Fic: Burns Brighter (Chapter Six)
Title: Burns Brighter (Chapter Six)
Authors: gameboycolor (drblaine) and ourlivesareweird.
Spoilers: All of Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra, and Glee to be safe.
Warnings: Supernatural elements within the realm of the Avatar universe, descriptions of injuries, sports-related violence.
Rating: R overall
Length: ~5000 / ~24700
Summary: Kurt and Blaine navigate the perils of politics and pro-bending during the early years of Republic City. Picks up 50 years after the finale of Avatar: the Last Airbender.
A/N: For those of you not familiar with the series don't forget to check out the primer. Sorry about the posting break between chapters. The final chapter and news about book two should be up by the end of the week. Thank you for taking this journey with us. :)
Prologue | Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three Chapter Four (Part A) | Chapter Four (Part B) | Chapter Five | Chapter Six
AO3 | Reblog on Tumblr
Sandy beaches delighted Kurt the first time he made his way over to Air Temple Island, reveling in the stretch of white as far as he could see and the lapping of water against the shore, warm enough for him to wade through. These days, the novelty’s worn off. With the Air Nomads barely starting to congregate as a community, every small change in Republic City keeps the residents occupied. Even with Zhuzi wading through the water and Tenzin living nearby, the experience grows lonely.
It’s the first day Kurt has had away from the gym and clinic in weeks, and he knows he shouldn’t complain. More than anything else, though, he finds himself wishing that he could find a spare moment with Blaine, wishes he could do something to settle the butterflies in his stomach. Unfortunately, Blaine has been ushered in and out of meetings all day. It’s nothing new.
They still haven’t talked since the kiss.
He wiggles his toes a little, digging them down into the sand. Watching Zhuzi splash around a few yards away, Kurt feels an irrational surge of jealousy - although grateful for all the water, the island’s still too warm to remind him of home.
“You’re quiet.”
Turning to face Lin, Kurt lets his gaze linger for a moment. Her head is resting in Tenzin’s lap, a few wildflowers tucked into her long, dark hair.
“I’m tired,” he replies, glancing back up at the sky.
Part of his exhaustion is from trying not to smile like an idiot with the memory of Blaine’s lips still fresh on his mind. Every time he catches Lin and Tenzin share a quick kiss, he finds himself smiling instead of scowling, cheeks sore with the effort.
As tenuous as his situation with Blaine is, Kurt finds it easier to turn his thoughts onto his own life. Months of politics in all aspects of his life, from probending to the Council, has worn Kurt’s patience a little thin. Even thinking too much about Tenzin and Lin tugs at a knot in his chest.
He doesn’t understand why they put so much effort into something with a deadline.
Does his time with Blaine have a similar time limit?
“How’s Blaine?” Tenzin asks, sending Kurt’s cheeks into an immediate, heated flush.
“Who told you?”
Kurt realizes too late that Tenzin’s question had been innocent.
“Aren’t you still taking care of his healing sessions?”
“I knew it,” Lin smirks, turning to rest her cheek against Tenzin’s robes. “So transparent.”
Kurt rolls onto his stomach and stares out into the ocean, waves lapping underneath the stone Lin skips over the water. “It doesn’t count if you use bending, you know,” he remarks, carefully dodging their teases. The memory of Blaine’s kiss isn’t something he doesn’t want to taint with public opinion just yet.
With a flick of his hand, Kurt pulls the water towards the shore, sinking Lin’s rock.
“Hey, I thought you said no bending!” she scowls.
“Well, if you’re going to cheat, I’m going to cheat back.”
Lin laughs, and it’s not long before Tenzin joins in. Kurt smiles back at his friends, feeling lighter than he has in days.
Sometimes, the island feels like a place where time has stopped. It’s nice, but it can’t last. Kurt has responsibilities back on the mainland. Escaping these responsibilities can be thrilling at first, but the novelty always wears off before long.
-
Reality crashes back into place as soon as Kurt steps inside the clinic, surrounded by a constant bustle of footsteps and running water. He finally finds the time for a breather when he settles down for lunch, massaging at his temples as he seats himself in the corner of the room.
“No one here cares that you trained under Katara,” Harmony announces without preamble, striding into the room with her arms crossed over a clipboard that she holds to her chest. Kurt drops his hands from his bag, staring evenly as a couple of clinicians slip quickly out of the room.
Harmony isn’t one to hold back on her opinions. Normally, Kurt would appreciate that in a person.
But not when it comes to Harmony.
“Okay?” Unimpressed, Kurt turns his gaze back to Harmony and settles his chin in the palm of his hand. It’s been weeks since Kurt held any hope of holding Katara’s influence over the clinic, but for some reason, Harmony continues to bring the topic up whenever she has the chance. Almost as though she feels the need to step on someone else to make it up the ranks in the city clinic. “I think I’m well aware of that fact already.”
“All I’m saying is that you’re going to have a hard time finding someone to mentor you here, considering what you do for fun in your free time,” continues Harmony, digging through the ice box and unearthing a bottle of banana juice.
Kurt crosses his arms, tempted to lash out and correct her on the idea that probending was a pastime picked up for fun. But for all the movement that the founding of the United Republic was supposed to encourage, Kurt knows that most people never move far away from where their family’s roots began. The people living in downtown Republic City are wealthy, descended from the nobles of the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation; income’s never a problem for the majority of them.
It’s not always worth the effort to correct them.
“That’s fine. Anyone who is going to judge me for how I finance my training isn’t worth my time. Besides,” he leans a little closer, so the healers around them can’t hear. “I would worry more about you, Harmony. You can hardly take care of a minor cut some days.”
With a last look at Harmony’s expression, Kurt grins to himself. Working in the clinic has been easier ever since Kurt stopped trying to prove himself to people who don’t matter. That includes Harmony.
He hasn’t spent a lot of time figuring out what he wants to do after his training. In the back of his mind, the plan had always been to find a way back to the South Pole, even if it meant leaving his father, but over the past few months, Kurt has made connections in the city. More and more, he’s starting to realize that he has people he would miss.
-
“Emma says we should be able to get some better sponsorships soon.”
“Yeah.”
“Should help with our share of the championship pot.”
“Sure.”
“I was thinking we could change the mascot to a baby turtleduck. Something a little less threatening.”
“What?”
Kurt glances up in time to watch Puck roll his eyes as he leans back against his locker. “Seriously? That’s what gets your attention? Blaine, I know you have a lot going on right now, but Emma and everyone are saying we have to figure out a game plan for after the championship. If we win, things are going to be different.”
Catching the sight of Puck glancing over for support, Kurt quickly drops his gaze down to his knees; sometimes, it’s easy to forget that Blaine and Puck were around as a team before Kurt joined. Even though Puck’s mentioned before how the team flew through waterbenders every month before Kurt signed onto his contract, Kurt wasn’t around back then. It doesn’t seem fair for him to chime in, and he’s never been the biggest fan of getting involved in a matter between friends; carefully, Kurt steps to the side, deciding to slip out of the gym.
“I mean, I know you two have all of your plans, but this is all I got.”
So much for staying uninvolved.
“You always said I would be the first to know if you were quitting.” Puck pulls a newspaper clipping out of his pocket and shoves it in Blaine’s face. “Now, I know these papers are nothing but crap, but sometimes they manage to hit the nail on the head.” Puck balls up the paper and throws it on the ground. He shoves past Kurt on the way out of the locker room.
Kurt leans down to pick up the paper, trying to ignore the way his stomach suddenly drops.
The headline reads ‘ANDERSON TO QUIT THE HAWKS.’
“You’re not leaving, are you?”
Blaine shrugs. “I haven’t decided anything, but it wouldn’t be the first time something’s been decided for me.” His crosses his arms, shoulders slumping. “A lot of people have been making decisions for me lately. You’re the exception.”
As comforted as Kurt is by the fact that Blaine doesn’t view him as a meddler, Kurt wonders nonetheless if now’s the time to talk to Blaine about the kiss. He goes back and forth on the issue; as silly as it seems to focus so much on a kiss in the midst of all the turmoil on the Council, Kurt doesn’t want to let it all fade entirely into the background. Sometimes, it feels like Blaine tries to run away from all of his troubles.
At least he’s not feigning amnesia.
Catching another heaved sigh from Blaine, Kurt raises his chin slightly and waves for Blaine to scoot over and make room on the locker room bench. Although he raises a brow in surprise, Blaine obliges.
“You have to promise me that you won’t get mad at Wes for this,” says Kurt first, holding an even gaze.
“That sounds promising.”
“I never said that I wouldn’t meddle in your affairs when they involve me in some manner. Being your healer means that I get to fuss over what’s giving you grief. Deal with it,” Kurt asserts, his tone still soft and quiet. “Look, Wes was really scared when you were unconscious. And I don’t mean simply that he was worried about you as a friend; his face was literally as white as a polar bear dog for a few days. He told me about how your whole life path’s been paved ahead of you, that everyone’s been trying to set you up for this position since the day you were born.”
“The day they gave up on my brother being in politics, you mean.”
Kurt rolls his eyes. “Semantics. Anyway, all I ever hear you say with regards to this job is how people have been tugging you around like a puppet, that Wes calls all the shots, right?”
Hesitantly, Blaine nods.
“But they still chose you to be the figurehead. Not Wes. So why’s that? Why were you chosen instead of Wes, Blaine?”
“Because I’m from a noble family and Wes isn’t, because I’m a bender and Wes isn’t, because in spite of the fact that he’s just as qualified to take the job, I’m the one they listen to.”
“Well?”
Blaine’s eyes widen slightly in realization. “Because... they listen to me,” he says again, his words finally sinking in.
Kurt can’t help the smile that spreads across his face, rocking slightly on his seat with the pleasure of having opened Blaine’s eyes a little more. As hard as it might be for Blaine to come forward and choose the opposite of what people have wanted and expected of him, the fact still remains that Blaine has a greater chance of making a difference than anyone else their age. Maybe even more than anyone else who stands a chance of being appointed to the Council.
The space between the boys grows quiet as Blaine stares down at his palms, flexing his fingers inside their protective gloves. Only after a few moments does Blaine glance up again, eyes fixed on Kurt, wide and unreadable.
“Kurt, thank you.”
Before Kurt has the chance to reply, Puck bursts into the locker room and shrugs his uniform on, just in time to catch the blaring of the announcer over the stadium.
-
It’s their first match since Blaine’s been cleared to play again. Kurt thought he would be more nervous, but he’s too focused on the opposing team’s waterbender to keep too close of an eye on Blaine.
Kurt is loving the crowd this time around. The blue flags he catches out of the corner of his eye, the shouts of Dragonhawks. Their quick rise this season is a mix of Blaine’s notoriety and their team’s undeniable talent.
There’s no tiebreaker. It’s not even close. The Badgerfrogs are leaving the arena almost as quickly as they entered it.
Blaine takes Kurt’s hand and raises their joined hands in the air, everything moving so fast that Kurt doesn’t have time to worry about the flush that spreads over his face. The crowd cheers.
They’re going to the semi-finals.
-
Blaine follows Kurt to the elevator to retrieve Zhuzi. It’s the first match that Kurt has felt comfortable bringing her to.
When the platform reaches the water, Zhuzi is quick to swim over and climb on.
The ride back to the top is quiet now that the roar of the crowd has subsided. The adrenaline from the match is quickly fading, and Kurt feels his chest constrict, too aware of the small space he’s sharing with Blaine. Turning to the side, Kurt nearly jumps when he catches Blaine’s gaze on him.
“Do you think I could see you tonight?” Blaine asks tentatively.
“I would love to,” Kurt blurts out quickly.
Blaine’s face lights up immediately with a relieved laugh. “That’s great-”
“I-I mean, I would love to, but I have to work.”
“Right,” Blaine nods, quickly looking away.
Even though he feels a touch of satisfaction at the disappointment reading clear all over Blaine’s expression, Kurt feels bad about having to turn him down. He bites down on his lower lip, watching Blaine busy himself with his uniform, loosening the plates and pads. The right words don’t come quite yet, but Kurt’s pretty sure Blaine understands. With everyone at the clinic already doubting Kurt’s drive, the last thing he needs is for them to believe that he’s skipped work for the probending after parties.
When they reach the top, Kurt notices that Zhuzi has wrapped herself around Blaine’s leg.
“Sorry,” Kurt says, leaning down to detach her and wincing at the way Zhuzi’s claws dig more insistently into Blaine’s pant leg. “She tends to do that.”
Blaine doesn’t seem to mind too much, grinning down as though amused. “It’s fine. I have a feeling Thomas and her would get along. He does the same thing most mornings.”
“How does Thomas feel about water?”
Once he manages to pry Zhuzi’s paws away, Kurt immediately scoops her up.
Blaine considers it for a minute, leaning down to brush lightly at his uniform. “Yeah, on second thought, it might be best to keep them apart.”
“Maybe,” Kurt laughs. Zhuzi’s tucks her head against Kurt’s shoulder pad. “Raincheck, yeah? I’d like to see you still, if that’s alright.”
“Of course.”
He doesn’t remind Blaine that they still need to talk, but he hopes it’s implied.
-
A shift at the clinic isn’t the most glamorous way to spend the evening after a victory, but it pays the bills.
“Wow, Kurt, I’m surprised that they put you on basin duty today.”
With a heavy sigh, Kurt settles the latest container carefully on the floor and tugs off his gloves, settling them to the side as he offers Tina a smile. While his fellow healer in training seems content to skate on the regular curriculum and obey the orders of the higher staff at the clinic, it’s the time they spend alone together that Kurt tries to focus on. Enough of the same problems plague them that their talks tend to be fairly cathartic; if Kurt’s lucky, Tina feels bend-happy enough to do most of the cleaning left over for the training students.
Today, she seems calm for the most part, snapping on her gloves before taking on Kurt’s half-finished container.
“What, are you telling me that Harmony hasn’t been complaining to everyone about how I throw Chief Katara’s name everywhere?” Kurt asks, groaning as he settles back fully into a seat. “No, of course I’m on basin duty. If anything, I think Harmony tries harder to keep me here than most.”
Laughing softly, Tina shakes her head. “No, Kurt, that’s not what I meant. Your probending team successfully made it to the semifinals, right? Kurt, at worst you’re in the top four probending teams in all the world.”
“So how again does this relate to getting off basin duty?”
“Well, you don’t really need to stay here at the clinic anymore, right?” asks Tina, giving Kurt a prolonged look before bending the contents of the basin away and into the underground plumbing. “I mean, you’re pretty much set for the next several years’ worth of sponsorships now. Besides, I don’t really see your team getting worse with how well you guys work together. Most benders’ prime doesn’t hit until age twenty-five, anyway.”
“Tina, I’m not in healing for the money. I know that it’s lucrative here, but my goal has always been to learn enough to keep the people I love safe. You know that; I haven’t exactly been quiet about it.”
“I suppose. I’m just surprised, considering that you’d make enough from being a finalist to hire more than your share of personal healers and nurses, if you want,” Tina points out, stacking the bins off to the side. “Your job would be so much less stressful. Don’t you ever wonder if maybe that’s the better path for you?”
Kurt realizes suddenly that he hasn’t been breathing well during Tina’s words, chest screaming for air as he hiccups once, cursing the way his heart suddenly thuds against his chest. For all that Blaine’s future has been up in the air these past few weeks, Kurt has a few decisions of his own to make, all the clearer since Puck pointed out that he deserved an answer from both of his teammates.
Does he want to continue juggling his athletic career with a potential mentorship in the future?
And whatever he decides, is it the best choice for his dad?
(Does he even want to stay on the Dragonhawks if Blaine leaves?)
“I haven’t really,” Kurt says softly, shaking his head. “I’ve been so busy balancing these jobs that I never stopped to wonder if I should be reevaluating my life.”
He wishes Katara were still in the city to offer her guidance. Selfishly, he had wished that she would find a way to stay around longer in the wake of Blaine’s accident.
Katara would never have been forced to choose, Kurt thinks. Somehow, she found a way to do it all - parenthood, healing, and tribe leadership.
Kurt feels like he’ll be lucky if he manages to make it to finals.
-
Kurt hears the noise before he even leaves the building, voices clashing in the distance, like static Kurt prepares himself to drown out. The clinic is in one of the noisier boroughs of the city, but it’s never been this loud.
At this point, Kurt simply wants to get home. If the match left him feeling worn out, then adding a graveyard shift directly after has brought him right to the point of exhaustion.
Pushing open the heavy clinic doors, Kurt finds himself suddenly hit by a wave of voices as a crowd of reporters hover around him in a wide arc. The camera flashes nearly blind him as he stumbles down the front steps, and the sound of the shutters brings him back to the night Blaine was attacked. Kurt feels his hands clenching into fists at his sides, jaw locking in distaste.
“Mister Hummel! Any comments about Blaine Anderson’s nomination of Wesley Sung for Councilman for the Fire Nation?”
He shields his eyes from the flashes, and pushes through the crowd. “Does this mean Blaine Anderson will be joining you for the semifinals?”
-
Wesley Sung takes seat as the first nonbender councilmember in over a decade. The last seated nonbender on the council was Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe. Blaine Anderson’s name was initially on the ballot, but he stepped down, citing personal reasons. Sung, Anderson’s former mentor, could not be reached for comment.
-
Kurt wonders how history will paint Blaine. The spoiled boy who gave up power for a sport? Katara often mentions the kind brush her and her friends were painted with. He worries history might not remember Blaine as nicely.
Even if he put the right person in power.
-
He takes every sideroad he can to Blaine’s apartment on the other side of the city. Leading the reporters to Blaine’s is the last thing he wants to do. Fortunately, by the time he arrives at Blaine’s doorstep, the street is quiet, empty save for the occasional passerby. Quietly, Kurt makes his way up the stairs, eyes skirting over the stretch of shadows, and the heavy hang of the moon in the sky settles into his skin like a reassuring embrace.
The last time he was here, Kurt only lingered outside of the door long enough to overhear Blaine’s argument with Wes.
How long has this been coming? Were Kurt’s words the final nudge Blaine needed to make his move?
Seconds after Kurt’s knock, the door slides open to reveal Blaine. Kurt wonders if Blaine was expecting him.
“What did you do?” Kurt blurts out. The question is completely rhetorical; he knows what Blaine’s done. “There were reporters at the clinic, Blaine.” Still babbling as Blaine leads him inside, Kurt’s hands gesticulate wildly as Blaine’s settle on top of his shoulders, pivoting both of them away from the front door. “This wasn’t for me, was it? Because if it was for me, that’s very flattering, but I don’t think I’m worth risking the future of an entire nation.”
Blaine takes a seat on the couch, patting the cushion next to his spot. Beside him, Thomas lets out a quiet mew, slowly raising a paw and hooking his claws over Blaine’s knee.
“It wasn’t for you.”
As he takes a seat beside Blaine, Kurt tries to hide some of his relief. Looking too relieved might come off as rude.
“It was something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. You just showed me that I could do it.” He takes Kurt’s hand. In the past, Kurt might have startled at Blaine’s warmth. Now, he’s grown used to it. “You’re incredible, Kurt. You manage to find a way to care so much about people while still not having a damn what half of them think. I’ve always admired you so much for that.”
“I may have found you a little annoying at first,” Kurt admits, nose wrinkling in a smile. He brushes the thumb of his free hand against Blaine’s wrist.
“Okay, I might have found you a little... prickly, initially, but my point about the admiration still stands.”
Kurt raises a brow.
“Maybe very prickly,” he chuckles. “You’re just so stubborn.”
“I’m told that I take after Katara in that sense.”
They fall into silence, the apartment quiet around them. Kurt assumes Wes is out. A last minute nomination is the sort of thing to warrant an emergency meeting, he’s sure.
“What now?” Kurt asks.
“We win the championship, and I support Wes however I can.” After a pause, Blaine shyly glances up to meet Kurt’s gaze. “I seem to remember something about me still having you.”
Inwardly groaning, Kurt shifts on the couch, although he doesn’t pull his hand away. “I still have no idea what came over me that day.”
“It’s a good story,” Blaine says, leaning forward to tuck a strand of Kurt’s dark hair behind his ear. “I was injured in the heat of the battle-”
“-the game, you mean.”
“You ran after my attackers, thirsting for vengeance.”
“Chief Bei Fong pulled me off of him before I could really do any damage.”
“Cared for me on my deathbed.”
“Okay, that part’s a little true.” It was mostly Katara’s doing, but Kurt doesn’t mind taking a little credit.
Behind Blaine, Thomas lets out a displeased hiss. Kurt figures he had been napping, because moments later, the sloth cat hops off the couch and sulks up the stairs.
“You’re amazing. We’re going to win this thing. I feel like... this is all going to work out.”
Blaine’s words are so nice that Kurt can’t find it in himself to argue. It all feels too convenient, too neatly wrapped up.
Today is full of victories. They won the match, Blaine took control of his future. Why can’t they have this too?
It’s not clear which of them moves first. Truth be told, Kurt prefers to think that this choice, more than any other they’ve made, is one shared between the both of them. His heart pounds in his chest, lungs tight and screaming for air, and it’s uncomfortable before he feels his lips press against Blaine’s again, and Kurt inhales as he feels along the soft curve of Blaine’s mouth. Just a few days, and still Kurt already feels like he’s learning this kiss for the first time, shivering when Blaine passes a hand over the curve of his shoulder.
Kurt’s pretty sure this is the first time anyone’s made him shiver.
Try as he might to keep calm, Kurt soon finds himself interrupting the kiss with laughter, surging forward to try and recapture the full curve of Blaine’s lower lip. He just can’t stop thinking, not even about them or the situation, but about the tiniest of details. Things that don’t matter now. He can’t stop thinking about how glad he is that Thomas already departed for the evening. The idea of having to pause to relocate Blaine’s clingy sloth cat doesn’t sound like much fun.
Blaine, on the other hand, lets out a slightly frustrated grunt as he slips off the edge of the couch, arms wrapping around Kurt’s waist to tug him along.
Kurt laughs harder, nerves bundled and twisting in his stomach.
“What’s wrong?” asks Blaine, and Kurt can feel the frown on his face when Blaine’s nose brushes along the line of Kurt’s jaw. Blaine doesn’t pull back, as though trying not to lose the heat of the moment.
Relaxing slightly into the hold, Kurt buries his nose against Blaine’s temple. “Nothing. Nothing at all.”
The tension eases out of their bodies then, a slow and sure crumbling of walls between them as Blaine brushes a palm up the side of Kurt’s neck to turn his head until their lips hover inches away from one another, never quite meeting.
In all the stories, this is when they’re supposed to share a few words, Kurt thinks. Something about what they mean to each other, or a reminder of how they’ll hold fast no matter how much the Council may try to disrupt their lives. But more than anything else, he feels tired of talking. Tired of thinking. And Blaine’s hands smooth over his chest, skirting momentarily to brush just above the beat of his heart.
He tries to think about how he feels for Blaine in this moment. It could be love, but he isn’t sure. It’s the beginning of something, something he hasn’t let himself try to decipher just yet. Telling Blaine that he’s grown fond of him doesn’t sound romantic enough, so Kurt opts to stay silent.
The only sound comes from the clashing of breath and stumbling of steps as the pair of them head back in the direction of Blaine’s room. Robes hang heavily over their shoulders, threatening to slip off with the movement, but Kurt tugs them fiercely back on until they step over the line of Blaine’s room - whatever this is, it isn’t meant for anyone else’s eyes. It’s just them.
A brush of Blaine’s lips against his collarbone pulls a sigh from Kurt’s lips, his own fingers sneaking underneath the hem of fabric until he meets the sash tied tightly around Blaine’s waist. With a grin, he settles back onto the bed with a bounce, one end of the sash wrapped around his hand as he gives a sharp tug. Limbs tangle as Blaine falls forward onto the bed.
“Ow. What are you doing, Hummel, trying to make up for our opponents’ incompetence in the ring tonight?”
“It’s good to step into another person’s shoes on occasion, isn’t it?” Kurt grins, grabbing onto Blaine’s robes and pulling again, both of them shifting awkwardly over the bed until Kurt rests his head heavily against Blaine’s pillow. “Maybe I’m weighing my options. There might be another team willing to pay me more.”
With another huff, Blaine slides himself further on top of Kurt, hips driving down to pin their bodies against the sheets. It’s nothing more than a tease, but Kurt’s breath catches when he glimpses into Blaine’s eyes, dark and almost glowing in the dim light, embers from a flame.
“I’m kidding,” Kurt breathes.
Blaine drops his head down until their foreheads meet, nodding with a soft press to Kurt’s skin. “I know. But I’m not laughing.”
“You have me.”
“I have you.”
The softness from the words is gone, hidden somewhat behind a frenzy of nerves and tension letting out in waves. Kurt recognizes a rush of adrenaline lingering still after their match, and finds the movement of their bodies familiar, in tandem as his arms wrap slowly around Blaine’s back, tracing down the length of his spine.
He’s never been with anyone quite like this, but underneath it all lies a familiar vein of trust, one that Kurt realizes he handed over to Blaine a long time ago.
Lifting himself off of the bed and pressing their bodies flush, Kurt kisses Blaine again, desperate and seeking, the sheets slipping down along their skin until they shiver upon meeting the night air.
Authors: gameboycolor (drblaine) and ourlivesareweird.
Spoilers: All of Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra, and Glee to be safe.
Warnings: Supernatural elements within the realm of the Avatar universe, descriptions of injuries, sports-related violence.
Rating: R overall
Length: ~5000 / ~24700
Summary: Kurt and Blaine navigate the perils of politics and pro-bending during the early years of Republic City. Picks up 50 years after the finale of Avatar: the Last Airbender.
A/N: For those of you not familiar with the series don't forget to check out the primer. Sorry about the posting break between chapters. The final chapter and news about book two should be up by the end of the week. Thank you for taking this journey with us. :)
Prologue | Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three Chapter Four (Part A) | Chapter Four (Part B) | Chapter Five | Chapter Six
AO3 | Reblog on Tumblr
Sandy beaches delighted Kurt the first time he made his way over to Air Temple Island, reveling in the stretch of white as far as he could see and the lapping of water against the shore, warm enough for him to wade through. These days, the novelty’s worn off. With the Air Nomads barely starting to congregate as a community, every small change in Republic City keeps the residents occupied. Even with Zhuzi wading through the water and Tenzin living nearby, the experience grows lonely.
It’s the first day Kurt has had away from the gym and clinic in weeks, and he knows he shouldn’t complain. More than anything else, though, he finds himself wishing that he could find a spare moment with Blaine, wishes he could do something to settle the butterflies in his stomach. Unfortunately, Blaine has been ushered in and out of meetings all day. It’s nothing new.
They still haven’t talked since the kiss.
He wiggles his toes a little, digging them down into the sand. Watching Zhuzi splash around a few yards away, Kurt feels an irrational surge of jealousy - although grateful for all the water, the island’s still too warm to remind him of home.
“You’re quiet.”
Turning to face Lin, Kurt lets his gaze linger for a moment. Her head is resting in Tenzin’s lap, a few wildflowers tucked into her long, dark hair.
“I’m tired,” he replies, glancing back up at the sky.
Part of his exhaustion is from trying not to smile like an idiot with the memory of Blaine’s lips still fresh on his mind. Every time he catches Lin and Tenzin share a quick kiss, he finds himself smiling instead of scowling, cheeks sore with the effort.
As tenuous as his situation with Blaine is, Kurt finds it easier to turn his thoughts onto his own life. Months of politics in all aspects of his life, from probending to the Council, has worn Kurt’s patience a little thin. Even thinking too much about Tenzin and Lin tugs at a knot in his chest.
He doesn’t understand why they put so much effort into something with a deadline.
Does his time with Blaine have a similar time limit?
“How’s Blaine?” Tenzin asks, sending Kurt’s cheeks into an immediate, heated flush.
“Who told you?”
Kurt realizes too late that Tenzin’s question had been innocent.
“Aren’t you still taking care of his healing sessions?”
“I knew it,” Lin smirks, turning to rest her cheek against Tenzin’s robes. “So transparent.”
Kurt rolls onto his stomach and stares out into the ocean, waves lapping underneath the stone Lin skips over the water. “It doesn’t count if you use bending, you know,” he remarks, carefully dodging their teases. The memory of Blaine’s kiss isn’t something he doesn’t want to taint with public opinion just yet.
With a flick of his hand, Kurt pulls the water towards the shore, sinking Lin’s rock.
“Hey, I thought you said no bending!” she scowls.
“Well, if you’re going to cheat, I’m going to cheat back.”
Lin laughs, and it’s not long before Tenzin joins in. Kurt smiles back at his friends, feeling lighter than he has in days.
Sometimes, the island feels like a place where time has stopped. It’s nice, but it can’t last. Kurt has responsibilities back on the mainland. Escaping these responsibilities can be thrilling at first, but the novelty always wears off before long.
-
Reality crashes back into place as soon as Kurt steps inside the clinic, surrounded by a constant bustle of footsteps and running water. He finally finds the time for a breather when he settles down for lunch, massaging at his temples as he seats himself in the corner of the room.
“No one here cares that you trained under Katara,” Harmony announces without preamble, striding into the room with her arms crossed over a clipboard that she holds to her chest. Kurt drops his hands from his bag, staring evenly as a couple of clinicians slip quickly out of the room.
Harmony isn’t one to hold back on her opinions. Normally, Kurt would appreciate that in a person.
But not when it comes to Harmony.
“Okay?” Unimpressed, Kurt turns his gaze back to Harmony and settles his chin in the palm of his hand. It’s been weeks since Kurt held any hope of holding Katara’s influence over the clinic, but for some reason, Harmony continues to bring the topic up whenever she has the chance. Almost as though she feels the need to step on someone else to make it up the ranks in the city clinic. “I think I’m well aware of that fact already.”
“All I’m saying is that you’re going to have a hard time finding someone to mentor you here, considering what you do for fun in your free time,” continues Harmony, digging through the ice box and unearthing a bottle of banana juice.
Kurt crosses his arms, tempted to lash out and correct her on the idea that probending was a pastime picked up for fun. But for all the movement that the founding of the United Republic was supposed to encourage, Kurt knows that most people never move far away from where their family’s roots began. The people living in downtown Republic City are wealthy, descended from the nobles of the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation; income’s never a problem for the majority of them.
It’s not always worth the effort to correct them.
“That’s fine. Anyone who is going to judge me for how I finance my training isn’t worth my time. Besides,” he leans a little closer, so the healers around them can’t hear. “I would worry more about you, Harmony. You can hardly take care of a minor cut some days.”
With a last look at Harmony’s expression, Kurt grins to himself. Working in the clinic has been easier ever since Kurt stopped trying to prove himself to people who don’t matter. That includes Harmony.
He hasn’t spent a lot of time figuring out what he wants to do after his training. In the back of his mind, the plan had always been to find a way back to the South Pole, even if it meant leaving his father, but over the past few months, Kurt has made connections in the city. More and more, he’s starting to realize that he has people he would miss.
-
“Emma says we should be able to get some better sponsorships soon.”
“Yeah.”
“Should help with our share of the championship pot.”
“Sure.”
“I was thinking we could change the mascot to a baby turtleduck. Something a little less threatening.”
“What?”
Kurt glances up in time to watch Puck roll his eyes as he leans back against his locker. “Seriously? That’s what gets your attention? Blaine, I know you have a lot going on right now, but Emma and everyone are saying we have to figure out a game plan for after the championship. If we win, things are going to be different.”
Catching the sight of Puck glancing over for support, Kurt quickly drops his gaze down to his knees; sometimes, it’s easy to forget that Blaine and Puck were around as a team before Kurt joined. Even though Puck’s mentioned before how the team flew through waterbenders every month before Kurt signed onto his contract, Kurt wasn’t around back then. It doesn’t seem fair for him to chime in, and he’s never been the biggest fan of getting involved in a matter between friends; carefully, Kurt steps to the side, deciding to slip out of the gym.
“I mean, I know you two have all of your plans, but this is all I got.”
So much for staying uninvolved.
“You always said I would be the first to know if you were quitting.” Puck pulls a newspaper clipping out of his pocket and shoves it in Blaine’s face. “Now, I know these papers are nothing but crap, but sometimes they manage to hit the nail on the head.” Puck balls up the paper and throws it on the ground. He shoves past Kurt on the way out of the locker room.
Kurt leans down to pick up the paper, trying to ignore the way his stomach suddenly drops.
The headline reads ‘ANDERSON TO QUIT THE HAWKS.’
“You’re not leaving, are you?”
Blaine shrugs. “I haven’t decided anything, but it wouldn’t be the first time something’s been decided for me.” His crosses his arms, shoulders slumping. “A lot of people have been making decisions for me lately. You’re the exception.”
As comforted as Kurt is by the fact that Blaine doesn’t view him as a meddler, Kurt wonders nonetheless if now’s the time to talk to Blaine about the kiss. He goes back and forth on the issue; as silly as it seems to focus so much on a kiss in the midst of all the turmoil on the Council, Kurt doesn’t want to let it all fade entirely into the background. Sometimes, it feels like Blaine tries to run away from all of his troubles.
At least he’s not feigning amnesia.
Catching another heaved sigh from Blaine, Kurt raises his chin slightly and waves for Blaine to scoot over and make room on the locker room bench. Although he raises a brow in surprise, Blaine obliges.
“You have to promise me that you won’t get mad at Wes for this,” says Kurt first, holding an even gaze.
“That sounds promising.”
“I never said that I wouldn’t meddle in your affairs when they involve me in some manner. Being your healer means that I get to fuss over what’s giving you grief. Deal with it,” Kurt asserts, his tone still soft and quiet. “Look, Wes was really scared when you were unconscious. And I don’t mean simply that he was worried about you as a friend; his face was literally as white as a polar bear dog for a few days. He told me about how your whole life path’s been paved ahead of you, that everyone’s been trying to set you up for this position since the day you were born.”
“The day they gave up on my brother being in politics, you mean.”
Kurt rolls his eyes. “Semantics. Anyway, all I ever hear you say with regards to this job is how people have been tugging you around like a puppet, that Wes calls all the shots, right?”
Hesitantly, Blaine nods.
“But they still chose you to be the figurehead. Not Wes. So why’s that? Why were you chosen instead of Wes, Blaine?”
“Because I’m from a noble family and Wes isn’t, because I’m a bender and Wes isn’t, because in spite of the fact that he’s just as qualified to take the job, I’m the one they listen to.”
“Well?”
Blaine’s eyes widen slightly in realization. “Because... they listen to me,” he says again, his words finally sinking in.
Kurt can’t help the smile that spreads across his face, rocking slightly on his seat with the pleasure of having opened Blaine’s eyes a little more. As hard as it might be for Blaine to come forward and choose the opposite of what people have wanted and expected of him, the fact still remains that Blaine has a greater chance of making a difference than anyone else their age. Maybe even more than anyone else who stands a chance of being appointed to the Council.
The space between the boys grows quiet as Blaine stares down at his palms, flexing his fingers inside their protective gloves. Only after a few moments does Blaine glance up again, eyes fixed on Kurt, wide and unreadable.
“Kurt, thank you.”
Before Kurt has the chance to reply, Puck bursts into the locker room and shrugs his uniform on, just in time to catch the blaring of the announcer over the stadium.
-
It’s their first match since Blaine’s been cleared to play again. Kurt thought he would be more nervous, but he’s too focused on the opposing team’s waterbender to keep too close of an eye on Blaine.
Kurt is loving the crowd this time around. The blue flags he catches out of the corner of his eye, the shouts of Dragonhawks. Their quick rise this season is a mix of Blaine’s notoriety and their team’s undeniable talent.
There’s no tiebreaker. It’s not even close. The Badgerfrogs are leaving the arena almost as quickly as they entered it.
Blaine takes Kurt’s hand and raises their joined hands in the air, everything moving so fast that Kurt doesn’t have time to worry about the flush that spreads over his face. The crowd cheers.
They’re going to the semi-finals.
-
Blaine follows Kurt to the elevator to retrieve Zhuzi. It’s the first match that Kurt has felt comfortable bringing her to.
When the platform reaches the water, Zhuzi is quick to swim over and climb on.
The ride back to the top is quiet now that the roar of the crowd has subsided. The adrenaline from the match is quickly fading, and Kurt feels his chest constrict, too aware of the small space he’s sharing with Blaine. Turning to the side, Kurt nearly jumps when he catches Blaine’s gaze on him.
“Do you think I could see you tonight?” Blaine asks tentatively.
“I would love to,” Kurt blurts out quickly.
Blaine’s face lights up immediately with a relieved laugh. “That’s great-”
“I-I mean, I would love to, but I have to work.”
“Right,” Blaine nods, quickly looking away.
Even though he feels a touch of satisfaction at the disappointment reading clear all over Blaine’s expression, Kurt feels bad about having to turn him down. He bites down on his lower lip, watching Blaine busy himself with his uniform, loosening the plates and pads. The right words don’t come quite yet, but Kurt’s pretty sure Blaine understands. With everyone at the clinic already doubting Kurt’s drive, the last thing he needs is for them to believe that he’s skipped work for the probending after parties.
When they reach the top, Kurt notices that Zhuzi has wrapped herself around Blaine’s leg.
“Sorry,” Kurt says, leaning down to detach her and wincing at the way Zhuzi’s claws dig more insistently into Blaine’s pant leg. “She tends to do that.”
Blaine doesn’t seem to mind too much, grinning down as though amused. “It’s fine. I have a feeling Thomas and her would get along. He does the same thing most mornings.”
“How does Thomas feel about water?”
Once he manages to pry Zhuzi’s paws away, Kurt immediately scoops her up.
Blaine considers it for a minute, leaning down to brush lightly at his uniform. “Yeah, on second thought, it might be best to keep them apart.”
“Maybe,” Kurt laughs. Zhuzi’s tucks her head against Kurt’s shoulder pad. “Raincheck, yeah? I’d like to see you still, if that’s alright.”
“Of course.”
He doesn’t remind Blaine that they still need to talk, but he hopes it’s implied.
-
A shift at the clinic isn’t the most glamorous way to spend the evening after a victory, but it pays the bills.
“Wow, Kurt, I’m surprised that they put you on basin duty today.”
With a heavy sigh, Kurt settles the latest container carefully on the floor and tugs off his gloves, settling them to the side as he offers Tina a smile. While his fellow healer in training seems content to skate on the regular curriculum and obey the orders of the higher staff at the clinic, it’s the time they spend alone together that Kurt tries to focus on. Enough of the same problems plague them that their talks tend to be fairly cathartic; if Kurt’s lucky, Tina feels bend-happy enough to do most of the cleaning left over for the training students.
Today, she seems calm for the most part, snapping on her gloves before taking on Kurt’s half-finished container.
“What, are you telling me that Harmony hasn’t been complaining to everyone about how I throw Chief Katara’s name everywhere?” Kurt asks, groaning as he settles back fully into a seat. “No, of course I’m on basin duty. If anything, I think Harmony tries harder to keep me here than most.”
Laughing softly, Tina shakes her head. “No, Kurt, that’s not what I meant. Your probending team successfully made it to the semifinals, right? Kurt, at worst you’re in the top four probending teams in all the world.”
“So how again does this relate to getting off basin duty?”
“Well, you don’t really need to stay here at the clinic anymore, right?” asks Tina, giving Kurt a prolonged look before bending the contents of the basin away and into the underground plumbing. “I mean, you’re pretty much set for the next several years’ worth of sponsorships now. Besides, I don’t really see your team getting worse with how well you guys work together. Most benders’ prime doesn’t hit until age twenty-five, anyway.”
“Tina, I’m not in healing for the money. I know that it’s lucrative here, but my goal has always been to learn enough to keep the people I love safe. You know that; I haven’t exactly been quiet about it.”
“I suppose. I’m just surprised, considering that you’d make enough from being a finalist to hire more than your share of personal healers and nurses, if you want,” Tina points out, stacking the bins off to the side. “Your job would be so much less stressful. Don’t you ever wonder if maybe that’s the better path for you?”
Kurt realizes suddenly that he hasn’t been breathing well during Tina’s words, chest screaming for air as he hiccups once, cursing the way his heart suddenly thuds against his chest. For all that Blaine’s future has been up in the air these past few weeks, Kurt has a few decisions of his own to make, all the clearer since Puck pointed out that he deserved an answer from both of his teammates.
Does he want to continue juggling his athletic career with a potential mentorship in the future?
And whatever he decides, is it the best choice for his dad?
(Does he even want to stay on the Dragonhawks if Blaine leaves?)
“I haven’t really,” Kurt says softly, shaking his head. “I’ve been so busy balancing these jobs that I never stopped to wonder if I should be reevaluating my life.”
He wishes Katara were still in the city to offer her guidance. Selfishly, he had wished that she would find a way to stay around longer in the wake of Blaine’s accident.
Katara would never have been forced to choose, Kurt thinks. Somehow, she found a way to do it all - parenthood, healing, and tribe leadership.
Kurt feels like he’ll be lucky if he manages to make it to finals.
-
Kurt hears the noise before he even leaves the building, voices clashing in the distance, like static Kurt prepares himself to drown out. The clinic is in one of the noisier boroughs of the city, but it’s never been this loud.
At this point, Kurt simply wants to get home. If the match left him feeling worn out, then adding a graveyard shift directly after has brought him right to the point of exhaustion.
Pushing open the heavy clinic doors, Kurt finds himself suddenly hit by a wave of voices as a crowd of reporters hover around him in a wide arc. The camera flashes nearly blind him as he stumbles down the front steps, and the sound of the shutters brings him back to the night Blaine was attacked. Kurt feels his hands clenching into fists at his sides, jaw locking in distaste.
“Mister Hummel! Any comments about Blaine Anderson’s nomination of Wesley Sung for Councilman for the Fire Nation?”
He shields his eyes from the flashes, and pushes through the crowd. “Does this mean Blaine Anderson will be joining you for the semifinals?”
-
Wesley Sung takes seat as the first nonbender councilmember in over a decade. The last seated nonbender on the council was Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe. Blaine Anderson’s name was initially on the ballot, but he stepped down, citing personal reasons. Sung, Anderson’s former mentor, could not be reached for comment.
-
Kurt wonders how history will paint Blaine. The spoiled boy who gave up power for a sport? Katara often mentions the kind brush her and her friends were painted with. He worries history might not remember Blaine as nicely.
Even if he put the right person in power.
-
He takes every sideroad he can to Blaine’s apartment on the other side of the city. Leading the reporters to Blaine’s is the last thing he wants to do. Fortunately, by the time he arrives at Blaine’s doorstep, the street is quiet, empty save for the occasional passerby. Quietly, Kurt makes his way up the stairs, eyes skirting over the stretch of shadows, and the heavy hang of the moon in the sky settles into his skin like a reassuring embrace.
The last time he was here, Kurt only lingered outside of the door long enough to overhear Blaine’s argument with Wes.
How long has this been coming? Were Kurt’s words the final nudge Blaine needed to make his move?
Seconds after Kurt’s knock, the door slides open to reveal Blaine. Kurt wonders if Blaine was expecting him.
“What did you do?” Kurt blurts out. The question is completely rhetorical; he knows what Blaine’s done. “There were reporters at the clinic, Blaine.” Still babbling as Blaine leads him inside, Kurt’s hands gesticulate wildly as Blaine’s settle on top of his shoulders, pivoting both of them away from the front door. “This wasn’t for me, was it? Because if it was for me, that’s very flattering, but I don’t think I’m worth risking the future of an entire nation.”
Blaine takes a seat on the couch, patting the cushion next to his spot. Beside him, Thomas lets out a quiet mew, slowly raising a paw and hooking his claws over Blaine’s knee.
“It wasn’t for you.”
As he takes a seat beside Blaine, Kurt tries to hide some of his relief. Looking too relieved might come off as rude.
“It was something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. You just showed me that I could do it.” He takes Kurt’s hand. In the past, Kurt might have startled at Blaine’s warmth. Now, he’s grown used to it. “You’re incredible, Kurt. You manage to find a way to care so much about people while still not having a damn what half of them think. I’ve always admired you so much for that.”
“I may have found you a little annoying at first,” Kurt admits, nose wrinkling in a smile. He brushes the thumb of his free hand against Blaine’s wrist.
“Okay, I might have found you a little... prickly, initially, but my point about the admiration still stands.”
Kurt raises a brow.
“Maybe very prickly,” he chuckles. “You’re just so stubborn.”
“I’m told that I take after Katara in that sense.”
They fall into silence, the apartment quiet around them. Kurt assumes Wes is out. A last minute nomination is the sort of thing to warrant an emergency meeting, he’s sure.
“What now?” Kurt asks.
“We win the championship, and I support Wes however I can.” After a pause, Blaine shyly glances up to meet Kurt’s gaze. “I seem to remember something about me still having you.”
Inwardly groaning, Kurt shifts on the couch, although he doesn’t pull his hand away. “I still have no idea what came over me that day.”
“It’s a good story,” Blaine says, leaning forward to tuck a strand of Kurt’s dark hair behind his ear. “I was injured in the heat of the battle-”
“-the game, you mean.”
“You ran after my attackers, thirsting for vengeance.”
“Chief Bei Fong pulled me off of him before I could really do any damage.”
“Cared for me on my deathbed.”
“Okay, that part’s a little true.” It was mostly Katara’s doing, but Kurt doesn’t mind taking a little credit.
Behind Blaine, Thomas lets out a displeased hiss. Kurt figures he had been napping, because moments later, the sloth cat hops off the couch and sulks up the stairs.
“You’re amazing. We’re going to win this thing. I feel like... this is all going to work out.”
Blaine’s words are so nice that Kurt can’t find it in himself to argue. It all feels too convenient, too neatly wrapped up.
Today is full of victories. They won the match, Blaine took control of his future. Why can’t they have this too?
It’s not clear which of them moves first. Truth be told, Kurt prefers to think that this choice, more than any other they’ve made, is one shared between the both of them. His heart pounds in his chest, lungs tight and screaming for air, and it’s uncomfortable before he feels his lips press against Blaine’s again, and Kurt inhales as he feels along the soft curve of Blaine’s mouth. Just a few days, and still Kurt already feels like he’s learning this kiss for the first time, shivering when Blaine passes a hand over the curve of his shoulder.
Kurt’s pretty sure this is the first time anyone’s made him shiver.
Try as he might to keep calm, Kurt soon finds himself interrupting the kiss with laughter, surging forward to try and recapture the full curve of Blaine’s lower lip. He just can’t stop thinking, not even about them or the situation, but about the tiniest of details. Things that don’t matter now. He can’t stop thinking about how glad he is that Thomas already departed for the evening. The idea of having to pause to relocate Blaine’s clingy sloth cat doesn’t sound like much fun.
Blaine, on the other hand, lets out a slightly frustrated grunt as he slips off the edge of the couch, arms wrapping around Kurt’s waist to tug him along.
Kurt laughs harder, nerves bundled and twisting in his stomach.
“What’s wrong?” asks Blaine, and Kurt can feel the frown on his face when Blaine’s nose brushes along the line of Kurt’s jaw. Blaine doesn’t pull back, as though trying not to lose the heat of the moment.
Relaxing slightly into the hold, Kurt buries his nose against Blaine’s temple. “Nothing. Nothing at all.”
The tension eases out of their bodies then, a slow and sure crumbling of walls between them as Blaine brushes a palm up the side of Kurt’s neck to turn his head until their lips hover inches away from one another, never quite meeting.
In all the stories, this is when they’re supposed to share a few words, Kurt thinks. Something about what they mean to each other, or a reminder of how they’ll hold fast no matter how much the Council may try to disrupt their lives. But more than anything else, he feels tired of talking. Tired of thinking. And Blaine’s hands smooth over his chest, skirting momentarily to brush just above the beat of his heart.
He tries to think about how he feels for Blaine in this moment. It could be love, but he isn’t sure. It’s the beginning of something, something he hasn’t let himself try to decipher just yet. Telling Blaine that he’s grown fond of him doesn’t sound romantic enough, so Kurt opts to stay silent.
The only sound comes from the clashing of breath and stumbling of steps as the pair of them head back in the direction of Blaine’s room. Robes hang heavily over their shoulders, threatening to slip off with the movement, but Kurt tugs them fiercely back on until they step over the line of Blaine’s room - whatever this is, it isn’t meant for anyone else’s eyes. It’s just them.
A brush of Blaine’s lips against his collarbone pulls a sigh from Kurt’s lips, his own fingers sneaking underneath the hem of fabric until he meets the sash tied tightly around Blaine’s waist. With a grin, he settles back onto the bed with a bounce, one end of the sash wrapped around his hand as he gives a sharp tug. Limbs tangle as Blaine falls forward onto the bed.
“Ow. What are you doing, Hummel, trying to make up for our opponents’ incompetence in the ring tonight?”
“It’s good to step into another person’s shoes on occasion, isn’t it?” Kurt grins, grabbing onto Blaine’s robes and pulling again, both of them shifting awkwardly over the bed until Kurt rests his head heavily against Blaine’s pillow. “Maybe I’m weighing my options. There might be another team willing to pay me more.”
With another huff, Blaine slides himself further on top of Kurt, hips driving down to pin their bodies against the sheets. It’s nothing more than a tease, but Kurt’s breath catches when he glimpses into Blaine’s eyes, dark and almost glowing in the dim light, embers from a flame.
“I’m kidding,” Kurt breathes.
Blaine drops his head down until their foreheads meet, nodding with a soft press to Kurt’s skin. “I know. But I’m not laughing.”
“You have me.”
“I have you.”
The softness from the words is gone, hidden somewhat behind a frenzy of nerves and tension letting out in waves. Kurt recognizes a rush of adrenaline lingering still after their match, and finds the movement of their bodies familiar, in tandem as his arms wrap slowly around Blaine’s back, tracing down the length of his spine.
He’s never been with anyone quite like this, but underneath it all lies a familiar vein of trust, one that Kurt realizes he handed over to Blaine a long time ago.
Lifting himself off of the bed and pressing their bodies flush, Kurt kisses Blaine again, desperate and seeking, the sheets slipping down along their skin until they shiver upon meeting the night air.