Work Text:
Blaine couldn’t even believe the feelings he had for Kurt Hummel. He couldn’t believe the luck that he’d had. How stupid had he been to fall in love with one of the most liked, most respected, and most wanted boys at McKinley High; the boy with the perfect body, the beautifully sculpted ass that wiggled in those pants just to taunt him?
“Infinitely stupid,” Blaine thought, as he watched Kurt walk down the hallway, arm in arm with his Cheerio co-captain, Santana Lopez. Together, those two were the ultimate power couple without really being a couple, Kurt being gay and all. It was the end of Valentine’s Day at school, and everyone was packing up to go home. Sadly, Blaine watched as Kurt went on his way.
Blaine thought that loving someone who didn’t know that you existed at all was easy. If he were offered the opportunity to love someone from afar, he would have gladly taken it. Unfortunately for Blaine, Kurt Hummel was his best friend in the world.
They’d been friends since the first grade when Kurt brought his ballet shoes in for show and tell. Most of the kids laughed at him and called him a girl, but Blaine leapt from his seat in protest; standing up and holding Kurt’s hand, practically shouting that Kurt taking ballet was just fine. Blaine vividly remembered his young self bursting into a short lived performance of “Safety Dance,” just to prove his point (until Mrs. Sanders pulled him back to his seat.)
We can dance if we want to, we can leave your friends behind.
After coming to terms with the fact that he was gay, Blaine found himself falling for Kurt. Walking home from school every day and doing homework on Kurt’s soft bed, how could he not? Many times, he almost said something, but all of those times, he closed his mouth. He looked away from Kurt and thought, “Friendship first. Friendship first.” Blaine never wanted to ruin the great thing that they had.
The dynamic changed when Kurt joined the Cheerios in High School. Suddenly, Kurt was popular, (ugh, Blaine hated the word.) Blaine was too stubborn to wear his rubber bands at night, so he had braces now for the third year in a row. His glasses, he thought, were more than unflattering, and there was no mistaking that Blaine would rather be singing in Glee club or reading a good book than spending a night at a football game.
Kurt and Blaine remained friends, but it was different. They were different. For one thing, Blaine pined harder than ever for Kurt. For another, the Cheerios always tried to discourage Kurt from spending time with Blaine. Kurt defended Blaine every time, but it never stopped hurting.
“It would be so much easier to be in love with you if you didn’t know my name.” Blaine thought, twisting the friendship ring that Kurt had given him when they were twelve. He wondered if Kurt still wore his.
He tried to put the thought away when he suddenly noticed that Kurt was walking right toward him, stopping at his locker.
“Hey, B,” Kurt said with a soft smile. “It’s Valentine’s Day!” Kurt had a blush in his cheeks; he knew that Valentine’s Day was Blaine’s favorite holiday of all time. He loved the spread of love all around, the pinks and reds, the dumb candy hearts. He loved it all. Kurt, however, did not share his sentiment so much, so it was confusing that Kurt Hummel was standing in front of him with a flush in his cheeks that reached all the way down his neck.
Blaine’s breath hitched.
“Yeah, yeah I know,” Blaine said, smiling back at him even though he was in no mood for smiling.
“I want to go to the choir room…with you,” Kurt said, “There’s…just, trust me, okay?” Kurt bit his lip in a nervous way, and Blaine reached out his hand.
“Are you okay? You’re acting sort of funny,” Blaine sighed, “and I don’t mean the kind of funny that you are after you’ve done your Barney Stinson impression.”
“I’m fine, there’s just…please come with me,” Kurt said. Blaine did not argue, and followed Kurt to the choir room. What in the world could Kurt have to say? Wasn’t he just leaving with Santana a minute ago? He didn’t know what to say, so he settled with waiting for Kurt to speak.
They got to the choir room, and Kurt shut the door quietly. He sat at the piano bench and patted the spot next to him, beckoning Blaine to come sit. Blaine never felt more at home than he felt when he was in the choir room. Being there with Kurt felt more intimate than sex. The two things that meant the most to him were coming together, and he felt many different emotions.
“Blaine, I’m not sure how to say this. I’ve wanted to say it every Valentine’s Day ever since we met,” Kurt’s eyes were shiny with tears that could come at any time.
“Kurt…I…I really don’t know what’s going on, but…I’m kind of worried.” Blaine rested his hand over Kurt’s, a look of concern spread across his face. He always wanted Kurt to be safe, above all things. If he wasn’t feeling safe, Blaine felt it was his job to take care of it, even now.
Kurt shook his head, “There’s no need to be worried, B. It’s just…” He trailed off again.
“Kurt.” Blaine said seriously.
“B,” Kurt sad in the same tone.
“Spit it out, Hummel. You’re the bravest kid in Ohio and possibly the world. There’s not a thing you can’t say to m—“
“Blaine, I’m in love with you.”
Blaine was pretty sure that his heart had given out completely.
“I’m sorry, I’m gonna need you to repeat that. Slowly,” Blaine said breathlessly, running his hands over his face.
“Since the first grade, I’ve been in love with you. And I have wanted to tell you every Valentine’s Day, but I never dared, until now.” Kurt paused, biting his lip harder. ”I…I just made this weird, didn’t I? The fact that I’m a cheerleader doesn’t change the fact that I’m still awkward as fuck, does it?”
“Kurt Hummel, I’m going to have to stop you right there,” Blaine cooed. “You haven’t given me a chance to tell you what I’m feeling.” His cheeks reddened, but suddenly, he felt bold.
“So…tell me?” Kurt said, looking into his eyes searchingly.
“I would rather…I would rather finally show you,” said Blaine, nodding.
Blaine leaned in painfully slowly. Part of him couldn’t believe what he was doing, and the other half wondered what the hell had taken him so long. Bravery swept over him the way he never thought it would. When his lips finally brushed against Kurt’s barely a second had passed before Blaine began to kiss him hungrily.
He tasted like he had eaten a couple of candy hearts and he also had a taste that was unmistakably Kurt. He felt Kurt’s tongue on his and whimpered louder than he meant to, but couldn’t bring himself to be too embarrassed. This felt like it was always supposed to happen, one way or another.
When they finally pulled away, Kurt beamed at him and stroked his cheek with the back of his hand.
“So?” He whispered, a giddy laugh rising to the surface.
“Kurt, I love you too.” Blaine saying that after all this time was like finding strength that he never knew that he could have.
Kurt didn’t say anything, but he pulled a chain out from under his Cheerios uniform; the very chain that held the friendship ring from all those years ago.