The edge of the petal
Title: The edge of the petal. (2/3)
Author: heloula / helaluvE/ vastlyunknown (on tumblr)
Rating: M
Warning: spoilery if you haven’t watched s4 and/or if you live under a rock.
Fandom: glee
Pairing: Klaine
Summary: Despite everything, Kurt and Blaine find ways to be there for each other. Takes place during 4x06 and will take us further in the future.
December 2014
The Book of Mormon, NYADA
Kurt's face scrunches up as Rachel hugs him tighter to herself. She's been squealing for what seems like hours now. Come to think of it, she's been squealing and flailing and being as loud as she could (giving teenage Rachel a run for her money) for the last three months; ever since Kurt got the role of Elder Price in the musical. He endures it because he was pretty much the same last year when she got the lead role in the NYADA revival of Evita.
"Rachel, if you don't let go soon my lungs light explode and then I wouldn't be able to perform again and you'd be breaking hundreds of heart all over the school," he says and she laughs. She squeezes him tight once more before letting go.
"Sorry. You were just so fantastic," she said waving her fists in front of her face and God, Kurt loves his silly best friend.
"Why, thank you," he replies with a brilliant, sincere smile. "I wish you would have waited for me after the performance, though," he adds with a slight pout. He'd stayed behind with his family and a few of his friends (Mercedes, Puck, Santana and Quinn had all made the trip) but Rachel had mysteriously disappeared just after the curtain call and his friends had been strangely shifty-eyed about the whole thing.
Rachel's smile turns a bit mischievous and the twinkle in her eyes makes Kurt frown a bit. He loves her but that expression never bods well for him.
"I had to drop someone off at the train station," she says with a demure shrug.
Kurt's eyebrow shoots up. "And who, pray tell, is this mysterious gentleman?"
"Your first clue is on your desk," she says before dropping a quick smooch to his cheek and fleeing to her part of the loft. Kurt doesn't know what to make of that so he just follows her instructions and heads for his own corner. His eyes widen as he takes in the enormous bouquet of white orchids on his desk. It's so huge; Kurt can't see his computer screen anymore. Leaning against the vase is a small envelope. A small white envelope that shouldn't have the effect it has on Kurt's heart. He reaches for it with shaky fingers and quickly pulls out a note.
Dear Kurt,
Sorry about all the sneaking around. I promise to stick around next time. Because there will be a next time and many, many more.
I always knew you were a star; I'm just happy everyone else finally gets to see it.
Forever you're biggest fan.
Blaine.
Kurt brings the note to his nose and inhales. He knows he's being silly but he thinks he can smell him.
A few days later, Rachel is still trying to make up for the fact that she hid Blaine's presence, so to absolve her sins, she cleans the loft. When she gets to Kurt's room, she's not surprised to find the bed unmade. Kurt's schedule has been crazy lately and it's a miracle he finds time for his skin regiment every morning. She decides to make the bed and hopes it'll help lessen the number of snarky remarks her best friend sends her way on a daily basis. When she finds the note under the left pillow (the side Kurt sleeps on), she smiles to herself and decides the snarky remarks are definitely worth it.
June 2014
The Treble, Columbus
Two years after saying good bye and for the very first time, the New Directions come together again. The whole gang flew or rode from wherever their different paths took them and gathered in a rather well known and elegant piano bar called The Treble to watch Santana perform. After months of looking for a job near campus, she stumbled upon an ad while she was visiting her family one weekend a few weeks ago. It was just a summer job and it was closer to home so she auditioned and of course, she had them eating by the palm of her hand by the end of the interview. She's now their Thursday through Monday performer. Tonight is her very first performance and she should be nervous but all she really is, is pissed because the piano man's wife just got into labor and he bailed on her. The manager is trying to find a replacement but the chances to find one seem slim.
"Sorry, Sweetcheeks," Steve, the manager, tells her as he hangs up from yet another unsuccessful phone call.
She rolls her eyes. "You're as useful as a toothless fork," she snaps and heads for her friends. They greet her with shouts and catcalls and she tries not to smile but she fails pretty miserably. "God, you're such losers," she mumbles as she plops down on Blaine's lap. He's surprised out of his conversation with Kurt but grins as she turns to wrap one of her arms around his shoulders. Just a year ago, a scene like this would have surprised more than a few people, Blaine and Santana first. Things changed at the beginning of the school year when both Blaine and Sam moved to California (Berkley for Blaine, U.C.L.A for Sam) where Santana had moved the previous summer. She enjoyed being a cheerleader in Louisville but she realized pretty quickly that she needed more so she transferred to Berkley to start pre-law and so far, she's been having the time of her life. Plus, it's kind of nice to know that a few of her friends were just a phone call away. She's not particularly surprised that she's been getting closer and closer to the dandiest of hobbits; he grows on you in the most insufferable of ways.
"Hey there, Legs," Blaine drawls.
"I need your help, Short Stuff," she replies and before he can react, he's being dragged backstage where she explains the situation. Of course, she doesn't even have to ask and a few minutes later, he's sitting behind the piano while she's center stage on a high stool, belting out the first few notes of Shark in the Water.
The group of friends shouts in appreciation and even though, Kurt is surprised to see Blaine up there after so many months, he's also thrilled and amazed.
Kurt's mesmerized; there are no other words for it. Blaine is even more gorgeous than usual like that. He's in his element, so sure and at ease. His fingers, deft and beautiful, fly over the keys, producing magic and love. He plays with Santana so well, often smiling at each other and the picture is so perfect and sweet Kurt doesn't want to leave this place ever again. He loves being surrounded by his friends, he loves being witness to their success, he misses being in the middle of it all. He wishes he could see Santana and Blaine's interaction on a daily basis; he's sure people would actually pay to see how they drive each other up the wall and yet don't deflect from being there for each other. He's grateful for Sam, Mercedes and Noah who never miss an occasion to send him pictures of the two. Sometimes, he feels like it's their silly way of keeping him posted on Blaine without being too obvious. Kurt would rather die than admit it but he loves them for it.
The song comes to an end and Santana doesn't even have to mention to Blaine for him to start on the next one. She spent enough time during the upcoming weeks pestering him about it while being completely ungrateful about it; he could probably play her set list in his sleep. So he plays and she sings and they tease each other and the crowd eats it up while Kurt's heart fills with so much pride, he's afraid it might burst. Don't You Remember is next, followed by Fire and Rain (which makes more than a few, Kurt included, bawl their eyes out). Next comes the shocking yet strangely intimate Teeth (though which Kurt swears he sees Blaine flush as bright as his polo shirt). She smirks at the crowd before starting on Turn Me On. As she sings: I'm just sittin' here/Waiting for you/To come on home/And turn me on, Blaine looks up and his eyes don't waver as they held Kurt's captive. The song ends and he's positive that if he gets one more look like that and Kurt is moving to California. The crowd is on its feet clapping enthusiastically while Santana preens prettily. Kurt's glad for the distraction but he's even gladder for Rachel when she slips her hand in his and squeezes softly.
"Thank you," Santana says with a nod, her smile so glorious it could light up the whole city. "For this last song, I'm going to ask my good friend Blaine to join me with the vocals," she explains as she gets off her stool and goes to perch on the piano bench, next to Blaine. He looks surprised but he smiles nonetheless. They exchange a few hushed words and Kurt can see Blaine's eyes widen. He shakes his head which induces another flurry of words and Kurt would have given his prized Dior coat to be a fly on that piano.
Santana obviously and unsurprisingly wins because Blaine turns to the piano with a scowl, his impressive eyebrows almost flat in his irk. Kurt is so charmed by that scowl; he shakes his head in defeat.
Blaine's fingers are once again dancing on the piano and it takes a few moments for Kurt to recognize the song.
In the night forlorn
The morning's born
And the morning shines
With the lights of love
You will miss sunrise
If you close your eyes
That would break
My heart in two
Santana's voice is clear, smooth and heart-wrenching and no one misses the way her eyes stay on Brittany.
Blaine takes the chorus and Kurt's heart shivers in his chest. It doesn't help that his eyes are once again on Kurt.
If I needed you
Would you come to me,
Would you come to me,
And ease my pain?
If you needed me
I would come to you
I'd swim the seas
For to ease your pain
His voice is pure and the longing is clawing at Kurt's chest because he recognizes it as his own. He knows the feeling all too well. The tears come too soon and Rachel tightens her hold on his hand. Santana and Blaine finish the song, despair and love clear in their voices. They embrace each other warmly and Kurt wouldn't be surprised if they're holding back tears of their own. He's distracted by Brittany who's suddenly out of her chair and making her way to the stage. Blaine sees her first and he lets go of Santana just in time for Brittany to jump on stage and engulf her friend in a fiercely sweet hug. It's a bit awkward because Santana is still facing Blaine so Brit is actually hugging her from behind but it's still beautiful. The ND gang is on its feet, clapping and shouting while Blaine smiles goofily.
Kurt has never loved the boy more.
The next day, Blaine is playing a rather virulent game of Halo with Sam and Mike in his bedroom when the doorbell rings. His mom calls for him to answer it and he practically flies downstairs, not wanting to give Mike another occasion to cheat. (Mike is a cheater. Probably the most efficient cheater he's ever known because no one suspects that behind his sweet smile and kind touch hides a filthy cheat!)
Blaine opens the front door and stops short as he comes face to face with a humongous bouquet of Orange roses.
"Delivery for Mr. Blaine Anderson," the bored teenager announces.
"That would be me," Blaine answers as a smile takes over his face. Giddiness sweeps over him and he practically throws back the signing device-thingy in the delivery guy's face in his haste to get to the bouquet. He slams the door shut and brings the flower to the kitchen. Once their safe in the biggest vase he could find, he reaches for the note.
Dear Blaine,
Are you sure you want to be a History teacher?
It would be a shame for all of that passion and talent to go to waste.
Maybe you could become the 1st performing History teacher? I'm sure I speak for a lot of people when I say it should totally be a thing. Your thing.
You're amazing. I should know; I'm your biggest fan.
Love,
Kurt.
When Mike and Sam find him half an hour later clutching the note to his chest while sitting on the kitchen floor, they quickly retract to the bedroom and swear to never mention it ever again. Bro code, you understand.