Dear Readers!
This is the last chapter, there's only the epilogue left.
I want to thank you for your support and I hope you'll like this chapter.
The next few weeks passed away quickly. There was so much to do after John Anderson's death. Although they didn't have his body to bury, there was a cascet with John's things. The funeral was silent and only a few people attended. John wasn't a good person who the others missed.
Cooper came home to take over his father's place in the council and to be there for support for his little brother. Blaine was in a very bad state, he couldn't get enough sleep and he barely ate. He blamed himself for the death of his father and everything that had happened before it. He believed he could have stopped the man if he had been careful enough. But now he was an orphan and he thought it was all his fault.
Kurt went to visit him every day, although Blaine never let him into his room. It was bad for both of them. They needed each other's closeness, especially now. But Blaine was too depressed to even look into his mate's eyes.
One day, Kurt had enough of Blaine's behaviour. He asked Cooper to leave them alone and he went straight to Blaine's room and knocked loudly. Blaine didn't answer.
"Open the door, Blaine" Kurt yelled. There was no response from the other side. Kurt knocked again. "I know you can hear me! Open the door!"
He knocked again and again but Blaine remained silent. It made Kurt furious.
"You know what? Stay in that damn room for the rest of your life if you want, but you can't keep me away from you!"
Silence, again. Kurt bit his lip. He could be really stubborn if he wanted.
"Okay. I'll just sit down here and wait for you to get some sense."
True to his words, Kurt sat down next to the door and waited. He would stay there for days if he had to. Blaine needed him, even if he didn't see it.
"I'm still here, you know" Kurt said two hours later. It wasn't the second time he tried to talk to Blaine, but it was useless.
"I know you blame yourself, but it wasn't your fault" he said after another long pause. "What your father did... it was horrible, Blaine. But he chose it, not you. He wanted that power so badly that he would have killed me to get it. That kind of magic is really dangerous. I'm sure he knew it."
He could hear quiet noises from the room. He moved closer and pressed his ear on the door. It was Blaine and he was crying.
"Please, just let me in. Let me help you, Blaine" Kurt said quietly. He thought Blaine ignored him again as nothing happened for minutes. But then the door swang open so fast that Kurt fell into the room.
"Kurt? What-what are you doing?" Blaine asked.
Kurt looked up with a smile that faded away quickly. Blaine looked horrible. He had dark circles under his eyes and his face was really pale, he looked like he had been sick for a long time. Kurt jumped up from the carpet and hugged Blaine.
"I missed you, Blaine" he whispered and started pressing kisses on Blaine's cheeks, forehead and finally, his lips. Blaine didn't respond. He just stood there for a long moment, wondering why Kurt was doing this when he should hate him.
"What's wrong?" Kurt asked as he pulled away to look into his eyes. Blaine shook his head and stepped away.
"You shouldn't be here" he said and sat down. His movements were slow like an old man's. Kurt followed him and sat down next to him.
"I'm your boyfriend. Of course I'm here, I want to help you" Kurt said gently and took Blaine's hands in his.
"I don't deserve you. I-I should have been able to see what my father was like, I should have protected you and not let him do such horrible things. I should have saved him" Blaine said, his voice barely audible in the end. Kurt shook his head.
"You have to move on. I know it's hard, you just lost your father, but your life isn't over" Kurt whispered and pulled Blaine closer. "I'll always be here for you."
Blaine pulled away again and closed his eyes as he fealt tears gathering in his eyes.
"I can't do this" he said, his tears falling free now. "I can't live with the remorse that I left him die. That I just stood there and did nothing."
Kurt touched Blaine's shoulder tentatively as the boy started crying harder.
"Maybe if I..." Blaine started but Kurt cut him off.
"There wasn't anything you could do! He would have killed me if you weren't there. You saved me, Blaine, and I can't tell you how thankful I am. If you tried to save him, you would be dead, too. And I couldn't take it. You're the most important person in my life, you brought me out of the darkness I lived in, you made me happy. You made the right thing" Kurt said.
Blaine looked into his eyes and tried to catch his breath. Then suddenly, he threw his arms around Kurt and pulled the boy into a hug.
"I love you, Kurt" he said. Kurt stroked his hair gently and kissed him lightly.
"I love you, too."
~ o ~
Life started getting easier after their talk that afternoon. Blaine was still sad most of the time, but Kurt almost never left his side and helped him through this dark time of his life. Blaine started getting out of his room more and more, he went to school every day and joined the Warbler's practices. And he started sleeping over at Kurt. He still had his own room as Finn wasn't happy with the idea of the two boys sleeping together but Kurt often sneaked into his room after Finn went to sleep. It made both of them feel safe. Kurt had nightmares after his kidnapping but Blaine always made them disappear, just like Kurt helped Blaine getting through his own nightmares.
One day, Finn was getting ready for work when he looked at his watch and saw how late it was. The boys weren't awake yet and he knew they had to hurry if they wanted to make it to school in time. He rushed into Blaine's room first but when he looked at the bed, his eyes widened and almost left the room, completely forgetting why he was there. Because Blaine was still sleeping peacefully, but he wasn't alone. Kurt was right next to him, his head resting on Blaine's chest. Kurt woke up from the noises Finn made when he got into the room, and his eyes widened when he saw his brother standing at the door.
"Finn! We... we didn't..." he started but Finn waved him down.
"Okay. I'm not sure I believe you but... Okay. You're late from school, by the way" Finn said quickly and turned away. He didn't want to hear anything, he just wanted to get away from the boys. He should have thought about it. But it was time to talk with Kurt.
When he got home that evening, he had everything he needed in a little shopping bag he had in his hand. It was time to face the talk every parent and teenager hated.
Kurt got home only twenty minutes later and Finn asked him to go into his study. Kurt put down his bag and joined Finn in the study.
"We have to talk about something" Finn said and grabbed two pamphlets from the bag. Kurt read the titles – and his eyes widened.
"No, we don't" Kurt said quickly because the last thing he wanted was a sex talk with his brother.
"Yes, we do. To be honest, I wanted to talk about it with you weeks ago, but after everything I thought... Okay, it doesn't matter" Finn muttered, collecting his thoughts. "So I know your relationship with Blaine is getting... more serious and soon you'll... do things and I want you to be ready."
Kurt stared at him with wide eyes. He was so embarrassed already that his cheeks burnt.
"It's okay" Finn said easily. "Sooner or later everybody would do it, it's natural. Although I would be really happy if you wouldn't do it for a few years or decades..."
Kurt raised an eyebrow and Finn fell silent.
"Let's just talk about the important details and forget about everything else, okay?" Finn asked and handed Kurt the pamphlets. "Most of the informations you'll need are in these. You should read them and when you're ready, you can ask questions."
"Fine" Kurt said quickly and got up but Finn stopped him.
"Wait! We aren't finished yet" he said and Kurt sat back down slowly. "I know it's easier for you in these days since you can find everything on the internet. And I know this sites show sex as an easy and wonderful thing. And yes, it can be wonderful and it's easy the take that step, but you have to know that the first time is something that should be special. Because you have only one of it in your life. So I want you to be ready and completely sure you want it before you and Blaine do something serious. And then... when you're ready, give yourself enough time to make it special. It's another great step in your relationship and it's really important in a vampire's life. You're already bonded to Blaine in a way and you'll only come closer and closer to each other but your first time'll make your bond final. Then everything'll change. You'll have the need to be with him all of the time and it won't be easier for a long time. I would say you'll need a few weeks, or even months to get used to that feeling. And I think you'll need an own house for our sake..."
"Finn, I'm not sure I understand you" Kurt said suddenly. "Okay, I read about the mating, so I know our bond'll be stronger but you say if we have sex then it's like... we're going crazy for weeks?"
"We can say it, yes" Finn said. "That's why most of the vampires only have sex after the mating ceremony. It's like a human wedding. But instead of the honeymoon, they have some bonding time. When it happens, the bond becomes a million times stronger and it's impossible for the freshly mated couple to live without the other. They need some time to... to live for their feelings for each other before they can return to their normal life."
"And does it hurt?" Kurt asked suddenly and Finn almost fell down from his seat.
"Well, yeah, but it's not that bad" he answered honestly. "If you care for each other, it's gonna be okay."
Kurt nodded slowly.
"And what is in that bag?" he asked. Finn smiled and showed the boy the bag's content. Kurt paled immediately.
"I thought you'll need a few things and I know how embarrassing it is if you have to buy it for yourself."
Kurt looked down at the comdoms and lubes in horror.
"You... you thought we'll... God, it's phosphorescent?" he asked as he grabbed one of the condoms.
"Yes!" Finn said excitedly. "And there are flavored, ribbed, and a dozen other types! Can you believe it? You can try out them and decide what kind to use."
Kurt was totally speechless as his brother started explaining which kind of condoms he should use and why.
~ o ~
"You wanted to talk?" Blaine asked as he stepped into Finn's study the day before they went to New York for Nationals.
"Yes. Sit down" Finn said, pointing at the empty chair in front of his desk. Blaine sat down and waited for the man to start.
"I talked to Kurt about the mating. And... and what he should expect after that" Finn said and he sat down, too. Blaine nodded.
"Thank you. I know I should have talked with him about it earlier, but... you know. The last few weeks were really hard for us" Blaine said. He was glad Finn talked with Kurt, it made his work easier.
"When do you want to ask him?" Finn asked and he sighed. He knew it was only matter of time and his little brother'll be mated, but it was so hard to believe he found his mate so fast. He dated Rachel for years before he had the courage to ask her.
"Tomorrow" Blaine answered and smiled as he saw Finn's eyes widen. "I planned a romantic dinner for us and then I want to ask him. But I won't force anything, he still have the choice and he can say 'no'."
"He won't" Finn muttered. "Okay. I'm not happy with how fast you reached this point but I'm happy for you. All I want is for Kurt to be happy and I think he's found it beside you."
Blaine smiled.
"I can promise you, Finn, that I'll always keep him happy and safe. He is the best thing in my life and I won't hurt him. Ever."
"You better not" Finn said. "Because if you hurt him, I swear as Kurt's brother I'll kill you."
Blaine started laughing.
"No. I'm serious. I'll watch you from now on. So you better be the perfect mate for him" Finn said, trying to look serious. He really liked the way Blaine's smile disappeared as he talked, and he almost laughed as the pale boy stared at him with wide eyes.. He enjoyed being the big brother.
~ o ~
The Warblers arrived in New York the next afternoon. Kurt was excited to be in the city of his dreams and even the hours long Warbler practice couldn't get him down. He knew Blaine planned something for their first night in the city, he asked Kurt to bring elegant clothes with him. He couldn't wait to go out with Blaine. Maybe they'll go and watch a play on Brodway or have a romantic dinner and walk after that. Kurt didn't care.
They practiced their songs over and over. Kurt saw that Blaine started losing his patience as Wes ordered them to sing their duet one more time. In the end, it was Jeff who helped them out, grabbing Nick's hand and leaving the room without a word. And the others followed them only a few seconds later as they thought the practice was over. They knew their songs and they could have performed them in their dreams. So it was time for a break.
Blaine led Kurt back into his hotel room and asked him to dress up for a dinner. When they met again, dressed up, in the hallway, Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand and they started walking down the streets.
"Where are we going?" Kurt asked. Blaine smiled and shook his head.
"I can't tell you. It's a surprise" he said.
"I hate surprises" Kurt murmured.
"That's not true. Come on" Blaine smiled and led Kurt into a small restaurant.
They took their seats and ordered. As they waited, Blaine tried to talk about Nationals, since he had more time to prepare himself for what he needed to say.
"I love the song you chose" he said and took Kurt's hand. "Although I have to say you surprised me. It's not a usual song."
Kurt smiled.
"I found this song months ago. I started listening to it and I fell in love with it. And... with everything we've been through, I think it's a perfect song for us" he said sincerely.
"And you're so right" Blaine said.
Their food arrived quickly and they started eating, only making small talks until they finished dinner. Then Blaine paid and grabbed Kurt's hand again. They needed a place where they could talk without being disturbed and he knew the right place for that.
"Where are we?" Kurt asked as Blaine led him into a park, bigger then any Kurt had seen in his life.
"Central Park. I thought you want to see it" Blaine said simply and didn't stop until they reached a small bridge. Then he turned around, taking a deep breath. "I have to tell you something."
"It doesn't sound well" Kurt said as he saw Blaine's desperate look. He wouldn't break up with him here... Right?
"Don't worry, it's not bad. Well, I think it isn't" Blaine said and squeezed Kurt's hands. "Kurt, I know I was an ass when we first met. I... I fell for you so quickly that it scared me. I'm so sorry for that."
"Well, you're right, it was interesting... but I'm not mad with you because of that" Kurt said.
"I know and you don't know how glad I am. Because I soon realised how important you are for me and since those days in that prison I know why."
Blaine paused, making Kurt look at him in confusion.
"I... I wasn't sure until I knew you were sick. I felt so bad and there was this need to go to you. It made me realise that what we have is for eternity. That you're my one true love" Blaine said and he felt so relieved. He finally said it out.
"I... I don't know what to say, Blaine" Kurt said suddenly, making Blaine get paler than ever. "I love you, too, although we're only together for a few months, so I don't think we should talk about eternity and other... serious things."
Kurt really didn't want to hurt Blaine's feelings, but he didn't feel ready for taking another step. And he thought that was what Blaine wanted.
"Kurt, I know it came really quickly, but... can't you feel it? That invisible force that pulls me to you every time I'm away from you... can't you feel it, too?" Blaine asked in panic. He started to believe that Kurt didn't feel the same way.
"Of course I feel it, we're in love, everybody feels it in this state of the relationship. Right?" Kurt asked and raised an eyebrow as Blaine didn't answer him. "What is it, Blaine?"
Blaine took a deep breath before he spoke up again.
"I... It's not just some silly teenage romance, Kurt. It's more serious" he said and stepped closer to Kurt. "It's something that'll only be stronger and stronger with every day we spend together. Because we're meant to be together. And-and I... the reason I wanted to talk to you here... I think we're ready to take the next step and get mated."
Kurt's eyes widened as he stared into Blaine's desperate ones in silence.
"Oh my God" was all he could whisper. Suddenly, he remembered what he and Finn talked about and it made everything scary. Because he loved Blaine but didn't know if they were ready for something so serious.
"You don't have to answer now. You can think about it if you want" Blaine said, trying to save the night.
"I love you, Blaine, I do, but we're so young and-and I don't know what to do. I don't know" he repeated.
"You can think about it as much as you want. We can wait if it's too early for you. I'll wait for you" Blaine said reassuringly.
"I think I need a few days to think about it. Is it okay?" Kurt asked uncertainly. He really didn't want to hurt Blaine's feelings. But the boy just smiled and nodded, didn't seam to be hurt at all.
"Of course it is" Blaine said and took a step towards Kurt. He waited for the boy to give him permission and then he leaned in and kissed Kurt gently.
~ o ~
"Don't be nervous" Blaine smiled and put his arms around Kurt from behind.
"Blaine, did you see how many people are out there?" Kurt hissed and tried to breath slower. He wanted to run back to the hotel and hide under his bed.
"Yes. And they will love your voice" Blaine said and kissed Kurt, making him forget his nervousness for a moment.
Ladies and gentleman, from Westerville, Ohio, the Dalton Academy Warblers!
Kurt jumped when he heard the loud voice. He almost ran off the stage, but then the lights went on and they started playing the music. He saw Blaine stepping into the middle and he followed him. He took a few deep breaths before he started singing.
You live your life.
You go day by day
Like nothing can go wrong.
Blaine stepped beside him and smiled before he continued the song.
Then scars are made,
They're changing the game.
You learn to play it hard.
Kurt took a few steps away from him and walked to the edge of the stage as he sang.
And I know you wish for more,
And I know you try.
And I hope you realize,
You know the time is right.
Blaine went to the other side of the stage and they started singing together.
The whole world is watching
When you rise.
The whole world is beating
For you right now.
Your whole life is flashing
For your eyes.
It's all in this moment that changes all.
What are you waiting for?
What are you fighting for?
Cause time's always slipping away.
The whole world is watching.
Yeah, the whole world is watching you
When you rise.
urt smiled as he sang the last notes of the refrain. He loved this song and it gave him so much stengh in the last months.
You build your walls
You break them away
'Cause that is what it takes.
Blaine walked up to him slowly and took his hand as his line came.
You saved yourself.
You found who you are,
That never goes away.
Kurt's eyes met Blaine's as he took the lead again.
And I know you wish for more,
And I know you try.
And now you realize,
You know the time is right.
It happened suddenly when Blaine joined him again. Kurt was still staring into those beautiful eyes when he had that feeling. He knew they were really meant to be. There was no doubt in him left. He wanted to be Blaine's mate.
The whole world is watching
When you rise.
The whole world is beating
For you right now.
Your whole life is flashing
For your eyes.
It's all in this moment that changes all.
What are you waiting for?
What are you fighting for?
Cause time's always slipping away.
The whole world is watching.
Yeah, the whole world is watching you
When you rise.
Your sacrifice goes through your mind,
But nothing is wasted you've made it now.
You rise again, breaking out.
Each step you've taken, you've paid the price.
The whole world is watching.
The humming of the Warblers in the background made their song perfect as they reached the final notes.
What are you waiting for?
What are you fighting for?
Cause time's always slipping away.
The whole world is watching.
Yeah, the whole world is watching you
When you rise.
When Blaine and Kurt finished their song, standing in the middle of the stage, holding each others hands, and the audience started clapping so loudly Kurt thought he'll become deaf, he knew they won the competition. Because it was to most perfect duet they ever sang.
~ o ~
After their second performance, their were standing on the stage again – as one of the three best groups. Kurt couldn't believe it. What if they won the competition? That would be wonderful.
"On the third place, from Portland, Oregon, the Portland Scale Blazers!"
Kurt smiled and clapped. So, they had the first or the second place. Maybe they really did it. He reached out and grabbed Blaine's hand for support.
"On the second place, from Oklahoma city, Oklahoma..."
Kurt didn't hear the rest and he didn't need it. As the other group stepped to the judges to take their trophy, he jumped into Blaine's arms as the other Warblers hugged each other in happiness. They did it. They won Nationals. It was the best thing that ever happened in his life. No, not the best, the second best thing. Because he had something more important in his life.
"Yes" he shouted into Blaine's ear, so the other boy could hear him from the other noises.
"I don't understand" Blaine said as he pulled away to look into his eyes in confusion.
"You're the best thing I ever had and I want to be with you forever. I want to be your mate" Kurt said and waited for Blaine to finally get his words. When he did, he jumped and picked up Kurt into his arms.
"I love you" he said and kissed Kurt, forgetting that they were still standing on the stage and everybody could see it. The only thing that mattered was the fantastic boy in his arms, his soon-to-be mate.
The song was the fantastic Whole World is Watching from Within Temptation.