so this chapter is super short, but I just wanted to update for the sake of updating.
um, times haven't gotten any easier for me and I apologize for it. there's just been so much crap happening and it's been hard for me to even take a moment for myself, much less sit down and really type this out. I could definitely BS a chapter and just update it, but I feel like it would be cheating you guys and myself. so I'm sorry for taking so long and thank you so much for having patience with me. I couldn't have asked for a more understanding and patient audience.
For the rest of the week, Kurt can tell that there's something off with Blaine. Every time he tries to talk to him, Blaine just mutters something under his breath and walks away, head down as if he's afraid to look at Kurt. When he talks to Nick about it, he just gives Kurt a big smile as if he's got everything all figured out, and that frightens him even more.
Inside, he's mentally preparing himself to leave camp and visit his dad. He's already set a date in his head, and all he has to do is ask Chiron for permission. Sometimes, in the middle of archery class or Greek lessons, he thinks about how hard it'll be to leave this place. He's only been at Camp Half-Blood for a little less than three months, but it already feels like a part of him, just as the friends he's made have become as important in his life as the air he breathes.
Blaine opens the cabin door to find Jason standing on the threshold, tapping his toes on the wood floor and staring at him. "We have to talk, Blaine."
"I dunno what you want," Blaine mutters, and tries to push past Jason. But he's older and stronger, and he shoves Blaine back. He stumbles, and looks up to glare at Jason. "Please don't do this now."
"You've been acting off all week," Jason says. "What's going on, Blaine? It takes me at least five tries to get your attention, and when I do, it's like you're not even there. You don't even talk to Kurt, except when he turns around you stare at him like you're a man dying of thirst and he's an oasis—"
"I think I like him," Blaine blurts out, staring at the floor. "Nick…Kurt's brother said that…Kurt likes me too. B-but I don't know what to do. Kurt said before that he's going to leave sometime soon to see his dad and check up on him and what if he stays here? Kurt's not terribly dangerous, and monsters won't be very interested in him. But I'll miss him…and I don't want to ruin our friendship over something that won't even last. And I don't even know if he likes me or not and this is so stupid I feel like a chick flick."
Blaine throws himself onto Lyra's bed, and she's going to complain that his hair gel stained her sheets later, but he doesn't care. "I don't know what to do," he moans, shoving his face into the mattress.
Jason clears his throat awkwardly and pats his back, trying to comfort him but doing an absolutely horrid job of it. "I um, I don't know what to tell you? I mean Gaelen isn't even this complicated."
"And this is coming from the guy who used to think that gay guys had it easy because liking someone of the same gender meant less drama and complications," Blaine snorted.
"Hey, I was pretty ignorant before I met you, alright?" Jason jokes. "You're my best friend, okay? And I just don't like seeing you beat yourself up over something like this. Just tell Kurt you like him, see how things work out."
"Nick gave me a list," Blaine mentions after a few minutes of silence, "a list of directions on how to woo Kurt Hummel."
Jason cackles. "Wow, he must think that you really suck at romance to give a freaking list."
"Says the guy who blushed redder than Apollo's holy cows every time Gaelen looked at you!"
"Shut up!"
Kurt is just as shocked as the rest of his siblings when Blaine shows up in front of Aphrodite cabin two hours after curfew, holding a bouquet of flowers half-hidden behind his back and asking to speak to Kurt in private.
As he gets out of his bunk and walked towards the door, he can feel all of his siblings staring at him, and a few of them make dirty jokes and suggestions as he walks towards the door.
"These are for you," Blaine says shakily, holding out the bouquet of scarlet red and butter yellow roses when Kurt reaches the door.
Kurt takes it warily, and he steps outside, closing the door behind them. "Blaine, what's going on?" he asks "You look like you're about to pass out."
"It's—Kurt it's nothing. I just…um, oh god I can't do this. I'm not good at this."
"Blaine, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on. You haven't been speaking to me for a week and now you're giving me flowers."
"I was going to ask you if um, if you wanted to go out with me," Blaine says awkwardly, dragging the sentence out and looking down at the ground. "Because I like you…and stuff."
Kurt blinks with surprise, and took a step back. "You do?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Blaine laughs, but it sounds forced and he does look like he's going to faint.
"I'm just a bit surprised. Why are you just telling me this now?"
"Well, I, um…Jason said that I should tell you…and Nick—"
"Nick?" Kurt cries out with disbelief. "What did my brother do to you?"
"He said that I should tell you…and that you liked me too." At this point, Blaine's head is so low that it's almost parallel to the ground.
"I—oh Blaine…"
Blaine lifts his head up slowly. "I thought…I thought that you just wanted to be friends, but you're just all kinds of amazing. And sometimes I wondered if I was making everything up in my head."
Kurt looks at him and sighs deeply, lifting his hand up to cup Blaine's face. "I don't exactly have the best track record when it comes to relationships, you know," he says softly. "I could really mess everything up."
Blaine smiles so brightly that Kurt almost thinks that it's daytime for a moment. "I don't care. Cause I suck at romance just as much as you do."
Kurt laughs and Blaine leans forward, hugging him tightly. Kurt returns the embrace just as enthusiastically, and they would have held each other much longer if it weren't for the sounds of Kurt's siblings shouting "Get it Hummel!" through the windows.
They pull apart, and Kurt can see the soft hazel of Blaine's eyes in the dim moonlight. "I promise you that after I go to visit my dad, we'll pick up where we left off. And you can give me gigantic bouquets and old vintage records and expensive clothes."
"And what do I get?" Blaine huffs, pretending to be offended, but his eyes are eager and happy.
"You get me, of course," Kurt replies with a grin.
They're reluctant to say goodbye to each other, but Blaine reminds them that they aren't even supposed to be out because it's way past curfew, and Kurt eventually lets him go and walks back to his cabin, but not before Blaine kisses him shyly on the cheek.
His siblings taunt him, just like normal siblings should, when he comes back inside the cabin, and he blushes as red as a tomato but smiles to himself the entire night.
He's never slept better.
The next morning, Kurt informs Chiron of his decision to leave, and Chiron eventually relents after Kurt promises to return within two weeks. If not, Chiron warned, they would send a search party after him.
"Many underestimate the power of Aphrodite," Chiron says to him while writing down a list of things for him to bring on his trip to Ohio. "They do not know that love and beauty are powerful forces, stronger than swords and more tempting than all the riches in the world."
"Um, okay," Kurt replies blankly when Chiron hands him a list to bring to the camp store. He gives Kurt four golden drachmas to cover the cost of the supplies.
"Is Blaine coming with you?" Chiron says casually as Kurt reads the list.
Kurt stiffened, and he clutched the list tightly. "No, he's not, and he doesn't know I'm leaving today. I don't want him to worry."
"It would not be wise to keep this from him," Chiron said kindly.
"I'm not going to…he'll learn about it from other people." Kurt looked away. "He knows I'm leaving anyways."
"You aren't going to be doing him any good if you don't say goodbye to him at least before you go."
"I can't…I can't let him worry. I'll be fine. I'll be home before you know it."
As Kurt walked out the door, Chiron said, "I'm glad you see it that way."
It wasn't until Kurt made it to the camp store that he realized what Chiron meant.
Kurt's standing on the hill overlooking the entire camp, and he takes in a deep breath. The air is fresh, clean, and when a gentle breeze blows around him, he feels absolutely perfect.
And then he feels the weight of his backpack, and the drachmas in his pocket, and then the feeling of perfection blows away as quickly as the wind.
He can see everything from up here, and Kurt quickly spots Blaine, who has a free day and is sitting next to the lake talking to Jason and Gaelen, and they're laughing as if they've known each other for their whole lives. Gaelen's head is resting on Jason's shoulders, and Kurt suddenly wishes he could be there next to Blaine, with their hands intertwined and their bodies close.
Chiron lays a hand on his shoulder. "Kurt, are you ready to go?"
Kurt looks at Blaine one last time, and his head is thrown back in laughing, and if Kurt tries hard enough, it's like he can almost hear it from here.
"I'm ready," he whispers, and Chiron steers him gently away.
again, I'm sorry this took so long to be finished, but I hope you guys understand and I'm so lucky to have you guys as an audience. I'll try my best to get the next chapter up ASAP.