Dislaimer: Glee belongs to FOX, the writers, producers, actors, etc. I am making no money from this, and no copywrite infringement is intended. All quotes were found online and are attributed to their authors if I could find them.

AN: Sorry I didn't get this edited sooner (Lady Gaga's concert, or more specifically my outfit for it, took way too much time but turned out so awesome), but here's the rest of it. Reviews are ever appreciated, and knowing what readers enjoy makes it much more likely that future stories will get even better!

Taking Chances

By Lady Callista

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"The flower has opened, has been in the sun and is unafriad. I'm taking more chances, I'm bold and proud." -Paula Cole

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"It was a few weeks before Homecoming my freshman year, and my older brother was teasing me about not having a date for the dance yet." Blaine recalled softly, telling Kurt something he had shared with no one else. "He was just being merciless, in this way he has that makes it seem like it's all in good fun but it really doesn't feel that way to me. I was already kinda in a downward spiral since it hadn't really been that long since I'd figured it out myself, and…and I just snapped, and I blurted out that I was scared to ask the person I liked."

Kurt remained silent when Blaine trailed off for a short while, simply stroking his back comfortingly. He felt Blaine attempting to control the slight tremble running through his body, and realized that Blaine had just gotten the same shot of adrenaline over remembered fear that Kurt himself had gotten when he remembered coming out to Mercedes.

"He must have seen something, in my eyes or on my face, because suddenly he stopped teasing." Blaine recalled, and Kurt could again hear the smile in his voice. "I expected him to call me a wuss, or question the size of my manhood, or any number of things. But instead he sat on the bed next to me and asked me why I was scared."

Something in the quality of Blaine's silence made Kurt think he was waiting for a response, and so Kurt ventured softly, "And so you told him."

"And so I told him I was scared because the person I liked, the person I wanted to ask, was a boy." Blaine's voice was the next thing to a whisper.

Kurt let the silence hold again, and when it once again became clear that Blaine was expecting some kind of reply, he questioned gently, "And what did he say?" Blaine never really talked about his older brother, Kurt had known that he existed but that was about it, and knowing the strained relationship that Blaine had with his father Kurt really hoped the mystery brother had taken things better. The few times Blaine had ever mentioned him had not made it seem like they got along.

"He grinned, and I thought he was gonna tease me or something worse," Blaine said softly, "But all he said was, 'I can see why that scares you.'"

"He knew?"

"I don't think so, but you have to know him he… he just takes anything in stride." Blaine said, a smile in his voice. "I asked him what I should do, and he said that depended on if I was ready to tell other people or not. He never said anything against it and never teased me about it… about everything else, but never that."

It was the only time Kurt had ever heard Blaine say anything remotely positive about his brother, and it gave him hope that eventually the two brothers could reconcile.

He knew what it was like to have a brother now, after all, and although he didn't get to see Finn much the taller boy had very much filled a gap in his life Kurt hadn't known was there. It maybe hadn't been the gap he had been thinking of Finn filling in the beginning, but… well, he had Blaine now, and he had to admit that worked out better for all concerned. The innocent infatuation he had had for Finn, for the only boy who was ever even the smallest bit nice to him, was nothing compared to how he felt about Blaine. It had felt similar in the beginning, but the feelings were so much deeper now. So much stronger.

"Kurt?"

Kurt realized he had gotten lost in his thoughts, and hurried to say, "Sorry, I was just thinking it was nice to hear you say something positive about your brother. And it got me thinking about Finn. It's not the same, we didn't grow up together, but he never teased me when I came out as gay. I mean, another thing that isn't the same for me is that most people assumed anyway, but…"

"What do you mean, they assumed…"

"That I was gay." Kurt responded softly. "It's the….well…" He slid his hand out of Blaine's to gesture awkwardly up and down his body.

"You just gestured to all of you." Blaine was groaning and sinking his head deeper into Kurt's chest even as the unintentional reference left his mouth

Kurt couldn't stop the slight chuckle that escaped his lips, and it still tinged his voice as he answered, "I could say I was gesturing to my fabulous ensemble," Although he didn't always take advantage of it, Kurt loved that they weren't forced to wear their uniforms once dinner was over, relished the few hours he had to show off his fashion sense, "And I guess partly I am, cause no straight boy our age has this fashion sense. But people assume it when they meet me, and it really is just because of all of me. I don't really mind so much anymore, it's not like they're wrong, but it was hard in the beginning."

"Did you dad assume?"

Kurt heard the hesitancy in the question, even here Blaine didn't want to push him to talk if he didn't want to. But the question brought a smile to his face. "When I told him, he said he'd known since I was three. And that he didn't understand it, but he loved me no matter what. Then he thanked me for telling him, and gave me the best hug in the world."

Blaine propped himself up on his arm again then, looking into Kurt's eyes, a smile blooming on his own face. "You're so lucky to have him. Was he the first one you told?"

Kurt chuckled again, although this time it was tinged with embarrassment. "The second, actually, uh, Mercedes was the first."

"Your best friend, I can see that." Blaine said softly when Kurt didn't go on.

Kurt started speaking then, his words becoming more rapid and slurred together as he went on. "She is now, well, other than you, but her and I weren't quite that close yet. It, uh, well, the short version is Mercedes had a crush on me, so I lied and said I had one on Rachel, and Mercedes got really mad and I felt bad about it, so I told her the truth and I think she was more upset about the lying than the truth, although it still hurt her, and…"

"Kurt, breath." Blaine leaned in and kissed him softly before the ramble could continue. He still remembered his shock the first time the boy had gone on like this, right after the second time they kissed. He had stopped it then by taking Kurt's hand, and asking in a whisper if Kurt would go out with him.

"Do you mean, like, on a date?" Kurt asked, voice still breathy from his previous rant. He just hadn't known what to do when they stopped kissing that second time. He didn't have the nerve to pull Blaine into yet another kiss, despite how much he wanted to, but his brain hadn't quite emerged from the fog enough to think of anything intelligent to say. And so to his utter horror even as it was happening he had begun babbling on Blaine's song choice of all things, on how they'd have to shift the key, and which parts it might sound good for them to harmonize on, and if they should have choreography, and… well, Kurt didn't really remember after that. Because Blaine had reached out and linked their fingers together even as he asked the question Kurt could barely believe he had heard correctly.

"Um, well, yeah, that too." Blaine's voice was a touch deeper than normal, and he scooted forward a bit until their knees brushed together. "I hadn't really thought past this point, I really couldn't because I didn't know how you would react, but really when you think about it Kurt, we've been on dozens of dates. I mean they weren't, but… well, it's not like we don't know if we'll get along or not."

"I still want an official first date." Kurt wasn't sure where the courage to say those words came from, even though he did say them teasingly. He saw the twinkle in Blaine's eyes at the words though, and realized part of it really was that simple. He'd always had an easy banter with Blaine, right from the beginning, and even though the kiss had changed so much, maybe it hadn't really changed this at all. They were still the same people they had been, still friends, just more now. Potentially so much more.

Blaine grinned, his grip on their still joined hands tightening briefly. "We don't really have much free time with Regionals less than a week away, but after that for sure. The revival theatre down the street is always performing something or other, I know I've told you about it before but we've never managed to get there."

"But then we have to wait a week. What about when we make our coffee shop trip after classes tomorrow?" Kurt wondered aloud.

"I kinda like the idea of the theatre, because it's not just our normal routine. A first date should be special, not something we've done dozens of times before." Blaine returned, an odd hesitation in his voice.

"I thought you said weren't good at romance." Kurt said softly, his very nature singing at the sweetness of Blaine's words.

"I believe my exact words were that I didn't know what I was doing, but… but I'm trying to learn." Blaine returned, blushing even more deeply than he had while looking so adorably sheepish after their first kiss. "And I wasn't just asking you on a date. I was asking if… well, if you wanted to go out with me. I mean, with just me."

The word Blaine had avoided saying sang through Kurt's head and caused heat to spread throughout his body. For an instant he was terrified that all of this was a dream, but Kurt supposed if that were the case they would have somehow faded into a room filled with candlelight and soft music. Or maybe a field of lilacs. None of that withstanding, he hadn't dreamed of Blaine in this way in far too many weeks. He had more or less given up on it. "There's no one else." The words caused him the flush and break eye contact, but he got them out.

Blaine's breath hitched and his hand tightened again. "Then you'll go out with me?" He swallowed audibly, then just went for it, his voice suffering slightly from the babbling that was normally Kurt's purview. "I know neither of us has ever had a boyfriend, and I still don't really know what I'm doing, although like I just said, trying to learn, but will you… Kurt, do you want to be my boyfriend?"

Kurt's eyes shot back up to meet Blaine's as all his old-fashioned daydreams about the future suddenly shifted into technicolor, his eyes widening even as his breath caught in his throat. "Yeah." It was the only word he could get out, and so he repeated it for good measure. "Yeah."

"Blaine?"

"Sorry." Blaine's thoughts jerked forcefully into the present, and the curious look on Kurt's face made him wonder how long he had been sitting there lost in his thoughts. "I was just remembering the first time you started babbling like that, and it took me a minute to realize what was going on." Blaine knew now that it was a manifestation of nerves, and that it meant Kurt was talking about something he wasn't completely comfortable with. "You don't have to tell me about Mercedes, not if you don't want to."

"It's not that, it's just that it's not the proudest moment of my life. I sort-of cringe remembering how scared and stupid I was." Kurt admitted, which in some ways was just as difficult as telling the short version of the story.

"We're all scared and stupid sometimes." Blaine interjected softly, with a laugh that quickly turned self-deprecating as he added, "Remember when I was scared about messing up our friendship, and too stupid to realize that you were the most amazing person ever?"

Kurt chuckled at the wording of the second part, knowing Blaine was trying to lighten things up. Somehow he always knew just when to do that. "That wasn't overly stupid, I am an acquired taste after all."

Blaine joined in with the laughter as he caught the teasing tone in Kurt's voice. He leaned in to kiss him lightly, daring to trail feather-light kisses along Kurt's cheek and a deeper one over the pulse-point in his neck before whispering huskily, "I think the word you're looking for is addictive."

Kurt couldn't help the slight tremble that went through him as Blaine's breath blew warm across his ear, nor the warmth that shot through him at the words themselves.

Blaine felt the tremble, and returned his lips to Kurt's neck, skimming light kisses up and down the narrow column, zoning in on the areas that caused Kurt to hum in appreciation. He felt Kurt's hand brushing up his side, and then fingers were trailing lightly over his cheek. Blaine turned his cheek into the touch, lips shifting to lay a gentle kiss on Kurt's palm before cuddling back down onto his chest.

"That felt awesome." Kurt whispered, causing Blaine to chuckle.

"Neck or hand?"

"Both." Kurt admitted, feeling his face heat but not hesitating over the word. He still wasn't completely comfortable taking the initiative when they were like this, unless it was leaning in for a simple kiss, but talking about it was easier now. Knowing Blaine would never tease him over his insecurities made everything so much easier.

"Does that mean I should do it again?" Blaine tilted his head up even as Kurt looked down, the angle slightly awkward as their eyes met.

"Yeah, but…" Kurt trailed off as he tried to organize his thoughts. More kisses, more touching, of course that sounded like a good idea; it seemed he could never get enough of Blaine. But the emotional closeness when they confided personal things in each other was just as amazing, "But first I have a story to tell you."

Blaine reached over grab the remote and flick the TV off, as they weren't watching it anymore anyway, and then cuddled back into Kurt, their arms wrapped around each other as Kurt began telling the longer version of his coming out to Mercedes.

And when he was done they went back to kissing.

FIN