A/N: so, I took all the reviews/suggestions and it's compiled to this! It's in two parts for your reading pleasure! You'll figure out which ones are used (a, b, c or d or some combination of the four!) if not by the title, but I give some pretty intense hints so :P
****READ BOTTOM A/N FOR BONUS CUT****
I hope you enjoy! :D
"I'm really glad that you can come. I mean, no offense to my family or anything, but I get to bring you with me!" Kurt so nearly squealed into his cell phone.
Kurt decided it best that he get a head start on packing, even if he was talking on the phone, the phone that was tucked snuggly in the junction between his neck and shoulder as he flitted around his room packing clothes away for the upcoming trip.
"Yeah, me too." Blaine spoke rather emotionless. The tone of voice made Kurt stop his decision-making between two deep v-necks and focus on his boyfriend on the other end of the call.
"Blaine, are you okay? You don't sound all that excited. Do you—do you not want to come?" Kurt had never really thought to ask if Blaine was having any second thoughts about accompanying his family and himself.
"No, no, love. Of course I do. It's just—" Blaine had the words on the tip of his tongue. He wanted to tell Kurt the truth, really. But it was harder than it seemed.
He wanted to tell Kurt that he hadn't even asked his parents yet, even with the trip being just a week away. He really wanted to. But he was afraid.
Kurt dropped both shirts all together to cross his arms, though Blaine couldn't see. "It's what, Blaine?" The tone Kurt used was snarky and impatient, which didn't make things easier on Blaine.
"I—I'm nervous." There. He'd said it. Though it wasn't the complete truth, it was a fact nonetheless.
Blaine was nervous for multiple reasons. Reason one being that his parents would say no. Reason two pertaining to the hopeful event that they say yes, he'd be traveling with Kurt's family, and that's a big deal, at least to Blaine it is.
Kurt's tone changed, he felt bad for snapping at Blaine like that. Blaine was just a nervous wreck, and he could somewhat understand why. "Oh. Oh, honey, I'm sorry for, f-for snapping, really. Don't feel too bad, though. I'm nervous, too."
To Kurt, Blaine meeting his aunty Em was somewhat of a big deal. He wasn't sure if Blaine knew, and wouldn't blame him if he didn't, but Kurt's aunty Em was his mother's only sister. The only remaining relative tied to Elizabeth Hummel, save for Kurt.
Blaine sighed like he was relieved, he wasn't. "Oh. Good. I guess that makes me feel a little better," Blaine heard Kurt grunt loudly in frustration. Blaine knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't help but feel his mind over-flowing with dirty images of Kurt making that noise. "W-what's wrong?" Blaine asked shakily. The images were forever burned into his brain.
"Ugh! I can't decide between two shirts! I know they look identical, but they aren't! They're made of different cotton blends and they're two varying shades of gray!" Kurt huffed unhappily. With defeat, he tossed both shirts onto his vanity bench before flopping onto his bed. "I can't do this on my own! I need my voice of reason here." Kurt covered his eyes in exhaustion. Packing was tiring work for him.
"Pick the lighter blend. Good for layering, and the hot temperatures if you wear it on its own. Plus, it'll be good for lounging by the pool, that way when you get splashed by me it'll dry quickly." Blaine replied automatically. He'd learned by now that he was Kurt's voice of reason. Blaine only wished he had a voice of reason he could depend on, though he had Kurt, he didn't want Kurt to start to worry about the problem at hand, not in his fragile state of packing-panic.
"Ugh, you're a godsend, you know that? What would I do without you?" Kurt trailed off. He was back on his feet, phone snuggly tucked, and began folding the lighter blended shirt with delicate hands.
"You flatter me, mister Hummel. But I'm afraid I have to go." Blaine said regretfully. This conversation with Kurt had given him the extra push he needed to get off his lazy arse and talk to his parents.
"Why so soon? It's only ten. Do you have some mystery man waiting for you outside of your window? I bet he has a stallion. Guaranteed. All prince charming's have stallions." Kurt was babbling on, like he usually did when it was time to say goodbye. It was always too soon for goodbyes.
"Ah, yes. He brought me flowers, too. Quite the gentleman." Blaine amused Kurt by playing along with his antics like he always did, when in reality, he was imagining Kurt poised on a stallion, tossing rocks on his window, holding fresh flowers. It was a nice thought.
"Hm, well then I shouldn't keep you away. Wouldn't want him to get impatient or anything." Kurt's voice held a certain tone of disappointment, one Blaine hadn't heard since the Jeremiah incident.
"Kurt, you do know that you are my only prince charming, right?" Blaine asked, just to make sure. "You're the only prince I'd want outside my window, ready to sweep me off my feet, especially at this forbidden hour of the night." Blaine spoke openly.
"Right," Kurt replied, and though he couldn't see it, Blaine could hear the smile behind the reply. "But we're still on for tomorrow, right? Dinner and a movie at my place? My parents are gone, save Finn, but I'm sure he won't intrude. I'm still hanging his browser history over his head." Kurt replied cheekily. Blaine heard the sauce in Kurt's voice and couldn't help but chuckle.
"Of course." Blaine complied.
"5:30. Not a minute earlier, not a minute later." Kurt sought affirmation
"5:30 on the dot." Blaine confirmed.
"Goodnight, my prince." Kurt spoke softer now, a more affectionate tone.
"Hey, I thought we agreed on you being my prince?" Blaine inquired.
"Not officially, besides, you look like more of a Disney prince that I ever will, too feminine." Kurt replied, whilst crinkling his nose.
"But I still love you," Blaine countered. "All of you." Blaine specified.
"I love all of you, too." Kurt replied bashfully. He still felt his heart palpitate exceedingly faster every time he ever told Blaine he loved him, and when Blaine told him that he loved him. It wasn't something Kurt was used to. He hoped he'd always feel this way.
"Sweet dreams, love." Blaine spoke back as tenderly as Kurt had.
"Goodnight. Love you, bug." Kurt felt his cheeks redden as soon as he'd used Blaine's nickname.
According to Wes and David, Blaine had acquired this nickname when he'd so gracefully ran from his dorm screaming because of an unidentified insect no bigger than a speck of dust. Since then, the nickname kind of just stuck.
Blaine thought he'd be angry at Wes and David for sharing this story with Kurt, but after the first time Kurt had referred to Blaine as bug, he was sure that Kurt could call him that whenever he wanted. It sounded cute and endearing coming from Kurt, unlike Wes and David's mocking tones.
"Love you, too, Mumble." Kurt's nickname brought them back to their conversation about sex appeal, and Kurt's lack of it. Kurt had compared his sexual appeal and knowledge to that of a baby penguin. Blaine's first thought was of Mumble, the dancing penguin from Happy Feet. Since then, they nickname was inherited, but kept a secret from anyone else.
Kurt felt the blush deepen at the nickname. Without any more words, the call ended and Kurt went back to packing, unable to wipe the smile that had overtaken his face.
A few moments went by where Kurt packed silently, only smiling to himself. Soon thereafter, he began humming the all too familiar bars to Teenage Dream. Kurt was happy and content, things with Blaine were wonderful, his family was together and in good health, and it was summer. What more could a young, fashionable man in Ohio wish for?
Kurt's happy spree was interrupted by a noisy Finn strolling into Kurt's room and plopping himself in Kurt's blood-red chaise.
"Hey, man. Enough clothes?" Finn eyed the open suitcase. "Why are you packing so soon?" Finn sounded bored. His go-to bored solution was always pestering Kurt. It had gotten particularly worse since Rachel had declined the offer to go to Vancouver due to an annual family trip to New York.
Kurt sighed exasperatingly. It was as if Finn waited till Kurt was at the peak of his happy spree to come in and disturb him.
Kurt looked around himself and only now noticed the growing pile of discarded clothing threatening to take over his entire room. "Why do you care, Finn?" Kurt replied, suddenly irritated, without even raising his eyes from the clothing he had in his grip. There will be wrinkles on all of these! I'll have to rewash them again. Kurt went back to contemplating between two cardigans in contrasting hues.
"I'm bored, you're doing something, I wanna know."
Kurt huffed with great exaggeration. "If you must know, it's so I'm not spending the entire day before we leave packing, much like you will probably be. I want to spend it doing something more social." Kurt replied flatly.
"Dude, Blaine's coming with us, chill. You'll have all the time in the world to make out and stuff. No need to spend the last day here sucking face." Finn replied, only slightly bitter.
"Actually, I meant with Mercedes," Kurt couldn't ignore the mimic face that Finn was making. "Look, I get it. You're pissed that Rachel's not going, I can understand that. But there's not need to be an asshole to me." Kurt turned to look at Finn. Finn sat sulkily with his arms crossed, much like a five year old would.
Finn's facial expression softened abruptly as he let out a sigh. "I know, I'm sorry," Finn paused to rub his eyes. "It's just…Blaine's so into you. You don't think if he'd been going on a trip he would've cancelled it in a heartbeat when you asked him to come? I don't know. I'm just…" Finn couldn't find the right word.
"Jealous?" Kurt interjected. Kurt perched himself on the edge of his bed, legs crossed, looking at Finn for some sort of response.
Finn nodded. "Yeah, I guess. You really lucked out, man. Blaine's a cool guy, and he really likes you and stuff." Kurt chuckled lightly at Finn's eloquence, lowering his head to hide it. There was a pause in conversation and the room became silent.
"He loves me, you know." Kurt wasn't sure why he was telling Finn this, but it felt nice just to talk to Finn on the same level, like brothers.
"I know," Finn replied simply. This made Kurt look up at him. Their glances met as Finn continued. "I see the way he looks at you, everyone does," Finn paused. "I guess everyone sort of knew when you guys had finally admitted it to each other, too," Finn confessed. "You guys were different; closer, almost. You could feel it whenever you were near you guys." Finn shook his head to himself. "It's weird, you know. Feeling or sensing other people's emotions," Finn shrugged. "It kinda put a soft spot in my heart for you guys." Kurt felt his heart swell.
It was the first time him and Finn had ever talked, like, really talked. It wasn't something frivolous like glee club, or something as inconsequential like homework or whose turn it was to do the dishes. It was deeper than that. For the first time since the marriage, Kurt felt like he was bonding with Finn.
"Is it—is it that obvious?" Kurt spoke in slight disbelief.
He knew him and Blaine were the affectionate, lovey-dovey, touchy-feely type couple, but he'd never thought that anyone would sense their love. Kurt wasn't sure exactly how he felt about this.
Finn nodded as he laughed lightly. "If your love had a scent, you would smell worse than those candle stores mom takes me to all the time." Kurt nearly snorted at Finn's analogy.
"So you're saying we smell bad?" Kurt spoke between giggles. Finn couldn't help but start laughing with him. The analogy was rather odd.
"No, just, a really…strong scent. Just…really powerful." Finn tried to explain, and it only made them both laugh harder.
As the laughter died down and both boys returned their breathing to normal, Finn stood, ready to leave Kurt alone to pack in peace.
"Sorry for bothering you again," Finn said awkwardly as he scratched the back of his neck, a nervous habit. "I-I hope the packing goes well." Finn began to walk to the door. Just as he opened the door, Kurt called out.
"Wait," Finn turned with his hand still posed on the doorknob. "Which one, blue or yellow?" Kurt held up the two cardigans. Finn looked between both colors, pondering each choice carefully.
Finn smiled brightly as he closed Kurt's door again and walked himself back over to the chaise and sat down, elbows resting on his knees. "Definitely the yellow. It looks happy like sunshine, and all the other happy stuff that's yellow." Kurt and Finn both chuckled at Finn's poor word choice.
Kurt tossed the blue cardigan aside into the discarded pile before folding the yellow and placing it neatly in his suitcase.
Kurt and Finn continued working their way through most of Kurt's closet in a similar fashion, laughing when Finn made a ridiculous remark, and laughing even harder when Finn tried to model some of Kurt's more unusual clothing items.
They prolonged this unlikely bonding for hours, and Kurt had never felt closer to Finn than he had for those few hours. Though his fashion sense was nowhere near as refined as his voice of reason, Kurt really couldn't complain. For the first time in a long time, Kurt felt like part of a whole family; a feeling he hoped would never fade.
A/N: there ya go! Did you liiiike it? :D I'll be writing part II asap!
So do you like how I combined the 2 options? :D I hope so! (if you didn't know, it was options b & c, with a dash of a)
The next chapter will hopefully wrap up the Blaine/parent talk, and possibly (I will definitely TRY to) squeeze in Kurt and Blaine's date? :3
***BONUS*** this was going to be the ending, but I changed it because I thought it would flow better if I just left it where I was, yenno? But here it is! A snippet!
Kurt and Finn continued working their way through most of Kurt's closet in a similar fashion, laughing when Finn made a ridiculous remark, and laughing even harder when Finn tried to model some of Kurt's more unusual clothing items
It was nearly 12am when Finn yawned and stretched. "I should probably go to bed. I have to be at Rachel's for breakfast with her and her dads." Finn rubbed his eyes, encouraging them to stay open for just a little bit longer.
Finn stood and shuffled to Kurt's door and turned the knob.
"Thank you," Kurt said faintly. Finn turned to Kurt once again, only to see him looking up at Finn gratefully. "Really. For…everything." Kurt couldn't put his thumb on it, but something about the bonding time with Finn had made Kurt feel like they were actually a family.
"Yeah, no problem, bro." Kurt's ears perked at the nickname.
Under any other circumstances, Kurt would've recited a long-winded speech about how much he despised the nickname. But in this case, this was Finn's way of confirming that this bonding time wasn't going to be forgotten, he really thought of Kurt as his brother.
Finn left the room and the door clicked shut softly behind him. Kurt silently thanked whatever higher power had brought Carole and Finn into his and his father's life. After all, what more could a young, fashionable man in Ohio wish for?
Yeah, sooo…reviews are love 3 and greatly appreciated!