All I Want Is You
A/N: In my Klaine Advent series (Klaine Advent-ures 2019), I introduced an AU story that I call The Snow King. It's a bit much to recap, but the gist is that Blaine is a prince, banished by his father for being gay. He and his faithful friend, Sebastian, travel to the land of the Snow King, Kurt, seeking refuge. This story takes place in that world.
The palace was abuzz with activity. Everyone was bustling here and there, excited for the upcoming Festival of Hearts. Blaine had heard of the holiday, though it wasn't celebrated much in his native South Kingdom. But here, it seemed to be all anyone could talk about.
When Blaine had asked Kurt about it, the king had replied that he personally believed it was little more than a day designed to distract people from the bleakness of winter's depths. Blaine somewhat shyly admitted that he found it rather romantic. "I think there's something really great about a day where you're encouraged to just lay it all on the line and say to somebody, 'I'm in love with you,'" he confessed. Before Blaine could continue, Kurt suddenly remembered an important obligation, and rushed out of the room. Blaine wasn't sure what he had said to upset him, but he decided not to press the matter further.
That didn't mean he did not spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about what it would be like to ask Kurt to be his at the Festival. Over the course of the past several weeks with Kurt, he had come to realize he was completely and hopelessly enchanted by the Snow King. While he was certain of his own feelings, he was less sure of Kurt's heart, which the man kept carefully guarded. Even if Kurt did return his feelings, however, there was another seemingly insurmountable obstacle in Blaine's path.
Kurt was the king of all of the North. He was powerful, revered, and had an entire kingdom at his command. Blaine was little more than an outcast, with no title, no land, no riches – he had absolutely nothing of value to his name. With a heavy sigh, he vowed to put all thoughts of romance out of his head. He had no business thinking of Kurt that way.
The day before the festival, Blaine was in the music room, playing a romantic ballad on the piano and most definitely not thinking about Kurt.
"There you are." Blaine's hands stilled on the keys as his head snapped up towards the doorway. Kurt smiled and entered the room, closing the door behind him and walking over to the piano. "I thought I might find you here," he teased. The entire household was well aware of Blaine's penchant for passing his morning in the music room.
Kurt seemed nervous and fidgety, a complete contrast to the confident demeanor Blaine usually saw him display. He took a deep breath, and then brought a single, red rose out from behind his back, laying it atop the piano in front of Blaine.
Blaine stared at the rose, his heart beating wildly now. Could it be? No, of course not. It was only a rose, most likely a gesture of friendship. There was no way… With shaking fingers, he reached up for the flower, bringing it to his nose and breathing in its sweet perfume. Only then did he allow himself to look at Kurt questioningly.
Kurt smiled again, biting his lip nervously. "I hope you like it," he said softly.
"It's beautiful," Blaine replied. "But, why?" he added, his voice barely above a whisper.
Kurt came around the piano and settled on the bench next to Blaine, taking his hand. He held it lightly between his own, studying it as he brushed his thumb across the back before threading their fingers together. "Someone I know may have changed my mind about the Festival of Hearts," he murmured, raising his eyes to Blaine's hopefully.
Blaine shook his head in protest. "But, Kurt, I have nothing to offer you. You deserve someone who is your equal, not a cast-off prince with no more to his name than the clothes on his back," he argued, dropping his head in shame.
"Do you think so little of me?" Kurt questioned gently, squeezing Blaine's hand for emphasis. "Blaine, I have met dozens of 'equals,' as you call them – kings, queens, nobility, people with wealth and power beyond compare. None of them, not a single one, has ever moved me or touched my heart the way that you have. It doesn't matter to me whether you have all the riches in the kingdoms or not." Kurt placed a finger beneath Blaine's chin, guiding his head up and locking their gazes once more. "Blaine," he said sincerely, "all I want is you."
That year's Festival of Hearts celebration was long-remembered by the people as one of the best. For many, it was the sight of their king, happily hand-in-hand with his new love, that gave them the most reason to rejoice.
A/N: Inspired by the song prompt "All I Want Is You" by U2. If you aren't familiar with it, please give it a listen (and if you are familiar, go give it a listen anyway!). It is one of my most favorite U2 songs ever. The orchestration on that song is nothing short of magical.