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Chapter Text

Blaine stared down at his phone, biting his bottom lip as he read the news.

“Anderson Defeated: Still Needs To Work On Nerves”

His coach was next to him, trying to convince him not to read any more articles about his failure. Blaine felt completely humiliated and it was obvious, but he still tried his best not to show. He kept his tears at bay, while other athletes passed them by.

Blaine Anderson was a figure skater. Before that night, he had always been very proud to say it. He had followed his dream and became one of the top figure skaters in the United States. Since he was a little kid, he felt like he belonged on the ice. He believed he was a dime-a-dozen skater, but people seemed to think he could be great.

None of that mattered now. They were wrong. It had been his first time competing at the Grand Prix Finals, one most important competition in a season. Blaine was nervous, of course he was nervous. He never expected to actually make it to the podium, but he didn’t expect to fail so miserably either.

“’Anderson fell to the last place. Is this season his last?’” Blaine read out loud, in a small voice.

When sitting in the hallway became too much, he stood up and excused himself. His coach only offered him an apologetic look and watched him walk away. While Blaine walked, he kept his gaze down, too embarrassed to look at anyone in the eye. He passed by a television and saw the three skaters on the podium. That made him stop to watch. Of course, he wasn’t surprised at who got the gold medal. No one was.

Kurt Hummel.

“...He’s also crushed the free skating event! This will be the fifth consecutive Grand Prix Final victory, for France’s legend, Kurt Hummel!” The narrator spoke excitedly.

Blaine couldn’t look away from the man kissing the gold medal. Kurt looked absolutely stunning that night. He always did. Sometimes Blaine didn’t even believe he was human. He looked like a prince in that outfit. The narrator went on:

“Hummel is now 27 years old. Some speculated that he might retire this season, but his masterpiece performance seems to lay such rumors to rest.”

The skater continued to walk as the narrators began to talk about the other skaters. He needed some time alone, and the closest place he could find privacy in that moment was the bathroom. He had disappointed so many people that night. He sighed as he entered the bathroom stall and closed the door.

Blaine sat down on the toilet and closed his eyes. This was the worst day of his life, he was sure of it. How could he look at his ice rink mates in the eye after this? Or his coach? Or his family? He had moved out of Ohio, to a training facility in New York just to work harder with the best possible coach, his parents were paying a lot of money, because they did believe in him, but now…

He wished he could just disappear. People were already asking him if he was going to retire. How could he answer that now? He couldn’t even think straight. His anxiety was getting to him. His phone was buzzing in his pocket, making him jump a little.

Blaine stared at the screen for a while, trying to find the strength to pick up and just talk to his mother.

“Blaine, darling…” He heard her voice after he answered the call.

“I messed up, mom.” Blaine blurted out.

“We… uh, we were watching.” Pamela, his mother, replied.

“It was all my fault,” Blaine muttered, looking down and blinking back tears. “I’m so sorry.”

He heard his mother sigh. “Blaine… There’s no reason to apologize, we know you were working really hard. You just-… You had a bad day. I know we shouldn’t have told you about Lizzie.”

“No! I had the right to know about her being gone.” Blaine closed his eyes, as he thought of his dog. He had had the same dog since he was a kid, and when his brother called him the night before to tell him that she had passed away… He really didn’t know how to handle the news.

The Grand Prix Finals were in Russia that year. He had spent the past two weeks there practicing. He knew Lizzie was sick, and probably would not live much longer, but it broke his heart that he wasn’t able to say goodbye. “Last night, I-… Before Cooper called to tell me,” He muttered, “The pressure had me binge-eating too. I really couldn’t deal with-... I was weak.”

“Blaine…”

“I messed up.” He repeated, not able to hold back his tears anymore. “I’m sorry.”

Blaine quickly hung up and turned off his phone. His mother would worry, he knew that, but he just couldn’t deal with anyone in that moment. All he could do was cry. He buried his face in his hands and sobbed, trying to keep quiet, even though the bathroom was empty. It felt good to finally be able to let his tears fall.

Suddenly, he froze. He could see two feet standing in front of his stall. Someone else was there, someone he hadn’t even heard coming in. He didn’t even have a second to wonder who that could be when he heard the door being kicked, making him jump, almost letting out a scream.

Blaine stood and with shaky hands, he began to open the door. “I’m sorry…” He spoke quietly, he didn’t know what he was apologizing for, but apparently, that was all he was able to say that night.

He looked at the boy’s shoes, then slowly up at his face, shocked to see a pair of angry green eyes staring back at him. He knew who that was. The Junior Grand Prix Final gold medalist… Blaise Lambiel. 

Blaise was just a teenager but had already made an impression as a figure skater. He had quite an attitude too, even being known as "the French Punk". Blaise always had this look, like he was above everyone else, but at that moment, he was looking at Blaine like he was trash. Blaise was younger, but he was almost as tall as Blaine, and the look he had on his face did scare Blaine and made him shake. Blaine didn’t understand what he had done to make Blaise angry.

“Anderson…” Blaise spat out Blaine’s name, his French accent was very apparent

Blaine didn’t reply, just continued to look at Blaise, wondering what the hell he wanted.

“Didn’t your mother teach you that it’s rude to ignore people?” Blaise raised his eyebrow.

Blaine continued not knowing what to say. “I-, um…”

“I was watching your free program today.” Blaise interrupted Blaine before the man even had a chance to speak. “You are one of the worst I’ve ever seen.”

Blaine widened his eyes at the honesty. He didn’t expect the boy to speak to him in that way. The teenager let out a small chuckle when Blaine didn’t even defend himself.

“Really. I don’t know how you made it this far, but you want some advice?” Blaise asked, and without even waiting for Blaine’s reply, he continued. “Incompetents like you should just retire already.”

Blaine let out a breath he had been holding. Blaise was very intimidating, standing very close to Blaine, making him feel trapped between him and the stall. That boy had made sure that Blaine couldn’t run.

“I’ll be competing in the senior division next year.” Blaise announced proudly, “We don't need two people with such similar names in the same competition, do we? I wouldn't want people mistaking me for Blaine Anderson.

And with that, Blaise turned away to leave. Blaine could do nothing, but watch, wondering what he had done to Lambiel to make him so angry.

“I-… I’m sorry, but what have I ever done to you?” Blaine spoke and the boy didn’t even turn back to reply, only let out a scoff as he opened the bathroom door and left.

Blaine walked alongside his coach to leave the arena. He was thankful that the reporters there mostly left him alone. They were too busy interviewing Kurt Hummel, for sure. Blaine still kept his head down, all the things that the teenager had said to him were still re-playing in his head.  

Even if he left the sport, there would be tons of talented young skaters rising through the ranks. There was no reason for Blaise to care so much. Maybe the boy was right, he should just quit already. Let another American skater represent the United States next.

“Mr. Anderson!” He heard his name being called. It was a reporter. He looked kind, so Blaine didn’t ignore him.

“Oh… Hi?” Blaine tilted his head.

“Don’t give up yet.” The man said, stepping closer to Blaine and his coach. “Look, I know today hasn’t been easy for you, but there’s still time. You’re too young to retire!”

Blaine glanced around, some reporters were close and they had probably heard their interaction. “I haven’t made up my mind yet.” He replied simply. “But thank you.”

“What will do you after you graduate college? Will you still train in New York?”

“Uh…” Blaine swallowed hard. “I’ll discuss that with Coach Schuester.”

“But I wanted to know what you think right now…” The reporter clearly wanted more out of Blaine, but the skater just didn’t want to think. He wanted to get out of that cold country as soon as possible. All he wanted to do was go back home.

“Hey, you…” That voice. Blaine would recognize that voice anywhere. Kurt Hummel. “Don’t think you’re getting away that easy.”

He widened his eyes and slowly turned around. Was Kurt Hummel talking to him?

“Ugh, quit nagging me, Hummel.” Blaise rolled his eyes as Kurt came closer. Of course, Kurt wasn’t talking to him. He was talking to Blaise, who was one of his rink mates and they were both in the French team together. Still, Blaine felt like the air had left his lungs as he watched the living legend himself. It was as if time had stopped and the whole air changed around Blaine. Kurt walked like he was in a runway, as if the world belonged to him and he was just kind enough to let everyone else share it with him. And his voice... Kurt Hummel sounded like an angel. 

“Let me finish what I was saying earlier. About your free performance, I think your step sequence could use more-…”

“I won, didn’t I? So, who cares?” Blaise interrupted him as they walked together to meet their coach. The scary Coach Sylvester.

Blaine watched them, completely ignoring his coach, who was talking to the reporter for Blaine. He only had eyes for Kurt Hummel.

He had never really spoken to Kurt before. They had never competed against each other before, Blaine had never made it this far. Earlier that day, when they were practicing, Blaine almost went to greet Kurt, but he was so nervous that he barely made his way up to the man before someone called Kurt’s name.

Blaine realized he was staring, but it was too late. Kurt Hummel, with those beautiful blue eyes and that perfectly coiffed chestnut hair, turned to look back at him. Blaine let out a tiny gasp of surprise when their eyes met. To his surprise, Kurt smiled.

“Do you want a commemorative photo?” Kurt spoke, with his sweet voice and soft accent.

Blaine froze, this time Kurt was truly talking to him. Did Kurt even know who he was? Did he think he was just a fan?

“Sure, we can take one,” Kurt said and grinned charmingly.

Blaine was so embarrassed. He couldn’t take a picture with Kurt, not now. Not when he felt completely humiliated. He didn’t want to move closer to Kurt, he thought he didn’t even deserve it. To make matters worse, he felt everyone else's eyes on him: Kurt, Blaise, both coaches, and even the reporter were all looking at him and expecting an answer. 

“N-no, thank you,” Blaine muttered, turning around without another word. He just wanted to leave that arena and not look back.

“Blaine!” Will Schuester, his coach, rushed to his side. “You don’t want a photo with Kurt? I know you admire him, why don’t you take a picture with him?”

“Because this is humiliating,” Blaine replied as he walked. “I really did believe that one day I would finally meet my idol on the same playing field… I was an idiot. I’m nothing compared to him.”

“Blaine, that’s not true…”

“Mr. Schue, I just want to go back to the hotel, okay?” Blaine left no room for argument, so his coach just followed him.

Kurt was still looking at Blaine, his eyes following the other skater as he left. 

 
March - The next year

Blaine took a deep breath as he went down the escalator of Lima’s train station. He hadn’t been there in so long… He decided that after his failures and after he managed to graduate from college, it was time. He missed his family and he needed time to think. Thankfully, everyone in New York respected his decision, even his coach.

When Blaine announced that he wanted to end the contract, Coach Schuester looked very upset but didn’t push. He understood Blaine had already given this decision a lot of thought. The only thing Coach Schuester said was that Blaine shouldn’t give up just yet. And Blaine hadn’t, he wanted to go back to ice skating, but maybe another season. Surprisingly, Blaine still had a few fans on social media. They always sent him words of encouragement. He was grateful for them but decided not to say anything about his break. He only told his family. 

He noticed how the old train station looked different, a lot had changed since the last time he came home. Suddenly, he stopped on his tracks and his eyes widened. There were posters of him! He never expected anyone in Lima to actually care about figure skating, but according to the words written on the posters, they were all rooting for him: Lima’s native figure skater, Blaine Anderson.

Blaine hurriedly put on his sunglasses, hoping no one would notice him there.

“Blaine Warbler!”

He actually gasped when he heard his name being called by a familiar voice. Blaine turned around, widening his eyes as he saw his good friend. He was very surprised to see her there.

“Oh, I’m so happy to see you!” The blond woman ran up to him and pulled him into a hug. “Welcome back!”

“Brittany?” Blaine hugged her back. He was confused, but it felt good to see a familiar and friendly face.

“Your mom asked me to pick you up,” Brittany explained, helping Blaine with his luggage. Blaine swallowed hard as he noticed a few people recognizing him. Brittany had yelled his name a bit too loud. “I missed my warbler very much, so of course I said yes.”

Blaine already felt better after all those terrible months of never-ending pressure. His friends hadn’t forgotten him. “I missed you too. All of you.” He offered her a smile. “So, where’s your car?”

“My car?” Brittany furrowed her eyebrows.

“Yes, I thought you said you came to pick me up.” Blaine was used to Brittany being confused quite often. Brittany considered Blaine one of her closest friends because Blaine was never mean or impatient with her.

“Oh, I did.” Brittany smiled, “But I still don’t know how to drive, silly. We’re getting an Uber.”

Blaine chuckled softly as the woman grabbed her phone and concentrated on finding them a driver.

“Excuse me?” A voice came from Blaine’s left and he turned to see who it was. He didn’t know who that man was, but the man was smiling at him like he knew Blaine. “You're Blaine Anderson, right? Can I get an autograph?”

Blaine looked away, embarrassed. Why would anyone want his autograph? He was a failure. Still, it was very surprising to see someone who admired him there. Blaine honestly thought that if anyone recognized him, they would actually laugh at him.

“I- uh-…” He had no idea what to say. “Sorry, I’m actually in a hurry right now-…”

“Blaine Warbler!” Brittany reprimanded. “Your hand won’t fall off if you give this man an autograph! Trust me, I’ve tested, hands don't fall off. So, be polite!”

Blaine nervously glanced back at the man, who was still smiling at him and holding a paper and a pen.

“Kurt Hummel is always nice to his fans.” Brittany frowned. She somehow always knew what to say to convince him.

Blaine turned back at the man and thanked him for the support. After giving him his autograph, Brittany made him shake hands with practically everyone who came close to them, even making Blaine take pictures with children. He was pretty sure an old lady who came to shake his hand had no idea who he was, but still, apparently, he was a local celebrity.

Blaine finally caught a break when the Uber driver arrived. They put his luggage in the trunk and got inside the back of the car with Brittany. Blaine waved, saying goodbye to everyone and thanking them again. He smiled to himself for the first time in ages.

“I wish we could greet everyone in town!” Brittany said excitedly as the car began to move.

Blaine chuckled, looking out the window. “It was nice. I thought everyone in Lima would be ashamed of me…”

“That’s silly.” Brittany shook her head. “You made it out of here, you were on TV… It doesn’t matter that you fell on your ass more times than we can count.”

Blaine sighed. “How’s Cassandra?”

Brittany turned sad then. “The studio is closed today. We barely have any students these days, anyway.”

“I heard she hired you to teach ballet.” Blaine offered softly.

“Yes.” Brittany nodded a little, looking down at her hands. “I teach kids. It’s fun, but lately, no one is interested in dancing, or ice skating around here.”

Blaine felt sad hearing that. When he was a little kid, his best memories were at the ice skating rink in Lima. It used to be just a roller rink, but the owner, April Rhodes, decided that an ice rink would be more exciting. For the first couple of years, it really was. Every kid wanted to become an ice skater at some point. Blaine was the only one from that town who actually stuck with that idea. As he got older, fewer people showed up to skate. “Rhodes Ice Castle” never closed because April was filthy rich. She didn’t mind paying a lot of money just to have a place to call her ice castle.

“Hey, maybe you can shake things up around here? Maybe kids will want to ice skate again!” Brittany sounded so hopeful.

Blaine only offered her a smile. He was quite sure he would never be capable of actually inspiring anyone.

 “After the men’s short program of the World Figure Skating Championships, France’s Kurt Hummel is in the first place.”

The TV was on, but Pamela Anderson wasn’t paying very much attention, her son would finally be coming home. It wasn’t for a very good reason, she knew things weren’t going well for Blaine at all, but it took him three years to finally visit, so she would take what she could get.

“Is that the guy on Blaine’s posters?”

Pamela glanced up at the television. “That’s him.” She watched Kurt Hummel wink at the camera, making girls and boys scream. The man was quite charming.

“Hm… Apparently, he’s been called a living legend.” Her husband said, impressed.

Pamela only nodded, looking out the window again.

“After the Grand Prix Finals, he won the Nationals in France, as well as the European Championships. He’s still on a roll… The men’s free program will start later today at 7 pm.”

The woman grinned brightly as the car stopped in front of her house. Blaine was home! She ran out to hug her son the second he was out of the car. Blaine wouldn’t stop apologizing for taking so long to visit. Pamela understood. Blaine was always so busy and working so hard. Between practices and exams, Blaine only had time to catch up with sleep. It was okay, she wasn’t able to attend his graduation either.

“Blainey!” Cooper ran down the stairs to hug his little brother as soon as they walked into the house.

The whole family was happy they were united again. Cooper had decided to take a break from acting and spend some time with his family too. Pamela’s cheeks hurt from smiling so much. The house was full again.

“I made dinner,” Pamela announced after they spend some time catching up in the living room. “Brittany, you’re invited of course. It's so good to see you.”

Cooper and Blaine stayed behind, while Pamela, Richard, and Brittany moved to the dining room to set the table.

“So… Welcome back, Squirt.” Cooper grinned.

“You insist on calling me that…” Blaine chuckled.

“Old habits.” Cooper chuckled as well and shrugged. “So how long are you staying in Lima?”

Blaine didn’t know what to say. He honestly hadn’t had time to think about anything yet. He just needed a break, then, and only then, he would be able to answer these questions.

“You don’t know. It’s okay,” Cooper nodded, to reassure his brother. “I’ll support you no matter what. I don’t care if you decide you want to keep skating or become the next president, I just want you to be happy. Okay?”

Blaine let out a breath and smiled. He needed to hear that.

“Okay?” His brother asked again.

“Okay.”

Both men turned as they heard their mother yell from the dining room. “Boys! Dinner!”

Cooper laughed. “That brings back memories.”

Blaine followed his older brother to the dining room. He gasped at the amount of food that his mother had made. She surely wanted to please her son, so she just made every recipe in the book. Blaine wouldn’t complain.

“And for dessert, I made cronuts. You can have as many as you like.” Pamela said softly as she kissed the top of her son’s head.

Blaine's heart felt warmer as he watched his family and his friend there with him. They all began to chat while they ate, Blaine fell silent, but a comfortable silence. He just wanted to take a moment to enjoy being at home, with people who weren't putting any kind of pressure on him and just wanted to see him happy. After they ate, Blaine grinned when his mother brought him her homemade cronuts. It was his favorite food in the whole world, his obsession. It was a flaky yet buoyant sugar-kissed pastry of perfection. 

"Blaine Warbler..." Brittany had her eyes narrowed at Blaine, looking at him suspiciously. "Why are you still wearing your coat?"

Blaine was about to take the first bite on his second cronut when he paused and swallowed hard. "I-... Well, uh-..."

"I've been wondering since I saw you at the station." Brittany tilted her head. "You do look... different."

Blaine bit his lip, he knew what she was talking about. Ever since he was little, Blaine dealt with pressure by binge-eating, and he did gain weight easily. He was out of shape for an athlete, and he knew that if he did take off his coat, his tummy would become more evident. Brittany would surely flip if she saw it. He ignored her looks and continued to eat. He already felt bad enough, he didn't want her judging him either. As soon as he ended the contract with his coach, he began not to care so much about his weight. He ate more cronuts than he could, so he could deal with the pressure of his final exams. It didn't matter, it's not like he was going to go back to competing any time soon, anyway. 

Walking into his old room felt very nostalgic. His parents hadn't changed a thing, still keeping it just like Blaine liked. Blaine pulled his suitcase inside the room and let out a breath. Being alone in there brought back memories. He looked around at all the Kurt Hummel posters on the wall. He'd been collecting those since he was nine years old. Kurt Hummel was fourteen when he made history on the ice, winning a gold medal in the Junior Worlds with the highest score in history. Kurt has always been his biggest inspiration and when he was younger, he used to spend hours daydreaming while looking at the posters hanging on his wall. It was a bit embarrassing to admit, but Blaine still kept buying new posters to this day, now being a 23-year-old man.  

Blaine remembered the incident after the last Grand Prix Finals, how Kurt had talked to him and offered a picture. He blushed with embarrassment at the memory. When Blaine finally made it and officially became a professional figure skater, he hoped that one day he would get to talk to Kurt and tell him how much he's inspired him. He even hoped that maybe they could become friends. That would never happen, not after he failed so bad. 

He looked away from the posters, too ashamed to look at Kurt's eyes. It was like he was being judged. Blaine was about to start unpacking when a picture of him and Lizzie together on his desk made his heart clench. He gently grabbed the portrait to take a better look. Lizzie was a brown middle-sized poodle. She was named after Kurt, in a way. Her actual name was Elizabeth, which was Kurt Hummel's middle name. Blaine blinked away tears as he stared at the dog. She had been his companion since he was eleven, and he felt terrible that he wasn't there for her in her last days. 

His phone lit up with a new message.

From: Mike Chang

Are you watching the Worlds? Kurt will be skating soon! 

Blaine sat down on his bed, sighing. He hadn't forgotten about the World Championship, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to watch it. He didn't feel like he belonged there anymore. He had spent all of his childhood watching every competition possible, just to feel closer to his dream, but how would he feel now? Maybe he'd feel even more of a failure. Watching Kurt would hurt too, because Kurt would be amazing, without a doubt, and Blaine would feel even worse for ever thinking that maybe he could be just as great. 

Did Kurt ever feel like that?

That thought made Blaine look again at the posters. Kurt wasn't always smiling, but Blaine noticed how happy he looked when he was ice skating. Blaine could definitely relate to that. He honestly couldn't think of something that could make him happier than ice skating. Was all that love truly gone? Blaine quickly stood up again, moving to his suitcase and searching for the most important item in his life. There was only one way to find out. 

Nobody questioned too much when Blaine announced he was leaving the house. Maybe they were still used to it, he used to do that a lot when he was a teenager. Everyone knew he was heading to the Rhodes Ice Castle. He couldn't hold back a smile when he saw Lima's ice skating rink again for the first time in years. His second home. It was close to the closing hour, so he just hoped he would get there before person he needed to talk left. The automatic door opened when he got close, he was in the Ice Castle again. He took a few steps inside and grinned. 

"Sorry, our regular hours are over." The woman announced behind the counter. She was distracted, holding a pair of ice skates in her hands and placing them on the respective shelf. 

"I was hoping you could make an exception for me?" Blaine bit his lip, not sure how she would react. 

Quinn turned around quickly, to make sure that voice truly belonged to whom she thought it did. "Blaine?!" 

Blaine offered her a smile. "It's been a while..."

"Oh, my goodness, Blaine!" Quinn almost tripped as she ran up to the man, desperate for a hug. She had missed her dear friend. Blaine didn't hesitate to hug her back. "I can't believe you're here, I thought you'd never come back!"

"I wouldn't do that to you." Blaine chuckled softly, pulling back from the hug to look at her. She still looked the same, maybe even more beautiful. Her blond hair was longer than it was when he had last seen her, and it was pulled back in a ponytail. Quinn was looking back at him too. If she did notice his weight gain, she didn't say anything. She just looked happy to see her friend again.

"Since when have you been in Lima?" Quinn asked.

"I got here a few hours ago," Blaine told her with a shrug. 

Quinn raised her eyebrow. "And already came here to skate?"

Blaine blushed a little. "Would you believe me if I said I came to see you?"

"Blaine..." She narrowed her eyes.

"But I did!" Blaine insisted, but she just kept her eyebrow raised at him.

"Then why did you bring your ice skaters?" 

Blaine bit his lip. "Well... I also came to skate." 

Quinn let out a chuckle. "Oh, Blaine Warbler... you didn't change one bit." She paused. "Can we still call you that?"

"Of course." Blaine grinned.

That was a silly name that Brittany had given him when she heard him sing one day. Blaine's true love was ice skating, but he did enjoy singing too. One day, Brittany heard him singing as he practiced a routine and decided he sounded like a warbler. Ever since that day, she had always referred to him as 'Blaine Warbler', and Quinn thought it was adorable, so she called him a warbler too. 

"Anyway..." Quinn grinned back. "If you want to use the rink, go ahead."

"Can I?" Blaine asked, just to make sure. "You won't get in trouble?"

"It's not like Ms. Rhodes will mind." Quinn shrugged. "Go. I'll cover for you." She winked. 

"Thank you so much, Quinn." Blaine smiled softly. 

"I know you want to skate alone," Quinn said, "But, I haven't seen you in three years, so I'll finish here and then I'll join you. Is that okay?"

Blaine agreed to that and made his way to the ice rink. He stopped at the locker room to change and put on his skates. Seeing Quinn had made him feel a lot happier. Blaine believed that Quinn was one of the most important people in his life, maybe even the reason he got into ice skating. 

Quinn used to be his rink mate, two years his senior. When they were little, she was really good at skating and one day, she invited Blaine to the Rhodes Ice Castle. Even when Blaine was only six, Quinn already encouraged him, always complimenting his skating skills. Quinn protected him from Noah Puckerman too. Puck, as he liked to be called, like to tease Blaine about his weight and sometimes push him around, making him fall on the ice, but Quinn always came to the rescue. Puck had changed a lot, Quinn was now married to him and they seemed like a very happy couple. Blaine considered Puck a good friend too. 

Most importantly, Quinn was the one who first told Blaine about Kurt Hummel. He remembered it like it was yesterday, the first time he saw Kurt.

"Blaine, you have to see this!" Quinn announced at the locker room and grabbed Blaine's hand, the younger boy followed her to the nearest television, where the Junior World Championship was on. 

"What?" The little boy asked, confused by the girl's excitement.

"There! That's Kurt Hummel!" Quinn told him, pointing at the screen. "He just won the gold with the highest score in history, Blaine! In. History!"

Blaine's jaw dropped when he saw the boy's free skating routine. Those jumps! It was like he was capable of flying! Blaine was only nine years old, but he was sure in the moment that that's what he wanted to do with his life. 

"He's so cool!" Quinn let out a dreamy sigh. Blaine disagreed with her, that boy wasn't just 'cool', he was amazing. It was impossible to look away. 

As the years went by, Blaine became even more impressed with Kurt Hummel. After all these years, Kurt had never failed to surprise him. His skating had inspired Blaine in such a deep and beautiful way, that Blaine had no words to describe what Kurt Hummel meant to him. With every new choreography, Kurt seemed to get better and better. Blaine's heart ached when he thought about how close Kurt was to retirement. 

Blaine entered the ice rink, his blades making a soft noise as it cut the ice. His thoughts were still on Kurt. Blaine smiled at his memory in that same ice rink, when he used to spend hours trying to perfectly copy Kurt's step sequences. Quinn was a fan too, so she even joined him sometimes. Blaine grinned brighter at a particular memory. 

"You have a poodle now too?" Quinn gasped when she saw Blaine's new dog. It was exactly like Kurt's, only smaller.  A couple of days before, Quinn had shown him a magazine that had a picture of Kurt next to his new dog and... What could Blaine say? He thought it was cute. The next day, Blaine convinced his parents to get him a new dog. 

"Yeah, I named her Elizabeth. Like Kurt's middle name!" Blaine grinned.

"Obsessed much?" Puck commented, next to Quinn. Blaine didn't understand why Puck liked to hang out with them so much. Most of the time he was complaining... 

"Well, I think it's a beautiful name, and a cute tribute." Quinn reprimanded. She then smiled. "You really like Kurt, huh?"

Blaine blushed, words couldn't even describe how much he liked Kurt, so he only nodded. 

"I hope to see you compete against him one day," Quinn said while petting Elizabeth's head. "Soon you will. You'll see."

Blaine lost track of time, lost in his thoughts. Quinn entered the ice rink and waved at him. She wasn't going to skate, so she just stood there to watch. 

"I wanted to show you something..." Blaine told her, skating over to her. He got closer so she could understand how serious he was about this. "I-... Everyone thinks I stopped skating after competitions ended, but... There's actually something I've been practicing since." He swallowed hard. 

Quinn could clearly see through Blaine, she needed to give him his full attention, because whatever it was that he was going to show her meant a lot to him. 

"Please, watch." 

"Last up is Kurt Hummel from France. He's clearly considered France's hero, we can hear the audience cheering and it's deafening! It's the moment we've all been waiting for! Hummel is now after his fifth consecutive Worlds Championship gold medal. He skates over to the center of the rink..."

Quinn had her eyes glued on Blaine as he skated to the center of the rink. 

Blaine positioned himself, and let out a nervous breath. After a few seconds, when he felt confident enough, he began to move. He lifted up his hand and inside his mind, he could hear the music. 

"In this program, he has four quads planned. Here comes the first quad..." The narrator paused, Kurt's skates made a noise as he jumped and beautifully rotated four times in the air before landing perfectly. "A quadruple Lutz! Very clean and nicely done. The next quad is his signature move. How will it go?"

"A quadruple flip!" A second narrator joined. "He lands this one, too! 

'Don't think. Don't think, just do what you know you can do best', Blaine thought. His feet moved almost on their own to the choreography he had spent months practicing and had memorized it by now. It was Kurt's National's choreography. His body was out of shape, which made things harder, but he still knew what to do, and he still loved doing it. Here comes the jump...

He did it. Blaine didn't stop to think which jump it had been, he just knew what he needed to do and did it. The only thing going through his mind was the song... 

 "The music was Kurt Hummel's own choice, as always, and it's called  'Stammi Vicino', which means 'Stay Close To Me'" 

"A quadruple Salchow! Wow... This program brings out a new dimension in Kurt Hummel's performance."

"Though, we can't help but wonder what it would be like to watch a younger skater perform this. Would they be able to pull it off?"

It was getting harder for Quinn to watch Blaine skating because she had tears in her eyes, she quickly blinked them away as she gasped at yet another jump Blaine did. "A triple flip..." She whispered. 

"Now, the last quad... A quadruple toe-loop, followed by a triple toe-loop! He landed all his quads amazingly! The crowd is already cheering, knowing Kurt Hummel snatched the gold medal again!"

"He's preparing for a combination spin..."

Blaine's body was too tired, but it was almost ending now. 'A combination spin', he thought. 'I can do this.' He finished the spin and did the final pose. He had done it, hadn't he? He actually managed to copy Kurt's entire choreography and didn't fall even once. He did have to change a few jumps, he didn't know how to some of them yet, but it didn't make the step sequence a lot easier.

Blaine was still standing in the final pose, looking up at the ceiling and imagining that Kurt was probably winning another medal for this exact same choreography. He turned to Quinn when he heard a choking sound. 

Quinn was furiously wiping away her tears. "Oh, Blaine..." She breathed out. "Blaine! That was so amazing! You are a perfect copy of Kurt! When did you learn this choreography?"

"I, well..." Blaine shrugged, blushing as he skated over to her. 

"You can't give up, Blaine Warbler," Quinn said seriously. "Look at me, I'm in tears! You can still be as great as Kurt, Blaine. I know you can!"

Blaine scratched the back of his head. He did feel the happiest when he was on the ice. 

”I thought you’d be feeling depressed or something, but after seeing what you did just now...”

”I was,” Blaine admitted. “But I guess I’m tired of feeling bad about myself. I needed to come here to remind myself that I-...” 

“That you are incredible!” Another voice came from the other side of the room. 

“Mr. Hummel, I know the competition season just ended, but I need to ask... What do you have in mind for the next season?” The reporter asked  Kurt, who was sitting at the press conference table. 

Everyone kept wondering what Kurt’s next steps would be. Kurt Hummel’s best trait was that he always managed to find a way to surprise people. He was always unpredictable, in a way that kept everyone always on the edge of their seat. 

Something seemed to be bothering Kurt, though. What bothered him was that everyone always knew that no matter what he did for the next season, he would win. He would always be perfect. 

Perhaps his retirement wasn’t yet coming, but it was getting inevitably closer. Would he still be considered perfect by the time his body forced him to retire? 

Would he ever find a way to completely surprise people again?

The little girl ran up to them, a cellphone in her hand. 

“I can’t believe I’m finally meeting you again! You haven’t been here in years!”

”Beth...” Her mother called out. “Behave.” She looked up at Blaine again. “Sorry. She’s your fan.”

Beth nodded quickly, staring at Blaine in awe. She had really grown up since he last saw her. He gave her a smile. “No need to apologize, Quinn. I’m flattered that your daughter is a fan.” 

Beth jumped in excitement. “Oh, my goodness, I have so many questions! Blaine, when are you going back to skating? Are you in a relationship? Will you find a new coach?” She asked all these questions so fast that Blaine didn’t even know where to start.

“Hey!” Quinn exclaimed before sighing and turning to Blaine. “She’s only nine, but she thinks she’s a reporter.” 

“I just want to share this with my friends, they don’t even believe me when I say I’ve met Blaine Anderson!” Beth whined as she snapped a photo of Blaine. 

Puck came into the ice rink too, running as he looked around, searching for something or someone. 

“Blaine! Brit just told me!” Puck cheered, running up to the man and giving him a tight hug. “Welcome back, dude!” 

The four of them had a nice conversation, there was a lot of catching up to do. Beth kept trying to turn the focus back to her, but when the adults weren’t giving her enough attention, she discretely left. There was something very important she needed to do. 

During the past years, Blaine had ignored most aspects of his life so he could focus on his career. When he was in New York, he would rarely join his friends when they went out. He did feel lonely sometimes, but the ice had always been a good friend. Going back to Lima had really been the best decision. Being around people who loved him and cared for him was really necessary for his recovery. Blaine had issues with his insecurities. His mind could be quite complicated sometimes and he had to deal with a lot of anxiety. For the past three years, he always felt like everyone around him was constantly judging him, or expecting him to be great. 

He took in a deep breath as he walked back home. It felt good to be in a small town again, where he could just take a long walk without a care in the world. It was already dark, and getting late, but Blaine did enjoy being alone. He looked down at the sidewalk as he began to hum that same song from Kurt's performance. Blaine could speak Italian, so he quietly began to sing. 

Stay close to me. Don't go away. I'm afraid of losing you.

Blaine thought about those lyrics. Was Kurt thinking of someone specific when he chose that song? It seemed so intimate. Kurt had changed the song and choreography he performed at the Grand Prix Finals before going to compete at Nationals in France. Everybody questioned why, but Kurt never gave an answer. Skaters didn't usually do that. They did change a few aspects of the choreography here and there during a competition season, but never the entire routine. Well... Kurt Hummel was unpredictable. Blaine didn't know what he had to do, but he decided that he was going to find a way to skate on the same ice as Kurt someday.

Blaine arrived at his house, ready to go straight to the kitchen and eat one more cronut before going to bed. He decided he was going to focus on losing weight soon, but first... one more cronut. 

Two days later 

Blaine was watching TV in his house. He had decided to take his time before officially beginning to practice again. There were a lot of TV shows he needed to catch up. He decided to watch the sports channel for a bit, surely there would still be talking about Kurt Hummel's victory. And there it was.

A reporter was in France showing Kurt and his ice rink mates doing their routines during practice. Apparently, they had all began to focus on the next season. They showed a clip of that teenage boy, Blaise, talking to his coach, Sue Sylvester.

"...The rising star, Blaise Lambiel, is finally gearing up in earnest to join the senior competition..."  While the reporter talked, Blaine watched the boy do a perfect spread eagle followed by a jump. 

Blaine actually gasped. "W-wow..." He had to admit that even though his attitude sucked, Blaise was a good skater. 

"... The 15-year-old is about to join Kurt Hummel in ushering France into an era with two champions." 

Blaine turned off the television and shook his head. So many of his friends and fans had told him that he was good enough and that he should return, but Blaise's words were still fresh in his mind. 
 
“Incompetents like you should just retire already.”

Blaine closed his bedroom's door and sat on the floor. No, he was not going to let some teenager with anger issues tell him what to do. Yes, Blaise was already considered a champion, while Blaine was just another figure skater, but Blaine was a fighter. He wasn't ready to give up just yet. The pressure was on now. He heard his phone going off next to him, bringing him out of his thoughts. 

"Puck?" He was confused, he answered the call anyway. "Hello?" 

"I'm so sorry, Blaine. She's grounded, I promise!"

Blaine frowned, completely lost. "Who's grounded?"

"Beth, obviously!" Puck sounded incredibly worried. 

"Puck, I really don't understand..."

He could hear Quinn's voice talking to Beth somewhere close to Puck. "How could you do that without my permission again? Didn't I tell you no?!"  

"I needed to post it, mom!" Beth protested. "For the fans!"

"Oh..." Puck paused. "Y-you don't know?"

"About what?!" Blaine was getting frustrated now. "Just tell me what's going on!" 

Puck was silent for a moment. "I guess I'll just send it to you. Hang on."

Blaine got a message from Puck, it was a link for a Youtube video. He quickly opened it and his eyes widened. 

"Oh, my god..." That was all Blaine could say at that moment as he watched the video playing in front of his eyes. 

Puck could still hear him on speaker, so he just let out a tiny. "I-I'm sorry."

"OH, MY GOD!" Blaine yelled when he saw the view count. 

"Beth uploaded the video and it went viral." Puck explained the obvious. Blaine was ready to lock himself in his room and never leave.

"Delete it right now!" Blaine could hear Quinn demanding. 

"I-... I-..." Blaine was stuttering. He noticed that his mentions on Twitter were going crazy. He was scared to open them. He just wanted to throw his phone out of the window. Had all his friends already seen it? His coach? Had Kurt seen it?!

"We'll delete it." 

"There's no point." Blaine breathed out. His anxiety was coming, he knew it. "Just... It's okay- I- it's okay. Don't be angry at Beth."

"Anderson, I'm sorry!"

"I gotta go!" Blaine quickly hung up and turned off his phone. He didn't want to deal with this right now. Or ever. He hid under his covers, trying to ignore the feeling in his stomach. He wondered how many skaters had already seen it. People were already tagging Kurt and telling him to watch it, he knew it. Kurt would see it and think he's pathetic. He closed his eyes, just wanting to sleep and pretend this never happened. 

What he didn't know, was that Kurt Hummel was watching that video in that exact moment, replaying it again and again. 

For the next day, he ignored every social media and kept his phone off. He stayed in his room, reading a book or watching a movie. He knew he should just go ahead and face what happened, but for now, he was happy to deal with it in an unhealthy way. His family didn't know what had happened, but Brittany had come to his house that morning to ask him what that video was all about. Blaine told her he had no idea he was even being recorded. The woman seemed very excited about the video, telling him that he should be proud of it because it was like she was seeing the warbler she had always known again. 

Blaine still didn't want to face anyone. He was too embarrassed. He did briefly turn on his phone just to tell Puck and Quinn that it was okay, he wasn't angry at them or at Beth. She was just a child, and probably wanted to impress her Twitter followers or something. He couldn't blame her. 

He woke up a little earlier than usual the next day. Blaine rubbed his eyes a little and decided to go back to sleep. He was planning on having a quiet day of reading, and maybe, just maybe he would go back to social media again, but it was still too early to wake up. 

"Blaine! BLAINE!" Cooper's voice came from the other side of his door. His older brother didn't bother knocking, he just opened the door and entered the room.

Blaine sat up. "What? What happened?" He rubbed his eyes.

"You're not going to believe this..." Cooper was out of breath, he looked shocked. "You have to come downstairs right now!" 

Before Blaine could reply, Cooper turned around and left. "Just change your clothes first!" The older man yelled.  

Blaine was still sitting on the bed, staring at the open door in confusion. What could be so important? He just rolled his eyes, it was probably just an attempt to get Blaine out of the house for a bit. Cooper always had the weirdest ideas to make Blaine come out of his shell. Still, Blaine was intrigued, and when he was ready to get out of bed, he heard a bark. 

His eyes widened. "Lizzie?" 

No, that was impossible. He saw a dog a lot bigger than Lizzie entering his room and jumping on the bed, immediately licking his face, like it knew Blaine. "Hey! Stop!" He laughed, still confused at the sight of a dog in his bed, but too happy to care. Whoever that dog was, it was cute and very friendly. Its fur was similar to Lizzie's too...  

Blaine paused, taking a better look at the animal, even turning on the lights to make sure he was seeing straight. A brown poodle. Could that be...? No, that was impossible. He was out of bed in a second, changing out of his pajamas in record time. He didn't even bother gelling his hair, he just needed to go downstairs for any kind of explanation of what that dog was doing there.  

Blaine was shaking as he climbed down the stairs, the dog following behind him. No, it couldn't be. It couldn't be! He was delusional if he thought that that dog actually belonged to-...

"K-Kurt." He breathed out at the sight.  

"Blaine..." The tall man was sitting on his living room's couch, he stood up with a bright smile when he saw Blaine. The younger man froze completely, glancing at his family, who were standing there, looking at him expectantly while the living legend Kurt Hummel was standing there. In. His. Living room.   

Blaine's heart was about to jump out of his chest. Was this really happening? That wasn't possible and didn't make any sense. Was he dreaming? He stared at the beautiful man with pale skin and a warm smile. "W-what are you doing here?" He didn't understand how he was still capable of speech. 

"Starting today, I am your coach." Kurt announced, "I will make you win the Grand Prix Finals." 

Kurt Hummel was a genius, who never failed to surprise Blaine. 

Chapter Text

"Kurt!"

Kurt raised his eyebrows as he stopped in his tracks while carrying his bag to the airport. He was going to take the next flight to the United States. When Sue called him by his name instead of "Porcelain", she was being very serious. Apparently, his coach had found out about what he was about to do and went to the airport to stop him.

"What do you think you're doing?" Sue protested, behind the ice skater. "Are you crazy? Stay here and practice for the next season, you will win again for sure!"

"Ms. Sylvester..." Kurt turned around, a small smile on his face. Sue was tough, but he knew that she did care about him. Sue had been his coach since he was still in the junior division. She saw something in him, always believed in him. "You were the best coach I've ever had. You always will be, but..." 

Sue was worried, Kurt could tell. "Listen to me, Hummel, if you walk away right now... I don't think you'll be able to come back. And then I won’t-... We will never win that sixth gold medal!” Kurt sighed and ignored her as he entered the airport. She continued to follow him. "Santana told me about your plans. I hope she was lying..."

"She wasn't," Kurt replied nonchalantly.

Sue was furious. "What?"

"You heard me..."

"You think you're capable of being a coach?!" Sue looked so offended that Kurt almost laughed. "You think skating is hard? Being a coach, that's hard!"

Kurt just rolled his eyes. He put his bag on the ground and stepped closer to her. "Thank you for everything, Sue. Au revoir." 

He kissed her on the cheek, knowing she wasn't a big fan of human contact. He had to say goodbye properly. "Hummel!" She groaned and stepped back.

"I'm sorry, I can't do as you say this time..." Kurt turned back around and grabbed his bag again. 

"Like you've ever done as I say..." Sue said, mostly to herself as she watched her best figure skater walk away.

"BLAINE WARBLER!" Brittany was at the door when Pamela opened it she went straight inside to look for her friend, ignoring the woman. "Why aren't you answering your phone?!"

It was already dark outside when Brittany read about the rumor that made her jump out of her bed and run straight to the Anderson household. She needed answers. On Twitter, some of Kurt Hummel's news sources were posting about the figure skater unexpectedly leaving France and flying to the United States. There was no confirmation, but apparently, Blaine's viral video had a lot to do with it. Rumors of Kurt leaving to be Blaine's coach were all people talked about. 

"Have you heard about the rumor that-...." Brittany gasped and widened her eyes.

It was true. The living legend himself was sitting on the dinner table with Blaine sitting next to him and watching him eat. Blaine looked like he was seeing a god. Well, in Blaine's mind he was. Kurt meant that much to him. They were alone together, Blaine's family had decided to leave them alone to talk. 

"So it's true..." 

Blaine finally looked away from his idol when he noticed Brittany there. Blaine didn't even know what to say, he was still having a hard time believing this was real. Kurt was just finishing his dinner, he had a peaceful look on his face like he was enjoying the food very much. 

"Is this your friend, Blaine?" Kurt asked, his French accent sounded even nicer in person, Brittany thought. "Join us for dinner, I'm Kurt."

He offered his hand for her to shake, she giggled softly when they touched. "Wow, your hands are so soft. It's like my cat's paws."

"T-that's- uh, that's my friend, Brittany, yes." Blaine still had to work on his stutter around Kurt. 

"Nice to meet you, Brittany." Kurt offered her a smile. "It's good you're here, I've been trying to get to know Blaine better, as his friend, maybe you can help."

Brittany grinned. "Oh, it's easy. I can give you a list of everything he loves: Blaine loves you-“

"Britt!" Blaine widened his eyes.

"...-He loves dogs. He loves eating. He loves ice skating..." Brittany hummed. "That's pretty much everything you need to know about Blaine."

Kurt chuckled softly. The sound making Blaine blush. Kurt was wearing a green robe, it made his eyes look even brighter. Blaine was glad he already felt comfortable in his house. His mother had made sure to make him feel at home making the most delicious dinner. His father didn't really know much about who Kurt Hummel was, but he understood how much he meant to Blaine.

The whole day went by really fast, Cooper spent the day grinning like an idiot at the two of them. He was sure his brother would explode in any minute. Earlier that day, Blaine helped Kurt carry his luggage upstairs to the guest room. Kurt had insisted that he needed to stay in the same house as Blaine. He had brought so many bags and boxes, and Blaine wondered how long he was planning on staying. They still hadn't carried all of them up to the room. Most of the time, Kurt kept trying to get Blaine talking more about himself. Blaine, however, could barely speak. This whole thing was surreal and he kept pinching himself. 

"Your mother's food is lovely, I can see why you love food so much," Kurt said to Blaine, the younger skater smiled, but looked away from Kurt's eyes. 

"Do you- uh... w-want dessert?" 

"I'd love that, actually." Kurt replied, "What's your favorite? As your coach, I need to know everything about you, even your favorite food in the whole world."

Soon, Pamela was bringing cronuts to the table. It was silly, but Blaine really hoped Kurt would like his favorite dessert. Judging by Kurt's expression, he loved it! The French man widened his eyes after the first bite and then wouldn't stop eating. 

"Wow, this is amazing!" Kurt talked with his mouth full. Blaine couldn't help but grin. 

"I'm glad you like it," Blaine blushed, with a timid smile. 

Brittany chipped in, "Blaine was only allowed to eat those after winning a competition because he gains weight easily."

Kurt raised his eyebrow, watching Blaine reach out to grab one of the cronuts. "Oh, really? Blaine, have you eaten one of those recently?"

Blaine paused and nodded. "Yes, I eat them all the time."

"Why?" Kurt tilted his head with a smile, "You haven't won anything in a while."

Blaine widened his eyes and pulled his hand away. Kurt had a point. 

"I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but I can't teach you anything unless you get back in shape," Kurt said to him, trying to sound as kind as possible, but it still made Blaine a little upset. Kurt wasn't wrong. He wasn't unhappy with his body, but he was definitely out of shape for an athlete. "So the rule is back, you can't eat cronuts unless you win something." 

Blaine let out a sad sigh but agreed. He'd give up eating cronuts forever if it meant having Kurt around as his coach. 

After they finished their food, Kurt excused himself to go take a shower, while Blaine asked Brittany to help him carry the rest of the boxes upstairs. The guest room was small, but Kurt said he had liked it and complimented the colors of the walls. Blaine knew how much Kurt loved interior design. 

"Why are there so many boxes?" Brittany groaned, carrying a particularly heavy one. 

"I haven't asked." Blaine was carrying the last one. "I think he brought everything he needed to redecorate the room. And Hepburn's stuff."

The dog was currently lying on the bed, making herself comfortable. Brittany petted her after she put the box down. "You changed Lizzie's name? I didn't know she had come back from the farm."

"I... No, Britt, Lizzie is... still living at the farm. This is Kurt's dog, her name is Hepburn." 

"Oh," Brittany nodded, taking a long look at the dog, before she continued talking, "Anyway. If he brought all this stuff, does that mean he's moving in?"

"Not moving in, no, but I bet he'll stay for a while." Blaine couldn't hide his grin anymore. "Oh, god, Brittany, I'm so... I still can't believe it."

"It's big news in France. He's taking the next season off. They're saying that when he saw the video of you skating his routine, he was struck with inspiration, and that's why he decided to become your coach." Brittany told Blaine, it was something she had read on one of the articles. 

"Struck with inspiration?" Blaine repeated slowly. It was impossible for someone like him to impress someone like Kurt, right? 

"That's what they're saying..." The blond girl nodded. "Kurt came because he chose you, Blaine. You brought him here!"

Brittany was grinning, but Blaine was actually terrified. If that was true, then there was a lot of pressure to deal with. He could not disappoint Kurt Hummel. If, as crazy as it seemed, Kurt had seen something in him, Blaine had the obligation to prove him right. 

Far away from that room, there was a boy in France named Blaise. He had just arrived at his ice rink, ready to practice for his senior debut.

As arrogant as it sounded, Blaise knew he was capable of winning the gold medal on his first try. Blaise was about to turn sixteen, his hair was long and blond. His body was very slim, which was perfect for an ice skater. He had been focused on becoming the greatest ice skater since he was just a little kid. Every time he entered an ice rink, he felt free and unstoppable. He was never going to openly admit, but he was a fan of Kurt Hummel. The man was a legend and it was an honor to be skating on the same rink. Today, though, he decided he needed to talk to Kurt about something more serious. 

Blaise frowned at his phone. He knew he would have to stay away from his phone after he entered the ice, so he decided to check social media one last time after he put on his ice skaters. "Huh?"

He read the headline again:

[Rumor] Kurt Hummel leaves France to become Blaine Anderson's coach. 

"Why that fatso?" Blaise's green eyes squinted in anger. "Did he forget what he promised me?"

 "Oh, did you bring everything up here?" Kurt asked with a smile as he entered the room, drying his hair. 

Blaine and Brittany turned to look at him, and Blaine nodded. "Y-yes, uh, we did. Brittany helped."

"Thank you," Kurt grinned at them, hoping Blaine would relax. 

"I think I should go now," Brittany said quickly, winking at Blaine. "I'll leave you two alone."

"Britt, you don't have to-..."

"Bye, Blaine Warbler. Bye, Kurt!" The woman was out of the room before Blaine could stop her. 

Being alone with Kurt inevitably made him start trembling a little. Those blue eyes on him, searching and quite possibly judging almost made him want to disappear. Blaine didn't understand why his heart was pounding so hard. Kurt stretched a little after he finished drying his hair on the towel. 

"This room is quite comfortable..." Kurt said kindly, with a smile as he looked around. "Small, but comfortable."

"I'm sorry that it's so small," Blaine said nervously, kneeling down to move a box that Brittany had misplaced. He pushed it to get it out of the way. 

"Don't worry," Kurt shrugged, "I am allowed to redecorate, right?"

"Y-yeah," Blaine nodded, as he looked up nervously at Kurt from where he was on the floor. 

"You seem anxious..." Kurt tilted his head. "Is this about the payment? You don't have to pay me now, Blaine. You can pay me once you win." 

"T-thank you," Blaine looked down. He wasn't even thinking about payment until now, how much would it cost? 

To his surprise, when Blaine looked up again, Kurt was kneeling down in front of him. Blaine opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He froze, watching the man of his dreams look at him with a smile. It was interesting, Kurt was always very charming and always smiled during interviews, but this smile was something different. Blaine guessed it was because seeing it in person was a whole different experience. 

"I want to know everything about you, Blaine," Kurt said softly, Blaine could only stare into those blue eyes. "Where you skate, and what hobbies you have... If there's a girl you like?"

Blaine's eyes widened at that. A girl? No, Blaine had realized a long time ago that he didn't like girls that way. He didn't get the chance to tell him that, because suddenly, he felt Kurt's hand running down his arm until it reached Blaine's own hand and stayed there. 

"Before we start practicing, we should get to know each other," Kurt went on, his other hand was then on Blaine's chin, lifting it up until Blaine was looking at Kurt properly in the eye. "A relationship like this should be built on trust."

Blaine couldn't hold back a gasp, and then he was quickly pulling away. He stood up, hoping Kurt wouldn't get offended by that, and most importantly, hoping Kurt couldn't see how much he was blushing. Blaine realized at that moment, that he was still scared of being around Kurt. He knew he needed to break that wall between them like Kurt was trying to do, but he was still scared. "I, uh, I should go."

"Blaine?" Kurt called him softly, as he stood up as well, "Is something wrong?"

"No!" Blaine said quickly. "No, I just-... I should leave you alone. I'm sure you're very tired." 

"I'm not actually." Kurt assured him and grabbed his pillow, "I do want to talk to you, and to know everything about you. Can we sleep together?"

"What?!"

Kurt was quick to correct himself. "I mean in the same room. I could sleep in your room so we can talk more."

Blaine widened his eyes at the suggestion. "I don't think that's a good idea. I really should go."

Blaine practically ran out of the guest room. It was embarrassing. His first day with Kurt as his coach and he was already making a fool out of himself. It wouldn't take long for Kurt to realize that this had been a mistake and that he should go back to France before it's too late. Blaine walked into his room and quickly closed the door before Kurt could take a look inside and see all the posters. Blaine decided he needed to get rid of them before Kurt comes anywhere near that room. One by one, Blaine began to remove the posters hanging on his wall. It would be too embarrassing if Kurt ever saw those. It was surreal that the man from those posters was sleeping in a room just down his hall. Once he finished taking down all the posters, he stopped to take a long look at a particular one. It was a picture from a couple of years ago of Kurt skating at a Grand Prix Final. He realized that he had idolized Kurt so much that he had never had the courage to speak to him properly before the man showed up at his house. 

He put the posters away, turned off the lights and got under the covers. What a completely insane day. Blaine finally let himself smile like an idiot. 

"I get it now," He whispered to himself in the dark, "My heart is pounding so hard because of how happy I am."

The next day, after breakfast, Kurt and Blaine headed to the Rhodes Ice Castle together. Blaine was determined to show Kurt the ice rink where he had practiced his whole life, where he had discovered his passion for ice skating. Kurt suggested that Blaine should go running, so he could take it as an opportunity to start exercising and losing weight. 

Kurt had borrowed Blaine's old bicycle and followed the man to the ice rink. Blaine was also determined to speak more about himself and his life in Lima, so he told the french man all about his town. Blaine told Kurt about his friends, who worked in the Ice Castle and how happy they would be that Blaine wasn't giving up. He told Kurt how close he was to retirement. 

"Honestly? If you didn't show up at my house, I would probably retire." Blaine told him, while he jogged. 

Kurt hummed and glanced at him, while Hepburn followed them. Blaine was holding her leash. "Really?"

"Really." Blaine was panting a little. "I... I actually still don't believe you came all the way from France just to be my coach."

Kurt was quiet for a moment, Blaine wondered if he was having second thoughts. "You should believe in yourself more, Blaine." He said simply. "I believe in you."

After he said that, Kurt smiled at the other man and both of them fell into a comfortable silence. Those words kept echoing in Blaine's mind until they got to the Ice Castle. When they arrived, Blaine was having a hard time catching his breath back. He would have to work hard to get back in shape. He was very curious to see Quinn, Puck and Beth's reaction, though. They probably didn't believe any of the rumors online, but he had told everyone in his family and Brittany not to tell anyone. Who knew what the reporters would do if they found out that Kurt was truly there? As far as everyone was concerned, Blaine was still in New York, maybe they were looking for Kurt there.  

"Hi, I'm Kurt Hummel." Kurt waved at the people behind the counter. Blaine chuckled, the entire family was there. "I'll be Blaine's coach from now on."

At first, they were all frozen in shock, staring at Kurt like he was a ghost. Suddenly they all began to talk and it was chaos. Beth took pictures, while Puck started asking all kinds of questions, Quinn came closer to check if Kurt was real. Beth desperately asked Blaine if she could post a picture while the man repeatedly told her no. After they all calmed down a little, everyone headed to the ice rink. Everyone was desperate to see Kurt Hummel ice skating just for them. 

Kurt was a very humble and kind man. He posed for pictures that Beth took, patiently answered all of everyone's questions and confirmed that yes, he was truly going to be Blaine's coach. He let them pet Hepburn, who was a very well-behaved dog. She was probably used to going everywhere with Kurt, mostly ice rinks. When Kurt put on his ice skaters and entered the rink, everyone was mesmerized. Kurt had asked them to play Stammi Vicino so he could show them the choreography that won him his fifth consecutive World Championship gold medal. The same choreography that Blaine copied and caught Kurt's attention. 

Quinn was amazed. She knew his friend was special and had done an incredible job performing that same choreography, but she never expected that it was good enough to make Kurt Hummel drop everything and fly to the United States to coach Blaine. 

"Wow... a quadruple flip!" She exclaimed, watching the man skate. She also never expected to get the chance to see Kurt practicing right in front of her. 

Beth had her camera pointed at the man, recording everything. "Don't worry, mom, I've got this." She turned to Blaine again, "Can I, please, upload this one? Just this one!"

"Beth," Blaine shook his head, "You can't. This isn't for the public."

Puck was standing next to Blaine, a shocked look still on his face. "Is this for real, Blaine? He's staying?"

"Yes," Blaine couldn't hide his smile, "He's staying. He says he'd like to use this rink as our home base for now. Is that okay?"

"Are you nuts? Of course it is!" Puck assured him, "I'll tell April, but I know she'll be glad that someone is skating in this ice rink."

Blaine felt Puck pull him into a hug, which wasn't something that happened every day, but when Puck did it, it was genuine. "Kurt teaching you himself... I know it's a dream come true, man." He said as he pulled away. 

"Yeah..." Blaine looked at Kurt again, as the man did another jump. When Blaine was twelve, Kurt was four years his senior and was already number one in the world. Blaine thought about how he had imitated Kurt for years, trying to catch up to him. How did one video of him inspire Kurt? How was it enough to make Kurt believe in him? 

'How did I inspire you, Kurt?'

"You are banned from entering this rink unless you lose your body fat," Kurt said, almost in a cheerful way as he looked at Blaine. He didn't even pause his movements to say it. Blaine was dragged out of his thoughts with this new information. 

He needed to lose weight now. 

That day, after they left the ice rink, Blaine headed to Cassandra July's studio. Cassandra was a ballet teacher, who taught Blaine and Brittany. She wasn't the friendliest person in the world, but she was a good teacher. When she was younger, she used to travel around the world for dance competitions. After getting in trouble because of her drinking problem, she moved to Lima and decided to teach. 

Brittany worked for her now. She taught kids, but there weren't many students. That evening, Blaine met up with her so they could practice. He asked her to help him lose weight and also practice some moves. She had a unique way of teaching things, but it worked for Blaine. She was always the best dancer in class. When Blaine was younger, he spent more time in ballet classes or at the ice rink than at home. 

"Brittany really helped me get better..." Blaine told Kurt, the next day. They had taken the day off and Blaine was showing Kurt around Lima. They headed together to the park, where Blaine liked to watch the sunset. Blaine was starting to be more open with Kurt, so he began to talk about the people who helped him become an ice skater. "She encouraged me."

"Blaine?" Kurt called, and only went on when Blaine looked at him, "Do you have feelings for Brittany?"

Blaine almost tripped, "What?! Of course not!" He frowned at Kurt. Where did he even get that idea? Brittany was like a sister to him, and besides, he didn't even like girls that way.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Kurt tilted his head.

"A girlfriend? No!" 

"Ex-girlfriend, then?" 

"Kurt, no!" Blaine shook his head quickly. "I like boys."

That finally got Kurt's attention. The man let out a small breath he was holding and nodded. "Oh, okay." 

Blaine knew Kurt liked boys too. He had read it once in a magazine, and his silly teenage heart skipped a beat when he found out that Kurt was just like him. His silly mind even played with the idea that one day, Kurt and he would be together. He was a grown up now, and he knew that Kurt would never see him that way. Blaine already felt like the luckiest man in the world for even having Kurt as his coach, and a friend even. He never would have thought that he'd be where he is right now, sitting on a bench with Kurt Hummel and watching the sunset. 

"This view is so beautiful..." Blaine heard Kurt mutter. He took out his phone and decided to snap a picture, ready to post it on Instagram. Blaine proudly watched him do it. He was happy that Kurt found that place beautiful too. It was one of his favorite spots in Lima. Not that Lima had a lot to offer.  

"Oh, merde!" Kurt said, staring down at his phone. 

Blaine turned his head to look at him. "Something wrong?"

"I forgot to remove my location." Kurt bit his lip. 

The teenager was tired of stalking Kurt's and his fan's social media trying to figure out something, anything, that could give him a clue of where exactly Kurt was. All he got from Santana was that Kurt was not in New York, because Blaine - or the pig - had left New York. Kurt could be literally anywhere in America. 

Suddenly, his Twitter feed gave him the answers. The rumors were confirmed, Kurt Hummel was in the United States, in a small town called Lima, in Ohio. He had just posted a picture on Instagram that had that location. The pig's fans were quick to remind everyone that Blaine was from Lima, so it pretty much confirmed that Blaine and Kurt were together, which confirmed that... Yes, Kurt was coaching Blaine. Blaise groaned, 'What a waste of time', he thought. 

"But I found you now, Kurt," Blaise smirked to himself while scratching behind his cat's ear. "Just you wait..."

One week later.

The first day after Kurt was discovered had been weird and difficult even, but soon the Anderson family got used to the reporters and fans showing up at their front lawn. After they got an official statement from Kurt, and after Kurt gave out a few autographs, they mostly left them alone. The entire town was still abuzz. The Ice Castle had Puck standing in front of the entrance with Beth to keep everyone out, the ice rink was exclusively for Blaine to practice with Kurt. Suddenly, Lima wanted to ice skate again. The legend of ice skating was there and that was all everyone talked about. 

Blaine hadn't paid attention to any of it. He was focused on losing the few extra pounds. Every day, all he did was exercise. Kurt wasn't going to teach him anything until he was back in shape, so every day he felt like he was wasting Kurt's time, and he didn't want that. Blaine knew that if he worked really hard, he was going to be able to get back in shape in one week. 

He managed to do it. Blaine had just left the gym after weighing himself and had a big smile on his face. He was running all the way to the Ice Castle to tell Kurt the news. Kurt was already working on a choreography for Blaine, and now the younger skater would finally be able to learn it. And ice skate again! It had only been a week, but Blaine missed it like crazy. Some of Kurt's fans were still standing outside the building, waiting for a chance to see Kurt skating with their own eyes. Blaine pushed through the small crowd.

As soon as he entered the Ice Castle, he shouted out the good news to Quinn and Beth, "I did it! My weight is back to what it was before the Grand Prix Finals!" He stopped to catch his breath, not noticing the looks that the girls were giving him. "Kurt will let me ice skate again and-..."

Blaine gasped when someone pushed him hard and was shocked to find out that Blaise Lambiel was standing right in front of him, looking at him with rage in his eyes. "This is all your fault, you pig!"

"Blaise!" Quinn shouted and grabbed the teenager's arm. "I don't care that you're a World Champion, in this ice rink, you're not allowed to push anyone!"

"What the hell are you doing here?" Blaine frowned, still shocked to see the boy. 

"You owe me an apology!" Blaise went on, completely ignoring everyone else. 

Blaine looked at Quinn. "What is he talking about?"

The woman shrugged, "I have no idea, he came in and said he was here to talk to Kurt."

Blaine turned to look at Blaise again. The boy liked to wear clothes with jaguar print on it. It matched his personality. His long blond hair was on his face, covering one eye. Blaine could see through him, though. Blaise was trying to keep the 'French Punk' act, but something was hurting him.

"I'm wasting my time here!" Blaise groaned, "I need to talk to Kurt right now... He made me a promise."

'I'm supposed to do a triple Salchow next, but...'

The small twelve-year-old boy closed his eyes as he prepared for the jump. He knew he could do better than a triple. He was performing in front of the judges who would decide if he could compete in Junior's category, he needed to show his best! He did not care if his coach didn't like it. Blaise jumped and-...

'Yes! I knew I could do it!' Blaise couldn't hide the mischievous grin as he glanced at his coach. 'See that, Ms. Sylvester?'

"You are a complete idiot!" One day Sue Sylvester would learn that yelling at him was pointless. He didn't care. Blaise just kept sipping his water while Sue yelled next to him after his performance was over. He barely glanced at her. "I told you repeatedly that quads are off limits because your body is still developing! And what do you do in front of the judges? A quad Salchow! And worse, almost fell!" 

It was true, he did lose his balance a little, but he completed the jump and he was proud of that. Sue was not going to take that away from him. 

"If you can't follow orders, you should quit!" Sue was interrupted by someone clapping and laughing. 

"Sue, you should praise him more. He's good." 

Blaise turned to look at the owner of the voice. It was Kurt Hummel. He knew Kurt had the same coach as him, but he didn't always get the chance to see the man. It felt really good to be praised by the best ice skater in the world. Blaise couldn't hold back a smile. 

"Stay out of this, Hummel! It's none of your business!" Sue yelled at Kurt, who seemed just as unfazed by it as Blaise.

"I used to get scolded for doing that too," Kurt said, now talking directly to Blaise. "I bet you can win even without quads. I'd bet money on it." He said seriously, "You can win the Junior World Championship." 

That gave Blaise more confidence than ever. If Kurt thought he could win, then nothing would stop him. He stood up from the chair he was sitting, looking at Kurt right in the eyes. "Okay. If I win without the quad flips, then choreograph a program just for me!" 

He could already imagine it. Every choreography that Kurt created were flawless. Blaise knew he had what it took to make justice to them. 

Kurt thought for a moment before he smiled and offered Blaise his hand. "Sure. It's a deal."

Blaise took the man's hand and shook it, to seal the promise. 

"When you win the Junior World Championship, come see me," Kurt said with a smile, "I'll give you the best senior debut ever." 

"A promise?" Blaine asked, what did that have to do with anything. 

"Yes, okay!" Blaise let out a frustrated sigh and leaned against the counter. "Kurt promised he'd choreograph a program for me. Did he promise you that too?"

Blaine shook his head. "No, I-... We haven't talked about programs yet."

Blaise raised his eyebrow, for some reason it made him angrier. "You're not choreographing anything?"

"Uh, no..."

Blaise stomped his feet as he walked closer to Blaine. "Kurt drops everything for this season and you haven't even started anything yet! What the hell have you been doing? Why is he wasting time on you?!”

Blaine swallowed hard, stepping back. That comment hurt a little. Blaine was already insecure that he was wasting Kurt's time. He hated himself for being so careless with his body. 

"An American coach should be enough for you!" Blaise went on, "Does Kurt know about your pathetic sob fest in the bathroom after the Grand Prix Finals?" The boy smirked, taking pleasure in humiliating Blaine. "If he knew about that, he'd know there's no point wasting his time on a cry-baby like you."

"Hey!" Quinn jumped in, "There's no need for that!"

This time, Blaine didn't feel hurt or humiliated at all, because as Blaise spoke he realized something: the teenager was underestimating him. He always had, even in that bathroom at the Grand Prix Finals when Blaise told him to just quit. Slowly, Blaine just smiled in response. 

"You know what, Blaise." Blaine grinned even wider when he noticed how much it affected the boy, "You should talk to Kurt yourself. I didn't ask him to come here, Kurt came to Lima because he wanted to." 

'Just to become my coach', Blaine thought but didn't say it. Blaise had to hear it from Kurt. The curly haired man led the teenager to the ice rink, where Kurt was skating. They came in through the door, and Kurt was so absorbed in his thoughts while he danced on the ice, that he didn't notice the two of them coming in. It was beautiful to watch. Kurt moved with so much ease and precision. Blaine heard the teenager gasp beside him. 

"I recognize these moves," Blaise said, watching Kurt do a spread eagle, "These are from Kurt's short program that he was choreographing for the next season!"

Blaine frowned, turning to Blaise, "What?"

"Yeah. He had every intention of competing next year," Blaise shook his head, disapproving Kurt's decision to stop. "He was already putting together routines for this next competition season. But..."

Blaine was looking at Kurt again, his movements were flawless as always even while he danced without any music. "But?"

"But he felt torn," Blaise frowned, "Kurt always aims to surprise the audience, but now the whole world knows his greatness. He is the best, and everyone already expects him to be perfect. No matter what he does, no one is surprised anymore.” He sighed. “Kurt knows it better than anyone. He needed to find an inspiration.”

Blaine knew how much Kurt cared about his art. His biggest motivation was surprising the audience, but he knew Blaise was right: now everyone was already expecting him to be amazing. Kurt wasn’t after another gold medal, he just wanted to be a good artist. 

“I wonder if he’ll let me use that choreography...” Blaise bit his lip, “He won’t need it if he’s gonna take off this season.” He looked down, “If he gives me that chance, I know I can surprise the audience... I’ll make my debut as a senior and win the Grand Prix Final. I just need his help to do it.”

“Wait, win?” Blaine was surprised at Blaise’s confidence. 

The teenager took a deep breath before yelling out, “Hey, Kurt, you got time for a little chat?!” 

Kurt finally noticed their presence. Surprisingly, he didn’t seem too shocked to see Blaise there. He skated closer, trying to get a better look at the boy. “Blaise? I can’t believe Sue let you come. What brings you to Lima, Ohio?”

Blaise groaned in anger, he felt offended that Kurt was even asking the question. “What reason do you think?”

”Oh-oh...” Kurt raised his eyebrow. “Did Sue send you?” 

Blaise swallowed his pride and began to explain everything. The American skater watched as the teenager talked to Kurt in French. Apparently, Kurt agreed to everything the boy was saying, but it seemed Kurt had completely forgotten about the promise until now. Blaise went on talking, sometimes pointing at Blaine and shaking his head. Blaine didn't even want to know what the teenager was saying. In his mind, all he could do was hope that Kurt wouldn't leave him. Not now, not when everything was going so well. Kurt looked at him and bit his lip, while Blaise went on talking.

"What do you want me to do, Blaise?" Kurt replied to the boy in English this time. 

"You made me a promise! I'm holding you to that." The teenager spat. "You're going to choreograph my new program as you said! We're going back to France right now!"

That felt like a slap in the face for Blaine. He swallowed hard as he watched Kurt think. Blaise wasn't wrong if Kurt made him a promise, he had to go through with it. It didn't mean it didn't hurt Blaine to know that his time with Kurt was going to come to an end. He watched the older man bite his bottom lip, deep in thought, and Blaine could only hope that he was going to come up with a solution.  He wasn't ready to let this all go just yet.

"How long can you stay?" Kurt asked after a moment of silence.

Blaise shook his head. "Not much. I think we should go back to France tonight."

"Give me one week," Kurt said firmly.

"One week?!" The teenager shouted.

Kurt nodded then smiled a little. "Listen, Blaise, I know I promised I'd choreograph your program, but I can't just drop everything and go back to France with you. So... I think I have a solution."

"And what is it?" Blaine asked, not wanting to keep the suspense going for much longer. 

Kurt smirked, already excited at his own idea. "I'm going to choreograph a program for both of you..." he paused and leaned closer "To the same music."

They were shocked to hear it at first, but then both of them began to protest at the same time. 

"The same music as him? I don't want that!"

"We're doing the same choreography?"

Kurt let out a chuckle. "No, not the same choreography. Don't worry. The music has two different arrangements, and I was trying to decide which one to use, so I guess in this case, I can use both. The choreography won't be the same." He smiled with excitement. "And in one week, the programs will be performed here in front of an audience who will help me decide which one of you is the winner!"

"What? No, I-..." Blaine widened his eyes, already scared of performing in public again so soon. He feared the humiliation.

"Let's do it!" Blaise interrupted him quickly, with a big, cocky smile on his face. "And you'll have to do whatever the winner wants! What do you say?"

"Agreed," Kurt nodded, smiling. "Oh, I love that kind of thing. A competition!"

Blaine bit his lip. "Wait, but-..." 

"A competition?!" Beth had entered the ice rink right on time to hear Kurt explaining everything. The girl ran up to them, already excited at the idea. "Oh, my goodness!"

"Isn't it exciting?" Kurt grinned at the little girl.

"I'm on it, I'll organize the event!" Beth pulled out her cellphone. 

Blaine let out a breath. He was the only one who was terrified.

Beth decided the event was going to be called "Lima On Ice", and soon the news was all over town. Everyone was talking about the competition and how exciting it was that something interesting was finally happening in that town. It wouldn't take long for ice skating fans all over the state to decide to show up. Blaine was already seeing the commotion online.

Blaise decided that he needed to stay at Blaine's house too because it wouldn't be fair if Blaine kept Kurt all to himself. Pamela agreed, of course, she loved visitors. Blaise was going to sleep in Cooper's room, and Cooper was going to sleep on the couch. Blaine knew his brother didn't agree to that, because he kept pronouncing Blaise's name wrong, calling him "blasé". That was Cooper's way of getting his revenge.  Kurt thought it was funny and began to call him that too. That night, during dinner, Blaine was sitting with everyone at the table, but a lot quieter than usual. He was lost in thought, thinking about the competition. 

"Do you want another cronut, Blasé?"

"Stop it! That's not my name!" Blaise snapped, making Kurt laugh out loud. 

Blaine had to look down. He would never win that competition. Blaise was like a younger brother to Kurt. They were already friends and ice rink mates, while Blaine couldn't even stay close to Kurt without shaking all over. He was still too nervous to be around the man he's always admired, so how would he even focus during the lessons? He looked up again, having the urge to leave. Blaine felt the urge to go to his favorite place in the world, just so he could think. 

While everyone was distracted, talking about something, Blaine quietly got up. He pretended he was going to the bathroom, but instead went upstairs and grabbed his skaters. He closed the front door without making any noise and left. While he walked, he thought about Blaise and how threatened he felt ever since the boy arrived in town. Blaine knew the teenager had more potential than him. Blaise was confident enough to say he was going to win the Grand Prix Final on his first run as a senior. Perhaps, he would. Maybe Kurt should be coaching someone more confident, a rising star, like Kurt was once. Blaise deserved Kurt more than he did. 

"Yes, he's here," Quinn told the French man with a nod. 

"Oh, that's good. I looked for him everywhere." Kurt replied, already turning to go to the ice rink. 

"Wait, Mr. Hummel..." She called and bit her lip. She knew how important being alone while skating was to Blaine, and the look on his face when he came in... it seemed that he had a lot to think about. 

"You can call me Kurt if you want." He smiled at her. 

"Kurt." Quinn smiled a little. "I think Blaine wants to be alone right now."

Kurt took a few steps closer to the counter to talk to her. "His brother said he comes here randomly all the time. Or to the ballet studio."

"Yes, it's what he does," Quinn nodded. "He-... uh, I hope he doesn't mind that I tell you this but," she sighed, "Blaine has anxiety issues. He overthinks everything and practicing chills him out. He's only calm when he's on the ice."

Kurt bit his lip, he was interested. "Can you tell me more about that?"

Quinn dropped what she was doing and walked around the counter. She smiled softly, "Blaine loves what he does. Since he was a kid, he liked to come here by himself to practice. He didn't even play with his friends." She chuckled. "To be fair, he isn't very good at making friends. He's not good at putting himself out there, in and out of the ice. But he's a good guy."

Kurt looked down, deep in thought. 

"I don't want this to be the end for him, you know." Quinn's voice was quiet and sad. "He's not a genius, he's not the best athlete, like you, but he does love the sport more than anything. He stays here all night, and we let him because that's when he feels the safest. No one is here to judge."

Kurt finally spoke, but it seemed like he was talking more to himself. "So all I have to do is find a spell that will turn a piggy into a prince."

"Huh?" Quinn blinked in confusion. 

"Nothing." Kurt began to walk again, heading to the rink. "Never mind."

This time Quinn didn't stop him. 

One of the best feelings of ice skating for Blaine was when he felt like he was flying. He opened his arms, standing on one leg. He sometimes closed his eyes for a few seconds.

Being alone on the ice felt good. It was when he skated the best because no one was looking. He did go to the ice to think, but the wonderful thing was: he didn’t have to think. In the ice, he could just let himself be. 

A jump. A triple axel came easily because he didn’t overthink it. He danced without music, letting his body speak for itself. He had spent a whole week without skating, he didn’t know how he managed to wait for so long. 

Another jump, then he heard someone clapping.

"What are you doing here?” Blaine asked as he came to a stop.

Kurt smiled at him and stepped closer to the rink barrier. “I’ve been looking for you.”

Blaine looked down. How long had Kurt been watching? “Why?”

Kurt was quiet for a moment. “Because... You disappeared during dinner, I got worried.” 

Blaine sighed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you. I do that sometimes...” 

“They told me.” Kurt nodded, “They also told me you do that when you’re anxious about something...”

Blaine didn’t reply, he didn’t know what Kurt expected him to say.

"I realized that you didn’t exactly agree to the Lima On Ice like Blaise did...” Kurt bit his lip. 

“I-... I’m not against the idea.” Blaine muttered. “It does seem fair.”

"Yes, but I didn’t mean to put this much pressure on you.” Kurt sighed. “I do want to stay, Blaine.”

"You do?” Blaine finally looked up. “It’s okay if you don’t. I’ll understand if you decide to go with Blaise instead. I know you and him are good friends.”

"I want to stay here and coach you,” Kurt assured him. “I see a lot of potential in Blaise. He’s kind of a pain in the ass, but I do like him. His bark is worse than his bite, you know?” 

“I’m not sure about that...” Blaine sighed.

“Trust me.” Kurt nodded. “Blaise is great, and I wouldn’t mind coaching him, but I do think Sue Sylvester is the best for him. That boy is stubborn, though, he insists he needs my help.” 

“Maybe he does...”

Kurt looked down. “It’s your skating that inspired me, not his.”

Blaine widened his eyes. It was the first time he heard Kurt actually saying it. 

“I’m giving him a chance to inspire me too, and in the process, I’ll keep my promise. If he loses, at least he’ll have the choreography for his debut. If he wins, and I’ll judge fairly, I’ll have to go with him.” Kurt told Blaine. “But I want to take you to the Grand Prix Final. So, please, don’t give up. Show me what you can do best. Inspire me again.” 

Blaine wanted to run all the way to Kurt and hug him. He didn’t do it, but he smiled. “I will.” 

Kurt smiled back. “Good.”

Blaine, Kurt, and Blaise all headed to the Rhodes Ice Castle the next day, early in the morning. Kurt kept arguing with Blaise, telling him that he should be nicer to people on the street who recognized him. Blaise was in a worse mood than usual that morning, because apparently, Sue had found out that he was there when Blaise posted a picture of Brittany's cat the night before and forgot to remove the location too. 

Blaine was focused, walking behind them. Everything Kurt had said made a difference for him. He needed to hear all that. This could be his last season, and if he got too scared, he'd never win. He could not lose the Lima On Ice match. Then finally, he would aim at the Grand Prix Final.

When they got to the Ice Castle, Blaine was more determined than ever. It was the first time that Kurt was going to teach him something. Kurt went to the ice before them, he said they needed to hurry up because he was going to show them something. Blaine put on his skaters, and Blaise got ready too. They went together to the ice rink, Kurt was already standing there, waiting for them. 

The tall man stood with his arms crossed over his chest, looking at them with a small smile on his lips. Blaine could tell that Kurt was excited to be making his debut as a coach. The two of them stood on the ice, in front of Kurt. 

"We will start by listening to the music..." Kurt announced and then pressed play. 

The music filled the room. A soft voice sang, creating an angelic sound. Blaine closed his eyes to listen to it. It calmed him and gave him a warm feeling. He could imagine how the choreography was going to be like, based on everything he's seen Kurt do. He definitely liked it. 

"This piece has two arrangements," Kurt began to explain, "They are based on different themes, and they are the two kinds of love: eros and agape. Have you ever really thought about love?"

"Nope," Blaise replied.

Blaine shook his head a little. "No, not really."

"Alright, then," Kurt smiled softly. Blaine wondered if Kurt had ever been in love. "How does this song make you feel?"

"It's very pure and innocent," Blaine replied, without hesitation. "Like someone who hasn't really experienced love yet. Or doesn't know what it is."

"I don't like it," Blaise rolled his eyes, "This whole innocence makes me want to puke," he made a face.

"Okay," Kurt pressed forward and the next song came on. It was a lot different. A lot bolder, not innocent at all. Blaine bit his lip, he did like the song, but he thought the other song was more like his image. He could already see Blaise smiling and nodding. At least they wouldn't have to fight for the songs. Kurt kept looking at Blaine, which made Blaine think he needed to say something.

He closed his eyes again. "This one is completely different-...”

"Kurt! I like this one!" Blaise said quickly, interrupting Blaine's speech. "This is the one I want to skate!" He glared at Blaine, silently telling him to back off as if the song belonged to him. 

"The first song is called 'On Regards To Love: Agape," Kurt told them, "The theme is unconditional love." 

Blaine smiled and nodded once. Unconditional love. He liked it. That song was definitely made for him to skate. 

"The other song is 'On Regards To Love: Eros. The theme is sexual love." Kurt crossed his arms over his chest again.

Blaine saw Blaise nodding his head in approval. 

"The two of you will be skating to very opposing themes." Kurt hummed, finally pausing the song. "And this is how it's going to be..." He grinned and pointed at Blaine. "You get Eros," he announced, "And you get Agape," he pointed at Blaise.

Both of them were shocked with their mouths open. Kurt had done it on purpose, that was the only explanation. Blaise looked like he was about to punch Kurt in the stomach and Blaine was horrified. 

"I want the other one!" Blaise yelled, his hands closed to fists. "This 'Agape' shit has nothing to do with my image, that's absurd!"

"I-I'll have to agree..." Blaine swallowed. 

"Well..." Kurt replied, calmly. "If you always do the same thing that 'goes with your image' over and over again, you'll never surprise people. You shouldn't do what people are already expecting you to do. That's my motto." The two of them didn't look satisfied yet, so Kurt went on. "Actually, both of you are far more mediocre than you think. You need to be more self-aware. I'm surprised that you believe you even have an image. To the audience, you're just a little piglet and a kitten."

So that's what being coached by Kurt was like. Blaine was used to Kurt giving his true opinion to people in such a soft way, that it almost didn't feel like an insult. In fact, while he said all of that he was smiling. Both of them were almost shaking in their skaters while they heard all of that, but they couldn't deny it: Kurt was correct. 

"And next week, if none of you are up to my standards, I won't continue to work with either of you," Kurt told them, raising his chin. "The both of you are my fans, I'm sure you can manage to impress me." 

Blaine stared at Kurt. He was serious about it. Blaine felt like now more than ever he needed to win. 

"Okay," Blaise broke the silence that followed Kurt's speech. "Fine. I'll skate to this 'Agape'. My senior division debut depends on it, and I have to win with this program, so you better know what you're doing."

"I always do," Kurt smiled. "But whether you win or not, is up to you. It'd be a winning program if I skate it."

Blaise kicked the floor, his rebel attitude showing. "If I win, you're coming back to France, Kurt!" He paused. "And you'll be my coach. This is what I want."

Kurt hummed. "Okay. I accept your terms." He replied, which made Blaine let out a breath and look down. "What about you, Blaine? What do you want, if you win?"

Blaine was still looking down, keeping his eyes on his skaters, his old friends. He didn't know how, but he would find the strength to win this. His mouth opened and he was speaking before he could stop himself. "I want to eat cronuts with you, Kurt."  

Kurt was visibly surprised at the answer. None of them were expecting it. 

"And I want to keep on winning and keep on eating cronuts! So I'll skate to 'Eros', Kurt, and I'll give it all the eros I've got in me!" He didn't realize he had raised his voice until then. It was nice to finally feel a little confident after so long. 

Kurt looked proud. He was smiling at Blaine like he had never smiled before. That's all that mattered.

"That's what I like to hear..." 

Chapter Text

"...So, if Blaise wins, Kurt will go back to France with him, and if I win, he'll stay and be my coach."

Blaine was giving Quinn a recap of all that had happened the day before. After that insane week, that morning was the first day that Quinn caught Blaine alone in the dressing room and could finally ask him questions about Kurt. She was a fan of him after all. She truly was Beth's mother, Blaine thought with a smile.

"When Beth told me about Lima On Ice, I knew it was going to be exciting, but I never thought it'd be this important to you. Blaine, you have to win!" Quinn exclaimed.

"I know." Blaine sighed, tying up his skaters.

"What are you going to do?" Quinn asked and bit her bottom lip.

Blaine stood up and zipped up his jacket. "I'm going to give it all the Eros I've got."

He replied, with confidence. Blaine would not give up. He nodded once at Quinn, who seemed surprised to see her friend so calm in that situation. He walked to the rink, Blaise and Kurt were already there. Kurt was warming up, while the teenager texted on his phone. They were both waiting for him to arrive so they could start the lesson. Blaine took a deep breath and approached the ice rink. When Kurt saw him, he gave him a smile. 

"What took you so long, pig?" Blaise asked with a frown. Blaine just rolled his eyes and response. 

Kurt skated over to them. “Okay, now that we’re all here, we can get started.” He smiled. “So, yesterday I showed you the songs you’ll be skating to and let you get used to it, but today, I’ll be showing you the choreography. As I explained before, they’ll be different for each song, of course. First up, Agape.” He turned his head to look at Blaine. “Can you start the song for me, please?” 

After his request, Kurt skated over to the center of the rink. Blaine watched him take a deep breath to concentrate before he looked up again and gave Blaine a nod, so the other man knew he could press play. The song came through the speakers, filling Blaine up with that warmth again. He watched as Kurt lifted his arm up to the sky, like he was calling out to someone, then suddenly he spun around, with both hands held up behind his back while he leaned down, before raising both of them up again, it was like he was trying to give himself up completely to someone, or something. Blaine remembered what Kurt had said the day before about the song: 

“Agape... Unconditional love. Infinite love is self-sacrificing and incalculable.

Watching Kurt was beautiful, as always. His movements were precise and Blaine could tell that he had given a lot of thought to those moves. They were innocent and sweet, but at the same time, they told a story of someone who wasn't afraid. Blaine wondered if Kurt did know love. That was the question he asked the morning before. Have you ever really thought about love?  Blaine hadn't, not really. He always thought he was too busy to let his heart take over. His devotion was to figure skating. Blaine did love a lot of people, but he never let himself fall in love. He guessed the closest thing he had to that was his silly crush on Kurt. Kurt was his idol, and he was a fan, that was all they would ever be.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as Kurt twirled. That choreography was amazing, but one of the hardest he had ever seen. He glanced at Blaise, who looked uninterested, but was paying close attention to every movement Kurt did. Blaine bit his lip. Kurt could pull it off, of course, but could Blaise? 

"Something like that..." Kurt said nonchalantly after he did the final pose, and turned to Blaise. "Did you get it?"

"Yeah," Blaise replied with a shrug. He made it seem like it was the easiest thing in the world, "I pretty much got it."

"You did?" Blaine's jaw dropped. That choreography was fast, how did Blaise manage to get it already? 

The three of them turned when they heard someone applauding. It was Quinn. "That was amazing," She said, "I'm sorry for interrupting your practice, guys, but I heard the song and thought it was beautiful, so I decided to watch. I couldn't help myself."

"That's okay. You can stay if you want." Kurt smiled. 

Blaise tilted his head. "You really think it's beautiful? I'll be skating to that." He was giving Quinn a look that Blaine couldn't quite read. 

"Of course." Quinn nodded, with a soft smile. "Don't you agree?"

Blaise looked down and shrugged again. "I-... Yeah, sure. You're right."

"Alright, Blaine..." Kurt called, skating to the center again, "Now it's your turn. Play close attention, please."

"O-okay..."

Before Blaine pressed play again, he took one step closer to the rink. He would not take his eyes off Kurt. He had made a choreography just for Blaine, and Blaine wasn't going to disappoint him. The now familiar song began. Kurt had his eyes closed as he kept his head down. As the music started, he opened his eyes and his arms moved sensually close to his body.

"Eros... sexual love,"  Blaine remembered what Kurt had said the day before. 

The song had a small pause in the beginning, and that was when Kurt turned his head to look at them and smirk. Quinn let out a whimper next to Blaine. He could relate, that look had been really hot. The dance went on as the song continued. He lifted his legs and his arms moved non-stop to make it a beautiful and sensual choreography. 

"Pleasure followed by more pleasure. One just drowns in it." 

Blaine couldn't look away. The way Kurt's body moved, the expression on his face, everything was so... Eros.

"Damn, he's hot..." Quinn muttered next to them, her eyes were wide. Blaise glanced at her, judging her with his eyes. 

Blaine couldn't agree more. Kurt spun and looked at Blaine right in the eyes. "It's enough to make me, a man, pregnant. Such Eros!" Blaine thought. He noticed how he wasn't even paying much attention to the movements of the choreography, which was what he should have been doing instead of just enjoying the moment ad getting turned on. He widened his eyes when he realized how hard that was. Kurt was spinning, lifting up his leg, doing spread eagles... He barely had time to breathe. Blaine wasn't sure he was even going to be able to skate that. 

All of a sudden, Blaine was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even notice that the music had been paused.

"Blaine?" Kurt called him. Blaine let out a tiny gasp, being pulled back to reality. "How was that?"

"I-..." Blaine swallowed nervously, looking at Quinn and Blaise, hoping they would help him. "It- uh... It was very 'Eros'."

"Right..." Kurt began to smile, staring at the other man. "I'm guessing you like it...?"

Blaine nodded quickly. "I did. I like it v-very much."

"So about the program composition... Which quads can you land?" Kurt asked.

"The toe loop," Blaine replied promptly. "I can do the Salchow in practice. Never in a competition, but... I-I think I can do it if I practice enough. So, um..."

Kurt interrupted his nervous rambling. "Okay, you can practice the basics. I'll teach Blaise first. I won't teach you anything you can't do right now." 

Blaine opened his mouth to reply, but he wasn't sure what to say. He couldn't help but think that Kurt was disappointed at him, or something. He always practiced and tried his hardest, but it was hard to do a quad. The hardest spin, actually. The Salchow seemed almost impossible to Blaine. He always fell.

"Blaine..." Kurt said, softer this time. "Can you come here for a second?"

Blaine was confused at the request, he thought Kurt was going to teach Blaise first. He entered the ice rink and skated over to Kurt. He stopped when he was close enough and tilted his head, wondering why Kurt had called him. 

"How many times have you messed up during competition?" Kurt spoke quieter, so only Blaine could hear. 

"Uh..."

"You have the skill to win, Blaine." Kurt narrowed his eyes. "Why can't you make it happen?"

"Well..." Blaine was tense and he looked down. "That's probably because... I lack confidence." He admitted. 

Kurt nodded once, his blue eyes pierced deeply into Blaine's hazel ones. "Right. My job is to make you feel confident in yourself."

Blaine glanced away, blushing, but then... he heard Kurt taking a step forward, his skaters slid and brought him closer. Kurt was standing so close that Blaine could feel the man's breath on his face. The hazel-eyed skater couldn't hold back a gasp and his eyes searched into Kurt's for a reason why he was doing it. Kurt, in response, only confused Blaine more when his hand came up and lifted his chin, stroking his thumb across his bottom lip. 

"No one in this whole wide world knows your true Eros yet, Blaine," Kurt muttered so quietly that it was almost a whisper. "It may be an alluring side of you that you yourself are unaware of." Kurt's eyes went from Blaine's lips to Blaine's eyes. "Can you show me what it is soon?"

Blaine was holding his breath, his lips tingling from the feeling of Kurt's thumb there. Kurt's smell was intoxicating, Blaine was sure he was going to pass out if Kurt came any closer. 

"Hey, Kurt!" Blaise yelled in frustration. "I thought you said you were going to teach me first?! I don't have all day!"

As Kurt pulled back, Blaine let out the breath he was holding. He looked at Quinn's direction, the woman seemed just as shocked and confused as he was.  

"Right," Kurt replied to the teenager, then turned to Blaine again. "Think about what Eros is to you. That's your lesson for now." 

Blaine widened his eyes. 

"What Eros means to me? What would that be?"

The girl put up another poster on the wall and grinned when she saw Blaise's, Blaine's and Kurt's faces staring back at her. 

"This is so exciting," Beth said as she smiled up at Brittany. They both had several posters on their hands. They decided to spread them all over town, so everyone would come to watch the competition. Beth had asked Brittany to make the posters and they came out perfect. One could say that the unicorns on the art of the posters were unnecessary, but Beth liked it.

"Who would have guessed that we'd ever had a line up like this in Lima? Lots of people will come. Everyone on Twitter is super excited." 

"I'm very happy for Blaine." Brittany grinned, "He's back! Cheers!"

"Yes!" Beth jumped and both of them giggled as they celebrated. "Oh, my goodness, I'm so glad my mom let me come with you to put up those posters! You understand how exciting this all is."

Brittany grinned, and then she stopped a familiar face walking past them. "Wait... Blaine?"

The man turned around and looked surprised. "Oh, sorry, girls. I didn't see you there. I was, uh-... lost in thought. I was on my way to lunch."

"Check out these posters we made!" Beth showed Blaine one, holding it above her head.

Blaine smiled a little, his eyes not smiling too, which was when Brittany noticed something was wrong. "Wow, these are really cool... Why the unicorns, though?"

"I don't know, Brittany made it. I like it." Beth shrugged. 

"Put up another one, I need to talk to Blaine about something, okay?" Brittany said to the little girl, who nodded and went to choose a spot for the poster.

Blaine bit his lip, staring at her. "You're not angry because of what I said about the unicorns, right?"

"What? No..." Brittany frowned, shaking her head. "I just wanted to talk to you because you look like something is bothering you, and I know that Blaise kid can be really mean, so I wanted to ask if you want me to lock him up in my room until this competition is over."

"Brittany, no!" Blaine chuckled a little. "You can't do that. And it's not his fault anyway..."

"Okay... So what is it?" Brittany asked and bit her bottom lip. 

Blaine let out a sigh, looking down at his feet. "Remember what I told you last night? About that song Kurt picked for me? Eros?"

"You still upset you didn't get the other one?" The woman asked, sympathy in her voice.

"No, that's not what I'm upset about. I like the song, I just-..." Blaine groaned. "I don't think I can skate to it, Britt. It's nothing like me."

Brittany frowned, there was nothing she thought Blaine couldn't skate. She knew that Blaine was an amazing skater, but quite insecure. "It's just a song, Blaine Warbler, of course you can do it."

Blaine shook his head. "He-... Kurt wants me to find out what Eros means to me." He spoke, like that explained why he was so distressed. 

The woman shrugged. "So?"

"So? Remember what 'Eros' means?" Blaine lowered his voice, glancing at Beth to make sure she wasn't listening. "It means... sexual love."

Brittany shrugged once again. "So?"

Blaine groaned in frustration, grabbing her hand to pull her a little further from Beth. "It means I have to find out what Eros means to me, and I have no idea how to do that, Britt." He blushed brightly and quietly spoke. "I-I've- I've never had- uh, never been with anyone that way." 

"Oh." Brittany widened her eyes. "Oh!"

"Yeah..." Blaine sighed, shaking his head. "I'm screwed."

"No, you're not." Brittany frowned. "Isn't that the problem?"

"Britt!" 

"But I think you have to find out what it means to you, right? It doesn't mean it has to be sexual, does it?"

Blaine scratched his head. "I don't know..."

"Brittany! Come on! You have lots of posters to put up!" Beth called, her finger pointed at Blaine then, "And you have lots of practice to do." 

Blaine turned to Brittany again. "She's right. Kurt won't meet with me for the rest of the day because he wants me to do basic training."

"Right." Brittany nodded. "Don't let this get you down, we know you can win this." She smiled and kissed his cheek, "You should try that thing we used to do for ballet class... Try to find out the story behind the choreography. Maybe you can find your Eros there."

Blaine raised his eyebrows and grinned. She was right. After he left the girls, he went straight home and sat alone in his room, waiting for his mother to call him for lunch. Blaine sat on his bed and closed his eyes, trying to remember every move that Kurt made. Kurt was a genius, so Blaine knew that every movement had a reason behind it. He thought about the way Kurt looked at him sometimes, while he was dancing. Was there a reason behind that too? He decided not to think too much about it, he was getting distracted.

The skater shook his head and got out of bed. He needed to understand the choreography that Kurt had made. Blaine grabbed his phone and his headphones. Maybe the song was going to help him understand it better. He went back to the bed and pressed play. The image of Kurt dancing on the ice came flashing inside his mind. Suddenly, his body felt the need to skate like that too. He wanted to join Kurt on the ice, even though he was scared that Kurt would leave him sooner or later. 

Blaine smiled. He was beginning to understand. 

"So you had to do basic training all day because you didn't get what that 'Eros' thing is?" Puck asked while he watched Blaine stretch on the floor of the locker room. 

"Yup," Blaine nodded, his hands reaching for his feet. 

"You should have just made something up," Puck chuckled, "I bet Kurt hasn't thought about much about it, either."

"I don't think, so..." Blaine shook his head, "Kurt is a genius. He always knows what he's doing, and he was going to use that song for his short program next season, so he must have thought about it a lot." Blaine stood up. "And I can see a story in the program too..." 

"What is it?" 

"A playboy comes to a certain town," Blaine started, and while he talked, he showed the story with the movements of his body, "And bewitches the women left and right. He decides to pursue the most beautiful woman in town, but... she isn't swayed. Then, as they play the game of love, she finds it difficult to make the right choices and ends up falling in love with him."

Puck watched him tell the story with curiosity. "And then what happens?"

"Then, he casts her aside." Blaine said, with a sad voice, "As though he is tired of her, and goes off to the next town."

Puck waited for him to continue, but Blaine didn't. "Wait, that's it? It doesn't have a happy ending?"

Blaine shook his head. "No, not really."

"Huh..." Puck raised his eyebrow. "Dude, this is nothing like you. You're, like, the most hopeless romantic person on the planet."

"Right?!" Blaine agreed, frustrated. "Everyone will say they'd prefer to see Kurt skating the program."

Puck hummed, "You did look pretty confident and, dare I say it, sexy in that video when you copied Kurt."

"Well, but I can't just copy him!" Blaine shook his head. "I'll never surpass him by doing that." 

Puck was quiet for a moment, surprise on his face. "Wait, you seriously think you can be better than him someday?"

"What?" Blaine was pulled out of his thoughts, and that's when he realized what he had just said. "No! I- uh, no, no, not at all!"

Puck smirked and shook his head. "I mean, how can someone as inexperienced in dating as you beat the hottest bachelor in the world?"

Thoughts of Kurt's pictures in magazines and videos of him winking at the camera came to Blaine's mind. Puck was right, he thought, as he watched the other man laugh. 

"Stop! Stop!" 

Blaise let out a groan of frustration as he came to stop. Kurt looked disappointed again. "What is it this time?"

"Something isn't right." Kurt put his finger to his lips as he thought. 

"I'm doing it as you showed me, aren't I?!" Blaise snapped.

"But the way you do it..." Kurt hummed, "Your greed is too obvious. There's no sense of Agape, the unconditional love, in your performance. It's good to have confidence, but this isn't the kind of program to show it off."

"Huh?" Blaise frowned in anger. "I can't think of a skater who skates with more confidence than you, you hypocrite!" He let out a sigh. "Well, what's Agape to you, then?"

Kurt smiled, unfazed by the teenager's attitude. "It's a feeling, of course. I could never explain how it works. Do you think about that kind of thing when you skate?"

Blaise didn't reply, just angrily staring at him. 

"You're funny, Blasé." Kurt chuckled softly. "Well, maybe what you need is... yoga!" 

"Fucking yoga?!" 

"Yes. Try and find your Agape there." Kurt smiled.

"I have my own plan, okay!" Blaise yelled at the phone and hung up. Blaine was standing at the door, swallowing nervously. He had come to tell him that dinner was ready, but Blaise looked like he had had a terrible day. 

"Oh, uh... hi," Blaine said when the teenager saw him. He didn't leave quick enough. "Sorry, I didn't mean to hear any of that, I just-..."

"It's okay, pig." Blaise sighed and throwing his phone on the bed. "That was my coach. She wants me to go back."

Blaine nodded a little and looked down. "Right..."

"I'm not going back," Blaise said quickly. "I know that's what you want, but don't get your hopes up."

"No, I-..." Blaine shrugged. "I think you're doing the right thing. Fighting for what you want."

Blaise raised his eyebrow. He was quietly staring at Blaine for a while, seemingly surprised to hear the man say that. Blaine wondered if Blaise was used to being teased and yelled at, and that's why he was always so defensive. 

"Anyway..." Blaine went on. "Dinner is ready."

"Oh, wonderful!" Blaise grinned and ran off to the dining room. 

During dinner, everyone was talkative except for Blaine. His mother, Pamela, never looked so cheerful. Having both her sons and two celebrities at her table eating her delicious meals was not something that happened every day. She made it difficult for Blaine to keep up with his diet. That night, for dessert, she made cronuts again. Blaine could only smell them now that he was back to obeying the rule of only eating cronuts when he wins something.

Blaine sighed, staring at the dish full of his favorite dessert in the world. He needed to win the Lima On Ice. If he won, his prize would be to eat one of those... with Kurt. Nothing in the world could be better than that. He bit his lip in worry. To win, he needed to find his Eros. Kurt wanted to see it, but Blaine wasn't sure he had any Eros to show him. His mind was going blank every time he tried to figure out what Eros was to him. It was so hard to imagine himself trying to seduce someone. It was embarrassing. "Damn it. I'm a twenty-three-year-old male. I should be able to show off mature sexiness if I wanted to..."

Then he thought of what Brittany had told him... Eros didn't need to mean something sexual to him, right? That story about that playboy, that was nothing like Blaine. Blaine wasn't a playboy, he was far from it. "Eros... Eros..." He repeated to himself in his thoughts, while staring at a cronut. "It's what causes you to lose the ability to make normal decisions..." He narrowed his eyes, that cronut smelled amazing. "For me, what causes me to lose that ability is..."

"Blaine? You're drooling..." Cooper noticed, raising his eyebrow. 

"I get it now!" Blaine yelled suddenly. "Cronuts! That's what Eros is to me!" 

Silence. Everyone at the table was staring at Blaine with a confused look on their faces, even Hepburn, the dog. Except for Blaise, who looked like he was ready to burst out laughing. Blaine immediately regretted what he had said. Of course everyone would judge him for that. He covered his mouth with both hands.

"I-I mean-..." Blaine blushed, "Sorry. It's not-"

Kurt let out a small chuckle. "Okay, we'll go with that." He smiled, "It's nice and unique."

Blaine was so embarrassed, he couldn't even look at Kurt. 

"Seriously?" He heard Blaise mutter. 

Blaine shook his head and excused himself. When he was out of their sights, he ran up to his room. Hepburn followed him and he let her. The dog seemed to like Blaine a lot. She was always close to him when Kurt wasn't around. He sat on the bed, letting her climb up and sit next to him. 

"I'm so embarrassed." Blaine chuckled a little, he was still blushing. The poodle began to wag her tail. "They totally think my ideas are immature..." He scratched behind Hepburn's ear and smiled. "But you know what? Even though I feel like crawling into a hole and hiding in there forever... I'm going to win this. You'll see, Hep."

The next few days went by really fast. Blaine and Blaise did nothing but practice and took their bodies to the limit. Blaine was more determined than ever, but he could tell that Blaise was too. They both wanted it really bad. Every morning, they woke up before sunrise, and before Kurt, ate their breakfast, and then they would exercise. They'd go running, climb up the stairs of an old church, each time trying to break their own record. They'd do ab exercises, practice the jumps, and basic exercises. 

After lunch, they'd meet up with Kurt to practice their routines. Blaine thought Kurt wasn't going to take the cronut thing seriously, but every time Kurt was going to correct something, he'd find a way to make an analogy with the recipe of a cronut. 

"Okay, Blaine, imagine the mixture of the sugar and the cinnamon..." Kurt would say. "Think of the cronut!"

Weirdly, it helped. Blaine could understand. It made him feel a lot better knowing that Kurt wasn't really judging him. He never made fun of Blaine because he thought of his Eros as food. 

"Blaise, you go next." 

Blaise was getting better too, he still hadn't told Blaine what his Agape was, and apparently didn't tell Kurt either because Kurt kept insisting that he needed to find it. Blaine watched Blaise skate. The boy was doing everything with excellent precision, but Kurt was right, something was missing. He was thinking too much about being perfect. Even during the exercises, Blaise always tried too hard. He almost hurt himself the morning before because he was putting too much pressure on his muscles. Blaine wasn't a big fan of Blaise, but he wanted the boy to be okay. This ambition he had was starting to worry Blaine. 

"Hmm... Maybe more yoga." Kurt shrugged.

"If I'm not up to par, just tell me!" Blaise yelled. 

That happened almost every day during practice. Quinn, for some reason, began to get close to Blaise. She said to Blaine that she saw something in Blaise that reminded her of herself when she was his age. Every morning she would help him during practice, encouraging him to try harder and to be strong. Puck would help Blaine. Blaine was happy that his friends cared so much. 

Blaine had memorized the entire choreography. He just needed to keep practicing and add some more jumps. Blaine wanted that quad Salchow, but he still wasn't getting it. He would fall every time he tried. Kurt wasn't going to teach them anything, for now, so he was stuck. The least he could do was practice the routine and do it perfectly. 

"Your free leg is too sloppy!" Kurt would yell and Blaine would try again until he got it right.

The best part was when Kurt skated the routine with them. They would dance together in unison, and Blaine would always smile. It was a good feeling. He couldn't stare too much at Kurt, or he'd do something wrong, but every time he glanced at Kurt it was an amazing sight. He moved so easily and so perfectly. It didn't scare him anymore, now he wanted to get close. 

Then, he'd skate with Blaise. Blaine liked that part too because he would get to watch Kurt the entire time. Every time, he needed to hide his grin. That man had Agape in him, Blaine could tell. He didn't know where it was coming from if Kurt thought of someone while dancing, but it was beautiful. Blaise, however, seemed to still be struggling. He had confessed to Blaine that he thought that searching for an Agape was completely pointless. All he had to do was learn the routine perfectly.

"Well... I know what might help!" Kurt announced that day after practice. 

A few hours later, Blaine and Blaise were sitting together on a bench, watching the sunset. The spot that Blaine had shown Kurt on his first day in Lima. It was a bit awkward, Blaise refused to talk, apparently, Kurt had said that he was supposed to be quiet the whole time and pay full attention at the beautiful sunset. It wasn't working that well, Blaise was just angry. It seemed like anger that was the only emotion Blaise knew how to feel. 

"I'm going to kill him." Blaise hissed. 

Blaine just sighed. "I don't understand why I had to come too..."

"Who cares?" Blaise rolled his eyes. "I bet he just wants us to leave him alone." He shook his head, "That asshole. Who cares about Agape? I don't." He said that last part very quietly, almost whispering. 

Blaise then looked at the sunset that painted the whole skill in a beautiful orange color. The sun was getting smaller, which made him feel smaller too. It was so beautiful that he had to close his eyes. The color of that sky reminded him of something he hadn't thought about in years. 

"Blaise, you were the best of the bunch..." They were walking home after Blaise's practice, the sun was setting and the air felt warm and nice.

"Grandpa, can you come to practice with me again tomorrow?" The five-year-old boy looked up at his grandfather, who was the biggest and tallest person in the world, in his opinion. He would sometimes giggle at the contrast of his tiny hand holding the big hand that belonged to the man. "I can skate even better!" he promised, "I'm good even without Mommy here."

His grandfather had the nicest eyes and liked to wear a flat cap. Blaise smiled at him and his grandfather smiled back. He knew everything would be okay because his grandpa was there to protect him. 

"Blaise? Hey, Blaise..."

The teenager let out a gasp, Blaine's hand was on his shoulder. 

"Are you okay?" When the boy didn't reply, Blaine went on. "I think we should call it a day, it's getting dark."

"Oh..." Blaise nodded and quietly spoke. "Okay."

Blaine watched him with a small frown. "What's going on?"  Blaine thought, as the teenager stood up and slowly began to make his way back to Blaine's house. "Why did he look so... vulnerable?"

The day before Lima On Ice, they both decided that they should go straight to the ice rink and practice their routines all day. Kurt had agreed the night before, but... There they were, sitting far from each other in the dressing room and waiting for Kurt. Kurt wasn't usually late, he never failed to show up on time, but Blaine and Blaise were getting impatient. He was one hour and a half late. 

Blaise was the one to break the silence. "They said he was out drinking until dawn." He stood up and started walking to the ice rink. "That dumbass. I was right, he sent us to watch the sunset just so he could go out and party."

"Blaise..." Blaine called him and stood up too. "I-..."

The boy turned around, waiting for him to speak. "What is it?" 

Blaine took a deep breath and put both hands together, almost begging. "Will you teach me how to land a quad Salchow? Please?"

The silence that followed made Blaine's heart speed up in worry. What was he thinking? Blaise didn't like him at all, and Blaine was his opponent, why would Blaise teach him anything?

"Fine." 

Blaine widened his eyes in surprise. 

"Let's go to the ice rink and I'll show you."

For the next thirty minutes, Blaise showed Blaine how to land a quad Salchow. The Salchow jump is when the skater jumps from the back inside edge of one skate and lands on the back outside edge of the other skate, it's commonly done with three turns instead of four. Doing the fourth turn was very, very difficult. Blaine wasn't going to give up that easily, though. Doing a quad Salchow would make a difference for him. Blaise wasn't the nicest teacher, but he was genuinely trying to help Blaine learn it. Blaine tried again, skating backward for the entry, he jumped and... fell. 

"You suck!" Blaise groaned. "Hey, Cronut... Watch me do it one more time."

"Sorry, I'm late!" Kurt opened the doors to the ice rink, causing both of them to turn their head to his direction. It was the first time that either of them saw Kurt with messy hair. He looked tired, but he had a smile on his face when he saw Blaine and Blaise together, getting along. "What were you practicing just now?"

Both of his students turned away from each other and skated off. They both had to practice their choreography now that Kurt was there. It would be the last day to try and get it done perfectly. Tomorrow it would all be over. 

Kurt stood there watching, then smiled. 

After a few minutes, Kurt asked them to show him the program without music. He wanted to see if they got the essence of the routine without relying on the songs. Blaise offered himself to go first, and Blaine stepped out of the ice to watch and rest a bit. He stayed next to Kurt to watch. When Blaise began, Blaine could tell that something was different. The boy raised his hand up to the sky and spun. Even without any music, just the sound of his blades against the ice, it was beautiful. Blaine suddenly felt his stomach twisting. He was scared. 

When Blaise was almost finishing his routine, Blaine heard Kurt mutter. "Looks like Blaise found his Agape." He smiled. "Maybe he's ready for the next stage..."

"Next stage?" Blaine thought, almost dropping his bottle of water. He didn't know there would be a next stage. "Does that mean I have a next stage, once I perform the Eros of the cronut? 

"Blaine, your turn," Kurt said to him with a kind smile. "Go up there and show me what you got."

It was pointless, he thought, during a spin. While he skated, as much as he thought about the cronuts and as much as he tried, Blaine knew he still hadn't really found his Eros. Not really. He still lacked the backbone that program needed. 

That night, Blaine tried not to think too much about anything that would make him anxious or nervous. He tried to forget about the upcoming competition completely. He even invited Brittany over for dinner, hoping she would talk about her cat all night. The dinner went fine, no one was mentioning the Lima On Ice too much. His family was used to avoiding talking about particular subjects the day before Blaine had to compete. 

"So, what will you wear for costume tomorrow?" Brittany asked with a grin. It was the most exciting part for her. 

Blaine sighed. There goes his moment of peace. "I-... I forgot to choose one, actually."

"I didn't bring anything either..." Blaise bit his lip.

"What?! Guys, you can't perform without costumes, it's against the law," Brittany exclaimed. 

"Don't worry, it's all taken care of," Kurt spoke, he was sitting right next to Blaine that night. Blaine noticed how Kurt kept an eye on him like he was trying to read him. "I was late for practice today because I-"

"Because you were drinking last night, we know." Blaise rolled his eyes.

"No, Blasé..." Kurt narrowed his own eyes at the boy. "I mean, I did wake up a little late because of that, but I was only getting to know people here in town. I personally invited everyone to the competition tomorrow. But, anyway, the real reason why I was late is because I was at the airport. I had them send all the costumes I've worn in competitions from France." 

"Are you serious?!" Blaine's eyes were shining. "Where are they?"

"Up in my room." Kurt smiled, sipping his juice. 

Blaine didn't wait for dessert. He was inside the guest room, that was now Kurt's room, in a minute. Kurt and Blaise had no choice but to follow him. Blaine hoped that Kurt didn't think that his excitement was weird. He was a huge fan, after all. Blaine relaxed when he saw the smile on Kurt's face, clearly, he wanted to show all of his outfits to Blaine. There were six bags all filled with costumes that Kurt had worn in competitions ever since he was a teenager. Kurt sat down on a sofa in the room while he watched Blaine take the costumes out, and stare at them one by one. Blaine recognized every single one and the song Kurt had used when he wore them.

"Wow..." Blaine pulled out another one. "I can't believe I'm holding this with my own hands."

"Some of these are so tacky..." Blaise complained after he opened the bag of costumes that Kurt had worn when he was Blaise's age.

"You wore this one at the Grand Prix Final last year! You looked like a prince." Blaine grinned, turning to look at Kurt.

"Thank you, Blaine..." Kurt smiled softly back at him. 

"Don't pick anything that will outshine me!" Blaise frowned.

Blaine pulled out a black costume. It was one of Blaine's favorites. The costume had large shiny decorations on the shoulder and waist that looked like pieces of glass. It had a net pattern on the chest and right arm. There was a skirt part that covered only half of the waist. Kurt spoke up when he saw Blaine holding it.

"Do you remember that one?" 

"Of course I do," Blaine nodded, still staring at the outfit. "This is from the Junior World Championship. You broke a world record with your score." He replied. Blaine wouldn't say that that was also when he saw Kurt for the first time, and wouldn't tell him how many times he watched the video of him skating that program with that same outfit.

Kurt grinned. "That's right. I skated to 'Le Jazz Hot', so I made this costume that suggested both male and female genders at once. That's why half a skirt."

Blaine raised his eyebrows while Kurt spoke. "Of course..." he thought as he held it closer, smiling down at the costume. "I choose this one."

"Are you sure?"

"Definitely." Blaine looked up. Kurt had no idea how much he had helped him. 

It was late that night, Brittany had left the Anderson household hours ago and was already in bed when someone rang the doorbell. She groaned as she got out of bed, crossed her small apartment and reluctantly made her way to the door. When she was close, the doorbell rang again.

"Ugh, stop with that noise!" Brittany yelled, her cat had woken up too and was following her. "Who is it?"

"It's Blaine." Came a voice on the other side of the door. "I need your help."

Brittany sighed and unlocked the door. Having Blaine back was one of the best things that had happened in years, but that man never slept and was always asking for help at random hours. "Alright, Blaine Warbler, what do you need?"

"Not here. We need to go to the studio." Blaine announced quickly. 

"Huh?" Brittany tilted her head, "You want to go to the studio this late at night?"

"Yes, please!" Blaine was serious as he looked right into her eyes. "Brittany. I need you to teach me something..."

"We're here at Rhodes Ice Castle, venue of the Lima Exhibition called: Lima On Ice, where two of the best male figure skaters in the world will compete tonight." The reporter announced, looking at the camera.

Beth watched everything proudly. She was the one who organized it all, even made the right calls so reporters would show up. Beth knew she was clever for a nine-year-old. The Ice Castle never looked so full. There were people from all over the United States, and even people who came from other countries just to watch the competition. Both Blaine and Blaise had a lot of people there to cheer them on. Beth kept taking pictures and uploading everything to her Twitter account. Her mother had grounded at her when she posted that video of Blaine, but it was worth it. None of this would be happening if it wasn't for her. 

"...So right off the bat, we have skaters Blaine Anderson and Blaise Lambiel." The reporter turned to the ice skaters. Blaine looked nervous, but he had a smile on his face, while Blaise just looked bored. "Both your new short programs were choreographed by Kurt Hummel. You'll be presenting them today in competition. Tell us how you feel going into the event!" 

The microphone was pointed at Blaine, who let out a small nervous chuckle. "Um, hi, good evening. I just hope everyone has a good time and, uh..."

"Yeah, we're not interested in that." The reported didn't wait for Blaine to finish, the speech was too boring for his liking, "What about you, Blaise?"

Blaise narrowed his eyes, looking straight at the camera. "I will crush him." 

"Yes! That's it!" The reporter cheered. "Thank you for giving us what we wanted to hear."

The reporter then noticed that Kurt was close and gasped. The man of the hour was right next to him and most people didn't know how to act around Kurt. It wasn't easy to keep your nerves under control around a living legend. Kurt, however, was unfazed. He looked a little annoyed even. The reporter didn't waste any time and pulled Kurt closer, not caring if the man would agree to an interview or not. "Last, but not least, let's hear it from Kurt Hummel himself, who has decided to become a coach out of the blue! What should we expect from this competition, Mr. Hummel?" 

"Well," Kurt raised one eyebrow in a judgmental way. "You might think it's a boring speech, but I am hoping that everyone has a good time too. I think that friendly competition is better for everyone. That's what this sport is all about. We should all treat each other with respect, that's what's most important. And that includes you... Don't interrupt someone you're interviewing. Blaine wasn't done talking, but all you were interested in was getting some kind of angry speech or something. That's very rude." He said simply and turned away from the reporter, leaving him with no time to reply. He approached the boys.

"Kurt, you really didn't need to do that," Blaine said quietly, a faint blush on his cheeks. 

"Of course I did, he was rude." Kurt shrugged. 

"But it looked like you were scolding me," Blaise frowned. "It looked like Blaine is your favorite."

"Blaise, that's not-"

"I don't care." Blaise interrupted Kurt, clearly very impatient. "I just hope that you'll be a fair judge." 

"I will be," Kurt said firmly, glancing at both of them in the eyes. "I promise."

Blaine nodded once. "And you'll grant the wish of whichever one of us wins, right?"

"That's what I promised," Kurt assured them. "Now... let's warm up." 

No one was speaking in the locker room and that was almost making Blaine mad. He was stretching, while Blaise was jogging in place. Blaine could feel the teenager's eyes on him, he knew Blaise was trying to intimidate him. Kurt stood a little far from them, in silence, quietly watching. Blaine guessed he didn't want to distract either of them. Blaine put earphones in his ears so he could listen to the song he was going to skate to. It was better to hear that than the noise that the audience was making. He couldn't believe that so many people had come. 

Someone opened the door. It was Quinn. "Blaise, dear..."

Blaise took off his headphones and looked at her.

"It's almost time, okay?" Quinn announced.

"Okay," Blaise muttered and began to open his jacket to show off the costume underneath. 

Quinn gasped, she recognized it. The costume was white, very different from Blaine's. A perfect contrast:

"That's..." Quinn was almost crying. "It's the see-through costume of legend from Kurt's junior days! I never thought I'd see it in person."

"You better believe it, Quinn." Blaine grinned at his friend. "I'll show you all of Kurt's costumes later... if I win."

Quinn chuckled and glanced back at Blaise. "I'm rooting for both of you. Whoever wins this, I've seen how hard you both worked for this, you deserve it."

"Thanks for the pep-talk, but I gotta get going." Blaise rolled his eyes, but Quinn, being the mother that she was, didn't let Blaise go to the ice rink without giving him a wet kiss on the cheek. 

"Good luck!" She grinned. 

"O-okay..." Blaise's eyes were wide, and the boy didn't quite know what else to say. 

"Well, come on! Get a move on," Quinn grabbed Blaise's shoulder and walked away with him. 

Blaine and Kurt were left alone. Blaine was sure that Kurt wasn't even going to talk to him because it probably wouldn't be fair to Blaise, but a hand on his shoulder told him he was wrong. Kurt was going to give him one last comforting smile. Blaine took out his earphones and just stared at Kurt, knowing they didn't have much time. They both had to go out there to see Blaise's program. 

"Remember what I told you, okay?" Kurt in the softest voice, his accent making the sound even sweeter. "Inspire me."

The desire to hug Kurt was back. He couldn't do it, though. It would be unfair to Blaise if they had too much time alone together right before the competition, and besides, Blaine wasn't even sure if Kurt would accept a hug. Maybe he would only get to be held by Kurt if he won... 

"I'll remember," Blaine replied, finally. "W-we have to go now."

Kurt nodded once and turned around. Blaine followed behind, his heart pounding.  

The whole ice rink was mostly dark, Blaine and Kurt stood together with a perfect view of the whole arena. The reporters had a table for themselves, and they were there to narrate everything that happened. 

"Now, the moment we've all been waiting for..."

The audience began to cheer, pulling out french flags and signs that had nice messages of encouragement written from Blaise. 

"A champion with wins in the Junior Grand Prix Final and Junior World Championship. Hoping for a brilliant senior division debut, with programs choreographed by Kurt Hummel... Blaise Lambiel!"

Underneath the spotlight, was Blaise. He entered the ice, already cheering the audience with his arms opened, silently asking them for more applause. He skated until he got to the center and posed. 

"Bonne chance, Blaise!" A few people yelled, randomly. 

Blaise looked down and the room was filled with silence. Kurt kept his eyes on the boy, biting his lip. 

"He will be skating to 'On Regards To Love: Agape'." The narrator announced before the song filled the room. 

Blaise lifted his left arm up to the sky, his long blond hair falling on his face. He spun around and raised both his arms behind him, Blaine thought it made him look like an angel. That costume sparkled and the feathers on it gave it movement. His blades cut the ice as he gained speed, but his movements were still very light. 

"His first jump is a triple axel." The narrator went on. He talked to the audience that was watching him on a live stream, but Blaine was close enough to hear everything he said.

Blaise prepared for the jump and did it. He spun three and a half times on the air before landing the jump perfectly. 

"Excellent!" The audience cheered, applauding. 

Blaise seemed to be completely focused, it was like he was the only person in that ice rink. He went on to do a sit spin with remarkable speed. Blaine looked around to check the reactions of the audience. Everyone was drawn into Blaise's Agape performance. Blaine quickly turned back to watch Blaise... He could understand why everyone was almost crying. It was completely different from everything he had seen so far during practice. A lot had changed in Blaise's performance ever since that day when they watched the sunset. No one could look away from that beautiful, ever-evolving monster. 

The narrator spoke up, "We're approaching the quadruples he was prohibited from performing in competition. Not to mention that they're in the second half of his program, and that makes it more difficult."

Blaise was skating backward, which meant a quadruple Salchow was coming. He jumped and landed... then jumped again! 

"A quadruple Salchow, followed by a toe-loop!" The narrator described while the audience went crazy. "He unveiled the quad with a flourish!" 

The teenager looked like he was getting breathless, but still, his arms moved beautifully around his body as he skated. 

"Here comes the final jump, a quadruple toe-loop!"  

The man had barely announced the jump when Blaise's skaters hit the ground, giving him impulse to jump. 

"He nailed it!" The audience was screaming again. 

Blaise skated back to the center and kept spinning, lifting his free legs higher. Blaine saw Kurt with both hands on his mouth, he was mesmerized by the performance too. Blaine couldn't let this get to him, he couldn't. The teenager skating was getting more anxious, apparently. His movements were starting to seem ambitious again, just like they were before. Blaine wondered if Blaise had gotten scared. 

"I'm sorry, Grandpa." Blaise moved to a combination spin, his signature move. "I'm too busy trying to skate the program to really think about Agape at all! I'm so sorry!"

The combination spin was difficult. He moved to a sit spin and then he stood up, grabbed the blades from behind, doing a Biellmann spin. He went back to the sit spin. It seemed like it would never end.

"Damn it!" Blaise was almost crying, "Just end it already!"

Before he knew it, he was making the final pose with both hands raised up to the sky like a prayer. The noise that the audience was making finally got to him.

"Amazing!" The narrator said excitedly. "A masterful performance! There's a lot to look forward to this coming season!"

To Blaise, none of that mattered, in his mind, all he could think was, "I'm better than this."

"Blaise!" The teenager finally turned around and looked at Kurt, who was calling him. At least Kurt looked proud. "That was the best performance I've seen from you so far! You should be proud of yourself."

To Blaine, Blaise just looked upset. He couldn't understand why he would be upset after a performance like that. 

"Go on, greet the audience!" Kurt instructed and the teenager put on a smile for the people who came to cheer him on. 

Blaine was applauding too, but not so excitedly. He was happy for Blaise, but at the end of the day, they were competing. Blaine knew that that performance would be very, very difficult to beat. Everyone knew that Blaise definitely was going to rank among the top senior division skaters. Blaine took a step back, the noise was making him too anxious. "If I lose, Kurt will go back to France..." The thoughts Blaine tried to avoid the whole week were coming back to him all at once, "I don't want that. I can't let that happen, I can't lose all this." He had both hands on his head while he looked down at his feet. Everything seemed so uneasy. He was getting dizzy, he could tell. "I have to win. I want to him!" Blaine closed his eyes.

"Blaine?" 

When he looked up, Kurt was right in front of him. "It's your turn."

Blaine couldn't hold back a gasp, he felt his heart beating so hard that he was scared he was going to die right there and then. He covered his mouth before he could make any more noises. He was too scared. Kurt's piercing blue eyes were on him, they were worried. Blaine took a deep shuttered breath and recomposed himself. Kurt just wanted to be inspired. That was all he needed to do.

"I-... Uh.." Blaine started, his throat was dry, so he swallowed before he tried again. "I'm going to become the most delicious cronut in the world, so please... watch me."

"Of course, Blaine, I-..." Kurt nodded, he didn't seem to be expecting Blaine to say that.

"I need you to promise me!" Blaine couldn't deny it to himself anymore, he needed to be close to Kurt. It could be the last opportunity that he would ever have to wrap his arms around Kurt and be held by him. He needed that, more than he imagined. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and his arms went around Kurt's shoulders, pulling their bodies close together. "Promise me..."

He felt Kurt moving his arms, and he was briefly scared that Kurt was going to push him away and scold him, but... Kurt hugged him back. "Of course. I promise," his voice was so close to Blaine's ear, it was an amazing feeling. "I love cronuts."

It was like a weight was lifted off Blaine's shoulders. He stayed there for another moment before he pulled away. He wished he could stay forever. Kurt offered him a smile and Blaine took another deep breath as he approached the ice.

"We're pleased to introduce a skater who represents the United States, a late bloomer who's become a rising star... Blaine Anderson!"

Blaine entered the ice and the spotlight was now following him as he greeted the audience. Blaine was surprised at how people cheered for him. He was sure most people were there to support Blaise. He grinned and moved to the center of the rink. 

"Good luck, Blaine!" He heard Quinn yelling. He could see Brittany too, holding a misspelled sign. 

"We love you, Blaine!" Beth yelled too. 

"He will skate to 'On Regard to Love: Eros'," The narrator said to the microphone. "He's been having difficulty expressing 'Eros', but he said he'll think of how he loves to eat his favorite dessert, which is cronuts." 

Brittany watched him with a knowing smile. She had pulled an all-nighter to help him practice. He wouldn't be an ordinary cronut. 

The lights went on. The music began. 

It was like Blaine had turned into another person. His first movements were in the same spot, but when he heard the song begin, he looked up and moved his hands in the most sensual way. His hair was slicked back, which was different from how Blaine usually styled his curly hair. 

"Who am I skating for?" Blaine thought, his he moved his body with the music. He took a step and made another pose, turning his had to look straight at Kurt while the music made a small pause. "I know who." 

He swore that he had seen Kurt's jaw drop, but the song had started, and he had an audience to impress. Blaine's feet moved fast, turning his body around, and around. It was beautiful how his costume helped his moves, the small skirt creating a nice movement. 

"What a seductive step sequence!" The narrator exclaimed as Blaine did a spread eagle, everyone seemed surprised at how much Blaine had grown. "It's hard to believe that he's thinking about a cronut!"

Blaine moved to a camel spin, where his leg is extended out behind him while he spins in one foot. Brittany grinned from the audience, knowing her friend was known for his excellent step sequences and spins. She remembered the night before when Blaine asked her for help, it all made sense now that she was watching him. 

"I want you to teach me how to move in feminine ways," Blaine explained to her, he was determined.

"Huh?" Brittany tilted her head. 

"Trying to be the playboy isn't me." Blaine shrugged. "I'm not like that. I want to be the most beautiful woman in town, who seduces the playboy. I won't drastically change any moves, but... I think this is a lot closer to how I feel."

And they worked together in the studio, Blaine went through the whole choreography many times, with Brittany correcting the movements of his hips and hands. She didn't get why he was so serious about it, but she helped anyway. 

"Now I see..." Brittany smiled. His performance has integrated his emotions. It had changed! 

Blaine went for a spread eagle to a jump. A triple axel. Blaine never had any problems landing that one, but coming out of a spread eagle made it more difficult.

"He landed it!" The narrator spoke. "That was excellent. Man, this program is tough." 

That triple axel had been Blaine's first jump in the program. It was unusual for ice skaters to take so long to start doing jumps because everyone was usually very tired. Blaine was lucky, he had enough stamina to schedule all of his jumps for the second half. The quad Salchow was coming, though. Blaine had practiced a lot ever since Blaise taught him. He jumped and... 

"Oops!" The narrator exclaimed. "He stepped out of his quadruple Salchow. He managed not to fall by putting his hand on the ice."

Blaise bit his lip. "About what you'd expect..." He muttered. 

"Don't panic."  Blaine reminded himself. "A mistake like this isn't enough to make me lose my charms." He turned and one leg bent sharply at the knee and the other extended backward in a straight line with the blade touching the ice. "I'm better than any other woman out there. And wanna know why?" He prepared for a jump.

"A quadruple toe loop!" The audience cheered like crazy and before they knew it, Blaine was jumping again and the narrator added. "Followed by a triple toe loop! He nailed it!"

"A quad-triple combination at the very end?" Puck asked his wife. "Is he insane?!"

"But he did it, didn't he?" She replied, never taking her eyes off Blaine. 

Kurt never looked away either. He couldn't even if he hadn't promised. Blaise didn't need to stay to watch the end to know who had won. It was clear on Kurt's expression, Blaine was better. The teenager shut his eyes to hold back tears and made his way out of the ice rink before anyone could see him. He was out the door before Blaine ended the program. His arms stretched out like he was pushing someone away and then the final pose. His blade made a loud noise as he hit them on the ice and his arms wrapped around himself. 

The silence lasted for a second. Soon the ice rink was almost shaking as the audience jumped and cheered. The applause made Blaine smile like he hadn't smiled in years. He could hear people screaming his name and even some people yelling. "Welcome back, Blaine!" 

"It's not 'back', people." Puck said, even though only Quinn could hear him. "That was a Blaine we've never seen before. That's why no one could look away. I'm definitely looking forward to this season now." 

"Where's Blaise?" Quinn asked after she looked at the spot where the teenager was supposed to be. 

While she searched for Blaise, Blaine was still greeting the audience. He was about to leave the ice when he heard:

"Blaine!" And his heart skipped a beat. Blaine turned around and saw Kurt with a beautiful smile on his face. His arms were already stretched out for a hug. Kurt pulled Blaine into a warm embrace, that made Blaine grin. "That was so-... You were the tastiest cronut I've ever seen." 

Blaine let out a breath. "T-thank you. Thank you so much." 

Kurt held him just a bit tighter, and Blaine didn't mind at all. 

"Blaise. Hey... Blaise! Wait!" Quinn called the boy. 

Blaise was already outside the Ice Castle when Quinn found him. He was carrying his bag, alone, on the way to Blaine's house just to get the rest of his belongings. He paused when he heard her voice, but didn't turn around. 

"Aren't you going to stay to listen to the results?" Quinn asked softly. 

"I already know the results," Blaise replied, and the hurt in his voice made Quinn's heart break. "Blaine's performance... I saw the look of Kurt's face." He swallowed, "I'm going back to Coach Sylvester. Goodbye. Au revoir." 

"And that's it?" Quinn shook her head a little. "You're not even going to say goodbye to the rest of them?"

"I know no one wanted me here." Blaise turned around, finally, and Quinn saw the tears in his eyes. 

"That's not tr-..."

"But make no mistake." He went on. "I'm the one who'll win at the Grand Prix Final! You tell him that." Blaise announced before he continued to walk away. He was more determined than ever. 

Blaine would have been alone in the podium if it wasn't for Kurt standing next to him. They had looked for Blaise everywhere, but after Quinn had announced that he had left the building, they decided to go through with the celebration anyway. Blaine felt bad for the boy, but at the moment he was so happy that Kurt was officially his coach now, that nothing could tear him down. He stood there with a bouquet in his hand that he had gotten from a fan, a small trophy. 

"Blaine Anderson has won the Lima On Ice event. A word, please?" The same reporter from before approached him in the podium. 

The microphone suddenly made him nervous. What could he even say now? Having Kurt was his coach would be the absolute best thing that ever happened to him, but now the whole world had their eyes on him. 

"O-oh, um..." He was scared to speak. Would the reporter think he was boring again? Suddenly, a hand was gently placed on his arm and the light squeeze gave him the strength he needed. Blaine glanced briefly at Kurt, thanking him for that support. "I'm going to try and win the next Grand Prix Final with Kurt by my side. Now more than ever, I feel like I can do this. Kurt has been my inspiration my whole life, and it's amazing to know that tonight, I was the one who inspired him." He looked at Kurt again and his heart beat faster as their eyes met. "Thank you for your continued support!" He said into the microphone and turned to the audience again. 

The battle for what could be his very last figure skating season had begun. 

Chapter Text

The ice rink was empty. There was only one person left in the there. The noise of blades cutting through the ice was soothing for Blaine. He needed it that night. 'My leg was too sloppy during this move'. Blaine paused and did it again. When he was satisfied with how it turned out, he moved on to the next step of the choreography. 

It was getting late, Blaine didn't know how long he'd been there since everyone left. After Lima On Ice, everyone wanted to go out and celebrate. Blaine won, and that was an amazing feeling, but he didn't feel like celebrating yet. The ice skater twirled and almost fell when he saw someone standing there, watching him. 

"Jesus... You scared me!" Blaine exclaimed, coming to a stop. 

"I'm sorry." Kurt smiled at Blaine. "I didn't mean to, but I saw you in here and I didn't want to interrupt your training." 

"It's okay, I get lost in thought when I'm in here. It's like I'm in my own little world." Blaine shrugged, looking around the ice. Should he continue skating? Now that Kurt was there, he felt pressured.

"Why are you practicing right now?" Kurt asked, after a moment of silence. 

Blaine looked up at the other man. "I'm going over the moves that I messed up tonight while they're still fresh in my mind."

Kurt hummed. "Like the quad Salchow?"

Blaine swallowed hard and nodded a little. One day he'd complete that jump without any mistakes... "Like the quad Salchow." 

"It's beautiful how you commit to your skating. We'll work on that jump until you get it, I promise." Kurt nodded once. "I know Blaise taught you, and the Salchow is a jump that he can do perfectly, but I'm a better teacher than Blaise. I'll make sure you'll be perfect."

Blaine's heart began to beat faster. He could officially say that he was staring at his coach at that moment, who happened to be Kurt Hummel. Kurt wasn't going to leave him, he wasn't going to go back to France. That man, who was like a god to Blaine, would be staying there all day, every day, to be the best possible coach for Blaine. It didn't matter that Kurt had no experience in coaching, he was the best ice skater in history, and that was more than good enough for Blaine. 

"Kurt, I can't thank you enough for this." Blaine breathed out, not able to hold back his emotions. He skated over to where Kurt was standing. "Thank you for being here. Thank you for staying."

Kurt shook his head, smiling. "You deserved it." He swallowed, pausing for a moment. Kurt hesitantly reached for Blaine's hand, surprising the other man. "I couldn't be anywhere else. I-... I'm here because I-..."

"Because I inspired you?" Blaine offered, with a shy smile. 

Kurt stopped, then nodded. "Yes... And, I-..." Blaine frowned, he wasn't sure he had ever seen Kurt flustered. The older man swallowed and finally looked up at Blaine again. "I was wondering when we're going to eat that cronut together." 

Blaine couldn't help but laugh. "So, that's why you're here?"

"Of course." Kurt chuckled. "I was at your house, your mother had just taken them out of the oven. I'm sure Cooper hasn't eaten them all yet, but we should go quick." 

Blaine moved away so he could get out of the ice rink. He noticed then how Kurt was still holding his hand. He glanced down and at that moment Kurt let got. Blaine decided not to think too much about it. He guessed that Kurt was trying to build a relationship of trust between them like he had already stated he wanted. That thought suddenly scared Blaine. If Kurt got too close, would he still think Blaine was inspiring? Or would he see right through Blaine and find out he was just a weak and guy, who suffered from anxiety? Would he think Blaine is just another fan trying to be like the great Kurt Hummel, but would never get even close to being that perfect? 

"Blaine?" Kurt called in a soft voice. Blaine hadn't noticed how he had suddenly stopped walking to the locker room, too lost in those horrible thoughts. 

"I- um, sorry. I got distracted." Blaine shook his head and went on. He hated how his mind worked so damn well to make him feel awful and scared. 

Blaine was quiet for the rest of the night. It made things very awkward, because this time his family didn't eat with them, so it was just Kurt and Blaine in the kitchen, eating cronuts. He had missed that taste, but the sensation wasn't so good. For some reason, he felt guilty. Blaine knew he had won, therefore, he deserved that cronut, but... He didn't feel good enough. He felt like he was wasting Kurt's time because sooner or later Kurt would find out that Blaine was just an 'okay' skater. Kurt had put his life on hold for Blaine, it wasn't fair. 

'Stop it!' Blaine thought to himself and took a deep breath. Kurt was watching him intently, trying to figure out what was on Blaine's mind. Kurt had tried to start a conversation the whole time, but Blaine found himself unable to continue talking for too long. 

"Do you feel tired, Blaine?" Kurt asked. He sounded worried, which made Blaine feel even worse. 

"I do," Blaine whispered. "Do you mind if I go to sleep?"

"Of course not, it's best if we both go to bed now," Kurt replied, checking the time. "We have to be up early tomorrow." 

"Right." Blaine already knew he wouldn't be able to sleep that easily. He wanted to go to bed because he wanted to hide. 

Blaine excused himself before he went to shower and brushed his teeth, doing everything like he was on autopilot. If he let his mind wander too much, he definitely wouldn't be able to sleep that night. Every time his mind came up with a new thought about Kurt, he pushed it away. On his way to his room, he found Kurt holding a pillow and standing in the hallway. He stopped in his tracks and tilted his head. 

"I-is everything okay? Do you need anything?" Blaine asked, speaking quietly because his family was already sleeping. 

"No, everything's fine," Kurt assured him in a whisper. "I was just wondering if-... Is it okay if I sleep in your room this time?"

"No!" Blaine replied, too quickly and too loudly. 

Kurt was taken aback. "Oh. Okay." He bit his lip. "I'll go back to my room."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean-..." Blaine shook his head. "I just- I snore, and-... then you won't sleep well, and I-I won't be able to wake up tomorrow morning if we talk all night, and-"

"Blaine." Kurt interrupted. "It's okay, really. See you in the morning."  The older man turned around and went back to his room. 

The next morning, Blaine felt something warm pressed against him. He liked that feeling and wanted to stay there all day. It had taken so long for him to fall asleep, but now he didn't want to wake up. Surely Kurt wouldn't mind if he missed practice, would he?

'What am I thinking?! Of course, he would!' Blaine opened his eyes and found out that the body pressed against him was Hepburn. He smiled at her as he searched for his phone under his pillow. When the screen lit up, Blaine practically jumped out of the bed. He was already two hours late for practice. The ice skater managed to get dressed in less than five minutes and rushed down the stairs. His mother was watching the morning news on the television. 

"Hi, sweetheart," Pamela said to her son. "Are you looking for Kurt? He already left."

"Left? What do you mean left?" Blaine widened his eyes. 

"...He's at the ice rink." Pamela explained. "Kurt said you were late. He said he was going to wait for you there."

Blaine immediately turned to the front door. He wasn't going to keep Kurt waiting any longer.

"Blaine! You haven't eaten your breakfast!" Pamela frowned.

But Blaine didn't care. He was out the door in a minute and running towards the Rhodes Ice Castle. If he kept running he'd get there in five minutes, and he wouldn't need to warm up. His first day having Kurt as his coach and he was already messing up. In his mind, he was already trying to come up with a good excuse why he was so late. The truth was that he didn't sleep until three in the morning, and they agreed to be up at six. 

As he pushed open the door of the Ice Castle, he didn't even greet Quinn as he rushed inside. He was gasping for air when he found Kurt, standing in the middle of the ice rink, doing nothing but wait for Blaine.

"Oh, god! I'm so sorry!" Blaine didn't waste any more time, already taking off his shoes to put on his skaters. "I-I think my alarm didn't go off. I'm sorry I kept you waiting."

Kurt didn't look angry as he turned around. "I'm sure you had a good reason..."

Blaine swallowed, looking down to tie up his skaters. It wasn't like he was going to tell Kurt all about his weaknesses. "N-not really. I just didn't hear my alarm."

"Hm." Kurt lifted his chin, studying Blaine. The younger skater felt the man's gaze on him and felt his stomach twist. 'Kurt is already disappointed, isn't he?' But the older skater just went on. "Well, I was late that day too, so let's call it even and agree that neither of us will ever do that again. What do you say?"

Blaine immediately nodded. "Yes, coach."

Kurt grinned at that. "Did you just call me 'coach'?"

Blaine looked up and took out the guards, which protected the blades of his skaters. "... Shouldn't I? I mean, you are my coach now."

"I know, it's just... It's new to me."

The younger skater entered the rink and skated over to Kurt. "What should I do now, coach Hummel?"

Kurt took a deep breath, the first lesson was going to start. Kurt looked at Blaine up and down. "Show me what you got, Blaine."

"No, no... Again, you're losing balance." Kurt shook his head, pointing to Blaine's left foot. 

Blaine groaned in frustration. "I'm sorry. I-I don't know what I'm doing wrong."

"When you prepare to enter the jump, you're doing it wrong." Kurt tried to explain. "You're overthinking it, it's not natural. Try it again."

Blaine began to move to get the right speed and turned back, going in for the Salchow. Kurt had pointed to his left foot, so the only thing he thought about was where his foot was supposed to go next. He lost balance as he jumped, causing him to fall on the ice. Again.

"See?" Kurt said softly, skating over to him and offering him a hand. "When you think too much, you fall."

Blaine took the hand and got up, with some difficulty. They had been practicing for over two hours. "Can I try again?" He asked, breathing hard. 

"Yes, but..." Kurt narrowed his eyes in thought. "Don't jump this time."

Blaine nodded once before he skated again, gaining speed. He opened his arms as he skated backwards for the entrance. He continued the move up until where he was supposed to jump and looked at Kurt. 

The older man just kept quiet for a moment. "Before Blaise taught you, who first showed you how to do that jump?" Kurt tilted his head, Blaine was almost frightened to look at Kurt in the eye. It was like he could read his thoughts. 

"Well..." Blaine hoped he wasn't blushing. "I was really young. Not even in the Junior division yet when I first started practicing it. I-I learned it by myself, I didn't have a coach yet." 

"Will you answer me honestly?" Kurt raised his eyebrow, and Blaine just nodded. "Were you copying me?"

Blaine felt like he had been caught doing something wrong. It wasn't wrong that he was copying Kurt, obviously, but it was embarrassing. "Yes."

To his further embarrassment, Kurt chuckled. "I noticed. Your own routines show that too, you've been getting inspiration from my routines."

"I- uh..." Blaine was most definitely blushing. "I'm sorry."

"No, hey..." Kurt shook his head, grinning. "I'm not angry, I think it's flattering..."

Blaine avoided looking at Kurt. What he feared most was coming true. Kurt was going to see right through him. That practice had been very difficult. He was having trouble understanding what Kurt meant, he was nervous, hadn't eaten anything yet so his stomach was protesting, he was tired because he hadn't slept much. The whole time, Kurt seemed a bit frustrated because Blaine wasn't getting anything right. 

"You know, what? I think we should call it a day." Kurt interrupted his thoughts. 

"What?" Blaine widened his eyes. "But... We were supposed to train all day, I only showed you a few moves."

"I think there's a lot we need to talk," Kurt said to him while he moved to the exit, Blaine followed behind him. Kurt glanced over at Blaine, who looked down. "I've been thinking of all the things we have to fix together. I made a mental list and I want you to hear it. First, I saw you practicing alone last night. There's nothing wrong with that if you don't practice difficult jumps. You were practicing quads, and doing that when you're alone is reckless, dangerous even. I don't want you doing that again."

Blaine kept his eyes down. "Okay. You're right, coach."

"Great. Now, tell me, why did you skip breakfast?"

Blaine's eyes shot up. "How did you-"

"Your mother texted me, asking me to make sure you eat something because you had left without eating breakfast," Kurt explained, while he took his ice skaters off, Blaine was still standing on the ice. "I didn't mention anything because I wanted to see how long it took for you to be honest with me. That's not good for you, Blaine. As athletes, we have to respect our bodies. You can't starve yourself like that. Why did you do that?" He was truly worried, and that made Blaine guilty.

"I didn't want to keep you waiting any longer. I deserved it."

"No, you're wrong." Kurt shook his head. "Your health comes first. You lacked energy today. From what I've seen last week, you can do better than that. You looked exhausted the entire time."

"I won't do it again, coach. I'm sorry." Blaine spoke in a small voice.

Kurt sighed, watching Blaine like he was trying to figure him out. "Now, the third thing I have to say to you will probably be the hardest for you to do."

"W-what is it?" Blaine looked up at his coach again.

"You don't need to copy anyone." Kurt's blue eyes looked right into Blaine's. "I am flattered that you've taken inspiration from my routines, but the problem is... they're meant for me, for the way I move. Your body is different than mine, and you have to respect it. You have to figure it out yourself, without copying any other figure skater. When we see you do that, like you did Eros, it's an amazing sight. You make it impossible for us to look at anything else, but you." 

"I-I don't know how to do that, to be honest," Blaine confessed, looking down. "I don't think I can be amazing on my own."

"But you can." Kurt insisted. "I've seen you do it."

Blaine looked up, curious. "In Eros? Was I really that great?"

"Yes," Kurt nodded with a soft smile. "But not only then."

Blaine raised his eyebrows. "When?"

Kurt turned around. Blaine could have sworn he saw him blushing as the man reached for his bag. He only replied when he turned to Blaine again. "Doesn't matter. Where I'm getting with all this is... I want you to create your own free skating program."

"What?!" Blaine exclaimed, unable to hold back his shock. "I-I don't think that's a good idea, Kurt. I've never done that before!"

"Never? Why not?" Kurt tilted his head.

"I just never..." 'Felt confident enough.' "I've always trusted my coach."

"So, you chose the song, and your coach created the choreography?"

"I, uh, have never chosen a song either," Blaine confessed. 

Kurt widened his eyes. "But that's absurd! I know you love music, why wouldn't you choose your own song?"

Blaine struggled to find an answer. "My former coach always chose the song."

The older skater raised his eyebrow. He crossed his arms over his chest. "And who was your coach?"

A few minutes later and Blaine was sitting in one of the benches in the dressing room, with Kurt by his side while he pressed his phone against his ear. Blaine wasn't sure what Kurt was trying to accomplish, but apparently, the figure skating legend didn't like that Coach Schuester always chose the songs Blaine skated to. Kurt asked Blaine to call his former coach when Blaine told him that he hadn't talked to the man in months. It was wrong of him, Will Schuester had always been nothing but kind to him, and patient. When Blaine ended the contract, he thought he was doing the right thing. Will was a good coach, who deserved better than having his name tied to the figure skater who fell his way to the last place. 

If he hadn't done that, Kurt wouldn't have come to Lima to become his coach. He made the right decision, after all. 

"Blaine! Hi!" Will exclaimed as he picked up. 

"Hey, Coach Schuester," Blaine replied with a smile. 

"It's good to hear from you," Will continued, "We haven't spoken since you ended the contract..."

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, I've been busy..." Blaine glanced at Kurt.

The man chuckled. "I've heard." He replied, "So, Kurt really is your coach now?"

"Yes," Blaine bit his lip. He hoped Coach Schuester didn't feel betrayed. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" Will asked, "I'm happy for you! I know what Kurt Hummel means to you."

"Put it on speaker, Blaine." Kurt interrupted their conversation, and after Blaine did what he requested, he greeted Will. "Hello, Coach Schuester. It's Kurt, Blaine's coach."

"Kurt. Nice to hear from you too." Will's voice came louder. "Having fun playing coach here in America? As happy as I am for Blaine, you really shouldn't be doing that."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "I know what you're going to say. I've seen Sue's recent interviews. She hates me for daring to call myself a coach, but it's happening. I'm coaching Blaine, and I know I can do this."

Will sighed. "Being a coach isn't as easy as you think. You could really ruin Blaine's career if you don't know what you're doing."

"I know what I'm doing." Kurt raised his chin. "Now, I was just talking to Blaine about his free program, and I was wondering... Why didn't you let him choose his own songs?"

Blaine blushed and widened his eyes as he kept staring down at the phone. 

"Huh?" Will replied. "Well, I normally choose the song for my skaters, but... they can choose if that's what they want."

Kurt raised his eyebrow. "Oh, really? That's not what Blaine told me." The curly haired skater was even more embarrassed. 

"He only brought me a piece once while I coached him," Will told Kurt. "It wasn't bad, but I wanted him to be sure. When I asked him, I think he second-guessed himself and asked me to choose the song instead. Never mentioned it again." 

"What song was it?"

"It was an original song. I think he composed it himself."

Blaine wanted to hide. He wasn't going to show that song to anyone. That song was always at the back of his mind, calling out to him, but Blaine didn't think it was good enough... 

"I did not know that." Kurt slowly turned to look at Blaine, his eyes narrowed. "I'm sure Blaine will be happy to show me."

"Blaine never had enough confidence in himself to believe in his own choices. I hope you can help him." 

"Me too," Kurt said softly.

"Mr. Schuester." Blaine said quickly, "One more thing..." He paused, "At the next Grand Prix Final, I'll redeem myself. I'll make you proud."

Will was silent on the other end, "It's really good to hear that, Blaine. That's what I wanted you to say to me last year's Final. Good luck this season."

"Thank you." Blaine let out a breath of relief as they said goodbye to each other and hung up. It was like a weight was taken off his shoulders. Coach Schuester wasn't upset with him because of all that's happened. 

"Blaine." His current coach was staring at him with a frown. "Why didn't you tell me about that song?"

Blaine's hands were suddenly sweaty. "I didn't think it was important."

"Didn't think it was important?" Kurt raised his eyebrows. "Blaine, I didn't even know you could compose!"

"And I can't. Not really." Blaine stood up and grabbed his bag. "It wasn't good enough, Kurt."

"Show me." Kurt stood up too, following Blaine.

"What?" Blaine frowned. "No. No way."

Kurt took Blaine's hand to make him turn around and look at him. "You have to stop hiding things from me." He said, in a surprisingly soft voice. "This is the second time today that you've hidden something from me. I'm your coach, we're supposed to trust each other."

Blaine looked down, ashamed. It was difficult for him to understand how he should act around Kurt. The man had always been nice to him and was clearly trying to help, but every time Blaine looked at him, he remembered who Kurt Hummel really was. Blaine remembered how he spent his whole life wanting to get Kurt's attention, and now that he had it all for himself, he didn't know how deep he wanted Kurt to see him. It was scary. 

"Okay. I'll show you."

Two days later 

Blaine was drying up the blades on his ice skaters after a long day of practice. Quinn was there too. She was taking the opportunity to spend a little time with her friend before he had to go home. She had noticed how Blaine didn't look as cheerful as she expected since he won the Lima On Ice. Knowing him as much as she did, she suspected that Blaine was feeling pressured. This season could be his last, after all. She decided to tell him a little about Blaise. Quinn had kept in touch with the boy after he dramatically left Lima. She considered him a friend. 

"... And apparently, Coach Sylvester is making his life a living hell for even considering ending the contract with her."

"Mhm..." Was Blaine's response, barely acknowledging what she had said. 

Quinn sighed, moving closer so she could sit next to her friend. "Have you chosen a song for you free skating program?" 

Blaine tensed up, but all he did to reply to her was shake his head.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Quinn said softly, "You look like you have a lot on your mind..."

Blaine paused his movements and looked behind his shoulders. When he was sure Kurt wasn't around he finally let out a breath. "I think this isn't working."

"What isn't?" Quinn tilted her head and frowned. 

"Kurt as my coach." Blaine swallowed, holding back tears. "I think I'm not good enough for him."

"Blaine..." She started, but he interrupted her.

"I know what you're going to say, Quinn, but..." He shook his head. "I feel like he's giving up on me too," Blaine confessed, his head dropped as he finally spoke to someone about it. "Yesterday I showed him a song that I wanted to use for my program. It was a song I made a few years ago, but... He just said that I should start looking for better options." 

"Blaine, you know that getting a new coach is never an easy transition. And Kurt is new to this too, he's never coached anyone before, has he?"

"No, but..." Blaine's voice was small. "That's not the problem. He's a good teacher, I think he knows what he's doing. I'm just-... Just now, he told me that I shouldn't do three quads on my program. He thinks I'll fail."

Quinn frowned. "He said that?"

"Not with those words, but yeah." Blaine sighed. "He insisted that I should only do one quad. That I can get by with just one quad if I get a full score in the program components." 

Blaine was still upset about that. In his opinion, he needed those jumps to win the Grand Prix Final. Jumps and spins counted as technical score, while choreography and interpretation counted as presentation score. The skater's total score is the sum of those two, minus any deductions. Blaine tented to lose technical points by missing jumps, and he compensated by getting good scores on the presentation, but that wasn't always enough. Kurt's intention was to keep the jumps simpler, so Blaine wouldn't fall and lose any points. 

"Maybe you could talk to him?" Quinn suggested. "Tell him you want those jumps."

"No, Quinn... He's not wrong." Blaine grabbed his belongings and stood up, ready to leave before Kurt came looking for him in the locker room. "I can't complete those jumps even in practice, and I can't even choose a good enough song. He's wasting his time." 

Before his friend could say another word, Blaine turned away and left. He needed to leave the ice rink and spend some time alone. Everything was going wrong, he wasn't being as strong as he thought he would be. 

As he left the Rhodes Ice Castle, he reached for his headphones inside his bag and plugged them in his phone. Even after all those years, that piece had always been meaningful to him. It wasn't quite right, Blaine knew it. There was something weak about it. It made sense, though. When Blaine composed the song, he tried to do it in a way that represented himself and embodied his career as a figure skater as a whole. He got it right in the end: an underwhelming piece for an underwhelming career.  

The sky that night was cloudy, it was going to start raining soon, so Blaine began to run while he listened to the demo recording of the piece he composed. Kurt was starting to get frustrated that he wouldn't just pick out a song already. Blaine was so used to letting his coach pick whatever song he thought was best, and then choreograph it too.

'But Kurt isn't like that.' Blaine thought as images of Kurt performing at different competitions came to his mind. Kurt always did everything himself. He'd have new music written for him to create the story he wanted to tell, and then choreographed his routine to tell it. Blaine always dreamed of doing the same thing, but it just never happened. He never believed that he could create something great. 

Late at night, Blaine was still awake. He stared down at the paper where he was writing down his ideas for the choreography. It was difficult to come up with the routine without a song, but he was getting somewhere. Blaine stretched and let out a yawn. As much as he wanted to continue, he decided he should get some sleep.

Before he went to bed, the figure skater decided to check his social media for a bit. He smiled when he saw pictures of his former rink mate. His name was Mike Chang. Blaine considered Mike to be his best friend in New York. The two of them had the same coach, so they were always practicing together. Mike loved being a figure skater and was an amazing dancer too, but he had come from a family of ice skaters from Japan, who always expected him to be the best possible male figure skater. They wanted him to be greater than Kurt Hummel. Mike moved to New York to be coached by Will Schuester, but also to get away from his parents. 

Blaine and he were very close. Mike was posting pictures from an ice rink in Japan, and Blaine felt the need to speak to his friend, maybe even get some advice. He dialed his friend's number and waited. 

"Konnichiwa, Mike." Blaine grinned as his friend answered the call.

"What's up, Blaine?" Mike replied cheerfully. "It's been a long time. Good to hear from you."

"So you left New York behind and went back to training in Japan, huh?" Blaine chuckled.

Mike laughed too. "New York got kinda boring without you, bro. You should come visit, by the way." 

"I sure will," Blaine went to his bed and laid down. "Hey, Mike... Remember that song I wrote for my free skating program?"

"The one you never used?"

"Yeah, that one." Blaine bit his lip. "What did you think of it?"

"Honestly? I thought it was missing something, but I liked it." Mike replied, "I think it could be a great song, and I wanted you to use it, but you gave up on it. I wish I knew how to write songs to use for my programs." He paused. "Why do you ask? Are you thinking about using it this season?"

Blaine let out a breath. "Yes. I-I don't even know if I should, Kurt didn't like the song..."

"Ooooh, that's right." Mike chuckled. "Kurt is your coach now. It must be surreal to you. I hope your heart eyes aren't getting in the way of your practice, Blaine."

"Mike!" Blaine blushed. "He's- he's just my coach. Yes, I'm a fan, but-"

"A fan? Blaine, you're obsessed with him! In a good way, of course. But come on, you love him." Mike teased. "Just tell me, is he as charming in real life as he is in your posters?"

"You-... I-..."

"Blaine, I know you, you can be honest with me."

Blaine sighed. "Yes, he is. Even more, actually. Watching him skate so close to me is a religious experience, I swear. He's an angel." 

"That's more like it. The Kurt Hummel stan that I know." Mike laughed again. "But I do think he's wrong. That song you wrote is good enough, it's just unfinished."

"Yes..." Blaine whispered.  "Just unfinished. I-I'll think about it. I don't think I can decide yet."

"If you finish writing it, I could ask that friend of mine from college to record it on her studio for you." Mike offered.

"You could?" Blaine smiled, suddenly feeling a little hopeful. Mike would be honest with him if he thought it was a bad idea.

"Yes, just let me know."

Blaine's smile grew. "I will."

For next days during practice, Kurt kept asking Blaine about the song. Blaine could only say that he hadn't chosen one yet. He didn't want to tell Kurt that he was thinking about rewriting that piece, because he was scared that Kurt would hate the idea. It was best if he showed him the finished product. 

"Blaine, you need to start trusting your intuition," Kurt said firmly. "You can't keep doubting yourself."

It wasn't that easy, not for Blaine. The younger man looked down. He wished he could be as confident as Kurt was. There was a piano in his house, but he still hadn't sat down to play the piece he wanted to write. The song was always on his mind, but he still hadn't tried playing it. He wrote down every new idea he had, both for the piece and for the choreography. However, his insecurities kept him from showing his progress to Kurt. 

As a result, he began to avoid Kurt. They spent time at the ice rink together, but before and after that, Blaine was always away from Kurt. He felt guilty. He didn't even want to know what Kurt thought of all this. The older man was always nice to him, insisting on calling him out for dinner, or a walk with Hepburn, but Blaine would always come up with an excuse. He could tell that Kurt was starting to feel a little unwelcome, and that made Blaine feel even worse.

The breaking point was when Blaine didn't show up for practice. The guilt had kept him from even getting out of bed. And Kurt, after waiting for hours, decided that Blaine was going to throw the whole season away if Kurt didn't do something about it. The coach walked back to the Anderson household and went straight to Blaine's room. He mercilessly opened the door, without even knocking and found Blaine hidden under the sheets. 

The younger skater sat up in a second, his eyes wide, expecting to hear a lecture from Kurt, who only smiled, to his surprise.

"Good morning, Blaine."

Blaine ran his fingers through his messy hair. "G-good morning, coach. I'm so so-..."

"We'll skip practice today." Kurt interrupted, then announced. "We're going to have a picnic." 

"There's not much we can do here in this town..." Kurt let out a soft sigh as he sat on the grass of the park, the same spot where they watched the sunset. This time, Hepburn had come along and was sniffing around. "I wish I could have taken you to the beach or something. I like watching the ocean."

Blaine hummed, he was already sitting down after helping Kurt prepare the sandwiches. He pulled his knees up, and wrapped his arms around them, trying to make himself as small as possible. He wondered why Kurt was being so nice. 

"You know, I grew up in Cannes, and watching this sunset reminds me of that town... That terrible feeling that I had when I was younger while I watched the sunset and the ocean. I thought that I would never leave that place. Have you ever felt like that?"

"In Lima? All the time." Blaine replied, looking down.

Kurt turned to look at Blaine, taking Blaine's comment as an opportunity to get to know him better. "Really? Why did you come back here, then?"

Blaine was quiet, Kurt thought the man wasn't even going to answer him. "Back in New York, there was this girl that was really pushing it. She always insisted on talking to me, texting me, wanting to know what I was doing..." He paused. "One day, one of my rink mates had an accident. I was so worried, I dropped everything and went to the hospital with him. That girl was in the hospital waiting room with me, and then she tried to hug me, to comfort me. I just... shoved her away, without even thinking." 

"Oh..." Kurt raised his eyebrows. "Why did you do that?"

"It felt like she saw me as weak, or something, and was using that moment of weakness to try and invade my privacy," Blaine explained. "I didn't like that. I realized that my friends here: Brittany, Quinn, Puck and my family, they never treated me as the weak person that I am, they always trusted that I was strong enough to at least fight my own battles. They had faith that I would continue to grow, and they let me do it. Never invaded my privacy.  I came back here because I realized everyone else in the world was treating me like that."

Kurt's eyes softened as he heard everything Blaine had to say. "Blaine... You're not weak. Nobody who knows you would ever think that."

Blaine kept silent, just staring down at the grass. 

"You think I see you that way, don't you?" Kurt muttered.

"I'm scared you will," Blaine confessed in a whisper. "I'm scared you'll see too much and realize that I am not good enough. Strong enough."

Kurt shook his head. "I see you already, Blaine. I see the great figure skater that you are. It's why I'm here. You don't have to keep proving yourself anymore, because I'm not going anywhere."

Blaine realized at that moment how much he needed to hear those words. You don't have to keep proving yourself anymore. He closed his eyes and let those words comfort him.

"What kind of intimacy should I have with you? You want me to be like a father figure? A brother? A friend?" There was a pause and when Blaine didn't say anything or react, Kurt offered finally. "A lover?"

"What?!" Blaine was so shocked that he was up on his knees in a second. "Just, Kurt! I want you to be Kurt!" He exclaimed finally, while Kurt and Hepburn stared up at him. Blaine stood up completely and sighed. "I want you to be who you are." He went on, "I looked up to you my whole life. You're my idol, Kurt. Can't you see how surreal this all is for me?"

Kurt looked at him intently, only listening.

"I've been avoiding you because I didn't want you to see my flaws." Blaine looked away. "I was stupid for doing that, I know, but I'll make it up to you by skating my best. I won't be scared anymore."

"Okay, you have a deal." Kurt stood up too and offered him his hand. "And I'll be the best possible coach for you. I won't let you off easy." He smiled. "It's my way of showing how much I care."

Blaine, in response, smiled. A real smile after all those past few days. He shook Kurt's hand. 

'When I open up,' he thought, 'He meets me where I am.' He looked into Kurt's blue eyes, 'I think it's time to open up more.'

The next morning

When Blaine got to the Rhodes Ice Castle for practice, he was very well rested and happy. Kurt was outside waiting for him there. The coach always got there first. Blaine felt so relieved now that he could actually look at Kurt without feeling awful about himself, without feeling like he had something to prove. There was one thing he was trying not to think about, but it was getting difficult to ignore. 

Every time he looked at Kurt, he was overwhelmed. Kurt always looked absolutely stunning, and each time they were close, Blaine could feel his entire body light up. How could he not? Kurt was the most beautiful man he had ever laid his eyes on, and he knew that ever since he was a kid. Sooner or later, he'd have to deal with the fact that he had feelings for Kurt. Those feelings might go away some day, but it didn't seem like it was happening any time soon. Every time he laid his eyes on the other man, that feeling only seemed to grow. For the moment, Blaine could keep pretending that he was only starstruck by his idol. It was just admiration, nothing else. Kurt smiled at him as soon as he noticed Blaine. 'It's definitely getting harder to ignore'. 

"Kurt, I need to talk to you about the song." Blaine smiled back, cutting right to the chase. 

"Oh! Did you finally pick one?" 

"Yes. Well, sort of..." Blaine swallowed. "I'm going to re-write that piece. I've actually been secretly working on it since I showed you, I believe it's almost finished. Then I'm going to ask a friend of Mike to record it."

Kurt raised his eyebrow. "Wow. I'm glad you made a decision. If you think there's a story in that song worth telling, then I'll wait until it's finished." 

Blaine nodded once, "Thank you, coach." He bit his lip. "In the meantime... Will you teach all the jumps you know? Please?"

The coach didn't question. They moved to the ice rink and began the practice for the day, after warming up. Kurt couldn't hide his smile. He could tell Blaine had a weight lifted off his shoulders and was now doing a lot better. The jumps he already mastered were being finished with ease, and when Kurt skated him with, to teach him the more technically difficult jumps, it didn't take long for Blaine to understand each mistake he did and correct it. Things were getting easier. 

Kurt leaned against the barrier to rest for a bit, he was all sweaty and needing a break. Soon Blaine came to his side with an excited grin. "Please, let me do it again."

With a chuckle, Kurt looked up. "Wow, Blaine, how many thousand times have we done it already?"

"Only thirteen," Blaine replied.

Kurt raised his eyebrow. "I've been thinking about this for a while, but your stamina is pretty impressive." 

"I got that at least..." Blaine replied, watching Kurt take a sip of water. The older man looked more tired than Blaine had ever seen. His hair was messy, which was rare for Kurt Hummel. He always made sure his hair looked perfect. The sweat had made his hair fall a little on his face, though. 

"Maybe your nervous eating helps you keep going during competitions, I don't know." Kurt went on, but Blaine was distracted, staring at Kurt. "There's also the fact that you haven't had any major injuries, and it's hard for me to say it but, you're younger than me, so-"

Kurt had to suddenly stop talking when he felt Blaine's gloved hand touching him, just gently brushing his hair away from his forehead. The intimate act Blaine surprised them both. 

He retracted his hand. "S-sorry. I- I wasn't thinking."

Kurt hadn't moved yet, just looking at Blaine, which made the younger skater blush a bright shade of pink. The coach brushed his own hair with his fingers. "Oh, god, my hair must be a mess."

"No, no!" Blaine shook his head. "It's- Your hair looks fine!"

"I- I should go fix it. If that little girl snaps a picture of me looking like this, I'll never hear the end of it. My sponsors expect my hair to always look perfect." Kurt explained, Blaine could tell there was a hint of nervousness in his voice while the man left the ice.

None of them noticed Quinn and Puck watching them the whole time. Puck was smirking as he watched both men interact. 

"Let's see how long it takes for them to realize the sexual tension between them." He commented to his wife.

Quinn just giggled. 

That night, after everyone fell asleep, Blaine was still awake, staring at his computer screen. Every time he was alone, all he could think about was the piece that he was trying to finish. Now that Kurt knew about it, things felt easier. He had his coach's approval to try again. He thought of the piano down the stairs. Blaine knew that the instrument was waiting for him there, it was the only way he could finish the piece. 

Everyone else was sleeping, but Blaine knew that if he closed the door of the music room they had in the house, no one would hear him playing. He was done wasting time, he decided. The house was quiet and dark as Blaine climbed down the stairs. When he got to the music room, he closed the door behind him and sat down on the piano. It had been a while...

He looked down at the keys and smiled. Playing the piano was a hobby that he really enjoyed. Music was his second passion. 'Third, if you count Kurt Hummel,' He surprised himself with that thought, 'Don't be silly, Blaine.'

His fingers began to play randomly, just warming up to the feeling. Blaine smiled, he loved the sound of that instrument. The piano was the perfect instrument for the piece he was writing, which represented himself. It was time to work. He had brought the sheet music he was working on along with him, he placed them in the sheet music holder and took another look at it before he began to play. 

Blaine smiled and closed his eyes, imagining himself skating to this song. It could work, it could be great. It told a story, his story. The story of a man who was inspired by another man, and then never stopped trying to make his dream come true. He struggled, it wasn't always easy, but he was still a man who fell in love with the ice and found peace when he skated. Someone who was scared and not always the best at what he did, but someone who felt free nonetheless. He felt like he could fly on the ice. No matter how many times he fell, Blaine would always get up. Now it was time for him to stand up for good. 

Kurt was going to guide him. No matter what Kurt had seen in him, Blaine was going to prove him right. Blaine was going to soar, with Kurt holding his hand, but never treating him like he wasn't strong enough to stand up on his own. Now that Kurt was in his life, he could honestly believe that everything would be okay. He grinned, looking down at the keys as he remembered the things that had happened ever since Kurt came to Lima. The surreal experience of skating right by his side, having Kurt look at him and smile. The feeling that washed over him when he finished dancing to Eros and saw Kurt applauding him with a look of pride and pleasant surprise. 

He thought about how he felt loved by everyone around him. How each and every person in his life had given him the strength to grow, and his free skating program would have to show that. Blaine let out a breath as he finished playing the piece. He couldn't help but grin as he realized that there wasn't much he needed to add. The song was basically finished. 

"Blaine..." He heard a soft voice coming from behind him.

Turning around in one swift move, he found Kurt standing by the door. He widened his eyes, feeling like he had been caught doing something wrong. His coach, however, looked mesmerized.  "D-did I wake you up? I'm sorry."

"No, I came downstairs to get a glass of water and-... You found your song." Kurt said above a whisper. "It's beautiful." 

"You think so?" Blaine grinned. 

Kurt nodded and stepped closer. "You changed the musical theme, didn't you?" 

Blaine glanced down at the floor. Kurt had noticed. "I did."

"What is it? Your theme?" 

"The theme is 'my love'," Blaine confessed. 

Blaine could see a faint smile on Kurt's lips. The silence between them lasted for a few seconds, making Blaine wonder what was on Kurt's mind.

"You couldn't have chosen a better theme. It's perfect." The coach said, and Blaine smiled in response. 

The next day, after practice 

"And the routine you put together was really good, Blaine, but there's one thing I would change," Kurt spoke, while they approached the house. The practice had gone amazingly well. With Kurt assistance, Blaine worked on the choreography based on the theme he had chosen. 

"What?" 

"I think you should cause more impact in the end," Kurt smirked, "Finish it with a quad toe loop." 

Blaine had to stop walking. "The last one? A quad?" Doing high difficult jumps in the second half of the program was a lot harder because the skaters are always tired.

"Someone with your stamina could definitely pull it off." Kurt bumped his shoulder against Blaine's, "Unless you'd rather not do it..."

"I'll do it!" Blaine said without hesitation, and Kurt chuckled. 

"I was hoping you would say that." The coach grinned and opened the front door.

As they entered the house, Blaine was surprised to find everyone in the living room waiting for them. Quinn, Puck, Beth, Brittany, and his family were all eagerly waiting for Kurt and Blaine to arrive. They were sitting close to a laptop, where Beth was continuously refreshing a web page. 

"Blaine Warbler, what took you so long?!" Brittany grabbed him by the hand and pulled him towards the laptop. "They're about to announce the assignments!" 

Blaine had completely forgotten about it. He was surprised that Kurt had too, but they had both been so focused on finishing the free program. The assignments would say if and where Blaine was going to compete for the Grand Prix Series, depending on his score. 

"I still don't know how this 'assignment' thing works..." Pamela scratched her head. 

"Yeah, to be honest, me neither." Cooper shrugged.

"I'll explain," Beth promptly said, standing up and excitedly explaining. "What is the Figure Skating Grand Prix Series, you ask? Well, this is how it works: skaters with high scores for the previous season participate in a maximum of two competitions out of six worldwide. Only the top six skaters from these competitions are chosen to advance to the Grand Prix Final, and that's where you find out who's the greatest of them all. And now we're about to find out where Blaine is going to compete..." Beth smiled, refreshing the page again.

"'If' I'm going to compete..." Blaine bit his lip, Kurt moved closer to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. 

"You are. You know your score was good enough." Kurt said softly. 

Beth screeched and everyone turned to look at her. "It's out! Oh, my goodness! They announced it!"

Everyone, but Blaine, rushed to see the computer screen. Blaine watched them, too scared to go over there and see for himself. A minute passed while they read the assignments. Blaine felt more relieved when he saw Kurt smile and look up. Kurt rushed back to Blaine's side and pulled him into a hug.

"Congratulations, Blaine. Our season is just about to start." Kurt said, with a grin, while everyone else was cheering and congratulating him in the background.

"The first one you got is the third event, the Cup Of China!" Beth announced. "Mike Chang will compete there too! You're his friend, right?"

Blaine was still feeling a bit light-headed from the news and the hug that he got from Kurt. "Oh, y-yes. Yes! Mike will be there too? It'll be good to see him."

"And the second..." Beth smirked, trying to build up the tension. "Will be the sixth event, the Cup Of France."

Kurt grinned by Blaine's side. He would be going back home for a while. 

Beth continued. "And Blaise Lambiel will be competing there too."

Blaine felt nervous hearing the boy's name. They hadn't talked since the Lima On Ice and he knew Blaise hated him for winning. Blaine wasn't expecting that he would be competing against Blaise so soon. He could imagine the French punk finding out they were going to compete against each other again and scoffing. 

Kurt leaned down to pet Hepburn, the dog had requested his attention. Blaine heard him muttering something in French to her. Could his dog actually sense that her master would be going away soon? Then came the realization that this would be his first time in the Grand Prix Series without Kurt in the lineup as his opponent. Kurt was a coach now, and he had spent so much time away from social media that he didn't check how his fans were reacting to this unexpected decision of his.

"I wonder how people are gonna react when they see you two," Puck spoke up as if he was reading Blaine's mind. "When you show up with Kurt as your coach they'll probably think you've stolen him from the sport."

"Oh... they already think that," Beth said, cautiously. 

Brittany decided to speak up. "Blaine, you'll be hated by millions of skating fans worldwide, but at least you still got us!" She said with a bright smile like that was suppose to comfort Blaine. 

"Guys, Blaine will have a lot of support too, especially from us. Don't make him nervous." Quinn rolled her eyes.

"Okay, okay..." Kurt interrupted them. "I think Blaine and I should focus on the Cup Of China that's happening in a few months, right?"

Beth shook her head. "Oh, not so fast." She raised her hand. "Uh... Blaine, do you remember Nationals last year?"

"Unfortunately." Blaine looked down in shame. He had been a failure, came in eleventh place because he screwed up.

"Okay, so you have to compete in the Regionals." Puck shrugged. "No big deal, you'll kill the competition there."

"Uh, why is that?" Kurt tilted his head.

"Basically," Quinn explained to everyone who still seemed confused, "Blaine placed low in last years National's, so in order to have a chance at the Grand Prix Final, he'll have to compete in the regional championships, or he'll automatically be disqualified." She smiled. "So I guess Blaine's big comeback will be in Detroit? The next competition will be next month." 

Blaine took a deep breath. He would be coming back in a month, more than six months after he thought his career was definitely over. More than six months since he ignored Kurt's request for a photo. How things change... Blaine looked around and was grateful for all these people around him. 

All this time, Blaine thought he was fighting alone, then Kurt showed up and that changed completely. Some things stayed the same while other things are different. But Blaine had a new perspective on everything, so everything seemed new. 

He tied up his ice skaters while deep in thought. He realized he may be never able to regain what he's lost, but he was okay with that because, for the first time since he remembered, he could clearly see what his future was holding for him. 

Blaine opened his eyes, he was standing at the center of the ice rink. The piece was finished, and Mike's friend had already made a studio recording of it, adding violins and drums, making it even more beautiful. It was finally real. His free skating program was finished and it told a story. His story. 

The song started, filling the arena with the sound of the piano. 

Blaine let go of his worries and slowly began to move his arms up towards the sky. He moved on the ice, his mind wasn't overthinking anymore. All he could feel was love, all he could think about was how grateful he was. The combination spin came easily. 

He could feel Kurt's eyes on him, and that no longer intimidated him. Now, it gave him strength. 

'Figure skaters are only competitive for a short time,' Blaine thought as he twirled. 'This will probably be my last competitive skating season.'

 He opened his arms while his blades cut through the ice fast. 

'I don't know how long Kurt will stay with me.'

Blaine moved to a sit spin, remembering the bruises he had on his feet, 'Or how long my body will hold up.'

'So please, God...' He looked up at the sky, while he spun. 'While Kurt is here... Help me make the most of the time we have together'. 

A quad toe loop, and soon Blaine moved to the final pose, letting out a breath of relief. The program was finished. He had done it, and he couldn't remember a time when he felt more proud of himself. He smiled, turning to look at Kurt and finding approval on his features. 

"There's one more thing, Blaine..." Kurt said, taking the CD out of the player and placing it in the case. "You haven't named the piece."

Blaine skated over to Kurt, grabbing the permanent marker that Kurt was offering to him. He stared down at the CD, and it didn't take long for him to think of the perfect title. The younger skater looked up and found Kurt smiling down at the name he had written. 

"That's perfect," Kurt nodded with a grin, while still staring at the title.


Warbler On Ice


'Not long now,' Blaine thought to himself, 'In a month. My season with Kurt will finally begin."

Chapter Text

One month later


Blaine and Kurt had arrived in Detroit early in the morning of the day of the championship. Kurt didn't let Blaine sleep too late the night before, making sure he wasn't stress-eating either. They had learned to work with each other. The month that passed helped them break the ice completely and now Blaine could proudly say that he was friends with Kurt. He wasn't nervous around him anymore, and in return, Kurt was trying his hardest to understand Blaine and never pushed him. Together they were a great team. 

It was nice to see how much everyone in Lima loved Kurt too. Blaine's mother never got tired of cooking Kurt's favorite dishes for him because he complimented her so much. Brittany, Quinn, and Puck were really happy that their idol was just like they imagined. He didn't disappoint them at all. Brittany had become a big fan of Hepburn too. She grew to love that poodle almost as much as she loved her cat. Kurt liked to take Hepburn everywhere, but not for competitions, so she stayed in Lima. Brittany was happy to look after her. 

Blaine thought there was little he didn't know about Kurt, being his fan for so long and reading just about every article that came out about his idol made him believe that. Living with Kurt for over a month made him realize how wrong he was. Kurt and Blaine spent a lot of time together, and Blaine definitely enjoyed it. He learned something about him every day. Blaine caught himself noticing even the smallest things about Kurt, things he only got to see because they were temporarily living in the same house. Like, Kurt's favorite dessert was cheesecake; he learned what Kurt's coffee order was; he found out that besides ice skating, he wasn't a big fan of sports; even though he loved fashion and always dressed up fashionably, he always wore comfortable t-shirts and sweatpants around the house; he always slept through a movie - unless it was an animated film or a musical. And the most surprising thing Blaine found out was that Kurt could sing. 

It turned out Kurt had other talents besides ice skating. He decided to cook once and everyone was surprised to find out he was actually amazing at it. He confessed it was one of his hobbies. He made an agreement with Pamela so that he could cook on weekends. Blaine stayed at the kitchen with him once and noticed that he liked to sing when he cooked. He was again surprised when he heard Kurt's voice. It was beautiful, he definitely could sing. Blaine could hear him all day. The younger skater wondered if there was anything Kurt couldn't do. The other problem was that Kurt was very shy about it, Blaine tried to compliment him once, but it actually seemed to have made him uncomfortable. It was odd to see a confident man like Kurt looking so insecure about something.

Kurt always seemed very nice and friendly with the reporters and fans that asked him for autographs. It seemed like no one had a bad thing to say about Kurt Hummel. Other skaters were jealous of him, but that was all. No one actually had a problem with Kurt. Blaine realized that he was actually a very private person. That man who gave interviews and took pictures with fans was Kurt being honest too, but it was like a mask that Kurt put on and he let people see what they needed to see. There were moments when Blaine looked at Kurt when the other man thought no one was looking, and he almost seemed sad. Lonely, maybe.

Blaine knew Kurt had never publicly dated anyone and was definitely single now because he never mentioned a boyfriend. Kurt didn't really have a family, his mother had passed away when he was eight, and ten years later his father died too. He had no one but his ice rink mates and his coach. It made Blaine's heart ache thinking that Kurt actually had no one he could count on. 

They both learned new things about each other and that made their friendship blossom. Slowly, they were building a relationship based on trust, just as Kurt wanted. They spent time together outside the ice rink too and they had a lot in common. They could talk about fashion magazines they both enjoyed reading, movies, Broadway musicals, favorite actors and actresses, just about anything...

Going to that Championship meant a lot to both of them. Blaine hadn't competed in months, and the last time he did he failed badly. There was a lot at stake for him. He needed to learn to control his nerves and do his best on the ice. Blaine always skated better during practice, but that needed to change. Kurt would be debuting as a coach. He had a lot to prove too. Coach Sylvester had publicly stated that she thought Kurt was arrogant to think he could be anyone's coach. In her opinion - and every coach seemed to agree - Kurt wasn't taking coaching seriously and was just doing it as an excuse for a break. A break that could cost the rest of his career. 

After they arrived at Detroit and left their suitcases at the hotel, they grabbed Blaine's costume and headed to the ice rink where the championship would take place. Blaine could already feel his nerves building up as he approached the arena. Some of his opponents were already there waiting, along with some reporters. Of course they would be there. As soon as Blaine and Kurt walked into the door, they wanted to take pictures and hoped to get an interview.

"Sorry, guys," Kurt declined the reporters with a polite smile, "Blaine and I are supposed to be with the other skaters right now, we don't want to be late."

Kurt made sure Blaine was sitting next to his opponents and offered him a smile and a hand squeeze to wish him good luck. The Championship begins with a drawing that determines the order that the skaters will perform their short program in. Blaine felt lonely when Kurt stepped away from where he was sitting. He was supposed to stay with all the other coaches. Having Kurt around calmed him down. Blaine looked around at the other competitors. Of all the male figure skaters in the senior category, Blaine was clearly the oldest by a long shot. The second oldest was only nineteen. 

All that Blaine could think about at that moment was how much he didn't want to be the first one to skate. While all the other skaters talked amongst themselves, Blaine kept biting his lip nervously. He didn't notice the pair of eyes of a skater who was watching him the whole time, trying to think of something to say to him. 

"Blaine Anderson," One of the judges called, she held a bag which Blaine was supposed to draw out a number. 

Blaine walked up to her and, much to his dismay, when he looked at the number he drew out, he saw a 1. 

"Anderson, you're the first to skate," The judge said with a smile. Blaine sighed but smiled back in a polite way. 

The skater walked back to his seat, already cursing his luck. He would be the first one to skate again, and in his experience, that was never good. He was about to look up at Kurt to see his reaction when he heard someone snickering right next to him. He raised his eyebrow and turned to look.

One of his opponents was trying to hold back a laugh. "Sorry, Blaine. It's just that I got to see you drawing a number one again, it's priceless. Just like last year!" A young blond skater said, a little too excitedly for Blaine's liking.

"Excuse me?" Blaine frowned.

The blond guy suddenly gasped, his excitement turned into disappointment. "You don't remember me?" 

Blaine was embarrassed. He kept staring at the guy, trying hard to remember his name but failed.

The other skater just sighed. "I thought you would remember..."

"Next, Chandler Kiehl." His name was called and the skater stood up. 

"I'm here!" The skater raised his hand.

Blaine remembered then. Chandler had competed against him before at Nationals. He was younger, but already quite good. Chandler was a little too loud, though. He easily got excited about anything. Blaine could be mistaken, but the last time they met, he was under the impression that Chandler was trying really hard to get close to him, maybe even had a crush. He was always finding a way to talk to him, and even flirtatiously asked for his number. 

"Oh, my god! Yay! I'll be the fourth to skate!" Chandler jumped up and down. 

Blaine bit his lip. Chandler had beat him the last time, his score had been a lot higher. Blaine knew Chandler was a good enough skater to beat him again. This championship might not be as easy for Blaine as everyone else seemed to believe. Before he could think too much about it, Kurt was approaching him and gently pulling him away from the other skaters. 

"Who was that?" The older man asked quietly. 

Blaine frowned a little. "Who?"

"That skater talking to you... He seemed to be very much interested in you." Kurt raised his eyebrow, still holding onto Blaine's arm. Blaine realized that his touch actually calmed him down and grounded him, he didn't know if Kurt noticed it too. "I couldn't help but notice that he didn't take his eyes off you."

"Oh..." Blaine let out a small chuckle. "That's Chandler Kiehl. I've competed against him before, he's a good skater. Chandler is... my fan, I guess. He really likes my skating."

Kurt hummed. "I don't think that's all he likes about you, but if you say so..."

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing," Kurt smiled and took a small breath. "Some people would like us to give them a small interview and I agreed. I think it'd be good for your image. Is that okay?"

Blaine nodded a little. He was aware that the interviewers were only interested in talking to Kurt, so there was really no pressure for him to say anything. "Sure."

It happened exactly as he predicted. The journalists gathered around them, everyone was desperate to get a quote from Kurt. Blaine knew Kurt was used to all that and handled it very well. Kurt politely declined questions that were about his personal life and had nothing to do with Blaine and his skating. Blaine watched Kurt calmly talk and smiled. He remembered all those times when he would watch every single interview that came out, happy to see his idol speaking passionately about his inspirations for his programs. Blaine never thought one day he'd be standing right next to Kurt during an interview like that. They were a team.

"And what can we expect from Blaine Anderson tonight?" A woman asked.

"Oh, he'll take the first place easily in this Championship." Kurt grinned. "No doubt he'll improve his personal score. Blaine has never been better."

That brought Blaine back to reality. Was Kurt really saying all those things? Was he aware of how humiliating this could be if Blaine loses? It was hard to keep his nerves under control when everyone was expecting him to be so great. And worse, some people expect him to be as great as Kurt. 

The reporters smiled at that. "Ah, that's wonderful. So we can expect him to be one of the finalists of the Grand Prix series?" 

"Of course." Kurt nodded and pulled Blaine closer. "He'll be at his peak by the time we compete at the Grand Prix Final. His routine has the potential to take gold."

"Kurt!" Blaine breathed out, his eyes widening. 

Kurt frowned in confusion and turned to him. "Something wrong, Blaine?"

Blaine looked at the camera, then back at Kurt. "N-no, nothing. I just think we should go to the morning open practice. We're late."  

Kurt tilted his head. "Oh. Alright." He turned back to the reporters. "I'm sorry, but we should go now. The open practice is about to start, Blaine should focus on that. We'll see you there."

The reporters were obviously upset that Kurt was leaving so soon, but they were respectful and let Kurt and Blaine leave. Kurt led Blaine to the locker room, which was empty when they got there. Most athletes were already in the ice rink practicing. Kurt noticed how tense Blaine was, the younger skater was keeping his gaze down and didn't say a word after the interview. While he was tying up his skaters, Kurt spoke up. 

"Blaine, as your coach, I need to know if something's wrong..." He bit his lip. "I can see that you're upset." 

Blaine paused and finally looked up. "It's nothing." 

Kurt didn't want to push, but at the same time, he wanted the truth. "You can tell me."

Blaine finished what he was doing before he stood up, facing Kurt. "Do you realize that I lost Nationals last year?" He said finally. "No, I didn't just lose, I came in last, being considered one of the best skaters in the competition, who would surely get a bronze medal at least, so... I was humiliated. I didn't land one jump, I fell every time."

The coach was quiet.

"You don't know what it feels like." Blaine went on, "You know, people thought I was hurt, but I was fine. I was just mentally weak. I let my nerves get the best of me. This is my first competition after months... after almost giving up completely, so when you say things like what you said at the interview, it puts so much pressure on me, you have no idea. Those reporters know how awful I was last year. They don't believe you, and I don't blame them."

"Blaine..."

"Just let me finish." Blaine raised his hand. "I know you mean well, Kurt, but I can't deal with praise like that. Especially now when people already expect me to be as great as you, when I know I'm not. Just... let me show them who I am without creating any expectations. My skating will speak for itself. Let me show to them, and to myself, that I can be good."

Kurt stared at Blaine, but the younger skater didn't feel intimidated or shy. He could tell by Kurt's expression that the man was glad to hear all that.  

"Noted, Blaine. I'm sorry I really didn't think it would make you feel that way..." Kurt said honestly, then smiled. "But I'm glad to hear all that."

Blaine glanced down and nodded. When he was ready, they left the locker room together.

"Roof! Hepburn is rooting for you!" Kurt said in the best possible 'dog voice' he could. 

"So you found a way to bring Hepburn, huh?" Blaine commented grabbing a tissue from Kurt's tissue box. The box had been customized to look like the brown poodle. He was already inside the ice rink, Kurt standing at the barrier. 

"Of course," Kurt grinned, grabbing the tissue box and holding it close. "I can't bring the real Hepburn to competitions, so I made this. It's adorable, don't you think?" 

"You're adorable," Blaine spoke before he could stop himself and widened his eyes a little. His nervousness might have something to do with it. Blaine tended to blurt things out when he felt like that.

Kurt didn't react at first. He seemed just as surprised as Blaine. The coach didn't have time to say anything either, because as soon as Blaine realized what he had said he turned around and skated as far away from Kurt as possible, hoping his blush wouldn't appear on the camera of the reporters. He decided couldn't waste his time thinking about what he had just said nor what Kurt must had thought about it.  

He needed to focus, Blaine decided, as he watched the other skaters on the ice. Everyone was going through their routines, some were practicing jumps. That's what he needed to be doing as well. He took in a deep breath and practiced his Eros routine. He would glance at Kurt every so often. His coach looked confident while he watched him, smiling at Blaine every time they looked at each other. 

Blaine felt another pair of eyes on him too. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Chandler. The blond skater was clearly ogling him. Blaine had caught him just in time before he heard Chandler's coach giving him a lecture. 

"Focus, Chandler! Remember how focused you were last year at Nationals?" The young woman yelled out, "Focus, okay? Don't let yourself get carried away by the energy around you. 

Blaine shook his head. 'Forget Chandler and everyone else', he decided. Chandler didn't matter, his opponents didn't matter. He couldn't afford to get distracted. In this competition, he would prove to himself and everyone else whether or not he was good enough for the Grand Prix Final. He had practiced all this time with Kurt, but he was still unsure. 

'Focus. Focus.'

That night, the competition was about to start. Puck and Quinn were the ones who traveled all the way from Lima to cheer Blaine on. Quinn immediately took the opportunity to go, letting Beth stay at aunt Brittany's house in the meantime. The couple was there in the crowd. They were both so happy to see Blaine competing again. 

"Wow, there are so many people here," Quinn said, impressed at how many people had shown up. 

Puck agreed. "I heard that it's been crowded since the open practice in the morning. I guess everyone is here to see them."

Quinn let out a chuckle. "We all know most people are here to see Kurt," she raised her eyebrow, looking for her friends in the crowd. "And where even is Blaine? I wonder if he's okay. He gets so nervous before competitions." 

"Quinn! Puck!" They heard a familiar voice calling out to them in the crowd. It was Blaine, he came close to his friends and hugged them. He was already wearing his costume underneath his jacket. "I'm so glad you came."

"Oh, we wouldn't miss it for the world." Quinn grinned, "Your family, Brittany, and Beth are all rooting for you at home. They asked me to tell you they love you very much."

"Thank you, thank you," Blaine said earnestly, but Quinn noticed how he looked around the crowd a little distressed. 

"Is everything okay?" She asked, then added quietly, "Is it your anxiety?"

Blaine shook his head. "I can't find Kurt anywhere. H-have you seen him?"

"No, we just got here," Quinn frowned, "Didn't he say anything to you?"

"I-I don't remember, I guess he did mention something, but the competition is about to start, and-"

Blaine was interrupted by a sudden murmur in the crowd, he even heard some girls squealing. They all turned around and Blaine's jaw dropped. In all his year as Kurt's fan he had seen him dressing impeccably well, but during competition season Kurt's always worn comfortable clothes and jackets that the other athletes wore too. During the afternoon, while Blaine practiced, he had been wearing a simple shirt and a long coat the whole time, but when he disappeared he changed into the most beautiful suit. Blaine was taken aback at how good Kurt looked, not that he was surprised, but he didn't expect Kurt to look that good. 

Quinn nudged him. "Blaine, close your mouth," she teased.

Blaine did, but he still had to swallow hard. 'God, he smells good too', he thought as Kurt got close to them. 

"Sorry I took so long, I had to go buy a better tie," Kurt explained, and Blaine could tell the coach was looking directly at him, perhaps expecting a compliment or some kind of reaction.

"O-oh," He cleared his throat. "It's fine, w-why did you change, though?"

Kurt looked down at himself and brushed his shoulder. "Well, it's my debut in the role of coach, so I need to dress appropriately..." He smiled, "Do I look good?"

Blaine was lost for words. He knew that if he opened his mouth he would not stop compliment Kurt, perhaps even in ways that were inappropriate for him to say to his coach. "You- uh... you look-"

Another fangirl squealed as she saw Kurt. There were way too many skating fans there. 

"The French coach gets more attention than the ice skaters," Quinn raised her eyebrow, as she muttered to Puck. 

Thankfully, Kurt and Blaine were called to the rink. The competition was about to start and Blaine needed to go to the ice for the warm-up with all the other skaters. They walked together, Kurt seemed way too excited about all this. Blaine knew Kurt was confident that he would come across as a great coach, but Blaine wasn't all that confident that he was going to be great on the ice. While a woman narrated to the public that the six-minute warm-up was about to start, Kurt tried to give Blaine a pep talk. He took off his jacket, exposing his Eros costume.

"As your coach, I should say a few words now to encourage you," Kurt smiled as he grabbed the guards that Blaine offered to him, not noticing how the ice skater wasn't paying attention to a word he was saying. "I know it's been tough, but I truly believe that you-..."

Kurt stopped talking. Blaine had already left to the ice, without even caring about what he had to say. 

In Blaine's mind, all he could think about was that in six minutes he would be performing his short program. He couldn't let himself get nervous. His goal was the Grand Prix Final and he had to focus on that. 'I can't get nervous. I can't. I'm not nervous!'

In the audience, Quinn was watching closely. "He's nervous..." 

"Gentlemen, the warm-up has ended. Please, make the way off the ice, so the competition can begin..." 

Blaine was the only one who didn't need to leave the ice because he would be the first one to perform. He approached the barrier, though, to drink some water and get a few seconds of rest. As he came closer to Kurt, he finally noticed that he had his arms crossed and an annoyed look on his face. Blaine wondered why Kurt was so stressed as he took a sip of water. 

"Blaine..." Kurt called. When Blaine turned to him, he was about to say something, but then changed his mind. "Turn around, please," he said finally.

"What?" Blaine tilted his head, still holding the bottle of water. 

"Just do it," Kurt insisted, so firmly that despite how confused Blaine was, he turned around. 

"Like this?"

Blaine turned around, facing the ice. He expected Kurt to say something to him, some kind of pep talk, what he didn't expect, however, was to feel two arms wrapping around his torso and pulling him into a hug. Blaine only had time to gasp before all the reporters had noticed and immediately began taking pictures. Blaine, however, wasn't even bothered by the flashes of the cameras. All he could think about was the fact that Kurt was holding him. Kurt was holding him. Kurt's lips suddenly were close to his ear, Blaine noticed when he felt the other man's breath on him. 

"Seduce me with everything you've got..." Kurt's voice was so low. Blaine was barely breathing, his body shivered at the feeling of having Kurt pressed against him like that. Kurt went on, "If your performance can enthrall me, then, I assure you that you will bring the whole audience to their knees."

Blaine wanted to turn around so badly. He wanted to grab Kurt and kiss him deeply... He couldn't deny his attraction to Kurt anymore. 

"It's what I always say during practice, isn't it?" Kurt smiled and gently squeezed Blaine one more time before he grabbed the bottle of water from his hand and pulled away. How Blaine wished Kurt could stay holding him forever...

How did Kurt expect him to be able to skate now? After whispering so seductively in his ear. He wasn't sure if being seductive was Kurt's intention, but it certainly made Blaine's knees tremble. He nodded once and went to the center of the ice rink just as the narrator announced his name and the title of the song he would be skating to. While he skated around, he calmed his beating heart while he thought of Kurt. If his coach wanted to be seduced, he'd deliver it. Perhaps Kurt's only wanted to wake up the Eros inside Blaine, and he had done it so well. 

Blaine got into position, closing his eyes and focusing. When the song started, his body responded to it. His arms moved as though he could cast a spell on every single person in that rink. The song made a small pause, and Blaine made sure to look right at Kurt. He was filled with confidence when he caught Kurt smirking at him. 'Seduce him', was all he could think about. He could feel Kurt's eyes on him.

'I'm going to become the most delicious cronut.'

Was what Blaine thought about. The song continued and he slid forward, gaining speed for the step sequences of the two lover's story. His half-skirt moved smoothly, creating movement and his costume was shining under the lights. Blaine had to believe he could seduce Kurt. The audience noticed how Blaine had improved, but they watched in silence, still not making any sound. The reaction of the public in the Lima On Ice face-off had been a lot more cheerful, and Blaine noticed. This was one of the reasons why Blaine hated being first, he was in charge of warming up the audience, but he didn't consider it an easy job, it only brought down his confidence while dealing with that weak reaction.

Blaine focused his thoughts on the step sequences, which he knew Kurt loved. He had to remember everything Kurt had said to him during practice, but mostly that he wanted to be deduced every time Blaine skated to Eros. 

'That's right... I'm a mouth-watering dessert that no man can resist!'

The first jump was coming up. It was a spread eagle into a Triple Axel. Blaine mentally prepared himself, and the jump was completed easily. He smirked to himself as he heard the audience finally make some noise and it was loud. The days when he couldn't get through a jump during competition without falling on his butt were over. But now the jump it was time for the jump he's always struggled with. Blaine knew overthinking wouldn't help, but he couldn't stop himself from doing it. His mind was focusing too much on his free leg before he knew it. It was time to do the quadruple Salchow... 

'Crap! Missed the rotation!'

The audience gasped as they saw Blaine putting his hand on the ice so he wouldn't fall. Blaine wouldn't let this small mistake cause him to fail completely. Instead of cursing himself for that one mistake, he looked at Kurt's direction. The coach looked neutral but focused on Blaine's performance. If he had inspired Kurt before, he could do it again. 


The last jump was a combination, it was worth the most points of the entire routine. Blaine took in a deep breath.

'A quadruple-..." He rotated in the air four times before landing, '- followed by a triple!'

Blaine let out a small groan when the triple ended up being just a double. He moved on to a combination spin, it was almost over.

'The conclusion of the two lover's story... Wait, how does it go again?"  Blaine grabbed his free foot as he spun, 'Right! The woman casts aside the man she's seduced and moves on to her next conquest!"  The tip of Blaine's blade hit the ice with force as he did the final pose as the song abruptly ended. The loud cheering of the audience could be heard. 

"That was awesome, Blaine! You're amazing!" Chandler squeal could be heard distinctively, but Blaine didn't recognize whose voice it was. 

All Blaine could think about was that he, somehow, had finished the program. The audience had loved it, judging by the screaming and all the applause as he bowed. He turned to leave the ice. A giddy smile on his face: he was back! For the first time in who knows how long he was leaving the ice feeling proud of himself during a competition. Blaine wondered what Kurt was thinking. His smile dropped as soon as he saw the other man.

Kurt didn't look disappointed, it wasn't it. Just underwhelmed. He was clapping unenthusiastically. His smile was just a polite one. Blaine knew he had messed up. Kurt walked up to Blaine and congratulated him nonetheless. 

Blaine offered him a small smile, but it showed in his eyes that he was upset. Blaine didn't think his performance had been that bad. It hadn't been a masterpiece, it hadn't been Kurt Hummel's level of perfection, but it had been good. 

"While we wait for your score, I need to say a few things," Kurt said with a sigh. 

'Here we go,' Blaine thought as he braced himself and looked down.

Kurt took a deep breath, "The first part was good, but then you became so focused on landing the jumps that your performance became sloppy," He shook his head, "You were overthinking and it showed. You completely forgot about Eros and I could practically hear you thinking about the triples and quads."

"Right," Blaine nodded, keeping his eyes down. 

"Your free leg during the Salchow was the reason why you-"

"Attention, please." Came the narrator's voice through the speakers, causing everyone in the arena to turn quiet and pay attention. Blaine swallowed nervously. "Now, the score for Blaine Anderson. Short program score... 94.36." 

Blaine only believed it when he saw it on the scoreboard.

 94.36

The figure skaters around him all applauded, but they looked worried. Blaine's score would be quite hard to beat. The audience had gone wild, cheering for Blaine. All the fear Blaine had was gone, he had done great. 

"... Though this won't be in the official record, that score is amongst the top ten in the world!" He heard a reporter, who was standing close to them say. It was then that he noticed how the camera was pointed at his direction, obviously recording his reaction. What they got was even better.

Kurt stepped closer to Blaine as his eyes turned soft. He gave Blaine the warmest hug. Suddenly, Blaine felt his body light up. Kurt was holding him in such a gentle and caring way that Blaine wanted to disappear into his embrace and never leave. He could faintly hear the reporter talking about how meaningful that hug looked, and perhaps a bit too long for a coach and a student. Blaine didn't care what anyone thought, this hug could never be taking too long to end. 

"I thought you'd score above one hundred..." Kurt spoke softly. As reluctant as Blaine was to let go, he knew he had to and Kurt pulled away from the hug. But Blaine thought it was okay because then Kurt was smiling at him. "Since you were under pressure, you were very focused."

Blaine chuckled a bit. Kurt had completely changed his attitude. He looked happy, proud even. The way Kurt spoke to him before the score, was that something his coaches always did to him? Reprimanding before a good score, so the skater wouldn't ignore their mistakes. "Well, easy for you to say. You break world records scoring way over a hundred all the time," he grinned.

Kurt raised his chin, for a moment, he let himself feel proud. "Come on, you're the man of the hour now," he gently grabbed Blaine's arm and led him to the locker room.

"It was so amazing!" Chandler shrieked, making his coach let out a chuckle and shake her head. He was going up next, and as worried as she had been that he wasn't focused enough, she knew she had to let him have his fanboy moment. "Oh, my god! He used his charms in such a wonderful way, that was the most beautiful Eros possible!" 

The coach watched as Chandler tried to imitate Blaine's moves. "Chandler, why don't you concentrate now? It's almost time."

"Yeah, but did you see that?" Chandler let out a dreamy sigh. "Did you see that Triple Axel?! That was worth a GOE of three million points!" 

She laughed, "You should focus on your own Triple Axel. You know that's the jump you struggle with the most..."

"I won't disappoint," The boy said confidently. "Blaine will be watching today, so I have to nail it!"

Chandler turned towards the ice rink with a smirk. He would show Blaine Anderson just how good he could be. 

Before Blaine knew it, he was being dragged to an interview in the locker room. The reporter was very excited as he talked, while the camera pointed at Blaine's face. The figure skater was happily answering the several questions that the man had. Getting such a great score, Blaine felt for the first time that the reporters were interested in him, and no longer just focusing on Kurt anymore. Blaine had shown them that he had grown, and he was proud of that. 

"How do you feel going to the free program tomorrow?" 

"I feel great," Blaine grinned, "I'll wait and see the other skaters' scores before anything else, but I already feel quite confident. As for the free program tomorrow, I got a few quads that-"

"He'll do a flawless execution tomorrow. He'll be as perfect as he was today, or even better," The way Kurt suddenly interrupted Blaine made the younger figure skater frown in confusion. Kurt never did such a thing. 

The doors opened and suddenly Chandler and his coach entered the locker room. Chandler looked overwhelmed, he came in being loud as always while he spoke to the woman next to him. "I did it! I did the Triple Axel!"

"It was your best performance so far," The coach agreed, with a grin. 

As soon as Chandler saw Blaine, his eyes lit up. He made his way to the other figure skater, "Blaine. Hi! Did you see it? Did you see my Lohengrin performance?" 

Blaine embarrassed glanced back at the reporters before turning to Chandler again. It seemed like he wouldn't be able to finish his interview without being interrupted by anyone. Chandler waited for a reply, so he sighed. "No, I was being interviewed, so... Sorry." 

Chandler widened his eyes. He looked deeply offended, which made Blaine feel even more embarrassed. Why was this guy so obsessed with him? 

"B-but I-..." The teenager almost pouted, "It was an homage to you! I even had a costume made," he said as he opened his jacket, revealing a sparkly outfit he was wearing underneath, "It's similar to the one you wore in your own Lohengrin performance five years ago..."

Blaine's jaw dropped. This guys truly was a fan. He had no right to be judgmental about it, it would be hypocritical. "Uh... thanks?" He said awkwardly. 

Kurt rolled his eyes before he decided to stop that nonsense. "If you excuse us, Mr. Kyle-"

"Kiehl." Chandler corrected sharply. 

"-Blaine has to finish his interview," Kurt said firmly. Blaine could swear he had heard some possessiveness in Kurt's voice.

Chandler looked like he was about to cry from embarrassment. He looked from Kurt to the reporters, then back at Kurt and finally at Blaine. He expected Blaine to say something, but the man said nothing. All Blaine did was feel bad about the whole situation. "You know what? If you want to treat the guy who's always admired you like that, fine!" He snapped. 

Blaine stepped back as Chandler raised his hand, for a moment he thought he'd get slapped in the face, but Chandler simply pointed at him.

"Tomorrow, I'm gonna give it everything I got!" Chandler narrowed his eyes. "If you're the skater I think you are, so will you. And you better do just that, or I will crush you."

The reporters behind Blaine were very excited that they had gotten everything on camera. Blaine could feel himself beginning to sweat. After Chandler said what he had to say, he turned around and stormed off.  

"Oh, wow! Blaine Anderson has just been challenged by Chandler Kiehl!" The man said into his microphone. Blaine could just sigh, wondering if this situation could get any worse. "At Nationals last year, Kiehl scored above Anderson, so we can wait to see how this turns out."

Blaine glanced at Kurt. The man looked frustrated, but not nervous. Never nervous. Blaine bet that Kurt had never felt threatened like that, or maybe he had, but a long time ago. Every year, all the skaters tried to beat him with no success. The gold medal always ended up with Kurt. 

Blaine's experience wasn't like that at all. Chandler was a far less experienced figure skater, who had indeed scored way above him the previous year... because Blaine had self-destructed. His mental health was his biggest enemy. 

The reporter was still speaking, when he felt Kurt's gloved hand discretely take his. When he looked up, his coach seemed genuinely concerned. "We should go, right?" He whispered.

Blaine only nodded.

The next day

"We are live here in Detroit where the male figure skaters are getting ready for the free skating program that will begin soon. Everyone is here to see who will be the champion tonight." The reporter said to the camera, "All eyes are on Blaine Anderson and his coach Kurt Hummel."

Kurt looked up as he heard his name and waved at the camera. "Salut."  He was standing next to Blaine, who was quiet, sitting on a bench and tying up his boots. 

"Anderson finished the short program in the lead by a large margin. His score is 94.36, a personal best in his career, while the second place, scored 68.55. But, anything can happen tonight after eighteen year-old Chandler Kiehl, who's in third place, challenged Anderson last night..."

Blaine tuned out. He was emotionally tired of hearing everyone bring that up.

The previous night, he had checked social media for a few minutes and it was so overwhelming that he had to turn his phone off. Quinn and Puck wanted to go out for a few drinks and celebrate Blaine's high score, but Blaine never drank before a competition. He avoided drinking too much altogether because he gets a little crazy every time he gets drunk, and he did get drunk easily. The drunk version of him really liked to party. So he stayed at the hotel room with Kurt. 

The night before was the first time they actually slept in the same room together. Blaine knew it was something Kurt had asked a couple of times. He wasn't sure why his coach wanted that. The only explanation he could think of, was because Kurt wanted to break the ice and build a real friendship with Blaine. They were friends now, so Kurt never asked again. They shared a room at Kurt's insistence. Blaine knew Kurt had more than enough money for a room for himself, but the coach wanted to always stay close to Blaine. Not that Blaine minded, having Kurt around was the best thing in the world, especially now that he was competing.

Blaine didn't want to feel like a creep, but he couldn't help but watch Kurt sometimes. He wasn't very shy about showing off his body. Blaine was sitting in the bed, pretending to be interested in whatever was on the television when Kurt began to stretch. Apparently, he did that every night. Shirtless. Blaine had to bite his bottom lip to keep himself from making some kind of embarrassing comment about how flexible Kurt was. Kurt's body was slim and he was muscular, not too much, just enough. It was torture that he was just Blaine's type, and seeing Kurt like that was giving him all kinds of inappropriate thoughts. It was one thing to daydream about being with Kurt when he was a teenager, but now that he actually knew Kurt, that the man was right there in front of him and was his coach, it seemed wrong. At some point, he actually had to remind himself how to breathe. Suddenly, he heard Kurt chuckle. 

"I know you're staring."

Blaine widened his eyes and turned away, his cheeks turning a deep shade of red. 

"It's okay, Blaine," Kurt sat down on the floor, facing the other man.

Blaine shook his head. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, I-..."

"And you did not." Kurt smiled. 

"I should go to sleep anyway," Blaine swallowed and turned to adjust his pillow. "I want to be up early tomorrow, so we can go practice." 

"Yeah, about tomorrow..." Kurt stood up, he looked like he was about to say something important, so Blaine sat up straighter. "Lower the difficulty of your jumps. You have three quads, that's way too much. It's just a Regional championship."

Blaine was devastated. "What?"

"Not that I don't take this championship seriously, but this isn't what we should be focusing on right now. You should try to get a perfect presentation, and you can only do that when you don't focus so much on jumps. It's just the beginning of the season. One quadruple will do."

"One?!" Blaine gasped. "Kurt, I know I'm struggling with the three quads, but you should at least give me the chance to do it."

"Exactly, you're struggling. You can even finish it during practice," Kurt insisted. "You will get it until the Grand Prix Final."

"If I even get there!" Blaine yelled out in frustration. 

"Blaine!" Kurt seemed surprised that Blaine wasn't taking it well. "Of course you'll get there, but it's still early in the season, your routines will improve! You'll be at your peak by then."

"Wow, Kurt..." Blaine shook his head. "If you believe in me so much, why can't you just let me at least try?"

"I do believe in you!" Kurt shot back. "I believe in you so much that I know you already won this championship, that's why I don't think it's necessary for you to do three quads!"

"If I already won, then what do I got to lose?" Blaine clenched his jaw. 

"A good score!" Kurt let out a huff. "I'm your coach, and this is what I'm asking you to do." He said and that was the end of the discussion. 

It took a while for Blaine to fall asleep. He felt guilty for defying Kurt like that, but at the same time, he believed that what Kurt was doing was unfair. He knew Blaine wanted to face his fears of competing, and maybe if he just tried the quads he planned on doing, he wouldn't be as scared by the time he competed at the Cups. 

They were avoiding each other as much as possible the whole day. It was like neither of them knew what to say to each other after that conversation. During the morning practice, Kurt made it clear that he still wanted Blaine to only do one quadruple jump. When Blaine was going through his routine, he did as Kurt wanted, despite his frustration. It only grew when he overheard Chandler and some other competitors excitedly talking about how they were all going to try one quad. Some of them even admitted that he had never managed to complete one, not even in practice.

It was a stupid decision, Blaine knew he could do it. 

The figure skaters were all gathered close to the ice rink, stretching and concentrating before the warm-up on the ice. Blaine was there too, Kurt stood close, just watching his friend. He raised his eyebrow as he saw Chandler approach Blaine. The teenager didn't seem hostile, just genuinely wanted to speak to Blaine before the free program started. Kurt knew figure skaters were always supportive of each other, even during competition, so he didn't worry that Chandler would try and get into Blaine's already troubled head. He simply watched as the teenager called Blaine's name. 

"What do you want, Chandler?" Blaine sighed.

The boy looked down and shrugged. "I just wanted to talk to you. I'm sorry, okay? I know what I did was kind of embarrassing last night, I didn't mean to put any extra pressure on you. So I honestly just wanted to wish you good luck."

Blaine glanced at Chandler and nodded. "Okay, thank you. Whatever." He said nonchalantly, completely dismissing everything Chandler had said. "I need to concentrate, so if you excuse me..."

Kurt was shocked. Blaine just turned away as the narrator announced the warm-up had officially begun and entered the ice rink. He noticed how hurt Chandler looked. As much as he disliked the boy - he thought Chandler was very annoying when he was around Blaine - he knew Blaine had been very rude and the young skater didn't deserve that. The camaraderie between figure skating athletes was something Kurt cherished very much.  

Kurt knew Blaine probably hadn't done it on purpose, though. Even after being challenged, Blaine never expressed any true negative feelings towards Chandler, but Blaine knew better than most people what was like being a fan. Even if Chandler was an annoying one.

The six minutes of the warm-up were up. Kurt watched as Blaine exited the rink and came to Kurt, who was holding his guards. He could tell Blaine was lost in thought, if Kurt could read him right by now, Blaine was searching for motivation. 

"Blaine..."

The other man looked up.

"How are you going to motivate yourself if you can't even motivate others?" Kurt glanced at Chandler, so Blaine could get what he was talking about. Chandler standing quietly next to his coach, it was clear he was still very upset. "I'm very disappointed in you." 

Kurt put Blaine's guards down on the barrier, took the tissue box and walked away. 

"W-where are you going?" Blaine called in a small voice.

"To find a seat," Kurt replied. If Blaine thought he could do this alone, Kurt would let him. 

Blaine stood alone watching the other ice skaters close to the barrier. He wanted to concentrate, but Kurt's words had affected him too much. He didn't realize he had been so rude to Chandler. He knew Kurt was always very friendly and nice to other competitors, and now Blaine had been an asshole to a young skater who admired him a lot. 

Before he knew it, it was Chandler turn to perform. Blaine hadn't even apologized to him, and he hadn't even come up with an idea of how he was going to do that. He saw Chandler's coach come close to him, the woman looked concerned. His yellow and red sparkly outfit suggested he was supposed to give a very fun performance, not a sad one. 

"You look so nervous, Chandler. Is everything okay?"

Blaine bit his lip. He couldn't hear Chandler reply, but the boy didn't look okay as he skated off to the center of the rink. Blaine imagined what he would have done if Kurt had ever been this rude to him... Of course Chandler was upset. 

"Chandler!" Blaine yelled out before he could stop himself. Everyone in the arena had heard him because the song was just about to start and everyone was watching expectedly. 

Chandler immediately recognized Blaine's voice and turned his head to look. 

"Good luck!" Blaine yelled again, at the top of his lungs. "Good luck, Chandler! I believe in you!"

He could tell Chandler was not expecting that. The smile on his face was so big that it lit up the entire rink. When the song began, it was clear that his confidence had increased. He looked so happy that Blaine had to smile too. The audience soon began to clap along with the song, already cheering as Chandler went on with the step sequences. It was a famous Jacksons song, so it was easy for everyone to get into it. Besides, Chandler truly was a good skater. His first jump was a triple Axel and he had nailed it.

Blaine looked at the audience and his eyes locked with Kurt's. Everyone in that audience was smiling, but Blaine only cared about one person there. And that person was smiling right at him, looking proud.  Blaine knew he had done something right. 

And now that this was out of the way, Blaine decided he needed to focus on himself. He'd be called to the ice soon, so he needed to concentrate. It would be the first time he'd show a program created by him to the world, and he was very proud of Warbler On Ice. An original song, written by him and a routine created by him. One year ago he thought he would never manage to do that.

Blaine looked at Chandler on the ice one more time before he left. Chandler wouldn't be as easy to beat as Kurt seemed to think, he came to that conclusion as he watched the boy jump and rotate four times on the air. He had completed his quad. 

And Blaine needed to go somewhere quiet.

None of the other skaters understood why Blaine usually preferred to be alone before it was his turn to go on the ice. Most people liked to watch the other competitors, so they would know what they had to do in order to win. Blaine was different. Watching the other skaters could make him incredibly nervous. He had seen all the skaters before Chandler because this time he didn't feel as threatened. He knew his score would be difficult to beat. Chandler was the only one who could because the others had already lost and none of them managed to complete their quads. 

Blaine walked out of the arena, and could still hear the audience cheering for Chandler. He was a rising start. Blaine put on his headphones. He needed to listen to his song one more time before it was time to show it to everyone. 

He enjoyed his moment alone and began to stretch. In his mind, he tried to remember everything Kurt had said to him during practice. That man truly was a genius and Blaine was never disappointed. He always knew what to say. Blaine placed his hands on the wall as he continued his stretching. At one point, he stopped, staring right at the wall. His eyes were narrowed and in his mind, all he could think about was how much he wanted this. 

Blaine knew it. He was ready. 

At the corner of his eye, he saw the door opening and a tall figure wearing a long dark coat on top of his well-tailored suit walking out of the arena. It was Kurt. He stood up and turned to his coach. "Is it time?"

"Not yet," Kurt replied softly as he approached his student. "Chandler just finished and got his score."

"How did he do?" Blaine asked, curiously. 

"He did well," Kurt nodded, then shrugged. "He was very inconsistent, but he's talented, I guess. He fell once, but his score was good. His total was 214.97."

"Wow..." Blaine raised his eyebrows. 

Kurt smiled. "I know, he was very happy," he said in a soft voice, "He would have gotten a much worse score if it wasn't for you..."

Blaine shook his head. "No, it's not like that. I just did the right thing. I felt really bad."

"Blaine..." Kurt raised his eyebrow, still smiling. "You know better than anyone how a person's mind can affect their performance on the ice."

The younger skater nodded a little. He had to agree. 

There was silence. It was the first real conversation they had all day. There was still a big elephant in the room. Kurt took a deep breath before he stepped closer. "How are you, Blaine? Are you feeling okay? Are you nervous?" 

There was a worry in Kurt's voice, Blaine's heart skipped a beat. Kurt really cared about him. "I'm okay. I feel confident. I really do believe that I got this."

"Good. Because that is true. And even if we have the worst fight in the world, I still care about you and I still want to win this. I still believe in you." Kurt reached out and fixed a lock of Blaine's hair. "I like your curls, but you look really good with your hair gelled back." 

"I need to look good for the judges," Blaine grinned, the compliment making him feel even better. "Look, Kurt..." He sighed, "I'm sorry about last night. You are my coach and I should respect your decisions..."

"No, I'm sorry too," Kurt shook his head. "You should never just do exactly as I say. I'd be a hypocrite if I told you to do that. I tend to drive my coaches crazy."

Blaine laughed, "I heard about that."

"Oh, the media doesn't know about half the stories. Every single one of my coaches hated my so-called 'outrageous' costume choices," Kurt rolled his eyes. "It's called fashion." 

"That reminds me..." He reached for the zipper of his jacket and opened it, taking off the jacket to reveal his new costume. A dark blue suit that sparkled just enough and had a grey detail that made it look like he was wearing a corset. There was a beautiful pattern on the back that was dark red and green and the outfit had more sparkles on the back then on the front. Kurt had helped him design it, he liked to design all his costumes but this season he would design Blaine's. "It looks good, doesn't it?" Blaine smiled, looking down at himself.

"You are the most beautiful man in this ice rink tonight," Kurt told him as they gazed into each other's eyes. 

Blaine actually stopped breathing, Kurt sounded so honest and... vulnerable. Like he had been holding it back, but now he needed to be honest or else he'd explode. 

"I-..." Blaine let out a very nervous chuckle. "Y-You're just saying that because you're my coach and you have to keep me confident."

"No," Kurt replied firmly. "I'm saying that because it's true." Once again, Kurt's hand was on his hair, trying to keep that same particular lock in place, behind Blaine's ear. "I'm saying that because it's what I think every time I look at you."

Blaine slightly parted his lips. He had no idea how to respond to that, but then Kurt was taking another step closer. He felt Kurt's hand move from his hair down to his cheek and the man's thumb caressed him gently. Blaine only swallowed hard and is breath hitched, which made Kurt glance down at his lips.

"Blaine..." Kurt muttered, and again, his voice sounded so vulnerable, "Listen, I need you to know that I-..."

"Blaine! Finally! I-..." It was Chandler who had just interrupted whatever it was that Kurt was going to say as he opened the back door. Blaine quickly jumped back, if Chandler or anyone took a picture of them together like this people would not stop talking. 

Kurt pulled his hand back with an annoyed expression and said under his breath. "Je déteste ce type."  

"Uh- H-hey, Chandler!" Blaine said with a smile. He noticed how sweaty his hands were. He had to get himself together. "Do you need something? You were awesome, by the way. Great score!"

Chandler stood there, glancing from Blaine to Kurt, then back at Blaine. Blaine could almost see the gears working in his mind as the boy stared at them with a surprised expression on his face. They couldn't fool him, Chandler could tell there was something going on. "Yeah, um, thanks... You're up next. Peter is already waiting for his score. Uh... Your friend said you were here, I hope I didn't interrupt-..."

"You didn't," Kurt said quickly. "I was just giving him a pep talk, thank you for coming here to call us."

"No problem, Mr. Hummel," Chandler slightly bowed, before he walked back to the door to go back inside, looking behind his shoulder the whole time. 

Blaine waited a few seconds after Chandler left before he looked at Kurt again. The man was looking down at his feet. Blaine took a deep breath. He had hoped that Kurt would say whatever it was he wanted to say, but they didn't have enough time. Blaine knew he had to go, he was about to turn to the door when Kurt looked up again. The coach stared deeply into Blaine's eyes before he stepped closer and pulled Blaine into a hug, which Blaine returned in a second, placing a hand on the back of Kurt's neck. 

"Good luck out there," Kurt whispered softly. 

Blaine closed his eyes and nodded, "Thank you, Kurt. For everything."

Kurt pulled back and smiled at the other man. "Go on. Make me proud." 

Blaine returned the smile and together they walked back to the ice rink, Kurt's hand was on his lower back, keeping him grounded. 

"Blaine told me he would only do one quad this time..." Quinn was holding a sign, as she spoke to her husband. They both watched as Blaine and Kurt appeared again and Blaine took off his guards. "... And in the first half of the program."

"If I know my boy Blaine well, he won't settle for this." Puck shook his head. "All the other guys did one quad, Blaine might lose if he does just one."

"We'll see." Quinn shrugged. "Oh, there he goes!" She grinned as his name was announced. 

"Blaine, good luck!" Some people were already shouting words of encouragement, Chandler included. Quinn was the one who was most excited as she watched her friend skated around, greeting the audience. She knew exactly how important this particular performance was to Blaine. She remembered when he had first shown her the piece he had proudly composed. He was so happy that Kurt had loved it. It was also the first routine that Blaine actually put together. 

The narrator's voice came through the speakers, "This is Blaine Anderson's first time presenting this routine to the public. He will be skating to an original song, composed by Anderson himself, which represents his journey as a figure skater. It's titled 'Warbler On Ice'. Choreographed by Kurt Hummel." 

Blaine stopped and closed his eyes, waiting for the song to begin.

The music filled the room, and Kurt could feel how everyone in the audience watched and listened intently. 

The program begins when Blaine was feeling lonely and lost, Kurt thought, as Blaine raised both hands up to his neck like he was trying to breathe again, but something kept him from doing it. Blaine moved forward and twirled. 

'The first jump is a combination of a quad and a triple...' Kurt reminded himself. 'He could easily do it in practice.'

He saw Blaine entering the jump, he landed the quad and-... Kurt widened his eyes.

"Oh, my god! He did it!" He heard Chandler scream in excitement.

Blaine had done a double instead of a triple. And it wasn't because he messed up, he genuinely planned to do that. 'Is he changing the jumps?' Kurt was on the edge of the barrier, unconsciously trying to get closer. 'Will he add the triple in the second half? Will he do the three original quads?'  

Flying sit-spin. Blaine never looked so focused and determined. 

''Blaine, did you forget I told you not to get distracted with jumps and focus on the presentation?'

As if he was able to hear what Kurt was thinking, the man turned to Kurt's direction and looked straight at him. The step sequence represented the moment when Kurt showed up in his life, to coach him. 

'You're all stiff...' Kurt frowned deeply, 'It seems like you don't like it.'

The coach watched as the man on the ice started the crossover entry to the Salchow. 'A triple?'

Kurt held his breath as Blaine launched himself up. The moment Blaine hit the floor, he lost control and had to put his hand on the ice to prevent him from falling. The audience gasped. 

'No, he went for a quad...'  Kurt put both hands on his face, blocking his view. So Blaine had gone back to the three quads. Blaine gained speed before he moved to a camel spin. He watched through his fingers. 'Don't do it, Blaine. Don't think too much about the jumps..."

Blaine continued on to a jump. A triple loop. It had been perfect, making the audience cheer. The song turned softer, Blaine opened both arms and closed his eyes. It was like he could fly. A true warbler on ice. That part also represented the moment Blaine realizes something like love. The second part was coming, and Blaine already looked tired. 

'A Spread Eagle followed by an Ina Bauer,' Kurt narrated to himself. His hands left his face, he grabbed onto his tissue box shaped like his dog. 

Blaine just skated for a moment, his arms moved with the music. He was skating like he was the most beautiful person in the room, just like Kurt had taught him. Then...

'Triple Axel!' Kurt grinned as Blaine completed it with great control. 'Now a triple flip...' 

Blaine rotated three times and as he landed, he lost balance a little. The man continued on, never letting his mistakes get to him. 'He still isn't nailing all the jumps, but he gets the audience stirred up... Because of the way his body moves to the music.'

The figure skater entered a combination jump. He tried a quad, that ended up becoming a triple, and when he tried to go for a triple, he lost balance and had to put his hand on the ice again. 

"Almost!" Kurt said out loud and bit his bottom lip. 'Blaine is being too impatient out there...'

Blaine did something that impressed Kurt. He tried it again. But this time, he did both jumps - a quad and a triple - perfectly and the audience went crazy.

Kurt blue eyes followed Blaine across the ice rink, '... Which is why it's impossible to look away.'

The step sequence that followed was very well done, Blaine made it look so beautiful that Kurt actually felt the urge to go up there and skate right next to him. Suddenly, Blaine went for a triple Salchow, but Kurt could tell he was too tired. What Kurt didn't expect was that Blaine would lose his balance and as he fell, his head hit the barrier face first.

"Blaine!" Kurt let out a gasp, hoping Blaine hadn't broken his nose. The figure skater went on, though. 

'I told him to make a final triple jump for the points.' The final spin, Kurt could finally let out a breath. 'Most skaters wouldn't prevail against their coaches like that. I wonder who he takes after...'

Blaine moved to the final pose. As if he wasn't done surprising Kurt, he changed that last bit of the choreography. Blaine placed his right hand on his heart, but instead of placing his left hand on top of it, like he was supposed to, Blaine slowly stretched out his left arm, pointing right at...

'Me?' Kurt raised his eyebrows in surprise. 

As the audience went crazy cheering for Blaine, Kurt noticed that Blaine's nose was starting to bleed. Kurt just wanted Blaine to get off the ice to check if he was okay. He shook his head a little. 'If I was Sue Sylvester, I would bite his head off right now for being irresponsible and not doing as he was told..."

However, Kurt looked at the audience and was shocked to see how happy everyone looked. Everyone was still applauding the man's performance and he caught at least five people crying. Blaine was a success. 

"You make us proud, Blaine!" Someone in the crowd yelled. 

Kurt couldn't deny it, Blaine made him proud too. 

Blaine was still trying to catch his breath back as he waved at the audience and thanked them. He could feel the blood coming out of his nose, but it wasn't bothering him that much. He would leave the ice with no regrets. He could see Quinn and Puck in the audience, Quinn was crying, which made him chuckle. There was someone he needed to face, though. He turned to look at Kurt. The man had his arms crossed over his chest and had a serious look on his face. 

Blaine knew he had nothing to say for himself, he had done what he knew he had to do, even if Kurt disapproves. No matter what his score was, the important thing was that he had truly given it everything he had. He had tried everything. So he just smiled at Kurt.

The older man soon couldn't hold back a smile either and he stretched his arms out, silently asking for Blaine to hug him. 

"Kurt!" Blaine breathed out and began to rush out of the ice rink, as he approached the exit, he practically jumped on Kurt, who grabbed him and held him so tightly. Blaine was grinning, forgetting everyone else in the world. All that mattered was Kurt. 

"You're lucky I'm not Sue Sylvester," Kurt chuckled.

Blaine closed his eyes. "I'm lucky you're here."

Kurt smiled softly. "That was beautiful, Blaine. You did make me proud, despite being stubborn."

The figure skater chuckled a little and slowly pulled away. "I'm bleeding all over your coat."

"Is it broken?" Kurt asked, concerned. 

"No, I don't think so..."

A nurse came moments later and gave him some cotton to stop the bleeding after briefly checking his nose. It wasn't broken, so she just told him to rest for now. But Blaine was restless as he waited for his score. Kurt stood next to him, making sure that Blaine was feeling physically okay and offering him water. 

"Attention, please for the announcement of Blaine Anderson's Free Program." Blaine quickly looked up at a speaker, which made his headache worse, but he didn't care. "His score is... 165.28." 

Blaine widened his eyes as the audience went crazy. He had done it, he won.

"Total score: 259.56." 

The next thing he knew, Kurt was hugging him again, perhaps shaking him a bit too much, but Blaine didn't mind. Kurt was surely surprised that Blaine had gotten such a high score after all those awful jumps. 

Kurt smiled at him, "Thank you for proving me wrong. You got a high PCS score, but now I know you can do even better."

"Blaine," Both men pulled back. Chandler was standing close to them with a smile on his face. "Congratulations. You totally beat me!"

Blaine chuckled. Chandler sounded way too excited for a person who had just lost first place. He seemed content with second place, though. 

"I won't give up, just like you didn't, and one day, I will face you in the Grand Prix Series." Chandler offered him a pen and held a paper. "But for now, please give me your autograph!"

"Of course," Blaine grinned.

After giving autographs to the younger skaters who admired him, everything was a blur. Blaine wasn't sure if he felt that way because everything happened really fast or because he had hit his head. 

In a moment, he was in the podium, proudly holding a paper that certified him as the winner while people took pictures. Quinn thought he never looked so happy. Earlier, before it was time to go up in the podium, Quinn had spoken to Blaine while Kurt was away signing some autographs and giving interviews. She couldn't stop crying her eyes out, being a proud friend. She knew al the other skater would start taking Blaine seriously now. 

"What if you had been seriously injured, though. You should have been more careful," Puck called out. 

Blaine sighed, he took off the cotton inside his nose and was thoughtful for a moment. "I know that and I'm sorry. At first, I was desperate because I didn't want to lose. But then, I just... It got fun. I don't really remember what happened. Something made me feel good and remember that I belong there."

Quinn noticed how Blaine had a small, but a real smile on his face. 

"Anyway... It was the first time I had this much fun during a competition." 

It was beautiful seeing Blaine on the podium then. She knew that there's where Blaine belonged, indeed. She glanced at Kurt, who was standing right next to her and couldn't hold back a grin. In her years as a fan of that man, she had never seen him looking at anyone like that. Blaine had truly inspired this amazing man. She just hoped they would realize how they felt about each other soon. 

The teenager stared at the picture on his phone. He was off the ice, having just taken a break from practice while Coach Sylvester was yelling at one of his ice rink mates. The picture had been taken the moment Blaine had left the ice and hugged Kurt. It was clear that both men looked incredibly happy and the headline of the article explained why. 

"Blaine Anderson Gets First Place In Detroit With Kurt Hummel As His New Coach."

Blaise had heard about the Championship that Anderson would have to compete in Detroit in order to actually get a chance at the Grand Prix Series. He thought it was pathetic. He thought it was even more pathetic that Kurt would agree to coach someone like that. But... the man looked so happy.

'It's so unfair.' Before Blaise knew it, he had tossed his phone against the wall. He hoped it wasn't broken, but at that moment he didn't care. He knew he had gotten everyone's attention, and he hated it. He hated when people could see him in a weak moment. When he heard someone skating over to him, he rolled his eyes. Blaise didn't need to be a genius to guess who that was.

"Throwing a tantrum over there?" Santana laughed as she leaned against the barrier. She was from Spain and had moved to France just so she could be coached by Ms. Sylvester. "Ah, I know... You must have seen that picture of Kurt and Blaine, right? Jealous?"

"Shut your mouth, you old hag!" Blaise snapped. He hated her sometimes, she had a sharp tongue and always knew how to get under people's skin. 

Santana's response was just to chuckle. "I'm only three years older than you, idiot. And you really should just get over it. You lost."

"Just leave me alone!" Blaise took off his guards to go back to the ice. "I have to practice."

"Oh, you better..." Santana yelled out, "´Cause that American guy sure is practicing and he's gonna kick your ass again if you're not careful."

"Never!" Blaise looked back at her, narrowing his eyes. "He will never beat me again."

A week later

A press conference was held in New York where all the figure skaters representing the United States would talk about their plans for the season and what to expect. They should show their themes for the Grand Prix Series and answer questions from reporters. Kurt and Blaine arrived a few days before just to enjoy the trip a little bit more, but it turned out they mostly spent their days at the ice rink. Blaine took Kurt to the rink where he had practice for the past three years.

They skated together and simply enjoyed themselves on the ice. Kurt realized how much Blaine needed to win that Championship to get himself back on track. He felt much more confident for the Cup of China. Even when he was skating just for fun, Blaine's movements seemed refined. Like he was actually taking himself seriously this time. 

Blaine didn't bring up what had happened moments before he presented his free program. He knew Kurt had something he wanted to say to Blaine, and when he replayed that moment in his head, he was almost sure, as insane as it seemed, that Kurt was going to kiss him. Sometimes that thought wouldn't leave his mind and he was desperate to ask Kurt what he wanted to tell him, but he was too shy to do that. 

He was also too shy to tell Kurt what he was going to say at his speech at the press conference. Kurt had asked him about it a few times, but he always found a way to change the topic of the conversation. Kurt was pretty sure he knew that Blaine's theme for the season would be love, based on Eros and Warbler On Ice, both programs were about love. Blaine refused to discuss too much about it, though. 

So Kurt sat there, in the back of the room where the press conference was happening. It was Blaine's turn to reveal his theme.

"Representing the United States in the male figure skating category, we have Blaine Anderson." The man onstage announced to the microphone and pointed at Blaine, who stood up from his chair to the sound of applause. "Mr. Anderson, if you will..." 

He gave Blaine a microphone, but the man stayed quiet, holding a small board which had his theme written on. 

"Uh... Mr. Anderson? Will you show us your theme, please?"

Blaine placed the board on the stand for everyone to see. "My theme for the Grand Prix this season is 'love'."

Kurt smiled to himself, the best theme of all. The photographers were already taking several pictures, while Blaine nervously held the microphone.

"During my career as a figure skater, I've counted on several people. I've always been very grateful and never took advantage of all the help I've been offered. But... only now I have stopped to think about love. " Blaine looked down as he felt a small blushing creeping on his cheek, "I was lucky to have the people around me helping me, but because I had a hard time accepting it, I always felt like I was fighting alone. One day that changed..."

No one in the room, but Kurt, noticed when Blaine looked right at his coach. "It was when Kurt showed up to become my coach. Since then, I started seeing things in a different way. I realized love." He heard the flickering of the cameras going off. "The love I'm talking about isn't something definitive, like romantic love. It's more of an abstract feeling that embraces my relationships with Kurt, my family, my figure skating friends and the people in my hometown. It took me a long time to realize, but now I know I'm surrounded by love every day."

Blaine was pouring his heart out for everyone to see, and he didn't miss the shocked look on people's faces. He knew he could shock them even more. "For the first time in my life, there's somebody I want to hold on. And that person is Kurt. I don't know have a name for that emotion, but I've decided to call it love."

There. He had been honest about his feelings in front of everyone. The photographers weren't even taking pictures anymore, just staring at him in awe. 

"Now, I know what love is and I am stronger because of it," Blaine closed his hand into a fist. "And I will prove myself by winning a gold medal at the Grand Prix Final!"

Blaine finally had the courage to look at Kurt when the rest of the audience began to applaud him. He had no idea what Kurt would think of his speech, but that was him being honest and applying his feelings to his career as a skater. No more hiding behind themes he didn't feel passionate about. 

The moment he was allowed to get off the stage, he went straight to Kurt. He never got used to seeing Kurt smile at him like that. "So, what did you think?"

Kurt was quiet for a moment and his hand reached for Blaine's blue tie to fix it. It was an old one he had borrowed from his brother. "I think your theme could not have been better." He looked up at Blaine, his blue eyes were shining.

Blaine grinned. "Grand Prix, here we come!"

"Oh, not so fast," Kurt raised his eyebrow. "We're going to get rid of this hideous tie and buy you a new one before the Cup of China. A new Blaine needs a new look." 

Blaine chuckled, knowing that Kurt was using it as an excuse to go shopping before they left New York. 

Chapter Text

"Welcome to the Figure Skating Grand Prix Series, where the top skaters will compete to determine the world's best figure skater of the season. Tomorrow we'll have the third event of the race to the podium. At the Rostelecom Cup, Samuel Evans won his very first gold for his country, while Jin Lee won silver. Both will compete in the Cup Of China. At Skate Canada Jesse St. James, last years Grand Prix Final bronze medalist won the gold. We saw an awe-inspiring Blaise Lambiel, age 15, win silver at his first senior event. And tomorrow, in the Cup Of China, we'll see late bloomer Blaine Anderson, age 23, aiming for his second consecutive Final qualification. He's declared his program theme to be 'love'

"Now, I know what love is and I am stronger because of it," Blaine closed his hand into a fist. "And I will prove myself by winning a gold medal at the Grand Prix Final!"

"Let's hope he can survive with the power of love."

"Uh... how much power of love do I have?" Blaine scratched his head staring at the microphone pointed at his face. 

Ever since they got to China, reporters would not leave them alone. They had been waiting at the airport, at the hotel, at the rink... Kurt had made them a promise that if they left them alone, Blaine would be giving them an exclusive interview after the official practice. Now, there Blaine was. There were two simple reasons why reporters wouldn't leave them alone, the first, and obvious one, was because Kurt Hummel was his coach and everyone was wondering how good of a coach he actually was. The second reason, and the embarrassing one, was because Blaine had basically declared his love on national television the month before. The media wanted more, of course. They searched for clues that Kurt and Blaine were secretly dating. When they found nothing, they began pressing Blaine, hoping he would spill the beans. 

It didn't seem to bother Kurt. Blaine knew Kurt was used to the media making assumptions about his personal life all the time, but it did bother Blaine. He didn't regret what he had said at the press conference, it was all true, but he just wished the media hadn't made a big deal out of it. It bothered Blaine because it was true, he did love Kurt. However, his love for Kurt was something he liked to keep personal and pure. Blaine didn't want anyone using his feelings to make a profit and create scandals. His love for Kurt had many different layers: He admired Kurt, he cared for Kurt, he loved Kurt as a friend, as a coach, as an idol... and romantically. But the last part wasn't something he was ready to tell anyone. 

They had spent most of the past month in Lima, where Blaine practiced. A few reporters showed up, but overall it went fine. They were both enjoying the peaceful and quiet days before the craziness of the Grand Prix Series started. After spending a whole week practicing in China, Blaine missed Lima dearly. The figure skaters all had different schedules, so Blaine didn't have time to hang out with any of the skaters he considered his friends. He just walked past a few of them at the hotel halls and greeted them.

It was great to see Mike Chang again. They hugged and exchanged a few words before each of them had to run to practice. Kurt and Blaine found a private ice rink for them to use, so they didn't interact with any of the competitors until the day before of the competition when they all practiced at the official rink. 

"Blaine, hurry up, I'm starving!" Kurt interrupted the interview. 

Blaine bit his lip. "I'm in the middle of an interview, Kurt, I can't just go..."

Kurt pouted a little, Blaine thought it was adorable. He thought Kurt was a little spoiled sometimes, to be honest, but he understood. He had been a celebrity ever since he was a teenager. People were always doing everything he wanted. 

"Just..." Kurt looked at the reporters with a smile. "Let's wrap this up, guys. Blaine needs to eat and have a good night's sleep." 

While Blaine went on with the interview, Kurt spotted Coach Sylvester walking away with one of his former rink mates. It hadn't occurred to him how much he had missed them until he saw them for the first time in months. As rude as Sue Sylvester was, she had been around in his life since he was very young. He had even lived with Sue for a few years. Kurt walked over to them with a smile.

"Coach Sue!"

His former coach continued to walk, neither her or his friend Pierre acknowledged his presence. Kurt frowned, he was close, it was impossible that they hadn't heard him. 

"Why are you ignoring me? Coach Sue?" Kurt tried again.  

She finally turned around then, and judging by her expression, she wasn't as excited to see him. That didn't faze Kurt though. 

"We're going to this restaurant a few blocks from here. Do you want to come along?" Kurt suggested, "You too, Pierre, bien sûr."

"Pass," Pierre continued to walk without even bothering glancing at Kurt. 

Kurt opened his mouth in surprise and after the other man turned the corner he spoke, "Did I do something to him? I thought he'd love to join us..."

Sue glanced at Kurt up and down, "He's much more worried about the competition tomorrow, of course he won't go out for dinner with a traitor."

"Traitor? Wha-" 

"You left the French team to go help out an American." Sue shook her head. "Of course he's angry at you."

"Listen, that's not what happened. It's childish to treat me like that because I made a very important decision in my life-"

"Oh, look at you." Sue spat. "Playing pretend-coach and ruining two careers in the process. It makes me sick. I could argue you're ruining three since you pushed Blaise away instead of mentoring him as you promised, but I know Blaise doesn't need you. In fact, I explained that to him already."

Kurt gave up talking, but kept his head up, he would never let Sue or anyone else get to him. He wasn't going to ruin anyone's career, that was not what he was doing. He was an artist and what he had done felt right. Kurt had just followed his heart. 

"You are a grown man, but just as irresponsible as you were when you were thirteen." She sounded truly disappointed. "When you're ready to plead... no, beg for your return to skating, then, and only then, you may talk to me."

Kurt opened his mouth to reply, but he was interrupted by Blaine coming closer. The man looked ridiculously happy and handsome, having no clue what kind of conversation Kurt and Sue were having. 

"You ready to go, Kurt?" Blaine asked, with a grin before he noticed Sue. "Oh, hello. Are you joining us?" He asked, in the most polite and innocent way.

Kurt was quick to answer before Sue said anything. "Nope. She's not interested. Goodbye, Sue."

He turned away, grabbing Blaine's arm and pulling him closer as they walked. Kurt felt that it was his duty as a coach to not let Blaine anywhere near that woman for the moment. Sue Sylvester would know exactly what to say to destroy every ounce of Blaine's confidence if she felt like it, and it was a known fact that Blaine always struggled to keep his nerves under control. The woman would do anything just to spite Kurt. Kurt could not let that happen, and he could not let Sue see how her words had affected himself already.

Blaine merely glanced back at the furious looking woman as he continued to follow his coach out of the arena. 

Blaine and Kurt sat together at the table of the small and cozy restaurant. Kurt was quieter than usual, but he seemed excited to try out the Chinese food. Before they left the arena, Blaine had changed into something a bit more elegant than what he always wore for practice. He had the opportunity to use one of the ties Kurt had bought him in New York. A bowtie, actually. Blaine decided he liked it a lot. 

"Are you drinking tonight?" Kurt asked as he looked at the menu.

"Oh... No. Never before a competition." Blaine knew his hangovers were a nightmare, and he didn't want to risk that. 

Kurt called the waitress, who spoke English, and ordered wine for himself and after they ordered their food, a comfortable silence fell. Blaine had gotten used to spending time alone with Kurt. In fact, it was when he felt the happiest. He took a sip of water and looked around the restaurant. It was decorated beautifully with a red color palette. Blaine wondered if there was a special holiday coming up in China. 

"You know who I saw today? Coach Schuester," Blaine let out a small chuckle as he remembered. "We talked, it was kinda awkward. I do hope he doesn't think I'm being ungrateful, I think he's a good coach and a great guy, but... Being coached by you feels right. I've never felt better."

Kurt looked up at him, there was something bothering him, Blaine could tell. 

"And you were talking to your coach..." Blaine bit his lip.

"Yeah. Not my coach anymore, though." Kurt smiled a little, but it didn't reach his eyes, "She hates me now. Thinks I'm an idiot playing pretend-coach."

Blaine reached for his hand without thinking. "You're not an idiot... And you've been a wonderful coach."

Kurt locked his eyes on their hands, which made Blaine think he was uncomfortable with that. But then Kurt smiled. "We're going to show them tomorrow, aren't we?"

"Yes. We are," Blaine grinned. Did he feel all that confident? No. But it was nice to pretend, and he'd do anything to put a smile of Kurt's face.

Blaine quickly let go of Kurt's hand when the waitress showed up with Kurt's wine. He blushed a little, wondering if that waitress knew who they were. If someone took a picture of them together and holding hands, the media would flip. They would not hear the end of it.

"How are you feeling about tomorrow?" Kurt broke the silence that followed.

Blaine took in a small breath, "Well, you know... I'm nervous, obviously. It's the first Grand Prix event, I could lose everything in just two days. But... I'm not scared," he said honestly. 

Kurt couldn't help but smile. "You're not?"

"No. Not really. I feel good about myself, about this program we created," Blaine smiled as he mentioned it, "At the end of the day, even if I mess everything up, I'll still have that." 

Blaine blinked and looked down. He briefly wondered what was going to happen if he failed. Would Kurt leave, or would he stay and continue being his coach? Maybe help him get ready for other championships? It wasn't something they were ready to discuss yet. No, Blaine could not afford to lose. Not when everyone had their eyes on him and Kurt. Blaine's job was to show everyone that Kurt was an incredible coach and he didn't make a mistake by pausing his figure-skating career. 

They would win this together with the power of love. His cheeks heat up a little as he remembered the press conference. They had never properly discussed it, but the reporters would not stop asking him about it. Now, everyone was curious to see just how strong Blaine's love was. He had that to skate for as well. 

"... But I think I ran my mouth too much at that press conference," Blaine decided to bring it up.

Kurt paused his movement of sipping his drink, "How so?"

"What will people think if I lose after everything I said?" Blaine put his elbow on the table and rested his face on his hand. 

Kurt put his glass down, "Does it matter? You feel like you have so many things to prove, Blaine, when all you have to do is skate your best, no matter what."

Blaine hummed. Kurt had a point. "Do you remember what I said?" 

"Every word."

Blaine paused. He wasn't expecting Kurt to remember every word. "Well... then you remember how I said I'd prove myself by winning."

Kurt smiled softly, "Skaters say lots of things, Blaine. No one will think your love is worth nothing if you lose."

"You really think they won't?" Blaine looked up with a frown. 

"Well, I won't," Kurt said earnestly, his blue eyes staring straight into Blaine's. "That's what really matters, isn't it?"

Neither of them spoke for a moment. Blaine knew that there was something unspoken going on between them. A month before, Kurt had almost kissed him, Blaine was sure of that, or at least... He thought that's what Kurt was going to do if Chandler hadn't interrupted them. And there was something Kurt was going to say, but Blaine wasn't brave enough to ask him. He was scared of being disappointed. Perhaps it was going to be just a pep-talk...

Before Blaine could gather the courage to ask Kurt about what he thought of his speech, his phone buzzed on the table. "Oh, Mike's here!" He announced with a grin. 

He looked around the restaurant and waved his arm as he saw his friend. Blaine had invited him because they would finally have the opportunity to hang out before the competition. Kurt didn't seem to mind, he actually wanted to get to know the younger skaters. 

Blaine got up and hugged Mike tightly. "It's so good to see you, man."

"I missed you," Mike grinned and as they pulled away his attention turned to Kurt, who offered him a smile. 

"Oh, Kurt this is my good friend Mike, who used to be my rink mate back in New York," Blaine pointed at his friend who bowed. 

Kurt grinned. "Nice to meet you, Mike. Blaine told me a lot about you."

Mike smirked as he sat down. "Oh, he told me a lot about you too, and I mean a lot."

"Mike!" Blaine widened his eyes, maybe inviting Mike had been a bad idea. The man did know all about Blaine's fanboy side and he did like to embarrass Blaine. 
 
"Sorry," Mike laughed, "What I meant to say was 'only good things, I hope'."

Kurt let out a chuckle while Blaine let out a sigh. He soon forgot about his worries as the conversation progressed. Blaine and Mike told stories about their adventures together at the ice rink in New York. Their orders arrived and Kurt made sure to make Mike feel very comfortable. Kurt understood that most skaters didn't know how to act around him when they met him.

Mike wasn't any different, looking up to Kurt as an inspiration, but soon, the three of them were just three friends talking Mike was very excited about the first event of the competition the next day because it was his first time competing in the Grand Prix Series. It was like a dream come true already, and his parents were very proud. People from all over the world would be watching him and he was confident he would get to the final. Blaine noticed Kurt was drinking a bit too much, which was odd. 

Thirty minutes passed, they were having nice conversations where each shared stories about their home countries. Blaine loved how Kurt talked, every time his coach told a story he couldn't help but lock his eyes on him and watch. Mike kept sending him looks, silently teasing his friend's obvious heart-eyes. At some point, one of the waiters went up the small stage of the restaurant and announced something on the microphone. Everyone at the restaurant briefly cheered, but the three figure-skaters were lost. 

"Do you know what he said?" Blaine asked Mike, who narrowed his eyes.

"We've been through this, I speak Japanese, not Chinese, they're different languages..."

"Sorry, I know." Blaine gave him an apologetic look. "My mistake."

As their waitress came to bring Mike's order, Kurt took the opportunity to ask her. "Hi, what did he just announce up there?"

"Oh," The woman smiled before she continued. "It is open-mic night tonight. Is that what is called? It is when the clients can go up the stage to perform."

"That's awesome!" Blaine grinned, he actually enjoyed listening to amateurs sing. He was an amateur singer himself. 

The waitress grinned as she bowed a little before she left. 

Mike smirked at his former rink-mate. "I have a good feeling about this..."

The night progressed. Mike had called a friend of his to join, who then called another friend. Mike didn't tell anyone, but he was merely trying to avoid becoming the third wheel. Sam Evans, from Finland, and Jin Lee, from the Chinese team, soon joined them. They were both younger and wide-eyed figure skaters. It was their first time at the Grand Prix Series too. No one would miss the opportunity to hang out with Kurt Hummel. Kurt didn't mind, it was an excuse to bring his chair even closer to Blaine. It was incredibly fun talking to all of them. Sam seemed to be the most excited person at the table, wanting to take pictures of everything and tweet about how fun China was. He was the first one to go up the stage and sing and asked Mike to record everything so he could post later. At some point, everyone at their table had gone up there, except for Kurt and Blaine. Blaine did feel tempted, but he felt comfortable just watching everyone else. At some point, he noticed Kurt had turned a bit quiet. 

Blaine froze for a second when he felt a hand rest on his knee. Kurt's hand. It was such a gentle touch, he could barely feel Kurt's thumb slowly brushing against him. 

No one at that table knew what was happening. No one but Kurt and Blaine. The other three men were distracted, having a conversation about something that Blaine was not one bit interested at the moment. All his ears could hear was his own heartbeat. He almost felt like laughing at how much power Kurt had over him, making him unable to function properly with such a small touch. 

Blaine didn't dare turn to look at Kurt. He didn't trust himself not to blurt out something embarrassing if he looked into Kurt's eyes at that moment. Kurt leaned a bit closer, though and Blaine could notice he was smiling. 

"One day, I asked Brittany why she calls you Blaine Warbler..." Kurt spoke, his accent had gotten more apparent with the alcohol. It hadn't occurred to Blaine how good Kurt's pronunciation had always been until now. "She told me it's because you can sing really well and it made sense." 

Blaine swallowed hard before he turned to look at Kurt, who was leaning in a lot closer than Blaine expected. "I-I wouldn't say really well..."

"I don't want you to say anything, I want you to sing," Kurt leaned back against his chair, with a smug expression. "Why don't you go up there and I'll be the judge?"

"Instagram is better than Twitter!"  Blaine heard Sam yell out. It was a good thing they were so invested in such a pointless argument. It gave him and Kurt a little bit of privacy. 

His hazel eyes kept staring at Kurt. A moment ago, it seemed difficult to turn to look at Kurt, but now it seemed impossible to take his eyes off him. His coach was giving him a look that Blaine had no words to describe. It was an invitation. Kurt wanted something from him, Blaine knew it. But Kurt was drunk...

Blaine carefully took Kurt's hand, which was moving dangerously up and held it in his. His intention was to just remove it from his thigh, but Kurt latched onto his touch and his skin felt too soft to let go. It was okay, this was harmless. 

"Don't ignore my request," Kurt slurred and raised his eyebrow challenging the other man, "Sing for me, my angel of music."

"I'm not going to sing, Kurt," Blaine chuckled.

Kurt lifted his chin, "We're not leaving until you do. You're going to disobey your coach, are you?" He leaned closer again with a smirk.

"Fine..." Blaine smirked back, ready to get up. For just a moment, he wanted to forget about all the tensions that the next day would bring and just tease Kurt a little bit. There was no harm in doing that. He hadn't let go of the other man's hand as he stood. "But you're singing with me."

Kurt burst out laughing. "Oh, don't be ridiculous. We're not doing this again."

Blaine frowned in confusion. "What?"

"I don't sing." Kurt shook his head a bit too quickly. "Just wanna hear you..."

"But I want you to sing with me." Blaine tugged his hand a little. "Come one, it'll be fun. I know you have a beautiful singing voice."

After a pause, Kurt's response was to sigh before he reached for his glass of wine with his free hand and drank all of it in one go. "Allons-y."

The coach got up too and both of them made way to the stage, their hands still linked together. Blaine let himself pretend to be drunk and ignore everything and everyone else. One night of fun with this drunk version of Kurt. He could lose all this in just a couple of days, so why not try to make the most of that night?

There weren't many people there, so there wasn't anyone in line to perform next. Blaine told Kurt he would be the one choosing the song in the karaoke machine. Kurt held one of the microphones, Blaine could tell he was a still a bit unsure about this. Hopefully, the coach would change his mind. Kurt grinned brightly when the introduction of the song started.

"How did you know that I like this song?"

Blaine grinned, proud of himself for making Kurt forget about his insecurities. "Lucky guess?" He winked and turned to the audience as he began to sing. 

Here we go again
I kinda wanna be more than friends
So take it easy on me
I'm afraid you're never satisfied

Kurt held onto his microphone, and his eyes never left Blaine's as he continued 

Here we go again
We're sick like animals
We play pretend
You're just a cannibal
And I'm afraid I won't get out alive

When their voices came together, they both looked at each other and grinned. Blaine didn't need any alcohol to feel as drunk as Kurt at that moment. 

No, I won't sleep tonight

Blaine lost himself to the music, dancing and smiling, but never taking his eyes off Kurt, who seemed to be pretending it was just the two of them there.

Oh, oh
I want some more
Oh, oh
What are you waitin' for?
Take a bite of my heart tonight
Oh, oh
I want some more
Oh, oh
What are you waitin' for?
What are you waitin' for?
Say goodbye to my heart tonight

Kurt unexpectedly reached for Blaine's hand and twirled him, the shorter man laughed, and blushed as he continued singing: 

Here we are again
I feel the chemicals kickin' in
It's gettin' heavier
I wanna run and hide
I wanna run and hide

Kurt took over, pointing right at Blaine as he sang. To anyone watching, his flirtation was obvious and entertaining. 

I do it every time
You're killin' me now

Blaine joined, grinning brightly despite the red color of his cheeks.

And I won't be denied by you
The animal inside of you

As they sang the chorus again together, Blaine felt Kurt's arm by his side, pulling him closer. Blaine just let him, wrapping his own arm around Kurt's back. It felt right.

Hush, hush
The world is quiet
Hush, hush
We both can't fight it
It's us that made this mess
Why can't you understand?

Whoa, I won't sleep tonight

Oh, oh
I want some more
Oh, oh
What are you waitin' for?
What are you waitin' for?
Take a bite of my heart tonight.

As they finished, the sound of the applause drew Blaine back to reality. He was singing with Kurt Hummel and there were people watching. Kurt just enjoyed his moment, bowing and thanking the audience like the star he was. Blaine looked back at the table, searching for Mike. He found his friend grinning like an idiot at them. He was glad he let himself have just one moment of fun with his biggest idol, just one moment where he could pretend everything was and would be okay. 

A short while later, Blaine had convinced Kurt it was time to go back to the hotel. Blaine was still processing that he had just sung a song with Kurt Hummel. A very suggestive song, which he picked. Every time he let himself have a moment of freedom, he felt self-conscious after the moment was over. Blaine feared that Kurt would think he overstepped a line. Not tonight, though. That night, Kurt was still too drunk to care. Blaine was amused at that drunk version of Kurt. Kurt certainly liked to be as close to Blaine as possible. At some point, Kurt had kept his arms wrapped around Blaine and his head resting on his shoulder at the table. Mike teased Blaine about it later, but it was worth it. 

Blaine felt a little guilty for letting himself enjoy the moment. He was sure that if Kurt was sober he wouldn't do any of that.

In an empty hall, as they walked back to their hotel room, Blaine was still buzzing with the excitement of the night out he had just enjoyed with Kurt and his friends. They each made the other laugh as they talked. Kurt and he held hands, Blaine repeated to himself that they were doing that because he wanted to help Kurt walk, but in fact, Kurt was walking normally without any assistance, which made Blaine think that he was beginning to sober up. Blaine unlocked the door and Kurt stepped inside, he let out a soft hum as he entered the room, not bothering turning on the lights. Blaine closed the door and walked up to the minibar. 

"Do you want to keep the lights off?" Blaine asked while grabbing a bottle of water for Kurt. 

"I don't know..." Kurt shrugged, judging by his speech, he was still drunk. "Don't care."

Blaine offered him the bottle of water, which he took and sipped. "Are you sobering up? You managed to walk without help." He asked as he laid down on his bed. He crossed his legs as he watched Kurt in the darkness. 

Kurt laughed. "Not really, I just learned how to do that so no one would notice I'm drunk. My coach was very strict. Also paparazzi suck. They're everywhere and you have to pretend you're sober. We don't have that in France, you should consider firing them."

Blaine burst out a laugh too. "Okay, Kurt. Good idea, we'll fire them all."

"Your laugh is the most beautiful sound in the world."

Blaine wished he could see the expression on Kurt's face as he admitted that, but at the same time, he was happy that Kurt couldn't see his cheeks turning bright red. Kurt put the bottle away before he walked up to Blaine's bed. Blaine's entire body froze, refusing to react as the man climbed up on the bed, slowly making his way close to Blaine. Kurt was lying down next to him and his shaky hands took Blaine's, while the other one was placed on his hip. Blaine's eyes were adjusting to the darkness, he could see Kurt's face a lot better then. Kurt was looking right at him, then he glanced down, below his lips. Kurt's hand moved up from Blaine's hip to his chest and then finally, it grabbed onto his bowtie.

"I bought you this," Kurt announced in a whisper as he pulled Blaine's tie until it came undone. "You look so handsome wearing it."

All Blaine could do was watch, his mind reminded him that Kurt was drunk. Everything he was saying, he was saying because he was drunk. He'd be saying those things to anyone else. 

"Can I sleep here tonight?" Kurt whispered, bringing Blaine's hand up to his lips and kissing it.

The touch of Kurt's lips on his skin made Blaine's body light up. He felt the back of his hand tingling and wanting to feel the pressure of Kurt's lips again. Blaine suddenly realized Kurt had asked him a question. 

"I-..." Blaine swallowed hard. "Y-yeah, sure. I'll move to your bed."

"No, silly..." Kurt moved closer, his head resting on Blaine's chest. "Stay here with me."

Blaine raised his eyebrows and looked down, he could barely see Kurt's eyes as the man looked up at him from where he was resting his chin. "Oh..."

When Kurt noticed Blaine's eyes on him, he smiled. Together, they stayed that way for a minute, enjoying the quietness and the darkness that surrounded them, using that moment to let themselves watch the other, without fear of getting caught, without fear of getting rejected. This lasted until Blaine yawned softly, causing Kurt to smile.

"Thought we weren't going t'sleep tonight..." He let out a small chuckle, Blaine could tell he sounded very tired. 

Blaine grinned, "I can't believe you convinced me to sing."

Kurt felt his lids getting too heavy, so he closed his eyes and got comfortable lying on Blaine's chest. "You were so, so... amazing." He whispered. "So fucking... hot. You're so hot, Blaine Anderson, you have no idea. The definition of Eros."

Blaine held his breath and his eyes widened. 'He's drunk, he's just drunk, you can't take him seriously'.

"Every time you skate to Eros... I-I want you. You make me go crazy." He continued on. "I... I made Eros for you. After... we-... Like when we danced together... 'Cause I couldn't get you out of my head."

Blaine frowned. Now Kurt wasn't even making any sense, but Blaine decided that was for the best. It was a reminder that he shouldn't believe anything Kurt was saying while drunk. A reminder that he shouldn't get his hopes up. He let out a sigh and put his arm around Kurt. "We should sleep, okay?" 

"Don't leave me again..." It was all the older man mumbled before he fell asleep. 

Blaine, however, laid wide awake after every word Kurt had said. He watched Kurt sleep, even in the dark Blaine could tell he slept peacefully, the man's beauty was angelic and it was fascinating looking at him so closely. He wanted so badly to believe Kurt really did think those things about him, but in the end, it seemed like he was talking to someone else. Maybe there had been someone else in Kurt's life before he decided to become a coach...

Blaine groaned as he felt something tossing and turning by his side. Not yet ready to wake up, he decided it was Hepburn again, that dog loved to sneak up in his bed every time she found the door open. Suddenly, he remembered he was in China. Hepburn had stayed in Lima, far away from where he was at that moment. His eyes shot up. By his side, was Kurt, who was sitting up.

Kurt, who clearly looked like he had been hit by a truck. Blaine sat up in a second. "Kurt, are you going to be sick?"

The coach turned to Blaine, a bit disorientated. "No, just headache. It's killing me."

Blaine was on his feet promptly to help Kurt out. He went to get him a bottle of water and some aspirin that he had in his bag. 

"No, no, no, I can handle myself..." Kurt protested weakly. "There's no need for you to get up."

"Nonsense." Blaine encircled his arm around Kurt's body as he sat back now next to him and offered him his bottle of water.

Kurt sighed, accepting it. "You need to sleep."

"Come on," Blaine said softly, giving the pill to him next, "Let me take care of you for once." 

Kurt didn't protest again, just taking the aspirin that was offered and swallowing it. "I hate myself." 

Blaine watched him, the older man was very frustrated at himself. Getting drunk before a competition wasn't a very smart thing to do. 

"You don't have to hate yourself, Kurt. It's okay. You'll be fine in a few hours..."

"I have a hangover the day you're going to compete in your first Grand Prix Series event of the season?!" Kurt raised his voice, Blaine knew he was yelling at himself. "What kind of coach am I?!"

"A good one, who had a little too much fun," Blaine offered softly, "Look, I'm in good shape, that's what matters, right? I didn't drink and I do feel well-rested."

Kurt shook his head, looking down. Then he let out a small whine and put both hands on his temples. He drank more water and sighed, finally looking up at Blaine. There was guilt in his eyes, and Blaine wished he could say something to make it go away. 

"Sue was right, I'm irresponsible," Kurt muttered in a weak voice.

Blaine raised his eyebrow. Getting drunk like Kurt did last night was very unlike him, but maybe Blaine had found out the reason. Kurt was upset about whatever it was that Sue had said to him. She had been Kurt's coach for most of his career, so he guessed Sue's opinion was very important to Kurt, but she hadn't been supportive. No one from the French team seemed to be. As confident as Kurt always was, he was still human. It was easy to feel insecure when so many people you care about are against you.

"You're not irresponsible," Blaine muttered softly, "Kurt, whatever it was that Sue said-"

"That I'm ruining both of our careers," Kurt admitted, sniffling. "And when she said that, I realized that nobody is taking me seriously. Every coach I talked to treats me like some kind of irresponsible idiot."

"You can't believe what she says Kurt..." Blaine shook his head. "It's you. You don't care about what other people think. You're stronger than this..."

"Well, maybe I'm not!"

He looked down, wishing he could just scream and make everyone understand his reasons. Kurt didn't want to lose anyone, he didn't want to have to choose between Blaine and everyone he cared about in France. His life hadn't been easy, not really. Everyone seemed to think that he was some kind of god and his life had been nothing but perfect, but that wasn't the case. He had to work so hard to get where he was. Kurt had failed so many times and lost so much. When he lost his father, he thought that he wouldn't be strong enough to carry on, but it turned out that he was. With Sue's help, he was. Even Pierre had been there for him when it happened.

And Blaise... he was just a kid. As annoying as he could be, Kurt truly cared about Blaise. The teenager was like a little brother to him, because Blaise too was alone at a young age. All he had was his grandfather. Then one day he had Kurt too. Kurt knew he was an idol for Blaise - as he was to every young skater - and after they began sharing the same coach, Kurt eventually became his mentor. Not only for ice skating but other aspects in life as well. When Blaise needed advice, he asked Kurt. After Kurt decided to go to America, Blaise closed off. Kurt had disappointed him. Every time Kurt tried to reach out to him, Blaise just moved further away. 

Thinking about all that hurt at that moment, he could feel a pounding in his head. 

"I shouldn't have gotten drunk last night. It was a terrible mistake," Kurt groaned, sipping more of his water. "And a sign that Sue has a point."

"She doesn't," Blaine insisted. 

Before he stopped himself, Blaine moved to the floor, kneeling down and grabbing Kurt's hands, making him look at him. "No one will know that you got drunk last night, okay?" He paused as he swallowed, "All they will know is that your student will be in first place tonight."

That seemed to grab Kurt's attention, so Blaine went on.

"Sue knows nothing about how good of a coach you are. Kurt, if it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't even be skating anymore. You saved my career." Blaine smiled, squeezing Kurt's hand. "And tonight, I'll show them just how good of a coach you are... I'll beat them all."

Kurt slowly returned the smile, which made Blaine's heart flutter in his chest. He wasn't sure he could actually win. Many talented skaters would be competing against him that night. He could only hope that he wouldn't embarrass both Kurt and himself. That was the worst part of suffering from anxiety, he couldn't trust that he wouldn't freak out and fail when he was on the ice. But he would try. He would try his hardest for Kurt. 

"No one will know?" Kurt repeated and bit his lip.

"No," Blaine assured him, "It'll be okay. You'll feel fine soon."

Just looking into Kurt's eyes Blaine could tell the other man was grateful for everything Blaine had just said. Blaine's heart skipped a beat treasuring the moment and thinking about how good of a team they were. 

"I can't believe I'm the one doing the pep-talk today," Blaine chuckled, making Kurt laugh too.

 
That night, hours later, the figure skaters had arrived at the ice rink and changed into their most beautiful and expensive costumes. The halls were filled with athletes and reporters. Not only the people who would compete were there, but also figure skaters from each team were present to cheer on their respective teammates. The feeling of camaraderie was present.

In the bleachers of the Olympic-sized ice rink venue, there were people from all over the world. Figure skating fans showed up to check out one of the sport's most important competitions. Every year, a new rising figure skater would qualify and people from that athlete's country made sure to make an appearance. It was fun, it kept everything fresh. 

Blaine, wearing the same Eros costume he borrowed from Kurt under his dark blue sponsored jacket with 'Team USA' written in the back, stared at the audience present there tonight. Watching all those people, filling up the whole arena really gave a perspective of how serious things were starting to get. He wondered if anyone was there to root for him, or were most people there just curious to see if he would fail. Without a doubt, the audience that would watch him tonight would be comparing his skating to Kurt's the whole time.

Blaine shook his head at that thought and walked back to the inside of the arena, where all the other athletes were hanging out and warming up before the competition officially begins.

"Did you see the photo that Mike Chang upped?" He overheard some girl talking to her friend.

As Blaine walked past each team, he was greeted by looks he couldn't quite read, but they weren't warm and welcoming. It felt like every person had formed an opinion about him already. 

There was only one person from the United States team there in China besides Blaine. A nice girl named Marley, they had talked briefly before. She was competing at the Cup Of China too, in the solo female category. She had come to watch the men's event and support Blaine. Marley was the only person he felt comfortable around at the moment since Mike was busy with interviews and warm up because since he was going first. 

She was younger and seemed quite nervous. Blaine promised he'd come to support her in the women's event in two days. It was nice talking to her while Kurt was nowhere in sight. His coach was busy, making sure everything would go smoothly by the time it was Blaine's turn to perform.

"So how is it like? Being coached by a real-life legend?" Marley couldn't hold back her need to ask it anymore.

Blaine chuckled. "Oh, he's as wonderful as you'd expect. It's a privilege. I hope I can make him proud tonight."

Marley smiled but narrowed her eyes. "Come on, Blaine... That's an answer you give at a press conference! Figure skater to figure skater, how is it like?"

Blaine looked around to make sure no one was within earshot range. He was unable to hide his grin. "Okay, fine. Sometimes I pinch myself because he's right there! Right in front of me! He's amazing, Marley, amazing. Kurt's incredible as a figure skater and as a person. And I know what I'm talking about, I've never been as close to a coach as I am with him..."

Marley poked him a little in the ribs as she smirked. "I know. I was there when you revealed your theme. And... We all saw the picture."

Blaine was taken aback. He had no idea what picture Marley was talking about but it didn't sound good. "Um... W-what picture?"

Marley chuckled, "What do you mean? The one Mike Chang posted, of course." 

Blaine's heart dropped to his stomach. Mike had posted a picture of them online without his consent? He had basically promised Kurt no one would find out about their night out. In a second, he reached for his phone.

Marley bit her lip in worry, "I-... Judging by your reaction, I guess you didn't know about that."

Blaine pressed the Instagram icon and braced himself for what he was about to see. "I did not."

"I'm sorry..." Marley offered.

The first picture that showed up, was the most liked picture on Mike's Instagram so far: a picture of Kurt and Blaine singing together.

Blaine let out a breath and looked right at Mike direction. His friend had no idea how harmful that photo would be. The pressure that picture had put on both Kurt and Blaine was huge. Mike was warming up while talking to Sam and Jin. What made Blaine even angrier was the fact that Mike had probably done it for solely for likes. 

"If you excuse me, Marley..." Blaine fumed, ready to storm his way to Mike's direction.

"Blaine... Wait!" Marley jumped in front of him. "No matter how upset you are right now, he's about to go on the ice. It's his debut, don't ruin this for him. I'm sure he meant no harm."

Blaine stopped and looked down. Marley was completely right. There was nothing more important in Mike's career than that moment. It really would be unfair to stress him so terribly. Blaine closed his eyes as took a deep breath, reminding himself that Mike was indeed a good person and a good friend. He had just made a mistake.

"Yeah... yeah, you're right." Blaine nodded, glancing at Mike again. "I just- I'm still going to talk to him. I need to."

"Okay, if you must..." Marley stepped away and Blaine carried on. 

Blaine took another deep breath as he came closer to his friend. He wondered if Kurt had seen it already. If other coaches had seen it, they surely would bring it up just to make Kurt feel bad again. That picture, on that particular day, would bring unnecessary attention to them. Maybe that was why people were staring so much. 

"Mike..." Blaine called, his voice firm, but he managed to calm himself down enough to have a normal conversation with his friend.

Mike was on the floor, stretching when he saw Blaine he got up. "Hey, man. What's up?"

Blaine sighed and just lifted his phone, showing the screen to Mike where the picture could be seen. The other man looked at it and raised both eyebrows. "Why would you post this?"

"Look, Blaine, I-..." Mike bit his lip, glancing at Sam and Jin. "I really thought you wouldn't mind."

"Then why didn't you ask me for permission first?" Blaine locked his phone and put it back in his pocket. 

"But I did," Mike said defensively.

"Not really," Sam interjected, "He did ask for permission... for Kurt, when he was wasted, so I don't think that counts."

Mike looked down in shame, "Okay, fine. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, Blaine. I just couldn't stop myself from sharing it online!" 

"Not fair, we managed to hold ourselves back," Jin crossed his arms over his chest.

Blaine shook his head at them, "You all sound like it's so difficult to keep someone's private life private."

When Mike looked up at him again, Blaine could tell he felt guilty. "I'm so sorry. Look, I'll delete it right now."

"No, it'll be worse if you do." Blaine sighed, "Everyone has seen it already, there's no point in deleting it. It'll only make people question why you did it."

Mike nodded and lowered his voice, so the other boys wouldn't hear him. "I did think you'd like seeing that photo. It was a very beautiful moment between you too. I was there, and seeing you having so much fun with him with my own two eyes was awesome. You're so in love-"

"I'm not in love- We're not in love!" Blaine interrupted with a stutter, "Kurt is my coach and my friend. That's all. Please, don't make things more complicated than they really are."

Mike shrugged, "If you say so," He muttered, "Do you forgive me? I really didn't mean to cause any stress on you or Kurt."

Blaine looked away, letting out a sigh, "Of course I forgive you..."

Mike grinned and pulled Blaine into a tight hug, which the other man returned, letting out a chuckle. "Good luck out there, Blaine."

"You too, Mike," Blaine smiled softly, it was a great feeling having Mike in that same competition as him. It was something they both had dreamed of when they were together in New York. Blaine would love going to Mike's apartment and they spent hours watching figure skating videos and discussing them. Mike showed them the songs he wanted to skate to, they talked about placing the Grand Prix Finals together one day, and how they'd always be there for each other. Mike's friendship had made life a lot easier in New York.

"We'll get to the Finals together like we said we would, right?" Mike grinned, pulling back to look at Blaine.

"We will," Blaine smiled back, "This is our chance. But I'll get that gold medal,"

Mike laughed and shook his head. Blaine let him go back to his warm up, Mike needed to concentrate before it was time to go on the ice. Blaine stood alone, a little far from where Mike and the other boys were. He reached for his phone again and let himself really stare at the picture. It truly was a nice picture. Blaine loved how happy Kurt looked and flashes of them singing and dancing together came to his mind. He thought about how everyone would think they weren't taking this all that serious. They'd think they were fooling around before the competition, and if Blaine messed up now... He could imagine the articles with pictures and videos of him falling on the ice and the headlines accusing him and Kurt of being reckless. 

At the same time, he couldn't help but feel happy when he looked at that picture. Never in a million years did he think he'd have a photo like that with Kurt Hummel.

Suddenly, Blaine felt someone coming from behind him, and that person's hand brushed against his ass before grabbing his hips and pulling him closer. Blaine tensed up at the unwelcome touch, quickly locking his phone so he wouldn't get caught staring at that infamous picture. 

"Blaine... Why didn't you invite me last night?" 

Blaine turned his head to the side, he'd recognize that voice and that annoying smirk anywhere. "Sebastian..."

He stepped away from Sebastian's hold, but the older man didn't mind, making sure to still stay close. "Looks like you got into shape," his green eyes looked at Blaine up and down, "Guess your master's giving you very thorough training. I can imagine just how much practicing you two have been doing." 

Blaine wasn't sure how he felt about Sebastian Smythe, from Switzerland. Part of him didn't like the guy because he was always making sexual innuendos and he didn't respect people's personal space too much, but he wasn't a bad person. He was very nice to his fans, and he did have a lot because Sebastian was a very attractive man and a great skater. He had gotten the silver medal at the Grand Prix Final three consecutive times, coming out looking enviously at Kurt in every picture at the podium. This year, however, Kurt wasn't going to be there. So Blaine could say that Sebastian was his biggest competition. 

"K-Kurt has been an amazing coach, a-and very professional too," Blaine stuttered nervously, wanting to defend Kurt of any possible accusation that Kurt wasn't being a serious coach. 

"Yeah, I bet..." Sebastian raised his eyebrow.

"Sebastian," Both men turned to look at Kurt, who was walking up to them. The blue-eyed man stood close to them with a small smile, he glanced from Blaine to Sebastian, "How's it going?"

Sebastian narrowed his eyes, stepping closer to grab Kurt's name tag, almost as if he wanted to make sure Kurt was really a coach now, "Honestly," he looked up at Kurt, "I find it difficult to find motivation without you this season, mon chéri."

"Don't be dramatic, Smythe." Kurt narrowed his eyes. "You're always like that at the beginning of the season." 

Blaine could see Mike, Sam and Jin barely keeping it together, snapping pictures like three crazy people, they hissed to each other about how exciting it was to be in the same room as Kurt and Sebastian and witnessing them interacting. Blaine knew Mike wouldn't miss the opportunity to take a picture with Sebastian at the banquet when the season was over.

Another man joined the conversation, he was looking at both Blaine and Kurt in a very condescending manner. Coach Goolsby. He was Sebastian's coach. "Sebastian is right, Kurt. He can't get serious without you. Drop this loser's ass and come back already."

"I'd appreciate if you didn't talk about my student like that," Kurt replied, without losing his pose. 

"Fine. But I'm right," Goolsby shrugged. "None of the older figure skaters are excited about this season because you're not in it."

Blaine felt let out, that conversation was clearly not including him. They were there for Kurt. He took a step back as Kurt replied to Sebastian's coach that he hadn't regretted his decision. He was there to stay and the other skaters should be worried about Blaine. As Blaine moved away, the way Sebastian was staring at him went unnoticed.

"Kurt!" An excited squeal came from behind them. Two women from the French team came rushing to Kurt's side. "It's so good to see you!"

"Are you really a coach now?" One of the girls asked. Blaine remembered her name it was Harmony. 

"I know you must be living a dream," Sebastian spoke, stealing Blaine's attention. "But keeping Kurt to all to yourself is a crime, Anderson."

"This is just temporary, right? You know it won't last," Harmony went on and Kurt frowned. "Don't you feel sorry for him?"

Blaine looked away from Sebastian, watching Kurt and hoping to overhear his reply to the girl. He couldn't, but he could see Kurt's polite smile. The one he used when someone asked him something inappropriate or rude. 

"The whole world is hoping for his return," Sebastian told him.

Blaine took a deep breath, staring at Kurt. He knew this was going to happen. Ever since it was known that Kurt had paused his career, Blaine had prepared himself for this. He looked at Sebastian and his coach as he finally answered.

"Well... I'm not the one holding Kurt back. He's here with me because he chose to be, and whether you like it or not," he lifted his chin and Sebastian was surprised at the sudden confidence coming from Blaine. "So you tell the whole world that." 

Without wasting another second, Blaine looked at Kurt and called him, "Coach Hummel, I think we should go get ready." 

Kurt nodded once at him and stepped away from the French girls. "Excuse-moi. You're right, Blaine."

Blaine turned away from the group of people and made his way to a more quiet place to warm up. He understood that if he truly wanted to win, he needed to get away from all those people. Blaine felt a lot lighter when Kurt joined him, the taller man stood next to him, with an apologetic look on his face. Blaine never blamed him for anything those people had said. 

"I don't care about them, Kurt. I don't care about leaked photos, gossips, trash talk..." Blaine said, focusing on his exercises. "What I said before still stands, I'm going to get first place tonight."

Kurt leaned against the nearest wall and smiled at his student, knowing Blaine wouldn't be intimidated that easily. 

"Now, Group 1 in the Men's Single Short Program is about to take the ice,"  Came the announcement through the speakers of the ice rink.

The whole audience had their eyes on Mike Chang, who was standing close to the border and talking to his beloved coach, Mr. Schuester. Many photographers were already taking pictures. It was about to start. 

"Listen, Mike," Will Schuester said, while Mike took a deep calming breath, "You know you can do this. I'm certain that these short and free programs will become your signature performances."

Mike looked up at his coach and grinned, he lifted his hand and Mr. Schuester shook it, "You don't need to say anything more."

The narrator spoke again, "First up is Mike Chang, from Japan, age 20. After placing fourth in Skate Canada, the first Grand Prix Series event, he'll need to place second or higher here in order to qualify for the finals." 

Mike skated around the ice rink, waving at the crowd. Part of the audience had traveled all the way from Japan just to cheer for him. Some people were already fans of his parents, but now Mike would start a new chapter in his figure skating career. He stopped and got into position. 

When the song began, Mike shot the audience a bright smile, he began to dance with the rhythm of the song and when the guitar began, the whole crowd began to cheer and clap their hands. The audience already liked what they were seeing.

"The music is 'Footloose', by Kenny Loggins, from the original movie with the same title. The audience is already clapping to the familiar theme song. 'Footloose' was one of the first movies he saw, it's had a big influence on him becoming a dancer, then later a figure skater," The narrator went on, "His first planned jump is a triple axel." 

Mike rotated three times and a half on the air before landing on the ice with a loud noise. 

"Nailed it!"

 
Blaine was stretching his arms as he stared at one of the TVs in the halls, his eyes were focused on every movement his best friend did on the ice. Mike was clearly giving it all he got, it was inspiring to see. Blaine knew Mike had wanted to skate to this song for a long time, even though many skaters had done it before. Mike wanted to make history, claiming that song to him and making it his own. 

"More jumps are on the way as his program enters its second half."  The narrator spoke, "The first is a combination." 

Blaine held his breath as he watched it. Mike went to for a triple Lutz, followed by a triple toe loop. He grinned, it was beautifully executed. From the TV he could see Coach Schuester celebrating. Blaine felt proud too.

"Now we have a jump added to the second half to secure a win... It's a quadruple toe loop,"

Blaine held his breath, watching his friend jump, he noticed how his left leg had been a little too sloppy. It caused his fall. Blaine let out a small gasp, but he felt relieved when his friend immediately stood up and continued. 

"Oh, he fell! But he got enough rotations in," The narrator explained. "He got up immediately, so his program's progressing."

Blaine watched the fun step sequence that Mike had created, it was amazing how Mike had truly captured the essence of the song. Everyone in the audience was getting up and dancing along. He got the entire audience on his side. Blaine put both hands on his lips, like a prayer, Mike had really done it. He had really made the music his own. 

"Bravo!" Coach Schuester screamed at the top of his lungs as the song finished and Mike made the final pose. The whole audience cheered as loud as they could. Mike Chang was now Japan's favorite figure skater. 

"An amazing performance by Mike Chang. His short program score is... 86.75!"

Will Schuester pulled Mike into a tight hug as they celebrated together. On the screen of the television, they showed the complete score:

Mike CHANG

Technical Elements: 44.76
Presentation: 42.99
Deductions: -1.00

SP SCORE: 86.75
RANK: 1

"It's his new personal best by a large margin! His parents must be very proud." 

The next skater to go on was China's Jin Lee. The young boy looked apprehensive as he entered the ice. Mike had surely intimidated him. Blaine decided to stay far from the TV then because he would be going next, and he had to concentrate on that, and not the other skaters. Kurt stood a little far from him, looking intently at his student. 

'After seeing Mike's performance, I'm not longer unsure,'  It was the thoughts inside Blaine's head, as the man jogged up and down the hall. 'People who want to see Kurt skate will never be satisfied with my skating. The people who are cheering for me wouldn't be satisfied with the old me, either.'

He passed by Sebastian. The older man was stretching, doing a split on the floor, but he looked up as Blaine jogged past him. The younger skater looked like he had a lot going on in his mind, and that caught Sebastian's attention. 

'If that's the case,' Blaine panted softly, 'I want to be hated as the man who took Kurt from the whole world.'

He stopped suddenly. Blaine knew he was ready. 

Sebastian approached Kurt, who was just standing there with his eyes locked on Blaine's back. "Is he alright? He looks... I don't know, troubled?"

Kurt shook his head, "Let him be. I've never seen Blaine like this." He explained in a whisper, "This could be either really good or really bad."

Meanwhile, in France


"Blaise, it's about to start, come watch with us," Santana called, looking back from the couch at the blond-haired teenager who was sitting a few feet away from them. Blaise liked the Spanish girl's apartment, and ever since Kurt left he had been visiting her more often, looking for some company. Not that he would ever admit that to anyone. He always said it was because she had a nicer TV, which wasn't even true.

Santana's apartment was cozy and they had planned to watch the Cup Of China together. Santana even invited a girl she was seeing, she was called Dani. Both girls seemed to be enjoying their time together and Blaise didn't want to ruin it for them. 

"I'll watch from over here," he grumbled from her kitchen table, "It's fine."

He didn't want anyone watching his reactions during Blaine's short program, either. Blaise looked down at his dinner and suddenly he didn't feel very hungry.

"The last skater from Group 1 is Blaine Anderson from the United States." 

Blaise's eyes shot up at the TV, which showed the camera zooming in the figure skater already on the ice, standing close to the barrier with Kurt on the other side. 

Blaine had both hands on the barrier, looking down at his skaters. He could hear the audience cheering and the noises of the cameras, but none of that mattered in that moment. He had to keep himself focused and calm. No matter what happened, he wanted to know he gave his everything on the ice. Suddenly, a gloved hand was on his, touching him very gently. 

"The time to seduce me by picturing a cronut and women during your skate is over," Kurt said, his voice was all Blaine wanted to hear.

The younger skater looked up, finding Kurt's blue eyes and staring right back at him.

"You can fight with your own personal charm," Kurt muttered, and Blaine felt the man's fingers brushing the back of his hand. Blaine wanted to melt from such an intimate touch. "You know you can do it, don't you?"

"The next skater, representing the United States..." The narrator announced at the arena. Blaine knew he didn't have much time, he needed to go, but not before...

In one sudden move, Blaine leaned closer until his forehead was pressed against Kurt's. He stared deeply into the other man's eyes, and he wouldn't back off until he knew he had Kurt's full attention. The flickering of the cameras got louder, but Blaine didn't care. He was the man who took Kurt Hummel from the world and he was proud of that. He was the man Kurt Hummel had sung with, held hands with, almost kissed... 

"Don't ever take your eyes off me," He whispered, and before Kurt could reply, he was gone.

His coach touched his forehead, still feeling the ghost of the other man's touch. Kurt watched as Blaine opened his arms, asking the audience to cheer for him. No, demanding. He was far too different than the old Blaine Anderson, and Kurt wondered what had flipped his switch. 

As Blaine got into position, silence fell. It was clear he had the full attention of everyone in the room, and he felt good about it. Blaine breathed in, slowly and closed his eyes. He had made a promise to Kurt and he intended to keep it. 

The familiar music filled the ice rink, Blaine opened his eyes, shooting the judges a look while his hands moved up and around his body. He licked his lips sensually, knowing fully well how unexpected this was for everyone watching. This was a new Blaine they were witnessing. He took a step to make another pose as the song paused, his blades hitting the ice and when he turned his head his eyes found Kurt's from where the other man was standing. Blaine smirked, Kurt wouldn't take his eyes off him, because he wouldn't be able to. Blaine would make sure of that. 

The song continued, and so did Blaine. His body moved freely into the step sequence. 

"B-Blaine Anderson from the United States is skating his first program of the Grand Prix Series," Commented one of the narrators to the microphone. His comments were being broadcast on TV. He was also taken aback at Blaine's new attitude, "The music is, 'On Love: Eros'. He has declared this year's theme to be 'love', and I believe this is a more sensual take on it." 

Blaine twirled, his feet dancing on the ice and moving beautifully. 

Another narrator continued, "Well, he certainly changed drastically from previous seasons. Maybe living with his coach Kurt Hummel has changed things for him mentally. Anderson has told us he'd like to pursue Eros in his short program and Eros does mean sexual love."

Blaine looked right at the judges and then at the audience, the surprised look on their faces was his fuel. He spun, his arms creating a dance that was almost hypnotizing. 

'They can laugh at me all they want,'  Blaine thought, already guessing the comments that would follow his performance, 'They can say that this is not like me.'  He spun around, and his hands moved up as he clapped once and them his arms moved down as if the show off his body. 'But everyone really wants to know the new me, don't they?'

He moved on to a spread eagle, and then a camel spin. Blaine knew it had been perfect and he imagined Kurt's reaction to it. If only Kurt knew how much his words had affected him the night before when he had made his desire clear. This performance was all for him and Blaine felt stronger as he remembered the man's words, "Every time you skate to Eros... I-I want you."

'Now you're going to want me even more, Kurt Hummel,' Blaine smirked to himself. He didn't know if this sudden confidence would be there to stay, he didn't know what would happen between him and Kurt, and he didn't know if Kurt had really meant what he said. All he knew was that at that moment, he would seduce Kurt with all he had. Kurt would desire him and Blaine would let him. No, Blaine would make sure he did. He'd live this fantasy for as long as the song lasted. 

"What an amazing step-sequence," The narrator gasped. "That was wonderful." 

From outside the ice rink, the figure skaters that would be going next watched Blaine. Sebastian, Sam, and Pierre watched their opponent on the ice and them too couldn't take their eyes off. No one could, Blaine had entranced every person in that ice rink. Even all the way in France, Blaise held his breath staring at the television. He could see how much Blaine had grown. 

"Blaine Anderson has planned all his jumps for the second half of the program to get higher scores so he can win the Grand Prix Final."  

"Yeah, this will be tough." The narrator exclaimed. 

Blaine, dancing on the ice, was unaware of every comment. He jumped into a flying sit-spin, imagining that people would think he was crazy to move all his jumps to the second half, but he and Kurt knew what they were doing. As he moved on from the spin, he heard the applause. It was good to know the audience was on his side. 

The first jump was a Triple Axel. Blaine took a deep breath as he did another perfect spread eagle, and from that into... 

He added impulse with his leg and jumped, rotating three and a half times on the air and landing. The audience cheered at the perfection of the jump. 

"Nice height!" 

Next up was a quadruple Salchow. Blaine knew what it meant. He could see Kurt was already biting his lip nervously. 

"In competition, he's landed it less than 30% of the time." The narrator explained.

Blaine skated backward, steadying his arms and going for the jump. It was a relief when his blades landed on the ice again and he finished the jump effortlessly. 

"A quad Salchow! He nailed it," The narrator celebrated. 

Blaine couldn't hide his smile, he looked up at the ceiling, his hands moving up up his body to his lips then up to the sky. He twirled, his eyes now closed. In his mind, his body was moving to the choreography of the night before, when he and Kurt danced together. When Kurt grabbed his hand and spun him around. The thought of Kurt's lips so close to his and the way Kurt's hand caressed his body. 

'I'm the only one who can satisfy Kurt,'  Blaine panted, remembering the intense blue eyes when they looked back at his hazel ones, 'I'm the only one in the whole world who knows Kurt's love.'

Blaine bent his knee while the other leg was extended backwards, in a movement called lunge. 'I'll prove that now.'

From that, he got up, creating impulse with his free leg before he launched himself up, landing with great control after four rotations and soon he jumped again, in a triple toe loop.

"A quadruple toe loop, followed by a triple toe loop!" The narrator practically screamed, the audience went crazy too, "He did it! So far all the jumps have been absolutely flawless!"

A combination spin would seal the program. Blaine's heart was pounding heavily in his chest, but he knew his spins were his specialties. He spun, with great speed, seeing all the people in the audience, the judges, Kurt... 

Sebastian had a frown as he watched the man spinning. 'He's completely different from last year...'

"He's about to complete a short program with the highest technical difficulty in history!"

Blaine turned around, for a second as the song finish, no one could hear nothing but the sound of his blades hitting the ice. After that, the sound coming from the audience was deafening. Blaine immediately turned to Kurt and saw the man celebrating. He finally smiled then. At that moment, he knew he had done it. He had kept his promise.

"You're witnessing the birth of a new Blaine Anderson!"

The cameras were all on Blaine, who was bowing to the audience as they threw flower bouquets and stuffed animals for him. As the camera zoomed in, anyone could see that Blaine never looked so happy. 

"Love wins!" The narrator went on, "No one can deny that this was a perfect performance!"

"That was... fucking amazing," Santana said, impressed, and she was rarely impressed. 

"Pas mal pour un cochon," (Not bad for a pig) Blaise muttered to himself. He definitely didn't feel hungry anymore, he decided. 

"It's a personal best for Blaine Anderson, the audience is still at their feet!" 

Blaine panted heavily, as he took in the moment he was living. He truly believed he'd never get to see that in his life. So many people cheering for him, truly impressed by what he had done on the ice. He had fought, he had used his disappointments as a springboard to learn what love was and he had undergone a much needed transformation. And it was all thanks to Kurt. The man he had admired his entire life, and whom he thought he'd never get to exchange more than a couple of words. 

Kurt was standing close to the barrier, wanting nothing but to jump into the ice with Blaine. "That was perfect..." He whispered, watching his student skating off to the exit. "Blaine!" He called, overwhelmed with the need to have Blaine close. Kurt knew he had never felt like that before, he knew there was something special happening. 

"The kiss and cry is that way," Sebastian spoke by Kurt's side, pointing at the direction of the area where coaches and figure skaters waited for their marks. Kurt hadn't missed the annoyed expression on Sebastian's face. "And tell your student that he needs to get off the ice, he'll get a deduction if he doesn't let the next figure skater go on."

Kurt raised his eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure Blaine knows the rules. Good luck out there."

He replied as politely as he could. Maybe after that performance, Sebastian and the older figure skaters would start taking Blaine serious. Kurt didn't want to waste time on anyone else, though. Kurt ran all the way to the exit, where he found Blaine wanting for him. Blaine looked like he could not believe what was happening. He had done it.

"Blaine..." Kurt breathed out, not wasting another second and pulling Blaine into a tight hug. The other man's shaky arms wrapped around Kurt. "You were amazing."

Blaine grinned, stepping back to look at Kurt. He needed to see if Kurt was being honest. "Did you look away?" He whispered with a small frown.

Kurt's hands moved slowly down Blaine's arms until they reached Blaine's hands. "Not even for a second."

Blaine's lips slowly turned upwards into a small smile, so discreet that it was almost as if he was afraid of getting caught. 

"We, uh-..." Kurt swallowed, looking around at the photographers and others that were watching them. "We should go to the kiss and cry."

"Right." Blaine nodded, clearing his throat. 

They both moved to the kiss and cry. Blaine held a donut plush pillow that someone from the audience had given to him. Blaine thought it was adorable that the figure skating fans took their time to buy little gifts for the skaters. Kurt sat next to him at the bench, waving at the camera right in front of them and smiling. It was clear that Kurt was very proud. 

"Blaine," He glanced at his student, "Did it really feel that great?"

Blaine kept looking forward, desperate to see his score. He wasn't sure how to answer Kurt's question. Was he talking about the performance? Or was he talking about everything else? The reason behind such a great performance. Was Kurt asking if all those moments they spent together really felt that great?

Blaine had a light blush from the cold of the ice, "Well... I was hoping everyone felt great watching me. As great as I felt while doing it."

"Now, the score for Blaine Anderson..."

Blaine ANDERSON

Technical Elements: 58.91
Presentation: 47.93

SP SCORE: 106.84 - PB

RANK: 1

All the air left Blaine's lungs. He leaned closer, not believing what he was seeing. That was the best score he had ever got in his entire life. Soon, Kurt was hugging him, and Blaine was so overwhelmed that he felt like crying. 

"Of course they'd feel great watching a performance like that," Kurt muttered, and Blaine couldn't believe he had made Kurt Hummel emotional, "Before you have to leave and give interviews... I need you to know that I-..." The coach paused, his eyes flickered down to Blaine's lips and then Blaine noticed how he realized there were people around them again. He looked back into Blaine's eyes. "That I am very proud of you."

Blaine smiled brightly, finally letting a tear fall. He wiped it quickly, he wanted to share that only with Kurt. He stood up as he was called for interviews, leaving Kurt behind. 

Sebastian stood a few feet away from them, with Coach Goolsby standing beside him. The coach could tell his student had been affected by Kurt and Blaine's score. It was no secret that Sebastian was more interested in them than any other figure skaters that night. 

"You don't look amused." Goolsby teased, smirking next to him. "Are you jealous now? Of Kurt or of Blaine?"

Sebastian shot him an annoyed look, sometimes his coach could be more immature than a teenager. He refused to give him an answer. 

On the ice, Pierre was already skating to the center of the rink, his dark purple and black costume imitating a witch. 

Mike Chang watched his friend's interviews with a big smile. He couldn't be happier for his friend, even though he had just been outscored by him. Will Schuester was watching it too. Despite being happy that Blaine was back on track, he truly wanted Mike to win and had faith that he would. The fact that Kurt was an inexperienced coach did bother him, so he secretly hoped they wouldn't win. 

"Don't worry, Mike." Will spoke, "The free skate is where it counts."

"He's never scored that high before..." Mike said, both impressed and scared for himself.

"I know," Will nodded, looking back at the screen where Blaine could be seen with wide eyes as he nervously answered questions. "And Blaine is not used to being the one to beat."

"Blaise, Pierre is about to start," Santana called, and Blaise could hear the music coming from the TV. 

"Whatever," replied the boy, who now wasn't even facing the television anymore. There was no doubt Blaine would win that night, Blaise already knew. He didn't need to see Pierre's skating. He was already familiar with it, he had seen the man practicing many times. It wasn't a very impressive program, in Blaise's opinion. 

Pierre was as old as Kurt, but always living in Kurt's shadow. He truly believed it was his time to shine now that Kurt had left the French team, and Blaise thought he was quite arrogant, acting like he was the only figure skater in France. 

"Pierre Lefevre, 27 years old, from France. This season's theme is 'heartbreak'..."

"My god, Pierre won't get over it," Santana rolled his eyes, "I still laugh every time I remember the story behind his choreography. He's basically casting a spell on his ex so she'll sleep for the whole eternity."

"That's... kinda fucked up," Dani frowned. 

"I know. And only a true lovers kiss can wake her up," Santana laughed, "Pierre is weird. He broke up with an ice dancer, but now she's already moved on, she's seeing another guy. Did you know that, Blaise?" 

"Just shut up for a second!" Blaise snapped, "I don't wanna know about it!"

Santana raised her eyebrow in a very judgmental way before she turned back to Dani, "He's acting like this because of Anderson. Blaise, much like Pierre, doesn't know when to let go."

Blaise stood up in a second and grabbed his bag from the couch. "Fuck you, Santana. I'm going to watch this at home." 

His long hair fell on his eyes as he turned away from them and moved to the door, enraged. 

"Blaise..." Santana called in a softer voice, "It was just a joke, don't be a prick."

And his reply to her was to just slam the front door. 

"The score for Pierre Lefevre is... 98.17. He is currently in second place." The announcement came. 

Sam Evans was going to take the ice next. Blaine and his coach were in the halls along with the skaters from Group 1. He had hugged Mike and they both celebrated their high scores. Mike was excited to see Sam going next. Was much as Blaine wanted to check everyone's short program, he was still basking in the glory of his new highest score. He had made Kurt proud and that was all he'd been waiting for in his entire life. 

"Sam Evans, age 19, from Finland..."  

The song Sam had chosen began, it was an unusual one for figure skating, but it seemed fitting for the kind of skating Sam did. He had said the night before that he wanted to fill the world with things he liked, he didn't care about what other people thought, and that song had helped him stand up when he had fallen.

His step sequences were very well done, and Sam Evans, after winning gold at the Rostelecom cup he was the closest among all of the skaters competing in the Cup Of China to qualify for the Grand Prix Final. He didn't have any quads on his program, but his strength relied on the presentation. Since the song meant a lot to him, he created the choreography himself and it showed how important it was to the skater.

His triple Axels and triple toe loops came easily, his coach, Ms. Washington looked immensely proud as his performance came to an end. Sam already had tons of fans, who were more than happy to cheer for him. 

Kurt smiled, stepping closer to Blaine and standing close behind him. As the figure skaters standing close to the TV discussed their predictions for Sam's score, Kurt muttered to Blaine, "You're still the best tonight."

Blaine offered him his happiest smile.

After a solid short program, Sam's score had put him in third place. Blaine was still in first and there was only one person left: Sebastian Smythe. 

Blaine nibbled his bottom lip, watching his competitor through the screen and fearing that Sebastian would cause Blaine to break his promise to Kurt. Sebastian was clearly the fan-favorite that night. As soon as he skated across the ice, the audience began to scream his name. Sebastian had a very tight costume, clearly meant to show off his body. He was clearly oozing confidence and sex appeal. He found a camera pointed at him and winked at it, knowing well how that action affected his fans. 

"He's a three-time Grand Prix Final silver medalist, hoping to take gold this time..." 

Sebastian stopped at the center of the rink, looking down and smirking to himself, 'I thought this season would be boring without you, Kurt. But now... I don't want to lose to you, Blaine.'

The first bass notes of his song began. Sebastian shot his greens eyes up, 'You wanna see Eros? Mature Eros is my specialty.'

Sebastian began to slide his foot on the ice, as his arms went up and around his body, following the sound of the guitar. As the drums began, he slid forward and gained speed, his movements clearly meant to seduce the audience, unafraid to be as sensual as possible. 

"The music is 'Get Down, Make Love', by Queen. He's planned a quadruple Lutz right off the bet..."

Sebastian bit his lip, now that he actually had someone to beat, things seemed a lot harder. He launched himself up in the air. 

"Oh, it turned into a triple... But still well done." 

'Oh well...' Sebastian thought, as he arched his back, 'I'll take it slow so I can peak at the Grand Prix Final...'

He shot a lustful look at a particular camera and moved on to a combination spin. 

"Beautiful position and speed..." The narrator commented. 

Kurt, who was still standing behind Blaine on the halls, could sense how tense Blaine was getting. Without thinking too much, Kurt wrapped both his arms around Blaine, giving him comfort. Blaine let out a calming breath as soon as he felt Kurt close.

"Tell me, honestly... How is Sebastian doing?"

Kurt sighed and watched the man on the ice through the screen, "He said he wasn't finding motivation, but Sebastian never goes into a major slump. He's a slow starter, so he doesn't try to peak in the first event."

Blaine bit his lip. He hoped his Eros performance wasn't his best performance of the entire Grand Prix, he needed to get better if he wanted to win. 

"He's really going all-out on sex appeal, though..." Mike commented, next to them. 

Kurt nodded a little. "It's true. His sex appeal is his strength," 

Blaine turned his head to watch Kurt discretely. He knew Sebastian and him were kind of close. They had known each other years ago, both had a lot of fans and they both have been going together to the Grand Prix Finals for a while. Briefly, Blaine wondered just how appealing Sebastian was for Kurt. He ignored that thought, it was none of his business. He had no right to feel jealous, he had no right to feel hurt. 

'Blaine,' Sebastian spun, his step sequence getting faster and even more aggressive as the song became faster, 'Your innocent sex appeal is a violent force...'

His costume was shining with the lights, and his own hands caressed his ass all the way up his body, 'I'm the only one in the world who can win against that.'

"A triple Axel!" The narrator said as the audience cheered. 

'I won't be able to settle down until I show just how ahead of you I am,'  Sebastian smirked and he prepared himself to enter a jump.

"A triple Axel, followed by a triple toe loop," Another narrator explained, "Wow, there he goes!"

His last spin was met with loud cheers from the crowd, who was already standing on their feet. Sebastian felt powerful, as he moved from the combination spin to his final pose, just as the song ended. 

"Sebastian Smythe has delivered a euphoric short program!" The narrator cheered, "He entranced us all!"

Sebastian turned to the audience and grinned, waving his hand and proud to see the multiple Switzerland flags all over the bleachers. 

Blaine looked down, "I guess tonight's sex appeal award goes to Sebastian..." He felt dumb for feeling otherwise. How could a 23-year-old virgin beat that?

Kurt shifted to stand right next to Blaine, but still holding him close. "That's silly. You were a lot classier. Sebastian knows how to sell himself, he always does this. No one is impressed anymore."

Blaine looked up at Kurt, "You really think so? They all seemed to love it."

"I'd pick your Eros any day," Kurt lifted his glove hand and adjusted Blaine's jacket, "So would anyone else in that audience, I'm sure."

The younger man blushed, "He could outscore me, though..."

Kurt snorted and shook his head, "I doubt it. And even if he does, I know you were still better."

Blaine felt like his heart would explode. He would never get used to hearing such compliments coming from Kurt. They turned their heads back at the television as Sebastian and Goolsby appeared at the kiss and cry, his score would be appearing at the screen soon. Blaine held Kurt's gloved hand and felt his heart pounding as he waited for it to be over already. 

"Sebastian Smythe short program score is... 85.60. He's ended the short program in fifth place!" 

Blaine widened his eyes, not fully believing what he was seeing. "T-that... that means I'm-"

Kurt grinned next to him. "I told you, Blaine. I told you! You are the best!"

Blaine couldn't help but laugh as he launched himself on Kurt and both men giggled as they jumped and celebrated together. That night, love truly had won.  

"And the official score of tonight's short program event is:"

6th Place: Jin Lee

Jin smiled at the camera, "I still got a chance!"

5th Place: Sebastian Smythe

"I'm good at catching up," Sebastian smirked a little while drying his sweat off with his towel, "I'm confident about my free program."

4th Place: Mike Chang

"I already told Blaine I'd pass him in the free program, so he better watch out," Mike chuckled. 

3rd Place: Sam Evans

"I'll get my ticket to the Grand Prix Final with my free program," Sam smiled confidently. 

2nd Place: Pierre Lefevre

Sue Sylvester was the one to give an interview, staring right at the camera, "Finishing in second is within my expectations for the short program. I won't lose to a third-rate coach."

1st Place: Blaine Anderson

Blaine stood in front of the cameras, looking both scared and tremendously happy. He didn't seem to believe he truly had finished the program in first place. Kurt stood a little behind, undoubtedly proud of his student. "I just want to say that I'm very thankful for my coach," Blaine smiled softly, "For believing in me. I will win tomorrow, with the power of love."

Kurt grinned from behind him. 

Pamela had hosted a small party for Blaine's closest friend to come to watch the short program at her house. The feeling of happiness filled the place as Blaine got first place, and the celebration went on. They desperately wanted to speak to Blaine and congratulate him. Pamela watched her son on television and smiled, a sense of pride washed all over her. She knew her son deserved happiness and maybe no one but Kurt could give him that completely. 

"I will win tomorrow, with the power of love."  She heard him say. 

While everyone raised their American flags hearing Blaine's speech, Pamela bit his lip as she wondered if her son would handle the pressure. He wasn't used to being in first place.

"To Blaine!" Quinn yelled, raising her glass.

"To Blaine!" 

Chapter Text

"Blaine, darling!"

Blaine had a huge grin on his lips as soon as he heard his mother's voice. In the background, more voices could be heard, and he figured they were having a watch party. His friends and family all in one place cheering for him. The power of love was present. 

"I won tonight, mom." He told her as if she didn't already know. 

"We know! We were watching!" Pamela replied, cheerfully. 

Blaine chuckled, thinking back to that time when he had called her right after losing the Grand Prix Final. Hearing her voice, this time sounding so proud almost brought tears to his eyes. He felt redeemed. 

"I still can't believe that happened!" Blaine let out a breath. 

"Well, believe it! Listen, don't you let anyone get you down, okay?" Pamela said seriously, "You deserved to be there! You and Kurt worked your butts off to get to where you are, and-"

"My turn!" Cooper snatched the phone from his mother's hand and began to talk - or yell. He was obviously drunk. "Whoa, Blainey, that was awesome! Congratulations!"

Blaine laughed, "Thanks, Coop." 

"Oh- Quinn wants to talk to you, I'm running away from her!"

"Just put it on speaker," Blaine suggested. 

He heard a shifting sound from the other end and suddenly a lot of different voices were speaking almost at the same time. 

"Blaine, congratulations!"

"That was the most Eros performance of all time!"

"You were amazing!"

"You're going to slay the competition tomorrow at the free skate!" 

"Thanks, guys..." Blaine felt overwhelmed. "I- I really hope so."

"Where is Kurt?" Quinn asked.

Blaine looked up at the bathroom door, Kurt was in the shower still. He had gone first, to give Blaine a moment of privacy on the phone with his family. Kurt had given him the longest hug as soon as they were alone inside the room. Blaine's knees had almost given out as he felt that warm embrace. To think that they left that room that morning with such dread, scared that the pressure would be too much for any of them to handle. 

"He's in the shower," Blaine replied, "He asked me to tell you that he wishes you guys were here to witness how happy I look."

"Awn," Pamela cooed, "I miss you boys so much. You looked so adorable on TV," she lowered her voice, "And don't think we missed that... You almost kissed him."

"I- What- I- No..." Blaine stuttered, quickly looking up at the bathroom door. Thankfully, the shower was still running. "That wasn't what happened. I just wanted his attention."

"Well, you got it." Quinn was definitely smirking. 

"We could see his mouth hanging open the entire time," Puck continued with a chuckle.

"I think he was drooling..." Brittany added. 

The shower stopped and Blaine panicked for one second. Kurt could not hear a word of that conversation. It'd be extremely embarrassing. 

"Uh... How- how's Hepburn?" Blaine asked quickly. 

"She's fine," Pam replied, clearly noticing the deviation of subjects, "I think she's stress-eating. She's been stealing food from the table."

Blaine shook his head, "You watch out for her. She's Kurt's everything. He won't stop staring at her pictures ever since we left."

"Don't worry, sweetheart. Cooper takes her on a walk twice a day, we feed her all the time, your father bought her new toys, she gets to sleep wherever she wants... She's spoiled."

"That's good. I'll definitely let Kurt know that you guys are treating her like a princess."

He heard the door being unlocked.

"You should go to sleep now, right?" Pamela asked, "You need to get a lot of rest so you can beat them all tomorrow again."

Blaine laughed. "Sure."

His coach stepped out of the bathroom, wearing an expensive-looking robe and drying off his hair. Blaine had his eyes glued to the other man. He looked so good without even trying. 

"I'll call you again tomorrow, okay?" His mother spoke, while the others were already saying their goodbyes.

"Okay, please do," Blaine smiled, "Bye, everyone!"

"Bye, good luck, Blaine!"

Blaine hung up and stared at his phone for a moment. He definitely had made the people he loved proud. Blaine wasn't very used to that feeling. No matter how much they said that they supported him, he knew that most of the time he had let them down. Not this time, though.

Blaine blinked as he looked up at Kurt. The other man already had his eyes on Blaine, which caught him by surprise. "Did you- um, hear any of that?"

Kurt chuckled and shook his head, "I did not. Did they say anything embarrassing?"

"No, no, not at all," Blaine let out a small nervous chuckle and looked down at his phone again. "They talked about Hepburn."

Kurt pouted, putting the towel he was using to dry off his hair away, "They did? How's my baby?"

"She's fine. They're spoiling her a bit, but I don't think you'll mind..."

"Not at all," Kurt grinned. "I'm sure no one spoils her more than me."

Blaine's phone buzzed with a message from his mother. She had sent him a picture attachment. All his friends, his family, and even Hepburn could be seen. He immediately grinned at the sight of their smiling faces. He wished he could just reach out and hug each and every one of them. Blaine felt his heart skip a beat as he realized that he had made them this happy. His skating had done that.

"I can't thank you enough for this," Blaine smiled softly.

"For what?" 

"For tonight. I feel this happy tonight because of you," Blaine explained, blushing a bit at the confession. 

Kurt smiled back and sat down on the bed next to Blaine. "It's not because of me. I'm not even that great as a coach. You're very talented."

Blaine shook his head. "I would have given up..."

Kurt sighed. "That would have been silly. But, look, Blaine..." He paused and Blaine saw something change in Kurt's eyes, a worry. Kurt had learned to keep his emotions always so hidden away. 

"What?" Blaine muttered softly, almost scared of what Kurt had to say.

"You told me once that you wanted me to just be myself around you." Kurt finally spoke. "And that's what I'm doing. But it won't work if you just keep seeing me as some kind of... savior. I'm not, not really."

Blaine raised his eyebrows. He hadn't noticed he was doing that. He was just being grateful. 

Kurt looked away and stood up. "I don't want you to always see Kurt Hummel, the five-time world championship gold medalist, and living legend," He rolled his eyes as he said those words, sounding exactly like every reporter who's ever introduced him right before an interview. "The whole world already does, and... don't get me wrong. I love what I've become, I worked hard, harder than anyone thinks to get to where I am, but I don't want to be just that to you." 

Blaine was still speechless. 

"I want you to see me," Kurt confessed, and suddenly the taller man looked small. "I know I'm your idol, Blaine, I know what I already meant to you, but just... please. It's exhausting trying to live up to people's expectations all the time."

"It's okay..." Blaine finally found the motivation to speak. "I'm sorry if sometimes make it seem like-... I see you, Kurt. I'm sorry if it seems like I'm just starstruck or something, I promise you I'm not. Well, not anymore."

Kurt offered him a small smile. "Sorry, I..." He shook his head. "Honestly, you did nothing wrong. It's just that I've- You have no idea how many times I had to deal with people who put me in such a high standard, and then they hated me for not being what they expected me to be..."

Blaine was sympathetic. "Really?"

"Yes." Kurt admitted.

A silence fell. Kurt took a few steps towards his bed and sat down. Blaine thought he wasn't going to say anything else when:

"I... tried dating years ago." 

Blaine widened his eyes. Kurt's old enough to have had a few relationship, but it never made it to the media outlets. The man knew how to keep things private. 

"I haven't even been on a date in years... Too many disappointments." Kurt let out a nervous chuckle. 

Blaine nodded, but kept quiet.

Kurt looked down at his hands. "There was this guy... He was a figure skater too. I met him right after the Olympics. Well, my first time at the Olympics. I had dated before him, but I was a very busy teenager and my relationships only lasted for about two months... So I stopped trying." He paused, clearly it wasn't easy for him to open up about this. 

"What happened?" Blaine asked softly.

"He knew who I was, obviously. I was already holding a world record at such a young age. I was already a celebrity." Kurt shrugged. "But I actually thought he cared about me. The real me. He did not." 

There wasn't hurt in Kurt's voice. He just told things matter-of-factly. Blaine wasn't sure if it was because it was years ago and Kurt was over it, or because he was hiding how much it actually hurt him. 

"He wanted to brag about being with me. He wanted me to be Kurt Hummel, the figure skating star, all the time." 

"That's awful," Blaine said sympathetically. 

"It really was." Kurt sighed. "I felt like I couldn't be myself. And then, he complained that I practiced too much. That comment hurt, it hurt my feelings, it hurt my performance on the ice rink too. That's when I figured out that the sport was too important to me. I wasn't going to let anyone get in the way to that, figure skating was my priority."

"Is it still?" 

Kurt looked up at Blaine and slowly smiled. "In a way..."

Blaine frowned slightly.

"Anyway... I broke up with him. He threw a fit, that's when I knew I had done the right thing." Kurt chuckled. "And I decided to focus on being the best. Hours of practicing, living with my coach, studying really hard. I hardly had any free time, and when I did, dating was the last thing in my mind. Not many people would understand me anyway."

"I do," Blaine spoke, and Kurt stared at him deeply. "I never had a boyfriend before. I went on a few dates at Mike's insistence when we were roommates, but that's all. Most guys think I'm not that interesting, all I talked about was... well, figure skating."

Kurt let out a small laugh. "That's not true, you're quite interesting. We talk about so many different things..."

Blaine shrugged. There it was again. The feeling that Kurt and he could work out together. The hope that Kurt would feel the same about him. Blaine knew that Kurt wanted him to ignore the fact that he was a huge celebrity, but it wasn't that easy when Blaine thought of how the world saw Kurt. All he had to do was log into any social media to see people talk about how amazing Kurt was and how he deserved the best. And Blaine thought he would never be the absolute best at anything. 

The figure skater was about to reply to the older man when his alarm went off, causing him to almost jump out of his skin.

"Oh, shit! Sorry, I-" Blaine ended up dropping his phone. He managed to grab it and when he finally stopped the alarm, he looked up at his coach with a bright blush,  "It's- um, anyway, I need to get ready for bed right now... To get enough sleep," Blaine explained lamely.

Kurt nodded. "As your coach, I'm not going to get in the way of that." The older man turned away.

Blaine didn't waste any more time. He grabbed his pajamas and rushed to the bathroom so he could shower and finally sleep. The moment he left the bathroom, drying off his hair, the lights were off and Kurt was already in bed.

The coach wasn't asleep, though. He had his phone with him, the light was on his face and Blaine could tell he looked concentrated.

"Something wrong?" Blaine asked softly, while he hung his towel.

Kurt finally noticed that Blaine was in the room again and locked his phone. The room was then completely dark. "Not really."

Blaine let it go, deciding that if Kurt wanted to share something with him, he would. No need to insist.

The figure skater finally laid down, resting his head on the pillow with a small smile as he remembered the latest events. He closed his eyes and hoped to have good dreams.

The free skating event could change everything, and Blaine wanted to be ready.

The next morning

"Blaine... Blaine, look at me." And for the first time that morning, Blaine finally made eye contact with his coach. 

He sighed, already expecting the lash out. 

"Be very honest with me," Kurt's voice was serious and strained, "did you sleep at all last night?" 

Blaine looked away, hoping that Mike would come out of the ice rink and help him. The had already arrived at the arena, but while Blaine was getting ready to go on the ice, Kurt noticed how exhausted he looked. His eyes were red and had bags under them. 

"Well... Actually, I think I did manage to get some sleep." Blaine admitted.

"Alright, take off your skaters," Kurt demanded. 

"What?! No, Kurt. I need to practice. This is my last chance to practice!" 

Kurt shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not risking getting you hurt. We're going back to the hotel."

Deep down, Blaine knew Kurt was right, but he couldn't help but feel like things were starting to go wrong. He felt like a failure for not being able to sleep. Blaine tossed and turned all night, imagining how the free skating was going to be like, remembering the best moments of the previous day and trying to figure out what was going on between him and Kurt. 

"Please, Kurt. Let me practice, I know I look tired, but I feel fine." Blaine tried, knowing Kurt's decision was final. 

Kurt took a step closer. "It's going to be okay. I've missed morning practices before. Trust me, resting is more important."

Blaine looked unsure, glancing at the ice rink, filled with his opponents who were all practicing and adding new touches to their step sequences.

"You're ready," Kurt muttered. "You won't be able to pull those quads off without enough rest." 

The figure skater finally agreed to go back to the hotel. Kurt promised they wouldn't sleep too much.

As they got back to their hotel room, Blaine felt Kurt's hand on his lower back, gently guiding him to the bed.

"Go on, lie down..." Kurt muttered softly. 

Blaine practically collapsed on the bed, without even bothering taking off his shoes. 

Kurt chuckled, reaching for the covers to tuck Blaine in, the younger man already had his eyes closed, but the gesture didn't go unnoticed. He cracked his eyes open and smiled, watching the man take off his shoes for him. 

"Take a nap until this evening's event starts. We'll be there in time for the warm-up." 

"What if I can't fall asleep again?" Blaine's voice was small. 

"Well..." Kurt took off his own shoes and Blaine felt the bed shifting. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you slept like a rock the other night. So maybe I can help you."

Blaine widened his eyes, finding Kurt right there with him on the bed, with his head resting on Blaine's chest. 

"I always slept until the last minute before competitions too," Kurt muttered. 

Blaine took a moment to appreciate the feeling of having Kurt so intimately close. He looked down at the older man's body next to him. Kurt's hair was so close to his face, he could feel that wonderful smell. The thought that crossed his mind was that he wouldn't mind waking up late and just staying right there all day.

'What am I thinking?'

"Did you set an alarm?" Blaine asked in worry.

"I did... Don't worry." Kurt's blue eyes looked up at Blaine's. "Now sleep. Coach's order." 

Blaine grinned and closed his eyes. 

 

"The man's free skating event will start in fifteen minutes!" 

They announced at the ice rink. Every athlete was already present. They had put on their costumes and their make up, had done their hair and were currently warming up or getting last minute advice from their coaches. 

Blaine was quiet, not yet warming up or talking to his coach. His current problem was getting a bottle of water open. It seemed that his shaky hands weren't obeying him.

Kurt watched a few steps away, amused. Thankfully Blaine was going last, which meant that there was still time to calm his nerves down. He approached the other man and his gloved hand gently touched Blaine's shoulder to get his attention. 

"Let me help you with that." He muttered.

Blaine offered the bottle of water to his coach with a long sigh. "It just- it won't open."

Kurt raised his eyebrow as he easily twisted it open. 

Blaine just let out a frustrated groan and took the bottle from him.

"Were you unable to take a nap?" Kurt asked, watching the other man.

 "What? No, I did nap. I did."

Blaine indeed was able to take a nap, however, it wasn't enough to make him feel well-rested. He woke up feeling almost as tired as before. Perhaps worse, because he was now feeling anxious as well. 

"Be honest with me, do you feel tired?" 

Blaine took another sip of water before he answered. "I do. But I promise I feel well enough to compete!"

"I know," Kurt assured him. 

Blaine watched the other man's face, already feeling it coming. "But...?"

"But... I can't let you strain yourself." Kurt explained and bit his bottom lip before he continued. "So, I forbid you from doing jumps in the six-minute warm-up."

"What?" Blaine widened his eyes. "Kurt, let me do the jumps, I'm not hurt, I'm just a little tired!" 

"It won't make a difference, Blaine." Kurt stood his ground. "It's just the warm-up." 

"But I haven't practiced all day!" Blaine shook his head. "I'm- Kurt, I'm going to lose." 

Kurt stepped closer, making sure to have Blaine's full attention. "I'm not going to let you lose." 

Blaine looked down as the voice of the narrator could be heard in the background, calling the second group of figure skaters to the ice rink for the six-minute warm up. Blaine was in that group, which meant it was time. The competition was going to start in about ten minutes. 

"Okay?" Kurt insisted.

"Okay..." Blaine breathed out.

Every ice skater moved to the ice rink, one by one the entered the ice. Blaine gave his blade guards to Kurt and his coach smiled a little, trying to reassure him that it was all under control. Blaine had gotten an amazing score in the short program, he didn't need to be so worried. Ending that night's free program with a good score would better their chances of moving onto the Grand Prix Final, but they still had one more event to go. Kurt wasn't worried, and he believed Blaine shouldn't be either. 

The coach had a very important reason for forbidding Blaine from doing jumps during the warm-up. Kurt knew that if Blaine flubbed any jump, he may lose confidence, and that would negatively impact his free skate. 

"Blaine gets nervous so easily," Kurt whispered to himself as he watched the other man on the ice.

"That he does," Coach Schuester spoke next to him.

The French coach turned and raised his eyebrow. Mike Chang, Schuester's student, was in the ice with Blaine. Mike had gotten fourth place, but he had a good chance at winning that night. 

"But Blaine is a fighter. Don't treat him like he isn't," Will Schuester went on. 

Kurt kept his eyes on the man next to him, still unsure of his intentions. "Aren't you going to discourage me like every other coach?'

Will chuckled, "I don't need to do that. I'm confident enough in my student and my work, I don't need to bring other people down."

Kurt narrowed his eyes, "Well. You did ask me if I was having fun playing coach once... I'm not 'playing coach'."

"I do think you're taking coaching an athlete a bit for granted, but..." Will shrugged, "Judging by what I saw last night, Blaine did make a lot of progress."

Both coaches' eyes went to their respective students. Kurt felt a lot better having another coach acknowledging his success. The previous night had been awful before Blaine went on the ice. Every single person he talked to was begging for him to return to the sport. They simply couldn't accept that he was Blaine's coach now. That would not change any time soon. 

Blaine glanced at him from the rink, Kurt raised his eyebrow, wondering what was on Blaine's mind. The ice skater continued sliding across the ice, and Kurt recognized those moves. 

The coach held his breath, watching Blaine prepare for a jump. The younger man was clearly overthinking it. Blaine landed on the wrong foot and fell hard on the ground. The small audience watching all gasped. Kurt could do nothing but close his eyes and shake his head. He opened his eyes again to see Blaine standing up. A look of defeat on his eyes. He should have guessed that Blaine would be too stubborn to let it go. 

"Well, thank god he's not hurt," Will commented.

Kurt let out a sigh. "I told him not to jump, but as always, he didn't listen."

"Do you do that often?" Wil asked, "Forbid him from doing things? In my experience, it hasn't worked very well."

Kurt shrugged, his eyes on Blaine, "Sometimes. Just when I worry it'll impact his performance in a negative way, but..."

"He's stubborn." Will completed. "It took me a while to realize that telling him not to do something, doesn't really work."

Kurt turned back to the other coach, that had gotten his attention. For days he'd been meaning to ask another coach for advice, but he had to keep the pretense that he actually knew everything. He could not give them another reason to think he wasn't good enough. 

Will chuckled, turning back to look at his former student as he spoke. "Blaine is an artist. An insecure one. So when someone tells him he can't do something, he doesn't understand that it's because we think it's best to spare his stamina and his emotional state. He immediately thinks that we're underestimating him, and worries that maybe that person is right. So he has to prove them wrong, so he can put that to rest."

Kurt listened carefully. It all made sense. Every time Kurt told him not to do something, he quickly replied 'but I can do it' as if Kurt didn't think he could.

"Sometimes all Blaine needs is a little push." Will glanced at Kurt and smiled.

An announcement came through the speakers of the arena. The warm-up was over, all figure skaters were required to leave the ice.

The coaches began to make their way to the exit to meet their students. Will was about to turn away when Kurt decided to ask:

"Why are you helping me?" 

Will smiled a little, "I'm not helping you. I'm helping Blaine." He replied simply. "He's not my student anymore, but I do want to see him going all the way to the end of this competition."

Kurt smiled too, "Well, thank you. I promise that Blaine and I will do our best."

"Don't hold anything back." Will nodded once and turned around to make his way towards his student.

Mike saw Blaine by himself once again that day. It was obvious to him that the man was trying to hide from everyone else. Blaine was so afraid of judgment, and he had noticed that Blaine looked way too upset after he fell during the warm-up. Even the narrators on TV commented on that. Blaine looked glum, especially for someone who was on the top.

However, Mike would not allow Blaine to lose himself to those negative thoughts. He knew how Blaine's mind worked.

"Hey, man..." Mike stood next to Blaine against the wall. The Japanese skater kept stretching his arms because his coach had asked him to keep warm.

"Hey, Mike." Blaine greeted him with a small smile.

"How are you feeling? You look a bit mopey. It's almost like you didn't score a new personal best last night."

Blaine smiled a bit brighter and chuckled softly. Suddenly, his friend could see how tired Blaine look under all that make up. "I'm feeling okay. I just want to get this over with, to be honest."

"Get this over with?" Mike frowned. "That doesn't sound like the Blaine I know. You're passionate about what you do. You don't just get it done."

Blaine sighed. "I... Don't really mean that. I'm just- I'm-"

"Scared?" Mike offered. "Anxious. Nervous. Afraid of losing everything you and Kurt worked for?"

Blaine looked down. Everything Mike had said summed it all up. "Yeah. Basically." He admitted. "I'm scared of the consequences. I'm scared of what people will think and-... and how it'll affect Kurt. That's my biggest fear, you know?"

Mike raised his eyebrows slightly. He could understand where Blaine was coming from. Above everything, he didn't want to disappoint his idol. Blaine didn't want to have Kurt being judged by the media for his mistakes. Mike had heard that some people were saying Kurt was far from being a good enough coach, which was mean.

"Kurt will be fine. His career is untouchable. And he's been great as a coach too! Your scores have never been so high." Mike said, positively.

"It's true," Blaine smiled a little, still looking down. "But you know me. I let my anxiety get the best of me."

"And I know you're worried because you fell..."

Blaine groaned in embarrassment and covered his face with his hands.

"But," Mike went on, "falling during the warm-up is completely normal. It's actually common for skaters to nail something they flubbed during practice..."

"Kurt said the same thing..." Blaine sighed.

"Where is he, anyway?" Mike glanced around.

Blaine shrugged. "Making sure everything is ready. I don't know. I-... he told me, but I wasn't paying attention."

Mike pursed his lips. "Blaine," he stepped closer and put both hands on Blaine's shoulders, "You need to focus, man. You can do it, we all know you can. You've been very successful so far. You won that face off against that French boy, you won the Detroit Championship, you got first place in the short program yesterday... You're on a roll."

"Well, that's the problem. I keep waiting for the punch..." Blaine explained, avoiding looking at Mike's eyes.

"Be confident!" Mike said firmly. "You are Blaine Devon Anderson, you were chosen to represent the US in this competition because they know you're the best damn figure skater they have. Come on, man..."

Blaine finally looked up at his friend and smiled, "Thanks. I- I'll try my best."

"And you'll get there. We'll get to the finals together like we promised each other." Mike muttered softly. "We'll beat them all."

Blaine grinned and nodded.

"And then I'll beat you and get that gold medal," Mike grinned back and Blaine chuckled.

The narrator on TV called the first ice skater to the ice. Both men turned their attention to the television as Jin Lee entered the ice after holding hands with his supportive coach. Mike and Blaine knew that despite having enormous respect for his coach, Jin wasn't very happy with his routine.

"Let's go watch Jin." Mike patted Blaine's back and they both moved closer to the television in the room where the athletes were hanging out and warming up.

Lee's performance turned out to be a little underwhelming. It was clear that the young man wanted so badly to do a good job, but it just didn't seem enough. His heart wasn't in the performance.

Blaine was stretching his legs while he kept his eyes on the television. On the top of the screen, he could see Jin Lee's score getting higher, but not high enough. Lee had gotten the 6th place the night before. He'd still have a chance if he had worked just a little bit harder.

The audience was applauding loudly as Jin ended his free program. However, the judges were not that impressed. It showed in his final score.

It was sad to watch the athlete already knowing he hadn't been good enough. Blaine felt his heartbreak as he saw tears in the young figure skater's eyes while his coach held him. All Blaine could think about was how much he feared going through that same thing. He didn't want that. He did not want to have Kurt comforting him after a disappointing performance.

He turned around just as Sebastian's face appeared on the screen. The Swiss man was the next to go, and Sebastian's confident face wasn't something Blaine wanted to deal with at that moment.

"Focus. I need to focus," Blaine muttered to himself and moved to the other end of the room, where he could use the wall to keep stretching.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed Kurt entering the room, and moving closer to the television, curious to watch his longtime opponent on the ice.

 
Sebastian was wearing the shiniest black and red costume. He listened to the final advice his coach had to give. Goolsby told him what he always needed to hear: Just go at your own pace.

The Swiss figure skater could hear his name being chanted in the audience while he moved to the center of the ice rink. As he looked at the crowd, he smiled at the sight of the hundreds of Swiss flags taking over the arena. He enjoyed the feeling of being adored.

His green eyes scanned for one particular man. The so-called living legend was nowhere to be seen. He smirked, hiding his true disappointment. Kurt wouldn't be watching, at least not in person. He was probably at the waiting area with Anderson.

Sebastian knew he was adored, but not as much as Kurt Hummel. This year would be his chance. Sebastian was sure that he would make his way to the Final and get the gold medal he longed for. He would deserve it, and prove to the world that he was more than just a pretty face. 

"Next, in fifth after the short program, Sebastian Smythe is representing Switzerland, age 25."

The figure skater closed his eyes, controlling his emotions and focusing. He needed a good score to make it, and this would be his last chance. This routine was sophisticated and complicated. Less sensual than the previous one. 

"His music is Por Una Cabeza, by Carlos Gardel. This song is known as the Tango from the movie Scent Of A Woman."

"A wonderful choice. Very different from what we saw last night." The other narrator commented.

The music began. Sebastian felt alive.

"Sebastian will be tough to beat."

Blaine heard a woman say. He guessed she was from the German team, maybe Canadian. He didn't know. Blaine had his back to the TV, refusing to see what was going on in the ice.

"Those jumps? That quad Lutz was a success."

Blaine realized he was close to panicking, which made everything worse.

'Just keep warming up,' Blaine thought as he let out a breath, 'Just keep going.'

 
"Next is a quadruple Salchow."

Sebastian landed perfectly after four rotations. His confident smirk was growing bigger. He glanced at his coach as his feet danced on the ice. Goolsby looked proud.

That confidence was what he needed for the next jump combination. It was the most difficult one of the entire routine. His arms moved in front of his torso with the music. He turned around and watched the rink over his shoulder.

The take-off of the combination jump would be from the back. He took impulses and lifted off the ground. As Sebastian landed, he quickly took more impulse to do another jump. And then another.

"He nailed the jump combination! Three in a row!"

Kurt had his arms crossed over his chest and was biting his bottom lip as his eyes kept glued to the television screen. Sebastian had been awakened. Something had shaken him to the core and made him more competitive than ever.

That was a problem for them. Kurt respected Sebastian as a figure skater. The Swiss man was always next to him on the podium, swearing that he would get gold the next year. Kurt knew he wouldn't, but also knew he shouldn't take the man for granted when he got into the competitive mode.

Kurt was about to turn to walk over to Blaine, knowing the other man would desperately need a motivational speech when he noticed the reporters inside the waiting area. It was obvious to anyone that Blaine was distressed. Kurt could imagine the bad publicity that was already going on on social media. They fed people with the most terrible headlines, calling Blaine emotionally unstable and weak. Kurt knew he needed to do something about that soon. 

For the moment, his instinct was to protect the other man. Blaine was so distracted, probably lost in deep thoughts that he didn't even notice the reporters snapping pictures of him. Kurt was fuming, he stomped his way over to his student, grabbing Blaine's arm gently, but firmly. Blaine almost jumped out of his skin, but didn't have enough time to react, Kurt was pulling him, guiding him somewhere.

"Let's warm up in a different spot," the coach explained as they walked to a staircase.

"O-okay," Came Blaine's breathy response, "where?"

Kurt took Blaine's hand when they were finally out of sight. The warm touch took Blaine by surprise again.

"A place with the fewest people."

The blade cut the ice while Sebastian leaned down and almost touched the ground with his hands. He watched the white ice with a grin. He had gotten to the second half of his performance and no mistake had been done. He was pretty confident that he would leave that Cup with a gold medal.

'I'm the only one who can skate exactly the way I want,' he twirled, watching the audience. As cheerful as everyone was, he was reminded that not everyone was watching him.

'I thought Kurt was the same as me, living a life on the ice, without letting anyone get in our way,'

He went for a jump. Quadruple Salchow, which he knew was Blaine's weakness. It was followed by a double toe loop. More applause.

'I never thought you'd leave the ice and find someone you want to protect, Kurt.' 

Kurt never left the ice for anyone. That was what Sebastian believed. He thought back to the day they first met, ten years before. Kurt had won the European Championships.

Kurt was a new rising star in the sport, and something completely unique. Kurt was by far the youngest in the podium, and the fact that he had gotten the gold medal too was shocking.

Not as shocking as Kurt's costumes. Sebastian knew he lived in a world where someone's sexuality didn't matter at all. Nobody cared if you liked boys or girls. Kurt hadn't publicly announced his sexual preference, at least, not yet, but the media already guessed it.

Kurt never hid who he was. He stood tall, with a very shiny blue costume that was made to look like feathers. On top of his head, there was a beautiful flower crown, made of blue roses. He had gotten it as a gift from a fan and was wearing it proudly.

The figure skaters standing next to him had frowning faces. Their costumes were very much conservative. Not one glitter could be seen. Just plain shirts, a vest, and black or brown pants. At that moment, Kurt was more than just a winner. He had become an inspiration. He was showing little boys and girls that it was important to just be themselves. 

There was a boy with green eyes in the audience watching him. Sebastian, as most figure skaters, was mesmerized. He had just debuted in the senior division. All day he waited for an opportunity to speak to Kurt. Like most young figure skaters, Sebastian considered Kurt an idol. He stood in the audience, as close to the ice rink exit as he could get. When the ceremony was over, Kurt was heading out of the ice.

Kurt was a very beautiful boy, his flower crown and shiny blue outfit made him look like an elf, or an ice prince. Sebastian could see him closely and he couldn't stop himself from calling out his name.

"Kurt! Congrats!" He shouted. When the boy looked up at him he felt his cheeks burn. It was one of the very few times in his life that he felt nervous. "I hope someday I can become just as good of a skater as you are."

Kurt, however, eased his nerves by simply smiling. "Thank you! What's your name?"

"Sebastian Smythe."

Kurt nodded, reaching for a rose in the bouquet he had just gotten as a gift. To Sebastian's surprise, Kurt tossed the white rose in his direction with a grin.

"Sebastian. See you at Worlds!" Kurt nodded once. "Good luck."

And Kurt did see him at Worlds, and in every other competition after that. Sebastian was always living under Kurt's shadow, hoping for his time to shine. Kurt never backed down. As friendly as Kurt was when he was a teenager, he was ruthless.

His opponents clearly struggled more than him, and sometimes tried to ask Kurt for some advice, but the boy just kept focused on himself. Kurt let nothing and no one get in the way of him and the gold medal.

To Sebastian, that was the most inspiring aspect about Kurt.

 
'Blaine can't surpass you,'  Sebastian moved to the step sequence, the most sensual of the entire routine. 'I will win this season.'

A jump.

'And I'll bring Kurt back to the ice where he belongs!'

"A triple axel! He has finished all his jumps, that was incredible!"

Sebastian's movements were consistent, someone watching closely could even notice a little bit of aggression. He moved down to the ground, making his final pose on his knees.

The audience roared as the applause began. As Sebastian kept looking up, a vision crossed his mind.

'The next time you come to stand by me, Kurt Hummel, I'll be the one standing in the middle of the podium.'

"Okay, I think we're good. No one will bother us here." 

Blaine turned to his coach. They were in the underground parking lot. Kurt was right, those cars belonged to people working at the event, no one would have to go there any time soon. Suddenly he realized that being isolated was good for him. Without anyone around, he felt better already. Besides, Kurt was there for him. It did make things better, but unfortunately, they were still far from being great. 

They could hear Sebastian's music ending, then followed by the applause of the audience. It was loud, even in that parking lot. Blaine knew that Sebastian had been amazing. He hadn't looked, too scared to feel intimidated by the Swiss figure skater. Out of every competitor that night Sebastian worried him the most. He had gotten five silver medals in the Grand Prix Final for a reason. 

Blaine stared up at the ceiling, hearing the audience calling out Sebastian's name. 

"Kurt," He whispered, "what are the current standings?"

Kurt swallowed hard, "Look, let's just take a deep breath, okay? There are still three people to go, they're all great skaters, but you shouldn't feel intimidated."

Blaine just ignored Kurt, trying his best to focus on what the narrator was saying. 

"... And his total after the short program is 283.81! He's leading Jin Lee by a huge margin, and currently in first place."

After the score was announced, Blaine could hear the audience going crazy. It was clear that Sebastian was a fan favorite. He would surely make it to the podium, and suddenly Blaine came to the realization that there was a huge chance that he wouldn't. There was so much depending on him, he felt like he was carrying too much weight on his shoulders. 

"Fuck..." Blaine breathed out, the worry in his features was obvious. "Fuck! Fuck! I can't do this!"

Kurt had never heard Blaine swearing so much. He watched his student begin to pace, he had been expecting Blaine to react that way, but he wasn't sure what to do. All he knew was that he needed Blaine to be okay. Kurt wanted to figure out what the right thing to say would be. Blaine wasn't panicking, or crying, at least not yet. He simply looked exhausted. Kurt wished they still had a few more hours just so Blaine could sleep a little more. 

"Of course you can do this," Kurt had to step in and stop Blaine. He needed to force a connection with him, to let Blaine know he wasn't alone. There were a lot of people counting on him and also believing in him. "We've been practicing all this time. Your scores have never been higher, you're landing your jumps like never before... I know you can do this, do you think I'd be here if I didn't think you could?"

"What if you're wrong?" Blaine muttered, defeated. "I'm not saying I'm not a good figure skater, Kurt, but what if this is all too much? An athlete has to know how to deal with pressure too, and if I can't, then maybe I'm not fit for this."

"Blaine, stop." Kurt shook his head. "Just promise me you won't give up now. Remember when you first performed Eros? How nervous you were? When you entered the ice, you became a whole new person. You became a star. If you had given up right there and then, we wouldn't be here right now. Look how far we've come, and I know we still have a long way to go. We still have the Cup of France."

Blaine kept quiet, just letting the words Kurt had spoken wash over him. The silence that followed was broken when another song started. They hadn't even heard the name of the next figure skater being called. 

"Wait... This is Mike's song." Blaine raised both eyebrows. "Fuck, Mike is up and I'm not even there to watch."

"He'll understand. Going up there won't be good for you right now, please stay here," Kurt explained softly, "Keep warming up, we'll watch Mike's routine later."

Blaine reluctantly did what Kurt asked. It made him feel ashamed that he couldn't even be up with the other skaters, watching Mike's performance. He knew how much this all meant for Mike. Mike always created his performances, he choreographed his routines himself, Blaine always saw him as more of a dancer. But Mike was passionate about figure skating too, his step sequences were his way of expressing himself as a dancer. Which was why Blaine enjoyed watching him on the ice. However, Kurt was right, he wasn't emotionally prepared to be around other figure skaters and reporters. 

Blaine glanced at Kurt. The coach was standing close to him, watching him patiently, making sure that he was doing everything right. Blaine thought again about how grateful he was for Kurt. There was no denying that Kurt was very caring, and each day he felt more like a good friend than a coach. Not in a million years did Blaine think that Kurt would be standing there next to him, worrying about him and believing in him.

"What?" Kurt asked softly, a little self consciously. 

Blaine hadn't realized he had stopped midway through his movements and had been staring. "Nothing." 

He looked away and continued his exercise, aware of Kurt's eyes on him. 

"My gosh, his jumps were all flawless! What a night!"

"History is being rewritten before our eyes by 20-year-old Mike Chang!"

Mike let out a breath as he knelt down for his final pose. He could feel all eyes on him, watching him at the moment, and he felt powerful. Mike felt like every moment he did had an impact on the world, and he wasn't going to let anyone down that night. Not his coach, not his parents, not his friends, and most importantly, he wouldn't let the Japanese people down. He had given all he had to that performance, and he felt completely exhausted. 

"Okay..." Mike whispered as he collapsed on the ice with a grin.

He would need a couple of seconds to recover from that before he left the ice, and he didn't mind the applause. Mike's grin grew wider as he noticed his admirers throwing gifts on the ice rink. He would never get used to that feeling of being loved by so many people he didn't even know. 

Mike couldn't wait to hear what Blaine had to say about what he had done on the ice. 
 

 
Kurt stared up at the ceiling. It seemed that Mike had truly impressed everyone that night. The sound of the cheering was louder than before. Kurt wished he could have seen what the Japanese skater had performed. It was important to know all the opponents. It was Mike's first time competing at a Grand Prix Series, but judging by what Kurt had seen about him, Kurt wouldn't be surprised if he made it all the way to the end.

And the cheering wouldn't stop. 

"And now the score for Mike Chang..."

The audience turned quiet. Kurt bit his lip, still staring up and waiting. If Blaine had reacted so badly after hearing Sebastian's score, Kurt wondered how he'd feel hearing his friend's. The coach turned to look at his student and he felt his heart skip a beat: Blaine looked utterly terrified. 

Without thinking, Kurt quickly took a few steps that were separating him and Blaine, and put both hands on his student's ears, like he was capable of shielding Blaine from everything. 

"Don't listen!" Kurt cautioned. 

Blaine was completely caught by surprise. His lips trembled as he stared up into Kurt's eyes. They were so close that Blaine could feel the breath of the taller man on his face. 

"Just focus on you. I know you can do this, Blaine." Kurt whispered.

Blaine couldn't properly hear what Kurt was saying, but he understood. He felt himself getting lost as their eyes kept connected to each other.

Kurt kept focused on his student, without showing any signs of worry as he listened to Mike Chang's score. 

"Total score... 285.76! Chang takes the lead over Smythe. This is also his season's top score!"

Kurt didn't react, he just waited. He could feel Blaine slightly shaking, his eyes just a bit widened. He was scared. Blaine was scared and Kurt didn't know what to do. 

The cheering had finally subsided, probably because Mike had left the kiss and cry and went back inside with his coach. Still, Kurt hadn't let go of Blaine.

"Kurt..." Blaine spoke timidly, reaching up to take Kurt's hands. "I-it's almost time. We should go back." 

Kurt hesitated for a second before he slowly put his hands away. Blaine glanced into his eyes one more time, Kurt could see fear. Another song began, meaning that it was Sam Evan's turn to perform. Sam had finished third the night before and had a big chance of advancing to the Final. 

Blaine looked down and sighed as he walked past Kurt, ready to make his way upstairs and face all the other athletes and reporters.

Kurt could understand how a skater could be affected by other skater's standings, but... only younger skaters, less experienced skaters who felt threatened by the others. Blaine was an anxious man, but he was a very experienced figure skater, so why was he so nervous? Was he scared of the responsibility of doing well?

A skater's heart is as fragile as glass. 

Kurt knew he needed to do something - anything, to make Blaine feel confident again. To take all that weight that Blaine was carrying off his shoulder. Kurt could imagine what was going on inside the figure skater's mind. The fear of failing, of letting his family down, of not being a good enough figure skater.

What did he need to do? Maybe all he needed was a little push like Will had mentioned.

"Blaine..."

Kurt had an idea. The figure skater turned back around. Kurt ran his fingers through his hair as he thought his words carefully. 

"If you mess up this free skate and miss the podium..." Kurt paused, knowing he had Blaine's full attention when the other man held his breath and waited for Kurt to continued, "I'll take responsibility by resigning as your coach."

A silence hung in the air while Blaine stared at Kurt with wide eyes, but not reacting. Kurt could feel himself beginning to sweat, had he done the right thing? 

The answer to the question came in the most painful way: A tear escaped Blaine's eye. 

Kurt gasped. A skater's heart is as fragile as glass, so maybe shattering his into pieces was not a good idea.

 "Why would you say something like that, like you're trying to test me?" Blaine hated how he couldn't control the tears anymore.

The coach let out a breath and took a step closer to the man, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Blaine, I wasn't being serious, I-"

"I'm used to being blamed for my own failures," Blaine interrupted, and when he began to talk, he could not stop, "But this time? This time I'm anxious because my mistakes would reflect on you too!"

The revelation caused Kurt to open his mouth in surprise. 

Blaine wiped his tears furiously, which was pointless, because more tears were coming,  "I've been wondering if you secretly want to quit!"

"Of course I don't..."

"I know that!"

Blaine hadn't realized he was shouting until he heard the echo of his own voice in the parking lot.  

"I know that." He repeated, this time in a small voice. Kurt could never understand how his anxiety played with his emotions inside his head. It didn't matter if the possibility of Kurt leaving wasn't real, "But the fear is still here. And I can't do this to you, I can't let my failure reflect on you. Not you, you mean too much to me," he sniffled, "More than you know. I don't care if you think I shouldn't feel this way."

"Blaine, I-..." Kurt took another tentative step before he stopped himself, he had raised his hand and gently cupped Blaine's cheek to wipe his tear with his thumb. 

"You don't have to say anything right now." Blaine took a small step back, suddenly embarrassed. He looked up, "Do you want to help me?"

"Of course!"

"Then, just have more faith than I do that I'll win," Blaine pleaded, and Kurt could see in his eyes that there was nothing in the world that Blaine needed more. "You don't have to say anything, just stand by me!"

Blaine reached up and took Kurt's hand, that was cupping his cheek. Kurt usually had gloves on, but not this time. Blaine liked that. Kurt's skin was very soft and nice to touch when he had the opportunity to do so. 

Kurt decided there was nothing he could say. Blaine didn't need to hear any more words in that moment. He intertwined his fingers together and squeezed the figure skater's hand, trying to convey, with that action, how much he had faith in Blaine. 

 
"So, Evans didn't place? Wow... I totally thought he'd make it to the podium tonight." Cooper raised both eyebrows.

The family was cozied up at the Anderson household to watch the free skating programs. They were having lots of fun, everyone was either holding an American flag or wearing red, blue and white outfits. Beth and Brittany were the most excited, so they had also painted their faces to root for Blaine. 

"Really? With Blaine, Mike, Sebastian, and Pierre, you thought Evans had a chance of making it to the podium?!" Puck argued. 

"What?! Pierre sucks!" 

"Shh, quiet! Look, that's Kurt and Blaine!" Beth pointed at the TV screen excitedly, dropping some of the popcorn she was eating while she sat on the floor.

The camera mostly focused on Pierre's performance, but she had caught a glimpse of both men entering the arena. 

"Geez, I'm so nervous," Quinn giggled, her eyes glued to the television.

When Pierre finished his performance, they turned their full attention to the TV. Blaine was going next.  As Pierre moved to the kiss and cry, the cameras were on Kurt and Blaine. It was safe to say that everyone was excited to see how well Blaine would perform that night. 

They expected Blaine to look nervous, but they didn't expect the man to be so closed off. He wasn't even looking at Kurt's direction and both men were quiet. 

"Is Blaine Warbler okay?" Brittany bit her bottom lip.

"His eyes look a bit red, don't they?" Pamela commented, with a sad expression as the camera zoomed in on her son. "And he's scratching his nose a lot, he always does that after he cries."

"Oh, that's not good," Quinn clasped her hands together.

"Maybe something happened between him and Kurt," Puck suggested. 

"Well..." Pamela sighed, "Whatever it was that happened, let's just hope that he'll overcome it."

The camera was again on Pierre and coach Sylvester.

They were sitting together at the kiss and cry, both waiting for the score. Sue sat far from Pierre, not saying anything or showing any kind of support. Pierre was holding one of the gifts he got from a fan very tightly, he had fallen a couple of times, so it was understandable that he was insecure. Kurt was watching them while Pierre's score was finally announced. 

"Pierre Lefevre's total score is... 252.44. He is currently in third place."

Kurt saw Pierre look down in disappointment with himself. Blaine would have to mess up a lot for him to take the podium, and even so, he'd hardly make it to the Final. It was over for him.

He knew Pierre, he'd feel sorry for himself for a couple of seconds and swallow down his sadness before coach Sylvester saw it. Kurt never liked her approach towards emotions, for her, emotions were not to be shown. You should only express them in your performance, but never letting it take over.

Kurt disagreed, but... He wished he could count on her for help, especially in that whole situation with Blaine. Sue was a very hard woman, most of the time manipulative too, but she could become very protective and kind when she wanted. Kurt knew how much she actually cared about her students. If things were serious, she'd always know what to do as a coach. Kurt wished there was a way to approach her and ask for advice. 

"Kurt, I need a tissue," Blaine requested, causing Kurt to turn his full attention on his student. There was no time to ask anyone for help.

"Sure, here..." Kurt offered him the Hepburn shaped tissue box. 

They walked together and stood next to the entrance of the ice rink. As they approached the ice, the crowd began to cheer already, which made Blaine feel surprised. Kurt smiled as the crowd was already showing off their American flags, clearly expecting Blaine's performance to be great. 

And it would be, Kurt decided as he looked back at his student. 

Blaine blew his nose and Kurt offered his now gloved hand to grab the tissue, however, the figure skater deliberately decided to throw the used tissue on the ice instead. Kurt gasped, and in his confusion, he rushed to lean down and grab it before it fell on the ground.

What he didn't know, was that Blaine had planned to take that opportunity to lean in and gently brush the coach's hair while they stood so close that he could see every freckle on Kurt's blushing cheek. 

Blaine's lips turned into a small smile. 

And that was it, he turned away and skated his way across the ice rink, opening his arms as he took in the applause. 

Blaine hoped Kurt knew what he had meant with that smile. He truly did. 

All was fine. He had forgiven Kurt for saying something so hurtful and making him cry. Blaine had forgiven him for being an inexperienced coach who sometimes messed up. And also that, above all, that this performance was for him. 

Kurt's hand went up to the ghost of the feeling of Blaine's touch on his hair. His heart was pounding as wordlessly stared at the man, becoming a shining star on the ice. 

"Now," The announcer said through the speakers, "we have our last skater on the ice, Blaine Anderson from the United States!"

The cheering got louder, Kurt couldn't be more proud of the other man. 

"I saw that," Sue spoke next to him, Kurt jumped in surprise. Sue was walking past him Pierre, and couldn't hold back the comment. 

The man just turned to his former coach, waiting for her to be more specific.

"If your student is trying to console you, you still have a long way to go as a coach, Porcelain." 

For the first time, it seemed that Sue wasn't there to make him feel like an idiot, just to share her unwanted, but honest opinion. 

"Well, Sue... To be honest, I agree with you," Kurt said simply and shrugged. "I still have a lot to learn, I'm not a great coach." 

He turned again towards Blaine, feeling his heart flutter in his chest, "But Blaine and I make it work. I'm just as thankful for him as he is to me, and... together we're a perfect team. We love what we're doing and that's all that matters."

Kurt let out a breath, Blaine was about to start, he knew that. But before Sue left he said:

"I have five gold medals at home, which make me a five-time world champion, but I've never felt so complete as I feel right now."

Sue glanced at the figure skater on the ice, already getting into position. "Okay. Well. I see..." She nodded slowly. "Good luck, Hummel."

Kurt glanced at her for a brief moment and smiled. The woman turned around and walked away without another word. 

Kurt, again, turned his attention to Blaine. He couldn't afford to miss one second. The man on the ice was standing still, with his eyes closed and his head facing down. 

"His music is Warbler On Ice."

 It felt as if the song had never meant so much before that exact moment. As every note of the song played, he felt his body soften, and the small movement of his hands moving up to his chest felt easy. The tension was all gone. 

'I feel a lot better after crying,' Blaine finally opened his eyes as his foot took impulse to slide on the ice. 'Kurt's expression when I started to cry was... priceless. Beautiful, even.'

To his own surprise, Blaine felt like smiling. And that's what he did. He could imagine the surprise on Kurt's face to see him smiling after such an emotional roller-coaster that that night had been.

'I've cried after a match before,' Blaine moved across the ice like he had all the time in the world to show off his step sequence, 'But that's the first time I cry before a match.'

He opened his arms, the movement coming so naturally that he felt like he could fly. 

'So... here comes the first jump,'

Blaine looked over his shoulder. The audience was still very silent, but he knew every single person had their eyes on him. 'A quadruple toe loop and toe loop combination...'

He slid on the ice with one foot, while the other took impulse so he could jump off. Blaine closed his eyes while his body rotated four times in the air, and as soon as his blade hit the ice, he jumped again, this time with two rotations and landed perfectly. The audience reacted, cheering and shouting out his name. 

For Blaine, the most grateful feeling was the look of pride on Kurt's face as he glanced at his direction. He kept focused, though. It had only been the first combination jump.

'That was better than I expected,' He thought. 

"His first quad was a success," The narrator spoke for the first time since the beginning of Blaine's routine as he was also too engrossed in the man's choreography. "In this free skate, Blaine Anderson plans to do three quads of two different types. He is unusually relaxed on the ice today."

Blaine could see some people holding their breaths while their eyes kept focused on every move of his hands and feet. Blaine moved to a  combination spin, closing his eyes again as he could think of every single person he knew was watching him right then. He thought of his family and friends at home, probably holding each other's hands and hoping to see him on the podium that night. He thought of his former coach that should be watching him on the waiting area of the arena, hoping to see some progress, while Mike stood by his side, not ever taking his eyes off the screen. Then, Blaine thought of Blaise. He wasn't sure why the boy came to his mind, but he knew Blaise wouldn't miss this for the world. The French boy was probably biting his nails off in expectation. And finally, he thought of Kurt.

The beautiful man leaning on the barrier of the ice rink, while his blue eyes carefully analyzed every single one of Blaine's movements. Blaine wished he could hear the thoughts inside Kurt's head. Did Kurt truly believe in him? Were there any regrets? Blaine knew Kurt was very inexperienced as a coach. It wasn't like Blaine's mental weakness started just now. Kurt should have been prepared for this too. But Blaine couldn't blame him. It was clear that Kurt was trying so hard to be the best possible coach he could be, and all Blaine could give in return was trying just as hard to be the best possible figure skater. 

And that included getting that quadruple Salchow perfectly right. He prepared to take off for the jump and...

"A quadruple Salchow! He landed it!"

'I made it,' Blaine couldn't hold back another smile. 

"His theme for the season is love," The man narrating announced, "Blaine Anderson made an emphatic declaration at the press conference and we can see with this performance that love is very much present."

Blaine was close enough to Kurt, so he looked at the man's direction. Months before, he had made Kurt promise to never take his eyes off of him, and he knew Kurt was still keeping that promise. He wished the entire arena was empty, that it was just him and Kurt there because that performance was all for one person, and that was Kurt. He took impulse with his leg and jumped. 

"A beautiful triple toe loop! Kurt Hummel must be very proud of his student in this moment!" 

It was a truly beautiful jump, but Blaine felt even more beautiful as he slid across the ice with his arms opened, letting every note of the song hit him as he imagined Kurt skating right next to him, like the ice rink would never be complete without the two of them together. He remembered how sometimes while he was skating during practice and Kurt, probably because he missed it too much, would join in doing the same choreography. There were a few times that, with the excuse that he was just fixing something, Kurt would get close and hold him, lifting Blaine's arms a little higher with his free hand. 

"See? This is how you do it." Kurt would say.

Blaine came back from those thoughts, twirling around as he prepared for the next jump. The triple axel. It was one of his favorite jumps. It was too late when he realized that he wouldn't be able to control the jump's speed. Blaine's hand went to the ground as soon as his blade landed on the ice, to prevent him from falling. The audience gasped in unison. 

'I might have messed up on controlling the jump's speed. It went pretty well, despite not doing it during the warm-up.' Blaine thought to himself, approaching that small mistake with calm. 'Now, a triple flip.'

This time, the audience was celebrating. Blaine had nailed the jump. 
 
He landed, light as a feather and before he moved on to the next jump, this time a combination, he smiled to himself as he skated past Kurt again. Would he be able to surprise the man? Blaine's lifted his leg up, his arms dancing to the music as he twirled. 

"Coming next is a triple axel, single toe-loop, triple Salchow combination. A very difficult one, giving it that it's the second half of his program."

"He surely must be tired..." Another narrator added.

Blaine took off. His first jump came easily, and as his right foot hit the ice, the left one already took impulse. His body went up to the air again, but he lost control of the rotation and as he landed he lost balance. Blaine didn't fall, though. He managed to regain control just in time. 

"Oh! He over-rotated that one."

Blaine glanced at Kurt's direction. He could see the man slightly shaking his head. But Blaine wouldn't give up so easily. 

'I over-rotated, but I'm not as tired as I should be, given I haven't slept,' Blaine turned to look at Kurt again, hoping the coach would just trust him on this. He could do it.

Before anyone could guess what he was going, Blaine was preparing for a jump. As soon as the audience realized what he was doing, they began to murmur in surprise. Blaine took a deep breath and went for it. 

"A triple Lutz!" The narrator exclaimed in surprise. 

"Wait, it's a combination!"

Blaine took off for another jump, and as he rotated three times in the air he could hear the gasping of the audience. There was one person he immediately looked at as soon as he was back on the ground. 

Kurt had both hands up to his mouth, covering it in shock. Blaine grinned, he was addicted to that feeling of surprising Kurt. 

"Even in the second half, he's not showing any sign of fatigue! Now he's moving onto the step sequence..."

Blaine was very proud of how beautiful the movements of the choreography that Kurt and he had created together were. As the music got more intense, he lifted his hands up to his head and felt like his entire career as a figure skater was being reborn. 

He wanted to become stronger. And for the first time, he truly felt like he could become stronger. He felt like he could surpass Kurt's wildest imagination. 

His eyes, again, searched for the man that he's always admired. Blaine needed to know he had his attention. 

'Oh, Kurt...' Blaine twirled, 'I wonder how you would react if I made you a surprise.  Just for you.'

"He's planned a quadruple toe loop for his final jump, I difficult jump to do, given it's the ending of the routine..."

"It looks like he's gaining speed." 

Blaine took in a deep breath, his feet moved fast, almost on their own accord as he made a decision on his mind. He needed to do it, his body asked for it. 

Before he could think too much about it, he went for the jump. It was everything had briefly stopped for him, and he could hear the gasping of the audience as his body rotated. He didn't bother to count, Blaine wasn't even sure if he'd managed to do it, but he needed to try. He needed to try for Kurt. 

The moment he finally let out the breath the had been holding was when his feet hit the ice and before he knew it, he was falling. He used his hands to stop himself from completely hitting the ground and was quick to stand up again. 

It took the audience a few seconds to realize what they had just seen. Blaine began to hear the gasps and applause then, but all he cared about was how Kurt was reacting. His coach was shocked, his mouth hanging open. 

"I-it was a quadruple flip!" Gasped the narrator, "He fell, but... there appeared to be enough rotations!"

Blaine again thought about all the people watching him at that moment. They were, without a doubt, shocked as they witnessed a new Blaine Anderson becoming stronger.

The quadruple flip was a signature move of Kurt Hummel, everyone knew that. But not even Kurt ever did a jump this difficult at the end of a program, when fatigue would be at its peak.

"Here is a man who'll go above and beyond our expectations, Blaine Anderson!"

Blaine stopped at the center, his final pose had his left hand on his heart, while the right one, again, pointed at Kurt. 

The cheering of the audience began to get overwhelmingly louder, while some people were still doubting their own eyes. Blaine Anderson had managed to do a quadruple flip at the end of his program. 

Blaine was standing still, he didn't move from his pose as he stared at his coach. He wished he could read Kurt's expression and figure out what he was feeling, but... Kurt had both hands covering his face.

A feeling of dread took over Blaine. Had he been irresponsible? Was Kurt angry? Was he crying? Which was it?

"Kurt..." Blaine muttered lamely as if his coach could hear him. 

The other man turned, Blaine wasn't able to even catch a glimpse of the expression on Kurt's face. His eyes followed the coach and Blaine could only see the determination in Kurt's features as he sprinted. Blaine didn't know where exactly Kurt was heading to, but his instincts told him to go after him.  

Blaine began to skate as fast as he could to the exit of the rink. He was relieved when he found out that that's where Kurt was going too. The taller man finally stopped by the exit, some strands of his chestnut hair falling onto his forehead. Blaine grinned, seeing the man there, waiting for him with a warm smile. He was ready for the embrace that would follow.

"Kurt!" Blaine called, while his blades cut the ice, bringing him closer to the other man. He extended his arms towards his coach. "I did great, didn't I?"

He thought that Kurt's soft smile and a nod would be the taller man's only response. But he was so wrong. 

Blaine was prepared not to stop until Kurt's arms were around him, holding him closer in a tight hug. It was customary now, Kurt always held him after a performance. 

In a split second, Kurt was moving forward. Blaine didn't have enough time to react as he got to the exit. Before he knew it, it was like time had stopped completely.

Kurt simply reached out for him, but the embrace Blaine was expecting didn't come. Kurt grabbed Blaine in time, but instead of holding him into a hug, he cupped the back of Blaine's neck. The younger man saw Kurt's blue eyes look right at his before they closed, while his own hazel eyes widened as he processed what was happening. 

And after that, Blaine felt Kurt's lips on his. The delicate touch of the man's kiss felt like a gasp of air after a long time underwater. But at the same time, it didn't feel real. He kept his eyes opened for a few seconds to make sure it wasn't some kind of delusion. Because Blaine never thought a kiss could make a person feel like they were about to combust into flames, that Kurt's kiss had the power to make every other person in the world disappear and make Blaine regret ever living a life without feeling the soft movement of Kurt's lips against his.

Too soon, Kurt pulled back. Blaine was scared that he'd never get to feel that sensation again, but the way Kurt was smiling at him and the way that the man glanced down at Blaine's lips told him everything he needed to know. They weren't done, there was so much they needed to tell each other.

"This was the only thing I could think of to surprise you more than you've surprised me," Kurt confessed, and even after all that, looking shy.

The thought that they weren't actually alone hit Blaine like a train. He widened his eyes as the sound of the audience completely losing their minds over what they were witnessing finally registered into Blaine's ears. His heart began to pound even faster - as if that was possible. 

Kurt had just kissed him on international television. 

Blaise sat alone on the bed in his small bedroom. On the television, he witnessed Blaine completely surprise the entire world with Kurt's signature jump, then nothing could have prepared him for what came next.

He watched Kurt pull Blaine into a loving kiss after his performance. The audience was screaming so loud, and the narrator was being so obnoxious about it that Blaise felt the need to mute the TV to collect his thoughts properly. 

So Kurt was in love with Blaine? Blaise hugged his legs against his chest with a frown. Had Kurt chosen to coach Blaine just because he wanted to get into that man's pants? No, Kurt would never do that to him. He had trusted Kurt, and Kurt had always protected him from coach Sylvester. 

Blaise looked back at the television just in time to see the silver medal being placed on Blaine's neck. At the podium, Mike Chang had gotten the gold medal - the first of his career, Blaine got silver, and the annoying meerkat named Sebastian made it to the podium with a bronze medal. 

The French boy watched Blaine receive a bouquet of flowers as he grinned to the audience and posed for the cameras. He would be advancing, and now more confidently than ever. He'd have Kurt's full love and attention in France. Kurt would probably not even give him a call when he got to their home country. Kurt used to be his best friend, and now he didn't have that anymore. 

Blaise clenched his jaw. It was all Blaine's fault. Blaine should have been fair and refused to be coached by Kurt after he found out about his promise. Blaise knew, of course, that he had some part to blame. Kurt had been trying to reach out to him, but ever since the Lima On Ice event, Blaise had refused to answer his text messages or pick up his phone calls. It would hurt too much to hear some lame apology and excuses. 

He looked up at the television again when he noticed from the corner of his eye that Kurt and Blaine were giving an interview. He quickly reached for the remote to unmute it, and it took him a few seconds and several frustrated groans to find it under the covers of his bed.  

"... Now that Blaine can do a quadruple flip, he'll definitely win at the Cup Of France and advance to the Grand Prix Final," Kurt said, and Blaise saw how shiny his eyes were. He had truly never seen Kurt this happy. 

"So, yeah, as his coach, I'm looking forward to going back to France with Blaine."

"Thank you, coach Hummel," the young reporter replied, "The power of love was truly present tonight."

The camera zoomed in on Blaine's smiling face, and Blaise's hands turned into fists with just the sight of that man. He was going to show Blaine that he should have followed the advice Blaise had given him almost one year before: that there was no place for a loser like him in that sport. 

"Just you wait, Blaine Anderson. I'll make you into a croissant here in France," Blaise promised to himself, "you pig bastard!"

Chapter Text

Blaine went straight to his room as he arrived at his home. His mother had picked him up from school and she had a surprise for him: a brand new poster of his favorite skater. 

Pamela had noticed how reserved Blaine had seemed in the past few days. Blaine was always a happy child. Shy, but happy. He always enjoyed the company of people, even though he wasn't the chatty type. 

But Blaine was almost in his teens now and that was changing. He was more quiet than usual and preferred to be left alone. No doubt he would develop into a bright and talented young man soon. He was very smart, and Pamela hoped that he would become a doctor, or maybe a lawyer, but she knew his passion wasn't in any of those things. As a mother, she had a feeling that Blaine actually wanted to become an athlete, a professional figure skater. He hadn't actually said it yet, but Blaine spent all of his free time in the ice rink, alone most of the time, just perfecting his skill. Blaine also participated in small competitions, and he was getting recognized for his talent. 

But at school things were not so easy. Nobody cared about figure skating anymore, or at least, not as much as Blaine, and soon his obsession with the sport became a reason to be made fun of. Blaine wasn't good at making friends, he only had Brittany in there. Quinn was older, so he almost never saw her at school. 

Some boys in his class had gotten ahold of a picture of Kurt with his puppy Hepburn one day. He liked to bring it to school because it somehow made him feel less lonely. He had gotten back from break and found three boys at his table, laughing as they scribbled something. The teacher wasn't in the room yet, so Blaine knew he had to deal with this alone. 

"What-... what are you guys doing?" Blaine demanded, hoping they wouldn't notice how worried he actually was. 

Nathan, the tallest of the group was the one sitting in Blaine's chair and holding a pen. "Oh, nothing. We just found something of yours and we're fixing it."

Blaine's eyes widened, he rushed to grab the picture when he noticed what it was. "No!"

Nathan laughed, raising the picture above his head while the two other boys held Blaine back. 

"Please, give it back!" Blaine insisted, tears gathering in his eyes. He stared at the picture in Nathan's hand. He had made crude drawings all over Kurt and Hepburn, completely disfiguring them. "Why did you do that?" His voice tightened. He never wanted to cry in front of them. 

"Because, Anderson, you're a creep. Carrying pictures of this dude around like he's your boyfriend or something," Oliver replied instead, pushing Blaine back and making the others chuckle. 

Blaine shook his head, "I'm not doing anything wrong! I just-..."

"Just what? Jerk off to pictures of strangers?" Nathan finished with disgust. 

Blaine went quiet. He knew there was no point in arguing. All he could do was wait for it to be over. 

Nathan narrowed his eyes at Blaine, for some reason, the fact that Blaine had turned quiet angered him more. "You do know he doesn't even know you exist, right? And he never will. Maybe that's for the best, you know," he chuckled, "He'd be ashamed to have someone as pathetic as you as his fan."

Blaine watched as Nathan tore up the picture, ripping Kurt's smiling face in half.

That day, Blaine didn't tell anything to his teacher, or his parents. He silently threw the pieces of the picture in the garbage and stayed quiet for the rest of the day. There was no point in trying to have some justice be done. It would only upset Nathan more. 

He dealt with his problems on his own, so Blaine just closed off and never dared to bring another photo of Kurt to school again. But, his mother always had great timing. It was like she knew exactly when he needed her most. 

About a week after the incident with the photo, his mother showed up to pick him up from school with a brand new poster. It was a beautiful one too, Kurt had the blue sparkling outfit he had worn for the European Championships. In that photo shoot, Kurt was on the ice, but the camera was very close to his face and the focus was on Kurt's eyes. Blaine always loved the shade of blue that almost seemed to be piercing his soul. Kurt had a warm smile on his face, without showing his teeth, it seemed peaceful. His arms were open, but they couldn't be fully seen. 

Blaine used some tape to put the new poster one. He already had quite a lot up on his wall, but it never seemed enough. The young boy grabbed his chair and pulled it closer to his new poster so he could fully stare at it for a moment. In that room, he wouldn't be judged.

Nathan was wrong, Blaine wasn't attracted to Kurt, he just admired him. At least, that's what he always thought. He never gave it too much thought. Sure, he thought Kurt was a beautiful man, but that was obvious to anyone. And Kurt was not only the best figure skater out there, but he was also very kind, humble, generous, smart, funny... 

Blaine frowned. What if he did have a crush on Kurt?

That wouldn't be something creepy or insane, it was quite normal for people to have celebrity crushes. But if Blaine had that crush on Kurt... did that mean he liked boys? In a romantic way? 

Blaine stood up, his eyes searched everywhere on Kurt's face like that picture could talk to him and tell him all the answers. His mind was racing with the possibility that... maybe his sexuality wasn't what he had always thought it was. Maybe he liked boys too. Or just boys. 

Kurt was staring back at him with that same peaceful smile. Blaine raised his hand and his fingertips traced Kurt's image, feeling the cold paper and wishing that someday he could prove Nathan wrong and give Kurt the longest hug. Blaine looked down at Kurt's lips, and before he could stop his mind, it wondered what it would be like to kiss a boy. 

Blaine had no idea what any of that meant, he knew he still had a lot to figure out, but... for the moment, he would just accept that his heart beat faster and he longed for another boy, and that boy was named Kurt. 

Present Day...


If only Nathan could see him now. 

Blaine smiled to himself. It was such a random thought that crossed his mind. He hadn't remembered his former classmates in years. The bullying because of his childhood crush on Kurt never really stopped, and Nathan and his friends had said words to him that really hurt. They were so sure that Blaine would fail. It did also make him work harder. Wanting to prove them wrong was a good incentive.

Blaine smirked discretely as he felt Kurt's hand finally holding his. Blaine thought Kurt seemed calm. That man still could surprise him like no one else. Then, there was a hint of trembling in Kurt's hand as he reached for the card to unlock the hotel room. A reminder that Kurt was human.

Blaine was also reminded that they were going to be alone for the first time in hours. His body ached for it and feared it. 

They hadn't talked about their kiss yet. It felt wrong to discuss it in front of all those people and their cameras. They desperately wanted privacy. During the interviews, reporters tried to ask them about the status of their relationship, but they just dismissed them.

But now, there was no reason to hide. They needed to be open and honest with each other. Blaine let out a quiet shaky breath. Was he ready to blurt everything out? Things he had been holding for months?

As the door closed and was locked behind them, they shared a look. It said everything that needed to be said. Kurt decided to make the first move. He took one tentative step forward, Blaine held his breath and glanced down right at Kurt's lips. 

It was the encouragement Kurt needed and, in just one second, he had cupped Blaine's cheek, stepping even closer almost like he wanted to become one. The kiss was not as soft as before, nor as quick. Kurt didn't stop moving until Blaine's back was pressed against the door. 

A small gasp escaped Blaine's lips, but that wasn't enough to break the kiss. Blaine was pleased, as he placed his hand on Kurt's chest, to find out that the older man's heart was beating as fast as his. Kurt pressed his body closer. The kiss became a bit sloppy, but still very passionate. Blaine shivered each time Kurt's tongue brushed against his.  

Kurt smiled against his lips, and pulled back a little, wanting to look at Blaine properly. "I've been wanting to do that for such a long time..."

Blaine almost laughed. Kurt had no idea... Soon, the man's lips were on his again. This time, though, Blaine could also feel Kurt's hands on his body, caressing and pulling him closer. Blaine just went with it.

Kurt began to guide him without breaking the kiss, Blaine was ready to let Kurt take him anywhere. As long as he could still get to keep kissing him like that. The younger skater had wondered so many times before if Kurt was a good kisser. He would never have imagined that he would actually get to experience it. 

Now, away from the cameras, he could feel it properly. The older man was a wonderful kisser. Kurt used just the right amount of roughness and softness. He knew exactly how to use his tongue without being too demanding and the little noises that were escaping from him were like music to Blaine's ears. 

Blaine gasped as the back of his knees hit the end of the bed and before he knew it, Kurt was guiding him to lie down. 

That's when he began to debate with himself if he should ask Kurt to stop. At the same time that he knew he wasn't ready to go any further than making out, he was enjoying it a lot. Besides, Kurt hadn't actually touched him anywhere below his belt, so... 

Blaine decided to just let himself enjoy the moment. His entire body ached for more of Kurt's touch and warmth. Blaine took the time to feel the way Kurt tasted, the small hint of coffee and mint. The way he liked to used his tongue, doing just enough to make Blaine crazy and then pulling it back. Kurt's touch was slow, but it wasn't random. He wasn't just groping and letting his hand wander freely, no. It seemed that Kurt's hand moved on top of Blaine's body as Kurt's feet moved on the ice. Every touch was precious and meaningful. 

Without any rush, Kurt's fingers were finding their way under Blaine's shirt. The younger skater inevitably shivered at the new type of intimacy. The feeling of Kurt's mouth on his and then his hand on his skin felt like too much, but at the same time, not enough. He began to shift, unsure of what his body was needing at that moment. When his knee bent a little bit, he felt how hard Kurt was. The older man inevitably let out a tiny moan at the small contact.

Blaine was still processing what was happening, his own pants feeling too tight. Kurt made a small pause, and when Blaine didn't say anything, he pressed down against the other man's leg again, but this time his mouth moved to the younger man's neck. That's when Blaine knew he needed to do something or he might regret what was coming next.

"W-wait... Kurt, wait." Blaine gasped, making a move to sit up. He didn't need to, though. Kurt had already pulled back. 

"I know. I'm sorry..." Kurt's voice was low and raspy. Blaine never felt so much lust, but he'd be betraying himself if he asked Kurt to keep going. "Too fast," Kurt continued, nodding in understanding. 

 Blaine blushed, "Y-yes," he admitted, "I-...I've never-... I'm still a virgin," He was grateful that the lights were off, so Kurt could not see how red he was. 

"I know," Kurt interrupted softly, "And it's fine."

The younger man felt even more embarrassed. Kurt knew? Was it that obvious? 

"Don't worry about it," Kurt sat up, and Blaine immediately missed having him close. "It is too soon for that anyway..." 

Blaine kept silent, wondering what Kurt would do or say next. He watched the older man in the moonlight, Kurt was looking out the window with a discrete smile. Blaine wondered what thoughts were going through that man's mind. 

Kurt turned to him again, a few seconds later, his hand reached for Blaine's and he gently pulled it. "Come here," he requested, "Stay close to me."

Blaine sat up, causing him to inevitably get really close to Kurt's lips again, he couldn't help but kiss him very softly. 

Kurt cupped his cheek and smiled after they broke the kiss. "Blaine, you looked so beautiful on that ice tonight," he confessed, "You entranced me, and all I could think of was how much I needed to touch you, hold you and... Kiss you. It was stronger than me." 

Blaine reached up and placed his hand on top of Kurt's, leaning against the touch. "It was all for you. I mean..." He let out a breath, "Every time I skate is for you, Kurt, but this time... It was different. I really poured my soul into it. All of my love."

He nervously looked away. Was it too soon to be talking about love? Maybe he had said too much.

"I could feel your love," Kurt's hand moved slowly, wanting to trace every detail on Blaine's features. Blaine closed his eyes as Kurt leaned closer, capturing his lips into a kiss. 

No matter how many times Kurt kissed him, Blaine was sure he would always feel like he had fireworks inside of him. It seemed like a dream and he never wanted to wake up. How many people in the world were lucky enough to kiss their idol? But after all that time together, he knew Kurt wasn't just his idol, he was deeply in love. 

"Come to France with me," Kurt breathed out as they broke the kiss. 

Blaine grinned, "What? Of course I'm coming to France with you. We have to compete there," he chuckled.

"No, I mean... Right now. Not in a month, right now.  Come to France with me. Not just for the competition." Kurt clarified, taking both of Blaine's hands.

Blaine didn't know how to respond at first. It seemed too perfect to be true. "Why?"

"Because I want to be with you, and show you everything. I want you to stay at my apartment, and meet my friends, and go to my favorite restaurant with me..."

Blaine smiled even brighter. "That sounds like a dream come true, to be honest."

Kurt let out a breath, glancing down at their hands before looking up into Blaine's eyes again. "I want you to learn everything about my life, just like I learned about yours."

Blaine swooned. He lifted Kurt's hand and kissed it softly. "Yes," he replied, finally, "I'll go to France with you."

The smile on Kurt's face shone brighter than the silver medal they had conquered together that night. And more beautiful too. Blaine couldn't hold back his need to kiss Kurt once more. 

Grenoble - France
 
Blaine was very tired from the flight, and even though he had to deal with a jet-lag, France was still getting his full attention. Kurt had convinced Blaine's parents that going to the city of Grenoble, where he lived, was the best thing to do. They very excitedly agreed, knowing that Blaine and Kurt were obviously going to take some time to themselves. Pamela teased them endlessly about the kiss, and Blaine didn't even mind. If that was the price he had to pay, he was glad to do it. 

From the start, Blaine knew he'd made the right decision when he agreed to come with Kurt to France a month earlier. The city where the competition would be held was also where Kurt's apartment was. Well, actually he had three apartments in France, and Blaine was reminded that being a legendary athlete meant having a lot of money. Not that he cared about that. 

As they got off their plane and got a taxi to Kurt's apartment, the younger man could see how comfortable and at ease Kurt was. During the ride, Kurt looked out the window, smiling to himself and occasionally pointing out something for Blaine to see. 

Grenoble was a beautiful city, not exactly a tourist stop like Paris, but in Blaine's opinion, it just made it all a lot more special. Some of the buildings were old, but well kept and the people seemed happy there. He could see some of the restaurants, cafes, and parks and couldn't wait to explore the entire city with Kurt by his side.

"You know, I'm always traveling around the world, and I do have two other apartments here in France, but... This one is the one I consider my home." Kurt commented softly as the car came to a stop in front of his building. 

Blaine looked out the window and saw the building. He smiled, it had beautiful trees and flowers at the front. It was a modern building, from the outside it seemed beautiful. 

Kurt talked to the driver in french for a while, and Blaine just enjoyed watching him speaking in his own language for a moment. It sounded so nice, Blaine wished he could learn it someday. He only knew a few words...

They paid the driver and got their luggage. As they finally stopped at the front door while Kurt grabbed the key, Blaine became nervous. He was about to enter Kurt's home for the first time. And he was going to stay there for a month, living with Kurt. 

Kurt finally opened the door and Blaine stepped into the apartment. He couldn't hold back a bright smile. He had never seen any pictures of Kurt's home, and he was glad he hadn't because he now could experience truly experience what it was like to be there for the first time. The place was clearly Kurt Hummel's, so sophisticated and yet so cozy. There were beautiful paintings on the walls, and also pictures, but Blaine noticed that only a few of them were of Kurt's. 

It wasn't a very big apartment, just a two-bedroom space with a kitchen big enough for Kurt to cook his recipes. In the living room, Kurt had lots of albums, and Blaine could not wait to listen to all of them. 

"It's weird not having Hepburn here with me," Kurt commented, pouting a little. 

Blaine turned around to look at him, "Next time she will be."

Kurt grinned at the mention of a 'next time'. Maybe after the whole competition ended they could figure something out... "Yes. And meanwhile, I brought my other puppy." He gently tapped the tip of Blaine's nose with his finger and the other man chuckled. 

"I'd be a Poodle just like her, but with black fur." Blaine placed his arms around Kurt's waist. It all felt so natural, it was like they had been like this for years. 

"Adorable," Kurt leaned in to kiss the shorter man. 

After they unpacked and showered - separately, Blaine made sure to emphasize, not that Kurt had suggested anything - they went on their very first date together. 

Blaine wasn't sure what they were yet. They had never actually discussed it, but he thought it was safe to assume that they were boyfriends. Kurt took him to the movies and held his hand the whole time, after that they went to a small restaurant where no one recognized Kurt. 

They shared a bottle of wine and forgot about the pressure of the competition for a while. It felt good, they enjoyed talking about everything except figure skating. 

As they walked back home, still holding hands, Blaine felt silly because he could not stop grinning. His cheeks would probably start to hurt soon, but he didn't care. He never thought he'd turn his life around like this. 

They entered the apartment and after a brief discussion, decided that they would share a bed. Blaine emphasized again that they would just be sleeping and Kurt chuckled softly. He knew, he just wanted to sleep while holding Blaine.

And as they laid together under the sheets, and Blaine felt the man's arm around his body pulling him closer, he grinned again. 

It would be the best month of his life.

Grenoble - France - Two weeks later 

The boy walked out of the airport with only a backpack. He decided that it was enough to carry his belongings. His grandfather still kept a room for him in his house, with all of his clothes and even ice skates. 

The blond boy had brought his own, though. It had been difficult to convince his coach to let him come home a couple of weeks earlier, but she would flip if he used another pair of ice skates to practice. Coach Sylvester had the blades custom made to his body. These blades were unique, very slim and light. Sue didn't do that for every student, the only other student that had custom made blades was Kurt Hummel. His blades were made of gold. 

"Blaise!" His grandfather yelled from across the street.

Blaise almost felt like crying when he finally saw his grandfather after months of being apart. He recklessly crossed the street without even looking and almost tackled his grandfather to get a hug. 

"Pépé!" The boy exclaimed.

"Ow!" The old man could feel his back cracking with the weight of his grandson and winced in pain.

"Oh, sorry! I'm sorry, pépé!" Blaise pulled away quickly, putting his feet back on the ground. He couldn't jump on his grandfather anymore, he was getting too big. "I forgot about your back problems. I hope I didn't hurt you..."

The man shook his head, but his hand was on his back. "No, no... I'm fine."

Blaise helped his father get inside the car before he entered himself. His grandfather, Louis, drove slowly. He still had the same old car that he'd use to drive Blaise to practice when he was a little kid. 

"Why are you speaking English here?" Louis asked as he turned the radio on, knowing his grandson loved music. 

Blaise sighed, "It's competition season, so Coach Sylvester makes us speak in English at all times for practice. You know, for the interviews and stuff..."

Louis chuckled, he always thought that woman was crazy. "Elle ne saurait jamais..."

"I disagree, she would find out somehow," Blaise smiled, "I believe that she can hear us right now."

Louis laughed again. He pointed at something in the backseat, there was a small paper bag there. Blaise smiled, he had noticed that something smelled good. 

"It's for you," Louis said, in his soft grandfather voice. "I made you my usual croissant."

Blaise took one out of the bag and took the first bite. He ate in silence for a moment. 

"Have you ever had cronuts?" Blaise asked suddenly, still chewing. "It's something that's half a croissant and half donut."

"Cronuts?" Louis frowned a little, "No."

"I had them back in America," Blaise told him, "It's surprisingly tasty."

"Oh," Louis glanced at his grandson, "So my croissant is not very good?"

Blaise almost chocked and shook his head quickly, "No, pépère, that's not what I meant! You know I adore your croissants."

Louis looked back at the road, and Blaise was about to speak again when he heard what was being broadcast on the radio. 

"... Since our national hero, Kurt Hummel has returned to France, this time as a coach in the Figure Skating Grand Prix Series."

Blaise swallowed hard, "So he's in France now."

"Yes," Louis replied, "I heard he's been here with his student for about two weeks."

"Hm. He must be in Paris with his... Student." Blaise wouldn't say Blaine was anything but a student to Kurt, but it seemed fitting that after that kiss Kurt would take Blaine to a romantic city like Paris.

"How is Kurt?"

Blaise's expression turned hard and cold. "I don't know, and I don't care. All I care about is my practice so I can win this."

Louis raised his eyebrow, turning left on his street. He had gotten used to his grandson's mood. "You know... It's not all about winning, petit mouton. If you only care about winning you may lose a lot of good things in life," he paused to look at his grandson, "and a lot of people."

Blaise didn't reply, keeping his mouth busy as he chewed hard. His grandfather wouldn't understand. He had been betrayed, that's why he wanted to push Hummel away. Perhaps, one day, he might forgive Kurt and talk to him again, but for now, he wanted to ignore his very existence. 

He saw his grandfather's old house out the window and his heart ached. It was about time he either renovated it or moved to a new house. The place wasn't comfortable enough for an elderly man to live. Blaise knew his grandfather had spent a lot of money on him, to help him go further in his career as a figure skater, and unfortunately, all the money coming in still wasn't enough to actually help his grandfather much. Blaise had to spend a lot of money on his coach, traveling, his costumes, and everything. 

Winning the Grand Prix Series would change this. He could become the youngest figure skater to win and the prize money plus the money from the sponsors would be enough to buy a new house for his grandfather to live. 

As they walked into the house the boy had practically grown up in, Blaise was more determined than ever to win.

Three days later..

The sun was almost setting, but they'd still keep going for a few hours. Kurt had told Blaine several times that they hadn't come to Grenoble for a vacation, they'd keep practicing harder than ever. Secretly, Kurt feared that the change in their relationship would cause them to slack off. They couldn't afford that. Blaine had almost missed the podium back in China, and this time they would be facing new opponents and the goal was the gold medal. Nothing could go wrong or they'd never even get to the Finals. 

Kurt watched the curly-haired man on the ice do a flip. Blaine was clearly getting exhausted, they had been practicing since early in the morning, and his stamina was truly remarkable, but when Blaine got tired his legs would start trembling and he would begin doing minor mistakes that he normally wouldn't do. Kurt was considering going back to the apartment earlier. 

"Concentrate, Blaine." Kurt encouraged. It was a habit. 

The younger man, glanced at him, trying to hide how tired he actually was. Kurt noticed how Blaine was starting to move on autopilot as he did the step sequence. Not good. Kurt began to skate towards Blaine and kept going as Blaine did the step sequence, he could watch Blaine closer this way. After a couple of minutes, Kurt glided to stop and asked Blaine to do the same. 

"What's wrong?" The younger man panted slightly, his gloved hand wiped some sweat from his forehead. 

Kurt looked at the ice, studying each individual line carved into it from Blaine's skates. He then replied, "I think you're not enjoying this anymore, so we should probably try something else." 

"What?" Blaine frowned, "Kurt, of course I enjoy skating, but we've been here for hours, I'm obviously worn out." 

"I know, I know..." Kurt moved closer, reaching for the man's hand, "However, I think it's important that you never let that love you feel when you skate your programs fade. It's what makes them special. I don't want you to get tired of doing them. I want you to always skate them with that same energy and love that you felt when you skated them back in China." 

Blaine looked down at their hands and smiled softly. Kurt liked the way Blaine obviously cherished these touches and interactions. "Okay, I see," Blaine said, looking up, "So what do you suggest we do? I don't want to go home yet." 

Kurt turned away from the other man, still holding onto his hand. "Just skate with me..."

Blaine didn't need to be told twice, and Kurt knew he had made the right decision when he saw the genuine smile on Blaine's face. That smile could light up an entire room easily, and Kurt always felt his heart skip a beat when Blaine looked at him like that. Ever since they had arrived in Grenoble things couldn't be more perfect. They soon had gotten more and more comfortable with each other, and their new relationship - which they hadn't actually discussed what it was yet, they didn't feel the need to. They fell into a new routine that focused both on their rigorous practices and spending as much time together as possible, just enjoying each other's company, kissing, holding hands and going out on private dates. 

In Grenoble, not many people really cared about who Kurt Hummel was. He was a celebrity, of course, but it seemed that everyone around Kurt's neighborhood had just gotten used to his presence there. Occasionally, someone would come up to them and tell Kurt how much they admired him, sometimes ask for a picture also, but they were mostly left alone. There were no paparazzi or reporters ready to snap a picture of them and reveal Kurt's exact location, so they just enjoyed their time together in that town, visiting the mountains and other beautiful tourist attractions. 

Then they went to Kurt's favorite ice rink, ten blocks away from his apartment. It was Kurt's favorite because not many people went there, and he made sure that it would stay that way by renting the place for themselves. The ice rink was all theirs all day. Knowing that no one would bother them made them feel free to just skate however they liked to. They could even hold hands while skating, just like they were at that moment. 

Kurt was so happy to discover that Blaine was a good skating partner. Their feet moved together as they got more speed, and then they were holding both hands while skating side by side. 

"Let's twirl," Blaine suggested with a grin. 

Kurt nodded and they both let go of each other's hand, "To the right. One, two, three..." 

They heard the noise of the ice crunching below their blades as they each twirled in unison. Kurt couldn't hold back a laugh, it felt so natural and so different than what they were both used to. He moved closer to Blaine again, but this time instead of holding his hands, his hands moved to the shorter man's waist and he kept them there. Blaine turned his head to look at him, that beautiful smile still there. 

"Face me, skate backwards," Kurt said to him, and the man obeyed, sliding in front of Kurt and his hand moved to cup Kurt's cheek. 

"Guide me," Blaine muttered. 

Kurt was surprised at how easy they worked together. It was like their bodies just naturally fit together in that ice dance. They both knew how the other's body worked so well, Blaine had spent years studying every single move Kurt did on the ice, and now Kurt had done the same after he became his coach. This was working so well, he could almost hear the music...

"Do you think I could lift you up?" Kurt suggested with a grin, Blaine just stared at him, considering. 

"Well, you are quite strong, but..." Blaine chuckled as they made a turn. 

Kurt tightened his grip, showing Blaine that he was serious, he wanted to try this. "I'm not going to let you fall." 

Blaine responded with a nod before he could stop himself. He knew Kurt would never want to try something that could cause him to get hurt, but things could go horribly wrong. Kurt waited until they had a little more speed and took an impulse to lift him up by the waist. The older man asked Blaine to jump and when he did he felt his feet leave the ice. Then Kurt, skillfully, twirled them both. Blaine knew he had to concentrate not to mess this up, but he felt so pleasantly surprised and giddy as he felt Kurt's strong arms hold him so high up that he almost cheered. He lifted his arms about his head and Kurt spun one, two, three times before he was putting Blaine down again. 

"Oh, my god, Kurt!" He exclaimed happily as soon as his blades hit the ice again.

Kurt was grinning too, "We did it." 

Blaine moved back to skate by Kurt's side, reaching for his hand again. "That was amazing... Maybe we should be competing in another category."

Kurt spun Blaine around, by the hand and slowly brought him closer. "We don't have to compete, we can have this just for us..." They were coming to stop, both men needing to feel each other close in a kiss. They reached the center of the rink. Their bodies met with the muted whisper of skates underfoot, Kurt’s hands found Blaine's hips again as the other man placed his gloved hand on the back of Kurt's neck, ready to pull him closer and kiss him.  

As Kurt finally felt the soft press of Blaine's lips against his he let out a small sigh. He had denied himself the luxury of being happy with someone else for so long... and then Blaine had to come and sweep him off his feet like that, making him realize what he had been missing...

Suddenly, they heard voices.

They pulled back a little, not wanting anyone to walk in and see them in such a private moment. The voices they were hearing seemed to be arguing, but Kurt couldn't quite hear what the whole commotion was about. 

"What is happening?" Blaine tilted his head, hoping Kurt was understanding some part of the conversation. 

"I can't hear them," Kurt replied, "Well. It's got nothing to do with us, so let's just go back to practic-..."

The older man was interrupted by the loud noise of the metal door to the ice rink opening, and then someone was walking in.

Kurt and Blaine both froze at the sight of the blond teenager in front of them, looking back with an expression as if he had been slapped across the face. 

Oh.

So there Kurt was. With Blaine, of course.

It was strange seeing them after all this time. It had been months since he left Lima and took a bus to the nearest airport, feeling humiliated and alone. It felt like the longest time since he last saw Kurt in person, and he hated that part of him missed the man. He hated that part of him that wanted to reach out to Kurt. Blaise wished he felt indifferent towards Kurt, he really did. Indifference was so much better than hate. Indifference wouldn't make him feel hurt and betrayed.

Of all places, Kurt had to come to Grenoble? Of all ice rinks, he had to pick the one where Blaise wanted to practice? How unlucky could he be? Blaise didn't want to see Kurt or Blaine, only on the day of the competition. They would see how much he had grown and Kurt would regret not choosing him as his student. 

"Blaise? I had no idea you were in town..." Kurt began to skate towards the exit.

No, Blaise didn't want to talk to him. In fact, he wanted to avoid him at all costs. Kurt and that pig standing next to him. 

Blaise turned around without a word. He didn't want to stand there much longer.

"Blaise!" The older man called. 

He had left Lima that without saying goodbye because he never wanted to see that look of pity on Kurt's face. And he wouldn't stand there so Kurt could get a chance to do it now. Blaise never wanted Kurt to look at him like he was inferior, because.. well, he wasn't! And he wasn't going to wait for Kurt to make any kind of comments, or worse, praise him. As if he needed any kind of validation from Kurt Hummel. 

Blaise could hear the noise of Kurt's blades on the ice, sliding faster. It didn't matter, Kurt would still have to put on shoes if he wanted to follow him. He walked passed the ice rink manager, not bothering to look at him.

"I don't want to skate here anymore, your ice rink sucks anyway..." 

The teenager didn't bother to wait for a reply, he opened the front door of the establishment in a hurry and put on his hood. He walked fast down the street, not wanting to give Kurt a chance to catch up to him. 

'Don't be stupid, Blaise,' He thought, as he brushed a strand of hair off his face. 'Kurt doesn't care about you, why would he waste his time coming after you? The pig and he are too busy with practice to give two fucks about you.' 

Blaise scoffed, he shouldn't even be thinking about those idiots. But, much to his chagrin, the part of him that missed having Kurt around was growing stronger now.

He reached for his phone to call an Uber. His grandfather's house was only a few blocks away, but he didn't feel like walking. As he sat in the backseat of the driver's car, he kept staring at the last few messages that Kurt had sent him. He didn't even know why he was bothering reading them. Maybe sending a message to Kurt would be for the best, it'd put things to rest and maybe the older man would just leave him alone. Having Kurt look for him at his grandfather's house would be a nightmare. He took a deep breath and typed a small text message. 

Later that night, Kurt laid awake in bed with his phone in his hand. In his head, he tried to think of a solution to make Blaise talk to him again. However, he knew the 'French Punk' could be very stubborn, and one wrong move and he would never speak to Kurt again. It was silly, really. Blaise had always been difficult when it came to competitions, he was the very definition of a sore loser. The face-off in Lima had left a scar on him, Kurt was sure of that, and the fact that he hadn't yet earned a gold medal in his debut at the Senior Grand Prix was probably bothering him to no end, too. Kurt shook his head, Blaise had so much to learn. Despite all this, Kurt truly cared about the boy's well being. Ever since he met Blaise, he knew that boy was different.

No one could deny that Blaise had a passion for the sport that very few people genuinely had, and Kurt admired that. Kurt could see right thought his angry demeanor: Blaise was constantly comparing himself to other people, and on top of that the boy had so much pressure on him, and recently Kurt had found out that it was because he struggled with money, so he could tell that Blaise was scared. Even at a young age, he was scared of losing, of doing the wrong movement and messing up his chances. So Blaise didn't let people get to close, he didn't let them in easily. 

Kurt gained his trust after a year. They practiced at the same rink and usually at the same time. Blaise eventually started to see Kurt as a mentor, not an opponent. And then, after years of friendship, Blaise just shut Kurt off because of one face-off. 

"Why are teenagers so difficult?" Kurt suddenly said.

The man lying next to him just turned and those honey eyes stared back at him.

"He hasn't replied yet, has he?"

Kurt locked his phone with a sigh and put it on his nightstand. "No," he replied as he laid down.

Blaine moved closer to hold Kurt. He had seen how much Kurt wanted to fix things with Blaise - though, in his opinion, there was nothing to fix. Kurt had done nothing wrong.  "Well... we'll see him in about two weeks. I know you really want to talk to him and make things right, but perhaps he doesn't want that yet. Blaise may need more time to figure things out. You told me he doesn't let people in easily, right? He let you in, he trusted you. That won't just go away just because he feels a little disappointed in you."

Kurt nodded a little and closed his eyes. There was nothing he could do for the moment, so his only choice was to get some rest so they could practice again the next day. As much as he cared about Blaise, he had a very important goal that he needed to focus on: Blaine needed to win a gold medal. 

Two weeks later  



"How do you feel about returning to France?" 

The reporters gathered around Kurt, the microphones on their recording devices pointed at him. He kept his manners, smiling politely and sipping his coffee occasionally. Kurt hated being the center of attention when there were lots of other athletes in that same venue. He wasn't competing anymore, so why were the reporters still always trying to find him? 

Luckily, they hadn't seen Blaine coming in right after him, they were too distracted, so Blaine was probably able to make it to the dressing room without anyone bothering him.

"When will you return to skating?" 

Kurt turned his attention back to the reporters. "Being back here in France feels great. I do love my country. However, until the Grand Prix Final is over, I won't comment on any future plans. Right now, I see a lot of potential in Blaine Anderson's skating, I'd like you all to focus on Blaine here at the Internationaux de France." 

Not satisfied with the answer, a woman continues with another question, "If Blaine's skating shows so much potential and charisma, don't you want to face him as a fellow competitor?" 

Kurt wasn't expecting that question. He closed his mouth in a small smile, he truly didn't know how to answer to that, but it intrigued him. The thought of the younger man standing next to the podium with him was something that secretly excited him. Kurt let out a small chuckle, this would be tricky to answer, if he didn't answer it carefully they would twist his words. 

Before he could think of an answer, though, he saw a blond lock covering almost half a teenager's face and green eyes staring at him from afar. 

"Hey, Blaise!" Kurt grinned and pointed at the annoyed teenager. The boy tried to sneak away, but Kurt and the reporters were faster. He knew Blaise would always try to run away from him, so maybe this would be the only opportunity he would get to show Blaise that he truly supported him.  "You did an amazing job at Skate Canada, I saw the videos," he smiled at his teenage friend, then turned back to the reporters, "did you guys see the short program I put together for Blaise?"

Blaise's hand moved fast, knocking Kurt's cup off his hand. Coffee spilled everywhere. The reporters and Kurt would be shocked if it were anyone else, but most people were used to Blaise's tantrums by now. It wouldn't be the first time he showed his teenage rage in front of cameras. And Kurt had witnessed it more than anyone else in that room. 

"You need to quit acting like you're still the top French figure skater, Hummel," Blaise spat out, "You made your choice." 

Kurt stared at him, not saying a word. At least Blaise was talking to him, 

Blaise went on, "I'm the star in this event," he said, loud enough for everyone to hear, "not you. Not your boyfriend. I am."

He gripped the straps of his backpack and turned around, getting away before the reporters could ask him anything. 

The day had finally come. Another competition was about to start, and Blaine felt more confident than ever before. After being successful after two competitions, he was starting to believe that he might actually make it. As he opened the door to the locker room, he remembered that this time he wouldn't have Mike or any other close friend around. He only had Kurt, and the coach wouldn't be around all the time. 

Blaine walked past his competitor from Thailand, his name was Wes. Wes had a reputation for being a loner. He didn't seem to want or care about being around other competitors, so Blaine knew it was best not to try making any kind of small talk as he approached his designated dressing room.

He checked everything inside his backpack again: his costume, gloves, skates, water bottle, tissues... Everything was there. The figure skaters were getting ready for the first practice inside the ice rink where they would be competing later that night. Not everyone had arrived yet, but Blaine already felt like the dressing room was too crowded. 

Figure skaters were talking to each other, the girls from almost every team were there to show support to their respective teammates. Marley too was not there that day. Blaine sighed, perhaps being alone would help him. He liked being alone most of the time. 

"You stay away from him, you hear me!" 

Blaine turned his head to see where the commotion was coming from. He recognized those two. The twins from Italy, they were both figure skaters, the boy would be competing against Blaine that evening. The girl with long black hair and blue eyes was standing between her brother and another girl, the other girl had black skin and dark eyes. She looked amused. 

"Madison, I was just inviting her to have dinner with us after the competition, stop making a scene!" Mason replied with a frown. 

But despite her brother's protest, Madison kept her glare fixed on the girl in front of her. Blaine recognized the other girl too. Her name was Jane, she was from the Canadian team. Jane had a reputation of not being easily intimidated, and it showed. 

"Listen, you," Madison pointed her finger at Jane, "my brother is too good for you, okay? So don't even waste your time." 

Jane shrugged, "I was minding my own business, he was the one who invited me. And I would have said yes, by the way" she glanced at Mason before she turned away.

"Why did you invite her?" Madison had then turned to her brother, fuming. "You need to focus on yourself right now, you're about to compete! You're not supposed to flirt right now!"

"I wasn't flirting." Mason rolled his eyes. "And I was going to invite everyone, okay?" To prove his point, Mason marched up to Wes, the competitor from Thailand, and said:

"Hi, I'm Mason. You're Wes, right? Do you want to join us for dinner tomorrow after the competition?"

Wes didn't even bother looking up, "I don't get any benefit from being friendly with you, so I'll pass."

Madison, who had heard the reply, felt insulted on behalf of her brother. "Wow, rude! How dare you speak to my brother like that?"

"Madison, you need to stop trying to defend me all the time!"

That was it, Blaine decided.

He needed to look for an exit and find a quiet place. It was important to him that he concentrated, he was not interested in any of that drama going on.

Blaine heard them still arguing as he exited the room through a door in the back. The man walked down a hallway, looking for a place where he could just sit and wait for a while. The first place he found was a bathroom that was supposed to the used only by the staff, but it seemed empty that morning, and Blaine was looking for privacy, so he decided it wouldn't be wrong to just go in there to concentrate for a few minutes. 

As Blaine entered, he heard the tap water running and realized someone else was already in there. He was already preparing a good excuse as to why he was in there, but when the person looked up, he realized it was Blaise. It was almost funny that he would find Blaise in a bathroom again like when that feud first started. This time, though, he wouldn't be crying,

The teenager continued to dry off his hands. "Why are you sneaking around?" He asked, almost casually.

Blaine stood there, almost scared that Blaise would just ignore him and leave if he made any sudden movement. "I could ask you the same question."

"I just got here," Blaise shrugged. "The first bathroom I found."

Blaine decided to drop it, it wasn't important knowing why Blaise was there too. They both seemed like they wanted to get away from something. 

"It's... It's good to see you again, Blaise." Blaine tried.

Blaise looked up at him again and just nodded. The awkward silence fell. Blaise seemed unsure of what to do, Blaine watched him nervously wipe his hand on his jeans and put them in the pockets of his jacket. It seemed like he had decided to leave...

"Good luck to both of us today," Blaine tried again. And he truly meant it, Blaise was the closest thing he had to a friend amongst his opponents for this Cup, so he hoped Blaise would make it to the Finals too. Despite everything, Blaise was a good skater, he'd deserve it.

Apparently the feeling wasn't mutual, Blaine realized as he saw Blaise scoff. 

"You'll suffer a miserable defeat here at Grenoble." 

Blaine was taken aback. "We don't have to treat each other like this. I really do hope we both make it to the finals. Kurt would be so happy if-"

"Screw him." Blaise interrupted. "What has he done for me, huh? He choreographed my routine and acts like he's somehow responsible for my success so far? Well, he isn't. You tell him that. He's not my friend anymore, and I believe he never truly was."

Blaine's shoulders dropped. "You really should just talk to him..."

Blaise scoffed again. "Oh, I will... Because after this, I will make Kurt stay right here in France. He might not be my friend anymore, but he is useful."

Blaine froze. There truly was a chance that Kurt wouldn't leave France. Blaine didn't want to discuss it or think about it, but... If he didn't place at least fourth in this event it would be all over. He would not rank high enough to make it to the Final, and then what would Kurt do? 

He was brought back from his thoughts when Blaise walked passed him, going to the door. 

"Okay, fine, I know you hate me," Blaine turned around to face him, but the teenager was already holding the doorknob, and Blaine knew he hadn't yet left the room because he still cared to hear what Blaine would say, so Blaine knew that he needed to say the right thing, "But don't take it out on Kurt. He really cares about you, Blaise. Ever since Lima, he's been trying to reach out to you. It's not fair that you'd just ignore him just because you lost the face-off. You know the decision was fair. So please, just talk to-..."

The boy opened the door in one swift move and left. 

"The men's Single Short Program event is about to start here in Grenoble. This is the series sixth event and last event before the Grand Prix Final. After the fifth event in Japan, we have the current ratings. As you all know, only the top six skaters will compete in the Grand Prix Final. Currently, only two are confirmed qualifiers: One is Otav Ivanov from Russia, who placed second in Skate America but won gold at the NHK Trophy in Japan. The other is Sebastian Smythe from Switzerland, who recently placed third in the Cup Of China, but first place at Skate America."

"The last four spots in the Final will be fought tonight over by the following skaters: Canada's Jesse St. James, who's on a roll after winning on his home turf at Skate Canada. Thailand's Wesley Montgomery, a newcomer to the Grand Prix Series who made great strides by placing second in the NHK Trophy. Representing Italy, we have Mason McCarthy, here today with his sister Madison, after placing third at Skate America. From the Czech Republic, who took third at Skate Canada, we have Jeffrey Sterling. In his home country tonight, we have Blaise Lambiel, he placed second at Skate Canada. And finally, from the United States, Blaine Anderson, who won silver in the Cup Of China. He'll be skating in the final group. The Internationaux de France results will determine whether Japan's Mike Chang will advance to the Grand Prix Final."

The six-minute warm-up was over. Blaine stayed inside with the rest of the skaters who'd be competing in the final group, while the other three and their coaches moved out to the ice rink. They wanted to watch the competition closely. The tension in the room was almost palpable. This was it. There were only four spots to the Final. Playtime was over. Blaine stretched his legs, keeping focused. After an amazing month working with Kurt in France, Blaine could say he never felt more at ease before a competition. He would not sabotage himself, not tonight. He smiled a little to himself, there were so many reasons why he was grateful for Kurt... 

The first performance was over. Blaine was so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't even seen Wes' skating. Apparently the man's style was similar to Blaine's, his short program depended on the sex appeal and he had decided to skate to a mambo.  

"That's a hard act to follow..." The reporter on the TV commented.

Jeff would be going next. Blaine hadn't spoken much with the guy, but Jeff always seemed nice. He always kept a positive vibe, which Blaine thought was refreshing. Mentally wishing him good luck, Blaine returned his attention to his warm-up.

"So apparently Quinn and Brittany really regret not coming to France," Kurt chuckled softly as he approached his student while holding his phone. 

"Really? Why?" Blaine smiled. The thought of his friends and family rooting for him from home always made him feel special. 

Kurt leaned against the wall, he could keep an eye on the TV from that angle. His eyes stared at it as he waited for Wes's score. "They can't find a working stream and it's not showing live on television. They wished you good luck, by the way."

"How are they?" 

"They're excited. Everyone is at your house rooting for you. Quinn said she's happy that Blaise is here too... Apparently, they kept in touch. She likes him." Kurt glanced down.

Blaine paused his warm-up and reached for Kurt's hand. "I talked to him today. It was brief, but he listened."

"What did you say?" Kurt widened his eyes a little.

The television interrupted them with the announcement of the score. "Wes Montgomery's score is 91.83, a personal best!"

Blaine sighed, turning away from the screen and to Kurt, with a light squeeze of his hand. "I asked him to talk to you... And I believe he actually wants that, despite being stubborn."

Kurt nodded a little, discreetly glancing at the teenager on the other side of the room. Coach Sylvester was talking to him, possibly pressuring him even more. "How would you know that?"

"He, uh... said he wants me to lose so you'll stay here in France," Blaine mentioned, looking down.

Kurt's eyes moved quickly back to Blaine and he frowned. "He said that?"

"Yes, he did." Blaine turned away, deciding to end the conversation before Kurt would say anything else. "We haven't discussed this yet, and I don't want us to do that right now, okay? I just thought you should know."

Kurt respected Blaine's decision. Jeff had started his program and the final group was about to go on after Mason. There was no time to bring any other topics to the table, they needed to focus on Blaine showing his best possible Eros. Kurt looked at the television screen again to watch Jeff. Before he knew it, Jeff had just done his final jump, an impressive quadruple loop. That jump was Blaine's favorite, the one quad he always landed easily.   

The applause filled the arena and Kurt waited for the result. As far as he knew about Jeff he was not a threat to Blaine. His jumps were very well done, but his performance was a bit of a mess. He was still only 18, he'd have plenty of time to learn and one day become a real threat. His score was announced: he was currently in second place, scoring 82.43. 

"Well, I think he deserved a higher score..." Kurt turned his head, following the voice. Jesse, from Canada, was standing next to Blaine. Kurt had no idea where he had come from, but that wasn't good. Jesse's strategy had always been to intimidate his opponents and leave them as psychologically unstable as he could right before a competition. And Jesse surely had Blaine as a target. 

"His jumps were amazing, don't you think?" Jesse went on, his fake smile was evident. 

Blaine frowned at Jesse. The Canadian had competed against him before, at last year's Grand Prix Final, but he'd never taken the time to even glance at his direction. "Sure. Jeff is a great athlete..."

Kurt observed in silence as Jesse finally looked from Blaine to Kurt. "Did you see that, Kurt? He landed a quadruple loop, too."

"Yes, I was watching." Kurt tried to sound as nonchalant as possible. 

"but I noticed your student was not," Jesse grinned, standing in front of both men. "Blaine, did you know that Kurt did that same jump at last year's exhibition? I really want to see that again."

Kurt hated having to share the podium with Jesse. The man had gotten the bronze medal in the last Final. Jesse had spent all year making it very clear that he would stop at nothing to get the gold medal that year. 

"I don't recall," Kurt raised his eyebrow. 

"It's a shame you're not competing this year, Kurt. We all miss Kurt on the ice very much," Jesse dropped his smile, "A real competition."

"You sound just like Sebastian..." Kurt almost laughed, it was like they were made for each other, "And Blaine here beat him in China. So, good luck."

Jesse smirked, tilting his chin up. Jesse called himself the "king of ice", always superior and stronger than his opponents. His brand was sold all over Canada and he was one of the most popular athletes competing that night, by far. His catchphrase "It's Jesse Style" was already all over the audience there, as people held signs. And it wasn't even his turn yet. He wasn't all deluded, Jesse truly was a fantastic skater and Kurt would never admit, but he was scared that Jesse would win this whole thing. But Jesse was insufferable in ever figure skater's opinion, so the thought on everyone's mind was always: anyone but Jesse. 

"You're right," Jesse said, "I might sound like Sebastian, but I'm nothing like him when I skate. I'm better. See you on the ice soon, Kurt. Maybe at the next Worlds?" He winked. 

Kurt clenched his jaw. Jesse knew that in order for him to compete at Worlds, he'd have to quit being Blaine's coach immediately and go back to practice, and that would only happen if Blaine lost. 

"Oh, and Blaine... It's almost your turn." Jesse walked away to his coach.

Kurt and Blaine looked at each other. They hadn't even seen Mason's routine but the man was already finishing it. The second group was about to go on and Blaine was going first. Kurt took his hand again and stepped closer. "Did you warm up enough? Did you drink enough water?"

"Don't worry, I'm fine. I'm not going to let him intimidate me." Blaine offered him a reassuring smile. "All I need is for you to believe in me right now."

He leaned in and pressed a quick and sweet kiss to Kurt's lips.

"For luck?" Kurt smiled. 

"For luck."

The cameras were all pointed at them as Kurt leaned down to tie the shoelaces of Blaine's skate as the younger man leaned against the board. The press had been speculating on the status of their relationship ever since the kiss. Kurt wasn't ashamed of showing affection to Blaine at all, but he did not want the media to focus on their relationship instead of their work together. The taller man looked up and Blaine was staring right back at him, he seemed a lot more worried now then he felt inside the waiting area. 

Kurt stood up and could understand why. The entire audience was watching them, screaming and trying to get their attention. They were in France, after all. The French had enormous admiration and respect for Kurt. The man just hoped they were rooting for Blaine too. 

"And now the score for Mason McCartney... 89.65. Mason is currently in second place." 

The audience cheered as the Italian man and his sister hugged and went back inside. The second group was about to go on after a small break. Blaine took off his 'Team USA' jacket and handed it to Kurt before he moved to enter the ice. The audience again began to cheer and their screams were louder as Kurt decided to give them some attention. He waved at them while Blaine approached the barrier and took another sip of water. 

Blaine wasn't sure what was going on inside his head anymore. He wasn't his usual insecure self, but he wasn't completely confident either. Now that he and Kurt were together, he sure had a lot more to prove. The media would surely speculate that they weren't taking the competition seriously anymore if Blaine failed now. And in Blaine's mind, he kept thinking about Blaise's words. Even after all that had happened, he might still lose Kurt.

'Focus on your Eros,'  He told himself. 

Eros...

Now that he and Kurt were together, would his Eros performance change? Would it still be about cronuts?

Blaine smirked to himself. Who was he kidding? It was never really about cronuts. It had always been about one person. What changed was that now he knew that person felt the same. That person was responsible for him experiencing true Eros in every pore of his body for the first time. That man was standing right in front of him, but something wasn't right, Blaine decided, as the other man waved at the audience that was chanting his name and giving them his full attention.

Blaine had always heard that he was so insecure sometimes that he had difficulty deciding and expressing what he wanted. Not this time, though, he was determined. In one sudden move, he reached for Kurt's tie - It was black, his coach had decided to wear colors that would match his student's costume - and pulled it. Hard enough to get Kurt's attention back to what really mattered. 

"The performance has already begun, Kurt," Blaine said, his voice coming out huskier than he expected. Good. He knew the effect that had on Kurt.  

And the man was undeniably surprised, but Blaine got the reaction he wanted. Not everyone had the privilege of seeing Kurt flustered. 

"You're right," Kurt replied in a whisper. He knew he wasn't allowed to take his eyes off Blaine anymore.

Blaine smiled, glancing down at the man's lips before he spoke, "Don't worry, I will make you proud in your home country. I'll show my love to all of France."

He skated away then, opening his arms to greet the audience that was welcoming him with cheers. He hoped no one was able to catch his blushing cheeks on camera or anything. Blaine chuckled to himself, it was a bit embarrassing to do that to Kurt, his own coach. The old Blaine could never...

Blaine nodded respectfully at the judges and stopped, getting into position. He had thought the crowd of enemy territory would be far more intimidating. Their respect for Kurt kept them friendly... but, Blaine decided he needed to make them respect him now, too. He smiled, looking down at the ice. Something inside him always woke up when it was time to skate to Eros. The need to impress and seduce everyone in the audience made him feel hot inside like there was fire running inside his veins. 

The Eros song started, and Blaine had heard that song so many times now that he just had to move on instinct, moving his arms to dance to the harmony. 

"From the United States, Blaine Anderson, age 23. He's skating to 'On Love: Eros'."

The step sequence was mostly the same, but Blaine knew he had to keep it fresh. He'd have no difficulty doing it this time. Something felt different. His journey with the song and the routine had been long. The moment he first heard it, he'd a face of confusion and decided it wasn't for him. He was so glad Kurt had proved him wrong. Blaine had made a few changes to the story, making himself the one being desired, instead of being a seducer. Openly letting himself feel as if he was the most beautiful person in the ice rink. 

"He's been beating his short program personal bests since the first event in the series, that is very impressive."

"I agree. Being coached by Mr. Hummel has definitely improved his skills. In this event, he'll need to finish fourth or higher to advance to the Grand Prix Final."

Then Blaine had discovered the fun part of the whole routine. The seduction. Blaine had never been the kind of man that tried to seduce other men, he had always been too shy to make the first move. That changed on the ice. He looked at the audience with a discrete smirk. It was a game to be played. A feeling to be conveyed as he made every move. Part of the journey had also changed after they shared their first kiss. 

They no longer had barriers. It took only a few days before Blaine finally let himself explore that sexual love. They were taking things slow, but Blaine could not resist Kurt's touch. The way Kurt's hands danced on his body filled him with want, and when Kurt noticed that, he made sure that Blaine would get his senses kicked into overdrive. 

"What do you feel?" Kurt would ask, while they were together, half-naked and breathing heavily after they had kissed each other senseless with the younger man pressed firmly against the bedroom wall. As if Blaine even remembered how to speak properly. "Tell me, Blaine..." 

And Blaine didn't know how to reply. He couldn't begin to describe the electricity flowing inside him. In the darkness of that room, his senses felt completely overloaded with want. He felt like a prey, but he wasn't scared, no. He wanted it. Blaine wanted Kurt to just take him. 

Kurt was smiling as he watched Blaine struggle with the answer. So he decided to explain it to him. "This... is Eros. In its true form."

That was when Blaine truly knew what it meant.  He knew he had to skate to it. During that entire month, he had practiced achieving that feeling again during skating. Right then, during that performance, he closed his eyes and remembered the way Kurt would breathe against his ear, "This desire, this need that you're feeling right now. Skate to it." 

'This may become the last time I can skate this program with Kurt at my side as my coach. I can't let this be the last time...'

Blaine looked right at Kurt for a few seconds while he danced. The other man was looking at him, biting his bottom lip. This whole experience couldn't end just yet. Kurt and he had just found a new way of learning together, of creating. They had each other now like they never had anyone before. Kurt was the only person that could awake that overwhelming and addictive feeling inside him. 

'Maybe no one in France, or even the entire world, wants me to win.' Thinking that ran a chill up Blaine's spine as if he was all alone in the world and all he had was the ice and Kurt. 

He wanted to win. He desperately wanted to win and make Kurt proud. Blaine wanted to keep showing Kurt how good he could be.

"Here comes his first planned jump, a triple axel from a spread eagle." 

Blaine took a deep breath. The most difficult part of his program was this second half. His legs were completely straight and spread apart, with his toes pointing in opposite directions in a perfect spread eagle. He took impulse from there and jumped. Three and a half spins later and he was landing on the ice.  

"Very clean!"

Blaine mentally celebrated, moving on from the jump with a smile. Now it was time to focus on a more technical aspect of the routine. He could not miss the jumps and have any deductions. He knew he had done a good job in the first half. The feared Quadruple Salchow jump was coming up. It was like he could feel Kurt's hand guiding his hips as they did during practice. He approached the jump calmly, and as his feet left the ice, he knew he would not make any mistakes this time. 

"Amazing, Blaine!" Kurt cheered from the border. His eyes, as promised, never looking anywhere else but at Blaine. 

From the success Salchow, he moved on to a quadruple toe loop, a triple toe loop. Blaine was on a roll and he knew it. It only gave him more confidence to play the character he needed to play in that program.  

"He nailed the last combination, too! Wow, Anderson has surprised us once again!" The narrator said, impressed. 

Reminded of the presence of Blaise, Blaine wondered if the teenager was watching his routine. He hoped Blaise would notice how much he'd improved ever since the Lima On Ice event. How much he had grown, he could feel it in his body and mind. Kurt had entered his life and changed everything for the better. Blaine knew Blaise had improved too, and he couldn't wait to see it that night. Then they could really compete. 

As he twirled on a flying sit spin, he knew his program was coming to an end. That was it, he had done his best, and his final pose was met with loud applause. 

"Another flawless performance, following his last short program in the Cup of China! The crowd is giving him a standing ovation!"

It was true, they were. Blaine fell to his knees as he watched the crowd standing up in front of him, and this time chanting his name. He had done it once again. There was still hope that he and Kurt would move on to the Final and win a beautiful gold medal that Blaine wanted so badly. 

"Blaine!" That sweet and beautiful voice called louder, Blaine turned to that direction and saw Kurt with the happiest smile. 

'My skating must have gotten my message across...'  

He skated to the exit, where Kurt was already waiting with open arms. He fell into the man's embrace and closed his eyes. The cheer of the audience and the knowledge that he had just surpassed himself was an indescribable feeling. After all this time, he truly felt wanted and loved. 

"Kurt..." Blaine breathed out, smiling. 

"You did it, Blaine." Kurt pulled back, he had the coach mode on then, obviously worrying they'd get a deduction if Blaine didn't step away from the ice. "We should go to the kiss and cry."

"Kurt..." Blaine tried again, looking right into the man's blue eyes, "I love you."

They had said that word so many times. Blaine had made it clear before that he loved Kurt in so many ways, but he had never actually said those three little words together. No matter how many times he had skated with the power of that love, something felt different when he finally said it like that.

In his mind, in a flash, he was reminded of all the different ways he had loved Kurt. When he was a little kid, he loved him as an idol. When he was in his teens, Kurt Hummel became something he desired and admired, and also a goal. Kurt Hummel became his first crush too. He would find himself staring at his poster, mesmerized by the beauty of that angelic man. He realized that everything about Kurt attracted him: his pale pink lips, that beautiful pale skin, his chestnut hair that looked like it smelled so good. His ocean blue eyes... His body was perfect too. As he got older, he loved Kurt as if he was a god, like Kurt was so above everyone else. He loved him as an opponent that he longed to face one day. 

Then Kurt Hummel showed up at his house, offering his services as a coach. He loved Kurt then because Kurt was the only one who could surprise him like that. After that, he loved Kurt more and more: as his teacher, his mentor, an ice skating legend, as a friend, as an inspiring individual that shone on the ice right before Blaine.

Then, just when Blaine thought he couldn't love Kurt more, the man tore down his walls, and then Blaine loved him for who he truly was, a man who wasn't perfect, that had his insecurities. He loved Kurt for being unique and real, not for being a living legend. For being Kurt, a complex individual who was beautiful in a way that Blaine never would have gotten to know if Kurt hadn't let him in. Complex in a way that matched Blaine's own complexity. 

He had fallen in love with Kurt.

"I love you, too," Kurt looked at him like he was the most beautiful person in the entire world. 

Kurt had fallen in love with him too. 

Blaine's smile was the brightest. Kurt handed Blaine his guards, which Blaine gladly took and clipped onto his blades. He could not wait to see his score, which wasn't usually what he felt. It felt nice not being scared. 

The curtains had opened before Blaise, he stepped out to the rink. Blaine Anderson was just finishing his performance of Eros and he had to watch him try the Quadruple Salchow. The jump Blaise had taught him once, back in the United States. Blaise was still wearing his jacket, hiding the costume that once belonged to Kurt underneath. His Coach and the ballet teacher that had helped him practice for this program followed him as he approached the board, to watch Blaine closer. They were standing close to Kurt, but just like in Lima, Kurt only had eyes for Blaine. 

'You've improved a lot since Lima, haven't you?' Blaise narrowed his eyes, so intrigued by Blaine's presentation that he wasn't quite hearing what his coach was saying to him as last-minute advice. 

He turned again to the audience. Blaise hadn't heard from his grandfather all day. The man had said he'd show up, and part of Blaise thought he depended on it to find his true Agape and improve his routine even more. 

Coach Sylvester pulled Blaise's jacket off as Blaine received the applause after his program ended. If the woman was nervous for Blaise she never showed. They had been working harder than ever before together in the past month. She had asked her friend, a world-renowned ballet teacher called Madam Tibideaux, to help Blaise achieve the greatest shape possible. If everything went well, Blaise would become the youngest figure skater in history to win the Grand Prix Series. 

Anderson was finally stepping out, so Blaise took a deep breath to finally enter the ice. Kurt and Blaine finally noticed his presence when they pulled away from their hug. They looked surprised to see the confidence in Blaise. He was still wearing the white, partly see-through and shiny costume that Kurt had worn years ago, the same Blaise had chosen to wear for the face-off. This time, however, they could see he had grown into it, looking more determined and confident than ever. 

"Out of the way, pig." 

Blaine widened his eyes but stepped away. The teenager stepped into the ice, not interested in hearing anything Kurt or Blaine would have to say to him. He didn't need their 'good luck' or sympathy. The French audience may have loved Blaine's performance, but Blaise knew they would actually root for him. He would make his country proud. Young teenagers like himself were his biggest fans. They screamed his name as soon as they saw him. They called him 'little lamb' because of his last name. Blaise thought that was humiliating, but his coach told him to always be nice to them no matter what. 

Coach Sylvester called him, she had a few words to say to him before he started. He skated over to the board, where she was and kept his eyes down as she spoke.

"Blaise, no need to get tense just because it's the Internationaux de France." She began, and Madam Tibideaux continued,

"You need to be confident right now, your dedication during practice will pay off."

Blaise swallowed hard, he realized he was not paying attention to anything they were saying. Would his mind start playing tricks on him now? 

'I can't hear properly,' Blaise frowned, 'Get it together. Get it together...'

"Attention for the announcement of the score for Blaine Anderson. The score is... 109.97!"

Another personal record, Blaise clenched his jaw as he watched Kurt and Blaine celebrate together in the kiss and cry. Blaine was currently in first place. The two men held each other until Kurt pulled back and got down on his knees, shocking Blaise. 'Wait! Is he...?'

No, Kurt just grabbed Blaine's foot so he could kiss his skate. 

"Oh, my! Overcome with happiness, Hummel kissed Anderson's skate!" 

Blaise watched with a frown. Kurt was way too dramatic sometimes, and of course, the audience was eating it all up. Anderson looked up and caught Blaise looking right at them. The teenager was surprised when Blaine waved with a smile and yelled, "Good luck out there, Blaise!"

Kurt turned to look at him as well,  "Blaise, bonne chance!"

Those comments. 

They filled Blaise with rage. How dare they act like they were so superior? Like they were so sure they would win this that didn't even feel like he was a threat. The announcer had barely begun to speak and Blaise had already left the barrier and moved on to the center of the rink. Coach Sylvester yelled at him for going too quickly. She could tell he wasn't focused enough, but Blaise just ignored her. It was his time to shine. He could do this. 

"The next skater, known as the French Punk, Blaise Lambiel, age 15." The narrator informed, "His program was choreographed by Kurt Hummel." 

After properly greeting the audience, he went to his starting pose. 

'Damn it, I'm not so bad on my luck that I need them cheering me on.' 

The arena fell quiet, and the song was finally played. The soft melody wasn't doing much to Blaise's nerves. His breathing still too hectic. 

"The song used in his program is On Love: Agape. A different arrangement of Anderson's song and with opposite themes." 

Blaise got more speed, perhaps more than necessary. As he lifted his hand, he decided his movements were too heavy. The problem with realizing that he needed to calm down was that it only made him more anxious and upset. 

'I'm not feeling the Agape... Damn it! I'm angry!'

"The first jump is coming up, a Triple Axel."

Too fast. Blaise knew he was going to fast. He took off for the first jump and as soon as his feet left the ice, he knew he had been too sloppy. 

He fell on the ice, hitting his elbow hard, but in his mind, he knew he couldn't stop. Nothing would stop him then. No matter what, he wouldn't give up. Not when he was so close to getting a spot on the Final. He got up. 

'Fuck! I hadn't messed this Axel up since last year...'  He thought, as he continued with the step sequence, his hands moving alongside his body as he looked up at the sky. He was supposed to be showing innocence, but he was aware that his facial expression was far from it. He was desperate and pissed off. 

"Now moving to a flying sit-spin."

Blaise had finally controlled his speed before he began to spin, doing a flying sit-spin gracefully. 

"His position is quite beautiful. Very well done." 

'I've been so dedicated to this. I've poured blood, sweat, and tears into this.'  Blaise finished his spin and opened his arms as if they were wings as he continued his presentation, while his blades cut the ice, he passed by Kurt and Blaine. They were watching. He forced himself to get it together.

'Ever since that humiliation, I've promised myself I'd surpass you, Anderson.' 

He turned around, his feet moved as if they could walk on ice. The entire audience was drawn to it, seeing his every move. He knew he could be great. One day, people would call him a living legend too. 

'I just lack experience, that's all.'

"And now, his first quadruple jump of the program is going to be done in a combination. Let's see how well he does it."

Blaise tried to search for his Agape. It wouldn't come from his grandfather's presence, but perhaps he could focus on the way people from all over the world were there, cheering him on. He looked down at himself and felt beautiful on that shiny white costume, those feathers never failed to impress him when he moved. He looked like a bird. 

Blaise launched himself into the air for the jumps. 

"A quadruple Salchow..." When it was done, Blaise jumped again, "A triple flip! A magnificent combination with the right speed and impressive height."

It was hard for anyone to believe that Blaise was just debuting on the senior division that season. He was definitely someone to be looked up to. His jumps and spins were generally very clean, very impressive for someone his age. Kurt and Blaine were watching from the barrier, they had mixed emotions. Blaise was their opponent, of course, but they couldn't help rooting for the boy.

"And here comes the last jump..." 

Another Quadruple. A toe loop this time, right at the end of the program. Blaise couldn't be more grateful that it was ending. He knew he wasn't doing his absolute best, and it was hard to come to terms with that during the performance. 

"Even when he wasn't at his best, he always analyzed his performance," Coach Sylvester commented to Madam Tibideaux

The other woman nodded, "He made a strong comeback mid-program. A great job. He has to be proud of himself as a work of art until the very end." 

The boy made it to the final combination spin. It was the hardest he had ever done in his life and the speed wasn't all that great, but his movements were light and organic. He looked at the ice, so close to his face and let out a breath. He would end this with grace. 

He stood tall as he lifted both hands, clasped together, to the sky. The audience recognized this as the final pose and began to applaud loudly. 

"Blaise Lambiel has delivered a wonderful program in response to the local supporters' high expectations here in Grenoble!"

Blaise finally let himself breathe properly. He watched the audience scream his name and stand up to cheer for him. He let himself smile a little and took a bow. As he began to leave, his fans began to yell out. 

"Little lamb! Little lamb! Little lamb!"

As annoying as that nickname was, he was glad he had fans. He moved to the exit and the next skater was already there. Jesse St. James's face staring right at him with an arrogant smile was enough to make him feel pissed all over again. 

"Little lamb, huh?" Jesse chuckled. 

Blaise narrowed his eyes in anger. He had forgotten there was someone way more annoying than those two: Jesse St. James, known as J.J to his fans. The guy who had snatched the gold medal from him the last time. He was standing in the way and Blaise could do nothing but glare. Jesse stepped away and bowed a little. 

"Oh, sorry. Ladies first," He smirked, and his coach laughed. 

Blaise held himself back from stomping his feet because he didn't want to damage his custom made blades just because of some asshole. Thankfully, coach Sylvester showed up with his blade guards so they could move to the kiss and cry and forget about Jesse St. James.

He put on his jacket again, feeling cold. He knew it was all because he was nervous. Blaise desperately wanted to end in first place. Sitting on the kiss and cry next to Sue and Madam Tibideaux, he felt a little lonely. Both women were not very affectionate. Part of Blaise liked that, but sometimes he missed some support. 

"Now the score for Blaise Lambiel... 98.09. He's in second place, currently."

Blaise looked down, wanting to kick himself. If only he had found his true Agape this wouldn't have happened. 

"Good. But not good enough."  Madam Tibideaux turned to the young boy. He still wouldn't look at anyone in the eye. 

Anderson had beaten him once again that night. 

"The last competitor of the night is Jesse St. James, 19 years old, from Canada. His fans call him J.J." 

The crowd raised up their posters and signs showing their support to Jesse. The man grinned and them, happy to see the Canadian flag everywhere. Many people would say he was arrogant, but Jesse considered himself just very confident, that was all. It didn't matter if the other skaters hated him. Like his girlfriend would sing to him sometimes: people throw rocks at things that shine. 

"He'll be skating to an original song written for him. The title of the song is 'Theme Of King J.J'."

The speakers began to play his song, and Jesse opened his arms to the world as the first verse hit him.

'In all of the world, I'm the only skater one to have a famous rock band to write a song just for me, and I can perform with them because I'm a singer too.' Jesse got ready for his first jump. 

It was a combination. A quadruple toe-loop, followed by a triple toe-loop. Most skaters didn't do combination jumps right at the beginning of the program, but not Jesse. 

"He opens his program with two big jumps!" The narrator spoke for the people watching on television, "He was the bronze medalist at the last Grand Prix Final. Recently, he took gold at Skate Canada, and seems to be on a roll."

Jesse grinned brightly, he had another jump coming to impress the crowd and the judges. A triple axel, so high it almost passed the border. He was one of the top skater's, and people expected him to do these jumps later on the program as most top skaters did. Not him. Jesse liked to dance according to the combination of the music.

The man on the ice spun, never taking his smile off his face. The chorus was coming up and he wanted everyone to sing along. Most people on the audience already knew the words to his song.  

I can rule the world J.J
Just follow me
I will break the walls now look at me

Jesse felt empowered, the audience clapping and singing along to his theme song was enough for him to know that he was the only one who deserved to win. 

With the final score announced, Blaine knew for sure that he was in second place that night - Jesse's score had been 113.56, surpassing his score at Skate Canada. Things were looking good, though, he had good chances of advancing to the Final, but the Free Programs the next day could change everything. Kurt and he were standing together for their final interviews of the night. The reporters were asking about important technical elements of his performance and he was proud of Kurt for answering everything so well. Blaine usually got nervous during interviews. One of the questions, though, was for him. 

A red-haired woman stepped forward to ask him, "It seems like everything is going very well for you, Blaine."

Everyone smiled, as Blaine instinctively looked at Kurt and grinned, blushing slightly. "It's true," he said. 

The woman went on. "After a bad year for you last year, you are now breaking new personal bests every time, and you are one of the favorites to win at this year's Grand Prix Series. So... How do you feel about that?" 

Blaine took a moment to think. He bit his lip before he replied honestly. "Scared that I've reached my peak, but still confident I have a lot to learn to improve my routines. I sometimes feel like-..."

He paused, feeling his phone buzzing inside his pocket. It was unusual for anyone to be calling at this hour. He just ignored it and went on:

"... Like something is about to go wrong, you know?" He chuckled a little, "I'm not used to everything going so well. Ever since Kurt decided to become my coach my life has been changed for the better and I hope this doesn't end now." 

The woman thanked him for the answer. While Kurt got another question about the challenges he was facing as a new coach, Blaine's phone rang again. Weird. He took it out of his pocket and checked the number. It was from Cooper. 

He smiled, certainly, he was calling to celebrate, but he had told him countless times how hectic everything was right after a competition. He would only be available later that night. He knew that, so why was he insisting on calling?

An awful gut feeling took over Blaine. 

"I'll be right back, okay?" He whispered to Kurt before he stepped away from the reporters' cameras. He needed to find out the reason why Cooper was calling him before his anxiety would get the best of him.

Blaine waited for Cooper to pick up. His heart was pounding. He just hoped that he was wrong and nothing bad had happened. He just wanted to hear him saying that he butt-dialed him, or that he got confused with the time zones. 

"Blaine... Hi." 

That did not sound good. Blaine swallowed hard, almost losing the ability to speak. "H-hi, Coop. You tried to call me. Did something happen?"

The man was quiet on the line, Blaine could hear that he was probably outdoors, he could hear a car passing by. 

"I'm sorry I called during the event, you must be very busy, I just-..." He let out a breath. 

"Cooper, what's wrong?" Blaine frowned. 

Cooper finally replied. "It's Hepburn. She-... she stole some buns. They had a plastic wrapping on them and she ate it," he was holding back tears, "it got stuck in her throat."

"Oh, my god..." Blaine whispered, his knees almost gave out.

"We brought her to the vet clinic, but we don't know if she's going to make it."

Flashes of the last year came to Blaine's mind. He had received a similar call just before he competed at the Grand Prix Final. Cooper had called to tell him that Lizzie, his beloved dog, had passed away. It hurt Blaine to this day he wasn't there to say goodbye to her. He knew that Kurt would suffer so much, too. Hepburn was his family. That dog meant the world to him, she had been present in his life ever since he was in his teens. Kurt could not be away from her in that moment, it wasn't right. 

"I'm so sorry, Blaine," he sniffled, "what should we do?"

"Kurt, we have to go. Right now, you have to-... you gotta go back to America."

Blaine interrupted the interview, grabbing Kurt's arm and pulling it a little. The journalists in the room were left confused as they both stepped away from the cameras.

"Blaine, what are you doing?" Kurt followed him away from the reporters in the designated area. 

"Please, we have to go."

Blaine was holding back tears and Kurt could tell. The man wouldn't talk to him until they were further away from the cameras, though. They moved back to the dressing room, not many people were still there and Blaine was going to grab his belongings quickly so they could leave. He turned to Kurt and finally he let a tear fall. 

"Blaine, please, tell me what's going on. W-why do I have to go back to America?"

"It's Hepburn. She's dying."

It hit Kurt like a bullet. It couldn't be true... The memory of his dog's little furry face came. He remembered the first time he ever saw her, in a tiny little box, abandoned on the streets during winter in France. She had let out a tiny puppy bark as he walked passed the alley where she was hiding. It was like she was calling out to him. His eyes filled with tears and he shook his head. It couldn't be true.

"How?" He breathed out, it was all he could say. 

"She ate something that got stuck in her throat," Blaine stepped closer to him, ready to comfort him. "She's in surgery." 

The older man fell into his embrace. The tears wouldn't stop coming, but he didn't let himself openly cry yet, so he cried in silence. He couldn't just leave Blaine there, he had to be strong. Even if he had to hide his pain from the world and from Blaine just to be there. Kurt couldn't imagine leaving Blaine to face the Free Program alone the next day. They were so close, and everything could come tumbling down. But, it was Hepburn... 

"You must go back..."

"I can't, Blaine."

"Please, Kurt. You have to." Blaine pulled back to look at the other man. Kurt wouldn't meet his eyes because he knew he wouldn't be able to lie. He desperately wanted to go, "I won't forgive myself if you don't go, Kurt. You'll regret it."

"I can't leave you alone right now..."

"I'll face the Free Program alone tomorrow."

"No... I can't let you, Blaine." Kurt insisted, "I-..."

The door of the dressing room opened and a few more people walked in. They turned to look and saw Blaise and Sue. The coach was talking to her student, telling him not to eat any croissants the next day. When Blaise noticed their presence, he stopped walking, and when he saw Kurt crying he froze. He had never seen Kurt cry before, no matter what happened he was always so strong. 

The young boy took a step closer as if he could do anything to help. He looked from Blaine to Kurt, trying to figure out what was going on. Had they broken up? "Kurt... What happened?"

Kurt trembled and let out a shaky breath. His eyes went from Blaise to Sue. The woman seemed puzzled as she stared at the scene. 

"Sue!" Kurt raised his eyebrows. He walked up closer to her, she was the only answer to his problem at hand. "It's so good you're here. You're the only coach for me at the moment, please. I'm begging you to help me."

Sue frowned a little. Kurt knew she was mean sometimes, but she wasn't actually cruel. She was just very competitive. Sue had helped him countless times before. He just needed her one more time. 

"I need you to be Blaine's coach. Just for tomorrow."

Kurt announced, leaving everyone in the room shocked. 

Chapter Text

Later that night, they were standing at the airport. Kurt had his plane ticket in his hand and his other hand was holding tightly onto Blaine's. The younger skater wished more than anything that he could just drop everything and follow Kurt back to the United States. Staying behind alone would be very scary, but Blaine felt awful that Kurt would have to go through all that without Blaine to support him... He could tell the older man was terrified of losing his beloved dog. 

"Anything you don't understand, you can ask Coach Sylvester, okay? Don't be intimidated by her," Kurt spoke, his eyes looking worriedly at Blaine. It seemed like a miracle, but Sue had actually agreed to be Blaine's coach for one day. "I think this time, she genuinely wants to help."

Blaine softened at the man's words, even with all the hurt he was feeling because of Hepburn, Kurt was still concerned about Blaine. "Baby..." He didn't use a term of endearment often, but this time he couldn't help it. "I'll be fine. I promise you, don't even think about the competition right now, you have Hep to worry about." 

Kurt shook his head, "If I think about her too much, I- I'll-...." He didn't need to finish the sentence. Blaine could already see the tears building up. 

Blaine squeezed the man's hand and stepped closer. He felt a lump in his throat. Part of him wanted to say that everything would be fine, that Hepburn would live and recover well. He wanted to say that he could do this alone, that he was confident that he would get a great score and advance to the Final.

But he couldn't lie to Kurt. 

They announced the last call to Kurt's flight. Blaine felt the older man's arm tighten around him before he let go. 

"You've been so amazing, Blaine..." Kurt's hand slid down from Blaine's shoulder to his hand. "You can do this. You won't be alone, I'll be thinking about you the entire time." 

"Me too." Blaine whispered, tears finally falling as he realized he would miss Kurt's embrace. "I love you."

"I love you too." 

And then they let go.

The next morning:

Blaine had woken up alone in Kurt's apartment. The place felt colder than usual without his presence. Blaine had made himself breakfast, gave himself a pep talk, and stopped himself from calling Kurt. Kurt needed some time to rest from the trip and to give all his attention to Hepburn - who had survived but was still in the hospital. She would need a couple of days there to recover from the surgery. 

As Blaine heads to practice he prepares himself for the nightmare he's about to endure. Kurt had said that Sue seemed to be genuinely wanting to help, but Blaine knew better. If she had the opportunity to sabotage him, she would. He'd have to keep an eye on her the whole time while also focusing on doing his best on the ice.

He was so close to never making it to the Final. 

In the end, the morning practice didn't go very well. Blaine had barely exchanged a few words with his substitute coach and everyone noticed it, including Blaise.

Blaine had no clue what the teenager was thinking about all of this. It was quite obvious he hadn't approved of Sue's decision because of the look on his face. But Blaise seemed deeply concerned for Kurt. Blaise hadn't said a word to them the entire time, though. 

After practice was over, Blaine left the ice with a heavy heart. He was alone and wanting so badly to be home with Kurt and Hepburn giving them all the support they needed. The entire situation meant so much to him. He had to make himself relax and show to the world - and to himself - that he was capable of doing it on his own. Even with so much going on, even with all that pressure. If he lost now, then everyone would know for certain that Blaine Anderson was nothing without Kurt Hummel's help.

As he moved to the locker room, he noticed his hand was shaking. Blaine took a deep breath and wished he could just make his anxiety disappear. 

"Blaise, your grandfather is here." 

He heard Coach Sylvester calling, that's when he noticed that the teenager had been standing close to him and was looking at him with intrigued eyes.

Blaise quickly averted his gaze to somewhere else, put on a hood, and left the locker room.

Blaise stepped outside, spotting his grandfather's old, green car immediately. The teenager visibly relaxed, he didn't have to look so tough anymore, he was safe there with his Grandfather. 

"Pépé, I..." Blaise started with a small smile. "I wasn't expecting you here. Aren't you supposed to be resting?"

"I'm sorry I couldn't come yesterday," The old man said in a sweet voice before he approached his Grandson with a brown paper bag. "But I brought something to make it up to you."

Blaise glanced down at the bag. "You didn't have to. I understand. You weren't feeling well." Still, he took the bag. He couldn't resist his Grandfather's baked goods. 

"Well, I think you deserve a treat." The man chuckled softly, opening the door so they could sit in the car instead of standing outside in the cold. 

Once they were seated, Blaine opened the bag and smiled as he reached for the croissant. He didn't waste any time and took a bite. He frowned as a taste he was not expecting filled his mouth. "Wait, this is...?"

Louis laughed. "Is that it? Does it taste good like the cronuts you had in America?"

Blaise was looking at him with wide eyes and a big smile. He loved that man so much. "Pépé... This is perfect."

Anyone watching that scene would not recognize Blaise. He was nothing like The French Punk everyone was so used to. 

"I'm glad. It's for good luck." Louis smiled softly. "I made two. You can share one with one of your friends." 

"I have no friends here," Blaise said firmly as he took another bite and looked straight ahead.

"Then maybe someone who needs it..."

"Look, I know what you're implying." Blaise huffed and turned to his Grandfather. "And I'm not sharing this with Anderson, okay? He's my competition, and I'm not going to be nice to someone I want to beat."

Louis watched his Grandson for a moment and shook his head. "You are a very good skater, Blaise. Very talented. But you have much still to learn..."

Blaise was offended. "What? You think that pig can teach me something I don't know? I'm a better skater than he will ever be, that's a fact!"

"About life." Louis interrupted him. "About winning and losing things. I know how important the competition is for you, my Grandson, but as you get older you'll realize that you should not push your friends away. Friends like Kurt."

"But, Pépé, he humiliated m-"

"I know, I know, I heard that a million times, Blaise! But you have to grow out of that. When you lose, it feels awful, but the best you can do is to look at it as an experience that made you learn more. Losing that face-off lit a fire on you that made you want to be better and better. Maybe you would not have come this far if you hadn't lost that day. And you know it wasn't personal." 

Blaise looked down. "He was supposed to help me. Stick by my side."

"He never refused to help you, Blaise." Louis frowned. "Kurt never ended his friendship with you. You were the one to push him away."

Blaise remained quiet. It was a lot to take in and on the inside, he was battling with all those conflicting feelings about this whole situation. His Grandfather went on:

"It hurts when we lose. You are probably going to lose more times in your career, and it's going to hurt a lot. But I guarantee that having people who care about you around you is going to help it heal a lot faster." Louis told him softly. "And besides, even when you do win... Who will be there to celebrate with you? Other than me, of course." He offered the boy a smile. 

Blaise sighed and reached for the other croissant, taking a bite of it. Louis wasn't sure if that meant that Blaise was going to keep being stubborn, but the fact that he was listening to him was good enough for now.

"Group Two is finally about to start in the Men's Singles Free Skate. Each skater comes into this event with his own hopes and fears. This event will determine who advances to the Grand Prix Final. Group Two's first competitor, currently in sixth place, is the Czech Republic's Jeff Sterling, age 18."

Blaine watched from the television while he warmed up. As much as he tried, he couldn't focus on other people's performances as much as he needed. His mind was somewhere else and there was no one there to keep him grounded. To say he missed Kurt there was an understatement. 

Blaine and alone and he knew that. Kurt had texted him several times and even called, but right there and then there was no one with him. Kurt had said that Coach Sylvester would be there for him... That wasn't really true. Of course she had her full attention on Blaise. Blaine didn't even blame her. The teenager was her real student after all. 

At the same time that he longed for support, Blaine decided that this was an opportunity for him to grow. To show himself that he could do this without Kurt too, he was strong enough.

"Listen, before I go in, I just... I've struggled with this for a while now, and I need to talk to you, okay?" 

Blaine turned his head discreetly. Those twins were arguing again. 

"You know you can tell me anything, Mason." Madison blinked innocently, waiting for him to speak.

"Just... Watch me. But from here. Don't go outside to cheer me on anymore. I need my space, Madison!"

The girl gasped, looking as if she had been slapped across the face. "But we... We're twins. We've been together since the womb! I want to support you."

"We have to learn not to depend on each other so much. I'm going to win, with or without your support." He said finally and turned around to leave. His coach was waiting. 

Mason's free skating program broke his personal record. He skated to Queen's "I Want To Break Free" which made his message to his sister very clear. That prompted her to apologize to him. She never meant to suffocate him so much.

Jane was also present that day, and everyone could tell they had been flirting for a while now. The only reason why Mason hadn't asked her out was because of the jealousy of his sister. With that out of the way, maybe they'd get the opportunity to go on at least one date. 

Not only had it been his best performance, but he had now become a real threat to Blaine, who watched nervously as Mason's score came on the screen. 

His total score was 282.89. Currently in first place. He had beaten Jeff, and the skater from Thailand named Wes. Blaine had to watch them already packing their belongings and admitting defeat. They would not make it to the Grand Prix Final.

Blaise wasn't fazed by Mason. Some random guy he didn't even remember the name didn't scare him. He was focused on his real competition. 

The teenager walked into the arena wearing his hoodie still. He turned to his Coach and ballet teacher as he kept looking down. 

"I'm changing the jump composition," Blaise announced. 

Sue frowned. Her instinct telling her that it wasn't wise to let Blaise change something so important at the last minute. "What do you propose?"

Blaise swallowed hard, but he was determined. "I'll reduce the number of jumps from the first half from four to two."

"What?" Sue almost yelled. "So you'll have six in the second half?"

"That's right."

Sue widened her eyes. "Do you have a death wish?"

His response was to take off his jacket and guards so he could step on the ice. He knew that was the only way he could beat Blaine and Jesse St. James. Nothing could stop him from getting that gold medal. Blaise needed to beat them both. 

"Here on his home turf, we have Blaise Lambiel, age 15. He was in third place in the short program yesterday." The announcer said.

Blaise could hear the French audience cheering for him. He absorbed that for a moment with his eyes closed as he got into position. They were calling his name. They loved him.

He would get his first gold medal of the season here. In his hometown. That's all he needed.

The music began. The sound of the piano was fast and strict. Not only it was a difficult piece to play, but also a difficult piece to skate to.

"He is skating to 'Allegro Appassionato in B Minor'. The program was choreographed by Carmen Tibideaux, former principal of the Bolshoi Ballet."

Blaise moved so fast on the ice that the people in the audience could barely keep up with him. The blades hit the ice with force as his costume reflected the fire that this performance needed in order to be done properly.

It was black, with red and pink patterns and feathers sewn into it to look like flames. He even had flames in his skates. 

"For Blaise Lambiel's senior debut, they've chosen a piece that is well-known for its difficulty and heart-pounding intensity."

"He's been allowed to attempt quads since his debut as a senior. And he's the first of two in this program."

Blaise took off in the ice, his slim body spinning quickly into the air before a perfect landing. 

"Wow! Just like in his short program, he landed that with confidence!"

Blaise opened his eyes, his expression showed nothing but focus on the performance and beauty. Carmen and Sue watched him close to the barrier. They weren't proud yet, it was too soon to tell...

Blaise lifted his left leg up high and leaned in, close to the ice. 

"Now, he has planned a triple axel from a spiral..."

Blaine was watching from the audience. He could hear the comments from the other figure skaters. No one could take their eyes away from Blaise, he didn't even seem like himself. 

"That was really high. Doesn't he seem too psyched up?" One of the girls commented. 

Meanwhile, a smile began to form on Carmen Tibideaux's face. "That's right, Blaise..." She whispered to herself. "Dance with beauty."

Blaise could still remember the ache in his body from all the training she had put him through. Both coaches were harsh on him, too harsh. But he would endure anything in order to win. They could have his whole body and soul. 

He remembered Carmen's words. Beauty is a crushing force of righteousness. Strength means nothing without beauty. 

Blaise was twirling and gracefully showing his step sequence to the judges. Blaine swallowed hard as he watched, approaching the barrier. That step sequence was out of this world and Blaise didn't even have time for a breath. Yet... How was he so calm?

Blaise's mind was concentrated on every advice he had gotten from the coaches during his training. He wished Kurt was there to see him in person...

But at least his Grandfather was there watching. He would make him proud. 

He was starting to feel too tired. The realization of how tough this program was hit him, and he hoped his ambition of doing six jumps in the second half would pay off. 

Blaise went for it.

"A triple Lutz!"

He had gotten his strength as he remembered that Blaine had three quadruple jumps prepared, and Jesse had four. He couldn't afford to miss any jumps.

"A triple flip."

He could not make any mistakes. 

"A quadruple toe loop! Perfect!"

Blaise went on to do the step sequence, he grabbed his blade and lifted his leg high above his head. The teenager could feel his anger beginning to return when he remembered Jesse. That Canadian was the first jerk he had even met that came from that country. Canadians were usually so nice. But not only that... He hadn't been prepared for Jesse before in the first Cup of the Grand Prix Series. 

All eyes were on him that day in Canada after the free skate. He was absolutely sure he would win his first gold as a senior. Before he knew it, he had been pushed to second place because of Jesse. That man was a shithead that kept mocking him all night. 

His anger, this time, made him even more ambitious. He jumped again and let out a scream of rage that he was sure no one heard.

"Quadruple Salchow followed by a triple toe loop!"

"Great height!" The other commenter for the Sports Channel added. "It was a beautiful jump. God, he's showing tremendous spirit in his program's second half!"

"Oh, wait, here he comes again."

Blaine Anderson gasped, watching in awe as Blaise continued the performance with a combination jump. 

"A triple loop, double toe loop!"

Blaine's jaw had dropped, as the song only got faster and the young boy on the ice kept going. "I-is this really Blaise?"

Blaine gained speed and lifted his arm for impulse. The last combination jump was coming. He lifted his leg and...

"A triple axel..." He barely touched the floor and jumped again. "Single-loop and followed by a triple Salchow!"

"He landed all his jumps!"

Blaise could see from where he was that Carmen Tibideaux was emotional, she seemed to be wiping her tears away. Good. He had done it!

"At the Internationaux de France of the Grand Prix Series, his senior debut, he has brushed off the pressure and responded to his local fans, delivering a sublime free skate program!"

The final pose came. Blaise was spinning fast before he stopped, looking with both hands. The audience barely waited until the song finished before they were giving him a standing ovation. 

Blaine was standing still, his eyes on the small boy on the ice that had fallen to his knees. Blaine could see him gasping and coughing. That performance had been beyond his limits. Even Blaise looked shocked at what he had just done.

Blaise had had time to recover. He drank lots of later as he went go the kiss and cry go get his score. 

Blaine watched curiously. The teenage boy sat on the chair next to Carmen, she had his arms crossed and he seemed to be closing himself off. All that mattered was the score. It was so different from the way Blaine interacted with his coaches. Even before Kurt, who obviously loved touching him and holding his hands during the announcements, Blaine had always like it when people stayed close to him and supported him. 

"And the score for France's Blaise Lambiel's free program is... 199.87! A personal best!"

'Good', Blaine thought as he gave his jacket to his substitute coach Sue. 'Blaise deserves it.'

"His total score is 297.96, which puts him currently in first place!"

That was it. Blaise Lambiel had made it to the Grand Prix Final in his senior debut and nothing in his whole life had made him feel greater than that moment. He had made it. 

The young boy turned to the audience, waving happily at his Grandfather before he turned to search for Blaine. He wanted to see the man's reaction.

But Blaine was already on the ice.

As he looked down at the skates he took in a breath. Blaine looked peaceful to anyone watching, but the man was actually feeling like his heart was going to come out of his chest at any moment. He could not even focus on his feet, it all seemed too far away. 

How Blaine wished Kurt was there to keep him grounded... 

Blaine heard the familiar melody of Warbler On Ice, and his body began to move accordingly, responding to it. Slowly, he lifted his arms up, like he was longing for something and he truly was. 

"Blaine Anderson from the United States was in second place after the short program. He is skating to 'Warbler On Ice', a song composed by himself for his free skating program."

Blaine opened his arm as he twirled and moved across the rink. He looked at the audience for a moment. He didn't want them to think everything Kurt has taught him has been a waste. The only way to prove that was by winning. 

If he failed here, everything was going to be over. 

Blaine jumped, his blades were shining against the light as he perfectly spun four times in a quadruple toe loop. However, as soon as his blades hit the ice he jumped again, and his mind was screaming at him because that was too fast.

"His second jump turned into a single."

The French teenager approached the barrier, watching closely. He couldn't simply walk away from Blaine. 

"What is that piglet doing?" He muttered to himself with a frown. 

Blaise also saw Sue's reaction. The woman was not happy. It was strange, he realized, both of them had a lot to win if Blaine lost, and yet here they were, frustrated and angry because he missed one jump. 

And Blaine keeps going, willing himself to calm down. Remembering that Kurt would be watching from home and he wanted to make the man he loved proud. 

Kurt would tell him how to recover from this. He remembered his soft voice as the older man skated over to him and offered his hand for Blaine to take during a particular practice, telling him:

'You're overthinking it... When you think too much, you fall.'

Blaine smiled, without even noticing, at the memory of Kurt showing up at his house that first day. He had brought his dog and enough clothes to last for months, Kurt's mind was made up about being Blaine's coach. That's how inspired he was. And then he was telling Blaine that he would win gold.

Until Kurt came into his life, he would never openly admit that he wanted to win gold. His memories of so many failures kept him from ever feeling that kind of confidence. However... He never skated with the thought in his mind that he would lose anyway.

Deep down, way deep, Blaine wanted to win gold. Truthfully, he wanted to win gold at last year's Grand Prix Final, too. Even with Kurt Hummel as a competitor. He aimed for that, but until Kurt came into his life he never said it out loud. 

Kurt dug that up and showed to him that it was possible. 

Blaine went for the jump again, that same loop, but this time it had enough rotations. 

'Blaine, you're not weak. Nobody who knows you would ever think that.'

He remembered Kurt's words from that day in that picnic. Everything began to change right after that day. Blaine asked Kurt go just be himself and that's what he did. Blaine's love from him then began to grow into something different. 

Blaine knew what love is and he was stronger for it.

'I was able to come this far because Kurt believed in me...' Blaine thought, 'And if I end here without making it to the Grand Prix Final...'

The jump he was planning to do was ruined by his landing. He positioned his feet in the wrong way and two-footed that landing. 

'No...' He breathed. 'Don't think right now.'

From the barrier, Blaise couldn't keep quiet anymore. He wanted to just jump on the ice and scream into Blaine's face. 

"You idiot!" Blaise huffed, and in desperation, he put both hands around his mouth so he could yell out. "Come on, Blaine, hang in t-..."

"Wow..." Blaise heard coming from right next to him and that made him freeze. "Blaise, look at you all supportive now that you've clinched your spot in the Final, eh?" It was Jesse St. James. "Cheer for me too, will you?"

Blaise felt ashamed and Jesse noticed the blush on the young boy's cheek. He laughed, glancing from Blaine then to the boy. "Don't worry. I won't tell him that you almost were nice." 

Jesse winked and went on to keep stretching. 

On the ice, Blaine slid with soft moves. He knew he had another jump coming up soon, and he closed his eyes to mentally prepared himself. The triple axel was a jump that came easily to him, he didn't want to mess that up. 

He thought of Kurt, knowing that his love was surely watching him from a live stream. Blaine wanted to have to power to reach out and see Kurt at that moment, his blue eyes following his movements...

He jumped, then when he landed and opened his eyes, Blaine could see Kurt. Every memory of every time Kurt stood by the barrier, holding a breath as he watched Blaine dancing across the ice rink.

Whether Kurt was there with him or not, he could still feel that strength. Kurt had promised Blaine wouldn't be alone. And Blaine could feel it. Kurt's love was never going to leave him and it made him stronger than he had ever felt in his life.

"A triple flip." The jump came easily and Blaine heard the crowd cheer for him. 

'I'm the only person who can skate this program the way I can. This is mine... And Kurt's.' That thought kept him going and his skates felt lighter.

He needed to win. Blaine wanted this more than anything. 

He launched himself into the air again, the triple axel came easily and when he landed on the ice, Blaine didn't think twice before he jumped again, making a single loop... And to everyone's surprise, he ended that combination with a triple Salchow. 

Behind the barrier, Blaise noticed the reaction of his coach. The woman usually kept everything hidden to herself, but her small gasp had made it obvious... She was impressed. 

And Blaise didn't know how he felt about that. 

Blaine was mesmerizing to see on the ice in that moment. Everyone could see how ruthless he was, so different from the man they had seen the previous year. 

On the ice, Blaine's blades were sparkling as he went on to do another combination jump perfectly. The audience was in love with that free skating program.

But Blaine loved the program that Kurt and he had made together, the more than anyone else in the whole world.

"I'm not finished yet..." Blaine whispered to himself as the song began to reach climax. 'I'll be done when I get the gold medal with Kurt.'

"You can feel Blaine Anderson's love, a love he can only express on the ice, in this step sequence." The narrator said to everyone watching on the television. 

Just then, Blaine went for another jump, the first Triple Salchow went well, but the speed wasn't enough for the second jump he tried, which caused him to put his hands on the ice to keep him from falling. 

The audience audibly reacted to that, but the figure skaters and coaches present could not even look away or make any noises. 

"He had a good flow until the end..." Blaise said quietly, just to himself. And in his mind he realized that he wondered how it could have been with Kurt there with Blaine, it would have been amazing... and then he realized that he really wants to see that. 

The final notes of the song began to play, while Blaine did a spin on the ice with a wonderful speed. He began to stand up and finished the performance with the same final pose he always did. One hand in his heart, while the other seemed to be pointed at no one in particular, but Blaine could see Kurt there. Kurt who was always there at the barrier for him.

As soon as the song finished, Blaine collapsed on the ice, gasping. That had been the toughest program he had ever done. He was fighting tooth and nail to make sure he would take a spot in the Grand Prix Final with the power of his love.

It was all very awkward. Blaine was sitting next to Sue Sylvester, drinking from his apple juice box. Sue had her arms crossed over her chest, looking like she wanted to be anywhere else but at that kiss and cry. 

They were in silence waiting for the score. Blaine didn't think she was going to say anything, but then he heard her voice speaking to him. 

"Look..." Sue cleared her throat. "I guess I'm doing Porcelain a favor, so I'm going to tell you what I think about this mess of a program..."

Blaine raised his eyebrow but kept quiet.

"You were disgraceful. I thought I was watching a five-year-old skating for the first time! You failed to take advantage of the program that Porcelain made for you. I mean, why didn't you practice for the obvious possibility that you would flub a jump? It always happens with you, so... I guess you're just like your coach, he never did either, and..."

While Sue went on, Blaine stared at her without any emotion. All he was thinking about was that she was just like Kurt. It explained so much. Kurt had been used to this for so long... A huge lecture at the kiss and cry, never any sort of comfort. Kurt was like that when he started. 

"We have the scores for Blaine Anderson." It was announced. 

Both Blaine and Sue turned to the monitor, watching intently. 

"His free skating score is...172.87, and total score 282.84!" 

Blaine let out a choked breath.

"That means he's now in third place and may yet advance to the Grand Prix Final, but it is not certain. We won't know until the end."

Sue let out a grunt and shrugged. "Hm. That's a higher score than I expected."

Blaine knew that the next one to perform was Jesse. His chances of advancing were still uncertain. And he had no one there with him. 

He did the first thing he thought of doing: pulled Sue into a hug.

"Thank you," Blaine whispered, feeling the woman tensing up in his arms. 

Blaine just needed a little bit of comfort. These could be his very last moments in that competition, so he wanted it to be better than last time. 

He would not spend those last moments crying in a bathroom stall, no. Blaine would spend it thanking Sue because no matter what she had said and done in the past, she still had been nice to him. The coach had done him a favor, and Blaine would always be grateful for that.

"Okay, kid... You can let go now." Sue spoke in a shy voice. 

Blaine did what she asked, pulling back but still feeling the need for a warmer embrace. The truth was, he needed Kurt. 

Jesse was about to enter the ice and Blaine watched. 

"Finally! I was tired of waiting..." He heard Jesse exclaim. 

Jesse, the self-proclaimed ice king, the figure skater that had the highest technical difficulty among all the skaters competing that night... If Jesse succeeds in all four quads he had planned, he will take gold. 

And Blaine would not make it to the podium. 

Blaine nervously pushed his dark curls back with his hand, he was sweating and his heart was starting to pound in his chest as he realized that Jesse - last year's bronze medal winner - was going to succeed in that program without a doubt. 

Blaine kept his eyes on the man in the shining green costume on the ice as the song started to play. Jesse was determined to take down Kurt. Which now meant, to take down Blaine. 

Jesse was considered to be a potential new ice prince, a title that belonged to Kurt, now that Kurt was absent. But Blaine had heard his interviews... Jesse thought they were all wrong. He was not going to be a prince, but a king. 

"Come on, Curls, we have to do the interview." Sue sighed, leading Blaine away from the barrier of the ice rink.

Blaine swallowed hard as he stepped away. Jesse was nailing every jump. He glanced at Sue and thought that maybe she would be getting what she wants really soon. Kurt might be going back to France for good.

"It's incredible. You've made no mistakes and landed all your jumps tonight. Are you confident that you're going to win the gold medal at the Grand Prix Final as well?" The woman asked, she was a cute reporter who seemed thrilled to be talking to Jesse St. James.

Jesse, the winner of the gold medal of the Internationaux de France, replied. "Oh, definitely." He laughed. "I don't feel like I have a real competition."

"Oh?" The woman tilted her head.

Blaine watched the man with a raised eyebrow. He had almost finished his own interviews, but before he could wrap it up and go home, Jesse's words had grabbed his attention. 

"Yeah, when I was planning this free program I was thinking that this would be the routine that would stop Kurt Hummel from getting the gold medal again. I am confident that I could beat him this year, but..." Jesse shrugged. "I had no idea he'd get on a break. To be honest? I bet he ran because he was afraid of losing to me."

Blaine snorted. Very loudly, which made everyone turn to look at him, including Jesse. Blaine stood his ground, not bothered by Jesse's look of disdain. "Deluded." He commented, quietly, but it was loud enough to be heard by people around them. 

Jesse just smirked. "Hi, Anderson. Hope your boyfriend's dog's okay. Have you called him and told him that you got fourth place tonight?" 

Blaine clenched his jaw. He didn't need to bother replying to him. His skating would speak for itself.

Yes, he had placed in fourth place. It hurt because he truly hoped to get a medal to take home to Kurt. Blaine hadn't proved himself as much as he hoped he would. However, not all was lost. He was tied with Mason McCarthy in the total score, considering the overall points. But... Since he won a silver medal in the Cup Of China, Blaine would advance. 

"See you at the Grand Prix Final, Jesse," Blaine responded finally and turned away. This competition had ended and he needed to focus on the next one. 

The curly-haired man opened the door to the empty apartment. The smell of Kurt present in that place offered him a bit of comfort. Baine never felt so lonely and so exhausted. Sue had barely talked to him after he was done with the interviews. The only figure skater that offered him some nice words had been Jeff, but they had been short. 

But now, Blaine was actually alone. He wanted to call Kurt and tell him everything, hear his voice and talk to him until they both fell asleep on their phones, like teenagers. 

He went to take a bath first. Blaine felt like he desperately needed it. When he was done, he put on one of Kurt's hoodies and sat on the living room couch, reaching for his phone so he could call Kurt.

Six figure skaters had advanced to the Grand Prix Final. Sebastian Smythe, from Switzerland; Mike Chang, his best friend; one guy from Russia that he had yet to meet, named Otav Ivanov; Jesse St. James, the only Canadian he had ever met that wasn't nice; Blaise Lambiel, the French Punk; and finally Blaine Anderson. 

Blaine had made it, the thing he had worked so hard for with Kurt. Now, all he needed is to win that one gold medal. Blaine felt like he was really close to the peak of his figure skating career... But he had yet to win a gold medal that season. The Grand Prix Final would be his last chance. 

His phone stared back at him while Blaine tried to think of what he would say to his boyfriend and coach. He knew Kurt was taking care of Hepburn, not leaving her side for one minute, so Blaine didn't want to waste his time too much. 

What would he even say? He had so much to say. Blaine missed Kurt so much, he felt so alone and he had no one to cheer him on or celebrate his spot in the Final. He missed Kurt's hug and voice, and... 

They were so close to the end now. Blaine was scared to call Kurt. The realization hit him like a bullet through the heart. Their time together was ending and soon they would have to discuss what would happen. Kurt had promised a gold medal, and if Blaine gets it, his work here is done, unless Kurt decides to make Blaine win another one.

Blaine loved Kurt with every fiber of his being. Whatever Kurt chose to do, Blaine would support him. But he couldn't deny that he wished this dynamic they had could last forever.

He let out a breath and shook his head. It wouldn't be fair to Kurt, he decided. So then, he pressed the call button. His mind was made up. 

No, Kurt was an ice skating legend. He was made for the spotlight and to share his talents with the world for years, still. He couldn't retire to become a coach, at least, not yet. 

"Hello, je suis Kurt Hummel," Came a sweet voice from the phone, "I must be away from my phone right now, so leave a message after the beep!"

Blaine took in a deep breath. It was now or never, he needed to say everything he thought he needed before he got too nervous. "Hi... It's me, Blaine. I-I missed you very much... Kurt, I miss you a lot. I know it's only been a day, but today has been really-..." He cut himself off, his throat was tightening. "I'm sorry that I didn't make the podium. I'm sorry that I'm even leaving this long message to you right now when I should be celebrating, right? But I am all alone, so I can't really celebrate and I just need to get this off my chest. I-..." He paused, swallowing hard. "Kurt, I love you. And I am aiming for the gold medal at the Grand Prix Final. It'll be my last chance... But even if I don't win gold, I think you should-... Kurt, I don't think you should be my coach anymore. I don't want you to-..."

A loud knock on the door interrupted him. He didn't know what to do at first. Ignoring it seemed like the best option, but the knock was incessant. 

"Shit, hold on!" Blaine panicked for a moment. What was he even doing? He tried to delete the message but ended up just ending the call. 

Blaine reached the door, fumbling to put his phone back in his pocket before he answered it. When he opened a crack he was shocked to find Blaise Lambiel standing on the other side of the door. His blond hair was covering one of his eyes, and Blaine could see the other looking down. Avoiding Blaine's eyes for the moment. 

''Blaise?"

The teenager almost turned away to leave, but just groaned and looked up. He looked like he was struggling to think of what to say, so Blaine decided to say something.

"Listen... Kurt's not here. He's still in America, but you can-..."

"I know he isn't here, stupid." Blaise interrupted rudely, but then Blaine saw it in his eyes that he regretted the attitude. "Fuck, I should just go."

Blaine opened the door even more and stepped out to block Blaise. He couldn't let the teenager leave like that. "No, stay. It's okay. You don't even have to explain why you're here, but don't just leave like that."

The boy shook his head slightly, cursing in French to himself before he looked up at Blaine again. "Fine. I'm not here for him. I mean, actually, I am too. I want to know how he is, and-... and how Hepburn is. But also to talk to you."

Talk to him? Blaine was very surprised and it showed. He never expected Blaise to actually want to interact with him unless he was forced to do it. 

Blaine asked Blaise to come inside and let him get comfortable. The boy sat on the couch and looked around the place while Blaine went to get him a glass of water. They had both moved on to the Finals, so perhaps that was why Blaise had decided to reach out to him. Blaise silently took off his backpack, putting it on top of his lap and opening its zipper. He paused and sighed.

"What was that earlier?" He asked.

"What?" Blaine furrowed his eyebrows. 

"What was with that free skate? You can make an excuse that you couldn't do your best because Kurt wasn't there, but I was in top condition and earned a new personal best and still lost to Jesse again! You have no right to feel more down than me."

Blaine almost smiled. "You came all the way here to tell me I shouldn't feel so sad?"

Blaise paused for a moment. Like he wasn't expecting that. He was surprised that... yes, he had done that. "You can have this." Blaise sighed and suddenly took out a brown paper bag out of his backpack, practically throwing it at Blaine. "Eat."

"What is this?" Blaine inspected the bag. 

"Eat already!"

"Okay, okay..." Blaine let out a small laugh and opened the bag. There was a cronut. It still felt warm. Blaine slowly began to smile. "Where did-.."

"My grandpa made them himself!" Blaise announced with a proud smile. 

Blaine was happy to see him like that, Blaise had never looked so young and relaxed around him. He knew how much the boy's grandfather meant to him. Maybe spending some time with him had changed his perspective on things.

"It's great, isn't it?" The teenager went on with a chuckle as he took out his own bag with a cronut. 

"They're wonderful." Blaine grinned too. "I... thought you hated them." 

"Awe you cwazy?" Blaise frowned, talking as he chewed. "Didn't you see me eating tons of cronuts at your house?"

"Well... yes, but..." Blaine shrugged. "Every time you mention them you made a face of disgust."

Blaise smirked a little and laughed. "That's because they remind me of you."

"Oh."

"But I don't hate cronuts." Blaise went on, looking down at his own food before he added. "Or you."

Blaine was caught by surprise, staring at the boy with a small smile on his lips. All he needed that night was a friend, but he never thought he'd find one in Blaise. 

"Stop creeping me out!" Came Blaise's voice, dragging Blaine out of his thoughts. "That doesn't mean I won't crush you with my skate blades, pig! You're still competition, this is merely a truce."

But the effect Blaise's anger had on him before was lost. The boy looked like a kitten trying to sound scary. Blaine kept his smile to himself, though, and just nodded taking another bite. 

There was a lot Blaine wanted to say to the boy. He wanted to tell him that he loved Kurt more than anything, but he knew Kurt was important to him too and he would never take Kurt away from him. Blaise might not have realized that yet, but this wasn't just about figure skating. Blaise didn't want to lose his friend. He didn't want Kurt to move away, to push him out of his life. Kurt had grown close to him because of his talent, but now that someone else had caught Kurt's attention, Blaise was scared that Kurt wouldn't have any other reason to keep him close. He was so wrong...

But he didn't need to say any of that. He was learning that Blaise was not good with words - saying or hearing them - so the right thing to do was to show him. 

"So what do you say we order pizza? We don't tell our coaches." Blaine suggested with a smile, and Blaise smiled back. 

Lima, Ohio. Three days later:


The familiar smell of the bus station made Blaine smile. He was back home, finally. Seeing a poster of his on the wall made him think back to the time when he had arrived there without knowing if he would ever leave again. If he would ever skate again. Less than a year later and... there he was. He had made it to the Grand Prix Final. He had good chances of winning a gold medal with his coach, who was Kurt Hummel. A coach who was also his boyfriend. He had so much to say to Kurt, he didn't even know where to begin...

And then he saw Kurt there. He was sitting outside on a bench. Kurt only turned to see Blaine when Hepburn barked next to him. 

Blaine's heart felt so warm when he saw them that he could almost cry right there and then. 

He ran, right to Kurt's open arms. Blaine was being held by his lover again. He sucked in a breath and closed his eyes. 

"Blaine..."

Blaine held him tighter. It was good to hear his voice so close to him again. 

"That was the hardest thing I've ever had to do." Blaine confessed in a breath. 

"I know..." Kurt nodded. "And I am so proud of you."

They kept holding each other, not caring about anyone or anything else. Hepburn stood by their side, wagging her tail. 

"I've been thinking a lot about what I can do as your coach from now on..." Kurt said softly, blinking his eyes open

"Me too..." Blaine said and before Kurt could say anything else he pulled back, putting both hands on his shoulders and staring right at him. "Please... Be my coach until I retire."

Kurt was silent for a while, but then he smiled, reached for Blaine's hand, and held it. "Be your coach..." He grinned, almost to himself. He kissed Blaine's hand so tenderly that Blaine barely felt his soft lips on his skin. "This is almost like a marriage proposal."

Blaine blushed. He liked the sound of that. He smiled back and hugged his boyfriend again. 

"I wish you'd never retire," Kurt whispered softly. 

Those words brought tears to Blaine's eyes.

At home together again. It was night. Blaine had already talked to his family and friends. He had given them gifts from his trip to China and France. Now, he and Kurt were alone again. His boyfriend held his hand all the way upstairs and to Blaine's room. He stopped by the door and leaned against the doorframe. 

"So... Should I go to my room?" Kurt asked. 

Blaine almost laughed. After all this time, Kurt still hadn't slept in his room. It was funny, but then Blaine realized how amazing Kurt was being. He would never push his limits. He would never demand anything from Blaine. Not even something as silly as sharing his bed, which they had done before countless times. But he was respecting Blaine's boundaries. 

Blaine stepped closer to Kurt, cupping his cheeks and kissing him as he pulled Kurt in and closed the door. "Stay." He whispered.

He laid down, Kurt fell on the bed next to him, not even trying to hide his smile. They stayed like that for a moment. Blaine wished his fourteen-year-old self could enter the room in that moment and see this scene. His younger self loved Kurt, that was true, but it was nothing like this. Kurt was a person he had mostly made up in his head, but now he had met the real one. It was more than he could ever have imagined. 

As if Kurt could read his mind, he asked. "How many times have you ever daydreamed about me in this room?" He chuckled softly.

Blaine blushed a little, but also laughed. "More than I could ever count." He pointed at his computer desk. "I used to spend hours right there watching your videos. And in this very room, I tried copying the step sequences." 

"Why not at the ice rink?" Kurt tilted his head up to look at him. 

Blaine laughed again. "Because it was late at night and it was closed."

Kurt shook his head in disbelief and chuckled. "Did you ever do anything else? Like, go to the movies, go on dates..."

Blaine grinned and grabbed Kurt's arm, pulling the tall man on top of him. "No," he replied, looking up at him. "But I have plenty of time for dating right now." 

Kurt leaned down and pressed a kiss to Blaine's lips. The man sighed softly, closing his eyes as the kiss deepened. It was the first time they were kissing in that bed, in that room, but it still felt like home. Like this was always meant to happen. 

Blaine felt the kiss get more heated. As always, Kurt is trying his best not to push too far. He is never the one to deepen the kiss, never the one to put his hands under the clothes... But this time, each time Blaine gives him permission to touch somewhere, to kiss somewhere, he melts into it. 

They've done this before. They had gotten each other off before, but they never actually went all the way. Kurt is always careful and always ready to stop when he thinks it might go too far. This time though, Blaine can feel him trembling. He can feel his desire and is surprised to see that he looks the same. He never needed Kurt as much as he needed this time. 

And this time, he never asks Kurt to stop.