In the wake of Cory Monteith's devastating and unexpected death (I am at a true loss for words to express how heartbroken I am for him, for his family, for Lea. "Tragedy" doesn't even begin to describe it), let's start this up again.
Finn doesn't interact with Kurt or Blaine much from now through the end of the season. They're all together at the wedding in this episode, but Finn never speaks to either Kurt or Blaine. He doesn't speak to Kurt again all season, actually, and his interactions with Blaine from here to Finn's final episode (4x19: "Sweet Dreams") are always as part of a larger conversation with New Directions. So, he may pop up here and there in Blaine's storyline over the next couple episodes, but I'm not going to add him to the story more than my original plan. There will be time for honoring Finn when they pay tribute to him on the show.
All of that said... here we go.
What even IS this episode? It came out of nowhere... Kurt and Blaine are kinda talking and starting to rebuild their friendship, so let's have them sleep together! I guess, in many ways, I get it. It's not hard to imagine why Kurt let his guard down enough for this to happen. But still. Woah. ;)
(I do not own Glee or any of the characters, dialogue, or songs from the show. It's all just for fun!)
BLAINE
After weeks of working to improve arts education in Washington, D.C., Mr. Schu returned to McKinley on the Monday afternoon before Valentine's Day.
"Glee club!" he shouted happily as he walked through the doorway into the choir room. Everyone cheered, happy to see him.
"Mr. Schu, how was D.C.?" Artie asked.
"D.C. was great," Mr. Schu explained, "but now I am back to stay. And so, for my first order of business, I want give a big shout out to the guy who made sure I had something to come back to... Mr. Finn Hudson!"
The group applauded for Finn as Mr. Schu pulled the lid off his whiteboard marker. "Now, for this week's assignment..." he said as the group gave him a drum roll on the top of the piano. He walked over to the board and wrote Wedding!. "Miss Pillsbury and I are finally getting married, which makes me the happiest, luckiest man alive."
Blaine was happy for them. They had been together as long as he had known both of them, and he thought it was sweet that they were getting married on Valentine's Day.
Plus, it meant that Blaine was going to get to spend the holiday with Kurt, who was coming back to Ohio for the wedding.
"Now, Emma has been handling all the prep," Mr. Schu explained. "So, to help out, I thought I'd take charge of the entertainment for the reception. And, though this goes against tradition, it would mean the world to me – and to Emma – if, instead of giving your best man speech, Finn, you'd sing for us. What'd'ya think?"
The group turned its attention to Finn, who looked surprised.
"Uh... yeah, of course," he agreed.
"Perfect!" Mr. Schu said excitedly. "For everyone else who isn't out with Asian Bird Flu: it's a Valentine's Day wedding, which means we need some great, romantic love songs at the reception."
"Wait, you want us to be your wedding singers?" Tina scoffed. "That is so –"
"– awesome," Blaine interrupted, shooting Tina a scolding glance. "We'd be honored," he said to Mr. Schu.
"Great," Mr. Schu smiled. "I have some great ideas..."
He rushed over to the cabinet where they stored most of their sheet music, and most of the students followed.
But not Finn. He stayed where he was, and Blaine hesitated to follow the group as he noticed the anxiety on Finn's face. Instead, Blaine wandered around the piano to where Finn was standing. "Hey," he said softly.
"Hey," Finn echoed with a tight smile.
"You okay?" Blaine inquired carefully.
"What?" Finn said immediately. "Yeah, I'm, uh, yeah. Fine."
"You sang at Burt's and your mom's wedding, right?" Blaine encouraged him, assuming that his nerves were the result of being asked to sing in front of everyone when he was so out of practice. "You've got a great voice. Don't worry!"
Finn nodded, but looked unconvinced. "Thanks."
There was a slightly awkward pause before Finn relaxed a little and spoke again. "How're you, man? You seem... better."
Blaine nodded. "I am," he agreed. "Kurt has been..." he shrugged, not sure how to adequately explain how wonderful Kurt had been since they had reignited their friendship.
"Hey, Blaine?" Tina interrupted from across the room. Blaine turned to look at her. "Do you have a song in mind? Because I think this one would be perfect." She motioned for him to come over.
Blaine turned back to Finn.
"Thanks for the encouragement," Finn nodded appreciatively. He paused briefly, and his eyes shone with amusement as he added, "Good luck with Kurt this week."
Blaine smiled, happy at the implication that Kurt was excited to come home for the wedding, and turned to join the other students in the search for romantic songs to sing at a Valentine's Day wedding.
KURT
Tuesday was a hectic day for Kurt. He had class at NYADA, and then he had to go to Vogue dot com and make sure everything was settled before he took the next four days off.
Santana had been packing (or, more accurately, rearranging the suitcase she was currently living out of) when Kurt left for class; she'd be gone by the afternoon. Rachel had been gone since early Monday morning – Kurt wasn't sure how she had managed to talk her professors into giving her the entire week off from class – and Kurt's goal for the day was to avoid the apartment for as long as possible. He wasn't interested in spending the evening alone with Brody. Kurt thought Rachel's new-ish boyfriend was nice enough, but he was weird, too. And sometimes he and Kurt clashed, over big things like nudity and over small things like what constituted a clean apartment. Kurt didn't want to have one of those clashing moments when there was no chance that someone else would come home and give them an excuse to end the debate. It was better to avoid Brody.
If Brody was even at the apartment. Kurt had no way to know short of calling Brody to ask him, and he wasn't that desperate. He would stay out late and hope that Brody would spend the night somewhere else since Rachel wasn't home. Brody was almost always gone at least one night each week.
Kurt stopped by Isabelle's office as soon as he arrived at work to make sure she remembered that he would be gone from Wednesday through Saturday.
"God, that's this week?" Isabelle laughed from behind her desk as Kurt reminded her of his imminent departure. "Time is flying!"
She motioned for Kurt to sit down.
"It's a wedding, right?" she recalled as Kurt sat.
"My high school history teacher," Kurt confirmed. "Or, more importantly, glee club director."
"Ah," Isabelle said knowingly. "Well, I think it's sweet that you're flying home for the wedding! A chance to see some friends from high school, I hope?"
"I hope so," Kurt agreed, thinking of Blaine.
Isabelle's cell phone buzzed on her desk, and she offered Kurt an apologetic glance.
"Tell you what," she said quickly as she picked up the phone, "let's grab an early dinner after the five o'clock meeting?"
Kurt nodded and stood up as Isabelle answered her phone. He waved goodbye before slipping out the door.
Hours later, after a surprisingly productive final meeting of the day, he and Isabelle had dinner at one of Isabelle's favorite restaurants nearby. They talked about what Kurt was going to wear to the wedding ("something simple and classic") and about a dreaded business trip Isabelle was taking to Los Angeles on Thursday and Friday ("Oh god, I'm becoming one of those people, aren't I? Complaining about getting to jet off to Hollywood for a few days.") before they had to get back to work. Isabelle had a few calls to make with people overseas, and Kurt wanted to get as much work done as he could before he left.
The rest of the evening flew by for Kurt, and Isabelle surprised him with money so he could take a taxi home late that evening when they were the last two to leave the building.
"Have fun in Ohio," she smiled.
"Thank you," Kurt shook the money in his hand. "Have fun in Hollywood," he returned the smile as he climbed into the taxi.
Much to Kurt's relief, Brody wasn't at the apartment when he got home. He still had to pack. It didn't take long to get everything he needed for the short trip packed into his suitcase; he had been making a mental list of what he wanted to bring for days. Once his suitcase was packed and sitting by the door – he had to drag it around with him at NYADA the next day so he could go straight from his final class to the airport – he spent a little time cleaning the kitchen before he fell into bed.
It took him a while to fall asleep. There was so much to think about. He was going to be in Ohio for the first time in three months. He was going to get to see his father and Carole and Finn.
He was going to see Blaine.
BLAINE
The next evening, Blaine was lying on his stomach on his bed, trying not to fall asleep as he read a short story for his literature class, when his phone buzzed beside him on the bed. Relieved for an excuse to take a break from studying, he picked it up and was delighted to see a text message from Kurt.
Ohio is quieter than I remember.
Blaine slammed his book closed, abandoning his homework for the night. How was your flight? he asked.
We lived! Kurt responded. Blaine smiled, remembering the first time Kurt had been on a plane. To New York, for New Directions' first trip to Nationals. Kurt had been so nervous.
Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow, Kurt added.
Blaine rolled over onto his back and stared at Kurt's words on the little screen. Tomorrow was Valentine's Day. They were going to spend at least part of Valentine's Day together.
He thought about Valentine's Day the year before. When he had finally recovered from his eye surgery and had snuck into the party at Breadstix to surprise Kurt. It felt like a lifetime ago.
We could grab something to eat tonight? Blaine suggested. He didn't want to wait.
It's almost ten, Kurt replied.
Blaine rolled his eyes and dialed Kurt's number.
"I'm not changing my mind," Kurt said in lieu of a greeting. Blaine felt a thrill run up his spine as he heard the playful, happy tone of Kurt's voice.
"Will you accept a bribe?" Blaine teased.
"Depends on what you have to offer," Kurt replied lightly.
"Hmmmm..." Blaine mused, happy to tease Kurt along.
"Maybe I just want to look my very best when I see you," Kurt supplied before Blaine could speak again.
Blaine was smiling so widely that he was glad Kurt couldn't see him. He was too excited. Why was Kurt so flirty all of the sudden? This felt so normal.
"You always look your very best," Blaine countered.
"Only in your eyes," Kurt quipped.
They both laughed and a short, comfortable silence fell between them.
"Are you sure you don't want to see me today?" Blaine asked, hoping Kurt would change his mind.
"I want to see you tomorrow," Kurt said, his voice steady and slightly more serious than before. "I'll meet you in the parking lot at the church?"
"I'll find you," Blaine agreed.
He heard Kurt sigh, and he wondered if it was a happy sigh or an anxious sigh. He decided not to ask.
"See you tomorrow," Kurt said.
"Goodnight, Kurt," Blaine replied. "Love you."
"You too," Kurt said softly. "Bye."
KURT
"Isn't this so much better than the last time we were here?" Rachel said happily as she and Kurt got ready together in Kurt's bedroom the next afternoon. She tugged on her dress, studying her body in the mirror as she did so. "Mr. Schu and Ms. Pillsbury are finally getting married! It's so sweet."
"Yeah," Kurt said dryly as he used a lint roller on his jacket, "nothing I want more on Valentine's Day than to attend my high school history teacher's wedding."
"Oh, come on, Kurt!" Rachel scolded. She glanced at him and motioned with her hand for him to help zip up her dress. "Have you seen Blaine?"
"No," Kurt confessed, putting on his jacket as he walked over to help Rachel. "Have you spent time with Finn this week?"
"Yes," Rachel said, sounding so content that Kurt wondered what she and Finn had been doing all week before he arrived. "We're singing together at the reception."
Kurt zipped her dress in silence.
"It's going to be fun," Rachel encouraged as she turned to face him and studied his outfit. "It's Blaine, you know? Don't think I don't hear the way you two talk on the phone sometimes. You like him."
"Not like that," Kurt corrected. Rachel just hummed a vague acknowledgement.
Kurt tried not to think about how badly he wanted to be in the same room as Blaine now that they were friends again.
And it was Valentine's Day.
Adam had texted Kurt that morning – a simple Happy Valentine's Day! Enjoy the wedding! – and Kurt could barely remember what he had said in return. Something about hoping that Adam had a lovely day.
"How's Adam?" Rachel asked, and Kurt narrowed his eyes at her. How had she known he was thinking about Adam?
Rachel hummed a noise that sounded suspiciously like a "that's what I thought", and Kurt rolled his eyes.
"He's fine," Kurt said briskly. "How's Brody?"
"Fine," Rachel echoed.
They stared at each other for a moment before they both dissolved into laughter.
"I'm so excited to be here!" Kurt wailed, burying his face in his hands as he laughed. "I hate myself."
"It's... it's..." Rachel couldn't even speak, so they surrendered to their amusement until it started to fade away. "It's okay," Rachel finally managed, leaning toward the mirror to make sure she hadn't messed up her makeup. "We're adults. We're allowed to be excited about seeing our friends. Even the cute ones who are our exes."
Kurt couldn't fight the smile that was stretched across his face. "Sure," he allowed.
"Alright, then," Rachel said, grabbing his hand to lead the way out the door, "let's go make sure Finn's ready and get to the wedding!"
BLAINE
As soon as Blaine and Tina climbed out of Tina's car in the church parking lot, all of Blaine's attention was focused on trying to find Kurt.
"What?" he asked absentmindedly as he realized Tina was talking to him as they walked toward the building.
"Nothing," Tina sighed.
Blaine was glad that it wasn't something important, because he spotted Kurt and Rachel standing by Finn's car and everything around him was suddenly just an obstacle to be overcome on his way to Kurt.
"I'll meet you inside," Blaine suggested, slowing his pace to allow Tina to walk ahead of him. Her head turned toward Kurt and Rachel for a moment before she silently continued walking in the direction of the church.
Blaine stopped briefly and watched Kurt and Rachel. Rachel was gesturing with her hands, clearly telling a dramatic story. As Blaine started to walk toward the pair, Kurt let out a peal of laughter that made Blaine's heart hammer furiously in his chest. For the first time since he and Kurt had separated, his pounding heart was filled with nothing but excitement. No fear of rejection or anxiety about broken trust. Just happiness at seeing Kurt and knowing that Kurt was looking forward to seeing him, too.
Kurt's back was to Blaine as he approached, so Rachel saw him first. Her face lit up, and Blaine braced himself for her to fling herself into his arms for a hug, but she surprised him by offering a delighted wave as she turned and hurried away.
But not before giving Kurt a look that made Blaine's mouth go dry with anticipation.
"That was subtle," Kurt commented on Rachel's departure as he turned around to face Blaine.
Seeing Kurt in front of him for the first time in almost two months sent a flood of contentment flowing through Blaine. Kurt looked good. Trim. Confident. Mature. Blaine could only nod his agreement at the oddity of Rachel's exit as he slowed to a stop a few steps in front of Kurt.
"Excellent outfit," Kurt commented, the corners of his mouth twitching upward as he raked his eyes over Blaine's body.
"You look perfect," Blaine complimented, noticing the bowtie around Kurt's neck.
"I don't disagree," Kurt teased.
They both smiled, and Blaine soaked in the comfortable atmosphere. He took a few steps forward, closing the distance between them, and he studied Kurt's body language. Kurt was relaxed. Amused. His eyes were sparkling and sure.
Kurt was flirting with him. He was teasing Blaine with his outfit and his posture and his presence. And he knew it.
KURT
As Kurt watched Blaine approach, he was struck by how different Blaine seemed. More self-assured than he had been in a long, long time. Kurt thought briefly of Blaine at Dalton – mature, calm, and unbreakably confident – and he swallowed thickly as he remembered how it felt to fall in love.
Blaine stopped in front of him, so close that their chests were almost touching. The air felt pleasantly tense between them, and Blaine tipped his head up slightly and ghosted a gentle breath against Kurt's lips. Asking silently for a kiss.
"I miss you," Kurt whispered before he could stop himself.
Blaine drew in a breath to respond, but Kurt crushed their lips together before he could get a word out. Instead, Blaine emitted a surprised, delighted sound and latched onto Kurt's waist, maneuvering Kurt's body so they were pressed against each other as they kissed. Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck and barely resisted the urge to wind his fingers into Blaine's gelled hair.
When Kurt finally felt out of breath enough to pull away, Blaine's groan of unhappiness sent a shiver down his entire body. Kurt giggled, feeling giddy and insatiable as Blaine's face came into focus in front of him.
"Let's go somewhere," Kurt gasped.
Blaine released his waist and grabbed his hand to drag him across the parking lot to a car Kurt didn't recognize.
"New car?" Kurt asked as Blaine pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked the doors.
"Tina's," Blaine corrected. "Her dress doesn't have pockets."
The realization that they were about to make out in someone else's car fueled Kurt's internal fire, and he happily allowed himself to be pulled into the back seat on top of Blaine. He was trying to find a comfortable position in the small space when there was a sharp knock on the window above their heads.
Kurt and Blaine both snapped their heads toward the sound, and Kurt wasn't sure if his face was burning with excitement or embarrassment as he saw that it was Tina.
She looked extremely unhappy.
"No!" she commanded through the closed window.
"Either stay and watch or go away!" Kurt shouted back at her, annoyed that she was interrupting.
She knocked her knuckles against the window again, but Kurt ignored her and tugged at Blaine's shirt so Blaine would lift himself off the seat for a sloppy kiss where Tina could definitely see them.
Tina pounded her fist on the window and disappeared.
Satisfied that she wouldn't be back in the near future, Kurt turned his full attention to Blaine, who was already breathing hard and fumbling with Kurt's clothes.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl as they kissed and tugged at each other's clothes and surrendered to their physical desires. It felt so familiar and safe, but also new and forbidden, and Kurt couldn't get enough.
BLAINE
"Had I known I was going to get groped in the back of a Prius, I would've had a change of clothes," Kurt teased, hovering over Blaine. "I'm going to go in there looking like prom the morning after."
Blaine couldn't engage his brain enough to say anything, so he just smiled and glanced briefly at his own outfit before Kurt leaned back down to kiss him.
But, suddenly, Kurt was holding himself up above Blaine again.
"Wait, what am I doing?" Kurt gasped, his voice full of doubt. "I'm sort of dating somebody in New York!"
"Uh, you're not in New York," Blaine countered, propping himself up on his elbows to get closer to Kurt. "And it's not exclusive, right? You and this fey boy tie... it's my kryptonite."
Fey boy tie? Blaine didn't know what he was trying to say. He felt like he was having an out of body experience.
They kissed again, but Blaine could tell that Kurt was still hesitating.
"Wait, this doesn't mean that we're back together, right?" Kurt asked, his eyes tinted with nerves and the pain that Blaine had caused five months earlier. Blaine's mind exploded with things to say. Romantic, profound speeches about love and second chances and soul mates. But he couldn't get any of it from his brain to his tongue. He was too excited. So, instead, he just babbled out the first desperate thing he could think of that might convince Kurt to stay in the car.
"I– no! No, no, no," Blaine gasped. "It's cool. I know. It's– this is just bros helping bros."
He knew he had succeeded when Kurt's eyes locked onto his and he leaned down for another hungry kiss.
"I love it when you talk fratty," Kurt growled against Blaine's mouth. Blaine smiled and wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist to tug at the back of his shirt.
A sudden knock on the car window sent a wave of annoyance pulsing through Blaine.
"Tell me that's not Tina again!" Kurt snapped, pushing himself up to look at whoever was interrupting. Blaine was pleased to see how exasperated Kurt was with their intruder.
"Hey, can you two wrap it up?" Mercedes' voice suggested as the door by Blaine's head suddenly opened and frigid winter air washed over him. "The wedding is about to start and I need my arm gays!"
The wedding.
Blaine let his head fall back into the open space where the door had been and rolled his eyes at Mercedes before scooting out from underneath Kurt and making sure his jacket was well-placed over his lap as he climbed out of the car.
"You do realize how trashy blasphemous this is, right?" Mercedes scolded them as Kurt climbed out of the car after Blaine.
"Oh, Mercedes," Kurt scolded in return. "Everyone hooks up at weddings."
Blaine tried not to think about hooking up. They had to get themselves together for the wedding.
"Mmmhmm," Mercedes hummed knowingly. "Let's go. This outfit needs an audience."
She offered an arm to each of them, and Blaine clutched his coat closed and allowed himself to be led to the church.
Mercedes stopped at the door to the small men's bathroom just inside the church's entrance and released them.
"You look like you just spent twenty minutes making out in the back seat of a car," she rolled her eyes and pointed at the bathroom door. "Fix it."
"Okay," Blaine said, his voice coming out as more of an affirmative giggle than a properly spoken word. He grabbed Kurt's hand and pulled him into the bathroom.
Kurt made sure there wasn't anyone in the bathroom's two stalls before strolling back over to Blaine, who was halfheartedly studying his appearance while trying to watch Kurt at the same time. Blaine stepped toward him as he approached, anticipating a kiss or a touch or something, but Kurt held up a playful finger.
"We're in a church," he admonished.
"You don't even believe in God," Blaine countered swiftly.
"We're in a bathroom," Kurt dodged. His eyes were sparkling with amusement, and Blaine groaned in frustration.
Kurt drew in a deep breath and his eyes turned critical. "Okay, but seriously," he said, surveying Blaine's clothes, "we need to get a grip."
Blaine bit back a sassy comment about where he'd like to get a grip, choosing to nod, instead. "You look okay. I mean– not too wrinkled."
"Thanks," Kurt smiled. "You, on the other hand, look completely disheveled."
"That's your fault," Blaine teased as Kurt turned to face the mirror and started twisting his head to make sure his hair looked okay. Blaine turned toward the mirror, too, and laughed at the way his shirt was partially unbuttoned and crooked.
They fixed their clothes in silence, both fighting back laughter as they had to move to the side to allow a man they didn't recognize to use the bathroom and wash his hands. As the stranger left the room, Mercedes leaned in through the open door.
"Will you two hurry up?" she urged.
"Yes, ma'am," Kurt said formally, and he reached out and straightened Blaine's tie before brushing past him and out the door.
KURT
Kurt and Blaine almost got to sit beside each other for the wedding ceremony, but, much to Kurt's disappointment, Tina squeezed herself between them at the last minute. She made a point of completely ignoring Kurt, but he shrugged it off. He and Blaine had just spent nearly fifteen minutes making out in her car without her permission. She was entitled to a little anger.
The wedding didn't go as planned, either. Becky walked down the aisle, tossing rose petals on the ground, and it was Sue, not Ms. Pillsbury, who stepped through the doors at the end of the aisle in a wedding gown. The room was silent as Sue walked up the aisle and paused beside Will. They spoke quietly for a moment, and Kurt was close enough to hear Sue's final words.
"Emma's left the building."
Kurt turned, wide-eyed, to glance at Rachel beside him, and she looked as horrified as he felt.
Mr. Schu looked devastated.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Sue announced. "For reasons known only to the person who isn't here to explain things, there won't be a wedding here today."
The crowd gasped and a murmur of confusion rippled around the room.
"Well," Sue said, offering an unsympathetic wave of her hand, "everybody out!"
Rachel grabbed Kurt's hand and led the way down the aisle and straight on until they were outside. Everyone mulled around outside the church for a few minutes, unsure of what to do, until the group convinced Santana to go ask Mr. Schu what he wanted to do about the reception waiting for them at a nearby hotel.
She returned quickly. The decision was to go ahead with the party, without Mr. Schu or Ms. Pillsbury.
Kurt rode with Finn and Rachel to the hotel and waited just inside the doors to the ballroom where the reception was taking place until Blaine walked in with Tina. Blaine's face lit up when he saw Kurt, and Kurt couldn't hold back his own smile.
"Hey!" Blaine jogged the few steps over to where Kurt was standing. "I thought maybe you went home."
Kurt shook his head and Blaine paused just long enough to take a breath before continuing.
"Do you think, maybe, we could sing together?" Blaine asked hopefully.
"Uh," Kurt considered it. He had forgotten than Mr. Schu had asked New Directions to be the entertainment for the evening. Should he sing with Blaine? He wanted to. So, why not? "Sure. I guess. Yeah."
"I..." Blaine suddenly looked self-conscious. "It's a song we– I was going to sing it by myself, but–"
Kurt raised a curious eyebrow, and Blaine shrugged innocently.
"Just Can't Get Enough," he admitted.
Kurt laughed and reached out to grab Blaine's hand. "It's perfect," he reassured him as he started in the direction of the stage. "Let's go."
"When I'm with you, baby, I go out of my head. And I just can't get enough. And I just can't get enough."
"All the things you do to me and everything you said. I just can't get enough. I just can't get enough."
"We slip and slide as we fall in love and I just can't seem to get enough."
As they sang together for the first time in months, Kurt was surprised that they both still remembered the silly choreography they had made up for the duet almost a year earlier. Kurt had nearly forgotten what it felt like to perform for fun rather than for class at NYADA or to impress his peers. He danced around the stage and goofed off with Blaine and let himself have a good time.
"It's getting hotter, it's a burning love, and I just can't seem to get enough."
By the time the song ended, Kurt had nearly forgotten that anything negative had ever happened between him and Blaine. But, as he waved at their friends and walked with Blaine off the stage, the realization of their situation flooded back to him.
"I'm gonna get some punch," Blaine said as they walked. "Do you want anything?"
"Yeah, I'll take a cup," Kurt said. He felt a strong need to clarify what they were to each other after the flirty duet, so he added, "but, just remember, we're not –"
"– dating," Blaine reassured him as he started to walk away. "We're just here as friends. I know."
Blaine sounded sure, so Kurt let himself feel satisfied.
"Oh!" Kurt noticed the table of food near the side of the stage as Blaine disappeared in the direction of the punch bowl. "Baby cupcakes."
As he leaned over to look at the different flavors, Tina suddenly appeared at his side.
"I don't like the way you treat Blaine," she said without preamble. Kurt glanced around, confused, and listened as she continued. "There, I said it. You're here, you're in New York, you're at Vogue dot com, you're at NYADA. Who are you, Kurt?"
As Kurt started to recover from the initial shock of Tina's outburst, all of Tina's Facebook posts about Blaine and the stories he had heard from Blaine about how much he and Tina were hanging out started to make sense.
"Meanwhile, Blaine is here," Tina continued as Kurt stared at her. "Lonely. And yes, he cheated. We're all human, Kurt. We all deserve to be loved back, Kurt!"
"Okay, Tina," Kurt said, crossing his arms across his chest. "I say this with total love, but the moment we all saw coming is finally here."
He was surprised how protective he felt about Blaine. They weren't even dating. But it infuriated him to know that Tina had been trying to manipulate Blaine into a relationship.
"You're a hag," he said sharply. "You're hagged out. You're in love with Blaine and it's creepy. Stop."
"What do you know about love?" Tina retorted. "You just come and go. Who's been here to support him? Me. Who took him to Sadie Hawkins? Me. Who put him in bed when he got sick and rubbed VapoRub on his little muscled chest while he slept?"
The furious reply Kurt was preparing regarding Tina's complete disregard for Blaine's past when she planned the Sadie Hawkins dance flew out of his mind as he heard her admit to rubbing medicine on Blaine's chest while he slept.
"W-what?" Kurt gasped. "You... huh?"
Tina looked startled. "What? No. I didn't mean... this isn't about me, Kurt!" she announced. "I have to go!"
She turned and hurried away.
"Did you vapo-rape my ex-boyfriend?" Kurt called after her. "Don't walk away from me, Tina Cohen-Chang!"
He started to hurry after her and almost ran into Blaine as he stepped around the corner of the dessert table with a glass of punch in each hand.
"Whoa!" Blaine gasped, startled. He managed not to spill either of the drinks, and Kurt glanced at Tina's retreating form over Blaine's shoulder and gave up. She was beyond his help.
"Sorry," Kurt apologized.
Blaine smiled and handed him his drink, and they went to sit down together.
They chatted about trivial things as they watched Rachel catch the bouquet ("It's gotta be a bad omen to catch the bouquet at a wedding that didn't actually happen," Kurt whispered in Blaine's ear). They ate and caught up with some of their friends – mostly, everyone wanted to hear Kurt's stories of life in New York – and Kurt grilled Blaine about Burt's health. Blaine had been taking Burt to some of his appointments so Carole and Finn wouldn't have to take time off from work, and Kurt wanted to know every detail Blaine had to offer.
"He's doing really well," Blaine reassured him after a thorough recounting of his latest trip to the doctor with Burt. "He's strong."
"It's hard to be so far away," Kurt admitted, studying Blaine's face and trying to make sure that Blaine wasn't leaving out any horrible details to spare him anxiety.
"I know," Blaine nodded solemnly. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," Kurt said. "I... thank you for being there for him. And me."
Blaine reached out and closed his hand over Kurt's on the table, and Kurt wished that things weren't complicated. Being friends with Blaine again was like breathing fresh air after months living in a musty cave, but he missed the extra closeness that boyfriend brought with it.
But they couldn't be boyfriends. Kurt wasn't willing to risk the heartbreak again. They were just friends. Best friends.
"Hey, guys!" Marley suddenly appeared out of the crowd on the dance floor. She smiled brightly at Blaine and offered a slightly shyer smile at Kurt. It was weird for Kurt to realize that she saw him as someone older. A stranger.
Blaine stood up, so Kurt did the same, and he watched as Blaine wrapped Marley in a hug, saying something about "beautiful" in the process. Kurt offered a polite smile to Jake, who seemed fine with just standing by until Marley and Blaine were finished.
"Jake!" Marley said, reaching out and depositing her phone into her boyfriend's hand. "Will you take our picture?"
She and Blaine squished their cheeks together and smiled for the camera, and Kurt didn't realize he was smiling, too, until Marley glanced at him as she stepped away from Blaine. Suddenly, he felt incredibly self-conscious. What did she know about him? He was sure that she knew more about him than he knew about her. It was a strange feeling.
"You two," Marley gave Blaine a gentle push in Kurt's direction. "You look so cute. Let's... here, I'll do it..."
She took her phone back from Jake and motioned for Kurt and Blaine to stand together. Blaine wrapped a confident arm around Kurt's waist and pulled him close, and Kurt decided it was better to give in and smile than to protest. Secretly, it felt nice to be so close to Blaine. It felt safe and normal and warm.
"Perfect!" Marley approved as she took the photo. She had a mostly non-verbal conversation with Blaine about sending him the photo before she grabbed Jake's hand and they melted away into the crowd.
"She's a sweetheart," Blaine commented as he noticed Kurt watching Marley and Jake walk away.
Kurt was trying to think of how to explain how odd it felt to be a stranger to some of Blaine's friends when Rachel and Finn walked onto the stage and the music in the room slowed down for their duet.
Blaine's eyes were wide and held a hint of trepidation when Kurt turned to look at him.
BLAINE
Blaine knew this was a moment for them. A moment that, in some ways, was more important than what had happened in Tina's car earlier in the evening. Would Kurt want to dance with him in front of everyone?
He drew in a deep breath and held out a hand.
"Will you dance with me?" he asked, his heart pounding. "Please?"
Kurt didn't hesitate. He reached out and put his hand in Blaine's, and Blaine had to concentrate on holding back tears for the first time all day as he led them to a corner of the dance floor, far from the stage. Kurt put his hands on Blaine's shoulders and Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt's body to pull him close, resting his open palms on Kurt's back as they swayed gently to the music.
It was everything Blaine had thought was gone forever. It was what he had missed so desperately at the Sadie Hawkins dance. In the hallways at school. At home in his bedroom. The feeling that Kurt wanted to be near him. That Kurt wanted to be seen with him. That Kurt really loved him.
KURT
Kurt held onto Blaine and listened to Finn and Rachel singing their duet.
"I know it's late. I know you're weary. I know your plans don't include me. Still, here we are, both of us lonely, longing for shelter from all that we see. Why should we worry? No one will care, girl. Look at the stars now, so far away. We've got tonight. Who needs tomorrow? We've got tonight, babe, why don't you stay?"
As they danced, Kurt settled his chin on Blaine's shoulder and let himself relax.
He found time to relax at home – in New York – but there was something so safe about the feeling of Blaine's arms around him that Kurt felt his body relax in a way it hadn't since he moved away from Ohio. Since his life had changed. Since he and Blaine had broken up.
He could feel Blaine's hands on his back, pressing gently into him. He could tell that Blaine was glancing at him from time to time; a small shift of Blaine's head that told Kurt that Blaine was trying to figure out what he was thinking.
As the song neared its end, Kurt lifted his chin from Blaine's shoulder and wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck in a more traditional slow dance position so they could see each other's faces. Blaine let his hands drop to Kurt's lower back, and they stared at each other as the music faded away and Kurt could see the same desire in Blaine's eyes as he was feeling.
Their unfinished make out session in the car earlier in the afternoon was on both their minds.
As they stepped apart, Kurt let his eyes linger on Blaine's just long enough to ask him to follow before he walked away.
Blaine waited nonchalantly in a chair in the hotel lobby while Kurt booked them a room. Somewhere private. A place where they wouldn't be interrupted. Kurt let his hand brush over the back of Blaine's shoulders as he walked past on the way to the elevator, fighting back a smile as Blaine shimmied his shoulders in excitement and jumped out of the chair.
There were two other people in the elevator with them as they rode up to the floor where their room was waiting for them, so they stood in silence and Kurt tried not to laugh at the way Blaine was fighting a huge smile.
Kurt didn't realize he was equally as excited until they reached the room and he unlocked the door.
They were going to have sex. Kurt wanted them to have sex. He turned back toward Blaine, still standing in the hallway, and kept his back against the door to keep it from latching closed.
Blaine looked... like Blaine. With happiness shining in his eyes. Kurt ignored the voice inside his head that was whispering about leading Blaine on and reached out to pull Blaine into the room by his tie. As soon as the door clicked closed behind Blaine, Kurt shoved him back against the door and crushed their lips together.
It wasn't weird.
They kissed against the door until Blaine breathed out a short laugh, so full of happiness that Kurt's stomach fluttered wildly, and they stumbled across the room, trying to walk and kiss at the same time on their way to the bed. Somehow, they managed to pause long enough to fold their clothes instead of tossing them on the ground, and then the only things that existed for the two of them were skin and kisses and sex and love.
When Kurt finally flopped onto his back beside Blaine, so relaxed he was worried he might fall asleep, an easy silence hung between them. Kurt listened to Blaine's breathing as they both cooled off and wondered what Blaine was thinking.
He didn't ask.
Eventually, Blaine stirred beside him, pushing himself up on one elbow to lean over and kiss Kurt's cheek before he climbed off the bed. Kurt didn't even bother to hide his smile as he followed and they both started to get dressed.
They hadn't said a single word since they reached the room. Kurt wasn't sure what to say.
He could tell that Blaine wanted to say something, though. He could feel Blaine watching him, trying to find the right moment to say whatever was on his mind.
BLAINE
Blaine's mind was so full of things he wanted to say that he couldn't decide what he should say. He couldn't even put what he was feeling into words; in his mind, everything was a rush of emotions and memories and visions of his and Kurt's future together.
He knew he had to say something while Kurt was still with him. Before they left the room and the serene moment they were having together passed them by. He sat down on the edge of the bed, not quite finished getting re-dressed, and watched Kurt start to button his shirt in front of the big mirror over the dresser.
"Tell me now that we're not back together," Blaine said, staring at Kurt's reflection in the mirror. It came out as more of an accusation than he intended, but he could hear the happiness in his voice and hoped that Kurt would understand.
Kurt's eyes lifted briefly from his task. "I mean... it was fun," Kurt shrugged, his eyes bright. "But–"
"Don't," Blaine scolded gently. "I'm not gonna let you minimize this, Kurt!"
He grabbed Kurt's jacket off the bed and walked over to help him put it on.
"It's no accident that we were together on Christmas and again on Valentine's Day!" Blaine told him, massaging Kurt's shoulders through his jacket and staring into his eyes in the mirror. "And we're going to be together for many, many more, no matter how much you pretend that this doesn't mean anything."
He couldn't stop thinking about the days leading up to the first Valentine's Day after they met. When Kurt had, as kindly as possible, made it clear that their flirty duets and coffee dates meant something more than friendship. You and I, we hang out. We sing flirty duets together. You know my coffee order. Was I supposed to think that that was nothing?
This meant something to Kurt. He just wasn't ready to admit it yet.
Kurt turned around to face Blaine and leaned forward like he was going to kiss him.
"I'll see you downstairs," he whispered.
The look in Kurt's eyes, and the absence of a rejection, told Blaine everything he needed to know.
"Okay," Blaine breathed as Kurt walked out the door.
As soon as the door slammed closed behind Kurt, Blaine clapped his hands together once and threw his arms in the air in jubilation.
Kurt wanted him.
Blaine had spent so many nights lying in bed worrying that Kurt had moved on. That the spark they had shared had gone out that night in New York when Blaine had confessed his infidelity. But it was still there. Kurt was still attracted to him.
Everything felt so clear. So full of hope.
Blaine jumped into the air and landed on his back on the bed. He let his head roll toward the window and he stared at the falling snow for a moment, letting the contentment fill him up. He hadn't felt so satisfied – physically or emotionally – in months.
His eyes drifted to the nightstand on what had been Kurt's side of the bed, and he noticed that Kurt had left his bowtie behind.
Blaine jumped up, finished getting dressed as quickly as he could, and grabbed the bow tie before he ran out the door.
KURT
Kurt made it to the elevator before what had just happened really hit him.
He had just had sex with Blaine. In a hotel room. His ex-boyfriend.
Alone in the elevator, he had a moment of severe uncertainty.
Did this count as casual sex? It was a foreign concept to Kurt. He had never had sex with anyone but Blaine, so it didn't feel strange, but he wondered if it should feel strange.
For the first time all evening, he thought about Adam.
Was this cheating?
Part of his mind told him yes while the other argued no. Things were so casual between him and Adam (so, no). They had talked about it; they weren't exclusive (so, no). But they were dating, weren't they? (So, yes.)
He decided not to think about it. He couldn't think about it. Thankfully, the elevator doors opened and the ongoing party offered a welcome distraction. He danced an entire song with Mercedes before he caught sight of Blaine waiting at a table on the edge of the dance floor. He hugged Mercedes, ignoring her comment about how casual he looked, and strolled over to sit beside Blaine.
"You forgot this," Blaine teased, tossing Kurt's bowtie on the table between them.
"Thanks," Kurt reached out and grabbed it, stuffing it into his jacket pocket. But, before he could say anything else, Rachel suddenly appeared beside him.
"Ready to go?" she inquired. It was a loaded question. Kurt looked up at her and wondered why she wanted to leave right now.
"Uh," he protested, glancing at Blaine. "Where's Finn?" The three of them – Kurt, Rachel, and Finn – had come together.
"He's going to find a ride home with someone else," Rachel explained.
"Tina and I can drive you home," Blaine offered eagerly. "If you'd rather stay, I mean."
Kurt glanced around the room. The crowd was rapidly thinning; it was after midnight on a Thursday. He accidentally met Tina's gaze from across the room and realized that he didn't particularly want to be stuck in the same car with her tonight. She was still looking at him like he had stolen Blaine from her.
"It's okay," Kurt said to Blaine as he stood up. "Thanks, though."
Blaine stood up, too, and Kurt reached out and squeezed his hand briefly before releasing it.
"Lunch tomorrow?" he asked.
Blaine's eyes lit up. "Yes," he agreed. "You'll have to come to McKinley, though," he rolled his eyes.
Kurt grinned as Rachel put a hand on his arm to ask him to hurry up. "Okay," he agreed. "See you tomorrow."
He barely heard Blaine's soft "Bye" as Rachel dragged him out the door.
BLAINE
As promised, Kurt came to McKinley to have lunch with Blaine the next day, and Blaine was happy to discover that things still felt casual between them. Kurt squeezed him tightly as they hugged hello, and he was smiling and upbeat.
"Okay, before I forget, Rachel says 'hi' and also 'bye'," Kurt grinned as they stepped apart. "Since she didn't really get a chance to spend any time with you yesterday."
"She's gone already?" Blaine asked as they started the walk to the cafeteria.
"Yeah," Kurt acknowledged. "Well, probably not quite yet, but her flight is this afternoon."
"You're not going back until tomorrow, right?" Blaine asked, hoping that he remembered correctly.
Kurt nodded. "There's a double feature at the Revival House tonight..." he suggested, understanding the real reason behind Blaine's question.
"Yeah?" Blaine requested more details, but he didn't really care what movies they were showing. If Kurt wanted to sit through two movies with him, he was game. He wondered if – hoped that – the double feature might just be an excuse to be alone together again.
"All About Eve and Showgirls," Kurt clarified.
"Okay," Blaine agreed quickly.
As they approached the stairs, Blaine saw Tina approaching.
"Hey, Tina!" Blaine smiled at her as he and Kurt ended up behind her on the stairs on their way to the cafeteria.
"Before you say anything," Tina said to Kurt as they reached the bottom of the stairs and continued walking down the hallway, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I attacked you at the reception."
"Attacked you?" Blaine mouthed at Kurt behind Tina's back.
"Yeah," Kurt mouthed back with an "I'll explain later" look on his face.
"It's just... I saw you up there singing with Blaine and I saw the old, legendary chemistry," Tina explained. Blaine felt like his heart was going to burst with happiness as he glanced at Kurt and saw the thin layer of denial on his face. "I saw two soul mates rediscovering each other and I was jealous. Why couldn't that be me? Why can't I have that with someone?"
Blaine was delighted that other people had noticed that he and Kurt had been so comfortable together. There was no denying it. They were soul mates.
"You will!" Blaine reassured Tina as she stopped walking and turned to face them. "Just not with me."
"I'm sorry that I've been throwing myself at you and making a fool of myself hoping for something I know can never be," Tina told him.
"It's okay, Tina," Blaine said. "The truth is, we've all experienced unrequited love before. And we've all done things we wish we didn't. And we all just want to get back to being friends."
"And that's just what we are," Kurt interjected, motioning between himself and Blaine. "We're just friends."
Blaine bit back a smile as Kurt continued talking.
"Um, well, we're going to the double feature of All About Eve and Showgirls at the Revival House if you want to come with us," Kurt suggested.
"Come on," Blaine encouraged, although there was nothing he wanted less than a third person with them in the dark theater.
"Wow, mystery solved," Tina whined. "Hagatha Christie. I'm gonna be a third wheel for the rest of my life."
"First of all, that's not even remotely true," Blaine countered, stepping forward to loop his arm through Tina's as Kurt did the same on her other side. "Starting right now, I'm going to help you get a boyfriend."
"And second of all," Kurt said as they walked down the hallway together, "when I called you a hag, I was bringing attention to the fact that you are honoring the noble and proud tradition of hagdom."
"Yeah," Blaine agreed as Tina laughed, "and I, for one, am psyched that my very first hag was someone as kickass as..."
"Miss Tina Cohen-Chang!" he and Kurt said simultaneously.
They had lunch together with the rest of New Directions, and Blaine let himself pretend that they had traveled back in time. That Kurt wasn't leaving to go back to New York the next morning. He wished that he had relished their time together at McKinley more. Getting to spend every day together, before school, during school, after school. It felt as if years had passed since things were so simple.
"Oh," Blaine remembered as they walked together to the doorway to the parking lot after lunch, "what was Tina talking about when she said she attacked you?"
Kurt rolled his eyes so dramatically that Blaine had to laugh. "That bad?" he smiled.
"She..." Kurt hesitated, then seemed to decide just to go for it. "That night at your house, when you were sick?"
Blaine nodded.
"She rubbed some of that VapoRub stuff on your chest while you were sleeping," Kurt said carefully.
"She... what?" Blaine snorted.
"It's not funny!" Kurt snapped. "She's insane."
"She's lonely," Blaine corrected.
Kurt shrugged. "Be careful with her, okay? I don't like that she crossed that physical boundary while you were sleeping."
"I wondered why I felt so amazing the next morning," Blaine remembered.
Kurt just shook his head.
"Well, uh..." Blaine suddenly felt nervous, like they were preparing to go on their first date, "I'll pick you up after glee rehearsal?"
"Perfect," Kurt agreed.
Kurt went to have an early dinner with his dad and Carole while Blaine and Finn attended glee rehearsal. They worked on Anything Could Happen as a possible group number for Regionals; a dress rehearsal that included balloons falling from the ceiling. Blaine sang and danced and bounced around in the balloons and the time flew by. After rehearsal, he hurried home to shower and change his clothes and then turned up the radio in his car and sang at the top of his lungs all the way to Kurt's house to release some of his nervous energy.
As Blaine bounded up the walkway to the Hummel-Hudson house, he wondered if he should've brought something. Flowers? No, he decided as he rang the doorbell, that would be too much. Kurt was still trying to deny that they were anything more than friends. Friends didn't bring each other flowers.
Finn answered the door.
"Hey!" he said cheerfully.
"Hey," Blaine smiled. "Is Kurt here?"
"I'm coming!" Kurt's voice came from the kitchen. "Hold on!"
"Is this a date?" Finn narrowed his eyes at Blaine, teasing him.
"No," Blaine said firmly.
Finn laughed, clearly not buying it, as Kurt appeared and pushed his way past Finn and out the door to stand with Blaine.
"See ya," Finn said, and Blaine waved distractedly as Finn closed the door.
"I love those pants," Kurt commented as they walked down the path to Blaine's car.
"Thank you," Blaine grinned, giving himself a mental high five. "You look amazing."
"Thanks," Kurt said.
They chatted about their afternoons as Blaine drove them to the movie theater. Out of habit, Blaine bought both of their tickets, but Kurt didn't seem to mind. He just insisted on buying the huge tub of popcorn and the soda they were going to share, and they wandered into the theater to wait for the movie to start.
KURT
As the theater lights went out and All About Eve began, Kurt was suddenly intensely aware of how close Blaine was in the chair beside him. And how dark it was. He didn't last five minutes before he felt compelled to reach out and rest his hand on Blaine's leg. Blaine jumped in surprise and turned to look at him, but Kurt made a point of ignoring his inquiry. Blaine quickly turned his attention back to the screen, but Kurt could feel him squirming under his hand. Kurt chewed on his lip and tried to focus on the screen.
Throughout the rest of the film, Kurt and Blaine barely paid any attention to the movie. Blaine eventually put his hand over Kurt's on his leg and started, in tiny tugs of movement, dragging Kurt's hand closer and closer to his body until Kurt pulled his hand out from under Blaine's and started brushing his fingers over Blaine's forearm at random intervals. They fed each other popcorn without looking at each other, which was just an excuse to brush their hands all over each other's faces, and Blaine kept swinging his foot over to knock against Kurt's leg.
When the film ended and the lights came on for the twenty minute intermission before the second film, Kurt finally turned and looked at Blaine. His face was flushed and his eyes were closed as he relaxed against the back of his seat.
"Are you okay?" Kurt whispered as almost all of the other people in the theater walked out to spend the intermission using the bathroom and getting more food.
"No," Blaine whined, and Kurt dissolved into uncontrollable giggles.
"It's not funny," Blaine pouted, and Kurt's giggling escalated into real laughter. It didn't take long before Blaine couldn't keep a straight face, either, and he opened his eyes and laughed with Kurt until they could barely breathe.
"Okay," Kurt said as they started to calm down, "come on..."
He grabbed Blaine's hand and they crept to the back of the theater, into the last row.
"Oh my god," Blaine mumbled as they sat down. He rubbed his face with both hands before turning pleading eyes on Kurt. "Can't we just –?"
"It'll be dark when the film's over," Kurt said as innocently as he could mange.
"Ugh," Blaine pouted, crossing his arms across his chest and turning to face the screen. Kurt grinned, excited to see such desire and joy in Blaine's eyes.
As the rest of the crowd trickled back into the theater, Kurt was relieved that nobody sat down in their row. The nearest other people were two rows ahead of Kurt and Blaine and a few seats closer to the center.
This time, it took less than a minute after the lights dimmed for Kurt to break his indifferent façade. When he could no longer stand the tension, he reached over with both hands and pulled Blaine's face close enough to crush their lips together. Blaine didn't make any noise – acutely aware, Kurt imagined, of the rest of the people in the theater – but he reached up and tangled one hand into Kurt's hair and scooted as close to the arm rest between them as he could so they could kiss properly.
They didn't make it to the end of the film. Kurt wasn't even sure if the movie was halfway over when Blaine grabbed a fistful of the front of Kurt's sweater and made it clear with his eyes that he wanted to do more than make out.
Kurt allowed Blaine to lead him out of the theater and into the crisp winter air of the parking lot. They clambered into the back seat of Blaine's car in a dark corner of the parking lot and had impulsive sex for the second time in as many days.
This time, they didn't talk about it afterward, but Kurt could see the unspoken words in Blaine's eyes as they struggled to get fully dressed again without getting out of the car. Blaine's eyes shone like Kurt was the most precious thing in the world.
Kurt wondered what Blaine could see in his eyes.
As Blaine drove them back to Kurt's house, Kurt tried to decide about them. The last two days had been amazing. He felt so right with Blaine. Like they were made for each other. Like he was more himself with Blaine than he was without him.
But his mind would not stop thinking about how safe and in love he had felt before. When he thought he could trust Blaine with everything and Blaine had shattered that trust.
He didn't want to feel that pain again.
When the car came to a halt in the driveway, Blaine unbuckled his seatbelt as Kurt did and then hesitated. Kurt knew he was unsure about whether or not to turn off the car and step out onto the driveway to say goodbye, or if a goodbye inside the car was enough. He reached over and grabbed Blaine's hand to keep him in the car.
As Blaine turned to look at him, Kurt suddenly felt horribly sad about leaving and had to blink a few times to keep the tears at bay.
"I love you," Blaine said fondly.
"I'm sorry," Kurt replied softly, dropping his eyes to his feet. He wiped his eyes with his free hand, embarrassed.
He felt strangely like they were breaking up again. It didn't feel good. But Kurt didn't want to be Blaine's boyfriend again. He wouldn't let himself go back to something that had previously caused him so much pain. Having Blaine as his best friend was the best of both worlds. He had Blaine in his life, and his heart was safe.
"It's okay, Kurt," Blaine said, squeezing his hand. Kurt had to look at him to see if the calm sincerity in his voice was also in his eyes. It was.
BLAINE
Blaine felt completely at peace about their relationship as he looked into Kurt's sad eyes. He had hoped that Kurt would be ready to start again as a couple after everything that had happened over the past two days, but he knew that Kurt's hesitation was just another delay on their journey back to each other.
Kurt still loved him. Blaine had known that since Kurt's phone call on Thanksgiving. The question in Blaine's mind – the road block to knowing that they were going to get a second chance – had been trust. Without Kurt's trust, there would never be anything more than friendship between them. But now, after two days of rediscovering each other, Blaine knew that he had Kurt's trust back. Even if Kurt didn't realize it or wouldn't allow himself to believe it. Blaine knew Kurt well enough to know that Kurt would never have allowed himself to show the kind of vulnerability it took to have sex without fully trusting Blaine.
They had love. They had trust. Now, Blaine knew, it was just a matter of waiting for Kurt to decide. To decide to love Blaine instead of just carrying the love around inside his heart. To decide to trust Blaine again instead of trusting him inadvertently. Blaine wasn't sure how long it would take. Kurt looked like he was almost there now, sitting beside Blaine in the car with tears in his eyes, but Blaine knew that Kurt wouldn't make the decision lightly. He would have to be sure.
Blaine was willing to wait.
"I'm going to miss you," Kurt admitted tearfully.
Despite his newfound serenity regarding the state of their relationship, Blaine felt tears stinging in his eyes as he realized he didn't know when they would see each other again. Not until summertime, after the end of the school year?
"Me too," he agreed. He leaned toward Kurt and tugged on Kurt's hand, which was all the encouragement Kurt needed to meet Blaine over the center console in a tight hug.
Blaine wanted to say a lot of things that were sentimental and packed with potential to scare Kurt away again, back into the hurt part of his soul, but he resisted and concentrated on hugging Kurt as tightly as he could. He could feel Kurt doing the same, and it gave him the little extra bit of courage he needed to compose himself.
"Safe travels," Blaine said softly into Kurt's ear. Kurt's body shuttered slightly with a laugh, and they released each other and sat back into their respective seats.
"Thanks," Kurt smiled before he opened his door and hopped out of the car.
Blaine watched him walk away, and was putting his seatbelt back on when Kurt turned around and ran back to the car. Blaine rolled down his window as Kurt hurried over to the driver's side window.
Kurt leaned into the car and pressed a gentle kiss to Blaine's lips.
"I love you, too," he said as he stepped away and started the walk back toward the house again. Blaine was too surprised to respond, so he just stared at Kurt as he walked away.
"You know," Kurt teased over his shoulder, "just in case I die on the plane home."
THIS EPISODE. I have to say, one of my top Glee fandom moments of all time is when Ryan Murphy tweeted that tweet about Kurt and Blaine making out in the car at the wedding and the whole fandom was just like "LOL, yeah". And then it actually happened. Ryan Murphy doesn't lie, friends. He just gets really sassy.
Well, they screw up the timeline that they established in the last episode with this episode... I didn't write about it here because Kurt doesn't know about it, but, right at the end of this episode, Rachel flips through her calendar and realizes she might be pregnant. But she flips forward to March, suggesting that there's a jump forward in time. Which would mean that the next episode happens about a month later. BUT I'm going to ignore that because the pregnancy storyline goes NOWHERE (and because Santana says in the next episode that it's her first full week living in New York, which means it's just the week immediately following the wedding... make up your mind, Glee!). I think they literally did the pregnancy test thing at the end of this episode just to be a cliffhanger to bring people back for the next episode, which aired a few weeks after this one. It's fine! Doesn't really affect Kurt and Blaine, anyway.
Kurt and Blaine definitely, definitely went to that double feature and spent the entire time making out. Because Showgirls? It's rated NC-17 for nudity and sex. You don't go to a late night film like that with your sorta-ex-boyfriend to watch the movie. I'm thinking, at this point, Kurt's a little high on the whole forbidden aspect of his rendezvous with Blaine, so he's a little bolder than normal.
Did Kurt cheat on Adam with Blaine? I think, in a literal sense, he did. It's complicated, though, because we never really know WHAT Kurt and Adam are. It's hard for me to imagine that Kurt, after being SO HURT by Blaine's cheating, would so blatantly cheat on Adam if they were in a serious, monogamous relationship... so maybe their relationship isn't there, yet. Which is also kind of hard to imagine – Kurt in an open relationship – but that's where I am with it.
Up next... 4x15: Girls (and Boys) on Film!