Oh god you're all SO sweet. Thank you to everyone who has commented saying "I never review but..." – WOW. I can't believe I made you break your own rules. No, seriously it is so lovely of you and I'm genuinely touched by the NICEST messages. You shall spur me on to write more.
To answer some of the comments about certain issues:
1. Slow burn – I'm SOOOO happy so many of you are supportive of the pace and LIKE it and even have ASKED me to keep it at such a pace to keep the development real and organic. Wow, never thought people would react like that so I'm so happy.
2. RorieAngel mentioned more of Blaine's POV – I shall definitely add more in. A few have asked for that. I have massive chunks already written so I promise, more will come. I tend to get swept up with Kurt as I GET how he feels but the inner workings of Blaine's lovely mind are not forgotten.
3. The length – people have said that the don't want me to end it soon and want me to keep writing the development and to take it 'beyond' them getting together (ifffff, haha, no i tease) and to show what happens after. This is from a comment made by paperotta :D I promise I have many chapters planned/written and I don't intend on "fading out" at all :D
4. Protector of Canon2 – Mentioned how Kurt is unlikely to throw himself at Blaine as he'd have learned from Finn. BELIEVE me there will be NO throwing at anyone, haha! That's never going to happen, I agree... Kurt just wouldn't.
5. Change in pace at Chapter 13 - I needed and wanted to write that Chapter as I needed more truth between them. Blaine in the show is mysterious and unexplored and Kurt really knows 0 about him. I wanted them a little closer and I have a feeling Kurt is like a ticking time bomb... needs to just let it all out. So... Chapter 13 happened. So pleased it was well received.
WOW – RAMBLE. Anyway, thank you SOSOSOSO much again and I hope you enjoy this instalment - again, it's a LITTLE different to the others in pace and subject matter but I promise, the next chapter is VERY VERY Blaine and Kurt interaction orientated, ha! I had SO much fun writing this... :D
Two Days Later
Blaine was sick. He rarely got ill and when he did, he treated it like a one man mission to prove his body wrong. It wasn't very sensible but from an early age his father had deemed it weak and unproductive to succumb to illness, hence Blaine's thick scarf, woollen hat and constant shiverring as he waited in Dalton's turning circle, kicking the snow at regular intervals.
He hadn't seen Kurt since the previous morning, always ensuring he checked with Wes to make damn sure the other boy wasn't seemingly upset or down in the mouth. Wes' reports were short but sweet – "New kid's fine. He aced French." Or "New kid smiled today, no worries."
Their final week was drawing to a close and most Dalton boys were obviously returning home for the holidays or preparing to stick around in their dorms, attending the annual Dalton Christmas dinner for over-holiday boarders. Blaine had been there, done that. This year, he told himself, I shall not be eating second rate Turkey with other boys who look equally as miserable.
Sylvie had emailed him a month previous, arranging their trip, much to Blaine's amusement. He'd questioned her new found technological knowledge, to which she'd replied "darling, I like to stay ahead of the curve." He smiled, knowing his Grandmother as he did and recognising her tenacity in every area of life, including the furtherance of her own education and knowledge even at over 70 years old. She was young spirited, youthful looking and the most organised and assertive woman Blaine was sure he'd ever meet. She'd delighted in his acceptance and emailed weekly to tell him of her preparations. So far it appeared she'd made her own puddings which she'd stored in her pantry to "fuse" as she put it, she'd baked a Christmas cake (Blaine not having the heart to tell her he loathed it) and she'd even created her own pottery holy family – painted and varnished- for her table centrepiece. Blaine loved Sylvie and not only for her kick ass dominance and wonderful spirit. His being gay had been received like water off a ducks back, nothing but a passing piece of knowledge that was accepted and dealt with. Not understanding it fully being from an older and more conservative generation, she'd still stood solid and opened her arms as he nervously waited for her reaction. He remembered feeling odd as she'd cuddled him, not even being sure when she'd ever embraced him with such warmth but he knew he'd never forget her perfume. Lilies. Strong but pretty.
As Blaine waited in the car park, Kurt glanced out of his window, watching the snow fall. After a two hour Skype session with Mercedes, he felt the need for some silence. He'd wooped and hollered more than he was sure he'd done in weeks. The noise was good, amazing even, but Dalton was definitely helpful when you needed quiet. He watched as Blaine huddled down into his jacket, obviously freezing, and pushed his foot into the drifting snow. They'd talked some more, Kurt mainly spilling his guts and Blaine listening, as usual. It'd helped more than Kurt was sure he could put into words and it had changed their relationship entirely. They were still a little nervous around each other but now it wasn't through fear of the unknown or unfamiliar – Kurt couldn't help feeling jittery even when Blaine was close and he knew it wouldn't ever go away. It felt good. They had a closeness now and a certain unspoken understanding that Kurt held so close to his heart. He really trusted in the fact that he had a true friend.
It was at this point that Thomas Masters exited his car and walked to greet Blaine, throwing his arms around the other boy's neck and holding on, for what Kurt considered, more than you would a normal friend. Kurt watched the entire scene, sighed and with a slightly heavier heart, returned to his reading.
-.-.-.-.-.
"You look terrible," Thomas said, his face contorting with worry, "why aren't you in bed, resting and staying out of this?" He gestured to the falling flakes.
Blaine smiled. "Not going to pass up the opportunity to see you am I?" he teased, bumping his elbow to Thomas'.
He grinned. "Aw shucks, you always know how to win me over don't you?" Thomas laughed out, "alright, we going to go before you actually contract pneumonia?"
Blaine nodded, a chuckle on his lips. "Please."
It took them half an hour to make the ten minute journey to their favourite coffee shop, stopping the car then trudging their way across the parkland and into the warm. Blaine shivered as the heat engulfed him, his skin now burning from the change in temperature. Thomas watched him like a hawk.
"You better not die on me," he warned playfully, "I refuse to be on the news."
Blaine laughed and rolled his eyes. "Don't worry. I have flu not the plague Tom."
As they sat down, a hot steaming mug each, Thomas let his eyes track Blaine's face. "So, come on, what's happened?"
The other boy smirked knowingly, a hint of affection sneaking in. "What makes you think something's happened?"
"Because I know you... very well... and you're not your usual charmingly uptight self, you're softer."
"That's so kind of you," Blaine stated, firing daggers mischievously over the table.
Thomas simply laughed. "Come on, tell me, Brown's boring, they all study and work and study and work and there's no drama. I need yours. I need to feed off it to starve my gene... you know the one that needs to have something going on?"
Blaine rolled his eyes. "Well, what are you referring to and I'll fill you in. That make you happy?"
"Yes," Thomas affirmed, "I was referring to you and the particularly stunning brunette with the eyes that could tell a thousand stories. What's going on there?"
Blaine stared into his coffee cup as if it was the world's most fascinating pool of brown liquid. "Tom...," he whined quietly, "can we not start somewhere a little kinder?"
"No."
Blaine looked up into Thomas' eyes and smiled. He could never resist them. "Well, there's not much to say really. He's settling in ok, going through a bit of a rough patch but he'll be fine."
"He cried yet?" Thomas asked, his eyes boring in Blaine's soul.
"Yes. Lots. He's got it all of his system I think."
"Pavi helping?"
Blaine smiled. "They're best friends, just as I knew they would be. That bird's magic I swear. Although I think Kurt's his favourite. He's fashioned him a little bejewelled water canister and Pavi actually rubs himself against it. The bird's camper than Christmas."
Thomas laughed, sipping his coffee. "I miss that little thing," he muttered simply before moving on, "so how is he with the old Dalton traditions and rules? I can't imagine he loves it from the short amount of time that I spoke to him."
Blaine grinned, his mind casting back to Kurt's tantrum and bed kicking. "Got it out of his system I think. I mean, the uniform works for me but he's really into fashion and I think he felt too stifled. He's doing great and rebelling in his own way so he's good. He's realised we're not all a chorus of stuffed shirts after all."
"He been infront of Dad yet?" Thomas asked, smirking at the thought.
"No," Blaine chuckled, "no reason to. He studies hard, a little too hard sometimes, but I have a feeling if he didn't like something and truly believed in it, he'd fight till the death so a certain Mr Masters wants to look forward to that day."
"Oh good, he'll love that. He adores a challenge," Thomas replied with a smile, before pausing slighty and continuing, "and how long would you say you've been shamelessly in love with him for?"
Blaine stopped, mid sip and stared. If anyone knew him, Thomas did. If anyone saw through his eyes and into his very brain and soul, Thomas did.
"What?"
"Oh come on Thornton. I know you, remember? I could physically see your stomach fall ten storeys when you were dancing with him and I swear I've never seen you smile as much as that. Plus, nobody and I mean nobody, not even me, has ever been able to coax you into slow dancing. Remember, I tried?"
Blaine laughed loudly and covered his face. "Shut up. I don't even want to think about that. They were new shoes and that floor was slippery. I really made a great impression on everyone didn't I? There's a reason I went up to my room and hid for the next week."
"Oh come on, it wasn't that bad," Thomas consoled, his eyes filled with amusement, "and don't think we've changed the subject because we haven't."
"Tom, I can't do anything about it. You know I can't."
"Yes you can."
"Come on, you're trying to tell me that when I was struggling and new and still getting to grips with everything after I transferred, that you'd have even tried it on with me?"
Thomas closed his eyes and shook his head, a twinge of reminiscent anxiety crossing his brow. "Oh believe me, if I hadn't have loved you simply as a brother and if I felt about you the way you clearly feel about Kurt... nothing would have stopped me."
"Awww you love me as a brother," Blaine cooed, snuggling his shoulders up and scrunching his nose, "I love you too Tom Tom."
"I swear you'll walk home in the snow if you keep doing that," Thomas warned, unable to stop smiling, "so are we in agreement that you can't stop thinking about him, it's all heart racing, stars in the eyes, butterflies in the stomach, sweating palms kind of situation?" Blaine peered over his mug, a small coy smile on his lips. He nodded slowly and a little hesitant. Thomas hit the table with a civilised noise of joy.
"It wouldn't feel right just being blunt about it. Not now. He's not ready for a big gay romance yet. I know him pretty well and I swear he can see right through me, just like you always could. He's so lonely."
"It sucks," Thomas sighed with wistful eyes, "we've both been there and it sucks."
"Tom I'm pretty much still there with the exception of two failed relationships, if you can even call them that and neither made me feel like... this."
"So, you take it slow," Thomas offered, "you just take one day at a time."
"It's currently glacial and that's the only pace I seem to be happy with. I see the way he looks sometimes, really distant and in a different world and I watch him sometimes when he smiles at something romantic or affectionate. I can almost see him curl in on himself. I just want to show him that he doesn't have to feel that way and that he can have all of that and more. I keep stopping myself from just reaching out and pulling him to me or doing soppy things like stroking his cheek. Little things that I know would make a difference but I can't."
Thomas was silent and thoughtful for a second. "Wow, Thornton, you really like him."
Blaine didn't speak, not needing to, he simply nodded. A tiny and enchanted smile teasing at his lips.
-.-.-.-.-.
"New kid?" Wes called from the corridor, "want some company?"
Kurt swung around in his chair and blanched, shocked by the offer when Blaine wasn't involved.
"Um, is it a Warbler thing?" he asked, unsure as to why Wes was interested in his singular company.
"No, just a Wes thing."
Kurt laughed, his eyes blinking up expectantly. "Of course, come in. I was going to leave this Chem work anyway. I plan on breaking Broadway and I still have to learn the chemical symbols for unused elements from hundreds of years ago. Education, eh?"
Wes nodded, bouncing himself onto Kurt's bed. "Tell me about it man, I left David pondering the meaning of life as his Philosophy class asked them to think of a topic they wanted to discuss. Obviously David went for a slightly wider one than I think Mrs Fullerton intended. He's clearly not coming out of his room till Christmas break."
This made Kurt smile as he spoke. "So you thought you'd come to bother me then?"
"Why of course. I wondered if you'd ever played Halo?"
"Finn has that game and no, no I haven't. The last time he offered to teach me, I remembered that Sky was covering New York fashion week. Priorities, right?" Kurt joked, his eyes ensuring he hadn't freaked Wes out.
"Definitely. I'd even pass up Halo for ladies in skimpy dresses."
Kurt giggled hard, smiling ear to ear. "So are you going to teach me then?"
-.-.-.-.-.-
Blaine made his way up the stairs and frowned in an attempt to make out the location of the screeching. He followed it to Wes' room and almost passed out at the sight.
Wes was seated at the end of his bed facing his television with his X Box controller in his steely grip, his arms flailing but eyes dead set on the screen. He'd shout at random intervals commands like "snipe snipe snipe!" or "run Kurt they're coming, no not into the wall, through the doorway!". Kurt was laughing and jumping up and down, seated in an Indian style position, his fingers daintily pressing the buttons but with a fierce and determined intensity.
"Wes, you said press green to jump, what's going on?"
"No, that's duck. That grey button, the one on the back. Press it. KURT! PRESS IT NOW! YES! Head shot. Oh you are my hero. Kicked their asses well and truly."
Blaine watched as Kurt threw his controller triumphantly and clapped with so much joy before high fiving Wes and settling back down to choose their next map and set of victims.
Blaine felt himself sigh happily. Wes was cool like that. He remembered coming back from his Latin assessment feeling miserable about his struggle in the only subject he thought he was good at after saying goodbye to Thomas for Christmas. Wes had offered to introduce him to Lord of the Rings, popping two bags of popcorn as snacks and a definite bribe. Blaine had hauled up in Wes' room with a very serious David (he aimed to take the pilgrimage to Mordor in his future) and grown lost in the magical world. He'd mooned over some of the more handsome guys secretly and enjoyed the more dramatic and nerdy aspects. He'd felt embarrassed and nervous to say anything about guys or anything remotely referencing his sexuality until Wes had chimed up with "so I guess he's pretty hot right?". From then on they'd been friends.
Blaine watched for a few seconds longer before smiling broadly, feeling his heart swell and shudder gleefully, and retreating back to his dorm to take as much flu medication as he could physically withstand without hospitalisation.