I think one of the things to me that is most magical about this storyline – the one that the author of One Day created, not me! – is that so many people can relate to it, me included. So, send me a review and tell me your story. I'm fairly sure everyone has one of unrequited love, so I'd love to hear yours!
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Also – kudos to anyone who can tell me which line from the film 'One Day' I stole :)
Thank you for the reviews, I love you all.
THIS CHAPTER HAS SMUT, by the way. This story is rated M, so you had to expect it, but you can skip it if you really want to. It's quite important to the story but I'm sure you can imagine what they get up to, so just skip that paragraph if you don't want to read it! Thanks!
Chapter three
3rd July 2013
"I can't believe you made me do this." Kurt wailed, surveying the land around him with a the-world-must-be-against-me expression.
"Hey, I didn't make you do anything! No one can!" Blaine argued.
Kurt had to admit, he had a point. "Touché. But who was it who suggested a holiday in England of all places would be a good idea?"
"It is a good idea. And we're here now, so you can't really complain anymore. Unless you want to go back to the airport and get the next flight back to New York." Blaine offered, knowing Kurt would rather eat his favourite Alexander McQueen scarf than fly on his own. It terrified him, even with Blaine for company.
"Oh yeah, like I can afford it. The only reason I can afford this is because your incredibly rich parents paid for it!"
Blaine knew he was bluffing, but decided not to call him out. "Hey, they like you. Who can blame them?"
Kurt blanched and Blaine watched with a knowing smile. "Regardless. And we're going to sea side? Have you seen my skin?"
"Yes." The older boy responded simply.
Kurt resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Then you will know perfectly well that I will burn to a crisp. A crisp, Blaine. And I just can't rock that look."
Blaine chuckled, sparing Kurt a fond glance before redirecting his eyes to the road. "Who knew driving on the wrong side of the road would feel so weird?"
"If you're tired, I can take over. You are going at about 3 miles per hour. If we're lucky and there's a following wind, we might get there by the time we have to turn round and go back to the airport. I thought I was the one who didn't want to be here?" Kurt baited him.
"I am not going at 3 miles per hour. I'm an excellent driver. It's just this stupid rental car. Regardless, we'll be there in about 10 minutes, so there's no point swapping drivers at this point." Blaine huffed, insulted.
"Whatever you say, Blaine. Whatever you say."
Twelve minutes later, and they were no closer to reaching their destination. Kurt was gleaming with I-told-you-so superiority.
"Okay, so I think we should set down some ground rules for this holiday." He suggested, nonchalantly.
"Rules? I don't need rules. What are you, my mum?" Blaine asked, appalled.
"No, thank God. First of all, no nudity." Kurt told him in a clipped tone. There were certain things his heart just couldn't handle.
"What? I have to go a week without getting naked once? Kuuurt!" He whined, melodramatically.
"Okay, maybe in the shower. But that's it. And certainly nowhere near my vicinity. If you do, I'm telling everyone you have herpes. You won't get any action for at least a year." Kurt inspected his nails dubiously, hiding his smirk.
"Oh come on, everyone knows a night with me is worth getting herpes!"
Kurt scoffed. "I highly doubt that. Second rule, no getting off with a stranger and leaving me alone to get pounced on by English people."
"What if you join in?" Blaine asked, smirking.
Kurt shot him an incredulous look. "Okay, that's all kinds of inappropriate. Second of all, we sleep in separate beds."
"But England's cold! What if I get pneumonia?" Blaine whined.
"There's this amazing thing that they even have in England called a blanket."
"I have one. You. A human blanket. That's way better. And I don't even have to pack you! Or fold you."
"I am not being your human blanket." Kurt insisted.
"Okay, so I'll be yours." He suggested.
"I don't need a human blanket!"
"Everyone needs a human blanket."
"There's always an exception that proves the rule." Kurt pointed out, with a tone of superiority.
"So, if you're the exception then the rule must still apply to me, meaning I need a human blanket and in refusing to be it, you're depriving me of what I need. And I might have to get an English gentleman to take your place." Blaine rambled. He was going out on a whim, but it was these kind of pointless conversations with Kurt that made life worthwhile.
"Don't you freaking dare. Okay, but only if it's cold. And we're talking sub-zero, Blaine, I swear!" Kurt told him, pointing an accusing finger.
A longer pause, followed by: "You know you like being my human blanket."
"No. That's not the case. In fact, that's far from the case." Kurt contended, sternly.
"Ok, Kurt."
Another, briefer pause.
"Okay, so can I make a rule?" Blaine asked, smiling petulantly.
Kurt narrowed his eyes. "I suppose. Depending on what it is, of course."
"We have to do karaoke at every bar that has it." Blaine told him, leaving no room for argument. Of course, Kurt made room.
"Is it even possible to have as little dignity as you seem to?" He asked, with genuine curiosity.
"Evidently."
"I hate you."
"That just makes this a whole lot more fun." Blaine said.
"For who?" Kurt wailed, putting his head in his hands.
"Me, of course. I didn't realise there was anyone else on this trip."
There was only one thing left to say. "Bastard."
"Oh, a dirty mouth!" He paused. "I like it."
"Get your head out of the gutter." Kurt instructed, dully.
"It's been there for the past five years. I don't remember how."
"I'll draw you a map, if you like." Kurt deadpanned, listening to Blaine laugh.
"Of all the beaches in the whole of England, you pick a nudist beach? Blaine Anderson!" Kurt roared. "That's rule number 1 and you break it within the first hour! That's it, I'm going home, I'm leaving right now, there's nothing you can say or do to – put me down!"
Blaine had picked Kurt up by the waist, and slung him over his shoulder, an interesting arrangement considering Kurt was taller than him. Nevertheless, it worked and Blaine smiled as he hauled Kurt down to the sea front with him.
"Put me down, you ignorant, stupid, idiotic…IDIOT!" Kurt screamed.
Blaine rolled his eyes and laughed. "Seriously, Kurt? I know you're upside down and everything but you couldn't have come up with anything better?"
"You're a brute, Blaine Anderson! I am going to string you up by your balls and throw darts at you the second I get down!"
Blaine was suddenly extremely grateful that the beach was completely devoid of people – the only residents it had were an elderly couple that were too far up the shore to hear or see anything, and a young couple who were also a good distance away, but too far down each other's throats to notice anything.
The shouts continued until Blaine finally came to a halt a few feet away from the sea. He stood for a moment, basking in the sight and in the quiet, until he remembered he still had a very angry soprano slung over his shoulder. With a quick jolt of his shoulder, Kurt fell to the floor, sprawled in a mess of limbs on the sand. Within a second, he was up again, dusting sand off of his clothes.
He stood next to Blaine – who was decidedly glad that Kurt had decided to save his punishments for later – and looked out to sea with an expression on his face that could have only been peace. Every emotion that was normally conflicted across his pale features had washed away and he was just – Kurt.
Blaine reached out automatically to take his friends hand. After a few second of stiffness, Kurt's hand relaxed in his, and Blaine squeezed his fingers gently. Kurt rewarded him with a lazy smile.
"I still hate you, you know." Kurt reminded him, voice no louder than a whisper.
"Oh, I know." Blaine responded, quietly.
"Good, because I wasn't lying when I said I brought darts with me."
Blaine chuckled. "Didn't doubt it for a minute."
Kurt turned on his heel and promptly walked back up the beach, grabbing his bag from where Blaine had dropped it on the sand. Looking around, he quickly spotted the nearest set of rocks and set towards them. Desperate to change out of his sandy clothes and into something more beach-y, he skirted around the back of the rocks. Sparing a quick glance to ensure Blaine was still down by the sea front; Kurt stripped off his clothes and pulled on his favourite Calvin Klein trunks. Making sure they covered every area, he adjusted them and then delved back into his bag, pulling out a skin-tight, white V-neck t-shirt. Nudist beach or not, he was not exposing himself in front of Blaine. He tugged the garment over his head, and then turned back towards the beach.
Blaine was now sprawled out closed-eyed on his towel, which was laid on the sand. He'd removed his t-shirt and was now clad in only his khaki shorts. Kurt swallowed audibly and set towards him, trying to strut with his usual confidence, though it was getting harder with every step. Seeing Blaine exposed, no matter how briefly, had always done unspeakable things to him. But Blaine could never know that.
Kurt dropped his bag down next to Blaine's head, trying to repress a laugh when the sand bounced up into Blaine's face. He sat up, spluttering and coughing. At this, Kurt did laugh. Noticing his friend for the first time, Blaine did a double take when he saw him.
"Woah," he whistled, "when did you get abs like that and where can I rent some?"
Kurt blushed profusely, trying to ignore the back-handed compliment. "My university had a gym, Blaine. I'm guessing you don't have that privilege? Except, I seem to remember only a little while ago, you were claiming that your body was worth risking herpes for, am I right?"
"Nope, must have been someone else you drove here with." Blaine supplied, lazily.
Kurt responded only by kicking more sand on him. He sat down next to his friend, spreading out languidly on his towel, stretching.
He didn't notice Blaine's eyes on him. He never did.
It was hot, Kurt noticed. Like, really hot. He'd heard all about English summers and the current weather didn't fit in with the descriptions he was used to at all. The temperature must have been mid-twenties, and he was sweltering. In a moment completely lax of judgement, Kurt pulled his t-shirt over his head and settled back on the towel.
Again, the direction of Blaine's gaze escaped him.
Kurt was nearly asleep, so lulled by the sound of the gentle waves and the beat of the sunshine, when he heard Blaine's voice again.
"Kurt, as peaceful as you look, you're gunna burn if you don't put any sunscreen on and then you'll hold me responsible and I'm sure my punishment will involve yet more darts."
Kurt sat up blearily, rubbing his eyes and nodding. "M'kay." He agreed, rooting around in his bag for his factor 50 sunscreen. He squirted a small amount into his palm and started rubbing it on his arms and chest. Satisfied with the spread, he then moved to his legs. Within a few moments, he was done. He went to put the bottle away, when his wrist was caught by Blaine.
"Don't you want to, er, d-do your back?" Blaine reminded him and Kurt was sure it was the first time he'd ever heard Blaine stutter but in his half-asleep state, he couldn't bring himself to care.
"Okay, let me just activate my extra-long arms and I'll be right with you." Kurt quipped.
"Well, I could do it for you? You know, if you want?" Blaine offered, refusing to meet Kurt's gaze. Albeit unfamiliar, this softer, less-cocky side of Blaine was refreshing and almost endearing.
"Okay, sure," Kurt agreed, feigning nonchalance and turning his back on Blaine. He quickly discovered that the feel of Blaine's hands on his skin was so amazing that for a few seconds he forgot how to breathe. After that, his breathing became ragged and he had to keep it as quiet as possible so as not to disturb Blaine.
Surely he must have been imagining the way Blaine's hands lingered on his skin and the way his breathing grew shallow. Oh, who was he kidding? Of course he was imagining it.
"Okay," Blaine swallowed audibly, "all done."
"Thanks," Kurt whispered, trying to pull himself together as he accepted the bottle of sunscreen back from Blaine.
"Now, do you wanna go in the sea and wash it all off?" Blaine asked, a smile in his voice. Without waiting for a reply, he stood and offered his hand to Kurt, who pretended to consider before accepting the hand.
"Race you," Kurt whispered in his ear and then took off down the beach at a lightning fast pace. He didn't have to look round to know that Blaine was following him. He always did.
"Okay, I find it so hard to believe that the hotel didn't have any twin rooms left. If this is in your master plan to seduce me, you can forget it. I'm not buying it," Kurt teased, laughing at his own joke and smiling wider when Blaine joined in.
"Let me guess, this calls for a pillow divide, right?" Blaine questioned, not needing to ask to know the answer.
"Naturally. Otherwise you'll smother me. I'm too pretty to be smothered," Kurt joked, smiling.
Blaine grinned. "That you are. Okay, you ready to go out and paint the town red?" Seeing Kurt's face, he quickly altered his words. "Okay, beige."
Kurt smirked, folding his arms. "I think a light peach would be acceptable."
"Awesome," Blaine agreed, grabbing his coat and chucking Kurt his own pea coat, "let's do this!"
The bar was too crowded, the music sucked and the people were boring with funny accents, Kurt noted. But none of this seemed to bother Blaine. He was already at the bar and ordering a cocktail that Kurt couldn't even pronounce the name of.
With narrowed eyes, he accepted the drink from Blaine and took a sip. It didn't taste half bad, so he took another, eyeing his friend the whole time.
"It's nice, right?" Blaine asked, downing his own.
"Better than I expected, I'll grant you that. You drink paint stripper most of the time." Kurt chided him, fondly.
"Nice paint stripper, though." Blaine countered.
Kurt smirked. "No such thing," he reminded him.
"So you think! Oh, Kurt, you have so much to learn!"
"Ever since I got drunk at school and threw up on my guidance counsellor, there is no way I'm drinking paint stripper with you." Kurt told him, sternly.
Blaine spluttered. "I'm sorry, what? Why haven't I heard this story before?" He asked, incredulously. "Were you at Dalton?"
"Oh, God no!" Kurt yelped. "I'd have been expelled. You know I went to McKinley before Dalton, right?"
Blaine nodded, ordering another drink swiftly.
"We had this…new recruit to New Directions, shall we say? She was about 30 and tried to get on our good side by plying us with things. Tina and Mercedes got clothes and shoes, and I got alcohol and male muscle magazines." Kurt told him, matter-of-factly, grabbing his second drink from Blaine and taking long gulp.
"Oh my God," Blaine looked scandalised, "I should definitely have gone to McKinley, not Dalton."
"You'd have fitted right in," Kurt said, smiling vaguely.
"Shame this bar doesn't do karaoke, right?" Blaine teased.
Kurt shook his head so hard his neck clicked. He rubbed it with his free hand. "I am not going karaoke. We've already broken two of my rules. We're allowed to break yours."
"I will get you to do karaoke at some point, Kurt; don't think you're getting away that easy!" Blaine told him, not entirely joking.
"Keep telling yourself that, Blaine. You said it yourself; no one can get me to do anything!" Kurt reminded him, smirking.
"We'll see about that," Blaine muttered.
There was a pause punctuated only by the music track changing to something even more awful and Kurt groaned, not having to tell Blaine what at. They never had to tell each other what they were thinking. They just knew.
Purely on impulse, Kurt suddenly held up his still half-full glass. "I think we should toast," he proposed.
Blaine nodded, slightly bewildered. He decided to go along with it anyway. "Okay, what are we toasting?"
"My pathetic life," Kurt decided, laughing and clinking his glass against Blaine's.
"Hey, your life isn't pathetic!" Blaine defended, surprised at Kurt's assumption. He always seemed so proud…
"Excuse me. Look at you. You said just the other day that you've got labels wanting to sign you as an artist. You're gorgeous, wealthy, successful, and intelligent; you have everything going for you. Soon enough I'm going to be working as an intern. That means no money. That means I'm going to have to add poor to my list of non-achievements. I'm alone, unemployed, poor – I still look like a twelve year old, for Gods' sake! I'm 19! I haven't gotten laid in 6 months! And don't lie and say you haven't either, because I know for a fact that you and your ex-roommate screwed just two weeks ago because you called me up and told me! And I'm hopelessly in lo –" And that's where Kurt stopped himself before he said something he would later regret.
"Go on, Kurt. You're hopelessly what?" Blaine urged him, keeping his voice gentle.
"I'm hopelessly failing life!" Kurt corrected himself. "Everything's going wrong. And look at you," he repeated, "You have everything."
"Yeah, but I am crying on the inside." Blaine told him, eliciting a glorious laugh from Kurt.
"That doesn't fix me," he protested, weakly.
"Listen to me," Blaine started, pausing when Kurt shook his head, "no, listen! For one, you do not look 12. You look like the gorgeous 19 year old you are. Soon enough an amazing job is going to find you and you're going to be more successful than I could ever be!"
"Okay, now you're lying." Kurt told him, smirking.
"I'm not, I swear!" Blaine insisted.
"And I'm a bad son. I haven't been home in nearly a year." Kurt added.
"Burt adores you. He wouldn't care if you never came home. He loves you and will always support you, you know that." Blaine said, truthfully.
"Okay, okay. Any more compliments for me?" Kurt asked, jokingly.
"No, I think they're starting to go to your head." Blaine replied, smiling.
There was a pause.
"But…really, 6 months?"
"Don't ask, Blaine. Just don't."
Blaine bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself laughing and got the next round of drinks in.
A few hours later, and they were wandering through a field in God knows where until something caught their attention.
"Okay, I love England. Who'd have thought to have built an open air pool in the middle of nowhere? This is amazing!" Blaine grinned at the sight, turning to his friend.
"Oh no, I know what you're thinking and my answer is no." Kurt told him, leaving no room for argument.
"But –"
"It will also be my answer in ten minutes." Kurt cut him off.
"But –"
"And in ten hours."
"But –"
"And in ten years, Blaine. No."
"You are no fun. I'm going in. You're just gunna have to stand and watch, aren't you?" Blaine teased, quickly stripping his clothes off and dropping them at the edge of the pool. Clad in only his boxers, bathed in moonlight, he turned to face Kurt.
Kurt could have sworn in that moment that he'd never seen anything more beautiful in all his years of living and never would again.
"Don't make me go in alone," Blaine pleaded, and Kurt felt his resolve shaking.
"Okay, fine!" Kurt sighed as Blaine cheered, stripping off his boxers in a flash of material and diving into the pool. When he surfaced, Kurt was still standing by the edge, clearly in a state of indecision.
"Come on, it's lovely, I promise." Blaine assured him. "And it's dark so I won't be able to ogle you." He didn't mention his disappointment at this.
"Okay, okay! Give me a minute." In a second, Kurt's shirt was removed and soon his trousers followed suit. Of course, he folded them on the side of the pool before making a move towards the water.
"Uh-uh!" Blaine scolded. "That's not proper skinny dipping!"
"Oh my God, fine!" Kurt swiftly removed his briefs, dropping them on top of his clothes. He stood, hands on hips, staring at Blaine. "Happy now?"
Words failed Blaine. He'd always known Kurt was attractive but right there, naked and in the half-light, he was nothing short of beautiful.
Blaine didn't have the chance to consider his sudden shift in judgement before Kurt was dropping himself into the pool delicately with a sharp hiss at the temperature of the water. He waded towards Blaine, determined to keep his head above water.
They trod water for a while, content with just looking at each other. After a while, Blaine broke the silence. "Tell me a secret," he whispered.
Kurt didn't even look shocked at the request. "Okay," he replied, softly, "in high school, I had a crush on a Warbler."
Blaine didn't look surprised in the least. "I know, you went out with Jeff, right?"
"No, I didn't mean him!" Kurt blurted out, immediately. Oh, God. Why did he have to say that? He could have easily gotten away with that.
"Okay, so who?" Blaine asked, curiosity colouring his voice.
"You," Kurt whispered, knowing it was the alcohol talking now, "and I swear, if you ever bring this up again, the darts are coming out."
Blaine tried to keep his face impassive, ignoring the way his breathing stopped. "Okay. And these...feelings, did they end in high school?"
Kurt neither agreed nor disagreed, he simply said, "Things are different now."
"Different how?" Blaine asked.
Now I'm in love with you.
"You're an arse now." Kurt reminded him, smiling.
Blaine grinned back. "I was always an arse."
A pause.
"So, tell me." Kurt said.
"Tell you what?" Blaine looked confused.
"Tell me a secret." Kurt urged him.
Blaine pretended to think. "I felt the same," Kurt's heart stuck in his throat, "but then again, I think I fancied every single Warbler in the school." And with that, Kurt's heart plummeted.
So he put on a brave face, like he always did. "Even Wes?" Kurt asked, smirking, though the words – even the smile – were false. And Blaine could see that as plain as day.
He just nodded and dared himself to ask, "These feelings, they're past tense, right?"
Kurt nodded solemnly. Now they're more than feelings. They're everything. They're love.
"So it wouldn't matter if I did this?" Blaine waded through the water towards Kurt. Underneath the surface, Blaine's hands found his waist, dragging their bodies closer together. Craning his neck upwards slightly, Blaine pressed his lips to Kurt's. Pulling away slightly, Blaine asked again, "Does it matter?"
"N-no," Kurt replied, voice shaking, "I didn't feel a thing." He lied. It was the kindest, most selfish lie he'd ever told. He was protecting himself, regardless of Blaine's feelings towards him. Because he knew, no matter how strong Blaine thought the feelings were now, they'd go. And Kurt would be left alone, without even a best friend to turn to. He couldn't do that to himself.
"What about now?" Blaine asked.
Kurt didn't realise they were moving backwards until he felt the stone wall of the pool press against his back. Their bodies were pulled flush against each other and Kurt had to bite back a moan.
"Still nothing," he managed.
In response, Blaine crashed his lips to Kurt's. It was messy and desperate and so inexplicably perfect. Kurt wound his arms around Blaine's neck, pressing them impossibly closer as the shorter boy wrapped his own around Kurt's waist. This time, Kurt didn't hold back his moan and neither did Blaine.
The kiss deepened until Kurt couldn't take it anymore and pulled away. But Blaine didn't stop. Feather-light kisses were placed down Kurt's jaw and neck until he reached the junction of his shoulder, where Blaine sucked a hickey onto the pale skin. Kurt's eyes were closed, his breathing ragged and every part of his body told him not to stop.
But he had to.
Blaine ground his hips into Kurt's, eliciting such a guttural moan from the taller boy that Blaine almost came right there.
But Kurt had to stop.
"No, Blaine," he insisted, pushing him away, "I'm sorry but I lied. I felt everything just then and you didn't. I know it. I want love, commitment, happiness – everything you don't. You want to get laid. You're annoyed because I said I didn't feel anything for you and now you're trying to make me feel something because you can't stand the fact that there might be someone out there who hasn't fallen for you." Kurt told him, completely honestly. "And that's okay, but please don't make me realise what I could have had. Because that's not fair."
"Kurt, I –"
"It's okay, Blaine, I'm not angry." Kurt told him, truthfully. "I promise. I understand. I just can't do this with you if nothing's going to come of it. Okay?"
Blaine just nodded, tears threatening his eyes. He dropped his head onto Kurt's shoulder. Their arms were still wound around each other in a tight embrace. "I'm so sorry, Kurt," he breathed, his voice breaking on the last word.
"I know you are," Kurt whispered, "and it's okay."
"I haven't ruined everything, have I?" Blaine asked, sounding so lost and scared and vulnerable that it broke Kurt's heart.
"Of course not. We've done this before, right?" He reminded him, smiling slightly. But both men knew he was dying on the inside.
"Yeah…yeah, I guess we have," Blaine sighed. "We're gunna be okay, right?"
Kurt nodded with a grim determination. "We always are." And even though he was smiling, he knew he'd be crying himself to sleep that night.
But that was okay, because he still had Blaine.
"Hey, Kurt?" Blaine whispered.
"Yeah?" He replied as they hauled themselves out of the water.
"How many rules did we break?"
Kurt considered this, before deciding: "All of them."
TBC…
So now we know that Blaine wants Kurt just as much as Kurt wants Blaine, the story's gunna heat right up! If you want the next chapter up soon, leave me a review and let me know :)
I love you all!