Title: Better than Fine
Rating: PG
Summary: Reaction fic to the two second auditorium clip in the promo for ep 5.
Spoilers: Ep 5
Words: 700
It's 4am when Kurt's phone beeps loudly under his pillow and jolts him awake. It's from Blaine.
I haven't been this nervous since I auditioned for the Warblers.
Kurt grins to himself, he can't help it, and messages back.
Have you slept at all?
Because he should. Opening night is tonight and Blaine was even more hyperactive than usual in Glee the day before. Not to mention in between classes. And at coffee after school. He was meant to go home and get a good night's sleep.
Kurt's phone vibrates in his hand with an incoming call but Blaine hangs up before Kurt can answer. Kurt calls him back and Blaine's apologizing because it's 4am and he's a mess and he doesn't even know why.
They meet at the school gate three hours later. Exactly on 7am and the janitor who's unlocking the doors looks at them suspiciously as they wait and then walk inside and down a hall. Kurt leads Blaine in silence to the auditorium and they walk, hand in hand, down the aisle to the stage. Blaine's still vibrating with nervous energy and Kurt kind of wants to send him home for a sleep but knows that even if he did, Blaine would just lie there awake and never get around to closing his eyes, continue to stress and sigh and worry.
About nothing, Kurt knows, but somehow Blaine doesn't.
Kurt pulls himself up onto the stage and then turns and kneels to pull Blaine up next to him. They've still barely spoken since they parked their cars beside each other but when they're standing center-stage their hands find each other's and they stand staring out at the empty, shadowed seats, Blaine sighs louder and mumbles Kurt's name, just letting it hang Then he rocks on his feet, another low tone escaping his throat and making Kurt turn and look at him with a cocked head and a smile.
Catching his eye, Blaine's smile is weaker, unsure, so unsure and Kurt can't believe it because he's been at all the rehearsals, watched, played his part and then when they're finished, he's pushed Blaine up against walls backstage and kissed him and told him he's amazing. He's done that for weeks not for Blaine but for himself. And every time Blaine has grinned cockily and taken the compliment and kissed him back.
And now his brow is creased low and he's worrying his bottom lip and holding Kurt's hand tighter than ever. "I'll be fine," he reveals, turning and splaying the hand not holding onto Kurt's for dear life over Kurt's hip. "I'm just really freaking out right now."
Kurt laughs at him and steps in close, a hand over his heart and it's hammering. Another step forward and Blaine's fingers flex over his hip. Their foreheads meet and Blaine leans in, tilting and breathing deep and Kurt feels him settle as his eyes flutter shut. But Kurt pulls back after a second, waiting for Blaine to meet his eyes before he lifts his hand from his heart, squeezes Blaine's hand in his and says with conviction, "You're going to be so much better than fine."
And for some reason he blushes and his eyes slip down to Blaine's lips and that's not the point but for Blaine it is. And Blaine's falling forward and thinking about just kissing him on the cheek to say 'Thank you' but changing his mind and stretching up and kissing him softly, over the corner of his mouth where his lips are quirked up.
Kurt is everything and Blaine doesn't need to explain it to himself or to anyone but Kurt has made this right. He's still freaking out and his heart is still racing and he can't quite think straight but Kurt's right there, solid in front of him and he's smiling and leaning into the kiss even if it's unexpected and on the auditorium stage and at a quarter past seven in the morning.
And Blaine doesn't have to say 'thank you'. Just kisses his boyfriend and then leans far enough back to laugh at his own nerves and lean, forehead to forehead and try to breathe properly.