This is again from Kurt's point of view, and he's getting frustrated...
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Chapter 13: Near MissesThat very same day, Kurt called his dad and pumped him for information, after assuring him that he was better, yes, and no, Burt didn't need to fly to New York to come and see him.
He blanched when Burt told him Blaine knew everything. "And I told him he'd better give you an honest chance."
"Dad!"
"What? He knows you're in love with him, and the two of you really click, but he's slow to make a move, and you don't want to egg him on, so someone has to."
Kurt sighed.
"Any guy would be lucky to have you," Burt insisted.
That made Kurt scoff. "Oh yeah, they're just queuing up to date me."
"They should! Maybe then Blaine would make a move!"
"Dad…"
"Yeah, yeah, you've been ill and you're still tired, I get it. Carole is nagging me to hang up and let you sleep. You rest up and feel better, 'kay?"
"Okay. Night, Dad."
K&B
Kurt felt awkward during dinner the next day. As well as he got along with Professor Scher, it was weird to have her over for dinner, and even weirder that she'd been looking after him while he was ill, however much he appreciated it.
Mostly, Kurt let the others talk, and that worked perfectly. They all assumed he was quiet because he was still feeling the effects of the flu he'd had.
Ashton was a laid-back guy with a great sense of humour and a flair for story-telling. They all laughed their heads off when he told the story of how his father, an art critic, and his mother, an art historian, met and hated each other on sight. "Seriously, it's a miracle they ever got married!"
Trent proved to be a lot nicer than Kurt's first impression of him had been, way back when he started walking 'Devon'. Kurt greedily soaked up all the information Trent provided about Blaine, and listened open-mouthed as he told them anecdotes from his years as an ICU nurse.
"The doctor kept prodding her even after she'd told him it really hurt there," Trent said. "Next thing we knew, she made this weird coughing noise, and the doctor looked up, and she projectile-vomited all over him. And then she turned to him and said, 'I feel much better now.' We had a good laugh about that at the nurse's station later. Served him right!"
"But now you're working at an art gallery, aren't you?" Professor Scher asked. "So how did that career switch come about?"
"Well, after a few years, I was totally burnt out. We were short on staff, and each of us had to work for three. And I was so tired ALL THE TIME. Could never get used to working nights. So yeah, one morning when I came home from work, I saw this 'Help wanted' notice on the window of Vernon's gallery, and it seemed like an absolute dream to work there, so I applied and got in, and I never looked back. My dad's still mad about it, though. All those years of studying for nothing. All that money he paid for it."
Kurt nodded thoughtfully, thinking of his father's frown when he'd announced he wanted to study either musical theatre or fashion design. Burt had been a lot more enthusiastic when Kurt chose to sign up for a minor in graphic design.
"All parents are the same, I guess," he said. "They want their children to study something that guarantees a good, stable, well-paying job. And the arts have a bad rep."
Ashton nodded. "My mom insisted on me doing a minor in teaching, just so I'd have a back-up career. And I hated every minute of it"
"It might come in useful one day," said Blaine, and Professor Scher added, "You never know."
"That's what my mother said," Ashton pouted, and everyone laughed.
All in all, the dinner party was a success, and Kurt grinned and nodded when Blaine said, "We need to do this again soon."
But the best part of his day was Blaine getting into bed with him and holding him close and tight. Kurt smiled as he closed his eyes and started to drift off. Just as he was on the cusp of falling asleep, Blaine kissed the top of his head and murmured, "I'm glad you're better. I was so worried."
Kurt's smile widened, and he slipped into sleep happier than he'd ever felt before.
K&B
True to his word, Blaine invited Trent and Ashton over for dinner the following week, twice even, and the week after again. Soon it became a standing invitation: every Wednesday and every Sunday, the couple joined Kurt and Blaine for dinner.
After a few months, Kurt stopped thinking of Trent and Ashton as Blaine's friends, and started to consider them his own friends, too. He met up with them for coffee or lunch, went jogging with Trent (and a few dog friends) every other evening and helped Ashton shop for clothes and gifts. In return, Ashton and Trent provided very welcome feedback on Kurt's design projects both for school and for R/GA.
And then one day Ashton told Kurt that he'd inherited money from an aunt and had been looking to buy a commercial property, because it was Trent's dream to have a gallery of his own. And would Kurt come along and check out a few properties with Ashton before he brought up the subject with Trent?
Well, of course Kurt would, and he went even further, using his free time the next few weeks to sketch how he envisioned the gallery, and to design a logo for it.
"I'll do your website, too," he promised Ashton, "once you start up your business."
Ashton looked at the sketches and the logo, and beamed. "Thank you! Trent is going to love this so much!"
Trent did love it, and together, he and Ashton chose a property to buy. Then, while Ashton contacted contractors to renovate the building, Trent and Kurt teamed up to pick paint colours, light fixtures, furniture and everything else needed to kit out the future gallery.
Kurt tweaked his sketches according to Trent's wishes, and grinned ear to ear when Ashton showed them to Blaine the next time he and Trent came over for dinner.
Blaine's mouth fell open, and he shot Kurt a look he couldn't really decipher before turning to his friends again and showing the required enthusiasm.
After they'd left, though, it became quite clear what the matter was. Blaine was jealous!
Usually, Blaine would sing and even dance while doing the dishes, but now he sulked and glared at the dishes he was scrubbing until Kurt rolled his eyes and said, "Seriously? You're mad because I knew about the gallery before they told you?"
The corners of Blaine's mouth went down, and he mumbled, "They were my friends first!"
Kurt laughed. "Come on, mister! Trent is still your best friend in the whole world. That doesn't change because he's now my friend, too. So stop pouting! How old are you, five?"
Blaine's glower melted away to make room for a glint of mischief, and he flicked some sudsy water in Kurt's direction. "Five and a half!"
Kurt yelped and then hastened to retaliate. They only stopped their water battle when the floor became so slippery that Kurt almost fell on his bum. Luckily, Blaine caught him just in time. Kurt giggled, because now it looked like they were dancing and Blaine had dipped him. And then Kurt forgot all about his merriment, because yes, that was Blaine glimpsing at Kurt's lips for a second there. Would he? Would he really?
But Blaine just laughed and righted Kurt, saying, "We've made a bit of a mess, haven't we? Sorry about that. It was fun, though."
Kurt exhaled shakily and found a rag to wipe the floor with. His heart was still hammering, and it took a long while for it to quiet down.
K&B
For Kurt's twenty-first birthday, Rachel insisted on throwing him a party at Callbacks. Elliott and Neil and Maizie were invited too. If it had been just an ordinary night out, Kurt would have looked forward to catching up with his friends and singing karaoke. But he knew, he just KNEW they'd want to get him as drunk as a skunk, and he didn't like that prospect.
He confided his woes to Blaine, telling him about the one time he'd gotten drunk and then vomited all over a teacher's shoes. "I don't want that to happen again! And I don't want to drink so much that I don't remember anything the day after! Or that I lose my virginity to some random guy!"
Blaine nodded. "I understand."
Kurt sighed. "I don't get why people are so obsessed with alcohol. And me drinking it. I don't like booze. It smells disgusting, it tastes vile, and it makes me puke. I want nothing to do with it, thank you very much."
"Well, can't you just tell them so?" Blaine suggested. "They're your friends!"
Kurt rolled his eyes at Blaine. "They're just going to tell me to suck it up and not be a party pooper."
Blaine raised an eyebrow, his mouth a thin line. "They won't respect your wishes?"
"Not about this, I'm sure. Didn't your friends do that to you when you turned twenty-one?"
Blaine smiled. "The only friend I had at the time was Trent, and no, he didn't do that."
"Lucky you."
"If you're worried, I can make sure I'm there," Blaine offered. "I'll take Trent and Ashton with me. And as soon as you're feeling uncomfortable, you come and tell me and I'll take you home."
"And if you turn into a dog all of a sudden?"
"Trent will look after me, and Ashton will look after you.
"Oh. Okay. Yes, please."
The night of the party, Kurt went to Rachel's loft to dress up to the nines and to pick an outfit for Rachel, too. Then, they both headed to Callbacks to meet their friends.
Once Kurt sat down at their table, his eyes roved over the crowd until he found Blaine, who smiled and winked at him. Kurt instantly felt better.
The party started with everyone taking turns singing karaoke. Kurt drank a diet coke, clapped and smiled and sang duets with Rachel and Elliott, and started to relax. Perhaps he could have a nice night out without being forced to do something he didn't want.
But then more friends of Kurt's turned up, out of the blue, among them Santana, and the first thing she did once she'd plopped down next to Kurt was sniff his drink and then taste it. "Porcelain, this is just coke. Why aren't you doing shots? It's your twenty-first birthday! Hey, bar tender, a round of shots for all of us!"
She collected the shot glasses the bar tender shoved at her and distributed them, slamming one into Kurt's hand and shouting, "Bottom's up!"
Kurt shot a frantic look at Blaine, who nodded at him and went up to the stage to sing a song. At first, Kurt didn't understand how that could possibly help, but as usual, he couldn't keep his eyes off Blaine, and when Blaine started singing, the corners of Kurt's mouth turned up of their own accord.
As soon as everyone noticed his dopey grin, they followed his gaze to the stage, and his college friends smirked when they saw Blaine, and happily enlightened the others about Kurt's humongous crush.
Kurt let them laugh and mock to their heart's content, and used their distraction to exchange his full shot glass for an empty one. Brilliant, Blaine! Thank you!
When Blaine went back to his table, after a beautiful rendition of Teenage Dream that had Kurt's heart twitterpating, Santana fixed Kurt with an intense stare, and he braced himself for what was coming.
"So you're into Dapper Dan over there? Tell you what, Lady Lips, I'll stop bugging you about drinking your weight in alcohol if you walk up to him right now and ask him to dance. And don't worry, he doesn't even have to take you up on the offer!"
The whole table laughed, and then they shouted encouragement at Kurt. "You can do this!" "Come on, Kurt, the worst that can happen is that he says no." "Maybe he will dance with you, he's such a sweetheart!" "You should try, I totes saw him looking at you during the song."
So Kurt got up, made his way to Blaine's table, and tapped the man on his shoulder. Blaine turned his head so fast it must have given him a crick in his neck, and looked concerned when he saw that it was Kurt. "Everything okay?"
Kurt smiled. "Santana dared me to ask you to dance. So, would you do me the honour?"
Kurt held out his hand, threw his shoulders back and put his poker face on. If Blaine said no, there was no harm done. He'd asked, so Santana had to leave him alone. But he really, really wanted Blaine to say yes.
Blaine stood up and took Kurt's hand, to loud cheering from Kurt's table. Up on stage, a girl was now crooning an Ed Sheeran song, soft and sweet. Kurt put his other hand on Blaine's shoulder, felt Blaine splay his hand on his back, and started to slowly sway to the music. He was sure he was smiling like a fool again, but he so didn't care. This felt amazing.
"Why did you take her up on that dare?" Blaine whispered, and when Kurt explained, he laughed. "I'm glad me being here helped!"
"Me too," Kurt breathed, wishing that he could step a bit closer and feel Blaine against him. But there were too many eyes on him right now, so he kept a respectful distance.
Blaine leaned in a little. "You look amazing, by the way. That waistcoat is gorgeous, and it really brings out your eyes."
Kurt's cheeks heated up, and his lips felt dry as the desert all of a sudden, so he moistened them. Blaine's eyes flicked down, and he moved a bit closer still.
Kurt tuned out everything around him and closed his eyes.
And then somebody bumped into him, hard, and a cold liquid hit his neck and trickled down his back, seeping into his clothes. His eyes flew open and he turned around, seeing a drunk girl who could barely stay upright, holding an empty martini glass.
The girl giggled and slurred a sorry, making her way to the bar again.
Kurt shivered, and Blaine was instantly there, soothing and offering help. "Do you want my jacket?"
Kurt shook his head. "I think I'm calling it a night. Thanks for the dance."
He went to his table again, where he got congratulations and claps on the back, but all he said was, "I'm going to head out. I don't know what she spilled on me, but I'm cold and gross, and I want to shower and treat my clothes for stains."
Everyone nodded. Even Santana didn't put up a protest. She only said, "I bet you're glad I dared you, though. You've got game, Porcelain! You got your dance!"
Kurt grinned at her.
"Oh no, now his crush is gonna get even worse!" Neil moaned.
Elliott scoffed. "Like it could get any worse."
"True, that."
The whole table laughed again, and Kurt made his escape, the glowing ember of that dance keeping him warm until he got home.
K&B
Early July, the wedding invitation arrived, and Kurt was happily surprised to see his name on the envelope as well. "I get to come, too?"
Blaine grinned. "Of course you do. You've been best buds with Trent for months now. Also, you're the back-up best man in case I turn into a dog!"
Kurt grinned back, and started planning his outfit.
The weather was perfect that day – sunny, but not too hot. The ceremony was beautiful, and Kurt teared up when Trent and Ashton exchanged vows, wishing fiercely that one day, it would be him standing there with Blaine. Not much chance of that, but he could hope, right?
Blaine was as affectionate and attentive as ever, offering Kurt a handkerchief when he cried, holding his hand in church and putting his arm around Kurt's waist during the reception. Kurt's nerve endings buzzed, and his smile worked overtime when the other wedding guests all took him for Blaine's boyfriend, and Blaine didn't correct them. Not once.
After dinner, Ashton announced that he had a surprise for his husband, and brought everyone to the garden. The surprise was a fireworks display. However spectacular it was, though, Kurt found himself distracted by Blaine hugging him from behind, hooking his chin over Kurt's shoulder and whispering in his ear. Kurt so wanted to turn around and kiss him, but he knew the initiative had to come from Blaine.
When everyone went back inside, though, Kurt told Blaine he wanted to stay in the garden for a bit. He needed to get himself together again. Blaine, instead of leaving Kurt to his thoughts, stayed with him, and danced dorkily to the music until Kurt had a giggle fit.
And then Blaine asked Kurt to dance, and it was magical, swaying slowly among the flowers and under the stars. Kurt never wanted it to end, and drew nearer to Blaine of his own accord after the dance was over.
He gazed into Blaine's eyes, and Blaine looked back, his eyes dark and his expression awed. Blaine circled Kurt's waist and tugged him a bit closer still, and Kurt went willingly, closing his eyes and puckering up, because this was it, surely?
But there was no soft pressure on his lips, and Blaine let go of him, and then he let out… a whine?
Kurt's eyes flew open, and he cursed when he saw Blaine had been turned into a dog again. Really? Now? Did Mr Zakharov sense Blaine was close to breaking the spell and did he want to stop that from happening?
Grumbling under his breath, Kurt took Blaine's collar and leash out of his pocket and put it on. He collected Blaine's clothes and folded them, then sent Trent and Ashton a text to tell them what had happened and headed home.
That night, when he got into bed, cuddling up to Blaine in his dog form, he was still grumpy. So close. I was so close! Not fair.
K&B
A new schoolyear started, and a few weeks before Christmas break, Professor Scher announced that she was going to invite Sebastian from R/GA to talk to all the students that were graduating that year about the job opportunities open to them in the field.
Kurt, who had by now seen Sebastian in action several times, flirting and harassing his colleagues at R/GA, wasn't very pleased about this development. Would Sebastian still be interested in Blaine?
That Friday, he got answer. Yes, Sebastian was still interested, laying it on thicker than ever around Blaine, who blushed up a storm and lowered his eyes to look at Sebastian from under his lashes. Whether Blaine was flattered or just embarrassed, Kurt couldn't tell, but the interaction made him simmer with rage.
After the wedding, Blaine hadn't made any more overtures towards Kurt, and Kurt didn't dare bring up the subject, though he viciously shut off the radio any time "You Can't Hurry Love" played. Almost a year had passed, and what did he have to show for it? He and Blaine had grown closer, yes, undoubtedly, but any time he thought Blaine was about to kiss him, Blaine was scared back into his shell by circumstances. It was frustrating beyond belief. And now Mr Slimy McSlimeball thought he could charm his way into Blaine's pants and ruin Kurt's life? Ugh. Infuriating!
Kurt heard Sebastian invite both Professor Scher and Blaine to R/GA's Christmas party on the 23rd, bragging about all the big names that would be present. Kurt had been invited too, but like last year, he didn't want to go without Blaine and leave him alone all night, nor did he want to take Blaine along and watch Sebastian hit on him. It seemed like that choice was taken away from him, though. Both professors accepted the invitation eagerly, and there was no way Kurt would stay at home while Blaine was out being seduced by Mr Sleaze Extraordinaire!
That evening, when Blaine rambled on and on about the famous people he'd be meeting at the R/GA party, Kurt just nodded, and as soon as he could get a word in edgeways, he said drily that he'd be going too. "Ellie invited me months ago."
Blaine seemed taken aback for a second, and then beamed, "That's right! You work there! This is going to be so great!"
Kurt didn't react to that statement, choosing instead to clear the table and carry the dishes to the sink. He may have set them down somewhat harder than usual, but Blaine, chattering excitedly again, never even noticed.
So great, huh? I hope Blaine's right, but I have a bad feeling about that party. I think it's a recipe for disaster.
