If you can't do that, Kurt, you're not going to last long in this business, even if you are attached to your soulmate. Just be yourself. Be genuine and true to who you are. You don't have to reveal that much. Just give them something to make the band's fans feel like they know you. All they're looking for is a bit of a connection to you. After that, you can be as private as you want. And you should be. It just takes a bit more at the start. Okay?"
Kurt felt a little like his head was spinning; Holly talked fast and frank, and he liked that about her. It was just a lot to take in at once. Still, he nodded his head. "I'll try," he replied. "Thanks for the pep talk." He felt Blaine's hand land on his shoulder, giving him a few squeezes before sliding down his arm to his elbow and resting there.
"Courage," Blaine told him quietly. "I'm right here."
Kurt nodded, squaring his shoulders, and Holly seemed to take that as a sign that she should start the recording again. "My name is Kurt Hummel. I grew up in Lima, Ohio, not too far from where Blaine grew up. It was just my mom and me for most of my childhood, and when I graduated from high school, I attended Dalton Academy for college. While I was there, I met Bl-" Out of the corner of his eye, Kurt saw Blaine subtly shaking his head, a cue they'd set up to let each other know they were about to reveal something they shouldn't. "I, uh, I met a professor in one of my music classes who introduced me to the band, and I've been a fan of Warbler Attack ever since."
"It must be quite a change, going from fan to band member. How did that happen?"
"It's kind of a long story," Kurt answered slowly, turning to look at Blaine. He didn't know how much he was allowed to say.
"I met Kurt after Legends Festival, and it was around that same time that Eli left us. So, having heard Kurt perform, he was a natural choice to replace Eli."
"Right place at the right time, I guess," Holly commented, not sounding at all like she believed that was the entire story. "Kurt, tell us about your credentials. Why are you qualified to be in the band?"
"Honestly, I don't think I am," Kurt told her. "Because of the small number of choices for majors at Dalton, I chose photography as mine. But I taught myself to play guitar and sing while I was in high school, and I guess Blaine thought I was good enough to join. So, that's all the credentials I need to have." He sounded far more confident than he felt.
Holly smiled. "The two of you must be so in love," she commented. "Are you both ready to talk about that yet?"
Blaine shook his head. "Not quite. Finish your questions about the band." When Holly looked like she was about to protest, he added, "I've been through plenty of these interviews before. I know there are always a million questions." He gave her a tiny smile, hoping she'd see that he was just trying to guide the interview along.
"Fine. Kurt, how old are you? The fans always love to know."
"I'm 21. Almost 22," he admitted.
"So, not old enough to have graduated from college then?"
"Not quite. I just have a semester left, but I've officially quit college. I took a lot of dual credit classes in high school, so I was ahead of schedule. But the band and Blaine are more important now."
"Do you think you'll ever finish?" Holly asked.
Kurt shrugged. "Maybe? I really haven't given that too much thought since I only met Blaine, like, 10 days ago."
Holly's eyes grew wide. "Ten days? That's it? You two look like you've known one another for months at least. Maybe even years. It's really only been 10 days?" She looked at Blaine. "So, you met him after Legends Festival this year? Can we please talk about what's going on between the two of you now? I have to know."
"Fine," Blaine agreed with a sigh. "We do want this information out to the public, at least some of it. So, we'll talk. But I get final approval before publication. Understood?"
"Fine with me," she agreed, settling back. "Tell me everything. How did the two of you meet?"
Kurt eyed Blaine, hoping he'd take this one on, and luckily, he did. "In the bathroom of Marie's Crisis in NYC, following Legends Festival." Blaine could tell Holly was about to comment on how strange a meeting place that was, so he added, "We know it's not your conventional love story, but it's ours."
"Unconventional is right. What do the other members of the band think of Kurt and your relationship to him?"
"The guys have all been really receptive of him. Kurt is a sweet guy, and they could see it from the beginning. It didn't take any convincing."
"All except Eli, I'd imagine," Holly said, raising an eyebrow at Blaine's surprised face. "You can't tell me that Kurt coming into your life and Eli leaving the band, all of it happening around the same time, is nothing more than pure coincidence."
"I guess not," Blaine agreed. "But that does not go into the publication. Kurt just gave me the strength to do something I've needed to do for a while now."
"Understood. So, I assume the two of you are soulmates then. Tell me about that. An instant connection?"
"Pretty much," Blaine agreed. "We spent the whole night after Legends talking at the bar, I invited him to go on tour with us, and he had the guts to show up. The rest is history."
"So, I'm guessing the two of you kissed that first night at the bar. Care to give me the inside scoop on what it's like to kiss the Blaine Anderson?" Holly asked, turning to Kurt. "I'm sure my readers would die for details."
"No. That's private," Kurt answered, shaking his head. "You can convince me that some sharing is necessary, but you'll never make me believe that the fans need us to bare every inch of our souls and expose our entire lives to them or give them the inside scoop on what it's like to kiss the man they idolize. There are just some things that are worth being private." He glanced at Blaine for support, soothed by the other man squeezing his arm. "I will correct your assumption, though," he went on. "Blaine and I did not kiss that night. It wasn't until the following day on the tour bus."
"So, you went on tour with the band after only having known the lead singer for a few hours?" She turned to Blaine. "Your man has balls. You're lucky."
"I definitely am," Blaine agreed.
"I know this might be towing the line, but could I get a picture of your soulmarks for an exclusive? We got pictures of the other couples in Warbler Attack from back when they revealed their connections, and I know my boss is going to want to do some montage of them all together. I think Warbler Attack is the only band I know of that is composed completely of couples."
"I guess…" Kurt answered, eyeing Blaine to be sure he was on board.
The other man smiled.
"Great!" Holly replied, whipping her camera out of her purse. "Let's do that now."
They spoke for a few more minutes after the picture, Holly asking a few more questions about Kurt's favorite Warbler Attack song-
"Rise."
-his favorite song to play-
"Rise."
-and his favorite song to listen to-
"It's a tie between Rise and Blaine's solo version of Teenage Dream."
-and a couple of others.
Holly listened intently and wrote down a few notes in her notebook. Then, she verified she had Blaine's contact info to send him the article for approval. Finally, after she'd gathered up all of her stuff, she once again extended a hand to the boys. "It was wonderful getting to interview the two of you," she said. "You make a wonderful couple, and I'm sure the fans will be overjoyed to hear that you finally found your soulmate, Blaine. I remember seeing a lot of angry comments when we ran the article about you and Eli."
"Really?"
She nodded. "They could tell it wasn't real, that the two of you could barely tolerate one another. They'll be happy this is genuine. And forever."
Blaine nodded. "Thanks for taking time to sit down with us, Holly."
"Yes. Thank you," Kurt chimed in, shaking the woman's hand. "You can't imagine how relieved I feel to finally have all of that laid out for the fans. I don't have to hide anymore."
"No one should ever have to hide who they are or what they mean to someone else. I'm sure that was very hard for you, and I'm honored to be the vehicle for your relief." She smiled warmly at them before turning on her heel and walking off, calling back over her shoulder, "Bye, boys!"
Kurt sighed in heavy relief, sidling over to Blaine and wrapping his arms around him in a hug. "I'm so glad that's over…" he breathed into his neck.
"Me, too," Blaine whispered, circling his arms around Kurt's waist. "I usually don't get nervous for interviews, but this one was about you and… And you're special." He was quiet for a moment before adding, "I never knew the fans disliked me and Eli together so much."
Pulling back abruptly, Kurt looked into Blaine's eyes, searching to see if he was telling the truth. There seemed to be genuine curiosity lurking there. "Really? I figured you guys always knew what was being said about you on the music community blogs."
"There are blogs about us?"
"Yes. Entire blogs dedicated to following your ba-I mean, our bands every move and deciphering what it all means. They became even more rampant when you and Eli announced you were together." Kurt shrugged. "I may have read them a time or two."
"Well, I'd love to hear all about that. Maybe you could show me a few of them?"
"Maybe. For now, though, we need to head back. We promised the rest of the guys we'd have brunch, and you said there was something you wanted to bring up for us to discuss."
"I do," Blaine agreed. "I suppose we should go back." Untwining his arms from around his soulmate's waist, he took his hand instead, and the two of them walked out together.
They met up with Sebastian, Elliot, Nick, and Jeff at a small restaurant in downtown Lincoln. It was cozy and cute, and it smelled heavenly; the scent of cooking bacon and fluffy pancakes filled the air, making their stomachs growl. Luckily for the band, the restaurant had a small party room for them to meet in where they could be secluded and undisturbed while they ate. It was a nice change of pace since there were very few restaurants anywhere they went that were that accommodating.
The rest of the bandmates were full of questions about how the interview had gone, and they all wore excited looks on their faces when Kurt and Blaine filled them in on just what they'd revealed: Eli was out, Kurt was in, and they were officially soulmates. It was so nice to see everyone so happy for them, and it made Kurt feel even more assured that they'd done the right thing.
After their food arrived, it was obvious that the wonderful smells in the air had perhaps influenced them to order a bit too much food. The table was loaded down with stacks of pancakes, piles of perfectly cooked bacon, bowls of fluffy scrambled eggs, plates of biscuits and gravy, fruit and yogurt parfaits, a couple of humongous omelettes, and even a few orders of chicken and waffles. The band had ordered it all, it seemed, and combined with the several cups of coffee they'd all downed, there was no way they could eat it all.
When it appeared that everyone had eaten as much as they wanted-which was probably too much if they were honest with themselves-Blaine stood up, drawing all eyes around the table to him. "I'd like to propose something new for our Chicago show," he said. "As you all know, it's our last tour stop before our short break, and it's also our biggest venue, which is nearly sold out the last time I checked. So, I'd like to give our Chicago fans a show like none that we've done so far on this tour."
There were murmurs of agreement around the table, everyone nodding their heads. Nick eventually piped up, "What did you have in mind, Blaine?"
"Well, I'm still working on an idea that I'm not quite ready to share yet. It's big, though, so before I went any further, I wanted to make sure I'd have all of your approval. The other part, though, is that I think we should make a couple of our songs duets."
"Like which ones?" Elliot asked.
"And, who do you think should sing them? Or did you want to find another new member?" Jeff inquired, his second question coming out almost like a tease.
Blaine shook his head, taking both questions seriously. "No one else. Our band feels complete with just the number of people we have; I don't want to disrupt our little family by trying to bring someone else in. And, I was thinking that we could switch off who does the duets for the rest of the tour, but for Chicago…" He trailed off, meeting everyone's eyes. "...for Chicago, I'd like to sing them with Kurt." He glanced at his soulmate bashfully, then looked away as he added, "I was thinking maybe for Rise and Teenage Dream."
"So, you just want to sing with your loverboy," Seb said, a merry twinkle in his eye. He paused then said, "I think it's a great idea."
Jeff, Nick, and Elliot all agreed, tossing out little comments in Blaine's direction of approval and ideas that they had for songs.
Kurt, however, stood up, too, tears pricking at the backs of his eyes. "You guys? I just have to say thank you. I have never felt more accepted for who I am than I do with all of you. Since joining the band 10 days ago, things have been amazing, and despite how much I want to tell you that you don't have to let me sing those duets with Blaine, that I feel it's unfair that I just joined you and I'm already stepping in and taking spots all of you would have otherwise filled, I'm not going to argue with you. Because I know that all of you are genuine, that you wouldn't have agreed that I should sing if you didn't want me to do it. So, just know that I feel honored and blessed to be part of such a wonderful group, to be accepted by such amazing and talented people as all of you. Thank you, guys. You have no idea what you've given to me in such a short time." By the time he'd finished his speech, the tears were running freely down his cheeks and dropping off his chin. He intended to wipe them away, but he found himself being pulled into Blaine's embrace, his cheek pressing against Blaine's hair. The next thing he knew, there were other sets of arms joining Blaine's until all six of them were hugging one another in a show of strength and solidarity that made Kurt's heart burst with love and respect for all of them.
When they all pulled away, Elliot said, "Since we have the day off before we drive to Chicago tomorrow morning, I think we should get boxes for all this delicious food and head back to the hotel. My bed and the TV remote are calling my name."
Everyone jumped into action, getting food into boxes, splitting it up, and catching rides back to their hotel so they could nap.
Exhausted from his emotional and anxiety-filled morning, it didn't take Kurt long to fall asleep, and when he did, Blaine seized the opportunity. Rolling ever so slightly to grab his phone, careful not to disturb the man cuddled against his chest, Blaine opened his email and began to compose a message to send to the band. Well, to everyone except for Kurt. "So, this is what I was thinking for the big idea. But I have one rule: Don't tell Kurt."
The next evening in Chicago, Kurt was nervous. He and Blaine had taken quite a bit of time the previous evening at the hotel and that morning on the bus to practice their duets. They had also rehearsed them again at mic check before the show. Everyone had applauded them, telling them how amazing they sounded together, how wonderfully their voices mixed. It made Kurt blush, and Blaine was grinning from ear to ear. This was going to make his surprise for his soulmate that much better.
When it was almost time for them to go on, Blaine sought out Kurt for one last push of positivity. He knew that, despite what his soulmate said, Kurt was nervous. Blaine was quickly figuring out that Kurt was likely to feel anxiety about any unfamiliar situation, and while Blaine knew he couldn't erase the feeling entirely, he did want to make sure that he did as much as he could to make him feel relaxed. He was positive that as soon as Kurt heard the crowd applaud for them and their duet, he wouldn't be nervous about further duets. He'd already become pretty comfortable on stage with a bass guitar in his hand.
"How are you feeling?" Blaine asked when he found Kurt sitting in a folding chair off to the side of the stage, sipping on a water bottle.
"Okay, I guess?" Kurt said, shrugging. "I know that we sound good together, but I'll just be nervous about it until after it's over. I want it to be perfect for them. And for you."
"Singing with you is going to be perfect, no matter what ends up happening. I promise." Reaching out a hand, Blaine pulled Kurt up onto his feet and into his arms. "I love you," he whispered against his neck. "I love you so much, and you're going to be amazing. I'm so proud of you."
Kurt squeezed him tightly around the middle. "You're the best soulmate any man could ask for." Then, he kissed him. "I think we should go get ready to walk on. Do you have your show smile ready?"
In response, Blaine grinned widely, showing all his teeth. "Always."
The boys sang their duets in the middle of the show, one right after the other. The songs, as predicted, were a huge hit with the fans, and Kurt and Blaine were both beaming by the time they were finished. There was obvious chemistry between them, and both of them were feeling it if the gazes they were giving one another was anything to go by.
Kurt was sad that he had to leave the stage as the next song up was a solo song for Blaine behind the piano. Something new he'd been working on, he'd told the band at mic check. Kurt wanted to stay. No. Scratch that. He really wanted to kiss Blaine right there on stage, in front of the whole world, because damn did singing the songs that he'd loved to listen to Blaine sing, imagining that he was singing the songs to him, turned him on. Kurt desperately wanted to express his gratitude in more ways than one.
So, he was surprised when Blaine sat down at the piano and spoke into the microphone, his voice cutting through the gigantic room loudly and clearly. "Kurt, can you stay on stage with me please?"
Surprised, Kurt turned to look at him, already halfway to the backstage curtain.
"Come over to the piano, please." He gestured to the dip in the Grand Piano and waited until Kurt was standing there before going on. He turned toward the crowd for a moment. "As many of you will soon know, Kurt is something special to me. Someone special. The most important person ever. So…" He turned back to Kurt. "I wrote a song for you, and I'm hoping you'll stay here and listen. Can you do that for me?"
Nodding, Kurt took a deep breath, leaning against the piano. "I'll listen," he said softly, a sentence meant only for Blaine's ears.
Without further conversation, Blaine began playing the piano.
"What would I do without your smart mouth?
Drawing me in, and you kicking me out
You got my head spinning, no kidding, I can't pin you down
What's going on in that beautiful mind?
I'm on your magical mystery ride
And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me, but I'll be alright
My head's underwater but I'm breathing fine
You're crazy and I'm out of my mind"
Blaine was looking Kurt in the eyes, putting everything he had into the song from the first note. His voice was soft and smooth, and it felt to Kurt like a warm blanket wrapping itself around his shoulders, like a gentle kiss to his cheek, like the hot breath of an almost-heated moment on the nape of his neck. He loved it, and Kurt felt his skin prickle as he thought about the possibilities. I can't believe he wrote these words about me…
"'Cause all of me
Loves all of you
Love your curves and all your edges
All your perfect imperfections
Give your all to me
I'll give my all to you
You're my end and my beginning
Even when I lose I'm winning
'Cause I give you all of me
And you give me all of you, oh"
There was one line that stuck out to Kurt: You're my end and my beginning. He almost got stuck on it, but when the thought occurred to him that this line reminded him of a circle, something he had associated with them and their relationship after the hazy dream he'd had only a few nights before, the same dreams he was sure Blaine had had, too. But he shoved the thought to the back of his mind, making a mental note to talk to Blaine about it later, not wanting to miss any of the song.
"How many times do I have to tell you?
Even when you're crying you're beautiful, too
The world is beating you down, I'm around through every mood
You're my downfall, you're my muse
My worst distraction, my rhythm and blues
I can't stop singing, it's ringing in my head for you
My head's underwater but I'm breathing fine
You're crazy and I'm out of my mind"
Kurt was now blinking back tears. This was the most perfect song he'd ever heard, and he knew that this was a song he wanted to hear over and over again, no matter what. Blaine, he thought as he sniffled back tears, how can you be this perfect? I should be singing this to you…
"'Cause all of me
Loves all of you
Love your curves and all your edges
All your perfect imperfections
Give your all to me
I'll give my all to you
You're my end and my beginning
Even when I lose I'm winning
'Cause I give you all of me
And you give me all of you
Give me all of you, oh"
Kurt was now quietly mumbling along as his cheeks grew more and more damp. He didn't know the words, but the melody was calm and soothing. He idly wondered, as he continued to listen, how he could possibly be expected to go back to playing guitar for the remainder of the show after this song. He needed to have a few moments with Blaine. He wasn't likely to get it, but his heart ached for want of those moments anyway.
"Cards on the table
We're both showing hearts
Risking it all
Though it's hard
'Cause all of me
Loves all of you
Love your curves and all your edges
All your perfect imperfections
Give your all to me
I'll give my all to you
You're my end and my beginning
Even when I lose I'm winning
'Cause I give you all of me
And you give me all of you
I give you all of me
And you give me all of you, oh"
As the last notes of the song faded, Kurt rounded the piano, pulling Blaine into his arms. He didn't care that everyone was watching. He didn't care if it was unprofessional. He hugged Blaine tight, whispering how much he loved him in his ear. Then, he kissed him, full on the mouth, deep and passionate, the roar of applause from the crowd a muffled soundtrack in the background as the world around them faded away.
That night, after the concert, the boys were snuggled up under the covers in their hotel room. They'd already had a good romp in the sheets, and they were both waiting to see if they'd feel like it again. Blaine was tracing circles on Kurt's stomach, and Kurt was drawing lazy hearts on Blaine's shoulder. After a few moments of silence, Kurt said, "Blaine, can I talk to you about something?"
"Of course."
"Do you remember the dream you had?" Kurt asked. "The one where we were in the theater, and all the movie posters featured us?"
At that, Blaine sat up a little. "Wait. How do you know about that?"
"Didn't you see me? I was sitting next to you the whole time, watching the screen."
"Of course, I saw you! I just didn't know it was you…"
"What do you think it meant, all those movies we watched?"
Blaine shrugged. "I'm not sure. Dreams don't usually make sense, do they? Is it possible that they were just nonsensical?"
"I suppose," Kurt admitted. "But I think it means something else."
"Like what?"
"Well, this explanation has a lot of layers, so bear with me, please." At Blaine's nod, he went on. "When I was still trying to understand why my dad was taken away from me at such an early age, my mom and I were staying with my grandparents. Mom thought that being around my grandfather would help to ease a bit of the ache I felt for my dad, and surprisingly, I think it did. But that's beside the point. My grandmother always wanted to tuck me in at night, and she was the best at telling stories. She didn't need a book or anything. She could just tell them right off the top of her head. Usually, she told me fairytales and things, but one night, she told a story I'll never forget…"
Blaine scooted in closer to Kurt's body, feeling his soulmate go deeper within himself, trying to find the place that would help him remember the story and each detail he remembered that somehow related to the two of them now.
"She told a story about a young girl falling in love with a prince long before she had ever met him. The girl thought the prince was out of her league, and she was too shy to ever say anything to him when he would pass by her. Well, on the very day she mustered up the courage to talk to him, the prince accidentally bumped into her, sending her flying into a nearby mud puddle. It was that incident that helped the prince to see the young girl was there, how beautiful she was, and how much he wanted her, and they quickly fell in love and got married. Little did they know they were actually soulmates, destined to find each other until those tiny hearts appeared on their wrists a few days before the wedding. The way my grandma told it, they met in the most unlikely of places, but it didn't matter. Their bond was strong. That story she told sounds a lot like our story. The bathroom is a pretty unlikely place."
Chuckling, Blaine nodded. "I would agree."
"So, that made me think about how that story and our story have come together to form one of many circles in my life. Circles are always a symbol I've loved to use because it highlights the continuity of events better than any line connecting two points ever could."
"I really like that," Blaine whispered.
"Tonight, listening to your song, one line struck me in particular: You're my end and my beginning. Like a circle, we are both a start and a finish for each other because there is no beginning and ending point. At least, not really. I feel like I've known you and loved you forever. Which," he took a deep breath, "leads me to the last bit."
Taking one of Kurt's hands into his own, Blaine kissed them softly, offering his silent support.
"The dream that we had, though it's very fuzzy now and I can barely remember any details, I think, was like our circles, other times that we've lived and found each other, just adding more and more rings to our time spent together, the answer to why you've felt so familiar since the moment I first laid eyes on the image of you at Dalton. I know this must sound crazy, but I truly do think you and I have lived and loved before, perhaps even an infinite-"
He was cut off from finishing his sentence by Blaine's mouth covering his, his tongue immediately begging for entrance into Kurt's mouth, his lips unable to kiss without urgency, passion, and need behind them.
It wasn't long before they were once again tangled up in the sheets together, all frantic lips, wandering hands, and searching hips as they climaxed together, calling out each other's names, a moment of pure ecstasy.
All the while, that one word, "infinite," never completely left Blaine's head.
Author's Note: So... Did you catch it? The title of the fic as well as each chapter are lyrics from John Legend's song, All of Me. Did you also catch that the name of Blaine's festival is Legends Festival? I really liked Blaine's performance of this song on the show, and I wanted to feature it in a story at some point. 😊 Hopefully, it's a fun little surprise.
