Brick by Brick 6/8+Epilogue
Title: Brick By Brick ( LJ I FF.net I S&C)
Author: bowtiedarling (Tumblr | LJ)
Artist: voices-echo (Tumblr)
Word Count: ~25,279
Rating: R
Characters/Pairings: Kurt/Blaine, Mike Chang, Rachel Berry, OC
Warnings: Language
Summary: After a decade together, Kurt and Blaine are more distant than they’ve ever been. Between late nights at the office and weekends working, Kurt is never home and Blaine is at his wit’s end. As everything comes to a head, Blaine will take one last shot at saving their relationship.
Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters. Or the show. God, I wish I did, but I don’t.
Author’s Notes: I want to thank my amazing betas, twobirdsonesong and voices-echo. Voices-echo was also my artist for this BBB and did half the artwork for it as well as a playlist. This story would not have gotten written if it wasn’t for those two pushing me to keep going and forcing me to rewrite half of it to make it better. You two are phenomenal! This story was inspired by the song ‘Brick by Brick’, sung by Train and I suggest you go check it out here. Also, I don’t write long stories that don’t end happily. Keep that in mind please. The artwork includes some photos of locations to relevant places in the story so make sure to check that out too. Enjoy!
Artwork
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Epilogue
*~*~*
Blaine gently set the phone back in its cradle and spun around in search of his brother. He heard the faucet shut off and the bathroom door opened as Cooper stepped back out into the room.
“Hey Coop. The cab will be here soon.”
“Thanks, Blainey.” Cooper gently ruffled Blaine’s curls then quickly moved out of the way to avoid the arm that swung out toward him. “Hey now, be careful. You don’t want to damage the famous movie star with looks that rival a Disney prince.”
“What movie star?” Blaine glanced around the room. “No movie star here. Just a nosy older brother with big feet and questionable style.”
“Hey now, what’s wrong with my style?”
“Nothing if you ride a motorcycle.”
“My style is classic, unlike you who wears bowties and rides something else.”
“Cooper!”
The older man grinned and shrugged his shoulders. “What? Am I wrong? I was always taught not to lie to anyone.”
Blaine burst out laughing and sat down on the corner of the bed to catch his breath. “Yeah, says the man who forged his first résumé.”
“You know what? Do as I say, not as I do.” Cooper flopped down on his back beside him and stretched his arms up toward the pillows. The two sat in silence for a few minutes as horns honked outside the window. “So,” Cooper said finally. “Are you going to write him back?”
Blaine bit his lip and fell back to lie next to him. “I think so. Kurt doesn’t do things like that; he doesn’t make the little gestures. I’m usually the one to leave notes everywhere and waxes poetic about his eyes or something.”
Cooper snorted. “I hardly call it poetic.”
“He tried though. He’s trying. We both want this- we- I don’t want to try to live without him Coop.”
Cooper smiled sadly and pulled Blaine across into an awkward hug. “I know. God, I’m rooting for you two. You have no idea, Blaine. If anyone deserves to have that kind of forever happiness, it’s you. It makes me feel better, knowing that you and Kurt are here taking on the world when I can’t be there for you.”
Blaine nudged his brother in the side. “Hey, none of that. We don’t do sappy emotional stuff anymore remember? We agreed on that my junior year of college.”
“Ah yes. The famous Anderson nervous breakdown. Then what do you call last night?”
Blaine thought for a minute before he shrugged a shoulder and sat up. “Temporary insanity.”
“Ooooh. I wonder if I can get away with that on set. I should remember that.”
“And on that note,” Blaine interrupted before Cooper could continue, “your cab is probably going to be here any minute.” He watched as Cooper stood up and gathered his luggage and messenger bag and checked around the room one last time to ensure he had all his belongings.
Blaine grabbed his keys and a jacket and held the door open for Cooper. They slowly made their way down the hall toward the elevator in silence as he wished, as always, that his brother could stay a little longer.
The elevator doors closed and Cooper sighed and turned. “Are you going to be okay? Honestly. I worry about you. I know you’re old enough but you’ll always be my little brother, Blaine.”
Blaine bit his lip and nodded as the doors to the elevator opened and they both stepped out into the lobby. “I’ll be fine, Coop, things are looking up. If I do need you, or I’m not okay, I promise I’ll call, okay?”
Cooper nodded and they walked out the front door and down the short steps to see a cab parked in front of the hotel. The driver stepped out and reached for Cooper’s bags and placed them in the trunk. Cooper turned toward Blaine and pulled him into a hug. “I love you, Blainey. No distance changes that. I’m always here for you.”
Blaine squeezed him a little tighter and nodded. “I know. I love you too.” They pulled away from each other and Cooper squeezed his brother’s shoulder before he opened the door to the cab and sat inside. “Promise you’ll call if you need me.”
“I promise,” Blaine said again. “Let me know when you get back to Chicago so I don’t have to worry.” He watched as Cooper nodded then motioned to the driver to leave. Blaine waved goodbye and waited until the cab turned the corner and was gone from sight before he shoved his hands into his pockets and began to walk away from the hotel. He jogged across the street and stepped up on the sidewalk and narrowly missed a dog walker and her pack as he stumbled around them. He smiled at the sight of the dogs and the walker as she attempted to get a handle on the pack of eight.
He approached the door to his new coffee shop and hurried to hold it open for two women and received a thank you before he followed them inside. He took a deep breath as he entered the short line and peered over to the glass case as he felt his sweet tooth making an appearance. He frowned as the last Snickerdoodle cookie was bought before he could get to it and glanced down the rows again for something else. The ladies in front of him finished their order and he moved up to the counter and smiled as he ordered a latte.
“Did you just move into the area?”
Blaine furrowed his brow at the barista who asked him the question. “What do you mean?”
“Well, I haven’t seen you around here before and now all of a sudden you’re in here every day. I was just wondering, feel free to tell me to shut up and mind my own business though.” The woman took the ten-dollar bill from him and gave him a friendly smile.
Blaine chuckled and shrugged. “I’m staying at a hotel down the street for a few weeks, that’s all. Though I’ll definitely be coming back here because your coffee is some of the best I’ve had.”
“Oh, living in a hotel, that’s not fun. I’m sorry, for whatever the reason is that you are.” She handed him his change and folded her hands on the counter in front of her. “Hopefully everything works out for you, although don’t forget about us over here.”
He pocketed his change and glanced at her name-tag, then stepped out of the way for the couple behind him. “Thank you, Emily, and I won’t forget this place. I will definitely be back.” He gave her a small wave and headed over towards the bar to wait for his drink.
He glanced around the coffee shop, at its warm, homey interior and the plush, oversized leather couches placed around the space. It reminded him of the coffee shop that he and Kurt used to frequent when he had finally moved out to the city, all those years ago.
Kurt had found out about it months before Blaine had graduated but refused to go inside until they were both living there, together. The second day Blaine was in the city, Kurt had dragged him to that coffee shop and they spent three hours there, on one of the comfortable brown leather couches, curled up together and reveling in the fact that they were out in public and no one was batting an eyelash. Blaine grinned at the memory as he recalled the feeling of being free, of finally being able to hold his boyfriend’s hand and kiss him and no one cared.
Blaine snapped out of his reminiscence and reached for his drink before he made his way through the patrons toward the exit. He pushed the door open and stepped out into the fresh air, merging carefully into the foot traffic already walking through the area. He reached the corner and paused for a sip of coffee as he decided what to do.
He had the morning off as his classes didn’t start until after noon, and while he had been working way too much lately, there was still the draft of the script for the workshop’s musical to finish. He pursed his lips before he spun on his heel and headed back toward the hotel to grab his bag. He had no other plans until later and he guessed it wouldn’t hurt to finish it sooner rather than later, in case his colleagues wanted a lot of revisions.
He leapt up the steps and walked inside and waved at the now familiar face at the front desk.
“Mr. Anderson!”
Blaine quickly backtracked and jogged over to the counter. “Yes?”
“I have another letter for you.” The man reached over to the box on the side and pulled it out before he passed it to Blaine. “Another no-name.”
“It’s alright,” Blaine spoke softly as a smile slowly crept up. “I know who they’re from.”
“Well, whoever he is, he’s very lucky.”
Blaine’s head shot up at the comment. “How did you know it was a he?”
The older man rolled his eyes. “That tall gentleman with you, your brother I believe. We had a nice chat while he was here.”
“Of course you did. He makes friends wherever he goes,” Blaine mumbled and ran his fingers gently over the envelope. “Thank you. Did Kurt drop it by?”
“Does he look like he walked out of a magazine?”
Blaine chuckled and his head fell backwards at the accurate description. “Yeah, that’s him. About how long ago?”
The man glanced at the clock on the wall across from them. “Oh, about ten minutes ago I think. A few minutes after you and your brother left.”
Blaine nodded and held the letter up. “Thank you for getting this to me.”
“You’re very welcome, Mr. Anderson. Have a wonderful day.”
“You too.” Blaine walked toward the elevators and stared at the envelope in his hands. Kurt had never, in the history of their relationship, written anything longer than six sentences on paper to him. Now, he had received two letters in less than twenty-four hours. He wasn't sure what to think anymore, but he hoped it meant that Kurt really was trying.
He walked down the small hallway, opened the door to his room, and set his coffee down on the nightstand once he got inside. Blaine sat down on the bed as he traced his name on the front with his finger then swiftly opened the sealed flap and began to read the letter.
Blaine,
I hope you don't mind me dropping this off at the hotel; I plan on writing you every day until you come home. Wow, that sounded weird. Or romantic. Not sure which one right now.
On my way home last night after we talked, I walked past that little bakery we used to go to, remember? We used to get a slice of cheesecake and a slice of cherry pie and we'd share. It used to be our weekly Wednesday date when you didn’t teach that night. I remember one time, when they had closed for a week for some reason, and you tried to make a cherry pie from scratch at home. I think there was more flour on you than there was in the crust. I remember I walked in after work and I peeked around the corner of the kitchen to see you covered in flour from your hair down to your knees. I still don't understand how one person can create that much of a mess in the kitchen. It was so adorable that I burst out laughing and you looked so defeated. Then later that week you almost burnt the apartment down when you forgot about the cookies in the oven. Aren't you glad I bought you that timer? See? Baking can be hazardous to your health.
Rachel came over early this morning and effectively kicked my ass into understanding just how awful I’ve been lately. She used her "escalated stage voice." I know I keep repeating myself, but I am so sorry Blaine. I have been working so much and so hard lately., and I know it isn’t an excuse, but it has just consumed me. I have never felt this stressed in my life. I never meant to hurt you or make you feel unloved or unwanted. I’m trying so hard to keep everything afloat right now and our relationship just got lost in the shuffle. I’ll work on whatever I can to show you how much I love you. You are my entire world Blaine.
All my heart,
Kurt
Blaine bit his lip at the end of the letter and then reread it one more time before he slipped it back into the envelope. He knew it wasn't easy for Kurt to write his feelings down and face them, but these letters made Blaine fall in love with him even more. Not that he had ever fallen out of love with him. Kurt had said that he would continue writing letters and Blaine wondered just what was to come in those.
He looked up from the envelope and glanced around the room; his eyes settled on the desk along the opposite wall. He crossed the room and opened the small drawer and was rewarded with what he hoped he'd find: hotel stationary. He reached for a sheet and an envelope and placed them on the desktop and searched around the room. He shut the drawer with his hip as he walked back to the side of the bed and grabbed the pen that was placed on top of the small notepad. He spun the instrument between his fingers and sat down in the leatherette executive chair and thought about his response. If Kurt was going to take time out of his hectic schedule to write these letters everyday he could certainly write a letter back to him.
Kurt,
Rachel, huh? I actually feel sorry for you. It’s my experience that being on the receiving end of her "escalated stage voice" talks make ears bleed and glass break.
And Kurt, I know you're sorry. I do. As nice as it is to hear, you don't have to repeat it. I believe you. The question is, where to go from here?. I just, I mean, what's not to say that this won't happen in a few months? You getting stressed at the office, you becoming cold and distant again... I'm not saying I don't think anything will change, because I know things will change for the better now. But what about the future, Kurt?
I love you, so much that it hurts to breathe sometime, and I know that you are the one for me, without a doubt. Where do we go from here though?
Remember our old coffee shop that we used to go to when we got our first place? It's still there and open late on Fridays. Meet me there tomorrow night? 8:00?
Love you always,
Blaine
Blaine sat back and read through the letter three times before he felt comfortable with it. He gently folded the paper and slid it into the envelope before he sealed it and wrote 'Kurt' on the front. He glanced at the clock on the nightstand that read 10:45am. When did it get so late? Kurt would be at work now, he knew that, and decided he could walk over and leave it under the door.
He stood up and reached for his jacket and hastily threw it on over his shirt. He didn't want to take the chance of Kurt running home for something at lunch. He tucked the envelope into his inside pocket, reached for his keys and phone, and grabbed his still-warm coffee. Hopefully Kurt wouldn't be disappointed in his own response.
*~*~*
Blaine stood in front of the brick building and felt his heart start to ache and tighten. He missed coming home here every night; he missed the familiar street signs and he missed the activity from the neighborhood in the morning. He missed the kids playing in the street on the weekends or riding their bikes in excitement. As he climbed the front steps, he stared at the front door he wondered if it was a good idea to drop the letter off himself. He took a deep breath and quickly slid the letter through the mail slot, as fast as he could, before he stepped back. He took in the familiar brick building one last time and hoped he could come back soon.
"Blaine?"
Blaine's head snapped around at the sound of his name and let out the breath that he had been holding. "Rachel. Hi."
She stood at the bottom of the stairs and stared up at him with curiosity in her eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't realize you were coming."
"Oh no." Blaine shook his head emphatically and motioned behind him. "I was…I was just dropping a letter off. For Kurt."
Rachel squealed and grinned. "Like the ones he's been writing? Oh, it's so romantic don't you think? I couldn't believe it when Kurt suggested it, considering he's never done anything like that before, I thought it was so wonderful-"
Blaine cleared his throat and tried to stop her rambling. "Anyway, I need to get going. I just wanted to drop it off."
"I'm dropping off food for him that's fresh. He rarely leaves except for work."
Blaine bit his lip and asked the one question he was trying to avoid. But he needed to know. "How is he?"
Rachel's features softened and shrugged her shoulders as she climbed the concrete steps. "He's beyond sorry. He's trying to take it one day at a time without you there. I don't think he truly understood how much you relied on each other until you weren't there anymore. He has a lot more hope now that you two have talked. His eyes are shining a little bit more now. How are you though?"
Blaine inhaled sharply surprised at all the information and the subsequent question. "I'm okay. I think. Cooper showed up yesterday so that helped. I feel - I know this is probably the wrong thing to say - but I feel like Kurt might finally be appreciating what we had and how much we took care of each other without knowing it. I feel like he's seeing the value of our relationship and of us."
Rachel nodded and juggled the bag in her arms before she pulled him in for a quick bug. "It's working, I promise you that. I'm finally seeing the Kurt from when we lived in the same apartment and he used to shove me out the door for the evening."
Blaine laughed along with Rachel at the fond memory from his freshman year at NYU. "Kurt was a spit fire then. It's still there, Rachel, he just has to find it again."
She nodded then gestured to the produce in her arms. "I better get these inside before they wilt. Keep at it, Blaine. You're getting to him."
Blaine nodded and waved goodbye to Rachel as she entered the town home and he quickly whipped around and hurried down the steps, afraid of what emotions might reveal themselves if he glanced at the inside. He strolled back down the familiar street and took in the comforting sights that surrounded him.
The ball was in Kurt's court now; he was just on defense.