Author's Note: Hello darlings! I got SO many wonderful reviews and other comments on the last chapter- cannot thank you all enough for giving me that sort of encouragement. I hope I can continue to impress. :)
ALSO THE MINI HIATUS IS ENDING. New Glee once a week again? Sounds good to me. :D
This next part is a little short and on the fluffier side, but it had to be included. Chapter 12 will probably be longer. Anyway, hope you like it!
Disclaimer: I do NOT own the show Glee.
~Chapter 11: The Things You Should Know~
Blaine's eyes flew open as the front door slammed and Finn clambered into the room. Kurt rolled his eyes, shooting Blaine an apologetic look. He was sure the poor guy could have used some extra sleep, even if it was only a few extra minutes on a relatively uncomfortable couch. Burt had moved along to the kitchen, and seemed to be searching the cupboards for something edible, based on the noises echoing into the room.
"Hey," Finn said with a slightly unsure smile. He looked between Kurt and Blaine for a moment. "So, did things go okay with the police and all that?"
Sighing, Kurt nodded. He had told Finn the whole story a short while after talking to Burt that morning. Though he did seem honestly concerned, Kurt got the feeling that Finn was a little wary of actually getting involved. He supposed he couldn't blame him.
"What are you doing home so early?" Kurt asked curiously. "I thought you were going to be playing video games all night with Sam and Puck."
Finn shook his head. "Nah, Puck bailed on us at the last minute so we decided to go grab a pizza instead. I just came home because I forgot my wallet." He paused for a moment, seemingly torn. "You, um… you two can come, if you want."
Well, that certainly hadn't been what Kurt was expecting to hear. It was still a kind offer on Finn's part, though. Kurt turned to Blaine uncertainly. Perhaps it would make him feel better to get out of the house for a while, to spend time with a friendly group of people. Then again, it might also make Blaine feel uncomfortable, and Kurt definitely didn't want to make him go through that.
Blaine blinked. "I, uh… I don't know-"
"Trust me, dude, it'll take your mind off of things," Finn interjected. He smiled. "They're all pretty cool people, and we've tracked down all the best places to get food around here… which actually comes down to just one place, but still…"
Kurt chuckled, glancing up to Finn gratefully. His stepbrother could be a bit thickheaded at times, but whenever his inner good intentions shone through, Kurt couldn't help but feel proud.
After a moment, Blaine gave a slow nod. "Okay," he said, forcing a little smile. "Why not?"
Finn smiled again, looking relieved. "Cool," he replied. "I'll be back in a minute."
As soon as Finn had made his way out of the room, Kurt turned to face Blaine. "You don't have to do this if you don't really want to, you know," he pointed-out. "I'll stay here with you. We can make something to eat or order in…"
"It's fine," Blaine assured him. "I can't hide from the world forever. Besides, I'm curious to meet who you hang out with."
Kurt smiled softly. "Okay," he agreed. "Just… if you want to leave at any time, let me know, alright?"
Blaine nodded, just as Finn reappeared in the doorway, keys in hand.
x.x.x
Kurt parked his car next to Finn's outside of Breadstix. Despite all of Blaine's protests that he would be "perfectly fine," Kurt had determined that they should travel in separate cars. Waiting around for Finn to finish stuffing his face with pizza so that he could drive them home didn't seem nearly as efficient.
Kurt hugged his arms to his chest against the nighttime chill, walking side-by-side across the parking lot with Blaine. Finn led the way inside, quickly spotting the others and hurrying over to join them at their table. Kurt made a point of staying close to Blaine, determined not to let him feel alone.
"Hey Kurt," Tina said with a friendly smile, waving as he and Blaine approached the table.
Kurt grinned back, glad to see that no one seemed to mind him tagging along. "Hi," he replied. "Nice to see you."
"Friend of yours?" Mike asked casually, glancing up at Blaine.
Kurt nodded tentatively. He hated to call Blaine a "friend." There was so much more to what existed between them, but Kurt didn't exactly have a word for it yet. "Yeah," he answered, trying to keep his tone relaxed. "Mike, Tina, Sam… this is Blaine. I met him at the school I'm volunteering at to gain an extra credit."
Tina smiled. "That's cool," she said, moving over to make room for them on her side of the booth. They slid in beside her. "Nice to meet you, Blaine."
"Didn't you say you're working at a reform school?" Sam asked. "Like, teen criminals and stuff?"
Kurt felt Blaine tensing up beside him. He gave his hand a little squeeze under the table in reassurance. "It's really not as bad as it seems. Some of the students aren't the sort of people you would imagine them to be."
Blaine squeezed his hand back gratefully.
A waitress rounded the corner and stood before them, pen poised to take their order. After taking down a request for a large, half-sausage, half-veggie pizza, she walked away, leaving the conversation to wander into glee club territory and Rachel's proposed "overtime" practices. Kurt couldn't help but to notice how shy Blaine seemed, laughing at all the right places but never actually saying much of anything. He hoped it wasn't the commentary on reform schools getting to him.
By the time they had finished eating, however, Blaine appeared to be more at ease, tiptoeing into the boys' conversation about football. Kurt rolled his eyes pleasantly, noting the fact that Blaine sounded pretty well informed on the subject. So much for sticking to gay stereotypes.
Mike laughed enthusiastically at something Blaine had said. "Seriously, that's awesome," he replied. "How have we never seen you around here anywhere? Where do you go to school?"
Blaine bit his lip and stared down at the table, suddenly uncomfortable. "Oh," he said, voice softened. "I…um, I-"
"He's homeschooled," Kurt burst out suddenly, remembering Lacey and how similar her social anxieties seemed to Blaine's at this moment. He forced a smile. "But he's been trying to enroll at McKinley. Right?"
Blaine nodded stiffly in agreement. It wasn't completely a lie, after all.
"Oh, cool," Mike answered. The sudden tension seemed to have thrown everyone off, though, and the conversation froze over into an awkward silence. Eventually, Sam and Finn started to discuss the new movie they both wanted to see, while Tina and Mike argued that buying a ticket would be a waste of money. Kurt sighed, disappointed that Blaine still seemed to be getting left out. Feeling like a loner certainly wasn't going to do anything to improve his already upset mental state.
Suddenly, Kurt felt a hand on his thigh, and jumped in surprise. Beside him, Blaine offered a little smirk and shrugged innocently. Kurt just rolled his eyes and kicked him under the table. Damn flirt.
"Ow," Blaine grumbled, to which the others all looked up at him curiously.
Kurt stifled a laugh, blushing faintly as their waitress came by to leave a check. Counting out enough money to cover the cost for Blaine and himself, Kurt pulled a few bills from his wallet and placed them on the table. "I guess we'd better go," he said, smiling distractedly and trying to keep from looking suspicious as he buttoned his coat. "It was nice seeing you all."
"Same to you," Tina said. "Good to meet you, Blaine."
"See you at school, Kurt," Mike added.
Moments later, Kurt and Blaine had made their way outside. Despite the knowledge that his friends meant well, Kurt felt much better now that they were alone. He bit his lip, hoping Blaine wasn't feeling too let down by the awkwardness of the dinner.
As he turned to meet Blaine's eyes, however, Kurt found their fingers intertwined and a smile on Blaine's face. "Thank you," Blaine said. "You're a much better… a much better friend than I deserve. You were protecting me, in there, you know? Making sure I wasn't going to be judged too harshly… That was really nice of you."
Kurt frowned thoughtfully. He appreciated Blaine's words, of course, but they felt so lowly. He wanted Blaine to know that he was worthy of kindness and acceptance, and of being more than just a friend. And it was not out of pity. Blaine made Kurt laugh, he made him think and feel and trust. He made Kurt want to hold on and never let go.
Pulling Blaine around the corner to the side of the building hidden from view, Kurt took a breath and kissed him full on the mouth. It was dizzying, standing there with his cheeks tinged pink and his body pressed against another's, the world fading into nothingness around them. Blaine pulled his arms around Kurt's neck, drawing him closer and deepening the kiss with each movement. Kurt was taken aback by the raw need he sensed in Blaine. He hadn't had anyone to care for him in a long time, not even a parent, not even a friend. Kurt could relate to some extent; he had been feeling lonely for a long time, as well. Yet now, here they were together, with Kurt falling head-over-heels. He had no idea how to handle it or how to talk about it. There were so many things he wanted to tell Blaine, so many things he didn't have the words to say…
He shivered as Blaine's lips grazed his jaw, every touch deliberate, sincere, but careful… Kurt forced himself to move away slightly, meeting Blaine's eyes. He took a breath. "Blaine- what are we?" Kurt bit his lip nervously. "This isn't just friendship anymore... I don't know if it ever was, actually."
Blaine blinked, eyes gleaming with admiration and longing. "You tell me," he answered softly. "I'll be anything you want me to be."
"But-" Kurt's head spun as Blaine leaned in and kissed his neck. "Oh- no, wait," he managed, pressing a hand to Blaine's chest and pushing him back purposefully. "Just let me say this."
Blaine nodded understandingly and waited for Kurt to speak.
"I feel like… like we're already… in a relationship," Kurt admitted carefully. "Like you're my boyfriend."
Blaine's lips quirked into a smile. "I'd like to beyour boyfriend, Kurt."
"You… oh." Kurt blinked, cheeks flushed and pulse racing. How long had he waited for someone to say those words to him? He had certainly never expected them to be spoken by someone like the boy standing before him now.
Blaine tilted his head to the side, searching Kurt's eyes. "Would that be okay…?" he wondered unsurely.
"That would be very okay," Kurt replied without a thought. He felt oddly warm inside despite the cold weather, and there was a smile on his face that he knew he couldn't smother if he tried… "Blaine, that would be more than okay."