Okay, guys, here's 'Prom Queen'! This is the episode that gave me the idea for this whole thing in the first place... it kind of ran away from me, so it's a long one!
(I do not own Glee or any of the characters, dialogue, or songs from the show. It's all just for fun!)
BLAINE
"That was delicious," Blaine sighed contently as their waiter took away their empty plates.
Kurt nodded his agreement. "Seriously, this is the perfect location for those on the anti-Atkins diet."
Blaine laughed. "I would rather die than never eat that pasta again," he teased.
Kurt smiled, and for a moment they just looked at each other across the table. Blaine nudged Kurt's foot under the table.
"I have a question," Kurt said suddenly. Blaine nodded, giving him permission to continue.
"Give me your hand," Kurt stretched one of his hands across the table, palm up. Blaine looked down at Kurt's hand for a moment, confused, but he obeyed. Kurt used his free hand to clasp Blaine's hand between both of his on the table.
"Blaine Warbler," Kurt said, and Blaine was intrigued at the nervousness on Kurt's face, "will you go to junior prom with me?"
Blaine could tell that this was an exciting proposition for Kurt, so he tried to keep the fear that settled into his stomach from showing on his face.
"Prom?" He asked skeptically, halfheartedly hoping that Kurt wasn't serious.
"It'll be the social event of the season!" Kurt encouraged.
Blaine just gaped at Kurt for a second, and he saw a flash of hurt in Kurt's eyes. "You don't want to go to prom with me?" Kurt asked, his tone accusatory.
"No! No, no, of course," Blaine fumbled to find words of reassurance as Kurt pulled his hands away, "Of course I want to go with you! It's just..." he sighed "...prom."
"What about prom, Blaine?" Kurt said sourly.
Blaine had known that this moment was rapidly approaching, but he hadn't quite figured out what he wanted to say. He decided to just be honest. And simple.
"At my old school there was a Sadie Hawkins dance," he started, unable to look at Kurt for any prolonged amount of time. He felt strangely shy. He knew it was probably because he had never told the story out loud before to someone who had no idea that it had happened, "And I had just come out. So, I asked a friend of mine; the only other gay guy in the school. And while we were waiting for his dad to pick us up... these three guys... um... beat the living crap out of us."
The look in Kurt's eyes was not as bad as Blaine had imagined. Kurt looked sad, but it was more of a shocked sad than a pitying sad. "I... I'm so sorry," Kurt breathed.
"I'm out, and I'm proud and all that," Blaine clarified quickly. "This is just a little bit of a sore spot."
That was an understatement. He had sworn to himself after the assault that he would never attend a school dance again.
To Blaine's surprise, Kurt spoke up immediately. "This is perfect," he said, "You couldn't face up to the bullies at your school, so you can do it at mine." Blaine felt his chest clench at the hopefulness in Kurt's voice.
"We could do it together," Kurt amended, and Blaine felt like his heart was going to explode from a combination of affection and anxiety. He reached out to play with the straw in his empty cup to keep his hands from shaking. He couldn't speak or look at the boy across the table.
"But I have to say, Blaine," Kurt spoke again, "that if it makes you feel uncomfortable at all then we'll just forget about prom." Blaine looked up at him, surprised. "We'll go to a movie instead," Kurt suggested sincerely.
Some of Kurt's friends from New Directions had mentioned to Blaine on various occasions that he was good for Kurt. That he had helped Kurt to find the courage to really be himself. The "courage" collage under Blaine's photograph in Kurt's locker expressed the same sentiment. But Blaine felt overwhelmed as he thought about everything that Kurt had given him. He felt more comfortable with the slim young man than he felt with his own family. When he was around Kurt, he felt like he could take on the entire world and win, no matter the contest. Kurt pushed him hard, but only because Kurt had faith that Blaine could handle it. As Blaine looked across the table at the other boy, he thought about the fact that Kurt, who wouldn't pass up an opportunity to dress up for the world, was willing to give it up for Blaine. With only a few sentences from Blaine to explain his reluctance.
Blaine wanted more than anything to lean across the table and kiss him, but the public location restrained him. Instead, he let all of his affection pour out in the first words that came to his mind.
"I am crazy about you," he admitted, hoping that Kurt would understand.
"So," Kurt teased warmly, "I'll take that as a yes?"
Blaine hesitated, thinking about everything that had happened. He looked at Kurt's eager face across the table, and decided that he could handle it. He could handle anything with Kurt. "Yes," he confirmed. He knew that he had made the right decision as Kurt literally hopped in his seat with joy.
"Yes," Blaine repeated, "You and I are going to the prom."
Kurt squealed in delight, and Blaine smiled at his enthusiasm.
"Oh my gosh," Kurt gushed suddenly, "you can perform with us if you want!"
Blaine, still contemplating the possible ramifications of his decision to attend McKinley's prom, frowned.
"Oh," Kurt clarified, "Mr. Schu had to agree that New Directions would provide the music... money for Nationals."
Blaine nodded his understanding, but the frown on his face did not budge. "I don't know," he said skeptically.
"I promise, Mr. Schu won't mind," Kurt said eagerly.
"I'll think about it," Blaine allowed.
BLAINE
"So you think it's cool if I jam with you guys at prom?" Blaine asked as he sat down on the couch next to Finn. He wasn't sure if Kurt had talked to the other members of New Directions about his involvement, and he knew that Finn would be honest.
"Yeah, totally!" Finn said casually. Blaine felt tightness in his chest as he thought about it. Not only was he going to prom with Kurt, but he was going to perform there. He had performed at McKinley once before – the day Kurt had transferred back – but this time he would do it alone. Without the Warblers.
"Good news, boys!" Burt called as he came in the door, interrupting Blaine's moment of contemplation, "My buddy Enzo from the tux rental shop is giving you half off."
Blaine nodded appreciatively as Finn expressed his approval out lout. "Sweet!"
"Yeah, so what are you gonna go with?" Burt asked as he grabbed a stack of unopened mail by the door and came into the room.
"I'm going simple," Blaine explained, "Black, thin lapel collar. Very discreet."
"Know what I wore at my prom?" Burt asked with a glint in his eyes, "I wore a powder blue tux with a ruffled shirt and a big velour bowtie. I looked like Tony Orlando."
Blaine considered the name for a moment, but he didn't recognize it. "Was that a designer?" he asked.
"No," Burt laughed.
"No need for half off my outfit," Kurt's voice preceded him from the hallway. He stepped out into the room with a flourish, and Blaine couldn't decide how to feel. Kurt's outfit was a normal suit from the waist up – although it had been embellished – but instead of classic dress pants, he was wearing a kilt.
"Because half of it is already off?" Burt teased.
Blaine felt a surge of affection as he looked at Kurt, who was clearly proud of himself. Kurt never settled for anything, and Blaine imagined how long it had taken Kurt to put this outfit together.
"My ensemble is an homage to the recent royal wedding and the late Alexander McQueen," Kurt explained, ignoring his father's quip, "I had to make it myself. There's simply nothing off the rack that is suitable for the young, fashionable man in Ohio!"
"Dude, that rocks!" Finn said enthusiastically as Kurt twirled to swing the kilt around, "It's like gay Braveheart!"
"I don't like it," Burt said simply, and Blaine was surprised and relieved that Kurt's father seemed to share his unspoken worry about the flashiness of the outfit and what that could mean for the amount of attention Kurt and Blaine would attract at the prom.
"Well of course you don't like it," Kurt scolded, "It's not finished yet! I still think it needs, like, a sash. Or maybe some beads," he suggested to Blaine as he stepped down to stand in front of him. Blaine tried not to laugh as Kurt turned to show him the back. He knew that Kurt was doing it on purpose to tease Blaine in front of his father. He made a mental note to give Kurt a hard time about it later.
"Look, I'm not gonna stop you from wearing it," Burt said, "But I gotta be honest. I think you're just trying to stir the pot a little bit. I think you're trying to get some attention."
Blaine braced himself for what he knew would be an unhappy reaction from Kurt.
"Exactly," Kurt confirmed, "What's the point of dressing up? I mean, that's why some guys wear the tails and the top hat and the girls wear the hoop skirts. I mean, Blaine, help me out here!"
Blaine grimaced. "I think your dad has a point," he admitted, "I– I think what he's trying to say is that we just don't want to give anyone a reason to cause any trouble." Blaine felt slightly guilty as he saw the look of disappointment on Kurt's face.
"There's a lot of bad people out there, Kurt," Burt said, "and they're a lot worse than this Karofsky kid. And all they're looking for is a match to light under the fire of their hate. Of course, I want– I want you to be yourself. But I also... I want you to be practical."
Kurt looked incredibly unhappy. "Okay, I have done everything right," he said as he stepped back up to stand near the entry to the hall. He turned to Blaine. "Now Blaine, I understand that, after what you've been through, you're worried."
Blaine shifted uncomfortably, unsure if Kurt had told Burt and Finn that he had been assaulted at his old school. He could feel Finn looking at him.
"But prom is about joy, not about fear," Kurt said, "Okay? So I am wearing this suit. I worked hard on it, and I think it's fantastic. And if you don't want to join me I completely understand."
Kurt made a dramatic exit back down the hallway toward his bedroom, and Blaine didn't know what to say or do. He started to get up to go after Kurt, but Burt's voice stopped him.
"What happened to you, son?" Burt asked seriously. "And don't you say that it was nothing, because even I can tell that what Kurt just said made you uncomfortable. Is someone threatening you at school?"
Blaine opened his mouth and closed it again. He looked briefly at Finn, who looked confused.
"Finn, I need you to go to your room or something," Burt said immediately. Blaine opened his mouth to argue, but Burt stopped him with a gentle hand gesture. "I want to talk to Blaine alone for a moment."
"Yeah, sure," Finn mumbled, and he quickly left the room.
Blaine felt so uncomfortable that he wished he could sink into the couch and die. Burt was silent, waiting for Blaine to answer his question. Blaine couldn't look at the other man, so he crossed his arms across his chest nervously and looked at anything but Burt as he spoke.
"Everything's great at Dalton," he said. "It was before. At my first high school... it just wasn't a friendly place for someone... if you were gay."
Burt didn't let him off the hook. "And?" the older man asked, leaning forward in his chair.
Blaine sighed. He thought about his own family's dynamic after the assault. They had never been this calm. Although it had been clear that he was upset that his son had been hurt, his father had spent most of his time scolding Blaine for not being more careful. And his mother had said very little. After about a week, when the bruises on Blaine's body started to fade a little and they made the decision to send Blaine to Dalton, they had never spoken about it again. Before he had mentioned it to Kurt at dinner earlier in the week, he hadn't spoken about it in more than a year.
"We had a school dance, and some guys roughed me and my date up a little," Blaine said vaguely.
"And by 'roughed me up'," Burt asked seriously, "You mean what, exactly?"
"I broke my wrist," Blaine admitted. "Falling over. I tried to catch myself."
"Did you have to go to the hospital?" Burt asked. Blaine nodded and rubbed his face with his hands in an attempt to release some of his anxiety.
That seemed to clarify the severity of the situation for Burt. He got up and came to sit down near Blaine on the couch.
"Look at me," Burt said. Blaine obeyed.
"I know Kurt can be kind of pushy when he wants something. Did he pressure you into this?"
"No!" Blaine gasped, gesturing with his hands to reinforce his point, "No, absolutely not. I agreed. It's fine."
Burt looked at him for a moment. "Look," he said after a moment, "I'm real sorry that you had to experience that kind of violence at your old school. Real, real sorry."
Blaine didn't say anything. He stared at his hands.
"You're good for my son, Blaine," Burt said, and Blaine looked up at him again, surprised. "You know, he came home the other day and forced me to sit down and explain to him the rules of football. Kurt! He was pretty vague about why he wanted to know, but I think I know."
Blaine rubbed the base of his neck, feeling warm all over, but he tried not to internalize what Burt was saying so he could keep his emotions in check.
"I guess what I'm saying," Burt continued, "is that you mean a lot to him. And, well, I have to say... I'm starting to feel protective of you, myself."
Blaine still couldn't speak. He couldn't think of words to say to express what he was feeling. Burt continued again, saving him from an awkward silence.
"If, at any point during this prom – or, you know, any time, really – you feel like things have potential to get out of hand, you call me," Burt said sternly. He told Blaine to get his phone out, and he recited his various phone numbers so that Blaine could record them in his contact list.
"I don't know any of the details, of course... but from what Kurt has mentioned, I understand that your parents are... well, maybe a little less affectionate than you might like," Burt said, and Blaine's face burned with embarrassment. "I'm not trying to be your father, or your mother, or anything like that, but... you can come here any time you want. We like having you around, okay? I mean, last week Carole wouldn't stop bugging Kurt about when we would see you again."
Blaine nodded. "Thank you," he managed to whisper.
"You're a good kid," Burt said, reaching out to pat Blaine on the shoulder. "Now," Burt laughed gently, "I think it might be time for you to go and talk to Kurt."
BLAINE
"Who is it?" Kurt called, forced cheerfulness in his voice, as Blaine knocked on his bedroom door.
"It's me," Blaine said softly, "Can we talk?"
"I suppose," Kurt said, giving him permission to come into the room.
"Hey," Blaine said as he entered the room. Kurt was sitting at his vanity in a normal outfit. His prom outfit was strewn out all over his bed.
Blaine sighed as Kurt didn't turn to look at him.
"I need to tell you about what happened to me," he admitted nervously.
Kurt shrugged. "Okay."
Blaine felt restless, so he paced slowly around the room as he spoke.
"The dance itself was fine, I guess. We didn't really do much of anything except stand around near the wall. Actually, it was kind of boring."
Blaine wrung his hands, feeling uncomfortable because Kurt wasn't saying anything or looking at him.
"My friend's dad was running late to come and pick us up," Blaine continued, "So we just sat down on the curb in the parking lot to wait."
Kurt suddenly turned and looked at him for the first time since he had entered the bedroom. "You don't have to tell me this if you don't want to," he said quietly. "I wish the reaction to my outfit had been more enthusiastic, it's true, but..." he shrugged, indicating that he would get over it.
"No," Blaine said sadly, "I think I need to tell you. Unless you'd rather not hear it," he amended quickly, wondering if Kurt was scared to hear the story.
Kurt shook his head and motioned with his hands for Blaine to continue.
"I don't know if they came up to us with the intention of being violent," Blaine mused, continuing the story. "But they were definitely looking for an argument. It started with some stupid comments... you know all about that, I guess. All the things that people say. I remember one of them asking if the dance had been magical enough for us."
"We decided to stand up, just because it felt vulnerable sitting on the ground," Blaine sighed. "I don't know, maybe they felt similarly threatened. Like we would unleash some kind of disease on them or something."
Kurt was silent, looking at the ground. Blaine moved to sit down on the edge of the bed. "It got rough in a hurry," he continued. "They were acting really... macho, or whatever. They backed us up against the wall of the gym where the dance was still going on."
He sighed and let himself fall back onto the bed on top of some of Kurt's outfit.
"I guess I was naïve," he said bitterly. "I didn't think they would actually do anything physical. I was really scared, but I tried to be nice to them and... not really talk them down, exactly, but just talk to them. I asked them to go away." He rolled his eyes. "The guy I was with didn't say a word. I think he had a better idea of what was going to happen."
Kurt got up from his vanity and hopped onto the bed, crawling to the middle so he could sit near Blaine's head. Blaine looked at him for a moment, and was grateful that it hadn't been Kurt with him that night. He couldn't stand the idea of Kurt being injured for anything that he was. He had to look away as he continued.
"It started with some shoving. One of the boys shoved me against the wall. And I think their adrenaline and testosterone fueled them on from there. In a few seconds, it was a full-out beating."
Blaine reached up and crossed his arms across the top portion of his face to hide the sudden moisture in his eyes, wishing that he didn't still feel so much residual fear.
"I don't remember it in a chronological sense," he said, seeing it all clearly in the darkness that his arms over his eyes provided, "more like a jumble of little moments. It was mostly just punching and shoving and pulling at our clothes – my jacket was completely ruined – but at one point one of the guys tried to... I guess he tried to sort of throw me in the direction of the street, but I was too heavy. So I just stumbled and fell face-forward to the ground."
He sighed. "I broke my wrist trying to catch myself."
He suddenly felt Kurt's hands on his arms, prying them away from his face, and he had to stop talking.
Kurt scooted to lie down beside Blaine, nestling his head into the side of Blaine's neck. Blaine could feel his breath on his skin. Kurt threw an arm across Blaine's chest and squeezed him gently.
"I had to go to the hospital," Blaine said after a moment. "I had a cast on my wrist for seven weeks."
He felt Kurt sigh heavily. "I'm so sorry," he said after a moment.
"I've never told anyone except my family before," Blaine admitted.
Kurt propped himself up so he could see Blaine's face. "Not even your friends at Dalton?" he looked surprised. Blaine nodded.
"I told them I was chased out of my old school for being gay, but I didn't mention the details," he admitted.
"Thanks for telling me," Kurt said.
"Thanks for inviting me to the prom," Blaine said softly. "I think I need to try again."
"Courage?" Kurt suggested. Blaine grinned.
"Courage," he confirmed. He sat up, rubbing his eyes, and motioned to Kurt's outfit, partially hidden under their bodies on the bed.
"You look amazing in this," he said, "and I can't wait to see how jealous everyone is when I get to walk in with you."
Kurt giggled and straightened his shirt, pleased. He sat up and leaned over to kiss Blaine's cheek.
"Salty," he smiled gently, licking his lips.
Blaine shook his head in amusement, and reached out for a real kiss, hoping that he could convince Kurt with the urgency of the kiss how grateful he was to have finally let his secret out.
KURT
"Oh my goodness, look at you two!" Carole cried as she hurried into the room where Kurt and Finn were waiting. She grabbed Finn and hugged him tightly before reaching out for Kurt. She kissed him on the cheek, and Kurt was surprised to see tears in her eyes.
"You both look so handsome," she sighed.
"Oh god, Mom," Finn whined. "Please stop."
Kurt twirled around so that his kilt fanned out. Carole and Finn laughed.
"Mom, I really need to go," Finn said. "Quinn's kinda paranoid about this whole prom thing, so I don't want to be late."
Kurt rolled his eyes. "How is it that you attract such high-maintenance girls?"
Finn shrugged.
Burt laughed, overhearing the conversation as he entered the room. "Don't be mean to your brother, Kurt," he said happily. "Sometimes the ladies just can't resist a down-to-earth man."
Kurt rolled his eyes again.
"Wait, I need a photo of you two together before you go," Carole gushed, the family's camera in her hands. "Okay, there you go, stand just like that." She motioned excitedly for them to stand next to each other.
Kurt smiled happily for the photo. His stomach was churning with nervousness. Blaine had refused to tell him anything about what he was wearing, and Kurt couldn't wait to see him.
"See you there, dude," Finn said. Kurt waved as the other boy left the room to go to Quinn's house.
"Oh! Hey man," he heard Finn's muffled voice a moment later. "I didn't hit you with the door did I? Okay, good. Yeah, they're in there. See you there!"
Kurt bounced on the balls of his feet. He knew it was Blaine. He ignored the look that Carole and Burt exchanged at his expense, and he skipped forward to greet Blaine at the end of the hallway.
"Hi!" Kurt squeaked as he saw Blaine in his black tuxedo. His heart threatened to pound out of his chest.
"Hi, yourself," Blaine teased. He held up a box. "Boutonnière?" he offered.
Kurt snatched the box from his hands and ripped the top off. Two identical boutonnières made of pink carnations were nestled inside. He grabbed one gently out of the box and reached out to pin it on Blaine's jacket.
"No, wait!" Carole cried happily. "I need pictures!"
They posed for multiple photographs as they pinned the flowers on each other's jackets. Both boys smiled widely the entire time. Kurt felt like he was living in a fairy tale.
Carole took multiple photographs of the two boys together, and a few of Kurt and Burt. Finally, she insisted that Burt take one of her and both boys.
"You boys have fun, okay?" She said happily as they made their way to the door.
Blaine stepped out the door first, and Kurt felt a hand on his shoulder. "Have fun tonight, Kurt," his father said, and Kurt smiled wildly. He stepped back into the house to hug Burt for a moment, and then skipped out the door to the car.
BLAINE
"Isn't it great that the prom is so inclusive this year?" Kurt suggested. Blaine nodded absentmindedly, feeling uneasy as people slow danced around them. He wondered if Kurt wanted to dance. He definitely wasn't comfortable enough for that. He hoped that Kurt wouldn't ask.
"There's someone for everyone," he agreed vaguely.
"Even if it's a lie," Kurt added, and Blaine followed his line of sight to see Karofsky dancing with Santana.
Blaine didn't know how to feel about Karofsky. Kurt had told him the day before about Karofsky's tearful apology, but Blaine was still worried. As much as it was Blaine's nature to take people at their word, he didn't want Kurt to get his hopes up only to have Karofsky hurt him again, mentally or physically. He decided to feel cautiously optimistic.
"God," Kurt moaned dramatically, "look at Rachel. Could she be any more obvious? Poor Finn."
Blaine had to laugh. "Hey, what about 'poor Rachel'? Finn isn't particularly stable when it comes to being a good boyfriend."
Kurt rolled his eyes. "You are always sticking up for Rachel."
Blaine smirked at him.
"Having a good time?" Kurt asked shyly.
Blaine nodded. "This is definitely more... classy than the last one."
"Did you seriously just apply the word 'classy' to this school?" Kurt raised an eyebrow.
Blaine shrugged.
"You look so handsome," Blaine said after a moment of comfortable silence. "I think you were right about your outfit."
Kurt's smile lit up his entire face. "You look perfect," he returned the compliment.
Blaine raised an eyebrow. "High praise, indeed."
They both laughed.
"Hey, Blaine," Mr. Schu suddenly appeared beside them, "You're up next if you're ready."
"Sure," Blaine nodded. Kurt raised his hand for a high five, and Blaine obliged before hurrying after the director to warm up before his song.
KURT
You are the girl that I've been dreaming of
Ever since I was a little girl
You are the girl that I've been dreaming of
Ever since I was a little girl
Kurt smiled broadly as he watched Blaine dance and sing. Blaine had not resisted the idea of performing as strongly as Kurt had expected, and Kurt could guess why. Blaine looked so at home on the stage; all of his nervousness was gone and he was just performing.
One!
I'm biting my tongue
Two!
He's kissing on you
Three!
Oh, why can't you see?
One! Two! Three! Four!
The word's on the streets and it's on the news:
I'm not gonna teach him how to dance with you
Kurt felt a swell of pride as he danced along to the upbeat song. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that he would have a date to his junior prom. Much less a date who was actually his boyfriend. He had to resist the urge to grab people nearby and make sure that they knew Blaine was his boyfriend.
He's got two left feet and he bites my moves
I'm not gonna teach him how to dance, dance, dance, dance!
The second I do, I know we're gonna be through
I'm not gonna teach him how to dance with you
He don't suspect a thing, I wish he'd get a clue
I'm not gonna teach him how to dance, dance, dance, dance!
Dance!
Kurt was surprised to notice a disturbance in the middle of the dance floor. He glanced at Blaine, but fortunately the other boy didn't seem to notice.
One!
Two!
Three!
One! Two! Three! Four!
The word's on the streets and it's on the news:
He's got two left feet and he bites my moves
I'm not gonna teach him how to dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, dance!
Dance!
The song ended, and Kurt's eyes widened as he saw that the disturbance involved Finn. He stared as Sue hurried by, dragging Finn and Jesse St. James. He hoped that word wouldn't get back to his father or Carole until later in the evening.
"Hey," Blaine's voice whispered in his ear, and Kurt turned to smile at him. The other boy was slightly out of breath from the song.
"You okay?" Kurt asked vaguely.
"Yeah," Blaine confirmed, furrowing his brow. "Why?"
"No reason," Kurt said. "You were amazing up there," he changed the subject.
Blaine smiled widely. "Thanks!"
Kurt giggled. "I want to kiss you so badly right now," he admitted.
Blaine looked around, a hint of fear in his eyes, and Kurt threw his hands in the air. "I'm not going to, please. I'm not that ridiculous. I just want to."
Blaine laughed nervously, but his smile was genuine. "Maybe later," he winked.
They were interrupted by Principal Figgins, who stepped up to the microphone to announce the results of the prom king and prom queen vote.
"Here we go," Kurt groaned, "There's no chance that this will result in drama. No way at all."
Blaine laughed. "Come on," he grabbed Kurt's sleeve. "Let's get close enough to actually see some of the drama go down."
KURT
"And now, your 2011 McKinley High prom queen, with an overwhelming number of write-in votes, is... Kurt Hummel."
For a moment it sounded like someone else's name, and Kurt felt confused. But suddenly there was a spotlight shining in his face, and he felt the blood rushing out of his head. He stumbled back slightly, hoping that he wouldn't faint. He felt blind and deaf and paralyzed.
All of the joy, all of the excitement, and all of the hope that he had placed on the prom evaporated, and he felt as if he was never going to be okay again.
He didn't even realize that he was running until he was confronted with a door. He pushed it open and continued running.
BLAINE
Blaine wasn't surprised when Kurt turned without a word and ran away. He raced after the taller boy, calling his name. "Kurt, stop!" he could hear his voice clearly in the otherwise silent gymnasium, "Kurt!"
He chased Kurt out the door and into the nearly empty hallway outside the gym.
"I've never been so humiliated!" he heard Kurt cry as they ran. He tried not to think about what had just happened – he needed to be able to hold things together for Kurt.
"Stop! Stop, Kurt, please! Just stop, come on," he begged, and finally Kurt stopped and turned around. Blaine's heart ached as he saw the devastation on Kurt's face.
"Don't you get how stupid we were?" Kurt said, unconsciously grouping himself and Blaine together, "We thought that, because no one was teasing us or beating us up that no one cared. Like some kind of progress had been made. But it's still the same."
Blaine knew how happy Kurt had been since his return to McKinley. Things had been better. Things had seemed better.
"It's just a stupid joke," he said in a desperate attempt to make Kurt feel better.
"No it's not," Kurt snapped. "All that hate. They were just afraid to say it out loud. So they did it by secret ballot. I'm one big anonymous practical joke."
Kurt moved to pace down the hallway, but Blaine stepped in front of him. He knew that Kurt wasn't always open to being touched, especially when he was upset, so Blaine opened his arms slightly, leaving the decision up to Kurt.
Kurt launched himself into the hug, crying hysterically. Blaine squeezed him as tightly as he could, unable to think of anything to say to make things better.
After a moment, Kurt pulled away. Blaine could tell that he was waging internal warfare between his hurt and his anger.
"I'm not going back in there. No way," Kurt said bitterly. He chewed on one of his fingers, and Blaine moved to sit down with his back to a row of lockers. He knew that Kurt was going to need time to make the decision. Kurt paced back and forth in front of Blaine, his face a kaleidoscope of emotion.
"Would you at least sit down?" Blaine offered, hoping to calm the other boy down. Kurt ignored him.
"Do you wanna go?" Blaine suggested, "We don't have to go back in there."
Kurt turned to look at him. "Wasn't this prom supposed to be about redemption? About taking away that lump you had in your throat from running away? If we leave, all it's gonna do is give me a lump too."
Blaine wished that everything had happened the way Kurt had imagined it. "So what do you want to do?" he asked.
Kurt paused for a moment.
"I'm going to go back in there and get coronated," Kurt decided, "I'm gonna show them that it doesn't matter if they are yelling at me or whispering behind my back. They can't touch me."
Kurt's voice grew more determined with every word, and Blaine had never felt so proud of anyone in his entire life.
"They can't touch us," Kurt amended fervently, dropping to his knees next to Blaine, "Or what we have."
Blaine sat up, leaned forward, and kissed Kurt softly on the lips. "You are the best thing that's ever happened to me," Blaine whispered.
He reached into his jacked for a tissue, and Kurt wiped his nose as Blaine stood up. He reached out his hand to help Kurt up.
"Are you ready for this?" he asked.
Kurt grabbed his hand and stood up. He didn't answer.
The hallway was empty, so they held hands on the walk back to the gymnasium door. As Kurt reached out to open it, he turned to look at Blaine.
"Courage," Blaine whispered, and Kurt slid past him into the room.
Blaine stayed where he was and let the door close behind the other boy. As soon as Kurt was out of view, Blaine's knees began to shake and he reached out to lean on the wall for support. He leaned his forehead against the cool wall for a moment and took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves. He felt insane, like this was all a giant hallucination.
After a moment, he stood up and straightened his jacket, knowing that he needed to return to the gymnasium. He had to be there for Kurt for whatever was going to come next. He took one final deep breath, and gently pushed the door open to slip into the large room.
KURT
The silence in the room was rang in Kurt's ears as Principal Figgins placed a crown on his head and handed him a small scepter with a crown on one end.
Kurt hadn't looked behind him to see if Blaine was following him into the gym, so he didn't know where Blaine was in the room, but Blaine's message was loud in his mind. Courage.
"Eat your heart out, Kate Middleton," he quipped into the microphone.
For a moment there was no reaction. But then Kurt saw Rachel jump up and down, and she clapped her hands, which seemed to break the tension. The audience applauded, and Kurt heard a few of his friends cheering and whistling their enthusiasm.
"And now," Principal Figgins said to the room, "behold the tradition of our 2011 prom king and queen sharing their first dance."
Karofsky walked over, and he and Kurt descended the stage's stairs side-by-side.
"Now's your moment," Kurt said calmly.
"What?" Karofsky asked, sounding panicked.
"Come out. Make a difference," Kurt suggested. He couldn't just allow this moment to pass without at least trying to redeem his junior prom experience.
"I can't," Karfosky gasped. To his surprise, Kurt felt nothing but pity for the larger boy. Kurt remembered what it felt like; the desperation to stay in the closet and avoid judgment. He remembered when he had finally told Mercedes about his sexuality and how resistant he had been to telling anyone else.
Karofsky rushed away. Kurt could feel all of the eyes in the room looking at him, standing alone in the open space the crowd had created for the dance. He felt isolated and humiliated. He didn't know what to do, so he just stood where he was and hoped that the floor would swallow him.
"Excuse me?" Blaine's voice suddenly broke through the panic in his mind, and Kurt felt a flood of relief as he turned to see the dark-haired boy standing in the little clearing with him. Blaine looked at him for a moment, and Kurt felt a surge of delight at the affection in Blaine's eyes. "May I have this dance?" Blaine asked formally, extending a hand.
Kurt wanted to jump up and down with joy. "Yes," he gasped happily, "Yes, you may."
He took Blaine's hand, and the other boy surprised him by pulling him close until there was no space between them. Blaine interlaced his fingers with Kurt's, trapping the small scepter in between their palms.
Neither boy spoke as they started to dance. Kurt was very aware of the people watching, but he turned his attention to Blaine as the other boy increased the tempo of their dance. He was smiling; trying to cheer Kurt up.
Kurt was grateful as he saw Rachel make the decision to join the dance. It took some of the attention off of the two boys as others joined in, dancing to the upbeat song.
Blaine winked at him and twisted Kurt's arm gently to force him to spin around. Kurt laughed as he twirled out of Blaine's embrace. He grasped at his crown to keep it from falling off.
"You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life," Blaine sang along playfully as they danced. Kurt twirled the scepter, no longer caring if anyone was watching them. This was everything he had wanted this night to be. He laughed at Blaine's happy expression as a bunch of colorful balloons fell from the ceiling.
Blaine grabbed him around the waist again and pulled him in to dance properly, and Kurt couldn't resist. He leaned in and pecked a kiss on Blaine's lips. Blaine surprised him by just laughing and snatching the crown off of Kurt's head to put it on his own. Kurt pretended to glare at him, and Blaine quickly returned the headpiece.
The song ended, and Blaine grabbed his hand. "Come on," he said. He pulled Kurt over to get their photograph taken.
BLAINE
When they were done smiling for the camera, Blaine was surprised when someone tapped him on the back. He turned to find Mercedes smiling vibrantly at him.
"I'm borrowing him," Mercedes declared, pointing at Kurt. Sam was beginning a rendition of Justin Bieber's Baby on the stage, and Blaine released Kurt into Mercedes' arms.
Blaine watched the duo rush away to the dance floor, chattering excitedly, and he smiled. He noticed Quinn having her photo taken by herself, and he smiled. He wondered if Kurt would be jealous, and he laughed at the thought.
"Hey, Quinn!" he said cheerfully as she walked away from the photo area. He held out his hand. "Want to dance?"
She narrowed her eyes at him for a moment, and he tried to look as innocent as possible. After a moment, Quinn decided that it was okay and Blaine took her out to the dance floor to join Kurt and Mercedes.
Blaine felt only marginally guilty when, by the end of the song, he was dancing with Kurt again.
So, what does everyone think? Good? Bad? Ugly?
I LOVE THIS EPISODE. I mean, I don't even think I can properly describe the amount of flailing that I did when I watched it for the first time and Blaine came up to ask Kurt to dance. It was fangirling of the most epic proportions. It's the throwback to their first meeting with the "excuse me?". I can't even.
Also, I love how Blaine joins in to perform at the prom. Everyone in the audience must have been like WHO IS THAT GUY? I like to think that he is just such a sucker for performing that he couldn't resist after Kurt bugged him about it a little bit. ;)
Blaine's so nice... I think if he noticed Quinn all alone and Kurt was busy, of course he would do the sweet thing and ask her to dance! And she would be like "do I even know you, really?"... but Blaine's charm won her over.
I hope my explanation of Blaine's Sadie Hawkins dance experience was okay! I don't even know where that talk with Burt came from... my original plan was for Blaine to just jump up and run after Kurt, but my brain was like NO, BURT WANTS TO TALK TO HIM. :) And I figure that gave Kurt a moment to calm down a little.
Up next... 'Funeral'!