AN: So, exam over, here's chapter 7. still don't really own anything. Enjoy!
Chapter 7 - Laughing and Singing
The Wedding Dress. Perhaps the most important dress any lady is ever going to wear in her life. As such this dress should be chosen with care and attention, though, experience tells me, a great deal of intuition and reliance on ones own style and personality is equally important. This is not a day to deviate from my rule no. 1: trust in your style, and how it expresses who you are. Don't go for the dress you or your mother have always picture you in. Go for the dress that speaks to you when you need it.
- VonTrappChild.
"Oh my God, Merce! You look so beautiful!" Kurt exclaimed, clapping his hands together, and feeling tears welling up in his eyes. Since Christmas he and his friend had been working together on her wedding dress, but only now did it come to its full potential. They had decided on an asymmetrical A- line dress made of an off-white organza over the more shiny satin base. Kurt had spent over a month dying, cutting and sewing a myriad of fabric flowers varying in size, and all kept within a soft purple tone, which had then painstakingly been placed around the bodice, draping themselves from Mercedes' hip up across her torso and around to her back. Layers of fabric fell down over the skirt creating a soft texture and allowing for subtle hints of a pale purple to peak out here and there. The dress was paired with jewelry from Mercedes' shop - a golden necklace with a row of intricate flowers attached to the chain, earrings and a bracelet to match. Her hair was pulled over in wavy strands, pearls and flowers peeking out, and a veil cascading down her back.
"Kurt, this dress is amazing! You'll have everyone crying! I feel so beautiful!" Mercedes said, pulling Kurt in for a delicate hug, so as to not mess up either outfit.
"You are the most beautiful bride ever!" Mercedes younger cousin and maid of honour added. "And just in time, we need to get going," with the same efficiency as the wedding preparations had been run with, the young women herded the wedding party through the emptied hallways of the church building towards the front entrance in time for their great entrance. Soft string music and a soft murmuring was floating from inside the sanctuary. Kurt sent Mercedes a last encouraging smile over his shoulder as everyone took their places and the procession music started up.
Even though Kurt didn't consider himself a religious sort of person the ceremony did hold a deeper meaning to him. The message of pure love, dedication and perceived eternity spoke to his heart if not his head. By the time the couple recited their homemade vows so filled with sincerity, hope and happiness, tears were welling up in his eyes. When they were followed by a most heartfelt rendition of 'One hand, one heart', courtesy of Rachel and David's friend Wes, the tears spilled over. A quick glance about the room told him he wasn't alone in his happy tears. Then came the time for the first kiss, which was carried out to cheers and applause. Kurt quickly dried the remaining tears of his cheeks and cheered for his closest friend and her husband, as they shyly and broadly smiling waved at their guests.
As they started to make their way out the church, the strings started up again, though this time they were playing a cover of 'hey soul sister', which had several members of the wedding party laughing, including the groom. The musicians had been seated of to one side and behind some pillars during the ceremony, and Kurt hadn't been able to see them. As he made his way out of the church along with the rest of the guests, he was finally able to catch a glimpse of the string quartet, only to stop in his track. Sitting with his violin on his shoulder and a teasing smile on his lips, was the violinist of whom Kurt had only just stopped thinking about. Quickly the wheels started turning in his head, and the dots were connected within seconds. The handsome man had to be Blaine, David's friend, the one Mercedes had come to New York to talk to. Realizing he was standing still in the middle of the aisle, Kurt forced his feet to move, and refused to think about the fact that he would have to talk to his dream-violinist sometime way too soon.
Surprisingly, Kurt made it all the way to where the reception was to take place without any noticeably embarrassing incidents. This was largely due to his avoiding being introduced to his violinist, and to sticking close by the New Directioners who had made it to Chicago. Upon entering the ballroom Kurt took a moment to admire the sight. It being a spring wedding, the decor had been kept light and fresh. It was a reasonably large room with high windows allowing the bright may sun to shine in. Round tables were set up in one end of the room, the other kept clear, save for a stage-like area between two sets of french doors, making room for dancing later in the evening. Flowers tied with green ribbon were scattered around the room, tying the dining area and the dance floor nicely together. Mercedes' style was visible in the little flashy details in table settings and centerpieces.
"Here, Kurt," Kurt's observances were interrupted when Tina handed him a glass of sparkly wine.
"Thanks" he mumbled.
"Wanna try and find our seats now, so we know where to go later?" he nodded and followed her to where a large chart of the seating arrangement was hanging. It took all of his self control not to gasp out loud when he saw who was going to be sitting next to him. It seemed he wouldn't be avoiding Blaine for much longer.
"Would everyone please take their seats? The Bride and Groom will be arriving shortly." a voice spoke over the chitter-chatter of the room about an hour later. Immediately people started milling about, finding their places at the round tables. Kurt waved at Tina and the others as Rachel dragged him and her current boyfriend of to where they would be sitting. Blaine was not yet at the table, and Kurt had a few seconds to steel his nerves as he greeted Nick and Jeff, two of David's high school friends with whom they would be sharing a table.
"Hey guys," a cheery voice sounded as Kurt shook hands with the Best Man, Wes.
"Hey Blainykins," Jeff said enthusiastically as Kurt took a deep breath before facing the handsome man now standing next to him."Hi, I'm Blaine" the man introduced himself with a blinding smile that seemed to shine the brightest in his eyes.
"Kurt" Kurt managed to get out as they shook hands.
"Kurt? As in the Kurt who designed that gorgeous dress? An honour to meet you." Blaine's voice was filled with a sincerity almost foreign to Kurt.
"What?! You designed that? But that was like the most amazing Wedding dress ever!" Jeff, who Kurt was discovering to be enthusiastic at his calmest moments, exclaimed.
"It really was," his partner agreed, as Kurt felt heat rising to his cheeks.
"Thank you," he mumbled, not daring to face any of his table mates and finally letting go of Blaine's hand. Luckily they were interrupted by Mercedes brother before anyone else could add anything.
"Ladies and Gentlemen. Please give it up for the bride and Groom, mr. and Mrs. Thompson." the room erupted in cheers as Mercedes was lead into the room by her new husband. The couple took positions on a cornered of part of the dance floor. "And now. The first dance," the brother announced as 'Feeling Good' started to play. The couple started to dance, clearly having eyes nor thoughts for anyone but the other. Seeing his friend so in love, happiness glowing around her as if to big to be kept in her smile and shining eyes, had Kurt grinning and feeling jittery with joy.
As the evening drew on this feeling hardly diminished at all. Delicious plates of food were placed amidst playful conversation, only interrupted by a list of speeches. Wes gave a heartfelt speech that had people almost rolling of chairs in laughter towards the end of the meal. Kurt didn't contribute much to the conversation, too busy looking at Mercedes, listening to the wild tales told by the others, and trying to understand why he felt so drawn to the man talking and laughing next to him.
"And here I was, thinking Dalton was a respectable and dapper school!" Rachel exclaimed as Wes finished yet another story of his and David's crazy adventures. The four Dalton boys broke into laughter at her words, and shook their heads 'no'.
"It's not like Mckinley was a place of honour either," Kurt ventured, "Remember the Great War of the Tater Tots?" Rachel laughed and nodded.
"Never try and deny teenagers their fried foods!" she giggled.
"Whoever tried that? That's suicide!" Nick sounded horrified, though a smile lurked in the corner of his mouth.
"Our insane cheer coach had a stint as principal at one point. As part of her 'reign of terror' she decided we had to eat healthy, which, when you think about it was one of the most sensible things she ever did. Unfortunately, it backfired. We're talking full-blown revolution. It was a bloodbath." Kurt recounted.
"Didn't Mercedes stuff the tailpipe of Sue's LeCar with tater tots?" Rachel asked through her giggles.
"She did." Kurt confirmed, prompting another round of laughter. As they continued to exchange war stories music started to play as dinner ended and dancing began. Soon, Nick was pulled off to the dance floor by Jeff, followed swiftly by Rachel and her boyfriend and then Wes and his girlfriend. Kurt, suddenly finding himself alone with Blaine, nervously took a sip of his drink. A throat clearing had him turning towards his neighbor. Blaine had risen and was extending his hand towards Kurt.
"May I have this dance?" he asked with a coy smile, though his eyes betrayed his nerves. Taken aback Kurt had to swallow a couple of times before he somehow managed to breathlessly answer: "Yes, yes you may." He was only shaking a minimal amount with nerves - he had never really been asked to dance by another man, and this was Blaine doing the asking - as he was pulled from his chair and swung expertly onto the dance floor.
"I love this song!" Blaine exclaimed as he twirled the both of them. Kurt, only now noticing 'Dancing Queen' playing could only nod his agreement. "You were in Glee club, right?" Blaine asked, pulling Kurt's eyes towards him again. Again Kurt only nodded. "So you sing?" another nod. "Then sing with me!" Blaine prompted before singing along to the old Abba song. He gave Kurt a pointed look, when the other didn't join in on the singing. Those warm, teasing, hazel eyes were impossible to resist and Kurt found himself singing along as he was swung across the dance floor.
'Dancing Queen' soon turned into 'It's not unusual' and neither man made move to stop what they were doing. By the fifth song Kurt was breathless from singing, laughing and dancing, yet he hadn't felt so good about himself in a long time. Blaine was still holding him in his arms, though the rest of their friends had joined in on their dancing and singing, and Kurt found himself liking it quite a bit more than he would have imagined. Jeff came bouncing over as the track changed again and tapped Blaine on the shoulder.
"It's time, Blainykins," he said, sending Kurt an apologetic smile. The two men excused themselves, saying they had wedding things to attend to, and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Kurt with Tina and Quinn. The girls send him teasingly knowing smiles, handed him a bottle of water, and didn't comment further.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, sorry to interrupt your dancing." Blaine was saying into the microphone. He, Nick, Jeff, Wes and some other young men Kurt hadn't met, were standing on a little stage like area. "The lovely men behind me and myself are all members of the Warblers, as is David. We wanted to share a somewhat special story with you guys. Perhaps some of you know the meaning behind the lovely song we heard earlier when the couple danced their first dance as a married couple. It was the very song the bride sang on the night she and David met. But that was, in fact, not the first time David saw Mercedes. That happened quite a few years before, at a singing competition back in Ohio. The warblers were competing against the New Directions, and David had a solo. Shortly before we went on stage our dear friend and the groom today, saw a girl and was determined to impress her. Whether he succeeded we never found out. So today we wanted to give him another chance. David if you would," Blaine smiled mischievously and gestured for David to join them on stage. David looked like a deer caught in headlights for a second or two, before jauntily skipping up on stage. The assembled Warblers performed a humorous a Capella version of 'Hey Soul sister' in which David, as front-man, flirted exaggeratedly with his bride, making the audience cheer and laugh. Upon its ending Mercedes was dragged onto the stage, and the couple shared yet another kiss.
The night was coming to a close. David and Mercedes had been send off on their honeymoon, and guests were beginning to leave. Kurt was sitting with Tina and Quinn, exhausted after an evening filled with dancing and laughter.
"Hey Kurt. Can I talk to you for a moment," Blaine interrupted Kurt's fantasies of soft hotel beds. After the Warbler performance, he and Blaine hadn't really gotten the chance to talk much, and he was grateful for the chance to thank the violinist for a lovely evening.
"So, Kurt, I was thinking," Blaine started as they got a little way away from the others. "If maybe, when we get back to New York, you might want to go on a date with me, maybe?" Blaine looked at him with round nervous eyes and a hopeful smile. Shocked, and not expecting something like this at all, Kurt, at first, was speechless. His first impulse was to accept, which was both terrifying and exhilarating to him. For years he had stayed strictly in a safe zone, and suddenly he felt himself pulled from that and not wanting to object. The things the girls had said to him the previous Christmas rang in his ears, and he found himself trusting that they and his instincts were right.
"Yeah, okay, yeah. I'll go on a date with you." He breathed, pulse high and palms sweaty. The most brilliant smile lit up Blaine's face, as he clearly breathed a sigh of relief and joy.
"Yeah? Great! Here, let me give you my number, and we can figure something out!" Blaine rushed out. Numbers exchanged and after an awkward hugging moment, Blaine was dragged of by Nick and Jeff, whom he was getting a lift from. Kurt stayed where he was for a moment. Pushing any trace of nerves down, he allowed himself to revel in the wonders of the night. He had a date with his violinist. Life was looking good.
AN: So, quite a bit of music in this one. Hey Soul Sister, by train originally, but also covered by Sixteen Strings Quartet and the warblers. One Hand, one Hand form West side story, also covered by Glee and Reneé Flemming and Alfie Boe at the Queen's Dimond Jubilee. Honourable mentions: 'Feeling Good' by Nina Simone, Dancing Queen by Abba, and It's not Unusual by Tom Jones. Next up is 'the date'. It'll probably be up tomorrow... Thank you for reading! Do let me know if there's anything you're wondering...