Notes:
Thanks so much to all of you who decided to bear through the first chapter! Haha. I hope you enjoy this second instalment.
Chapter II
"So wait, are you guys official, then?" Mercedes voice was excited through the phone. Kurt stood outside of The Lima Bean, waiting for Blaine to come out of the restroom.
"No, no. At least I don't think so. So far it seems that we're just testing the waters. I think he's still nervous about ruining our relationship."
"Damn, Kurt, it really sounds like you've bagged the sweetest boy."
Kurt just sighed in response, and heard Mercedes' laugh on the other end. He became breathless just thinking about Blaine and how they were basically together. They were dating, and this time it wasn't all in his head.
"Don't forget to tease 'im; keep 'im on his toes. Nobody can just get all of Kurt Hummel without workin' for it."
It was Kurt's turn to laugh, and he ran one hand meticulously through his hair. "That won't be a problem, Mercedes. You know how we do. Oh, I gotta go. He's coming."
"Alright, see ya, Kurt! Love you."
"Love you, miss you. Bye." he smiled as he shut his phone, and Blaine approached him.
"That wasn't another boy you've got in line, was it?" he said, taking hold of Kurt's hand and beginning to walk.
Butterflies unleashed themselves within Kurt's stomach at the touch, and he nearly forgot to wittily reply, "Well what can I say – I'm talented, fabulous, well-dressed. They just can't stay away."
"Now when you mention that, I can't blame them."
Kurt flushed and stared ahead, but Blaine bit his lip.
"So to be clear … we're definitely not angry at each other anymore, right?"
"What do you mean?"
"After we made up, I – I got the feeling you were avoiding me. I know it sounds silly, but then you forgot about me on Sunday …"
"I was never angry with you, Blaine. If we're being honest here … I got upset because I was jealous. Rachel is my friend, but there are few things I've gotten before her. Solos, boys." Kurt looked away again. "Because you were gay I thought there was finally something she would never have. Could, I should say."
Kurt felt the hand in his squeeze. "As for avoiding you, I thought you would still want some time alone. I know I said it before, last week, but I wasn't the friend that I should have been. I wasn't the friend you were for me."
"That's not true, Kurt. I should have seen it. But as we both know now I'm not very observant." he laughed in embarrassment.
"It's not a bad thing. I could make a bunch of basic signs of my thoughts to hold up if you're ever confused." Kurt winked.
"Haha, sounds like a perfect idea."
A car driving up towards them rolled their windows down as it slowed.
"FAGS!" they shouted, and from the back seat an arm holding a large slushie came out the window, splattering Blaine full on the face before speeding off, laughter dripping behind them.
"You know, for something that tastes so sweet, it stings like crazy." said Blaine, blinking forcefully as Kurt wiped away the red stickiness from behind Blaine's ear with a moist towelette. They sat at Kurt's vanity in his bedroom, certainly to the knowledge of Burt.
"Lucky you keep those things in your bag; I don't think I'd still have eyes if you didn't clean them right away. I can still feel the burn." he said humourously.
"Lucky? Blaine, we were just depreciated in public. You were slushied. I wouldn't exactly call that 'lucky'."
"Hey, Kurt, I'm just trying to lighten the mood. If those guys have a problem with two guys holding hands, then that's their problem. And I consider us very lucky to not be close-minded to love."
Like always, Kurt's heart lurched at the word. "Well that's a given, Blaine, we're gay," he said obviously.
"But we aren't bothered or disgusted by heterosexuality. It doesn't matter what any of us are, the point is that we should accept each other regardless."
The words settled into Kurt, and he found himself awed again by Blaine's ability to realize things so open-mindedly.
"Well, I think we're all sufficiently cleaned here. The shower's across the hall so you can wash out your hair, which I may say, manages to look fabulous even with the … extra product. And I can lend you a shirt."
Blaine chuckled shyly, sneaking a look at his hair in the mirror as Kurt got up to pull a simple, white graphic tee from his closet, in the corner of which Blaine noticed an acoustic guitar.
"Is that yours?" he asked, pointing to it.
Kurt took on a smug expression. "I may have 'borrowed' it from Finn, who shouldn't have been allowed to borrow it from Puckerman. Family consensus that the boy should stick to drums. Anyway, here you are. I realize you're not picky on fashion and regrettably this is the most casual thing I have."
Blaine took the shirt, smiling at the design, which was a female face with big lashes and lips. "It's not a big deal."
"Towels are in the closet in the bathroom."
"Thanks," he said, disappearing.
Shortly after the water started running, Burt appeared in Kurt's doorway. Seeing his son reading a fashion magazine alone, relief relaxed the muscles in his face.
"Just, uh, checking up on you." he said.
Kurt closed his read and closed his eyes in chagrin. "Dad, please tell me you didn't come up here to make sure I wasn't in the shower with Blaine."
"I'm your father, Kurt, and it's my job to make sure you're … safe."
The boy nearly blurted Oh god, but managed to keep it in. "We've had this discussion already, and I promised you that I would … follow your rules, and be appropriate. I guess I just wish you would have a little more faith in me."
Burt sighed and nodded. "Alright, you're right, Kurt. I apologize. You're a good boy, you know that."
"Thank you, dad."
"And uh, tell Blaine he can stay for dinner. Now that you two are spending more – special – time together Carole thinks it's a good idea we get to know this boy."
Kurt's eyes lit up, and he sat a little straighter. Burt smiled briefly and left. I'm going to have to lend Blaine a better shirt, he thought.
About ten minutes later Blaine emerged from the bathroom, towel around his neck. Closing the door behind him he walked into the bedroom; Kurt got up to take the towel and hang it over the vanity chair.
"You're invited to dinner," he said nonchalantly. "Carole and my dad would love to have you."
"Really? Wait, should I be concerned?"
"No, I talked to my dad about … There's nothing to worry about, no. I can give you a sweater to put over that, though," he added, glancing at the tee. It was thin, and clung to Blaine's body where it hadn't been fully dried, wet and transparent. His breaths became shallow.
They were quiet, and Blaine moved in closer so that Kurt could see water droplets forming at the ends of the other's curls, some slowly trickling down the sides of his face; so that he could feel the shower's heat steaming against his own skin.
"Can I try something?" whispered Blaine, head tilting. It sounded so innocent, and his father's warning just minutes before flew from his mind.
Kurt's lips were already parted slightly, and he nodded almost inconceivably, breath coming to a full arrest. His eyes stared at Blaine's lips, red from the shower as they came impossibly closer, until finally they touched his own.
It was easy and yet so difficult to return equal, which was sheer, pressure, as he revelled in the gentleness but craved the passion he felt stirring underneath. They parted just as tenderly, just as slowly, taking longer than the time their lips spent together.
Kurt quietly took in a needed breath, sweeping his blue eyes over the hazel ones – they only blinked.
Falling, Kurt's stomach was falling down, down, down.
"You … you didn't feel anything, did you?" he barely audibly contrived through inert lips.
The other's face was ashamed. Kurt was suddenly breathless again. Pain laced itself throughout his body and tightened, knotting itself in his chest. He moved away.
"Oh god, Kurt, please believe me. I wanted so much for this to be special."
Air sucked back into his lungs and he smiled apologetically. "Yes, well. We can't always get what we want, can we?" he said, mostly to himself.
"This is all my fault. I thought – I thought –" he groaned, sighed, and collapsed onto the bed. "I'm so sorry."
Though Kurt was devastated, and he felt tears threatening to appear, he sat gingerly beside his friend and said, "Don't torture yourself. Everyone makes mistakes."
"You're not a mistake, Kurt." Blaine bore assuredly into the other's eyes. "It's me, I know it. I just have to fix me."
"No. It's probably just us." he said quickly, trying to comfort him. "And you can't fix something if it's not broken. And nothing can break if it wasn't together in the first place." Kurt was surprising himself with the control he was displaying, reigning in his emotions and tears.
"I know I could love you."
Kurt felt his heart leap into his throat and he quickly swallowed it down. No need to get hasty; especially after the tremendously disappointing denouement of their first kiss.
"It probably just proves what good friends we are," he said, gently nudging Blaine.
"Do you feel that way?"
"I will."
Blaine placed his hand on Kurt's thigh. It felt right, it felt good, like the kiss had. Maybe love didn't have to be all explosions and excitingly dangerous passion right away. Maybe love could start out safe and subtle – you had to build the bomb perfectly before it could detonate.
"I'm not giving up on this. We both probably should have seen that I'd screw this up, but I'm too far in to back out now. And I just couldn't do that to you."
"I appreciate that, Blaine, but – where are you going?"
He suddenly stood and walked towards the closet. Kurt was even more confused when he saw him pick up the guitar and resume his seat. As he began strumming, Kurt's eyes attached themselves to the curved fingers, mesmerized as he played.
"Remember I told you song always helps me," he said, staring into the instrument. Then he began to sing:
Everyone's around, no words are coming out,
And I can't find my breath, can we just say the rest with no sound?
"Blaine—"
But he just continued on with a small smile, not taking his eyes off Kurt, who wondered if his family downstairs could hear.
And I know this isn't enough, I still don't measure up,
And I'm not prepared, sorry is never there when you need it.
And I do want you to know I'll hold you up above everyone.
And I do want you to know I think
You'd be good to me
And I'd be so good to you.
I would.
Kurt's mouth was dry. Could this be okay? Would it be? He licked his lips to take up the next part as Blaine patiently strummed.
Thought I saw a sign, somewhere between the lines
But maybe it's me, maybe I only see what I want.
And I still have your letter, just got caught between
Someone I just invented, who I really am and who
I've become.
And Blaine joined in, their voices harmonizing wonderfully as they always did:
And I do want you know I hold you up above everyone.
And I do want you know I think you'd be good to me
And I'd be so good to you.
Woahh
You bring me higher.
Yeah.
I would.
And I do want you know I hold you up above everyone.
And I do want you know I think you'd be good to me
And I'd be so good to you.
I'd be good to you,
I'd be good to you,
I'd be good to you...
At the end, Blaine sang one final line, a capella.
"I'd be so good to you."