Author's Note: Hello. Welcome to the very first fic from my hopefully annual Klaine Roulette Challenge. This whole story was a collaborative effort between myself and 14 amazing Klaine authors. For those new to the concept, I wrote the first chapter, then I passed it on to the next author for the next chapter, and then so on.
This story is completely finished, except for some editing, so we will be publishing twice a week. When editing is complete, I plan to publish three chapters a week until the story is all posted. A major shoutout to Teddyshoney for editing this entire story, which was no easy feat. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
We have amazing artwork thanks to GleefulPoppet. I will post it and perhaps some other things on the page made just for this challenge. blog/klaineficroulettetheprom-us. I will also post the chapters on my Fic Rec Page and my regular blog on my Tumblr because I want you guys to be able to find it.
Here's some basic info you will need before reading chapter 1.
-Blaine and Kurt are both in the same year (Juniors) when they meet at Dalton. This takes place when they are seniors at McKinley.
-Blaine never got to finish the "You move me speech, and so they never became a couple.
-This story will take place primarily in season 3 around the time of the Episode Heart and On My Way. Things are canon in seasons 1-2 except for the fact that Blaine and Kurt DID NOT get their act together. Therefore, some things are different.
-Karaofsky does NOT attempt suicide in this story.
-Blaine is the student body president.
Please follow this story so you catch updates and don't forget to drop a review. I'll make sure that I send those reviews to the author. I am so pleased to finally get to share this with all of you. It's been an 8-month process, and I'm so proud of the story we created.
Chapter 1
By GleefulDarrencrissFan
Kurt burst through the doors and immediately had the attention of everyone in the room, his clothing all black and definitely not wearing the Dalton uniform, his face sullen and sad. Is his dad in the hospital again? Has his bully, Karofsky, threatened him again? Whatever problem it was weighing on Kurt, Blaine wished he could will it away so he'd never have to see Kurt's beautiful face so pained.
Wait! Beautiful? Since when do I think of Kurt as beautiful?
Actually, if he was honest, he'd always thought Kurt was gorgeous. Kurt was probably the most attractive boy he'd ever seen. Even when Kurt was crying as he was currently while he explained to the Warblers about the passing of Pavarotti and asked to sing for him, he was breathtakingly beautiful.
Blaine smiled fondly as the Warblers all started joining in with Kurt's beautiful vocals on the haunting ballad.
There was that word again: beautiful. Kurt's voice sounded angelic as he poured his heart out in song. Blaine thought about how much Kurt meant to him, how close they had become in such a short time, about how empty his life would be if he was no longer in it, about how much Kurt's voice moved him, how much he moved him.
It hit him suddenly like a ton of bricks: Kurt moved him. Kurt, his breathtakingly beautiful, bold best friend who made his heart thud rapidly in his chest every time he sang or spoke and every time he smiled at him, that same boy who seemed heartbroken after he admitted that he had thought it was him that Blaine was asking the Warblers to serenade for Valentine's Day. Now, he realized that it should have been Kurt because the way he felt about his new friend was unmistakable. It wasn't like the silly crush he had on Jeremiah because he barely knew the older former Gap manager. This feeling he had was so much deeper and more intense than anything he'd ever felt before, and somehow, it had taken him so off guard. They hadn't really known each other for long at all in the grand scheme of things.
And yet, he knew Kurt's coffee order. He knew about his best friend's dream to move to New York. He was the only one that knew that Karofsky had kissed Kurt that day in the locker room. They had discussed everything from Prop 8 to sex, and though the latter topic was awkward at first, they discussed it and everything else with openness and honesty. He knew Kurt's likes, dislikes, his fashion preferences, his celebrity crushes, and his hopes and dreams for the future. He knew his bad habits and flaws, and none of that mattered. In his eyes, Kurt was perfect.
Now, he realized that, in his own dreams for the future, Kurt was in all of them. It used to be as a friend, and now, as Kurt poured his heart and soul out through song, Blaine knew the reason that he'd taken Kurt's hand that very first day they had met. Because their hands were meant to hold each other's, forever and for always.
He was head over heels, 100 percent in love with his best friend.
And he was going to tell him as soon as he talked to the council about the two of them singing a duet.
—*—
Blaine walked into the room timidly, pausing to ask what Kurt was working on. Kurt explained that he was working on Pavarotti's casket. Blaine told him to finish up so that he didn't lose his courage. He couldn't believe how nervous he was, even though he was fairly confident that Kurt liked him back. The Warblers had all been pissed off at him when they found out that he was singing to Jeremiah on Valentine's Day and not to Kurt. Several of them had lost money because, apparently, there was this huge betting pool amongst the Warblers that they'd get together. Jeff had teased that Blaine had no game. Now, Blaine feared that Jeff was right.
However, he was determined to prove the blonde Warbler wrong as he sat in front of Kurt and explained his song choice of "Candles" and the reason he'd picked him to sing the duet for Regionals. He continued as he placed his hand on top of Kurt's. "Watching you sing 'Blackbird' this week, that was a moment for me about you. You mov-"
"Hey, guys. Emergency Warblers meeting in two minutes," Jeff blurted as he burst through the door, causing Kurt to immediately pull his hand from Blaine's. "The council asked me to catch you two before you rehearsed too much. There's some debate about the song you picked, and Thad got word through the show choir blogs that the judges for regionals are quite conservative. They want to discuss changing the song to something a little more upbeat and not quite so sad. You know it's a breakup song, right?"
Blaine nodded. "Yeah. I do. I just wanted something a little more emotional than what we usually do. Something less Top 40."
"Then, you better get in there right now, because they are discussing the idea Kurt threw out about the medley of P!nk songs. Kurt, how do you feel about singing 'You and Your Hand'?" Jeff teased.
"Oh, God, no. Blaine, come on," Kurt shouted, pulling Blaineto his feet so fast that it made his head spin. "We need to find another duet before we get in there. I'm not singing a P!nk medley," he said with a laugh as he pulled Blaine behind him.
"Dammit!" Blaine swore under his breath as he shot Jeff a death glare that the blonde didn't seem to notice. He'd have to talk to Kurt later and try to find another time to tell him how he felt. Unfortunately, the meeting lasted several hours, and that conversation never happened.
He tried again several times over the next few days as they rehearsed, but every single time that he got the nerve to tell Kurt how he felt, they were interrupted or Kurt started talking about their new duet, a mashup of "Yesterday" and "Blackbird." It was incredible, but it was also a lot more intricate and complicated than "Candles." So, they rehearsed nonstop until regionals.
And then, the inevitable happened right after Regionals. Someone else asked Kurt out, a senior named Alex, and Kurt agreed to a date with him. That was that. Blaine had missed his shot. He was horrible at romance, and Kurt deserved better, so much better than anything he could offer. So, when Kurt told Blaine that he was returning to McKinley after Regionals, Blaine let him go with a tearful hug when he and the Warblers serenaded him in the courtyard of McKinnley with a lively rendition of "Hello, Goodbye."
He convinced himself that the way he felt was better left unsaid since Kurt was at another school and still dating Alex. Kurt actually asked Alex to Junior Prom at McKinley, which Alex declined, explaining that he didn't want to try a long-distance relationship. Instead, they broke up, since Alex was graduating soon and moving out of state for college. Kurt took it in stride, shrugging it off over coffee with Blaine.
Actually, it was during that coffee date that Kurt asked Blaine to go with him instead, as his best friend. Blaine declined after he told Kurt what had occurred at Sadie Hawkins at his previous school. Kurt decided to go anyway, just with Mercedes, Rachel, and Sam. However, Kurt got the surprise of his life when Blaine showed up to his house in a debonair tux and a bowtie, ready to escort him to Prom as friends.
It was all his plan. It wasn't too late. He could tell him that night. And he was completely ready to do so as soon as he finished his song on the stage. It was perfect.
Then, all hell broke loose. Finn and Jesse got into a fistfight, and they were kicked out. Sue caught Artie trying to spike the punch and tried to remove one of his molars, and Kurt was named Junior Prom Queen. There was no way Blaine could confess his feelings to Kurt after all of that. He did join Kurt on the dance floor for "Dancing Queen," and they had a blast together.
"Blaine, thank you for everything tonight. You are the best friend I've ever had. I could have never done this without your support," Kurt said, hugging him tightly but ever so briefly.
Friends. That's what they were. Best friends. He had missed the window, and now it was too late. They were friends. He would just have to try extra hard to get over his crush that summer.
—*—
Summer faded into fall, and then fall turned into winter, and he had still failed to get over his crush on Kurt. He'd even transferred to McKinley for his Junior year just to be closer to him. He explained to him that he regretted that he'd run and that he wanted to face his bullies as Kurt had. He also told him that he wanted to help him with his bullies since the Bully Whips had disbanded. At least, that was the story he told Kurt. Honestly, though, he still got goosebumps when Kurt touched him or sang. He tried and failed miserably to move on. But then, he met Sebastian Smythe.
Sebastian was almost everything he thought he wanted in a guy. He wasn't Kurt, but he was intelligent, flattering, charming, cute, cultured, and very interested in Blaine, unlike Kurt, who just saw him as a friend. He had met Sebastian when he went back to Dalton to invite the Warblers to West Side Story . Sebastian came to the show and invited Blaine to Scandals afterward. Blaine went. So did Kurt, as his designated driver, but he never got the chance to take Blaine home because Sebastian ended up taking Blaine to his house. They had been boyfriends ever since.
That night, Kurt had ended up sitting at the bar, crying into his virgin daiquiri until Dave Karofsky had joined him. A few hours later, a tipsy Kurt had discussed a wide variety of topics with his former bully. Karofsky had admitted that he still wasn't out at his new school yet, but he wished that he had the courage to be. He'd even asked Kurt to dance, and they had. Kurt had given Dave his number and told him to call if he ever needed him. And he had regretted it every night since.
—*—
Friday, February 10, 2012
Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz!
His phone had been vibrating nonstop ever since that night at Scandals. Now, it was the weekend before Valentine's Day, and Karofsky was either calling or texting constantly. It was driving him up the wall. It was true that they were friends now, but Karofsky didn't seem to understand what that meant. Kurt had said to call him anytime, and Dave had taken that statement to heart. The calls and texts were never-ending. Kurt feared the worst. Dave had kissed him that day in the locker room, after all. Now, he knew it for certain. His former bully had a massive crush on him, and the idea of that had him drowning in a myriad of emotions ranging from surprise to horror.
It's true that Dave wasn't that same guy that he had been last year. Kurt knew that Dave had genuinely meant it when he had apologized to him for the bullying. He'd even sent flowers to his dad's shop as an apology. It was sweet at first, but then Dave kept sending him things—such as chocolates, flowers, cards, and even stuffed teddy bears—to his dad's shop and his own house. The cards included handwritten notes with song lyrics and even original poems about his feelings for Kurt. He was flattered, but it ended there. Karofsky was his former bully, the guy who had terrorized him, pushed and shoved him almost daily, forced a kiss on him, and then threatened to kill him. Even if he had changed, there was no way that he could ever have romantic feelings for Karofsky. Besides, he was already in love with someone else. He had been since the day a certain gel-wearing Warbler serenaded him with "Teenage Dream."
Yes, he was head-over-heels in love with his best friend, Blaine Anderson. Unfortunately, Blaine was kind of oblivious, even though Kurt had spelled it out for him last Valentine's Day. Actually, there were moments when he thought that maybe Blaine felt the same with the way Blaine smiled at him and touched him. Yeah, Blaine was friendly with everyone, but it was different when just the two of them were together. Blaine seemed to let his hair down (or ungelled) when it was just them. At least, he had before he'd begun dating Sebastian, who was the most obnoxious, pretentious snob Kurt had ever met.
Kurt sighed into his pillow, picked up his phone, and scrolled through the missed texts and calls from the last few hours. The first few of them were from Dave.
Dave: Hey. Could you and I get coffee? I just really need to talk. This week has been hell, and I just need to talk to someone. Someone who understands what it's like to be gay.
Dave: Please! I have something I need to discuss with you.
Dave: Kurt, please pick up. I could really use a listening ear.
Kurt shook his head in frustration. Dave would call or text, and at first, he had answered, just to be stuck on the phone for the next two hours, listening to Dave plead to just give him a chance. Or he would go on endlessly about football or the hockey team at his new school, and Kurt couldn't care less. He scrolled on and was about to reply to one of the texts when he noticed that the next few weren't from Dave. They were from Blaine.
Blaine: Hey. Pick up. I just really need to talk to you right now.
Blaine: I just went by Sebastian's house and caught him in bed with some freshman.
Blaine needed him. He could talk to Dave later. He grabbed his keys as he hollered to Carole that he was going to Blaine's. She called back something that he didn't quite catch, but she was probably just reminding him of curfew at 11:00. He could call Carole later. He hurried into his Navigator and pulled out of the driveway without giving the texts from Dave another thought.
—*—
Kurt grabbed another Kleenex out of the box and handed it to Blaine as his best friend sobbed on his shoulder as they sat on Blaine's bed.
"He said we never agreed that we were exclusive," Blaine sniffled. "He was my first, and I meant nothing to him. How could I have been so stupid?" Blaine buried his head in Kurt's neck.
"You aren't stupid. You just like to believe that everyone is as kind and trustworthy as you are," Kurt answered, holding his best friend tightly in his arms. He shivered as he felt Blaine's wet tears fall onto his skin. Kurt breathed in deeply. "If anyone's stupid, it's him for not realizing how lucky he was to be with you. Wait. I thought you said you two didn't even go all the way?"
Blaine shook his head as he pulled away from his friend. "Kurt, you gotta know I would've told you if we had. All we did was handjobs, blowjobs, and grinding, and it wasn't even that satisfying," Blaine said, his eyes dropping to the ground, missing the pleased grin that revelation gave Kurt. "But it was still sex. And I was going to." Blaine's gaze remained on the floor, almost as if he was trying to burn a hole in the carpet with his pupils. "On Valentine's Day. I had even planned a song," Blaine said as a tear rolled down his cheek and his eyes met Kurt's once more.
Kurt brushed the tear off his best friend's cheek with his thumb and handed him another tissue. "Please don't say it was 'When I Get You Alone' again," Kurt said with a small smile.
"God, no." Blaine chuckled and sniffled at the same time. "It was 'I'm Glad You Came.'"
"That's almost as bad," Kurt teased sympathetically and took his friend's hand. "You never could pick an appropriate song. Remember when you chose 'Candles' for us to sing at Regionals?"
"I do." Blaine smiled widely. This was it. The moment. He was single because Sebastian was a cheating asshole, but still. And Kurt was single as well and as beautiful as ever. Blaine cleared his throat as he took his best friend's hand in his. "Kurt, I picked that song for a reason. I was trying to explain it that day when we were interrupted by Jeff and that long-ass meeting. I was trying to tell you that-
Buzz, buzz, buzz buzz!
Kurt jerked his hand away suddenly and reached into his pocket to grab the phone that was vibrating on his thigh."Shit! That may be my dad. I didn't tell him I was coming over. I don't want to get grounded again. You remember what happened when I fell asleep at your house. He almost went postal and showed up at your house, ready to knock the walls down," Kurt said, picking at his phone to see who had been calling and blowing up his phone with texts.
"Kurt, it's okay. That's probably like the tenth time it's done that. Even if you've ignored it, I could still hear and feel the phone vibrating. And we both know it's not Burt. If it was your dad, he would've burst in here by now or called me and my mom and my dad and possibly the neighbors." Blaine chuckled. "But it's okay. I'm a big boy. Answer your phone."
Kurt sucked in a breath at the words "big boy," trying to push away the inappropriate thoughts that popped into his head at that moment. He looked at his call history. Five missed calls and five missed texts. "It's just Karofsky," he replied as he typed a quick reply, not even reading the previous messages his former bully had sent. Sorry. Can't talk right now. I'm with Blaine. Then, he set his phone on Blaine's headboard and sat back down right next to the ex-Warbler, his thigh brushing up against Blaine's.
Blaine sighed and shook his head. "Is he still sending gifts?"
Kurt nodded. "I asked him not to. At first, I thought he was just feeling really guilty about the bullying, about threatening me last year. And then I thought maybe he just has a humongous crush. But now, he's saying he's in love with me."
"Wait. When did this happen?"
"Yesterday. He even asked me out," Kurt said with a massive groan.
"What did you say?" Blaine asked, biting his lip. Surely, Kurt wouldn't agree to date his ex-tormentor.
Kurt sighed. "I told him no, of course." Blaine hoped that Kurt hadn't noticed the sigh of relief that escaped his lips at his friend's reply. "I tried to let him down gently. I told him that I could never be with someone who wasn't out. We aren't at the same school. I just told him it wouldn't work. Besides, I told him that I like someone else."
"Oh, that was smart." Blaine smiled, and then his smile faded to a look of panic. "Wait. You like someone else? Is it Jeff? He's out, but you'd have to fight Nick for him. Oh, God, please don't tell me it's Sebastian."
Kurt glared at Blaine with a look that should've said, "It's you, you big idiot! I'm stupidly and disgustingly in love with you." Unfortunately, Blaine was too oblivious to decipher the message. "Hell no! I'd never go for an asshole like him. Besides, he's your ex. He doesn't deserve me, and he definitely doesn't deserve you," Kurt muttered, sliding over a little so they were no longer touching.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Blaine asked tentatively, hoping that Kurt would finally say what he'd been dreaming he'd say all these months.
"That he's a cheating asshole that deserves to catch crabs," Kurt retorted. "And you're amazing. You deserve someone who sees that. Not that narcissistic chipmunk."
Blaine smiled softly at his best friend. "And where in the world am I supposed to find someone like that in Ohio?"
Kurt thought, I'm right here, right where I've been since we met, here by your side. Always. If you just wanted me back… Kurt took Blaine's hand in his own and gazed into his eyes. "Blaine, I'm-"
Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz!
"Pick up, Kurt. It might be important." Blaine sighed, trying to hide his frustration as Kurt removed his hand and took his phone from the headboard.
"Fine, but you're interrupting in five minutes when he starts talking about the Buckeyes again," Kurt quipped as he clicked the talk button and got up from Blaine's bed. "Hey, Dave. It's not really a good time. Could I call you bac—Wait! They did what? Are you okay? Dave, I can barely understand you. Are you alright?" Kurt started pacing back and forth as he held the cell phone to his ear. "Did you report—"
Blaine tried to follow the conversation, but his thoughts kept going back and forth on whether he should just man up and tell Kurt how he felt as Kurt talked to Dave, which is why he missed Kurt's obvious signals to rescue him from the call.
"Yeah, I guess we could. I'll be there in ten minutes," Kurt said abruptly, ending the call. "I've gotta go. Someone saw Dave and me at the Lima Bean yesterday and overheard him saying he loved me. They painted 'fag' on his locker. It's all over the school. It's bad, Blaine. He needs to talk to someone. He sounded distraught, like he's really depressed. He said he just wishes he was dead."
Blaine stood up directly in front of Kurt and nodded as if to show that he completely understood. "Go. Go now. I'll come, too, if you want me to."
Kurt shook his head. "No. He just asked for me. I think he's really embarrassed. Having both of us there may make him uncomfortable," Kurt explained. "Besides, Blaine, you're in sweats, and your hair isn't gelled. You're dealing with a heartbreak of your own, which I was supposed to be helping you with," Kurt sighed as he sat back down beside Blaine. "I need to just tell him I can't. You need me more. Let me just text him back and tell him that I need a rain check."
Blaine shook his head. "No. Dave needs a friend right now. He needs you. Go. It's okay," Blaine assured him and pulled him up off of the bed. "I'm okay. I dumped Sebastian's ass. You're right. I'm too good for him. Hey, but after you're done, stop back by. We can plot my revenge and then I can drown my sorrows in ice cream and wallow in my poor taste in men as we watch old movies."
Kurt smiled. "Deal, but only if it's mocha ice cream and the movie is something with Montgomery Clift."
" A Place in the Sun ?" Blaine said with a grin.
"You know me so well." Kurt smiled as he reluctantly walked out of Blaine's room.
"Yes, I do," he groaned. He let his head fall back against his pillow in frustration. This could've been his moment, the moment where he finally admitted the way that Kurt made him feel. Instead, he was lying on his bed alone, crying. Not over his ex, but over yet another missed opportunity to tell his best friend that he was in love with him. He pulled another Kleenex out of the box and let the tears spill from his eyes.
—*—
"Thanks so much, Kurt." Karofsky sobbed into his tissue as Kurt sipped his coffee. "I just couldn't take it anymore. All day long today, the Facebook posts, the slurs, the locker checks. God, how did you handle it, what I did to you?"
Kurt patted Dave's hand to comfort him. "I changed schools, remember? But I had my friends in Glee. And I had Blaine." He had to bite his lip to hold back the smile that wanted to emerge. "I also knew, ultimately, that you were dealing with some pretty heavy emotions yourself," Kurt explained as they sat across from one another in a dark corner booth at a hole-in-the-wall diner on the outskirts of town. Dave didn't want to be spotted like they had been last week. "And I knew what it felt like, the self-loathing, the fear of rejection, the anger. All of it. I felt it. I felt your pain."
Another tear fell from Dave's right eye, slid slowly down his cheek. "Thank you."
"For what?" Kurt puzzled aloud.
"For coming today. For listening to me. For being so supportive when you could've just told me to screw off. You really are amazing!" Karofsky sniffed.
"Thanks. It's no problem. You just need to be reminded that you aren't alone and that it gets better," Kurt said with a small smile and a pat to Dave's hand.
"It's already better," Dave smiled back and grabbed Kurt's hand, "because you're here." Dave smiled even though a stray tear was sliding down his cheek. "Look, I know you said that you couldn't date a guy who wasn't out, which is why I've made a big decision. I'm coming back to McKinley. As an out gay guy."
"Wait. What? That's great, Dave," Kurt squealed, squeezing his hand and then letting it go again. "I'm so proud of you."
"I told my dad, and he wasn't completely supportive, but he said he's going to try. My mom didn't take the news as well. She thinks that I have some disease. But Dad said that she'll come around. He thinks that you're right."
Kurt shrugged his shoulders. "About?" he inquired, clearly confused.
"About having support. I told him that I would have that at McKinley. We could start the Bully Whips back up. I'm sure that Santana would be all for it since Prom is coming up and she's up for Queen again. Besides, she's out now. And there's Brittany and Blaine and you. I wouldn't be alone."
"No, you wouldn't. We even have a PFLAG club there now. It's just Blaine, Brittany, Santana, myself, and Rachel, who joined in support of her dads, although JBI printed a story that Rachel's secretly a lesbian. Apparently, some of the kids at McKinley ship her and Santana together." Kurt laughed. "It's a big scandal."
"Kurt, that's cool and all, but I kinda asked you to meet me here for a reason. I mentioned Prom."
"Yeah. I'm sorry about what happened last year. If that hadn't happened, you wouldn't have transferred. I kinda feel responsible." Kurt pouted.
Dave shook his head. "No. You were right. I should've done it right then. I should've come out. But I want to fix that now. I'm gonna do it right this time. And I'm gonna do it at Prom, like I should've last year. I'm gonna walk through those doors proudly with my boyfriend on my arm. Kurt, would you accompany me?"
"To Prom?" Kurt squeaked. "You can come with us Glee kids. They'll have your back. Blaine and I will be there. And as long as Puck and Finn know that you plan to keep your word to not slushie or bully any of us, they'll have your back, too."
"No. I mean, that's cool, but I mean, would you go with me as my date?" he asked as he took Kurt's hand again and placed it tightly in his own.
Kurt gulped and slowly tried to pull his hand back. "I can't. I already have a date," he blurted. Where the hell did that lie come from?
"With the Glee los—I mean, the Glee girls? They will understand that you have a real boyfriend to go with instead," Dave said, squeezing Kurt's hand that he was still holding firmly in his own.
"But I do have a boyfriend, and he already asked me to Prom," Kurt fibbed as he managed to slide his hand out of Dave's grip. He felt sweat gathering on his brow. He swiped at it quickly with his now free hand, hoping that Dave didn't notice.
"Wait. You have a boyfriend? When did this happen? I thought you and Blaine were the only out gay guys at McKinley?"
"We are. I mean, besides you now, I guess. But it's Blaine. I'm going to Prom with Blaine," Kurt blurted a little louder than he meant. The other customer turned to glare at the two teenage boys for interrupting his mediocre meal.
Karofsky's mouth dropped open in surprise. "You and Blaine are dating now? I thought he was dating that yuppie who dresses like the guy from Blue's Clues ."
"They broke up. Blaine asked me, and I said yes," Kurt explained quickly.
Dave's face fell in disappointment. "That's great," he said, biting his lip. "I know that you've liked him forever."
"Wait. How did you know?" Kurt asked.
"You told me that night at Scandals," Dave replied. "But honestly, I saw it for myself at Prom last year. You looked at him the way that I looked at you. You weren't exactly subtle."
"Was I that obvious?" Kurt asked nervously.
"Yep, and I was super jealous. I still am. Don't get me wrong. I'm happy that you two finally got your heads out of your asses. I'm just sorry that he asked before I could. Actually, I need to talk to him, warn him not to break your heart or I'll break his legs."
"That's not necessary. He's not going to break my heart." Because we aren't actually together, Kurt thought. How was he going to get out of this one? "Although, you can't say anything to Blaine yet," Kurt blurted.
"Why not? Is he ashamed of you? Do I need to kick his ass?"
"No one is kicking anyone's ass or breaking anyone's legs. It's just, we haven't told anybody yet. It just happened, and not even my dad knows yet."
"Oh, well, I get that. If anything changes and you two don't work out, just consider my offer please," Karofsky said with a disappointed but friendly smile.
Kurt nodded. "Yeah. Sure. But I don't think that'll happen. We have the whole thing planned out." I really have planned it all out, he thought. I've dreamed about it vividly, taking Blaine as my date to Prom. I just haven't told him about any of it. "Actually, I've gotta go. We have a date later," Kurt lied, although it wasn't necessarily a lie. They had agreed to have a movie date as soon as Kurt was done with Karofsky.
"Okay. Thanks for coming and talking to me. Blaine's a lucky man," Dave said. "But you tell him that if he hurts you, he'll regret it."
Kurt just nodded. He knew regret. He felt it immediately as soon as the lie had slipped out of his mouth. He already regretted the conversation he was about to have with Blaine as soon as he arrived back at his best friend's house.
—*—
"So, wait. Let me get this straight. Dave is coming back to McKinley, and he's out now?" Blaine questioned as he took a bite of his half-melted mocha ice cream.
"Yeah. He wanted to announce it by walking into McKinley together, hand in hand, to show he isn't closeted anymore."
"Okay, but how did he get the idea that we are boyfriends?"
"Because I told him that. I panicked," Kurt explained as he sunk down on Blaine's bed beside him. "He asked me to Prom, and I said I couldn't because I had a boyfriend. He asked me who, and I said the first name that popped into my head. Yours," Kurt explained. "He wouldn't have believed anyone else. No other guy at McKinley is out besides me and you, and he knows I wouldn't date a closeted guy. So, I had no other choice."
That was like a punch to Blaine's gut. Kurt said that he had no other choices. For a moment there, he had hoped that Kurt said his name because he still had feelings for him. "And what if I said that I didn't feel comfortable doing this?"
"Wait? It's not that big of a deal," Kurt coaxed. "We just have to pretend to date for two months, just until Prom. We're both performers. I know that we could pull this off."
"Kurt, two months is a long time. And I don't understand why you didn't just tell him that you aren't into him," Blaine argued.
"Blaine, he'd be crushed. I can't do that to him!" Kurt replied.
Blaine stood up from the bed and began pacing the floor again. "Why not? With all that he did to you—the way he terrorized you, threatened you, hurled insults at you, assaulted you even—why spare his feelings?" Blaine was nearly shouting now.
Kurt sighed. "Because it would've broken him. You didn't see him. He's hanging on but barely. I was trying to let him down gently. I was genuinely afraid when I saw him. He just looked so distraught, tear streaks on his face where he'd been crying, dark circles under his eyes, wearing sweats with a t-shirt that was originally white but looked yellow. I remember being where he is mentally, although I never walked out of the house dressed so pitifully. I remember feeling like that, and I don't wish that on anybody. He just seemed so devastated, beaten down. I didn't want to hurt him more by rejecting him on top of all of that," Kurt confessed, sagging onto the bed.
Blaine sighed as he sat back down beside Kurt and nodded in understanding. "Can I just think about it?"
"What's to think about, Blaine? It'll be easy," Kurt blurted. It would be easy to pretend he was in love with Blaine, because he was. He had been for a year. All of their friends already teased them for acting like a couple. They didn't have to change much of anything.
Blaine shook his head in disagreement. "It won't be either, and you know it. I'll have to lie to our friends and your dad. And you know I can't. The last time I tried to lie to your dad about the night we went to Scandals instead of your house, he called my parents, and I was grounded from all my musical devices. It was torture, Kurt. I can't risk that again," Blaine said, staring down at the carpet in Kurt's room. "Besides, you know we can't lie to Santana either. Her Mexican third eye is eerily accurate."
"Okay, so I'll tell my dad. And as for our friends, we won't have to tell them anything. We'll just do what they do."
"Sleep with one of their boyfriends?"
Kurt almost spit out a mouthful of popcorn. "No. We'll just act all flirty around each other, use ridiculous pet names, and hold each other's hand. You know, light PDA and flirty looks," Kurt replied simply. "We're both good actors. This will be great practice for the day we make Broadway our bitch."
"And when they ask what the hell is going on, we say what?" Blaine replied, his confusion and skepticism obvious in the tone of his voice.
"That you asked me to Prom. That we're dating now," Kurt said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Easy."
"Not easy. The whole thing sounds pretty complicated," Blaine argued. It was the truth. There was no way that he could hold Kurt's hand, call him "dear" or some other pet name, kiss him, and have it all mean nothing. No. It would tear him apart, knowing that it was all make-believe.
"Please. Just think about it. It wouldn't have to be a big deal," Kurt begged.
"It'd be a big deal to me," Blaine sighed. "I need to think about it, alright?"
Kurt nodded. "Okay, but would you mind explaining to me why it would be such an awful thing? Is the idea of dating me that horrible?" Kurt dropped his head down, a sad, rejected look spreading across his face.
"No. No, not at all," Blaine said, sucking in a breath. There it was again. This was another window into telling Kurt how he really felt about him. "I just—" He sighed. Kurt had already said that the reason he had said his name was because he was the only other out gay guy at McKinley. If he told Kurt how he felt and Kurt didn't feel the same way, everything would be awkward between them, and he couldn't have that. He needed Kurt in his life, even if it was just as his best friend. "I already told you. I don't feel comfortable lying to everybody."
"Blaine, I know that there's something that you aren't telling me, but I never want to make you feel uncomfortable. Ever. So, if you don't want to do this, I'll figure out something. Maybe I can tell him that we broke up, but I'm not ready to date anyone," he sighed.
Blaine took Kurt's slightly shaking hand in his. "Just let me think about it, okay?"
Kurt nodded. "Alright. Now, let's watch some Montgomery Clift."
—*—
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Scenarios of everything that could go wrong bounced around in Blaine's mind as he stepped into the Lima Bean. He really didn't want to be there, but Sebastian had called him early that morning and asked him to meet him there so that he could return his pocket watch that he must've left at his ex's house the last time that he went over there. Even though he really didn't want to see Sebastian's face, he really wanted that watch back. He glanced around the shop, in search of the familiar blue blazer, and sighed with relief. Sebastian was often late, and it seemed to be no different now.
He stepped into line. He didn't notice that Rachel was in line, a few people in front of him, because at that moment, a hand snaked around his waist.
"Well, don't you just put the ex in sexy, Killer?" Sebastian said, licking his lips.
Blaine immediately removed his ex's hand from the spot where it rested right above his ass. "I'm here for my coffee and my watch and nothing else, so let me order so I can get both and get the hell out of here."
"Blaine, you should know me so much better than that. I already have your watch and your medium drip at our usual table," the brunette smirked as he pointed to a booth near the back.
"We don't have a usual table, just like how we don't have anything between us anymore," Blaine replied coolly.
"I clearly remember quite a bit going on between us, like you and I between the sheets at my house where you carelessly left this," Sebastian said suggestively as he produced the watch from his pocket. Blaine reached for it, but Sebastian jerked it away and put it back in his front pant pocket. "Although, there could have been so much more between us if you wouldn't have been so uptight."
"Just because I wasn't ready to have sex with you doesn't mean that I'm uptight. I just happen to think that a relationship should be based on more than just sex."
"I should hope so," Sebastian snarked, "since you've apparently started dating someone even more sexless than you. Gayface? Clearly, you must've been desperate after you lost me."
Blaine's mouth dropped open in astonishment when he realized who Sebastian was referring to. "It's Kurt, not Gayface, you asswipe, and how the hell did you even know about that?"
"So, it is true that you scraped the bottom of the barrel after you realized that we weren't dating," Sebastian retorted.
"You and I were dating, you ass," Blaine almost snarled. "But it doesn't matter because we aren't anymore. Besides, you didn't answer my question. Who told you that Kurt and I are together?"
"Simple," Sebastian replied. "I was at Scandals last night, and I ran into that hamhock guy that was lusting after Gayface the last time we were there together. He was double fisting shots at the bar, and he told me all about how you stole his dream guy right out from underneath his sweaty sausage fingers. And since you and I were supposedly dating as of yesterday, even though I never once called you my boyfriend or said we were exclusive, I wondered if you weren't putting out for me because you were getting it elsewhere. Then I had to laugh at how ridiculous that whole scenario sounded because I'm pretty sure that Hummel doesn't even have the right equipment. I mean, as tight as his jeans are, his dick can't be any bigger than a cocktail weenie."
"It's none of your business what's in Kurt's pants," Blaine hissed. "But I assure you he's much more of a man than you'll ever be."
"So, it is true? You and Pinnochio? I guess it's pretty slim pickings around these backwoods parts, but I can't believe that you couldn't find a better rebound than whatever he's supposed to be. Didn't he wear a skirt and a tiara to Prom last year?"
"He wore a kilt, and he was absolutely stunning. The amount of class he showed the student body after they played such a cruel joke on him is more than you'll ever possess in a thousand lifetimes. You only wish that you were half as amazing as Kurt," Blaine almost yelled, his hands gripping the edge of the table so hard that his knuckles were white.
"And see? This is the reason that we weren't boyfriends. Because there was no way that I could be tied to you when you were obviously stuck on someone else," Sebastian said, glaring at Blaine with a knowing look.
Blaine gave Sebastian a bewildered look. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"It means that I never took us seriously because you never did. You were so busy hanging out with Twinkerbell, salivating over his sexless, pathetic, pasty, white body that you were barely around. What was I supposed to do? Beg for you to spend time with me? Serenade you in the courtyard? Because that ain't me. I just figured that we could have a little fun while you figured it all out. We still could if you're up for it," Sebastian suggested, licking his lips.
"Hell no. I'm not like you. I would never do that to Kurt," Blaine retorted.
"God, you're wrapped around his little finger already. I'm actually kinda relieved that it's him and not me since you've got this 1950s fantasy in your head of marriage and soulmates and a household of little brats running around. Gay men don't bother, Blaine. And when you figure that out for yourself, give me a call. Hopefully by that time, you'll loosen up a little, learn to have a little fun, let a dick—preferably mine—spread those uptight cheeks of yours," Sebastian said, dangling the pocket watch in front of Blaine.
"Screw you, Sebastian," Blaine growled, snatching the watch from Sebastian's grasp and storming out of the Lima Bean, jerking his phone out of his pocket. He pulled up Kurt's contact from his favorites list and hit send as he walked toward the exit. Kurt was working at his dad's shop today, so it went straight to voicemail. As soon as he heard the beep, he spoke without a hint of hesitation. "Hey, Kurt. Yeah. I'll do it. You and I are going to Prom as boyfriends." He hung up the phone, satisfied.
Unfortunately, he was so frazzled that he didn't notice Rachel standing near the exit, her phone in her hand, her mouth agape in shock. Blaine and Kurt were boyfriends! How could Kurt have kept this from her? She immediately hit the call button. "Finn! Guess what I just heard!"
Author's Note: The next chapter will be posted on Wednesday. It's by Kellyb321. I owe her a major shoutout for this chapter because this chapter wouldn't have been what it is without her eyes and honesty. After reading the first draft, she told me the truth, and I feel it's better because of that. You, my friend, are amazing!
