A/N: Firstly for the phenomenal response to the last chapter, I thank you with all the sincerity I possess. Your reviews and kind words honestly make me so happy and make my day and keep me motivated. And I'm glad that people enjoyed the song, I'm rather fond of it myself. It's amazing what you'll find if you type 'songs about unrequited love' into google. :P
Secondly, I apologise for the delay and for the shortness of this chapter. My explanation is twofold (although still rather flimsy). One reason is that I am currently editing and posting a rather long Sherlock fanfic which is eating up a lot of my time. The other reason is slightly better - I initially planned that this would be the last chapter. You read right, there was only supposed to be four chapters! But I found that I want to keep this story going for a bit longer given the great response, and the ending I wrote before I made this decision was also sort of awful. So I scrapped what I had and finally came up with this instead. This was inspired by BM22OwenstinaKB's suggestion, although I slightly modified it - I hope you aren't disappointed with it my dear! Consider it as a sort of belated birthday present. :)
Onwards!
4
As soon as Blaine had come to his realization, he decided that he needed to speak with Kurt as soon as possible. However, after making certain inquiries he found that Kurt was still absent from the castle and was not to be expected back for several hours. To pass the time Blaine went to the rose garden and sat on the bench, wallowing in memories of Kurt, the things he loved about him and the wrongs Blaine had committed.
Blaine spent several hours in this manner, while absentmindedly plucking roses near him and removing the petals one by one and letting them drop onto the grass. He was not disturbed by anyone for the entire time. He was finally startled when he shivered and looked up at last to see that the sky had grown darker and evening was now upon him. He stood and walked back to the castle, and was informed on his way that dinner was about to be served. He inquired again about Kurt, only to be told that he had already returned but was indisposed and unable to see anyone. Blaine suspected that this was a lie, that Kurt had invented this excuse to avoid seeing him. And as much as Blaine wished to break down the walls separating him from Kurt and explain everything to him, he had to respect Kurt's wish.
He ate solemnly at dinner, barely touching his food and unable to join in the conversation with his usual cheer and good humour. He sank further into misery when he heard those around him talk excitedly about the plans to find Blaine's future spouse in the coming weeks. He was even more affected when those around him asked Blaine himself about his wedding arrangements and who the lucky man or woman might be. He is right here in this castle, thought Blaine ardently, the one I truly love has been here all along; I have merely been too foolish to see it.
It was not until the dining was drawing to a close that Blaine noticed that aside from Kurt, Lord Sam was also absent. He felt a stab of jealousy as he thought of the other man. Even though Sam had explained that Kurt had no feelings for him, Sam at least had a closeness to Kurt that Blaine could not and might never have. All of which was Blaine's fault, he reproached himself.
Blaine rose from his seat abruptly as he realized that Sam was most probably with Kurt at this moment. Where else could he be? He supposed that Sam told Kurt what he had let slip when Kurt returned to the castle, and Sam had remained with him in order to make amends for revealing the secret. Blaine became resolute and was determined to have his say, and to say it now. If Kurt was 'healthy' enough to see Sam, then he could not refuse to see the King after all.
He made his way quickly to Kurt's chambers from the dining hall and did not stop for breath until he reached his door. Upon arriving, he paused briefly to ready himself. He was about to knock when he saw that the door was slightly ajar and he could hear voices coming from inside. One was from Kurt, beautiful Kurt, and the other, as Blaine had correctly guessed, was Lord Sam's. Without thinking, he leaned closer to the gap in the door and listened to the conversation within.
"I do not know how I can make it up to you Kurt, my apologies are not sufficient."
Blaine heard Kurt sigh. "Sam, please desist from apologizing. You were angry and wished to defend me, it couldn't be helped. I suppose that the King would have found out eventually how I felt. And now at least he knows and it is before he has married. Imagine how dreadful it would have been had he already been engaged. No, this is a small blessing at least."
"I don't know what came over me."
"You are one of my closest friends, Sam. If you loved someone that was oblivious to your feelings, I would feel the same anger. And I do not know if I could have kept my silence for as long as you have, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for that."
"I do love someone Kurt, although you already are aware of that. I asked you to marry me and you said no, and I respect your answer. But I have not stopped loving you since you gave your reply, even though several months have now passed. I still feel the same as I did when I first met you. I still love you."
"… I know, Sam. I know. Oh, everything is so disturbed and upset! If only I loved you, if I could love you. I could get away from here, from my feelings, and most of all from him."
Blaine's heart hammered in his chest and he leaned closer to the door.
"If I –" Sam paused before resuming, "If I were to ask you to marry me again, right in this moment? If I told you that I could marry you and remove you from here. You wouldn't have to love me and I would never ask anything of you beyond the civil bond itself, and we could go anywhere and begin again. What would your answer be?"
Blaine's breath hitched in his throat. His heart stopped beating altogether when he realized that Kurt had not replied, had not said no immediately like he should have, like Blaine needed him to. He peered closely through the gap of the door, and saw Kurt place a gentle kiss to Sam's lips. Suppressing a cry of dismay, Blaine fled down the corridor and to his chambers, crushed and confused and utterly alone. For the first time since his parents' death he felt the urge to sob because his heart had been cleft in two. It finally struck him that he must now be beginning to understand some of what Kurt endured these past few weeks.
In Kurt's room, the conversation between Sam and Kurt concluded with an important twist that Blaine was not to hear or understand just yet, with the two men unaware of what had been overheard.
Kurt gently removed his lips from Sam's and looked into the other man's face, a soft sad smile gracing his features.
"Was that a yes?" Sam asked tentatively.
Kurt sighed. "It was a thank you. Thank you for putting up with me and caring about me when I say no to you, and thank you for offering to help me and save me when all I can think about is another man. For all of that, thank you. But I cannot say yes."
Sam looked disappointed but resigned and unsurprised. "Why?"
"Because I cannot marry a man I do not love. There is no other man for me but the King. Even if he never feels the same way during my lifetime, I can only ever be his. So I will never marry. And as for leaving, I will leave on my own terms and by my own means. I let Lord Karofsky drive me away from my home before. This time I will leave when I am ready and prepared, whenever that may be, although the time will most certainly come. And I would rather leave alone than marry you and force you to leave the place you have lived your entire life. Nothing will persuade me otherwise. But I thank you for the offer; you are the truest friend I ever had. I felt the best way to repay was with one kiss given freely and without obligation."
"I shall cherish the memory forever," Sam replied softly before turning to leave. He paused at the slightly open door.
"Good night Lord Kurt. I wish you every happiness, and that Blaine may learn to love you as he should."
Kurt shook his head. "I fear that will never come to pass, but I thank you for the sentiment just the same. Good night Lord Sam."
A/N: So, did I do okay? I'm a bit more worried about this chapter as I sort of lashed it out without planning it as meticulously as the other chapters. And please don't kill me for the plot twist! I promise it gets better! And the next chapter shall definitely be with you soon, as I actually know what's happening in the story again. Please review if you have the time, I would very much appreciate it and see you next time!