Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you for being so patient with my gaps between posts lately. I've been operating under the assumption that something quality will be more enjoyable than a quick turnaround, so I hope you feel that this is worth the wait!
I love how New Directions is always so horribly prepared for competitions. I mean, this was better than last year when they got to New York with nothing planned, but still. They're working on the choreography the night before. Tina and Quinn have an excuse, at least, because they were recruited that day to join the Troubletones (why didn't that just happen as soon as Mercedes, Santana, and Brittany came back to New Directions? Maybe I shouldn't think too hard here.), but the whole argument between the boys is just silly.
Also silly? Mr. Schu being teacher of the year. TEACHER OF THE YEAR. The man literally had to quit his job as a Spanish teacher because he was SO terrible at it (and move to teaching history). Oh, GLEE.
But anyway, this is about Klaine! So here we go...
(I do not own Glee or any of the characters, dialogue, or songs from the show. It's all just for fun!)
BLAINE
The first morning they were in Chicago, Blaine was awakened by someone shaking him gently by the shoulder. He attempted to roll over and go back to sleep, but whoever was shaking him didn't stop.
Blaine tried to ask what time it was, but his brain wouldn't connect properly with his mouth in his half-asleep state. And the gentle shaking continued.
Blaine groaned in protest and was pleased when the shaking finally stopped. He took a deep breath and prepared to fall back asleep.
"Are you sure you don't want to wake up?"
Kurt.
The sound of the other boy's voice woke Blaine up enough that he knew he wasn't going to be able to drift back to sleep. He rubbed his face with his hands for a moment before rolling over to see what was going on.
Kurt was completely dressed and was crouched beside the bed so that his face was right in front of Blaine's.
"Hi," Kurt smiled at him.
"Hi," Blaine said quietly. His heart fluttered in his chest as he looked at Kurt. One day they would get to wake up next to each other every day.
"Get dressed," Kurt's smile grew even wider. "We're going out."
"Mmmm," Blaine replied noncommittally. He was so comfortable. But they were in Chicago. And Mr. Schu had made it clear that this morning was the only time they had for sightseeing. The competition started the following morning, so they needed to rehearse all afternoon.
Kurt leaned forward and kissed Blaine gently on the lips.
"Hurry up," he teased.
Kurt left the room – he was staying with the girls – and Blaine climbed out of bed. It was a struggle finding his suitcase and digging out an outfit without waking up everyone else in the room or turning on a light, but he managed to make it to the bathroom without causing a major scene. He felt much more awake once he washed his face and started to style his hair, and he was ready to go faster than he had anticipated.
He met Kurt, Rachel, and Finn in the hotel's lobby. They ate in the hotel's small breakfast area, and by the time Blaine finished his coffee he felt ready to conquer the city.
"Why so early?" he teased Kurt as they set out from the hotel.
"It's a tradition," Kurt replied vaguely.
"Oh, I see," Blaine replied, reaching out to grab Kurt's hand as they walked. "Are we planning on breaking and entering this year? The aquarium gets my vote."
Kurt rolled his eyes, but they all laughed.
They spent the morning seeing as many of Chicago's sights as they could. Millennium Park, where they took tons of photos of their distorted reflections in the Cloud Gate. The observation deck at the top of Willis Tower. A ride on the Ferris wheel on Navy Pier.
KURT
As they strolled back toward their hotel, various forms of junk food in their hands, Kurt's phone vibrated. He pulled it out of his pocket to find a text message from Quinn.
Mercedes has food poisoning. Emergency meeting in the hotel's ballroom in thirty minutes.
Kurt sighed and handed the phone to Blaine.
"Mercedes has food poisoning?" Blaine read the message.
"Food poisoning?!" Rachel cried, snatching the phone from Blaine. "Oh, no. Oh, no, no..."
Rachel was still fretting about what losing Mercedes might mean for their chances at the competition when they arrived back at the hotel, but Kurt tried to ignore her. They still had a strong group. And Rachel was singing the only true solo of the competition, so she was really the only irreplaceable one this time.
When they reached the hotel, things were tense. But the rehearsal – with its main goal of working Quinn and Tina into the Troubletones number while the boys made sure they knew the choreography for the group number at the end – went okay for a few hours. Until Puck got bored and moved off to a table to do something on his phone.
"Hey, man, what're you doing?" Sam asked as Puck dropped into a chair.
"Studying," Puck replied, waving his phone in the air. "I saved a list of facts into my phone before we left."
"You can't study right now," Sam accused.
Puck ignored him and continued reading.
"Hey," Sam shoved Puck's table. "Come on, let's go."
"I know the dance," Puck explained.
Kurt climbed onto a table on the other side of the room and pulled out his phone. He wasn't interested in being caught in any verbal or physical crossfire.
"I cannot believe we're still learning the choreography the day before the national championship," Blaine whined as he moved to stand by Kurt.
"Shut up!" Sam snapped, turning and pointing an angry finger at Blaine. Blaine rolled his eyes, and Kurt focused intently on his phone to keep from laughing.
"You're just jealous because it takes you so long to learn the steps," Puck said casually.
Sam lunged at him, and suddenly everyone was shouting and shoving each other and it was rapidly getting out of hand. Blaine seemed torn between staying near Kurt and helping to break things up. Kurt stayed on the table, not interested in injuring his body or his dignity the day before Nationals.
Mr. Schu rushed into the room just in time to stop things from turning into an all-out brawl.
"He's studying for geography while we're trying to rehearse!" Sam shouted as he was pulled away from Puck. "It's bogus!"
"'Cause I already know the dance!" Puck retorted. "You dance like you've got your feet caught in bear traps and you're trying to –"
Sam tried to lunge at him again, but he was restrained by the others.
"Mr. Schu," Kurt interrupted, looking up from his phone, "are you aware that, while we're arguing about jazz squares, Unique is being handed a key to the city by Rahm Emanuel?"
"Really?" Mr. Schu asked, surprised.
Kurt didn't want to elaborate. He was happy for Unique, but he was annoyed that it was yet another thing for them to worry about.
"And plus," Brittany said from across the room near a window, "my pillow and my blanket fell in the pool. Disaster!"
Everyone ignored her.
"Look," Artie said, rolling over with an open tin of popcorn in his lap, "I think everybody is just a little tired. We've been rehearsing for three straight hours."
"Yeah," Finn said forcefully, "and we'll rehearse all night if we have to. We can rest after we've won!"
"Just because we lost Mercedes doesn't mean we can be anything less than perfect," Rachel added.
The room erupted in arguments again, and for a moment it was difficult to hear any single voice.
"Hey! You know what?" Santana clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention. "You know what? Hey! I don't want to hear any of this 'we can't do it without her' because guess what? We don't have a choice. So, be warned. If you are not giving this everything you've got, I will go all Lima Heights on your sorry asses."
"Listen to yourselves," Mr. Schu scolded.
"I know, I'm sorry!" Santana said. "I always go to the yelling place. I have rage."
"No," Mr. Schu clarified. "It's a good thing. A great thing. There is so much passion in this room. Even all your arguing. It's about the work. You guys really want this."
Kurt wasn't sure that everyone shouting at each other because they were all exhausted and stressed was a great thing, but there was nothing he wanted to do less than argue. So he just hoped that New Directions could get it together and make it to the competition without killing each other.
"Okay, so let's take a half-hour break," Mr. Schu suggested, "and we'll run it from the top."
Kurt glared at their teacher as some of the others protested. They didn't have time for breaks. Quinn and Tina had never done this routine before. And it wouldn't hurt for the guys to get as much practice in as possible.
"Mr. Schu, can we just keep going?" Tina asked. "We got through the first slot, which is like the death slot. We have to be amazing."
"Yeah," Quinn agreed. "Edge of Glory's a bitch. I said I'll be dancing by Nationals and I'll be damned if I don't."
"Okay," Mr. Schu agreed, "then let's keep going! Mike, help the guys out with the choreography. Artie, help Puck with his geography. Ladies, Edge of Glory. Come on!"
BLAINE
The rest of the rehearsal was more upbeat. Eventually, they were all so tired that everything became hilarious, and that helped the overall mood. By the time they were finished, they were all in spectacularly good moods.
They all sat around in the boys' room and ate pizza for dinner, and Blaine settled his head down on Kurt's shoulder – they had managed to secure seats on one of the beds against the headboard – and mostly watched and listened as his friends chatted and laughed and ate. He was sleepy and content and feeling remarkably calm despite the fact that they were competing at Nationals the next day.
Mr. Schu, Ms. Pillsbury, and Coach Bieste retired to their respective rooms before the students were ready to go to bed, so they all just stayed in the boys' room and continued to talk.
"You know," Finn said, "I just really want to win tomorrow for Mr. Schu. I mean, this is his life's work. Teaching. Pushing us to be our best. We need to rise to the occasion and win this thing."
There was a chorus of "yeah"s.
"I definitely want to win for Mr. Schu," Santana said, "but I want to win for me too. I mean, sure, I've been a part of a national championship team before with the Cheerios, but this is... you know... better."
"I want to win for my dad," Kurt added. "He's tried so hard to understand what this whole 'glee' thing means to me, and it would be nice to bring home a national championship." Kurt pitched his voice down to imitate his father's voice. "It's like the Super Bowl of show choir."
Everyone roared with laughter at Kurt's low voice, and Blaine could feel Kurt's shoulder shaking with laughter too. He sat up, reaching out to grab one of Kurt's hands. Sometimes he wondered if he would ever stop feeling like the luckiest person on the planet every time he got to hold Kurt's hand. He hoped not.
"I want to win for my dad, too," Mike said. "And for my mom. It's hard for them to see their son pursuing a career in performing arts, but to be recognized at the national level would give them something to be proud of."
"I like to think that, by winning, I would be honoring this gift that God gave me," Joe said thoughtfully.
"I want to win for my future," Rachel said seriously. Blaine smiled at her, hoping with all his might that Carmen Tibideaux would come to the competition.
"Is it shallow to want to win for bragging rights?" Rory asked. Everyone laughed again.
Blaine suddenly noticed Rachel. She was looking at him – no, at Kurt – with something in her eyes that he couldn't quite place. Blaine turned to look at Kurt, who was looking back at Rachel with the same nostalgic expression, and Blaine knew that they were probably thinking of things from before he had known either of them. Before Kurt had come to Dalton and changed Blaine's life forever.
"Can I –?" Blaine interrupted, and all eyes turned in his direction.
"I just want to say thank you," Blaine said to the group. "For embracing me."
He locked eyes with Finn.
"I know it was... difficult, at first," Blaine allowed, happy to see amusement in Finn's eyes. "But, over the past eight months, I've really found a family here."
There was a chorus of "awwwww"s from the group, and Kurt squeezed his hand. Blaine turned to smile at him before turning his attention back to the group.
"Being in the Warblers is all about being a team player," Blaine continued. "But... in some ways, being in New Directions has taught me more about being on a team than anything else ever could. Because everyone here is so unique. But we put aside our differences – embrace them, even – because we all want the same thing."
"National champions!" Artie cheered, and the room buzzed with excitement for a moment.
Blaine nodded. "So..." he paused, losing track of what he wanted to say.
"We're glad you're here," Kurt said quietly.
"Shut it, Hummel," Santana replied. "Of course you feel that way."
She turned her attention to Blaine.
"We're glad you're here," she repeated, winking at him.
Blaine felt so warm and content that he couldn't reply. He just nodded, hoping that his gratitude was showing on his face.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kurt leaning in to kiss his cheek, and he quickly turned his head so that Kurt's lips landed on his. Kurt, surprised, blushed and quickly pulled away, but the happiness in the other boy's eyes was enough for Blaine.
"Okay," Rachel said, taking advantage of the momentary lag in conversation, "I would love to stay up all night talking, but we all need to sleep."
Nobody argued. No amount of conversation tonight was worth being exhausted tomorrow.
Kurt kissed Blaine again – this time on purpose – and hopped off the bed.
"Goodnight," he waved happily. Blaine waved back at him, and Kurt linked arms with Rachel as they hurried out of the room together.
KURT
The next morning, everything was chaos.
They scrambled to get up and get ready to go to the performance hall where Nationals was being held. Brittany couldn't find one of her shoes. Quinn wasn't sure if her back would hold up. Finn narrowly avoided spilling an entire pot of coffee all over Rachel and Kurt at breakfast.
But they made it.
Kurt and Blaine sat at the end of one of the rows of vanities and chatted as they made sure their hair was perfect and that their stage makeup looked okay.
"I've never done anything like this before," Blaine said excitedly.
Sometimes Kurt forgot that Blaine hadn't always been in New Directions. It was difficult to remember that Blaine had only been with them for one school year. Before that he had been a Warbler. And before that, Kurt hadn't even known that Blaine existed.
"This is our last competition together," Kurt said, pausing to look at Blaine.
Blaine reached out and grasped Kurt's hand for a moment before releasing it so he could continue finishing his stage makeup.
"We're gonna win," Blaine said confidently.
"I know," Kurt agreed, knowing that they were both half confident and half trying to convince themselves. Could they really be the best show choir in the entire country?
Blaine finished his makeup and twisted in his chair so he was facing Kurt as Kurt continued to fix his hair.
"You look great," Blaine reassured him.
"Tina did an amazing job on our costumes," Kurt agreed. "Using the colors from our first competition as New Directions was a nice touch."
Kurt sprayed one more round of hairspray over his hair before forcing himself to stop. He turned in his chair so that both he and Blaine were sitting sideways in their respective chairs, facing each other.
"What would've happened if we had never met?" Kurt wondered. He wasn't sure where his mind was going with this train of thought, but he couldn't keep himself from saying the words.
Blaine dramatically grasped at his chest and they both laughed.
"It's hard to remember what life was like before you, Kurt," Blaine admitted.
"Me too," Kurt agreed.
Kurt reached out and grabbed Blaine's tie to pull him in for a gentle kiss. Blaine sighed happily and scooted his chair closer to kiss Kurt back.
Blaine surprised Kurt by reaching out and wrapping one arm around Kurt's lower back to force him to scoot forward even more. Blaine kissed him fiercely, so their faces were pressed together and Kurt could hardly breathe or think. Was there anything in the world other than Blaine? Kurt couldn't remember.
Kurt was the one who had to pull away first. Or risk fainting from happiness and lack of oxygen. Blaine didn't protest as he sat back, but he looked particularly smug. Kurt kicked his shin.
"Well, damn," Artie commented.
The next few minutes passed in a blur. Kurt returned to fixing his hair, even though he had decided that it was appropriately styled. He needed something to help him re-focus. Blaine was engrossed in his phone, and Kurt guessed that he was probably texting with his brother. Cooper was beside himself about his little brother making it all the way to Nationals, and he had been texting Blaine all day long. The texts were a mixture of good luck messages and things to remember to make the most of the performance, and Kurt wished that Cooper had been able to come to Chicago to watch them perform.
The various conversations happening around the room were interrupted by the door opening.
"Alright, gather 'round, everyone!" Mr. Schu called as he entered the room. "I just want to say a few words before we go out there."
"Hold on, Mr. Schu," Finn interrupted as everyone hurried to gather around. "Hold on. You've given us a lot of pep talks over the years, but I remember you told us once that you know a teacher's job is done when his students don't need him anymore."
"Okay," Mr. Schu allowed. "Finn, the floor is yours."
"Last night, we all sat around in a circle after you went to bed and we – we told stories, but – then we went around the room and everybody said what they wanted to win this thing for," Finn told their teacher. "And we all said the same thing. We want to win this for you."
"Yeah," Sugar reiterated.
"And I know every year at school, Figgins gives away the 'teacher of the year' award," Finn continued. "But I don't think any of us have to wait to see how we feel about that. You're like... our teacher of a lifetime."
Kurt felt a wave of nostalgia. Mr. Schu's teaching methods were sometimes not what Kurt hoped they would be, but he was their leader. The person who had brought them all together into New Directions. And he had worked hard to help them get to this point.
"Thank you, Finn," Mr. Schu said. "All of you. I love you guys so much."
As he started to bring them in for a show circle, Mercedes suddenly appeared in the doorway. Kurt was happy to see her. It hadn't felt right imagining their final performance without her.
With Mercedes back in the mix, it was time to go.
BLAINE
The first number was the Troubletones singing Edge of Glory, so Blaine and Kurt stood offstage with the other boys (and Rachel) to watch their friends.
As the girls got ready to start the competition, Blaine glanced at Kurt.
"This moment," he gestured around them at everyone hurrying around, preparing for the start of the competition, "always reminds me of our first Regionals together."
Kurt smiled and nodded, and Blaine's stomach swooped at the memory. They had been a couple for less than a week at that point. And everything had been so new and exciting and nerve-racking.
"I'm excited for our little duet," Kurt bounced a little on the balls of his feet.
Blaine stepped closer and wrapped an arm around Kurt's waist. They had both been surprised when Kurt had quipped to Mr. Schu that he deserved to be able to dance with his boyfriend when everyone else got to dance with their significant other and Mr. Schu had agreed. So, they were dance partners for much of the final song of the competition. Blaine couldn't wait.
Rachel and Finn walked by near them, and Blaine waved with his free hand.
There were tears in Rachel's eyes.
"Oh, no," Kurt scolded, pulling gently out of Blaine's grasp to step closer to his friend. "None of that."
"She's not here," Rachel said, her voice wobbling with emotion.
"She's not here yet," Kurt corrected.
Rachel didn't answer.
Blaine glanced at Finn, and the other boy shrugged. There was nothing they could do. If Carmen Tibideaux didn't want to come and give Rachel a second chance to demonstrate her talent, she didn't have to come. Blaine prayed that she was just running late, because he wasn't sure how Rachel would handle a rejection letter from NYADA if she knew that she could have given it her all and made it.
The music started on the stage, and Kurt gave Rachel a stern look.
"Okay," she agreed.
Kurt and Rachel shared a long hug, and then it was time to watch their friends start the competition.
KURT
The girls were amazing.
As they finished Edge of Glory, Kurt started feeling strangely calm. They could do this. They were good enough.
Rachel was trying not to panic.
"She didn't come," Rachel said.
"Stop it," Finn scolded. "Look at me."
Rachel turned to look at Finn, and Kurt hoped that Finn was going to say the right thing. Rachel needed to go out onto that stage and kill her song. For all of them. And for herself.
"This is your moment," Finn said, leaning down a little to get closer to Rachel's face. "Okay? Three years in the making. Forget about everything else. Take it."
Rachel nodded and turned back around to face the stage, and Kurt wanted to jump up and down with pride in his step-brother.
It was time for Rachel's solo, but Blaine would be out on the stage with her. He was one of the three guys Mr. Schu had picked to sing backup during the song.
"Break a leg," Kurt said, patting Blaine's back encouragingly as Blaine turned to follow Rory onto the stage.
Once Blaine was gone, Kurt turned back to Finn, only to find that the other boy had disappeared. Kurt rolled his eyes and decided to stay where he was. He could see Blaine and Rachel, and that was the important part. Maybe Finn wanted to be alone so he could focus all of his attention on Rachel.
The music started, and Kurt felt a surge of adrenaline. He stood very still, not wanting to distract his friend, but on the inside he was screaming.
"There were nights when the wind was so cold that my body froze in bed if I just listened to it right outside the window."
Rachel's voice was strong and confident. Kurt could barely breathe. She was going to do it. And they were going to win.
As Rachel sang, Kurt noticed some movement in the audience.
It was Carmen Tibideaux.
Kurt had to clasp his hands over his mouth to keep from squealing with joy. He could tell that Rachel had seen the NYADA dean, too, because suddenly Rachel was more confident than ever. She sang the rest of the song like the Rachel Berry who Kurt loved so much. Kurt was surprised to feel tears in his eyes as she sang out the final note and the audience roared its approval. How could NYADA say no to her after that?
Rachel hurried off the stage into Finn's arms, and it was time for their group number. Congratulations could wait until they were done with the competition.
Kurt rushed to his starting position for the song, and he took a moment to remind himself that he was about to compete at Nationals. Nationals.
The song began, and everyone was energized and focused. Kurt thought they had never sounded better.
As Blaine hurried over in the moment before they had to return to the stage for their duet, Kurt held up his hand for a high five before he led the way onto the stage.
"And we're glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife. Glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife."
They danced and sang and by the end Kurt felt like he was living in an alternate reality where he got everything he ever wanted.
As soon as the curtain hit the stage and they were out of sight, Kurt turned and threw himself into Blaine's arms. But he didn't stay there for long, because suddenly Rachel was dragging him out of Blaine's arms and into hers.
"She came!" Rachel cried into his shoulder. "She came, Kurt!"
Kurt squeezed her as tightly as he could and let a few of his own tears fall. They had both done it. They had both impressed Carmen Tibideaux. Everything was perfect.
Rachel pulled out of the hug, smiling brilliantly, and Kurt leaned down to kiss her on the cheek.
"Thank you, Kurt," Rachel said warmly. "Thank you so much for believing in me."
"As much as it sometimes pains me to say it," Kurt teased, "you're the best, Rachel Berry. NYADA's gonna come a-callin' soon enough."
"And you, too!" Rachel said happily, jabbing a finger into his chest. She squealed with excitement and twirled around to rush off and find Finn.
BLAINE
Blaine watched Rachel hurry away from Kurt, and he smiled at her enthusiasm. He was so happy that she had finally gotten the chance to show Carmen Tibideaux that she was so exceptional. And if Blaine had to say goodbye to Kurt for him to go to New York, he was glad that Kurt wouldn't be going alone. Having Rachel there too would make the transition much easier for Kurt.
He hugged Tina and fist-bumped Mike as they exited the stage, and then he walked over to where Kurt was standing.
Kurt reached out for him when he was still a few steps away, and Blaine hurried to step into Kurt's embrace. It felt so good there, wrapped in Kurt's arms, that Blaine closed his eyes and tried to memorize the sensation.
"This wouldn't be as amazing without you," Kurt said quietly, also in no hurry to let go of Blaine.
"My life wouldn't be as amazing without you," Blaine replied. He sometimes tried to imagine what his life would be like if he had never met Kurt. The only thing he could guess with a reasonable amount of certainty was that he would've stayed at Dalton. The rest was, happily, a mystery. The life he was living now was very different than the life he had lived prior to meeting Kurt, but it was better. So much better.
"Hey, uh, sorry to interrupt," Mercedes' suddenly appeared beside them, "but Kurt...?"
Kurt squeezed Blaine one final time before releasing him.
"Yeah," he remembered. He looked at Blaine. "We're gonna go wish Unique luck. Wanna come?"
Blaine shook his head no. "You go," he said. "I need to congratulate Rachel, anyway."
Kurt nodded, and Blaine smiled as Kurt offered Mercedes his arm so they could go and find Vocal Adrenaline. Once they were out of sight, Blaine went to find Rachel and Finn.
Rachel cried as he hugged her ("she's overwhelmed," Finn mouthed at him, and Blaine had to try not to laugh), and then she gushed about how amazing Blaine and Kurt had been during Paradise By The Dashboard Light.
"Thanks, Rachel," Blaine smiled.
"Yeah, dude," Finn held out a hand for a fist bump, "awesome job. We've got this in the bag."
"Finn!" Rachel scolded.
"Oh," Finn realized. "I mean... I hope we've got this in the bag."
Blaine nodded. "I like our chances," he agreed.
They heard the five-minute warning for Vocal Adrenaline's performance, which meant it was time for them to go take their seats in the audience. Kurt and Mercedes joined them soon after, and they settled in to watch Vocal Adrenaline.
KURT
At the awards ceremony, Kurt wasn't sure how to feel. He knew that they had performed their very best. But Vocal Adrenaline had been brilliant as well.
"The 2012 national show choir champions..."
Kurt held his breath and was hyper aware of everything around him. He glanced at his friends and tried to focus on the way Blaine's hand was clutching his. He was worried he might not hear the announcement properly because his brain was in such a high state of stress.
"... from McKinley High in Lima, Ohio – The New Directions!"
The room erupted in applause, and Kurt felt like he has having an out-of-body experience.
They had done it. They had showed the entire country that they were the best.
Kurt turned to Blaine, and he saw his excitement mirrored in the other boy's face. They didn't say anything at first – it was so loud, and Kurt didn't know what to say – instead, they jumped up and down together and grabbed their friends and laughed and cried and cheered.
After the first few moments of craziness, Kurt threw his arms around Blaine's neck. As Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist and continued to bounce up and down during the hug, Kurt thought that this might be the happiest he had ever been.
He had everything he had ever dreamed of. He had a loving family. He had dear friends. He had a boyfriend who he loved with every fiber of his being and who loved him just as much in return. He was about to graduate from high school. He was headed to New York City in the fall.
And they had finally won at Nationals.
Kurt laughed as he and Blaine stepped back from the hug and Blaine just kept on bouncing up and down.
"We did it!" Blaine said over and over. "We did it! We did it..." he grabbed Kurt's shoulders. "Kurt! We did it!"
Kurt was so giddy that the next few minutes felt simultaneously like they passed in a flash and as if they lasted forever. When they were finally ushered off the stage, Kurt felt like he could take on the entire world. He was part of the best show choir in the entire country. They were champions.
The group went back to their hotel and changed back into their normal clothes, had one final round of deep-dish pizza from a place near their hotel, and then they had to pile back onto the bus for the drive home.
This time, Kurt and Blaine didn't bother sitting in their own seats. They went straight to the seat they had occupied on the trip to Chicago and curled up together to cuddle and chat and sleep a little bit.
"I miss Pavarotti," Kurt said quietly as he rested his head on Blaine's shoulder and felt himself losing his battle to stay awake. The little bird had died right before Regionals the year before, and Kurt generally thought about him any time they had a competition.
Blaine's shoulder bobbed slightly as Blaine laughed, and Kurt smiled. He wanted to say something else, but his brain was too busy shutting down to allow him to speak again. Instead, he stared down at his hand – tangled up in one of Blaine's hands – in his lap until his eyes refused to stay open any longer and he fell asleep.
KURT
They arrived back in Lima late Sunday night, but none of them had any trouble waking up early on Monday morning for school. Everyone was so excited to get to school and put their trophy in its case and see what their fellow students would, or wouldn't, do when they heard the news.
The students of New Directions gathered near Mr. Schu's parking spot to wait for their teacher to arrive. He had taken the trophy home with him the night before because the school had been locked up for the night when they returned. And they all wanted to carry it into the choir room together.
The parking lot was nearly full by the time Mr. Schu arrived, and as the group approached the school's main entrance Kurt felt simultaneously nervous and excited.
If they were ever going to receive positive reactions from their peers, this was it. They had just won a national championship and a bunch of money and attention for their school.
They gave Artie the trophy to carry it into the school, and Kurt pushed open one of the doors. Blaine was right behind him.
There were a bunch of students standing in the hallway. But not in a normal pre-school day manner. They were all lined up against the walls.
And there were "congratulations" banners. For them. Congratulations New Directions!
For a moment everyone was silent. But then two hockey players approached, each holding a slushie cup.
Kurt realized that some things would never change. Some of the students were happy for them, but there would always be a few trying to push them down. Kurt braced himself for the cold.
But the cups were full of confetti instead of slushie.
It took a moment for Kurt's brain to register that there were red and white bits of paper floating around him rather than red dye and ice. He stuck his hands out and watched in shock as some of the confetti landed on his palms.
This was a school wide celebration.
As they walked toward the choir room, all of the students lining the hallways threw confetti. Kurt smiled and waved at some of them, still in shock but enjoying all of the attention. He also kept turning around to look at Blaine, who looked just as confused and pleasantly surprised as Kurt felt.
Suddenly, a hockey player stepped out of the line of students along the wall, grabbed Kurt by his shoulders, and shook him happily before hugging him. Kurt didn't know what to do. No jock had ever laid a hand on him with nice intentions before. As the boy released Kurt and walked away, Kurt turned around to look at Blaine.
Someone accidentally knocked Blaine's hat off as Kurt turned toward him, and Blaine quickly grabbed it up off the floor and moved to stand against the wall. Kurt followed him.
"Wow," Blaine said breathlessly.
"Yeah," Kurt agreed, twisting around to look at the group in the middle of the hallway.
He felt Blaine's hand on his arm, and he turned to face the other boy.
"Remember the night your dad was on TV?" Blaine reminded him of the night when Burt had gone on the local news to lay out his platform for his campaign for Congress.
Kurt felt a sudden rush of heat in his face.
"You told me you were going to kiss me in public when we won Nationals," Kurt remembered shyly.
Blaine's eyes asked the question. Could he kiss Kurt here, in the middle of the crowded hallway where everyone was looking at them?
Kurt decided that if Blaine had the courage to do it, he would find the courage, too.
He nodded.
To Kurt's surprise, Blaine put his hat back on and reached out to pull Kurt closer so he could wrap Kurt in his arms and dip him for a warm, sweet kiss.
But that was nothing compared to the surprise Kurt felt as the people nearest to them in the hallway cheered. And someone dumped an entire cup of confetti over their heads as they kissed.
"Congratulations," Blaine breathed against Kurt's lips before kissing him for a second time. Kurt wanted to squirm with happiness, but he didn't want Blaine to drop him so he settled for kissing Blaine back until Blaine finally stood Kurt back up and took a small step back.
Kurt was happy to see that Blaine's face was flushed, too. They had never kissed in such a crowded place before. And the reaction had been positive! Kurt hoped he hadn't dreamed this part of the experience. It certainly felt like a dream with all the confetti falling around them.
"I love you," Kurt said, reaching out to straighten Blaine's hat.
"I love you," Blaine echoed.
Kurt couldn't resist closing the gap between them for another, slightly more chaste kiss before he felt someone grabbing his arm from behind.
"Come on!" Mercedes said. "We're celebrating!"
"Can't we celebrate out here?" Kurt whined.
Blaine laughed and linked his arm through Kurt's for the walk to the choir room.
When they arrived, everyone was spraying each other with bottles of sparkling cider. Kurt came to an abrupt halt in the doorway.
"No," he announced.
For some reason, Blaine found Kurt's hesitation hilarious, and he started to laugh. Kurt, pretending to be hurt, shoved Blaine into the room.
"Fine, you let them ruin your clothes," Kurt pouted. "But stay away from me."
Blaine seemed to consider whether or not he wanted to allow his friends to spray him, but as Blaine watched Mike soaking Tina with the drink he decided against it and returned to stand near Kurt by the door.
"That's what I thought," Kurt couldn't resist teasing him. Blaine wobbled his head and rolled his eyes, but Kurt saw his smile before he could hide it.
"Okay, guys, okay!" Mr. Schu said, trying to calm everyone down a little as he came into the room. "That's enough... okay..."
The group slowly wound down, and a few minutes later Kurt felt like it was safe to enter the room. Someone found some towels for the people who were covered in cider, and they all moved over to the trophy case.
As Finn put the huge trophy into the case, everyone watched silently. Kurt felt an intense amount of nostalgia. He thought about the very first day they had become New Directions in this room. They had come so far since then. And not just in terms of their talent as a group. They had grown into real friends. And it was that friendship that made the win extra sweet.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and the group turned to see Becky Jackson standing in the doorway.
"Figgins wants to see you two," she announced, pointing at Finn and Rachel.
"Us?" Finn asked.
"Are you deaf?" Becky replied before turning and walking away.
Finn and Rachel looked at each other and made a silent decision to go see the principal. As they left the room, the silence transitioned into everyone talking at once.
Kurt noticed Blaine's hat sitting on the piano, and he hurried over to grab it before walking over and placing it gently on Blaine's head.
"Thanks," Blaine laughed.
"You're welcome," Kurt said primly.
They were interrupted by the warning bell, which signified that they needed to get to their first classes of the day.
"Ugh," Kurt whined as he and Blaine walked out into the hallway and toward the staircase where they had to split up to go to their respective classes.
"See you at lunch!" Blaine said happily, kissing Kurt on the cheek before turning and bounding up the stairs.
BLAINE
"Okay," Rachel said to the group at lunchtime, lowering her voice and leaning in toward the center of their table, "we have been recruited for a secret mission."
She started to explain something about singing for an assembly the next day, but Blaine was having a significantly difficult time concentrating. Kurt kept nudging his foot under the table, trying to tangle their legs together, and Blaine was struggling to keep still.
He tried to exude casualness as he turned his head to look at Kurt in the seat beside him, only to discover that Kurt was the perfect image of tranquility. He had a calm, interested look on his face as he listened, or maybe pretended to listen, to Rachel's words. But, as Blaine looked at him, Kurt made another attempt to wrap his leg around Blaine's, and Blaine could see a twinkle in Kurt's eyes.
Blaine pretended to turn his attention to Rachel, but he clandestinely reached out and grasped Kurt's thigh.
It had the desired effect. Kurt's façade cracked, and Blaine saw Kurt lick his lips out of the corner of his eye.
"... at my house at 7pm!" Blaine vaguely heard the end of Rachel's plan. What was happening at 7pm?
The bell rang signaling the end of lunch, and Blaine wasn't sure how he was going to make it through the end of the day without seeing Kurt again. He felt like they had just started dating. Kurt was all he could think about.
"See you after school," Kurt grinned at him as he grabbed his tray and disappeared.
The next few hours were as long and unpleasant as Blaine expected. When the final bell of the day rang, it took all of Blaine's self control not to literally run to find Kurt. Instead, he walked quickly to his locker, got the books he needed for the homework he was probably not going to do that evening, and then hurried to Kurt's locker.
"Your house?" Blaine suggested as he approached Kurt at his open locker.
"Absolutely," Kurt agreed.
Sam was home already when they arrived, and Kurt and Blaine exchanged a distraught glance in the driveway before entering the house.
"Hey," Sam greeted them as they came through the doorway into the kitchen. "Uh, Rachel wanted me to remind you about rehearsal at her house tonight. Finn's over there helping her get ready."
"Okay," Kurt acknowledged, and Blaine realized that the evening rehearsal must be for whatever Rachel had been talking about at lunch. He made a mental note to ask Kurt later.
"Oh!" Sam remembered, focusing on Kurt. "And I guess I'm the messenger today because Mercedes wanted me to ask you something about photos of you two when you were on the Cheerios...?"
"Ah, yes!" Kurt nodded. "I promised her copies – I think she's starting to feel nostalgic. They're upstairs. Be right back."
Blaine followed Kurt up the stairs. But, as soon as they entered Kurt's room, Kurt threw out a restraining hand.
"Wait," he commanded, and he snatched a pile of photographs off of his vanity and disappeared.
Blaine hung up his hat and jacket and untied his bow tie. He wandered around Kurt's room, looking at all the little things on Kurt's shelves. He paused by the small container that held the promise ring he had made for Kurt for Christmas. Something about Kurt keeping it safe and displaying it so prominently in his room made Blaine feel emotional in the best possible way.
He heard Kurt open the door, and he gently sat the little glass container back on the shelf as the other boy came back into the room.
Some of the physical urgency Blaine had been feeling all afternoon had been replaced by a flood of emotions after his moment spent looking at the promise ring, and he felt much more relaxed.
"Come here," he said, reaching out for Kurt and smiling when Kurt skipped across the room into his arms.
"Sam's gone," Kurt informed him as he wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck. "He and Mercedes are going out to an early dinner before we have to be at Rachel's later. And we're rehearsing to sing at the teacher of the year awards ceremony tomorrow night, since I know you didn't hear a word of Rachel's explanation at lunch."
Blaine laughed and kissed him a few times, enjoying being so close and so free to act however they wanted.
"But," Kurt continued, tugging at the back of Blaine's vest, "we don't have to – mmmm – leave for a few hours, so..."
And then they just sing 'We Are The Champions' and the end! ;)
I really wish they had shown New Directions seeing some of the sights in Chicago like they did for New York last season! Chicago is such a gorgeous place! They could've done a montage to Frank Sinatra's 'My Kind of Town' or something! Oh well. I'll just have to imagine it. (Also, can we wish for Nationals to be in Los Angeles in season 4 and maybe Cooper could make a little appearance? Yeah.)
The next/final (for now!) chapter will definitely come by the end of the week! Thanks again for your patience! I love you all!
Up next... 'Goodbye', the season 3 finale!