Chapter 5: Living the Teenage Dream
It's not even 6am and look at this line! Damn I'm glad I came early! [photo]
-OMG ARE YOU AT THE WARBLERS CONCERT! YOU'RE SO LUCKY! -There's seriously already that many people there?! Are you kidding me?! The show doesn't even start until 7:30! I gotta get my dad to hurry the hell up!
OMG! THEIR BUS! IT'S HERE! Aiulgsikahfilrwghkjsab [photo]
-AAAAHHH! SO EXCITED FOR YOU! so jealous I hate you!
NIFF! IT'S NIFF! And they're holding hands! I'M DYING! [photo]
-ASWGQELAGRLQEH OMFG!
-Fuck me upside down! HOLY SHIT THEY ARE SO HOT! -OTP!
The drive from Lima to Columbus was mostly silent with the exception of a random comment here or there and The Warblers' album playing on the radio. Santana knew that Kurt was having a hard time accepting the fact that Blaine was his soulmate so she left him to his thoughts, hoping he could come to terms with it. But Kurt wasn't coming to terms with it. The more he thought about it, the more he told himself that Blaine was meant to be his, the crazier he felt. And the closer they got to Columbus, the more panicked he became.
"You know, with all the excitement this morning, I didn't get the chance to give you your birthday present," Santana said nonchalantly as they drove down the highway, knowing he needed the distraction, an evil looking smirk playing at her lips.
Kurt raised his brow, glancing in the back to see a blue gift bag on the seat. "Why do I get the feeling that I should be scared?"
Santana gasped, placing a hand over her heart. "Why would you be scared?" she asked way too innocently. Kurt narrowed his eyes but Santana kept a sweet smile on her face. "Come on, open it. It'll keep your mind off the fact that we'll be arriving in approximately fifteen minutes," she sing-songed.
Kurt sighed loudly, reached into the backseat, and grabbed his gift. He didn't even bother trying to guess what Santana got him and immediately started removing the tissue paper. The first thing he pulled out was a black jewelry box, his eyes softening when he saw the baby penguin brooch.
"Tana, it's beautiful," he smiled, his fingers running gently over it. Santana smiled proudly, eyeing the bag as Kurt pulled out the next gift, a big square box. "Why is this so heavy?" he asked suspiciously. Santana shrugged but said nothing. He opened the box cautiously choking on air when he saw its contents. "SANTANA MARIA LOPEZ, HOW DARE YOU?!" he screeched. Inside was a large box of condoms, three bottles of different flavored lubes, a whip, and a pair of fuzzy handcuffs.
Santana laughed, enjoying the deep shade of red on Kurt's cheeks. "What? You're 18, Kurt. I figured this was a good way to introduce you to the sexual side of life. Plus, you have yourself a fine ass man to claim. Now you can."
Kurt shook his head, unable to stop himself from laughing as he set the box aside. "No way, Satan. Absolutely not!"
"Don't be such a prude," Santana rolled her eyes. "There's one more box in there."
"Oh god," Kurt grumbled into his hands. "I'm too scared to look." "It's the best one," Santana sang.
Kurt groaned, biting his lip nervously as he pulled out the rectangular box. "Tana," he whined.
"Just open it," she laughed. Kurt slowly opened the lid but before he could look inside, Santana reached over, grabbed the box and flipped it upside down, its contents falling into Kurt's lap. Kurt squealed, a high pitched nervous laugh wracking through his body. "It's called the Ass-Berry Raspberry. It's meant for beginners so it's perfect for you. It's waterproof too."
"Oh my god," Kurt muttered through his fit of giggles, grabbing the pink, raspberry designed vibrator and quickly tossing it inside the gift bag. "What if my dad finds it? Or Finn?!"
Santana laughed wildly. "Dear Lord, if Finn finds it...oh my god! What if he tries to eat it?!"
"NO!" Kurt shouted, covering his ears. "Don't say that! I can't!"
Kurt spent the next few minutes trying to ignore Santana as she came up with all the different scenarios of Finn finding the vibrator, laughing uncontrollably as each scenario worsened. He begged her to stop, holding his sides from laughing so hard. Only when Santana took the Columbus exit did she finally let up, her excitement for the concert taking over. Kurt however went from laughing to panicking all over again. Needing to distract himself for as long as possible, he broached a topic that had been on his mind for a few weeks.
"So what's going on with you and Quinn?" he asked, his stomach in knots as they quickly approached the arena.
Santana raised a brow. "What do you mean?" she questioned, her tone slightly defensive.
"I mean that you two have been joined at the hip lately," Kurt commented with a raised brow.
"Yeah...and?" Santana pushed, needing to know exactly what Kurt was getting at.
"And I want to make sure you aren't transferring your feelings for Brittany unto Q," Kurt snapped, the arena coming into view.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Santana asked incredulously. "That's the dumbest shit I've ever heard. Quinn's straight."
Kurt scoffed, wringing his hands nervously. "You and I both know that's not exactly true."
Santana rolled her eyes, pulling into the arena entrance. "That was one time and we were all drunk. So she got a little curious when Britt and I started fooling around, so what? That doesn't mean anything."
Kurt raised an unconvinced brow. "Yeah, ok."
Santana chose to ignore him. She didn't need to think about how close she and Quinn had gotten lately. Or how she'd been dreaming of her almost every night for a week straight. Instead she focused on the crowd that was already gathered outside the arena. "Fuck that's a lot of people."
Kurt gulped and nodded, his eyes shifting to the building where The Warblers were already inside. Santana parked her car but neither made any attempt to get out. "Oh my god," Kurt muttered, his breathing labored. "I think I'm going to throw up." Kurt expected Santana to threaten him, to bitch at him for being a wimp. So when she said nothing, he quickly turned to see her staring wide-eyed at the stadium. "Tana?"
"They're in there," she whispered almost eerily. "Niff...they're in there... right now...probably cuddling o-or m-making out...oh my god..."
"Tana," Kurt repeated, reaching for her hand. Santana wasn't one to lose her cool. She spent years perfecting her tough exterior. But when it came to The Warblers, specifically Nick and Jeff, even she couldn't escape the fangirl inside.
Santana shook her head frantically. "I can't...oh my god...no, no, no, no, no."
"Whoa ok, you gotta calm down," Kurt said as he cupped her face, forcing her to look at him. "You promised me you'd have a handle on this. You swore you'd be here to keep me from losing my shit and I cannot do that if you don't calm the hell down!" he shouted.
"The Warblers, they're in there Kurt...he's in there," Santana said wide- eyed. "Blaine fucking Anderson, your soulmate, is in there, waiting for you!"
Kurt took a few shallow breaths before they both screamed at the top of their lungs. "Ok, alright. We just...we gotta calm down. We have to relax," he removed his hands from Santana's face, both closing their eyes, inhaling deeply. "You good?" he asked, his voice going an octave higher.
Santana nodded, though really, her heart was hammering in her chest. "Yeah, totally. You?"
Kurt chuckled anxiously and shook his head. "No, not in the least bit. But we have to get inside so...fuck it. Let's just...let's just get in there before I pass out."
Santana gulped, turning her attention back to the arena. "Ok. Let's go."
Blaine stood at the back of the arena by the entrance doors, leaning against the wall and listening to their fans chant for them. Somewhere out there amongst the throng of people, his soulmate was waiting for him. He tried not to get his hopes up, but Blaine was convinced that his Kurt would be at their show tonight. And while he was ecstatic at the thought, he was also worried that the chance to meet his beloved would come and go without him even realizing it.
"Blaine," Eric called out as he approached him. "What are you doing? The fan hangout is about to start."
"He's out there," Blaine said just above a whisper, Eric barely catching it. "I can feel it. I know he is. What if I miss him? What if he walks right past me or I look right at him and not even realize it's him?"
Eric smiled understandingly. "My offer still stands," he said gently, placing a hand on Blaine's shoulder. "I know you want it to happen naturally but if you're really that worried..."
Blaine thought it over for only a moment before removing his cuff and handing Eric his wrist. "Don't tell me when you find him. Just make sure I don't miss him."
Eric read the name and nodded. "I'll do what I can. Now go finish getting ready."
Blaine offered him a small but appreciative smile, snapped his cuff back on, and hurried backstage. Eric waited until Blaine was out of earshot before quickly grabbing their crew's walkie-talkie.
"I need you guys to check the ID of every male over 18 years old. We need to find Kurt E. Hummel," he instructed.
"Kurt E. Hummel?" Tony, who was in charge of checking VIP ticket holders in, asked.
"Yes."
"The last two Ultimate VIP holders just checked in. He was one of them," Tony radioed back.
Eric grinned from ear to ear. "Thanks, Tony. I'll take it from here."
Kurt and Santana were taken backstage to a waiting room with eight other fans. The room was large with a few couches and a table with drinks and snacks. They kept to themselves, standing at the farthest corner of the room while the others stood close by the door, eager to talk with The Warblers. Santana kept her eyes on the door while Kurt fidgeted with his cuff, doing his best not to have a panic attack. The door opened and everyone went silent when Eric walked in.
"Hello everyone, thank you for joining us today," he greeted with a smile, his eyes scanning their faces until they landed on Kurt, the only over 18 boy in the room. Eric's smile widened. "I need to go over a few things before the guys come in so let's get to it. You will have one hour to speak with them and take pictures. I ask that you don't hog their attention, let them work the room. I assure you everyone will have a chance to talk with them so don't worry if you don't get them right as they come in. Afterwards, you will be escorted to your seats where you'll watch them and the band have sound check. Once that's done, they will go off to the regular meet and greet and you are to stay in the stadium. The doors for general admission open at 6 and the show is scheduled to start at 7:30. It is now," he paused for a moment to look at his watch. "12:00, so we're in for a long day. Everyone good?" the small group nodded. "Good. They will be here in just a few minutes," he said with a final look Kurt's way before walking out.
Kurt turned to Santana, his back to the door. "I don't think I can do this," he whispered frantically.
"You can and you will," Santana whispered back harshly. "Calm the fuck down. You got this," Kurt closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Santana gasped. "Oh my god."
Kurt quickly turned around as The Warblers walked in, Jeff and Nick first, followed by David and Wes, and finally Blaine. He stood frozen as he watched his beloved greet the girls that bombarded them the moment they walked in, only half conscious of the death grip Santana had on his arm. Any and all anxiety he felt was gone and all he could do was stare in awe. Blaine was even more breathtaking than he remembered.
"They are so damn pretty," he heard Santana whisper in his ear and he knew she was talking about Nick and Jeff.
"Go talk to them," he whispered back, his eyes still glued on Blaine who was taking a picture with a fan.
"I can't!" Santana snapped though Kurt barely heard.
He was completely focused on Blaine, slowly walking towards him as if Blaine was a magnet and he was nothing but a tiny spec of metal. He watched Blaine sign some autographs and take a few group pictures. He watched as Blaine smiled sweetly at a little boy, his heart melting when Blaine high-fived him and laughed lightly at whatever the little boy had said. He noticed how Blaine seemed to keep to himself even when interacting with his fans, a warm smile in place but still somewhat reserved. It was one of his favorite things about Blaine. He was always cool and collected in his interviews but when it came to performing, he was passionate and free-spirited.
Blaine excused himself and walked to the snack table, neither noticing how Eric discreetly directed the other fans' attention away from Blaine as Kurt got closer to him. Blaine faced the snack table, keeping his back to the fans as he tried to push his nerves away. He had to keep reminding himself that he would meet his beloved when the time was right. He couldn't obsess over it. He needed to focus on the fans and the show.
"Blaine."
Blaine turned at the angelic voice, his breath hitching at the beautiful young man standing in front of him, instantly captivated by hauntingly familiar celestial blue eyes. "Hi," he greeted with a dreamy smile. "Have we met before? You look really familiar."
Kurt nodded slowly, licking his lips before speaking quietly. "Six years ago, you were playing at Goodale Park and me and my dad saw you. I uh, I was the little boy who gave you 50 dollars," Blaine's jaw dropped, his eyes not so subtly roaming down Kurt's body. "You asked me what my favorite Disney movie was and I said-"
"Mulan," Blaine cut in with a bright smile. "I sang I'll Make A Man Out of You. I remember," Kurt smiled softly, still in a daze. "This is incredible. I can't believe you're here. You've certainly grown up. Heck, you're even taller than me now," he said with a chuckle. "What's your name?" he asked, offering Kurt his hand to shake.
Kurt grabbed hold of Blaine's hand, shaking it slowly. "Kurt. Kurt Hummel."
Blaine inhaled sharply, his eyes wide. "What?" he breathed out.
Kurt gulped, stepping closer to Blaine, their hands still firmly attached. "My name. Kurt E. Hummel," he said just above a whisper, his voice breaking.
Blaine choked out a laugh, his eyes clouding over. "I don't believe it...I... come on."
Blaine pulled Kurt by his hand and quickly exited the room. Kurt thought he heard Santana squeal but he couldn't be sure. Blaine ran them through a few different halls backstage, barely noticing the strange looks he received from the crew. Kurt was in too much shock to question where they were going. Part of him was certain he was dreaming. Blaine reached The Warblers' dressing room, hurried inside and closed the door behind them, only then letting go of Kurt's hand.
They stood a few feet apart for a moment, both breathing heavily. Blaine let his eyes wander down Kurt's body, replacing the little boy in his mind with the gorgeous man in front of him. Was it possible that the little boy he'd secretly made a promise to was also his soulmate? Could it be true that the stunning young man watching him with fearful eyes was truly his? It hurt his heart to see the fear and worry in Kurt's eyes, as if he was waiting for the rejection. Blaine finally stepped closer, slowly reaching for Kurt's left hand, unable to handle the uncertainty any longer.
"May I?" he asked gently. Kurt gulped and nodded, allowing Blaine to remove the cuff. Blaine laughed almost maniacally when he saw his name on Kurt's wrist, removing his own cuff, placing both on the coffee table next to them.
Kurt gasped at seeing his own name, a slow smile gracing his features. "It really is you," he breathed in shock, his eyes tearing up.
Blaine let out a laugh, pulling Kurt into his arms. Kurt could only melt into the embrace. "All this time, it was you," Blaine whispered, an almost pained tone to his voice. He held Kurt tightly, breathing in Kurt's scent, allowing himself to get lost in it. It felt like home. "I've been looking for you forever."
Blaine pulled back slightly, cupping Kurt's face with his left hand, pulling him into a deep kiss. Kurt moaned in surprise, his arms wrapping around Blaine's neck instinctively. The world around them stood still, their hearts beating to the same rhythm. Their souls danced as they connected, Blaine's tongue lapping over Kurt's, Kurt gasping as his entire being thrummed with passion and pleasure. They parted slowly, Blaine leaning his forehead on Kurt's, a breathy chuckle escaping his lips. Kurt held on to Blaine firmly, his head spinning from all the emotions coursing through his body, unable to control the tears that streamed down his cheeks.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Blaine asked worriedly, attempting to step back but stopping when Kurt held him close.
"Nothing," Kurt breathed out. "I'm just a little overwhelmed. I mean, I went to bed last night as your fan and now...now you're my soulmate," he said in wonderment. "It's just a lot to take in."
Blaine smiled adoringly, his thumb wiping a tear away. "Today's your birthday?" Kurt nodded, a shy smile on his lips. "Well then, I promise to make this the best birthday you've ever had."
"It already is," Kurt replied, his eyes sparkling the same way they had been the first time they met.
Blaine chuckled softly, bringing Kurt's hand to his lips, kissing his fingers lightly. "Not yet it isn't. But it will be," he promised. Kurt ducked his head, his cheeks flushing. Blaine stroked his jawline, already falling in love with the way he blushed. "You're so beautiful. In all the years I've searched for you, I never imagined you being so stunning."
Kurt shrugged a bit. "I have a very thorough skin regimen," he teased with a smirk.
Blaine chuckled, his hand sliding to the back of Kurt's neck. "You're perfect," he whispered before leaning forward, their lips barely brushing when a knock on the door caught their attention.
"Sorry to interrupt," Eric said with a sly smirk. "Just want to make sure everything's ok."
"Everything's perfect," Blaine answered, his eyes locked with Kurt's. "Eric, this is Kurt, my soulmate. Kurt, this is our manager Eric."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kurt," Eric greeted with a nod.
"You too," Kurt replied breathlessly, the words my soulmate echoing in his mind.
Eric turned to Blaine with an apoplectic smile. "I hate to take you away but you have a room full of fans waiting to meet you, Blaine."
Blaine's shoulder slumped. "Shit," he swore, not wanting to leave Kurt's side but knowing he had a responsibility to his fans.
"It's ok," Kurt quickly assured him. "They paid a lot of money to see you, Blaine. I don't want to keep you from them."
Blaine smiled softly, his thumb gently grazing the back of Kurt's neck. "Do you want to come back in there with me or do you want to wait for me here?"
"I can wait here," Kurt replied shyly. "But my best friend's still in there. She knows about us too but she won't say anything, I promise. She's probably ogling Jeff and Nick at this very moment," he chuckled.
"What's her name?" Blaine asked, his arm still wrapped firmly around Kurt's waist.
"Santana Lopez. The Latina in the matching jacket," Kurt told him.
Blaine nodded. "I'll make sure she's taken care of. I'll be back soon. Make yourself at home. Just stay away from Wes' Jujubes," he joked though really, Wes was very protective of his candy.
"Ok," Kurt said with a small laugh. "Go greet your fans. I'll be here."
Blaine kissed Kurt's cheek lightly before reluctantly letting go, grabbing his cuff to snap back on and walking out of the room. Kurt stood in his spot, waiting a few minutes after Blaine and Eric left to flail. He didn't scream or squeal, but he did dance around in a circle, giggling excitedly. Blaine really was his soulmate! Blaine freaking Anderson, his idol, his fanboy dream, was truly his and he was Blaine's. What was the world coming to because seriously, things like this don't happen to Kurt Hummel.
Kurt grabbed his cuff off the table and clipped it back on before taking his jacket off and draping it on one of the chairs. He walked around the dressing room, grabbing a bottle of water from the food table before sitting down in the chair. He pulled his cellphone out and went to his Twitter. He scrolled through his timeline, clicking on the photo that Santana posted a few minutes prior. The picture was of her squished in-between Nick and Jeff, all three doing sexual faces with the tagline, NiffTana sandwich. WANKY.
He laughed and saved the picture before going into his profile to edit. He deleted his entire description and wrote one line, Living the teenage dream. He then changed his location from Lima, OH to Blaine's heart. He wasn't the only Warbler fan with that location, but his is the only one that held any truth to it and that made him giddy. Satisfied with the new description and location, he clicked out of Twitter, slid his phone back into his pocket, and sat back in the seat, a long sigh escaping his lips. Life as he knew it was over.
Approximately forty-five minutes later, Kurt was still seated in the same spot, a faraway look in his eyes as he daydreamed of all the things he and Blaine could experience together, all the adventures they could take. It wasn't until he suddenly had a lap full of Santana that he snapped out of it.
"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!" She squealed excitedly, bouncing in his lap. When the hell did she get in here?
"I prefer Kurt but god works just as well," Kurt retorted, laughing when Santana slapped him.
"Shut up," she snapped playfully. "You totally missed it! Jeff and I had a dance off, which of course he won because he's Jeff freaking Sterling, but they recorded it and it was amazing! I think I'm in love," she sighed.
Kurt raised an amused brow, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Is this where I remind you that you're a lesbian?"
Santana crossed her legs, brushing off imaginary lint from her jacket then flipping her hair. "Totally irrelevant."
Kurt scoffed. "And what about the fact that Jeff's gay? And bonded with Nick? Is that relevant?"
"Damn, Hummel. Why you gotta burst my happy bubble?" Santana whined. "Besides, I'd totally be willing to get my sexy on with both. Nick's all sweet and dapper but I bet you anything he's a freak in bed," Kurt bit back a laugh as Santana imagined a night with them. "Anyway, how'd it go? I'm guessing well by the dazed look you had when I came in."
Kurt blushed under Santana's knowing gaze. "It was amazing, Tana. I all but fainted when I actually saw my name on his wrist," Santana squealed and bounced some more. "He kissed me," he said with a wide grin.
Santana screamed. "Oh my god, how was it?!"
"It was...I don't even know," Kurt breathed out. "My head is still spinning! It was so passionate, like romantic movie passionate! And he called me beautiful! I swear to god I was putty in his hands," he sighed.
Santana smiled at the blissed out look on Kurt's face. If anyone deserved this much happiness it was him. "So, what now?" she wondered.
"I don't know," Kurt shrugged. "I've been in here the whole time. Did he say anything to you?"
"Just that you were ok and I'd see you later," she told him. "The rest of the group was being escorted to their seats for sound check and I was brought here. Oh! Everyone also got these cool gift bags with Warbler merchandise but Blaine took ours, said we get special ones."
Just then the door opened, Blaine walking in eagerly with his friends close behind. "What's all this?" he asked teasingly, raising a brow at Santana and Kurt's position.
Santana snorted with amusement as Kurt pushed her off, his cheeks red with embarrassment. "As if that's the worst position we've been caught in," she muttered.
"Shut up, Satan," Kurt snapped under his breath, standing up from the chair.
Blaine smirked at the two, curious about Santana's comment but deciding to ask Kurt later. He held out his hand towards Kurt, beckoning him over. Kurt walked to him, a shy smile in place, and grabbed hold on Blaine's hand. Blaine kissed his cheek gently and nuzzled his neck. "Hi," he spoke quietly, completely unaware of his friends watching them.
"Hi," Kurt replied just as quietly, immediately getting lost in Blaine's deep hazel eyes.
"Are you gonna introduce us to our newest homey or are you just gonna stare at each other lovingly until we puke from all the cuteness," David teased good-naturedly, Kurt ducking as everyone laughed.
"Seriously, you're painfully adorable and that's saying something coming from me," Jeff said as he pulled Nick closer.
"Damn, would you two just fuck already?" Santana all but purred, her eyes glued on Jeff and Nick.
"Santana!" Kurt admonished, his eyes wide. "I'm sorry guys, she doesn't have a filter," he said sending Santana his, bitch you better behave, look. She shrugged uncaringly.
"We know," they all said simultaneously and laughed. Kurt groaned. God only knows what she said without me there to shut her up.
"Anyway," Blaine started, finally turning away from Kurt and to his friends. "Guys, this is Kurt, my soulmate," Kurt was never going to get used to hearing that. "Kurt, these are my best friends, Wes, David, Nick, and Jeff."
"It's great to finally meet you, Kurt," Wes shook his hand, smiling politely. "Blaine has been a lost puppy for much too long," he teased.
"Word," David nodded, fist bumping Kurt.
"Now Kurt, maybe you can help us out here," Jeff started, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You see, we've been trying to get Blaine to stop using a pound of gel in his hair since high school and he just won't listen to us. Do you think you could fix that or..."
Blaine smacked Jeff on the back of his head, laughing at the undignified noise he made. "Shut up, Jeffery."
"Nicky, he hurt me," Jeff pouted into Nick's shoulder.
"It's ok baby. I'll make it up to you later," Nick assured him with a wink. "Wanky," Santana grinned.
"So Kurt, why don't you tell us a little about yourself?" Wes asked, choosing to ignore his ridiculous friends and attempt to make Kurt feel welcomed.
"Um, I don't really know what to say," Kurt chuckled nervously when the attention turned on him. "I'm 18, I'm a senior at McKinley, and um, I'm a cheerleader."
Santana scoffed. "More like the cheerleader," she cut in. "If I didn't love you so damn much I'd push you off the top of the pyramid myself, oh captain my captain."
Blaine raised a surprised brow. "You're cheerleading captain?"
Kurt half shrugged, though he wore a proud smile. "I am. Tana and I are on the Cheerios together."
"That's right. Porcelain here is the top bitch. We're known as His Royal Highness and The Unholy Trinity." As soon as the words slipped out, Santana's face dropped. They weren't The Unholy Trinity, not anymore. Kurt sent her a sad smile, Jeff watching their exchange curiously. "Anyway, we're national champs," she bragged, flipping her hair, ignoring the pain in her heart. "We're in show choir too, though that shit is super lame."
"Hey now, don't be dissin on show choir," David said in mock offense. "That's how we came to be."
"That's right," Blaine said with a proud nod. "We were awesome at Dalton."
"That may be but McKinley ain't no prep school and at our school, show choir is loserville 101," Santana quipped, looking at Kurt for affirmation.
Kurt reluctantly nodded. "Yeah, she's got a point."
"Well then why are you in it?" Nick questioned with a small laugh.
"We like to sing," Kurt said with a sigh. "Plus, as much as it pains me to say it, glee club is the only place at McKinley that we really feel at home. Even with our Cheerio status."
Santana nodded. "Mhm."
Blaine cocked his head curiously, wondering exactly what Kurt meant and why there was a hurtful tone to his voice. He would have to ask about that later.
Eric knocked on the door and came in. "You guys ready for sound check?" "Yeah, we're ready," Wes answered and started heading out the door.
"Santana, would you like to watch from backstage or your seat?" Eric asked her.
"Backstage, duh," she replied as she stood up.
"We're gonna hang back for a bit, is that ok?" Blaine whispered into Kurt's ear.
Kurt nodded, a shiver coursing down his spine as Blaine's breath lingered on his neck. "Yeah, totally."
"Try not to be too long, Blaine," Eric said before walking out with the others, leaving Kurt and Blaine alone in the dressing room.
Blaine walked them over to the couch and sat down, turning his body to face Kurt. "So...what have you been up to for the past six years?" he asked with a laugh. "That was a dumb question, I'm sorry."
"No, no. It's fine," Kurt assured him. "It's a completely legitimate question," he smirked.
Blaine chuckled. "I appreciate you humoring me. Really though, a lot has changed since we last met," Kurt nodded, his eyes shifting down to their linked hands, Blaine's thumb caressing his softly. "And I want to know everything but since we have limited time today, let's just start with the simple stuff. Where did you grow up? What's your family like?"
"Well, I grew up in Lima," Kurt started, feeling more comfortable talking to Blaine with each passing moment. "Sadly I'm still there. It's not much of a town but it's whatever. My family's pretty cool. My mom passed away when I was 9 and before you say you're sorry, it's ok. I miss her but I'm ok," he smiled softly as Blaine's thumb continued to caress the top of his hand. "My dad is incredible. It was just us two for a while but then he met Carole when I was 15 and they got married not long after they started dating, so now it's us plus her and her son Finn. He's a senior like me and Tana."
"And you get along with him ok?" Blaine asked curiously. "I know step siblings take a while to get used to."
"Yeah, we get along great," Kurt nodded. "Or rather, now we do. He had some trouble in the beginning accepting that I'm gay but other than Tana, he's my best friend."
Blaine smiled. "Good. Do they know, about me? About us?"
Kurt chuckled. "Oh, they know. After the massive freak-out I had this morning I'm sure all of Lima knows," he joked.
"That bad, huh?" Blaine smirked.
"You have no idea. I'm talking lots of screaming here. And not the, oh my god Blaine Anderson is my soulmate this is the coolest thing ever, kind of screaming. I'm talking, oh hell no, this is so not happening, I'm losing my shit, kind of screaming," Blaine laughed at Kurt's reaction. He almost forgot just how enthusiastic teenagers were. "I'm serious! I even tried scrubbing your name off because I couldn't believe that it was real!" Blaine pouted and Kurt quickly backtracked. "Not that I didn't want it to be you! I just... I've kinda been in love with you since I was 11, Blaine. Seeing your name on my wrist was mind-blowing. It still is," he admitted shyly. "I ramble when I'm nervous, I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize, it's fine. I was only teasing. I understand," Blaine said gently. "I could only imagine what was going through your head this morning. You should know though, since you've admitted to being in love with me for over six years," he teased with a wink, Kurt blushing an adorable deep red, "that I've thought about you countless times since that night. That money you gave me fed me for about a week and the next time I played at that park, the guys showed up and Eric discovered us. You've been my good luck charm for years," he spoke gently.
Kurt bit back the tears that wanted to spill. This was all just so much to take in. "You know, I've always wondered about that day," he said just above a whisper. "Why you were out there, what happened that made you play for tips."
Blaine sighed deeply. "It's a bit of a long story but um basically, my parents, more specifically my father, didn't want to accept that I'm gay or that I wanted to sing instead of going into banking like him so about a week after graduation, he kicked me out."
"Oh Blaine, I'm so sorry," Kurt said quietly, regretting bringing it up in the first place.
Blaine simply smiled though and shook his head. "Don't be. I met you that way and I was discovered because of it. I have no regrets," Kurt offered him a small smile but Blaine could tell that he was worried he said the wrong thing so he quickly changed the topic. "Earlier when you were talking about being on the Cheerios, Santana called you Porcelain. I may be jumping the gun here but your Twitter handle wouldn't happen to be Cheerio_Porcelain would it?" he asked with a smirk.
Kurt bit his lip and nodded. "Yeah...it totally is."
Blaine laughed, finally understanding why he had been so intrigued by the user. "You should know that I kinda stalked your tweets for a little bit there," Kurt's eyes went wide, his jaw going slack. "What? I was curious so I looked. Although now that I think about it, it makes perfect sense."
Kurt shook his head. "Blaine Anderson Twitter stalked me. Unbelievable."
Blaine snorted a laugh. "What is your heart's greatest desire?" he repeated the question back to Kurt, his tone teasing.
"To find my missing puzzle piece and make all his dreams come true," Kurt answered with a cheeky grin.
"Now that is what I call an answer," Blaine said dramatically, placing a hand over his heart. "Epic swoon."
"Shut up," Kurt whined, playfully shoving Blaine. "I was mortified after I tweeted you that!"
"Why? That tweet made my night," Blaine said with a small laugh, grabbing hold of Kurt's other hand.
"Because I had never tweeted you before and the one time I do, you respond and I make a complete fool of myself," Kurt pouted.
Unable to resist, Blaine leaned in and gave Kurt a chaste but tender kiss, backing away just slightly and letting their noses brush. "You didn't. I thought it was sweet," he whispered.
Kurt gulped, his heart beat racing. "You're um, you're pretty affectionate, aren't you?"
"Is that going to be a problem?" Blaine asked, backing away a little more but still in Kurt's personal space.
"No, not at all," Kurt quickly shook his head. "I just hadn't expected it, you seem so reserved. It's just gonna take some getting used to. You're my first boyfriend, ya know," he added bashfully
Blaine grinned from ear to ear, looking deeply into Kurt's eyes. "Your first and your last," he promised, gently stroking Kurt's cheek.
Kurt looked away, unable to hold on to Blaine's intense gaze. He needed a moment to breathe before he did something he shouldn't yet, like straddle Blaine and give in to his every fantasy. "You should um, get to sound check and I should make sure Santana isn't doing something stupid like attempting to molest Jeff."
Blaine laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I guess we should go," he pulled back all the way and sighed. "Come on," he stood up, bringing Kurt with him. "Speaking of Santana, you're gonna have to tell me what she meant when she said that you two have been caught in worse positions."
"Oh god," Kurt groaned in embarrassment. "Do I have to?" he pouted.
Blaine laughed as he opened the door, sending Kurt a cheeky grin. "Definitely."
