To Fall in Love With Anyone, Do This
Note: Hi again, everyone. I want to take a quick moment to recognize the fact that I know there is another 36 questions Klaine fic out there that was still in progress when I saw a post for it. I contacted that author who gave me their blessing to share this story anyway! I began writing this over a year ago, and I have not read the other story, so any similarities are purely coincidental.
With that said, please enjoy my newest fic. I'll be posting an update on tumblr every day until it's finished!
Also, huge thanks to darrenismydarcy for making it better and cheering me on when I was stuck.
Prologue: Blind Date
Blaine Anderson straightened his blue and white checkered bow tie with a deep breath and opened the door to his first first date in six years.
A hostess showed him to the table; despite being fifteen minutes early, his date had already arrived. Blaine had initially been reluctant to allow his overeager mother to set him up with her co-worker's stepson, especially when she told him the intention was for them to answer the "36 Questions to Make You Fall In Love With Anyone" that they had read about in one of their favorite magazines on their lunch break one day. He had tried the excuse that he wasn't ready to date yet, but his mother knew him better than anyone, and she knew he was ready to move on and find someone to share his life with.
Seeing his date awaiting him at a cozy, quiet corner booth, dressed to kill and looking unbelievably gorgeous for someone who happened to be a single gay man Blaine's age living in Ohio, Blaine knew he had been right to finally give in to his mother's meddling.
His hand nervously twitched toward his bow tie again, but he forced himself to hold it out instead.
"Hi, I'm Blaine. You must be my date."
The handsome stranger shook his hand with a shy strength. "My name is Kurt. It's nice to meet you."
The way Kurt's eyes swept over Blaine twice — once quickly and a second time with more intention — did not escape his notice, causing a slight blush to color his cheeks.
"So our mothers seem to be good friends," Blaine said, sliding into the booth gracefully but excitedly.
"Yes, Carole talks nonstop about your mom. I've only been back in Ohio for three weeks and they just couldn't resist getting us together at the earliest opportunity," Kurt laughed.
Blaine let Kurt's laugh float through the air, taking a moment to appreciate the melodic sound before speaking.
"See, I've been back for about three months already, so I'm sure my mom was the instigator in this situation."
Kurt seemed unable to resist the contagiousness of Blaine's smile. He watched him for a moment longer before reaching for a drink menu.
"I believe we have a task to complete this evening. One that might be a little easier with a drink in hand. Choose something for me, and I'll choose one for you. No telling if you like it or not. At the end of our 36 questions, we'll do it again and see if we get any better at it."
"Sounds fun," Blaine said, thoughtfully poring over the menu as the waitress approached to take their drink order.
"He'll have a whiskey sour."
"And he'll have the peach sangria."
The waitress disappeared and Kurt and Blaine looked at each other trying not to let their faces give anything away.
The corner of Kurt's lip twitched up and Blaine dissolved into laughter, Kurt following right behind.
The waitress returned quickly with their drinks from the bar and the men picked up their glasses, clinking them together.
"To meddling moms."
"To meddling moms," Blaine echoed, sipping on his scarily accurate drink.
Sighing happily at how things were going so far, Blaine pulled out a piece of paper and set it on the table in front of himself.
"It's time to answer some questions."
One: Dinner Guest
"Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?" Blaine looked up at Kurt expectantly.
"Am I allowed to say I would have dinner with myself from ten years ago? Teenage me would have loved to know that things really do get better." Kurt sipped his sangria. "What about you?"
"I would have dinner with the man my ex left me for. I want to know what it was that made Luke fall in love with him. I want to know that they can make each other happy." He swirled his drink, staring at the small eddy it created.
"Wow," Kurt set his drink down and turned his shoulders toward Blaine. "Jumping right into the real stuff."
Blaine did not realize that he had automatically mimicked Kurt's body language. "You're one to talk. What was life like for sixteen year old Kurt?" He felt himself genuinely wanting to know Kurt's story.
Kurt grimaced at the memory. "It was rough. I had just come out, and while I had friends and a dad who supported me faithfully, there were plenty of people who didn't. I was dying to just be myself, to be in a place and with people who accepted me for who I was. I didn't have any gay friends until college. It would have helped to have someone to look up to, someone to share my hopes and fears with, but I had no one. Not anyone who really understood. If I had been able to have dinner with adult me, I could have seen that it was possible to get out, to achieve my dreams. My life is far, far from perfect. But it would have given sixteen year old Kurt Hummel some hope."
"Incredible. I wish we had known each other in high school. I know I really could have used someone like you to confide in," Blaine said sincerely, resting his chin in his hand and watching Kurt with earnest hazel eyes.
Kurt smiled and looked down at his hands, cheeks pinkening. "It's never too late, I guess."
Kurt hadn't dated much in the past year or so, having been rejected and discouraged time after time. He tended to avoid putting himself in situations where it could happen again, but he was lonely. Kurt was glad that he'd taken the risk of going out with Blaine, who was turning out to be everything Kurt could have hoped for. He peeked back up at him, having regained some confidence in the silence. "So tell me about your answer. You'd really want to have dinner with your ex's new boyfriend?"
Blaine laughed self-deprecatingly. "Call me a masochist, but yes. It just…the breakup completely blindsided me. Things were amazing for six years, and then all of a sudden there was someone else. I need to know that it was worth my pain, that he and Luke are happy. Because if they aren't, and it was all for nothing…" Blaine trailed off with a shrug, though he felt anything but indifferent about it.
Kurt regarded him with big eyes and an awed, yet sad smile. "I don't know anyone else who would give that answer. You're very selfless."
"Ah, you've already figured out my fatal flaw."
"I would hate for you to figure out mine.," Kurt joked, but with a tone that made Blaine think there was some truth to it.
Blaine grinned and looked back down at the paper on the table. "I'm working on it. Question two."
Two: Famous
"Would you—" Kurt began to ask, but was interrupted by the waitress wanting to take their orders. They both ordered the special without asking what it was. It was a tradition Kurt and his father had, and he was thrilled to see Blaine playing along.
Kurt cleared his throat as the waitress walked away and read the question again. "Would you like to be famous? In what way?"
"Growing up, I wanted to be a famous musician. In college I actually double majored in music and education," Blaine laughed. "Now, though, I'm not sure I'd want to be famous for anything. If I was, I'd want it to be for changing the world for the better somehow. Curing a disease or ending poverty or something like that."
Kurt shook his head slowly. He had only known Blaine for a little less than an hour, but he already knew that response was so Blaine.
"What are you shaking your head for?" Blaine asked, biting his lip timidly, afraid he'd said something wrong already.
"I'm having a difficult time believing that you're real. It's not every day a guy meets someone like you, Blaine."
"What does that mean?" he chewed harder on his lower lip.
Kurt, sensing his nerves, briefly rested a hand on Blaine's bicep. He could feel the strength of the muscle through his shirt and he added that to his mental inventory of reasons why Blaine was shaping up to be perfect. "It's a good thing, I promise."
That seemed to appease Blaine momentarily, leaning into Kurt's touch. "Would you want to be famous?" he asked.
"I had my fifteen minutes of fame, but I'm done with that for now."
"You're famous and you're just now telling me about it? Spill!"
Blaine's eyes were wide with curiosity and wonder, and Kurt chuckled and took another sip of his drink before answering
"Minorly famous. I was a swing on Broadway for a year, then I toured with a couple of national productions for a few years. I just finished my last tour — Dirty Dancing — and I'm hanging up my hat indefinitely."
"Stop it! I had no idea you were a performer! Why did you decide to retire?"
"It wasn't fulfilling any longer. Don't get me wrong, I love being able to sing and dance and act every night, but it gets exhausting, never being in the same place, unable to settle down. It wasn't my dream anymore. Not without—" he cut himself off.
"Not without…" Blaine repeated with a question in his voice.
Kurt took in the open and trusting vibe Blaine gave off, and decided to just let it all out for the first time in his life. "Not without someone to share it with."
Blaine nodded knowingly. He could read the loneliness in Kurt's eyes and wondered how long he'd been by himself.
"It feels very superficial to say that I've been semi-famous for acting on stage when you said you want to be saving lives."
"Don't read too much into it. I mean, what I wanted first was to be a pop star. Like, the poppiest of pop stars. I wanted to collab with Katy Perry and open for Maroon Five."
Kurt threw his head back in laughter. "Okay, I feel a little bit better about my goals now."
"Good. Next question?"
Three: Phone Call
Only when the basket of bread and plate of oil and herbs were brought to their table, did Kurt and Blaine realize how close they were leaning in toward each other. They straightened out, Kurt with a coy little giggle. It was so easy to become wrapped up in what Blaine was saying, and their bodies seemed to gravitate toward each other. Kurt hadn't ever really had a physical connection with anyone before, so even the simple way they mirrored each other was a thrill for him.
Ignoring the bread, Blaine proceeded with the next question.
"Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why?" He paused, then laughed. "That's a silly question."
"I know!" Kurt propped his head up on his elbow. "Who doesn't rehearse what they're going to say?"
"I was going to say the opposite! You really rehearse your phone calls before they happen?" Blaine's grin was dazzling, and where before, Kurt may have been self conscious about his answer, he now wanted to open up completely.
"I'm an acteur, Blaine, my lines have to be perfect. Even my lines in real life. I'm used to things being scripted."
"I prefer to go off script. Speak from the heart. Plus, you can never predict what someone else is going to say, or how they might astonish you." His gaze was deep into Kurt's eyes.
"Yeah…" Kurt cleared his throat. "I'm learning that." He grabbed a piece of bread from the table and ungracefully stuffed it in his mouth to keep himself from saying something stupid.
"So admit it, Kurt," Blaine started, and oh, Kurt loved the way his name sounded coming out of the other man's mouth. "Did you rehearse what you would say here tonight?"
Kurt smiled and blushed, but owned up to it. "Absolutely."
"Even the choosing each other's drink part?" Kurt nodded. "Damn. I was impressed with how easily you came up with that one. Guess the illusion is shattered."
Kurt nudged Blaine playfully with his elbow. "Hey now, don't make fun of my excessive need for control! I couldn't help but to google the questions ahead of time to prepare!"
Blaine gasped in mock horror. "You read the questions ahead of time? I suddenly feel woefully unprepared for this date. Your answers are going to be so much more polished than mine."
"Don't worry, Blaine, your answers so far are perfect."
Four: Perfect
"And speaking of perfect, that brings us to our next question. What would constitute a 'perfect' day for you?"
Blaine drummed his fingers on the table while he thought about how to answer. "My perfect day would involve waking up without an alarm, having some 'me time,' spending the day doing fun things with my kids and husband, and ending the night on a romantic date with the man I love."
Kurt hummed in approval, but then cocked his head to the side. "For the record, you don't have a husband or kids, do you?"
Blaine shook his head sadly. "No, but that would have made this date pretty awkward."
Kurt's laugh tinkled through the air between them. "What would your 'me time' consist of?"
"Reading—I love the classics, playing the piano, and my guilty and expensive pleasure, getting a pedicure."
"Oh that sounds amazing. Maybe we should do set two of our questions over a mani/pedi instead of dinner."
"Are you saying you'd like to proceed with set two? We aren't even on question five yet!"
Kurt smirked. "Something tells me I won't be finished getting to know you after tonight. Probably because of the way you have phone conversations all willy nilly without any practice whatsoever."
"I always knew that was one of my best traits!" Blaine joked.
Another moment passed where the two just smiled at each other. Kurt was very easy on the eyes; Blaine couldn't help himself.
"My perfect day would also involve waking up with no alarm to a kitchen stocked with the most amazing ingredients and I would bake with my dad, just like we used to do when I was a kid. I'd want to go to a fashion show with my girlfriends, and I suppose my day would end with the person I love, too, assuming that there will be someone."
"Tell me...how is it that someone like you hasn't already found your one great love?"
Kurt felt a blush color his cheeks. "A series of unfortunate dates, really, where I was always 'too.'"
"You were 'too?' What do you mean?"
Kurt shrugged. "Every guy I've been out with has found a reason to break things off or to not go out again, and it's always because I'm 'too much' of something. Too feminine, too driven, too bitchy," he laughed humorlessly at that one. "So now I hardly go out anymore because I'm not convinced it's worth it."
"Do you think it's been worth it so far tonight?"
Blaine really liked to cut to the chase. Kurt kind of really admired his honesty and openness.
"Yeah, I think it has."
Their moment was interrupted by their dishes of ratatouille arriving, causing Blaine to scoot away from Kurt once again, putting an appropriate distance between them and immediately missing the closeness. He couldn't remember the last time he'd made such a strong connection with someone so instantly, and it was exhilarating.
"Thank you," Blaine said politely to the waitress. He unfolded his napkin, placing it in his lap, then turned to Kurt and wished him a "bon appetit!"
Five: Sing
The food was surprisingly good for a restaurant within 50 miles of Lima. Blaine cleared his plate in record time, eliciting a strange yet awed look from Kurt. Blaine just shrugged.
"What? I'm a fast eater!"
Kurt proceeded to cut his food into the smallest pieces and make a show out of eating at a snail's pace, appreciating how he could be getting along so well with Blaine when they were so different in some respects.
"Well then, ask the next question while I finish."
Blaine complied with a smirk. "Oh, this one isn't really fair for you. So easy. When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?"
Kurt snorted. "You're right. Throw away question. The last time I sang to myself was in the car on the way here, and the last time I sang for someone else was a month ago when I was on stage."
Blaine shook his head. "That's not what the question asked. It wanted to know the last time you sang to someone, not for someone."
"That's much harder." Kurt frowned in concentration and Blaine nodded his agreement. "This is going to sound really lame, probably…"
He hesitated before continuing, but Blaine was looking at him with those earnest hazel eyes that sought to know him without judgment and he realized how much he wanted it.
"My answer is still the same, that it was on stage a month ago, but there was one particular love song in the show that I sort of dedicated to someone every night."
Blaine tried to maintain a neutral face, but Kurt could see the slight disappointment behind the closed-lipped smile.
"Who did you sing to? And how is that lame?"
Kurt wrinkled his nose adorably and flushed in embarrassment. "I dedicated the song to my future husband, whoever and wherever he may be."
Blaine felt an unexpected warmth spreading through his chest. "That's not lame at all, actually," he said quietly, drawing a smile out of Kurt.
"What's your answer?" Kurt took one last bite of his food and pushed his plate away.
"I was hoping you'd forget to ask. Can I take a pass?"
Blaine looked distinctly uncomfortable, and Kurt placed a hand over his, the gesture meant to comfort. "Of course. But you only get one," Kurt attempted to joke. "Seriously, though, Blaine. I would love to get to know you, but you don't have to answer anything you're not comfortable with."
The tension Blaine had held in his shoulders melted away with Kurt's words, and he gave Kurt's hand a squeeze. Then with a deep breath, he made up his mind.
"Thank you. I'll answer, but if you don't mind, please don't ask me to elaborate."
"Of course."
Kurt could see the pain in Blaine's face as he spoke, and his hand remained a solid and supportive presence in Blaine's.
"The last time I sang to someone else was to my—to the—it was about six months ago. The last time I sang to myself was shortly afterward." He met Kurt's eyes nervously, like he expected him to poke and prod until he received the answer that was so obviously plaguing Blaine. But of course he only nodded in acceptance and looked to the paper for the next question.
Blaine exhaled, in amazement of how at ease Kurt made him feel. He looked down at the table where Kurt's thumb was tracing lines on his skin. Blaine wouldn't have released his hand if the building was on fire.
Six: Ninety
Their joined hands sitting atop the booth bench in the small (and increasingly smaller) space between them gave Kurt a sense of happiness he had not known in a while.
"All right, Blaine. Question six. If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?"
"Wow. That's tough. I think I'd have to say mind."
"Why is that?" Kurt asked out of curiosity. The ban on asking Blaine to elaborate had ended with the last question, he assumed.
"I've never been particularly proud of my body and the shape I'm in," he started, and Kurt had to bite back a you should be! "But even so, what good is a young body without a sharp mind? I'd so much rather be limited to bed or a chair and be able to talk to my grandchildren and tell them stories about their parents growing up than I would be able to run around with them but not be able to remember their names."
The way Blaine spoke about children and grandchildren in his future made Kurt's fingertips tingly.
"I agree. I would rather retain my mind versus my body. While I will immodestly admit to loving the way I look, I've always valued my intellect and wit over all else."
"Well, I guess you'll be my only 90 year old friend in the nursing home who can keep up with me."
Kurt laughed, but felt something stir at the idea of still knowing Blaine when he's 90, and before he could stop himself, he was talking again.
"By the way, you should absolutely be proud of the way you look, Blaine."
The sincerity in the words was heavy and Blaine, who had always had body image issues, desperately needed to deflect. He decided to lighten the mood while keeping the flirtatious tone Kurt had set.
"Well your pride in your appearance is severely misplaced. You look horrible unless you're into that perfect, well put together, flawless thing."
Kurt bumped Blaine's shoulder with his and a half hearted "Stop it!"
"Seriously, though, I try to make a habit of saying what's on my mind when it's something complimentary about someone. I don't consider myself a shallow person in general, but when I walked in and saw that the blind date my mother had set me up with was someone that looked like you, I was quite a happy boy."
Kurt couldn't quite articulate that he, too, had been happy to see how attractive Blaine was, or that now, after only six questions, he was, in fact, the happiest.
Seven: Death
"Okay, this one is super fun," Blaine said excitedly. "Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?"
"Oh, easy. Murder."
Blaine snorted indelicately in surprise. "Secretly a member of the mafia? Because I have to say I'm not really interested in joining the mob."
"Not quite, though that would definitely be more exciting. No, I have this tendency to act out of spite toward people who have wronged me or someone I love. It's not my most attractive quality, I'll admit, but I'll only do it if the person has done something unforgivable."
Blaine looked amused, trying to figure out how the sweet Kurt sitting next to him could possibly be spiteful.
"What kinds of things have you done that might warrant revenge murder?"
"A woman I was auditioning with called me some unfavorable names in front of the current cast, so I may have sent an anonymous letter to the director citing 'evidence' that she was a drug dealer. Another time, one of my classmates tried to pass off a play I had written as his own, so I spread word around campus that he had a number of sexually transmitted infections. There was also a man who attempted suing my father's mechanic shop—"
"I get it, Kurt," Blaine cut him off with wide eyes, equal parts impressed and surprised. "Note to self, don't get on your bad side."
"I don't think you have to worry about that."
Blaine smiled. "I'll probably die in some incident where I've bitten off more than I could chew. I have this thing about always accepting dares. I know it's ridiculous, but it's like when someone dares me to do something, every cell in my body wants to prove that I can do it. I can't explain it."
"Oh boy," Kurt said with a laugh. "What kinds of things have you done on a dare?"
"All kinds of stupid stuff. I swam a mile across a lake, jumped off a cliff into the ocean, ate some mystery meat that had been in the fridge for two weeks. Seriously. It's how I'll die. No doubt about it."
"God, Blaine, remind me never to bet you that you won't do something."
"And remind me never to cross you."
"Oh my god, what if we're the cause of the other's death? I dare you to do something that almost gets you killed, you murder me in revenge, and then you die of complications from your near death."
"Let's make a pact right now. You don't dare me, and I won't murder you. It's as simple as that."
"Yeah," Kurt grinned. "Simple."
Eight: Common
"Would either of you like dessert?" the waitress asked, jerking them both out of the bubble they'd been in. Blaine had actually forgotten they were in public for a few minutes, allowing himself to be completely lost in conversation with Kurt.
"I'll have the blueberry strudel," Kurt told her.
"Can I please have a strawberry milkshake?" Blaine asked.
"Absolutely. I'll be right back with those."
Kurt stifled a giggle. "A milkshake? I'm on a date with a child!"
"Don't mock the process, Kurt, this is how I keep my mind young!" Blaine leaned back against the back of the booth and looked at Kurt. "Ready for question eight?"
"Why do you have an evil glint in your eyes?" Kurt asked suspiciously.
"Oops. I've never been great at hiding my emotions."
"So you're feeling evil?"
"I'm not sure evil is the right word, but more so like the playing field is evened...there's no way you could have rehearsed this question ahead of time!"
Kurt rolled his eyes playfully. "Fine. Put me on the spot. Watch me flail around looking for the right thing to say."
"Just speak from your heart, Kurt," Blaine winked. "Name three things you and your partner appear to have in common."
"Oh, this question. I mean, I did come up with some fallback answers just in case I learned nothing about you...we're both from Ohio, we're both gay, we both have a parent who wants to mess around in our love lives…"
"Cheater!" Blaine cried with mock indignation. "Put those horrible answers away and give me something real. I can assume by now that you've learned a few real things we have in common?"
"Okay, I surrender." Kurt threw his hands up. "We clearly both appreciate fashion," he eyed Blaine's blazer, neat dress shirt, and bowtie.
Blaine nodded, a satisfied smile on his face at Kurt taking the question seriously.
"It seems like we've both had some awfully rough patches in our lives, but we're both here making the best of what we have in front of us."
"Which is no hardship," Blaine jested before his face settled into a solemn expression. "But yes, you're right. I know I've had to overcome a lot to get here. Sometimes I didn't know how I'd ever move forward. But I'm glad I did."
Kurt rested his hand on Blaine's knee briefly. "Which brings me to the last thing. I think we're both having a really great time tonight?" His intonation rose at the end of the statement, turning it to a question, which was confirmed immediately.
"We are."
Another moment passed with the two men simply looking admiringly at each other.
"Okay, my turn!" Blaine said softly. "This one is kind of a giveaway on your part, but we both love broadway shows and music."
"Obviously."
"It seems like we're both family oriented?" Blaine half-stated, half-asked, just as Kurt had done a minute before. He was the most anxious he had been all evening as he looked to Kurt for his response. Family and children were so important to Blaine, and things were going so well with Kurt that he would hate to find out that Kurt wasn't as invested in building a family as he was.
His fears soon vanished as Kurt smiled broadly and said "very much so."
Blaine breathed deeply before giving his last commonality. "Third, I think we're both very lonely."
Kurt took his hand once again and said with hope, "But hopefully not much longer?"
Stars and fireworks exploded in Blaine's chest as he squeezed back. "Definitely not."
Nine: Grateful
Kurt really could not believe what Carole had done for him. She and Burt had always worried about Kurt and his perpetual bachelorhood, and he had to admit that he was too. Kurt would not ever refute that he had ridiculously high standards, but it still seemed improbable that he had not found anyone worthy of dating him long-term. He knew he had fallen into a funk on the last few months of his last tour, turning down opportunities to spend time with his cast mates and adopting a less than sunny outlook on life, and though they tried to hide it, he could tell it concerned his parents.
He had grudgingly agreed when Carole told him about the opportunity for a blind date with Blaine, but he could not have been happier that he followed through. Blaine was everything he had been missing in his life. Even if they only ended up as good friends, Kurt knew his life would be richer for knowing him.
Reading the next question, he snorted a laugh. "For what in your life do you feel most grateful?"
"What's funny?"
Kurt pressed his lips together and shook his head. "No way. You first."
"A few months ago, I never thought I would say this, but I'm grateful for new opportunities and fresh starts. Just when it seems like you'll never be happy again, life presents you with something exciting that's full of promise. And I'm learning to be thankful for that."
"That's great, Blaine," Kurt gushed.
"Now what made you laugh when you saw the question?"
"I had just been thinking about how thankful I was for Carole setting us up and that you are the one I get to share this with."
Blaine's cheeks pinkened as he peered down at the table. "I'm glad for that too."
"Overall in my life, though, I'm grateful for my dad. He's my best friend. He has made me believe in myself countless times when I was ready to give up, and he taught me to be the man I am today. I'd be nowhere without him. Not to mention he's the only reason I know anything about cars and sports. But while he may have asked me to watch football with him a time or two, he'd always gladly pick up an issue of Vogue to learn more about my interests."
"He sounds amazing. I hope to meet him someday."
Kurt could not help but to wish for the same thing.
Ten: Raised
Question ten was answered between (and during) bites of dessert.
"If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?" Blaine asked, a droplet of milkshake dripping out of his mouth. "Oops!"
"I definitely took you for a perfect etiquette kind of guy. My mistake, apparently."
"Oh hush! I may talk with my mouth full, but have you seen me put these elbows on the table even once? No, you haven't. Because I am proper."
"Whatever you say," Kurt laughed.
"So what would it be? What would you change about the way you were raised?"
"My dad really did an amazing job when I was growing up, and I'm not sure I'd change anything about that, but…"
"But what?" Blaine could sense Kurt's hesitation and felt that things were about to take a shift toward the heavy again. He leaned in, hoping that his proximity would soothe whatever worries Kurt was feeling.
"But if I could change anything about the way I was raised, I would choose to have been brought up by two parents instead of one." His fingers were clutched tightly around the fork that had a forgotten bite of strudel stabbed between the tines. Blaine placed his hand over Kurt's and eased his grasp, pulling Kurt's hand into his lap to hold onto it.
"Me too," Blaine confessed in a voice barely above a whisper.
"My mom was amazing. And Carole has been a perfect stepmother. But my mom passed when I was in grade school and Carole didn't come into our lives until I was in high school. The years between without a mother figure were hard on both me and my dad, especially during the time I was coming to terms with my sexuality. Like I said, Dad did the absolute best he could and I love him more than anything, we just…"
"I get it, Kurt."
Kurt raised his eyes from their joined hands and asked Blaine to tell him more with a look.
"My parents separated shortly after I came out. I don't think that it was the cause of their divorce, but as a fourteen year old, it's hard not to blame yourself one way or another. So it was just my mom and myself for most of high school. Like your dad, she was amazing and did the best she could, I just wish I'd had a strong, loving adult male to look up to and guide me during those years. I still do. That's why I'm so envious of your relationship with your dad."
"Do you keep in touch with him?"
"He's written me exactly two emails in the last twelve years. One a year after he moved out, and one while I was in college."
"Did you write back?"
"I've written him every month since he left."
Kurt bowed his head and flexed his fingers around Blaine's. "It's awful losing a parent, isn't it?"
"Is it horrible to feel like he's dead when you've actually lost your mom?"
"Not at all. I'm sure many of the emotions are similar. And one thing I bet we have in common is that we love differently than before. I know I'm more careful about giving away my heart, but when I do, I really do."
"And I give my love whenever I can. I never want to miss an opportunity."
Kurt ran his hand up Blaine's arm and gave his shoulders a quick squeeze. "I don't think you will."
Eleven: Story
The desserts were eaten and plates were cleared, and after a heated back-and-forth, Kurt had paid the bill.
"Take four minutes and tell your partner your life story in as much detail as possible."
"Let me know when you think I've gone for four minutes."
"Do you even know me at all yet?" Kurt rolled his eyes and pulled up the timer app on his phone. "Talk until the timer goes off."
"What—"
"Starting now."
"I was born 26 years ago. I have an older brother by nine years—Cooper—who is an actor out in LA. I always did well in school—I was actually valedictorian of my class, but as I've mentioned, I tend to be a little reckless at times. I broke six bones before the time I was ten, three of them being Cooper's fault. I came out right after I turned fourteen, and though I'd always been bullied for being small and having different interests than the other kids, it really took off. I started acting out, too, since my home life wasn't the greatest. My freshman year of high school I took a boy to a school dance and we were attacked by a few classmates. His injuries were minor but I added to my broken bone collection, and of course, my spirit was crushed. My parents were pretty well off, so instead of sending me back to public school, they enrolled me in Dalton Academy. There was a zero-tolerance policy there and I joined the show choir, The Warblers, where I made lifelong friends. I dated a couple guys from school during that time, but my heart was set on moving after graduation, and I was a big dreamer. I wanted to either go to New York or Los Angeles, and eventually New York won out because I didn't think I could stand being any closer to Cooper than across the country. I studied music and education and I started a small after school music program in one of the nearby schools. I met Luke my sophomore year. He was a year older, majoring in piano performance. We met through a mutual friend and hit it off right away, and were living together by the beginning of my junior year. We had discussed getting married, but had bigger plans for our money. As I've mentioned, things were going well when he met Dante, and I came home one day to find Luke in our living room waiting to tell me that he'd fallen in love with someone else. I stayed in New York for a couple more months to finish out the school year, but eventually the memories were so suffocating, and the loss of not only Luke, but—" the timer went off.
Kurt jerked into a straighter posture, remembering that they were still in a crowded restaurant. He jabbed at his phone screen to stop the beeping.
"Guess that's a story for another time, then," Blaine said sadly, but Kurt caught a glimpse of relief on his face.
Resetting the timer, Kurt launched into his tale.
"I was born an only child and remained so until my dad married Carole and Finn became my stepbrother. Because of that, I was quiet and careful, so I can safely say that I've never broken any bones. I was always bullied in school as well, for a whole slew of reasons, but it always boiled down to the fact that my being different scared some of the other kids. The difference between the two of us is that I was never able to get out of my toxic environment until college. I mentioned that I never had anyone gay my age or slightly older to look up to, and it's true, but I didn't actually know anyone gay except for two girls in my class. I was slammed into lockers and thrown into dumpsters daily until I moved to New York. I was in the show choir at McKinley, so I'm surprised we never competed against each other. Or if we did, I don't remember because it's been almost a decade…
"I always knew I wanted to be a performer, so my best friend Rachel and I applied to NYADA and although I wasn't accepted until the following semester, we moved out to New York together to live out that dream. She made it first, starring in her first Broadway show when we were still in school. It took me longer, but I eventually landed a role as a swing, and my career took off from there. I started dating when I got to NYADA since this whole new world of gay boys and love opportunities opened up to me, but every short lived relationship ended with me not being what the other guy was looking for. Eventually my standards rose and rose until I rarely made it through the entire first date without leaving for an 'emergency…'
"When I was in school, my stepbrother Finn died unexpectedly, shortly after my father had recovered from prostate cancer. It was like that expression 'when it rains, it pours' wasn't even enough to begin describing what was happening. But right after I came back to New York I landed my first acting gig, then I graduated and life became crazy when I started touring, and I didn't really stop for years. So here I am, ready to settle down at the ripe old age of twenty-seven. Though I'd love for the location of my settlement to be anywhere but Ohio."
"I hear you," Blaine nodded in agreement.
"Wow, do I have great timing, or what?" Kurt said as the timer counted down the last few seconds and beeped.
"Thank you for sharing all of that with me," Blaine said sincerely.
Kurt shrugged. "You're very easy to talk to. I could be thanking you for the same thing."
"It was my pleasure opening up to you."
Twelve: Ability
"All right, we're getting the side eye from our waitress. We should probably finish up the last question in this set so we can leave her to seat another couple here."
"It's all you," Kurt gestured to the question sheet.
"If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?"
"I would love to have the ability to pause time. There never seem to be enough hours in the day, and sometimes, I just want to stay in a moment a little while longer."
"I know what you mean," Blaine said softly. "I'd really like to be a good artist. I may be musical, but I can't draw a stick person to save my life. And like you said, sometimes there are moments I'd like to capture forever."
"That's really sweet, Blaine."
"I try," he joked.
"So that's the end of the first set of questions. They're supposed to increase in intimacy as the sets go on, but we got pretty personal tonight. Should I bring my social security card and medical records next time?"
"Are you saying you want to continue with set two?"
"Do you?"
"Absolutely! I can't wait to learn more about you."
"I feel the same. Let's do it then!"
"Is it too needy to say I want to continue this tomorrow?"
Kurt shook his head as he stood up from the booth and followed Blaine out to their cars.
"Not at all. But sadly, I'm leaving tomorrow morning to go back to New York for a couple days to move the rest of my things to storage so I can rent out my apartment."
"Oh," Blaine said, trying not to show the extent of his disappointment.
"I'll be back by Thursday. Will you be available Friday morning to meet up for a coffee date?"
Blaine's face lit up. "Let's plan on it. The Lima Bean?"
"Is there anywhere else?" Kurt joked.
"I'll see you then. Tonight was really great, Kurt. It was just what I needed," Blaine said as he watched Kurt lean against the door of his car, looking like a model.
"For me, too. Would it be all right if I hugged you before we go?" Kurt asked, biting his lip. He'd never initiated physical contact before, especially not for the first time. But something about Blaine made him want to be touching in some way.
In lieu of a verbal response, Blaine tugged Kurt into his arms and they shared a long hug that was tight in just the right ways.
"I'll see you at nine on Friday morning?" Blaine asked in Kurt's ear, refusing to let go just yet.
Kurt sighed and reluctantly pulled back. "I'll see you then. Have a good night, Blaine."
"Goodnight, Kurt" Blaine replied.
Then both men went their separate ways, replaying the best moments of the night and daydreaming about their next date. It was no surprise that they both thanked their parents profusely before going to bed.