"It's a fairytale so tragic, there's no prince to break the spell. I don't believe in magic, but for you I will, for you I will." – Bruce Springsteen
Blaine woke up still tired, again. He just didn't seem to sleep well at Callaway Place. The best night's sleep he'd had in a week was on the springy fold-out bed at Kurt's apartment in New York.
He stared up at the canopy over his bed and sighed. His hand moved up to his lips, his fingers pressing there lightly. He'd almost kissed Kurt last night. After years of longing and confusion and wishing after a boy he'd never met face to face, he'd let his heart race ahead of his brain and had probably ruined everything by moving too fast.
What was wrong with him? Why had he done that?
Blaine groaned and turned over to bury his face in his pillow. Kurt meant so much to him. He should have never let him go and now it might be too late to get back what they had lost.
Blaine rolled back over, fingers carding through his tangled curls. Today was another day. Maybe, if he hadn't completely failed with Kurt, maybe they could continue on like the failed attempt at a kiss hadn't happened? Maybe he'd have a chance to make it up to Kurt. A chance to bridge the six year gap in their friendship that Blaine had caused.
He sat up in bed and stretched his arms above him, yawning deeply before quickly hopping out of bed, eager to see Kurt. He wasn't going to let his reckless behavior the evening before ruin the time he had with Kurt, he'd show Kurt they could be friends again.
Blaine headed towards the wardrobe to grab some clothes for the day and then stopped – there was still glass spread on the floor. If he wasn't careful, he'd cut himself, his feet only protected by a pair of socks.
Blaine ran his hand down his face. Oh yeah, the mirror. The magic. The curse of this house. For one glorious moment he'd forgotten about it all, lost in thoughts of Kurt and his brilliant eyes and gorgeous smile and soft hands and infectious laugh.
Blaine sighed and skirted the sharp shards of glass. He would clean them up again, but he knew it'd only be a matter of time before the rug was covered once more. He really should change rooms; it was just that this was his room. The one Aunt Helen had made his own. Blaine opened the doors to his old wooden wardrobe and carefully selected an outfit; he'd noticed Kurt put a lot of thought into his clothing, and he wanted to do the same. Once he'd picked out something presentable, he headed towards the shower.
He was yawning and watching his feet when he stopped in his tracks outside of the washroom, almost bumping into Kurt.
"Oh. Hi." Blaine couldn't help but grin as he looked up at Kurt, comfy pajamas and sleep mussed hair and rosy cheeks, Blaine's heart skipped a beat. "Good morning."
Kurt smiled back sincerely, he didn't seem upset by last night, "Good Morning Blaine."
Kurt was carrying clothes too and his toiletry bag. "Oh, were you?" Blaine nodded to the bathroom, "Of course you are, go ahead."
"No you can go first," Kurt said, his smile growing.
"No, that's fine I'll… go downstairs and start some coffee."
Kurt bit his lip and looked like he was suppressing a laugh. Why was Blaine feeling so nervous? They'd spent days together and it had been lovely and easy and like old times but better… besides the looming magic of the dark mirror. And Blaine was a grown man for crying out loud! Why was he acting like a flustered teenager?
"Blaine, the electricity?"
Blaine let out an awkward chuckle, "What? Oh… Right."
Kurt just shook his head as if he found Blaine's fumbling adorable and then leaned forward, lifting his hand to brush some curls back behind Blaine's ear. Blaine's heart thudded hard in his chest, but Kurt stopped midway and let his hand fall again.
"There has to be another bathroom in this big house?"
"Yes. Of course." Blaine led Kurt down the hall and showed him the other guest washroom before heading back down the hall with a self-conscious groan.
Was this how he was going to act around Kurt now? Fumbling and nervous and awkward? No. He could control himself. Focus on the problem of the third floor mirror and work on his friendship with Kurt because now that he had Kurt back in his life, he wasn't going to give him up again.
Blaine showered and readied for the day and made it downstairs before Kurt, the soft morning sun streaming through the kitchen windows and giving off enough light to start breakfast. The food in the refrigerator was still good, but they needed to get the electricity fixed soon or he would have to do all of his grocery shopping again. Had it really only been a few days since he went to town and got supplies? It felt like ages ago, so much had happened since then.
He'd only known Kurt a few days, but if felt like more. Blaine mixed some pancake batter together and thought about it; it felt like he'd known Kurt longer than a few days because of course he had, sure he met him face-to-face a few days ago, but he'd known him since he was twelve.
He'd been half in love with him since he was fourteen.
"Pancakes?"
Blaine turned to see Kurt standing in the doorway of the kitchen looking absolutely stunning, hair a perfect quaff swooped to make him seem even taller, long lean body clothed in a tight green and blue patterned button up shirt rolled to the elbows and bringing out the gorgeous color of his eyes, and designer jeans that Blaine had to force himself not to imagine what Kurt's ass looked like in.
"Yes," Blaine cleared his throat, "Pancakes."
"You're spoiling me."
Blaine chuckled, "You haven't even tried them yet; they're Millie's old recipe, and if they turn out even half as good as hers, all other pancakes will pale in comparison."
They sat next to each other during breakfast, feet and hands casually brushing as they ate pancakes and shared happy smiles. It seemed like Kurt wasn't holding a grudge over last night, he still seemed happy to be here with Blaine; in fact, if anything, he seemed even more flirtatious – which was confusing, but also really nice. They needed to talk about what they were going to do next about the third floor mirror, but neither seemed eager to break the content little bubble they were in by bringing it up.
After breakfast, they were washing the dishes together in the old porcelain kitchen sink, bumping hips and teasing, when there was a knock at the front door. Apprehension immediately ran up Blaine's spine – a reminder that as much as they were trying to pretend otherwise, things weren't fine – before he remembered Andrew was coming by this morning.
"That's Andrew." Blaine said, drying his hands on a bright yellow tea towel and making his way to the foyer; he smiled as he glanced down to the glass doorknob, remembering that even though he couldn't hear, it had magic there, good magic.
"Andrew!" Blaine called as he opened the door and took in the older man. He looked much the same, a little more salt to his salt and pepper hair, a few more lines around the mouth and eyes, but still tall and strong looking, still sporting a thick mustache, his fisherman's cap tucked under an arm and carrying a big red tool box. The years had been good to him.
"Well, well." Andrew clicked his tongue, "Look at you, little Blaine Anderson all grown up."
Blaine smiled and stepped back to let him in.
"You were nothing but a little shrimp of a boy when I first met you."
"It's good to see you Andrew, I'm sorry it's been so long."
"Nah," Andrew said, lifting a hand as he walked in and messing Blaine's curls the way he always had when Blaine was younger, "I understand. How's your Aunt doing?"
Blaine's stomach dropped at the mention of Aunt Helen, but of course Andrew would ask about her.
"She's… the same. The home she is in is lovely really, and they take good care of her. Mom goes to visit her a lot, I do too – or did, when I was in California."
"Glad to know she's not on her own."
"Never. I'd never let that happen."
Andrew smiled at him, soft and warm, "You always were a good kid."
They both looked up when they heard a shuffle to find Kurt standing by the stairway smiling tentatively, as if he was afraid of interrupting.
"And who's this?" Andrew asked, nodding to Kurt.
"Oh Kurt! This is Kurt." Blaine walked Andrew over to him, "Kurt, this is Andrew."
"Hello." Kurt held out a hand to shake and Andrew met it with a strong grip. "It's nice to meet you. I've heard so much about you."
"Kurt is it? You two known each other for a while? I think I remember something about a Kurt."
"Yes, childhood friend," Blaine said, not able to wipe the silly grin off his face, feeling elated to introduce two people who meant so much to him.
"Pleased to meet you young man," Andrew said with a tip of his head. "Any friend that makes Blaine smile like that is someone I want to know."
Kurt laughed and Blaine felt his face heat up.
"So um… the electricity?" Blaine interrupted before Andrew embarrassed him anymore. "I have a list of things that I'd like to hire you to do, but that seems the most pressing. I tried flipping the breakers, but it didn't help."
"Sure thing. Let's start by looking at the fuse box and we'll go from there."
"Blaine," Kurt said, moving towards him and reaching out to place a hand on his arm. Blaine looked down at the hand and then back up to Kurt's face, "Is it okay if I look around a bit?"
"Of course."
Kurt smiled and let his hand drop before he turned to Andrew, "Talk to you later, I have questions about what Blaine was like here as a child."
"Oh god," Blaine groaned while Andrew winked.
He and Andrew made their way to the back of the house, a knowing smirk on Andrew's face, "So Kurt is a friend huh?"
"Yes."
"A boyfriend?"
"I... he…" Blaine cleared his throat and laughed nervously, "No. Not a boyfriend."
"Uh huh." Andrew smiled and Blaine looked back wistfully in the direction he'd left Kurt.
Kurt watched Blaine go with a happy feeling warm in his chest. After years of pining after Blaine, and then missing him when he was gone, it still felt unbelievable that he was here with Blaine in this house where it had all started.
Then there was the almost kiss last night, which Kurt had aborted when their lips were just about to touch. Kurt couldn't stop thinking about it. He knew Blaine had some kind of feelings for him, which was an elating thought; the problem was that Kurt didn't really know how deep those feeling were or if he was ready to return them. Taking their newly reformed friendship and turning it into something deeper seemed like a huge risk right now. Still, Kurt wished that last night, for just a moment, he'd let his heart make that choice, not his head.
For now, he would try and focus on Callaway Place. Kurt was enthralled by the magic here, but he knew his main focus had to be destroying that mirror. If they could just take care of that, maybe he could focus on other things – things like how he really felt about Blaine – his emotions were a yo-yo right now.
With that goal in mind, Kurt had a plan. He knew that Blaine's aunt had studied magic, and more than likely, she hadn't told her young nephew everything she'd learned. Meaning that somewhere in this house, there could be helpful information that neither he nor Blaine had.
Kurt had kept his eyes peeled yesterday for any books on magic or anything that might be a clue to what Helen Callaway had been studying, but he hadn't found anything. There was one room on the ground floor that they hadn't entered though – Helen Callaway's bedroom. From what Blaine had told him about his aunt that was the one place he was most likely to find something useful.
Kurt crept quietly to the south corner of the house, something about this area making him feel as though it deserved reverence. He stood for a moment outside the door he knew led to Helen Callaway's room half thinking he should knock. He took a deep breath and then reached for the handle, pushing the door inwards to reveal the space behind it.
He had expected the neat and tidy bedroom of an older woman, maybe a flower-covered comforter over the bed, doilies on the end tables, perhaps an old mirror over an antique chest of drawers. Nothing prepared him for what he actually found.
There was a small twin sized bed pushed against the wall in one corner, and a closet with closed wooden doors and then… the rest of the large room was filled with mirrors, mirrors of all shapes and sizes, though most of them were big full length mirrors like the one upstairs, leaning against the walls and reflecting each other in an endless gallery of mirror in mirror in mirror.
Kurt sucked in a breath of surprise as he took a step in. His trained eyes could tell that most of the mirrors were old, spanning anywhere from early to late nineteenth century, but there were a few newer ones too, probably made in the last decade. Kurt walked to the middle of the room and then turned in a slow circle, viewing his reflection from all angles in the overabundance of mirrors on the walls.
What in the world had Helen Callaway been doing?
Kurt walked up to one of the mirrors that looked the oldest and tapped a finger on the glass. He waited a moment and the glass tapped back. Then the mirror next to it tapped the same rhythm and then a mirror behind Kurt and then one across from that. It was a ripple effect: one mirror caught the pattern and then another, until all the mirrors in the room, even the new ones, were echoing the same rhythm over and over again with increasing sound and urgency. It sent chills down Kurt's back.
"Stop!" Kurt shouted, and all of the mirrors immediately grew silent. "Oh god." That wasn't actually any more comforting. That was the second time mirrors had stopped on his command. It had happened back in the basement of Britton's as well.
Kurt's throat felt tight, and his first instinct was to leave the room as quickly as possible; instead, he turned towards the closet. He squared his shoulders and walked to it, opening the doors, hoping it wasn't full of more mirrors. It wasn't. Instead, he found a bunch of empty hangers on a bar to one side, an empty shoe rack on the floor, and a dresser pushed against the wall with books lining the top that were kept standing by two brass bookends on either side.
The books looked old and Kurt knew he'd found what he'd come for.
He reached forward and pulled out the first book his eyes landed on, a small green cloth-bound volume; he held it in his hand and found it didn't have a title on it, the cover completely blank. He opened it carefully and was surprised to find it wasn't a printed book at all. Flowing loopy handwritten script filled page after page, all clearly written with a dip pen – old text – probably as old as the book itself. However, there were notes written in a small neat print in the margins. This writing was done by a ballpoint pen and was much newer. Kurt moved over to the small twin bed and sat on the edge as he flipped through the book, excitement growing like buzzing bees in his stomach.
It was a journal, and not just any journal, it was the private diary of Saffron Callaway. Kurt settled on the bed, back against the wall, as he skimmed the old yellowed pages. It was a treasure trove of information, lists of magical books, some of which he hoped he'd find in the closet, magical spells he'd never seen or heard of, charms and rhymes and all kinds of drawings and explanations. To the sides, it seemed Helen had made notes, charms she'd tried, spells that worked, others she couldn't get the hang of. While Saffron's descriptions were colorful and excited, Helen's grew more and more frustrated, unable to duplicate Saffron's magic.
There were a lot of mentions about mirrors, and Kurt realized that he needed to slow down, curb his eagerness, and start from the beginning. He wanted to read the whole thing back to back, but it was thick and the writing small; instead, he started at the first page and skimmed for any mentions of mirrors or glass and worked from there.
It seemed like somewhere along Saffron's study of magic, she had heard an old tale that you could communicate with the dead through looking glasses, a thought that made Kurt's blood run cold. She had become determined to conquer this feat. As Kurt moved along in the book, the story seemed to change. No, it wasn't actually spirits that you could speak to through mirrors; Saffron had found people were wrong about that, though mirrors were tools for communication.
Kurt knew that well enough.
Then, Kurt came across a passage that should have surprised him, but somehow didn't.
"Many mages and students of magic in this modern society believe the conventional looking glass to be an entranceway to the land of the dead," Saffron wrote, and Kurt had heard that term before, from Blaine no less, "This assertion is false. Further study reveals a looking glass boasts powerful magic, not because it unites us with those we have lost, but for the glass's capacity to connect us with a world of the mysterious. A land set apart from our own. An extraordinary fairy realm filled with magic and power beyond comprehension."
Kurt's throat felt dry. A fairy realm? That sounded ridiculous… but so much of the magic here was different than anything Kurt had run into before. Could it be true? Could there really be a whole other world only separated by the enchantment of a mirror?
Kurt swallowed deeply; if that were the case, where had Helen been those three days she went missing? And Blaine may have been lucky the mirror only pulled him to New York and not somewhere else!
That thought made Kurt's stomach ache.
And god, when he and Blaine tried to destroy the mirror and it seemed like something was coming at them from the other side what was it?
"Oh god." Kurt breathed, his hands trembling slightly. "Oh god." Kurt had already come to fear the mirror; after trying to destroy it twice and being overpowered both times, he'd have to be foolish not to fear it. But if Saffron's journal was correct, Kurt should have been much more afraid. Dark magic. Blessed magical items. Witches. Even curses weren't new concepts to Kurt. But other worlds?
Kurt continued to flip through the journal needing more information; both Saffron and Helen seemed obsessed with accessing this "fairy realm." Helen, from her sweet eager notes, wanted to learn all she could for the joy of learning; Saffron was a different story. She seemed to crave the power she thought could be found behind the glass. Her hunger for power was rather unnerving.
In the final part of Saffron's journal, all she wrote about were mirrors. She had made all the mirrors at Callaway Place come alive with magic. That explained some things about this house.
However, there was one mirror Saffron's family had brought over from Europe, one mirror Saffron had invested with the most power, one mirror she expected to use to reach the other side and enter the fairy world. One mirror with magic so strong even Saffron sounded wary of it as she wrote.
Kurt had no doubt which mirror that was.
The journal ended abruptly with blank pages left. Kurt glanced up to the mirrors in the room. The newer ones had tapped earlier, as well as the older ones, so he had to assume that Helen had learned something about transferring magic to glass. The antique mirrors, though – he wondered if Helen had been looking for the mirror that Saffron was describing, not knowing it was upstairs on the third floor, maybe not finding it until she disappeared for those three days… Kurt shivered.
He hadn't realized how much time had passed until he was pulled away from the journal with a start.
"What in the world."
Kurt glanced up to see Blaine and Andrew standing near the door, Blaine's face pale and his eyes round, Andrew with his hands in his pockets as he shuffled his feet.
"You hadn't seen this yet?" Andrew asked as Blaine took a tentative step in, his jaw slack. "Ms. Helen started moving her furniture out about a year before her…" Andrew cleared his throat, "Breakdown. And uh, she gathered mirrors from all over the house and had them brought here."
"Why?" Blaine breathed, looking over the mirrors in the room much the way Kurt had when he entered.
"I've never really talked about it, but come on kid; we both know there's something fishy about the mirrors here. It's always been an open secret between Millie and me. Something we knew, but didn't mention."
Kurt watched Blaine's Adam's apple bob as he gulped and nodded, "Aunt Helen was obsessed."
Andrew shifted his weight and scratched his head, looking nervous, "That she was. I can't help but think I should have tried to stop her… but your aunt had an iron will unlike anyone I'd ever met. I don't know what she was doing right there at the end, but it seems to have gotten to her."
Kurt felt helpless seeing the look of sorrow and despair on Blaine's face. He suddenly realized that he wanted to hug him tightly and tell him everything would be alright. But everything wasn't alright. Blaine's beloved aunt had dabbled in magic too strong for her and lost her mind over it. And they were still stuck with the cursed magic that had driven her to it.
"I think I might know what she was trying to do," Kurt said gently, standing from the bed, and feeling like he was interrupting a moment of grief between Blaine and Andrew, but he wasn't able to keep what he knew to himself.
Andrew quickly lifted a hand and shook his head, "I don't want to know. I don't want to hear. Dear sweet Ms. Helen is gone from this place and I don't want to be involved with any of it."
"Okay," Kurt nodded.
Blaine cleared his throat, like he needed to get control of his emotions before he spoke, "Thank you for your help, Andrew." He turned to Kurt, "We have electricity again; some fuses needed to be replaced."
"Good."
"I can come by again next week," Andrew spoke up, "Bring some things you need for us to start the rest of the repairs, and you call that number I gave you; Hector will do a great job repainting the place."
"Thank you," Blaine repeated, still looking stunned.
Andrew nodded and put his cap on, tipping it to them, "I'll talk to you soon then. I can see myself out." He turned and left the room without another glance, leaving Kurt with a very upset looking Blaine.
"I'm so sorry." Kurt hurried to say, "I shouldn't have come in here without asking, I just thought that… I was just looking for something that could help us and-"
"Kurt. It's okay." Blaine looked away from the mirrors with effort to meet Kurt's gaze, "You didn't do anything wrong."
"It feels like I did."
Blaine shook his head, "I asked for your help." He walked up to Kurt and tried to smile, but it was weak, "We need answers, and if you've found some, that's a good thing."
Kurt frequently wanted to reach out for Blaine but had been (mostly) stopping himself, trying so hard not to let his heart get as involved as it had once been – but in this moment, he didn't stop himself. He stood close to Blaine and reached out to cup the back of Blaine's neck, thumb brushing over the short hair at his nape. "I don't like seeing you look so miserable."
Blaine leaned forward, eyes closed, exhausted but seemingly comforted by Kurt's touch. "How can I be miserable when you're here?"
Kurt's emotions bubbled over inside of him and he quickly wrapped his arms around Blaine's shoulders, pressing in for a tight hug. Blaine trembled slightly against him and looped his arms around Kurt's back. Kurt would do anything he could to help this man, his friend who he'd cared about for so long.
"So, um." Blaine smiled bashfully as they pulled apart, "I want to hear what you've found, but maybe we could go somewhere else? This room is…"
"Yeah, I know," Kurt said, looking around and feeling the weight of the room. He grabbed Blaine's hand and led him out. They ended up sitting at the kitchen table because the kitchen was bright and sunny and felt lighter than many of the old dusty rooms in the house.
Blaine was finally able to make them both some coffee, and they sat at the table going over what Kurt had found in Saffron's journal.
"It's incredible, Blaine; your ancestor knew some potent magic. She must have been remarkable."
"That's the word Aunt Helen used to describe her."
Kurt nodded, "I think that all the magic just made Saffron crave more; I mean, she seemed to be fixated on gaining more and more power."
"Do you think that happened to my aunt too?" Blaine asked, face downcast as he worried his lip.
"No." Kurt said quickly, "Whatever happened to Helen, it doesn't seem like it was because she was unfeeling or power hungry. Helen is good and kind and well loved."
"Helen isn't even really Helen anymore and she was intense about magic."
Kurt's chest ached at Blaine's words, "Blaine, her notes have a different tone to them than Saffron's words do. No matter what happened to her, your aunt was and is a good woman." Kurt reached out and placed his hand over Blaine's, waiting until he looked up to meet his eyes. "I wish I had been able to help Helen, I… I hate what happened to her, but at least we might be able to end this. If Saffron found a way to put magic in the mirrors, there has to be a way to remove it."
"Meaning you want to study the same things my aunt did," Blaine stated, his voice hollow.
Kurt sighed. He could understand why Blane was worried; he was nervous himself, and the last thing he wanted to do was keep that expression on Blaine's face. "Yes and no. Study the same material but for opposite reasons."
"I can't let anything happen to you, Kurt. I won't," Blaine said, his voice sounding stronger.
"Okay." Kurt nodded, his heart beating fast at the earnestness of Blaine's words, "Okay, we won't do anything until we know more. We can read over the books together, but we won't do any magic until we have something concrete, no more flying blind."
Blaine drew in a long breath, "That sounds good." He smiled gently, his honeyed eyes looking less lost as he finished the last of his coffee, "Thank you for being here with me. I actually feel like I can face all of this with you."
Kurt smiled and glanced down at his mug, his heart skipping with the sweetness of Blaine's words.
After lunch, they spent the afternoon reading Helen's books. They moved to the parlor; Blaine seemed to like it there and Kurt wanted to make him happy. They sat on the couch, legs intertwined on the cushions, as they read and skimmed and handed books back and forth to each other. It was starting to feel more and more natural to just be with Blaine. Like those six years apart had been no time at all.
Aunt Helen's little library on magic was incredible; there was more magic in these old books of Saffron's than Kurt had ever dreamed of. Big powerful magic. Magic to create and to mend. Magic to destroy and ruin. It was fascinating and Kurt's pulse was racing just reading a small part of the magic Saffron had once controlled. He kept himself in check though; all that mattered now was learning more about the enchantment over the mirrors at Callaway Place and how to destroy the one on the third floor.
What Kurt wouldn't give to have his own magic book here, but it was still drying out with Jane back in the workroom at Britton's. Jane said she would ship it to him and it could be here any day, but still, he didn't have it in his hands right then and he wasn't used to not having it.
"My mirror." Kurt's head snapped up at the thought.
"What about your mirror?" Blaine asked, "Do you think its magic is awake again now that it's here?"
Kurt lowered the book he'd been reading and stared at Blaine, his stomach twisting, "Oh my god my mirror."
"What's wrong?"
"Blaine," Kurt couldn't believe he hadn't thought about this, "I don't have it. I didn't even bring it!"
"What? Why not?"
"I don't even know… Oh god! Blaine! It's still at Britton's! I just left it there." He sat up straight, the book in his hands forgotten, "I had my mirror and my book with me but then the room flooded and you came out of a mirror and everything has happened so fast!" Kurt's words were flowing out quick and worried; how could he have forgotten something so valuable to him?
"Hey, Kurt, it's okay."
"How is it okay?"
"Because I've seen the security at Britton's; if that is where your mirror is, then it is safe. Call Jane. I bet she can find it for you."
"Right. Right." Kurt nodded, his worry slowly subsiding. "I still can't believe I just left it there."
"It will be alright." Blaine smiled reassuringly at him.
Kurt got up to have a hurried conversation with Jane over the phone.
"Your witchy book is almost as good as new," Jane said from the other end of the phone.
"Witchy book?" Kurt smiled, "Is that the historical term?"
"Of course. I'd go with that or 'book that would make Puritans burn you alive', but that's a little long."
Kurt laughed at that and let Jane catch him up with news from Britton's, "Nathan says you didn't give him a concrete time on when you'd be back?"
"Yeah," Kurt answered and glanced back to the parlor where he'd left Blaine reading, "I'm working on something."
"Something to do with that mirror?"
"Do you really want to know?"
"I do not." Jane laughed, "Nathan wants you back though. He's like a puppy waiting for its owner to come home. Did the two of you get back together?"
"What? No. Not happening."
"Because of Blaine?"
Kurt's cheeks flushed. "Not because of Blaine. Because I should have never been with him at all."
"Right."
"Listen, since we're on the subject of mirrors," Kurt hurried on. He hadn't thought of Nathan once since he left New York. He already knew they were over for good, but the past few days with Blaine had cemented that. How could he settle for a Nathan Britton when there was a Blaine Anderson in the world? Not that he was with Blaine either. "I left an old silver handheld mirror in that back storeroom. When you send my book will you send that too?"
"Is it creepy? Do you have a collection of creepy mirrors?"
Kurt glanced to the mirror on the wall closest to him, tapping it and listening to it tap back. "I don't. But, it isn't creepy. Promise."
"Of course I'll send it. I think the book is ready so I could overnight them to you."
"Thanks." Kurt sighed in relief.
They finished up their conversation with warm goodbyes and Kurt walked back into the parlor. He stood by the door for a moment silently watching Blaine. His back leaning on the arm of the couch, legs out on the cushions and Saffron's journal in his hands. His eyes were intent and his lips pursed in concentration, a stray dark curl curved over his forehead, and Kurt had the sudden urge to rush forward and plant a kiss on his sweet red lips.
Crap.
Kurt closed his eyes and breathed; there was too much going on for him to really have time to understand what he was feeling towards Blaine. There was attraction there, yes, and fondness from when they were younger… But was it more than that? And if it was, what was Kurt supposed to do about it anyway?
He opened his eyes and looked back at Blaine. They were in Maine together now, but soon Kurt would be back in New York and Blaine in California, and he wasn't going to have his heart broken for a second time by the same man.
Blaine broke through Kurt's thoughts when he looked up at him with a breathtaking smile… and maybe one little kiss wouldn't hurt anything…
"I think we need a break," Blaine sighed, closing his book, "or at least I do." He looked at Kurt with eyes sparkling with expectancy, "Want to see Saffron?"
"What?" Kurt breathed, his heartrate quickening and all thoughts of kissing fleeing his mind.
"Her portrait is upstairs," Blaine said with a smirk, his spirits seemed to be somewhat lifted. Kurt was glad of that.
Kurt walked to the couch, "Yes, I really do." Blaine laughed and Kurt reached for his hand, pulling him up off the sofa, "Show me."
Blaine led him upstairs and down the hall in the opposite direction of their rooms, towards the third floor.
"How did I miss it before?" Kurt asked, recognizing where they were.
"Well, we were lugging a heavy mirror and then coming back downstairs after being attacked by that same mirror."
"Ah yes, I now recall," Kurt said, shooting Blaine a wink.
Blaine stopped outside of the intricately carved wooden door leading to the third floor, "But really, it is because I took the portrait down in a fit of anger at a woman who has been dead for over a hundred years."
"That sounds completely reasonable," Kurt said with a mock-serious expression, as Blaine leaned over –don't stare at his ass don't stare at his ass – and picked up a huge painting that was leaning against the wall. He hefted it up, turned it around, and hung it, taking a step back to look at it once it was secure.
"There she is, Saffron Callaway," Blaine said, motioning to the portrait.
Kurt took a step closer in awe. She was beautiful and the painting masterful; he felt as if he was in the room with her. "She looks like you," Kurt breathed.
"She doesn't," Blaine said, and Kurt glanced back to see his confused expression, "Saffron is tall and trim and blonde."
"Okay sure, but…" Kurt turned back to the painting; it was her eyes that drew you in, her eyes that were hard to look away from, "You two have the exact same eyes, I've never seen anyone with that shade of gold irises before. You even have matching eyelashes."
"You've spent a lot of time looking at my eyelashes have you?" Blaine said from behind him.
Kurt didn't turn around, "Yes I have. Probably the same amount of time you've spent looking at my lips."
"I… I don't... oh god."
Kurt laughed and turned, the blush on Blaine's face confirmed he was right. "You're welcome to look."
Kurt took a step closer, their bodies only an inch or so apart, and a warm shiver went down his back as Blaine smiled at him, his lips so so close… Here they were again, a moment away from kissing. Kurt could just take a step backwards to break the moment. He should do that. He really didn't want to do that.
Enough of making the smart decision; he was going to indulge himself just this once...
"I know I backed away yesterday," Kurt whispered, "I don't mean to yank you around, but…" Kurt glanced down to Blaine's lips, "Can I kiss you, Blaine?" Kurt's heart was pounding in his ears; all Blaine had to do was lean forward.
Blaine swallowed deeply and nodded, his breathing speeding up, but he didn't budge.
Kurt took the cue; after yesterday, it was Kurt who would have to close the distance between them, something he was happy to do, tilting his head slightly as his eyes started to close.
"Wait." Blaine whispered, "Not in front of Saffron."
"What?" Kurt's heart was thudding against his chest, lips tingling to press against Blaine's – and he probably had this coming after shutting Blaine down the evening before. Blaine's eyes were open and a smile was on his lips, "You're kidding me, right?" Kurt asked.
"Only half kidding," Blaine said with a smile, taking a step back and giving the portrait a furtive glance.
It wasn't like last night, when Kurt ducked away from a kiss; Blaine was teasing Kurt now. Kurt sighed in frustration, but at least it seemed like Blaine's mood was still improving.
"I could actually stand to get out of the house for a while," Blaine continued, "I'm not good cooped up and there is a beach right outside."
"I would love that," Kurt said with a smile, "Let me grab a coat."
They walked hand in hand over sand dunes behind the house, the sound and smell of the ocean in the air. Blaine's smile grew the closer they got to the water, and as they sat down next to each other on the sand, Blaine had the most content look Kurt had seen on his face.
"You love the ocean," Kurt stated, seeing it written all over Blaine in the way his breathing evened out and the worry lines around his eyes smoothed.
Blaine closed his eyes and hummed, the wind coming cool off the water and ruffling his curls, "I really really do."
Kurt sighed happily, deciding that, for just a little while, he could let his walls down and just enjoy being with Blaine. If he kept reminding himself this was just a short fling, then he could keep his heart guarded. He leaned his head on Blaine's shoulder, hoping he wasn't taking this too far, but Blaine just wrapped an arm around his back. The ocean was beautiful, green and blue, washing foam to shore. He could imagine being a kid here in the summer and how lovely that must have been. Blaine tightened his hold, slightly tugging Kurt in closer to him.
"Are you a cuddler or are you just cold?" Kurt said, turning his head to look at Blaine.
"Yes," Blaine answered.
Kurt laughed and Blaine turned to face him, "I'm a California boy, you know, I'm used to the sun."
"Mmm, and I'm a New Yorker, used to the cold," Kurt said, studying Blaine's expression; his stomach dropping a little, what would living on opposite sides of the country mean for them once this was over? Not that it mattered, Kurt reminded himself, because he was not falling for Blaine again... just enjoying his company.
"I love New York," Blaine said, looking out to the ocean, "I'd like to spend more time there."
Kurt's heart leaped, and he internally groaned at his reaction and his own erratic feelings before leaning his head back down on Blaine's shoulder. They stayed like that for a while looking out at the beautiful view, sharing soft conversation and each other's warmth. The sun started to slowly dip in the sky, but Kurt was happy to stay on the beach with Blaine for as long as he wanted to be here.
Eventually, Blaine turned towards him, Kurt lifting his head to meet Blaine's gaze, "About that kiss..."
"Which one did you want to talk about? The one I stopped last night or the one you stopped this afternoon?" Kurt teased.
"I wasn't thinking about talking at all."
"Oh?" Kurt breathed, his heart fluttering and his eyes subconsciously drifting down to Blaine's lips.
"Kurt… I've wanted this for so long."
Kurt looked back up at Blaine's beautiful eyes, and as a warm smile spread over his face, his heart was hammering against his chest. His breath caught in his throat as Blaine leaned forward, their lips so close Kurt could feel Blaine's breath against them. Just kiss him, Kurt. Stop over-thinking everything.
"Me too," Kurt confessed, and Blaine closed the gap between them, softly bringing their lips together.
Kurt's skin tingled; Blaine's lips were perfect against his own, gentle and inviting. The kiss was only the tender press of lips together at first until Blaine let out a suppressed moan and then surged forward, his hand on the back of Kurt's neck as they both parted their lips slightly and slid them together. Blaine tasted like coffee and sea salt and Kurt's body shivered when he felt Blaine's hand on his lower back tugging him in closer.
Their lips moved seamlessly together, Kurt drawing in a breath through his nose to keep Blaine against him longer as his hand moved up from Blaine's back to tangle in his curls.
Kurt had kissed and had been kissed plenty of times before, but not like this; he felt this all the way down to his toes and deep in his chest. He wanted this so much; he had wanted this for so long. This was Blaine, he was kissing Blaine! It was everything he'd ever wanted and so much more.
Eventually, they parted with breathy sighs, faces still close. Kurt was too stunned for a moment to do or say anything; he hadn't counted on one kiss affecting him so deeply. It was meant to be simple and satisfying. He hadn't expected the rush of emotions that were now rolling through him.
Blaine let out a quiet, happy, laugh and tipped his forehead against Kurt's. "Wow," Blaine exhaled, hand still cupping the back of Kurt's neck, thumb rubbing up and down.
Kurt pulled back enough for them to look at each other, their hands still on each other's bodies. "Yeah… wow." Kurt agreed, breath hitched, "I've been thinking about doing that for twelve years."
"You've wanted to do that since you were thirteen?"
Kurt chuckled nervously, "That might have been a little more involved than what I imagined at thirteen, but basically." Kurt's head was swimming from that kiss and his heart was nearly beating out of his chest.
"I'm sorry, Kurt," Blaine whispered, still so close they could easily kiss again.
"Sorry for kissing me?" Kurt's eyebrows flew up, his stomach churning. Just when he'd decided to let go...
"No! No. God no." Blaine hurried to assure him, "For not coming back each summer the way I had promised to, for not keeping up our friendship. We… we should have had more time together."
Kurt smiled and shook his head. It was a wound that still hurt, losing Blaine with no explanation, but maybe a wound that could be healed by more of that kind of kiss … "I guess we'll just have to make up for lost time," Kurt said coyly, glancing at Blaine's eyes with a small smirk.
With that, he leaned in and kissed Blaine again, pressing forward this time until Blaine fell backwards on the sand with a laugh. Blaine moved his hands to spread out on Kurt's back, kissing him deeply. And god, this was perfect. Maybe Kurt would regret it later, but right now, he just didn't care.
Blaine flipped them so that he was hovering over Kurt, lips moving against him, letting out small noises that set Kurt's skin on fire. He tasted delicious and Kurt couldn't get enough of him as he reached up to wrap his arms around Blaine.
Blaine moved his lips from Kurt's mouth, nuzzling down under the collar of his jacket and pressed heated kisses to his neck, and Kurt groaned embarrassingly; that had always been a tender spot for him. Blaine seemed to like his response and he stayed there for a while, making Kurt's body tremble and his breath quicken.
Kurt started skimming his hands under Blaine's coat; it took some doing, but eventually he was able to slide his hands under his shirt, feeling the warm skin of Blaine's back against his palms and wide spread fingers.
"Oh god," Blaine moaned, lips hot on his skin, and Kurt arched his head back, asking for more, "Is this okay, is it too much?" Blaine asked suddenly, lifting his head and looking down at Kurt with those golden eyes of his, darker in the fading light of the sun.
"Blaine," Kurt couldn't keep the almost whimper out of his voice; he just wanted Blaine so much and he didn't want to stop and think about what they were doing. "No, it isn't too much, and if you agree, I would really like to be kissing you again right now."
Blaine smiled so big his eyes squinted, then he leaned down to kiss Kurt's mouth long and slow, lips gliding together, tongues tasting; Kurt's whole body felt like it was vibrating. He didn't know how long they spent like that, slowly kissing even as the sky grew darker.
Kurt was pleasantly buzzed, his lips tingling and his mind fuzzy, Blaine's warm body pressed against him, tasting his lips and then… Blaine's mouth was gone. Kurt whined and opened his eyes to see what was wrong and found Blaine looking up with his brows furrowed and a frown on his lips.
"Blaine?"
"What is that?" Blaine asked, looking back towards the house. He sat up on his knees and Kurt was suddenly very cold without him. He sat up as well and followed Blaine's concerned gaze. At first he didn't see anything, but then… You couldn't see the house well from here, not sitting on the ground with the sand dunes in the way, but just over them, was a dim yellow light coming from the direction of Callaway Place.
"What in the-" Kurt murmured, and then Blaine was on his feet.
"Oh my god."
"Blaine, what's wrong?"
But before Kurt could get an answer, Blaine was off, running and stumbling over the sand. Kurt moved as fast as he could, springing to his feet and chasing after him. That's when he saw what Blaine saw. The light was burning brighter than he'd imagined and it was most definitely coming from Callaway Place.
"Blaine!" Kurt called out in fear; if the house was on fire, running straight for it wasn't going to help anything. He pushed himself to catch up with Blaine; it shouldn't be hard, his legs were longer, but Blaine was fast.
He saw Blaine come to a startling halt outside the house, his body a dark silhouette against the glowing lights of the windows. Kurt came up beside him, panting hard and blood pumping. And then his breath hitched for a completely different reason. "That's not fire," Kurt whispered.
Blaine didn't answer him as they both stood at the back of the house, looking in the windows as they saw small golden lights drifting through the air inside. Hundreds of them, no bigger than a penny each but so many that they were bright enough to look like flickering fire from the beach.
"What are they?" Blaine finally spoke, his voice hoarse.
Kurt had a cold knot in his stomach. "I have no idea."
Blaine reached for Kurt's hand, which he was grateful for; he was feeling a little overwhelmed. The only thing he could think of was the golden glow of the mirrors when they'd tested them; it was the same kind of golden light. "It's magic." Kurt answered – even though that was obvious – and turned to look at Blaine. Somehow it didn't feel like the warm golden magic of the mirrors; these little lights were bright but they felt off somehow.
Blaine swallowed deeply, "Do we go in?"
Kurt's heart leaped to his throat; he was so used to seeing magic as a good thing that his immediate response should have been yes… but things at Callaway Place were complicated.
"I say we go in," Blaine suggested.
Kurt wasn't sure, but his curiosity was winning over his caution, "I'm with you."
They slowly opened the back door and Kurt half expected the little floating lights to drift outside, but they didn't.
They walked hand in hand into the kitchen and Kurt gasped as he squeezed Blaine's fingers. It was gorgeous; all around them was shimmering gold, swooping slowly over the room and glistening off anything reflective.
"It's beautiful," Kurt whispered, and Blaine turned to look at him. Kurt smiled as a few lights landed on Blaine's curls, making them sparkle. Blaine's golden eyes were practically on fire in this light.
"Is it good or bad? Light or dark magic?" Blaine asked.
"I… I don't know. I really can't tell."
Blaine nodded.
They moved through the kitchen to the hallway, also filled with lights, and then to the wide open foyer. It was a sight to behold, such a large area filled with tiny floating stars all the way up to the high two-story ceiling. They both stood in the middle of the room, staring up and spinning around to take it all in. Kurt heard Blaine laugh softly behind him and turned towards him.
"It is beautiful," Blaine giggled.
Kurt giggled too, feeling weightless and happy. Blaine echoed his laugh, which only made Kurt laugh harder, his arm holding his stomach. Blaine sucked in a deep breath and let out another long string of frenzied laughter; he leaned over, almost heaving with it, laughing so deeply his breath was stuttered.
Kurt followed suit, laughter bubbling over inside of him and pouring out in hysterical bursts. In the back of Kurt's mind, he knew something was wrong; this feeling of ecstasy wasn't real – but the more persistent part of his mind could only crumple down on the ground, laughing so hard tears were streaming down his cheeks.
Blaine fell to the ground near him, snickering like a mad man; he reached out towards Kurt but wasn't able to grasp him. Kurt wanted to stop laughing but he couldn't; he felt drunk and a little ridiculous. The lights dancing in the air started to spin around them faster and faster, making Kurt dizzy; they were swarming together now, like a hive, then they grouped into a column and rushed up the stairs, leaving the foyer empty and sad.
"We should follow them!" Blaine said excitedly.
No we shouldn't, was the first thought in Kurt's mind, but Blaine was already on his feet and rushing towards the stairs.
"Come on!"
Kurt sprang to his feet, catching up with Blaine and grabbing his hand; they rushed up the foyer stairs together to find the lights swirling around the main hallway on the second floor. They looked at each other briefly, both smiling like fools, and then raced towards the light, which hurried, churning and swarming, ahead of them. The lights whooshed through the closed door to the third floor, and Kurt let out another loud laugh as he noticed the carved stag on the door was moving, its head turning to look at them. Blaine didn't seem to notice as he quickly pulled the door open, running upstairs to follow the lights. He didn't even seem to realize where he was going; Kurt didn't know what to do but follow him.
They found themselves in the large open room of the third floor, the mesmerizing lights circling slowly again, enchanting and heartbreakingly lovely.
"We… we shouldn't be… be here." Kurt was barely able to get the words out between renewed laughter.
"I know!" Blaine laughed back, but neither of them made a move to leave.
The lights clumped together again, zooming around the room all at once, and then with a sound like chiming crystal, dove into the mirror. Blaine ran towards the mirror; the lights were no longer in the room but shining through the reflection of the glass on the other side.
Kurt swallowed deeply. It was depressing and cold without the little happy lights and he just wanted to be where they were; he should follow them through the mirror – but something stopped him – he knew this was a trick.
Blaine walked to the mirror. Kurt felt like he was stuck, unable to move fast enough to stop him. But then Blaine reached out towards the glass, and Kurt was suddenly filled with panic – he leapt forward, grabbing Blaine's shoulders as he spun him around away from the mirror. "No! Don't!"
Blaine's eyes were wide and glassy, his lips tipped up in a dull smile. "Kurt, let's follow them," he said, and his voice was strange.
"No." Kurt blinked, trying to make his fuzzy brain think clearly, "We… we should leave."
"Right. Yes. Okay," Blaine nodded and turned to give the mirror one last look – that was a mistake. He giggled again and moved towards the mirror. The little golden lights were circling behind the glass and Blaine seemed entranced by them. Kurt watched as Blaine lifted his hand and pressed his fingers against the glass, Kurt's mind too sluggish to stop him. To Kurt's shock and horror, the glass dimpled where Blaine touched it, and his fingers looked like they were about to sink in.
That did it; it was enough for Kurt to at least partially come out of whatever trance he was in, "God damn it Blaine!"
Kurt grabbed Blaine's wrist, yanking it away from the mirror. Blaine looked at him with a blank expression, and Kurt lifted his hands to Blaine's shoulders and quickly and decisively pressed their lips together.
Kurt's mind cleared, the fuzziness gone, the laugh that had been tickling his throat vanishing, as all he thought of was Blaine's lips against him.
When he pulled back, Blaine was looking at him with more life in his eyes, "Kurt… We have to go."
"Now." Kurt agreed and grabbed Blaine's hand, tugging him away from the mirror as he marched them towards the stairs, determined to get away, even though part of him still wanted to stay.
Once they got back to the second floor, Blaine slammed the door behind them, fished a set of keys out of his pocket with shaky hands, and locked the door securely.
Kurt's breath was coming quickly and he felt like he'd just woke up from a bad dream. The carving on the door was motionless now, no magic giving it life.
"Blaine," Kurt said, gripping his hand hard.
Blaine turned to him, face serious, and reached up to place a hand on his shoulder, "Are you okay?"
Kurt blinked a few times and then nodded, "Am I okay? Are you okay?"
"I didn't mean to. I wanted to stop."
"I know, I felt the same way."
"But you did stop," Blaine said, his face a little pale and his hand in Kurt's trembling, "And you stopped me."
Kurt laughed, feeling relieved; it wasn't like the mad laughter from before, it was tired and resigned. He stepped closer, feeling solemn, as he leaned in and placed a light kiss to Blaine's temple, "I was only able to stop because when I saw you were in danger it was as if I suddenly woke up."
Blaine breathed deeply, seemingly trying to calm himself, but then looked past Kurt, behind his shoulder.
Kurt turned to find Saffron Callaway staring at him from the portrait, "Saffron," Kurt breathed, her golden eyes almost seeming to shimmer the same way the lights had. But then it faded and Kurt wasn't even sure if he'd seen it.
"Maybe she should come down again." Blaine reached out towards the portrait just as Kurt's eyes landed on the little table beside Saffron's chair.
"Wait!"
Blaine froze as Kurt pointed to the hand mirror in the painting sitting on the table. "That's my mirror. That's my mirror!"
"Your mirror?"
"My hand mirror!" Kurt said, turning towards him, "The one I used to talk to you in? The one I left at Britton's! That's my mirror."
Blaine stood next to him, staring at the picture, "Are you sure?"
"Blaine, do you know how much time I've spent looking at that mirror and talking to you?" Kurt arched an eyebrow, "Yes, I'm sure."
"So then… your mirror is actually a Callaway mirror?"
Kurt sucked in a breath, "I never understood it, why my mirror connected to the mirrors here; I should have known."
"But when I left Callaway Place my first summer, I took a mirror with me and it didn't work away from this house; why would yours?"
"I have no idea, but I know that's my mirror."
Blaine glanced quickly at the portrait and then to the door behind them, and then he tugged on Kurt's hand, "Come on." He led him to his bedroom, shutting the door and then leaning his forehead against it, hands against the wood as he caught his breath. Eventually, Blaine turned around to face Kurt, his eyes a little wild. "What if we did just burn it down?"
"What?" Kurt asked nervously, not liking the frantic look on Blaine's face.
"From the beach, I thought Callaway Place was on fire and… and a small part of me was relieved."
"Blaine no," Kurt walked up to him as Blaine leaned back on the door, obviously exhausted.
"Why not?" Blaine's voice sounded choked and his were eyes damp, "The magic here drove Helen mad and tonight it tried..." He broke off, not able to finish the thought.
Kurt couldn't stand the thought either; he didn't know what the mirror had wanted with Blaine but it couldn't be good. Kurt drew in a ragged breath; Blaine crying had always made him want to cry too. "Blaine, we can't just burn the place because when it was over, the house both you and Helen love would be destroyed and we'd be left with an indestructible mirror that was still full of magic."
Blaine wiped at his eyes, catching any tears before they fell and then laughed humorlessly. "I know you're right, but I don't like it."
Kurt nodded, he understood. They could just leave this place, close it up and lock it down and hope that no one ever came here. It didn't seem like the responsible thing to do in the long run though. Kurt felt accountable to keep people safe from magic; he always had.
Kurt reached out and brushed the pad of his thumb under Blaine's eye, sweeping away a tear. "What if we go grab some dinner downstairs and then call it an early night?" Kurt suggested.
"I'm not hungry."
Kurt moved so he was standing close to Blaine, so close it would only take a slight lean forward to bring their lips together. "Then how about we just call it an early night?" He pressed a kiss to the corner of Blaine's mouth. He'd worry about the consequences of being this open with Blaine later; right now they both needed the comfort.
He saw Blaine shiver and Kurt smiled, hoping it was a good shiver.
"Yeah, okay."
Kurt glanced briefly at the broken glass still on the floor by Blaine's fireplace. "We should both stay in my room," he said, turning back to Blaine.
Blaine smiled slightly, nothing like the mad grins on both of their faces earlier. It was sweet and sincere as he closed the gap between their lips, kissing him with a murmured, "Okay."
