Chapter 4
By Fempem and GleefulDarrenCrissFan
Tuesday, February 14
Blaine was standing in front of the mirror in his room. The bathroom mirror wasn't big enough to see whole outfits, and it had never bothered him before. However, now that he was supposed to attend the Valentine's party with Kurt Hummel, aka the king of fashion himself, he had to look spectacular. Not only that, but Kurt always made his mouth go dry with the way he looked. He wanted to have that same effect on his pretend boyfriend, although that was probably impossible. Kurt didn't actually see him in that light.
He raided through his wardrobe, his bed now a mess since he had dragged out half the clothing he possessed from his closet. It was now spread out in multiple piles on his bed. One pile was not appropriate for a party, another was not chic enough for a night out with Kurt Hummel, and the last one might as well have been thrown in a bag and carted off to Goodwill because that's where Kurt would send it if he laid eyes on any of the pieces in that particular pile. He finally settled on a black blazer (because he knew Kurt loved it when he wore a blazer) and his favorite pair of black jeans. He accessorized it with a burgundy hat and a matching bowtie. He smoothed down his hair with gel quickly and vowed that he'd return the mess to his closet after the party. However, the piles weren't even close to the biggest issue that he had anymore.
In less than two months, he was attending Prom with Kurt, and there was no way that he could wear one of the regular suits he had in his closet. Normally, he'd just rent a classic tux, but he realized that he definitely couldn't wear off the rack because there's no way in hell Kurt would wear off the rack for his Senior Prom. Besides, Kurt would want to coordinate tuxes with his boyfriend (even if it was all for show). None of their friends would buy it if Blaine showed up to Prom in something less than fabulous. That only left him with a few options. Either he ordered a top-of-the-line tux and visited his tailor (because everyone knew he was fun-sized) or he went right to the source and asked Kurt to make him something that would coordinate with Kurt's own ensemble. He was leaning toward the first option because Prom was only two months away and Kurt wouldn't have time to make his own tux and Blaine's with everything else that they had going on. He ran a comb through his hair once more when he heard his mother call out to him.
"Honey, Kurt's here."
"Be there in a second, Mom," he called, throwing on his shoes and glancing at himself once more in the mirror before rushing out of his room, letting the bedroom door slam behind him. He mustn't keep his boyfriend waiting. He took the steps two at a time until he was almost at the bottom, nearly missing a step and tumbling. He had to grab the railing to prevent himself from falling because he had looked up and seen what Kurt was wearing.
He was breathtaking,even more so than usual. His chestnut hair was coifed to perfection, his red and black skinny tie tucked into his black vest, which was paired with a perfectly starched white button-up shirt. The vest and the shirt were tucked into a sinfully tight pair of distressed blue jeans, faded in all the right places. Blaine gulped. Damn it, he was going to have a very noticeable issue in his own very tight jeans if he didn't control the thoughts erupting in his mind. Dead puppies, JBI in a speedo, boobs, Sebastian in drag, Sebastian with boobs. Yes. Blaine sighed. That did it.
"Uh, Blaine, what was that?" Kurt snickered.
Blaine turned 50 shades of scarlet. "Dammit. I said that out loud, didn't I?" Blaine blurted as his head fell into his hands. "Could you maybe forget that you heard that?"
"Trust me. I need to if I ever want to get aroused in my life again. Sebastian with boobs? Although, you gotta admit that it would take the attention away from his smirky meerkat face," Kurt laughed, extending his arm out to Blaine to offer it to him to hold. Blaine linked his arm through Kurt's.
"Shall we?" Blaine grinned, leading them to the door.
"Not yet. Your mom said she wants a picture. She's grabbing the nice camera," Kurt explained. "Blaine, what did you tell her about Prom? About us?"
"The truth. That you and I are going together," Blaine said with a shrug. "She just said, 'I know, silly. Who else would you go with?' I had to tell her that we are dating now. Dogs two streets over were howling in pain from the shrieks that exited her mouth, Kurt," he said, pretending to plug his ears with his fingers.
"OH, MY GOSH, BOYS, YOU TWO LOOK FABULOUS!" Pam squealed. "It's about time you got your head out of the sand and asked this gorgeous guy out," she said, pointing to Kurt. She turned to the brunette. "So, you've gotta tell me how he finally asked you, Kurt. He's only been pining for you since that time at Dalton when you-
"Mom, we gotta go! We'll be late to Breadstix, and all the food will be gone because Finn and Puck and the other guys will be there, and you know how they eat. Plus, it's a school night, and it's a bit of a drive, and Kurt has a curfew, as do I," Blaine said, trying to get his mom to change the subject.
"Blaine, we discussed this. I know the party might run late. I already talked to Burt and Carole. They said it was fine if you crashed at their place tonight like you usually do when you all have a Glee function or something. I thought you knew that," Pam replied. "It's not like you two don't have sleepovers every week.
"But that was before I was dating Kurt. Don't you think Burt would find it inappropriate for me to sleep with his son?"
Kurt's mouth dropped open as his cheeks began to turn bright magenta. "BLAINE!"
"I meant sleep over with, not SLEEP with. Because you and I, we wouldn't—we haven't, you know, sex!" Blaine sputtered.
Pam laughed. "Of course, you wouldn't. Burt would club your knees with a tire iron. They have a guest room, Blaine."
"Oh, yeah. Um, well, I guess I knew that, and look at the time! Let's go, Kurt. Gotta get to Breadstix," Blaine blurted, his arm still laced through Kurt's as he pulled him to the front door.
"Wait! One more picture!" Pam hollered as she quickly hit the shutter. "Have a great time, boys!" she called. "Be safe!"
"Oh, my God," Kurt mumbled as they hurried to his Navigator. "What happened to my dapper best friend?" he laughed, playfully swatting at Blaine's arm.
"He was propositioned to be your boyfriend, and all rational thought went out the window." Blaine cleared his throat. Why was he so nervous? Kurt was his best friend. Why did his heart feel like it was in his stomach right now? "I need to ask you something," Blaine said hesitantly. "I need to ask your help in finding a suit for the Prom if that's okay with you. Of course, you don't usually see the outfit of your date before the evening, but I thought, maybe because of our agreement…"
A little smile formed around Kurt's mouth. "I think you're confusing weddings and Proms. But of course, I would LOVE to help you find an outfit! What is your budget?"
"Ehhh…" Blaine suddenly fell silent, as if he hadn't really realized that this adventure would come with a price tag. "I have some savings, but I only now remember how expensive some tuxes can be, especially one fabulous enough it can be paired with something Kurt Hummel is going to wear."
"I have an idea!" Kurt said excitedly. "Vintage and sustainability are really in right now. I know a great vintage shop just a block from where you live. We could go this Friday after school? Only if you don't have other plans, of course." Kurt added the last part a bit hastily and felt his cheeks going red. He didn't want to assume that Blaine would have free afternoons he could take up just because he was his fake boyfriend.
"I'm free. I'd be honored to see the place where Kurt Hummel finds all the spectacular pieces that make their way into his wardrobe," Blaine said with a cheesy grin. "I'd be honored to go with you, I mean, if you really want to."
Kurt beamed a smile at his best friend and stroked his thumb across the back of Blaine's hand. Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand back, and that's the way their hands remained the rest of the drive to Breadstix.
—*—
The party was in full swing when they arrived hand in hand, ready to celebrate Blaine's favorite holiday. Blaine had always felt that there was something about a day where you put it all on the line, and just said, "Hey. I'm in love with you." And maybe he'd get his chance tonight. The theme for tonight was love, after all, and there would be ample opportunity since they were encouraged to sing and dance with the ones they loved. Blaine wasn't going to let another opportunity pass him by. He scooped another glass of punch for Kurt as he scoped out his date, finding him in the middle of the dance floor, dancing with Mercedes. He started to make his way over there when a hand rested on his shoulder.
"So, you and Lady Lips finally got your heads outta your asses and got all boy on boy heavy. It's about freakin' time,'' Santana winked. "Have you hit that yet?"
Blaine's mouth dropped open wide as his face turned scarlet.
"Didn't think so," the Latina cackled. "You might wanna get on that. That's a damn nice piece of ass."
"There's more to a relationship than just sex, Santana," Blaine said, shaking his head. "He deserves romance."
Santana rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. You're just saying that because you've never experienced it. Everything about you still screams virgin."
"Actually, I'm technically not a virgin anymore," Blaine said softly, hanging his head.
"You mean, you and Hummel?" Santana smirked, waggling her eyebrows. "Wanky!"
Blaine shook his head sadly. "Um, no. Not with Kurt."
"Oh, the ferret-faced prep boy? Him? You let him pop your cherry?" Santana blurted, causing a server to turn and stare down Blaine.
"Uh, discretion would be nice, Santana. And no, not technically. We fooled around, but he didn't—"
"Part the Red Sea," Santana finished, smiling at her clever innuendo.
"Um, ewww. I think that's an analogy for girls. But no. He was too busy doing that with other guys," Blaine said sadly. "But it's okay. He wasn't the right person."
"I coulda told you that. Hell, we all coulda told you that. Ferret-face only wants sex. Kurt only wants you, with a ring on your finger and a house with a picket fence and a couple of hobbit kids with triangular eyebrows. He always has. He has freakin' hearts in his eyes when he looks at you. It's kinda gross but kinda cute," she laughed.
Blaine shook his head. "No. I'm just his only option here. We're the only out gay guys here in Lima."
"Not true. Karofsky came out. He found me in the hall today, babbling something about starting the Bully Whips back up, but he wasn't really making any sense 'cause he was too busy trying to burn a hole in your head with his jealous gaze. He's got it bad for your man. You'd better watch out."
"What did he say, Santana? I really don't trust him at all. I don't like him being back at McKinley. He isn't here tonight, is he?" Blaine said, his head whipping around, searching out his rival, and making for damn sure that he wasn't anywhere near Kurt.
"No. No. It's a private party. Sugar's mobster dad made the manager 'an offer he couldn't refuse' and rented out the place, so we have it all to ourselves. So, you've got your boy toy all to yourself. Don't blow it."
"What do ya mean?" Blaine asked, shrugging his shoulders in confusion.
"It's the perfect night to tell him. That you love him. Because you know you do."
Blaine's mouth dropped open. "Is it that obvious?"
Santana laughed. "Hell yeah, it is. It always was. I mean, at Prom last year, I thought you'd surely get your head outta your ass and kiss his face off."
"I was going to, but you saw what happened last year at Prom. It was awful. Any opportunity I had was ruined when they voted him Prom Queen. I just hope that nothing like that happens this time. It's our Senior Prom. It needs to be perfect. He deserves that."
Santana nodded. "Run for Prom Kings," she blurted.
"What?" Blaine's eyebrows arched in confusion. "People won't vote for us."
"They will if you give them a reason to. Britt and I are. You two could be the Kings, and we could be the Queens. Wouldn't that be a statement?"
Blaine nodded. "That's not a bad idea, Santana. But I'm not sure I want to bring that kind of attention to us."
"Did Kurt get that memo? Because look at him. I think he's trying to signal you over with his hips. Is that supposed to be the Hummel mating call, or what?" She laughed, pointing at Kurt, who was, indeed, shimmying his way over to them. "I think he might be jealous."
Right at that moment, Kurt sashayed in between them and grabbed Blaine's hand. "Come on. Everyone is askin' when we're going to do a couple's duet, and I think we should oblige. Whadda ya say?"
"I say, let's give the crowd what they're asking for."
—*—
Less than five minutes later, Blaine was onstage with Rachel, Brittany, and Mercedes as the drum beat started. "This is for all the lovers in the room," Blaine said as he lifted his microphone to his face and began singing.
"If you see a faded sign at the side of the road that says
15 miles to the…"
Mercedes' strong voice followed with the next lines, Brittany and Rachel lending backing vocals.
"Love shack, love shack, yeah, yeah
I'm headin' down the Atlanta highway
(Lookin' for the love getaway, headed for the love getaway)"
Kurt smiled as he watched Blaine sing with the girls. He always got lost watching Blaine perform. It was the reason he'd fallen so hard for the boy in the first place, watching his passion emerge as he sang and danced with so much enthusiasm that all eyes were on him.
"I got me a car, it's as big as a whale (Love getaway)
And we're headin' on down to the love shack (Love getaway)
I got me a Chrysler, it seats about 20 (Love getaway)
So hurry up and bring your jukebox money"
And now they were together. Well, sort of. Everyone thought that they were and expected them to be all cute and flirty. And Blaine had been all evening, getting him drinks, holding his hand, touching him. It was perfect. Except it wasn't real, even though it appeared that way. Mercedes had told him that she knew that Blaine loved him already. He wondered what she meant as he listened to them sing their lines.
"The love shack is a little old place
Where we can get together
Love shack, baby"
As for Blaine loving him, of course, he did. Blaine was his best friend. It was a love like he had for all of the New Directions, like how he felt for Sam or Rachel or Tina. Except sometimes, it felt real. It felt different from the way he showed his other friends affection. For instance, Blaine didn't touch Sam or Tina the way that he touched Kurt. Blaine's smile seemed a little bigger when it was just them together.
Blaine stood in front of him, his head cocked sideways. Crap! It was time for him to sing his lines.
"Love shack, baby
Love shack, baby, love shack
Love shack, (Love, baby, that's where it's at) baby, love shack)"
And as the girls sang their lines, Blaine grabbed Kurt's tie and pulled him close, and Kurt had to keep himself from getting aroused. He'd grabbed his freakin' tie. That was so hot. Way to lay it on thick, Blaine.
But they were supposed to be sellin' it that they were a couple. Blaine was just playing his part. Kurt decided that he needed to do the same. If Blaine was comfortable dancing up next to him and flirting, then he could play that game as well. Blaine shimmied behind him, and Kurt took the opportunity to pop his ass back against Blaine's thigh as he started to sing his next lines.
"Hop in my Chrysler, it's as big as a whale
And it's about to set sail"
Blaine eased in beside him and put his arm around Kurt's shoulder, as if to say, "I felt that. Let's really sell this." Kurt provided his answer by leaning his body back into Blaine. Then, he began to shimmy with him as Blaine's arm stayed perched around his shoulder, their hips bumping into each other a few times.
"I got me a car, it seats about twenty
So come on and bring your jukebox money!
The love shack (Love shack) is a little old place (Little old place)
Where we can get together (Get together)
Love shack, baby (A love shack, baby)"
And just as suddenly as it was there, Blaine's arm lifted from his shoulder, and Blaine hurried to the dance floor to begin a dance train as Kurt danced with the girls on the stage. Already, he was missing the closeness and warmth of Blaine's body.
"Love shack (Love shack), baby, love shack (Love shack, oh) {Love, baby, that's where it's at}
Love shack, baby, love shack (Love shack, baby, love)"
Nope. This would not do. He made his way off the stage and toward Blaine on the dance floor as Blaine sang.
"Bang, bang, bang, on the door, baby (Knock a little louder, Sugar)
Bang bang bang, on the door, baby (I can't hear you)
Bang, bang (On the door, baby) Bang, bang (On the door) Bang, bang(On the door, baby) Bang, bang
You're WHAT?"
They were directly in front of each other now, and Blaine pointed right at him and motioned for him to come closer.
"Tin roof, rusted"
Kurt sang as balloons fell to the floor all around them. Blaine took the opportunity to move in closer as he sang, hips bumping, almost grinding, as they danced and sang.
"Love shack!
Love shack, baby, love shack (Yeah)
Love shack, baby, love shack (Love shack)
(Blaine: Love baby that's where it's at, yeah)
Love shack, baby, love shack (Love shack) {Huggin' and a kissin'}
Love shack, baby, love shack (Baby, love shack)
{Dancin' and a lovin' at the love shack}"
Blaine sang his last note, but his voice almost dropped out as he felt Kurt press a small kiss to his lips. "That was perfect," the brunette whispered in his ear, and then he scampered away to return their microphones to the stage.
—*—
Kurt scurried away as soon as he realized what he had done. He had kissed Blaine. Kissed him right on the lips. Yes, they had been flirting and playing up their game, but an actual kiss? What the hell was he thinking? He was still agonizing about it when he smelled the familiar scent of Blaine's hair gel behind him and Blaine's arms wrapped around him. The God Squad was on stage, singing a mashup of "Cherish," and apparently, everyone around them was slow dancing, except them and a few of the singles. "Where did you run off to, boyfriend?" Blaine chuckled. "Didn't you want to dance some more? I didn't feel like we were done."
Kurt smiled. "We don't have to be. I just didn't want to dance with the mics in our hands, you know."
Blaine put his hands on Kurt's waist. "That was a good idea. Now, we can dance better together. You know, really play this thing."
Kurt put his hands around Blaine's neck. "Like this?"
Blaine nodded. "Just like that," he sighed, resting his head on Kurt's shoulder as they swayed in time to the music. "Kurt, tonight, this has been amazing. I'm so glad we came here together."
"There's no one else I would rather have shared the night with," Kurt whispered. "I'm sorry, though. I didn't mean to kiss you like that. I mean, to take advantage. I…"
Blaine shook his head. "No. It was fine. It fit the moment. Sold the bit. They were all lovin' it."
Kurt stopped swaying. "Yeah. Um, 'cuz that's what it was. For them, I guess. To sell the bit." Kurt dropped his arms and stepped back as the music faded into another song. "I'm tired, and it's a school night. Maybe we should call it a night."
"Kurt, wait. I wanted to tell you something. All of this and Prom, the boyfriends thing, it's been—"
"Hello, Sexy," Blaine felt familiar hands wrap around his waist from behind.
"Sebastian! What the hell are you doing here?" Blaine almost yelled as he jerked away from his ex-boyfriend.
"I was invited. Or don't you remember since it was just a few days ago? See?" Sebastian said, waving his private invitation. "It said that I was supposed to be your plus one before you let this," he said, motioning to Kurt, 'little twinkerbell' scamper around in my place. Buzz off now, Fairy Dust."
"Excuse me, but Blaine is my date now. He asked me since you can't seem to keep it in your pants, asshat," Kurt hissed, grabbing Blaine's arm possessively. "I'm sure that you've heard that we're together now."
Sebastian scoffed. "Yeah. Have fun trying to handle him, Pastyface. Because I don't know if he told you or not, but your little Disney Prince isn't as sweet and innocent as he once was. I don't know if anything that you could offer him would ever be enough for him now since he's had me."
"Yeah. Whatever. Half of Dalton and Paris has probably had you, too. And if you were that good, he wouldn't be here dancing with me instead of you." Kurt shrugged his shoulders.
"Listen here, Hummel," Sebastian sneered. "I know what's going on. Dave told me that he's been asking you out, and then, all of a sudden, you can't date him because you and Blaine are together and he asked you to Prom. I don't blame you for trying to avoid Hamhock. I get it. I do. I mean, it's no contest. Between the guy with the Liberace eyebrows and sex-on-a-stick Anderson, I'd pick Anderson every time. But I just wanted to let you know that, in a fair race, there are multiple horses, and I am still in the running."
"Oh, I agree. You definitely have the face of a horse. Especially with those huge teeth. I think they have corrective surgery for that kind of mess. Now, if you'll excuse me, Blaine and I were enjoying a dance, and then we're going to head to my place together. Night, Sea Biscuit," Kurt said, grabbing Blaine's arm and leading him over to Santana and Brittany to dance.
Blaine let out an uncharacteristic cackle at Kurt's remark. "Get lost, Bas. My amazing, hot boyfriend is asking me to dance, and I'm not wasting my time with you when I could be with the most gorgeous man in the room," Blaine practically yelled as Kurt led him over to Santana and Brittany.
"Well, son of a bitch," Sebastian spat as he stared at his ex and his new boyfriend, dancing, while Kurt's hands perched on Blaine's waist and Blaine rested his head on Kurt's shoulder. It looked like he was whispering or singing to him as they danced. This was going to be a little harder than he had thought.
—*—
It was nearing ten when the two boys strolled up, side by side, on Kurt's porch. "That was fun tonight. I had a great time, Kurt," Blaine said with a big smile. "I was kinda nervous about how everything would go, but you were right. This has been easy so far."
Kurt nodded. This. The deal. The pretend boyfriend thing. He sighed. Tonight felt real. The dancing, the flirting, the touches. The kiss. It had to have been real, right? He shook his head. "Yeah. Easy." He sighed. "So, it's late. We should get inside, get to sleep. Someone still has to wash that thick paste off his head," Kurt teased, attempting to muss Blaine's hair, but failing since it was still saturated with gel. Now, he just had a sticky hand.
"You like the gel, and you know it," Blaine laughed, turning the doorknob for Kurt and opening the door to the Hummel-Hudson home.
"Hey, man," Finn said from the couch as he shoved a few potato chips into his mouth and rose to greet the two boys. "You stayin' over tonight?" he asked Blaine as he extended his grease-covered hand out to Blaine to shake.
Blaine nodded and shook his hand and then wiped his now slightly greasy hand on the back of his jeans, to Kurt's disdain. "Yeah. My mom said I could sleep over here."
"Wait. She's cool with you sleepin' with Kurt? And Burt's cool? Dude, that's not fair."
"No, no, no," Blaine blurted. "I'm staying in the guest room. It's just a long drive back to Westerville. Kurt and I, we haven't—We wouldn't—We—Not yet—" Blaine sputtered, obviously uncomfortable with what Finn had assumed would be going down in Kurt's room that evening.
Finn smiled. "That's cool, man. You two just started dating. That'd be too soon. Rachel and I have only been doing it for a couple months, and we've been together a lot longer."
"Doin' what?" Burt's voice piped in behind the tall quarterback as his hand landed on the tall teen's shoulder.
"Um, duets. Singing. We've been dueting for a couple months," Finn blurted, the blush in his cheeks dark red. "But I gotta pee. Night, dudes."
"Whatever son," Burt chuckled as if to say we'll talk about this later. "Hey, Anderson. You stayin' tonight?"
Blaine nodded. "Yes, sir. Thanks for letting me use your guest room. Especially since my car is on the fritz. Did the new brake pads come in yet?"
"No. They should be at the shop in another day or two. The ice and snow caused some delays, but I'll let you know when I can get them installed. Although, I'm sure that Kurt will know where to find you when the car is ready, right?"
Blaine nodded. " , Mr. Hummel."
Burt grunted. "What's with this 'sir' stuff? It's Burt. It's always been Burt. Mr. Hummel is my dad. Just call me what you've always called me," he said as he shook Blaine's hand. "Did you boys have a good time at the party?"
Blaine nodded at Burt. "Yeah. It was great, but if you don't mind, I'm gonna turn in. Good night, Mr. Hu—Burt. Sleep well, and thanks again. Night, Kurt," Blaine said with a small smile as he turned and headed upstairs to the guest room. He had a lot on his mind as he tried to sleep just a few rooms away from the love of his life, who had kissed him on his lips tonight. Yep. A lot, indeed.
—*—
Blaine wiped the sleep from his eyes, what little sleep that he was able to get with the way his mind had raced all night long. He thought back to the amazing night last night and the "date" a few nights ago at Breadstix, how Kurt had kissed him on the cheek and even on the lips last night, however brief it was. Blaine barely slept a wink because he wanted to be able to cherish the moment with Kurt and his soft lips forever, so he thought of every detail he could remember. He touched his cheek where Kurt's lips had brushed his skin only a few days ago as he contemplated what would be next in the game plan.
He and Jeff had come up with a rough draft for Operation Woo Kurt, and it seemed to be going well, except for the whole thing with Sebastian showing up last night. He hadn't planned for that. Actually, he'd frozen when Sebastian started talking about how he knew what they were doing, about Kurt only dating him to deter Karofsky. How the hell did Sebastian know? Did Kurt tell Karofsky? No. That would've been stupid. Then how did he know? Blaine hadn't told anyone but Jeff. But somehow, Sebastian knew. He did not know everything, but he knew that they weren't a legit couple. And that would not do. Blaine needed to talk to Kurt soon. And he needed to find out what Sebastian knew and fast before he screwed everything up.
He finished gelling his hair, and then he went to the closet to find a shirt when he saw an outfit hanging on the doorknob, already pressed and ready to wear. It was one of his favorites. Kurt must have pressed it and brought it up when he was in the shower. Blaine smiled as he pulled on his dark wash jeans. Kurt always did thoughtful things like that. He pulled the gray polo sweater over his head when he heard a knock at the guest room door.
"Blaine."
"Come in," Blaine said, tucking his shirt into his jeans as the door opened. "Good morning. I'm almost ready."
"Good. We can head out in a few minutes. But I just wanted to confirm a time for Friday. The vintage shop. Did you still want to go? With me?"
"Of course. Yeah. I mean, we hang out every weekend, and I really would like to get a sneak peek into one of your secret shopping lairs. What's the name of this secret place?" Blaine grinned.
"If I told you that, I'd have to kill you. Because everyone knows, Mr. Anderson, that you can't keep a secret," Kurt teased.
"Speaking of secrets, Kurt, does anyone else know about us? About the arrangement for Prom? Have you told anyone that this is just an act?"
Kurt shook his head. "Of course not. Why would I tell anyone? Did you?"
Blaine nodded in the affirmative. "Only Jeff, but he wouldn't tell anyone except for maybe Nick. But then, I'm confused."
Kurt shrugged his shoulders. "Confused? About what?"
"Because Sebastian said that he knew. He said that he knew why I was dating you," Blaine replied.
"Bullshit. He didn't even know that you two were dating exclusively, even though I know that you told him as much," Kurt sighed. "I think he was just trying to stir things up."
Blaine shook his head. "Come to think of it, he said something to me when I went to get my watch from him. Something about running into Karofsky at Scandals, and Dave told him about us dating. I think that's all he knows. Unless Dave is onto us and figured out that we aren't really dating."
"I don't think he knows, Blaine. It's fine. But we just have to be more careful. I don't want him finding out. Because I did this to protect Dave, to keep from hurting him."
Blaine sighed. That's what this came down to. Kurt didn't want to date Blaine. He just didn't want to date Dave. "Alright, then. What do you want to do? We've technically only been dating two days. What more could we do?"
"This," Kurt said, holding up a flier. "Santana told me last night that she and Britt were running for Prom Queens together. It's not too late. Maybe we could put our name in the running as well. Campaign. Make it a point to always be seen with each other until Prom. Have coffee dates after school."
"We already do that, practically every day, anyway. And I'm not sure the Prom campaign is a good idea. I mean, you remember what happened last year."
"Yeah. I won, and I didn't even have to campaign," Kurt teased. "Maybe you have a point. So, do you think that we should lay low or what?"
Blaine shook his head. "No. Absolutely not. If you really want to lay it on thick, we've got to play this up more, not less."
"So, what's the next step?" Kurt asked.
"We definitely need to go on another date, one where we are definitely visible. And we've got to get the student body talking about us as a couple," Blaine explained. "Actually, I think I've got it all figured out."
—*—
And that's how Kurt ended up in the courtyard at lunch, being serenaded by Blaine and the God Squad, who were singing "Silly Love Songs" on Wednesday afternoon. He had worn his pink sunglasses perched on his head, and he was dressed to the nines as the New Directions danced and sang with him, a bouquet of red and yellow roses in his hand, which he handed off to Kurt mid-song.
Kurt shook his head as he saw Karofsky eyeing Blaine. He wasn't sure if this was the approach that they should be taking. All it seemed to do was piss off Karofsky and bring attention to them from people who didn't need to be paying them any attention at all. Then again, he understood the reason that Blaine was so apprehensive. Was it possible that someone knew what they were doing? Kurt sighed. This was a mess.
And yet, he was flattered. All he'd ever wanted was to be serenaded by a dreamy guy, and this time, Blaine had planned this for him, not some assistant Gap manager. It was for him—well, for him and the student body so they were convinced that he and Blaine were a real couple. It was a little much, and he worried that it may backfire.
But as the week progressed, Dave didn't do or say much of anything to either of them. The only people that even seemed to care were the New Directions, and the girls just gushed about how cute they were. The guys just fussed that Blaine was making them look bad by being the perfect boyfriend. He was always carrying Kurt's books, escorting him to class for each class period, or bringing him biscotti or coffee each morning. And each and every time he walked him to class, they held hands or even hugged before Blaine went on his way to his own class. Santana finally told them to get a room.
Finally, Friday arrived, and Blaine was excited. Kurt was taking him shopping for a tuxedo, and then it was dinner and a musical at the local theater: Rent . After Glee, Blaine waited for Kurt at his locker because he still hadn't revealed the name of the place they were going to visit. He paced back and forth, his hands in his pockets so that they weren't bouncing all over the place. This was going to be a perfect evening.
And then, Blaine heard him. "Anderson, a word."
It was Karofsky, motioning for him to step into the locker room.
Karofsky glared intensely into Blaine's eyes. "So, want to explain this?" Dave held up a flier with Blaine and Kurt's picture from Prom the previous year. "What's your angle here? Are you trying to use Kurt to get Prom King? Student Council President and star of the musical aren't enough for you? You gotta be Prom King, too? Is this some attempt to beef up your college application so you get into that fancy college that Berry won't shut up about?"
Blaine shook his head. "Uh, no. It wasn't even my idea. It was Santana's, actually. Santana and Brittany thought it'd be a great way to fight back against what happened last year. They thought it'd be a great way to represent the gays and fight back against homophobia at our school."
"So, that's your angle, the reason you conveniently stopped hanging around that snobby little asswipe from that fancy prep school of yours? So you could talk Kurt into helping you win Prom King? Kinda what that brillo-headed kid from Vocal Addiction, or whatever stupid name they call themselves, did to Berry. Although, I have to admit, egging her was perfect karma for her since she's always insistent on being a total pain in the ass."
"Sebastian and I broke up because he was cheating on me," Blaine explained. "And the egging thing was exceptionally cruel because Rachel is a vegan."
"Serves her right for pushing her overbearing opinions of herself on everyone. But she's not my concern. I'm more worried about your agenda in all of this. Why now, after all this time of insisting that you and Kurt are just friends, do you two have to go to Prom together and flaunt yourselves as the perfect couple? Don't you remember what they did to him last year? What they did to me? They pulled that hilarious prank on me as well, or did you forget?"
"I remember. I was there. I actually spoke on it quite a bit when I ran my student council campaign. Ultimately, it was one of the main things on my agenda, that we try to eradicate homophobic behavior and bullying here at McKinley. I almost lost because I campaigned to get rid of the slushy machine. I'm sure you noticed they stopped selling those things," Blaine said.
"Yeah, but it fixed nothing. There are still homophobes. They just hide it better. You should see some of the things some of my so-called friends wrote on my Facebook wall this week."
"I'm sorry, Dave. We're meeting next week, our PFLAG club and student council, to discuss starting back the Bully Whips. We really would like you to join."
"I bet you would," Dave snapped back. "Look. I don't know what you're trying to pull, running for Prom King, parading him around everywhere, marching him around like some prize. I'll tell you right now, if he gets hurt because you're using him for some hidden agenda, I'll kick your ass."
Blaine shook his head. "This is not about me trying to get into NYADA or win Prom King. I really care about Kurt a lot," Blaine said.
"Do you, or is he just the rebound?" Dave accused. "Some consolation prize because Prep School dumped you."
Blaine shook his head. "I dumped Sebastian. He was a cheater. I'd never cheat on Kurt. I'd do anything to let him know how much I care about him. I'd shower him with affection and gifts and spend every waking moment with him that I could spare."
"That method doesn't work with Kurt. I tried. I wrote him poems. I sent him flowers and gifts. But that wasn't good enough for him. He didn't want me. He wants you."
"I'm sorry, Dave. Look. Kurt cares about you. We both do. We're glad that you're back at McKinley and you no longer have to hide your truth," Blaine said sincerely.
"And you'd better not be hiding anything yourself. I find it highly suspicious that you asked out Kurt as soon as Richie Rich dropped you. One minute, you're seeing him, and the next, you're some model boyfriend to Kurt. I know something is up. And like I said, if you break his heart, I'll break your legs," Karofsky threatened. "Capiche?"
Blaine nodded. "I couldn't hurt him. Besides, out of the two of us, the only one who purposely caused him pain was you. Do you remember that?"
"I apologized for that. I've tried to make it right. I'm not that guy anymore. And I'm going to prove it to him. And I intend to prove to him that you aren't as perfect as he thinks you are. You'll screw up. The truth will come out. And when it does, I'll be there to pick him back up, and then he'll see that I'm the guy he should be with and not you."
"Look, Dave. I—"
"Blaine, you in here? We've got our da—Oh, hey, Dave. What's going on?" Kurt asked as he appeared in the doorway, wearing jeans and a dress shirt with ruffles. Blaine was surprised to see Kurt's outfit; it was pretty toned down for what he was usually wearing. Blaine wasn't complaining, though, because, in this blouse, Kurt's arm muscles were very clearly visible. Kurt saw Blaine looking at his clothes and smiled. "What were you two discussing?"
"We were just talking about your relationship, how lucky he is that he was conveniently single and available to take you to Prom so that you two could run for Prom King together," Karofsky said, pointing to the poster hung on one of the lockers.
"Dave, we talked about this. You and I are friends. I'm so proud of you for coming out. And it looks like most of your friends are being supportive."
"Yeah. Except for the ones that call me a fag behind my back. Z won't even talk to me. He accused me of perving on him when we used to be in the locker room together. I know that your pathetic little Glee Club shields you from the gossip and hate, but the homophobes are still here. You're just too wrapped up in Short Stack and your little musical troop to notice."
"Dave, look. There are always going to be haters and homophobes. But you'll also find allies. It gets better. I promise. I'm sorry, but Blaine and I have got to go. We have an appointment, but maybe we can all get together later this weekend or something. There's a PFLAG meeting next week. You should come. Blaine's the president."
"Of course, he is," Karofsky mumbled. "Yeah. Fine. That'll be good. Well, I'm gonna go lift. Have fun, boys. Be careful. Like I said, this little cowtown isn't as woke as you'd like to believe." He turned and left them both standing there in the locker room.
Kurt took Blaine's hand in his own. "You wanna tell me what that was all about?"
Blaine shook his head. "He was giving me the 'hurt him and I'll hurt you' speech while accusing me of having some hidden agenda for asking you to Prom."
"He's still adjusting. But it'll be okay. Maybe, I'll ask him to come get coffee with us sometime. Or maybe we can introduce him to one of the gay guys at Dalton. Trent would like him. He's into burly guys."
Blaine laughed. "Trent's into Chris Hemsworth. I don't think Dave resembles the God of Thunder."
"Okay. Maybe not," Kurt chuckled. "We need to go. We were supposed to leave ten minutes ago. I really think we'll find something there you can incorporate in your look," Kurt said with a smile as he gave Blaine's hand a squeeze. "Let's get going," Kurt said, leading him to Blaine's Prius.
—*—
"You changed," Blaine observed as he got into the passenger seat. "Although, I have to say I really like this look on you."
Kurt grinned a toothy smile. "They always think I'm taking items from the store when I wear more than this," he explained. "So, have you figured out where I'm taking you?"
Blaine shook his head. "But you said it's close to my house, so it can't be too obscure. Will we have time to find what you're looking for?"
Kurt smiled. "Yeah. We'll find at least one or two things. We're in search of a couple different items, and I'm sure they've got to at least have one thing I'm in search of. If not, there's time to make a custom order."
They drove for a few more minutes, and then they were pulling into the parking lot in front of a cute little consignment shop. "What To Wear? I thought this was just a thrift shop," Blaine said with a grin as he opened the car door and walked around to the driver's side. Kurt handed him his keys and then took his hand in his own.
They stepped inside, and immediately, Blaine began looking around at the quirky displays. In the shop's window stood a mannequin wearing a pink flamingo onesie with a green boa. He looked at Kurt with a hesitant smile. "Are you sure we are going to find something here?"
"Of course. Trust me. I won't put you in a Dapper Dan outfit. That's the fun in vintage shopping—you have to find the hidden diamonds in the mess."
Blaine walked around the store cautiously. There were few people in the store; he could see a woman with long dreadlocks going through the hammer pants aisles in the back, and just in front of them, there was a young man with his son, looking into a container that seemed to be full of carnival clothing.
Kurt walked to the far right of the store, where the dressing rooms were. "If you go into a cubicle, I'll pass the outfits to you."
"Don't I go with you?" Blaine asked.
"What's the surprise in that?" Kurt grinned.
Oh, no, Blaine thought. What have I done, and how long will I be here? Blaine didn't like to be out of control, but if he had to be a dress-up doll, it would be Kurt's.
—*—
They were standing next to a pile of clothing. Kurt had been here recently, so in his mind, he had already planned a few outfits on the car ride here. He was happy to see that they still had the hat he had mentally chosen for Blaine. Seeing Blaine, styled in a white blazer, black dress shirt, and white pants and holding a white hat made him even weaker in the knees than he had thought.
Blaine looked at the hat hesitantly. "Wouldn't it mess up my hair?" he asked.
"I like it messy," Kurt said. "I mean—" he added, but he saw Blaine's grin and knew he couldn't save himself from this situation. "You know I like curls," Kurt said with a smile.
"You think that I should wear white? I thought that you were wearing black?" Blaine questioned reluctantly.
"It's just one of the things they had relatively close to your size. They don't have a lot of pants that are fun-sized, you know, since you're a little vertically challenged," Kurt teased. "Basically, I just wanted to see how these fit. If you like the cut, then I can order you something like them in black if you'd like. Or I could have them pull something in black, and we could get it tailored. Or I could even alter it."
"Yeah. I think that I'd rather have black." He rested the hat on his head and checked himself out in the mirror. "Although, this isn't as bad as I thought it might be."
"Are you doubting my fashion expertise, Blaine?" Kurt laughed.
"Not at all. I just didn't know what to expect. But I should've known that you'd already have a vision for us in mind. Are we buying anything today?"
"It depends on what we find. We need to get your tux design picked out soon so that I can alter it if need be," Kurt explained. "But I think I have the winning combination right here," Kurt said with a grin. "What do you think?" he asked, holding up a black silk blazer jacket, tight pinstripe trousers, and a top hat.
"I think that I'm going to have to skip dinner if I'm gonna squeeze my ass into these," Blaine chuckled. "I have curves, Kurt."
Kurt giggled. "I like those curves. And like I said, I can tailor them to fit. Do you at least like the style, the flared leg on the bottom?"
Blaine nodded. "Yeah. I'll try them on." Blaine started to unbutton the white trousers he had on with Kurt standing right in front of him.
"Uh, Blaine, don't you think you should close the door so you don't show me and the entire store your skivvies?"
"Kurt, please. You've seen me in my boxers before. You'll have to see me in them again if you're going to take my measurements, but fine. If you don't feel comfortable, I'll shut the door. How many more things did you want me to try on tonight? We have dinner reservations at six."
"Just those pants and this bow tie," Kurt said, holding up a solid silk vintage bow tie. "If we don't purchase anything else here, you have to get the tie. Are you dressed?"
"Yeah," Blaine said, opening the door.
Kurt gasped in surprise. "Oh, my God, Blaine. How the hell did you squeeze your ass into those?"
Blaine laughed. "I haven't taken a breath yet. You'll definitely have to let these out. But I like the style. Oh, this tie is to die for. Vintage Brooks Brothers, Kurt. How the hell did you find this?"
Kurt smiled knowingly. "I might have special ordered it. They have a shop online option. I thought you might love it. That's how I found my hippo broach as well. Speaking of, have you seen it? My broach? I haven't seen it since that day at the diner with Dave."
"I don't think I remember you wearing it when you returned. Could you have lost it when you were with Dave?"
Kurt scrunched his nose. "Oh, shit. I remember. It snagged my sweater, so I took it off and put it in the pocket of my jeans."
"You can fit things into your pockets?" Blaine snickered. "I don't even know how air could fit into your pockets, not as tight as you wear your jeans."
"Oh, hush you. I can see double 'O' and seven in those pants you have on now," Kurt laughed. "Go ahead and shimmy out of those slacks before you render yourself impotent for the rest of your life. Besides, we gotta get going so we can make our reservation."
Blaine nodded. "Okay, Kurt. Thanks. This has already been the best date I've ever been on."
A huge grin spread across the brunette's face. "I didn't think you had a lot to compare it to. Did Sebastian ever even take you out?"
Blaine shook his head. "We went to Scandals a few times. But he ended up dancing with other guys. Come to think of it, he would spend most of the time in the bathroom or trying to get me to go in there with him." Kurt looked horrified. "I didn't—We didn't do that. Not there. You know I'm not much for indecency in public places. Although, I don't think it phases Sebastian one bit," Blaine said from behind the changing room door. "Okay. I finally squeezed outta these things. What else do I need to try on?"
Kurt shook his head. "Actually, I think we have a good start. We can continue the search another day. We'll get these today and then head to the restaurant."
"That sounds amazing. Although, I'd better not order the pasta like I was going to. Not if I have to squeeze my ass back into those things for a fitting." Blaine laughed as he opened the dressing room door, exiting, and took the tie from Kurt's hands. "This really is beautiful."
"So are you, Blaine. I mean, you'll look handsome in it. Stunning. I can't wait to see the whole ensemble on you at Prom."
Blaine smiled. "I can't wait either." Blaine grinned. It was going to be the best night of his life. He and Kurt dressed to the nines and possibly even being elected Prom Kings… Yes, Prom was going to be perfect.
Fem Pem wrote the bulk of the chapter, and she did an amazing job. As she was writing, she had an emergency come up, so I added a few scenes to what she had already crafted. I think that we were able to create a fun chapter. I hope that you enjoy it. Thanks to Teddyshoney for beta reading this. The next chapter will be posted Sunday. Don't forget to leave a review.
